SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD AND PROGRAM

Abstract

In the present invention, an insulating material is applied onto a substrate in a coating treatment unit to form a coating insulating film. The substrate is heated in the heating processing unit, whereby the coating insulating film is hardened partway. A brush is then pressed against the front surface of the coating insulating film in a planarization unit and moved along the front surface of the coating insulating film, thereby planarizing the coating insulating film. The substrate is then heated to completely harden the coating insulating film. According to the present invention, the coating film can be planarized without using the CMP technology.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the outline of a configuration of a substrate processing system;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the substrate processing system 1 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the substrate processing system 1 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a longitudinal section showing the outline of the configuration of a planarization unit;

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of a transverse section showing the outline of the configuration of the planarization unit;

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing the appearance on a wafer during planarization processing;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the wafer processing;

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of a longitudinal section of the wafer showing the state in which a coating insulating film is formed on a base pattern;

FIG. 9A is an explanatory view of a longitudinal section showing the state in which a brush is pressed against the center of the wafer, FIG. 9B is an explanatory view of a longitudinal section showing the state in which the brush is horizontally moved, and FIG. 9C is an explanatory view of a longitudinal section showing the state in which the brush reaches a position outside the wafer;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the wafer processing including a low-temperature heating step;

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of the wafer processing including an ultraviolet irradiation step;

FIG. 12 is a rear view of the substrate processing system including a UV irradiation unit;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of the wafer processing including a high-temperature heating step;

FIG. 14 is an explanatory view of a longitudinal section of the wafer showing the state of projections and depressions on the front surface of the coating insulating film;

FIG. 15A is an explanatory view of a longitudinal section of the wafer showing the state in which planarization is performed with a thin coating insulating film being left, FIG. 15B is an explanatory view of a longitudinal section of the wafer showing the state in which the coating insulating film is hardened, and FIG. 15C is an explanatory view of a longitudinal section of the wafer showing the state in which the thin coating insulating film is etched;

FIG. 16 is a flowchart of the wafer processing including a coating film forming step;

FIG. 17 is an explanatory view of a longitudinal section of the wafer showing the state in which the thin coating insulating film is formed;

FIG. 18 is an explanatory view of a longitudinal section showing a multilayer wiring structure in which an element isolation trench is formed in the base pattern;

FIG. 19 is an explanatory view of a longitudinal section showing the multilayer wiring structure in which a transistor is formed on the base pattern;

FIG. 20 is an explanatory view of a longitudinal section showing the multilayer wiring structure in which aluminum wirings are formed on the base pattern;

FIG. 21 is a plan view of the wafer for explaining control of solvent supply in the planarization step;

FIG. 22 is a side view showing the state in which the brush is moved to the end portion of the wafer;

FIG. 23 is a side view showing the state in which the brush is separated from the wafer after the brush is reciprocated between the center and the end portion of the wafer;

FIG. 24 is a side view showing the state of solvent discharge by a combined nozzle;

FIG. 25 is a side view showing the state of blow of a nitrogen gas by the combined nozzle;

FIG. 26 is a side view showing the appearance in which a solution film at the center of the wafer is removed by the nitrogen gas;

FIG. 27 is a side sectional view showing the appearance in which the brush is cleaned in a cleaning bath provided at a waiting portion; and

FIG. 28 is a sectional view of the brush having a solvent supply path at its center.

Claims

1. A substrate processing method of performing processing for a substrate, comprising: a coating step of applying a coating solution to the substrate to form a coating film;an intermediate hardening step of heating the substrate to harden the coating film partway;a planarization step of pressing a contact body against a front surface of the coating film hardened partway and moving the contact body along the front surface of the coating film to planarize the coating film; andthereafter, a hardening step of hardening the coating film.

2. The substrate processing method as set forth in claim 1, wherein in said planarization step, a solvent for the coating solution is supplied to the substrate.

3. The substrate processing method as set forth in claim 2, wherein in said planarization step, the contact body is moved along the front surface of the coating film with the substrate being rotated, and wherein an amount of solvent supplied when the contact body is located at a peripheral portion of the substrate is larger than the amount when the contact body is located at a central portion of the substrate.

4. The substrate processing method as set forth in claim 1, wherein in said planarization step, the contact body is moved along the front surface of the coating film with the substrate being rotated, and wherein the contact body is moved from a central position of the substrate to a position at a peripheral portion where an edge portion of the substrate comes into contact with the contact body.

5. The substrate processing method as set forth in claim 1, wherein in said planarization step, the contact body is moved along the front surface of the coating film with the substrate being rotated and the contact body is reciprocated between a central portion and an end portion of the substrate, and wherein when the planarization by the contact body is finished, the contact body is moved to the outside of the substrate with the contact body kept pressed against the front surface of the coating film and the contact body is then separated from the substrate.

6. The substrate processing method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said planarization step comprises a cleaning step of cleaning the substrate front surface after planarization, andwherein said cleaning step comprises a step of discharging a solvent for the coating solution to a center of the substrate with the substrate being rotated, and then blowing a nitrogen gas or an inert gas to the center of the substrate to remove a solution film at a central portion of the substrate.

7. The substrate processing method as set forth in claim 2, wherein in said intermediate hardening step, the coating film is hardened so that the contact body is capable of trimming the coating film in said planarization step and the coating film never dissolves by the supply of the solvent.

8. The substrate processing method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising: between said planarization step and said hardening step, a coating film forming step of forming, on a flat surface formed in said planarization step, a coating film thinner than the coating film in said coating step,wherein the thin coating film is removed by etching after said hardening step.

9. The substrate processing method as set forth in claim 8, wherein the substrate on which the thin coating film is formed is heated.

10. The substrate processing method as set forth in claim 1, wherein in said planarization step, the coating film is planarized such that a thin coating film is left on a finally formed target flat surface, andwherein the thin coating film is removed by etching after said hardening step.

11. The substrate processing method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising: a heating step of heating the substrate for which said planarization step has been finished.

12. The substrate processing method as set forth in claim 11, wherein at least any one of a high-temperature heating step of heating the substrate at a temperature higher than the temperature in said heating step and an ultraviolet irradiation step of irradiating the substrate with ultraviolet rays is performed after said heating step.

13. The substrate processing method as set forth in claim 1, wherein in said planarization step, the coating film is planarized by the contact body in a sponge form.

14. The substrate processing method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said coating step is a step of applying an insulating material to a base formed with an element isolation trench.

15. The substrate processing method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said coating step is a step of applying an insulating material to a base formed with an electronic element.

16. The substrate processing method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said coating step is a step of applying an insulating material to a base formed with a metal wiring.

17. A program operating on a computer in a control unit for controlling a substrate processing apparatus to cause the substrate processing apparatus to perform a substrate processing method, the substrate processing method including:a coating step of applying a coating solution to the substrate to form a coating film;an intermediate hardening step of heating the substrate to harden the coating film partway;a planarization step of pressing a contact body against a front surface of the coating film hardened partway and moving the contact body along the front surface of the coating film to planarize the coating film; andthereafter, a hardening step of hardening the coating film.