JP7569692B2 - LIQUID SUPPLY APPARATUS, LIQUID SUPPLY METHOD, AND COMPUTER STORAGE MEDIUM - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a liquid supply device, a liquid supply method, and a computer storage medium.

Patent Document 1 discloses a pump that includes a tube that has elasticity and through which the liquid to be transported flows, a tube housing that covers the outside of the tube and holds gas in the internal space between the tube and the outer surface, and a supply and discharge unit that supplies gas to the internal space and discharges gas from the internal space.

JP 2016-084803 A

The technology disclosed herein reduces the time it takes for an operator to visually monitor the flow of liquid when passing the processing liquid through a pipe that does not currently have the processing liquid passing through it.

One aspect of the present disclosure is a liquid supplying device that supplies a processing liquid to a substrate, the liquid supplying device including: a storage section that stores the processing liquid; a discharge section that discharges the processing liquid onto the substrate; piping provided in a liquid delivery line from the storage section to the discharge section; a liquid delivery section that delivers the processing liquid and is disposed between the storage section and the discharge section of the liquid delivery line; detection sections that detect the presence or absence of the processing liquid and are disposed between the storage section and the liquid delivery section and between the liquid delivery section and the discharge section of the liquid delivery line, respectively; and the discharge section, and a control section. When passing the treatment liquid through the piping through which the treatment liquid does not pass, the control section divides the passage of the liquid from the storage section to the discharge section into a plurality of steps including a step of passing the liquid from the storage section to the liquid delivery section and a step of passing the liquid to the discharge section, and is configured to control the passage of the liquid through modules corresponding to each step among the storage section, the liquid delivery section, the discharge section and the piping by controlling the opening and closing of the valves based on the detection result of the detection section .

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the time required for an operator to visually monitor the flow of liquid when passing the processing liquid through a pipe that does not currently have the processing liquid passing through it.

1 is a side cross-sectional view showing a schematic outline of a configuration of a resist coating apparatus according to an embodiment; 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a resist liquid supplying apparatus according to an embodiment; 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a liquid supplying method when a processing liquid is passed through a pipe that does not pass through the processing liquid; FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a liquid supplying method when a processing liquid is passed through a pipe that does not pass through the processing liquid; FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a liquid supplying method when a processing liquid is passed through a pipe that does not pass through the processing liquid; FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a liquid supplying method when a processing liquid is passed through a pipe that does not pass through the processing liquid; FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a liquid supplying method when a processing liquid is passed through a pipe that does not pass through the processing liquid; FIG.

In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, etc., there is a process of forming a resist film as a coating film for pattern formation on the surface of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "wafer"). In this process, resist liquid is discharged from a nozzle unit onto the center of a wafer held on a spin chuck. The resist liquid discharged from the nozzle unit is supplied to the nozzle unit from a bottle, which is the source of the resist liquid, via a tank that stores the resist liquid and a pump that delivers the resist liquid.

However, in the piping installed in the liquid delivery line from the bottle to the nozzle unit, air bubbles may be generated in the resist liquid flowing through the piping. The air bubbles generated here reach the nozzle unit together with the resist liquid and are released from the nozzle unit, but if a large amount of air bubbles is released, the amount of resist liquid discharged decreases relatively. In this case, the amount of resist liquid discharged onto the wafer will be less than the specified amount required to form a resist film, which may cause poor formation of the resist film.

Air bubbles in the piping are likely to occur when resist liquid is passed through piping that does not currently have resist liquid, for example, when the resist liquid supplying device is operated for the first time or when the resist liquid supplying device is restarted after changing the type of resist liquid used. For this reason, when passing resist liquid through the piping, the piping is made of a transparent material, and the operator passes the resist liquid while visually monitoring the presence of air bubbles in the piping.

However, since it takes time for the liquid to flow through the entire liquid delivery line from the bottle to the nozzle unit, it places a burden on the worker to continually visually monitor the flow of liquid through the piping. In particular, when using a highly viscous resist liquid, such as a resist film for a 3D NAND memory, the piping resistance is greater than with a low-viscosity resist liquid, so it takes longer for the resist liquid to reach the nozzle unit, and the worker's visual monitoring time becomes even longer.

The technology disclosed herein reduces the time it takes for an operator to visually monitor the flow of liquid when passing the processing liquid through a pipe that does not currently have the processing liquid passing through it.

The liquid supply device and the liquid supply method according to the embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that in this specification and the drawings, elements having substantially the same functional configuration are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

Figure 1 is a side cross-sectional view that shows a schematic outline of the configuration of a resist coating device as a coating processing device according to this embodiment.

The resist coating apparatus 100 has a processing vessel 101 whose interior can be sealed. A loading/unloading port (not shown) for the wafer W is formed on the side of the processing vessel 101.

A spin chuck 102 is provided in the processing vessel 101 as a substrate holding part for holding the wafer W. This spin chuck 102 can be rotated at a predetermined speed by a chuck driving part 103 having an actuator such as a motor, and can rotate the wafer W held by the spin chuck 102. The chuck driving part 103 is also provided with a lifting and lowering mechanism such as a cylinder, and the spin chuck 102 can be raised and lowered freely.

In addition, a cup 104 is provided in the processing vessel 101, which is disposed outside the spin chuck 102 and surrounds the wafer W held by the spin chuck 102. The cup 104 includes an outer cup 105 that receives and collects liquid that splashes or falls from the wafer W, and an inner cup 106 that is located on the inner periphery of the outer cup 105. An opening 107 is formed on the upper surface of the outer cup 105 through which the wafer W passes before and after the wafer W is transferred to the spin chuck 102. In addition, a nozzle unit 60 that ejects resist liquid as a processing liquid onto the wafer W is provided in the processing vessel 101 so as to be movable vertically and horizontally.

The resist coating apparatus 100 described above is provided with a control unit 200. The control unit 200 is configured by a computer equipped with, for example, a CPU, a memory, etc., and has a program storage unit (not shown). The program storage unit stores a program that controls the resist coating process of the wafer W in the resist coating apparatus 100 and the flow of liquid through each module in the resist liquid supply apparatus 1 described below. The above program may be recorded on a computer-readable storage medium H and installed from the storage medium H to the control unit 200. A part or all of the program may be realized by dedicated hardware (circuit board). It does not matter whether the storage medium H is a temporary storage medium or a non-temporary storage medium.

Next, a resist liquid supplying device as a liquid supplying device will be described. Figure 2 is a side view showing a schematic outline of the configuration of the resist liquid supplying device 1 according to this embodiment.

The resist liquid supplying device 1 includes a bottle 10 as a supply source of resist liquid, a tank 20 as a storage section for storing resist liquid, an assist pump 30 as an auxiliary liquid delivery section for delivering resist liquid, a filter 40 as a foreign matter removal section for removing foreign matter in the resist liquid, a pump 50 as a liquid delivery section for delivering resist liquid, a nozzle unit 60 as a discharge section for discharging resist liquid, and a pipe 2 provided in a liquid delivery line from the bottle 10 to the nozzle unit 60. Each module of the bottle 10, the tank 20, the assist pump 30, the filter 40, the pump 50, and the nozzle unit 60 is arranged in order from the upstream side to the downstream side of the liquid delivery line.

In this embodiment, the bottle 10 has a function of pumping the resist liquid, and can pump the liquid downstream of the liquid feed line. The specific configurations of each module of the bottle 10, tank 20, assist pump 30, filter 40, pump 50, and nozzle unit 60 are not particularly limited, and known configurations can be applied.

The piping 2 provided in the liquid delivery line is composed of piping 2a connecting the bottle 10 and the tank 20, piping 2b connecting the tank 20 and the assist pump 30, piping 2c connecting the assist pump 30 and the filter 40, piping 2d connecting the filter 40 and the pump 50, and piping 2e connecting the pump 50 and the nozzle unit 60. The material of the piping 2 is not particularly limited as long as it is a chemical-resistant material, but it is preferable to use a transparent material so that the liquid flow state in the piping 2 can be easily confirmed by the operator with the naked eye.

A drain pipe 3 is connected to the top of the tank 20 as another pipe different from the pipes 2a and 2b. A drain pipe 4 is connected to the top of the filter 40 as another pipe different from the pipes 2c and 2d. A drain pipe 5 is connected to the top of the pump 50 as another pipe different from the pipes 2d and 2e.

The resist liquid supplying device 1 in this embodiment includes sensors B, E, and F as a detection unit for detecting the presence or absence of resist liquid in the pipe 2, and sensors A, C, and D as other detection units for detecting the presence or absence of resist liquid in the drain pipe . The sensor A is provided in the drain pipe 3 connected to the tank 20. The sensor B is provided in the pipe 2c between the assist pump 30 and the filter 40. The sensor C is provided in the drain pipe 4 connected to the filter 40. The sensor D is provided in the drain pipe 5 connected to the pump 50. The sensors E and F are each provided in the pipe 2e between the pump 50 and the nozzle unit 60, and the sensor F is disposed downstream of the sensor E. The sensors A to F may be provided at the connection part with the pipe P in each module, such as the tank 20, the assist pump 30, the filter 40, and the pump 50. For example, the sensor D may be provided at the connection part with the drain pipe 5 in the pump 50. Also, for example, the sensor E may be provided at the connection part with the pipe 2e in the pump 50.

The types and structures of sensors A to F are not particularly limited as long as they are capable of detecting the presence or absence of resist liquid in the pipe, but for example, a sensor having a light-emitting part and a light-receiving part that switches between ON and OFF depending on the change in the amount of light received by the light-receiving part is used. When using this type of sensor, the sensor is installed so that light is irradiated from the light-emitting part toward the pipe 2 and the amount of light reflected inside the pipe 2 can be detected by the light-receiving part. The presence or absence of resist liquid is then detected from the change in the amount of light reflected inside the pipe 2 when resist liquid is flowing and not flowing.

Valves V1 to V6 are provided in the pipes 2a to 2e. More specifically, valve V1 is provided in the pipe 2a. Valve V2 is provided in the pipe 2b. Valve V3 is provided in the pipe 2c between the assist pump 30 and the sensor B. Valve V4 is provided in the pipe 2d. Valve V5 is provided in the pipe 2e between the pump 50 and the sensor E. Valve V6 is provided in the pipe 2e between the sensor F and the nozzle unit 60.

Drain pipes 3, 4, and 5 are provided with drain valves DV1 to DV3 as valves different from valves V1 to V6 provided in the liquid supply line. More specifically, drain valve DV1 is provided downstream of sensor A in drain pipe 3. Drain valve DV2 is provided downstream of sensor C in drain pipe 4. Drain valve DV3 is provided downstream of sensor D in drain pipe 5.

The resist liquid supplying device 1 of this embodiment is configured as described above. At the stage where the resist coating process of the wafer W is performed in the resist coating device 100 shown in FIG. 1 described above, the liquid has already passed from the bottle 10 to the nozzle unit 60. Then, the control unit 200 controls the resist liquid supplying operation in the resist liquid supplying device 1, so that a predetermined amount of resist liquid is discharged onto the wafer W.

Next, the method of supplying resist liquid from the bottle 10 to the nozzle unit 60 when passing resist liquid through the pipe 2 to which resist liquid is not passing will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 7.

In addition, in Figures 3 to 7, the flow of the resist liquid is indicated by arrows. In the following description, the ON state of the sensor means that the presence of resist liquid in the piping is detected, and the OFF state of the sensor means that the presence of resist liquid in the piping is not detected. In the following description, the liquid delivery control of the bottle 10, the assist pump 30, and the pump 50, and the opening and closing control of the valves V1 to V6 and the drain valves DV1 to DV3 in response to the detection results of the sensors A to F are automatically performed based on control signals from the control unit 200.

As shown in step S100 in FIG. 3, when resist liquid is supplied from the bottle 10 to the nozzle unit 60, the resist liquid is first supplied from the bottle 10 to the tank 20. In step S100, the valve V1 of the pipe 2a is open, the valve V2 of the pipe 2b is closed, and the drain valve DV1 of the drain pipe 3 is open. In other words, the tank 20 is in a state where liquid does not pass through the pipe 2b but passes through the drain pipe 3. Therefore, the resist liquid supplied from the bottle 10 is stored in the tank 20, and when the tank 20 is filled with resist liquid, the resist liquid flows into the drain pipe 3.

When the resist liquid flows into the drain pipe 3, as shown in step S101 in FIG. 3, the presence of the resist liquid in the drain pipe 3 is detected by sensor A, and sensor A turns ON. Based on the detection result of sensor A, the liquid delivery function of the bottle 10 is temporarily stopped, and the open/close states of valve V2 and drain valve DV1 are changed so that valve V2 is open and drain valve DV1 is closed. As a result, the tank 20 is in a state where liquid is passed through pipe 2b and liquid is not passed through drain pipe 3. Thereafter, liquid delivery by the bottle 10 is resumed, and the resist liquid is delivered to the downstream side of the liquid delivery line via pipe 2b.

In this step S101, when the resist liquid flows into the drain pipe 3, if air bubbles are mixed in the resist liquid, the air bubbles will also flow into the drain pipe 3 together with the resist liquid. In this case, when the air bubbles mixed in the resist liquid pass the installation location of the sensor A in the drain pipe 3, it is considered that the resist liquid is not present and the sensor A turns OFF, but after the air bubbles pass, the sensor A turns ON again. That is, when the resist liquid flows into the drain pipe 3, the sensor A continues to switch between ON and OFF as long as air bubbles are mixed in the resist liquid in the tank 20. For this reason, in step S101, it is preferable to control the opening and closing of the valve V2 and the drain valve DV1 when the time during which the sensor A is in the ON state exceeds a predetermined time. If such control can be performed, the resist liquid in the tank 20 can be sent to the downstream side of the liquid sending line in a state in which the air bubbles mixed in the resist liquid in the tank 20 are sufficiently discharged through the drain pipe 3. Note that the above-mentioned specified time can be changed as appropriate depending on the internal structure of the tank 20, the piping structure, and the characteristics of the resist liquid used.

The resist liquid flowing through pipe 2b is sent to the assist pump 30 as shown in step S102 in FIG. 4. Then, when the assist pump 30 is filled with resist liquid, the resist liquid flows into pipe 2c. In step S102, valve V3 of pipe 2c is in an open state.

When the resist liquid flows into the pipe 2c, as shown in step S103 in FIG. 4, the presence of the resist liquid in the pipe 2c is detected by sensor B, sensor B turns ON, and based on the detection result of sensor B, the liquid delivery function of the bottle 10 is stopped. After that, the assist pump 30 is operated, and the resist liquid is delivered to the downstream side of the liquid delivery line via the pipe 2c.

The resist liquid flowing through pipe 2c is sent to filter 40 as shown in step S104 in FIG. 5. In step S104, valve V4 of pipe 2d is closed, and drain valve DV2 of drain pipe 4 is open. In other words, filter 40 is in a state where liquid does not pass through pipe 2d, but passes through drain pipe 4. Therefore, the resist liquid sent from pipe 2c accumulates in filter 40, and when filter 40 is filled with resist liquid, the resist liquid flows into drain pipe 4.

When the resist liquid flows into the drain pipe 4, as shown in step S105 in FIG. 5, the presence of the resist liquid in the drain pipe 4 is detected by sensor C, and sensor C turns ON. Based on the detection result of sensor C, the liquid transfer by the assist pump 30 is temporarily stopped, and the open/close states of valve V4 and drain valve DV2 are changed so that valve V4 is open and drain valve DV2 is closed. As a result, the filter 40 is in a state where liquid passes through pipe 2d and does not pass through drain pipe 4. Thereafter, liquid transfer by the assist pump 30 is resumed, and the resist liquid is transferred to the downstream side of the liquid transfer line via pipe 2d.

In this step S105, when the resist liquid flows into the drain pipe 4, if air bubbles are mixed in the resist liquid, the air bubbles will also flow into the drain pipe 4 together with the resist liquid. In this case, when the air bubbles mixed in the resist liquid pass through the installation location of the sensor C in the drain pipe 4, the sensor C is turned OFF as it is considered that the resist liquid is not present, but after the air bubbles pass, the sensor C turns ON again. That is, when the resist liquid flows into the drain pipe 4, the sensor C will continue to switch between ON and OFF as long as air bubbles are mixed in the resist liquid in the filter 40. For this reason, in step S105, it is preferable to control the opening and closing of the valve V4 and the drain valve DV2 when the time during which the sensor C is in the ON state exceeds a predetermined time. If such control can be performed, the resist liquid in the filter 40 can be sent to the downstream side of the liquid sending line with the air bubbles mixed in the resist liquid in the filter 40 being sufficiently discharged through the drain pipe 4. The above-mentioned specified time can be changed as appropriate depending on the internal structure of the filter 40, the piping structure, and the characteristics of the resist liquid used.

In step S105, valve V5 of pipe 2e is closed, and drain valve DV3 of drain pipe 5 is open. That is, pump 50 is in a state where liquid is not passed through pipe 2e, but is passed through drain pipe 5. Therefore, the resist liquid sent from pipe 2d accumulates in pump 50, and when pump 50 is filled with resist liquid, the resist liquid flows into drain pipe 5.

When the resist liquid flows into the drain pipe 5, as shown in step S106 in FIG. 6, the presence of the resist liquid in the drain pipe 5 is detected by sensor D, and sensor D turns ON. Based on the detection result of sensor D, the liquid supply by the assist pump 30 is temporarily stopped, and the open/close states of valve V5 and drain valve DV3 are changed so that valve V5 is open and drain valve DV3 is closed. As a result, the pump 50 passes liquid through pipe 2e and does not pass liquid through drain pipe 5. After that, the liquid supply by the assist pump 30 is resumed, and the resist liquid flows into pipe 2e.

In this step S106, when the resist liquid flows into the drain pipe 5, if air bubbles are mixed in the resist liquid, the air bubbles will also flow into the drain pipe 5 together with the resist liquid. In this case, when the air bubbles mixed in the resist liquid pass through the installation location of the sensor D in the drain pipe 5, the sensor D is turned OFF as it is considered that the resist liquid is not present, but after the air bubbles pass, the sensor D is turned ON again. That is, when the resist liquid flows into the drain pipe 5, the sensor D continues to switch between ON and OFF as long as air bubbles are mixed in the resist liquid in the pump 50. For this reason, in step S106, it is preferable to control the opening and closing of the valve V5 and the drain valve DV3 when the time during which the sensor D is in the ON state exceeds a predetermined time. If such control can be performed, the resist liquid in the pump 50 can be sent to the downstream side of the liquid sending line with the air bubbles mixed in the resist liquid in the pump 50 being sufficiently discharged through the drain pipe 5. Note that the above-mentioned specified time can be changed as appropriate depending on the internal structure of the pump 50, the piping structure, and the characteristics of the resist liquid used.

When the resist liquid flows into the pipe 2e, the presence of the resist liquid in the pipe 2e is detected by the sensor E as shown in step S107 in FIG. 6, and the sensor E turns ON. Based on the detection result of the sensor E, the liquid delivery by the assist pump 30 is stopped, and then the pump 50 is operated, and the resist liquid is delivered to the downstream side of the liquid delivery line via the pipe 2e. Note that in this embodiment, the power for delivering the liquid is changed from the assist pump 30 to the pump 50 when the sensor E turns ON in step S107, but if the power can be changed to the pump 50 by other means, step S107 can be omitted. If step S107 can be omitted, the sensor E is not necessary.

The resist liquid sent to the downstream side of the liquid sending line in step S107 flows toward the installation location of the sensor F as shown in step S108 in FIG. 7. Then, as shown in step S109 in FIG. 7, the presence of the resist liquid flowing in the pipe 2e is detected by the sensor F and the sensor F turns ON. At this time, the control unit 200, triggered by the sensor F turning ON, outputs a notification signal to notify the operator that the resist liquid has reached the installation location of the sensor F in the pipe 2e. When this signal is input to, for example, an image display unit such as a display (not shown) or an alarm sound generating unit such as a speaker (not shown), the operator recognizes that the resist liquid has reached the installation location of the sensor F, and the operator performs a final check of the liquid passing process. Note that when the sensor F turns ON in step S109, the pump 50 may temporarily suspend the liquid passing process together with the output of the notification signal, and the liquid passing process may be interrupted until the operator is ready to make a final check of the liquid passing process.

Through steps S100 to S109, the flow of resist liquid into the pipe 2 through which resist liquid is not flowing is completed. After the flow is completed, a dummy dispense is performed in the nozzle unit 60. Then, after it is confirmed that there are no problems with the discharge of the resist liquid, the resist coating process of the wafer W in the resist coating apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 is started.

According to the resist liquid supply method of this embodiment, the flow of liquid through at least one of the modules of the tank 20, the assist pump 30, the filter 40, the pump 50, the nozzle unit 60, and the piping 2 can be controlled based on the detection results of each of the sensors A to F. This makes it possible to automatically pass liquid through the piping 2 that does not have resist liquid passing through it, thereby reducing the monitoring time that the operator spends checking the liquid passing state.

In the resist liquid supplying device 1 according to the present embodiment, when resist liquid is passed through the pipe 2 to which resist liquid is not passing, the liquid passing is divided into a plurality of steps as shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 7. Then, the liquid passing through the module corresponding to each step is controlled based on the detection results of each sensor A to F. For example, in step S105 shown in FIG. 5, the valve V5 arranged downstream of the pump 50 is in a closed state, and the liquid passing through the pipe 2e is restricted. On the other hand, in step S106 shown in FIG. 6, the valve V5 is in an open state based on the detection result of the sensor D, and the liquid passing through the pipe 2e is possible. Therefore, in this example, the liquid passing through the pipe 2e is controlled based on the detection result of the sensor D. If the liquid passing through each module, such as the tank 20, the assist pump 30, the filter 40, the pump 50, the nozzle unit 60, and the pipe 2 corresponding to each step can be controlled in this way, it becomes easier to identify which part of the liquid sending line is the cause when an abnormality occurs in the liquid passing process.

When resist liquid is passed through the pipe 2 to which resist liquid is not passing, a situation may occur in which resist liquid is not sent due to a failure of a module constituting the resist liquid supplying device 1. In this case, the sensor of the pipe 2 remains in the OFF state, the liquid passing process does not proceed to the next step, and the liquid passing process is interrupted until the operator recognizes that the liquid passing step is not progressing. For example, step S105 shown in FIG. 5 is a process in which resist liquid is sent to the pump 50, but if the assist pump 30 fails or a crack occurs in the pipe 2d and the pump 50 cannot be filled with resist liquid, the sensor D will remain in the OFF state. For this reason, when resist liquid is passed through the pipe 2, it is preferable to set a required time for each step in advance, and the control unit 200 compares the required time for the step with the time until the sensor corresponding to the step turns ON to determine whether or not to continue the liquid passing process in the step. If the control unit 200 can make such a determination, for example, it can notify the operator that the execution of the step has been interrupted, and the operator can recognize that an abnormality has occurred in the liquid passing process.

In addition, in the resist liquid supplying device 1 according to the present embodiment, even after a series of liquid passing processes from the bottle 10 to the nozzle unit 60 is completed, the presence or absence of the resist liquid in the pipe 2 continues to be detected by each of the sensors A to F. Therefore, when the liquid is passing normally, the sensors B, E, and F on the liquid sending line are in the ON state because the resist liquid is present in the pipes 2c and 2e. However, even when the liquid passing from the bottle 10 to the nozzle unit 60 is completed, air bubbles may be generated inside the tank 20, the assist pump 30, the filter 40, and the pump 50. In this case, if the generated air bubbles pass through, for example, the installation location of the sensor B, the sensor B temporarily switches from the ON state to the OFF state. For this reason, it is preferable that the control unit 200 is configured to perform control to stop the liquid passing through the pipe 2 when the time during which the resist liquid is not detected by the sensors B, E, and F, that is, the time during which the sensors B, E, and F are in the OFF state, exceeds a predetermined time. If such control can be performed, the flow of liquid can be stopped before the air bubbles reach the nozzle unit 60, even when the resist coating apparatus 100 is performing a coating process on the wafer W. This makes it possible to avoid poor formation of the resist film due to an insufficient amount of resist liquid being discharged. Note that the predetermined time described in this paragraph can be changed as appropriate depending on the configuration and piping structure of the resist liquid supply apparatus 1 and the characteristics of the resist liquid used.

In the resist liquid supplying device 1 according to the present embodiment, the drain valve DV1 is provided downstream of the sensor A of the drain pipe 3, the drain valve DV2 is provided downstream of the sensor C of the drain pipe 4, and the drain valve DV3 is provided downstream of the sensor D of the drain pipe 5. According to the resist liquid supplying device 1 configured in this way, when the drain valves DV1 to DV3 are closed, the tank 20, the filter 40, and the pump 50 are filled with resist liquid, so the resist liquid that has flowed into the drain pipes 3, 4, and 5 remains in the drain pipes 3, 4, and 5. Therefore, even after a series of liquid passing processes from the bottle 10 to the nozzle unit 60 is completed, the sensors A, C, and D provided in the drain pipes 3, 4, and 5 are in the ON state. On the other hand, when the amount of resist liquid stored in the tank 20 decreases due to a failure of a module constituting the resist liquid supplying device 1, the level of the resist liquid remaining in the drain pipe 3 drops, and the sensor A temporarily switches from the ON state to the OFF state. For this reason, it is preferable that the control unit 200 performs control to stop the flow of liquid through the pipe 2 when the time during which the resist liquid is not detected by the sensors A, C, and D, that is, the time during which the sensors A, C, and D are in the OFF state, exceeds a predetermined time. If such control can be performed, it is possible to detect a decrease in the level of the resist liquid remaining in the drain pipe 3, drain pipe 4, or drain pipe 5, and the operator can recognize that an abnormality has occurred in the flow state of the resist liquid in the tank 20, filter 40, or pump 50. Note that the predetermined time described in this paragraph is changed as appropriate depending on the configuration of the resist liquid supplying device 1, the piping structure, and the characteristics of the resist liquid used.

In the resist liquid supplying device 1 according to the above embodiment, the assist pump 30 and the filter 40 are provided, but the assist pump 30 and the filter 40 are installed as necessary. For example, if the resist liquid can be sent from the bottle 10 to the pump 50 by the liquid sending function of the bottle 10, the assist pump 30 is not necessary. The filter 40 is also installed as necessary. For example, if the amount of foreign matter in the resist liquid is small enough to meet the required level, the filter 40 is not necessary. However, from the viewpoint of automatically passing the resist liquid to the pipe 2 to which the resist liquid is not passing, it is preferable that at least a sensor is provided between the tank 20 and the pump 50, and between the pump 50 and the nozzle unit 60. Then, if the liquid passing through at least one of the modules of the tank 20, the pump 50, the nozzle unit 60, and the pipe 2 can be controlled based on the detection results of each sensor, the liquid passing from the tank 20 to the nozzle unit 60 can be automatically performed. This makes it possible to reduce the time required for the operator to monitor the liquid passing state when passing the resist liquid through the pipe to which the resist liquid is not passing.

The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The above-described embodiments may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

For example, the arrangement of pipes, drain pipes, sensors, valves, etc. may be changed as appropriate within the scope that does not impede the achievement of the desired effects among those described in the above embodiments.

In addition, the liquid supplying device disclosed herein can also be used as a liquid supplying device for substrates to be processed other than semiconductor wafers, such as FPD (flat panel display) substrates.

1 resist solution supplying device 2 pipe 20 tank 50 pump 60 nozzle unit 200 control units A to F sensor W wafer

Claims (19)

A liquid supplying apparatus for supplying a processing liquid to a substrate, comprising:
A storage section for storing the treatment liquid;
a discharge unit that discharges the processing liquid onto the substrate;
A pipe provided in a liquid transfer line from the storage portion to the discharge portion;
a liquid delivery unit that delivers the treatment liquid and is disposed between the storage unit and the discharge unit of the liquid delivery line;
a detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the treatment liquid, the detection unit being provided between the storage unit and the liquid delivery unit of the liquid delivery line and between the liquid delivery unit and the discharge unit;
Valves are provided between the storage section and the liquid delivery section of the liquid delivery line, and between the liquid delivery section and the discharge section, respectively;
A control unit,
The control unit, when passing the processing liquid through the piping through which the processing liquid does not pass, divides the passage of the processing liquid from the storage unit to the discharge unit into a plurality of steps including a step of passing the processing liquid from the storage unit to the liquid delivery unit and a step of passing the processing liquid to the discharge unit, and is configured to control the passage of the processing liquid through modules corresponding to each step among the storage unit, the liquid delivery unit, the discharge unit and the piping by controlling the opening and closing of the valves based on the detection results of the detection unit. The liquid supplying device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine whether or not to continue the liquid passing process in the step based on a required time preset for each step and a detection result of the detection unit. A liquid supplying apparatus for supplying a processing liquid to a substrate, comprising:
a storage section for storing the treatment liquid;
a discharge unit that discharges the processing liquid onto the substrate;
A pipe provided in a liquid transfer line from the storage portion to the discharge portion;
a liquid delivery unit that delivers the treatment liquid and is disposed between the storage unit and the discharge unit of the liquid delivery line;
a detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the treatment liquid, the detection unit being provided between the storage unit and the liquid delivery unit of the liquid delivery line and between the liquid delivery unit and the discharge unit;
Valves are provided between the storage section and the liquid delivery section of the liquid delivery line, and between the liquid delivery section and the discharge section, respectively;
A control unit,
the control unit is configured to control the passage of the treatment liquid through at least any one of modules among the storage unit, the liquid delivery unit, the discharge unit, and the piping by controlling opening and closing of the valve based on a detection result of the detection unit when the treatment liquid is passed through the piping through which the treatment liquid is not passed;
the detection unit includes an upstream detection unit provided between the liquid sending unit and the discharge unit of the liquid sending line, and a downstream detection unit provided downstream of the upstream detection unit,
The control unit is configured to control the flow of liquid in the liquid delivery section based on the detection result of the upstream detection section, and to output a signal notifying that the processing liquid has reached the downstream detection section based on the detection result of the downstream detection section. A liquid supplying apparatus for supplying a processing liquid to a substrate, comprising:
A storage section for storing the treatment liquid;
a discharge unit that discharges the processing liquid onto the substrate;
A pipe provided in a liquid transfer line from the storage portion to the discharge portion;
a liquid delivery unit that delivers the treatment liquid and is disposed between the storage unit and the discharge unit of the liquid delivery line;
a detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the treatment liquid, the detection unit being provided between the storage unit and the liquid delivery unit of the liquid delivery line and between the liquid delivery unit and the discharge unit;
an auxiliary liquid delivery section that delivers the treatment liquid and is disposed between the storage section and the liquid delivery section of the liquid delivery line ;
Valves are provided on the liquid delivery line between the storage section and the auxiliary liquid delivery section, between the auxiliary liquid delivery section and the liquid delivery section, and between the liquid delivery section and the discharge section,
A control unit,
the control unit controls the passage of the treatment liquid through at least any one of modules among the storage unit, the auxiliary liquid delivery unit, the liquid delivery unit, the discharge unit, and the pipes by controlling opening and closing of the valve based on a detection result of the detection unit when the treatment liquid is passed through the pipes through which the treatment liquid is not passed;
A liquid supplying device configured to control the operation of the auxiliary liquid delivery section based on the detection result of the detection section provided between the auxiliary liquid delivery section and the liquid delivery section when the treatment liquid is passed through the auxiliary liquid delivery section to which the treatment liquid is not passed. A liquid supplying apparatus for supplying a processing liquid to a substrate, comprising:
a storage section for storing the treatment liquid;
a discharge unit that discharges the processing liquid onto the substrate;
A pipe provided in a liquid transfer line from the storage portion to the discharge portion;
a liquid delivery unit that delivers the treatment liquid and is disposed between the storage unit and the discharge unit of the liquid delivery line;
a detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the treatment liquid, the detection unit being provided between the storage unit and the liquid delivery unit of the liquid delivery line and between the liquid delivery unit and the discharge unit;
Valves are provided between the storage section and the liquid delivery section of the liquid delivery line, and between the liquid delivery section and the discharge section, respectively;
A control unit,
the control unit is configured to control the passage of the treatment liquid through at least any one of modules among the storage unit, the liquid delivery unit, the discharge unit, and the piping by controlling opening and closing of the valve based on a detection result of the detection unit when the treatment liquid is passed through the piping through which the treatment liquid is not passed;
A drain pipe is connected to the storage portion,
The drain pipe is provided with another detection unit that detects the presence or absence of a treatment liquid in the drain pipe,
The control unit is
When passing the treatment liquid through the storage section to which the treatment liquid has not passed, the treatment liquid is sent to the storage section in a state in which the treatment liquid is not passed through the piping and is passed through the drain pipe;
The liquid supply device is configured to, when the presence of the treatment liquid is detected by the other detection unit, perform control to switch from a state in which the treatment liquid is passed through the drain pipe to a state in which the treatment liquid is passed through the piping but not through the drain pipe. A liquid supplying apparatus for supplying a processing liquid to a substrate, comprising:
A storage section for storing the treatment liquid;
a discharge unit that discharges the processing liquid onto the substrate;
A pipe provided in a liquid transfer line from the storage portion to the discharge portion;
a liquid delivery unit that delivers the treatment liquid and is disposed between the storage unit and the discharge unit of the liquid delivery line;
a detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the treatment liquid, the detection unit being provided between the storage unit and the liquid delivery unit of the liquid delivery line and between the liquid delivery unit and the discharge unit;
a foreign matter removal unit that removes foreign matter from the treatment liquid and is disposed between the storage unit and the liquid delivery unit of the liquid delivery line;
Valves are provided on the liquid delivery line between the storage section and the foreign matter removal section, between the foreign matter removal section and the liquid delivery section, and between the liquid delivery section and the discharge section,
A control unit,
the control unit is configured to control the passage of the treatment liquid through at least any one of modules among the storage unit, the foreign matter removal unit, the liquid delivery unit, the discharge unit, and the piping by controlling opening and closing of the valve based on a detection result of the detection unit when the treatment liquid is passed through the piping through which the treatment liquid is not passed,
A drain pipe is connected to the foreign matter removal unit,
The drain pipe is provided with another detection unit that detects the presence or absence of a treatment liquid in the drain pipe,
The control unit is
When passing the treatment liquid through the foreign matter removal section to which the treatment liquid has not passed, the treatment liquid is sent to the foreign matter removal section in a state in which the treatment liquid is not passed through the piping and is passed through the drain pipe;
The liquid supply device is configured to, when the presence of the processing liquid is detected by the other detection unit provided in the drain pipe of the foreign matter removal unit , perform control to switch from a state in which the processing liquid is passed through the drain pipe to a state in which the processing liquid is passed through the piping but not through the drain pipe. A liquid supplying apparatus for supplying a processing liquid to a substrate, comprising:
A storage section for storing the treatment liquid;
a discharge unit that discharges the processing liquid onto the substrate;
A pipe provided in a liquid transfer line from the storage portion to the discharge portion;
a liquid delivery unit that delivers the treatment liquid and is disposed between the storage unit and the discharge unit of the liquid delivery line;
a detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the treatment liquid, the detection unit being provided between the storage unit and the liquid delivery unit of the liquid delivery line and between the liquid delivery unit and the discharge unit;
Valves are provided between the storage section and the liquid delivery section of the liquid delivery line, and between the liquid delivery section and the discharge section, respectively;
A control unit,
the control unit is configured to control the passage of the treatment liquid through at least any one of modules among the storage unit, the liquid delivery unit, the discharge unit, and the pipes by controlling opening and closing of the valve based on a detection result of the detection unit when the treatment liquid is passed through the pipes through which the treatment liquid is not passed;
A drain pipe is connected to the liquid delivery section,
The drain pipe is provided with another detection unit that detects the presence or absence of a treatment liquid in the drain pipe,
The control unit is
When passing the treatment liquid through the liquid sending section to which the treatment liquid is not passing, the treatment liquid is sent to the liquid sending section in a state where the treatment liquid is not passed through the piping and is passed through the drain pipe;
A liquid supply device configured to, when the presence of the treatment liquid is detected by the other detection unit provided in the drain pipe of the liquid delivery unit , perform control to switch from a state in which the treatment liquid is passed through the drain pipe to a state in which the liquid is passed through the piping but not through the drain pipe. The liquid supplying device according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the control unit is configured to control the flow of liquid through the piping to stop when the presence of the processing liquid is not detected by the other detection unit after the flow of liquid from the storage unit to the discharge unit is completed. A liquid supplying apparatus for supplying a processing liquid to a substrate, comprising:
A storage section for storing the treatment liquid;
a discharge unit that discharges the processing liquid onto the substrate;
A pipe provided in a liquid transfer line from the storage portion to the discharge portion;
a liquid delivery unit that delivers the treatment liquid and is disposed between the storage unit and the discharge unit of the liquid delivery line;
a detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the treatment liquid, the detection unit being provided between the storage unit and the liquid delivery unit of the liquid delivery line and between the liquid delivery unit and the discharge unit;
Valves are provided between the storage section and the liquid delivery section of the liquid delivery line, and between the liquid delivery section and the discharge section, respectively;
A control unit,
the control unit controls the passage of the treatment liquid through at least any one of the modules of the storage unit, the liquid delivery unit, the discharge unit, and the pipes by controlling opening and closing of the valve based on a detection result of the detection unit when the treatment liquid is passed through the pipes through which the treatment liquid is not passed;
A liquid supplying device configured to perform control to stop the flow of liquid through the piping if the time period during which the presence of the processing liquid is not detected by the detection section exceeds a predetermined time after the flow of liquid from the storage section to the discharge section is completed. A liquid supplying method for supplying a processing liquid to a substrate, comprising the steps of:
A storage section for storing the treatment liquid;
a discharge unit that discharges the processing liquid onto the substrate;
A pipe provided in a liquid transfer line from the storage portion to the discharge portion;
a liquid delivery unit that delivers the treatment liquid and is disposed between the storage unit and the discharge unit of the liquid delivery line;
a detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the treatment liquid , the detection unit being provided between the storage unit and the liquid delivery unit of the liquid delivery line and between the liquid delivery unit and the discharge unit;
a liquid supplying device including valves provided between the storage section and the liquid supplying section of the liquid supply line and between the liquid supplying section and the discharge section ,
A liquid supply method in which, when passing the treatment liquid through the piping through which the treatment liquid does not pass, the passage of the treatment liquid from the storage unit to the discharge unit is divided into a plurality of steps including a step of passing the treatment liquid from the storage unit to the liquid delivery unit and a step of passing the treatment liquid to the discharge unit, and the treatment liquid is passed from the storage unit to the discharge unit by changing the liquid passage state of modules corresponding to each step among the storage unit, the liquid delivery unit, the discharge unit and the piping by controlling the opening and closing of the valve based on the detection result of the detection unit, thereby passing the treatment liquid from the storage unit to the discharge unit and supplying the treatment liquid to the discharge unit. The liquid supplying method according to claim 10 , further comprising: determining whether or not to continue the liquid passing process in each step based on a required time preset for each step and a detection result from the detection unit. A liquid supplying method for supplying a processing liquid to a substrate, comprising the steps of:
a storage section for storing the treatment liquid;
a discharge unit that discharges the processing liquid onto the substrate;
A pipe provided in a liquid transfer line from the storage portion to the discharge portion;
a liquid delivery unit that delivers the treatment liquid and is disposed between the storage unit and the discharge unit of the liquid delivery line;
a detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the treatment liquid, the detection unit being provided between the storage unit and the liquid delivery unit of the liquid delivery line and between the liquid delivery unit and the discharge unit;
a liquid supplying device including valves provided between the storage section and the liquid supplying section of the liquid supply line and between the liquid supplying section and the discharge section,
when passing the treatment liquid through the piping through which the treatment liquid is not passing, changing a liquid passing state of at least any one of the modules of the storage unit, the liquid delivery unit, the discharge unit, and the piping by controlling opening and closing of the valve based on a detection result of the detection unit, passing the treatment liquid from the storage unit to the discharge unit, and supplying the treatment liquid to the discharge unit;
the detection unit includes an upstream detection unit provided between the liquid sending unit and the discharge unit of the liquid sending line, and a downstream detection unit provided downstream of the upstream detection unit,
A liquid supply method which changes the liquid flow state of the liquid delivery section based on the detection result of the upstream detection section, and outputs a signal notifying that the processing liquid has reached the downstream detection section based on the detection result of the downstream detection section. A liquid supplying method for supplying a processing liquid to a substrate, comprising the steps of:
a storage section for storing the treatment liquid;
a discharge unit that discharges the processing liquid onto the substrate;
A pipe provided in a liquid transfer line from the storage portion to the discharge portion;
a liquid delivery unit that delivers the treatment liquid and is disposed between the storage unit and the discharge unit of the liquid delivery line;
a detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the treatment liquid, the detection unit being provided between the storage unit and the liquid delivery unit of the liquid delivery line and between the liquid delivery unit and the discharge unit;
an auxiliary liquid delivery section that delivers the treatment liquid and is disposed between the storage section and the liquid delivery section of the liquid delivery line;
a liquid supplying device including valves provided between the storage section and the auxiliary liquid supplying section, between the auxiliary liquid supplying section and the liquid supplying section, and between the liquid supplying section and the discharge section of the liquid supplying line,
when passing the treatment liquid through the piping through which the treatment liquid is not passing, changing a liquid passing state of at least any one of the modules of the storage unit, the auxiliary liquid sending unit, the liquid sending unit, the discharge unit, and the piping by controlling opening and closing of the valve based on a detection result of the detection unit, thereby passing the treatment liquid from the storage unit to the discharge unit, and supplying the treatment liquid to the discharge unit;
A liquid supply method, in which when passing the treatment liquid through an auxiliary liquid delivery section to which the treatment liquid is not passing, the operating state of the auxiliary liquid delivery section is changed based on the detection result of a detection section provided between the auxiliary liquid delivery section and the liquid delivery section. A liquid supplying method for supplying a processing liquid to a substrate, comprising the steps of:
a storage section for storing the treatment liquid;
a discharge unit that discharges the processing liquid onto the substrate;
A pipe provided in a liquid transfer line from the storage portion to the discharge portion;
a liquid delivery unit that delivers the treatment liquid and is disposed between the storage unit and the discharge unit of the liquid delivery line;
a detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the treatment liquid, the detection unit being provided between the storage unit and the liquid delivery unit of the liquid delivery line and between the liquid delivery unit and the discharge unit;
a liquid supplying device including valves provided between the storage section and the liquid supplying section of the liquid supply line and between the liquid supplying section and the discharge section,
when passing the treatment liquid through the piping through which the treatment liquid is not passing, changing a liquid passing state of at least any one of the modules of the storage unit, the liquid delivery unit, the discharge unit, and the piping by controlling opening and closing of the valve based on a detection result of the detection unit, passing the treatment liquid from the storage unit to the discharge unit, and supplying the treatment liquid to the discharge unit;
Further, the liquid supply device has a drain pipe connected to the storage portion,
The drain pipe is provided with another detection unit that detects the presence or absence of a treatment liquid in the drain pipe,
When passing the treatment liquid through the storage section to which the treatment liquid has not passed, the treatment liquid is sent to the storage section in a state in which the treatment liquid is not passed through the piping and is passed through the drain pipe;
When the presence of the treatment liquid is detected by the other detection unit, the liquid supply method switches from a state in which the treatment liquid is passed through the drain pipe to a state in which the treatment liquid is passed through the piping but not through the drain pipe. A liquid supplying method for supplying a processing liquid to a substrate, comprising the steps of:
a storage section for storing the treatment liquid;
a discharge unit that discharges the processing liquid onto the substrate;
A pipe provided in a liquid transfer line from the storage portion to the discharge portion;
a liquid delivery unit that delivers the treatment liquid and is disposed between the storage unit and the discharge unit of the liquid delivery line;
a detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the treatment liquid, the detection unit being provided between the storage unit and the liquid delivery unit of the liquid delivery line and between the liquid delivery unit and the discharge unit;
a foreign matter removal unit that removes foreign matter from the treatment liquid and is disposed between the storage unit and the liquid delivery unit of the liquid delivery line;
a liquid supplying device including valves provided between the storage section and the foreign matter removal section, between the foreign matter removal section and the liquid delivery section, and between the liquid delivery section and the discharge section,
when passing the treatment liquid through the piping through which the treatment liquid is not passing, changing a liquid passing state of at least any one of the modules of the storage unit, the foreign matter removal unit, the liquid delivery unit, the discharge unit, and the piping by controlling opening and closing of the valve based on a detection result of the detection unit, passing the treatment liquid from the storage unit to the discharge unit, and supplying the treatment liquid to the discharge unit;
Further, the liquid supplying device has a drain pipe connected to the foreign matter removing section,
The drain pipe is provided with another detection unit that detects the presence or absence of a treatment liquid in the drain pipe,
When passing the treatment liquid through the foreign matter removal section to which the treatment liquid has not passed, the treatment liquid is sent to the foreign matter removal section in a state in which the treatment liquid is not passed through the piping and is passed through the drain pipe;
A liquid supply method in which, when the presence of the processing liquid is detected by the other detection unit provided in the drain pipe of the foreign matter removal unit, a state in which the processing liquid is passed through the drain pipe is switched to a state in which the processing liquid is passed through the piping but not through the drain pipe. A liquid supplying method for supplying a processing liquid to a substrate, comprising the steps of:
A storage section for storing the treatment liquid;
a discharge unit that discharges the processing liquid onto the substrate;
A pipe provided in a liquid transfer line from the storage portion to the discharge portion;
a liquid delivery unit that delivers the treatment liquid and is disposed between the storage unit and the discharge unit of the liquid delivery line;
a detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the treatment liquid, the detection unit being provided between the storage unit and the liquid delivery unit of the liquid delivery line and between the liquid delivery unit and the discharge unit;
a liquid supplying device including valves provided between the storage section and the liquid supplying section of the liquid supply line and between the liquid supplying section and the discharge section,
when passing the treatment liquid through the piping through which the treatment liquid is not passing, changing a liquid passing state of at least any one of the modules of the storage unit, the liquid delivery unit, the discharge unit, and the piping by controlling opening and closing of the valve based on a detection result of the detection unit, passing the treatment liquid from the storage unit to the discharge unit, and supplying the treatment liquid to the discharge unit;
Further, the liquid supplying device has a drain pipe connected to the liquid delivery section,
The drain pipe is provided with another detection unit that detects the presence or absence of a treatment liquid in the drain pipe,
When passing the treatment liquid through the liquid sending section to which the treatment liquid is not passing, the treatment liquid is sent to the liquid sending section in a state where the treatment liquid is not passed through the piping and is passed through the drain pipe;
A liquid supply method in which, when the presence of the treatment liquid is detected by the other detection unit provided in the drain pipe of the liquid delivery unit, a state in which the liquid is passed through the drain pipe is switched to a state in which the liquid is passed through the piping but not through the drain pipe. The liquid supply method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein, after the liquid has been passed from the storage section to the discharge section, if the presence of the treatment liquid is not detected by the other detection section, the liquid passing through the piping is stopped. A liquid supplying method for supplying a processing liquid to a substrate, comprising the steps of:
A storage section for storing the treatment liquid;
a discharge unit that discharges the processing liquid onto the substrate;
A pipe provided in a liquid transfer line from the storage portion to the discharge portion;
a liquid delivery unit that delivers the treatment liquid and is disposed between the storage unit and the discharge unit of the liquid delivery line;
a detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the treatment liquid, the detection unit being provided between the storage unit and the liquid delivery unit of the liquid delivery line and between the liquid delivery unit and the discharge unit;
a liquid supplying device including valves provided between the storage section and the liquid supplying section of the liquid supply line and between the liquid supplying section and the discharge section,
when passing the treatment liquid through the piping through which the treatment liquid is not passing, changing a liquid passing state of at least any one of the modules of the storage unit, the liquid delivery unit, the discharge unit, and the piping by controlling opening and closing of the valve based on a detection result of the detection unit, passing the treatment liquid from the storage unit to the discharge unit, and supplying the treatment liquid to the discharge unit;
A liquid supply method, comprising: stopping the passage of liquid through the piping when a period of time during which the presence of the treatment liquid is not detected by the detection section exceeds a predetermined period of time after the passage of liquid from the storage section to the discharge section is completed. A readable computer storage medium storing a program that runs on a computer of a control unit that controls a liquid supplying device so as to cause the liquid supplying method according to any one of claims 10 to 18 to be carried out by the liquid supplying device.

Images