Heating apparatus and heating method
AssigneeTokyo Electron Limited
InventorEiichi Shirakawa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heating apparatus comprises a central hot plate for heating the center portion of a substrate, a plurality of segment hot plates for heating the peripheral portion of the substrate, a hot plate support member supporting the central hot plate and the segment hot plates, support pins for supporting the substrate so as to face the central hot plate and the segment hot plates in a close proximity without being in contact with the central hot plate and the segment hot plates, and a power supply for supplying electricity to the central hot plate and the segment hot plates.
Claims21
A heating treatment apparatus for heating a substrate to be processed by photolithography comprising:
- a central hot plate having a heat-generating surface which faces a center portion of a lower surface of the substrate and heating the center portion of the substrate;
- a plurality of segment hot plates provided so as to surround a periphery of the central hot plate in a plan view, having a heat-generating surface facing a peripheral portion of the lower surface of the substrate and heating a periphery of the substrate;
- a hot plate support member supporting the central hot plate and the segment hot plates;
- a substrate support member supporting the substrate so as to face the central hot plate and the segment hot plates in a close proximity without being in contact with the central hot plate and the segment hot plates;
- and
- a power supply for supplying electricity to the central hot plate and each of the segment hot plates.
A method of heating a substrate to be processed by photolithography, comprising:
- (a) preparing a central hot plate having a heat-generating surface which faces a center portion of a lower surface of the substrate and a plurality of segment hot plates each having a heat generating surface which faces a peripheral portion of the lower surface of the substrate;
- (b) arranging said plurality of segment hot plates around said central hot plate;
- forming an annular clearance between said segment hot plates and said central hot plate, inserting a plurality of support pins into the annular clearance from the bottom and allowing said support pins to protrude upward, supporting the substrate by the support pins without being in contact with the segment hot plates and the central hot plate;
- and
- (c) heating the center portion of the lower surface by the central hot plate, heating the peripheral portion of the substrate by said plurality of segment hot plates, thereby heating the entire substrate to a predetermined target temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.