Method and system for coating and developing

Abstract

In a coating and developing treatment for a substrate, the present invention comprises the steps of: supplying a coating solution to the substrate to form a coating layer on the substrate; performing a developing treatment for the substrate in the processing zone after it undergoes an exposure processing by an aligner not included in the system; and carrying the substrate into the chamber after the step of forming the coating layer and before the exposure processing and thereafter reducing the pressure inside the airtightly closed chamber to a predetermined pressure to remove impurities adhering to the substrate inside the chamber from the substrate for a predetermined time, wherein the predetermined pressure and the predetermined time are adjusted based on the density of the impurities measured inside the processing zone. According to the present invention, impurities at a molecule level such as moisture, vapor, oxygen, ozone, and organic substance, and impurities such as fine particles, which adhere to the coating layer of the substrate, can be removed before the exposure processing so that the exposure processing can be performed in a preferable condition. Since the pressure, time, and pressure-reducing speed at the time of reducing the pressure are adjusted based on the density of the impurities measured in a predetermined position, the impurities adhering to the substrate such as moisture and oxygen can be removed under a preferable minimum requirement condition according to the adhering amount of the impurities.

1 . A coating and developing treatment method for performing a coating and developing treatment for a substrate in a processing zone of a coating and developing treatment system, comprising the steps of: 
 supplying a coating solution to the substrate to form a coating layer on the substrate;    performing a developing treatment for the substrate in the processing zone after it undergoes an exposure processing by an aligner not included in the system; and    carrying the substrate into the chamber after said step of forming the coating layer and before the exposure processing, and thereafter reducing the pressure inside the airtightly closed chamber to a predetermined pressure to remove from the substrate impurities adhering to the substrate inside the chamber for a predetermined time,    wherein the predetermined pressure and the predetermined time are adjusted based on the density of the impurities measured inside the processing zone.    
     
     
         2 . A coating and developing treatment method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of: 
 classifying the density of the impurities into predetermined density ranges and storing the aforesaid predetermined pressure and the aforesaid predetermined time corresponding to the respective density ranges,    wherein the predetermined pressure and the predetermined time are adjusted based on the measured density of the impurities to equal to the stored predetermined pressure and predetermined time corresponding to the predetermined density range to which the measured density belongs.    
     
     
         3 . A coating and developing treatment method according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein pressure-reducing speed in said step of reducing the pressure inside the chamber to the predetermined pressure is adjusted based on the density of the impurities.    
     
     
         4 . A coating and developing treatment method for performing a coating and developing treatment for a substrate in a processing zone of a coating and developing treatment system, comprising the steps of: 
 supplying a coating solution to the substrate to form a coating layer on the substrate;    performing a developing treatment for the substrate in the processing zone after it undergoes an exposure processing by an aligner not included in the system; and    carrying the substrate into the chamber after said step of forming the coating layer and before the exposure processing, and thereafter reducing the pressure inside the airtightly closed chamber to a predetermined pressure to remove from the substrate impurities adhering to the substrate inside the chamber for a predetermined time,    wherein the predetermined pressure and the predetermined time are adjusted based on the density of the impurities measured inside a clean room where the coating and developing treatment system is placed.    
     
     
         5 . A coating and developing treatment method according to  claim 4 , further comprising the step of: 
 classifying the density of the impurities into predetermined density ranges and storing the aforesaid predetermined pressure and the aforesaid predetermined time corresponding to the respective density ranges,    wherein the predetermined pressure and the predetermined time are adjusted based on the measured density of the impurities to equal to the stored predetermined pressure and predetermined time corresponding to the predetermined density range to which the measured density belongs.    
     
     
         6 . A coating and developing treatment method according to  claim 4 , wherein the pressure-reducing speed in said step of reducing the pressure inside the chamber to the predetermined pressure is adjusted based on the density of the impurities.  
     
     
         7 . A coating and developing treatment method for performing a coating and developing treatment for a substrate in a processing zone of a coating and developing treatment system, comprising the steps of: 
 supplying a coating solution to the substrate to form a coating layer on the substrate;    performing a developing treatment for the substrate in the processing zone after it undergoes an exposure processing by an aligner not included in the system; and    carrying the substrate into the chamber after said step of forming the coating layer and before the exposure processing, and thereafter reducing the pressure inside the airtightly closed chamber to a predetermined pressure to remove from the substrate impurities adhering to the substrate inside the chamber for a predetermined time,    wherein pressure-reducing speed in said step of reducing the pressure is adjusted based on the density of the impurities measured inside the processing zone.    
     
     
         8 . A coating and developing treatment method according to  claim 7 , further comprising the step of: 
 classifying the density of the impurities into predetermined density ranges and storing the aforesaid predetermined pressure-reducing speed corresponding to the respective density ranges,    wherein the predetermined pressure-reducing speed is adjusted based on the measured density of the impurities to equal to the stored predetermined pressure-reducing speed corresponding to the predetermined density range to which the measured density belongs.    
     
     
         9 . A coating and developing treatment method for performing a coating and developing treatment for a substrate in a processing zone of a coating and developing treatment system, comprising the steps of: 
 supplying a coating solution to the substrate to form a coating layer on the substrate;    performing a developing treatment for the substrate in the processing zone after it undergoes an exposure processing by an aligner not included in the system; and    carrying the substrate into the chamber after said step of forming the coating layer and before the exposure processing, and thereafter reducing pressure inside the airtightly closed chamber to a predetermined pressure to remove from the substrate impurities adhering to the substrate inside the chamber for a predetermined time,    wherein pressure-reducing speed in said step of reducing the pressure is adjusted based on the density of the impurities measured inside a clean room where the coating and developing treatment system is placed.    
     
     
         10 . A coating and developing treatment method according to  claim 9 , further comprising the step of: 
 classifying the density of the impurities into predetermined density ranges and storing the aforesaid predetermined pressure-reducing speed corresponding to the respective density ranges,    wherein the predetermined pressure-reducing speed is adjusted based on the measured density of the impurities to equal to the stored predetermined pressure-reducing speed corresponding to the predetermined density range to which the measured density belongs.    
     
     
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