JP2004265911A - System for processing substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To process the surface of a substrate uniformly while maintaining the inert gas atmosphere in the vicinity of the surface of the substrate. <P>SOLUTION: The system for processing a substrate comprises a nozzle (144) for jetting inert gas to for an inert gas atmosphere in the vicinity of the surface of the substrate, and a baffle plate (146) for receiving inert gas flow jetted from the inert gas jet nozzle (144) and deflecting it outward of the substrate. The baffle plate (146) has a secrete passage (148) wherein an inflow opening (152) of an inert gas branch flow being formed on the surface of the baffle plate (146) on the inert gas jet nozzle side is offset outward from the inert gas jet nozzle (144) and an outflow opening (154) of an inert gas branch flow being formed on the opposite surface of the baffle plate (146) is formed inward of the inflow opening (152). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus, and more particularly, to a substrate processing apparatus capable of uniformly processing the surface of a substrate.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, due to demands for higher performance and higher integration of VLSI devices, miniaturization of a semiconductor substrate in a horizontal direction and multilayer wiring in a vertical direction have been pursued. In the manufacturing process of such a semiconductor substrate, a substrate cleaning step and a drying step of removing foreign substances, unnecessary films or unnecessary processing liquids attached to the substrate with a chemical solution or pure water are indispensable steps. How to perform efficiently has a great influence on the manufacturing cost of the semiconductor substrate.
[0003]
More specifically, particularly in the wiring process during the manufacturing process, the structure of the semiconductor substrate is determined for each layer by repeating a film forming process and a lithography process, and a multilayer wiring structure is formed. Is as follows.
[0004]
A contact hole or a via hole is formed in the insulating film by a lithography process. Next, a metal for wiring is buried in the contact hole or the via hole. Next, a wiring metal is formed by a lithography process, and is covered with an interlayer insulating film to form a wiring layer. Thus, one layer of wiring is completed.
[0005]
In this case, it is necessary to completely remove the unnecessary resist film temporarily used in the lithography process from the substrate. Excess metal protruding from a contact hole or via hole formed in a lithography process is removed by etch back or CMP. However, cleaning of the substrate is required to completely remove the removed metal from the substrate. Further, it is necessary to clean the substrate to completely remove the processing solution used for forming the interlayer insulating film from the substrate.
[0006]
Such foreign matter to be removed is diffused and attached to the front surface, the back surface, the side peripheral surface, and the bevel portion (oblique portion of the side surface) of the substrate, that is, the entire surface of the substrate, and is not completely removed from the substrate. This adversely affects patterning accuracy or device characteristics, and also causes cross-contamination.
[0007]
In this regard, as a so-called wiring delay countermeasure, attention has been paid to copper as a low-resistance wiring metal and a low-k material as a low dielectric constant interlayer insulating film.
[0008]
However, with respect to the former wiring metal, copper atoms are representative of impurities that diffuse at high speed into Si crystals, SiO _{2, and the} like, deteriorating device characteristics and causing cross-contamination of devices and equipment. In this regard, the above-described substrate cleaning process is becoming increasingly important in order to prevent the diffusion and intrusion of copper. On the other hand, the latter interlayer insulating film is formed by spin coating because it is almost impossible to form the film by conventional CVD. In this case, the excess film goes around to the opposite surface of the substrate and adheres around the periphery of the substrate. In this regard, there has been a demand for the development of a cleaning step for efficiently removing an extra film attached around the peripheral portion.
[0009]
Here, a conventional substrate processing apparatus will be described. A substrate processing apparatus for processing the surface of a substrate with a chemical solution or pure water is disclosed in, for example, JP-A-2002-93891.
[0010]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-2002-93891
The substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate rotating means for rotating the substrate in a substantially horizontal plane, a substrate supporting means for supporting the substrate in a substantially horizontal plane, and a processing liquid And an inert gas jetting unit for jetting an inert gas (for example, nitrogen gas) toward the substrate so as to surround the processing liquid supply region on the surface of the substrate.
[0012]
According to such a configuration, by injecting an inert gas toward the surface of the substrate, the vicinity of the surface of the substrate is set to an inert gas atmosphere, and then, high-speed rotation is performed in a substantially horizontal plane (for example, several thousand RPM). By supplying the processing liquid toward substantially the center of the surface of the substrate to be processed, the processing liquid scatters on the surface of the substrate in the radial direction of the substrate by centrifugal force, whereby the surface of the substrate can be processed.
[0013]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, such a substrate processing apparatus has the following technical problems.
[0014]
That is, the inert gas injected toward the surface of the substrate has a bad influence on the processing of the substrate with the processing liquid. More specifically, the inert gas is used to prevent the surface of the substrate to be processed from coming into direct contact with air, so that the flow of the processing solution is substantially directed toward the center of the surface of the substrate to which the processing liquid is first supplied. It is sprayed to cover around. When the processing liquid supplied to the center of the surface of the substrate is deflected by hitting the surface of the substrate and trying to diffuse in the radial direction of the substrate due to centrifugal force, it is obstructed by the flow of the inert gas injected toward the substrate. Therefore, it becomes difficult to uniformly treat the entire surface of the substrate with the treatment liquid.
[0015]
Further, since the flow rate of the inert gas is considerably large, the pressure rapidly rises substantially in a pulse shape on the surface of the substrate at the point where the jet of the inert gas collides. As a result, the substrate is warped during the processing step, and this further hinders uniform processing of the substrate.
[0016]
On the other hand, if the flow rate of the inert gas is reduced in order to avoid such adverse effects on the processing of the substrate, it becomes difficult to always maintain the vicinity of the surface in an inert gas atmosphere during the processing of the substrate. For example, a watermark is formed on the surface of the substrate, which impairs the quality of the product.
[0017]
In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of uniformly processing a substrate surface while maintaining the vicinity of the substrate surface in an inert gas atmosphere.
[0018]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention includes:
Substrate rotation holding means for rotating while holding the substrate in a substantially horizontal plane,
A processing liquid supply unit for supplying a processing liquid to the surface of the substrate, and a substrate processing apparatus having
The processing liquid supply unit has a processing liquid supply nozzle that supplies the processing liquid in a substantially vertical direction toward a substantially center of the substrate,
Further, an inert gas injection nozzle for injecting an inert gas toward the surface so that the vicinity of the surface is an inert gas atmosphere,
A baffle provided between the surface and the inert gas injection nozzle is further provided so as to receive the inert gas flow injected from the inert gas injection nozzle and deflect the flow toward the outward direction of the substrate. Have
This baffle has a through hole for partially branching the deflected flow toward the outside of the substrate so as to maintain the surface vicinity in an inert gas atmosphere,
The inflow opening of the inert gas branch flow formed on the surface of the baffle plate on the side of the inert gas injection nozzle of the baffle plate is offset from the inert gas injection nozzle, and The outlet opening of the branch flow of the inert gas formed on the surface opposite to the surface of the baffle plate is formed inside the inlet opening.
[0019]
In the present invention thus configured, the inert gas is supplied from the processing liquid supply nozzle in a substantially vertical direction toward the substantially center of the substrate, while the inert gas atmosphere is provided near the substrate surface. Inert gas is injected from the injection nozzle toward the surface. At this time, the processing liquid supplied to the surface of the substrate that rotates in a substantially horizontal plane tends to scatter outward on the substrate in the radial direction of the substrate by the action of centrifugal force. At that time, the inert gas flow is received by a baffle provided between the substrate surface and the inert gas injection nozzle and is deflected to a flow toward the outside of the substrate. A portion of the deflected flow then travels through the inflow openings of the plurality of through holes in the baffle and through the outflow opening formed on the opposite surface of the baffle surface to the substrate surface. At this time, the outflow opening is offset inward of the inflow opening, so that the inert gas passing through each through hole goes toward the center of the substrate to which the processing liquid is supplied.
[0020]
As described above, by receiving the inert gas jet directed toward the surface of the substrate by the baffle plate, while avoiding a direct hit on the substrate surface by the inert gas jet, while maintaining the vicinity of the substrate surface in an inert gas atmosphere, It is possible to perform a uniform treatment on the substrate surface.
[0021]
Further, the inert gas injection nozzle has a form of an annular nozzle arranged to surround the processing liquid supply nozzle,
The baffle plate has the form of a disk disposed concentrically with the annular nozzle and substantially parallel to the substrate,
The through-hole has a plurality of branch flow paths, each having a predetermined inclination such that the inert gas branch flow hits the processing liquid flow from the processing liquid supply nozzle in front of the surface of the substrate,
The plurality of branch channels are preferably arranged at equal angular intervals in the circumferential direction of the baffle plate.
[0022]
Still further, the substrate rotating means has a spin chuck rotatable about a substantially vertical axis, and a rotation driving means for rotating the spin chuck,
The substrate supporting means has a support fixed to the upper surface of the spin chuck and extending from the upper surface toward the substrate,
The baffle plate extends from the baffle plate surface to a region outside the inflow opening of the plurality of branch channels so that the deflected flow toward the outside of the substrate is restricted between the baffle plate and the upper surface. It is preferable to have a projecting ring portion projecting toward the active gas injection nozzle.
[0023]
In addition, the spin chuck has a through hole around its rotation axis,
An outer tube for supplying an inert gas, which extends through the through hole to the upper surface of the spin chuck in a non-contact manner with the through hole; An inner pipe extending to protrude from the upper surface of the chuck, for supplying a processing liquid,
The inner tube and the outer tube are arranged concentrically around a rotation axis of the spin chuck,
The processing liquid supply nozzle is formed by an upper peripheral edge of the inner tube,
The inert gas annular nozzle is formed between an upper peripheral edge of the outer tube and an outer peripheral surface of the inner tube,
The baffle plate is preferably fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the inner pipe above the inert gas annular nozzle.
[0024]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a substrate processing unit according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0025]
FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a first embodiment of a substrate processing unit according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a substrate supporting portion of the substrate supporting device of FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the operation of the support pins of the substrate support device of FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the substrate supporting device of FIG. FIG. 5 is a view as seen from line VI-VI in FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram in which the upper surface bevel processing apparatus of FIG. 1 is in a standby position. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing opening and closing of the shutter of FIG. FIG. 8 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the top bevel processing apparatus of FIG. FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a portion A in FIG. FIG. 10 is a partial longitudinal sectional view showing a configuration around a baffle plate of the lower surface processing apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. 11 is a plan view taken along line AA of FIG. FIG. 12 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the treatment liquid separation / recovery device of FIG. FIG. 13 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view showing another configuration of the treatment liquid separation / recovery device of FIG. 14 to 16 are partial longitudinal sectional views showing the operation of the apparatus for separating and recovering the processing liquid of FIG.
[0026]
As shown in FIG. 1, a substrate processing unit 10 includes a substrate rotation device 12, a substrate support device 14, a processing liquid supply device 16 to a substrate, and a processing liquid separation and recovery device 18. Have been.
[0027]
Here, in this specification, the term “substrate treatment” is used to include a substrate cleaning process using a processing fluid, a drying process, a rinsing process, and an etching process.
[0028]
As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate rotating device 12 includes a spin chuck 20 rotatable about a substantially vertical axis X, and a driving unit 22 that rotates the spin chuck 20. The spin chuck 20 faces the lower surface A2 of the substrate A, and has a disk portion 24 centered on the axis X and a shaft portion 30 connected to the lower side of the disk portion 24. The disk portion 24 has a substantially horizontal upper surface 28 forming a so-called chuck surface, and a through hole 32 facing a gap 30 between the lower surface A1 of the substrate A and the upper surface 28 is provided at the center of the upper surface 28. ing.
[0029]
The size of the upper surface 28 is larger than the outer diameter of the substrate A, and the outer diameter of the substrate A is, for example, 8 inches or 12 inches. As will be described later, support pins 34 for supporting the substrate A are provided on the upper surface 28, and the support pins 34 for supporting the substrate A are rotated about the axis X together.
[0030]
The shaft portion 26 extends downward concentrically with the disk portion 24, and the side surface thereof is supported by a housing 38 via a bearing 36. The diameter of the shaft portion 26 is smaller than the diameter of the disk portion 24, so that a support pin driving device 39 for relatively rotating the support pin 34 described below is provided in the annular open space below the disk portion 24. A bearing 40 is disposed below the shaft portion 26, and the bearing 40 supports the shaft portion 26, that is, the spin chuck 20 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis X.
[0031]
The drive section 22 has a mechanism for rotating the shaft section 26, and includes a motor 42, a pulley 44 connected to the motor 42, a pulley 46 connected to the shaft section 26, and a transmission belt 48 for transmitting rotation between the pulleys. And The drive section 22 rotates the shaft 26, the disk section 24, and thus the support pins 34 supporting the substrate A about the rotation axis X. The number of rotations of the substrate A is determined according to the process of the substrate A, and is generally 200 to 3000 RPM in the case of the processing process and 3000 to 5000 RPM which is higher in the case of the drying process.
[0032]
As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the support device 14 for the substrate A includes six support pins 34 for supporting the substrate A substantially horizontally on the upper surface 28, as described above. By penetrating through the support pin 24, the support pin 34 is attached to the disc 24 so as to be substantially upright and rotatable. Inside the support pin 34, four support pins 50 are respectively fixed substantially upright and fixed to the disc 24. I have. The six support pins 34 are arranged on the circumference at equal angular intervals in the circumferential direction around the axis X according to the size of the substrate A to be processed, while the four support pins 50 are similarly arranged. Are fixedly arranged on the circumference at equal angular intervals in the circumferential direction around the axis X. The number of support pins is at least three or more.
[0033]
As shown in FIG. 3, each of the plurality of support pins 34 has a support side surface 54 for supporting and supporting the side peripheral surface 52 of the substrate A from the side, and the horizontal cross section of the support side surface 54 is It forms an arc (semicircle in the present embodiment) centered on the axis Y, and each of the support side faces 54 is rotatable about the axis Y. Each of the support pins 50 is configured to contact and support the lower surface A2 of the substrate A from below when the substrate A is not supported by the support pins 34.
[0034]
Each of the plurality of support pins 34 has a cutout 56 that extends laterally and upward with respect to the axis Y. As described later, each support pin 34 is rotated around the axis Y so that By directing the notch 56 to the peripheral surface 52, the support of the substrate A by each support pin 34 is released, the support of the substrate A is performed by the support pin 50, and the substrate A is moved by, for example, an arm of a transfer robot. It is possible to lift up from directly below.
[0035]
The support pin driving device 39 will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, below the disk portion 24 of the spin chuck 20, the same number of the first gears 58 as the number of the support pins 34 and the first gears 58 mesh with each other. A gear mechanism 62 including the second gear 60 is provided. Each of the plurality of first gears 58 is connected to the lower end of the corresponding support pin 34 concentrically with the axis Y, and is rotatable about the axis Y. On the other hand, the second gear 60 is connected to the spin chuck 20 concentrically with the rotation axis X of the spin chuck 20 and is rotatable integrally with the spin chuck 20 about the rotation axis Y.
[0036]
The second gear 60 is rotated about an axis X by a cam mechanism 72 including a cylindrical cam 64 and a cam follower 70 having an inclined surface 68 that is in contact with a side peripheral surface 66 of the cylindrical cam 64, thereby rotating the plurality of first gears 58. Rotate, and thus each of the support pins 34 rotates relative to the spin chuck 20.
[0037]
The cam mechanism 72 will be described. As shown in FIG. 5, a cylindrical cam 64 is provided at the upper end of a shaft 73 extending in a substantially vertical direction and rotatable about an axis X, while a lower surface of the second gear 60 is provided. Is provided with a cam follower 70 extending downward therefrom and having a sloped surface 68 disposed at the lower end so as to be inclined in the rotational tangential direction of the second gear 60. As will be described later, the cylindrical cam 64 is movable in the vertical direction, and is rotatable about the rotation axis X integrally with the spin chuck 20.
[0038]
The inclined surface 68 is a curved surface having a circular cross section with respect to the inclined direction of the inclined surface 68, and is arranged in such a direction that the side peripheral surface 66 of the cam follower 70 makes point contact with the inclined surface 68. It is preferable that the cam follower 70 and the cylindrical cam 64 have a curved profile that makes point contact with each other. As long as the cam follower 70 and the cylindrical cam 64 make point contact or line contact, for example, the inclined surface 68 may be flat, and the cam may be ball-shaped. .
[0039]
A spring (not shown) having one end fixed to the lower surface of the second gear 60 and the other end fixed to the lower surface of the disk portion 24 is attached to the lower surface of the second gear 60, and the second gear 60 is connected to the spin chuck. When a predetermined angle relative to the rotation of the second gear 20 is applied, the urging force of the spring acts to rotate the second gear 60 in the reverse direction.
[0040]
Describing the vertical movement mechanism of the cylindrical cam 64, the screw shaft 74 is connected to the motor 78 via the coupling 76, and the fixing nut 80 is screwed to the screw shaft 74. The outer annular member 82 to which the fixing nut 80 is fixed is connected to an inner annular member 86 to which the lower end of the shaft 73 is fixed via a bearing 84, and the upper end of the shaft 73 is supported by a linear bearing 88 so as to be vertically movable. Have been. As a result, when the motor 78 is driven, the shaft portion 26 rotates about the axis X while the fixing nut 80 and thus the shaft 73 connected to the fixing nut 80 via the bearing 84 move in the vertical direction. Accordingly, the shaft 73 also rotates integrally with the shaft portion 26 via the member 90.
[0041]
According to the above configuration, by moving the cylindrical cam 64 in the vertical direction by the motor 78, the cam follower 70 is pushed out in the rotational direction through the inclined surface 68, and the second gear 60 is rotated relative to the spin chuck 20. Accordingly, while the spin chuck 20 is rotating, the plurality of support pins 34 are rotated in the same direction around the respective axes Y while synchronizing the plurality of support pins 34, and the substrate A is supported on the support side surfaces of the respective support pins 34. It is possible to rotate the spin chuck 20 relative to the spin chuck 20 in a rolling contact manner. When the second gear 60 rotates relative to the spin chuck 20 by a predetermined angle, the biasing force of the spring overcomes and rotates the second gear 60 in the reverse direction. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 2, the substrate A can be rotated within the range of the angle α.
[0042]
Next, the apparatus 16 for supplying a processing liquid to a substrate will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9. The processing unit 10 for the substrate includes a bevel on the upper surface of the substrate, which is installed above the upper surface A1 of the substrate A. It has a processing unit 16A and a processing unit 16B for the entire lower surface of the substrate installed below the lower surface A2 of the substrate A. The treatment liquid is an acid, an alkali or an organic solvent or other chemicals, pure water or deionized water, and the contents of the treatment, for example, the object to be removed and cleaned is any foreign matter such as particles, polymers, and metals, or an oxide film or nitrogen. It may be appropriately determined depending on which film, such as a converted film or a deteriorated film generated by CMP, is used.
[0043]
First, the bevel processing unit 16A will be described.
[0044]
As shown in FIG. 6, the bevel processing unit 16A of the substrate A vertically moves between a holding position above a shutter 92 (see FIG. 7) that can be opened and closed in the horizontal direction and an operating position below the shutter 92. It is connected to a motor 96 via a gear mechanism 94 so as to be movable, and a shutter 92 is provided at a position corresponding to the position at which the processing liquid hangs so that the processing liquid does not drip at the holding position and drip onto the surface of the substrate A. In addition, a receiving groove 98 for the processing liquid is provided.
[0045]
As shown in FIG. 8, the bevel processing unit 16A has a main body 102 in which an annular flow path 100 for supplying a processing liquid to the substrate A is formed. Unlike the spin chuck 20, the main body 102 is left standing without rotating in the operating position. The distance between the operating position and the upper surface A1 of the substrate A is 0.5 mm to 3 mm. The main body 102 has an annular flat lower surface 104, and is disposed such that the lower surface 104 is substantially parallel to the substrate A, and forms a gap 31 through which fluid flows between the main body 102 and the upper surface A1 of the substrate A. An annular outlet 106 for the treatment liquid is provided on the lower surface 104 so as to face the gap 31, and extends obliquely downward toward the upper surface A1 of the substrate A and radially outward to the annular outlet opening 106. Form 100.
[0046]
The annular flow path 100 is formed to taper toward the annular outflow opening 106. As shown in FIG. 9, the inclination angle β of the annular flow path 100 around the annular outflow opening 106 is at least an acute angle so that the processing liquid flowing out of the annular outflow opening 106 is directed to the outside of the substrate A, In detail, it is determined according to the type, flow rate, outflow opening area and the like of the processing liquid, but is preferably 10 ° to 30 °. On the upstream side of the annular flow path 100, an annular reservoir 108 for temporarily storing the processing liquid is provided so as to circulate through the annular flow path 100, and the upstream side of the annular reservoir 108 Pipe lines 114 communicating with the plurality of processing liquid inlets 112 provided in the plurality of directions are provided in communication with the annular reservoir 108.
[0047]
Each of the processing liquid inlets 112 is connected to a processing liquid supply source (not shown) of a chemical solution or pure water through a branch pipe (not shown) via a flow meter and an adjustment valve (see FIG. 1). As a result, the processing liquid flowing in from each processing liquid inlet 112 reaches the annular reservoir 108 through each pipe 114, and the processing liquid once stored therein flows out through the annular flow path 100 in an annular shape. The processing liquid is supplied to the substrate A by flowing toward the outside of the substrate A from the opening 106.
[0048]
In a region of the lower surface 104 surrounded by the inner peripheral edge 116 of the annular outflow opening 106, a concave portion 118 having a circular horizontal cross section depressed from the lower surface 104 is provided, and a first inert gas for injecting nitrogen gas as a first inert gas is provided. (1) An inert gas outflow opening 120 is formed by a peripheral edge 122 forming a boundary with the recess 118 of the lower surface 104 so as to face the gap 31, and has a form of a circular opening substantially concentric with the annular outflow opening 106. Thereby, the first inert gas flows into the recess 118 through the inflow opening 117 communicating with the inert gas supply source (not shown) through the flow controller, the regulating valve, and the filter, and the inactive gas outflow opening 120. Through the gap 31 and radially outward of the substrate A.
[0049]
A second inert gas outflow opening 126 is formed in the area of the lower surface 104 between the outer peripheral edge 124 of the annular outflow opening 106 and the outer peripheral edge 125 of the main body 102, and the substrate A An annular flow path 128 is formed obliquely downward toward the upper surface A1 and extends radially outward to the second inert gas outflow opening 126.
[0050]
The second inert gas outflow opening 126 is in the form of an annular outflow opening substantially concentric with the annular outflow opening 106. As shown in FIG. 9, the inclination angle γ of the annular flow path around the second inert gas outflow opening 126 is such that the second inert gas flowing out from the second inert gas outflow opening 126 is positioned outside the substrate A. As directed, it is at least an acute angle, and is determined in detail according to the type of gas, flow rate, outlet opening area, etc., but is preferably 10 ° to 30 °. On the upstream side of the annular flow path 128, an annular reservoir 127 for temporarily storing an inert gas is provided so as to circulate through the annular flow path 128, and the upstream side of the annular reservoir 127 is provided on the upper surface 110 of the main body 102. Pipe lines 131 communicating with the plurality of second inert gas inflow ports 129 provided in the circumferential direction are provided so as to circulate with the annular reservoir 127.
[0051]
Each of the second inert gas inlets 129 is connected to an inert gas supply source (not shown) through a branch pipe (not shown) via a flow controller, a regulating valve, and a filter (see FIG. 1). ). Thereby, the second inert gas flowing from each second inert gas inlet 129 reaches the annular reservoir 127 through each pipe 131, and the second inert gas once stored therein is The inert gas is supplied to the substrate A by flowing toward the outside of the substrate A from the annular outflow opening 126 through the annular flow path 128.
[0052]
With this configuration, when only the first inert gas is used, the inert gas atmosphere facing from the inside to the annular processing liquid flow from the annular outflow opening 126 toward the upper surface A1 of the substrate A is at least negatively pressured. By flowing the first inert gas from the first inert gas outflow opening 120 to the outside of the substrate A through the gap 31 so as to maintain the predetermined pressure, the lower surface 104 of the gap 31 to the upper surface A1 of the substrate A By forming a gas barrier along the vicinity of the inner peripheral edge 116, the supply of the processing liquid to the upper surface A1 of the substrate A can be limited to a desired annular region on the upper surface of the substrate A.
[0053]
When both the first inert gas and the second inert gas are used, the processing liquid supplied from the annular outflow opening 106 is supplied to the substrate A by the first inert gas ejected from the first inert gas outflow opening 120. Is drawn out of the substrate A by the second inert gas ejected from the second inert gas outflow opening 126 while being entrained outward, so that only the first inert gas is used. As in the case, the supply of the processing liquid to the upper surface A1 of the substrate A can be limited to a desired annular region on the upper surface of the substrate A.
[0054]
As described above, in any case, by selecting the diameter of the annular outflow opening 106 of the processing liquid, it is possible to determine the annular region where the upper surface A1 of the substrate A is to be processed.
[0055]
On the other hand, referring to FIG. 10, the processing unit 16B on the lower surface of the substrate A will be described. An outer tube 130 for supplying an inert gas (nitrogen gas) and a processing solution extending in the outer tube 130 are supplied. And an inner tube 132 for performing the operation. The outer tube 130 extends to the upper surface 28 of the spin chuck 20 through the through hole 32 without contact with the through hole 32, and the inner tube 132 passes through the lower end surface 134 of the outer tube 130 and spins in the outer tube 130. It extends so as to protrude from the upper surface of the chuck 20.
[0056]
The inner tube 132 and the outer tube 130 are arranged concentrically around the rotation axis X of the spin chuck 20, and supply the processing liquid in a substantially vertical direction toward the substantially center of the substrate A by the upper peripheral edge 136 of the inner tube 132. A processing liquid supply nozzle 138 is formed on the lower surface A2 between the upper peripheral edge 140 of the outer tube 130 and the outer peripheral surface 142 of the inner tube 132 such that the vicinity of the lower surface A2 of the substrate A is in an inert gas atmosphere. An inert gas injection nozzle 144 for injecting an inert gas toward the inert gas is formed. The inert gas injection nozzle 144 has a form of an annular nozzle arranged so as to surround the processing liquid supply nozzle 138.
[0057]
A baffle plate 146 is provided between the lower surface A2 of the substrate A and the inert gas injection nozzle 144, and is fixed to the outer peripheral surface 142 of the inner tube 132 above the inert gas annular nozzle 144, and is concentric with the annular nozzle. And in the form of a disk arranged substantially parallel to the substrate A. As shown in FIG. 11, the baffle plate 146 has eight through holes 148 forming eight branch flow paths arranged at equal angular intervals in the circumferential direction of the baffle plate 146. The inflow opening 152 of the branch flow of the inert gas formed on the baffle plate surface 150 of the baffle plate 146 on the side of the inert gas injection nozzle is offset and disposed outside the inert gas injection nozzle 144. Outflow openings 154 of the inert gas branch flow formed on the opposite surface of the surface 150 are formed inwardly of the inflow openings 152, each of which is connected to the surface of the substrate A as shown in FIG. Is provided with a predetermined inclination so as to hit the flow of the processing liquid from the processing liquid supply nozzle 138 just before this. The number and opening area of the through holes 148 may be selected according to the flow rate of the inert gas from the inert gas injection nozzle 144 and the like.
[0058]
The baffle plate 146 is provided with an inert gas from the surface of the baffle plate 146 so that the deflected flow toward the outside of the substrate A is restricted between the upper surface 28 and the region outside the inflow openings 152 of the plurality of branch flow paths. It has a protruding ring portion 156 protruding toward the injection nozzle 144. Thus, the diffuser effect such that the inert gas flow deflected by the baffle plate 146 draws the inert gas flow toward the partially branched substrate A is prevented from occurring.
[0059]
According to such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 10, the baffle plate 146 receives the flow of the inert gas injected from the inert gas injection nozzle 144, deflects the flow toward the outside of the substrate A, and has the through hole. 148, a part of the flow deflected outward of the substrate A is branched, and a direct hit on the substrate A by the jet flow of the inert gas injection nozzle 144 is avoided, so that the substrate A is prevented from being adversely affected. It is possible to secure uniform processing of the substrate A by the processing liquid while maintaining the lower surface A2 of the substrate A, particularly the central portion to which the processing liquid is first supplied, in an inert gas atmosphere.
[0060]
Next, with reference to FIG. 12, the treatment liquid separation / collection device 18 will be described. A pot 160 having an inwardly facing annular opening 158 is provided so as to surround the periphery of the substrate A. The pot 160 includes an annular upper wall 162 extending obliquely inward and upward, an annular lower wall 166 having a substantially flat bottom surface 164, an outer peripheral wall 168 between the annular upper wall 162 and the annular lower wall 166, and an inner wall 162. An annular eave 174 having a predetermined length is suspended in a substantially vertical direction from an upper peripheral edge 172 of the annular upper wall 162, and a lower peripheral edge 176 of the annular eave 174 and an upper peripheral edge 178 of the inner peripheral wall 170 are provided. An annular opening 158 is formed.
[0061]
Inside the pot 160, there are three annular rings extending upwardly and inward from the bottom surface 164 toward the annular opening 158 so as to partition the bottom surface 164 of the pot 160 in an annular shape. Partitions 180A, B, and C are provided in a nested manner. Each of the annular partitions 180A, 180B, 180C can be vertically moved independently of each other by a vertical drive mechanism 182, as described later.
[0062]
By positioning the inner peripheral edge 183 of each of the adjacent annular partitions 180 in the annular opening 158 so that the processing liquid flowing from the annular opening 158 can be received, the inner peripheral surface 184 of the outer annular partition 180 and the inner annular partition 180 are positioned. The outer peripheral surface 186 of the 180 forms an annular flow path 188 communicating with the bottom surface 164. When viewed from one annular partition, the inner peripheral surface of the annular partition 180 is positioned by positioning the annular partition 180 above the annular opening 158, that is, above the level at which the processing liquid from the substrate A scatters outward. 183 forms a guide surface for guiding the processing solution from the substrate A from the annular opening 158 to the bottom surface 164 of the pot 160, and places the annular partition 180 at a level below the annular opening 158, that is, the processing solution from the substrate A is directed outward. By positioning below the level at which it scatters, the outer peripheral surface 186 of the annular partition 180 forms another guide surface for guiding the processing liquid from the substrate A from the annular opening 158 to the bottom surface 164 of the pot 160. .
[0063]
When the inner peripheral edge 183 of each of the adjacent annular partitions 180 is positioned in the annular opening 158, the other adjacent annular partitions 180 are positioned close to each other in the up-down direction, so that mist generated from the scattering of the processing liquid is reduced. It is possible to prevent the inflow into the annular flow path from the gap between the inner peripheral edges 183 of the adjacent annular partitions 180.
[0064]
The vertical length of the annular eave 174 is such that when the three annular partitions 180A, B, and C are positioned at the uppermost position in the pot 160 by the vertical drive mechanism 182, the upper peripheral edge 183 of the three annular partitions 180 Preferably, the length is such that all are hidden by the annular eaves 174. This makes it possible to prevent the processing liquid from the substrate A or the mist generated from the processing liquid from entering the space between the inner peripheral edges 183 of the adjacent annular partitions 180.
[0065]
Each of the plurality of annular partitions 180 includes an umbrella portion 188 inclined inward and upward toward the annular opening 158, and a cylindrical portion 190 having an upper peripheral end connected to the umbrella portion 188 and extending upward from the bottom of the pot 160. Having. The inclination of the umbrella portion 188 is substantially parallel to the upper peripheral wall 162 of the pot 160. A fixed cylindrical portion 192 extends upward from the bottom surface 164 so as to surround the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 190. The outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 190 and the inner peripheral surface of the fixed cylindrical portion 192 have a predetermined clearance, for example, 0.5 mm, and the fixed cylindrical portion 192 keeps the cylindrical portion even when the umbrella portion 188 reaches the uppermost position. The height is such that 190 and fixed cylindrical portion 192 overlap.
[0066]
Each of the umbrella portions 188 has an annular protrusion 194 extending outward from a connection portion with the cylindrical portion 190, and extends from the bottom surface 164 of the pot 160 so as to surround the cylindrical portion 190 below the annular protrusion 194. An annular partition 196 extending upward is provided, so that the annular flow channel 188 is formed by the oblique flow channel 198 formed by the umbrella portions 188 of the adjacent annular partitions 180 and the cylindrical portion 190 of the outer annular partition 180. An outer channel 204 formed by the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the annular partition 196; and an inner channel 210 formed by the inner peripheral surface of the annular partition 196 and the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 190 of the outer annular partition 180. And the outer flow path 204 and the inner flow path 210 form an inverted U-shaped flow path.
[0067]
The outer flow path 204 communicates with a processing liquid outlet (not shown) at the lowermost end thereof, and the inner flow path 210 communicates with a mist outlet (not shown) at the lowermost end thereof. (Not shown) draws the inside of the annular flow path.
[0068]
Of the plurality of annular partitions 180, the outermost annular partition 180A forms an annular flow path between the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface 212 of the outer peripheral wall 168 of the pot 160, while the plurality of annular partitions 180 The innermost annular partition 180 </ b> C forms an annular flow path between the inner peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface 214 of the inner peripheral wall 170 of the pot 160. In the innermost annular flow path, an annular receiver 218 for receiving a processing solution for paddling is provided substantially directly below the outer peripheral edge of the spin chuck 20, thereby providing a low-speed rotation (for example, a few rotations) such as paddling processing. Even if the processing liquid cannot flow into the annular opening 206 because of the processing liquid (eg, several tens of RPM), the processing liquid is surely separated and recovered, and particularly, the mixing with the processing liquid separated and recovered in the innermost annular flow path is prevented. be able to.
[0069]
The mist inflow opening formed by the upper peripheral edge of the annular partition 196 and the inner peripheral surface of the fixed cylindrical portion 192 adjacent to the inside has an annular conductance adjustment having a plurality of through holes 224 distributed in the circumferential direction. A plate 226 is provided, and the size of each of the plurality of through holes 224 is made smaller as it is closer to the mist outlet. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the mist collection from being biased in the circumferential direction.
[0070]
Next, the vertical drive mechanism 182 of the annular partition 180 will be described. A shaft connecting member 228 is attached to the inner peripheral surface of the annular partition 180, and the upper end of the shaft connecting member 228 is fixed to the inner peripheral surface 184. The lower end is open, and the hollow part faces downward. Immediately below the hollow cylindrical member 228, a hollow cylindrical member 230 extending upward from the bottom surface 164 is provided, and the hollow cylindrical member 230 has a diameter that fits in the hollow portion of the shaft connecting member 228. A shaft 232 extending upward through the lower wall 166 and the hollow cylindrical member 230 passes through the hollow portion, and the upper end of the shaft 232 is connected to the upper end of the shaft connecting member 228.
[0071]
The lower end of the shaft 232 is connected to the shaft 236 via a coupling 234, and the lower end of the shaft 236 is screwed to a nut 238. The nut 238 is fixed to one of a pair of gears 240, and the other gear is a motor 242. It is connected to. With such a configuration, the rotation of the motor 242 causes the shaft 236 screwed to the nut 238 to rotate through the pair of gears 240 so as to move up and down, and the annular partition 180 is rotated via the shaft 232 and thus the shaft connecting member 228. It can be moved up and down.
[0072]
As shown in FIG. 13, a cam mechanism may be used as a modification of the above-described vertical drive mechanism. The cam mechanism 250 is fixed to a shaft 252 rotatable by a motor 251, and is connected to each of the annular partitions 180 so as to follow three profiles of substantially parallel flat cams 254 and each of the flat cams 254. And a cylindrical cam follower 258 fixed to the lower end of the shaft 256 extending to the bottom. According to this, each annular partition 180 can move up and down in a predetermined relative positional relationship through a different cam profile by a single motor.
[0073]
The material of the member of the processing unit 10 that comes into contact with the processing liquid is preferably selected from synthetic resins such as Teflon (registered trademark), polypropylene, PVDF, and vinyl chloride according to the processing liquid to be used.
[0074]
The operation of the substrate processing unit having the above-described configuration is accompanied by the substrate A loading step, the substrate A processing step, the substrate A rinsing step, the substrate A drying step, and the processing step, the rinsing step, and the drying step. The process will be described separately for the recovery process of the processing liquid, the rinsing liquid and the drying gas. Hereinafter, the substrate A is arranged so that the surface on which the elements of the substrate A are formed is on the upper surface and the rear surface on which the elements are not formed is the lower surface. And the case where the processing is performed in parallel with the entire lower surface and the side peripheral surface.
[0075]
(1) Step of Loading Substrate A Before loading the substrate A, the upper surface bevel processing unit 16A is positioned at the standby position. Next, the substrate A to be processed is transferred to the upper surface of the spin chuck 20 by a transfer robot (not shown). At this time, as shown in FIG. 3B, each support pin 34 is rotated, and the notch 56 is placed inward toward the center of the substrate A. Next, the substrate A is supported from below by each support pin 50 by a transfer robot (not shown), and each support pin 34 is rotated by itself to bring the arc-side peripheral surface 54 into contact with the peripheral edge 52 of the substrate A, as shown in FIG. As shown in A), the substrate A is supported substantially horizontally. Next, the shutter 92 is opened, and the upper bevel processing unit 16A is moved downward from the standby position to the operating position. As described above, the positioning of the upper surface bevel processing unit to the operation position and the loading process of the substrate A are completed.
[0076]
(2) Regarding the processing step of the substrate A, the spin chuck 20 is rotated by the motor 42, and the substrate A is rotated at a predetermined rotation number around the axis X. As a result, the substrate A rotates at a predetermined rotational speed about the vertical axis X while being supported by the support pins 34. Next, while performing the bevel processing on the upper surface of the substrate A, the processing on the entire lower surface and the side peripheral surface is performed in parallel.
[0077]
First, the processing of the lower surface A2 will be described with reference to FIG. A processing liquid is supplied from the processing liquid supply nozzle 138 and a nitrogen gas is supplied from the inert gas supply nozzle 144 toward substantially the center of the lower surface A2 of the substrate A. At this time, the nitrogen gas injected from the inert gas supply nozzle 144 toward the lower surface A2 of the substrate A is received by the baffle plate 146, the flow is deflected radially outward, and the flow of the nitrogen gas is reduced. The lower surface A2 of the substrate A together with the flow of the processing liquid is directed to the lower surface A2 of the substrate A together with the flow of the processing liquid while flowing toward the lower surface A2 of the substrate A through the through hole 148 and colliding with the flow of the processing liquid. Flows along.
[0078]
Thus, by preventing the nitrogen gas from directly hitting the lower surface A2 of the substrate A, the adverse effect on the substrate A is avoided, and the vicinity of the center of the substrate A is maintained in an inert gas atmosphere. Marks can be prevented from being generated.
[0079]
The nitrogen gas flow deflected by the baffle 146 prevents the diffuser effect by restricting the flow between the protruding ring 156 and the upper surface 28, thereby preventing the upper surface 28 from being drawn back through the through hole 148. Flows substantially parallel to the outside of the substrate A, meets the lower surface A2 of the substrate A, and merges with the inert gas flow deflected by the lower surface A2. Thus, while avoiding the inert gas jet from directly hitting the substrate A, the inert gas atmosphere is maintained around the center of the substrate A, and the processing liquid on the substrate A is obstructed by the inert gas jet. Without flowing, it flows radially outward of the substrate A due to the centrifugal force, so that the entire surface of the substrate A can be uniformly treated.
[0080]
On the other hand, the bevel processing of the upper surface A1 of the substrate A will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. When only the first inert gas flows, the processing liquid from the annular outlet 106 is While forming an annular flow toward A1, the nitrogen gas from the first inert gas outflow opening 120 flows outward from the inside of the annular outflow opening 106 through the gap 31. At this time, from the lower surface 104 of the gap 31 to the upper surface A1 of the substrate A, it is difficult to face the annular processing liquid flow toward the upper surface A1 of the substrate A from the inside so as to form a gas barrier along the vicinity of the inner peripheral edge 116. By maintaining the active gas atmosphere at least at a predetermined pressure other than the negative pressure, the supply of the processing liquid to the upper surface A1 of the substrate A can be limited to a desired annular region of the upper surface A1 of the substrate A.
[0081]
When both the first inert gas and the second inert gas are supplied, the processing liquid supplied from the annular outlet 106 is supplied to the substrate A by the first inert gas ejected from the first inert gas outlet 120. When only the first inert gas flows by being drawn outward from the substrate A by the second inert gas ejected from the second inert gas outflow opening 126 while being entrained outward. Similarly to the above, the supply of the processing liquid to the upper surface A1 of the substrate A can be limited to a desired annular region of the upper surface A1 of the substrate A.
[0082]
The use of the case where only the first inert gas flows and the case where both the first inert gas and the second inert gas flow are described in terms of the rotation speed, the gas flow rate, the processing liquid flow rate, the position of the annular opening, and the radius of the opening. It may be appropriately selected from the viewpoint of precisely processing a desired annular region near the outer peripheral edge of the substrate A according to conditions such as the direction width and the processing liquid discharge angle.
[0083]
In any case, unlike the spin chuck 20, the main body unit 102 is not rotated during the processing of the substrate A, and therefore, the processing liquid and the inert gas are supplied to the respective sources of the processing liquid and the inert gas. And can be easily supplied to the annular flow paths 100 and 128 provided inside the main body 102 via the branch pipe.
[0084]
As described above, only the desired annular region on the upper surface of the substrate A can be uniformly and accurately processed in the circumferential direction.
[0085]
Finally, regarding the processing of the side peripheral surface of the substrate A, as shown in FIG. 4, by moving the cylindrical cam 64 upward by the motor 78 during the high-speed rotation of the substrate A, the cam follower 70 is rotated in the rotation direction of the substrate A. When the second gear 60, the first gears 58 meshing with the second gear 60, and the respective support pins 34 rotate at a high speed integrally with the spin chuck 20, the second gear 60 rotates relative to the spin chuck 20 by a predetermined angle. As shown in (2), the contact support portions on the side peripheral surface of the substrate A supported from the sides by the respective support pins 34 are exposed from the respective support pins. The substrate A can be rotationally moved within the angular range α by the urging force of the spring. As a result, the exposed contact support portion can be treated with the treatment liquid for the upper surface treatment or the treatment liquid for the lower surface treatment, and the portion of the side peripheral surface 54 of the support pin 34 supporting the substrate A is cleaned. It is also possible.
[0086]
This makes it possible to prevent processing unevenness on the side peripheral surface of the substrate A and to suppress cross contamination caused by the support pins 34. At this time, since the substrate A moves in a rolling contact manner without sliding on the side peripheral surface 54 of the support pin 34, the generation of wear powder due to the sliding as in the related art is avoided. It becomes possible.
[0087]
Next, a process of collecting the processing liquid will be described.
[0088]
As shown in FIG. 14, the annular partitions 180A, 180B, and 180C are all positioned at the uppermost position, thereby forming an annular flow path between the inner peripheral surface of the annular partition 180C and the inner peripheral wall of the pot 160. The processing liquid and the inert gas that have processed the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate A scatter outside the substrate A in the radial direction, and flow into the pot 160 from the annular opening 158. The inflowing processing liquid is first received by the inner peripheral surface of the umbrella portion 188C of the outer annular partition 180C, and is guided into the pot 160 from there without being bounced back to the substrate A from the annular opening 158. Through the oblique flow path, a mist is generated each time it hits the wall of the annular partition 180, and a short circuit to the inner flow path 210 is prevented by the annular projection 194C and the annular partition wall 196C. The processing liquid is separated and recovered from the flow and the processing outlet.
[0089]
Next, the mist flows through the inner flow path 210 while being drawn by the suction device through the mist outlet, passes through the through holes 224 of the conductance adjusting plate 226 of the pot 160, and prevents the mist flow in the circumferential direction from being biased. While being recovered from the mist outlet. At this time, by positioning the other annular partitions 180A and 180B at positions close to each other, it is possible to prevent the processing liquid and the mist generated therefrom from flowing into the other annular flow path. As described above, the inner flow path 210 and the outer flow path 204 are formed as inverted U-shaped flow paths, and priority is given to recovering a mist generated from the flow of the processing liquid as a liquid rather than recovering the mist as a mist. The recovery yield can be improved.
[0090]
As described above, according to the type of the processing liquid, by selecting the annular flow path to be used, it is possible to perform the separation and recovery without mixing with other processing liquids. After performing an appropriate process, for example, a process of removing foreign substances in the processing liquid, the substrate A can be returned to the processing liquid supply source of the processing unit of the substrate A and reused as appropriate.
[0091]
(2) Rinsing Step and Drying Step of Substrate A The rinsing step and drying step of the substrate A first use a chemical solution because pure water is used in the rinsing step and an inert gas is used in the drying step. The processing step is different from the processing step for the substrate A except that the processing fluid is different, and secondly, that the high-speed rotation is required in the drying step. Since they are substantially the same, the processing liquid recovery step will be described below for each of the rinsing step and the drying step.
[0092]
First, as shown in FIG. 15, from the position of the annular partition 180 in FIG. 14, the annular partition 180C is moved down to the level of the upper surface 28, while the annular partition 180B is moved to the lower end level of the annular eave 174. Thus, an annular flow path of the rinsing liquid is formed by the inner peripheral surface 184 of the annular partition 180B and the outer peripheral surface 186 of the annular partition 180C.
[0093]
In this state, if the upper surface A1 of the substrate A is rinsed with a rinsing liquid, the rinsing liquid scattered in all directions from the upper surface A1 of the substrate A passes through the annular opening 158, similarly to the recovery of the processing liquid in the processing step of the substrate A. It flows into the annular channel 188. More specifically, first, the rinsing liquid is received by the inner peripheral surfaces of the umbrella portions 188B, C of the outer annular partitions 180B, C, flows through the oblique flow path 198, and reaches the outer flow path 204. At this time, the annular protrusion 194C prevents the rinsing liquid flowing in the oblique flow path 198 from directly short-circuiting to the outflow opening. Every time the rinse liquid hits the inner wall of the flow path, mist is generated. The generated mist is drawn to the mist outlet of the inner flow path 210 by the exhaust device. The rinsing liquid is then collected through the outlet opening and reused.
[0094]
As described above, according to the processing fluid recovery step according to the present embodiment, it is possible to recover the processing liquid independently according to the processing liquid to be used without occupying a large space, particularly, a space in the vertical direction. Yes, the processing solution can be reused under appropriate processing known to those skilled in the art.
[0095]
In the drying step, as shown in FIG. 16, from the arrangement of the annular partition 180 in FIG. 15, the annular partition 180B is moved downward to the level of the upper surface 28, while the annular partition 180A is moved slightly downward. Thus, an annular flow path is formed by the inner peripheral surface 183 of the annular partition 180A and the outer peripheral surface 186 of the annular partition 180B. Subsequent steps are the same as those in the case of the processing step or the rinsing step, and a description thereof will be omitted.
[0096]
As shown in FIGS. 14 to 16, regardless of which annular flow path 188 is used, the inner peripheral edge 183 of the annular partition 180 is positioned at the lower peripheral edge 176 of the annular eave 174 or the upper peripheral edge of the spin chuck 20. This makes it possible to prevent the processing liquid or mist from entering the uncollected annular flow channel 188.
[0097]
(3) Unloading Step of Substrate A Basically, the reverse step of the loading step of the substrate A is performed. First, after the supply of the processing liquid and the inert gas is stopped, the upper surface bevel processing unit 16A is moved upward from the operating position to the standby position. Next, each support pin 34 is rotated by a predetermined angle, and the support of the substrate A is released with the cylindrical peripheral surface 54 supporting the substrate A facing outward. As a result, the substrate A is supported in contact with the support pins 50 from below. In this state, by extending the fork of the transfer robot (not shown) below the substrate A and moving the fork upward, the substrate A can be lifted from the support pins 34 and carried out. Thus, the unloading process of the substrate A is completed. Thus, the single wafer processing of the substrate A is completed.
[0098]
In the apparatus for separating and recovering processing liquid according to the present embodiment, the three annular partitions can be independently moved relative to the pot 160 in the vertical direction independently, and the interior of the pot 160 is partitioned by these annular partitions 180. However, in order to prevent foreign matter such as abrasion powder from being mixed into the separated and collected processing liquid, all the constituent members inside the pot 160 including the three annular partitions are secured with an interval between the members, and No moving parts are created. As described above, since the inside of each annular flow path partitioned by the three annular partitions is sucked from the outside, the gap between the members does not cause any problem as long as the processing liquid or the mist is separated and collected. It should just be size.
[0099]
The substrate processing unit 10 described above is particularly effective for the following steps.
[0100]
First, it is particularly effective in the processing step of the substrate A on which copper wiring is performed. That is, while preventing cross-contamination due to copper diffusing into Si crystal and SiO ₂ at high speed, while separating and collecting and reusing the processing liquid, the bevel processing on the upper surface of the substrate A is performed accurately and reliably. The processing of the peripheral surface and the uniform processing of the entire lower surface can be performed at one time, thereby greatly improving the processing efficiency.
[0101]
Second, it is effective in a spin-coating film forming process when an interlayer insulating film is formed from a so-called low-k material or high-k material. That is, since an extra film is formed by spin coating to reach the back surface of the substrate, the surface on which the interlayer insulating film is formed is used to remove the extra film attached around the periphery of the substrate. By treating only the desired peripheral portion with the upper surface as the upper surface, and simultaneously processing the entire back surface where no elements are formed, efficient processing is possible.
[0102]
Next, a second embodiment of the substrate processing unit according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. The characteristic parts will be described below.
[0103]
FIG. 17 is a schematic vertical sectional view of a second embodiment of the substrate processing unit according to the present invention. A feature of the substrate processing unit 300 is that a processing unit similar to the processing unit 16B for the lower surface A2 of the substrate A is employed for the upper surface A1 of the substrate A instead of the upper bevel processing unit 16A of FIG. This upper surface processing unit has exactly the same configuration as the processing unit in the first embodiment.
[0104]
According to such a configuration, by supplying the same processing liquid to the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate A at the same time, the entire upper and lower surfaces can be processed at the same time. This is effective for efficiently removing particles or impurities attached to both surfaces of the substrate later.
[0105]
As for the treatment of the upper surface A1 of the substrate A, as in the treatment of the lower surface A2 in the first embodiment, the processing liquid is supplied to the upper surface A1 of the substrate A rotating at a high speed, substantially at the center of the substrate A, By spraying an inert gas so as to cover the substrate A, the processing liquid is blown outward in the radial direction of the substrate A by centrifugal force, thereby processing the entire upper surface from the center of the substrate A to the peripheral edge of the substrate A with the processing liquid. It is possible to do.
[0106]
At this time, the inert gas injected toward the upper surface is once received by the baffle plate 146 ', and is deflected to a flow toward the outside of the substrate A, and a part of such a deflected flow is branched to form the upper surface A1. By flowing toward the upper surface A1, the upper surface A1 is uniformly treated, and at the same time, the inert gas jet is prevented from directly hitting the upper surface A1 of the substrate A, and the inert gas is still flowing around the center of the upper surface A1. As an atmosphere, it is possible to prevent a water mark from being generated on the upper surface A1. In addition, in the same manner as in the first embodiment, it is possible to separate and collect the processing liquid on the upper and lower sides of the substrate A at once.
[0107]
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention described in the claims. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the upper and lower surfaces are processed at the same time, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and those skilled in the art can make various changes without departing from the scope of the present invention.
[0108]
For example, only the inert gas may be supplied to the substrate A without supplying the processing liquid to any of the upper and lower surfaces. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the processing liquid from flowing to the opposite surface.
[0109]
Further, in the device for supporting the substrate A, it is also possible to hold the substrate from the side while supporting the substrate in a non-contact manner from below the substrate A by using a Bernoulli chuck or an air bearing without employing a support pin for supporting the substrate from below. It is possible.
[0110]
Further, in the separation and recovery apparatus for the treatment liquid, the number of the annular partitions may be determined according to the type of the chemical solution or the like to be used. For example, the pot may be divided into two by one annular partition.
[0111]
【The invention's effect】
According to the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention, uniform processing of the substrate surface can be performed while maintaining the vicinity of the substrate surface in an inert gas atmosphere.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a first embodiment of a substrate processing unit according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of a substrate supporting portion of the substrate supporting device of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a support pin of the substrate support device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the substrate supporting device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a view of the upper bevel processing apparatus of FIG. 1 in a standby position.
FIG. 7 is a plan view showing opening and closing of the shutter of FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the top bevel processing apparatus of FIG.
FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a portion A in FIG. 8;
10 is a partial longitudinal sectional view showing a configuration around a baffle plate of the lower surface processing apparatus of FIG. 1;
FIG. 11 is a plan view as seen from line AA in FIG. 10;
FIG. 12 is a partial longitudinal sectional view showing the configuration of the treatment liquid separation / recovery device of FIG. 1;
13 is a partial longitudinal sectional view showing another configuration of the treatment liquid separation and recovery device of FIG. 1;
14 is a partial vertical sectional view showing the operation of the apparatus for separating and recovering treatment liquid of FIG. 1;
FIG. 15 is a partial vertical sectional view showing the operation of the apparatus for separating and recovering treatment liquid of FIG. 1;
FIG. 16 is a partial vertical sectional view showing the operation of the apparatus for separating and recovering treatment liquid of FIG. 1;
FIG. 17 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a second embodiment of the substrate processing unit according to the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
A Substrate A
A1 Lower surface A2 Upper surface 10 Substrate processing unit 12 Substrate rotation device 14 Substrate support device 16 Processing liquid supply device 18 Processing liquid separation and collection device 20 Spin chuck 22 Drive unit 24 Disk unit 26 Shaft unit 130 Outer tube 132 Inner tube 138 Treatment liquid supply nozzle 144 Inert gas injection nozzle 146 Baffle plate 148 Through hole 152 Inflow opening 154 Outflow opening 156 Projection ring

Claims (4)

Substrate rotation holding means for rotating while holding the substrate in a substantially horizontal plane,
A processing liquid supply unit for supplying a processing liquid to the surface of the substrate, and a substrate processing apparatus having
The processing liquid supply unit has a processing liquid supply nozzle that supplies the processing liquid in a substantially vertical direction toward a substantially center of the substrate,
Further, an inert gas injection nozzle that injects an inert gas toward the surface so that the vicinity of the surface is an inert gas atmosphere,
A baffle provided between the surface and the inert gas injection nozzle is further provided so as to receive the inert gas flow injected from the inert gas injection nozzle and deflect the flow toward the outward direction of the substrate. Have
This baffle has a through hole for partially branching the deflected flow toward the outside of the substrate so as to maintain the surface vicinity in an inert gas atmosphere,
The inflow opening of the inert gas branch flow formed on the surface of the baffle plate on the side of the inert gas injection nozzle of the baffle plate is offset from the inert gas injection nozzle, and The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an outlet opening of the branch flow of the inert gas formed on a surface opposite to the baffle plate surface is formed inside the inlet opening. The inert gas injection nozzle has a form of an annular nozzle arranged to surround the processing liquid supply nozzle,
The baffle plate has the form of a disk disposed concentrically with the annular nozzle and substantially parallel to the substrate,
The through-hole has a plurality of branch flow paths, each having a predetermined inclination such that the inert gas branch flow hits the processing liquid flow from the processing liquid supply nozzle in front of the surface of the substrate,
The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of branch passages are arranged at equal angular intervals in a circumferential direction of the baffle plate. The substrate rotating means has a spin chuck rotatable about a substantially vertical axis, and a rotation driving means for rotating the spin chuck,
The substrate supporting means has a support fixed to the upper surface of the spin chuck and extending from the upper surface toward the substrate,
The baffle plate is arranged such that the deflected flow toward the outside of the substrate is restricted to an area outside the inflow opening of the plurality of branch passages from the top surface of the baffle plate. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a projecting ring portion projecting toward the active gas injection nozzle. The spin chuck has a through hole around its rotation axis,
An outer tube for supplying an inert gas, which extends through the through hole to the upper surface of the spin chuck in a non-contact manner with the through hole; An inner pipe for supplying a processing liquid, which extends so as to protrude from the upper surface of the chuck,
The inner tube and the outer tube are arranged concentrically around a rotation axis of the spin chuck,
The processing liquid supply nozzle is formed by an upper peripheral edge of the inner tube,
The inert gas annular nozzle is formed between an upper peripheral edge of the outer tube and an outer peripheral surface of the inner tube,
The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the baffle plate is fixed to an outer peripheral surface of the inner pipe above the inert gas annular nozzle.

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