JP2007005478A - Substrate processing apparatus, substrate processing method, and computer-readable storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method which can suppress the falling of a pattern formed on a substrate when washing and drying the substrate. <P>SOLUTION: The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a liquid processing part 2 for processing a wafer W by dipping it in pure water which is stored therein, dry processing part 3 for drying the wafer W, wafer guide 4 for transferring the wafer W between the liquid processing part 2 and the dry processing part 3, liquid nozzle 71 for supplying water vapor and IPA vapor to the dry processing part 3, and controlling portion 99 which that controls the supply of the water vapor and the IPA vapor in such a way that the water vapor and the IPA vapor may be supplied to the dry processing part 3 after the wafer W dipped in the pure water stored in the liquid processing part 2 is pulled up toward the dry processing part 3 and the lower end of the wafer W is taken out of the surface of the pure water. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method for cleaning and drying a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer, and a computer-readable storage medium used for controlling the substrate processing apparatus to execute the substrate processing method.

  In the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, various cleaning apparatuses for cleaning a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as “wafer”) are used. For example, the wafer is immersed in a processing tank storing a chemical solution such as dilute hydrofluoric acid (DHF), and then rinsed by immersing the wafer in a processing tank storing pure water, and then isopropyl alcohol (IPA). A processing method is known in which a wafer is dipped in the processing tank in which the wafer is stored and the wafer is slowly lifted from the processing tank or the IPA is discharged from the processing tank to dry the wafer using the Marangoni effect. (For example, refer to Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  However, recently, the circuit pattern formed on the wafer has been thinned, and the strength of the convex portion of the pattern has been reduced. When the process is performed, the inconvenience that the pattern (convex part) formed falls in the drying process.

Such pattern collapse occurs when the convex part of the circuit pattern is located at the boundary between the gas phase and the liquid phase when the wafer is pulled up from the IPA processing tank (or when IPA is discharged from the IPA processing tank). It is considered that the balance of the magnitude of the force applied to the convex portion is lost due to the surface tension of the IPA between the gas phase side and the liquid phase side of the convex portion.
JP-A-63-23326 JP 2003-243351 A

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate processing method, and a substrate processing method that suppress the occurrence of collapse of a pattern provided on a substrate at the time of transition from substrate liquid processing to drying processing. It is an object to provide a computer-readable storage medium for causing a substrate processing apparatus to execute the method.

  In the first aspect of the present invention, a liquid processing mechanism for performing liquid processing by bringing pure water into contact with the surface of the substrate, and a mixture comprising pure water and a volatile organic solvent on the surface of the substrate in order to dry the substrate Provided is a substrate processing apparatus comprising a fluid supply mechanism for supplying a fluid and a control unit for controlling the supply of the mixed fluid.

  In the substrate processing apparatus according to the first aspect, the control unit can be configured to control the concentration of the volatile organic solvent in the mixed fluid. In this case, it is preferable to control the fluid supply mechanism so that the concentration of the volatile organic solvent in the mixed fluid supplied from the fluid supply mechanism to the substrate increases continuously or stepwise over time. . In this case, the specific concentration of the volatile organic solvent is preferably 40% or less at the beginning and 90% or more at the end.

  In a second aspect of the present invention, a liquid processing unit for immersing a substrate in stored pure water for processing, a drying processing unit provided above the liquid processing unit for drying the substrate, and the liquid processing unit Substrate transport device for transporting the substrate between the substrate and the drying processing unit, and a fluid supply mechanism for supplying the drying processing unit with a mixed fluid composed of water vapor or mist of pure water and vapor or mist of a volatile organic solvent And a controller for controlling the supply of the mixed fluid.

  In the substrate processing apparatus according to the second aspect, the control unit pulls up the substrate immersed in pure water stored in the liquid processing unit toward the drying processing unit, and the lower end of the substrate is stored. The substrate transport mechanism and the fluid supply mechanism can be controlled so as to supply the mixed fluid to the drying processing unit after leaving the surface of pure water. In addition, the control unit may stop supplying pure water vapor or mist to the drying processing unit after a predetermined time has elapsed since the supply of the mixed fluid to the drying processing unit has started. The fluid supply mechanism can be configured to be controlled.

  In addition, the control unit starts supplying the mixed fluid to the drying processing unit, and then continues the supply while supplying the substrate immersed in pure water stored in the liquid processing unit to the drying processing unit. The substrate transfer device and the fluid supply mechanism can be controlled so as to be pulled upward. In this case, when the control unit pulls up the substrate immersed in the pure water stored in the liquid processing unit toward the drying processing unit, the control unit starts from the surface of the pure water in which the lower end of the substrate is stored. The fluid supply mechanism can be configured so as to stop the supply of pure water vapor or mist to the drying processing unit after exiting.

  Furthermore, the apparatus further comprises a shutter capable of isolating the liquid processing unit and the drying processing unit, and the control unit is configured such that a substrate immersed in pure water stored in the liquid processing unit is completely the drying processing unit. The shutter and the fluid supply so that the liquid processing unit and the drying processing unit are isolated by the shutter after being pulled up, and then the supply of pure water vapor or mist to the drying processing unit is stopped. It can be configured to control the mechanism.

  Furthermore, in the second aspect, the control unit can be configured to control the concentration of the volatile organic solvent in the mixed fluid. At this time, the drying process is performed from the fluid supply mechanism. It is preferable to control the fluid supply mechanism so that the concentration of the volatile organic solvent in the mixed fluid supplied to the unit increases continuously or stepwise over time. Further, before the supply of pure water vapor or mist to the drying processing unit is stopped, the supply is reduced from the fluid supply mechanism to the drying processing unit by reducing the supply continuously or stepwise. It is preferable to control the fluid supply mechanism so that the concentration of the volatile organic solvent in the mixed fluid increases continuously or stepwise over time. As described above, the specific concentration of the volatile organic solvent when the concentration of the volatile organic solvent is changed is preferably 40% or less at the beginning and 90% or more at the end.

  Furthermore, the apparatus further includes a gas supply mechanism that supplies a heated inert gas to the drying processing unit, and the control unit is stopped for a predetermined time after the supply of pure water vapor or mist to the drying processing unit is stopped. After the elapse of time, the supply of the volatile organic solvent vapor or mist to the drying processing unit is stopped, and then the heated inert gas is supplied to the drying processing unit and the gas It can be configured to control the supply mechanism.

  In the substrate processing apparatus according to the first and second aspects, isopropyl alcohol (IPA) can be suitably used as the volatile organic solvent.

  In the third aspect of the present invention, the step of cleaning the substrate with pure water and the drying processing unit comprises water vapor or mist of pure water and vapor or mist of a volatile organic solvent in order to dry the substrate. And providing a mixed fluid. A substrate processing method is provided.

  In this case, the method may further include a step of changing the concentration of the volatile organic solvent in the mixed fluid, and the step of changing the concentration of the volatile organic solvent in the mixed fluid may include the step of changing the concentration of the volatile organic solvent in the mixed fluid. The concentration of the volatile organic solvent is preferably increased continuously or stepwise over time. The specific concentration of the volatile organic solvent at this time is preferably 40% or less at the beginning and 90% or more at the end.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a step of immersing the substrate in the stored pure water in the liquid processing unit in which pure water is stored and cleaning the substrate is provided in communication with the liquid processing unit. A step of transporting the substrate to the drying processing unit, and a step of supplying a mixed fluid comprising water vapor or mist of pure water and vapor or mist of a volatile organic solvent to the drying processing unit in order to dry the substrate. A substrate processing method is provided.

  In the substrate processing method according to the fourth aspect, the step of supplying the mixed fluid supplies the mixed fluid immediately after the lower end of the substrate comes out from the surface of pure water stored in the liquid processing unit. Can be. The step of supplying the mixed fluid may include supplying the mixed fluid before the substrate is started to be transferred to the transfer unit or simultaneously with the start of transfer, and continuously supplying the mixed fluid to the drying processing unit. It is also possible to transport the substrate.

  Further, the method further includes a step of stopping supply of pure water vapor or mist to the drying processing unit and a step of stopping supply of vapor or mist of the volatile organic solvent to the drying processing unit. Can do. In addition, the method may further include a step of supplying a heated dry gas to the drying processing unit in order to evaporate the volatile organic solvent on the surface of the substrate.

  Further, the method may further include a step of separating the liquid processing unit and the drying processing unit after the substrate is accommodated in the drying processing unit.

  In the fourth aspect, the method may further include a step of changing the concentration of the volatile organic solvent in the mixed fluid, and the step of changing the concentration of the volatile organic solvent in the mixed fluid includes the step of The concentration of the volatile organic solvent in the mixed fluid is preferably increased continuously or stepwise over time. In addition, before stopping the supply of pure water vapor or mist to the drying processing unit, the supply of the volatile organic solvent in the mixed fluid is time-lapsed by reducing the supply continuously or stepwise. At the same time, it is preferable to increase the level continuously or stepwise. The specific concentration of the volatile organic solvent at this time is preferably 40% or less at the beginning and 90% or more at the end.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium in which software for causing a computer to execute a control program is stored, wherein the control program includes a step of cleaning a substrate with pure water at the time of execution, In order to dry the substrate, the computer executes a substrate processing apparatus such that a step of supplying a mixed fluid composed of water vapor or mist of pure water and vapor or mist of a volatile organic solvent to the drying processing unit is executed. A computer-readable storage medium including software for controlling the computer is provided.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium storing software for causing a computer to execute a control program, wherein the control program is stored in a liquid processing unit in which pure water is stored at the time of execution. In order to dry the substrate, a step of immersing the substrate in the stored pure water to clean the substrate, a step of transporting the substrate to a drying processing unit provided above the liquid processing unit, and Software for controlling a substrate processing apparatus by a computer so that a process of supplying a mixed fluid comprising water vapor or mist of pure water and vapor or mist of a volatile organic solvent to the drying processing unit is executed. A computer-readable storage medium is provided.

  In the fifth aspect and the sixth aspect, the control program may further execute a step of changing the concentration of the volatile organic solvent in the mixed fluid at the time of execution.

  According to the present invention, after the substrate is treated with pure water, a mixed fluid composed of pure water and a volatile solvent is supplied to the substrate, preferably by changing the concentration of the volatile solvent, The occurrence of pattern collapse is suppressed by supplying a mixed fluid composed of water vapor or mist of volatile organic vapor or mist of volatile organic solvent to the drying processing unit and controlling the supply of the mixed fluid at that time Can do. For this reason, a favorable circuit pattern can be obtained. Further, since the final drying of the substrate is performed by volatilizing the volatile organic solvent on the surface of the substrate, there is an advantage that the generation of the watermark can be suppressed.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic structure of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, for example, a plurality of semiconductor wafers (hereinafter referred to as “wafers”) on which a predetermined circuit pattern is formed by a photolithography technique or the like are collectively treated with a predetermined chemical solution, and then pure water (DIW) is used. An apparatus that performs rinsing and further drying will be described as an example.

  The substrate processing apparatus 1 performs processing on a wafer W with a predetermined chemical solution, for example, dilute hydrofluoric acid aqueous solution (DHF), ammonia-hydrogen peroxide solution (APF), sulfuric acid-hydrogen peroxide solution (SPM), and the like. A liquid processing unit 2 that performs a rinsing process with pure water (DIW), a drying processing unit 3 that is provided above the liquid processing unit 2 and that dries the wafer W that has been rinsed in the liquid processing unit 2; A wafer guide 4 that can hold a plurality of wafers W and is movable (lifted / lowered) between the liquid processing unit 2 and the drying processing unit 3 by an elevating mechanism 7 is provided. A fan filter unit (FFU) (not shown) is disposed above the substrate processing apparatus 1 so that clean air is supplied to the substrate processing apparatus 1 as a downflow.

  The wafer guide 4 includes, for example, a holding unit 26 that can hold up to 50 wafers W in a substantially vertical posture and arranged side by side in a direction (horizontal direction) perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 26, and the column 27 penetrates a lid 62 of the chamber 5 described later.

  The liquid processing unit 2 includes a box 13 and a liquid processing tank 6 accommodated in the box 13. The liquid treatment tank 6 stores chemical liquid and pure water alternately and appropriately, and an inner tank 30 that performs chemical liquid treatment and rinse treatment by immersing the wafer W in the chemical liquid and pure water, and an opening at the top of the inner tank 30. The middle tank 31 formed so as to surround the outer tank 32 and the outer tank 32 formed so as to surround the opening of the middle tank 31.

  In the inner tank 30, a processing liquid discharge nozzle 35 for discharging chemical liquid and pure water into the inner tank 30 and a concentration sensor 57 for measuring the concentration of the chemical liquid are provided. A processing liquid supply line 56 attached to the processing liquid discharge nozzle 35 is branched into a pure water supply line 52 and a chemical liquid supply line 55. Pure water is supplied from a pure water supply source to the processing liquid discharge nozzle 35 through a pure water supply line 52 having an opening / closing valve 53 interposed therebetween and the processing liquid supply line 56, and a chemical liquid supply line having an opening / closing valve 54 interposed therebetween. The chemical solution is supplied from the chemical solution supply source 55 through the processing solution supply line 56.

  A drain pipe 36 having an open / close valve 37 is connected to the bottom of the inner tank 30, and the chemical solution and pure water stored in the inner tank 30 are discharged into the box 13 by opening the open / close valve 37. Be able to. Also, a drainage pipe 18 having an opening / closing valve 19 interposed is provided at the bottom of the box 13 so that the chemical solution and pure water can be discharged from the box 13. Further, the box 13 is provided with an exhaust pipe 29 for exhausting the atmospheric gas in the box 13 so that chemical vapor or the like can be exhausted.

  The middle tank 31 receives the chemical solution and pure water overflowed from the upper surface opening of the inner tank 30. The middle tank 31 is provided with a drain pipe 41 for discharging the chemical solution and pure water from the middle tank 31, and a trap 42 is connected to the drain pipe 41. In this trap 42, the chemical liquid and pure water discharged through the drainage pipe 41 are stored at a constant height, and the chemical liquid and pure water are discharged from the trap 42 through the drainage pipe 43 opened at the water surface. The lower end (drainage port) of the drainage pipe 41 is arranged at a position lower than the upper end (drainage port) of the drainage pipe 43. With such a configuration, the atmosphere of the drainage pipe 43 and the box 13 can be prevented from flowing into the drainage pipe 41.

  The outer tub 32 always stores pure water, and the shutter box 11 in which the lower part of the annular seal plate 46 is immersed in the pure water and the upper end thereof is disposed above the outer tub 32. It arrange | positions so that it may closely_contact | adhere to the lower board. With such a configuration, the outer tub 32 has a sealing function using pure water, and the atmosphere of the inner tub 30 does not leak to the outside.

  The drying processing unit 3 is provided with a chamber 5 for accommodating the wafer W. The chamber 5 includes a substantially cylindrical part 61 and a dome-shaped lid part 62 that opens and closes the upper surface opening of the cylindrical part 61. ing. The opening on the lower surface of the cylindrical portion 61 is airtightly connected to the opening formed in the upper plate of the shutter box 11.

  The lid 62 can be moved up and down by an elevator mechanism (not shown), and the lower end surface of the lid 62 abuts on an air seal ring 63 provided at the upper end of the cylindrical portion 61 as shown in FIG. Sealed. Further, the wafer W between the outside of the substrate processing apparatus 1 and the inside of the drying processing unit 3 with the lid 62 moved to the upper side of the position shown in FIG. 1 (that is, with the chamber 5 opened). Can be carried in and out. More specifically, the wafer W is transferred between the holding unit 26 and an external transfer device (not shown) in a state where the holding unit 26 of the wafer guide 4 is placed on the cylindrical unit 61.

  In the chamber 5, a fluid nozzle 71 is provided for mixing water vapor and isopropyl alcohol (IPA) vapor or supplying them alone into the chamber 5. A pipe 21 is connected to the fluid nozzle 71. The pipe 21 is branched into pipes 21a and 21b on the way, and is connected to a pure water supply source and an IPA supply source, respectively. Then, by opening the opening / closing valve 83 provided in the pipe 21a and operating the flow rate control valve 85, pure water is sent to the steam generator (heating device) 23 having a predetermined flow rate, and steam is generated there. Similarly, by opening the on-off valve 82 provided in the pipe 21b and operating the flow rate control valve 84, IPA is sent to the IPA vapor generator 22 having a predetermined flow rate, where IPA vapor is generated. These water vapor and IPA vapor are singly or mixed in the fluid supply line 21 and injected into the chamber 5 from the fluid nozzle 71. At this time, the IPA concentration of the mixed fluid supplied from the fluid nozzle 71 can be changed by controlling the flow control valves 84 and 85 by the control unit 99 described later.

  As the fluid nozzle 71, for example, one having a cylindrical shape and having a structure in which the steam injection ports are formed at regular intervals in the longitudinal direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 1) is preferably used. . The fluid nozzle 71 is arranged so that water vapor or IPA vapor injected from the vapor injection port is injected obliquely upward without directly hitting the wafer W accommodated in the chamber 5. The water vapor and IPA vapor pass through the upper left and upper right of the wafer W and rise toward the upper part of the inner peripheral surface of the lid part 62, and then merge and descend at the upper center of the lid part 62. It flows in between and flows down along the surface of the wafer W.

Further, a nitrogen gas nozzle 72 for injecting nitrogen (N ₂ ) gas heated to room temperature or a predetermined temperature is provided in the chamber 5. A nitrogen gas at room temperature is supplied from the nitrogen gas supply source to the heater 24 by operating the opening / closing valve 86. Here, when the heater 24 is not heated, the nitrogen gas at room temperature passes through the nitrogen gas supply line 25. Nitrogen gas injected from the nitrogen gas nozzle 72 and heated to a predetermined temperature by heating the heater 24 to a predetermined temperature can be injected from the nitrogen gas nozzle 72 through the nitrogen gas supply line 25.

  As the nitrogen gas nozzle 72, one having the same structure as the fluid nozzle 71 is preferably used. The nitrogen gas nozzle 72 is preferably arranged so that the nitrogen gas injected from the gas injection port is injected obliquely upward without directly hitting the wafer W accommodated in the chamber 5. The nitrogen gas sprayed from the nitrogen gas nozzle 72 passes through the upper left and upper right of the wafer W, rises toward the upper part of the inner peripheral surface of the lid 62, joins and falls at the upper center of the lid 62, and It flows in between and flows down along the surface of the wafer W.

  An exhaust nozzle 73 for discharging atmospheric gas in the chamber 5 is further provided inside the chamber 5, and a natural exhaust line for performing natural exhaust from the chamber 5 is provided in the exhaust nozzle 73. 49 and a forced exhaust line 48 for performing forced exhaust. The exhaust nozzle 73 has a cylindrical shape, and slit-type intake ports of a certain length for taking in the gas in the chamber 5 are arranged at regular intervals in the longitudinal direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 1). What has the formed structure is used suitably.

  A local exhaust device 8 is attached to the outer apex portion of the lid 62. FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the local exhaust device 8. When the local exhaust device 8 is supplied with air (or nitrogen gas or the like), the local exhaust device 8 is deformed and expanded, and is brought into close contact with the periphery of the wafer guide 4, thereby forming a gap between the support column portion 27 and the lid portion 62 of the wafer guide 4. An air seal ring 65 for sealing and an annular exhaust pipe 66 for discharging gas entering the gap between the support column 27 and the lid 62 of the wafer guide 4 are provided. Note that FIG. 2 shows a state where sealing by the air seal ring 65 is not performed.

  As shown in FIG. 2, in a state where air is not supplied (or deaerated) to the air seal ring 65, the air seal ring 65 is separated from the wafer guide 4, so that the wafer guide 4 can be moved up and down. By exhausting from the exhaust pipe 66 when the wafer guide 4 is moved up and down in this way, it is possible to prevent the atmospheric gas in the chamber 5 from leaking to the outside. In addition, by providing the exhaust pipe 66 below the air seal ring 65, the deterioration of the air seal ring 65 due to the IPA vapor can be suppressed.

  The atmosphere of the liquid processing tank 6 provided in the liquid processing unit 2 and the atmosphere of the chamber 5 provided in the drying processing unit 3 are isolated by a shutter 10 that is slidable in the horizontal direction between them, or It can be communicated. The shutter 10 is accommodated in the shutter box 11 when liquid processing is performed in the liquid processing tank 6 and when the wafer W is moved between the liquid processing tank 6 and the chamber 5. In a state where the shutter 10 is disposed directly under the cylindrical portion 61, the lower surface opening is airtightly closed by the seal ring 15 provided on the upper surface of the shutter 10 coming into contact with the lower end of the cylindrical portion 61. The shutter box 11 is provided with an exhaust pipe 16 with an open / close valve 17 interposed therebetween, so that the atmosphere in the shutter box 11 can be exhausted.

  In such a substrate processing apparatus 1, drive control of various mechanisms accompanying the processing of the wafer W (for example, raising and lowering of the lid 62, raising and lowering of the wafer guide 4, sliding of the shutter 10, etc.), nitrogen gas, pure water, and IPA Control of a valve for controlling fluid supply from each supply source to the substrate processing apparatus 1 is performed by a control unit (process controller) 99. The control unit 99 includes a data input / output unit including a keyboard on which a process manager manages command input to manage the substrate processing apparatus 1, a display that visualizes and displays the operating status of the substrate processing apparatus 1, and the like. 97 is connected.

  In addition, the control unit 99 performs processing on each component of the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to a control program for realizing various processes executed by the substrate processing apparatus 1 under the control of the control unit 99 and processing conditions. A storage unit 98 that stores a program to be executed (that is, a recipe) is connected. The recipe may be stored in a hard disk, semiconductor memory, or the like, or set at a predetermined position in the storage unit 98 while being stored in a portable storage medium readable by a computer such as a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM. You may come to do. Furthermore, you may make it transmit a recipe suitably from another apparatus via a dedicated line, for example.

  Then, if necessary, an arbitrary recipe is called from the storage unit 98 according to an instruction from the data input / output unit 97 and is executed by the control unit 99, so that the substrate processing apparatus 1 controls the control unit 99. The desired processing is performed.

Next, a method for cleaning the wafer W using the substrate processing apparatus 1 will be described.
First, a first example of the cleaning process will be described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a first example of the cleaning process.
First, the liquid treatment tank 6 and the chamber 5 are separated from each other by the shutter 10 (STEP 1a), the inside of the chamber 5 is filled with nitrogen gas, and the internal pressure thereof is the same as the atmospheric pressure (STEP 1b). A predetermined chemical solution is stored in the inner tank 30 of the processing tank 6 (STEP 1c). In this state, the holding unit 26 of the wafer guide 4 is disposed in the drying processing unit 3.

  The lid portion 62 is raised, and the holding portion 26 of the wafer guide 4 is brought out above the cylindrical portion 61 to stop the supply of nitrogen gas into the chamber 5, and the wafer is transferred from an external substrate transfer device (not shown). 50 wafers W are delivered to the holder 26 of the guide 4 (STEP 2). Next, the wafer guide 4 is lowered to house the wafer W in the cylindrical portion 61 of the chamber 5, and the lid portion 62 is further lowered. At this time, the upper surface of the cylindrical portion 61 is in a slightly opened state. Thereafter, the shutter 10 is slid so that the liquid treatment tank 6 and the chamber 5 communicate with each other while performing forced exhaust from the exhaust nozzle 73 (STEP 3).

  Even when the shutter 10 is opened in this manner, a downflow from a fan filter unit (FFU) (not shown) flows into the chamber 5 and a flow of clean air from the upper surface opening of the cylindrical portion 61 toward the exhaust nozzle 73 is formed. It is possible to prevent the atmosphere of the chemical solution stored in the inner tank 30 from rising to the chamber 5.

  Subsequently, the wafer guide 4 is further lowered, and the held wafer W is immersed in the chemical stored in the inner tank 30 for a predetermined time (STEP 4). When the processing of the wafer W with this chemical solution is completed, pure water is supplied from the processing liquid discharge nozzle 35 into the inner tank 30 while the wafer W is immersed in the inner tank 30, and the chemical solution in the inner tank 30 is purified. Substituting with water, the wafer W is rinsed (STEP 5). At this time, the chemical liquid and pure water overflowed from the inner tank 30 are received by the middle tank 31 and discharged through the drain pipe 41 and the trap 42. The replacement of the chemical solution with pure water in the inner tank 30 may be performed by discharging the chemical solution to the box 13 through the drain pipe 36 and then supplying pure water to the inner tank 30.

  Whether or not the chemical solution in the inner tank 30 has been replaced with pure water can be determined by the measured value of the concentration sensor 57. When the chemical solution in the inner tank 30 is replaced with pure water by the measured value of the concentration sensor 57 and the chemical liquid is discharged from the inner tank 30, the forced exhaust line 48 is switched to the natural exhaust line 49, and the lid 62 is lowered. The upper surface of the cylindrical portion 61 is closed. At this time, sealing by the air seal ring 65 is not performed in the local exhaust device 8, and exhaust from the exhaust pipe 66 is started. Thereby, atmospheric gas in the chamber 5 can be prevented from leaking outside. Further, it is preferable that nitrogen gas heated to a predetermined temperature is supplied from the nitrogen gas nozzle 72 to the chamber 5 and the inside of the chamber 5 is maintained in a nitrogen gas atmosphere. Thereby, when the chamber 5 is warmed and water vapor and IPA vapor are supplied into the chamber 5 later, condensation of water vapor and IPA vapor on the inner wall of the chamber 5 can be suppressed.

  When the rinsing time of the wafer W with predetermined pure water has elapsed, if the heated nitrogen gas has been supplied into the chamber 5, the supply is stopped and the wafer W is stored in the chamber 5 in order to accommodate the wafer W. Lifting of the guide 4 is started (STEP 6). When the lower end of the wafer W comes out from the surface of the pure water stored in the inner tank 30 (that is, when the wafer W comes out completely from the surface of the pure water), the water vapor and the IPA vapor are immediately mixed from the fluid nozzle 71. Steam (fluid) is supplied into the chamber 5 (STEP 7). As a result, the pure water film formed on the surface of the wafer W pulled up from the pure water is entirely replaced with a liquid film of a mixed liquid of pure water and IPA. The circuit pattern is never dried. At this time, the thickness of the liquid film can be made uniform. Therefore, the pattern collapse does not occur in this step 6.

  When the wafer W rises to a position where it is accommodated in the chamber 5, the raising / lowering of the wafer guide 4 is stopped, the shutter 10 is closed, and the atmosphere of the liquid processing tank 6 and the chamber 5 is isolated (STEP 8). A gap between the support column portion 27 and the lid portion 62 of the wafer guide 4 is sealed by the provided seal ring 65. Thereafter, exhaust from the exhaust pipe 66 may be stopped. When the wafer W is held at a predetermined position in the chamber 5, the supply amount of the water vapor supplied into the chamber 5 is decreased slowly or stepwise, that is, the IPA concentration in the mixed vapor is continuously reduced. The water vapor supply is stopped (STEP 9b). Alternatively, the supply of water vapor is stopped without going through STEP 9a (STEP 9b).

  Thereafter, the supply of IPA vapor into the chamber 5 is continued for a predetermined time, whereby the mixed liquid film of pure water and IPA formed on the surface of the wafer W can be changed to an IPA film. When the IPA film is thus formed on the surface of the wafer W, the supply of IPA vapor is stopped (STEP 10), and then the wafer W is dried. In this drying process, for example, nitrogen gas heated to a predetermined temperature is supplied into the chamber 5 to volatilize and evaporate IPA from the surface of the wafer W (STEP 11), and then nitrogen gas at room temperature is supplied into the chamber 5 Then, the wafer W can be cooled to a predetermined temperature (STEP 12).

  Generation of the Marangoni effect can be suppressed in the first cleaning process described above. That is, when attention is paid to the convex portion of the circuit pattern provided on the wafer W, one of the opposing side surfaces of the convex portion is in contact with the gas phase, and the other is unlikely to be in contact with the liquid phase. In addition, a substantially uniform liquid film is always formed on the circuit pattern between the time when the wafer W is pulled up from the pure water stored in the inner tank 30 and the time when the IPA film is formed on the wafer W. In addition, since the evaporation of IPA can be carried out evenly over the entire surface of the wafer W, the balance of the force applied to the convex portion due to the surface tension of the liquid phase is not easily lost, thereby suppressing the occurrence of pattern collapse. can do. In addition, since the final drying of the wafer W is performed by volatilizing or evaporating the IPA on the surface of the wafer W, there is an advantage that a watermark is hardly generated.

  In addition, by drying using a mixture of IPA and pure water in this way, particularly as shown in the above STEP 9a, by changing the IPA concentration in the mixed vapor, a rapid surface tension between patterns is obtained. Changes can be mitigated, and pattern collapse can be effectively prevented.

  This will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the IPA concentration and the surface tension in the mixed water of pure water and IPA supplied to the pattern. When the IPA concentration on the horizontal axis is 0%, pure water is 100%. As shown in this figure, the surface tension of 100% pure water is 70 mN / m or more, while that of 100% IPA is 20 mN / m. Therefore, the more IPA, the more ultimately, 100% IPA. Although the surface tension should be small and the pattern collapse should be reduced, the mixed vapor may not always be supplied uniformly to all the patterns, and there is actually uneven supply. In this case, one pattern has 100% IPA. Is replaced, but other patterns are not yet replaced, and there is a possibility that 100% pure water remains. In this case, there is a difference of 50 mN / m in surface tension between the 100% IPA pattern and the 100% pure water pattern. In addition, in the case of 100% IPA, since drying is fast, a pattern in which water exists corresponding to uneven supply of IPA and a pattern in which IPA is dried and nothing remains are generated. A difference in surface tension will occur. When such a large difference in surface tension occurs, pattern collapse frequently occurs. However, when it is replaced with a mixture of IPA and water (mixed steam of IPA and pure water), it takes a long time for drying compared to 100% IPA. However, since there is no sudden surface tension difference, pattern collapse can be reduced. In particular, by changing the IPA concentration, typically by controlling the IPA concentration to be gradually increased in a continuous or stepwise manner, a sudden change in surface tension can be further alleviated, and finally Since it becomes 100% IPA having high volatility, the drying effect is also high. As an example of such a change in density, for example, control is performed so that 10% IPA → 20% IPA → 30% IPA → 100% IPA in stages.

  When the IPA concentration is gradually increased as described above, it is preferable that the IPA is first set to 40% or less and the IPA concentration is set to 90% or more at the end. When the concentration exceeds 40% at the beginning, as shown in FIG. 4, it is not much different from the case where 100% IPA is used. It is because it can be demonstrated.

  In the above example, the IPA concentration is increased by simply reducing the amount of water vapor supplied to the chamber 5, but the IPA concentration is increased by using water vapor as a fixed amount, and the IPA concentration is a predetermined concentration (for example, 40%). The sequence may be such that the amount of water vapor is reduced when the value reaches.

  When the drying of the wafer W is completed as described above, the seal by the air seal ring 65 provided in the local exhaust device 8 is released, the lid 62 is raised upward, and the wafer guide 4 is substantially simultaneously with this. To raise the wafer W to the upper side of the cylindrical portion 61 of the chamber 5 (STEP 13). At this time, supply of nitrogen gas from the nitrogen gas nozzle 72 is stopped, and clean air from the fan filter unit (FFU) is drawn into the chamber 5 through the forced exhaust line 48. Next, a substrate transfer device (not shown) from the outside accesses the wafer guide 4 and unloads the wafer W from the substrate processing apparatus 1 (STEP 14).

  Next, a second example of the cleaning process using the substrate processing apparatus 1 will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a second example of the cleaning process. Since STEPs 101a to 105 shown in FIG. 5 are the same as STEPs 1a to 5 shown in FIG. 3, the description thereof is omitted here.

  In the second cleaning process, when the wafer W is rinsed (STEP 105), the supply of water vapor and IPA vapor into the chamber 5 is started at a predetermined timing (STEP 106). When a predetermined rinsing process time has elapsed, the wafer W is pulled up from the inner tank 30 toward the chamber 5 at a predetermined speed (STEP 107). At this time, IPA is dissolved in the surface of pure water stored in the inner tank 30 by the previous STEP 106 (that is, a mixed solution of pure water and IPA), but the wafer W is lifted for a short time. It is possible to suppress the occurrence of the Marangoni effect. Further, since the interior of the chamber 5 and the upper space of the liquid processing tank 6 are maintained in a mixed atmosphere of water vapor and IPA vapor, the surface of the wafer W is difficult to dry even if the wafer W is pulled up to the space. Can also suppress the occurrence of the Marangoni effect. Thereby, generation | occurrence | production of the pattern collapse in STEP106 can be suppressed.

  Further, as in the first example, by drying using a mixture of IPA and pure water, particularly by changing the IPA concentration in the mixed steam as shown in the above STEP 9a, the pattern spacing Thus, it is possible to relieve a rapid change in surface tension and effectively prevent pattern collapse.

  In this example as well, as in the first example, a sequence is adopted in which the IPA concentration is increased by using steam as a fixed amount, and the amount of water vapor is reduced when the IPA concentration reaches a predetermined concentration (for example, 40%). Can do.

  Since STEPs 108 to 114 which are processing steps after the wafer W is pulled up to the chamber 5 are the same as STEPs 8 to 14 shown in FIG. 3 described above, description thereof is omitted here. Thus, even if this second example of the cleaning process is used, the occurrence of pattern collapse can be suppressed, and the occurrence of watermarks can also be suppressed.

Next, a substrate processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In this embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to a single substrate cleaning apparatus will be described. FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a substrate processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. The substrate processing apparatus 111 has a chamber 112, and a spin chuck 113 for adsorbing and holding a semiconductor wafer W as a substrate in a horizontal state is provided in the chamber 112. The spin chuck 113 can be rotated by a motor 114. A cup 115 is provided in the chamber 112 so as to cover the wafer W held by the spin chuck 113. An exhaust / drain pipe 116 for exhaust and drainage is provided at the bottom of the cup 115 so as to extend below the chamber 112.

  Above the wafer W held by the spin chuck 113, a processing liquid supply nozzle 120 is movably provided by a driving mechanism (not shown). A processing liquid supply pipe 122 is connected to the processing liquid supply nozzle 120, and a switching valve 123 is provided in the processing liquid supply pipe 122. A pipe 124 extending from the pure water supply source 125 and a pipe 126 extending from the chemical liquid supply source 127 are connected to the switching valve 123. By operating the switching valve 123, the chemical liquid and pure water (DIW) are supplied. Either of them can be discharged onto the wafer W. These chemical solution and pure water (DIW) are supplied to the wafer W while rotating the wafer W by the motor 114. Examples of the chemical solution include dilute hydrofluoric acid aqueous solution (DHF), ammonia-hydrogen peroxide solution (APF), sulfuric acid-hydrogen peroxide solution (SPM), and the like, as in the above embodiment. After performing, rinse treatment is performed with pure water (DIW). Note that the processing liquid supply nozzle 120 can scan the wafer W during the chemical processing and the rinsing processing.

  On the other hand, a cleaning / drying nozzle 130 is movably provided above a wafer W by a driving mechanism (not shown). A pipe 131 is connected to the cleaning / drying nozzle 130. A pipe 132 extending from the pure water supply source 133, a pipe 134 extending from the IPA supply source 135, and high-temperature nitrogen gas are supplied to the pipe 131. A pipe 136 extending from the nitrogen gas supply source 137 is connected, and these pipes 132, 134, 136 are provided with opening / closing valves 138, 139, 140 and flow control valves 138a, 139a, 140a, respectively. Thereby, it is possible to select a pure water, IPA, or nitrogen gas to be discharged and control the flow rate thereof. A predetermined one of these is discharged onto the wafer W from the cleaning / drying nozzle 130 through the pipe 131 at a predetermined flow rate. The cleaning / drying nozzle 130 can also scan the wafer W in the same manner as the processing liquid supply nozzle 120.

  Specifically, pure water is supplied to the wafer W through the cleaning / drying nozzle 130 for cleaning while rotating the wafer W by the motor 114, and then a mixed fluid in which IPA and pure water are mixed at a predetermined ratio is supplied. Then, the wafer W is dried by supplying a higher-temperature nitrogen gas.

  Control of various mechanisms (for example, a motor 114 and a nozzle driving mechanism) associated with the processing of the wafer W in the substrate processing apparatus 111, control of valves, and the like are performed by a control unit (process controller) 142. The control unit 142 includes a data input / output unit including a keyboard that allows a process manager to input commands to manage the substrate processing apparatus 111, a display that visualizes and displays the operating status of the substrate processing apparatus 111, and the like. 143 is connected.

  In addition, the control unit 142 performs processing on each component of the substrate processing apparatus 111 according to a control program for realizing various processes executed by the substrate processing apparatus 111 under the control of the control unit 142 and processing conditions. A storage unit 144 that stores a program to be executed (that is, a recipe) is connected. The recipe may be stored in a hard disk, a semiconductor memory, or the like, or set at a predetermined position in the storage unit 144 while being stored in a portable storage medium that can be read by a computer such as a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM. You may come to do. Furthermore, you may make it transmit a recipe suitably from another apparatus via a dedicated line, for example.

  Then, if necessary, an arbitrary recipe is called from the storage unit 144 by an instruction from the data input / output unit 143 and is executed by the control unit 142, so that the substrate processing apparatus 111 is controlled by the control unit 142. The desired processing is performed.

  In the substrate processing apparatus configured as described above, first, the wafer W to be cleaned is placed on the spin chuck 113. Next, the processing liquid supply nozzle 120 is moved immediately above the center of the wafer W, and a predetermined chemical liquid is supplied from the chemical liquid supply source 127 to the wafer W via the pipe 124 and the processing liquid supply nozzle 120 while rotating the wafer W by the motor 114. The wafer W is cleaned. After the cleaning process is completed, while the wafer W is rotated, the switching valve 123 is switched from the pipe 126 to the pipe 124 to supply pure water onto the wafer W through the processing liquid supply nozzle 120 to perform the rinsing process. It is preferable that the processing liquid supply nozzle 120 scans the wafer W during the cleaning process and the rinsing process.

  After the rinsing process is completed, the processing liquid supply nozzle 120 is withdrawn, the cleaning / drying nozzle 130 is moved above the wafer W, the open / close valve 138 is opened, and the pipes 132 and 131 and the cleaning / drying nozzles 130 from the pure water supply source 133 are opened. After supplying pure water onto the wafer W through the drying nozzle 130 and rinsing, the open / close valve 139 is opened, and the pure water supplied from the pure water supply source 133 by the flow control valves 138a and 139a and the IPA supply are supplied. A mixed fluid mixed with IPA supplied from the source 135 is discharged onto the wafer W from the cleaning / drying nozzle 130. In this case, it is preferable that the cleaning / drying nozzle 130 scans the wafer W.

  By drying using a mixture of IPA and pure water in this way, the surface tension change between patterns can be alleviated and pattern collapse can be effectively prevented, as in the above embodiment. It becomes like this. In particular, the effect is great by changing the IPA concentration in the mixed fluid. For example, after cleaning with pure water, the IPA concentration in the mixed fluid is first set to a low concentration (for example, 20%), and the wafer W is scanned while the cleaning / drying nozzle 130 is scanned while rotating the wafer W. Then, the cleaning / drying nozzle 130 is returned to the center of the wafer W, the IPA concentration of the mixed fluid is set to a high concentration (for example, 100%), and the high concentration IPA mixed fluid is cleaned / dried while rotating the wafer W. A sequence of supplying the wafer W while scanning the nozzle 130 can be adopted. Further, if the IPA concentration stage is changed finely and the IPA concentration of the mixed fluid is gradually changed stepwise or continuously, the pattern collapse can be more effectively prevented. In this case, as in the previous embodiment, the concentration of IPA in the mixed fluid is preferably 40% or less at the beginning and 90% or more at the end.

  In this manner, after the treatment using IPA and pure water, high-temperature nitrogen gas is supplied from the nitrogen gas supply source 137 to the wafer W from the cleaning / drying nozzle 130 to perform finish drying.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to such a form. For example, in the first embodiment, water vapor and IPA vapor are supplied to the chamber 5, but pure water mist is substituted for the water vapor, and IPA mist is supplied to the chamber 5 instead of the IPA vapor. Also good. In this case, it is sufficient to use a fluid nozzle 71 that can eject a liquid in a mist form, or a device that mists pure water or IPA using a gas pressure such as nitrogen gas. In addition to IPA, other volatile organic solvents such as ketones such as acetone and diethyl ketone, ethers such as methyl ether, and alcohols such as methyl alcohol and ethyl alcohol may be used. Further, although the substrate processing apparatus 1 has a structure in which the atmosphere of the liquid processing tank 6 and the chamber 5 can be isolated and communicated by the shutter 10, the shutter 10 is not necessarily required. Even an apparatus that does not have the above-described method can use the wafer W processing method described above. Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the apparatus in which the liquid processing unit and the drying processing unit are configured separately has been described, but the liquid processing unit and the drying processing unit are shared, that is, in the liquid processing tank. Then, the cleaning liquid is discharged after cleaning the substrate, and the volatile organic solvent is supplied into the liquid processing tank, which is effective for a substrate processing apparatus that performs cleaning and drying. In this case, after cleaning the substrate, pure water in the liquid processing tank is discharged, and then a mixed fluid of a volatile organic solvent such as IPA and pure water is supplied to the liquid processing tank. It can be configured similarly to the processing apparatus.

  The present invention is not limited to the cleaning process using a chemical solution but can be applied to a wet etching process or the like. Furthermore, the substrate is not limited to a semiconductor wafer, and may be a glass substrate for liquid crystal display, a printed wiring board, a ceramic substrate, or the like.

  The present invention is suitable for an apparatus that performs a liquid process on a substrate, and thereafter performs a rinsing process and a drying process, such as a cleaning process apparatus and an etching process apparatus for various substrates such as a semiconductor wafer.

The schematic diagram which shows schematic structure of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The schematic sectional drawing which shows the local exhaust apparatus of the apparatus of FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a first example of wafer cleaning processing in the apparatus of FIG. 1. The figure which shows the relationship between the IPA density | concentration in the mixed water of the pure water and IPA supplied to a pattern, and surface tension. 6 is a flowchart showing a second example of wafer cleaning processing in the apparatus of FIG. 1. The schematic diagram which shows the schematic structure of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,111; Substrate processing apparatus 2; Liquid processing part 3; Dry processing part 4; Wafer guide 5; Chamber 6; Liquid processing tank 10; Shutter 30; Inner tank 71; Fluid nozzle 72; 120; Treatment liquid supply nozzle 130; Cleaning / drying nozzle 133; Pure water supply source 135; IPA supply source

Claims (33)

A liquid processing mechanism for performing liquid processing by bringing pure water into contact with the surface of the substrate;
A fluid supply mechanism for supplying a fluid mixture of pure water and a volatile organic solvent to the surface of the substrate in order to dry the substrate;
A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a control unit that controls supply of the mixed fluid.   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls a concentration of the volatile organic solvent in the mixed fluid.   The control unit controls the fluid supply mechanism so that the concentration of the volatile organic solvent in the mixed fluid supplied from the fluid supply mechanism to the substrate increases continuously or stepwise over time. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:   The control unit according to claim 3, wherein the concentration of the volatile organic solvent in the mixed fluid supplied to the substrate from the fluid supply mechanism is 40% or less at the beginning and 90% or more at the end. The substrate processing apparatus as described. A liquid processing unit for immersing the substrate in the stored pure water for processing;
A drying processing unit provided above the liquid processing unit for drying the substrate;
A substrate transfer device for transferring a substrate between the liquid processing unit and the drying processing unit;
A fluid supply mechanism for supplying a mixed fluid consisting of pure water vapor or mist and volatile organic solvent vapor or mist to the drying processing unit;
A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a control unit that controls supply of the mixed fluid.   The control unit pulls up the substrate immersed in the pure water stored in the liquid processing unit toward the drying processing unit, and after the lower end of the substrate comes out of the surface of the stored pure water, the drying The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the substrate transport mechanism and the fluid supply mechanism are controlled to supply the mixed fluid to a processing unit.   The control unit is configured to stop supplying pure water vapor or mist to the drying processing unit after a predetermined time has elapsed since the supply of the mixed fluid to the drying processing unit has started. 7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the supply mechanism is controlled.   The control unit starts supplying the mixed fluid to the drying processing unit, and then continues the supply while directing the substrate immersed in pure water stored in the liquid processing unit to the drying processing unit. 6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the substrate transfer device and the fluid supply mechanism are controlled so as to be pulled up.   When the control unit pulls up the substrate immersed in the pure water stored in the liquid processing unit toward the drying processing unit, the lower end of the substrate comes out from the surface of the stored pure water. 9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the fluid supply mechanism is controlled so as to stop the supply of water vapor or mist of pure water to the drying processing unit. A shutter capable of isolating the liquid processing unit and the drying processing unit;
The control unit isolates the liquid processing unit and the drying processing unit by the shutter after a substrate immersed in pure water stored in the liquid processing unit is completely pulled up to the drying processing unit. Then, the shutter and the fluid supply mechanism are controlled so as to stop the supply of water vapor or mist of pure water to the drying processing unit after that, according to any one of claims 5 to 9. The substrate processing apparatus as described.   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control unit controls the concentration of the volatile organic solvent in the mixed fluid.   The control unit controls the fluid supply mechanism so that the concentration of the volatile organic solvent of the mixed fluid supplied from the fluid supply mechanism to the drying processing unit increases continuously or stepwise over time. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 11.   The control unit supplies the drying processing unit from the fluid supply mechanism by decreasing the supply continuously or stepwise before stopping the supply of pure water vapor or mist to the drying processing unit. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the fluid supply mechanism is controlled such that the concentration of the volatile organic solvent in the mixed fluid increases continuously or stepwise over time.   The control unit controls the fluid supply mechanism so that the concentration of the volatile organic solvent of the mixed fluid supplied from the fluid supply mechanism to the drying processing unit is 40% or less at the beginning and 90% or more at the end. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the substrate processing apparatus is controlled. A gas supply mechanism for supplying a heated inert gas to the drying unit;
The control unit stops the supply of vapor or mist of the volatile organic solvent to the drying processing unit after a predetermined time has elapsed since the supply of pure water vapor or mist to the drying processing unit was stopped, and then 15. The fluid supply mechanism and the gas supply mechanism are controlled so as to supply a heated inert gas to the drying processing unit. Substrate processing equipment.   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the volatile organic solvent is isopropyl alcohol (IPA). Cleaning the substrate with pure water;
Supplying a mixed fluid comprising pure water vapor or mist and volatile organic solvent vapor or mist to dry the substrate;
A substrate processing method comprising:   The substrate processing method according to claim 17, further comprising a step of changing a concentration of the volatile organic solvent in the mixed fluid.   The step of changing the concentration of the volatile organic solvent in the mixed fluid is such that the concentration of the volatile organic solvent in the mixed fluid increases continuously or stepwise over time. The substrate processing method of Claim 17 or Claim 18.   The step of changing the concentration of the volatile organic solvent in the mixed fluid is characterized in that the concentration of the volatile organic solvent in the mixed fluid is 40% or less at the beginning and 90% or more at the end. The substrate processing method as described in 2. above. Cleaning the substrate by immersing the substrate in the stored pure water in the liquid processing unit in which the pure water is stored;
Transporting the substrate to a drying processing unit provided in communication with the liquid processing unit;
Supplying a mixed fluid comprising pure water vapor or mist and volatile organic solvent vapor or mist to dry the substrate;
A substrate processing method comprising:   The substrate according to claim 21, wherein in the step of supplying the mixed fluid, the mixed fluid is supplied immediately after a lower end of the substrate comes out of a surface of pure water stored in the liquid processing unit. Processing method.   The step of supplying the mixed fluid includes supplying the mixed fluid before or simultaneously with the start of transfer of the substrate to the transfer unit, and continuously supplying the mixed fluid while supplying the substrate to the drying processing unit. The substrate processing method according to claim 21, wherein the substrate processing method is carried. A step of stopping the supply of water vapor or mist of pure water to the drying processing unit;
The substrate processing method according to claim 21, further comprising a step of stopping supply of vapor or mist of a volatile organic solvent to the drying processing unit.   25. The substrate processing method according to claim 21, further comprising a step of supplying a heating and drying gas to the substrate in order to evaporate a volatile organic solvent on the surface of the substrate.   The substrate processing according to any one of claims 21 to 25, further comprising a step of isolating the liquid processing unit and the drying processing unit after the substrate is accommodated in the drying processing unit. Method.   27. The substrate processing method according to any one of claims 21 to 26, further comprising a step of changing a concentration of a volatile organic solvent in the mixed fluid.   The step of changing the concentration of the volatile organic solvent in the mixed fluid is such that the concentration of the volatile organic solvent in the mixed fluid increases continuously or stepwise over time. The substrate processing method according to any one of claims 21 to 27.   The step of changing the concentration of the volatile organic solvent in the mixed fluid is to reduce the supply continuously or stepwise before stopping the supply of pure water vapor or mist to the drying processing unit. 28. The substrate processing method according to claim 27, wherein the concentration of the volatile organic solvent in the mixed fluid is increased continuously or stepwise over time.   The step of changing the concentration of the volatile organic solvent in the mixed fluid is characterized in that the concentration of the volatile organic solvent in the mixed fluid is 40% or less at the beginning and 90% or more at the end. Or the substrate processing method of Claim 29. A computer-readable storage medium storing software for causing a computer to execute a control program,
The control program includes a step of cleaning a substrate with pure water at the time of execution, and a mixture of water or mist of pure water and vapor or mist of a volatile organic solvent in the drying processing unit in order to dry the substrate. A computer-readable storage medium including software that controls a substrate processing apparatus such that the step of supplying fluid is performed. A computer-readable storage medium storing software for causing a computer to execute a control program,
The control program is provided in communication with the process of immersing the substrate in the stored pure water and cleaning the substrate in the liquid processing unit in which the pure water is stored, and the liquid processing unit at the time of execution. A step of transporting the substrate to a drying processing unit; and a step of supplying a mixed fluid comprising water vapor or mist of pure water and vapor or mist of a volatile organic solvent to the drying processing unit in order to dry the substrate. A computer-readable storage medium that includes software that controls the substrate processing apparatus such that is executed.   The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 31 or 32, wherein the control program further executes a step of changing a concentration of a volatile organic solvent in the mixed fluid at the time of execution.

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