Substrate Thermal Processor Uniform Line Width Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate processing methods fail to achieve uniform line width of resist patterns within a plane due to non-uniform temperature distribution during heat processing, which is influenced by exposure and development processing conditions.
Innovation Solution
A substrate processing apparatus with a thermal processor, imager, and controller that performs pre-exposure and post-heating imaging to estimate in-plane temperature distribution, allowing for adjustment of thermal processing conditions to ensure uniformity, including a pre-exposure imaging step, thermal processing, post-heating imaging, temperature distribution estimation, and decision of processing conditions based on imaging results.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If heat processing is performed on the resist film after exposure, then the resist pattern is formed, but the line width varies within the wafer due to non-uniform temperature distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making different regions of the heating apparatus have different heating characteristics. Specifically, the heating apparatus includes a first heating region and a second heating region with different heating powers, allowing temperature compensation across different wafer positions to achieve uniform line width despite varying temperature distributions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the heating parameter (heating power) across different regions of the heating apparatus. By adjusting the heating power of different heating regions based on the measured temperature distribution and line width variations, the system optimizes the thermal processing conditions to achieve uniform resist pattern formation across the entire wafer surface
2Manufacturing precision
If the heating temperature is increased in regions with large estimated line width to compensate for variation, then line width uniformity improves, but the processing conditions become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control by measuring the actual temperature distribution during heating, calculating the estimated line width variation based on this temperature data, and then adjusting the heating power of different regions accordingly. This closed-loop feedback system automatically optimizes processing conditions without requiring complex manual intervention
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms with an automated control system that uses temperature sensors, calculation units, and programmable heating control. This substitution of mechanical systems with automated control reduces operational complexity while maintaining manufacturing precision
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables uniform heat processing results across the substrate, leading to the formation of resist patterns with consistent line widths within the plane, improving the uniformity of the resist pattern formation process.
Implementation Method 1
an imager configured to image the substrate
Implementation Method 2
a thermal processor configured to perform thermal processing on the substrate
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate processing apparatus which processes includes a thermal processor that performs thermal processing on the substrate; an imager that images the substrate; and a controller that executes adjustment processing of adjusting conditions of processing on the substrate. The adjustment processing includes: controlling the imager to image an unexposed adjustment substrate on which a resist film is formed; controlling the thermal processor to perform the thermal processing on the adjustment substrate subjected to uniform exposure processing of exposing each region of a substrate surface with a fixed exposure amount after the pre-exposure imaging; controlling the imager to image the adjustment substrate after the thermal processing; estimating an in-plane temperature distribution of the adjustment substrate in the thermal processing based on the pre-exposure imaging result and the post-heating imaging result; and deciding processing conditions of the thermal processing based on an estimation result of the in-plane temperature distribution.