Substrate Transfer Atmosphere Control for Metal Resist CD Uniformity
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Solution Overview
Problem
In semiconductor manufacturing, metal-containing resist films used in photolithography are prone to denaturation due to reactions with atmospheric components, leading to inconsistent critical dimension (CD) of resist patterns across wafers, which affects productivity and uniformity.
Innovation Solution
A substrate processing system that uses a nitrogen (N2) gas atmosphere to regulate the reaction progress of metal-containing resist films, ensuring consistent CD by controlling exposure time within a transfer container and incorporating a buffer module to manage substrate transfer and processing, thereby suppressing denaturation and promoting uniformity across multiple substrates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If substrates are transferred between multiple apparatuses in a sequential manner, then productivity is improved, but the metal-containing resist film is exposed to atmospheric components causing denaturation and CD inconsistency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies inert atmosphere by introducing nitrogen gas into the transfer container to create an oxygen-free environment. This prevents oxidation and denaturation of the metal-containing resist film during transfer between apparatuses, thereby maintaining critical dimension uniformity while enabling sequential substrate processing for improved productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The transfer container serves as an intermediary device that provides a controlled nitrogen atmosphere environment between the resist formation apparatus and the development apparatus. This intermediary protects the resist film from atmospheric exposure during transfer, resolving the contradiction between productivity improvement through sequential processing and maintaining manufacturing precision.
2Speed
If the reaction of metal-containing resist film with atmospheric components is allowed to proceed, then processing speed is improved, but pattern uniformity deteriorates due to denaturation
Solution Approach 1:
By maintaining a nitrogen atmosphere in the transfer container during substrate transfer and waiting periods, the patent prevents unwanted chemical reactions between the metal-containing resist film and atmospheric oxygen. This allows for faster processing speeds without compromising pattern uniformity, as the resist film remains stable throughout the manufacturing process.
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
The system effectively suppresses denaturation of metal-containing resist films, maintaining desired CD values and improving pattern uniformity among substrates, even when processing modules are unavailable, thus enhancing semiconductor device productivity and quality.
Implementation Method 1
a substrate processing system that uses a nitrogen (N2) gas atmosphere to regulate the reaction progress of metal-containing resist films
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate processing system provided with a plurality of apparatuses to perform a patterning on a plurality of the substrates, wherein a transfer container accommodating the plurality of substrates is transferred to the plurality of apparatuses in a sequential manner. The substrate processing system includes: a first apparatus of the plurality of apparatuses, which is configured to form a metal-containing resist film on each substrate; a second apparatus of the plurality of apparatuses, which is configured to perform a development on the metal-containing resist film after exposure; and an atmosphere regulator having an accommodation space where the substrates, on each of which the metal-containing resist film before being subjected to the development is formed, are accommodated and configured to regulate an atmosphere of the accommodation space so as to regulate a degree of progress of a reaction of the metal-containing resist film on each substrate.