JPH065507A - Developing apparatus in photolithographic process - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] When developing a work obtained by exposing the photoresist formed on the substrate to light, the developer mist adheres to the resist surface of the waiting work during the development process, which causes This eliminates the occurrence of defective work. [Structure] The standby chamber 1 and the development processing chamber 5 are provided with a shutter 6
Nozzles 4, 4 ... For spraying the workpieces a, a ′, which are placed in the chambers 1 and 5, respectively, while being adjacent to each other via a partition having And, respectively.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display (T
The present invention relates to a developing device in a photolithography process (light exposure technique) used in a fine processing technique such as FT-LCD) or a semiconductor wafer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an apparatus for developing an exposed portion of a photoresist formed on a substrate, as shown in FIG. 3, receives a work a from an inlet 2 by rollers 3, 3, ... A waiting room 1 for waiting for a time and a shutter 6 on the approach path of the work a
At the same time as opening and receiving the work a, the work a is allowed to stand for a certain period of time and a developing solution is sprayed onto it, and a development processing chamber 5 is provided with a nitrogen discharge nozzle 8 for preventing the deterioration of the developing solution. Workpiece a'provided through a partition having a shutter 6'and processed in the development processing chamber 5
It comprises a washing chamber 10 having upper and lower discharge nozzles 11 and 11 'for washing the upper and lower surfaces with water, and a drying chamber 13 having air knives 14 and 14' for removing water from the washed workpiece a '. .

In the above apparatus, a work (a) is made by exposing a photoresist (positive resist) provided on the surface of a glass or other substrate to a predetermined shape by irradiating ultraviolet rays, and the work a is fed into the waiting chamber 1 from the feeding port 2. To do. Here, the work a waits for a predetermined time according to a preprogrammed time required for the development of the preceding work in the development processing chamber, and then opens the shutter 6 to open the work in the development processing chamber 5.
Inside, where the work is allowed to stand still and the developer from the discharge nozzle 7 is bathed, the exposed portion of the photoresist of the work is removed over a certain period of time, and patterning of a predetermined shape is performed to complete the processed work a ′. Is what you get. Next, the work a'developed in the above is further fed into the washing chamber 10 at the same time when the shutter 6'is opened, and the rinsing liquid (rinsing water = pure water) is discharged from the upper and lower discharge nozzles 11 and 11 '. Then, the remaining developing solution is washed off to quickly stop the progress of development, and when the cleaning is completed, the work a'is sent into the drying chamber 13 and the upper and lower air knives 14, 1
The water attached to the surface of the work a'is completely scattered by 4 ', and the work a'is taken out from the delivery port 2'.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional apparatus, the shutter 6 is provided as a partition at the portion where the work enters from the standby chamber 1 into the development processing chamber 5, and in the standby chamber 1 Even if the supplied work a is on standby, the preceding work is developed in the adjacent developing chamber 5, so that the developer mist generated at that time passes through the slight gap of the shutter 6 and the waiting chamber 1 Condensation e is directly generated on the photoresist c of the workpiece that has entered the inside and is waiting, as shown in FIG. Since the developer mist at this time is in a state of being concentrated to a higher concentration than the developer discharged from the discharge nozzle 7 in the development processing chamber, it becomes mist.
Regardless of whether the photoresist is exposed or unexposed, the dew condensation portion of the photoresist film c is dissolved, and development is performed in the development processing chamber 5 in that state.
As shown in FIG. 5, the state of the workpiece picked up by washing with water and drying is not only the normal pattern photoresist c among the patterns of the predetermined shape formed on the substrate b, but also the disconnection portion c ′.
A defective pattern having a defective portion c "and a defective portion is formed, resulting in a defective work. Therefore, the apparatus of the present invention is intended to provide an apparatus which prevents the above-mentioned defect from occurring in the pattern during the developing process.

[0005]

In a developing apparatus, which comprises a waiting chamber for providing a photoresist film on a substrate and receiving an exposed workpiece and waiting for a time, a processing chamber for developing an exposed portion of the workpiece, and the like. A discharge nozzle for spraying pure water onto the waiting work is provided in the waiting chamber.

[0006]

The thin film of pure water is formed on the surface of the photoresist by moistening the surface of the photoresist of the workpiece waiting in the standby chamber with pure water. The coming developer mist will be impinged on this pure water thin film, which prevents direct contact with the photoresist and prevents erosion of the photoresist by the developer mist.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings. The most gist of the present invention is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the work a fed by the rollers 3, 3, ... From the insertion port 2 is made to stand by for the time programmed in advance by the memory circuit of the computer, and the pure water is applied to the photoresist surface of the work a. The point is that the discharge nozzles 4, 4, ... A developing processing chamber 5 is provided adjacent to a side portion of the standby chamber 1 thus configured, and a shutter 6 is provided in a work entrance path of a partition wall portion between the developing processing chamber 5 and the waiting chamber 1 so that both chambers are provided. Are shut off from each other, and a discharge nozzle 7 for spraying the developing solution onto the work sent into the developing processing chamber and a nitrogen discharge nozzle 8 for preventing the deterioration of the developing solution are provided, and the discharge liquid is provided below. A tube 9 is provided. A water washing chamber 10 is installed on the other side of the development processing chamber 5 through a partition wall provided with a shutter 6'in the same way as described above, and pure water for washing the upper and lower surfaces of the work simultaneously is installed therein. That is, the discharge nozzles 11 and 11 ′ for discharging the rinse liquid are provided, the drain pipe 12 is provided at the lower part of the chamber, and the drying chamber 13 is provided at the side of the washing chamber 10 via a partition wall, and the inside thereof is provided. Air cutters 14 and 14 'for removing water on the upper and lower surfaces of the delivered work are installed, and the processed works are sequentially taken out from a delivery port 2'provided on the other side wall.

Next, a series of operations of the present invention will be described.
First, the work a supplied to the inlet 2 of the standby chamber 1 is exemplified by a positive type photoresist c provided on a substrate b made of glass or the like as described in the conventional example. It is assumed that a work a is obtained by exposing c to a predetermined shape by irradiating ultraviolet rays, and is sent into the standby chamber 1 from the inlet 2. At this time, pure water is ejected from the discharge nozzles 4, 4 ... into the standby chamber 1, and a pure water film is always formed on the surface of the workpiece a which is on standby.
The work a waits in the waiting chamber 1 for a predetermined programming time of the preceding work in the development chamber 5, and then the shutter 6 is opened at the time of completion of the development process to wait. The existing work a is introduced into the development processing chamber 5. At this time, the developer mist that is generated during the development processing of the preceding work and is filled in the development processing chamber flows into the waiting chamber 1 and is still waiting. Attempt to adhere to the surface of a. However, the surface of the workpiece a in the standby state is always covered with a water film (1 to 1) by pure water from the discharge nozzles 4, 4.
Even if dew condensation e of the developer mist occurs, it remains on the water film d as shown in FIG. 2 and is diluted by the water film, and the water film d is discharged. Since the pure water discharged from the nozzle 4 is flowing and is flowing, the pure water is washed away, and the surface of the photoresist c is protected and fed into the development processing chamber 5.

Therefore, the work is held stationary for a preset developing treatment time, and the surface of the photoresist is patterned by the developing solution ejected from the nozzle 7 according to the exposed shape, and the solution in the processing chamber 5 is removed. The treated work a ′, which has been collected by the other via the drainage pipe 9, purified, reused, and treated, is sent to the next washing chamber 10. Therefore, in the water washing chamber 10, the upper and lower rinse liquids (pure water for rinsing) are sprayed from the respective discharge nozzles 11 and 11 'toward the processed work a', so that the developing liquid is quickly washed off and the development progresses. The stopped and used water is collected and reused by the lower drain pipe 12.

The work a'which has been washed with water is sent to the drying chamber 13, where the water knives 14 'are used to completely drain off the water adhering to both sides of the work a'and the finished product in the drying chamber 13' is dried. All the series of operations that have been sent out from the outlet 2'end.

[0011]

Since the present invention is constructed as described above, the developer mist from the adjacent developing processing chamber is blocked by the water film during standby, so that the photoresist of the work a is eroded before the developing processing. The high-quality patterning process can be performed and the product yield is significantly improved.
Further, even if the developer indirectly contacts the surface of the photoresist through the water film, the developer is significantly diluted by the water film, so that there is almost no effect.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional side view showing an outline of a device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing a state of a work when being developed by the same apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a vertical side view of a conventional device.

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing a state of a work when being developed by the same apparatus.

5 is a plan view showing a defect example of the work according to FIG. 3. FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Standby chamber 5 Development processing chamber 6 Shutter 7 Discharge nozzle for developer a Work

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A developing device comprising a work waiting chamber, a work developing chamber for feeding the work from the waiting chamber, and the like, and a discharge nozzle for spraying pure water onto the exposed photoresist surface provided on the work in the waiting chamber. And a developing device in a photolithography process.