JP2003273070A - Method and apparatus for processing wafer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate-processing apparatus for preventing a diluted solution supply pipe path from contamination, when a chemical flows in it. <P>SOLUTION: The substrate-processing apparatus, which processes a wafer W using a processing liquid where hydrofluoric acid is diluted with pure water comprises a chemical supply pipe path 21 which supplies hydrofluoric acid, a diluted solution supply pipe path 22 which supplies pure water, and a nozzle unit 11 to which the chemical supply pipe path and the diluted solution supply pipe path are connected. The nozzle unit comprises a nozzle body, a chemical nozzle hole 42, which is provided at the central part of the nozzle body in the axial direction and discharges the hydrofluoric acid supplied from the chemical supply pipe path, and a diluted solution nozzle hole 44, which is so provided to the nozzle body as to surround the chemical nozzle hole and discharges pure water supplied from the diluted solution supply pipe path, while dilutes the hydrofluoric acid discharged from the chemical nozzle hole with pure water before it reaches the wafer W. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method for processing a substrate using a processing liquid prepared by diluting a chemical liquid with a diluting liquid.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device or a liquid crystal display device, there are a film forming process and a photo process for forming a circuit pattern on a semiconductor wafer or a glass substrate as a substrate. In these processes, the film forming process and the cleaning process are repeatedly performed on the substrate.

In each of the above steps, for example, in the cleaning process, a process liquid is jetted from the nozzle onto the substrate for processing. As such a processing solution, a solution obtained by diluting hydrofluoric acid as a chemical solution with pure water as a diluting solution may be used.

When diluting the chemical liquid with a diluting liquid, a mixer may be used. A chemical liquid supply pipe and a diluting liquid supply pipe are connected to this mixer, and the chemical liquid and the diluting liquid whose flow rates are controlled by the mass flow controllers are supplied from these supply pipes, respectively. The chemical liquid and the diluting liquid supplied into the mixer are mixed and stirred by a static mixer or the like to be diluted to a predetermined concentration and supplied to the nozzle. In this case, since the chemical solution supply pipeline and the diluent supply pipeline communicate with each other through a mixer, a valve is provided in each of the supply pipelines, and the chemical solution supplied from the chemical solution supply pipeline is diluted. It was prevented from flowing into the supply line.

[0005]

However, when the valve is defective, it may infiltrate into the upstream side of the valve and contaminate the diluent supply pipe.

Further, this method requires the mixer and the agitator, which leads to an increase in the size of the apparatus.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method which can prevent the dilution liquid supply pipe line from being contaminated by infiltration of a chemical liquid and can make the structure of the apparatus small and simple.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate using a processing liquid obtained by diluting a chemical liquid with a diluting liquid, and a chemical liquid supply pipeline for supplying the chemical liquid and the diluting liquid. A diluent supply pipe for supplying a liquid, and a nozzle device to which the chemical liquid supply pipe and the diluent supply pipe are connected, the nozzle device includes a nozzle body and a central portion of the nozzle body. A chemical liquid nozzle hole that is provided along the axial direction and discharges the chemical liquid supplied from the chemical liquid supply pipe line, and a dilution liquid that is provided in the nozzle main body in a state surrounding the chemical liquid nozzle hole and is supplied from the diluent liquid supply pipe line A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a diluting liquid nozzle hole for discharging a liquid and diluting the liquid medicine discharged from the chemical liquid nozzle hole with the diluting liquid before reaching the substrate.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the substrate processing apparatus according to the first aspect is characterized in that the tip end opening surface of the chemical solution nozzle hole projects toward the tip end side from the tip end opening surface of the diluting solution nozzle hole. It is in.

A third aspect of the present invention is the substrate processing apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein a tip portion of the diluent nozzle hole is inclined toward the center of the nozzle body.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in a substrate processing method for processing a substrate using a processing liquid obtained by diluting a chemical liquid with a diluting liquid, the nozzle main body and the central portion of the nozzle main body are provided along the axial direction. A chemical liquid nozzle hole for discharging the chemical liquid supplied from the chemical liquid supply pipe line, and a dilution liquid supplied from the dilution liquid supply pipe line provided in the nozzle body so as to surround the chemical liquid nozzle hole and diluting the same. It has a nozzle device having a diluting liquid nozzle hole for diluting the chemical liquid discharged from the chemical liquid nozzle hole by liquid before reaching the substrate, and when supplying the processing liquid to the substrate, the diluting liquid nozzle hole When the diluting liquid is discharged and then the chemical liquid is discharged from the chemical liquid nozzle hole, and when the supply of the processing liquid is stopped, the discharge of the chemical liquid from the chemical liquid nozzle hole is stopped before the diluting liquid nozzle is discharged. In the processing method of a substrate, characterized in that to stop the discharge of the diluent from Le holes.

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the chemical liquid from flowing into the diluting liquid supply pipe line, and it is possible to downsize the device.

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 to 3 show a first embodiment of the present invention. The substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 has a base plate 1 having a through hole 5 communicating from the upper surface to the lower surface.
A cylindrical cup body 2 is provided on the upper surface of the. At the upper end of the cup body 2, a reflector plate 3 that is highly inclined radially inward is provided over the entire circumference, and a rotary table 4 is provided substantially horizontally inside.

A drive motor 5 is provided on the lower surface side of the base plate 1.
1 is fixed by a bracket 51a. The drive shaft 6 of the drive motor 51 is inserted through the through hole 5 of the base plate 1, and the upper end thereof is fixed to the lower surface of the rotary table 4 substantially in the center thereof. Therefore, the rotary table 4 can be rotationally driven in the circumferential direction by operating the drive motor 51.

A substrate W such as a semiconductor wafer used in a semiconductor device is held on the turntable 4.
That is, a plurality of supporting members 7 are provided at a peripheral portion of the upper surface of the turntable 4 at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction. At the upper end of each support member 7, a support pin 8 that supports the lower surface of the peripheral portion of the substrate W and an engagement pin 9 that engages with the outer peripheral surface of the substrate W are provided upright.

As a result, the substrate W is rotated in the circumferential direction together with the rotary table 4 while being held on the upper surface of the rotary table 4.

The base plate 1 is provided with a rotary drive source 10 around the cup body 2. The base end of the arm 12 is connected and fixed to the rotary shaft 14 of the rotary drive source 10. A mounting portion 13 is attached to the tip of the arm 12.
Is provided, and the nozzle device 11 is provided on the mounting portion 13 substantially vertically.

Therefore, when the rotary shaft 14 is rotationally driven, the arm 12 is interlocked, so that the nozzle device 1
1 can be swung in the radial direction on the upper surface side of the substrate W held on the rotary table 4.

The substrate W is delivered to the rotary table 4 by a robot (not shown).

The substrate processing apparatus includes the nozzle device 11
Further, it has a chemical solution supply pipe 21 and a diluent supply pipe 22 for supplying hydrofluoric acid as a chemical liquid and pure water as a diluting liquid, respectively. The chemical liquid supply pipe 21 and the diluting liquid supply pipe 22
Is provided with a chemical liquid control valve 23 and a diluting liquid control valve 24 in the middle. Each supply line 21, 22
One end of each is immersed in the hydrofluoric acid stored in the chemical liquid tank 27 and the pure water stored in the diluting liquid tank 28.

The above-mentioned chemical liquid tank 27 and diluting liquid tank 28
And a chemical liquid control valve 23 and a diluting liquid control valve 24 are provided with a chemical liquid pump 29 and a diluting liquid pump 30, respectively.
Mass flow controller 3 between 3 and 24
1, 32 are provided.

The valves 23 and 24 and the pumps 29 and 30
And the mass flow controllers 31 and 32 include the control device 3
3 is connected, and this control device 33 controls each valve 2
Open / close control of 3, 24, start / stop control of each pump 29, 30
Also, the control flow rate value can be set by the mass flow controllers 31 and 32.

As shown in FIG. 2, the nozzle device 11 has a cylindrical nozzle body 41.

A chemical solution nozzle hole 42 is bored along the axial direction at a substantially central portion of the nozzle body 41 in the radial direction.
The tip side of the chemical solution nozzle hole 42 passes through the inside of a convex portion 43 formed so as to project on the tip surface of the nozzle body 41, and a chemical solution outlet 48 is opened at the tip of the convex portion 43.

An annular diluent nozzle hole 44 is formed in the nozzle body 41 so as to surround the chemical solution nozzle hole 42. The tip side of the diluent nozzle hole 44 is inclined so as to be narrowed inward in the radial direction, and the diluent outlet 4 which is annularly opened on the tip surface of the nozzle body 41.
Forming 7. That is, the tip end opening surface 45 of the chemical solution nozzle hole 42 projects further toward the tip end side than the tip end opening surface 46 of the diluting solution nozzle hole 44.

On the rear end side of the nozzle body 41 and on the rear end side of the outer peripheral surface, a chemical solution supply pipe 21 and a dilution liquid supply pipe 22 are respectively connected to the chemical liquid nozzle hole 42 and the diluent liquid nozzle hole 44. It is connected.

Next, the operation of using the substrate processing apparatus having the above structure will be described.

When using the above substrate processing apparatus,
The control flow rate values of the mass flow controllers 31 and 32 are set according to the concentration of the processing liquid used.

When the substrate W is held on the upper surface of the turntable 4, the arm 12 is rotated to drive the nozzle device 11.
Is set to the ejection position on the upper surface side of the substrate W. When the nozzle device 11 is set to the injection position, first, the diluent control valve 24 is opened and the diluent pump 30 is driven to move the diluent tank 28 to the diluent nozzle hole 44 of the nozzle device 11. Pure water is supplied and discharged from the annular diluent discharge port 47 at the tip.

After the pure water is discharged from the dilution liquid nozzle hole 44, the chemical liquid control valve 23 is then opened and the chemical liquid pump 29 is driven to drive the chemical liquid nozzle 27 from the chemical liquid tank 27 to the chemical liquid nozzle hole of the nozzle device 11. Hydrofluoric acid is supplied to 42 and discharged from the chemical liquid discharge port 48 at the tip thereof.

From the chemical solution nozzle hole 42, hydrofluoric acid is jetted almost vertically toward the upper surface of the substrate W as shown by an arrow X in FIG. On the other hand, in the diluting liquid nozzle hole 44, the diluting liquid discharge port 47 is annular, and the tip side is inclined so as to be narrowed radially inward. Therefore, the pure water is sprayed so as to cover the periphery of the hydrofluoric acid sprayed from the chemical liquid nozzle hole 42 as shown by the arrow Y in FIG.

As a result, the hydrofluoric acid discharged from the chemical solution nozzle hole 42 is diluted with pure water before reaching the substrate W, and when it reaches the substrate W, it becomes a treatment liquid having a predetermined concentration suitable for the treatment. The substrate W is processed by this processing liquid.

After the upper surface of the rotating substrate W is processed by the processing liquid for a predetermined time, first, the driving of the chemical liquid pump 29 is stopped, the chemical liquid control valve 23 is closed, and the chemical liquid nozzle hole 42 is formed. To stop the discharge of hydrofluoric acid. Next, the driving of the diluent pump 30 is stopped, the diluent control valve 24 is closed, and the discharge of pure water from the diluent nozzle hole 44 is stopped. Thus, the processing of the substrate W is completed.

According to the above substrate processing apparatus, when diluting hydrofluoric acid with pure water, it is not necessary to connect the chemical liquid supply pipe 21 and the diluting liquid supply pipe 22. The chemical solution does not flow into 22. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the diluent supply pipe line 22 from being contaminated with hydrofluoric acid.

Moreover, the tip end opening surface 45 of the chemical solution nozzle hole 42 projects further toward the tip side than the tip end opening surface 46 of the diluting solution nozzle hole 44. Therefore, the hydrofluoric acid staying on the tip end opening surface 45 of the chemical liquid nozzle hole 42 flows from the diluent liquid discharge port 47 of the diluent liquid nozzle hole 44 to the diluent liquid supply line 22.
Since it is difficult for the diluting liquid supply conduit 22 to flow into the diluting liquid supply conduit 22, it is possible to prevent the diluent supply conduit 22 from being contaminated with hydrofluoric acid.

When the processing liquid is supplied to the substrate W, pure water is discharged from the diluting liquid nozzle hole 44 and then hydrofluoric acid is discharged from the chemical liquid nozzle hole 42. When the processing liquid supply is stopped, The discharge of hydrofluoric acid from the chemical liquid nozzle hole 42 was stopped, and then the discharge of pure water from the dilution liquid nozzle 44 was stopped. Therefore, when the hydrofluoric acid is ejected from the chemical liquid nozzle hole 42, pure water is always ejected from the diluent liquid nozzle hole 44, so that the hydrofluoric acid flows from the diluent outlet 47 into the diluent nozzle hole 44. It's getting harder.

As described above, since it is difficult for hydrofluoric acid to flow into the diluent supply pipe 22, the diluent supply pipe 22 is provided.
It is not necessary to provide a check valve or the like to prevent the inflow of hydrofluoric acid. Moreover, according to this configuration, a mixer for mixing hydrofluoric acid and pure water and a supply tank for supplying the treatment liquid from the mixer to the nozzle device 11 as in the conventional case are not required.
Therefore, the structure of the substrate processing apparatus can be simplified and downsized.

Further, the hydrofluoric acid sprayed from the chemical solution nozzle hole 42 is diluted with pure water sprayed from the diluting solution nozzle hole 44 before reaching the substrate W. Moreover, when the discharge of the treatment liquid is stopped, the supply of hydrofluoric acid is stopped before the supply of pure water. This prevents the high concentration of hydrofluoric acid from being supplied to the upper surface of the substrate W.

FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is a modified example of the nozzle device 11 described above, and instead of forming an annular diluent nozzle hole 44 surrounding the chemical nozzle hole 42 in the nozzle body 41, a plurality of nozzles are formed around the chemical nozzle hole 42. In this embodiment, five diluent nozzle holes 44A are formed. Also in this case, the tip portion of the chemical liquid nozzle hole 42 is set to project further toward the tip side than the tip portion of the dilution liquid nozzle hole 44A, and the tip portion of the dilution liquid nozzle hole 44A is further set to the chemical liquid nozzle hole. It goes without saying that the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained by inclining toward the 42 side.

That is, the diluting liquid nozzle hole does not have to be annular, and any form may be used as long as the hydrofluoric acid sprayed from the chemical liquid nozzle hole can be surely diluted before reaching the substrate W. May be.

5 and 6 show the third embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is a modified example of the nozzle device 11, in which the chemical liquid nozzle hole 42 is formed in the nozzle body 41.
Further, instead of forming the diluting liquid nozzle hole 44, the chemical liquid nozzle 51 having the chemical liquid nozzle hole 42B is installed almost vertically, and a plurality of chemical liquid nozzles are provided so as to surround the chemical liquid nozzle 51. The four diluting liquid nozzles 52 having the above are arranged. In this case, since it is only necessary to dispose the nozzle at a predetermined position, the structure of the device can be simplified.

[0043]

According to the present invention, the chemical liquid can be prevented from flowing into the diluting liquid supply pipe line, and the entire structure can be downsized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a nozzle device according to the same embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a nozzle device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a nozzle device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 ... Nozzle device 21 ... Chemical supply line 22 ... Diluent supply line 42 ... Diluent nozzle hole 44 ... Chemical solution nozzle hole

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate by using a processing liquid obtained by diluting a chemical liquid with a diluting liquid, a chemical liquid supply conduit for supplying the chemical liquid, and a diluting liquid supply conduit for supplying the diluting liquid, A nozzle device in which the chemical liquid supply pipe line and the diluting liquid supply pipe line are connected to each other, wherein the nozzle device is provided with a nozzle main body and the chemical liquid supply pipe provided in a central portion of the nozzle main body along an axial direction. A chemical solution nozzle hole for discharging a chemical solution supplied from a channel, and a diluent solution which is provided in the nozzle body so as to surround the chemical solution nozzle hole and discharges a diluting solution supplied from the diluting solution supply line and the chemical solution by the diluting solution. A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a diluting liquid nozzle hole for diluting a chemical liquid discharged from a nozzle hole before reaching the substrate. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tip opening surface of the chemical solution nozzle hole is projected to the tip side with respect to the tip opening surface of the diluting solution nozzle hole. 3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a tip portion of the diluent nozzle hole is inclined toward a center direction of the nozzle body. 4. A substrate processing method for processing a substrate using a processing liquid obtained by diluting a chemical liquid with a diluting liquid, comprising: a nozzle main body; and the chemical liquid supply conduit provided axially in a central portion of the nozzle main body. And a chemical solution nozzle for discharging the chemical solution supplied from the diluting solution supplied from the diluting solution supply pipe provided in the nozzle body so as to surround the chemical solution nozzle hole and the chemical solution nozzle by the diluting solution. It has a nozzle device having a diluting liquid nozzle hole for diluting the chemical liquid ejected from the hole before reaching the substrate, and when the processing liquid is supplied to the substrate, the diluting liquid nozzle is ejected from the diluting liquid nozzle hole. Then, when the chemical liquid is discharged from the chemical liquid nozzle hole and the supply of the processing liquid is stopped, the chemical liquid is discharged from the chemical liquid nozzle hole and then diluted from the dilution liquid nozzle hole. Method of processing a substrate, characterized in that to stop the discharge.