CN112017994A - Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method - Google Patents
Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method Download PDFInfo
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- CN112017994A CN112017994A CN202010457046.1A CN202010457046A CN112017994A CN 112017994 A CN112017994 A CN 112017994A CN 202010457046 A CN202010457046 A CN 202010457046A CN 112017994 A CN112017994 A CN 112017994A
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- 239000000758 substrate Substances 0.000 title claims abstract description 154
- 238000012545 processing Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 133
- 238000003672 processing method Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 10
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 345
- 239000000126 substance Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 228
- 238000007865 diluting Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 97
- 238000012937 correction Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 31
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 3
- 239000000243 solution Substances 0.000 claims description 109
- 239000003814 drug Substances 0.000 claims description 52
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims description 32
- 229940079593 drug Drugs 0.000 claims description 20
- 239000012895 dilution Substances 0.000 claims description 11
- 238000010790 dilution Methods 0.000 claims description 11
- 238000007599 discharging Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- KRHYYFGTRYWZRS-UHFFFAOYSA-N Fluorane Chemical compound F KRHYYFGTRYWZRS-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 54
- 238000012546 transfer Methods 0.000 description 26
- 239000003085 diluting agent Substances 0.000 description 13
- IJGRMHOSHXDMSA-UHFFFAOYSA-N Atomic nitrogen Chemical compound N#N IJGRMHOSHXDMSA-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 11
- 229910001873 dinitrogen Inorganic materials 0.000 description 11
- 239000008367 deionised water Substances 0.000 description 10
- 238000005530 etching Methods 0.000 description 8
- 241000196324 Embryophyta Species 0.000 description 7
- 239000002699 waste material Substances 0.000 description 7
- 238000011144 upstream manufacturing Methods 0.000 description 6
- 238000005303 weighing Methods 0.000 description 6
- 230000000052 comparative effect Effects 0.000 description 5
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 5
- 239000011521 glass Substances 0.000 description 3
- 239000011259 mixed solution Substances 0.000 description 3
- 230000003287 optical effect Effects 0.000 description 3
- 239000004065 semiconductor Substances 0.000 description 3
- NBIIXXVUZAFLBC-UHFFFAOYSA-N Phosphoric acid Chemical compound OP(O)(O)=O NBIIXXVUZAFLBC-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 238000001514 detection method Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000005401 electroluminescence Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000002474 experimental method Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000004973 liquid crystal related substance Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000012423 maintenance Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000000087 stabilizing effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 241000949477 Toona ciliata Species 0.000 description 1
- 229910000147 aluminium phosphate Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000969 carrier Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000000919 ceramic Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000004140 cleaning Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000470 constituent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000005259 measurement Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000002994 raw material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000011550 stock solution Substances 0.000 description 1
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67011—Apparatus for manufacture or treatment
- H01L21/67017—Apparatus for fluid treatment
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67242—Apparatus for monitoring, sorting or marking
- H01L21/67253—Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/04—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer
- H01L21/18—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer the devices having semiconductor bodies comprising elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table or AIIIBV compounds with or without impurities, e.g. doping materials
- H01L21/30—Treatment of semiconductor bodies using processes or apparatus not provided for in groups H01L21/20 - H01L21/26
- H01L21/302—Treatment of semiconductor bodies using processes or apparatus not provided for in groups H01L21/20 - H01L21/26 to change their surface-physical characteristics or shape, e.g. etching, polishing, cutting
- H01L21/306—Chemical or electrical treatment, e.g. electrolytic etching
- H01L21/30604—Chemical etching
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67011—Apparatus for manufacture or treatment
- H01L21/67017—Apparatus for fluid treatment
- H01L21/67028—Apparatus for fluid treatment for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like
- H01L21/6704—Apparatus for fluid treatment for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like for wet cleaning or washing
- H01L21/67051—Apparatus for fluid treatment for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like for wet cleaning or washing using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67011—Apparatus for manufacture or treatment
- H01L21/67017—Apparatus for fluid treatment
- H01L21/67063—Apparatus for fluid treatment for etching
- H01L21/67075—Apparatus for fluid treatment for etching for wet etching
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
- Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
- Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Power Engineering (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
- General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Cleaning Or Drying Semiconductors (AREA)
- Weting (AREA)
Abstract
The invention provides a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method. The substrate processing apparatus supplies a diluting liquid through a first supply pipe and supplies a chemical liquid through a second supply pipe. The flow rate of the diluting liquid flowing through the first supply pipe is adjusted by the adjusting unit. The diluting liquid supplied through the first supply pipe and the chemical liquid supplied through the second supply pipe are mixed in the mixing tank. The concentration of the chemical solution in the mixture of the diluting solution and the chemical solution was measured by a concentration meter. The control unit determines the correction amount of the flow rate of the diluting liquid so that the concentration measured by the concentration meter becomes a set value, and supplies the determined correction amount to the adjustment unit. The adjustment unit corrects the flow rate of the diluting liquid flowing through the first supply pipe based on the correction amount.
Description
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method for processing a substrate using a diluted chemical solution.
Background
A substrate processing apparatus is used for processing a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device, a glass substrate for a photomask, or a glass substrate for an optical disk using a processing liquid. In a substrate processing apparatus for performing substrate processing such as etching of a substrate, a diluted chemical solution is generated as a processing liquid to be supplied to the substrate.
For example, in a substrate processing apparatus described in japanese patent No. 5043487, a hydrofluoric acid raw liquid stored in a hydrofluoric acid tank is supplied to a mixing section through a hydrofluoric acid supply pipe. Further, DIW (De-ionized water) is supplied to the mixing section through a DIW supply pipe. The flow rate of the hydrofluoric acid raw liquid passing through the hydrofluoric acid supply pipe is appropriately adjusted by the flow rate adjustment valve, and dilute hydrofluoric acid having a desired concentration is generated in the mixing section.
Disclosure of Invention
In recent years, with the miniaturization of semiconductors, it has been required to stabilize the concentration of a chemical solution used for etching with high accuracy in order to improve the etching accuracy. For example, it is required to stabilize the concentration of dilute hydrofluoric acid with an accuracy of 5000. + -.5 ppm. However, as a result of studies by the present inventors, it has been found that when DIW supplied from a plant is used, it is difficult to generate dilute hydrofluoric acid having a stabilized concentration with the above-described accuracy by the method described in japanese patent No. 5043487.
Therefore, it is conceivable to provide a weighing tank for storing the DIW in the substrate processing apparatus and supply the DIW from the weighing tank. In this case, an extremely large weighing tank needs to be provided. For example, when a hydrofluoric acid stock solution having a concentration of 49% is stored in a 2.4L hydrofluoric acid tank, a weighing tank for storing about 240L of DIW is required to produce hydrofluoric acid having a concentration of about 1/100 (5000 ppm). However, it is not practical to provide such a large scale weighing tank in the substrate processing apparatus.
In addition, in the blade-type substrate processing apparatus, since a plurality of substrates are processed by a plurality of processing units at the same time, a large amount of chemical solution is consumed at a time. Therefore, it is not desirable to miniaturize the weighing tank for DIW by miniaturizing the capacity of the hydrofluoric acid tank.
The invention aims to: provided are a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method for generating a chemical solution with a highly accurate and stable concentration.
The present inventors have repeatedly performed various experiments and examinations, and have found that a variation in the pressure of the diluting liquid supplied from the plant equipment affects the stability of the concentration of the generated chemical solution. The pressure of the diluting liquid varies, and the flow rate of the diluting liquid varies in a long cycle. The user cannot predict or control such a change in the pressure of the diluting liquid from the plant. The present inventors have found a configuration capable of stabilizing the concentration of a chemical solution with high accuracy in consideration of such a situation, and have conceived the following invention.
(1) A substrate processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate using a diluted chemical solution, the substrate processing apparatus including: a first pipe for supplying a diluting liquid; a second pipe for supplying a chemical solution; a first adjusting unit that adjusts the flow rate of the dilution liquid flowing through the first pipe; a mixing tank for mixing the diluting liquid supplied through the first pipe and the chemical liquid supplied through the second pipe; a concentration meter that measures the concentration of the liquid chemical in a mixed liquid of the diluting liquid and the liquid chemical; and a control unit that determines a correction amount of the flow rate of the diluting liquid so that the concentration measured by the concentration meter becomes a set value, and supplies the determined correction amount to the first adjustment unit, wherein the first adjustment unit corrects the flow rate of the diluting liquid flowing through the first pipe based on the correction amount supplied from the control unit.
In the substrate processing apparatus, the diluting liquid is supplied through the first pipe, and the chemical liquid is supplied through the second pipe. The first adjusting unit adjusts the flow rate of the diluting liquid flowing through the first pipe. The diluting liquid supplied through the first pipe and the chemical liquid supplied through the second pipe are mixed in the mixing tank. The concentration of the drug solution in the mixed solution obtained by mixing the diluting solution and the drug solution was measured by a concentration meter. The correction value of the flow rate of the diluting liquid is determined so that the concentration measured by the concentration meter becomes a set value, and the determined correction value is supplied to the first adjusting unit.
According to this configuration, even when the flow rate of the diluting liquid varies due to a variation in the pressure of the diluting liquid, the first adjustment unit corrects the flow rate of the diluting liquid flowing through the first pipe, based on a correction amount determined so that the concentration measured by the concentration meter becomes the set value. Thus, the chemical solution having a stabilized concentration can be produced as a mixed solution in the mixing tank with high accuracy.
(2) The substrate processing apparatus may further include a chemical solution tank for storing the chemical solution, and the second pipe may be connected to the chemical solution tank to supply the chemical solution stored in the chemical solution tank to the mixing tank. In this case, since the chemical liquid is supplied from the chemical liquid tank to the mixing tank through the second pipe, the pressure of the chemical liquid flowing through the second pipe is suppressed from varying. This can easily stabilize the flow rate of the chemical solution flowing through the second pipe. As a result, the chemical liquid having a stable concentration with high accuracy can be more easily produced.
(3) The liquid chemical tank may include a first liquid chemical tank and a second liquid chemical tank, and the liquid chemical stored in the first liquid chemical tank and the liquid chemical stored in the second liquid chemical tank may be alternately supplied to the mixing tank through a second pipe. In this case, the chemical solution can be supplied to the mixing tank without causing any stagnation in the processing of the substrate.
(4) The substrate processing apparatus may further include: and a third pipe for mixing the diluting liquid supplied through the first pipe and the chemical liquid supplied through the second pipe and introducing the mixture into the mixing tank. In this case, the mixed liquid can be efficiently produced in the third pipe.
(5) The substrate processing apparatus may further include: and a fourth pipe branching from the third pipe, the fourth pipe discharging a mixed liquid of the diluting liquid supplied through the first pipe and the chemical liquid supplied through the second pipe without introducing the mixed liquid into the mixing tank. In this case, the mixed liquid generated in the third pipe can be discharged without being introduced into the mixing tank at a time point when the flow rate of the diluting liquid or the chemical liquid becomes unstable. This enables the chemical liquid having a stabilized concentration to be produced in the mixing tank with higher accuracy.
(6) The first adjustment unit may be an electric regulator. According to this configuration, even when the flow rate of the diluting liquid flowing through the first pipe is relatively large, the flow rate of the diluting liquid can be easily adjusted.
(7) The substrate processing apparatus may further include: and a second adjusting unit for adjusting the flow rate of the chemical liquid flowing through the second pipe. With this configuration, the flow rate of the chemical solution flowing through the second pipe can be easily stabilized. This makes it possible to more easily produce a chemical solution having a stable concentration with high accuracy.
(8) The second adjusting part may be an electric needle valve. According to this configuration, even when the flow rate of the chemical solution flowing through the third pipe is relatively small, the flow rate of the chemical solution can be easily adjusted.
(9) The inner diameter of the first pipe may be larger than the inner diameter of the second pipe. In this case, the supply of the diluting liquid at a large flow rate and the supply of the chemical liquid at a small flow rate can be easily performed.
(10) The control unit may determine the correction amount of the flow rate of the diluting liquid when the concentration measured by the concentration meter is outside the first threshold range. In this case, the chemical solution having a stabilized concentration with high accuracy can be generated by simple control.
(11) A second threshold range including the first threshold range may be set for the concentration of the chemical liquid, and when the concentration measured by the concentration meter is outside the second threshold range, the supply of the diluting liquid through the first pipe and the supply of the chemical liquid through the second pipe may be stopped. In this case, the generation of a drug solution with an unstable concentration can be suppressed.
(12) The first pipe may be connected to a facility for supplying the diluting liquid in a factory where the substrate processing apparatus is installed. In this case, a large amount of the diluting liquid can be supplied without increasing the size of the substrate processing apparatus. Further, even when the pressure of the diluting liquid supplied from the plant equipment varies, the chemical liquid having a stable concentration can be generated with high accuracy.
(13) The basic processing device may further include: a substrate processing unit that processes a substrate; and a fifth pipe for supplying the mixed liquid stored in the mixing tank to the substrate processing unit, wherein the concentration meter is provided to measure the concentration of the chemical liquid in the mixed liquid flowing through the fifth pipe. In this case, since the concentration meter is provided in the fifth pipe for supplying the mixed liquid to the substrate processing unit, the concentration of the chemical liquid used for the substrate processing can be measured more accurately.
(14) A substrate processing method according to another aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing method for processing a substrate using a diluted chemical solution, including: supplying a diluting liquid through a first pipe; supplying a chemical solution through a second pipe; adjusting the flow rate of the diluting liquid flowing through the first pipe by an adjusting part; mixing the diluting liquid supplied through the first pipe and the chemical liquid supplied through the second pipe in the mixing tank; measuring the concentration of the chemical liquid in a mixed liquid of the diluting liquid and the chemical liquid by a concentration meter; the step of determining the correction amount of the flow rate of the diluting liquid so that the concentration measured by the concentration meter becomes a set value, and supplying the determined correction amount to the adjusting portion, and adjusting the flow rate of the diluting liquid by the adjusting portion includes: the adjustment unit corrects the flow rate of the diluting liquid flowing through the first pipe based on the correction amount.
According to this configuration, even when the flow rate of the diluting liquid varies due to a pressure variation of the diluting liquid, the chemical liquid having a stable concentration with high accuracy can be generated as the mixed liquid in the mixing tank.
(15) The step of setting a threshold range for the concentration of the chemical solution and determining the correction amount may include: when the state in which the concentration measured by the concentration meter is outside the threshold range continues for a predetermined time or more, the correction amount is determined. In this case, the chemical solution having a stabilized concentration with high accuracy can be generated by simple control.
Drawings
Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a side view showing an internal structure of the process chamber of fig. 1.
FIG. 3 is a view showing the structure of the chemical liquid generating part in FIG. 1.
Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of the control unit.
Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an algorithm of the chemical solution replenishing process performed according to the chemical solution replenishing program.
Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an algorithm of the chemical solution replenishing process performed according to the chemical solution replenishing program.
Detailed Description
(1) Structure of substrate processing apparatus
Hereinafter, a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, a substrate refers to a semiconductor substrate, a substrate for an FPD (Flat Panel Display) such as a liquid crystal Display device or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) Display device, a substrate for an optical disk, a substrate for a magnetic disk, a substrate for an optical disk, a substrate for a photomask, a ceramic substrate, a substrate for a solar cell, or the like.
Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In fig. 1 and fig. 2 described later, arrows indicating the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction orthogonal to each other are added to clarify the positional relationship. The X direction and the Y direction are orthogonal to each other in the horizontal plane, and the Z direction corresponds to the vertical direction. As shown in fig. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 300 includes a substrate processing unit 100, a chemical solution generation unit 200, and a control unit 310, and is installed in a factory, for example. Fig. 1 mainly shows a schematic plan view of the substrate processing section 100.
When the substrate processing apparatus 300 is installed in a factory, the chemical liquid supply source 301, the diluting liquid supply source 302, and the nitrogen gas supply sources 303 and 304 are installed as factory equipment (factory tools). The chemical supply source 301 supplies a raw liquid of a chemical (hereinafter referred to as a raw chemical liquid). In this example, the original liquid medicine was hydrofluoric acid having a concentration of 49%. The diluent supply source 302 supplies a diluent for diluting the chemical solution. In this example, the diluent is DIW (De-ionized water). The nitrogen gas supply sources 303 and 304 supply nitrogen gas. The nitrogen gas supply sources 303 and 304 may be the same nitrogen gas supply source.
The chemical liquid generation unit 200 generates a diluted chemical liquid by diluting the raw chemical liquid using the above-mentioned factory equipment, and supplies the diluted chemical liquid to the substrate processing unit 100. In this example, the diluted chemical solution is Hydrofluoric Acid (Dilute Hydrofluoric Acid) having a concentration of 5000 ppm. It is desirable to stabilize the concentration of dilute hydrofluoric acid to an accuracy of 5000 + -5 ppm. The detailed structure of the chemical liquid generating section 200 will be described later.
The control unit 310 is constituted by a CPU (central processing unit), a memory, a microcomputer, or the like. The memory of the control unit 310 stores a chemical solution replenishment program described later. The control unit 310 controls various components of the substrate processing unit 100 and the chemical solution generating unit 200.
The substrate processing unit 100 is a blade-type apparatus that processes (in this example, etches) the substrates W one by one using the chemical solution generated by the chemical solution generating unit 200, and includes an indexer (indexer) module 110, a first processing module 120, a transport module 130, a second processing module 140, and a third processing module 150. The indexer module 110, the first processing module 120, the transport module 130, the second processing module 140, and the third processing module 150 are arranged in this order in the X direction.
The indexer block 110 includes a plurality of carrier placement units 111 and a transport unit 112. Carriers 113 for accommodating a plurality of substrates W in a multistage manner are mounted on the carrier mounting portions 111. The transfer unit 112 is provided with a transfer mechanism (transfer robot) 114 that holds the substrate W and transfers the substrate W.
The first process module 120 includes process chambers 121 and 122 and an interface 123. The processing chambers 121 and 122 are disposed so as to face each other with the interface 123 therebetween in the Y direction. Each of the processing chambers 121 and 122 is provided with a plurality of processing units 10 for processing the substrate W. The delivery portion 123 temporarily places the substrate W delivered between the transfer mechanism 114 and a transfer mechanism 132 described later. A plurality of substrates W may be placed on the delivery part 123. The transfer module 130 includes a transfer chamber 131. A conveyance mechanism 132 that conveys the substrate W while holding the substrate W is provided in the conveyance chamber 131.
The second processing module 140 includes processing chambers 141, 142, and an interface 143. The processing chambers 141 and 142 are provided so as to face each other with the interface 143 therebetween in the Y direction. A plurality of processing units 10 are provided in each of the processing chambers 141 and 142. The delivery portion 143 temporarily places the substrate W delivered between the conveyance mechanism 132 and a conveyance mechanism 154, which will be described later. A plurality of substrates W may be placed on the delivery portion 143. In this example, the transfer portion 143 can transport a predetermined distance in the X direction (shuttle transport) while holding the substrate W.
The third process module 150 includes process chambers 151, 152, and a transfer chamber 153. The processing chambers 151 and 152 are disposed so as to face each other with the interface 153 therebetween in the Y direction. A plurality of processing units 10 are provided in each of the processing chambers 151 and 152. A conveyance mechanism 154 that conveys the substrate W while holding the substrate W is provided in the conveyance chamber 153.
Fig. 2 is a side view showing an internal structure of the processing chambers 121, 141, and 151 of fig. 1. As shown in fig. 2, a plurality of (4 in this example) processing units 10 are disposed in the processing chambers 121, 141, and 151 in a stacked manner in the Z direction. Similarly, in each of the processing chambers 122, 142, and 152 in fig. 1, a plurality of (4 in this example) processing units 10 are arranged in a stacked manner in the Z direction. Therefore, in the present example, 24 processing units 10 are provided in the substrate processing section 100.
Each processing unit 10 includes a spin chuck (spin chuck)11, a chemical solution nozzle 12, and a cup 13. The spin chuck 11 is rotationally driven by a driving device (e.g., a motor), not shown, while holding the substrate W. The chemical solution nozzle 12 supplies the chemical solution generated by the chemical solution generating unit 200 to the substrate W rotated by the spin chuck 11. Thereby, the substrate W is etched. The cup 13 is provided so as to surround the spin chuck 11 and receives the chemical solution shaken off from the substrate W during substrate processing.
The operation of the substrate processing section 100 will be described with reference to fig. 1 and 2. The carrier 113 containing the unprocessed substrate W is disposed on the carrier mounting portion 111 of the indexer block 110. The transfer mechanism 114 transfers the unprocessed substrate W from the carrier 113 to the interface 123 of the first process module 120. Further, the transfer mechanism 114 transfers the etched substrate W loaded in the delivery part 123 to the carrier 113.
The transfer mechanism 132 of the transfer module 130 transfers the unprocessed substrate W loaded in the interface 123 to either one of the processing units 10 of the processing chambers 121 and 122 of the first processing module 120 or the interface 143 of the second processing module 140. The substrate W transferred to any one of the process units 10 of the process chambers 121 and 122 is etched. The transfer mechanism 132 transfers the etched substrate W loaded in one of the processing units 10 of the processing chambers 121 and 122 or the transfer unit 143 to the transfer unit 123.
The transfer mechanism 154 of the third process module 150 transfers the unprocessed substrate W loaded in the interface 143 to any one of the process units 10 of the process chambers 141, 142, 151, 152 of the second or third process modules 140, 150. The substrate W transferred to any one of the process units 10 of the process chambers 141, 142, 151, 152 is etched. The transfer mechanism 154 transfers the etched substrate W loaded in any one of the processing units 10 of the processing chambers 141, 142, 151, and 152 to the transfer unit 143.
In this example, the etching of the substrate W is performed by, for example, a maximum of 18 processing units 10 out of the 24 processing units 10 at the same time. About 4L of chemical solution is used for each substrate W. Therefore, a large amount (72L in this example) of the chemical solution is consumed at a time in the substrate processing section 100. Therefore, a large amount of chemical liquid is required to be generated in the chemical liquid generating portion 200 and supplied to the substrate processing portion 100.
(2) Structure of chemical liquid generating part
Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the structure of the chemical liquid generating section 200 of fig. 1. As shown in fig. 3, the chemical liquid generation unit 200 mainly includes 2 chemical liquid tanks 210 and 220, a mixing tank 230, a waste liquid tank 240, and a plurality of pipes. In the following description, the direction in which the original liquid medicine, the diluting liquid, or the diluting liquid medicine flows in each pipe is defined as the downstream direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the upstream direction. Each of the liquid medicine tanks 210 and 220 is a tank for storing, for example, 2.4L of the liquid medicine. The chemical solution tanks 210 and 220 are connected to a supply pipe 20, a pressure pipe 30, and a supply pipe 40.
The supply pipe 20 includes one main pipe 21 and 2 branch pipes 22 and 23. The upstream end of the main pipe 21 is connected to the chemical liquid supply source 301. The branch pipes 22, 23 are connected between the downstream end of the main pipe 21 and the liquid medicine tanks 210, 220, respectively. The filter 24 is inserted into the main pipe 21. Valves 25 and 26 are inserted into the branch pipes 22 and 23, respectively. By opening the valve 25, the liquid chemical is supplied from the liquid chemical supply source 301 to the liquid chemical tank 210 through the filter 24 and stored. Similarly, by opening the valve 26, the liquid chemical is supplied from the liquid chemical supply source 301 to the liquid chemical tank 220 through the filter 24 and stored.
The pressure piping 30 includes a main pipe 31 and 2 branch pipes 32 and 33. The upstream end of the main pipe 31 is connected to a nitrogen gas supply source 303. The branch pipes 32, 33 are connected between the downstream end of the main pipe 31 and the liquid medicine tanks 210, 22, respectively. Valves 34 and 35 are inserted into the branch pipes 32 and 33, respectively. By opening the valves 34 and 35, nitrogen gas is supplied from the nitrogen gas supply source 303 to the liquid chemical tanks 210 and 220, respectively. Thereby, the liquid chemical stored in the liquid chemical tanks 210 and 220 is pumped downstream through the supply pipe 40.
The supply pipe 40 includes one main pipe 41 and 2 branch pipes 42 and 43. The branch pipes 42, 43 are connected between the upstream end of the main pipe 41 and the liquid medicine tanks 210, 220, respectively. The downstream end of the main pipe 41 is connected to a mixing pipe 60 described later. Flow meter 44 and adjusting unit 45 are inserted into main pipe 41. The flow meter 44 measures the flow rate of the raw liquid medicine flowing through the main pipe 41, and supplies the measured flow rate to the control unit 310. The adjusting unit 45 is, for example, an electric needle valve or an LFC (Liquid Flow Controller), and adjusts the Flow rate of the raw Liquid medicine flowing through the main pipe 41 based on the control of the control unit 310. Further, the flow rate of the raw liquid medicine supplied from each of the liquid medicine tanks 210 and 220 is relatively small. Therefore, the inner diameters of the main pipe 41 and the branch pipes 42 and 43 are relatively small (for example, 4mm to 8 mm).
The supply pipe 50 is provided to connect the diluent supply source 302 and the mixing pipe 60. The valve 51, the flow meter 52, and the adjustment unit 53 are inserted into the supply pipe 50. By opening the valve 51, the diluent supplied from the diluent supply source 302 flows through the supply pipe 50. The flow rate of the diluting liquid supplied from the diluting liquid supply source 302 is relatively large (for example, 50L/min to 75L/min). Therefore, the inner diameter of the supply pipe 50 is relatively large (e.g., 1 inch). The flow meter 52 measures the flow rate of the dilution liquid flowing through the supply pipe 50, and supplies the measured flow rate to the control unit 310. The adjusting unit 53 is, for example, an electric pressure regulator, and adjusts the flow rate of the diluting liquid flowing through the supply pipe 50 based on the control of the control unit 310.
The mixing tank 230 is a tank having a capacity of, for example, 68L in which a mixed solution of the raw material liquid and the diluting solution is stored as the diluting drug solution. The mixing pipe 60, the pressure pipe 70, the liquid discharge pipe 80, and the mixing pipe 90 are connected to the mixing tank 230.
The mixing pipe 60 includes a main pipe 61 and 2 branch pipes 62 and 63. The upstream end of the main pipe 61 is connected to the downstream end of the supply pipe 50 and the downstream end of the main pipe 41 of the supply pipe 40. The branch pipe 62 is connected between the downstream end portion of the main pipe 61 and the mixing tank 230. The branch pipe 63 is connected between the downstream end portion of the main pipe 61 and the waste liquid tank 240. Valves 64 and 65 are inserted into the branch pipes 62 and 63, respectively.
The dilution liquid supplied from the dilution liquid supply source 302 and the raw chemical liquid introduced from the supply pipe 40 are mixed in the main pipe 61, whereby the diluted chemical liquid is efficiently generated. The diluted chemical solution generated in the main pipe 61 is supplied to the mixing tank 230 through the branch pipe 62 and stored.
Immediately after the start of the production of the diluted drug solution and after the end of the production, the flow rate of the diluting drug solution or the raw drug solution may be unstable due to the time difference between the opening and closing of the valves 34, 35, and 51, and the concentration of the produced diluted drug solution may be unstable. Therefore, immediately after the generation of the diluting chemical liquid is started, the valve 65 is opened for a predetermined time (for example, 3 seconds to 5 seconds) and the valve 64 is closed, whereby the diluting chemical liquid whose concentration is unstable is discarded to the waste liquid tank 240 (pre-drain). Immediately after the generation of the diluted chemical solution is completed, the valve 65 is opened and the valve 64 is closed for a predetermined time (for example, 1 second), whereby the diluted chemical solution having an unstable concentration is discarded to the waste liquid tank 240 (post drain). This enables the diluted chemical solution having a stable concentration to be supplied to the mixing tank 230.
The pressure pipe 70 is connected between the nitrogen gas supply source 304 and the mixing tank 230. A valve 71 is inserted into the pressure pipe 70. Nitrogen gas is supplied from the nitrogen gas supply source 304 to the mixing tank 230 by opening the valve 71. Thereby, the diluent stored in the mixing tank 230 is discarded to the waste liquid tank 240 through the drain pipe 80.
The drain pipe 80 is connected between the mixing tank 230 and the waste liquid tank 240. A valve 81 is inserted into the liquid discharge pipe 80. By opening the valve 81, the remaining diluted chemical liquid stored in the mixing tank 230 is discarded to the waste liquid tank 240.
The mixing pipe 90 includes a main pipe 91 and 2 branch pipes 92 and 93. The upstream end of the main pipe 91 is connected to the mixing tank 230. The branch pipe 92 is a circulation pipe for circulating the diluted chemical, and is connected between the downstream end of the main pipe 91 and the mixing tank 230. The branch pipe 93 is a processing pipe used for processing the substrate W, and is connected between the downstream end of the branch pipe 91 and the substrate processing unit 100. A concentration meter 94 and a heater 95 are inserted into the main pipe 91. A pump 96, a filter 97, and a valve 98 are inserted into the branch pipe 92. A valve 99 is inserted into the branch pipe 93.
The concentration meter 94 measures the concentration of the diluted chemical solution flowing through the main pipe 91, and supplies the measured concentration to the control unit 310. The measurement result of the concentration meter 94 is used for the control of the adjustment unit 53 described above. The pump 96 is driven and the valve 98 is opened, so that the diluted chemical liquid from the mixing tank 230 is heated by the heater 95 and then circulated through the mixing tank 230 via the filter 97. When the valve 99 is opened, the diluted chemical solution from the mixing tank 230 is heated by the heater 95 and then supplied to the substrate processing unit 100.
In the mixing tank 230, 4 level sensors 231, 232, 233, 234 are provided. The liquid surface sensors 231, 232, 233, and 234 are disposed to detect first, second, third, and fourth liquid surfaces of the diluted chemical liquid stored in the mixing tank 230, respectively. In this example, the first, second, third, and fourth liquid levels are liquid levels when the volumes of the diluent liquid stored in the mixing tank 230 are 5L, 45L, 60L, and 65L, respectively. The liquid level sensors 231 to 234 supply the detection results to the control unit 310.
The controller 310 controls the valves 34 and 35 so that the raw chemical liquid is alternately supplied from the chemical liquid tanks 210 and 220 to the mixing tank 230, and controls the valve 51 so that the diluting liquid is supplied from the diluting liquid supply source 302 to the mixing tank 230, based on the detection results of the liquid surface sensors 232 and 233. Thus, the mixing tank 230 always stores a predetermined range of volume of the diluted chemical solution. Therefore, even when the diluted chemical solution is consumed in a large amount in the substrate processing portion 100, the diluted chemical solution can be supplied to the substrate processing portion 100.
(3) Operation of the chemical liquid producing section
It is considered that the diluted chemical solution having the above concentration (about 5000ppm) is generated by mixing the flow rate of the raw chemical solution supplied from the supply pipe 40 and the flow rate of the diluting solution supplied from the supply pipe 50 at a predetermined ratio (about 1: 100). However, it was found that a diluted drug solution having a stable concentration with the above-mentioned high accuracy (5000 ± 5ppm) cannot be produced simply by maintaining the ratio of the flow rate of the drug solution to the flow rate of the diluting solution constant.
As a result of repeating various experiments and examinations, the present inventors have found that a change in the pressure of the diluting liquid supplied from the diluting liquid 302 as a plant equipment affects the stability of the concentration of the diluted chemical liquid. The pressure of the diluting liquid varies, and the flow rate of the diluting liquid varies over a long period of 1 to 2 weeks. The user cannot predict or control such a change in the pressure of the diluting liquid from the plant.
Therefore, in the present embodiment, the first threshold range is set for the density. The first threshold range is a range between a preset first lower threshold and a preset first upper threshold. When the state in which the concentration measured by the concentration meter 94 is outside the first threshold range continues for a certain period of time, the first flag is set to ON (ON). On the other hand, even when the concentration measured by the concentration meter 94 is outside the first threshold range, the first flag is set to OFF (OFF) when this state does not continue for a certain time.
At the time point when the second liquid surface is detected by the liquid surface sensor 232, the supply (replenishment) of the diluted chemical solution to the mixing tank 230 is started. Here, when the first flag is off, the drug solution supplied at a predetermined flow rate and the diluent supplied at a predetermined flow rate are mixed to generate a diluted drug solution, and the generated diluted drug solution is replenished to the mixing tank 230.
On the other hand, when the first flag is on, correction (for example, offset correction) of the flow rate of the diluting liquid is performed in accordance with the measured concentration. The raw chemical liquid supplied at a predetermined flow rate and the diluent supplied at the flow rate corrected as described above are mixed to generate a diluted chemical liquid, and the generated diluted chemical liquid is replenished to the mixing tank 230. Thus, even when the pressure of the diluting liquid varies, the diluted chemical liquid having a stable concentration with high accuracy can be generated by simple control. The replenishment of the diluted chemical liquid is continued until the third liquid surface is detected by the liquid surface sensor 232.
In the present embodiment, when the first liquid surface is detected by the liquid surface sensor 231 or when the fourth liquid surface is detected by the liquid surface sensor 234, the control of the chemical liquid generation unit 200 is stopped. At this time, an alarm may also be output. The output of the alarm may be, for example, generation of an alarm sound such as a bell or an alarm display such as a lamp.
In the present embodiment, a second threshold value range is set for the density. The second threshold range is a range between a second lower threshold value set in advance and a second upper threshold value set in advance. The second lower threshold is smaller than the first lower threshold, and the second upper threshold is larger than the first upper threshold.
When the state in which the concentration measured by the concentration meter 94 is outside the second threshold range continues for a certain period of time, the second flag is set to on. On the other hand, even when the concentration measured by the concentration meter 94 is outside the second threshold range, the second flag is set to off when this state does not continue for a certain time. When the second flag is on, the control of the chemical liquid generation unit 200 is stopped. In this case, the formation of a diluted drug solution having an unstable concentration can be suppressed. In this case, the same alarm as described above may be output.
(4) Chemical solution replenishing treatment
Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the control unit 310. Fig. 5 and 6 are flowcharts showing an algorithm of the chemical solution replenishing process performed according to the chemical solution replenishing program. As shown in fig. 4, the control unit 310 includes a concentration acquisition unit 311, a flag switching unit 312, a liquid surface acquisition unit 313, a flow rate determination unit 314, a chemical liquid generation unit 315, a liquid discharge execution unit 316, and a chemical liquid replenishment unit 317.
The functional unit of the control unit 310 is realized by the CPU of the control unit 310 executing a chemical solution replenishment program stored in the memory. A part or all of the functional units of the control unit 310 may be implemented by hardware such as an electronic circuit. The chemical solution replenishing process will be described below with reference to the control unit 310 in fig. 4 and the flowcharts in fig. 5 and 6. Further, in the initial state, all valves except the valve 98 are latched, and the first and second flags are off. In addition, the pump 96 is driven at all times. Therefore, the diluent liquid stored in the mixing tank 230 is always circulated through the branch pipe 92 (circulation pipe).
First, the concentration obtaining portion 311 obtains the concentration of the diluted chemical solution measured by the concentration meter 94 (step S1). Until step S12 described later is executed, step S1 is periodically executed. Next, the flag switching unit 312 determines whether or not the density acquired by the density acquisition unit 311 is outside the first threshold range (step S2). When the concentration is not outside the first threshold range, the liquid surface acquisition unit 313 determines whether or not the second liquid surface is detected by the liquid surface sensor 232 (step S3).
When the second liquid surface is not detected, the liquid surface acquisition unit 313 returns to step S2. Until the density falls outside the first threshold range or the second liquid level is detected, steps S2 and S3 are repeated. When the second liquid surface is detected in step S3, the first flag is off, and therefore the flow rate determination unit 314 determines the flow rate of the dilution liquid to be the preset flow rate (step S4). Then, the process proceeds to step S12.
When the density is outside the first threshold range in step S2, flag switching unit 312 determines whether or not a fixed time has elapsed (step S5). If the fixed time has not elapsed, the flag switching unit 312 returns to step S2. Until the concentration is no longer outside the first threshold range or a fixed time elapses, steps S2 and S5 are repeated. When a fixed time has elapsed in step S5, flag switching unit 312 turns on the first flag (step S6).
Next, the flag switching unit 312 determines whether or not the density is restored within the first threshold range (step S7). When the density returns to within the first threshold range, the flag switching unit 312 determines whether or not a fixed time has elapsed (step S8). If the fixed time has not elapsed, the flag switching unit 312 returns to step S7. Until the concentration is maintained outside the first threshold range or a predetermined time has elapsed, steps S7 and S8 are repeated. When a fixed time has elapsed in step S8, flag switching unit 312 turns off the first flag (step S9), and returns to step S1.
If the concentration is not returned to within the first threshold range in step S7, the liquid surface acquisition unit 313 determines whether or not the second liquid surface is detected by the liquid surface sensor 232 (step S10). When the second liquid surface is not detected, the liquid surface acquisition unit 313 returns to step S7. Until the density returns to within the first threshold range or the second liquid level is detected, steps S7 and S10 are repeated.
When the second liquid surface is detected in step S10, the first flag is on, and therefore the flow rate determination unit 314 determines the correction amount of the flow rate of the dilution liquid in accordance with the acquired concentration, and determines the flow rate of the dilution liquid based on the determined correction amount (step S11). Then, the process proceeds to step S12.
In step S12, concentration acquisition unit 311 ends the acquisition of the concentration of the diluted chemical solution (step S12). Next, the chemical liquid generator 315 starts the generation of the diluted chemical liquid (step S13). Specifically, in step S13, the valve 34 or 35 is opened so that the liquid drug is supplied from the liquid drug tank 210 or 220 at a predetermined flow rate. Further, the valve 51 is opened to supply the diluting liquid. Further, the adjusting unit 53 controls the flow rate of the diluting liquid so that the flow rate of the diluting liquid becomes the flow rate determined in step S4 or step S11, based on the flow rate measured by the flow meter 52.
Thereby, the raw liquid medicine and the diluting liquid are mixed in the main pipe 61 of the mixing pipe 60, thereby producing a diluted liquid medicine. In the present embodiment, the liquid chemical is supplied alternately using the liquid chemical tank 210 and the liquid chemical tank 220 at each supply timing of the diluted liquid chemical (timing at which the second liquid surface is detected).
Next, the liquid discharge execution unit 316 opens the valve 65 to start liquid discharge (step S14). After a predetermined time, the liquid discharge execution part 316 closes the valve 65, thereby ending the liquid discharge (step S15). Next, the chemical solution replenishing portion 317 opens the valve 64 to start replenishing the diluted chemical solution into the mixing tank 230 (step S16).
Then, the liquid surface acquisition unit 313 determines whether or not the liquid surface sensor 233 has detected the third liquid surface (step S17). When the third liquid surface is not detected, the liquid surface obtaining unit 313 waits until the third liquid surface is detected. When the third liquid surface is detected, the chemical solution replenishing unit 317 closes the valve 64 to complete the replenishment of the diluted chemical solution to the mixing tank 230 (step S18).
Next, the liquid discharge execution unit 316 opens the valve 65 to start post liquid discharge (step S19). The chemical liquid generation unit 315 closes the valves 34, 35, and 51 to end the generation of the diluted chemical liquid (step S20). After a predetermined time, the liquid discharge execution part 316 closes the valve 65, and the liquid discharge is completed (step S21).
Then, the chemical liquid generation unit 315 determines whether or not a set time (hereinafter referred to as a check delay time) has elapsed (step S22). The examination delay time is a time for further stabilizing the concentration of the diluted chemical liquid stored in the mixing tank 230, and may be set to 0 to 30 seconds, for example. If the examination delay time has not elapsed, the chemical liquid generation unit 315 waits until the examination delay time has elapsed. When the check delay time has elapsed, the process returns to step S1. Then, the chemical solution replenishing process is repeated. When the user gives a predetermined instruction, the chemical solution replenishing process is ended.
In the chemical solution replenishment process, the state of the second flag is constantly monitored by the flag switching unit 312, and when the second flag is off, the process advances. When the second flag is switched on, an alarm is output regardless of which process is being executed, and the chemical solution replenishment process ends. In addition, in steps S3, S10, S18, and the like, the chemical solution replenishing process is ended when the first liquid surface is detected by the liquid surface sensor 231 or when the fourth liquid surface is detected by the liquid surface sensor 234.
(5) Effect
In the substrate processing apparatus 300 of the present embodiment, the diluting liquid is supplied through the supply pipe 50, and the raw liquid medicine is supplied through the supply pipe 40. Here, the diluent is supplied from a diluent supply source 302 as a plant facility. Therefore, a large amount of the diluting liquid can be supplied without increasing the size of the substrate processing apparatus 300. The flow rate of the diluting liquid flowing through the supply pipe 50 is adjusted by the adjusting unit 53.
The dilution liquid supplied through the supply pipe 50 and the raw liquid medicine supplied through the supply pipe 40 are mixed in the mixing tank 230. The concentration of the diluted drug solution obtained by mixing the dilution liquid and the original drug solution was measured by a concentration meter 94. Since the concentration meter 94 is provided in the mixing pipe 90 that supplies the diluted chemical to the substrate processing portion 100, the concentration of the diluted chemical used for substrate processing can be measured more accurately. The control unit 310 determines the correction amount of the flow rate of the diluting liquid so that the concentration measured by the concentration meter 94 becomes a set value, and supplies the determined correction amount to the adjustment unit 53.
According to this configuration, even when the flow rate of the diluting liquid varies due to a variation in the pressure of the diluting liquid, the flow rate of the diluting liquid flowing through the supply pipe 50 is corrected by the adjusting unit 53 in accordance with the correction amount determined so that the concentration measured by the concentration meter 94 becomes the set value. This enables the diluted chemical liquid having a stable concentration to be accurately produced in the mixing tank 230.
Since the liquid chemical is supplied from the liquid chemical tanks 210 and 220 to the mixing tank 230 through the supply pipe 40, the pressure of the liquid chemical flowing through the supply pipe 40 is prevented from varying. Therefore, the flow rate of the raw liquid medicine flowing through the supply pipe 40 can be easily stabilized. This makes it possible to more easily produce a diluted chemical solution having a stable concentration with high accuracy. Since the raw liquid medicine stored in the liquid medicine tank 210 and the raw liquid medicine stored in the liquid medicine tank 220 are alternately supplied to the mixing tank 230, the raw liquid medicine can be supplied to the mixing tank 230 without causing any stagnation in the processing of the substrate W.
Further, according to the above control, the user of the substrate processing apparatus 300 does not need to manually perform maintenance work such as adjusting the flow rates of the diluting liquid and the raw liquid medicine. Therefore, it is not necessary to stop the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 300 for the maintenance work. This can improve the efficiency of substrate processing.
(6) Other embodiments
(a) In the above embodiment, the chemical liquid generation unit 200 includes the 2 chemical liquid tanks 210 and 220 configured to alternately supply the chemical liquid to the mixing tank 230, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. The chemical liquid generation unit 200 may include 3 or more chemical liquid tanks configured to alternately supply the raw chemical liquid to the mixing tank 230. Alternatively, when a sufficient amount of the raw chemical liquid can be supplied to the mixing tank 230, the chemical liquid generation unit 200 may include only one liquid chemical tank. In addition, when the pressure fluctuation of the raw chemical liquid supplied from the chemical liquid supply source 301 is small, the chemical liquid generation unit 200 may not include a chemical liquid tank.
(b) In the above embodiment, the chemical liquid generation unit 200 includes the adjustment unit 45 that adjusts the flow rate of the raw chemical liquid flowing through the supply pipe 40, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. When the flow rate of the raw chemical liquid flowing through the supply pipe 40 is stable, the chemical liquid generation section 200 may not include the adjustment section 45.
(c) In the above embodiment, the chemical liquid generation unit 200 includes the mixing pipe 60, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. Chemical liquid generating unit 200 may not include mixing pipe 60. In this case, the downstream end of the supply pipe 50 and the downstream end of the main pipe 41 of the supply pipe 40 are directly connected to the mixing tank 230, respectively.
(d) In the above embodiment, the concentration meter 94 is provided in the mixing pipe 90, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. The concentration meter 94 may be provided at any portion of the chemical liquid generating part 200 as long as it can measure the concentration of the diluted chemical liquid. Therefore, the concentration meter 94 may be inserted into the mixing pipe 60 or may be disposed in the mixing tank 230.
(e) In the above embodiment, the chemical liquid generation unit 200 generates dilute hydrofluoric acid as the diluted chemical liquid, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. The chemical liquid generating section 200 may generate other diluted chemical liquids such as diluted phosphoric acid.
(f) In the above embodiment, the substrate processing unit 100 performs etching as the substrate processing using the diluted chemical solution, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. The substrate processing unit 100 may perform other substrate processing (e.g., substrate cleaning) using the diluted chemical solution.
(7) Examples of the embodiments
As an example, dilute hydrofluoric acid was generated as a diluted chemical by the chemical generation unit 200 of the above embodiment. On the other hand, as a comparative example, dilute hydrofluoric acid was generated as a diluted chemical without correcting the flow rate of the diluting liquid by the adjusting section 53. In addition, the concentration of dilute hydrofluoric acid generated in the examples and the comparative examples, respectively, was measured.
As a result, in the examples, the concentration of dilute hydrofluoric acid was 5000. + -. 5 ppm. On the other hand, in the comparative example, the concentration of the dilute hydrofluoric acid was 5000. + -.10 ppm. From these results, it was confirmed that the diluted hydrofluoric acid having a stabilized concentration with high accuracy can be produced by correcting the flow rate of the diluting liquid by the adjusting unit 53.
Further, the substrate W was etched using the dilute hydrofluoric acid produced in each of the examples and comparative examples. As a result, when the diluted hydrofluoric acid produced in the examples was used, the amount of etching fluctuation of the substrate W was set to
On the other hand, in the case of using the dilute hydrofluoric acid produced in the comparative example, the amount of variation in etching of the substrate W was set to
From these results, it was confirmed that the amount of etching fluctuation can be improved by 60% by using dilute hydrofluoric acid having a stabilized concentration with high accuracy.
(8) Correspondence between each constituent element of the technical means and each part of the embodiment
In the above embodiment, the substrate W is an example of a substrate, the substrate processing apparatus 300 is an example of a substrate processing apparatus, and the supply pipes 50 and 40 are examples of a first pipe and a second pipe, respectively. The main pipe 61 and the branch pipe 62 of the mixing pipe 60 are examples of a third pipe, the main pipe 63 of the mixing pipe 60 is an example of a fourth pipe, and the mixing pipe 90 is an example of a fifth pipe.
The adjusting section 53 is an example of a first adjusting section or an adjusting section, the adjusting section 45 is an example of a second adjusting section, the mixing tank 230 is an example of a mixing tank, the concentration meter 94 is an example of a concentration meter, and the control section 310 is an example of a control section. The liquid medicine tank 210 is an example of a liquid medicine tank or a first liquid medicine tank, the liquid medicine tank 220 is an example of a liquid medicine tank or a second liquid medicine tank, and the substrate processing unit 100 is an example of a substrate processing unit.
Claims (15)
1. A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate using a diluted chemical solution, comprising:
a first pipe for supplying a diluting liquid;
a second pipe for supplying a chemical solution;
a first adjusting unit that adjusts a flow rate of the dilution liquid flowing through the first pipe;
a mixing tank for mixing the diluting liquid supplied through the first pipe and the chemical liquid supplied through the second pipe;
a concentration meter that measures the concentration of the liquid chemical in a mixed liquid of the diluting liquid and the liquid chemical; and
a control unit that determines a correction amount of a flow rate of the diluting liquid so that a concentration measured by the concentration meter becomes a set value, and supplies the determined correction amount to the first adjusting unit,
the first adjustment unit corrects the flow rate of the dilution liquid flowing through the first pipe, based on the correction amount provided by the control unit.
2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1,
the substrate processing apparatus further comprises a chemical solution tank for storing a chemical solution,
the second pipe is connected to the chemical solution tank and supplies the chemical solution stored in the chemical solution tank to the mixing tank.
3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2,
the liquid medicine tank comprises a first liquid medicine tank and a second liquid medicine tank,
the chemical liquid stored in the first chemical liquid tank and the chemical liquid stored in the second chemical liquid tank are alternately supplied to the mixing tank through the second pipe.
4. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
the substrate processing apparatus further includes: and a third pipe for mixing the diluting liquid supplied through the first pipe and the chemical liquid supplied through the second pipe and introducing the mixture into the mixing tank.
5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4,
the substrate processing apparatus further includes: and a fourth pipe provided so as to branch from the third pipe, the fourth pipe discharging a mixed liquid of the diluting liquid supplied through the first pipe and the chemical liquid supplied through the second pipe without introducing the mixed liquid into the mixing tank.
6. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
the first adjusting part is an electric regulator.
7. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
the substrate processing apparatus further includes: and a second adjusting unit for adjusting the flow rate of the chemical liquid flowing through the second pipe.
8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7,
the second adjusting part is an electric needle valve.
9. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
the inner diameter of the first pipe is larger than the inner diameter of the second pipe.
10. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
a first threshold range is set for the concentration of the drug solution,
the control unit determines a correction amount of the flow rate of the diluting liquid when the concentration measured by the concentration meter is outside the first threshold range.
11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10,
a second threshold value range including the first threshold value range is set for the concentration of the chemical solution,
when the concentration measured by the concentration meter is outside the second threshold range, the supply of the diluting liquid by the first pipe and the supply of the chemical liquid by the second pipe are stopped.
12. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11,
the first pipe is connected to a device for supplying a diluting liquid in a factory in which the substrate processing apparatus is installed.
13. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12,
the substrate processing apparatus further includes:
a substrate processing unit that processes a substrate; and
a fifth pipe for supplying the mixed liquid stored in the mixing tank to the substrate processing unit,
the concentration meter is provided to measure the concentration of the chemical solution in the mixed liquid flowing through the fifth pipe.
14. A substrate processing method for processing a substrate using a diluted chemical solution, the substrate processing method comprising:
supplying a diluting liquid through a first pipe;
supplying a chemical solution through a second pipe;
adjusting the flow rate of the diluting liquid flowing through the first pipe by an adjusting part;
mixing, in a mixing tank, a diluting liquid supplied through the first pipe and a chemical liquid supplied through the second pipe;
measuring the concentration of the chemical liquid in a mixed liquid of the diluting liquid and the chemical liquid by a concentration meter; and
a step of determining a correction amount of the flow rate of the diluting liquid so that the concentration measured by the concentration meter becomes a set value, and supplying the determined correction amount to the adjusting unit,
the step of adjusting the flow rate of the diluting liquid by the adjusting unit includes: the adjusting unit corrects the flow rate of the diluting liquid flowing through the first pipe based on the correction amount.
15. The substrate processing method according to claim 14,
a threshold range is set for the concentration of the drug solution,
the step of determining the correction amount includes: the correction amount is determined when a state in which the concentration measured by the concentration meter is outside the threshold range continues for a predetermined time or more.
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| CN106024615A (en) * | 2015-03-26 | 2016-10-12 | 东京毅力科创株式会社 | Substrate liquid processing apparatus and substrate liquid processing method |
| CN107924832A (en) * | 2015-08-18 | 2018-04-17 | 株式会社斯库林集团 | Substrate processing method using same and substrate board treatment |
| JP2018117032A (en) * | 2017-01-18 | 2018-07-26 | 株式会社Ｓｃｒｅｅｎホールディングス | Substrate processing apparatus |
| CN108630571A (en) * | 2017-03-16 | 2018-10-09 | 株式会社斯库林集团 | Handle liquid supplying device, substrate board treatment and treatment fluid supply method |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| KR20200138041A (en) | 2020-12-09 |
| JP2020198357A (en) | 2020-12-10 |
| KR102384077B1 (en) | 2022-04-07 |
| TW202101567A (en) | 2021-01-01 |
| TWI747286B (en) | 2021-11-21 |
| JP7264729B2 (en) | 2023-04-25 |
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