Tokyo Electron Limited

Kyoshige Katayama

Shinji Nagashima

Kazuhiro Takeshita

Yoji Mizutani

Makoto Muramatsu

Kazutoshi Yano

Takeshi Tamura

Yuta Yoshimura

Kei Miyazaki

Prior to transfer of an wafer W, a mixed gas is being generated and exhausted, thereby fluctuation of concentration and temperature of a solvent component at the beginning of gas introduction into a chamberis suppressed. A step of gelling after the wafer W is carried into an aging unit is divided into several steps. Until a temperature of the wafer W reaches a predetermined treatment temperature, an average concentration of the solvent component in a mixed gas is gradually raised relative to the temperature of the wafer W. Thereby, immediately after the wafer W is transferred into a sealed chamber, the gas of the solvent component is prevented from condensing.

Method of coating film, coating unit, aging unit, solvent replacement unit, and apparatus for coating film

A gas flow regulating surface portion is the farthest from the front surface of a wafer W in the middle between a peripheral portion of the wafer W and a center portion of a sealing vessel. The gas flow regulating portion protrudes to the front surface of the wafer W in the vicinity of a center portion that surrounds an exhausting opening . In other words, a convex portion is formed in a peripheral area of the gas flow regulating surface portion that surrounds the exhausting opening . Since treatment gas flows along the front surface of the gas flow regulating portion , treatment gas equally contacts the wafer W in the radius direction of the wafer W. Thus, a film with equal thickness is formed.

Gas treatment apparatus

Prior to transfer of an wafer W, a mixed gas is being generated and exhausted, thereby fluctuation of concentration and temperature of a solvent component at the beginning of gas introduction into a chamber is suppressed. A step of gelling after the wafer W is carried into an aging unit is divided into several steps. Until a temperature of the wafer W reaches a predetermined treatment temperature, an average concentration of the solvent component in a mixed gas is gradually raised relative to the temperature of the wafer W. Thereby, immediately after the wafer W is transferred into a sealed chamber, the gas of the solvent component is prevented from condensing.

In a processing chamber for performing heat processing for a substrate, gas for purge, for example, N is supplied nearly parallel to the substrate placed on a hot plate with a gap forming member between them and toward both the front and rear faces of the substrate. Thus, an atmosphere around the substrate can be exchanged for the gas for purge efficiently, and moreover the atmosphere around the substrate can be exchanged uniformly. Accordingly, heat processing in a low oxygen atmosphere can be performed in a short time, and moreover the total time required for substrate processing can be shortened. Besides, heat processing in the low oxygen atmosphere can be performed uniformly.

Substrate processing apparatus

In a heat processing apparatus of a low-oxygen curing and cooling processing station, a plurality of blast ports are provided in a ring shutter along a thickness direction of a wafer and a heated inert gas is supplied into a heat processing chamber via the blast ports, so that both faces of the wafer can be heated while the inside of the heat processing chamber is exchanged for the inert gas. Accordingly, heat processing for the substrate can be efficiently performed in a short period of time.

Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Prior to transfer of an wafer W, a mixed gas is being generated and exhausted, thereby fluctuation of concentration and temperature of a solvent component at the beginning of gas introduction into a chamber,is suppressed. A step of gelling after the wafer W is carried into an aging unit is divided into several steps. Until a temperature of the wafer W reaches a predetermined treatment temperature, an average concentration of the solvent component in a mixed gas is gradually raised relative to the temperature of the wafer W. Thereby, immediately after the wafer W is transferred into a sealed chamber, the gas of the solvent component is prevented from condensing.

Spin coating apparatus including aging unit and solvent replacement unit

A gas flow regulating surface portion,is the farthest from the front surface of a wafer W in the middle between a peripheral portion of the wafer W and a center portion of a sealing vessel. The gas flow regulating portion,protrudes to the front surface of the wafer W in the vicinity of a center portion that surrounds an exhausting opening,In other words, a convex portion,is formed in a peripheral area of the gas flow regulating surface portion,that surrounds the exhausting opening,Since treatment gas flows along the front surface of the gas flow regulating portion,treatment gas equally contacts the wafer W in the radius direction of the wafer W. Thus, a film with equal thickness is formed.

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Kumamoto, Japan

Kyoshige Katayama