JP7651328B2 - Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method for processing a substrate.
Substrates to be processed include, for example, semiconductor wafers, substrates for FPDs (Flat Panel Displays) such as liquid crystal displays and organic EL (Electroluminescence) displays, substrates for optical disks, substrates for magnetic disks, substrates for magneto-optical disks, substrates for photomasks, ceramic substrates, substrates for solar cells, and the like.

Patent Document 1 below discloses a wafer processing apparatus in which wafers are immersed in a processing solution for processing. In this wafer processing apparatus, a holding mechanism that holds multiple wafers in an upright position moves up and down between a processing position in a processing tank and a standby position above the processing tank. The holding mechanism includes a pair of holding frames, two locking members attached to the pair of holding frames, and a locking member detachably attached to the pair of holding frames. Both ends of each locking member are attached to the front and rear holding frames, and each locking member stably holds multiple wafers by locking three points around the periphery of the multiple wafers.

JP 2006-332425 A

In the substrate processing apparatus of Patent Document 1, the holding mechanism is raised and lowered by the lifting mechanism and rotated by a motor provided on the lifting piece of the lifting mechanism, thereby improving the uniformity of the flow of the processing liquid in the processing tank and improving the uniformity of the wafer processing.
However, the substrate processing apparatus of Patent Document 1 includes a first rotating shaft connected to a motor, a second rotating shaft extending parallel to the first rotating shaft, gears for transmitting power between these rotating shafts, and a timing belt for transmitting the rotation of the second rotating shaft to the holding mechanism, as a mechanism for rotating the substrate by rotating the holding mechanism, which may result in an increase in size of the configuration for rotating the substrate in the processing tank.

Therefore, one object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method that can improve the in-plane uniformity of substrate processing while simplifying the configuration for rotating substrates in a processing tank.

One embodiment of the present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus including a processing tank that stores a processing liquid for processing a substrate, a plurality of bar-shaped members extending parallel to each other and crossing the vertical direction, the plurality of bar-shaped members holding the substrate in a processing position in which the main surface of the substrate faces the extension direction of the bar-shaped members within the processing tank, and a lifting member supporting the substrate in the processing position and lifting and lowering relative to the plurality of bar-shaped members, the lifting member transferring the substrate to the plurality of bar-shaped members when lowering and receiving the substrate from the plurality of bar-shaped members when ascending.

In the substrate processing apparatus, the bar-shaped members each have a rotation axis extending along the extension direction, and each bar-shaped member rotates about a corresponding rotation axis to drive the rotation of the substrate held by the bar-shaped members.
According to this substrate processing apparatus, the lifting member can transfer the substrate to and receive the substrate from the bar-shaped members when lifting and lowering the bar-shaped members, so that the substrate can be held by the bar-shaped members and immersed in the processing solution in the processing tank without lifting and lowering the bar-shaped members.

Since there is no need to raise and lower the bar-shaped members, there is no need to raise and lower the mechanism required to rotate the bar-shaped members together with the lifting members, which simplifies the configuration for rotating the substrates in the processing tank.
Furthermore, the rotation of the substrate in the processing position is driven by rotating the multiple bar-shaped members about multiple rotation axes. By rotating the substrate in the processing position in the processing tank, the uniformity of the flow formed in the processing liquid in the processing tank can be improved. As a result, the in-plane uniformity of the substrate processing can be improved.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the bar-shaped members are arranged at intervals in a circumferential direction about a predetermined central axis extending parallel to the rotation axis, and each of the bar-shaped members has an accommodation groove that accommodates a peripheral portion of the substrate in the processing attitude.
According to this configuration, each bar-shaped member is provided with an accommodation groove for accommodating the peripheral portion of the substrate. Therefore, the peripheral portion of the substrate can be accommodated in the accommodation groove at multiple locations in the circumferential direction around the predetermined central axis. This improves the stability of the substrate's posture, thereby further improving the in-plane uniformity of substrate processing.

In one embodiment of the invention, each of the bar-shaped members has a plurality of the storage grooves, and the plurality of storage grooves are provided at equal intervals in the extension direction. Therefore, a plurality of substrates can be held by the plurality of bar-shaped members while being arranged at equal intervals in the extension direction. Therefore, the plurality of substrates can be held stably by the plurality of bar-shaped members. This in turn reduces processing unevenness between substrates.

In one embodiment of the invention, the plurality of bar-shaped members include a first bar-shaped member and a second bar-shaped member that are spaced apart from each other. The lifting member moves up and down between the first bar-shaped member and the second bar-shaped member. Therefore, the space between the first bar-shaped member and the second bar-shaped member in the treatment tank can be used as a path for the lifting member to move up and down. This makes it possible to prevent the treatment tank from becoming too large.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the substrate processing apparatus further includes a blade member provided in the processing tank so as to rotate integrally with the bar-shaped member, and a discharge member that discharges the processing liquid into the processing tank. Therefore, a liquid flow can be formed in the processing tank by the processing liquid discharged from the discharge member. The blade member receives this liquid flow, causing the blade member to rotate. Since the blade member and the bar-shaped member rotate integrally, the formation of the liquid flow causes the bar-shaped member to rotate, and the rotation of the bar-shaped member causes the substrate to rotate. Therefore, the bar-shaped member can be rotated without providing an electric motor or the like for rotating the bar-shaped member. This simplifies the configuration for rotating the substrate.

The lifting member supports the substrate in a processing position. Therefore, when the lifting member is lowered to immerse the substrate in the processing liquid in the processing tank, the lower end of the substrate begins to be immersed in the processing liquid in the processing tank at the earliest timing, and the upper end of the substrate begins to be immersed in the processing liquid in the processing tank at the latest timing. After the processing of the substrate in the processing tank is completed, when the lifting member is raised to remove the substrate from the processing tank, the immersion of the upper end of the substrate in the processing liquid ends at the earliest timing, and the immersion of the lower end of the substrate in the processing liquid ends at the latest timing. Therefore, the time that the lower end of the substrate is immersed in the processing liquid is the longest, and the upper end of the substrate is the shortest. Therefore, unless the rotation phase of the substrate when immersed in the processing liquid and the rotation phase of the substrate when immersion in the processing liquid is completed are changed, there is a risk of processing unevenness occurring on the main surface of the substrate.

Therefore, by adjusting the flow rate of the processing liquid discharged from the discharge member and rotating the substrate held by the multiple bar-shaped members by a predetermined angle around the substrate's central axis, it is possible to prevent the portion of the substrate's main surface that is immersed in the processing liquid at the latest timing when the lifting member descends from being removed from the processing liquid at the earliest timing when the lifting member ascends. For example, if the predetermined angle is greater than 90° and less than 270°, processing unevenness of the substrate can be effectively suppressed. However, the closer the rotational displacement of the substrate is to 180°, the greater the effect of reducing processing unevenness, and the rotational displacement of the substrate is preferably 150° or more and 210° or less, and more preferably 180°.

By rotating the substrate 180° around the substrate central axis, the portion of the substrate's main surface that is immersed in the processing liquid at the earliest timing when the lifting member descends is removed from the processing liquid at the earliest timing when the lifting member ascends. This reduces the difference in the time that each position on the substrate's main surface is immersed in the processing liquid. As a result, the in-plane uniformity of the substrate processing can be improved.
The discharge member may have a plurality of discharge ports formed at intervals in the extension direction. The discharge member may be a member consisting of a bar-shaped nozzle extending in the extension direction. The plurality of discharge ports may include at least one opposing discharge port opposing the blade member. The blade member may be rotated by a liquid flow formed in the processing liquid stored in the processing tank by discharging the processing liquid from the plurality of discharge ports, and the bar-shaped member rotating integrally with the blade member may rotate around the corresponding rotation axis.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the substrate processing apparatus further includes a controller that rotates the substrate in the processing attitude by a predetermined angle around a substrate central axis passing through the center of the substrate by controlling the flow rate of the processing liquid discharged from the discharge member.
By controlling the flow rate of the processing liquid discharged from the discharge member by the controller so that the substrate in the processing attitude is rotated a predetermined angle about the central axis of the substrate, the in-plane uniformity of the substrate processing can be improved with greater precision.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the substrate processing apparatus further includes a rotation actuator that rotates the bar-shaped member around the corresponding rotation axis. Therefore, the bar-shaped member can be rotated with high precision. Also, in this configuration, the bar-shaped member does not rise and fall together with the lifting member. Therefore, the configuration required to transmit the rotation of the rotation actuator, i.e., the configuration for rotating the substrate, can be simplified.

By adjusting the rotational displacement of the bar-shaped members using a rotary actuator and rotating the substrate held by the multiple bar-shaped members a predetermined angle around the central axis of the substrate, it is possible to prevent the portion of the main surface of the substrate that is immersed in the processing liquid at the latest timing when the lifting member descends from being removed from the processing liquid at the earliest timing when the lifting member ascends.
As described above, by rotating the substrate 180° around the substrate center axis, the portion of the substrate's main surface that is immersed in the processing liquid at the earliest timing when the lifting member descends is removed from the processing liquid at the earliest timing when the lifting member ascends. This reduces the difference in the time that each position on the substrate's main surface is immersed in the processing liquid. As a result, the in-plane uniformity of the substrate processing can be improved.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the substrate processing apparatus further includes a controller that controls the rotational actuator to rotate the plurality of bar-shaped members, thereby rotating the substrate in the processing attitude by a predetermined angle around a substrate central axis passing through a center of the substrate.
If the rotation actuator is controlled by the controller so as to rotate the substrate in the processing attitude by a predetermined angle about the central axis of the substrate, the in-plane uniformity of the substrate processing can be improved with higher precision.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the substrate processing apparatus further includes an edge detection sensor that detects a detection target portion provided on a peripheral portion of the substrate.
Therefore, by stopping the rotation of the bar-shaped members when the detection portion provided at a predetermined position in the circumferential direction of the substrate is detected, the rotation of the substrate can be stopped so that the substrate is positioned at an appropriate rotation phase, thereby improving the in-plane uniformity of the substrate processing.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the substrate processing apparatus further includes a rotational displacement sensor that detects the rotational displacement of the bar-shaped members. By detecting the rotational displacement of the bar-shaped members in this manner, the rotation of the substrate can be stopped so that the substrate is positioned at an appropriate rotation phase.
Another embodiment of the present invention includes an immersion start step of starting immersion of a substrate in a processing liquid in a processing tank by lowering a lifting member supporting the substrate in a processing attitude with a main surface facing an extension direction of a plurality of bar-shaped members extending parallel to each other and crossing a vertical direction in the processing tank; a first transfer step of transferring the substrate in the processing attitude from the lifting member to the plurality of bar-shaped members in the processing tank by further lowering the lifting member after the immersion start step, and the substrate in the processing attitude is held by the plurality of bar-shaped members; and a substrate processing method including: a substrate rotation step of rotating the substrate in the processing attitude by a predetermined angle about a substrate central axis passing through a center of the substrate by rotating each of the bar-shaped members about a plurality of rotation axes extending in the extension direction; a second transfer step of transferring the substrate in the processing attitude from the bar-shaped members to the lifting member by raising the lifting member after the substrate rotation step; and an immersion completion step of terminating immersion of the substrate in the processing liquid stored in the processing tank by further raising the lifting member after the second transfer step.

According to this substrate processing method, the lifting member can transfer the substrate to and receive the substrate from the bar-shaped members when lifting and lowering the bar-shaped members, so that the substrate can be held by the bar-shaped members and immersed in the processing solution in the processing tank without lifting and lowering the bar-shaped members.
Since there is no need to raise and lower the bar-shaped members, there is no need to raise and lower the mechanism required to rotate the bar-shaped members together with the lifting members, which simplifies the configuration for rotating the substrates in the processing tank.

In addition, the rotation of the substrate in the processing position is driven by the rotation of the multiple bar-shaped members about multiple rotation axes passing through their respective interiors. By rotating the substrate in the processing position in the processing tank, the uniformity of the flow formed in the processing liquid in the processing tank can be improved. As a result, the in-plane uniformity of the substrate processing can be improved.
Furthermore, after the substrate is transferred from the lifting member to the bar-shaped members, the substrate held by the bar-shaped members rotates by a predetermined angle about the substrate central axis, thereby preventing a portion of the main surface of the substrate that is immersed in the treatment liquid at the latest timing when the lifting member descends from being taken out of the treatment liquid at the earliest timing when the lifting member ascends.

As described above, if the substrate is rotated 180° around the substrate's central axis, when the lifting member is subsequently raised, the portion of the substrate's main surface that was immersed in the processing liquid at the earliest timing when the lifting member was lowered is also removed from the processing liquid at the earliest timing. This reduces the difference in the time that each position on the substrate's main surface is immersed in the processing liquid. As a result, the in-plane uniformity of the substrate processing can be improved.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the substrate rotating step includes a step of rotating a blade member provided in the processing tank so as to rotate integrally with the bar-shaped member by discharging the processing liquid from a discharge member into the processing tank. Therefore, a liquid flow can be formed in the processing tank by the processing liquid discharged from the discharge member. The blade member receives this liquid flow, and thereby rotates the blade member. Since the blade member and the bar-shaped member rotate integrally, the formation of the liquid flow rotates the bar-shaped member, and the rotation of the bar-shaped member rotates the substrate. Therefore, the bar-shaped member can be rotated without providing an electric motor or the like for rotating the bar-shaped member. This simplifies the configuration for rotating the substrate.
The plurality of outlets may include at least one opposing outlet that faces the blade member. The substrate rotating step may include a step of discharging a processing liquid into the processing liquid tank from a plurality of outlets that are spaced apart in the extension direction in a discharge member made of a bar-shaped nozzle extending in the extension direction, forming a liquid flow in the processing liquid stored in the processing tank that rotates a blade member provided in the processing tank so as to rotate integrally with at least one of the bar-shaped members, and rotating the bar-shaped member that rotates integrally with the blade member about the corresponding rotation axis.

In another embodiment of the invention, the substrate rotation step includes a step in which a rotary actuator rotates the bar-shaped member about the rotation axis. This allows the bar-shaped member to be rotated with high precision. In addition, with this method, the bar-shaped member does not rise and fall together with the lifting member, so the configuration required to transmit the rotation of the rotary actuator, i.e., the configuration for rotating the substrate, can be simplified.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the substrate processing method further includes a rotation stopping step of stopping the rotation of the bar-shaped members when the peripheral detection sensor detects that a detection target portion provided in the circumferential direction of the substrate is located at a predetermined position. Therefore, the rotation of the substrate can be stopped so that the substrate is located at an appropriate rotation phase. This can improve the in-plane uniformity of the substrate processing. Therefore, the difference in the time that each position on the main surface of the substrate is immersed in the processing liquid can be further reduced. As a result, the in-plane uniformity of the substrate processing can be further improved.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the substrate processing method further includes a rotation stopping step of stopping the rotation of the bar-shaped members at a timing when the rotational displacement of the bar-shaped members reaches a predetermined rotational displacement. In this way, by detecting the rotational displacement of the bar-shaped members, the rotation of the substrate can be stopped so that the substrate is positioned at an appropriate rotational phase. Therefore, the difference in the time that each position on the main surface of the substrate is immersed in the processing liquid can be reduced. As a result, the in-plane uniformity of the substrate processing can be further improved.

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a layout of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a second chemical liquid processing tank and its surrounding members provided in the substrate processing apparatus. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view for explaining the configuration of a pair of bar-shaped members provided in the substrate processing apparatus. FIG. 5 is a block diagram for explaining an example of a configuration relating to control of the substrate processing apparatus. FIG. 6 is a flow chart for explaining an example of the substrate processing performed by the substrate processing apparatus. FIG. 7 is a flow chart for explaining an example of an etching process which is a part of the substrate processing. FIG. 8A is a schematic diagram for explaining the details of the etching process. FIG. 8B is a schematic diagram for explaining the details of the etching process. FIG. 8C is a schematic diagram for explaining the details of the etching process. FIG. 8D is a schematic diagram for explaining the details of the etching process. FIG. 8E is a schematic diagram for explaining the details of the etching process. FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining a modified example of the substrate processing apparatus.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
<Overall configuration of substrate processing apparatus 1>
FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a layout of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The substrate processing apparatus 1 is a batch-type apparatus for collectively processing a plurality of substrates W. The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a load port LP to which a carrier C for accommodating a disk-shaped substrate W such as a semiconductor wafer is transported, a processing unit 2 for processing the substrate W transported from the load port LP with a processing liquid such as a chemical liquid or a rinse liquid, a plurality of transport robots for transporting the substrate W between the load port LP and the processing unit 2, and a controller 3 for controlling the substrate processing apparatus 1.

The processing unit 2 includes a first chemical processing tank 4 that stores a first chemical liquid in which the multiple substrates W are immersed, a first rinse processing tank 5 that stores a first rinse liquid in which the multiple substrates W are immersed, a second chemical processing tank 6 that stores a second chemical liquid in which the multiple substrates W are immersed, and a second rinse processing tank 7 that stores a second rinse liquid in which the multiple substrates W are immersed. The processing unit 2 further includes a drying processing tank 8 that dries the multiple substrates W.

The first chemical liquid is, for example, an ammonia hydrogen-peroxide mixture (APM liquid) or hydrofluoric acid. The second chemical liquid is, for example, an etching liquid. The etching liquid is, for example, a phosphoric acetic and nitric acid (PAN liquid), which is a mixture of phosphoric acid, acetic acid, nitric acid, and water. The first rinse liquid and the second rinse liquid are, for example, deionized water (DIW).

The first chemical liquid may be a chemical liquid other than the APM liquid and hydrofluoric acid. Similarly, the first rinse liquid and the second rinse liquid may be rinse liquids other than pure water. The first rinse liquid and the second rinse liquid may be different types of rinse liquids.
The substrate W to be processed by the substrate processing apparatus 1 is, for example, a substrate having a metal layer, such as tungsten, exposed from its main surface.

The multiple transport robots include a carrier transport device 9 that transports carriers C between the load port LP and the processing unit 2 and accommodates multiple carriers C, and a posture conversion robot 10 that loads and unloads multiple substrates W into and from the carrier C held by the carrier transport device 9 and changes the posture of the substrates W to either a horizontal posture or a vertical posture.
The horizontal posture is a posture in which the main surface of the substrate W is a horizontal plane. The vertical posture is a posture in which the main surface of the substrate W is a vertical plane. The vertical posture is also called an upright posture.

The posture conversion robot 10 performs a batch assembly operation to form one batch with multiple (e.g., 50) substrates W taken out from multiple carriers C, and a batch release operation to place the multiple substrates W included in one batch into multiple carriers C.
The multiple transport robots further include a main transport robot 11 which transports one batch of substrates W between the posture changing robot 10 and the processing unit 2, and multiple sub-transport robots 12 which transport one batch of substrates W between the main transport robot 11 and the processing unit 2. The multiple sub-transport robots 12 include a first sub-transport robot 12A which transports one batch of substrates W between the first chemical liquid treatment tank 4 and the first rinse treatment tank 5, and a second sub-transport robot 12B which transports a plurality of substrates W between the second chemical liquid treatment tank 6 and the second rinse treatment tank 7.

The main transport robot 11 receives a batch of substrates W from the posture changing robot 10. The main transport robot 11 passes the batch of substrates W received from the posture changing robot 10 to the first sub-transport robot 12A and the second sub-transport robot 12B, and receives the batch of substrates W held by the first sub-transport robot 12A and the second sub-transport robot 12B. The main transport robot 11 further transports the batch of substrates W to the drying processing tank 8.

The first sub-transport robot 12A transports a batch of substrates W received from the main transport robot 11 between the first chemical liquid treatment tank 4 and the first rinse treatment tank 5, and immerses the substrates W in the first chemical liquid in the first chemical liquid treatment tank 4 or the first rinse liquid in the first rinse treatment tank 5. Similarly, the second sub-transport robot 12B transports a batch of substrates W received from the main transport robot 11 between the second chemical liquid treatment tank 6 and the second rinse treatment tank 7, and immerses the substrates W in the second chemical liquid in the second chemical liquid treatment tank 6 or the second rinse liquid in the second rinse treatment tank 7.

<Configuration of Processing Unit 2>
Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the second chemical treatment tank 6 and members provided around it. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in Fig. 2. Although not shown, the first chemical treatment tank 4, the first rinse treatment tank 5, and the second rinse treatment tank 7 each have a similar configuration to that of the second chemical treatment tank 6.

In this embodiment, the second chemical liquid treatment tank 6 has a double tank structure. Specifically, the second chemical liquid treatment tank 6 includes an inner tank 20 that stores an etching liquid and immerses one batch of substrates W in it, and an outer tank 21 that surrounds at least the upper end of the inner tank 20 and allows the etching liquid to be exchanged with the inner tank 20.
The inner tank 20 is a container that is rectangular in plan view and made of quartz or fluororesin material that has excellent corrosion resistance against chemical solutions. The inner tank 20 has an opening at the top end, a V-shaped bottom wall 20a, and multiple (four in this embodiment) side walls 20b connected to the bottom wall 20a. The outer tank 21 is made of the same material as the inner tank 20.

The processing unit 2 further includes a pair of bar-shaped members 30 that hold one batch of substrates W in the second chemical processing tank 6. The pair of bar-shaped members 30 extend horizontally in parallel to each other. Each bar-shaped member 30 is cylindrical or columnar. The pair of bar-shaped members 30 includes a first bar-shaped member 30A and a second bar-shaped member 30B that are provided in the second chemical processing tank 6 at a distance from each other in a horizontal direction (orthogonal direction OD) perpendicular to the direction in which the bar-shaped members 30 extend (extension direction ED). The pair of bar-shaped members 30 are supported rotatably relative to the inner tank 20 by a plurality of side walls 20b of the inner tank 20.

The pair of bar-shaped members 30 each have a pair of rotation axes A1 extending along the extension direction ED. Each rotation axis A1 passes through the interior of the corresponding bar-shaped member 30 and is also the central axis of the corresponding bar-shaped member 30. Therefore, each bar-shaped member 30 can rotate about the rotation axis A1 extending along the extension direction ED.
A pair of bar-shaped members 30 are disposed at a distance from each other in a circumferential direction CD about a predetermined central axis A2 extending parallel to the rotation axis A1. The substrate W is held by the pair of bar-shaped members 30 such that a central axis (substrate central axis A3) passing through the center of the substrate W coincides with the central axis A2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of a pair of bar-shaped members 30. Each bar-shaped member 30 has a number of storage grooves 31 that each accommodate a portion of the peripheral portion of a batch of substrates W. In each bar-shaped member 30, the multiple storage grooves 31 are provided at equal intervals in the extension direction ED. The peripheral portion of each substrate W is accommodated in multiple storage grooves 31 (two in this embodiment) located at the same position in the extension direction ED. This allows the substrate W to be held in a vertical position (processing position) by the pair of bar-shaped members 30.

The storage groove 31 is, for example, a V-shaped groove in cross section that narrows toward the center of the bar-shaped member 30. The storage groove 31 may be a U-shaped groove in cross section. In the storage groove 31, the peripheral portion of the substrate W is in contact with the bar-shaped member 30. For example, the bar-shaped member 30 is in contact with the peripheral portion of the substrate W from both sides in the extension direction ED. Therefore, the rotation of the bar-shaped member 30 is transmitted to the substrate W. Also, as long as the bottom of the storage groove 31 is circular when viewed from the extension direction ED, the outer circumferential surface of the bar-shaped member 30 does not necessarily have to be cylindrical.

The processing unit 2 further includes a blade member 40 provided in the second chemical processing tank 6 so as to rotate integrally with one of the pair of bar-shaped members 30 (e.g., the first bar-shaped member 30A). In this embodiment, the blade member 40 is joined to the first bar-shaped member 30A outside the groove forming area 32 in which the multiple storage grooves 31 are provided in the first bar-shaped member 30A.

The blade member 40 may be formed integrally with the first bar-shaped member 30A, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, or may include a plurality of blade portions 41 attached to the outer peripheral surface of the first bar-shaped member 30A.
4, the blade member 40 may be formed separately from the first bar-shaped member 30A and connected to the first bar-shaped member 30A from the extension direction ED. Alternatively, the blade member 40 may include a plurality of blade portions 41 and an annular portion supporting the plurality of blade portions 41, and the first bar-shaped member 30A may be inserted into the annular portion.

2 and 3 again, the processing unit 2 further includes a pair of discharge members 50 that discharge the etching solution into the second chemical processing tank 6. The discharge members 50 are, for example, bar-shaped nozzles extending in the extension direction ED. The pair of discharge members 50 are provided at a distance from each other in the perpendicular direction OD. The pair of discharge members 50 are, for example, provided near the boundary between the bottom wall 20a and the side wall 20b of the inner tank 20. The discharge members 50 have a plurality of discharge ports 51 that discharge the etching solution toward the inner tank 20. The plurality of discharge ports 51 are arranged at a predetermined interval in the extension direction ED. It is preferable that at least one discharge port (opposing discharge port) 51 faces the blade member 40 (see FIG. 2).

The processing unit 2 includes processing liquid pipes 52 connected to each discharge member 50, a main pipe 53 that supplies a second chemical liquid, such as an etching liquid, from a processing liquid supply source (not shown) to the pair of processing liquid pipes 52, and a processing liquid valve 54 and a flow rate control valve 55 interposed in the main pipe 53. The processing liquid valve 54 opens and closes the flow path in the main pipe 53. The flow rate control valve 55 adjusts the flow rate of the second chemical liquid flowing through the main pipe 53. When the processing liquid valve 54 is opened, the second chemical liquid is supplied from the processing liquid supply source to the pair of discharge members 50, and the second chemical liquid is discharged from the two discharge members 50. In more detail, the second chemical liquid is discharged from the multiple discharge ports 51 of both discharge members 50.

The second sub-transport robot 12B includes a lifter 60 that moves up and down relative to the second chemical liquid treatment tank 6, a lifting mechanism 70 that raises and lowers the lifter 60, and a slide mechanism 80 that moves (slides) the lifter 60 horizontally. The lifting mechanism 70 includes a lifting shaft 71 connected to the lifter 60, and a lifting actuator 72 that generates a driving force to raise and lower the lifting shaft 71. The lifting mechanism 70 may include a power transmission mechanism (not shown) that transmits the driving force of the lifting actuator 72 to the lifting shaft 71. The power conversion mechanism is, for example, a ball screw mechanism or a rack and pinion mechanism.

The slide mechanism 80 includes a slide actuator 81 that generates a driving force for horizontally moving the lift shaft 71. The slide mechanism 80 may include a power transmission mechanism (not shown) that transmits the driving force of the slide actuator 81 to the lift shaft 71.
The lifter 60 has a plurality of support parts 61 that support one batch of substrates W from below, and a lifting part 62 that is connected to one ends of the plurality of support parts 61 in the extension direction ED and lifts and lowers the plurality of support parts 61. The lifter 60 may include a frame part 63 that connects the other ends of the plurality of support parts 61 in the extension direction ED.

Each support portion 61 has a plurality of storage grooves 64 provided at equal intervals along the extension direction ED. The peripheral portion of each substrate W is stored in the plurality of storage grooves 64 located at the same position in the extension direction ED. Therefore, the lifter 60 can raise and lower the batch of substrates W while maintaining the orientation of the substrates W in a vertical orientation.
The lifter 60 can be moved horizontally by a slide mechanism 80 between a second chemical processing position located above the second chemical processing tank 6 and a second rinse processing position located above the second rinse processing tank 7 .

When the lifter 60 is located at the second chemical processing position, the lifting mechanism 70 can raise and lower the support 61 between an upper position (see FIG. 8A described later) where the support 61 is located above the liquid level of the second chemical in the second chemical processing tank 6, and a lower position (see FIG. 8D described later) where the support 61 is located below the bar-shaped members 30. When the lifter 60 passes through a transfer position (see FIG. 8C described later) between the upper and lower positions, the lifter 60 passes a batch of substrates W to the pair of bar-shaped members 30. When the lifter 60 passes through a transfer position (see FIG. 8E described later), the lifter 60 receives a batch of substrates W from the pair of bar-shaped members 30. The lifter 60 passes between the first bar-shaped member 30A and the second bar-shaped member 30B and raises and lowers. The lifter 60 is an example of a lifting member that raises and lowers relative to the bar-shaped members 30.

Although not shown, the first sub-transport robot 12A may have a similar configuration to the second sub-transport robot 12B.
The substrate processing apparatus 1 further includes an edge detection sensor 90 that detects notches W1, W2 (detection portions) provided on the peripheral portion of the substrate W. The notches W1, W2 may be provided on all substrates W, but the edge detection sensor 90 detects the notches W1, W2 of one substrate W among one batch of substrates W.

The edge detection sensor 90 includes, for example, a laser oscillator (not shown) that emits a laser toward the upper end of the substrate W (a part of the edge of the substrate W), and a reflected light detector (not shown) that detects the laser reflected from the upper end of the substrate W. The edge detection sensor 90 detects that the substrate W is located at a predetermined rotational phase based on the difference between the intensity of light reflected from a portion of the edge of the substrate W where the notches W1, W2 are not provided, and the intensity of light reflected from a portion of the edge of the substrate W where the notches W1, W2 are provided.

The notches W1, W2 of the substrate W are preferably provided at equal intervals on the peripheral portion of the substrate W. It is particularly preferable that the notches W1, W2 of the substrate W are provided at two locations on the peripheral portion. In other words, it is preferable that the phase difference between the two notches W1, W2 is 180° (a predetermined angle).
The edge detection sensor 90 is disposed above the pair of bar-shaped members 30 and the second chemical liquid treatment tank 6, and detects from above the notches W1, W2 of the substrate W held by the pair of bar-shaped members 30. The edge detection sensor 90 detects the notches W1, W2 when the notches W1, W2 are located at the upper end of the substrate W. Fig. 2 shows a state in which the notch W1 is located at the upper end of the substrate W.

3, the edge detection sensor 90 may be provided on the side of the second chemical liquid treatment tank 6 and configured to detect the notches W1, W2 of the substrate W held by the pair of bar-shaped members 30 from the extension direction ED. In this case, the edge detection sensor 90 can be attached to the side wall 20b of the second chemical liquid treatment tank 6 from the outside by receiving a transparent member (not shown) that transmits the laser on the side wall 20b.

Unlike this embodiment, a plurality of edge detection sensors 90 may be disposed at equal intervals along the extension direction ED. The number of edge detection sensors 90 may be the same as the number of substrates W in one batch, or may be less than the number of substrates W in one batch.
<Electrical configuration>
FIG. 5 is a block diagram for explaining a configuration example regarding control of the substrate processing apparatus 1. As shown in FIG.

The controller 3 includes a microcomputer and controls the control objects included in the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to a predetermined program. More specifically, the controller 3 includes a processor (CPU) 3a and a memory 3b in which a program is stored, and is configured to execute various control processes for substrate processing by the processor 3a executing the program.

In particular, the controller 3 controls the operations of a plurality of transport robots (the carrier transport device 9, the posture changing robot 10, the main transport robot 11, and the plurality of sub-transport robots 12), the processing liquid valve 54, the flow rate adjustment valve 55, etc. An edge detection sensor 90 is connected to the controller 3, and the detection result of the edge detection sensor 90 is input.
In addition, components (valves, etc.) associated with the treatment tanks other than the second chemical treatment tank 6 (the first chemical treatment tank 4, the first rinse treatment tank 5, the second rinse treatment tank 7, and the drying treatment tank 8) are also controlled by the controller 3.

<Example of substrate processing>
6 is a flow chart for explaining an example of substrate processing performed by the substrate processing apparatus 1. In the following, reference will be made to FIGS.
The main transport robot 11 receives one batch of substrates W consisting of a plurality of substrates W from the posture changing robot 10. The main transport robot 11 transports the one batch of substrates W received from the posture changing robot 10 to the first sub-transport robot 12A and delivers the one batch of substrates W to the first sub-transport robot 12A. The first sub-transport robot 12A immerses the one batch of substrates W received from the main transport robot 11 in the first chemical liquid in the first chemical liquid treatment bath 4 (first chemical liquid treatment: step S1 in FIG. 6). Then, the first sub-transport robot 12A immerses the one batch of substrates W in the first rinse liquid in the first rinse treatment bath 5 (first rinse treatment: step S2 in FIG. 6). Then, the first sub-transport robot 12A delivers the one batch of substrates W to the main transport robot 11.

The main transport robot 11 transfers the batch of substrates W received from the first sub-transport robot 12A to the second sub-transport robot 12B. The second sub-transport robot 12B then immerses the batch of substrates W received from the main transport robot 11 in a second chemical liquid such as an etching liquid in the second chemical liquid treatment tank 6 (second chemical liquid treatment (etching process): step S3 in FIG. 6). The second sub-transport robot 12B then immerses the batch of substrates W in a second rinse liquid in the second rinse treatment tank 7 (second rinse process: step S4 in FIG. 6). The second sub-transport robot 12B then transfers the batch of substrates W to the main transport robot 11. The main transport robot 11 transfers the batch of substrates W received from the second sub-transport robot 12B to the drying treatment tank 8.

In the drying processing tank 8, the batch of substrates W is dried by a method such as reduced pressure drying (drying processing: step S5 in Figure 6). The main transport robot 11 then passes the batch of substrates W to the posture changing robot 10. The posture changing robot 10 changes the posture of the batch of substrates W received from the main transport robot 11 from a vertical posture to a horizontal posture, and then stores the batch of substrates W in multiple carriers C held by the carrier transport device 9. This series of operations is repeated to process the multiple substrates W transported to the substrate processing device 1.

Next, the etching process (step S3 in FIG. 6) performed in the substrate processing will be described in detail.
Fig. 7 is a flow chart for explaining an example of the etching process. Figs. 8A to 8E are schematic diagrams for explaining the etching process of the substrate processing apparatus 1. As shown in Fig. 8A, one batch of substrates W received by the second sub-transport robot 12B from the main transport robot 11 is supported from below by a plurality of supports 61 of a lifter 60. At this time, the substrates W are supported by the lifter 60 such that one of a pair of cutouts W1, W2 is located at the upper end. In Fig. 8A, the cutout W1 is located at the upper end.

The lifting mechanism 70 lowers the lifter 60 supporting the batch of substrates W. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8B, the lower ends of the substrates W come into contact with the surface of the etching liquid in the second chemical processing tank 6, and immersion of the substrates W begins (immersion start step: step S11 in FIG. 7). The lifting mechanism 70 further lowers the lifter 60. As the lifter 60 lowers and passes the transfer position, as shown in FIG. 8C, the batch of substrates W is transferred from the lifter 60 to a pair of bar-shaped members 30 (first transfer step: step S12 in FIG. 7). As a result, the entire main surface of each substrate W is immersed in the etching liquid. After passing the transfer position, the lifter 60 lowers until it reaches the lower position.

After one batch of substrates W is transferred to the pair of bar-shaped members 30, the processing liquid valve 54 is opened. This causes the etching liquid to be discharged from the discharge member 50 (processing liquid discharge step, etching liquid discharge step). The discharge of the etching liquid forms a liquid flow in the etching liquid in the second chemical liquid treatment tank 6, and the liquid flow starts the rotation of the blade member 40. The rotation of the blade member 40 causes the first bar-shaped member 30A to rotate (spin), and the rotation of the first bar-shaped member 30A drives the rotation of one batch of substrates W. That is, as shown in FIG. 8D, the rotation of the substrates W around the central axis A2 starts (substrate rotation step: step S13 in FIG. 7). The rotation of one batch of substrates W drives the rotation of the second bar-shaped member 30B around the rotation axis A1.

When the edge detection sensor 90 detects the notch W2 of the substrate W, the processing liquid valve 54 is closed. As a result, no liquid flow is formed when the substrate W is rotated 180° (a predetermined angle) about the central axis A2. As the formation of the liquid flow is stopped, the rotation of the substrate W is stopped (rotation stopping step).
After the rotation of the substrates W is stopped, the lifting mechanism 70 starts to raise the lifter 60, which is located at the lower position. When the lifter 60 rises and passes the transfer position, one batch of substrates W is transferred from the pair of bar-shaped members 30 to the lifter 60, as shown in Fig. 8E (second transfer step: step S14 in Fig. 7). The lifting mechanism 70 further raises the lifter 60. When the lifter 60 moves to the upper position, immersion of one batch of substrates W in the etching solution in the second chemical liquid processing tank 6 is completed (immersion completion step: step S15 in Fig. 7). This completes the etching process.

In this etching process, when the lifter 60 is raised and lowered relative to the pair of bar-shaped members 30, it can pass a batch of substrates W to the pair of bar-shaped members 30 and receive a batch of substrates W from the pair of bar-shaped members 30. Therefore, the pair of bar-shaped members 30 can hold the substrates W and immerse the batch of substrates W in the etching solution in the second chemical liquid processing tank 6 without raising and lowering the pair of bar-shaped members 30.

Since there is no need to raise and lower the pair of bar-shaped members 30, there is no need to raise and lower a mechanism (such as an electric motor) required to rotate the pair of bar-shaped members 30 together with the lifter 60. This simplifies the configuration for rotating the substrate W in the second chemical liquid processing tank 6.
Moreover, the pair of bar-shaped members 30 rotate about a plurality of rotation axes A1 passing through their interiors, thereby driving the rotation of one batch of substrates W. By rotating one batch of substrates W in the second chemical liquid processing tank 6, the uniformity of the flow formed in the etching liquid in the second chemical liquid processing tank 6 can be improved. As a result, the in-plane uniformity of the etching process can be improved.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a pair of bar-shaped members 30 are arranged at an interval in the circumferential direction CD about the central axis A2. Each bar-shaped member 30 has a storage groove 31 that stores the peripheral portion of the substrate W in a vertical position. Therefore, the peripheral portion of the substrate W can be stored in the storage groove 31 at multiple points in the circumferential direction CD. This improves the stability of the position of the substrate W, thereby further improving the in-plane uniformity of substrate processing.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, each bar-shaped member 30 has a plurality of storage grooves 31, and the plurality of storage grooves 31 are arranged at equal intervals in the extension direction ED. Therefore, one batch of substrates W can be held by a pair of bar-shaped members 30 in a state where the substrates W are arranged at equal intervals in the extension direction ED. Therefore, one batch of substrates W can be held with high stability by the pair of bar-shaped members 30. As a result, processing unevenness between the substrates W can be reduced.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the multiple support portions 61 of the lifter 60 move up and down between the first bar-shaped member 30A and the second bar-shaped member 30B. Therefore, the space between the first bar-shaped member 30A and the second bar-shaped member 30B in the second chemical liquid treatment tank 6 can be used as a path for the lifter 60 to move up and down. This makes it possible to prevent the second chemical liquid treatment tank 6 from becoming too large.
According to this embodiment, the blade member 40 is provided in the second chemical liquid treatment tank 6 so as to rotate integrally with the first bar-shaped member 30A. A liquid flow can be formed in the second chemical liquid treatment tank 6 by the etching liquid discharged from the discharge member 50. The blade member 40 receives this liquid flow, and thereby rotates. Since the blade member 40 and the first bar-shaped member 30A rotate integrally, the formation of the liquid flow causes the first bar-shaped member 30A to rotate, and the rotation of the first bar-shaped member 30A causes the substrate W to rotate. Therefore, the first bar-shaped member 30A can be rotated without providing an electric motor or the like for rotating the first bar-shaped member 30A.

The substrate W transferred between the lifter 60 and the pair of bar-shaped members 30 is in a vertical position. Therefore, when the lifter 60 is lowered to immerse the substrate W in the etching liquid in the second chemical liquid processing tank 6, the lower end of the substrate W begins to be immersed in the etching liquid in the second chemical liquid processing tank 6 at the earliest timing, and the upper end of the substrate W begins to be immersed in the etching liquid in the second chemical liquid processing tank 6 at the latest timing. After the etching process of the substrate W in the second chemical liquid processing tank 6 is completed, when the lifter 60 is raised to remove the substrate W from the second chemical liquid processing tank 6, the immersion of the upper end of the substrate W in the etching liquid ends at the earliest timing, and the immersion of the lower end of the substrate W in the etching liquid ends at the latest timing. Therefore, the time that the lower end of the substrate W is immersed in the etching liquid is the longest, and the upper end of the substrate W is the shortest. Therefore, if the rotation phase of the substrate W when immersed in the etching liquid and the rotation phase of the substrate W when immersion in the etching liquid is completed are not changed, there is a risk of uneven processing occurring on the main surface of the substrate W.

Therefore, by adjusting the flow rate of the etching liquid discharged from the discharge member 50 and rotating the substrate W held by the pair of bar-shaped members 30 180° around the substrate central axis A3, the portion of the main surface of the substrate W that is immersed in the etching liquid at the earliest timing when the lifter 60 descends is removed from the etching liquid at the earliest timing when the lifter 60 ascends. This reduces the difference in the time that each position on the main surface of the substrate W is immersed in the etching liquid. As a result, the in-surface uniformity of the etching process can be improved.

By controlling the flow rate of the etching liquid discharged from the discharge member 50 by the controller 3 so as to rotate the vertically oriented substrate W 180 degrees around the substrate central axis A3, the in-plane uniformity of the etching process can be improved with greater precision.
The edge detection sensor 90 detects the notches W1, W2 provided on the edge of the substrate W. Therefore, by stopping the rotation of the bar-shaped members 30 at the timing when the notches W1, W2 are detected, the rotation of the substrate W can be stopped so that the substrate W is positioned at an appropriate rotation phase. This can improve the in-plane uniformity of the etching process.

The etching process according to this embodiment can sufficiently improve the in-plane uniformity of the tungsten etching process in the manufacturing process of three-dimensional NAND devices, where improved in-plane uniformity of the etching is required. In particular, when using a substrate W having linear trenches extending perpendicular to each other on the main surface of the substrate W and tungsten embedded in the trenches, the liquid flow formed by the rotation of the blade member 40 can effectively improve the uniformity of the etching of the tungsten in the mutually perpendicular trenches.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be embodied in other forms.
9, processing unit 2 may include a rotational actuator 100 that rotates first bar-shaped member 30A about rotation axis A1, and a rotational displacement sensor 101 that detects the rotational displacement (also referred to as the amount of rotation) of first bar-shaped member 30A of rotational actuator 100. Rotary actuator 100 is, for example, an electric motor, and rotational displacement sensor 101 is, for example, an encoder. Rotational displacement sensor 101 may calculate the rotational displacement of first bar-shaped member 30A by detecting the rotational displacement of rotational actuator 100, or may directly detect the rotational displacement of first bar-shaped member 30A.

The controller 3 controls the rotary actuator 100 based on the detection result of the rotary displacement sensor 101 (see FIG. 5). Even when the rotary actuator 100 is provided, a similar etching process is possible.
In the etching process, after one batch of substrates W is transferred to the pair of bar-shaped members 30, the rotary actuator 100 rotates the first bar-shaped member 30A. This starts the rotation of the substrate W around the central axis A2 (substrate rotation process: step S13 in FIG. 7). The rotary actuator 100 rotates the first bar-shaped member 30A by the rotational displacement (required rotational displacement) required to rotate the substrate W by 180°. When the first bar-shaped member 30A rotates more than one rotation, the required rotational displacement exceeds 360°. Then, the rotation of the first bar-shaped member 30A is stopped at the timing when the rotational displacement of the first bar-shaped member 30A becomes the required rotational displacement. This stops the rotation of the substrate W (rotation stop process).

By adjusting the rotational displacement of the first bar-shaped member 30A by the rotary actuator 100 and rotating the substrate W held by the pair of bar-shaped members 30 180° around the substrate central axis A3, the portion of the main surface of the substrate W that is immersed in the etching solution at the earliest timing when the lifter 60 descends is removed from the etching solution at the earliest timing when the lifter 60 ascends. This reduces the difference in the time that each position on the main surface of the substrate W is immersed in the etching solution. As a result, the in-surface uniformity of the etching process can be improved.

By driving the rotation of the first bar-shaped member 30A with the rotary actuator 100, the first bar-shaped member 30A can be rotated with high precision. Furthermore, with this configuration, the pair of bar-shaped members 30 do not rise and fall together with the lifter 60. This simplifies the configuration required to transmit the rotation of the rotary actuator 100, i.e., the configuration for rotating the substrate W.

When the rotary actuator 100 is provided, it is possible to omit the blade member 40. When the rotary displacement sensor 101 is provided, it is possible to omit the edge detection sensor 90 and the notches W1, W2 of the substrate W.
Even when the substrate W is rotated using the rotation actuator 100, it is possible to stop the rotation of the substrate W using the edge detection sensor 90. In this case, if the rotation actuator 100 is stopped at the point in time when the edge detection sensor 90 detects the notch W2, the rotation of the substrate W can be stopped at the point in time when the substrate W has rotated 180°.

Similarly, even when the blade members 40 are used to rotate the substrate W, it is possible to stop the rotation of the substrate W using the rotational displacement sensor 101. In this case, if the discharge of the etching liquid from the discharge member 50 is stopped at the time when the first bar-shaped member 30A has rotated a required rotational amount, the rotation of the substrate W can be stopped at the time when the substrate W has rotated 180°.
Also, the blade member 40 may be provided on each bar-shaped member 30. In this case, it is necessary to generate a liquid flow in the etching solution in the second chemical liquid processing tank 6 so that the blade member 40 provided on the first bar-shaped member 30A and the blade member 40 provided on the second bar-shaped member 30B rotate in the same direction. Similarly, it is also possible to provide the rotary actuator 100 on each bar-shaped member 30. Also, as long as a liquid flow that rotates the blade member 40 in a certain direction can be formed, it is not necessary for the discharge port 51 to face the blade member 40, and a configuration in which all the discharge ports 51 do not face the blade member 40 may be used. For example, in the second chemical liquid processing tank 6, the discharge port 51 may face the bottom wall 20a of the inner tank 20 or may face the side wall 20b of the inner tank 20.

Unlike the example shown in FIG. 2, a pair of valves may be provided in each of the pair of processing liquid pipes 52, and the discharge of the etching liquid may be controlled for each discharge member 50.
The notch W1 is unnecessary if the substrate W can be placed on the multiple supports 61 of the lifter 60 so that the notch W2 is located at the lower end of the substrate W. In other words, it is not necessarily necessary to provide two notches at the peripheral portion of the substrate W.

Furthermore, as long as the substrate W can be rotated 180 degrees within the second chemical liquid treatment tank 6, it is not necessary for the notches W1, W2 to be located at the upper and lower ends before and after the rotation of the substrate W; it is sufficient for the notches W1, W2 to be located in a position that can be detected by a sensor.
Furthermore, the substrate W does not necessarily need to be rotated 180° in the second chemical liquid processing tank 6 during the etching process (step S3 in FIG. 6). For example, if the rotational displacement of the substrate W is a predetermined angle (predetermined displacement) that is greater than 90° and smaller than 270°, processing unevenness of the substrate W can be effectively suppressed. However, the closer the rotational displacement of the substrate W is to 180°, the greater the effect of reducing processing unevenness, and the rotational displacement of the substrate W is preferably 150° or more and 210° or less, and more preferably 180°.

Furthermore, the detection target portion detected by the edge detection sensor 90 is not limited to the notches W1 and W2. The detection target portion may be a structure formed on the edge of the substrate W as long as the light reflection intensity of the structure is different from that of other parts of the edge of the substrate W.
The pair of bar-shaped members 30 do not necessarily need to hold the substrate W in a vertical position, and the main surface of the substrate W may be slightly inclined relative to the vertical direction. In other words, the processing position is not limited to the vertical position.

In the above embodiment, two bar-shaped members 30 are provided. However, the number of bar-shaped members 30 is not limited to two, and three or more may be provided. However, it is preferable that the multiple bar-shaped members 30 are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction CD around the central axis A2, and it is preferable that the lifter 60 can be raised and lowered without interfering with the multiple bar-shaped members 30.

In the above embodiment, the lifter 60 is slidably moved by the second sub-transport robot 12B. However, when the substrate processing apparatus 1 is provided with a robot that transports a plurality of substrates W to a single processing tank, the lifter 60 provided to the robot may not be slidably moved.
Moreover, unlike the substrate processing according to the above-described embodiment, it is possible to omit the first chemical liquid processing (step S1 in FIG. 6) and the first rinsing processing (step S2 in FIG. 6).

In the above embodiment, during the etching process, the processing liquid valve 54 is opened only when rotating the substrate W. However, the processing liquid valve 54 may be constantly open, and the flow rate of the etching liquid may be adjusted by the flow rate adjustment valve 55, thereby controlling the start and stop of rotation of the substrate W.
In the above-described embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a load port LP, a plurality of transport robots, a processing unit 2, and a controller 3. However, the substrate processing apparatus 1 may be configured with a single processing unit 2 and a controller 3, and may not include a plurality of transport robots or load ports LP. Alternatively, the substrate processing apparatus 1 may be configured with only a single processing unit 2. In other words, the processing unit 2 may be an example of a substrate processing apparatus.

In the above embodiment, the terms "horizontal" and "vertical" are used, but they do not necessarily have to be "horizontal" and "vertical" in the strict sense. In other words, these terms allow for deviations in manufacturing precision, installation precision, and the like.
In addition, various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims.

1: Substrate processing apparatus 2: Processing unit (substrate processing apparatus)
3: Controller 4: First chemical liquid treatment tank 5: First rinsing treatment tank 6: Second chemical liquid treatment tank 7: Second rinsing treatment tank 30: Bar-shaped member 30A: First bar-shaped member 30B: Second bar-shaped member 31: Storage groove 40: Blade member 50: Discharge member 60: Lifter (lifting member)
90: Edge detection sensor 100: Rotation actuator 101: Rotation displacement sensor A1: Rotation axis A2: Central axis A3: Substrate central axis (substrate central axis)
CD: Circumferential direction ED: Extension direction W: Substrate W1: Notch (detection target)
W2: Notch (detection part)

Claims (10)

a processing tank for storing a processing liquid for processing the substrate;
a plurality of bar-shaped members extending parallel to one another and intersecting a vertical direction, the bar-shaped members holding the substrate in a processing posture in which a main surface of the substrate faces an extension direction of the bar-shaped members in the processing tank;
a lifting member that supports a substrate having a posture of the processing posture and lifts and lowers relative to the plurality of bar-shaped members, the lifting member delivering the substrate to the plurality of bar-shaped members when lowering and receiving the substrate from the plurality of bar-shaped members when rising ;
a blade member provided in the treatment tank so as to rotate integrally with at least one of the bar-shaped members;
a discharge member including a bar-shaped nozzle extending in the extension direction and having a plurality of discharge ports formed at intervals in the extension direction, the discharge member discharging the treatment liquid into the treatment liquid tank ,
The plurality of outlets includes at least one opposed outlet facing the blade member,
The bar-shaped members each have a plurality of rotation axes extending along the extension direction,
A substrate processing apparatus in which the blade members are rotated by a liquid flow formed in the processing liquid stored in the processing tank by the ejection of the processing liquid from the multiple ejection ports, and the bar-shaped members which rotate integrally with the blade members rotate around the corresponding rotation axes, thereby driving the rotation of the substrates held by the multiple bar-shaped members. The bar-shaped members are arranged at intervals in a circumferential direction about a predetermined central axis extending parallel to the rotation axis,
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the bar-shaped members has an accommodation groove for accommodating a peripheral portion of the substrate in the processing position. Each of the bar-shaped members has a plurality of the accommodation grooves,
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of accommodation grooves are provided at equal intervals in the extension direction. the plurality of bar-shaped members include a first bar-shaped member and a second bar-shaped member spaced apart from each other;
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lifting member moves up and down between the first bar-shaped member and the second bar-shaped member. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , further comprising a controller that rotates the substrate in the processing posture by a predetermined angle about a substrate central axis passing through a center of the substrate by controlling a flow rate of the processing liquid discharged from the discharge member. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an edge detection sensor that detects a detection target portion provided on a peripheral portion of the substrate. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a rotational displacement sensor that detects a rotational displacement of the bar-shaped member. an immersion starting step of starting immersion of the substrate in the processing liquid in the processing tank by lowering a lifting member supporting the substrate in a processing posture in which the substrate is in a processing position with its main surface facing in an extension direction of a plurality of bar-shaped members extending parallel to one another and intersecting a vertical direction in a processing tank;
a first transfer step in which the lifting member is further lowered after the immersion start step, so that the substrate in the processing position is transferred from the lifting member to the plurality of bar-shaped members in the processing tank, and the substrate in the processing position is held by the plurality of bar-shaped members;
a substrate rotation step of rotating the substrate in the processing attitude by a predetermined angle about a substrate central axis passing through a center of the substrate by rotating each of the bar-shaped members about a plurality of rotation axes passing through the interiors of the bar-shaped members and extending in the extension direction;
a second transfer step in which the substrate in the processing attitude is transferred from the plurality of bar-shaped members to the lifting member by lifting the lifting member after the substrate rotation step;
and an immersion completion step of completing the immersion of the substrate in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank by further raising the lifting member after the second delivery step ,
the substrate rotation step includes a step of discharging a processing liquid into the processing liquid tank from a plurality of discharge ports formed at intervals in the extension direction in a discharge member consisting of a bar-shaped nozzle extending in the extension direction, forming a liquid flow in the processing liquid stored in the processing tank that rotates a blade member provided in the processing tank so as to rotate integrally with at least one of the bar-shaped members, and rotating the bar-shaped member that rotates integrally with the blade member around the corresponding rotation axis,
The substrate processing method , wherein the plurality of outlets includes at least one opposed outlet facing the blade member . 9. The substrate processing method of claim 8 , further comprising a rotation stopping step of stopping the rotation of the bar-shaped member at a timing when an edge detection sensor detects that a detection portion provided in a circumferential direction of the substrate is located at a predetermined position. 9. The substrate processing method according to claim 8 , further comprising a rotation stopping step of stopping the rotation of said bar-shaped members at a timing when the rotational displacement of said bar-shaped members reaches a predetermined rotational displacement.

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