# US 10,120,286 B2 · Developing method, developing apparatus, and computer-readable recording medium

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- Number: US 10,120,286 B2
- Document ID: US10120286B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/802,810
- Filed: 2015-07-17
- Published: 2016-01-28
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2014-07-25
- Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Inventors: Tomohiro Iseki; Hirofumi Takeguchi; Yuichi Terashita
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10120286B2

## CPC

- G03F 7/32: Liquid compositions therefor, e.g. developers
- G03F 7/3021: {from a wafer supported on a rotating chuck}
- B05D 1/005: {Spin coating}
- G16Z 99/00: Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
- H10P 72/0448: {Apparatus for applying a liquid, a resin, an ink or the like}
- G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G)
- B05D: PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (conveying articles or workpieces through baths of liquid B65G, e.g. B65G49/02)
- G16Z: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR SPECIFIC APPLICATION FIELDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

There is provided a method of developing an exposed resist film formed on a surface of a substrate to form a resist pattern, which includes: rotating the substrate about a rotation axis that extends in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate that is horizontally supported; supplying a developing solution through a discharge hole positioned above the substrate onto the resist film such that the developing solution is widely spread on a surface of the resist film; and positioning a wetted part having a surface that faces the surface of the substrate, above a preceding region in the surface of the substrate, the preceding region being a region to which the developing solution is preferentially supplied through the discharge hole.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of developing an exposed resist film formed on a surface of a substrate to form a resist pattern, the method comprising:
rotating the substrate about a rotation axis that extends in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate that is horizontally supported;
supplying a developing solution through a discharge hole of a wetted part positioned above the substrate onto the resist film by moving the wetted part from a preceding region in the surface of the substrate to another region of the surface of the substrate in a diameter direction of the substrate, such that the developing solution is widely spread on a surface of the resist film; and
positioning the wetted part having a surface that faces the surface of the substrate, above the preceding region in the surface of the substrate, the preceding region being a region to which the developing solution is initially supplied through the discharge hole and to which a line width of the resist pattern needs to be adjusted, in the surface of the substrate, arranging the wetted part above the preceding region at a position above the preceding region, and stopping the wetted part at the position for a predetermined period of time to hold the developing solution.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein supplying a developing solution includes moving the discharge hole from a peripheral portion of the substrate toward the rotation axis.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein supplying a developing solution includes moving the discharge hole from the rotation axis toward a peripheral portion of the substrate.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein positioning the wetted part includes applying a positive electric potential to the wetted part.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a rotational speed of the substrate ranges from 5 to 100 revolutions/minute.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a distance between the surface of the resist film and the facing surface of the wetted part ranges from 0.1 to 2.0 mm.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein positioning the wetted part includes moving the wetted part above a sequence of regions to which the developing solution is sequentially supplied through the discharge hole, in the surface of the substrate.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the discharge hole is formed in the facing surface of the wetted part.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the wetted part has a columnar shape or a plate shape.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein an annular protrusion that extends from the facing surface toward the surface of the substrate is formed in a peripheral portion of the wetted part.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of protrusions that extend from the facing surface toward the surface of the substrate is formed in the facing surface of the wetted part.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program for executing the method of claim 1 in a developing apparatus.