JP7779794B2 - Substrate Processing Equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus.

Substrate processing equipment is known that removes resist formed on the surface of substrates such as semiconductor wafers using a highly oxidizing processing liquid, such as SPM (a mixture of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide). Such substrate processing equipment includes a processing liquid holding unit that faces the surface of the substrate. The processing liquid holding unit holds the processing liquid supplied from a supply mechanism. The processing liquid holding unit is equipped with a heater that heats the processing liquid. This allows the substrate processing equipment to supply high-temperature processing liquid to the substrate, stripping the resist formed on the surface of the substrate.

The processing liquid holding unit heats the processing liquid not only before it is supplied to the substrate, but also after it is supplied to the substrate, maintaining the processing liquid at a high temperature. For this reason, as shown in Patent Document 1, the processing liquid holding unit has a larger diameter than the substrate and is arranged to cover the entire surface of the substrate.

International Publication No. 2011/090141

During substrate processing, a room-temperature rinse liquid is supplied to a substrate after a high-temperature processing liquid has been supplied to rinse the processing liquid from the substrate. At this time, the temperature difference between the processing liquid and the rinse liquid causes the rinse liquid to rapidly heat up and boil, generating a large amount of steam over the entire surface of the substrate. While most of this steam is from the rinse liquid that cools after vaporization, it also contains steam from the processing liquid. When the processing liquid is supplied to the substrate, it forms a liquid film that covers the substrate, and the vapor generated from this liquid film cools and becomes steam. In the processing chamber where the substrate processing equipment is installed, a downflow typically occurs from an FFU (fan filter unit) installed in the ceiling of the processing chamber. This steam is directed downward within the processing chamber and exhausted to the outside by a cup that surrounds the substrate.

However, as mentioned above, when a processing liquid holding section with a diameter larger than the substrate is installed so as to cover the substrate, the downflow is blocked, and steam fills and accumulates between the processing liquid holding section and the substrate. This steam is not carried downwards in the processing chamber by the downflow, and there is a risk that it will not be exhausted to the outside by the cup section. When a new substrate (an unprocessed substrate) is loaded in this state, the substrate comes into contact with the accumulated steam, and processing liquid components contained in the steam may adhere to the surface of the substrate as particles. Even if the substrate is processed with the processing liquid while the particles are attached, the particles may not be completely removed, which could lead to poor quality of the substrate.

The present invention aims to provide a substrate processing apparatus that prevents steam generated between a processing liquid holding unit and a substrate during substrate processing from coming into contact with the surface of a substrate being newly brought into the processing chamber.

The substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment includes:
a holder for holding a substrate to be carried into a processing chamber;
a rotating body that rotates the substrate held by the holder;
a supply mechanism that supplies a processing liquid to the surface of the substrate held by the holder and supplies a rinse liquid to the processing liquid supplied to the surface of the substrate;
a processing liquid holding section having a diameter larger than that of the substrate, the processing liquid holding section being disposed opposite to a surface of the substrate held by the holding section;
a lifting mechanism that lifts and lowers the processing liquid holding unit between a processing position close to a liquid film of the processing liquid formed on the surface of the substrate and a retracted position spaced apart from the surface of the substrate;
a heating unit that heats the processing liquid supplied to the surface of the substrate held by the holding unit;
a removal unit that removes steam generated between the processing liquid holding unit and the substrate from the heated processing liquid and the rinse liquid supplied to the heated processing liquid,
The removal unit has a gas supply mechanism that supplies a gas toward the surface of the substrate .

The substrate processing apparatus of the present invention can prevent steam generated between the processing liquid holding unit and the substrate during substrate processing from coming into contact with the surface of a substrate being newly brought into the processing chamber.

1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment; 1. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the operation of a holding unit of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 10A and 10B are diagrams comparing the contamination levels of substrates according to the prior art and the embodiment; FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a removal unit according to a modified example. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of a removal unit according to another modified example. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of a removal unit according to another modified example. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of a removal unit according to another modified example.

[composition]
An embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as the present embodiment) will be described below with reference to the drawings. A substrate processing apparatus 1 processes a substrate W by holding and rotating the substrate W and supplying a processing liquid to the surface of the substrate W. The substrate W to be processed is, for example, a circular silicon semiconductor wafer. As shown in FIG. 1 , the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a rotator 10, a holder 20, a cup 30, a supply unit 40, a remover 50, and a detector 60. A control device 70 that controls each unit of the substrate processing apparatus 1 is also connected to the substrate processing apparatus 1. Note that in the following description, the direction against gravity is referred to as "up" and the direction following gravity is referred to as "down," but this does not limit the installation direction of the substrate processing apparatus 1.

The substrate processing apparatus 1 is placed, for example, in a processing chamber. A filter F, such as a ULPA filter, is installed on the ceiling of the processing chamber. Inside the processing chamber, a downflow from above to below is generated by an air intake port (not shown) installed through the filter F. The downflow is exhausted to the outside from an exhaust port V opening at the bottom of the cup portion 30 (described below) through an exhaust pipe P that communicates with the exhaust port V. Specifically, the exhaust pipe P is connected to the exhaust equipment of the factory in which the substrate processing apparatus 1 is installed. As a result, the downflow is exhausted to the outside through the exhaust pipe P.

The rotating body 10 is mounted on a fixed base 11, which is fixed to an installation surface (not shown) or a stand installed on the installation surface, and is rotatable about a rotation axis A by a rotation mechanism 13 having a motor 12. The rotating body 10 is cylindrical, one end of which is closed by a table 10a. The table 10a has a circular surface with a larger diameter than the substrate W, and faces the substrate W held by the holder 20 at a distance.

The holders 20 are members that hold the substrate W parallel to and spaced from the table 10a, and are provided on the rotating body 10. That is, the holders 20 are provided so that they can be rotated by the rotating body 10. Six holders 20 are provided at equal intervals around the periphery of the table 10a. Each holder 20 has a rotating member 21, a holding member 22, and a drive mechanism 23.

As shown in FIG. 2, the rotating members 21 are six cylindrical members arranged at equal intervals around the periphery of the substrate W. The rotating members 21 are rotatable about an axis parallel to the rotation axis A of the rotating body 10. The top surface of the rotating members 21 is exposed from the table 10a.

The holding members 22 are provided on the top surface of each rotating member 21 at a position eccentric to the center of rotation, protruding upward. There are six holding members 22, the same number as the rotating members 21. Each holding member 22 has an inclined surface 22a and a chuck pin 22b. The inclined surface 22a is a surface that slopes upward from the center of the rotating body 10 toward the outer edge, and comes into contact with the edge of the substrate W as the rotating member 21 rotates. The chuck pin 22b is the top of the holding member 22 and is a cylindrical protrusion provided at the upper end of the inclined surface 22a. The side of the chuck pin 22b has a constriction that fits over the edge of the substrate W.

As the rotating member 21 rotates, the holding member 22 moves between a holding position (see FIG. 2(A)) where it holds the substrate W by contacting the edge of the substrate W, and a release position (see FIG. 2(B)) where it releases the substrate W by moving away from the edge of the substrate W. In this embodiment, the six chuck pins 22b ultimately come into contact with the edge of the substrate W to grip the substrate W.

The drive mechanism 23 moves the holding member 22 between the holding position and the release position by rotating the rotating member 21. The drive mechanism 23 has a drive shaft 231, a small gear 232, and a large gear 233. The drive shaft 231 is a cylindrical member located on the opposite side of the top surface of the rotating member 21, coaxial with the axis of rotation of the rotating member 21.

The small gear 232 is a sector gear provided on the end of the drive shaft 231 opposite the rotating member 21. The large gear 233 is a gear with gear grooves formed intermittently to correspond to the small gear 232. The large gear 233 is rotatable coaxially with the rotating body 10 by the rotation mechanism 13 that rotates the rotating body 10. The large gear 233 has six protrusions formed at predetermined intervals around the circumference, at intervals corresponding to the small gear 232, and a gear groove that meshes with the small gear 232 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the tip of each protrusion.

The large gear 233 is biased in the rotational direction (counterclockwise) indicated by arrow α in FIG. 2(A) by a biasing member such as a spring (not shown). As a result, the small gear 232 is biased in the clockwise direction indicated by arrow β1, so that the rotating member 21 is interlocked with the rotation of the small gear 232, and the chuck pin 22b moves toward the center of the rotating body 10, maintaining it in a holding position in contact with the substrate W. During substrate processing, the rotating member 21, drive shaft 231, chuck pin 22b, small gear 232, and large gear 233 rotate together with the rotating body 10 while maintaining this holding position.

The large gear 233 is prevented from rotating by a stopper mechanism (not shown). When the rotating body 10 is rotated in the direction of arrow γ as shown in FIG. 2(B) while the rotation of the large gear 233 is prevented, the small gear 232 meshing with the prevented rotation of the large gear 233 rotates counterclockwise as indicated by arrow β2. This causes the rotating member 21 to rotate, and the chuck pin 22b moves away from the edge of the substrate W and reaches the release position.

The cup 30 is a cylindrical member that receives processing liquid splashed from the rotating substrate W and is arranged to surround the rotor 10 and the holder 20. In other words, the cup 30 is arranged to surround the substrate W held by the holder 20. The upper part of the cup 30 is open, exposing the substrate W held by the holder 20. The upper part of the cup 30 is inclined radially inward. The cup 30 is equipped with a lifting mechanism (not shown), and is arranged so that it can be raised, for example, to receive processing liquid and lowered so as not to interfere with the loading and unloading of substrates W. The processing liquid received in the cup 30 flows along the inside of the cup 30 and is drained through piping (not shown) provided at the bottom of the cup 30. The bottom of the cup 30 is also provided with the above-mentioned exhaust port V, which exhausts the downflow occurring within the processing chamber. In this way, the cup 30 receives and drains processing liquid splashed from the substrate W and exhausts the downflow within the processing chamber.

The supply unit 40 is a component that supplies processing liquid to the surface of the substrate W, i.e., the surface of the substrate W held in the holder 20 opposite the table 10a, and is provided above the rotating body 10 and the holder 20. The supply unit 40 has a supply mechanism 41, a processing liquid holding unit 42, a lifting mechanism 43, and a heating unit 44.

The supply mechanism 41 is a mechanism for supplying multiple types of processing liquid or rinse liquid. In this embodiment, the supply mechanism 41 supplies, for example, carbonated water, deionized water ( DIW ), sulfuric acid, and hydrogen peroxide solution. The supply mechanism 41 also supplies sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide solution simultaneously to supply SPM, a mixture of the two, as the processing liquid. Hereinafter, SPM will be referred to as the processing liquid, and hydrogen peroxide solution will be referred to as the rinse liquid. The supply mechanism 41 includes a processing liquid tank 41a, a feed pipe 41b, a processing liquid supply pipe 41c, a flow rate adjustment valve 41d, and a flow meter 41e.

The processing liquid tanks 41a are containers that store the respective processing liquids. Each processing liquid tank 41a has a feed pipe 41b connected in parallel to a processing liquid supply pipe 41c. The tip of the processing liquid supply pipe 41c faces the substrate W held in the holder 20. As a result, the processing liquid stored in each processing liquid tank 41a is supplied to the surface of the substrate W via the feed pipe 41b and the processing liquid supply pipe 41c. Each feed pipe 41b is provided with a flow rate adjustment valve 41d that adjusts the flow rate of the processing liquid, and a flow meter 41e that measures the flow rate of the processing liquid.

The processing liquid holding section 42 is circular and has a larger diameter than the substrate W, and has a tray-like shape with a wall rising up on the peripheral edge opposite the rotor 10. The outer bottom surface of the processing liquid holding section 42 faces the substrate W. The processing liquid holding section 42 is formed with a discharge port 42a exposed on the substrate W side, through which the tip of the processing liquid supply pipe 41c is inserted, and a discharge port 42b exposed on the substrate W side, through which the tip of the feed pipe 51 of the removal section 50, described below, is inserted. The discharge port 42a is located eccentrically from the central axis of the processing liquid holding section 42. This position allows the processing liquid to be supplied to the center of the surface of the substrate W.

The lifting mechanism 43 is a mechanism that moves the processing liquid holding unit 42 in a direction toward and away from the substrate W. Various mechanisms that move the processing liquid holding unit 42 in a direction parallel to the rotation axis A of the rotating body 10, such as a cylinder or a ball screw mechanism, can be used as the lifting mechanism 43. The lifting mechanism 43 raises and lowers the processing liquid holding unit 42 between a processing position and a retracted position. The processing position is a position where the surface of the processing liquid holding unit 42 facing the substrate W is close to the liquid film of processing liquid formed on the surface of the substrate W. The retracted position is a position where the surface of the processing liquid holding unit 42 facing the substrate W is separated from the surface of the substrate W so that the substrate W can be loaded and unloaded from the substrate processing apparatus 1.

The heating unit 44 has a heater 441 provided on the surface of the processing liquid holding unit 42 opposite to the surface facing the substrate W, and the heater 441 heats the processing liquid supplied from the supply mechanism 41 to the surface of the substrate W, for example, to 180°C to 200°C. As a result, steam is generated from the liquid film of the processing liquid formed on the surface of the substrate W, and this steam cools, generating steam between the processing liquid holding unit 42 and the substrate W. The heater 441 is in the form of a circular sheet. The heater 441 is formed with a through-hole 441a through which the processing liquid supply pipe 41c is inserted, and a through-hole 441b through which the tip of the removal unit 50, described later, is inserted.

When a rinsing liquid at room temperature, for example 25°C, is supplied by the supply mechanism 41 to the processing liquid heated on the surface of the substrate W by the heater 441, the rinsing liquid is rapidly heated and boils, causing it to evaporate. As the evaporated rinsing liquid cools, a large amount of steam is generated from the entire surface of the substrate W between the processing liquid holding portion 42 of the supply unit 40 and the substrate W. In the following description, this steam, together with the steam generated from the liquid film of the processing liquid described above, will be referred to as steam M. Steam M fills and stagnates between the processing liquid holding portion 42 and the substrate W.

The removal unit 50 is a member that removes steam M remaining between the processing liquid holding unit 42 and the substrate W. The removal unit 50 has a feed pipe 51 and a gas supply mechanism 52. One end of the feed pipe 51 is inserted through the processing liquid holding unit 42 and the heating unit 44 and is exposed on the substrate W side. That is, an opening 51a of the feed pipe 51 is provided on the substrate W side of the processing liquid holding unit 42. The other end of the feed pipe 51 is connected to the gas supply mechanism 52. The gas supply mechanism 52 sends gas G, such as _N2 or air, to the feed pipe 51 and supplies the gas G from the opening 51a. In this way, the removal unit 50 supplies gas G to the steam M from the opening 51a, thereby expelling the steam M from between the processing liquid holding unit 42 and the substrate W.

The detection unit 60 is a sensor such as a photoelectric sensor, and detects steam M. In this embodiment, the photoelectric sensor is described as a reflective type in which the light-emitting unit and light-receiving unit are integrated. The detection unit 60 is installed to the side of the holder 20 in a position that does not interfere with the raising and lowering movement of the cup unit 30, so that its optical axis is directed toward the space between the treatment liquid holder 42 and the substrate W. The detection unit 60 irradiates light such as infrared light toward the space between the treatment liquid holder 42 and the substrate W, and detects treatment liquid steam M. The detection unit 60 transmits the detection of steam M to the control device 70, which will be described later.

The location where the detection unit 60 is provided is not limited to the side of the holding unit 20. For example, it may be provided on the wall of the processing chamber, or on the inclined upper part of the cup unit 30. It may also be provided on a swing arm (not shown). In this case, the detection unit 60 is provided so that it can move between the cup unit 30 and the processing liquid holding unit 42 by means of the swing arm.

Furthermore, the detection unit 60 may be configured to irradiate infrared rays toward the inside of the cup unit 30, for example, so as to detect not only the steam M generated between the treatment liquid holding unit 42 and the substrate W, but also the steam M leaking out from between the treatment liquid holding unit 42 and the substrate W. However, the detection unit 60 may be installed at any position where it can detect the steam M leaking out from between the treatment liquid holding unit 42 and the substrate W.

The control device 70 is connected to the substrate processing apparatus 1 and has a processor that executes programs to realize the functions of the substrate processing apparatus 1, a memory that stores various information such as programs and operating conditions, and a drive circuit that drives each element. In other words, the control device 70 controls the rotating body 10, holding unit 20, supply unit 40, removal unit 50, detection unit 60, etc. The control device 70 also has an input device for inputting information and a display device for displaying information.

[Effect]
Next, a description will be given of substrate processing by the substrate processing apparatus 1. The substrate W loaded on the robot hand of the transport robot is carried between the processing liquid holder 42 and the rotating body 10, and its edge is supported by the chuck pins 22b of the holder 20, whereby the substrate W is held on the table 10a of the rotating body 10.

The rotor 10 then rotates at a relatively slow, predetermined speed (e.g., approximately 50 rpm). This causes the substrate W to rotate together with the holder 20 at the predetermined speed. That is, the rotor 10 rotates the substrate W held by the holder 20. The treatment liquid holder 42 is then positioned in the retracted position described above, and the supply mechanism 41 supplies carbonated water to the surface of the substrate W from the treatment liquid supply pipe 41c. As the carbonated water is supplied to the surface of the rotating substrate W, it gradually moves toward the outer periphery of the substrate W, reducing the amount of charge on the surface of the substrate W and suppressing discharge. The treatment liquid flowing out toward the outer periphery of the substrate W is discharged to the outside through the gaps in the chuck pins 22b.

Next, the supply mechanism 41 stops the supply of carbonated water. Furthermore, the processing liquid holding unit 42 is lowered so that it is positioned at the above-mentioned processing position. With the processing liquid holding unit 42 positioned at the processing position, the supply mechanism 41 supplies SPM to the gap between the processing liquid holding unit 42 and the surface of the substrate W. Specifically, sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide solution are simultaneously supplied from each processing liquid tank 41a, and the two are mixed inside the processing liquid supply pipe 41c to form SPM. When sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide solution are mixed, a chemical reaction generates heat, and the SPM inside the processing liquid supply pipe 41c reaches a high temperature. This high-temperature SPM is then supplied to the substrate W. At this time, the surface of the processing liquid holding unit 42 facing the substrate W is close to the liquid film of SPM formed on the surface of the substrate W. Therefore, the SPM supplied between the processing liquid holding unit 42 and the surface of the substrate W is heated by the heater 441 provided in the processing liquid holding unit 42, and reaches an even higher temperature.

When SPM is continuously supplied to the surface of the rotating substrate W in this way, the SPM moves sequentially toward the outer periphery of the substrate W, replacing the carbonated water on the surface of the substrate W while removing the resist formed on the surface of the substrate W due to the strong oxidizing power of the Caro's acid in the SPM. At this time, the high-temperature SPM liquid film formed on the surface of the substrate W is heated by the heater 441, further increasing its temperature and vaporizing. As this vaporized SPM cools, it becomes steam M, which fills the space between the processing liquid holding unit 42 and the substrate W. Because the processing liquid holding unit 42, which is positioned opposite the substrate W, is less affected by the downflow occurring inside the processing chamber, the steam M generated from the heated processing liquid remains between the processing liquid holding unit 42 and the substrate W.

Next, the supply mechanism 41 stops the supply of sulfuric acid and supplies hydrogen peroxide solution as a rinse liquid into the gap between the processing liquid holding unit 42 and the surface of the substrate W. This prevents sulfuric acid components from remaining on the surface of the substrate W by reacting with and washing away the sulfuric acid components in the SPM remaining on the surface of the substrate W. When hydrogen peroxide solution is supplied to the surface of the rotating substrate W, the hydrogen peroxide solution moves gradually toward the outer periphery of the substrate W, replacing the SPM on the surface of the substrate W with hydrogen peroxide solution. At this time, the high-temperature SPM is heated by the heater 441 to an even higher temperature, resulting in a large temperature difference between the high-temperature SPM and the room-temperature hydrogen peroxide solution, and a large amount of steam M is generated over the entire surface of the substrate W. In this way, a large amount of steam M generated from the rinse liquid supplied to the heated processing liquid fills the space between the processing liquid holding unit 42 and the substrate W. Note that, here, steam M also includes hydrogen peroxide solution at room temperature generated by heating the heater 441. Because the processing liquid holding unit 42 is positioned opposite the substrate W, the steam M is less affected by the downflow occurring inside the processing chamber, and so remains between the processing liquid holding unit 42 and the substrate W. The processing liquid holding unit 42 then stops supplying hydrogen peroxide solution.

Next, the detection unit 60 irradiates light such as infrared rays toward the steam M generated between the treatment liquid holding unit 42 and the substrate W. As described above, the detection unit 60 may irradiate infrared rays toward the space between the treatment liquid holding unit 42 and the substrate W, or toward the inside of the cup unit 30 from which the steam M leaks out. The detection unit 60 then transmits the detection of steam M to the control device 70.

Next, the control device 70 activates the gas supply mechanism 52 of the removal unit 50. This causes the removal unit 50 to supply gas G from the opening 51a of the supply pipe 51, expelling steam M by forcing it out of the narrow space between the processing liquid holding unit 42 positioned at the processing position and the substrate W. The expelled steam M is carried by the downflow occurring inside the processing chamber and exhausted to the outside from the exhaust port V provided at the bottom of the cup unit 30 through the exhaust pipe P communicating with the exhaust port V. Note that when the detection unit 60 no longer detects steam M, it notifies the control device 70 that steam M is not being detected. In this case, the control device 70 controls the gas supply mechanism 52 of the removal unit 50 to stop the supply of gas G.

Finally, the processing liquid holding unit 42 rises to a retracted position away from the substrate W, and supplies pure water from the outlet 42a into the gap between the processing liquid holding unit 42 and the surface of the substrate W. As the pure water is supplied to the surface of the rotating substrate W, the pure water moves gradually toward the outer periphery of the substrate W, thereby rinsing away the hydrogen peroxide solution from the surface of the substrate W. Then, after a predetermined cleaning time has elapsed, the processing liquid holding unit 42 stops supplying pure water.

Then, the robot hand of the transport robot is inserted under the substrate W, the substrate W is released from the chuck pins 22b of the holder 20, and the substrate W is removed by the robot hand of the transport robot. Once the substrate W has been removed, the next substrate to be processed is carried in. In this manner, in this embodiment, the steam M is removed by the removal unit 50 before a new substrate (an unprocessed substrate) is carried into the processing chamber.

[effect]
(1) The substrate processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes a holder 20 for holding a substrate W to be loaded into a processing chamber, a rotor 10 for rotating the substrate W held in the holder 20, a supply mechanism 41 for supplying a processing liquid to the surface of the substrate W held in the holder 20 and supplying a rinse liquid to the processing liquid supplied to the surface of the substrate W, a processing liquid holding part 42 having a diameter larger than that of the substrate W and disposed opposite the surface of the substrate W held in the holder 20, and a processing liquid holding part 42 disposed at a processing position close to a liquid film of the processing liquid formed on the surface of the substrate W. The processing chamber has a lifting mechanism 43 that raises and lowers the processing liquid between the surface of the substrate W and a retracted position spaced apart from the surface of the substrate W, a heating section 44 that heats the processing liquid supplied to the surface of the substrate W held in the holding section 20, a cup section 30 that is arranged to surround the substrate W held in the holding section 20 and receives and drains the processing liquid that splashes from the substrate W and exhausts the downflow inside the processing chamber, and a removal section 50 that removes steam M generated between the processing liquid holding section 42 and the substrate W from the heated processing liquid and the rinse liquid supplied to the heated processing liquid.

In conventional substrate processing apparatuses, if steam remains between the processing liquid holding unit 42 and the substrate after the substrate is removed, there is a risk of contaminating the surface of the next substrate being brought in for processing. In contrast, the substrate processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment uses the removal unit 50 to remove steam M generated between the processing liquid holding unit 42 and the substrate W. This reduces the risk of steam M adhering to the surface of the next substrate being brought in for processing and contaminating the surface of that substrate. Figure 3(A) shows the contamination level of a substrate brought in with steam remaining, as in the conventional method, while Figure 3(B) shows the contamination level of a substrate brought in after steam M has been removed by the removal unit 50 of this embodiment. As is clear from a comparison of Figures 3(A) and 3(B), when steam M is removed by the removal unit 50, the contamination level of the next substrate being brought in is significantly reduced.

(2) The removal unit 50 of this embodiment has a gas supply mechanism 52 that supplies gas G to the steam M generated between the processing liquid holding unit 42 and the substrate W. In conventional substrate processing apparatuses, the steam M is blocked by the processing liquid holding unit and is difficult to exhaust by the downflow inside the processing chamber. On the other hand, the removal unit 50 of this embodiment uses the gas supply mechanism 52 to expel the steam M from between the processing liquid holding unit 42 and the substrate W, so that the steam M can be carried by the downflow inside the processing chamber and exhausted from the exhaust pipe P.

(3) The substrate processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment has a detection unit 60 that detects steam M, and the removal unit 50 removes steam M when steam M is detected. This reduces the time required to operate the removal unit 50, for example, in processes where the temperature difference between the processing liquid and the rinse liquid is small and steam M is not generated, thereby improving manufacturing efficiency.

[Modification]
This embodiment is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the number of feed pipes 51 in the removal unit 50 is not limited to one. As shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of feed pipes 51 may be inserted into the supply unit 40. This allows the gas G to be supplied evenly throughout the space between the supply unit 40 and the substrate W, thereby enabling the steam M to be efficiently exhausted and shortening the time required to remove the steam M. Note that the illustration of each component in FIG. 4 is simplified for ease of explanation.

While the removal unit 50 in the above embodiment includes a gas supply mechanism 52 that supplies gas G, this is not limiting. As shown in FIG. 5 , a gas suction mechanism 53 may be provided instead of the gas supply mechanism 52. Like the gas supply mechanism 52, the gas suction mechanism 53 is provided at the other end of the feed pipe 51. The gas suction mechanism 53 is an exhaust mechanism consisting of a negative pressure source (not shown), and sucks steam M generated between the supply unit 40 and the substrate W through the feed pipe 51. The gas suction mechanism 53 is connected to the exhaust pipe P and exhausts the sucked steam M from the exhaust pipe P. This allows steam M to be removed without relying on downflow within the processing chamber. Furthermore, when multiple feed pipes 51 are inserted as described above, multiple gas suction mechanisms 53 may be provided correspondingly. Note that the illustration of each component in FIG. 5 is simplified for ease of explanation.

The removal unit 50 may also have a gas supply mechanism 52 and a gas suction mechanism 53, and both may be used in combination to remove steam M. In this case, two feed pipes 51 may be inserted into the supply unit 40, with one provided with the gas supply mechanism 52 and the other provided with the gas suction mechanism 53. As shown in FIG. 6, instead of the feed pipe 51, a pair of nozzles 54A and 54B may be provided to sandwich the substrate W from the sides. The nozzles 54A and 54B are positioned so as not to interfere with the lifting and lowering of the cup unit 30, the lifting and lowering of the processing liquid holding unit 42, or the detection by the detection unit 60. An opening 54a is provided at one end of the nozzles 54A and 54B. The opening 54a faces the space between the supply unit 40 and the substrate W. The gas supply mechanism 52 is provided at the other end of the nozzle 54A, and the gas suction mechanism 53 is provided at the other end of the nozzle 54B.

By simultaneously operating the gas supply mechanism 52 and the gas suction mechanism 53, gas G supplied from nozzle 54A expels steam M toward nozzle 54B, which then sucks and exhausts the steam M. This modified example is performed when the processing liquid holding unit 42 is positioned in the retracted position. In other words, in the above-described embodiment, the processing liquid holding unit 42 is positioned in the retracted position after the removal unit 50 removes steam M. In this modified example, the gas supply mechanism 52 and the gas suction mechanism 53 operate after the processing liquid holding unit 42 is positioned in the retracted position. Specifically, after the processing liquid holding unit 42 is positioned in the retracted position, pure water is supplied, causing steam M to spread around the substrate W. When the detection unit 60 detects this spread steam M, the gas supply mechanism 52 and the gas suction mechanism 53 operate, and the steam M is removed. On the other hand, when the treatment liquid holding unit 42 is not positioned in the retracted position, the gas supply mechanism 52 and the gas suction mechanism 53 may be controlled not to operate even if steam M is detected by the detection unit 60. Note that the illustration of each unit in Figure 6 is simplified for ease of explanation.

Alternatively, instead of the pair of nozzles 54A, 54B, only the nozzle 54A may be provided. In this case, as shown in FIG. 7, an exhaust port Q communicating with the exhaust pipe P and a shutter R capable of opening and closing the exhaust port Q may be provided on the wall of the clean room. The exhaust port Q is opened, for example, at a position opposite the nozzle 54A across the substrate W. The shutter R is driven by an air cylinder or a motor and is provided to open and close the exhaust port Q. As in the case of providing the pair of nozzles 54A, 54B described above, after the processing liquid holding unit 42 is positioned in the retracted position, the gas supply mechanism 52 and the shutter R can be simultaneously operated. This allows the gas G supplied from the nozzle 54A to expel steam M from between the supply unit 40 and the substrate W and then be exhausted through the exhaust port Q. Note that the illustration of each component in FIG. 7 is simplified for ease of explanation.

In the above embodiment, the detection unit 60 is a reflective type in which the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit are integrated, but this is not limited to this. The detection unit 60 may also be a transmissive type in which the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit are separate units. In this case, the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit should be arranged to sandwich the space above the substrate W from the sides. Furthermore, the detection unit 60 is not limited to a photoelectric sensor, and may also be an imaging unit such as a camera. In this case, the captured image acquired by the imaging unit is transmitted to the control device 70, and the control device 70 determines whether steam M is visible in the captured image.

Furthermore, the detection unit 60 may be omitted. In this case, the removal unit 50 may be operated in accordance with the timing when steam M is generated, such as the timing when hydrogen peroxide solution is supplied, or the timing when pure water is supplied after the processing liquid holding unit 42 is positioned at the retracted position. After the removal unit 50 is operated, the removal unit 50 may be automatically stopped when a predetermined time has elapsed. The predetermined time is, for example, the time from when the removal unit 50 starts operating until the processed substrate W is unloaded and the next substrate is loaded.

In the above embodiment, the multiple types of processing liquid are supplied from the processing liquid supply pipe 41c of the supply mechanism 41, but this is not limited to this. For example, they may be supplied from the feed pipe 51 of the removal unit 50. For example, the other end of the feed pipe 51 may be bifurcated, with a gas supply mechanism 52 provided on one end and a processing liquid tank 41a, feed pipe 41b, flow rate adjustment valve 41d, and flow meter 41e provided on the other end. This makes it possible to supply both gas G and pure water from the feed pipe 51, for example.

In addition to the supply mechanism 41, another supply mechanism may be provided that, like the supply mechanism 41, is equipped with a processing liquid tank, processing liquid supply pipe, etc. In this way, for example, SPM may be supplied from the supply mechanism 41, and hydrogen peroxide and deionized water may be supplied from the other supply mechanism as rinse liquid. In this case, the processing liquid supply pipe of the other supply mechanism is also inserted into the processing liquid holding unit 42, just like the processing liquid supply pipe 41c and the feed pipe 51.

Other Embodiments
Although the embodiments of the present invention and modifications of each part have been described above, these embodiments and modifications of each part are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments described above can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims.

1 Substrate processing apparatus 10 Rotating body 11 Fixed base 12 Motor 13 Rotation mechanism 20 Holding part 21 Rotating member 22 Holding member 23 Drive mechanism 231 Drive shaft 232 Small gear 233 Large gear 30 Cup part 40 Supply part 41 Supply mechanism 42 Processing liquid holding part 43 Lifting mechanism 44 Heating part 441 Heater 50 Removal part 51 Transfer pipe 52 Gas supply mechanism 53 Gas suction mechanism 60 Detection part 70 Control device A Rotation shaft F Filter G Gas M Steam P Exhaust pipe Q Exhaust port R Shutter V Exhaust port W Substrate

Claims (6)

a holder for holding a substrate to be carried into a processing chamber;
a rotating body that rotates the substrate held by the holder;
a supply mechanism that supplies a processing liquid to the surface of the substrate held by the holder and supplies a rinse liquid to the processing liquid supplied to the surface of the substrate;
a processing liquid holding section having a diameter larger than that of the substrate, the processing liquid holding section being disposed opposite to a surface of the substrate held by the holding section;
a lifting mechanism that lifts and lowers the processing liquid holding unit between a processing position close to a liquid film of the processing liquid formed on the surface of the substrate and a retracted position spaced apart from the surface of the substrate;
a heating unit that heats the processing liquid supplied to the surface of the substrate held by the holding unit;
a removal unit that removes steam generated between the processing liquid holding unit and the substrate from the heated processing liquid and the rinse liquid supplied to the heated processing liquid,
The removal unit is a substrate processing apparatus having a gas supply mechanism that supplies gas toward the surface of the substrate . the removal unit has a gas suction mechanism that sucks the steam generated between the processing liquid holding unit and the substrate.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 . a detection unit for detecting the steam,
The removal unit removes the steam when the detection unit detects the steam.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 . the removal unit removes the steam generated between the processing liquid holding unit and the substrate while the processing liquid holding unit is positioned at the processing position.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 . the removal unit removes the steam generated between the processing liquid holding unit and the substrate while the processing liquid holding unit is positioned at the retracted position.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 . the removal unit removes the steam before a new substrate is carried into the processing chamber.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .