APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF PROCESSING SUBSTRATE

Abstract

A stage cleaning substrate for use in the operation of cleaning a substrate stage within an exposure unit compatible with immersion exposure and a dummy substrate for use during the adjustment of an exposure position of a pattern image are held in a cleaning substrate housing part and a dummy substrate housing part, respectively, provided in a substrate processing apparatus. For the operation of cleaning the substrate stage or an alignment operation within the exposure unit, the stage cleaning substrate or the dummy substrate is transported from the substrate processing apparatus to the exposure unit. The process of cleaning the stage cleaning substrate or the dummy substrate is performed in a cleaning processing unit of the substrate processing apparatus immediately before or immediately after the operation of cleaning the substrate stage or the alignment operation.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a liquid processing part in the substrate processing apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a front view of a thermal processing part in the substrate processing apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a view showing a construction around substrate rest parts;

FIG. 5A is a plan view of a transport robot;

FIG. 5B is a front view of the transport robot;

FIG. 6 is a view for illustrating a construction of a cleaning processing unit;

FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view showing an example of the structure of a two-fluid nozzle;

FIG. 8A is a side sectional view of a heating part with a temporary substrate rest part;

FIG. 8B is a plan view of the heating part with the temporary substrate rest part;

FIG. 9 is a side view of an interface block;

FIG. 10 is a schematic block diagram showing a control mechanism for the substrate processing apparatus and an exposure unit;

FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing an example of a procedure for substrate stage cleaning;

FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing another example of the procedure for substrate stage cleaning;

FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing an example of a procedure for an alignment process in the exposure unit; and

FIG. 14 shows an immersion exposure process performed on a substrate in the exposure unit.

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus for performing a resist coating process and a development process on a substrate, said substrate processing apparatus being disposed adjacent to an exposure apparatus for performing an exposure process on a substrate, said substrate processing apparatus comprising: a housing part for housing an exposure apparatus adjustment substrate for use in an adjustment operation within said exposure apparatus;a cleaning part for cleaning said exposure apparatus adjustment substrate; anda transport element for transferring and receiving said exposure apparatus adjustment substrate to and from said exposure apparatus and for transporting said exposure apparatus adjustment substrate between said housing part and said cleaning part.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cleaning controller for controlling said transport element and said cleaning part to clean said exposure apparatus adjustment substrate immediately before or immediately after the adjustment operation within said exposure apparatus.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cleaning controller for controlling said transport element and said cleaning part to periodically clean said exposure apparatus adjustment substrate.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an indexer part for transporting an unprocessed substrate into said substrate processing apparatus and for transporting a processed substrate out of said substrate processing apparatus,wherein said housing part is provided in said indexer part.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cleaning part includes a chemical solution supply part for supplying hydrofluoric acid to said exposure apparatus adjustment substrate.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said exposure apparatus adjustment substrate is an exposure apparatus cleaning substrate used for cleaning the inside of said exposure apparatus.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said exposure apparatus adjustment substrate is a dummy substrate for use when said exposure apparatus performs an alignment process for adjusting an exposure position.

8. A method of processing a substrate, said method including transporting a substrate subjected to a resist coating process in a substrate processing apparatus to an exposure apparatus to expose said substrate in a pattern in said exposure apparatus, and then transporting said substrate back to said substrate processing apparatus to perform a development process on said substrate in said substrate processing apparatus, said method comprising the steps of: a) transferring an exposure apparatus adjustment substrate from said substrate processing apparatus to said exposure apparatus, said exposure apparatus adjustment substrate being for use in an adjustment operation within said exposure apparatus;b) performing the adjustment operation using said exposure apparatus adjustment substrate in said exposure apparatus;c) transferring said exposure apparatus adjustment substrate subjected to said adjustment operation from said exposure apparatus to said substrate processing apparatus; andd) cleaning said exposure apparatus adjustment substrate in said substrate processing apparatus.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said step d) is performed immediately before said step a) or immediately after said step c).

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein said step d) is performed periodically.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein said step d) includes the step of supplying hydrofluoric acid to said exposure apparatus adjustment substrate to perform surface preparation.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein said exposure apparatus adjustment substrate is an exposure apparatus cleaning substrate used for cleaning the inside of said exposure apparatus.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein said exposure apparatus adjustment substrate is a dummy substrate for use when said exposure apparatus performs an alignment process for adjusting an exposure position.