JP7596201B2 - SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method.

The manufacturing process of semiconductor devices includes a process of removing only the peripheral portion of a film formed on the surface of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer by wet etching; this process is called bevel etching. This process is carried out in a substrate processing apparatus by supplying an etching liquid to the peripheral portion of a film formed on the surface of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer by wet etching (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 shows a method and apparatus for etching the peripheral portion of the surface of the substrate by rotating a substrate held horizontally and supplying a chemical solution to the peripheral portion of the substrate.

The substrate to be processed by bevel etching includes a device region where a substrate pattern is provided except for the peripheral area. When performing bevel etching, care must be taken to ensure that the etching does not extend to areas other than the peripheral area.

JP 2008-47629 A

In recent years, as substrates have become more highly integrated, there is a demand to expand the area of the substrate surface that is occupied by device regions. Accordingly, there is a demand to limit the area to be etched by bevel etching to within 10 mm, or in some cases, within a few mm, from the edge of the substrate, while also reliably removing unnecessary film from the peripheral area.

If any unnecessary film remains, the unnecessary film or remaining particles resulting from the unnecessary film may adversely affect the quality of the subsequent process. On the other hand, if the etching to remove the unnecessary film proceeds too far, it may damage the film and substrate around or below the unnecessary film. For these reasons, there is a demand not only to remove the unnecessary film by bevel etching, but also to more precisely control the degree of etching. In particular, there is a demand to precisely control the etching rate in the boundary region between the area etched away by bevel etching and the area adjacent to this area, and to precisely control the degree of film removal in the boundary region.

In conventional devices and methods, the area etched away by bevel etching is controlled by where on the edge of the substrate the chemical solution is supplied. The degree of etching is controlled by controlling the processing time of the bevel etching and the temperature of the supplied chemical solution.

However, as devices become denser and the area to be etched becomes smaller, it becomes more difficult to precisely control the etching rate in the boundary area between the area to be etched away by the bevel etch and the area adjacent to this area.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method that can precisely control the etching rate during bevel etching of the peripheral portion of a substrate.

A substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes a substrate holding unit, a first nozzle, a first nozzle movement mechanism, a second nozzle, and a control unit. The substrate holding unit holds the substrate horizontally and rotates about a rotation axis that passes vertically through the center of the substrate. The first nozzle supplies a first processing fluid toward a first liquid landing position on the periphery of the upper surface of the substrate. The first nozzle movement mechanism moves the first nozzle horizontally. The second nozzle supplies a second processing fluid toward a second liquid landing position on the periphery of the lower surface of the substrate. The control unit controls the first liquid landing position and the second liquid landing position. The control unit controls the first liquid landing position and the second liquid landing position so that a first distance from the center of the substrate to the first liquid landing position and a second distance from the center of the substrate to the second liquid landing position are predetermined values.

In one aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing apparatus, the first processing fluid may be an etching liquid.

In one aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing apparatus, the second processing fluid may be hot water.

In one aspect of the present invention, in a substrate processing apparatus, the control unit may change the processing speed of the first processing fluid on the upper surface of the substrate by changing the second liquid landing position on the lower surface of the substrate.
In one aspect of the present invention, in a substrate processing apparatus, the control unit may change the processing speed of the first processing fluid on the upper surface of the substrate by changing the position setting of the second nozzle to change the second liquid landing position on the lower surface of the substrate.

In one aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing apparatus, the second liquid landing position may be within 5 mm from the edge surface of the substrate.

In one aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing apparatus, the second liquid landing position may be radially inward of the substrate from the first liquid landing position in a plan view.

In one aspect of the present invention, the substrate processing apparatus may further include a memory unit that stores processing speed information indicating the relationship between the second liquid landing position and the processing speed of the first processing fluid on the upper surface of the substrate, and a display unit that displays the processing speed information.

In one aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing apparatus, the control unit may change the second liquid landing position by moving the second nozzle in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis.

In one aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing apparatus, the second nozzle may have a plurality of nozzles each having a different distance from the axis of rotation. The control unit may change the second liquid landing position by selecting an outlet from the plurality of outlets that will eject the second processing fluid.

In one aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing apparatus, the second nozzle may eject the second processing fluid obliquely upward toward the outside in the radial direction of the substrate.

A substrate processing method according to another aspect of the present invention etches the peripheral portion of a substrate. The substrate processing method includes a step of supplying a first processing fluid to a first liquid landing position on the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the substrate, a step of supplying a second processing fluid different from the first processing fluid to a second liquid landing position on the peripheral portion of the lower surface of the substrate, and a control step of controlling the first liquid landing position and the second liquid landing position so that a first distance from the center of the substrate to the first liquid landing position and a second distance from the center of the substrate to the second liquid landing position are predetermined values.

In one aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing method, the first processing fluid may be an etching liquid.

In one aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing method, the second processing fluid may be hot water.

In one aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing method, the control step may change the processing speed of the first processing fluid on the upper surface of the substrate by changing the second liquid landing position on the lower surface of the substrate.

In one aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing method, the second liquid landing position may be within 5 mm from the edge surface of the substrate.

In one aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing method, the second liquid landing position may be radially inward of the substrate from the first liquid landing position in a plan view.

In one aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing method, the control step may change the second landing position based on processing speed information indicating the relationship between the second landing position and the processing speed of the first processing fluid on the upper surface of the substrate, and the state of the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the substrate previously processed with the first processing fluid and the second processing fluid.

In one aspect of the present invention, in a substrate processing method, a plurality of the substrates are processed by a plurality of processing units. The substrate processing method further includes a step of detecting the state of the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the substrate previously processed by the first processing fluid and the second processing fluid in each of the processing units prior to the control step, and the control step may change the second liquid landing position of the other processing unit based on the detection result of the state of the substrate processed in at least one of the processing units and processing speed information indicating the relationship between the second liquid landing position of the other processing unit and the processing speed of the first processing fluid on the upper surface of the substrate.

In one aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing method, the control step may calculate a difference between a detection result of the state of the substrate processed in the at least one processing unit and a detection result of the state of the substrate processed in the other processing unit, and change the second liquid landing position of the other processing unit based on the difference and the processing speed information of the other processing unit.

The present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method that can precisely control the etching rate during bevel etching of the peripheral portion of a substrate.

1 is a schematic plan view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a side view showing the inside of a processing unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the structure of a heating unit and a second nozzle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a first nozzle, a second nozzle, a heating section, and the like according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a bevel process of a processing unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. 5 is an example of a graph showing a relationship between a landing position of a second processing fluid and an etching amount by a first processing fluid in the substrate processing apparatus of the embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a substrate processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. 13 is a plan view for explaining a second nozzle of a substrate processing apparatus according to a modified example of the present invention. FIG.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference symbols, and the description will not be repeated. In addition, in the drawings, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are appropriately illustrated to facilitate understanding. The X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are mutually orthogonal, the X-axis and Y-axis are parallel to the horizontal direction, and the Z-axis is parallel to the vertical direction. In addition, in the drawings, hatching indicating a cross section may be omitted in some cases to make the drawings easier to see. Furthermore, the radial direction relative to the rotation axis AX of the substrate W is referred to as the "radial direction RD", the circumferential direction relative to the rotation axis AX is referred to as the "circumferential direction CD", and the direction approximately parallel to the rotation axis AX is referred to as the "axial direction AD".

A substrate processing apparatus 500 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 7. The substrate processing apparatus 500 processes a substrate W. The substrate W is, for example, a semiconductor wafer, a substrate for a liquid crystal display device, a substrate for a plasma display, a substrate for a field emission display (FED), a substrate for an optical disk, a substrate for a magnetic disk, a substrate for a magneto-optical disk, a substrate for a photomask, a ceramic substrate, or a substrate for a solar cell. In this embodiment, the substrate W is a semiconductor wafer. The substrate W is, for example, approximately disk-shaped.

First, the substrate processing apparatus 500 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a substrate processing apparatus 500 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 500 includes an indexer unit U1, a plurality of processing units U2, a transport robot CR, an exchange part PS, and a control device U3. The control device U3 controls the indexer unit U1, the plurality of processing units U2, and the transport robot CR. The control device U3 is, for example, a computer. The indexer unit U1 includes a plurality of substrate containers C and an indexer robot IR.

Each of the substrate containers C accommodates multiple substrates W in a stacked manner. The indexer robot IR removes an unprocessed substrate W from one of the multiple substrate containers C and transfers the substrate W to the transfer part PS. The substrate W removed from the substrate container C is then placed on the transfer part PS. The transport robot CR receives the unprocessed substrate W from the transfer part PS and transports the substrate W to one of the multiple processing units U2.

The processing unit U2 processes unprocessed substrates W. The processing unit U2 is a single-substrate type that processes substrates W one by one.

After processing by the processing unit U2, the transport robot CR removes the processed substrate W from the processing unit U2 and transfers the substrate W to the transfer part PS. The substrate W processed in the processing unit U2 is then placed on the transfer part PS. The indexer robot IR receives the processed substrate W from the transfer part PS and stores the substrate W in one of the multiple substrate storage containers C.

Next, the processing unit U2 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the inside of the processing unit U2 according to this embodiment.

The processing unit U2 shown in FIG. 2 processes the substrate W with a processing fluid. The processing fluid is, for example, a processing liquid or a processing gas.

The processing fluid is not particularly limited as long as it is a fluid that comes into contact with the substrate W. The processing fluid may be, for example, a chemical liquid or a rinse liquid.

Examples of chemical solutions include dilute hydrofluoric acid (DHF), hydrofluoric acid (HF), hydronitric acid (a mixture of hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid ( _HNO3 )), buffered hydrofluoric acid (BHF), ammonium fluoride, HFEG (a mixture of hydrofluoric acid and ethylene glycol), phosphoric acid ( _H3PO4 ), sulfuric acid, acetic acid, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, ammonia water, hydrogen peroxide, organic acids (e.g., citric acid, oxalic acid), _organic alkalis (e.g., TMAH: tetramethylammonium hydroxide), sulfuric acid/hydrogen peroxide mixture (SPM), ammonia/hydrogen peroxide mixture (SC1), hydrochloric acid/hydrogen peroxide mixture (SC2), isopropyl alcohol (IPA), surfactants, corrosion inhibitors, or hydrophobizing agents.

The rinse liquid is, for example, deionized water, carbonated water, electrolytic ionized water, hydrogen water, ozone water, or hydrochloric acid water with a diluted concentration (for example, about 10 ppm to 100 ppm).

The processing gas as the processing fluid is, for example, a reactive gas that reacts with the substrate W, or an inert gas. The reactive gas is, for example, ozone gas, fluorine gas, a gas containing hydrogen fluoride, or a gas containing IPA. The inert gas is, for example, nitrogen, helium, or argon.

As shown in FIG. 2, the processing unit U2 includes a chamber 1, a spin chuck 3, a motor housing 5, a motor 7, a heating unit 9, a first nozzle 11, a second nozzle 13, a third nozzle 15, a fourth nozzle 17, a first fluid supply mechanism 21, a second fluid supply mechanism 23, a third fluid supply mechanism 25, a fourth fluid supply mechanism 27, a first nozzle movement unit 31, a second nozzle movement unit 33, a third nozzle movement unit 35, a fourth nozzle movement unit 37, and a guard 41. The spin chuck 3 is an example of the "substrate holding unit" of the present invention. The first nozzle movement unit 31 is an example of the "first nozzle movement mechanism" of the present invention.

The chamber 1 has a generally box-like shape. The chamber 1 houses the substrate W, the spin chuck 3, the motor housing 5, the motor 7, the heating unit 9, the first nozzle 11 to the fourth nozzle 17, parts of the first fluid supply mechanism 21 to the fourth fluid supply mechanism 27, the first nozzle movement unit 31 to the fourth nozzle movement unit 37, and the guard 41.

The spin chuck 3 is rotatable. The spin chuck 3 holds the substrate W horizontally and rotates about a rotation axis AX that passes vertically through the center of the substrate W. Specifically, the spin chuck 3 rotates the substrate W about the rotation axis AX while holding the substrate W horizontally in the chamber 1. The spin chuck 3 is driven to rotate by a motor 7. The spin chuck 3 is a vacuum suction type chuck. The spin chuck 3 suctions the center of the lower surface Wb (the surface opposite to the upper surface Wa) of the substrate W. In this specification, the upper surface Wa of the substrate W is the front surface of the substrate W. The lower surface Wb of the substrate W is the back surface of the substrate W.

The spin chuck 3 includes a spin base SB and a spin shaft SS. The spin base SB is a substantially disk-shaped member. The spin base SB has at least one suction hole (not shown). The suction hole is arranged on the upper surface of the spin base SB. A suction pump (not shown) is connected to the suction hole. The suction pump sucks air inside the suction hole, thereby holding the substrate W on the upper surface of the spin base SB. The spin base SB has an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the substrate W. With the substrate W held on the spin base SB, the peripheral portion EG of the substrate W is arranged radially outward from the periphery of the spin base SB.

The spin shaft SS is attached to the center of the underside of the spin base SB. The spin shaft SS extends vertically. The spin shaft SS is connected to the motor 7. When the motor 7 is driven, the spin chuck 3 (spin shaft SS and spin base SB) rotates around the rotation axis AX. Thus, the substrate W held by the spin chuck 3 rotates around the rotation axis AX.

The motor housing 5 is a hollow member. The motor housing 5 houses the motor 7.

The heating section 9 heats the substrate W. The heating section 9 is, for example, a heater. In this embodiment, the heating section 9 heats at least the peripheral portion EG of the substrate W. The heating section 9 is, for example, disposed below the substrate W. The heating section 9 heats the substrate W from, for example, the lower surface Wb side. The heating section 9 is substantially annular. Details of the heating section 9 will be described later.

The first nozzle 11 supplies a first processing fluid FL1 toward the peripheral portion EG of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W while the substrate W is rotating. In this embodiment, the first processing fluid FL1 is a processing liquid.

The first fluid supply mechanism 21 supplies the first processing fluid FL1 to the first nozzle 11. The first fluid supply mechanism 21 includes a pipe 21a and a valve 21b. The pipe 21a supplies the first processing fluid FL1 to the first nozzle 11. The valve 21b switches between starting and stopping the supply of the first processing fluid FL1 to the first nozzle 11. When the valve 21b is opened, the first processing fluid FL1 is supplied to the first nozzle 11 through the pipe 21a. As a result, the first nozzle 11 ejects the first processing fluid FL1 toward the substrate W.

The first nozzle moving unit 31 moves the first nozzle 11 in a substantially vertical direction and a substantially horizontal direction. Specifically, the first nozzle moving unit 31 includes an arm 31a and a nozzle moving mechanism 31b. The arm 31a extends substantially horizontally. The first nozzle 11 is disposed at the tip of the arm 31a. Details of the first nozzle moving unit 31 will be described later.

The second nozzle 13 supplies a second processing fluid FL2 toward the peripheral portion EG of the lower surface Wb of the substrate W while the substrate W is rotating. In this embodiment, the second processing fluid FL2 is a processing liquid.

The second fluid supply mechanism 23 supplies the second processing fluid FL2 to the second nozzle 13. The second fluid supply mechanism 23 includes a pipe 23a and a valve 23b. The pipe 23a supplies the second processing fluid FL2 to the second nozzle 13. The valve 23b switches between starting and stopping the supply of the second processing fluid FL2 to the second nozzle 13. When the valve 23b is opened, the second processing fluid FL2 is supplied to the second nozzle 13 through the pipe 23a. As a result, the second nozzle 13 ejects the second processing fluid FL2 toward the substrate W.

The second nozzle moving unit 33 moves the second nozzle 13 in a substantially vertical direction and a substantially horizontal direction. Specifically, the second nozzle moving unit 33 includes an arm 33a and a nozzle moving mechanism 33b. The arm 33a extends substantially horizontally. The second nozzle 13 is disposed at the tip of the arm 33a. Details of the second nozzle moving unit 33 will be described later.

The third nozzle 15 supplies a third processing fluid FL3 toward the center of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W while the substrate W is rotating. In this embodiment, the third processing fluid FL3 is a processing gas.

The third fluid supply mechanism 25 supplies the third processing fluid FL3 to the third nozzle 15. The third fluid supply mechanism 25 includes a pipe 25a and a valve 25b. The pipe 25a supplies the third processing fluid FL3 to the third nozzle 15. The valve 25b switches between starting and stopping the supply of the third processing fluid FL3 to the third nozzle 15. When the valve 25b is opened, the third processing fluid FL3 is supplied to the third nozzle 15 through the pipe 25a. As a result, the third nozzle 15 ejects the third processing fluid FL3 toward the substrate W.

The third nozzle moving unit 35 moves the third nozzle 15 in a substantially vertical direction and a substantially horizontal direction. Specifically, the third nozzle moving unit 35 includes an arm 35a and a nozzle moving mechanism 35b. The arm 35a extends substantially horizontally. The third nozzle 15 is disposed at the tip of the arm 35a. Details of the third nozzle moving unit 35 will be described later.

The fourth nozzle 17 supplies a fourth processing fluid FL4 toward the upper surface Wa of the substrate W while the substrate W is rotating. In this embodiment, the fourth processing fluid FL4 is a processing gas.

The fourth fluid supply mechanism 27 supplies the fourth processing fluid FL4 to the fourth nozzle 17. The fourth fluid supply mechanism 27 includes a pipe 27a and a valve 27b. The pipe 27a supplies the fourth processing fluid FL4 to the fourth nozzle 17. The valve 27b switches between starting and stopping the supply of the fourth processing fluid FL4 to the fourth nozzle 17. When the valve 27b is opened, the fourth processing fluid FL4 is supplied to the fourth nozzle 17 through the pipe 27a. As a result, the fourth nozzle 17 ejects the fourth processing fluid FL4 toward the substrate W.

The fourth nozzle moving unit 37 moves the fourth nozzle 17 in a substantially vertical direction and a substantially horizontal direction. Specifically, the fourth nozzle moving unit 37 includes an arm 37a and a nozzle moving mechanism 37b. The arm 37a extends substantially horizontally. The fourth nozzle 17 is disposed at the tip of the arm 37a. Details of the fourth nozzle moving unit 37 will be described later.

The guard 41 receives the processing fluids (first processing fluid FL1 to fourth processing fluid FL4) discharged from the substrate W. The guard 41 has a generally cylindrical shape. For example, the guard 41 includes a generally cylindrical portion 41a and a protruding portion 41b. The protruding portion 41b protrudes obliquely upward from the upper end of the cylindrical portion 41a toward the inside in the radial direction RD.

Next, the heating unit 9, the first nozzle movement unit 31, the second nozzle movement unit 33, the third nozzle movement unit 35, and the fourth nozzle movement unit 37 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a plan view showing the structure of the heating unit 9 and the second nozzle 13 of this embodiment. Figure 4 is a plan view showing the first nozzle 11, the second nozzle 13, the heating unit 9, etc. of this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 3, the heating unit 9 includes a heating element (not shown) and a substantially disk-shaped housing member 9a that houses the heating element. The housing member 9a includes a heating region 9b. The heating region 9b is an area that becomes hot due to the heat from the heating element. The heating region 9b becomes, for example, 100° C. or higher. The heating region 9b has a substantially annular shape.

The heating section 9 further includes a notch 9c. The notch 9c has a shape in which a part of the outer periphery of the storage member 9a is cut out. The second nozzle 13 is disposed in the notch 9c. The notch 9c is formed so that the second nozzle 13 can move, for example, in a substantially horizontal direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the notch 9c extends inward in the radial direction RD from the outer periphery of the storage member 9a. Therefore, the second nozzle 13 can move in the radial direction RD within the notch 9c.

As shown in FIG. 4, the nozzle movement mechanism 31b of the first nozzle movement unit 31 rotates the arm 31a along a substantially horizontal plane. As a result, the first nozzle 11 moves along a substantially horizontal plane. The nozzle movement mechanism 31b includes, for example, an electric motor for rotating the arm 31a along a substantially horizontal plane. The nozzle movement mechanism 31b also raises and lowers the arm 31a along a substantially vertical direction. As a result, the first nozzle 11 moves along a substantially vertical direction. In this case, the nozzle movement mechanism 31b includes, for example, a ball screw mechanism and an electric motor that provides a driving force to the ball screw mechanism.

The nozzle movement mechanism 33b (see FIG. 2) of the second nozzle movement unit 33 moves the arm 33a in the approximately radial direction RD along a substantially horizontal plane. As a result, the second nozzle 13 moves in the approximately radial direction RD. In other words, the second nozzle 13 moves so as to cross the peripheral portion EG of the substrate W. In this embodiment, the nozzle movement mechanism 33b can move the second nozzle 13 in the approximately radial direction RD at a pitch of about 0.1 mm. The nozzle movement mechanism 33b includes, for example, a linear motor for moving the arm 33a along the approximately radial direction RD. The nozzle movement mechanism 33b also raises and lowers the arm 33a in the approximately vertical direction. As a result, the second nozzle 13 moves in the approximately vertical direction. In this case, the nozzle movement mechanism 33b includes, for example, a ball screw mechanism and an electric motor that provides a driving force to the ball screw mechanism.

The nozzle movement mechanism 35b of the third nozzle movement unit 35 rotates the arm 35a along a substantially horizontal plane. As a result, the third nozzle 15 moves along a substantially horizontal plane. The nozzle movement mechanism 35b includes, for example, an electric motor for rotating the arm 35a along a substantially horizontal plane. The nozzle movement mechanism 35b also raises and lowers the arm 35a along a substantially vertical direction. As a result, the third nozzle 15 moves along a substantially vertical direction. In this case, the nozzle movement mechanism 35b includes, for example, a ball screw mechanism and an electric motor that provides a driving force to the ball screw mechanism.

The nozzle movement mechanism 37b of the fourth nozzle movement unit 37 rotates the arm 37a along a substantially horizontal plane. As a result, the fourth nozzle 17 moves along a substantially horizontal plane. The nozzle movement mechanism 37b includes, for example, an electric motor for rotating the arm 37a along a substantially horizontal plane. The nozzle movement mechanism 37b also raises and lowers the arm 37a along a substantially vertical direction. As a result, the fourth nozzle 17 moves along a substantially vertical direction. In this case, the nozzle movement mechanism 37b includes, for example, a ball screw mechanism and an electric motor that provides a driving force to the ball screw mechanism.

Next, the bevel processing by the processing unit U2 will be described with reference to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the bevel processing by the processing unit U2 of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the first nozzle 11 supplies the first processing fluid FL1 to the rotating substrate W from the side of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W. In this embodiment, the first nozzle 11 performs the bevel processing. The bevel processing is to supply the first processing fluid FL1 toward the peripheral portion EG of the surface of the rotating substrate W to process the peripheral portion EG of the substrate W. In this embodiment, the bevel processing is performed in a state in which the substrate W is heated by the heating unit 9. In this embodiment, the first processing fluid FL1 is a processing liquid. The processing liquid is, for example, an etching liquid, and examples of the etching liquid include sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, hydrogen peroxide, a mixture of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide, an ammonia compound, and a mixture of these. Depending on the purpose of the bevel processing, an organic processing liquid may be used for the purpose of removing an organic compound-based film. The treatment liquid may be a cleaning liquid such as SC1, SC2, FOM, or ozone-containing DIW.

For example, the first nozzle 11 etches a film present on the peripheral portion EG of the surface of the rotating substrate W by supplying an etching liquid toward a predetermined position on the peripheral portion EG. In this embodiment, the temperature of the first processing fluid FL1 is, for example, room temperature (about 25°C). Note that in this embodiment, the peripheral portion EG of the substrate W is, for example, an annular region extending from the peripheral portion of the substrate W to about 5 mm inward in the radial direction RD. Examples of films present on the peripheral portion EG of the substrate W include nitride films such as silicon nitride films and oxide films.

4, the first nozzle 11 includes a first outlet 11a for discharging the first processing fluid FL1. The first nozzle 11 supplies the first processing fluid FL1 to the substrate W rotating by the motor 7 from the side of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W. Specifically, the first nozzle 11 supplies the first processing fluid FL1 toward the peripheral portion EG of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W during rotation. The first nozzle 11 supplies the first processing fluid FL1 toward a position from a position about 0.5 mm inward in the radial direction RD from the peripheral portion of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W to a position about 4.5 mm further inward in the radial direction RD. In other words, the first nozzle 11 supplies the first processing fluid FL1 toward any portion of the peripheral portion EG of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W other than about 0.5 mm outward in the radial direction RD. In other words, the first nozzle 11 supplies the first processing fluid FL1 toward a position that is approximately 0.5 mm or more and approximately 5.0 mm or less from the edge (periphery) of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W. In this case, the first nozzle 11 ejects the first processing fluid FL1 diagonally downward outside in the radial direction RD. The first nozzle 11 has, for example, a flow path that is inclined with respect to the vertical direction. The lower end of the flow path is the first ejection port 11a.

5, the first nozzle 11 supplies the first processing fluid FL1 toward a predetermined position (hereinafter also referred to as the liquid landing position P1) on the peripheral portion EG of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W. Therefore, the first processing fluid FL1 discharged from the first nozzle 11 is supplied to a predetermined position (liquid landing position P1) on the peripheral portion EG of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W. The liquid landing position P1 is an example of the "first liquid landing position" of the present invention. The liquid landing position P1 is a position on the upper surface Wa of the substrate W where the processing liquid supplied from the first nozzle 11 lands. The liquid landing position P1 can be easily positioned at a desired position by setting the position of the first nozzle 11 based on the distance L1 between the first nozzle 11 and the upper surface Wa of the substrate W and the incident angle θ1 of the first processing fluid FL1 with respect to the upper surface Wa of the substrate W.

As shown in FIG. 4, the third nozzle 15 includes a third outlet (not shown) that discharges the third processing fluid FL3. Specifically, the third nozzle 15 includes a large diameter portion 15a that has a larger diameter than other portions. The large diameter portion 15a is substantially disk-shaped. A plurality of third outlets are formed in the large diameter portion 15a. The third nozzle 15 supplies the third processing fluid FL3 toward the center of the upper surface Wa of the rotating substrate W. In this case, the third nozzle 15 discharges the third processing fluid FL3 diagonally downward outside the radial direction RD. The third nozzle 15 has, for example, a plurality of flow paths that are inclined with respect to the vertical direction. The lower ends of the flow paths are the third outlets.

The third processing fluid FL3 is a processing gas (e.g., nitrogen). For example, clean air may be used as the third processing fluid FL3. The third processing fluid FL3 ejected from the third nozzle 15 spreads radially from the center of the substrate W toward the peripheral portion EG. The first processing fluid FL1 at the peripheral portion EG of the substrate W is efficiently discharged to the outside of the substrate W by the third processing fluid FL3.

The fourth nozzle 17 includes a fourth outlet 17a that outlets a fourth processing fluid FL4. The fourth nozzle 17 outlets the fourth processing fluid FL4 toward the upper surface Wa of the substrate W during rotation. The fourth processing fluid FL4 is a processing gas (e.g., nitrogen). The fourth nozzle 17 supplies the processing gas to the upper surface Wa of the substrate W, inward in the radial direction RD (toward the rotation axis AX) of the liquid landing position P1 (see FIG. 5) where the processing liquid supplied from the first nozzle 11 lands. In this case, the fourth nozzle 17 outlets the fourth processing fluid FL4 diagonally downward outside the radial direction RD. The fourth nozzle 17 has, for example, a flow path that is inclined with respect to the vertical direction. The lower end of the flow path is the fourth outlet 17a.

The fourth processing fluid FL4 discharged from the fourth nozzle 17 flows toward the peripheral edge EG of the substrate W. The fourth processing fluid FL4 efficiently discharges the first processing fluid FL1 remaining on the peripheral edge EG of the substrate W to the outside of the substrate W.

The second nozzle 13 includes a second outlet 13a for discharging the second processing fluid FL2. The second nozzle 13 supplies the second processing fluid FL2 to the rotating substrate W from the side of the lower surface Wb of the substrate W. Specifically, the second nozzle 13 supplies the second processing fluid FL2 toward the peripheral portion EG of the lower surface Wb of the rotating substrate W. The second nozzle 13 supplies the second processing fluid FL2 toward a position from a position about 0.5 mm inward in the radial direction RD from the peripheral portion of the lower surface Wb of the substrate W to a position about 4.5 mm further inward in the radial direction RD. In other words, the second nozzle 13 supplies the second processing fluid FL2 toward any portion of the peripheral portion EG of the lower surface Wb of the substrate W other than about 0.5 mm outward in the radial direction RD. In other words, the second nozzle 13 supplies the second processing fluid FL2 toward a position that is approximately 0.5 mm or more and approximately 5.0 mm or less from the edge (periphery) of the lower surface Wb of the substrate W. In this case, the second nozzle 13 ejects the second processing fluid FL2 diagonally upward outside in the radial direction RD. The second nozzle 13 has, for example, a flow path that is inclined with respect to the vertical direction. The lower end of the flow path is the second ejection port 13a.

5, the second nozzle 13 supplies the second processing fluid FL2 toward a predetermined position (hereinafter also referred to as the liquid landing position P2) on the peripheral portion EG of the underside Wb of the substrate W. Therefore, the second processing fluid FL2 ejected from the second nozzle 13 is supplied to a predetermined position (liquid landing position P2) on the peripheral portion EG of the underside Wb of the substrate W. The liquid landing position P2 is an example of a "second liquid landing position" in the present invention. The liquid landing position P2 is a position on the underside Wb of the substrate W at which the processing liquid supplied from the second nozzle 13 lands. In this embodiment, the second processing fluid FL2 is warm water. However, the second processing fluid FL2 does not have to be water and may be at room temperature. Furthermore, by setting the position of the second nozzle 13 based on the distance L2 between the second nozzle 13 and the lower surface Wb of the substrate W and the incident angle θ2 of the second processing fluid FL2 with respect to the lower surface Wb of the substrate W, the landing position P2 can be easily positioned at the desired position.

In addition, the liquid landing position P2 may be located further inward in the radial direction RD of the substrate W than the liquid landing position P1 when viewed in a plan view.

Although the distance L1, the incident angle θ1, the distance L2, and the incident angle θ2 are not particularly limited, in this embodiment, the distance L1 is, for example, about 1 mm, and the incident angle θ1 is, for example, 45°. Furthermore, the distance L2 is, for example, about 2 mm, and the incident angle θ2 is, for example, 45°. Furthermore, although the discharge amount of the first nozzle 11 and the discharge amount of the second nozzle 13 are not particularly limited, in this embodiment, the discharge amount of the first nozzle 11 and the discharge amount of the second nozzle 13 are, for example, the same amount.

The second processing fluid FL2 flows from the landing position P2 toward the outside in the radial direction RD along the lower surface Wb of the substrate W. At this time, the peripheral portion EG of the substrate W is heated by the heating unit 9. The temperature of the peripheral portion EG of the substrate W is, for example, several tens of degrees to several hundred degrees. Therefore, the second processing fluid FL2 supplied to the lower surface Wb of the substrate W removes heat from the substrate W and vaporizes. This causes the temperature of the peripheral portion EG of the substrate W to decrease. In other words, the second processing fluid FL2 affects the temperature of the peripheral portion EG of the substrate W, and further affects the processing speed (etching rate) of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W by the first processing fluid FL1.

Next, the relationship between the landing position P2 of the second processing fluid FL2 and the etching amount by the first processing fluid FL1 will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is an example of a graph showing the relationship between the landing position P2 of the second processing fluid FL2 and the etching amount by the first processing fluid FL1 in the substrate processing apparatus 500 of this embodiment. In FIG. 6, the reference position P3 is the position where the second processing fluid FL2 discharged from the second nozzle 13 lands when the second nozzle 13 is placed in the initial position. The etching amount is the product of the etching rate and the etching time. In FIG. 6, a silicon nitride film is used as the film present on the peripheral portion EG of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W, and hydrofluoric acid is used as the first processing fluid FL1. The graph showing the relationship between the landing position P2 of the second processing fluid FL2 and the etching amount by the first processing fluid FL1 is an example of the "processing speed information" of the present invention. Hereinafter, the graph showing the relationship between the landing position P2 of the second processing fluid FL2 and the amount of etching by the first processing fluid FL1 may be referred to as processing speed information.

6, when the landing position P2 of the second processing fluid FL2 moves inward in the radial direction RD from the reference position P3, the temperature of the peripheral portion EG of the substrate W decreases, and therefore the processing speed (etching rate) of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W by the first processing fluid FL1 decreases. On the other hand, when the landing position P2 of the second processing fluid FL2 moves outward in the radial direction RD from the reference position P3, the temperature of the peripheral portion EG of the substrate W is less likely to decrease, and therefore the processing speed (etching rate) of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W by the first processing fluid FL1 increases. Therefore, by moving the landing position P2 of the second processing fluid FL2 from the reference position P3 along the radial direction RD, it is possible to change the processing speed (etching rate) of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W by the first processing fluid FL1. In addition, when the landing position P2 of the second processing fluid FL2 is changed, the processing speed of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W changes only slightly. That is, by changing the landing position P2 of the second processing fluid FL2, it is possible to finely adjust the processing speed of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W. Note that even if the landing position P2 of the second processing fluid FL2 is moved in the radial direction RD, other process performances such as particle performance are hardly affected.

In this way, there are several advantages to finely adjusting the processing speed of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W by moving the landing position P2 of the second processing fluid FL2 without affecting other process performance such as particle performance. One is the stability of temperature control. By adjusting the landing position P2 of the second processing fluid FL2 rather than adjusting the temperature of the second processing fluid FL2, it is possible to finely adjust the temperature at a predetermined position on the upper surface Wa of the substrate W in a short period of time. For example, with the landing position P1 of the first processing fluid FL1 fixed, it is possible to finely adjust the processing speed of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W by the first processing fluid FL1 by moving only the landing position P2 of the second processing fluid FL2.

The graph shown in FIG. 6 varies depending on various conditions, such as the type, discharge amount, discharge time, concentration, and temperature of the first processing fluid FL1, the type, discharge amount, discharge time, concentration, and temperature of the second processing fluid FL2, the type of film, and the temperature of the heating unit 9. Each time the various conditions are changed, a large amount of processing speed information such as that shown in FIG. 6 is obtained. The obtained processing speed information is stored in the memory unit U31.

In addition, even if the various conditions are the same, the etching rate and etching amount differ between different processing units U2. Therefore, there is a lot of processing speed information for each processing unit U2.

Next, the control device U3 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. The control device U3 includes a memory unit U31, a display unit U32, an operation unit U33, and a control unit U34. The memory unit U31 includes a storage device and stores data and computer programs. The storage device includes a main storage device such as a semiconductor memory, and an auxiliary storage device such as a semiconductor memory and/or a hard disk drive. The storage device may include removable media.

The display unit U32 includes, for example, a display device having a display panel. The display unit U32 displays, for example, operation information, setting information, and notification information of the processing unit U2. In this embodiment, the display unit U32 displays a graph showing the relationship between the liquid landing position P2 and the etching amount in each processing unit U2, as shown in FIG. 6.

The operation unit U33 accepts input operations by an operator. The operation unit U33 includes a number of buttons for setting or changing, for example, processing conditions of each processing unit U2. The operation unit U33 may include, for example, a touch panel. The display unit U32 may include, for example, a touch panel as the operation unit U33.

The control unit U34 includes a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor of the control unit U34 executes a computer program stored in the storage device of the storage unit U31 to control the processing unit U2.

That is, the control unit U34 controls the spin chuck 3, the motor 7, the heating unit 9, the first fluid supply mechanism 21 to the fourth fluid supply mechanism 27, and the first nozzle movement unit 31 to the fourth nozzle movement unit 37.

For example, the control unit U34 controls the first nozzle movement unit 31 to the fourth nozzle movement unit 37, respectively, to control the positions of the first nozzle 11 to the fourth nozzle 17. Also, for example, the control unit U34 controls the first fluid supply mechanism 21 to the fourth fluid supply mechanism 27, respectively, to control whether or not to supply the first processing fluid FL1 to the fourth processing fluid FL4, and the supply amount thereof.

The control unit U34 also controls the liquid landing position P1 and the liquid landing position P2. Specifically, the control unit U34 controls the liquid landing position P1 and the liquid landing position P2 so that the first distance from the center of the substrate W to the liquid landing position P1 and the second distance from the center of the substrate W to the liquid landing position P2 are predetermined values. For example, the first distance from the center of the substrate W to the liquid landing position P1 can be calculated based on the distance from the center of the substrate W to the first nozzle 11, the above-mentioned distance L1, the incident angle θ1, etc. Similarly, the second distance from the center of the substrate W to the liquid landing position P2 can be calculated based on the distance from the center of the substrate W to the second nozzle 13, the above-mentioned distance L2, the incident angle θ2, etc.

The control unit U34 also changes the processing speed of the first processing fluid FL1 on the upper surface Wa of the substrate W by changing the position setting of the second nozzle 13 to change the landing position P2 of the second processing fluid FL2 on the lower surface Wb of the substrate W. Therefore, when the processing speed for the film differs between multiple processing units U2, the processing speed of each processing unit U2 can be controlled. Therefore, the difference in processing speed between the processing units U2 can be suppressed.

In addition, there is no need to adjust the temperature or concentration of the second processing fluid FL2 to suppress differences in processing speed between the processing units U2. Therefore, it is possible to suppress effects on other process performance, such as particle performance. As a result, it is possible to suppress the enormous amount of time required to verify the effects on other process performance.

In addition, since the display unit U32 displays the processing speed information, the operator can change the landing position P2 of the second processing fluid FL2 while checking the processing speed information on the display unit U32.

The control unit U34 also changes the landing position P2 by moving the second nozzle 13 in a direction approximately perpendicular to the rotation axis AX. Therefore, since the landing position P2 of the second processing fluid FL2 moves along the radial direction RD, the processing speed (etching rate) of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W by the first processing fluid FL1 can be easily changed. Specifically, the control unit U34 changes the landing position P2 by moving the second nozzle 13 so that the distance from the rotation axis AX to the second nozzle 13 changes.

As described above with reference to Figures 1 to 6, the control unit U34 controls the landing position P1 of the first processing fluid FL1 and the landing position P2 of the second processing fluid FL2. Therefore, the etching rate during bevel etching of the peripheral portion EG of the substrate W can be precisely controlled.

As described above, the liquid landing position P2 may be located inside the radial direction RD of the substrate W, in a planar view, from the liquid landing position P1. In this case, by controlling the temperature of the substrate W inside the position where the etching liquid (first processing fluid FL1) is supplied, in a planar view, it is possible to more precisely control the etching rate in the boundary region between the region removed by bevel etching and the region adjacent to this region.

Next, the substrate processing method according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7. In the description of the substrate processing method, FIG. 1 to FIG. 6 will also be referred to as appropriate. In the substrate processing method, multiple substrates W are processed by multiple processing units U2. FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing the substrate processing method according to this embodiment.

7, the substrate processing method includes a step S1 of performing a bevel process, a step S2 of detecting the state of the peripheral portion EG of the substrate W, a step S3 of changing the landing position P2, and a step S4 of performing a bevel process. The substrate processing method also includes a step S41 of supplying a first processing fluid FL1 and a step S42 of supplying a second processing fluid FL2. Steps S1 and S2 are, for example, steps for checking the difference between the processing units U2 (also called the difference between chambers). Step S3 is, for example, a step for correcting the difference between the processing units U2. Step S4 is, for example, a step of performing a bevel process on a substrate W as a product. Note that step S2 is an example of a "step of detecting the state of the peripheral portion" of the present invention. Step S3 is an example of a "control step" of the present invention. Step S41 is an example of a "step of supplying the first processing fluid" of the present invention. Step S42 is an example of a "step of supplying the second processing fluid FL2" of the present invention. A detailed description will be given below.

In step S1, the control unit U34 executes the bevel processing described with reference to Figures 4 and 5 by each processing unit U2. At this time, the bevel processing is executed by each processing unit U2 under the same processing conditions. That is, various conditions such as the type, discharge amount, discharge time, concentration, and temperature of the first processing fluid FL1, the type, discharge amount, discharge time, concentration, and temperature of the second processing fluid FL2, the type of film, and the temperature of the heating section 9 are set to be the same in each processing unit U2. In step S1, for example, a substrate W is used to confirm the difference between the processing units U2. As the confirmation substrate W, a substrate having at least the same material and thickness of the film of the peripheral portion EG as the product substrate W is used. Note that in step S1, the product substrate W may also be used.

In addition, in step S1, in each processing unit U2, the landing position P2 of the second processing fluid FL2 discharged from the second nozzle 13 is set to, for example, a reference position P3.

In step S2, the state of the peripheral portion EG of each beveled substrate W is detected. Specifically, the thickness of the film on the peripheral portion EG of the upper surface Wa of each substrate W is detected. For example, the thickness of the film on the peripheral portion EG may be measured. The thickness of the film may also be derived from the color or transparency of the film on the peripheral portion EG.

In this embodiment, the state of the peripheral portion EG is detected by an operator. The operator detects the state of the peripheral portion EG, for example, by visually inspecting the peripheral portion EG using a microscope or by checking images captured by each processing unit U2. The operator then determines whether the thickness of the film on the peripheral portion EG of each substrate W is within a desired range, for example, based on the thickness, color, or transparency of the film on the peripheral portion EG. In other words, the operator determines whether the processing conditions need to be changed (corrected) in each processing unit U2.

In step S3, the operator changes the landing position P2 of the second processing fluid FL2 for the processing unit U2 determined in step S2 to require a change in processing conditions. Hereinafter, the processing unit U2 for which a change in processing conditions is required may be referred to as a unit U22 requiring change. In addition, the processing unit U2 for which a change in processing conditions is not required may be referred to as a unit U21 not requiring change.

Specifically, the worker calculates the difference between the thickness of the film of the substrate W processed by the unit U21 that does not require modification and the thickness of the film of the substrate W processed by the unit U22 that requires modification. Then, the worker inputs the amount of change in the position of the second nozzle 13 of the unit U22 that requires modification based on the calculated difference and the processing speed information of the unit U22 that requires modification displayed on the display unit U32 (specifically, the graph shown in FIG. 6). In other words, the worker inputs the amount of change in the landing position P2 of the second processing fluid FL2 of the unit U22 that requires modification based on the calculated difference and the processing speed information of the unit U22 that requires modification displayed on the display unit U32 (specifically, the graph shown in FIG. 6). At this time, if there are multiple units U21 that do not require modification, the worker may calculate the difference using the thickness of the film of the substrate W processed by one unit U21 that does not require modification, or may calculate the difference using the average value of the thickness of the film of the substrate W processed by multiple units U21 that do not require modification.

For example, if the thickness of the film on the substrate W processed in the unit U22 requiring change is 5 nm thicker than the thickness of the film on the substrate W processed in the unit U21 requiring no change, the worker changes the landing position P2 so that the etching amount of the unit U22 requiring change increases by 5 nm. In this case, the worker uses the processing speed information corresponding to the unit U22 requiring change to determine the distance by which the landing position P2 of the second processing fluid FL2 is moved outward in the radial direction RD from the reference position P3. The worker then inputs the determined distance into the operation unit U33. In this manner, the landing position P2 of the second processing fluid FL2 in the unit U22 requiring change is changed.

On the other hand, for example, if the thickness of the film on the substrate W processed in the unit U22 that requires change is 5 nm thinner than the thickness of the film on the substrate W processed in the unit U21 that does not require change, the worker changes the landing position P2 so as to reduce the etching amount of the unit U22 that requires change by 5 nm. In this case, the worker uses the processing speed information corresponding to the unit U22 that requires change to determine the distance by which the landing position P2 of the second processing fluid FL2 is moved inward in the radial direction RD from the reference position P3. The worker then inputs the determined distance into the operation unit U33. In this manner, the landing position P2 of the second processing fluid FL2 in the unit U22 that requires change is changed.

In step S3, as described above, the liquid landing position P1 and the liquid landing position P2 are controlled so that the first distance from the center of the substrate W to the liquid landing position P1 and the second distance from the center of the substrate W to the liquid landing position P2 are predetermined values.

In addition, in step S3, the position setting of the second nozzle 13 is changed to change the landing position P2 of the second processing fluid FL2 on the lower surface Wb of the substrate W, thereby changing the processing speed of the first processing fluid FL1 on the upper surface Wa of the substrate W.

In step S4, the control unit U34 performs bevel processing in each processing unit U2. In step S4, for example, a substrate W is used as a product. In step S4, the bevel processing is performed by each processing unit U2 under the same processing conditions, except for the position of the landing position P2 of the second processing fluid FL2.

Specifically, step S4 includes at least steps S41 and S42. In step S41, the control unit U34 supplies a first processing fluid FL1 to a landing position P1 on the peripheral portion EG of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W. In step S42, the control unit U34 supplies a second processing fluid FL2, which is different from the first processing fluid FL1, to a landing position P2 on the peripheral portion EG of the lower surface Wb of the substrate W. The execution period of step S42 overlaps with at least a portion of the execution period of step S41.

In step S4, the processing speeds in all processing units U2 are within the desired range.

The position setting of the second nozzle 13 is not changed during the processing of steps S1 and S4.

As described above with reference to FIG. 7, according to this embodiment, in step S3, the liquid landing position P2 is changed based on processing speed information indicating the relationship between the liquid landing position P2 and the processing speed, and the state of the peripheral portion EG of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W that has been previously processed with the first processing fluid FL1 and the second processing fluid FL2 in step S1. Therefore, by using the processing speed information, the liquid landing position P2 can be easily changed to a position suitable for each processing unit U2.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, in step S3, the liquid landing position P2 of the other processing unit U2 is changed based on the detection result of the state of the substrate W processed in at least one processing unit U2 and the processing speed information of the other processing unit U2. Therefore, for example, the liquid landing position P2 of the unit U22 requiring change can be changed based on the detection result of the state of the substrate W processed in at least one unit U21 requiring change and the processing speed information of the unit U22 requiring change. Therefore, the processing speed of the unit U22 requiring change can be easily brought closer to the processing speed of the unit U21 requiring change.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a difference between the detection result of the state of the substrate W processed in at least one processing unit U2 and the detection result of the state of the substrate W processed in the other processing unit U2 is calculated. Then, based on the calculated difference and the processing speed information of the other processing unit U2, the liquid landing position P2 of the other processing unit U2 is changed. Therefore, for example, a difference between the detection result of the state of the substrate W processed in at least one unit U21 that does not require change and the detection result of the state of the substrate W processed in the unit U22 that requires change is calculated. Then, based on the difference and the processing speed information of the unit U22 that requires change, the liquid landing position P2 of the unit U22 that requires change can be changed. Therefore, the processing speed of the unit U22 that requires change can be more easily brought closer to the processing speed of the unit U21 that does not require change.

The second nozzle 13 of the substrate processing apparatus 500 according to a modified example of this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a plan view for explaining the second nozzle 13 of the substrate processing apparatus 500 according to a modified example of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 8, the second nozzle 13 of the modified embodiment of this invention has multiple second outlets 13a. Specifically, the multiple second outlets 13a are each different in distance from the rotation axis AX. The multiple second outlets 13a are arranged, for example, in a straight line along the radial direction RD. However, the second outlets 13a do not have to be arranged in a straight line. The second outlets 13a may be arranged, for example, in a staggered pattern, or may be arranged along a direction inclined with respect to the radial direction RD. In this case, the distance between the rotation axis AX and the second outlets 13a can be set, for example, to a pitch of about 0.1 mm. The second outlets 13a are an example of the "outlet" of the present invention.

The control unit U34 changes the liquid landing position P2 by selecting the second outlet 13a from among the multiple second outlets 13a that will eject the second processing fluid. Therefore, the liquid landing position P2 can be changed without moving the second nozzle 13.

Specifically, for example, the second fluid supply mechanism 23 includes a plurality of valves 23b corresponding to each of the second outlets 13a. The control unit U34 opens one of the plurality of valves 23b to eject the second processing fluid FL2 from one of the plurality of second outlets 13a.

The above describes the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be implemented in various aspects without departing from the gist of the present invention. In addition, the components disclosed in the above embodiments can be modified as appropriate. For example, a component among all the components shown in one embodiment may be added to a component of another embodiment, or some of all the components shown in one embodiment may be deleted from the embodiment.

In addition, the drawings mainly show each component in a schematic manner in order to facilitate understanding of the invention, and the thickness, length, number, spacing, etc. of each component shown in the drawings may differ from the actual ones due to the convenience of creating the drawings. Furthermore, the configuration of each component shown in the above embodiment is one example and is not particularly limited, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible within a range that does not substantially deviate from the effects of the present invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the second nozzle 13 is moved approximately along the radial direction RD to move the liquid landing position P2 approximately in the radial direction RD, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, similar to the first nozzle 11, the third nozzle 15, and the fourth nozzle 17, the second nozzle 13 may be rotated around the nozzle movement mechanism 33b to move the liquid landing position P2 in the radial direction RD.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example has been shown in which the landing position P2 is moved in the radial direction RD by moving the second nozzle 13 along a substantially horizontal plane, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the second nozzle 13 ejects the second processing fluid FL2 diagonally upward, the landing position P2 may be moved in the radial direction RD by moving the second nozzle 13 along a substantially vertical direction and changing the distance L2.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the first nozzle 11 ejects the first processing fluid FL1 diagonally downward and the second nozzle 13 ejects the second processing fluid FL2 diagonally upward, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the first nozzle 11 may eject the first processing fluid FL1 vertically downward, and the second nozzle 13 may eject the second processing fluid FL2 vertically upward.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example has been shown in which an operator detects the thickness of the film on the peripheral portion EG of the substrate W in step S2 and determines whether or not the processing conditions need to be changed in each processing unit U2, but the present invention is not limited to this. In step S2, for example, a detection device may detect the thickness of the film on the peripheral portion EG of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W and determine whether or not the processing conditions need to be changed in each processing unit U2. In other words, step S2 may be automatically performed by the substrate processing apparatus 500.

In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which an operator calculates the difference, determines the distance, and inputs the determined distance in step S3, but the present invention is not limited to this. In step S3, for example, the control unit U34 may calculate the difference, determine the distance, and move the second nozzle 13 by the determined distance. In other words, step S3 may be automatically performed by the substrate processing apparatus 500.

When steps S2 and S3 are performed by the substrate processing apparatus 500, steps S1 to S4 can be performed automatically by the substrate processing apparatus 500.

In the above embodiment, the difference between the detection result of the state of the substrate W processed in the unit U21 that does not require modification and the detection result of the state of the substrate W processed in the unit U22 that requires modification is calculated, and the liquid landing position P2 of the unit U22 that requires modification is changed based on the calculated difference and the processing speed information of the unit U22 that requires modification. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the difference between the processing speed information of the unit U21 that does not require modification and the processing speed information of the unit U22 that requires modification may be calculated, and the liquid landing position P2 of the unit U22 that requires modification may be changed based on the calculated difference and the detection result of the state of the substrate W processed in the unit U22 that requires modification. In this case, for example, if the etching amount derived from the processing speed information of the unit U22 that requires modification under the set processing conditions is 5 nm thinner than the etching amount derived from the processing speed information of the unit U21 that does not require modification, the operator uses the processing speed information of the unit U22 that requires modification to determine the distance by which the liquid landing position P2 is moved outward in the radial direction RD from the reference position P3 so that the etching amount increases by 5 nm. The operator then inputs the calculated distance into the operation unit U33.

The processing conditions input by the operator typically include, for example, the discharge amount, discharge time, and temperature of the first processing fluid FL1, the discharge amount, discharge time, and temperature of the second processing fluid FL2, and the temperature of the heating unit 9, but the operator may also input the processing speed (e.g., etching rate) or processing amount (e.g., etching amount) by the first processing fluid FL1. In this case, the control unit U34 may determine the liquid landing position P2 suitable for each processing unit U2 based on the input values and the processing speed information of each processing unit U2, and may change the position of the second nozzle 13 so that the liquid landing position P2 coincides with the determined position.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example of processing speed information is shown in which the relationship between the landing position P2 of the second processing fluid FL2 and the amount of etching by the first processing fluid FL1 is used, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the processing speed information may be the relationship between the area of the region of the lower surface Wb of the substrate W with which the second processing fluid FL2 comes into contact and the amount of etching by the first processing fluid FL1. In other words, the processing speed information may be the relationship between the area of the substrate W radially outward from the landing position P2 and the amount of etching by the first processing fluid FL1. In this case, as in the above embodiment, the processing speed of the first processing fluid FL1 for the upper surface Wa of the substrate W can be controlled.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the reference position P3 is located inward in the radial direction RD compared to the landing position P1 of the first processing fluid FL1. In other words, it is preferable that the landing position P2 of the second processing fluid FL2 is located inward in the radial direction RD compared to the landing position P1 of the first processing fluid FL1. In this case, it is possible to prevent the first processing fluid FL1 from flowing around to the underside Wb of the substrate W.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the second processing fluid FL2 was a processing liquid, but the second processing fluid FL2 may also be a processing gas.

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method, and has industrial applicability.

3: Spin chuck (substrate holder)
9: Heating unit 11: First nozzle 13: Second nozzle 13a: Second discharge port (discharge port)
31: First nozzle moving unit (first nozzle moving mechanism)
500: Substrate processing apparatus AX: Rotation axis EG: Periphery FL1: First processing fluid FL2: Second processing fluid P1: Liquid landing position (first liquid landing position)
P2: Liquid landing position (second liquid landing position)
S2: Step (step of detecting the state of the peripheral portion)
S3: Process (control process)
S41: Step (step of supplying first processing fluid)
S42: Step (step of supplying second processing fluid)
U2: Processing unit U31: Memory unit U32: Display unit U34: Controller W: Substrate Wa: Upper surface Wb: Lower surface

Claims (18)

a substrate holder that holds a substrate horizontally and rotates about a rotation axis that passes vertically through a center of the substrate;
a first nozzle configured to supply a first processing fluid toward a first liquid landing position on a peripheral portion of an upper surface of the substrate;
a first nozzle moving mechanism that horizontally moves the first nozzle;
a second nozzle configured to supply a second processing fluid toward a second liquid landing position on a peripheral portion of the lower surface of the substrate;
a control unit that controls the first liquid landing position and the second liquid landing position,
The control unit controls the first liquid landing position and the second liquid landing position so that a first distance from the center of the substrate to the first liquid landing position and a second distance from the center of the substrate to the second liquid landing position become predetermined values , and changes the processing speed of the first processing fluid on the upper surface of the substrate by changing the second liquid landing position on the lower surface of the substrate . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first processing fluid is an etching solution. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second processing fluid is hot water. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit changes the processing speed of the first processing fluid on the upper surface of the substrate by changing the setting of the position of the second nozzle to change the second liquid landing position on the lower surface of the substrate. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the second liquid landing position is within 5 mm from the edge surface of the substrate. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the second liquid landing position is radially inward of the substrate from the first liquid landing position in a plan view. a storage unit configured to store processing speed information indicating a relationship between the second liquid landing position and a processing speed of the first processing fluid with respect to the upper surface of the substrate;
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a display unit that displays the processing speed information. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the control unit changes the second liquid landing position by moving the second nozzle in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis. a substrate holder that holds a substrate horizontally and rotates about a rotation axis that passes vertically through a center of the substrate;
a first nozzle configured to supply a first processing fluid toward a first liquid landing position on a peripheral portion of an upper surface of the substrate;
a first nozzle moving mechanism that horizontally moves the first nozzle;
a second nozzle configured to supply a second processing fluid toward a second liquid landing position on a peripheral portion of the lower surface of the substrate;
a control unit that controls the first liquid landing position and the second liquid landing position;
Equipped with
the control unit controls the first liquid landing position and the second liquid landing position so that a first distance from a center of the substrate to the first liquid landing position and a second distance from the center of the substrate to the second liquid landing position become predetermined values;
the second nozzle has a plurality of outlets each located at a different distance from the rotation axis,
The control unit changes the second liquid landing position by selecting a discharge port from the plurality of discharge ports that discharges the second processing fluid. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the second nozzle ejects the second processing fluid obliquely upward toward the outside in the radial direction of the substrate. A substrate processing method for etching a peripheral portion of a substrate, comprising the steps of:
supplying a first processing fluid to a first liquid landing position on a peripheral portion of an upper surface of the substrate;
supplying a second processing fluid different from the first processing fluid to a second liquid landing position on a peripheral portion of the lower surface of the substrate;
a control step of controlling the first liquid landing position and the second liquid landing position so that a first distance from a center of the substrate to the first liquid landing position and a second distance from the center of the substrate to the second liquid landing position are predetermined values ,
The control step changes a processing speed of the upper surface of the substrate by the first processing fluid by changing a second landing position on the lower surface of the substrate . The substrate processing method according to claim 11, wherein the first processing fluid is an etching solution. The substrate processing method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the second processing fluid is hot water. 14. The substrate processing method according to claim 11, wherein the second liquid landing position is within 5 mm from an edge surface of the substrate. The substrate processing method according to claim 11 , wherein the second liquid landing position is located radially inward of the substrate relative to the first liquid landing position in a plan view. A substrate processing method according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein in the control process, the second liquid landing position is changed based on processing speed information indicating a relationship between the second liquid landing position and a processing speed by the first processing fluid for the upper surface of the substrate, and a state of a peripheral portion of the upper surface of the substrate previously processed by the first processing fluid and the second processing fluid. A plurality of the substrates are processed by a plurality of processing units;
The substrate processing method further includes, prior to the control step, a step of detecting a state of a peripheral portion of an upper surface of the substrate previously processed with the first processing fluid and the second processing fluid in each of the processing units;
A substrate processing method according to any one of claims 11 to 16, wherein the control process changes the second liquid landing position of the other processing unit based on detection results of the state of the substrate processed in at least one of the processing units and processing speed information indicating the relationship between the second liquid landing position of the other processing unit and the processing speed by the first processing fluid to the upper surface of the substrate . In the control step,
Calculating a difference between a detection result of a state of the substrate processed in the at least one processing unit and a detection result of a state of the substrate processed in the other processing unit;
18. The substrate processing method according to claim 17 , further comprising changing the second liquid landing position of the other processing unit based on the difference and the processing speed information of the other processing unit.

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