JP7688591B2 - SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method that discharge a processing liquid toward the peripheral portion of a substrate. Substrates to be processed include, for example, semiconductor substrates, substrates for liquid crystal display devices, substrates for flat panel displays (FPDs) used in organic electroluminescence (EL) display devices, substrates for optical disks, substrates for magnetic disks, substrates for magneto-optical disks, substrates for photomasks, ceramic substrates, and substrates for solar cells.

Conventionally, in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, substrate processing apparatuses are used to perform various processes on semiconductor substrates (hereinafter simply referred to as "substrates"). One such substrate processing apparatus is known to hold a substrate in a horizontal position, rotate it, and eject a processing liquid onto the peripheral edge of the substrate to perform an etching process (so-called bevel etching) (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). Typically, the diameter of the ejected liquid column is about 0.3 mm, and the width of the peripheral edge of the substrate to be processed is about 1 mm to several mm.

JP 2018-142677 A JP 2021-141233 A

The etching rate when the processing liquid is discharged is highest at the contact point of the processing liquid. Therefore, when etching the edge of a substrate several mm wide is performed using processing liquid with a liquid column diameter of 0.3 mm, the etching rate is high at the contact point of the processing liquid, but the etching rate tends to decrease the further away from the contact point.

In order to obtain a uniformly high etching rate over the entire peripheral edge of the substrate, it is possible to eject the processing liquid in a band shape from a processing liquid nozzle with a wide opening, so that the processing liquid is deposited over the entire width of the peripheral edge of the substrate. In this way, the entire width of the peripheral edge of the substrate becomes a contact point, so that the etching rate can be increased over the entire width.

However, the width of the edge of the substrate ranges from 1 mm to several mm, and the opening width of the discharge port of the processing liquid nozzle needs to be wide enough to accommodate the maximum anticipated width of the edge of the substrate. If this is the case, when it is desired to reduce the etching width, a problem arises in that some of the processing liquid discharged from a discharge port with a wide opening width is wasted without landing on the substrate.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method that can apply processing liquid to the entire peripheral area of a substrate without wasting the processing liquid.

In order to solve the above problem, the invention of claim 1 is a substrate processing apparatus that discharges a processing liquid toward a peripheral portion of a substrate, the apparatus comprising: a substrate holding unit that holds a substrate; a rotation unit that rotates the substrate held by the substrate holding unit; a processing liquid nozzle that discharges a processing liquid from a discharge port toward the peripheral portion of the substrate being rotated; a processing liquid supply unit that supplies processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle; and a control unit that controls the processing liquid supply unit, the processing liquid supply unit having a liquid pressure adjustment unit that adjusts the liquid pressure of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle, the processing liquid nozzle having an elastic member that determines the opening width of the discharge port according to the liquid pressure of the processing liquid supplied, and the control unit controls the liquid pressure adjustment unit so that the processing liquid is supplied at a liquid pressure that makes the opening width of the discharge port a predetermined value.

The invention of claim 2 is characterized in that the substrate processing apparatus according to the invention of claim 1 further includes a storage unit that stores a table that associates the correlation between the liquid pressure of the processing liquid, the opening width of the discharge port, and the flow rate of the processing liquid discharged from the discharge port, and the control unit controls the liquid pressure adjustment unit based on the table.

The invention of claim 3 is characterized in that in the substrate processing apparatus according to the invention of claim 1 or claim 2, the processing liquid nozzle has an outer member in which the discharge port is provided, and an inner member that is slidably arranged within the outer member and has an opening, and the overlap length between the discharge port and the opening, which is determined according to the position of the inner member defined by the elastic member and the liquid pressure of the processing liquid, is the opening width.

The invention of claim 4 is characterized in that in the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the inventions of claims 1 to 3, the elastic member is a spring.

The invention of claim 5 is a substrate processing apparatus that discharges a processing liquid toward the peripheral portion of a substrate, the apparatus comprising: a substrate holding unit that holds a substrate; a rotating unit that rotates the substrate held by the substrate holding unit; a processing liquid nozzle that discharges processing liquid from a discharge port toward the peripheral portion of the substrate being rotated; a processing liquid supply unit that supplies processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle; and a control unit that controls the processing liquid nozzle and the processing liquid supply unit, the processing liquid nozzle having an opening width determination mechanism that determines the opening width of the discharge port, the processing liquid supply unit having a liquid pressure adjustment unit that adjusts the liquid pressure of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle, and the control unit controls the opening width determination mechanism so that the opening width of the discharge port is a predetermined value, and controls the liquid pressure adjustment unit so that the flow rate of the processing liquid from the discharge port is a predetermined value.

The invention of claim 6 is a substrate processing method for discharging a processing liquid toward a peripheral portion of a substrate, comprising a holding step for holding the substrate, a rotating step for rotating the held substrate, a discharging step for discharging a processing liquid from an outlet of a processing liquid nozzle toward the peripheral portion of the rotating substrate, and a processing liquid supplying step for supplying the processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle, wherein the opening width of the outlet is determined by an elastic member provided on the processing liquid nozzle according to the liquid pressure of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle, and the processing liquid supplying step is characterized in that the processing liquid is supplied to the processing liquid nozzle at a liquid pressure that makes the opening width of the outlet a predetermined value.

The invention of claim 7 is characterized in that, in the substrate processing method according to the invention of claim 6, it further includes a storage step for storing a table that associates the correlation between the liquid pressure of the processing liquid, the opening width of the discharge port, and the flow rate of the processing liquid discharged from the discharge port, and in the processing liquid supply step, the liquid pressure of the processing liquid to be supplied to the processing liquid nozzle is determined based on the table.

The invention of claim 8 is a substrate processing method for discharging a processing liquid toward the peripheral edge of a substrate, comprising a holding step for holding the substrate, a rotating step for rotating the held substrate, a discharging step for discharging a processing liquid from an outlet of a processing liquid nozzle toward the peripheral edge of the rotating substrate, and a processing liquid supplying step for supplying processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle, characterized in that in the processing liquid supplying step, the opening width of the outlet is set to a predetermined value, and the liquid pressure of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle is adjusted so that the flow rate of the processing liquid from the outlet is a predetermined value.

According to the inventions of claims 1 to 4, the processing liquid nozzle has an elastic member that determines the opening width of the discharge port according to the liquid pressure of the processing liquid supplied, and the liquid pressure adjustment unit is controlled so that the processing liquid is supplied at a liquid pressure that makes the opening width of the discharge port a predetermined value. Therefore, if the processing liquid is supplied at a liquid pressure that makes the opening width of the discharge port equal to the width of the peripheral edge of the substrate, the processing liquid can be applied to the entire peripheral edge of the substrate without wasting the processing liquid.

According to the invention of claim 5, the opening width regulation mechanism is controlled so that the opening width of the discharge port is a predetermined value, and the liquid pressure adjustment unit is controlled so that the flow rate of the processing liquid from the discharge port is a predetermined value. Therefore, if the opening width of the discharge port is set equal to the width of the peripheral edge of the substrate and the processing liquid is supplied, the processing liquid can be applied to the entire peripheral edge of the substrate without wasting the processing liquid.

According to the inventions of claims 6 and 7, the opening width of the discharge port is determined by an elastic member provided on the treatment liquid nozzle according to the liquid pressure of the treatment liquid supplied to the treatment liquid nozzle, and the treatment liquid is supplied to the treatment liquid nozzle at a liquid pressure that makes the opening width of the discharge port a predetermined value. Therefore, if the treatment liquid is supplied at a liquid pressure that makes the opening width of the discharge port equal to the width of the peripheral edge of the substrate, the treatment liquid can be applied to the entire peripheral edge of the substrate without wasting the treatment liquid.

According to the invention of claim 8, the opening width of the discharge port is set to a predetermined value, and the liquid pressure of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle is adjusted so that the flow rate of the processing liquid from the discharge port is a predetermined value. Therefore, if the opening width of the discharge port is set to be equal to the width of the peripheral edge of the substrate and the processing liquid is supplied, the processing liquid can be applied to the entire peripheral edge of the substrate without wasting the processing liquid.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view for explaining the internal layout of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a processing unit. 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating a configuration of a treatment liquid nozzle according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a view of the processing liquid nozzle of FIG. 3 as viewed from below. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control unit. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a correlation table. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in the substrate processing apparatus of the first embodiment. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a state of the processing liquid nozzle at the start of supplying the processing liquid. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a state of the processing liquid nozzle when the restoring force of the spring and the liquid pressure of the processing liquid are balanced. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a configuration of a processing liquid nozzle according to a second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a substrate processing procedure in a second embodiment. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a configuration of a processing liquid nozzle according to a third embodiment. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a configuration of a processing liquid nozzle according to a fourth embodiment.

The following describes in detail the embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

First Embodiment
Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view for explaining the internal layout of a substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present invention. The substrate processing apparatus 100 is a single-wafer processing apparatus that processes substrates W, which are disk-shaped silicon substrates such as semiconductor wafers, one by one. Note that in Fig. 1 and the subsequent figures, the dimensions and numbers of each part are exaggerated or simplified as necessary for ease of understanding.

The substrate processing apparatus 100 performs a surface treatment by discharging a chemical liquid and a rinsing liquid onto the peripheral portion of the substrate W, and then performs a drying process on the substrate W. The above-mentioned chemical liquid includes, for example, a liquid for performing an etching process or a liquid for removing an unnecessary film, and specifically, buffered hydrofluoric acid (BHF) or dilute hydrofluoric acid (DHF) is used. Furthermore, pure water is typically used as the rinsing liquid. In the following description, the chemical liquid, rinsing liquid, and organic solvent are collectively referred to as the "processing liquid".

The substrate processing apparatus 100 includes multiple processing units 1, a load port LP, an indexer robot 102, a main transport robot 103, and a control unit 16.

A carrier C that contains multiple substrates W to be processed in the processing unit 1 is placed on the load port LP. The carrier C may be in the form of a front opening unified pod (FOUP) that stores substrates W in an enclosed space, a Standard Mechanical Interface (SMIF) pod, or an open cassette (OC) that exposes the stored substrates W to the outside air.

The indexer robot 102 transports substrates W between carrier C and the main transport robot 103. The main transport robot 103 also transports substrates W between the indexer robot 102 and processing unit 1. The main transport robot 103 receives the substrate W that the indexer robot 102 has removed from carrier C and transports it into processing unit 1. The indexer robot 102 also receives the substrate W that the main transport robot 103 has removed from processing unit 1 and stores it in carrier C.

The processing unit 1 performs liquid processing and drying processing on one substrate W. In the substrate processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment, 12 processing units 1 of similar configuration are arranged. Specifically, four towers, each of which has three processing units 1 stacked vertically (i.e., a total of 12 processing units 1), are arranged to surround the main transport robot 103. In FIG. 1, one of the processing units 1 stacked in three tiers is shown diagrammatically. Note that the number of processing units 1 in the substrate processing apparatus 100 is not limited to 12, and may be changed as appropriate.

The main transport robot 103 is installed in the center of four towers in which processing units 1 are stacked. The main transport robot 103 transfers the substrate W to be processed received from the indexer robot 102 into the processing cup 200 in each processing unit 1. The main transport robot 103 also transfers the processed substrate W from each processing unit 1 and passes it to the indexer robot 102. The control unit 16 controls the operation of each component of the substrate processing apparatus 100.

Below, we will explain one of the 12 processing units 1 installed in the substrate processing apparatus 100, but the other processing units 1 have the same configuration except for the nozzle arrangement.

Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the processing unit 1. The processing unit 1 is a unit that discharges a processing liquid onto the peripheral portion of the substrate W to perform an etching process on the peripheral portion. In this embodiment, the peripheral portion of the substrate W refers to a portion that includes the peripheral region on the upper surface of the substrate W, the peripheral region on the lower surface of the substrate W, and the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W. The peripheral region is also a circular ring-shaped region having a width of, for example, 0.1 mm or more and several mm or less from the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W.

The processing unit 1 includes a processing chamber 4, a spin chuck 5 that holds the substrate W in a horizontal position in the processing chamber 4 and rotates the substrate W around a vertical axis of rotation A1 that passes through the center of the substrate W, a processing liquid nozzle 300 that ejects processing liquid onto the peripheral portion (more precisely, the peripheral region of the upper surface) of the substrate W held on the spin chuck 5, a processing liquid supply unit 6 that supplies processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle 300, an inert gas supply unit 8 that supplies inert gas to the center of the upper surface of the substrate W held on the spin chuck 5, an inert gas supply unit 9 that supplies inert gas to the peripheral region of the upper surface of the substrate W held on the spin chuck 5, an inert gas supply unit 10 that supplies inert gas to the peripheral region of the lower surface of the substrate W held on the spin chuck 5, a heater 11 that heats the peripheral portion of the substrate W held on the spin chuck 5, and a processing cup 200 that surrounds the spin chuck 5.

The processing chamber 4 includes a box-shaped partition 113, an FFU (fan filter unit) 14 as a blower unit that sends clean air from the upper part of the partition 113 into the partition 113 (corresponding to the inside of the processing chamber 4), and an exhaust device (not shown here) that exhausts gas from inside the processing chamber 4 from the lower part of the partition 113.

The FFU 14 is disposed above the partition wall 113, and more specifically, is attached to the ceiling of the partition wall 113. The FFU 14 sends clean air from the ceiling of the partition wall 113 into the processing chamber 4. The exhaust device is connected to the bottom of the processing cup 200 via an exhaust duct 115 connected to the inside of the processing cup 200, and sucks the inside of the processing cup 200 from the bottom of the processing cup 200. A downflow of clean air is formed in the processing chamber 4 by the FFU 14 and the exhaust device.

The spin chuck 5 in this embodiment is a vacuum suction type chuck. The spin chuck may be of another type, such as a clamping type mechanical chuck. The spin chuck 5 supports the center of the lower surface of the substrate W by suction. The spin chuck 5 includes a spin shaft 116 extending vertically, a spin base 117 attached to the upper end of the spin shaft 116 and suction-holding the lower surface of the substrate W so that the substrate W is in a horizontal position, and a spin motor 118 having a rotating shaft coaxially connected to the spin shaft 116.

The spin base 117 has a horizontal circular upper surface 117a with an outer diameter smaller than that of the substrate W. The spin base 117 vacuum-adsorbs the center of the lower surface of the substrate W with the upper surface 117a. When the lower surface of the substrate W is adsorbed and held by the spin base 117, the peripheral edge of the substrate W protrudes outward beyond the outer circumferential edge of the spin base 117. When the substrate W is adsorbed and held by the spin base 117, the spin motor 118 is driven to rotate the substrate W around the central axis of the spin shaft 116.

The processing liquid nozzle 300 of this embodiment is a straight nozzle that ejects liquid in a continuous flow state. The processing liquid nozzle 300 can change the supply position of the processing liquid on the upper surface of the substrate W. The processing liquid nozzle 300 is attached to the tip of the nozzle arm 20 that extends almost horizontally above the spin chuck 5. The nozzle arm 20 is supported by an arm support shaft 21 that extends almost vertically to the side of the spin chuck 5. An arm swing motor 22 is connected to the arm support shaft 21. The arm swing motor 22 is, for example, a servo motor. The arm swing motor 22 can swing the nozzle arm 20 in a horizontal plane around a vertical swing axis A2 set to the side of the spin chuck 5, and thereby the processing liquid nozzle 300 can be rotated around the swing axis A2 to draw an arc trajectory between the processing position and the retracted position. An encoder for detecting the rotation position of the processing liquid nozzle 300 may be attached to the arm swing motor 22.

The processing liquid nozzle 300 is supplied with processing liquid from the processing liquid supply unit 6. The processing liquid supply unit 6 includes a processing liquid piping 61, a processing liquid valve 62, and a pump 63. The tip of the processing liquid piping 61 is connected to the processing liquid nozzle 300, and the base end is connected to a processing liquid supply source. The processing liquid valve 62 and the pump 63 are interposed midway along the processing liquid piping 61.

When the pump 63 is operated with the processing liquid valve 62 open, the processing liquid is fed from the processing liquid supply source through the processing liquid pipe 61 to the processing liquid nozzle 300. The processing liquid supply unit 6 supplies a chemical liquid or a rinsing liquid as the processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle 300. The chemical liquid is, for example, a liquid used for etching the upper surface of the substrate W or cleaning the upper surface of the substrate W. The chemical liquid may be a liquid containing at least one of hydrofluoric acid, sulfuric acid, acetic acid, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, buffered hydrofluoric acid (BHF), dilute hydrofluoric acid (DHF), ammonia water, hydrogen peroxide water, organic acid (e.g., citric acid, oxalic acid, etc.), organic alkali (e.g., TMAH: tetramethylammonium hydroxide, etc.), organic solvent (e.g., IPA (isopropyl alcohol), etc.), surfactant, and corrosion inhibitor. The rinse liquid is, for example, deionized water (DIW), but is not limited to DIW and may be any of carbonated water, electrolytic ionized water, hydrogen water, ozone water, and hydrochloric acid water with a diluted concentration (for example, 10 ppm or more and 100 ppm or less).

3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the processing liquid nozzle 300 of the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the processing liquid nozzle 300 as viewed from below. The processing liquid nozzle 300 includes an outer member 310, an inner member 320, and a spring 330. The outer member 310, which is a cover for the processing liquid nozzle 300, is hollow inside, and an outlet 311 is formed in the outer member 310. The inner member 320, which is the main body of the processing liquid nozzle 300, is a flow path for the processing liquid inside, and an opening 321 is formed in the inner member 320. The inner member 320 is provided so as to be slidable within the outer member 310 in the direction indicated by the arrow AR1, which is the longitudinal direction of the processing liquid nozzle 300. The longitudinal direction of the processing liquid nozzle 300 coincides with the radial direction of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 5. The space between the inner member 320 and the outer member 310 is sealed by a lip seal or the like.

The treatment liquid supply unit 6 supplies treatment liquid to a flow path in the inner member 320. A spring 330, which is an elastic member, is provided between the inner wall surface of the outer member 310 and the tip of the outer wall of the inner member 320. When the inner member 320 slides within the outer member 310, the spring 330 expands and contracts, and the restoring force of the spring 330 acts on the outer member 310 and the inner member 320.

When the spring 330 is not deformed, i.e., when no stress is acting on the spring 330, the outlet 311 of the outer member 310 and the opening 321 of the inner member 320 do not overlap at all, and the opening 321 is blocked, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. In this state, when the processing liquid supply unit 6 supplies the processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle 300, the opening 321 is blocked, so the supplied processing liquid is not discharged to the outside, and the processing liquid presses the inner member 320. As a result, the inner member 320 slides relative to the outer member 310 toward the left in Figure 3, and the opening 321 moves closer to the outlet 311, as shown by the arrow AR2 in Figure 4. When the inner member 320 slides relative to the outer member 310, the spring 330 contracts, and a restoring force is generated in the spring 330.

When the processing liquid supply unit 6 continues to supply processing liquid and the inner member 320 slides further, the movement of the inner member 320 stops when the stress due to the restoring force of the spring 330 and the liquid pressure of the processing liquid are balanced. When the movement of the inner member 320 stops, the discharge port 311 and part or all of the opening 321 overlap to form an opening, and the processing liquid is discharged from the opening toward the peripheral edge of the substrate W.

That is, the position of the inner member 320 within the outer member 310 is determined by the restoring force of the spring 330 and the liquid pressure of the processing liquid supplied from the processing liquid supply unit 6. The liquid pressure of the processing liquid is adjusted by the pump 63 under the control of the control unit 16. The overlap length of the discharge port 311 and the opening 321 is determined according to the position of the inner member 320 within the outer member 310, and this overlap length becomes the opening width of the discharge port 311. The processing liquid is discharged from the discharge port 311 of the processing liquid nozzle 300 in a band shape having the same width as the opening width.

Returning to FIG. 2, the inert gas supply unit 8 includes a gas discharge nozzle 27 for supplying an inert gas to the center of the upper surface of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 5, a gas pipe 28 for supplying an inert gas to the gas discharge nozzle 27, a gas valve 29 for opening and closing the gas pipe 28, and a nozzle movement mechanism 30 for moving the gas discharge nozzle 27. When the gas valve 29 is opened while the gas discharge nozzle 27 is located at a processing position set above the center of the upper surface of the substrate W, the inert gas discharged from the gas discharge nozzle 27 forms a radial airflow that flows from the center to the outer periphery of the upper surface of the substrate W.

The inert gas supply unit 9 includes a gas discharge nozzle 31 for discharging an inert gas to the peripheral region of the upper surface of the substrate W, a gas pipe 32 for supplying the inert gas to the gas discharge nozzle 31, a gas valve 33 for opening and closing the gas pipe 32, and a nozzle movement mechanism 34 for moving the gas discharge nozzle 31. When the gas valve 33 is opened while the gas discharge nozzle 31 is located at a processing position set above the peripheral region of the upper surface of the substrate W, the gas discharge nozzle 31 discharges the inert gas from the inside in the direction of the rotation radius of the substrate W (hereinafter, the radial direction RD) toward the spraying position of the peripheral region of the upper surface of the substrate W, outward and diagonally downward.

The inert gas supply unit 10 includes a gas discharge nozzle 36 for discharging an inert gas to the peripheral region of the underside of the substrate W, a gas pipe 37 for supplying the inert gas to the gas discharge nozzle 36, and a gas valve 38 for opening and closing the gas pipe 37. When the gas valve 38 is opened while the gas discharge nozzle 36 is located at a processing position set below the peripheral region of the underside of the substrate W, the gas discharge nozzle 36 discharges the inert gas from the inside in the radial direction RD toward the spraying position of the peripheral region of the underside of the substrate W, diagonally upward and outward (e.g., at 45° with respect to the horizontal plane).

The inert gas discharged by the inert gas supply unit 8, the inert gas supply unit 9, and the inert gas supply unit 10 can be nitrogen, argon, helium, etc. (nitrogen in this embodiment).

The heater 11 is formed in a circular ring shape and has an outer diameter equal to the outer diameter of the substrate W. The heater 11 has an upper end surface that faces the peripheral region of the lower surface of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 5. The heater 11 is formed of ceramic or silicon carbide (SiC) and has a heat source (not shown) mounted therein. The heater 11 is heated by the heat source, and the heater 11 heats the substrate W. By heating the peripheral portion of the substrate W from the lower surface side by the heater 11, the etching rate in the peripheral region of the upper surface of the substrate W can be improved.

The processing cup 200 is disposed outward (i.e., in a direction away from the rotation axis A1) of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 5. The processing cup 200 surrounds the spin base 117. When processing liquid is supplied to the substrate W while the spin chuck 5 is rotating the substrate W, the processing liquid supplied to the substrate W is scattered around the substrate W by centrifugal force. When the processing liquid is supplied to the substrate W, the upper end 200a of the processing cup 200, which opens upward, is disposed above the spin base 117. Therefore, the processing liquid, such as chemical liquid or water, discharged around the substrate W is received by the processing cup 200. The processing liquid received by the processing cup 200 is then discharged. The discharge process includes the disposal of the used processing liquid and the regeneration process of the processing liquid.

The control unit 16 controls the various operating mechanisms provided in the substrate processing apparatus 100. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control unit 16. The hardware configuration of the control unit 16 is similar to that of a general computer. That is, the control unit 16 includes a CPU 71, which is a circuit that performs various arithmetic processing, a ROM 72, which is a read-only memory that stores basic programs, a RAM 73, which is a readable and writable memory that stores various information, and a storage unit 74 (e.g., a magnetic disk) that stores control software, data, and the like. The CPU 71, ROM 72, RAM 73, and storage unit 74 are connected to each other via a bus line 75. The CPU 71 of the control unit 16 executes a predetermined processing program, thereby progressing the processing in the substrate processing apparatus 100.

The processing program may be provided to the control unit 16 in a state in which it is recorded on a non-transitory recording medium (e.g., a semiconductor memory, an optical medium, or a magnetic medium). In this case, it is preferable that a reading device that reads the processing program from the recording medium is connected to the bus line 75.

The processing program may also be provided to the control unit 16 from a server or the like via a network. In this case, it is preferable that a communication unit that performs network communication with an external device is connected to the bus line 75.

An input unit 76 and a display unit 77 are connected to the bus line 75. The control unit 16 displays various information on the display unit 77. An operator of the substrate processing apparatus 100 can input various commands and parameters from the input unit 76 while checking the information displayed on the display unit 77. The input unit 76 can be, for example, a keyboard or a mouse. The display unit 77 can be, for example, a liquid crystal display. In this embodiment, a liquid crystal touch panel provided on the outer wall of the substrate processing apparatus 100 is used as the display unit 77 and the input unit 76, so that both functions are combined.

The control unit 16 is connected to the spin motor 118, arm swing motor 22, nozzle movement mechanism 30, nozzle movement mechanism 34, processing liquid valve 62, pump 63, heater 11, gas valve 29, gas valve 33, and gas valve 38 of each processing unit 1 (only pump 63 is illustrated in FIG. 5), and controls their operation. The control unit 16 also controls the operation of the indexer robot 102 and the main transport robot 103.

The storage unit 74 of the control unit 16 stores a correlation table 99. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the correlation table 99. As described above, in this embodiment, the opening width of the discharge port 311 is determined by the restoring force of the spring 330 and the liquid pressure of the processing liquid supplied from the processing liquid supply unit 6. Once the opening width of the discharge port 311 is determined, the flow rate of the processing liquid discharged from the discharge port 311 is also determined by the liquid pressure. In other words, there is a mutual correlation between the liquid pressure of the processing liquid, the opening width of the discharge port 311, and the flow rate of the processing liquid discharged from the discharge port 311, and this correlation is registered in the correlation table 99. Such a correlation may be obtained in advance by experiment or simulation. Then, the correlation table 99 in which the obtained correlation is registered is stored in the storage unit 74.

Next, the processing operation of the substrate processing apparatus 100 will be described. FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing the processing procedure in the substrate processing apparatus 100 of the first embodiment. First, an unprocessed substrate W to be processed is loaded into the processing chamber 4 of one of the processing units 1 (step S11). Specifically, the indexer robot 102 takes out the unprocessed substrate W from the carrier C and transfers it to the main transport robot 103. The main transport robot 103 transfers the received unprocessed substrate W into the processing chamber 4. At this time, the main transport robot 103 advances the hand holding the unprocessed substrate W into the processing chamber 4 and transfers the substrate W to the spin chuck 5 with the device formation surface facing upward. Next, the center of the lower surface of the substrate W is adsorbed and supported by the spin base 117, so that the substrate W is held by the spin chuck 5 (step S12). After the substrate W is held by the spin chuck 5, the control unit 16 rotates the spin motor 118 at a predetermined rotation speed, and the rotation of the substrate W begins (step S13).

Next, the liquid pressure of the processing liquid to be supplied to the processing liquid nozzle 300 is determined (step S14). In this embodiment, processing liquid is discharged from the processing liquid nozzle 300 to the peripheral edge of the rotating substrate W to perform an etching process on the peripheral edge (bevel etching). The area to be etched is annular, and the width of the annular area that requires etching varies depending on the substrate W, and is 1 mm to several mm. Hereinafter, the width of the annular area that requires etching is referred to as the "etching width".

In step S14, the liquid pressure of the processing liquid to be supplied to the processing liquid nozzle 300 is determined according to the required etching width. Specifically, based on the correlation table 99 stored in the memory unit 74, the control unit 16 extracts a liquid pressure corresponding to an opening width equal to the required etching width. For example, if the required etching width is 3 mm, the control unit 16 extracts a liquid pressure corresponding to an opening width of 3 mm from the correlation table 99. The required etching width may be obtained by the control unit 16 from a recipe, or may be input by the operator of the substrate processing apparatus 100 via the input unit 76.

Next, the processing liquid supply unit 6 supplies the processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle 300 at the liquid pressure determined in step S14 (step S15). The processing liquid supply unit 6 includes a pump 63 that functions as a liquid pressure adjustment unit that adjusts the liquid pressure of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle 300. The control unit 16 controls the pump 63 to supply the processing liquid at the liquid pressure determined in step S14.

Figure 8 shows the state of the processing liquid nozzle 300 at the start of processing liquid supply. When processing liquid supply is not being performed, no stress is acting on the spring 330, the inner member 320 is stopped at a position where the discharge port 311 and the opening 321 do not overlap at all, and the opening 321 is blocked. When processing liquid supply from the processing liquid supply unit 6 starts to the flow path of the inner member 320, the opening 321 is blocked, so there is no outlet for the processing liquid, and the supplied processing liquid presses the inner member 320 in the direction shown by arrow AR3 in Figure 8. The force acting on the inner member 320 at this time is proportional to the liquid pressure of the processing liquid determined by the pump 63.

When the inner member 320 is pressed by the liquid pressure of the processing liquid, the inner member 320 starts to slide in the direction indicated by the arrow AR3. The spring 330 contracts by a length equal to the distance the inner member 320 has moved, and a restoring force is generated in the spring 330. The magnitude of the restoring force generated in the spring 330 is proportional to the length to which the spring 330 has contracted. The direction in which this restoring force acts is opposite to that of the arrow AR3. In other words, a restoring force is generated in the spring 330 that pushes back the inner member 320 that is pressed by the processing liquid. Furthermore, as the inner member 320 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow AR3, the opening 321 approaches the discharge port 311.

When the inner member 320 moves further in the direction indicated by the arrow AR3, the restoring force of the spring 330 increases as the moving distance increases, and eventually the stress due to the restoring force of the spring 330 becomes equal to the liquid pressure of the processing liquid. When the restoring force of the spring 330 and the liquid pressure of the processing liquid are balanced, the driving force for movement no longer acts on the inner member 320, and the inner member 320 stops moving.

Figure 9 is a diagram showing the state of the processing liquid nozzle 300 when the restoring force of the spring 330 and the liquid pressure of the processing liquid are in equilibrium. When the inner member 320 stops moving, the discharge port 311 and a part or all of the opening 321 overlap to form an opening. The stopping position of the inner member 320 is determined to be a position where the restoring force of the spring 330 and the liquid pressure of the processing liquid are in equilibrium. The overlap length of the discharge port 311 and the opening 321, which is determined according to the stopping position of the inner member 320, is the opening width d of the opening formed in the discharge port 311.

The greater the liquid pressure of the processing liquid being supplied, the greater the opening width d will be, as the restoring force of the spring 330 and the liquid pressure of the processing liquid are balanced at the position where the spring 330 is most compressed. In other words, the spring 330 determines the opening width d of the discharge port 311 according to the liquid pressure of the processing liquid being supplied. From another perspective, it can also be said that the opening width d of the discharge port 311 can be adjusted by the liquid pressure of the processing liquid being supplied.

In this embodiment, the control unit 16 determines the liquid pressure corresponding to the same opening width as the required etching width based on the correlation table 99, and controls the pump 63 to supply the processing liquid at that liquid pressure. Therefore, the opening width d of the opening of the discharge port 311 formed by the liquid pressure of the processing liquid becomes equal to the required etching width.

When an opening with an opening width d is formed in the discharge port 311 of the processing liquid nozzle 300, the processing liquid is discharged from the opening of the discharge port 311 toward the peripheral edge of the substrate W (step S16). The processing liquid is discharged as a strip-shaped liquid column from the opening of the discharge port 311. The longitudinal width of a cross section obtained by cutting the liquid column horizontally is equal to the opening width d. Furthermore, the lateral width of the cross section is equal to the lateral width of the discharge port 311 (e.g., 0.3 mm). Furthermore, the flow rate of the processing liquid discharged from the discharge port 311 is determined by the liquid pressure of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle 300.

The processing liquid nozzle 300 first discharges a chemical liquid as a processing liquid onto the peripheral portion of the substrate W. More specifically, the control unit 16 controls the spin motor 118 to rotate the substrate W at a predetermined rotation speed (e.g., 300 rpm or more and 1000 rpm or less), while controlling the arm swing motor 22 to place the processing liquid nozzle 300 at an appropriate processing position and discharge the chemical liquid from the processing liquid nozzle 300 onto the peripheral portion of the substrate W. The appropriate processing position of the processing liquid nozzle 300 is a position where the width of the opening of the discharge port 311 completely overlaps directly above the width of the annular region where etching is required. In addition, at the appropriate processing position of the processing liquid nozzle 300, the longitudinal direction of the processing liquid nozzle 300 coincides with the radial direction of the substrate W. In order to move the processing liquid nozzle 300 to the appropriate processing position, an optical sensor for detecting the edge portion of the substrate W may be provided on the processing liquid nozzle 300.

The chemical solution discharged from the processing liquid nozzle 300 lands on the peripheral portion of the rotating substrate W (more precisely, on the peripheral region of the upper surface of the substrate W). This allows the etching process of the peripheral portion of the substrate W to proceed.

During the etching process using the discharge of a chemical solution, a radial airflow is formed that flows from the center to the outer periphery of the upper surface of the substrate W by the inert gas discharged from the gas discharge nozzle 27 located at the processing position. This radial airflow protects the center of the upper surface of the substrate W, which is the device formation area.

In addition, during the etching process, an inert gas is sprayed from the gas discharge nozzle 31 located at the processing position onto the peripheral region of the upper surface of the substrate W. By spraying this inert gas, the processing width of the chemical solution on the peripheral region of the upper surface of the substrate W can be controlled.

Furthermore, during the etching process, an inert gas is sprayed from the gas discharge nozzle 36 located at the processing position onto the peripheral region of the underside of the substrate W. This spraying of inert gas can prevent the chemical solution from flowing around onto the underside of the substrate W.

In this embodiment, the opening width d of the outlet 311 of the processing liquid nozzle 300 is equal to the required etching width, and by ejecting the chemical liquid from the opening of the outlet 311, the chemical liquid is caused to land on the entire peripheral area of the substrate W where etching is required. In other words, the entire peripheral area of the substrate W where etching is required becomes a contact point with the chemical liquid. As a result, the etching rate can be increased uniformly over the entire peripheral area of the substrate W.

When performing the etching process by discharging the chemical solution, the peripheral portion of the substrate W may be heated by the heater 11. By heating the peripheral portion of the substrate W by the heater 11, the etching rate at the peripheral portion can be further increased.

After a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the discharge of the chemical liquid, the processing liquid discharged from the processing liquid nozzle 300 is switched from the chemical liquid to the rinsing liquid. More specifically, the control unit 16 controls the spin motor 118 to rotate the substrate W at a predetermined rotational speed (e.g., 300 rpm or more and 1000 rpm or less), while controlling the arm swing motor 22 to position the processing liquid nozzle 300 at an appropriate processing position and discharge the rinsing liquid from the processing liquid nozzle 300 to the peripheral portion of the substrate W. Note that when the rinsing liquid is discharged from the processing liquid nozzle 300, a band-shaped liquid column having a width equal to the opening width d of the discharge port 311 is also formed, similar to the above-mentioned chemical liquid.

The rinsing liquid discharged from the processing liquid nozzle 300 lands on the peripheral edge of the rotating substrate W. This progresses the rinsing process, in which the chemical liquid adhering to the peripheral edge of the substrate W is washed away by the rinsing liquid. As the chemical liquid is washed away, the etching process on the peripheral edge of the substrate W stops.

During the rinsing process, an inert gas is discharged from the gas discharge nozzle 27 located at the processing position, forming a radial air flow that flows from the center to the outer periphery of the upper surface of the substrate W.

During the rinsing process, an inert gas is sprayed onto the peripheral region of the upper surface of the substrate W from a gas ejection nozzle 31 located at the processing position.

During the rinsing process, an inert gas is sprayed onto the peripheral region of the underside of the substrate W from the gas ejection nozzle 36 located at the processing position.

In addition, during the rinsing process, the peripheral portion of the substrate W may be heated by the heater 11.

After a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the discharge of the rinsing liquid, the control unit 16 closes the processing liquid valve 62 to stop the discharge of the rinsing liquid from the processing liquid nozzle 300. Next, the control unit 16 controls the arm swing motor 22 to return the processing liquid nozzle 300 to a retracted position to the side of the spin chuck 5.

After the rinsing process is completed, spin drying is performed to dry the substrate W (step S17). Specifically, the control unit 16 controls the spin motor 118 to rotate the substrate W at a predetermined drying rotation speed (e.g., several thousand rpm). This applies a large centrifugal force to the liquid on the substrate W, causing the liquid adhering to the peripheral portion of the substrate W to be shaken off around the substrate W. In this way, the liquid is removed from the peripheral portion of the substrate W, and the peripheral portion of the substrate W is dried.

When a predetermined time has elapsed since the high-speed rotation of the substrate W began, the control unit 16 controls the spin motor 118 to stop the rotation of the substrate W by the spin chuck 5.

After the spin drying is completed, the substrate W is unloaded from the processing chamber 4 (step S18). Specifically, the main transport robot 103 moves its hand into the processing chamber 4. The main transport robot 103 then holds the substrate W on the spin chuck 5 with its hand. The main transport robot 103 then retracts the hand holding the substrate W from the processing chamber 4. This causes the processed substrate W to be unloaded from the processing chamber 4.

The main transport robot 103 passes the substrate W removed from the processing chamber 4 to the indexer robot 102. The indexer robot 102 returns the processed substrate W received from the main transport robot 103 to the carrier C. In this manner, processing of one substrate W is completed.

In the first embodiment, the outer member 310 and the inner member 320 of the processing liquid nozzle 300 are connected by a spring 330 which is an elastic member, and the opening width d of the discharge port 311 is determined by the balance between the liquid pressure of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle 300 and the restoring force of the spring 330. Then, based on the correlation table 99, the control unit 16 controls the pump 63 so that the processing liquid is supplied to the processing liquid nozzle 300 with a liquid pressure that makes the opening width d of the discharge port 311 equal to the required etching width (corresponding to the width of the peripheral portion of the substrate W that requires etching).

In this way, the width of the liquid column of the processing liquid discharged from the opening of the discharge port 311 of the processing liquid nozzle 300 becomes equal to the required etching width, and the chemical liquid is evenly applied to the entire peripheral area of the substrate W where etching is required. As a result, the etching rate can be increased uniformly over the entire peripheral area of the substrate W.

In addition, even if the required etching width is changed when processing a new substrate W, the control unit 16 controls the pump 63 to adjust the liquid pressure of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle 300, thereby obtaining the opening width d of the discharge port 311 equal to the desired etching width. Therefore, even when the required etching width becomes smaller, the opening width d of the discharge port 311 can be narrowed to allow all of the processing liquid discharged from the processing liquid nozzle 300 to land on the substrate W. As a result, a portion of the processing liquid discharged from the processing liquid nozzle 300 is not discarded without landing on the substrate W, and the processing liquid can be prevented from being wasted. In other words, by following the first embodiment, the processing liquid can be landed on the entire peripheral area of the substrate W without wasting the processing liquid, thereby increasing the etching rate.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The overall layout of the substrate processing apparatus 100 of the second embodiment is the same as that shown in Fig. 1. The configuration of each processing unit 1 mounted on the substrate processing apparatus 100 of the second embodiment is also generally similar to that shown in Fig. 2. Furthermore, the processing content for the substrate W in the second embodiment is also generally similar to that in the first embodiment. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the structure of the processing liquid nozzle.

Figure 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of a processing liquid nozzle 400 of the second embodiment. In Figure 10, the same elements as those of the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals. The processing liquid nozzle 400 of the second embodiment includes an outer member 310, an inner member 320, and an actuator 430. The outer member 310 is hollow, and an outlet 311 is formed in the outer member 310. The inner member 320 is a flow path for the processing liquid, and an opening 321 is formed in the inner member 320. The inner member 320 is provided so as to be slidable within the outer member 310. The processing liquid supply unit 6 supplies the processing liquid to the flow path in the inner member 320.

In the second embodiment, an actuator 430 is provided between the inner wall surface of the outer member 310 and the outer wall tip of the inner member 320. That is, the outer member 310 and the inner member 320 are connected via the actuator 430. The actuator 430 slides the inner member 320 back and forth within the outer member 310 as indicated by the arrow AR4 under the control of the control unit 16. The remaining configuration of the second embodiment, except for the actuator 430, is the same as that of the first embodiment.

Figure 11 is a flow chart showing the processing procedure for a substrate W in the second embodiment. Steps S21 to S23 in Figure 11 are the same as steps S11 to S13 in Figure 7, respectively. That is, an unprocessed substrate W is loaded into the processing chamber 4 by the main transport robot 103 (step S21), and the loaded unprocessed substrate W is adsorbed and held by the spin chuck 5 (step S22). After the substrate W is held by the spin chuck 5, the control unit 16 rotates the spin motor 118 at a predetermined rotation speed, and the rotation of the substrate W begins (step S23).

Next, the opening width of the discharge port 311 of the processing liquid nozzle 400 is set (step S24). In the second embodiment, the actuator 430 slides the inner member 320 back and forth, so that the opening width d, which is the overlap length of the discharge port 311 and the opening 321, can be freely set. The control unit 16 controls the actuator 430 to move the inner member 320 so that the opening width d of the opening of the discharge port 311 is equal to the required etching width. This sets the opening width d of the opening of the discharge port 311 to the same value as the required etching width.

Next, the liquid pressure of the processing liquid to be supplied to the processing liquid nozzle 400 is determined (step S25). In the second embodiment, the opening width d of the discharge port 311 is determined by the actuator 430, and the opening width d does not change even if the liquid pressure of the processing liquid is changed. However, even if the opening width d is fixed, if the liquid pressure of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle 400 changes, the flow rate of the processing liquid discharged from the discharge port 311 changes. The control unit 16 determines the liquid pressure of the processing liquid to be supplied to the processing liquid nozzle 400 so that the flow rate of the processing liquid discharged from the discharge port 311 becomes the required predetermined value. Note that a table showing the correlation between the liquid pressure of the processing liquid to be supplied and the flow rate of the processing liquid to be discharged may be created in advance and stored in the storage unit 74, and the control unit 16 may determine the liquid pressure of the processing liquid to be supplied to the processing liquid nozzle 400 based on the table.

Next, the processing liquid supply unit 6 supplies the processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle 400 at the determined liquid pressure (step S26). Specifically, the control unit 16 controls the pump 63 to supply the processing liquid at the liquid pressure determined in step S25.

In the second embodiment, the opening width d of the outlet 311 is determined by the actuator 430. The processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle 400 is discharged from the outlet 311 having the opening width d. In addition, the flow rate of the processing liquid discharged from the outlet 311 is determined by the liquid pressure of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle 400.

The processes in steps S27 to S29 in FIG. 11 are the same as the processes in steps S16 to S18 in FIG. 7, respectively. That is, the processing liquid is discharged from the opening of the discharge port 311 of the processing liquid nozzle 400 toward the peripheral edge of the substrate W (step S27). The processing liquid nozzle 400 first discharges a chemical liquid as the processing liquid onto the peripheral edge of the substrate W. This allows the etching process of the peripheral edge of the substrate W to proceed.

Then, the processing liquid discharged from the processing liquid nozzle 400 is switched from the chemical liquid to the rinsing liquid. The rinsing liquid discharged from the processing liquid nozzle 400 lands on the peripheral edge of the rotating substrate W. This progresses the rinsing process in which the chemical liquid adhering to the peripheral edge of the substrate W is washed away by the rinsing liquid.

After the rinsing process is completed for a predetermined period of time, spin drying is performed to dry the substrate W (step S28). This removes liquid from the peripheral portion of the substrate W, and the peripheral portion of the substrate W is dried. After the spin drying is completed, the substrate W is unloaded from the processing chamber 4 (step S29).

In the second embodiment, an actuator 430 is provided instead of the spring 330 of the first embodiment, and the actuator 430 moves the inner member 320 to determine the opening width d of the opening of the discharge port 311. That is, the actuator 430 functions as an opening width determination mechanism that determines the opening width d of the discharge port 311. The control unit 16 controls the actuator 430 so that the opening width d of the discharge port 311 becomes the same value as the required etching width. The control unit 16 also controls the pump 63 so that the flow rate of the processing liquid discharged from the discharge port 311 becomes the required predetermined value.

In this way, similar to the first embodiment, the width of the liquid column of the processing liquid discharged from the opening of the discharge port 311 of the processing liquid nozzle 400 becomes equal to the required etching width (corresponding to the width of the peripheral portion of the substrate W that requires etching), and the chemical liquid is deposited evenly over the entire peripheral portion of the substrate W that requires etching. As a result, the etching rate can be increased uniformly over the entire peripheral portion of the substrate W.

In addition, even if the required etching width is changed when processing a new substrate W, the control unit 16 controls the actuator 430 to change the position of the inner member 320, thereby obtaining the opening width d of the discharge port 311 equal to the desired etching width. Therefore, even when the required etching width becomes smaller, the opening width d of the discharge port 311 can be narrowed to allow all of the processing liquid discharged from the processing liquid nozzle 400 to land on the substrate W. As a result, a portion of the processing liquid discharged from the processing liquid nozzle 400 is not discarded without landing on the substrate W, and the processing liquid can be prevented from being wasted. That is, even in the second embodiment, the processing liquid can be landed on the entire peripheral area of the substrate W without wasting the processing liquid, thereby increasing the etching rate.

In the first embodiment, the control unit 16 controls the pump 63 to adjust the liquid pressure of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle 300, thereby determining the opening width d of the discharge port 311 and also determining the flow rate of the processing liquid discharged from the discharge port 311. That is, both the opening width d of the discharge port 311 and the flow rate of the discharged processing liquid are determined by a single element, the pump 63. In contrast, in the second embodiment, the control unit 16 controls the actuator 430 to slide the inner member 320 to determine the opening width d of the discharge port 311. Meanwhile, the control unit 16 controls the pump 63 to determine the flow rate of the processing liquid discharged from the discharge port 311. That is, in the second embodiment, the element (actuator 430) that determines the opening width d of the discharge port 311 is different from the element (pump 63) that determines the flow rate of the discharged processing liquid.

Third Embodiment
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The overall layout of the substrate processing apparatus 100 of the third embodiment is the same as that shown in Fig. 1. Moreover, the configuration of each processing unit 1 mounted on the substrate processing apparatus 100 of the third embodiment is also generally similar to that shown in Fig. 2. Furthermore, the processing content for the substrate W in the third embodiment is also generally similar to that in the first embodiment. The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the structure of the processing liquid nozzle.

12 is a diagram showing the configuration of a processing liquid nozzle 500 of the third embodiment. The processing liquid nozzle 500 of the third embodiment includes a main body 510, a valve body 520, and a spring 530. In the third embodiment, the inner space of the main body 510 serves as a flow path for the processing liquid. The main body 510 is provided with an outlet 511. The valve body 520 and the spring 530 are provided at the outlet 511 of the main body 510. For convenience of illustration, the spring 530 is exposed in FIG. 12, but the spring 530 is embedded in the main body 510. Alternatively, the spring 530 may be covered by a bellows that can expand and contract. The remaining configuration of the third embodiment, except for the valve body 520 and the spring 530, is the same as that of the first embodiment.

The valve body 520 is a triangular prism-shaped member. When no processing liquid is supplied to the main body 510 of the processing liquid nozzle 500, the outlet 511 of the main body 510 is closed by the valve body 520. When processing liquid is supplied to the main body 510 from the processing liquid supply unit 6, the triangular prism-shaped valve body 520 is pressed in the direction indicated by the arrow AR5 by the liquid pressure of the processing liquid. The force acting on the valve body 520 at this time is proportional to the liquid pressure of the processing liquid determined by the pump 63.

When the valve body 520 is pressed by the liquid pressure of the processing liquid, the valve body 520 starts to move in the direction indicated by the arrow AR5. The spring 530 contracts by a length equal to the distance that the valve body 520 has moved, and a restoring force is generated in the spring 530. The magnitude of the restoring force generated in the spring 530 is proportional to the length that the spring 530 has contracted. The direction in which this restoring force acts is opposite to that of the arrow AR5. In other words, a restoring force that pushes back the valve body 520 is generated in the spring 530.

When the valve body 520 moves further in the direction indicated by the arrow AR5, the restoring force of the spring 530 increases as the movement distance increases, and eventually the stress due to the restoring force of the spring 530 becomes equal to the liquid pressure of the processing liquid. When the restoring force of the spring 530 and the liquid pressure of the processing liquid are balanced, the driving force for movement no longer acts on the valve body 520, and the valve body 520 stops moving.

The valve body 520 moves due to the hydraulic pressure of the processing liquid, and when the movement stops, an opening with an opening width d is formed in the discharge port 511 of the main body 510. The greater the hydraulic pressure of the processing liquid supplied, the greater the opening width d becomes, as the spring 530 is compressed to a greater extent and the restoring force of the spring 530 and the hydraulic pressure of the processing liquid are balanced. That is, as in the first embodiment, the opening width d of the discharge port 511 is determined by the balance between the hydraulic pressure of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle 500 and the restoring force of the spring 530. The control unit 16 controls the pump 63 so that the processing liquid is supplied to the processing liquid nozzle 500 at a hydraulic pressure that makes the opening width d of the discharge port 511 equal to the required etching width. At this time, a table showing the correlation between the hydraulic pressure of the processing liquid to be supplied, the flow rate of the processing liquid to be discharged, and the opening width d of the discharge port 511 may be created in advance and stored in the memory unit 74, and the control unit 16 may determine the hydraulic pressure of the processing liquid to be supplied to the processing liquid nozzle 500 based on the table.

The processing procedure in the substrate processing apparatus 100 of the third embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment (Figure 7).

In this way, similar to the first embodiment, the width of the liquid column of the processing liquid discharged from the opening of the discharge port 511 of the processing liquid nozzle 500 becomes equal to the required etching width (corresponding to the width of the peripheral portion of the substrate W that requires etching), and the chemical liquid is deposited evenly over the entire peripheral portion of the substrate W that requires etching. As a result, the etching rate can be increased uniformly over the entire peripheral portion of the substrate W.

Even if the required etching width is changed when processing a new substrate W, the control unit 16 controls the pump 63 to adjust the liquid pressure of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle 500, thereby obtaining the opening width d of the discharge port 511 equal to the desired etching width. Therefore, even when the required etching width becomes smaller, the opening width d of the discharge port 511 can be narrowed to allow all of the processing liquid discharged from the processing liquid nozzle 500 to land on the substrate W. As a result, a portion of the processing liquid discharged from the processing liquid nozzle 500 is not discarded without landing on the substrate W, and the processing liquid can be prevented from being wasted. That is, even in the third embodiment, the processing liquid can be landed on the entire peripheral area of the substrate W without wasting the processing liquid, thereby increasing the etching rate.

In the third embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the control unit 16 controls the pump 63 to adjust the liquid pressure of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle 500, thereby determining the opening width d of the discharge port 511 and also determining the flow rate of the processing liquid discharged from the discharge port 511. In other words, both the opening width d of the discharge port 511 and the flow rate of the processing liquid discharged are determined by a single element, the pump 63.

Fourth Embodiment
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. The overall layout of the substrate processing apparatus 100 of the fourth embodiment is the same as that shown in Fig. 1. Moreover, the configuration of each processing unit 1 mounted on the substrate processing apparatus 100 of the fourth embodiment is also generally similar to that shown in Fig. 2. Furthermore, the processing content for the substrate W in the fourth embodiment is also generally similar to that in the first embodiment. The fourth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the structure of the processing liquid nozzle.

Figure 13 is a diagram showing the configuration of a processing liquid nozzle 600 of the fourth embodiment. In Figure 13, the same elements as those of the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals. The processing liquid nozzle 600 of the fourth embodiment includes an outer member 310, an inner member 320, a spring 330, and a nitrogen supply mechanism 640. The outer member 310 is hollow, and an outlet 311 is formed in the outer member 310. The inner member 320 is a flow path for the processing liquid, and an opening 321 is formed in the inner member 320. The inner member 320 is provided so as to be slidable within the outer member 310. The processing liquid supply unit 6 supplies the processing liquid to the flow path in the inner member 320.

In the fourth embodiment, a spring 330 is provided between the inner wall surface of the outer member 310 and the outer wall tip of the inner member 320. In other words, the outer member 310 and the inner member 320 are connected via the spring 330. In the fourth embodiment, a nitrogen supply mechanism 640 supplies nitrogen to the space in which the spring 330 is provided. The remaining configuration of the fourth embodiment, except for the nitrogen supply mechanism 640, is the same as that of the first embodiment.

In the fourth embodiment, when the nitrogen supply mechanism 640 supplies nitrogen, the gas pressure of the supplied nitrogen presses the inner member 320 in the direction indicated by the arrow AR6 in FIG. 13. When the inner member 320 is pressed by the gas pressure of the nitrogen, the inner member 320 starts to slide in the direction indicated by the arrow AR6. The spring 330 stretches by a length equal to the distance the inner member 320 has moved, and a restoring force is generated in the spring 330. The magnitude of the restoring force generated in the spring 330 is proportional to the length the spring 330 has stretched. The direction in which the restoring force acts is opposite to that of the arrow AR6. In other words, a restoring force is generated in the spring 330 that pulls the inner member 320 back. Furthermore, as the inner member 320 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow AR6, the opening 321 approaches the discharge port 311.

When the inner member 320 moves further in the direction indicated by the arrow AR6, the restoring force of the spring 330 increases as the distance of movement increases, and eventually the stress due to the restoring force of the spring 330 becomes equal to the nitrogen gas pressure. When the restoring force of the spring 330 and the nitrogen gas pressure are in equilibrium, the driving force for movement no longer acts on the inner member 320, and the inner member 320 stops moving.

When the inner member 320 stops moving, the discharge port 311 and the opening 321 overlap in part or in whole to form an opening. The stopping position of the inner member 320 is determined at a position where the restoring force of the spring 330 and the nitrogen gas pressure are in balance. The overlap length of the discharge port 311 and the opening 321 determined according to the stopping position of the inner member 320 is the opening width d of the opening formed in the discharge port 311.

In this way, in the fourth embodiment, the nitrogen supply mechanism 640 supplies nitrogen, so that the opening width d, which is the overlap length between the discharge port 311 and the opening 321, can be freely set. The greater the nitrogen gas pressure supplied, the greater the opening width d becomes, as the restoring force of the spring 330 and the nitrogen gas pressure are balanced at the position where the spring 330 is greatly extended. The control unit 16 controls the nitrogen supply mechanism 640 to adjust the nitrogen gas pressure so that the opening width d of the opening of the discharge port 311 is equal to the required etching width. This sets the opening width d of the opening of the discharge port 311 to the same value as the required etching width.

In the fourth embodiment, as in the second embodiment, the flow rate of the processing liquid discharged from the discharge port 311 is determined by the liquid pressure of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle 600. The control unit 16 determines the liquid pressure of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle 400 so that the flow rate of the processing liquid discharged from the discharge port 311 becomes a required predetermined value. In addition, a table showing the correlation between the liquid pressure of the processing liquid to be supplied and the flow rate of the processing liquid to be discharged may be created in advance and stored in the memory unit 74, and the control unit 16 may determine the liquid pressure of the processing liquid to be supplied to the processing liquid nozzle 600 based on the table. Furthermore, a table showing the correlation between the opening width d of the discharge port 311 and the gas pressure of nitrogen supplied from the nitrogen supply mechanism 640 to the space in which the spring 330 is provided may be created in advance and stored in the memory unit 74, and the control unit 16 may control the nitrogen supply mechanism 640 so that the opening width d of the discharge port 311 becomes the same value as the required etching width based on the table.

The processing procedure in the substrate processing apparatus 100 of the fourth embodiment is the same as that of the second embodiment (FIG. 11).

In the fourth embodiment, the inner member 320 is moved by nitrogen supply from the nitrogen supply mechanism 640 to determine the opening width d of the opening of the discharge port 311. That is, the nitrogen supply mechanism 640 functions as an opening width determination mechanism that determines the opening width d of the discharge port 311. The control unit 16 controls the nitrogen supply mechanism 640 so that the opening width d of the discharge port 311 becomes the same value as the required etching width. The control unit 16 also controls the pump 63 so that the flow rate of the processing liquid discharged from the discharge port 311 becomes the required predetermined value.

In this way, similar to the first embodiment, the width of the liquid column of the processing liquid discharged from the opening of the discharge port 311 of the processing liquid nozzle 600 becomes equal to the required etching width (corresponding to the width of the peripheral portion of the substrate W that requires etching), and the chemical liquid is deposited evenly over the entire peripheral portion of the substrate W that requires etching. As a result, the etching rate can be increased uniformly over the entire peripheral portion of the substrate W.

In addition, even if the required etching width is changed when processing a new substrate W, the control unit 16 controls the nitrogen supply mechanism 640 to change the position of the inner member 320, thereby obtaining the opening width d of the discharge port 311 equal to the desired etching width. Therefore, even when the required etching width becomes smaller, the opening width d of the discharge port 311 can be narrowed to allow all of the processing liquid discharged from the processing liquid nozzle 600 to land on the substrate W. As a result, a portion of the processing liquid discharged from the processing liquid nozzle 600 is not discarded without landing on the substrate W, and the processing liquid can be prevented from being wasted. That is, even in the fourth embodiment, the processing liquid can be landed on the entire peripheral area of the substrate W without wasting the processing liquid, thereby increasing the etching rate.

In the fourth embodiment, the control unit 16 controls the nitrogen supply mechanism 640 to slide the inner member 320 and determine the opening width d of the discharge port 311. Meanwhile, the control unit 16 controls the pump 63 to determine the flow rate of the treatment liquid discharged from the discharge port 311. That is, in the fourth embodiment, as in the second embodiment, the element that determines the opening width d of the discharge port 311 (nitrogen supply mechanism 640) is different from the element that determines the flow rate of the treatment liquid discharged (pump 63).

<Modification>
Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, various modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, a spring is used as the elastic member provided on the treatment liquid nozzle, but this is not limited to this, and rubber or the like may be used as the elastic member.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the processing liquid nozzle is rotated in an arc between the processing position and the retracted position by the arm swing motor 22, but the processing liquid nozzle may also move in a straight line.

In the above embodiment, the peripheral portion of the substrate W is heated by the heater 11 during the etching process to further increase the etching rate, but the heater 11 is not an essential element. The heater 11, which is required to have chemical resistance, has a high unit cost. In addition, there is a risk that the substrate W may be deformed by heating by the heater 11. For this reason, the heater 11 may not be installed. Even if the heater 11 is not installed, the etching rate can be sufficiently increased by applying the chemical liquid to the entire peripheral portion of the substrate W that requires etching and increasing the flow rate of the chemical liquid.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the processing liquid nozzle ejects both the chemical liquid and the rinsing liquid as the processing liquid, but the processing liquid nozzle may be a chemical liquid nozzle for exclusively ejecting the chemical liquid, or a rinsing liquid nozzle for exclusively ejecting the rinsing liquid.

In addition, the substrate W is not limited to a disk shape; it is sufficient that at least a portion of the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W is arc-shaped; it does not necessarily have to be a perfect circle.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Processing unit 4 Processing chamber 5 Spin chuck 6 Processing liquid supply unit 8, 9, 10 Inert gas supply unit 11 Heater 16 Control unit 27, 31, 36 Gas discharge nozzle 61 Processing liquid piping 62 Processing liquid valve 63 Pump 74 Memory unit 99 Correlation table 100 Substrate processing apparatus 102 Indexer robot 103 Main transport robot 117 Spin base 118 Spin motor 200 Processing cup 300, 400, 500, 600 Processing liquid nozzle 310 Outer member 311 Discharge port 320 Inner member 321 Opening 330, 530 Spring 430 Actuator 510 Main body 520 Valve body 640 Nitrogen supply mechanism C Carrier W Substrate

Claims (8)

1. A substrate processing apparatus that discharges a processing liquid toward a peripheral portion of a substrate,
A substrate holder for holding a substrate;
a rotation unit that rotates the substrate held by the substrate holding unit;
a processing liquid nozzle that discharges a processing liquid from a discharge port toward a peripheral portion of the substrate being rotated;
a processing liquid supply unit that supplies a processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle;
A control unit that controls the processing liquid supply unit;
Equipped with
the processing liquid supply unit has a liquid pressure adjustment unit that adjusts the liquid pressure of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle,
the processing liquid nozzle has an elastic member that defines an opening width of the discharge port in accordance with a liquid pressure of the processing liquid to be supplied,
The control unit controls the liquid pressure adjustment unit so that the processing liquid is supplied at a liquid pressure that provides a predetermined opening width of the discharge port. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1,
a storage unit that stores a table that associates a correlation between a liquid pressure of the treatment liquid, an opening width of the discharge port, and a flow rate of the treatment liquid discharged from the discharge port;
The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the control unit controls the liquid pressure adjusting unit based on the table. 3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1,
The processing liquid nozzle includes:
an outer member provided with the discharge port;
an inner member provided to be slidable within the outer member and having an opening;
having
the opening width is an overlapping length between the discharge port and the opening, the overlapping length being determined according to a position of the inner member defined by the elastic member and the liquid pressure of the processing liquid. 4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1,
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is a spring. 1. A substrate processing apparatus that discharges a processing liquid toward a peripheral portion of a substrate,
A substrate holder for holding a substrate;
a rotation unit that rotates the substrate held by the substrate holding unit;
a processing liquid nozzle that discharges a processing liquid from a discharge port toward a peripheral portion of the substrate being rotated;
a processing liquid supply unit that supplies a processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle;
a control unit for controlling the processing liquid nozzle and the processing liquid supply unit;
Equipped with
the processing liquid nozzle has an opening width defining mechanism that defines an opening width of the discharge port,
the processing liquid supply unit has a liquid pressure adjustment unit that adjusts the liquid pressure of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle,
The control unit controls the opening width determining mechanism so that the opening width of the outlet becomes a predetermined value, and controls the liquid pressure adjusting unit so that the flow rate of the processing liquid from the outlet becomes a predetermined value. 1. A substrate processing method for discharging a processing liquid toward a peripheral portion of a substrate, comprising:
a holding step of holding the substrate;
a rotating step of rotating the held substrate;
a discharge step of discharging a processing liquid from a discharge port of a processing liquid nozzle toward a peripheral portion of the substrate being rotated;
a processing liquid supplying step of supplying a processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle;
Equipped with
an opening width of the discharge port is determined by an elastic member provided in the processing liquid nozzle in response to a liquid pressure of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle;
a processing liquid supplying step of supplying the processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle at a liquid pressure such that an opening width of the discharge port becomes a predetermined value; 7. The substrate processing method according to claim 6,
a storage step of storing a table in which a correlation is established between a liquid pressure of the treatment liquid, an opening width of the discharge port, and a flow rate of the treatment liquid discharged from the discharge port;
a processing liquid supplying step for supplying the processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle based on the table; 1. A substrate processing method for discharging a processing liquid toward a peripheral portion of a substrate, comprising:
a holding step of holding the substrate;
a rotating step of rotating the held substrate;
a discharge step of discharging a processing liquid from a discharge port of a processing liquid nozzle toward a peripheral portion of the substrate being rotated;
a processing liquid supplying step of supplying a processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle;
Equipped with
A substrate processing method characterized in that in the processing liquid supply process, the opening width of the discharge port is set to a predetermined value, and the liquid pressure of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle is adjusted so that the flow rate of the processing liquid from the discharge port becomes a predetermined value.

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