WO2020179278A1

WO2020179278A1 - Heat treatment device and heat treatment method

Info

Publication number: WO2020179278A1
Application number: PCT/JP2020/002579
Authority: WO
Inventors: 恵林; 茂宏後藤; 正晃古川; 徳市中島
Original assignee: 株式会社Ｓｃｒｅｅｎホールディングス
Priority date: 2019-03-04
Filing date: 2020-01-24
Publication date: 2020-09-10
Also published as: TW202040691A; TWI772745B; JP7256034B2; JP2020145216A

Abstract

In this heat treatment device, heat treatment is performed on a substrate by placing the substrate on a heat treatment plate held at a set temperature. Change operation conditions of the heat treatment device when changing the set temperature of the heat treatment plate are stored in advance in a storage unit. When the set temperature is changed, a main heater and a booster heater are operated according to the stored change operation conditions. At this time, a temperature change in the heat treatment plate is detected, and the change operation conditions stored in the storage unit are changed so that the detected temperature change approaches a predetermined reference waveform.

Description

Heat treatment apparatus and heat treatment method

The present invention relates to a heat treatment apparatus and a heat treatment method for performing heat treatment on a substrate.

Conventionally, FPD (Flat Panel Display) substrates, semiconductor substrates, optical disk substrates, magnetic disk substrates, magneto-optical disk substrates, photomask substrates used in liquid crystal display devices or organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display devices, etc. 2. Description of the Related Art A heat treatment apparatus is used to perform heat treatment on various substrates such as a ceramic substrate or a solar cell substrate.

In the heat treatment apparatus, the heat treatment is performed by, for example, supporting the substrate on a plate member held at a preset heat treatment temperature for a predetermined time. When heat treatment is sequentially performed on a plurality of substrates, a common heat treatment temperature is not always set for the plurality of substrates. When different heat treatment temperatures are set for the two substrates to be heat-treated sequentially, it is necessary to change the temperature of the plate member after the heat treatment of one substrate and before the heat treatment of the other substrate.

The temperature of the plate member can be changed in various ways. For example, in the temperature changing system described in Patent Document 1, the temperature of the bake plate portion can be raised or lowered by adjusting the driving state of the heater layer included in the bake plate portion (plate member). It is possible. Further, in the temperature changing system, the passive cooling plate cooled by the active cooling plate comes into contact with the bake plate portion via the thermal pad, so that the temperature of the bake plate portion can be significantly lowered. ing.
Patent No. 5658083

Normally, in the heat treatment device, the operating conditions for changing the temperature of the plate member are predetermined according to the two temperatures before and after the change. However, depending on the temperature of the space in which the heat treatment apparatus is provided or the individual difference of the heat treatment apparatus, it may be difficult to accurately change the temperature even if the heat treatment apparatus is operated according to a predetermined operating condition. In this case, if the fine adjustment is repeated in order to accurately change the temperature of the plate member, the time required for changing the temperature becomes long and the heat treatment efficiency decreases.

An object of the present invention is to provide a heat treatment apparatus and a heat treatment method capable of suppressing a decrease in heat treatment efficiency due to a change in heat treatment temperature.

(1) A heat treatment apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is a heat treatment apparatus that performs heat treatment on a substrate, and performs heat treatment by passing a plate member on which the substrate is placed and a plate member on the substrate placed on the plate member. According to the operating condition stored in the heat treatment unit, the storage unit that stores the operating condition of the heat treatment unit when changing the temperature of the plate member from the set first temperature to the set second temperature, An operation control unit that operates the heat treatment unit, a temperature detector that detects the temperature of the plate member, and a change in temperature detected by the temperature detector when the heat treatment unit operates according to the operating conditions are converted into a predetermined reference waveform. A condition changing unit for changing the operating conditions stored in the storage unit is provided so as to approach the storage unit.

In the heat treatment apparatus, the substrate is placed on the plate member adjusted to the first temperature, so that the placed substrate is heat-treated. Alternatively, the substrate is placed on the plate member adjusted to the second temperature, so that the placed substrate is heat-treated. By sequentially heat-treating the plurality of substrates, the heat treatment corresponding to the first temperature and the heat treatment corresponding to the second temperature are performed in this order. In this case, it is necessary to change the temperature of the plate member from the first temperature to the second temperature after the heat treatment corresponding to the first temperature and before the heat treatment corresponding to the second temperature.

When the temperature of the plate member is changed from the first temperature to the second temperature, the heat treatment section operates according to the operating conditions stored in the storage section. At this time, a change in the temperature of the plate member is detected, and the operating condition stored in the storage unit is changed so that the detected change in the temperature approaches the reference waveform.

When the temperature of the plate member is changed from the first temperature to the second temperature again by sequentially processing a plurality of substrates, the heat treatment section operates according to the operating conditions changed at the previous temperature change. As a result, the temperature change of the plate member from the first temperature to the second temperature approaches the reference waveform as compared with the previous temperature change.

In this way, the operating condition is changed every time the temperature of the plate member is changed from the first temperature to the second temperature, so that the plate at the time of changing the temperature from the first temperature to the second temperature is changed. The temperature change of the component is gradually corrected appropriately. Therefore, the adjustment time of the heat treatment apparatus due to the change of the heat treatment temperature of the substrate can be appropriately shortened. As a result, it is possible to suppress a decrease in heat treatment efficiency due to a change in heat treatment temperature.

(2) The operating condition includes a value of one or a plurality of control parameters, and the condition changing unit controls one or a plurality of control parameters stored in the storage unit so that the detected change in temperature approaches the reference waveform. At least one of them may be changed.

In this case, the temperature change of the plate member from the first temperature to the second temperature can be adjusted by a simple process of changing at least one value of the one or more control parameters.

(3) The heat treatment unit is configured to be switchable between a first state in which the plate member is heated or cooled and a second state in which the plate member is not heated and cooled, and one or a plurality of controls are performed. The parameter may include the switching timing of the first and second states of the heat treatment unit.

In this case, the temperature change of the plate member from the first temperature to the second temperature can be greatly adjusted by changing the switching timing between the first and second states of the heat treatment section.

(4) The heat treatment unit is configured to be capable of PID control, and the one or more control parameters are proportional and integral parameters of PID control for changing the temperature of the plate member from the first temperature to the second temperature. And at least one of the differential parameters.

In this case, the temperature change of the plate member from the first temperature to the second temperature can be adjusted by changing at least one of the values of the proportional parameter, the integral parameter and the derivative parameter.

(5) The one or more control parameters may include the upper limit of the output of the heat treatment section.

In this case, the temperature change of the plate member from the first temperature to the second temperature can be finely adjusted by changing the upper limit of the output of the heat treatment section.

(6) The condition changing unit is configured such that the rate of change in temperature detected by the temperature detector at a specific time point during the period in which the temperature of the plate member changes from the first temperature to the second temperature is the specific time point in the reference waveform. The operating conditions may be changed so as to approach the rate of change in temperature of the portion corresponding to.

In this case, the temperature change of the plate member from the first temperature to the second temperature is appropriately adjusted based on the rate of change of the plate member temperature.

(7) The condition changing unit determines that the value of the temperature detected by the temperature detector at a specific time point during the period in which the temperature of the plate member changes from the first temperature to the second temperature is at the specific time point in the reference waveform. The operating condition may be changed so as to approach the temperature value of the corresponding portion.

In this case, the temperature change of the plate member from the first temperature to the second temperature is appropriately adjusted based on the value of the temperature of the plate member.

(8) The condition changing unit may change the operating condition so that the amount of overshoot or undershoot with respect to the second temperature generated in the detected temperature waveform becomes small.

In this case, the temperature change of the plate member from the first temperature to the second temperature is appropriately adjusted based on the overshoot amount or the undershoot amount with respect to the second temperature.

(9) A heat treatment method according to another aspect of the present invention is a heat treatment method of performing heat treatment on a substrate, which comprises a step of placing the substrate on a plate member, and a heat treatment unit that passes the plate member through the placed substrate And a step of storing the operating condition of the heat treatment section when changing the temperature of the plate member from the set first temperature to the set second temperature in the storage section, and storing in the storage section. The step of operating the heat treatment unit according to the operating condition, the step of detecting the temperature of the plate member by the temperature detector, and the change in the temperature detected by the temperature detector when the heat treatment unit operates according to the operating condition are predetermined. It includes a step of changing the operating conditions stored in the storage unit so as to approach the reference waveform.

In the heat treatment method, the substrate is placed on the plate member adjusted to the first temperature, so that the placed substrate is heat-treated. Alternatively, the substrate is placed on the plate member adjusted to the second temperature, so that the placed substrate is heat-treated. By sequentially heat-treating the plurality of substrates, the heat treatment corresponding to the first temperature and the heat treatment corresponding to the second temperature are performed in this order. In this case, it is necessary to change the temperature of the plate member from the first temperature to the second temperature after the heat treatment corresponding to the first temperature and before the heat treatment corresponding to the second temperature.

(10) The operating condition includes a value of one or a plurality of control parameters, and the step of changing the operating condition includes one or a plurality of values stored in the storage unit so that the detected change in temperature approaches the reference waveform. It may include changing the value of at least one of the control parameters.

According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress a decrease in heat treatment efficiency due to a change in heat treatment temperature.

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of a heat treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the temperature change of the heat treatment plate when the heat treatment is sequentially performed on a plurality of substrates. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of changing operation conditions set for each combination of two set temperatures among a plurality of set temperatures. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a modification example of the modification operation condition for increasing the temperature of the heat treatment plate from the low start temperature to the high target temperature. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a modification example of the modification operation condition for decreasing the temperature of the heat treatment plate from the high start temperature to the low target temperature. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an experimental result of changing the set temperature. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the set temperature change process executed in the control device of FIG. FIG. 8 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus including the heat treatment apparatus of FIG.

Hereinafter, a heat treatment apparatus and a heat treatment method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, a substrate is an FPD (Flat Panel Display) substrate used in a liquid crystal display device or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display device, a semiconductor substrate, an optical disc substrate, a magnetic disc substrate, a magneto-optical disc. A substrate, a photomask substrate, a ceramic substrate, a solar cell substrate, or the like. In the following description, a heat treatment apparatus that heat-treats a substrate will be described as an example of the heat treatment apparatus.

(1) Configuration of Heat Treatment Device FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing a configuration of a heat treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the heat treatment apparatus 100 includes a heat treatment plate 10, an active cooling plate 20, a passive cooling plate 30, an elevating device 40, and a control device 50.

The heat treatment plate 10 is a metal heat transfer plate having a flat columnar shape, and has flat upper and lower surfaces. The upper surface of the heat treatment plate 10 has an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the substrate W to be heat-treated. On the upper surface of the heat treatment plate 10, a plurality of proximity balls and the like that support the lower surface of the substrate W are provided. In FIG. 1, the substrate W placed on the heat treatment plate 10 is shown by a alternate long and short dash line.

The heat treatment plate 10 is provided with a main heater 11, a booster heater 12, and a temperature sensor 19. The temperature sensor 19 detects the temperature of the upper surface of the heat treatment plate 10 and outputs a detection signal corresponding to the detected temperature to the temperature acquisition unit 55 described later.

Each of the main heater 11 and the booster heater 12 is composed of, for example, a mica heater or a Peltier element. A heat generating drive unit 13 is connected to the main heater 11 and the booster heater 12. The heat generation drive unit 13 drives the main heater 11 so that the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 is maintained at a preset temperature (set temperature), for example. Further, the heat generation driving unit 13 drives the booster heater 12 so that the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 rises in a short time, for example.

The active cooling plate 20 is arranged at a position lower than the heat treatment plate 10 and separated from the lower surface of the heat treatment plate 10 by a predetermined distance. The active cooling plate 20 has an upper surface facing the heat treatment plate 10. A thermal conductive sheet (not shown) having a high thermal conductivity is provided on the upper surface of the active cooling plate 20.

The active cooling plate 20 is provided with a cooling mechanism 21. The cooling mechanism 21 is composed of, for example, a cooling water passage formed in the active cooling plate 20, a Peltier element, or the like. A cooling drive unit 22 is connected to the cooling mechanism 21. The cooling driving unit 22 drives the cooling mechanism 21 so that the temperature of the upper surface of the active cooling plate 20 becomes lower than the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10.

The passive cooling plate 30 is supported by the elevating device 40 in the space between the heat treatment plate 10 and the active cooling plate 20 (see the white arrows in FIG. 1). The passive cooling plate 30 is a metal disc-shaped member having an upper surface and a lower surface. The upper surface of the passive cooling plate 30 faces the lower surface of the heat treatment plate 10, and the lower surface of the passive cooling plate 30 faces the upper surface of the active cooling plate 20. A heat conductive sheet (not shown) having a high heat conductivity is provided on the upper surface of the passive cooling plate 30.

The lifting device 40 is composed of, for example, an air cylinder. A lifting drive unit 41 is connected to the lifting device 40. The elevating/lowering drive unit 41 drives the elevating/lowering device 40 such that the passive cooling plate 30 contacts the active cooling plate 20, for example. In this case, the passive cooling plate 30 is cooled by the active cooling plate 20. Further, the lifting drive unit 41 drives the lifting device 40 such that the passive cooling plate 30 contacts the heat treatment plate 10, for example. In this case, the heat treatment plate 10 is cooled by the passive cooling plate 30.

The control device 50 controls the operation of each component of the heat treatment apparatus 100 including the heat generation drive unit 13, the cooling drive unit 22, and the elevation drive unit 41. Details of the control device 50 will be described later. The heat treatment apparatus 100 is further provided with a transfer mechanism (not shown) for transferring the substrate W between the heat treatment plate 10 and an external device (for example, a transfer robot) of the heat treatment apparatus 100. ..

(2) Heat treatment of a plurality of substrates W in the heat treatment apparatus 100 In the heat treatment apparatus 100 of FIG. 1, the plurality of substrates W are sequentially heat-treated at a set temperature according to the content of each heat treatment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a temperature change of the heat treatment plate 10 when heat treatment is sequentially performed on a plurality of substrates W.

In the graph shown in FIG. 2, the vertical axis represents the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 and the horizontal axis represents time. Further, the temperature change of the heat treatment plate 10 is shown by a thick solid line. In this example, the content of the heat treatment is changed for each of the four substrates W for the 28 substrates W. Therefore, the set temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 is changed for each of the four substrates W.

Specifically, in each of the period from time t1 to t2, the period from time t5 to t6, and the period from time t13 to t14, the heat treatment of the substrate W is performed while the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 is maintained at the set temperature 90° C. Is done. Further, during the period from time t3 to t4, the period from time t7 to t8, and the period from time t11 to t12, the heat treatment of the substrate W is performed while the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 is maintained at the set temperature 115°C. Further, during the period from time t9 to time t10, the heat treatment of the substrate W is performed while the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 is maintained at the set temperature 140° C.

When the unprocessed substrate W is placed on the heat treatment plate 10 held at the set temperature, the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 slightly decreases, as shown by the white arrow in FIG. 2, for example. After that, the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 returns to the set temperature in a relatively minute time by the main heater 11 of FIG. 1 being continuously driven.

In the case where the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 is largely changed in accordance with the change of the set temperature so as to be surrounded by the one-dot chain line in FIG. 2, it is difficult to change the temperature in a short time only by adjusting the output of the main heater 11. In some cases. Therefore, in this example, when the set temperature rises, the booster heater 12 is driven immediately after the start of the change. Further, PID (proportional-integral-derivative) control for the main heater 11 is performed based on the detection signal of the temperature sensor 19. Further, the upper limit of the output of the main heater 11 is adjusted. On the other hand, when the set temperature drops, the heat treatment plate 10 is cooled by the passive cooling plate 30 immediately after the start of the change. Further, PID control of the main heater 11 is performed based on the detection signal of the temperature sensor 19.

When there are a plurality of preset temperatures, the operating condition of the heat treatment apparatus 100 for changing the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 from one preset temperature to another preset temperature can be obtained by simulation or experiment. Therefore, in the heat treatment plate 10, an operating condition when changing the set temperature (hereinafter, referred to as a changed operating condition) is preset for each combination of two set temperatures among the plurality of set temperatures.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of changing operation conditions set for each combination of two set temperatures among a plurality of set temperatures. In the following description, the set temperature before the change will be appropriately called the start temperature, and the set temperature after the change will be appropriately called the target temperature.

Changed operation conditions include the value of the heating stop parameter. The heating stop parameter is a control parameter for the booster heater 12, and indicates the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 at which heating should be stopped. In other words, the value of the heating stop parameter indicates the timing at which the booster heater 12 should generate heat when the set temperature is changed (when it rises) to the off state in which the booster heater 12 does not generate heat. In FIG. 3, the heating stop parameter is described as “heating stop”. The value of the heating stop parameter in FIG. 3 is indicated by a value obtained by subtracting the temperature at which heating should be stopped from the target temperature.

Further, the changed operating conditions include the values of the PID control parameters for the main heater 11. Further, the changed operation condition includes the value of the upper limit parameter indicating the upper limit of the output of the main heater 11. In FIG. 3, the upper limit parameter is described as “heater upper limit”. The value of the upper limit parameter is represented by, for example, the ratio (%) of the upper limit of the output allowed to the rated output of the main heater 11.

Furthermore, the changed operating conditions include the value of the cooling stop parameter. The cooling stop parameter is a control parameter for the lifting device 40, and indicates the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 at which cooling should be stopped. In other words, the value of the cooling stop parameter changes from the contact state in which the passive cooling plate 30 contacts the heat treatment plate 10 when the set temperature is changed (during fall) to the non-contact state in which the passive cooling plate 30 separates from the heat treatment plate 10. Indicates the timing to switch. In FIG. 3, the cooling stop parameter is described as “cooling stop”. The value of the cooling stop parameter in FIG. 3 is indicated by a value obtained by subtracting the target temperature from the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 at which cooling should be stopped.

According to the example of FIG. 3, the change operation condition corresponding to the change from the starting temperature of 90° C. to the target temperature of 115° C. is the heating stop parameter “5”, the proportional parameter “0.2”, the integral parameter “15”, the derivative Includes parameter "3" and upper bound parameter "80" (%). Further, the change operation condition corresponding to the change from the starting temperature of 115° C. to the target temperature of 90° C. is the cooling stop parameter “5”, the proportional parameter “0.2”, the integral parameter “15”, the differential parameter “3” and the upper limit. It includes the parameter “80” (%).

By the way, depending on the temperature of the space where the heat treatment apparatus 100 is provided or the individual difference of the heat treatment apparatus 100, the preset changing operating conditions are not always appropriate. Therefore, in the present embodiment, every time the set temperature of heat treatment plate 10 is changed, the change operation condition is changed so that the temperature change of heat treatment plate 10 at the time of the change approaches the ideal reference waveform. The ideal reference waveform is determined based on, for example, the configuration of the heat treatment plate 10, the heat generation capacities of the main heater 11 and the booster heater 12, and the cooling capacities of the active cooling plate 20 and the passive cooling plate 30.

In the example of FIG. 2, for example, when a large overshoot occurs in the temperature change of the heat treatment plate 10 when the set temperature is changed in the period of time t2 to t3, the change operation condition is changed so as to reduce the overshoot. After that, when the set temperature is changed in the period from time t6 to time t7, the heat treatment apparatus 100 operates according to the changed operation condition after the change. As a result, the time required to change the set temperature is shortened as compared with the time required to change the set temperature during the period from time t2 to t3. Further, even when the set temperature is changed during the period from time t6 to t7, the change operation condition is changed similarly to the change of the set temperature during the period from time t2 to t3. As a result, when the set temperature of 90° C. is changed to the set temperature of 115° C. after the time point t7, the time required for the change is further shortened.

Further, in the example of FIG. 2, for example, when a large undershoot occurs in the temperature change of the heat treatment plate 10 at the time of changing the set temperature in the period of time t4 to t5, the change operation condition is changed so as to reduce the undershoot. To. After that, when the set temperature is changed in the period from time t12 to time t13, the heat treatment apparatus 100 operates according to the changed operation condition after the change. As a result, the time required to change the set temperature is shortened compared to the time required to change the set temperature in the period from time t4 to t5. Further, even when the set temperature is changed during the period from time t12 to t13, the change operation condition is changed similarly to the change of the set temperature during the period from time t4 to t5. Accordingly, when the change from the starting temperature of 115° C. to the target temperature of 90° C. occurs after the time t13, the time required for the change is further shortened.

As described above, in the heat treatment apparatus 100, the change operation condition is changed every time the set temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 is changed. As a result, the time required to change the set temperature is sequentially reduced. As a result, the decrease in heat treatment efficiency due to the change in heat treatment temperature is suppressed.

(3) Specific Change Example of Change Operating Condition FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a change example of the change operating condition for raising the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 from a low start temperature ST to a high target temperature TT. .. In the upper graph of FIG. 4, the change in temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 detected when the set temperature is changed is shown by a thick solid line. In addition, a predetermined reference waveform corresponding to the change in the set temperature is indicated by a alternate long and short dash line. In this example, it is desired that the set temperature is changed from the time point t20 to the time point t22 as shown in the reference waveform.

In order to change the change operation condition, the rate of change of the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 at a predetermined specific time point (in this example, an intermediate time point between the time points t20 and t22) t21 in the period from the time point t20 to the time point t22 ( In the example, the rising speed) is acquired. The acquired rate of change is compared with the rate of change of the reference waveform at the specific time point t21. Further, the temperature value of the heat treatment plate 10 at the specific time point t21 is acquired, and the acquired temperature value is compared with the temperature value of the reference waveform at the specific time point t21. Further, the overshoot amount OS of the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 is acquired.

As a result of comparing change rates, if the difference between the acquired change rate and the change rate of the reference waveform is outside the predetermined allowable range for that change rate, it is desirable to change the change operation condition. Therefore, when the difference in change rate is outside the allowable range and the absolute value of the obtained change rate is lower than the absolute value of the change rate of the reference waveform, the heat quantity supplied to the heat treatment plate 10 is increased. Change operation conditions need to be changed. On the other hand, when the difference between the change rates is outside the allowable range and the absolute value of the obtained change rate is higher than the absolute value of the change rate of the reference waveform, the amount of heat supplied to the heat treatment plate 10 is reduced. Change operation conditions need to be changed.

Further, as a result of the comparison of the temperature values, if the difference between the acquired temperature value and the temperature value of the reference waveform is outside the predetermined allowable range for that temperature value, it is desirable to change the change operation condition. .. Therefore, when the difference between the temperature values is outside the allowable range and the acquired temperature value is lower than the temperature value of the reference waveform, the change operation condition is changed so that the amount of heat supplied to the heat treatment plate 10 becomes large. There is a need. On the other hand, when the difference between the temperature values is outside the allowable range and the acquired temperature value is higher than the temperature value of the reference waveform, the change operation condition is changed so that the amount of heat supplied to the heat treatment plate 10 becomes smaller. There is a need.

Furthermore, when the acquired overshoot amount OS exceeds the predetermined allowable range for the overshoot amount, it is desirable to change the change operation condition. Therefore, when the overshoot amount OS exceeds the allowable range, it is necessary to change the changing operation condition so that the heat amount supplied to the heat treatment plate 10 becomes small.

The state of the booster heater 12 according to the preset change operation condition is shown in the middle part of FIG. In this example, the booster heater 12 is maintained in the on state from the time point t20 to the time point t22. When reducing the amount of heat supplied to the heat treatment plate 10, the timing of switching the booster heater 12 to the off state can be advanced by changing the value of the heating stop parameter, as indicated by the outlined arrow a11 in FIG. Just do it. On the other hand, when increasing the amount of heat supplied to the heat treatment plate 10, the timing of switching the booster heater 12 to the off state is changed by changing the value of the heating stop parameter, as indicated by the outlined arrow a12 in FIG. You can slow it down.

In the lower part of FIG. 4, the output waveform of the main heater 11 according to the preset changing operation condition is shown. In this example, the main heater 11 increases the output in order to raise the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 from the time t20. After that, the output is adjusted according to the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 by PID control according to the changed operating conditions. When the amount of heat supplied to the heat treatment plate 10 is reduced, the output waveform of the main heater 11 is entirely changed by largely changing the proportional parameter of PID control, for example, as shown by the outline arrow a13 in FIG. You can lower it. Alternatively, as shown by an outline arrow a14 in FIG. 4, for example, the upper limit of the output of the main heater 11 may be lowered by changing the upper limit parameter to be smaller.

On the other hand, when the amount of heat supplied to the heat treatment plate 10 is increased, the output waveform of the main heater 11 is entirely changed by changing the proportional parameter of PID control to a small value, for example, as shown by an outline arrow a15 in FIG. It should be high. Alternatively, as shown by the white arrow a16 in FIG. 4, the upper limit of the output of the main heater 11 may be increased by, for example, changing the upper limit parameter significantly.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an example of changing the changing operating conditions for lowering the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 from the high start temperature ST to the low target temperature TT. In the upper graph of FIG. 5, as in the example of FIG. 4, a change in the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 detected when the set temperature is changed is indicated by a thick solid line. In addition, a predetermined reference waveform corresponding to the change in the set temperature is indicated by a alternate long and short dash line. In this example, as shown by the reference waveform, it is desired that the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 be changed from time t30 to time t32.

In order to change the change operation condition, the rate of change of the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 at a predetermined specific time point (in this example, an intermediate time point between the time points t30 and t32) t31 in the period from the time point t30 to the time point t32 In the example, the descending speed) is acquired. The acquired rate of change is compared with the rate of change of the reference waveform at the specific time point t31. Further, the temperature value of the heat treatment plate 10 at the specific time point t31 is acquired, and the acquired temperature value is compared with the temperature value of the reference waveform at the specific time point t31. Further, the undershoot amount US of the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 is acquired.

As a result of the comparison of the rate of change, when the difference between the rate of change is outside the allowable range and the absolute value of the obtained rate of change is lower than the absolute value of the rate of change of the reference waveform, the amount of heat removed from the heat treatment plate 10. It is necessary to change the change operation condition so that On the other hand, when the difference between the change rates is outside the allowable range and the absolute value of the obtained change rate is higher than the absolute value of the change rate of the reference waveform, the amount of heat removed from the heat treatment plate 10 is reduced. Change operation conditions need to be changed.

Further, as a result of comparing the temperature values, if the difference between the temperature values is outside the allowable range and the acquired temperature value is lower than the temperature value of the reference waveform, the amount of heat removed from the heat treatment plate 10 may be reduced. It is necessary to change the operating conditions. On the other hand, when the difference between the temperature values is outside the allowable range and the acquired temperature value is higher than the temperature value of the reference waveform, the change operation condition is changed so that the amount of heat removed from the heat treatment plate 10 becomes large. There is a need.

Furthermore, when the acquired undershoot amount US exceeds the predetermined allowable range for the undershoot amount, it is desirable to change the change operation condition. Therefore, if the undershoot amount US exceeds the allowable range, it is necessary to change the changing operation condition so that the amount of heat removed from the heat treatment plate 10 becomes small.

The state of the passive cooling plate 30 in accordance with the preset changed operating condition is shown in the middle part of FIG. In this example, the passive cooling plate 30 is maintained in the contact state from time t30 to time t32. When reducing the amount of heat removed from the heat treatment plate 10, the timing of switching the passive cooling plate 30 to the non-contact state is changed by changing the value of the cooling stop parameter, as shown by the outlined arrow a21 in FIG. You can do it earlier. On the other hand, when increasing the amount of heat removed from the heat treatment plate 10, the passive cooling plate 30 is switched to the non-contact state by changing the value of the cooling stop parameter, as shown by the outlined arrow a22 in FIG. You can delay the timing.

In the lower part of FIG. 5, the output waveform of the main heater 11 according to the preset changing operation condition is shown. In this example, the main heater 11 lowers the output in order to lower the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 from the time t30. After that, the output is adjusted according to the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 by PID control according to the changed operating conditions. When the amount of heat supplied to the heat treatment plate 10 is reduced, the output waveform of the main heater 11 is entirely changed by largely changing the proportional parameter of the PID control, for example, as shown by an outline arrow a23 in FIG. You can lower it.

On the other hand, when the amount of heat supplied to the heat treatment plate 10 is increased, the output waveform of the main heater 11 is entirely changed by changing the proportional parameter of the PID control to a small value, for example, as shown by an outline arrow a24 in FIG. It should be high.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the experimental results regarding the change of the set temperature. The inventor changed the set temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 from 90° C. to 140° C. by operating the heat treatment apparatus 100 based on the changed operation condition of FIG. As a result, as indicated by the thick solid line in the upper part of FIG. 6, the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 increased at a substantially constant speed from time t40 to time t41 along the reference waveform indicated by the alternate long and short dash line. However, a relatively large overshoot occurred after time t41.

Therefore, as shown in the middle part of FIG. 6, the present inventor sets the value of the heating stop parameter from “1” among the changing operation conditions corresponding to the change from the starting temperature of 90° C. to the target temperature of 140° C. in FIG. Changed to "5". This change means that after turning on the booster heater 12 in order to raise the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10, the timing of switching the booster heater 12 to the off state is accelerated.

After that, the set temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 was changed from 90 ° C. to 140 ° C. by operating the heat treatment apparatus 100 again based on the changed operating conditions after the change. As a result, as shown in the lower part of FIG. 6, the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 changed along the reference waveform, and the amount of overshoot was reduced.

(4) Control device 50
As shown in FIG. 1, the control device 50 includes a storage unit 51, a heat generation control unit 52, a cooling control unit 53, an elevating control unit 54, a temperature acquisition unit 55, and a condition change unit 56 as functional units. The control device 50 is composed of a CPU (central processing unit), a RAM (random access memory), and a ROM (read-only memory). Each of the above functional units is realized by the CPU executing a computer program stored in a ROM or another storage medium. It should be noted that some or all of the functional components of the control device 50 may be realized by hardware such as an electronic circuit.

The storage unit 51 stores a plurality of change operation conditions set for each combination of two set temperatures among a plurality of set temperatures. The heat generation control unit 52 controls the heat generation drive unit 13 so as to operate according to the changed operation condition stored in the storage unit 51 when changing when raising the set temperature of the heat treatment plate 10. The cooling control unit 53 controls the cooling drive unit 22 so that the active cooling plate 20 is cooled while the power of the heat treatment apparatus 100 is turned on. The elevating control unit 54 controls the elevating device 40 so that it operates according to the changed operating conditions stored in the storage unit 51 when the set temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 is changed.

The temperature acquisition unit 55 acquires the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 when the set temperature is changed, based on the detection signal output from the temperature sensor 19. More specifically, the temperature acquisition unit 55 acquires a change in temperature by sampling the detection signal output from the temperature sensor 19 at a constant cycle.

The condition changing unit 56 is stored in the storage unit 51 so that the change in the temperature detected and obtained by the temperature sensor 19 when the set temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 is changed approaches a predetermined reference waveform. Change Change the operating conditions.

The heat treatment apparatus 100 includes an operation unit (not shown). The user can store the initial change operation condition in the storage unit 51 by operating the operation unit. That is, the user can set the initial change operation condition.

(5) Set temperature change process The operation of the heat treatment apparatus 100 accompanied by the change of the change operating conditions is performed by the control device 50 of FIG. 1 executing the following set temperature change process. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the set temperature change process executed by the control device 50 of FIG. In the following description, the overshoot amount and the undershoot amount are collectively referred to as the shoot amount. The set temperature changing process is started when the power of the heat treatment apparatus 100 is turned on.

First, the heat generation control unit 52 and the elevation control unit 54 in FIG. 1 determine whether or not the set temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 should be changed (step S11). This determination is performed based on, for example, whether or not any of the heat generation control unit 52 and the elevating control unit 54 receives a signal instructing the change of the set temperature from the outside of the heat treatment apparatus 100.

If the set temperature should not be changed, the heat generation control unit 52 and the elevating control unit 54 return to the process of step S11. On the other hand, when the set temperature should be changed, the heat generation control unit 52 or the elevating control unit 54 reads the change operation condition corresponding to the change of the set temperature from the storage unit 51 of FIG. 1 (step S12).

Next, the heat generation control unit 52 or the elevation control unit 54 adjusts the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 by controlling the heat generation drive unit 13 or the elevation drive unit 41 based on the changed operation condition (step S13). The temperature acquisition unit 55 acquires a change in the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 when the set temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 is changed (step S14).

When the change of the set temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 is completed, the condition changing unit 56, based on the change of the acquired temperature, the rate of change of the temperature at the specific time point during the change of the set temperature is outside the predetermined allowable range. It is determined whether or not (step S15).

When the rate of change of temperature is out of the allowable range, the condition changing unit 56 calculates the difference between the rate of change of the temperature acquired at the specific time point and the rate of change of the reference waveform based on the acquired temperature change. (Step S16). On the other hand, when the temperature change rate is within the allowable range, the condition changing unit 56 determines whether the temperature value at the specific time point during the change of the set temperature is out of the predetermined allowable range based on the acquired temperature change. It is determined whether or not (step S17).

When the temperature value is out of the allowable range, the condition changing unit 56 calculates the difference between the temperature value acquired at the specific time point and the temperature value of the reference waveform based on the acquired temperature change (step S18). .. On the other hand, when the temperature value is within the allowable range, the condition changing unit 56 determines whether the amount of shoots generated during the change of the set temperature is outside the predetermined allowable range based on the acquired temperature change. Is determined (step S19).

If the shoot amount is out of the allowable range, the condition changing unit 56 calculates the difference between the acquired shoot amount and the shoot amount of the reference waveform based on the acquired temperature change (step S20). On the other hand, when the shoot amount is within the allowable range, the heat generation control unit 52 and the elevating control unit 54 return to the process of step S11.

After the processing of steps S16, S18, and S20 described above, the condition changing unit 56 determines the parameter to be changed among the changing operation conditions based on the calculated change rate, the temperature value, or the difference in the shoot amount (step S21). ). For example, the condition changing unit 56 determines a parameter to be changed according to the calculated difference level. Specifically, the condition changing unit 56 determines the heating stop parameter or the cooling stop parameter as the parameter to be changed when the difference level is high. In addition, the condition changing unit 56 determines the proportional parameter of the PID control as the parameter to be changed when the level of the difference is medium. Further, the condition changing unit 56 determines the upper limit parameter as a parameter to be changed when the difference level is low.

Next, the condition changing unit 56 changes the determined parameter according to a predetermined method (step S22). For example, the condition changing unit 56 changes the parameter for the determined parameter by a predetermined value. After that, the heat generation control unit 52 and the elevation control unit 54 return to the process of step S11.

In the set temperature changing process, some of steps S15, S17 and S19 may be omitted. In this case, the difference calculation process associated with the omitted process is also omitted.

(6) Effect As described above, when the heat treatment plate 10 is changed from one set temperature to another set temperature, the heat treatment apparatus 100 operates according to the change operation conditions stored in the storage unit 51. At this time, a change in the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 is detected, and the change operating condition is changed so that the change in the detected temperature approaches the reference waveform corresponding to the change from the one set temperature to the other set temperature. ..

As a result, when the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 is changed from one set temperature to another set temperature again, the heat treatment apparatus 100 operates according to the changed operating condition changed at the previous temperature change. As a result, the temperature change of the heat treatment plate 10 approaches the reference waveform as compared with the time when the set temperature was changed last time.

In this way, each time the set temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 is changed, the temperature change of the heat treatment plate 10 at the time of changing the set temperature is gradually and appropriately corrected. Therefore, the adjustment time of the heat treatment apparatus 100 due to the change of the heat treatment temperature of the substrate W can be appropriately shortened. As a result, it becomes possible to suppress a decrease in heat treatment efficiency due to a change in heat treatment temperature.

(7) Substrate processing apparatus including the heat treatment apparatus 100 of FIG. 1 FIG. 8 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of the substrate processing apparatus including the heat treatment apparatus 100 of FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, the substrate processing device 400 is provided adjacent to the exposure device 500, and includes a control unit 410, a coating processing unit 420, a developing processing unit 430, a heat treatment unit 440, and a substrate transporting device 450. The heat treatment unit 440 includes a plurality of heat treatment devices 100 of FIG. 1 that heat-treat the substrate W, and a plurality of cooling plates (not shown) that perform only a cooling treatment on the substrate W.

The control unit 410 includes, for example, a CPU and a memory, or a microcomputer, and controls the operations of the coating processing unit 420, the developing processing unit 430, the heat treatment unit 440, and the substrate transfer device 450.

The substrate transfer apparatus 450 transfers the substrate W among the coating processing section 420, the development processing section 430, the thermal processing section 440, and the exposure apparatus 500 when the substrate processing apparatus 400 processes the substrate W.

The coating processing unit 420 forms a resist film on one surface of the unprocessed substrate W (coating processing). The coating process W on which the resist film is formed is exposed by the exposure apparatus 500. The development processing unit 430 performs the development processing on the substrate W by supplying the developing solution to the substrate W after the exposure processing by the exposure device 500. The thermal processing section 440 performs thermal processing on the substrate W before and after the coating processing by the coating processing section 420, the developing processing by the developing processing section 430, and the exposure processing by the exposure apparatus 500.

The coating processing unit 420 may form an antireflection film on the substrate W. In this case, the heat treatment section 440 may be provided with a processing unit for performing an adhesion strengthening process for improving the adhesion between the substrate W and the antireflection film. Further, the coating processing section 420 may form a resist cover film on the substrate W for protecting the resist film formed on the substrate W.

As described above, in the plurality of heat treatment devices 100 of the heat treatment unit 440, the above set temperature changing process is performed. Thereby, when the plurality of substrates W are sequentially subjected to the heat treatment at different set temperatures, the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 can be appropriately adjusted in a short time. As a result, the manufacturing efficiency of the substrate W is improved.

(8) Other Embodiments (a) In the above-described embodiment, the heat treatment apparatus 100 having a configuration for heating and a configuration for cooling the heat treatment plate 10 has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The heat treatment apparatus 100 does not have to have a configuration for cooling the heat treatment plate 10 (in the above example, the active cooling plate 20, the passive cooling plate 30, and the elevating device 40). Alternatively, the heat treatment apparatus 100 does not have to have a configuration for heating the heat treatment plate 10 (in the above example, the main heater 11 and the booster heater 12). Also in this case, the time required for adjustment when raising or lowering the set temperature of the heat treatment apparatus 100 is shortened.

(B) In the heat treatment apparatus 100, the upper surface of the heat treatment plate 10 may be divided into a plurality of regions, respectively, and a structure for heating the portion may be provided so as to correspond to each region. That is, the main heater 11, the booster heater 12, and the heat generation driving unit 13 may be provided for each of the plurality of regions of the heat treatment plate 10. Alternatively, the main heater 11 and the booster heater 12 may be provided for each of the plurality of regions of the heat treatment plate 10, and the heat generation drive unit 13 may be configured to be able to independently drive the plurality of main heaters 11 and the booster heater 12.

In this case, the storage unit 51 may store changed operation conditions for each of the plurality of regions of the heat treatment plate 10. Further, the condition changing unit 56 changes a plurality of parameters of the changing operation conditions corresponding to all the regions so that the temperature changes of the plurality of regions of the heat treatment plate 10 at the time of changing the set temperature approach the reference waveform, for example. You may. With such a configuration, it is possible to perform more detailed temperature adjustment on the plurality of regions on the upper surface of the heat treatment plate 10. In this example, a change in temperature acquired when changing the set temperature for one of the plurality of areas may be used as the reference waveform.

(C) In the above embodiment, the heat treatment plate 10 is provided with the main heater 11 and the booster heater 12, but the present invention is not limited to this. When the main heater 11 is configured to be able to raise the temperature of the heat treatment plate 10 in a short time, the booster heater 12 may not be provided.

(9) Correspondence relationship between each component of the claim and each element of the embodiment The example of correspondence between each component of the claim and each element of the embodiment will be described below. In the above embodiment, the heat treatment apparatus 100 is an example of the heat treatment apparatus, the heat treatment plate 10 is an example of the plate member, and the main heater 11, the booster heater 12, the heat generation drive unit 13, the active cooling plate 20, and the passive cooling plate 30. The elevating device 40 is an example of a heat treatment unit, the storage unit 51 is an example of a storage unit, the heat generation control unit 52, the cooling control unit 53 and the elevating control unit 54 are examples of an operation control unit, and the temperature sensor 19 is It is an example of a temperature detector, and the temperature acquisition unit 55 and the condition change unit 56 are examples of the condition change unit.

Further, in the above embodiment, the booster heater 12 being in the ON state or the passive cooling plate 30 being in the contact state is an example of the heat treatment section being in the first state. Further, the booster heater 12 being in the off state and the passive cooling plate 30 being in the non-contact state is an example of the heat treatment section being in the second state.

As each constituent element of the claim, it is possible to use various other elements having the configurations or functions described in the claim.

Claims

A heat treatment device that heat-treats a substrate.
The plate member on which the substrate is placed and
A heat treatment unit for performing heat treatment on the substrate placed on the plate member through the plate member;
A storage unit that stores the operating conditions of the heat treatment unit when the temperature of the plate member is changed from the set first temperature to the set second temperature.
An operation control unit that operates the heat treatment unit according to the operating conditions stored in the storage unit,
A temperature detector that detects the temperature of the plate member and
A condition changing unit that changes the operating conditions stored in the storage unit so that the temperature change detected by the temperature detector when the heat treatment unit operates according to the operating conditions approaches a predetermined reference waveform. And a heat treatment apparatus.
The operating condition includes values of one or more control parameters,
The first aspect of the present invention, wherein the condition changing unit changes at least one value of the one or more control parameters stored in the storage unit so that the detected temperature change approaches the reference waveform. Heat treatment equipment.
The heat treatment unit is configured to be switchable between a first state in which the plate member is heated or cooled and a second state in which the plate member is not heated or cooled.
The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the one or more control parameters include switching timings of the first and second states of the heat treatment unit.
The heat treatment unit is configured to be PID controllable,
The one or more control parameters include at least one of the proportional, integral and differential parameters of the PID control for changing the temperature of the plate member from the first temperature to the second temperature. , The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 2 or 3.
The heat treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the one or more control parameters include an upper limit of an output of the heat treatment unit.
The condition changing unit is configured such that a temperature change rate detected by the temperature detector at a specific time point during a period in which the temperature of the plate member changes from the first temperature to the second temperature is equal to that of the reference waveform. The heat treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the operating conditions are changed so as to approach the rate of change in temperature of the portion corresponding to the specific time point.
In the condition changing unit, the value of the temperature detected by the temperature detector at a specific time point during the period in which the temperature of the plate member changes from the first temperature to the second temperature is the reference waveform. The heat treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the operating condition is changed so as to approach a temperature value of a portion corresponding to the specific time point.
8. The condition changing unit changes the operating condition so that an overshoot amount or an undershoot amount with respect to the second temperature generated in the detected temperature waveform becomes small. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1.
A heat treatment method that heat-treats a substrate.
Placing the substrate on the plate member,
Performing a heat treatment by a heat treatment unit through the plate member on the substrate placed above,
A step of storing the operating conditions of the heat treatment unit in the storage unit when changing the temperature of the plate member from the set first temperature to the set second temperature, and
Operating the heat treatment unit according to the operating conditions stored in the storage unit;
Detecting the temperature of the plate member by a temperature detector,
A step of changing the operating conditions stored in the storage unit so that the temperature change detected by the temperature detector when the heat treatment unit operates according to the operating conditions approaches a predetermined reference waveform. Including heat treatment method.
The operating conditions include the values of one or more control parameters.
The step of changing the operating conditions is to change at least one value of the one or more control parameters stored in the storage unit so that the detected temperature change approaches the reference waveform. The heat treatment method according to claim 9, which comprises: