JP2008034554A - Substrate treating device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the consumption of treatment liquid to facilitate coping with the difference of treatment times in a plurality of treatment processes and shorten a substrate conveying time between treatment liquid tanks. <P>SOLUTION: The substrate treatment device is equipped with a chemical liquid tank 21, a rinse liquid tank 22, and a plurality of substrate retaining units 10. The chemical liquid 45 is stored in the tank main body 31 of the chemical liquid tank 21 under a status that the chemical liquid 45 is raised up by a surface tension from the opening 30 on the upper surface thereof. The rinse liquid 61 is stored in the tank main body 51 of the rinse liquid tank 22 under a status that the same is raised up from the opening 50 on the upper surface thereof. The level 45a of the chemical liquid 45 and the level 61a of the rinse liquid 61 are in the horizontal surface of the same height. The substrate retaining unit 10 retains the substrate W under a status that a main surface of the substrate or the treatment surface is faced downward and the treatment surface is contacted with the liquid levels 45a, 61a. The substrate retaining unit 10 is moved along the liquid levels 45a, 61a while retaining the status of contacting with the liquid. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method for processing a substrate with a processing liquid. Examples of substrates to be processed include semiconductor wafers, liquid crystal display substrates, plasma display substrates, FED (Field Emission Display) substrates, optical disk substrates, magnetic disk substrates, magneto-optical disk substrates, photo A mask substrate is included.

  In a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device or the like, a substrate processing apparatus that processes a substrate using a processing liquid is used. The substrate processing apparatus includes, for example, a plurality of processing liquid tanks that respectively store processing liquids, and a substrate transport mechanism that sequentially immerses the substrates in the plurality of processing liquid tanks. As the plurality of treatment liquid tanks, for example, a first chemical liquid tank storing a first chemical liquid, a first pure water tank storing pure water, a second chemical liquid tank storing a second chemical liquid, and pure water stored. A second pure water tank is provided.

  The substrate transport mechanism lowers the substrate to be processed into the first chemical solution tank and immerses the substrate in the chemical solution over a predetermined first chemical solution processing time, thereby causing the substrate treatment with the first chemical solution to be performed. . When the first chemical treatment time elapses, the substrate transport mechanism pulls up the substrate from the first chemical solution tank and moves it to the first pure water tank. The substrate transport mechanism lowers the substrate in the first pure water tank, and immerses the substrate in the pure water in the first pure water tank for a predetermined first rinse treatment time. Thus, a rinsing process is performed to replace the first chemical remaining on the substrate surface with pure water.

When the first rinsing process time elapses, the substrate transport mechanism pulls up the substrate from the first pure water tank and moves it to the second chemical liquid tank. The substrate transport mechanism lowers the substrate in the second chemical solution tank, and immerses the substrate in the second chemical solution in the second chemical solution tank over a predetermined second chemical solution processing time. Thereby, the substrate processing with the second chemical is performed. When the second chemical solution processing time has elapsed, the substrate transport mechanism pulls up the substrate from the second chemical solution tank and moves it to the second pure water tank. The substrate transport mechanism lowers the substrate in the second pure water tank, and immerses the substrate in the pure water in the second pure water tank over the second rinse treatment time. Thereby, the rinse process which substitutes the 2nd chemical | medical solution on a board | substrate with a pure water is performed. Thereafter, the substrate transport mechanism pulls up the substrate from the second pure water tank. The substrate is subjected to a drying process for removing moisture on the surface.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-190529

  However, a large amount of processing solution must be stored in each processing solution tank in order to immerse the substrate. Further, in order to keep the processing liquid in each processing liquid tank in a clean state, a new liquid must be supplied to the processing liquid tank regularly or constantly. However, since the capacity of the processing liquid tank that can completely submerge the substrate is inevitably large, the required amount of new liquid to be supplied increases accordingly. Therefore, there is a problem that the amount of processing liquid consumed is large.

  In addition, when there is a difference in the processing time in a plurality of processing liquid tanks, the entire process is rate-controlled by the processing process in the processing liquid tank with the longest processing time. It cannot be operated efficiently. In particular, when it is necessary to immerse the substrate in pure water in a pure water tank immediately after the chemical liquid treatment in a certain chemical tank and stop the progress of the chemical treatment, during the chemical treatment in the chemical tank, The pure water tank must be kept in a standby state and cannot be used for rinsing processing for another substrate.

In addition, since it takes time to lift the substrate from the chemical bath to the pure water bath and to immerse the substrate in pure water, the reaction of the remaining chemical on the surface of the substrate proceeds during this time. There is also.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method that can reduce the consumption of processing liquid.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method that can easily cope with differences in processing time in a plurality of processing steps.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method that are advantageous in shortening the substrate transport time between processing liquid tanks.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is the substrate holding means (10) for holding the processing surface, which is one main surface of the substrate (W), downward, and the processing for processing the substrate. The liquid (45, 61) is stored in the processing liquid tank (21-26) having an opening opened upward, and the liquid level (45a, 61a) of the processing liquid stored in the processing liquid tank The substrate processing apparatus includes substrate transfer means (12, 120) that moves the substrate holding means so that the substrate moves along the liquid surface while the processing surface is in contact with the substrate. The alphanumeric characters in parentheses indicate corresponding components in the embodiments described later. The same applies hereinafter.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the substrate holding means (10) for holding the processing surface, which is one main surface of the substrate (W), downward, and the processing liquid (45, 61) for processing the substrate. And a plurality of processing liquid tanks (21 to 26) each having an opening opened upward, and the processing surface on the liquid surface (45a, 61a) of the processing liquid stored in the processing liquid tank And a substrate transfer means (12, 120) for moving the substrate holding means so as to move over the plurality of treatment liquid tanks while the substrate moves along the liquid surface in a state of contact with the substrate. is there.

  According to these configurations, the substrate holding means holds the processing surface, which is one main surface of the substrate, facing downward. When the substrate holding means is moved by the substrate transport means, the substrate is moved along the liquid level of the processing liquid while the processing surface is in contact with the liquid level of the processing liquid stored in the processing liquid tank. . Thereby, the process surface of a board | substrate receives the process by the process liquid stored by the process liquid tank. It is not necessary to store a large amount of processing liquid for immersing the substrate completely in the processing liquid tank, and it is sufficient if the processing liquid can be brought into contact with the processing surface of the substrate. Therefore, the capacity of the processing liquid tank can be reduced, and as a result, the consumption of the processing liquid can be reduced.

  The opening of the processing liquid tank can be formed, for example, in such a size that a plurality of substrates can be simultaneously brought into contact with the liquid surface of the processing liquid. Thus, even when a relatively long time is required for processing the substrate with the processing liquid stored in the processing liquid tank, the processing of the substrate is not delayed in the processing liquid tank. As a result, when a plurality of treatment liquid tanks for storing a plurality of types of treatment liquids are provided, it is possible to easily cope with a difference in treatment time between the treatment liquid tanks.

  Furthermore, it is not necessary to submerge the substrate in the processing liquid stored in the processing liquid tank, or to lift the submerged substrate, and the substrate is moved while moving along the liquid surface of the processing liquid. Since the processing is performed, even when the substrate is transferred between a plurality of processing liquid tanks, the substrate transfer time between the processing liquid tanks can be short. Thereby, following the substrate processing in a certain processing liquid tank, the substrate processing by another processing liquid tank can be started promptly. In particular, if a pair of processing liquid tanks respectively storing processing liquids to be brought into contact with each other on the processing surface of the substrate are disposed in close proximity (adjacent), after the processing with the first processing liquid, The processing with the second processing liquid can be performed quickly without taking time.

The substrate holding means holds the substrate in a state in which the other main surface of the substrate is not in contact with the processing liquid in the processing liquid tank when the processing surface is in contact with the processing liquid in the processing liquid tank and moves. It is preferable that
Further, when a plurality of processing liquid tanks are provided, it is preferable that the liquid levels of the processing liquid stored in the plurality of processing liquid tanks are located at the same height (the same horizontal plane).

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the substrate transfer means moves the substrate holding means so as to transfer the substrate along a predetermined substrate movement path (11), and the plurality of treatment liquid tanks are: The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the substrate processing apparatus is arranged along the substrate movement path. More specifically, it is preferable that a plurality of processing liquid tanks are arranged in series along the substrate movement path.

  According to this configuration, since the plurality of processing liquid tanks are arranged along the substrate movement path, if the substrate is transported along the substrate movement path, the processing liquid stored in the plurality of processing liquid tanks Processing can be performed sequentially. Moreover, as described above, since the substrate transport time between the processing liquid tanks is short, after processing the substrate with a certain processing liquid, the processing with another processing liquid can be performed on the substrate without taking time, and The entire substrate processing time can also be shortened.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the plurality of treatment liquid tanks include a chemical liquid tank (21, 23, 25) for storing a chemical liquid, and a rinse liquid tank for storing a rinse liquid for replacing the chemical liquid attached to the substrate ( 22, 24, 26), and a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2. According to this configuration, after the treatment surface of the substrate is brought into contact with the chemical solution stored in the chemical solution tank, the treatment surface of the substrate is brought into contact with the liquid surface of the rinse liquid stored in the rinse solution tank. As a result, the chemical solution adhering to the substrate can be replaced with a rinse solution and washed away. And the board | substrate which finished the process in a chemical | medical solution tank can be rapidly conveyed to the rinse liquid tank, and can be made to contact the rinse liquid stored in this rinse liquid tank. As a result, it is possible to minimize the progress of the reaction due to the residual chemical solution during the substrate transfer period from the chemical solution tank to the rinse solution tank. Thereby, high-quality substrate processing becomes possible.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the substrate transport means moves the substrate holding means so that the substrate moves at a constant speed at least during a period in which the processing surface of the substrate is in contact with the liquid surface of the processing liquid. It is a substrate processing apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1-4 which are things.
In the case of this configuration, as described in claim 6, the length of the processing liquid tank with respect to the direction in which the substrate moves when the substrate holding means is moved by the substrate transport mechanism is set as the processing liquid tank. It is preferable to determine the time depending on the time during which the substrate should be processed with the processing liquid stored in the substrate. Accordingly, the substrate can be processed for a required time by transferring the substrate from one end of the processing liquid tank to the other end (from one end to the other end along the transfer transfer path).

  In the case where a plurality of processing liquid tanks are provided, these are respectively formed to a length corresponding to the time for processing the substrate, and the substrate is moved while contacting the processing liquid surface at a constant speed. do it. Thus, each substrate can be processed with each processing liquid over a required time while sequentially transporting a plurality of substrates at a constant speed. And even when a plurality of processing liquid tanks are provided, the substrate processing is not rate-limited by the processing time in any of the processing liquid tanks, and the plurality of processing liquid tanks are operated efficiently. Can do.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the processing liquid tank includes overflow means (32, 33, 40, 41, 36) for storing the processing liquid in a state of rising from the opening due to surface tension, and transporting the substrate The mechanism moves the substrate holding means so that the substrate moves in a state where the processing surface of the substrate is in contact with a processing liquid portion raised from the opening of the processing liquid tank. 6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6.

  According to this configuration, the processing liquid is stored in a state of rising from the opening of the processing liquid tank by the action of the overflow means. Therefore, the substrate processing with the processing liquid can be performed by moving the substrate by a minute distance above the opening of the processing liquid tank. That is, it is not necessary to lower the substrate into the processing liquid tank or pull up the substrate from the processing liquid tank. Thereby, it is possible to further reduce the capacity of the processing liquid tank, and it is possible to further reduce the time required for transporting the substrate between the plurality of processing liquid tanks.

  In particular, when a plurality of processing liquid tanks are provided, by simply moving the substrate in the horizontal direction by keeping the liquid level of the processing liquid stored in the plurality of processing liquid tanks at substantially the same height, It is possible to shift from substrate processing in one processing liquid tank to substrate processing in another processing liquid tank. As a result, the time interval of substrate processing with a plurality of types of processing liquids can be further shortened.

The invention according to claim 8 further includes drying means (27) for removing the processing liquid from the processing surface of the substrate after being processed by the processing liquid stored in the processing liquid tank. It is a substrate processing apparatus as described in any one. With this configuration, it is possible to remove the liquid component from the substrate that has been processed with the processing liquid and to discharge the dried substrate.
The invention according to claim 9 further includes processing liquid supply means (67, 70) for supplying a processing liquid to the other main surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding means. The substrate processing apparatus according to the item. With this configuration, the processing liquid can be supplied also to the main surface opposite to the processing surface. For example, if the cleaning liquid as the processing liquid is supplied to the other main surface, the contaminants attached to the other main surface can be removed. Thus, both surfaces of the substrate can be processed with the processing liquid.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, the substrate holding means is configured to hold a substrate in which a plurality of discharge ports (70) and suction ports (71) are formed on a substrate facing surface (69) facing the other main surface of the substrate. Plate (66), fluid supply means (67) for supplying fluid to the discharge port of the substrate holding plate, and suction means (68) for sucking the inside of the suction port of the substrate holding plate. It is a substrate processing apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1-9.

  According to this configuration, when the fluid is sucked from the suction port formed on the substrate facing surface while the fluid is supplied from the discharge port of the substrate holding plate, a fluid flow is formed on the substrate facing surface. By this fluid flow, the substrate can be adsorbed and held on the substrate facing surface. At this time, since the fluid layer is formed between the substrate facing surface and the substrate, the substrate is held in a non-contact state. Therefore, the substrate can be held without leaving contact marks on the surface of the substrate (the other main surface).

  Further, if the processing liquid is supplied as a fluid from the fluid supply means, the other main surface of the substrate can be processed. That is, the fluid supply means can also be used as the processing liquid supply means. Furthermore, the other main surface of the substrate can be dried by supplying a dry gas as a fluid from the fluid supply means. Further, by supplying an inert gas as a fluid from the fluid supply means, the processing liquid (especially a chemical solution) supplied to the main surface of the substrate wraps around and affects the other main surface of the substrate. And can hold the substrate.

As the substrate holding means, in addition to the above configuration, a vacuum chuck that sucks and holds the upper surface (the other main surface) of the substrate, or a mechanical chuck that holds the peripheral edge of the substrate with a plurality of holding pins is used. You can also.
The invention according to claim 11 is a process of storing the processing liquid (45, 61) for processing the substrate (W) in the processing liquid tank (21-26) having an opening opened upward, A liquid processing step of moving the substrate along the liquid surface while contacting the liquid surface (45a, 61a) of the processing liquid stored in the processing liquid tank with the processing surface being one main surface facing downward. And a substrate processing method.

  In the invention according to claim 12, the processing liquids (45, 61) for processing the substrate (W) are respectively stored in the plurality of processing liquid tanks (21 to 26) each having an opening opened upward. And the process surface, which is one main surface of the substrate, is directed downward along the liquid surface while contacting the liquid surface (45a, 61a) of the process liquid stored in the process liquid tank. And a liquid processing step of moving the substrate to move over the plurality of processing liquid tanks.

  With these inventions, the effects described in relation to the substrate processing apparatus of claims 1 and 2 can be obtained. These inventions can be modified in the same manner as the substrate processing apparatus described above.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view for explaining the layout of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The substrate processing apparatus includes an indexer unit 1 and a substrate processing unit 2 coupled thereto. The indexer unit 1 includes a carrier holding unit 3 and an indexer robot 4. The carrier holding unit 3 is configured to hold a carrier C capable of holding a plurality of substrates W along a predetermined arrangement direction. Each carrier C is capable of holding a plurality of (for example, 25) substrates W in a stacked state in the up-down direction and spaced apart. A FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) that holds the substrates W in a sealed state. ), A SMIF (Standard Mechanical Inter Face) pod, or an OC (Open Cassette).

  The indexer robot 4 is a robot for transporting the substrate W between the carrier C held by the carrier holding unit 3 and the substrate processing unit 2. The indexer robot 4 can carry out / carry in the substrate W to / from the carrier C held by the carrier holding unit 3 and can carry in / out the substrate W to / from the substrate processing unit 2. More specifically, the indexer robot 4 includes a robot body 5 that can move linearly along the arrangement direction of the carrier C in the carrier holding unit 3 and a pair of hands 6A and 6B for holding the substrate W. I have. The robot body 5 includes a rotation drive mechanism for rotating the hands 6A and 6B around a vertical axis, an elevating mechanism for moving the hands 6A and 6B up and down, and the hands 6A and 6B facing the carrier C or the substrate processing unit 2. And an advancing / retracting drive mechanism for advancing and retracting independently. With such a configuration, the indexer robot 4 delivers the substrate W to and from the carrier C, and delivers the substrate W to and from the substrate processing unit 2. The pair of hands 6A and 6B are used, for example, in order that one hand 6A transports an unprocessed substrate W, and the other hand 6B transports a processed substrate W.

The substrate processing unit 2 cyclically moves a plurality of substrate holding units 10 that hold the substrates W one by one, and the plurality of substrate holding units 10 along a substantially rectangular substrate transport path 11 in plan view. Accordingly, the substrate transport mechanism 12 that transports the substrate W, the plurality of processing liquid tanks 21 to 26, the drying processing unit 27, and the pair of substrate transfer units 18 and 19 are provided.
The substrate processing unit 2 is configured in a rectangular shape extending from the indexer unit 1 in plan view. The board transfer parts 18 and 19 are arranged so as to be adjacent to the indexer part 1. One substrate transfer unit 18 receives an unprocessed substrate W from the indexer unit 1 and sends it to the first processing liquid tank 21, and the other substrate transfer unit 19 performs processing by the drying processing unit 27. This is for receiving the finished substrate W and delivering it to the indexer unit 1. The processing liquid tanks 21 to 26 and the drying processing unit 27 are arranged along the substrate transport path 11 so as to be substantially U-shaped between the substrate transfer units 18 and 19.

  The processing liquid tanks 21 to 26 are liquid processing units that perform processing with the processing liquid on the substrate W. The drying processing unit 27 is a processing unit for removing liquid components adhering to the surface of the substrate W. More specifically, the processing liquid tank 21 is a first chemical liquid tank for performing a process with the first chemical liquid on the substrate W, and is also referred to as a “first chemical liquid tank 21” below. The processing liquid tank 22 is a first rinsing liquid tank for replacing the first chemical liquid remaining on the surface of the substrate W after the processing by the first chemical liquid tank 21 with a rinsing liquid. " The processing liquid tank 23 is a second chemical liquid tank for processing the substrate W with the second chemical liquid after the rinsing process in the first rinsing liquid tank 22, and is also referred to as a “second chemical liquid tank 23” below. The processing liquid tank 24 is a second rinsing liquid tank for replacing the second chemical liquid remaining on the surface of the substrate W after being processed by the second chemical liquid tank 23 with a rinsing liquid. Also referred to as “tank 24”. The treatment liquid tank 25 is a third chemical liquid tank for performing the treatment with the third chemical liquid on the substrate W after the rinsing process in the second rinsing liquid tank 24, and hereinafter referred to as “third chemical liquid tank 25”. Say. The processing liquid tank 26 is a third rinsing liquid tank for replacing the third chemical liquid remaining on the surface of the substrate W after being processed by the third chemical liquid tank 25 with a rinsing liquid. Also referred to as “tank 26”. The drying processing unit 27 removes the rinsing liquid remaining on the surface of the substrate W after the processing by the third rinsing liquid tank 26 to make the substrate W dry. The drying processing unit 27 can be configured by, for example, a gas knife device that blows dry gas (air or inert gas) onto the surface of the substrate W.

  FIG. 2 is an illustrative view showing the configuration of the processing liquid tanks 21 to 26 and the drying processing unit 27 along the substrate transport path 11. The first chemical liquid tank 21, the second rinse liquid tank 22, the second chemical liquid tank 23, the second rinse liquid tank 24, the third chemical liquid tank 25 and the third rinse liquid tank 26, and the drying processing unit 27 are in this order. Along the substrate transport path 11, the substrate processing unit 2 is fixed to the base unit 20. Each of the processing liquid tanks 21 to 26 has an opening opened upward on the upper surface, and stores the processing liquid (chemical liquid or rinsing liquid) in a state of rising from the opening due to surface tension. In addition, the treatment liquid tanks 21 to 26 store the treatment liquid so that the liquid surfaces have substantially the same height (that is, are located in the same horizontal plane).

  A substrate transport mechanism 12 is provided above the base unit 20. The substrate transport mechanism 12 includes an endless cable 13 stretched above the substrate transport path 11 and a cable drive unit 14 for circulatingly driving the cable 13 at a constant speed. The substrate holding unit 10 is suspended from the cable 13 via the hanger 15. The upper end of the hanger 15 is coupled to the cable 13 by the grip mechanism 16.

  The substrate holding unit 10 holds the processing surface, which is one main surface of the substrate W, substantially downward and horizontally. The substrate holding unit 10 is configured to hold the substrate W at such a height that the processing surface (lower surface) of the substrate W is in contact with the liquid level of the processing liquid held in the processing liquid tanks 21 to 26 in a raised state. . The cables 13 of the substrate transport mechanism 12 are stretched along a horizontal plane, and the hangers 15 coupled to the individual substrate holders 10 have the same distance between the cable 13 and each substrate holder 10. I keep it.

  Therefore, when the cable 13 is driven to circulate in the horizontal plane by the cable driving unit 14, the substrate W held by the substrate holding unit 10 moves horizontally on the liquid level of the processing liquid stored in the processing liquid tanks 21 to 26. That is, it moves so as to slide along the liquid level of the processing liquid level. As a result, the substrate W held by each substrate holding unit 10 is transferred along the substrate transfer path 11 while the lower surface, which is the processing surface, sequentially contacts the liquid level of the processing liquid in the processing liquid tanks 21 to 26. It will be done.

  The processing liquid tanks 21 to 26 are formed to have a length corresponding to the processing time of the processing liquid stored therein. However, the length of the processing liquid tank here is a length along the substrate transport path 11. For example, in the example of FIG. 1, the second rinsing liquid tank 24 is disposed in the folded portion of the substrate transport path 11 and has a substantially U-shaped planar shape accordingly. In this case, the length of the second rinse liquid tank 24 is a length measured along the U-shape.

  On the other hand, the cable drive unit 14 circulates and drives the cable 13 at a constant speed (for example, 1 mm / second to 10 mm / second). Accordingly, the substrate W is sequentially subjected to the liquid processing for each required time in each of the processing liquid tanks 21 to 26 while being transported at a constant speed (for example, 1 mm / second to 10 mm / second) along the substrate transport path 11. Finally, a drying process is performed by the drying processing unit 27. Therefore, the substrate W is not put on standby in any of the processing liquid tanks 21 to 26.

  As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the treatment liquid tanks 21 to 26 are arranged adjacent to each other along (adjacent to) the substrate transport path 11. Therefore, the substrate W that has been processed by the first chemical tank 21 is immediately subjected to the rinse process by the rinse liquid stored in the first rinse liquid tank 22, and the second chemical liquid tank 23 is subjected to the process by the second chemical liquid. The substrate W is immediately subjected to the rinsing process in the second rinsing liquid tank 24, and the substrate W after being subjected to the chemical liquid process in the third chemical liquid tank 25 is subjected to the rinsing process in the third rinsing liquid tank 26 without taking time. . Therefore, since the elapsed time from the chemical treatment to the rinsing treatment is extremely short, the progress of the chemical reaction due to the residual chemical on the substrate W can be suppressed or prevented. Further, the substrate W after being rinsed by the second rinsing liquid tank 22 is immediately carried into the second chemical liquid tank 23, and the substrate W after the rinsing process by the second rinsing liquid tank 24 is immediately performed by the third chemical liquid tank 25. The substrate W after being carried in and subjected to the processing by the third rinse liquid tank 26 is immediately subjected to a drying process by the drying processing unit 27. Therefore, since the time between processing steps is extremely short, the entire substrate processing time can be shortened. Furthermore, since the substrate W after being rinsed by the third rinse liquid tank 26 is immediately subjected to a drying process, generation of a watermark due to the rinse liquid remaining on the substrate W for a long time. Can be effectively suppressed or prevented.

  FIG. 3 is an illustrative enlarged cross-sectional view for explaining a more specific configuration example of the first chemical liquid tank 21 and the first rinse liquid tank 22. The 1st chemical | medical solution tank 21 is comprised with the bat-shaped shallow container body. More specifically, the 1st chemical | medical solution tank 21 is provided so that the outer periphery of this rectangular parallelepiped container shape which has the opening 30 open | released upwards on the upper surface, and this tank main body 31 may be enclosed, and the tank main body 31 may be enclosed. And an overflow receiving portion 32 integrated with the same. The upper edge of the tank body 31 is along a horizontal plane and defines an opening 30. Therefore, when the chemical liquid 45 is supplied to the tank body 31, the chemical liquid 45 rises from the opening 30 due to the surface tension, overflows from the entire circumference of the opening 30, and flows into the overflow receiving portion 32.

  A chemical solution supply pipe 33 and a chemical solution discharge pipe 34 are coupled to the bottom surface of the tank body 31. A chemical solution discharge pipe 35 is coupled to the bottom surface of the overflow receiving portion 32. The chemical liquid discharge pipes 34 and 35 are joined to the merged discharge pipe 36. The chemical solution discharge pipes 34 and 35 are provided with chemical solution discharge valves 38 and 39, respectively. The confluence discharge pipe 36 is connected to the inlet of the pump 41. A chemical solution circulation pipe 40 is connected to the outlet of the pump 41, and a chemical solution supply pipe 33 is connected to the other end of the chemical solution circulation pipe 40. A filter 42 for removing foreign substances in the chemical liquid is interposed in the middle of the chemical liquid supply pipe 33, and temperature adjustment for adjusting the temperature of the chemical liquid passing through the chemical liquid supply pipe 33 (heating or cooling). A unit 46 is provided. Further, a new liquid supply pipe 43 for supplying a new chemical liquid is connected to the chemical liquid supply pipe 33, and a new liquid supply valve 44 is interposed in the new liquid supply pipe 43. Further, a drainage pipe 47 is connected to the middle part of the circulation pipe 40, and a drainage valve 48 is interposed in the middle part. The drainage pipe 47 guides the chemical solution to the drainage facility in the factory where the substrate processing apparatus is installed.

  When the chemical liquid 45 is initially stored in the first chemical liquid tank 21, the chemical liquid discharge valves 38 and 39 and the drain valve 48 are closed, the pump 41 is stopped, and the new liquid supply valve 44 is opened. As a result, after the new chemical solution has passed through the new solution supply pipe 43 and the chemical solution supply pipe 33, the foreign substance removal processing by the filter 42 and the temperature adjustment processing by the temperature adjustment unit 46, and then from the bottom of the tank body 31 to the inside thereof. Are supplied and stored. Then, when the chemical liquid 45 overflows from the tank body 31 and flows out to the overflow receiving part 32 and reaches a surplus state where a certain amount of chemical liquid is stored in the overflow receiving part 32, the new liquid supply valve 44 is closed, and the new liquid supply valve 44 is closed. The liquid supply is stopped. Thereafter, when the chemical liquid discharge valve 39 is opened and the pump 41 is driven, the chemical liquid 45 stored in the tank body 31 is overflowed by the overflow receiving portion 32, the chemical liquid discharge pipe 35, the confluence discharge pipe 36, the chemical liquid circulation pipe 40 and the chemical liquid supply pipe 33. It is forcedly circulated along a circulation path that passes through the tank body 31 through the tank. Thereby, the chemical | medical solution 45 is always stored in the tank main body 31 in the state which rose from the opening 30 by surface tension.

  When the treatment surface of the substrate W comes into contact with the liquid surface 45 a of the chemical solution 45 and the chemical solution 45 is contaminated, the contaminant is captured by the filter 42. Thereby, the chemical | medical solution 45 can be maintained in a clean state. Furthermore, since the temperature of the circulating chemical liquid 45 can be adjusted by the temperature adjustment unit 46, the temperature of the chemical liquid 45 can be adjusted to a temperature higher than room temperature or a temperature lower than room temperature.

When the chemical liquid 45 stored in the first chemical liquid tank 21 is deteriorated and it is desired to replace all of the chemical liquid 45 with new liquid, the pump 41 is stopped and the chemical liquid discharge valves 38 and 39 and the liquid discharge valve 48 are opened. It is. Thereby, all of the chemical liquid 45 stored in the first chemical liquid tank 21 can be discharged to the drainage pipe 47.
The first rinsing liquid tank 22 is disposed close to the first chemical liquid tank 21 and is formed in a shallow rectangular parallelepiped container shape like the first chemical liquid tank 21. More specifically, the first rinsing liquid tank 22 includes a tank body 51 formed of a rectangular parallelepiped shallow container body having an opening 50 opened upward, and a tank body 51 provided around the tank body 51. And an integrated overflow receiving portion 52. The upper edge of the tank body 51 is along a horizontal plane and defines an opening 50. Accordingly, when the rinsing liquid 61 is supplied to the tank body 51, the rinsing liquid 61 rises from the opening 50 due to the surface tension, and flows into the overflow receiving portion 52 from the entire circumference. A rinse liquid supply pipe 53 is connected to the bottom surface of the tank body 51, and a rinse liquid supply valve 54 and a filter 55 are interposed in the rinse liquid supply pipe 53. When the substrate processing is being performed, the rinse liquid supply valve 54 is always kept open, so that the rinse liquid from the rinse liquid supply source is subjected to the foreign substance removal process by the filter 55 in the tank body 51. Always supplied in the state.

  On the other hand, rinse liquid discharge pipes 57 and 58 are connected to the bottom of the tank body 51 and the bottom of the overflow receiving part 52, respectively. These rinse liquid discharge pipes 57 and 58 are connected in common to the merged discharge pipe 59. A rinse liquid discharge valve 60 is interposed in the rinse liquid discharge pipe 57 connected to the tank body 51. During the substrate processing, the rinse liquid discharge valve 60 is kept closed. Accordingly, the rinsing liquid 61 supplied from the rinsing liquid supply pipe 53 is stored in the tank main body 51 and overflows from the tank main body 51 to the overflow receiving portion 52, and then sequentially passes through the rinsing liquid discharge pipe 57 and the merged discharge pipe 59. Therefore, it will be led to the drainage facility.

  The liquid level 45a of the chemical liquid 45 stored in the first chemical liquid tank 21 and the liquid level 61a of the rinse liquid 61 stored in the first rinse liquid tank 22 are in a horizontal plane having substantially the same height, Both are raised from the upper edge of the tank bodies 31 and 51 by surface tension. Therefore, as described above, if the substrate W is slid along the liquid surface 45a of the chemical liquid 45 toward the first rinse liquid tank 22, the processing surface (lower surface) of the substrate W comes into contact with the chemical liquid 45, The liquid is brought into contact with the rinsing liquid 61 without taking time.

Regarding the direction along the conveyance direction 9 of the substrate W, the length of the tank body 31 is set to a length corresponding to the time required for the treatment with the chemical liquid 45. In other words, when the substrate W moves along the transport direction 9 at a constant speed, the length is such that the processing surface of the substrate W is in contact with the liquid surface 45a of the chemical solution 45 for a predetermined chemical processing time.
Similarly, the length of the tank body 51 of the first rinsing liquid tank 22 (the length in the direction along the transport direction 9) is the processing surface of the substrate W (when the substrate W moves in the transport direction 9 at a constant speed). The lower surface of the rinsing liquid 61 can be in contact with the liquid surface 61a for a predetermined rinsing time.

  It is preferable that the 1st chemical | medical solution tank 21 and the 1st rinse liquid tank 22 are arrange | positioned as close as possible. However, when one substrate W enters a bridge state in which both the chemical liquid 45 in the first chemical liquid tank 21 and the rinse liquid 61 in the first rinse liquid tank 22 are in contact with each other, the chemical liquid travels along the lower surface of the substrate W. 45 and the rinsing liquid 61 may be mixed, the first chemical liquid tank 21 and the first rinsing liquid tank 22 are separated from the base portion 20 with a minimum interval at which such mixing of the processing liquid does not occur. It is preferable to arrange | position. In order to surely avoid the mixing of the processing liquid, the interval between the tank bodies 31 and 51 may be set to be equal to or longer than the length (diameter in the case of a circular substrate) along the transport direction 9 of the substrate W.

  The configurations of the second chemical tank 23 and the third chemical tank 25 are the same as the configuration of the first chemical tank 21. The configurations of the second rinse liquid tank 24 and the third rinse liquid tank 26 are the same as the configurations of the first rinse liquid tank 22. Furthermore, the positional relationship between the first chemical liquid tank 23 and the second rinse liquid tank 24 and the positional relation between the third chemical liquid tank 25 and the third rinse liquid tank 26 are respectively the first chemical liquid tank and the first chemical liquid tank. This is the same as the positional relationship between the 1 rinse liquid tanks 22.

About the positional relationship of the 1st rinse liquid tank 22 and the 2nd chemical | medical solution tank 23, it will be in the state which reversed the arrangement | positioning of the 1st chemical | medical solution tank and the 1st rinse liquid tank 22 in FIG. The same applies to the positional relationship between the second rinse liquid tank 24 and the third chemical liquid tank 25.
FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining a configuration related to the substrate holding unit 10. The substrate holding unit 10 includes a support block 65 coupled to the lower end of the hanger 15, a plate 66 fixed in a horizontal position below the support block 65, a fluid supply mechanism 67 connected to the plate 66, and a suction unit. And a mechanism 68. The plate 66 is formed in a plate-like body larger than the substrate W (a disc having a diameter larger than that of the substrate W when the substrate W is a circular substrate), and the lower surface thereof is the upper surface (another main body of the substrate W). This is a horizontal substrate facing surface 69 facing the surface. A plurality of discharge ports 70 and suction ports 71 are formed in the substrate facing surface 69. Further, the plate 66 is provided with a substantially cylindrical supply path 72 communicating with each discharge port 70 and a substantially cylindrical suction path 73 communicating with each suction port 71 in the thickness direction (vertical direction). Is formed. Further, a guide member 64 for restricting the lateral movement of the substrate W (horizontal movement along the substrate facing surface 69) is disposed at an appropriate position on the periphery of the substrate facing surface 69.

  The fluid supply mechanism 67 is configured to be able to selectively supply a chemical liquid and a rinse liquid as a processing liquid and nitrogen gas to the discharge port 70 via the supply path 72 of the plate 66. That is, the fluid supply mechanism 67 includes a branch connection pipe 74 having one end connected to each supply path 72 and a collective supply pipe 75 to which the other ends of the branch connection pipe 74 are connected in common. The collective supply pipe 75 is connected to the chemical liquid supply pipe 76, the rinse liquid supply pipe 77, and the nitrogen gas supply pipe 78. The chemical solution supply pipe 76 is connected to a chemical solution tank 79 in which the chemical solution is stored. A chemical solution valve 80 for opening and closing the chemical solution supply pipe 76 and a chemical solution pump 83 for feeding the chemical solution are provided in the middle of the chemical solution supply tube 76. Is intervening. The rinse liquid supply pipe 77 is supplied with a rinse liquid from a rinse liquid supply source, and a rinse liquid valve 81 for opening and closing the rinse liquid supply pipe 77 is interposed in the middle of the rinse liquid supply pipe 77. . The nitrogen gas supply pipe 78 is supplied with nitrogen gas from a nitrogen gas supply source, and a nitrogen gas valve 82 for opening and closing the nitrogen gas supply pipe 78 is interposed in the middle of the nitrogen gas supply pipe 78. Yes.

  Thereby, the chemical liquid stored in the chemical liquid tank 79 can be supplied to each discharge port 70 by closing the rinse liquid valve 81 and the nitrogen gas valve 82 and opening the chemical liquid valve 80 and driving the chemical liquid pump 83. Further, by closing the chemical liquid valve 80 and the nitrogen gas valve 82 and opening the rinse liquid valve 81, the rinse liquid from the rinse liquid supply source can be supplied to each discharge port 70. Further, by closing the chemical liquid valve 80 and the rinse liquid valve 81 and opening the nitrogen gas valve 82, nitrogen gas from a nitrogen gas supply source can be supplied to each discharge port 70.

  The suction mechanism 68 includes a branch connection pipe 86 having one end connected to each suction path 73 and a collective suction pipe 87 connected in common to the other end of the branch connection pipe 86. The collective suction pipe 87 is connected to a convum 88 for vacuum suction of the collective suction pipe 87. Further, a chemical solution recovery pipe 89 is branched and connected to the collective suction pipe 87. The tip of the chemical solution recovery pipe 89 (the downstream end of the chemical solution recovery pipe 89 in the fluid flow direction) is connected to the chemical solution tank 79. In the middle of the chemical recovery pipe 89, a recovery valve 90 that opens and closes the chemical recovery pipe 89, and a filter 91 for removing foreign substances in the chemical flowing through the chemical recovery pipe 89, in order from the collecting suction pipe 87 side. A recovery pump 92 for drawing the chemical liquid into the chemical liquid recovery pipe 89 is interposed. Further, a suction valve 93 for opening and closing the collective suction pipe 87 is interposed in the collective suction pipe 87 at a position closer to the distal end side (convam 88 side) than the connection portion of the chemical solution recovery pipe 89.

  With this configuration, the recovery valve 90 is closed, the suction valve 93 is opened, and the convam 88 is driven while the chemical solution, the rinse liquid, or the nitrogen gas is being discharged from the discharge port 70 of the plate 66. The chemical liquid, the rinse liquid, or the nitrogen gas discharged from the air can be sucked into the convert 88 through the suction port 71, the suction path 73, the branch connection pipe 86 and the collective suction pipe 87. Further, with the chemical liquid being discharged from the discharge port 70 of the plate 66, the suction valve 93 is closed, the recovery valve 90 is opened, and the recovery pump 92 is driven to suck the chemical liquid discharged from the discharge port 70. It is sucked from the port 71 and can be recovered in the chemical liquid tank 79 through the suction path 73, the branch connection pipe 86, the collective suction pipe 87 and the chemical liquid recovery pipe 89.

  FIG. 5 is a bottom view showing a configuration of a part of the plate 66. In the substrate facing surface 69 which is the lower surface of the plate 66, the discharge ports 70 are arranged in a matrix, for example, at equal intervals in one direction and the other direction orthogonal thereto. The suction port 71 is disposed around the discharge port 70, for example, at the position of each vertex of a regular hexagon centering on the discharge port 70. As a result, as shown by arrows in FIG. 5, the fluid (chemical solution, rinse liquid or nitrogen gas) discharged from each discharge port 70 is substantially uniform toward the six suction ports 71 around the discharge port 70. It flows in a distributed manner.

  When the substrate W is brought close to the substrate facing surface 69 and pressed while the fluid is discharged from the discharge port 70 and the fluid is sucked from the suction port 71, the space between the upper surface of the substrate W and the substrate facing surface 69 is increased. 5, a fluid flow as shown in FIG. 5 is formed, and by this fluid flow, the substrate W is adsorbed and held in a non-contact state in which the upper surface thereof is separated from the substrate facing surface 69 by a predetermined minute interval. Thus, the substrate W can be adsorbed and held in a horizontal posture with the processing surface of the substrate W directed downward.

  In this adsorption state, the fluid discharged from the discharge port 70 of the plate 66 can be switched to any one of chemical liquid, pure water, and nitrogen gas. Therefore, in the process of transporting the substrate W along the substrate transport path 11, first, the chemical solution is discharged from the discharge port 70 to perform the chemical treatment on the upper surface of the substrate W, and then the rinse solution is discharged from the discharge port 70. It is possible to perform a rinsing process that replaces the chemical liquid by discharging the liquid, and to perform a drying process in which nitrogen gas is discharged from the discharge port 70 to perform drying.

  In the case where drying is insufficient only by supplying nitrogen gas, for example, an organic solvent supply pipe for supplying an organic solvent such as IPA (isopropyl alcohol) is connected to the collective supply pipe 75, and after the rinsing step, An organic solvent may be discharged from the discharge port 70. Thereafter, if nitrogen gas is discharged from the discharge port 70, the upper surface of the substrate W can be reliably dried.

  Examples of the chemical liquid stored in the chemical tank 79 and supplied to the upper surface of the substrate W include a hydrofluoric acid aqueous solution, SC1 (ammonia / hydrogen peroxide solution mixture), and SC2 (hydrochloric acid / hydrogen peroxide solution mixture). it can. As the rinsing liquid, in addition to pure water (deionized water), functional water such as carbonated water, electrolytic ionic water, hydrogen water, magnetic water, or dilute ammonia water (for example, about 1 ppm) may be used. it can.

  FIG. 6 is an illustrative view for explaining the configuration of the grip mechanism 16 for coupling the hanger 15 holding the substrate holding unit 10 to the cable 13. The grip mechanism 16 includes a grip body 100 that extends in a horizontal direction substantially orthogonal to the cable 13, and a swing lever that is swingably coupled to the grip body 100 in a plane substantially orthogonal to the cable 13. 101, and a spring member 102 interposed between the grip body 100 and the swing lever 101. The end of the grip body 100 on the cable 13 side is a fixed jaw 103 that goes around from the upper surface of the cable 13 to one side surface. The swing lever 101 is swingably coupled to the fixed jaw 103 at a position almost directly above the cable 13. The end portion of the swing lever 101 on the cable 13 side forms a movable jaw 104 that wraps around the side surface portion of the cable 13 opposite to the fixed jaw 103.

  With this configuration, the cable 13 can be clamped by the fixed jaw 103 and the movable jaw 104 when the swing lever 101 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 6 with respect to the grip body 100. On the contrary, by rotating the swing lever 101 in the clockwise direction in FIG. 6 with respect to the grip body 100, the distance between the fixed jaw 103 and the movable jaw 104 can be widened, and the cable 13 can be released. The spring member 102 urges the swing lever 101 in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. Therefore, in a state where no external force is applied to the swing lever 101, the cable 13 is clamped by the fixed jaw 103 and the movable jaw 104 by the spring force of the spring member 102. Therefore, the grip body 100 moves together with the cable 13 when the cable 13 is clamped.

The upper end of the hanger 15 is coupled to the middle portion of the grip body 100. The hanger 15 is formed in a crank shape, and its lower end is positioned almost directly below the cable 13. The substrate holding unit 10 is coupled to the lower end of the hanger 15.
In the grip body 100, a first support roller 105 is rotatably attached to an end portion opposite to the cable 13. Further, in the grip body 100, a second support roller 106 is rotatably attached to the lower side of the position between the fixed jaw 103 and the hanger 15. A friction plate 107 is attached to the upper side portion of the grip body 100.

On the other hand, the end of the swing lever 101 opposite to the cable 13 is bent substantially in an L shape, and an operation roller 108 is rotatably attached thereto.
Rails 111, 112, 113 for guiding the first and second support rollers 105, 106 and the operation roller 108 are arranged in a region (see FIG. 1) from the substrate transfer unit 19 to the substrate transfer unit 18. Yes. The rails 111 and 112 are laid substantially along a horizontal plane, and roll the first and second support rollers 105 and 106 along the horizontal plane. On the other hand, the rail 113 has an inlet portion that is an end portion on the drying processing unit 27 side, a downward slope portion that forms a downward slope from the inlet portion toward the substrate delivery portion 19, and a substrate delivery that is connected to the downward slope portion. A horizontal portion laid horizontally in a portion extending from the portion 19 to the substrate transfer portion 18 and an ascending gradient connected to the end portion of the horizontal portion on the substrate transfer portion 18 side and forming an upward gradient toward the first chemical tank 21 And an outlet portion connected to the end portion of the upward gradient portion on the first chemical liquid tank 21 side. A plurality of transport rollers 115 that contact the friction plate 107 from above are provided along the rails 112 in an area extending over the substrate transfer portions 18 and 19. These transport rollers 115 are controlled to be rotated / stopped by a roller driving mechanism 116.

  When the cable 13 is driven to circulate, the operation roller 108 is guided from the entrance portion of the rail 113 to the descending slope portion. As a result, the operation roller 108 is pushed down against the spring force of the spring member 102 in the vicinity of the entrance to the substrate transfer section 19, and the swing lever 101 is rotated in the clockwise direction in FIG. 6 accordingly. . As a result, the gap between the fixed jaw 103 and the movable jaw 104 is opened, and the grip mechanism 16 is released from the cable 13. This state is maintained while the operation roller 108 is guided to the horizontal portion of the rail 113. In this state, movement, acceleration / deceleration, and stop of the grip mechanism 16 are controlled independently of the operation of the cable 13 by the conveying roller 115 that contacts the friction plate 107.

  When the conveyance roller 115 is driven by the roller driving mechanism 116 and the grip mechanism 16 reaches the vicinity of the exit of the substrate transfer portion 18, the operation roller 108 moves from the horizontal portion of the rail 113 to the exit portion via the upward gradient portion. It is guided. As a result, the operation roller 108 rises, and accordingly, the swing lever 101 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. As a result, the fixed jaw 103 and the movable jaw 104 approach, and the cable 13 is clamped by these. Therefore, after that, the grip body 100 moves together with the cable 13.

  The roller driving mechanism 116 temporarily stops the grip mechanism 16 and the substrate holding unit 10 coupled thereto in the substrate transfer units 18 and 19. The indexer robot 4 delivers the substrate W to the substrate holding unit 10 in the stopped state. Specifically, the indexer robot 4 receives the processed substrate W from the substrate holding unit 10 in the substrate transfer unit 19. Further, the indexer robot 4 delivers the unprocessed substrate W to the substrate holding unit 10 in the substrate delivery unit 18. In this way, the substrate W can be transferred to and from the indexer robot 4 at the substrate transfer units 18 and 19 without stopping the circulation drive of the cable 13.

  Examples of chemical solutions that can be used for chemical treatment in this substrate processing apparatus include hydrofluoric acid, SC1 (ammonia / hydrogen peroxide solution mixture), SC2 (hydrochloric acid / hydrogen peroxide solution mixture), resist stripping solution ( For example, a sulfuric acid / hydrogen peroxide solution mixture). In addition to pure water (deionized water), functional water such as carbonated water, electrolytic ion water, hydrogen water, magnetic water, or dilute ammonia water (for example, about 1 ppm) is used as the rinsing liquid. There is.

  More specifically, for example, when performing surface foreign matter removal processing for removing organic matter, dust and other foreign matters on the processing surface (lower surface) of the substrate W, a hydrofluoric acid aqueous solution is stored in the first chemical tank 21. SC2 is stored in the second chemical tank 23, and SC2 is stored in the third chemical tank 25. And the pure water is stored in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd rinse liquid tanks 22, 24, and 26, respectively. The chemical treatment time with the hydrofluoric acid aqueous solution in the first chemical bath 21 is, for example, 1 minute, the chemical treatment time with SC1 in the second chemical bath 23 is, for example, 3 minutes, and the chemical treatment time with SC2 in the third chemical bath 25 is, for example, 3 minutes. Is done. Moreover, the rinse treatment time in the 1st-3rd rinse liquid tanks 22, 24, 26 is each 5 minutes, for example. Therefore, what is necessary is just to determine the length (length along a conveyance path | route) of the process liquid tanks 21-26 according to these process time.

  Further, for example, when performing a resist stripping process for stripping the resist formed on the processing surface (lower surface) of the substrate W, a hydrofluoric acid aqueous solution is stored in the first chemical tank 21 and the second chemical tank 23 is stored. A sulfuric acid / hydrogen peroxide solution mixture (SPM) is stored, and SC1 is stored in the third chemical tank 25. And the pure water is stored in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd rinse liquid tanks 22, 24, and 26, respectively. The chemical treatment time with the hydrofluoric acid aqueous solution in the first chemical liquid tank 21 is, for example, 1 minute, the chemical liquid treatment time with the sulfuric acid / hydrogen peroxide mixture in the second chemical liquid tank 23 is, for example, 5 minutes, and the chemical liquid by SC1 in the third chemical liquid tank 25. The processing time is 3 minutes, for example. Moreover, the rinse treatment time in the 1st-3rd rinse liquid tanks 22, 24, 26 is each 5 minutes, for example. Therefore, what is necessary is just to determine the length (length along a conveyance path | route) of the process liquid tanks 21-26 according to these process time.

  FIG. 7 is an illustrative view for explaining the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 7, parts corresponding to the parts shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are given the same reference numerals. In this embodiment, the treatment liquid tanks 21 to 26 and the drying treatment unit 27 are linearly arranged on the base unit 20. The substrate transport mechanism 120 is disposed above the processing liquid tanks 21 to 26 and the drying processing unit 27. The substrate transport mechanism 120 includes an endless belt 121 disposed along a vertical plane, and a belt driving mechanism 122 that circulates and drives the endless belt 121. A plurality of support rods 123 are erected outwardly on the outer peripheral surface of the belt 121, and the substrate holding portions 10 are fixed to the tips of these support rods 123.

The unprocessed substrate W is delivered to the substrate holding unit 10 from a substrate transfer robot (not shown) at a predetermined substrate carry-in position above the belt 121. Further, the processed substrate W is discharged from the substrate holding unit 10 by the substrate transfer robot at a predetermined substrate transfer position above the belt 121.
The belt drive mechanism 122 circulates and drives the belt 121 counterclockwise in FIG. An unprocessed substrate W is delivered to the substrate holding unit 10 at the substrate carry-in position above the belt 121. The substrate holding unit 10 carrying the unprocessed substrate W is guided to the lower side of the belt 121 as the belt 121 circulates, and the substrate is placed on the liquid level of the processing liquid stored in the processing liquid tanks 21 to 26. The treatment surface (lower surface) of W is sequentially contacted.

  The belt 121 is stretched along the horizontal direction at least on the lower side thereof, whereby the substrate W held by the substrate holding part 10 is the liquid level of the processing liquid stored in the processing liquid tanks 21 to 26. Along the horizontal direction so as to slide on the liquid surface. In the process, the processing liquid stored in the processing liquid tanks 21 to 26 is subjected to the processing, and finally, the drying processing by the drying processing unit 27 is performed.

The substrate W after the drying process is transported to the upper side of the belt 121 while being held by the substrate holder 10, and is delivered to the substrate transport robot at the substrate unloading position.
Thus, even with the configuration of this embodiment, the substrate W is brought into contact with the processing liquid stored in the processing liquid tanks 21 to 26 while the processing surface of the substrate W is in contact with the processing liquid. By horizontally transporting the substrate W, it is possible to sequentially perform processing with a plurality of types of processing liquids.

  As mentioned above, although two embodiment of this invention was described, this invention can also be implemented with another form. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the discharge port 70 and the suction port 71 are provided on the surface of the substrate facing surface 69, and the substrate W is held in contact with the main surface through a fluid (liquid or gas) film. Although the substrate holding unit 10 having the configuration is used, the substrate holding unit 10 may be configured by other configurations. Specifically, a suction chuck that sucks and holds the main surface opposite to the processing surface of the substrate W, a mechanical chuck that grips the peripheral end surface of the substrate W with a plurality of holding pins, and the like are used as the substrate holding portion 10. You may make it use.

In addition, a substrate rotation mechanism that rotates the substrate W by rotating the substrate holding unit 10 around an axis perpendicular to the center of the substrate W is provided so as to move along the liquid surface of the processing liquid while rotating the substrate W. It may be. Thereby, the processing uniformity on the surface of the substrate W can be improved.
Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, processing is performed on the main surface opposite to the processing surface of the substrate W by discharging the processing liquid or the like from the substrate facing surface 69 of the substrate holding unit 10. Such processing may be omitted. Further, when the substrate holding unit 10 is configured by an adsorption chuck or a mechanical chuck, a processing liquid nozzle that discharges the processing liquid toward the main surface opposite to the processing surface of the substrate W is provided. You may make it process the main surface on the opposite side to a process surface using a nozzle. In this case, for example, when the substrate W is moving on the liquid level of the processing liquid stored in the processing liquid tanks 21 to 26, the same kind as the processing liquid stored in the passing processing liquid tanks 21 to 26 is used. It is preferable to discharge the treatment liquid from the treatment liquid nozzle. Furthermore, in order to suppress mixing of the processing liquid between the adjacent processing liquid tanks 21 to 26, when the substrate W is in a bridge state in contact with both processing liquids of the adjacent processing liquid tanks 21 to 26, It is preferable to stop the discharge of the processing liquid from the processing liquid nozzle.

In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the drying processing unit 27 is configured by the gas knife device has been described. In addition, other volatile organic materials such as IPA (isopropyl alcohol) and HFE (hydrofluoroether) are used for the substrate W. The drying processing unit 27 can also be configured by supplying the solvent in the form of liquid or vapor.
Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the substrate W is transported at a constant speed has been described. However, the transport speed of the substrate W may be changed during the transport. Specifically, for example, the transport speed of the substrate W may be switched between the chemical liquid tank and the rinse liquid tank, or the transport speed of the substrate W may be set for each processing liquid tank. For example, by utilizing the above-described grip mechanism 16 described with reference to FIG. 6, the connection of the substrate holding unit 10 to the cable 13 is released on the processing liquid tank as in the case of the substrate transfer units 18 and 19. A transport roller similar to the transport roller 115 may be provided so that the transport speed of the substrate W can be controlled.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which three chemical liquid tanks and three rinse liquid tanks corresponding to the respective chemical liquid tanks are arranged in series along the substrate transfer path has been described. It is not limited.
In addition, various design changes can be made within the scope of matters described in the claims.

It is an illustrative top view for demonstrating the layout of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is an illustration figure which expands and shows the structure of a process liquid tank and a drying process part along a board | substrate conveyance path | route. It is an illustration expanded sectional view for explaining the concrete example of composition of a chemical solution tank and a rinse solution tank. It is an illustration sectional view for explaining the composition relevant to a substrate holding part. It is a bottom view which shows the structure of a part of plate with which the board | substrate holding part was equipped. It is an illustration for demonstrating the structure of the grip mechanism for couple | bonding the hanger holding the board | substrate holding part with the cable. It is an illustration figure for demonstrating the structure of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Indexer part 2 Substrate processing part 3 Carrier holding part 4 Indexer robot 5 Robot main body 6A Hand 6B Hand 9 Transfer direction 10 Substrate holding part 11 Substrate transfer path 12 Substrate transfer mechanism 13 Cable 14 Cable drive part 15 Hanger 16 Grip mechanism 18 Substrate delivery Part 19 Substrate delivery part 20 Base part 21 First chemical tank 22 First rinse liquid tank 23 Second chemical liquid tank 24 Second rinse liquid tank 25 Third chemical liquid tank 26 Third rinse liquid tank 27 Drying processing part 30 Opening 31 Tank body 32 Overflow receptacle 33 Chemical liquid supply pipe 34 Chemical liquid discharge pipe 35 Chemical liquid discharge pipe 36 Combined discharge pipe 38 Chemical liquid discharge valve 39 Chemical liquid discharge valve 40 Circulation pipe 40 Chemical liquid circulation pipe 41 Pump 42 Filter 43 New liquid supply pipe 44 New liquid supply valve 45 Chemical liquid 45a Liquid level 4 Temperature control unit 47 Drain pipe 48 Drain valve 50 Opening 51 Tank body 52 Overflow receiving part 53 Rinse liquid supply pipe 54 Rinse liquid supply valve 55 Filter 57 Rinse liquid discharge pipe 58 Rinse liquid discharge pipe 59 Combined discharge pipe 60 Rinse liquid discharge Valve 61 Rinse liquid 61a Rinse liquid level 64 Guide member 65 Support block 66 Plate 67 Fluid supply mechanism 68 Suction mechanism 69 Substrate facing surface 70 Discharge port 71 Suction port 72 Supply channel 73 Suction channel 74 Branch connection tube 75 Collecting supply tube 76 Chemical liquid supply pipe 77 Rinse liquid supply pipe 78 Nitrogen gas supply pipe 79 Chemical liquid tank 80 Chemical liquid valve 81 Rinse liquid valve 82 Nitrogen gas valve 83 Chemical liquid pump 86 Branch connection pipe 87 Collecting suction pipe 88 Convum 89 Chemical liquid recovery pipe 90 Recovery valve 91 Filter 92 Recovery Pong 93 Suction valve 100 Grip body 101 Swing lever 102 Spring member 103 Fixed jaw 104 Movable jaw 105 First support roller 106 Second support roller 107 Friction plate 108 Operation roller 111 Rail 112 Rail 113 Rail 115 Transport roller 116 Roller drive Mechanism 120 Substrate transport mechanism 121 Belt 122 Belt drive mechanism 123 Support rod C Carrier W Substrate

Claims (12)

Substrate holding means for holding the processing surface, which is one main surface of the substrate, facing downward;
While storing the processing liquid for processing the substrate, a processing liquid tank having an opening opened upward,
Substrate processing means including substrate transfer means for moving the substrate holding means so that the substrate moves along the liquid surface while the processing surface is in contact with the liquid level of the processing liquid stored in the processing liquid tank. apparatus. Substrate holding means for holding the processing surface, which is one main surface of the substrate, facing downward;
A plurality of treatment liquid tanks each storing an treatment liquid for treating a substrate and having an opening opened upward,
The substrate moves along the liquid surface in a state where the processing surface is in contact with the liquid level of the processing liquid stored in the processing liquid tank, and the substrate holding means is moved so as to walk over the plurality of processing liquid tanks. A substrate processing apparatus including a substrate transporting unit. The substrate transfer means moves the substrate holding means so as to transfer a substrate along a predetermined substrate movement path,
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of processing liquid tanks are arranged along the substrate movement path.   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of processing liquid tanks include a chemical liquid tank that stores a chemical liquid and a rinsing liquid tank that stores a rinsing liquid for replacing the chemical liquid attached to the substrate.   The substrate transfer means moves the substrate holding means so that the substrate moves at a constant speed at least during a period in which the processing surface of the substrate is in contact with the liquid surface of the processing liquid. 5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4.   The length of the processing liquid tank in the direction in which the substrate moves when the substrate holding means is moved by the substrate transport mechanism depends on the time for processing the substrate with the processing liquid stored in the processing liquid tank. 6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the substrate processing apparatus is defined. The treatment liquid tank includes overflow means for storing the treatment liquid in a state of rising from the opening due to surface tension,
The substrate transport mechanism moves the substrate holding means so that the substrate moves in a state where the processing surface of the substrate is in contact with a processing liquid portion raised from the opening of the processing liquid tank. Item 7. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of Items 1 to 6.   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a drying unit that removes the processing liquid from the processing surface of the substrate after being processed by the processing liquid stored in the processing liquid tank.   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a processing liquid supply unit that supplies a processing liquid to another main surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit. The substrate holding means is
A substrate holding plate in which a plurality of discharge ports and suction ports are formed on a substrate facing surface facing the other main surface of the substrate;
Fluid supply means for supplying fluid to the discharge port of the substrate holding plate;
The substrate processing apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1-9 including the suction means for attracting | sucking the inside of the said suction port of the said substrate holding plate. Storing a processing liquid for processing the substrate in a processing liquid tank having an opening opened upward;
A liquid processing step of moving the substrate along the liquid surface while contacting the liquid surface of the processing liquid stored in the processing liquid tank with the processing surface being one main surface of the substrate facing downward. Substrate processing method. Storing each of the processing liquids for processing the substrate in a plurality of processing liquid tanks each having an opening opened upward;
The substrate is moved along the liquid surface while contacting the liquid surface of the processing liquid stored in the processing liquid tank with the processing surface which is one main surface of the substrate facing downward, and the plurality of the substrates are A substrate processing method including a liquid processing step of moving the processing liquid tank so as to walk.

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