JP2008124503A - Liquid processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid processing apparatus capable of suppressing occurrence of a water mark. <P>SOLUTION: A cleaning processing apparatus 1 comprises a spin chuck 59 for holding a wafer W, an ejection nozzle 75 for ejecting a processing liquid and drying gas in an ejecting direction to the wafer W from an ejection opening, a processing liquid supply mechanism that is connected to the ejection nozzle 75 at a position upper-stream side than the ejection opening and supplies the processing liquid to the ejection nozzle, a drying gas supply mechanism that is connected to the ejection nozzle 75 at a position upper-stream side than the ejection opening and supplies the drying gas to the ejection nozzle, a processing liquid suction mechanism 103a that is connected to the ejection nozzle at a position upper-stream side than the ejection opening and sucks the processing liquid remaining inside of the ejection nozzle to the direction opposite to the ejecting direction before the drying gas is ejected after ejecting the processing liquid to the wafer W, and open/close valves 102a, 102b, 102d that are connected to the processing liquid suction mechanism and change over the processing fluid in such a way that one out of the processing liquid and the drying gas is supplied to the ejection nozzle from the processing liquid supply mechanism or the drying gas supply mechanism. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid processing apparatus that performs liquid processing such as cleaning on various substrates such as semiconductor wafers and LCD substrates.

  For example, in a semiconductor device manufacturing process, a semiconductor wafer (wafer) is washed with a cleaning solution such as a predetermined chemical solution or pure water, contaminated with particles, organic contaminants, metal impurities, etc. attached to the wafer, and polymer after etching. A cleaning system that removes the like is used.

As a wafer cleaning apparatus provided in such a cleaning system, the wafer is held on a spin chuck in a substantially horizontal posture, and a chemical solution is supplied to the front and back surfaces of the wafer while the wafer is stationary or rotated. Then, pure water is supplied to the wafer while the wafer is rotated at a predetermined rotational speed to wash away the chemical solution, and then a dry gas (for example, nitrogen gas (N ₂ )) is sprayed onto the wafer while rotating the wafer. A single wafer cleaning apparatus for performing a drying process is known.

  In such a wafer cleaning processing apparatus, for cleaning the back surface of the wafer, a circular plate is disposed so as to face the back surface of the wafer, and a chemical solution and pure water are provided between the wafer and the circular plate from substantially the center of the circular plate. This is done by supplying a dry gas. The supply of the chemical solution or the like to the back surface of the wafer is performed using a single discharge nozzle that is arranged substantially vertically so as to penetrate substantially the center of the circular plate.

    However, when the dry gas is discharged from the discharge nozzle onto the wafer, the pure water discharged previously remains in the discharge nozzle. Such pure water is pushed out by the dry gas at the start of dry gas injection, but since the discharge nozzle is arranged in the vertical direction, the pure water inside the discharge nozzle is completely discharged by the influence of gravity. It is in a difficult state, and some pure water adheres to the inner wall of the nozzle. When the dry gas is further sprayed with the pure water adhering to the inner wall of the nozzle in this way, the pure water is misted by the momentum of the dry gas, and this mist is sprayed toward the wafer together with the dry gas. If the mist sprayed at this time adheres to the already dried portion of the wafer, there is a problem that a watermark is generated and the quality of the wafer is lowered.

  In addition, after the chemical liquid is discharged, the chemical liquid remains inside the discharge nozzle, and such chemical liquid is discharged between the wafer and the circular plate together with pure water even though it is unused. The used chemical solution and pure water are mixed, spilled from the circular plate or shaken off from the wafer by the rotation of the wafer, and then collected. The collected chemical solution is diluted with pure water and contains many particles. Therefore, it is necessary to perform a certain process for reusing the collected chemical solution.

  This invention is made | formed in view of such a situation, and it aims at providing the liquid processing apparatus which can suppress generation | occurrence | production of the watermark in a board | substrate.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid processing apparatus for supplying a processing liquid to an object to be processed and performing liquid processing,
Holding means for holding the object to be processed in a horizontal posture;
A discharge nozzle that discharges a processing liquid and a dry gas to a target object held by the holding unit in a discharge direction from a discharge port;
A treatment liquid supply mechanism for supplying a treatment liquid to the discharge nozzle connected to the discharge nozzle upstream of the discharge port;
A dry gas supply mechanism for supplying a dry gas to the discharge nozzle connected to the discharge nozzle on the upstream side of the discharge port;
Before the discharge of the dry gas after discharging the processing liquid onto the substrate, the processing liquid remaining inside the discharge nozzle is connected to the discharge nozzle upstream of the discharge port. A treatment liquid suction mechanism for suctioning in the opposite direction;
A switching mechanism that is connected to the processing liquid suction mechanism and switches a processing fluid so that one of the processing liquid and the dry gas is supplied from the processing liquid supply mechanism and the dry gas supply mechanism to the discharge nozzle; A liquid processing apparatus is provided.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid processing apparatus for performing a liquid processing by supplying a processing liquid to a substrate,
Holding means for holding the object to be processed in a horizontal posture;
A discharge nozzle for discharging a chemical liquid and a rinsing liquid as a processing liquid to the target object held by the holding means, and a dry gas in a discharge direction from a discharge port;
A chemical supply mechanism for supplying a chemical to the discharge nozzle connected to the discharge nozzle on the upstream side of the discharge port;
A rinse liquid supply mechanism for supplying a rinse liquid to the discharge nozzle connected to the discharge nozzle on the upstream side of the discharge port;
A dry gas supply mechanism for supplying a dry gas to the discharge nozzle connected to the discharge nozzle on the upstream side of the discharge port;
From any one of the chemical liquid supply mechanism, the rinse liquid supply mechanism, and the dry gas supply mechanism, so that any one of the chemical liquid, the rinse liquid, and the dry gas is supplied to the discharge nozzle. A switching mechanism for switching the processing fluid;
The remaining portion of the rinse liquid remaining inside the discharge nozzle is connected to the discharge nozzle upstream of the discharge port and before the drying gas is discharged after the rinse liquid is discharged onto the substrate. There is provided a liquid processing apparatus comprising a liquid suction mechanism for sucking in a direction opposite to the discharge direction.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the processing liquid and the processing gas can be switched and supplied by one discharge nozzle, and the processing liquid suction mechanism for sucking the processing liquid of the discharge nozzle is provided. The processing liquid adhering to the inner wall of the nozzle hole can be sucked and removed by the processing liquid suction mechanism, and mist of the processing liquid is hardly generated even if the drying gas is sprayed from the nozzle hole. It is possible to reliably prevent the occurrence.

  Further, according to the second aspect of the present invention, the discharge nozzle can switch between the chemical liquid, the rinse liquid and the drying gas and discharge the rinse liquid by the liquid suction mechanism after discharging the rinse liquid. Then, since the drying gas is supplied and the drying gas is discharged after the rinsing liquid is sucked, the substrate can be dried without generating a watermark.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to a cleaning processing unit that is provided in a cleaning processing system that consistently carries out cleaning / drying processing and unloading of a wafer, and that can simultaneously clean the front and back surfaces of the wafer. The case will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic structure of the cleaning processing system 1, and FIG. 2 is a side view thereof. The cleaning processing system 1 includes a cleaning processing unit 2 that performs cleaning processing and thermal processing after the cleaning processing on the wafer W, and a loading / unloading unit 3 that loads the wafer W into and out of the cleaning processing unit 2. The loading / unloading unit 3 includes a mounting table 6 for mounting a FOUP (FOUP; front opening unified pod) F capable of storing a plurality of, for example, 25 wafers W in a substantially horizontal posture at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction. The in-out port 4 is provided, and a wafer transfer unit 5 provided with a wafer transfer device 7 that transfers the wafer W between the FOUP F mounted on the mounting table 6 and the cleaning processing unit 2. ing.

  In the FOUP F, the wafer W is loaded and unloaded through one side surface of the FOUP F, and a lid that can be opened and closed is provided on this side surface. The inner wall of the FOUP F is provided with shelf plates for holding the wafers W at predetermined intervals, and 25 slots for accommodating the wafers W are formed. The wafer W has a front surface (referred to as a surface on which a semiconductor device is formed) and an upper surface (referred to as an upper surface when the wafer W is held horizontally) in each slot. One by one.

  On the mounting table 6 of the in / out port 4, for example, three hoops F can be arranged in a predetermined position in the Y direction. The hoop F is placed with the side surface on which the lid is provided facing toward the boundary wall 8 between the in / out port 4 and the wafer transfer unit 5. A window portion 9 is formed in the boundary wall 8 at a position corresponding to the place where the FOUP F is placed, and a shutter 10 for opening and closing the window portion 9 is provided on the wafer transfer portion 5 side of the window portion 9.

  The shutter 10 can also open and close the lid provided on the FOUP F, and opens and closes the lid of the FOUP F simultaneously with the opening and closing of the window portion 9. It is preferable to provide an interlock on the shutter 10 so that the shutter 10 does not operate when the hoop F is not placed at a predetermined position on the placing table 6. When the window 9 is opened to allow the wafer loading / unloading port of the FOUP F to communicate with the wafer transfer unit 5, it becomes possible to access the FOUP F of the wafer transfer device 7 provided in the wafer transfer unit 5. It is possible to perform. A wafer inspection apparatus (not shown) is provided above the window portion 9 so that the number and state of the wafers W stored in the FOUP F can be detected for each slot. Such a wafer inspection apparatus can be mounted on the shutter 10.

  The wafer transfer device 7 provided in the wafer transfer unit 5 is movable in the Y direction. The wafer transfer device 7 has a transfer pick 11 for holding the wafer W. The transfer pick 11 is slidable in the X direction, can be moved up and down in the Z direction, and is in the XY plane (θ Direction). As a result, the wafer transfer device 7 is moved to a position facing the arbitrary FOUP F placed on the mounting table 6, and the transfer pick 11 is allowed to access a slot at an arbitrary height of the FOUP F facing the wafer picker. it can.

  Further, the wafer transfer device 7 is moved to a position opposite to the two wafer transfer units (TRS) 16 and 17 (refer to FIG. 3 to be described later) provided in the cleaning processing unit 2. Thus, the transfer pick 11 can be accessed to the wafer transfer units (TRS) 16 and 17. In other words, the wafer transfer device 7 carries the wafer W into and out of the FOUP F, and at the same time, moves the wafer W from the cleaning processing unit 2 side to the loading / unloading unit 3 side, and conversely from the loading / unloading unit 3 to the cleaning processing unit 2 side. Transport.

  The cleaning processing unit 2 includes two wafer transfer units (TRS) 16 and 17 for temporarily placing the wafer W in order to transfer the wafer W to and from the wafer transfer unit 5, and the surface of the wafer W Four cleaning processing units (CLN) 12, 13, 14, and 15 that simultaneously clean the back surface, and three hot plate units (HP) 19, 20, and 21 (hot) that heat-process the wafer W after the cleaning processing The positions of the plate units (HP) 20 and 21 are shown later in FIG. 3), and a cooling unit (COL) 22 for cooling the heated wafer W (see FIG. 3 shown later for the position of the cooling unit (COL) 22). A main wafer transfer device 18 that can access all these units and transfers the wafer W between these units.

  Further, the cleaning processing unit 2 is provided with a power supply unit (PU) 23 that is a power source for operating the entire cleaning processing system 1, each unit constituting the cleaning processing system 1, and the operation and control of the entire cleaning processing system 1. A machine control unit (MCU) 24 to be performed and a chemical solution storage unit (CTU) 25 for storing a predetermined chemical solution to be fed to the cleaning processing units (CLN) 12 to 15 are provided. The power supply unit (PU) 23 is connected to a main power supply (not shown). A filter fan unit (FFU) 26 for downflowing clean air to each unit and the main wafer transfer device 18 is provided on the ceiling of the cleaning processing unit 2.

  By installing the chemical storage unit (CTU) 25, the power supply unit (PU) 23, and the machine control unit (MCU) 24 outside the cleaning processing unit 2 or by pulling them out, the surface (Y direction side surface) Maintenance of the wafer transfer units (TRS) 16 and 17, the main wafer transfer device 18, the hot plate units (HP) 19 to 21, and the cooling unit (COL) 22 can be easily performed.

  3 shows a wafer transfer unit (TRS) 16, 17; a main wafer transfer device 18 adjacent to the wafer transfer unit (TRS) 16, 17 in the X direction; hot plate units (HP) 19-21; COL) 22 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic arrangement. The wafer delivery units (TRS) 16 and 17 are arranged in two upper and lower stages. For example, the lower wafer delivery unit (TRS) 17 is a wafer that is transported from the wafer transport unit 3 side to the cleaning processing unit 2 side. On the other hand, the upper wafer transfer unit (TRS) 16 can be used for mounting the wafer W to be transferred from the cleaning processing unit 2 side to the wafer transfer unit 3 side.

  A part of the downflow from the filter fan unit (FFU) 26 is structured to flow out toward the wafer transfer unit 5 through the wafer transfer units (TRS) 16 and 17 and the space above them. Thereby, intrusion of particles or the like from the wafer transfer unit 5 to the cleaning processing unit 2 is prevented, and the cleanliness of the cleaning processing unit 2 is maintained.

  The main wafer transfer device 18 includes a cylindrical support 30 having vertical walls 27 and 28 extending in the Z direction and a side opening 29 between them, and an inner side along the cylindrical support 30 in the Z direction. It has a wafer transfer body 31 that can be moved up and down. The cylindrical support 30 can be rotated by the rotational driving force of the motor 32, and the wafer transfer body 31 is also rotated integrally with it.

  The wafer transfer body 31 includes a transfer base 33 and three transfer arms 34, 35, and 36 that can move back and forth along the transfer base 33. The transfer arms 34 to 36 are cylindrically supported. The body 30 has a size capable of passing through the side opening 29. These transfer arms 34 to 36 can be moved forward and backward independently by a motor and a belt mechanism built in the transfer base 33. The wafer carrier 31 is moved up and down by driving a belt 38 by a motor 37. Reference numeral 39 is a drive pulley, and 40 is a driven pulley.

  Three hot plate units (HP) 19 to 21 are stacked and provided on a cooling unit (COL) 22 that performs forced cooling of the wafer W. It is also possible to provide hot plate units (HP) 19 to 21 and a cooling unit (COL) 22 in the space above the wafer delivery units (TRS) 16 and 17. In this case, the positions of the hot plate units (HP) 19 to 21 and the cooling unit (COL) 22 shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 can be used as other utility spaces.

Two cleaning processing units (CLN) 12 to 15 are provided in each of the upper and lower stages. The cleaning processing unit (CLN) 12 and the cleaning processing unit (CLN) 14 have a structure that is substantially symmetrical with respect to the wall surface 41 that forms the boundary between them. The same applies to the processing unit (CLN) 15. Further, the cleaning processing units (CLN) 12 to 15 have the same configuration (members and functions). Therefore, hereinafter, the structure of the cleaning processing unit (CLN) 12 will be described in detail as an example.

  4 is a schematic plan view of the cleaning processing unit (CLN) 12, and FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view thereof. The cleaning processing unit (CLN) 12 has a housing 42, and an outer chamber 43, a chemical arm storage unit 44, and a rinse drying arm storage unit 45 are provided inside the housing 42. Further, inside the outer chamber 43, an inner cup 58, a spin chuck 59 that holds the wafer W in the inner cup 58, and an under plate 63 that can face the back surface of the wafer W held by the spin chuck 59 at a predetermined interval. And a top plate 60 which can be opposed to the surface of the wafer W at a predetermined interval.

  A window portion 46 ′ is formed in the housing 42, and this window portion 46 ′ can be opened and closed by a first shutter 46. 4 and 5 do not show a mechanism for driving the first shutter 46. The transfer arm 34 (or 35, 36) carries the wafer W into and out of the cleaning processing unit (CLN) 12 through the window 46 '. The window 46' is moved by the first shutter 46 except when the wafer W is loaded and unloaded. It is kept closed. The first shutter 46 opens and closes the window portion 46 ′ from the inside of the housing 42. This prevents the atmosphere in the housing 42 from leaking to the outside when the inside of the housing 42 becomes positive pressure.

  The cleaning process of the wafer W is performed inside the outer chamber 43. A window 47 ′ is formed in the outer chamber 43, and the window 47 ′ can be opened and closed by a second shutter 47 that can be moved by a cylinder drive mechanism or the like (not shown). The transfer arm 34 (or 35, 36) enters / exits into the outer chamber 43 through the window 46 ′ and the window 47 ′, and transfers the wafer W to the spin chuck 59. The window 47 ′ is the wafer 47 ′. It is held in the closed state by the second shutter 47 except when W is delivered.

  Since the second shutter 47 opens and closes the window 47 'from the inside of the outer chamber 43, the atmosphere inside the outer chamber 43 leaks to the outside even when the inside of the outer chamber 43 becomes positive pressure. It is not going out. The first shutter 46 and the second shutter 47 may be driven by a common drive mechanism so that the window portion 46 ′ and the window portion 47 ′ are opened and closed simultaneously.

A gas supply port 86 for supplying an inert gas such as nitrogen gas (N ₂ ) into the outer chamber 43 is provided on the upper wall of the outer chamber 43. The gas supply port 86 forms a down flow in the outer chamber 43 and prevents the outer chamber 43 from being filled with the vapor of the chemical solution discharged to the wafer W held by the spin chuck 59. Further, by forming such a downflow, an effect that a watermark is hardly generated on the surface of the wafer W can be obtained. A drain 43a is provided at the bottom of the outer chamber 43, and exhaust and drainage can be performed from the drain 43a.

  The inner cup 58 has a structure in which a tapered portion is formed at the top and a drain 58a is formed at the bottom wall. The inner cup 58 has an upper end positioned above the wafer W held by the spin chuck 59 and a position where the tapered portion surrounds the wafer W (a position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 5, hereinafter referred to as a “processing position”). And the upper end thereof can freely move up and down between a position below the wafer W held by the spin chuck 59 (a position indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 5, hereinafter referred to as a “retraction position”).

  The inner cup 58 is held in the retracted position so as not to prevent entry / exit of the transfer arm 34 when the wafer W is transferred between the transfer arm 34 (or 35, 36) and the spin chuck 59. . On the other hand, when the wafer W held by the spin chuck 59 is subjected to the cleaning process, it is held at the processing position. As a result, the chemical solution and pure water discharged onto the wafer W are prevented from being scattered around. Further, the chemical used for the wafer W cleaning process is guided to the drain 58a. A chemical solution recovery line (not shown) and an exhaust duct are connected to the drain 58a to prevent mist generated in the inner cup 58 from diffusing into the outer chamber 43, and the chemical solution is recovered or discarded (drained). It has become so.

  The spin chuck 59 includes a rotating plate 61 and a rotating cylinder 62 connected to the rotating plate 61, and a support pin 64 a that supports the wafer W and a holding pin 64 b that holds the wafer W are peripheral portions of the rotating plate 61. Is attached. Transfer of the wafer W between the transfer arm 34 (or 35, 36) and the spin chuck 59 is performed using the support pins 64a. The support pins 64a are preferably provided in at least three locations from the viewpoint of reliably supporting the wafer W.

  The holding pin 64b has a portion positioned below the rotating plate 61 by a pressing mechanism (not shown) so as not to hinder delivery of the wafer W between the transfer arm 34 (or 35, 36) and the spin chuck 59. By pressing against the 61 side, the upper end of the holding pin 64 b can be inclined so as to move to the outside of the rotating plate 61. The holding pins 64b are also preferably provided in at least three places from the viewpoint of securely holding the wafer W.

  A belt 65 is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the rotating cylinder 62. By rotating the belt 65 by a motor 66, the rotating cylinder 62 and the rotating plate 61 are rotated and held by the holding pin 64b. The wafer W can be rotated. By adjusting the position of the center of gravity of the holding pins 64b, the force with which the holding pins 64b hold the wafer W when the wafer W rotates can be adjusted. For example, when the center of gravity of the holding pin 64b is provided below the rotating plate 61, the upper tip end tends to move inward by applying a centrifugal force to a portion below the rotating plate 61. The force for holding the wafer W is increased.

  The under plate 63 is connected to a shaft (support column) 67 provided so as to penetrate the central portion of the rotary plate 61 and the inside of the rotary cylinder 62. The shaft 67 is fixed to the upper surface of the horizontal plate 68, and the horizontal plate 68 can be moved up and down in the vertical direction by an elevating mechanism 69 having an air cylinder or the like integrally with the shaft 67. The under plate 63 and the shaft 67 are provided with a back surface cleaning nozzle 75 that supplies a chemical solution, pure water, and dry gas (for example, nitrogen gas) toward the back surface of the wafer W so as to penetrate through the inside of the under plate 63 and the shaft 67. .

  When the wafer W is transferred between the spin chuck 59 and the transfer arm 34 (or 35, 36), the under plate 63 is lowered to a position close to the rotating plate 61 so as not to collide with the transfer arm 34. The When the cleaning process is performed on the back surface of the wafer W, the under plate 63 is raised to a position close to the back surface of the wafer W held by the holding pins 64b, and a chemical solution or the like is passed through the back surface cleaning nozzle 75 to the wafer W. Discharged. Note that the distance between the wafer W held by the holding pins 64b and the under plate 63 is adjusted according to the progress of the cleaning process by fixing the under plate 63 to a predetermined height and moving the rotary cylinder 62 up and down. It may be.

  The top plate 60 is connected to the lower end of the pivot 70, and can be rotated together with the pivot 70 by a motor 72 provided on the horizontal plate 71. The pivot 70 is rotatably supported on the lower surface of the horizontal plate 71, and the horizontal plate 71 can be moved up and down in the vertical direction by an elevating mechanism 73 composed of an air cylinder or the like fixed to the upper wall of the outer chamber 43. The top plate 60 and the pivot 70 are provided with holes 85 penetrating them in the vertical direction, and a surface cleaning nozzle 120 for supplying a chemical solution or the like to the surface of the wafer W is provided therein. .

  When the wafer W is transferred between the spin chuck 59 and the transfer arm 34 (or 35, 36), a position close to the upper wall of the outer chamber 43 so that the top plate 60 does not collide with the transfer arm 34. Retained. When performing the cleaning process on the surface (upper surface) of the wafer W, the top plate 60 is lowered to a position close to the surface of the wafer W held by the holding pins 64b, and the wafer W is discharged from the surface cleaning nozzle 120. The medicinal solution is discharged.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing a more detailed structure of the top plate 60 and the front surface cleaning nozzle 120 and a schematic configuration of the chemical liquid supply system 100 for supplying a cleaning liquid and a dry gas to the back surface cleaning nozzle 75 and the front surface cleaning nozzle 120. is there.

  Four open / close valves 102a, 102b, 102c, and 102d are attached to the back surface cleaning nozzle 75 in parallel. Among these, by switching the open / close valves 102a, 102b, and 102d, chemical liquid, pure water, and nitrogen gas can be supplied to the back surface cleaning nozzle 75, respectively. The piping attached to the opening / closing valve 102c is provided with a suction device 103a such as an aspirator or a vacuum pump. By operating the suction device 103a and opening the opening / closing valve 102c, it is possible to suck and remove the chemical solution or pure water remaining in the back surface cleaning nozzle 75. The chemical solution or pure water sucked in this way is collected and reused or discarded. In addition, in FIG. 6, about each on-off valve 102a-102d, flow paths, such as a chemical | medical solution, are shown, and illustration of the mechanism which opens and closes these flow paths is abbreviate | omitted.

  Four open / close valves 101a, 101b, 101c, and 101d are attached to the surface cleaning nozzle 120 in parallel. A chemical solution can be supplied to the surface cleaning nozzle 120 through the on-off valve 101a, pure water through the on-off valve 101b, and nitrogen gas through the on-off valve 101d. The piping attached to the opening / closing valve 101c is provided with a suction device 103b such as an aspirator or a vacuum pump. By operating this suction device 103b and opening the opening / closing valve 101c, the chemical solution or pure water remaining inside the surface cleaning nozzle 120 can be sucked and removed. The chemical solution or pure water sucked in this way is collected and reused or discarded. In addition, in FIG. 6, about each on-off valve 101a-101d, flow paths, such as a chemical | medical solution, are shown, and illustration of the mechanism which opens and closes these flow paths is abbreviate | omitted.

  Nitrogen gas can be supplied to the gap 85a between the hole 85 and the surface cleaning nozzle 120 through the gas supply pipe 121, and two gas exhaust pipes 122a (for slow leak) are provided from the gap 85a. -Exhaust can be performed through 122b (for forced exhaust). The nitrogen gas supplied to the gap 85a through the gas supply pipe 121 is exhausted from the gap 85a to the outside through the gas exhaust pipe 122a at a constant flow rate (slow leak). The amount of nitrogen gas supplied to the gap portion 85a and the amount of nitrogen gas exhausted from the gap portion 85a through the gas exhaust pipe 122a form a chemical solution or pure water layer between the surface of the wafer W and the top plate 60. In this case, the bubbling of the nitrogen gas to the chemical solution or pure water layer does not occur, and the chemical solution or pure water does not enter the gap 85a.

  It is possible to perform forced exhaust through the gas exhaust pipe 122b from the gap 85a. The exhaust amount from the gas exhaust pipe 122b is larger than the exhaust amount from the gas exhaust pipe 122a. The forced exhaust through the gas exhaust pipe 122b is performed in a state where at least the lower end of the gap 85a is not in contact with the chemical solution or pure water. For example, while the top plate 60 and the pivot 70 are rotated, the gap 85a is forcibly exhausted through the gas exhaust pipe 122b, thereby preventing the chemical solution or pure water from being sucked into the gap 85a. The rotation of 70 can prevent the particles generated in the gap 85a from adhering to the wafer W.

  The front end of the surface cleaning nozzle 120 has a wedge shape, and has a structure in which a chemical solution or pure water hardly adheres to the front end of the surface cleaning nozzle 120 and is difficult to get dirty. As a result, generation of particles at the tip of the surface cleaning nozzle 120 and generation of a watermark due to a drop of droplets such as pure water from the surface cleaning nozzle 120 during the drying process of the wafer W are prevented.

  FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing another form of the surface cleaning nozzle 120 and the top plate 60. FIG. 6 shows a wedge-shaped form in which the inner diameter of the surface cleaning nozzle 120 becomes longer toward the tip. For example, as shown in FIG. 7A, the inner diameter is constant. The wedge may have a wedge shape such that the outer diameter becomes shorter toward the tip. Furthermore, as shown in FIG.7 (b), it is good also as a spire type that the front-end | tip becomes an inverted triangle.

  The outer peripheral end surface of the top plate 60 is also substantially wedge-shaped in cross section, and has a shape that prevents chemicals and pure water from adhering. In FIG. 6, the top plate 60 has a form in which the upper outer diameter is shorter than the lower outer diameter. However, as shown in FIG. 7C, the upper outer diameter is the lower outer diameter. As shown in FIG. 7 (d), the outer diameter of the upper side and the lower side is substantially the same and the outer diameter of the intermediate portion in the thickness direction is the longest, and the cross section is substantially spire-shaped. Good. Even in such a case, the chemical solution or pure water attached to the top plate 60 is easily shaken off by the centrifugal force when the top plate 60 is rotated, and the attachment of the chemical solution or pure water to the end surface is suppressed. . Note that such an effect of the top plate 60 is greatest in the case of the embodiment shown in FIG.

  The chemical arm storage 44 is provided with a window 48 ′ and a third shutter 48 that opens and closes the window 48 ′ by a drive mechanism (not shown). The third shutter 48 is closed when the chemical arm storage 44 is isolated from the outer chamber 43 in the atmosphere. The rinse drying arm storage 45 is provided with a window 49 ′ and a fourth shutter 49 that opens and closes the window 49 ′ by a drive mechanism (not shown). The fourth shutter 49 is closed when the rinsing / drying arm storage unit 45 is isolated from the outer chamber 43 in the atmosphere.

  A chemical solution supply system arm 50 is stored in the chemical solution storage unit 44, and two chemical solution supply nozzles 51 and 52 are attached to the chemical solution supply system arm 50. Further, a rinse drying arm 53 is stored in the rinse drying arm storage unit 45, and two rinse drying nozzles 54 and 55 are attached to the rinse drying arm 53.

  FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a chemical solution supply system 100 ′ for supplying a chemical solution and the like to the chemical solution supply nozzles 51 and 52 and the rinse drying nozzles 54 and 55. A valve group consisting of two on-off valves 112a and 112b and a valve group consisting of four on-off valves 111a, 111b, 111c and 111d are attached to the chemical solution supply nozzles 51 and 52. The chemical solution supply nozzles 51 and 52 are supplied with chemical solution through the on-off valve 111a, pure water through the on-off valve 111b, and nitrogen gas through the on-off valve 111d. A chemical solution or the like can be discharged from one of the two.

  A pipe attached to the opening / closing valve 111c is provided with a suction device 113 such as an aspirator or a vacuum pump. By operating the suction device 113 to open the opening / closing valve 111c and the opening / closing valve 112a, the chemical liquid remaining in the chemical liquid supply nozzle 52 can be removed by suction. Similarly, when the suction device 113 is operated to open the opening / closing valve 111c and the opening / closing valve 112b, the chemical liquid remaining in the chemical liquid supply nozzle 51 is removed by suction. The chemical solution sucked in this way is collected and reused or discarded.

  The rinse drying nozzles 54 and 55 are provided with a valve group including two opening / closing valves 115a and 115b and a valve group including three opening / closing valves 114a, 114b and 114c. Pure water is supplied to the rinse drying nozzles 54 and 55 through the opening / closing valve 114a and nitrogen gas is supplied through the opening / closing valve 114c. By switching the opening / closing valves 115a and 115b, pure water and the like are supplied from one of the rinse drying nozzles 54 and 55. It can be discharged.

  The suction device 113 is also connected to the opening / closing valve 114b. Accordingly, the pure water remaining inside the rinse drying nozzle 54 can be removed by suction by operating the suction device 113 to open the opening / closing valve 114b and the opening / closing valve 115a. Similarly, when the suction device 113 is operated to open the opening / closing valve 114b and the opening / closing valve 115b, the pure water remaining in the rinse drying nozzle 55 is removed by suction. The pure water sucked in this way is usually discarded after a predetermined treatment.

  In addition, in FIG. 8, about each on-off valve 111a-111d * 112a * 112b * 114a-114c * 115a * 115b, the flow path of a chemical | medical solution etc. is shown and illustration of the mechanism which opens and closes these flow paths is abbreviate | omitted. . The chemical solution, pure water, and nitrogen gas supply sources in the chemical solution supply system 100 ′ can be shared with the chemical solution, pure water, and nitrogen gas supply sources of the chemical solution supply system 100.

  The chemical liquid supply system arm 50 rotates to allow the chemical liquid supply nozzles 51 and 52 to enter the outer chamber 43 and scan between at least the center and the peripheral edge of the wafer W held by the spin chuck 59. It is like that. Further, the chemical solution supply system arm 50 is held in the chemical solution storage unit 44 except during the wafer W cleaning process. Since the chemical solution arm 44 is always in a chemical solution atmosphere, the chemical solution supply arm 50 uses corrosion-resistant parts. It is also preferable to control these so that the third shutter 48 opens and closes the window portion 48 ′ in accordance with the timing of the rotation operation of the chemical solution supply system arm 50.

  The rinse drying arm 53 rotates to allow the rinse drying nozzles 54 and 55 to enter the outer chamber 43 so that at least the center and the peripheral edge of the wafer W held by the spin chuck 59 can be scanned. It has become. The rinse drying arm 53 is held in the rinse drying arm storage 45 except during the wafer W cleaning process. Although the rinse drying arm storage 45 is not in a chemical atmosphere, it is preferable to use a corrosion-resistant component for the rinse drying arm 53. It is also preferable to control these so that the window portion 49 ′ is opened and closed by the fourth shutter 49 in accordance with the timing of the rotation operation of the rinse drying arm 53.

  A chemical solution supply system arm cleaning device 56 is provided in the chemical solution storage unit 44 so that the chemical solution supply nozzles 51 and 52 can be appropriately cleaned. When cleaning the chemical liquid supply nozzles 51 and 52, the third shutter 48 is closed so that the atmosphere in the chemical liquid arm storage portion 44 does not leak into the housing 42 and the outer chamber 43. The rinse drying arm storage unit 45 is provided with a rinse drying arm cleaning device 57 so that the rinse drying nozzles 54 and 55 can be cleaned appropriately. When cleaning the rinse drying nozzles 54 and 55, the fourth shutter 49 is closed so that the atmosphere in the rinse drying arm storage portion 45 does not leak into the housing 42 and the outer chamber 43.

  Next, the cleaning process of the wafer W in the cleaning processing system 1 will be described. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a schematic process of the cleaning process. First, the FOUP F storing the uncleaned wafer W is placed at a predetermined position on the placement table 6 of the in / out port 4 by the transfer robot or the operator (step 1). Wafers W are taken out one by one from the FOUP F placed on the placing table 6 by the carrying pick 11 (step 2), and the taken out wafers W are carried, for example, to a wafer delivery unit (TRS) 16 ( Step 3).

  Next, the main wafer transfer device 18 takes out the wafer placed on the wafer transfer unit (TRS) 16 using any one of the transfer arms 34 to 36, for example, the transfer arm 34 (step 4), and performs a cleaning processing unit ( CLN) 12-15, for example, is carried into the cleaning processing unit (CLN) 12 (step 5).

  Step 5 is performed in the following order. First, the first shutter 46 provided in the housing 42 and the second shutter 47 provided in the outer chamber 43 are opened. At substantially the same time or before this operation, the inner cup 58 is held in the retracted position, the under plate 63 stands by at a position close to the rotating plate 61, and the top plate 60 stands by near the upper wall of the outer chamber 43. To do. Thereafter, the transfer arm 34 enters the outer chamber 43 and delivers the wafer W to the support pins 64 a provided on the spin chuck 59.

  When the wafer W is supported by the support pins 64a, the transfer arm 34 is retracted from the outer chamber 43, and the first shutter 46 and the second shutter 47 are closed. Also, the inner cup 58 is raised and held at the processing position, the under plate 63 is raised and held at a predetermined distance from the wafer W, and the top plate 60 is lowered at a predetermined distance from the wafer W. Hold (step 6).

  Thus, the chemical treatment of the wafer W is started (step 7). When performing chemical processing without rotating the wafer W, the wafer W may be maintained while being supported by the support pins 64a. On the other hand, when the chemical liquid processing is performed while rotating the wafer W, and at the time of rinsing or gas drying processing performed while rotating the wafer W after the chemical liquid processing, the wafer W is held by the holding pins 64b.

  Either a state where both the wafer W and the top plate 60 are stationary, a state where one of the wafer W and the top plate 60 is rotated and the other is stationary, or a state where both the wafer W and the top plate 60 are rotated In this state, the on-off valve 101a is opened, the chemical solution is discharged from the surface cleaning nozzle 120 onto the surface of the wafer W, a chemical solution layer is formed between the wafer W and the top plate 60, and is held for a predetermined time. Further, the on-off valve 102a is opened, and the chemical solution is discharged toward the back surface of the wafer W through the back surface cleaning nozzle 75, a chemical solution layer is formed between the wafer W and the under plate 63, and is held for a predetermined time. During such chemical processing, an appropriate amount of chemical may be supplied continuously or intermittently between the wafer W and the top plate 60 and between the wafer W and the under plate 63. .

  During such chemical treatment, nitrogen gas is supplied from a nitrogen gas supply pipe 121 to the gap 85a formed between the surface cleaning nozzle 120 and the hole 85, and a gas exhaust pipe is provided. The air is exhausted (slow leak) from 122a. Such supply and exhaust of nitrogen gas do not cause injection of nitrogen gas into the chemical liquid layer formed between the wafer W and the top plate 60, and does not cause chemical liquid to enter the gap 85a. To be done. Note that the chemical liquid that spills from the periphery of the wafer W during the chemical liquid processing is collected through the drain 58a and reused.

  After the chemical processing is completed, the opening / closing valve 101a is closed to stop the discharge of the chemical liquid onto the surface of the wafer W, and then the suction device 103b is operated to open the opening / closing valve 101c, thereby remaining in the surface cleaning nozzle 120. The chemicals that are present are removed by suction. The chemical solution thus sucked and removed is collected and reused. Similarly, after the opening / closing valve 102a is closed and the supply of the chemical liquid to the back surface of the wafer W is stopped, the suction device 103a is operated to open the open / close valve 102c, and the chemical liquid remaining in the back surface cleaning nozzle 75 is sucked. Collect (step 8). In such a chemical solution recovery process, compared with a case where the chemical solution is poured out from the wafer W and collected through the drain 58a provided at the bottom of the inner cup 58, the chemical solution having a higher concentration and less contamination can be collected. Therefore, it is easy to reuse the collected chemical solution.

  After completion of the chemical solution recovery process, the opening / closing valves 101c and 102c are closed, and after the inner cup 58 is lowered to the retracted position, a rinsing process for removing the chemical solution from the wafer W is performed (step 9). In the rinsing process, the top plate 60 is washed with water at the same time.

  As a method for rinsing the surface of the wafer W, for example, the wafer W is preliminarily cleaned while the top plate 60 is washed with water, and the final rinse of the wafer W is performed using one of the rinse drying nozzles 54 and 55. The method of performing is mentioned. In this case, while the top plate 60 and the wafer W are rotated at a predetermined low speed, the open / close valve 101b is opened and pure water is discharged from the surface cleaning nozzle 120 toward the wafer W, so that the top plate 60 A pure water layer is formed between the wafer W and the wafer W, and a rinsing process is performed so that a certain amount of pure water flows from the pure water layer (step 9a).

  When a certain time has passed, the opening / closing valve 101b is closed to stop the discharge of pure water, and the opening / closing valve 101d is opened to inject a certain amount of nitrogen gas from the surface cleaning nozzle 120 to the vicinity of the lower end of the surface cleaning nozzle 120. A nitrogen gas reservoir is formed. Then, the rotational speed of the top plate 60 is increased, and the exhaust route from the gap 85a is switched from the gas exhaust pipe 122a to the gas exhaust pipe 122b substantially at the same time, for example, when the rotational speed exceeds 100 rpm. Since the pure water layer between the top plate 60 and the wafer W has already collapsed when the forced exhaust from the gas exhaust pipe 122b is performed, the top plate 60 is not sucked from the gap 85b without sucking the pure water. Further, it is possible to prevent the particles from dropping in the gap portion 85a due to the rotation of the pivot 70, and to prevent the particles from adhering to the wafer W.

  Thereafter, the top plate 60 is raised to a predetermined number of rotations and held for a predetermined time, so that the pure water adhering to the top plate 60 is spun off and spin-dried (step 9b). In addition, while the top plate 60 is spin-dried in this way, nitrogen gas may be continuously sprayed from the surface cleaning nozzle 120, or during the spin-drying process of the top plate 60 or After the spin drying process, pure water remaining inside the surface cleaning nozzle 120 may be sucked and removed by operating the suction device 103b and opening the opening / closing valve 101c. As a result, the inside of the surface cleaning nozzle 120 can be dried, and thereafter a drop of pure water from the surface cleaning nozzle 120 can be prevented from falling onto the wafer W.

  After the washing process of the top plate 60 is completed, the top plate 60 is raised, the fourth shutter 49 is opened, and the rinse drying arm 53 enters the inner cup 58 (step 9c). Then, while the wafer W is rotated at a predetermined rotation number, for example, the rinse drying arm 53 is rotated between the substantially center and the periphery of the wafer W while discharging pure water from the rinse drying nozzle 54 onto the surface of the wafer W. By moving, the surface of the wafer W is rinsed accurately.

  In parallel with the rinsing process of the front surface of the wafer W by the front surface cleaning nozzle 120 and the rinsing drying nozzle 54, the rinsing process for the back surface of the wafer W is performed by opening the open / close valve 102b and passing through the back surface cleaning nozzle 75. This is done by discharging pure water toward the back surface. At this time, a pure water layer is formed between the wafer W and the under plate 63 so that pure water hits the entire back surface of the wafer W, and a certain amount of pure water flows from the pure water layer. The chemical solution or pure water splashed from the periphery of the wafer W during the rinsing process is collected or discarded through the drain 43a.

  At the end of the rinsing process, the suction device 113 is operated with the open / close valve 115a open, the open / close valve 114a is closed and the open / close valve 114b is opened, so that the pure water remaining in the rinse drying nozzle 54 is removed by suction. (Step 10). As a result, during the drying process of the wafer W, which is the next process, a drop of pure water drops from the rinse drying nozzle 54 onto the wafer W, or a mist of pure water is mixed with nitrogen gas to form a watermark on the surface of the wafer W. Is prevented from occurring.

  Thereafter or substantially simultaneously, the suction device 103a is operated to open the opening / closing valve 102c, thereby sucking and removing pure water remaining inside the back surface cleaning nozzle 75 (step 11). Since most portions of the back surface cleaning nozzle 75 extend in the vertical direction, the direction of gravity acting on the pure water remaining inside the nozzle is the same as the direction of suction by the suction device 103a. Thereby, the removal of pure water by the suction device 103a is effectively performed, and adhesion of pure water on the wall surface of the back surface cleaning nozzle 75 can be almost completely eliminated. Note that this step 11 may be performed with the wafer W stationary, or may be performed with the wafer W rotated at a low speed, for example, 100 rpm or less.

  Next, while rotating the wafer W at a predetermined number of revolutions, nitrogen gas is sprayed from the rinse drying nozzle 54 to the front surface of the wafer W, and nitrogen gas is sprayed to the back surface of the wafer W through the back surface cleaning nozzle 75. Thus, the wafer W is dried (step 12). In the drying process of the surface of the wafer W, since pure water is removed from the inside of the rinse drying nozzle 54 in advance, a mist of pure water is not mixed with nitrogen gas, thereby generating a watermark on the surface of the wafer W. Is prevented. Similarly, in the drying process of the back surface of the wafer W, pure water is removed from the inside of the back surface cleaning nozzle 75 in advance, so that the mist of pure water is not mixed with the nitrogen gas. The occurrence of a watermark is prevented.

  In this way, when nitrogen gas is sprayed onto the surface of the wafer W, the rinse drying arm 53 may be rotated so that the tip of the rinse drying arm 53 moves between the approximate center and the periphery of the wafer W. In this case, if the inside of the outer chamber 43 is made a nitrogen atmosphere by the nitrogen gas supplied from the gas supply port 86, processing with less generation of watermarks can be performed in combination with the scanning effect of the rinse drying arm 53.

  FIG. 10 is a graph showing the relationship between the difference in the method of removing pure water remaining inside the back surface cleaning nozzle 75 after the rinsing process and the number of watermarks generated on the back surface of the wafer W after the drying process. “Before cleaning processing” in FIG. 10 indicates the number of watermarks (number of particles) on the back surface of the wafer W before the cleaning processing by the cleaning processing apparatus 1 is performed.

  In the “pure water / nitrogen gas treatment” in FIG. 10, the open / close valve 102d is opened and nitrogen gas is introduced into the back surface cleaning nozzle 75 so that the pure water in the back surface cleaning nozzle 75 is directed toward the back surface of the wafer W. The number of watermarks in the case where the back surface of the wafer W is subsequently dried by injecting nitrogen gas from the back surface cleaning nozzle 75 toward the wafer W is shown.

  In this case, many watermarks were observed on the back surface of the wafer W. This is because the direction of gravity applied to the pure water is opposite to the direction of the force received from the nitrogen gas, so that pure water tends to remain as water droplets on the inner wall of the back surface cleaning nozzle 75. A major cause is considered to be a mist generated by the injection of nitrogen gas, injected toward the back surface of the wafer W, and attached to a dried portion of the wafer W.

  On the other hand, the “pure water / suction / nitrogen gas treatment” in FIG. 10 removes pure water (pure water suction removal) in the back surface cleaning nozzle 75 in step 11 described above, and thereafter The result when the nitrogen gas is sprayed from the back surface cleaning nozzle 75 toward the wafer W to dry the back surface of the wafer W is shown. In this case, it can be seen that the number of watermarks is significantly reduced as compared with the case of “pure water / nitrogen gas treatment”. As described above, since pure water hardly adheres to the wall surface of the back surface cleaning nozzle 75 as described above, mist of pure water is not mixed with nitrogen gas. This is thought to be due to the prevention of watermarks.

  After completion of the drying process, the rinse drying arm 53 is accommodated in the rinse drying arm storage unit 45, the under plate 63 is lowered, and the wafer W is transferred from the holding pins 64b to the support pins 64a (step 13). Next, the first shutter 46 and the second shutter 47 are opened, for example, the transfer arm 34 enters the outer chamber 43, and the wafer W indicated by the support pins 64 a is transferred to the transfer arm 34. When the transfer arm 34 holding the wafer W leaves the cleaning processing unit (CLN) 12, the first shutter 46 and the second shutter 47 are closed (step 14).

  The wafer W carried out from the cleaning processing unit (CLN) 12 is transferred to one of the hot plate units (HP) 19, 20, and 21 where it is subjected to heat treatment, and then a cooling unit (COL) as necessary. ) 22, where it is cooled (step 15), further transferred from there to the wafer transfer unit (TRS) 17 by the main wafer transfer device 18, and placed there, and then the transfer pick 11 is moved to the wafer. The wafer W placed on the delivery unit (TRS) 17 is taken out, and the wafer W is stored in the original slot of the FOUP F in which the wafer W was stored (step 16).

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to such a form. In the above description, the case where the chemical liquid processing on the surface of the wafer W is performed using the top plate 60 and the surface cleaning nozzle 120 is described, but the chemical liquid processing may be performed by operating the chemical liquid supply system arm 50.

  In the case of using the chemical supply system arm 50, the chemical solution processing is performed by opening the third shutter 48 and rotating the chemical supply system arm 50 so that the tip thereof is positioned at the approximate center of the wafer W. A method of supplying a chemical solution from the nozzle 51 (or 52) to the surface of the wafer W to form a paddle of the chemical solution on the surface of the wafer W and holding it for a predetermined time; (2) while rotating the wafer W at a predetermined rotational speed; Any one of the methods of rotating the chemical solution supply system arm 50 so that the tip of the chemical solution supply system arm 50 moves between the approximate center and the peripheral edge of the wafer W while discharging the chemical solution from the chemical solution supply nozzle 51 (or 52) is suitably employed. Is done.

  After the supply of the chemical solution is completed, the open / close valve 111a is closed, the open / close valve 111c is opened, and the suction device 113 is operated to suck and collect the chemical solution remaining in the chemical solution supply nozzle 51 (or 52). . Thereafter, almost simultaneously with the rotation of the wafer W at a predetermined number of revolutions, the pure water is supplied to the surface of the wafer W from the chemical solution supply nozzle 51 (or 52) by closing the open / close valve 111c and opening the open / close valve 111b. Then, the wafer W is rinsed. At this time, the chemical solution supply system arm 50 may be rotated so that the tip thereof moves between the center and the periphery of the wafer W.

  When the discharge of pure water from the chemical solution supply nozzle 51 (or 52) is completed, the open / close valve 111c is closed and the open / close valve 111c is opened, and the suction device 113 is operated to remain in the chemical solution supply nozzle 51 (or 52). Remove the pure water by suction. Thereafter, the chemical solution supply system arm 50 is accommodated in the chemical solution arm storage section 44, and the final rinse treatment using the rinse drying arm 53 described above is performed.

  When the chemical solution and pure water are mixed together at the start of the rinsing process, the chemical solution has an increased ability to corrode, so that much of the chemical solution is washed away by supplying IPA to the surface of the wafer W before supplying pure water. Then, by supplying pure water to the wafer W, corrosion of various components in the outer chamber 43 can be suppressed. The ability to supply IPA to the front surface cleaning nozzle 120, the back surface cleaning nozzle 75, and the chemical solution supply nozzles 51 and 52 can be easily realized by providing an on-off valve and piping.

  The present invention is not limited to a cleaning apparatus, and can be applied to an apparatus that performs liquid processing of a substrate using various processing liquids. The substrate is not limited to a semiconductor wafer, and may be another glass substrate for LCD, a ceramic substrate, or the like.

The top view which shows schematic structure of the washing | cleaning processing system which comprises the washing | cleaning processing unit which is one Embodiment of this invention. The side view which shows schematic structure of the washing | cleaning processing system shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the cleaning processing system shown in FIG. 1. The top view which shows schematic structure of a washing | cleaning processing unit. Sectional drawing which shows schematic structure of a washing | cleaning processing unit. Explanatory drawing which shows the structure of a top plate and the nozzle for surface cleaning, and schematic structure of the chemical | medical solution supply system which supplies a chemical | medical solution etc. to the nozzle for back surface cleaning, and the nozzle for surface cleaning. Sectional drawing which shows another form of the top plate and the nozzle for surface cleaning. Explanatory drawing which shows schematic structure of the chemical | medical solution supply system which supplies a chemical | medical solution etc. to a chemical | medical solution supply nozzle and a rinse drying nozzle. The flowchart (description figure) which shows the outline process of a washing process. Explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the removal method of the pure water which remains in the inside of the nozzle for back surface cleaning after a rinse process, and the generation number of the watermark of the back surface of the wafer W after a drying process.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1; Cleaning processing system 2; Cleaning processing part 3; Carrying in / out part 12-15; Cleaning processing unit (CLN)
43; outer chamber 59; spin chuck 58; inner cup 63; under plate 75; backside cleaning nozzle 100; chemical supply system 101a, 101b, 101c, 101d; open / close valve 102a / 102b / 102c / 102d; open / close valve 103a / 103b ; Suction device 120; nozzle for surface cleaning 121; gas supply pipes 122a and 122b; gas exhaust pipe

Claims (9)

A liquid processing apparatus for supplying a processing liquid to an object to be processed and performing liquid processing,
Holding means for holding the object to be processed in a horizontal posture;
A discharge nozzle that discharges a processing liquid and a dry gas to a target object held by the holding unit in a discharge direction from a discharge port;
A treatment liquid supply mechanism for supplying a treatment liquid to the discharge nozzle connected to the discharge nozzle upstream of the discharge port;
A dry gas supply mechanism for supplying a dry gas to the discharge nozzle connected to the discharge nozzle on the upstream side of the discharge port;
Before the discharge of the dry gas after discharging the processing liquid onto the substrate, the processing liquid remaining inside the discharge nozzle is connected to the discharge nozzle upstream of the discharge port. A treatment liquid suction mechanism for suctioning in the opposite direction;
A switching mechanism that is connected to the processing liquid suction mechanism and switches a processing fluid so that one of the processing liquid and the dry gas is supplied from the processing liquid supply mechanism and the dry gas supply mechanism to the discharge nozzle; A liquid processing apparatus.   The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of different processing liquid supply mechanisms for supplying the processing liquid to the discharge nozzle.   The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control mechanism that controls the processing liquid suction mechanism and the switching mechanism. The discharge nozzle includes a plate member facing the back surface of the substrate held by the holding unit at a predetermined interval;
A support member for supporting the plate member;
4. The nozzle according to claim 1, further comprising a nozzle hole for passing the treatment liquid and the dry gas, which is provided so as to penetrate the plate member and the support member. 5. The liquid processing apparatus as described.   The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the plate member is provided so as to be movable up and down. A liquid processing apparatus for supplying a processing liquid to a substrate to perform liquid processing,
Holding means for holding the object to be processed in a horizontal posture;
A discharge nozzle for discharging a chemical liquid and a rinsing liquid as a processing liquid to the target object held by the holding means, and a dry gas in a discharge direction from a discharge port;
A chemical supply mechanism for supplying a chemical to the discharge nozzle connected to the discharge nozzle on the upstream side of the discharge port;
A rinse liquid supply mechanism for supplying a rinse liquid to the discharge nozzle connected to the discharge nozzle on the upstream side of the discharge port;
A dry gas supply mechanism for supplying a dry gas to the discharge nozzle connected to the discharge nozzle on the upstream side of the discharge port;
From any one of the chemical liquid supply mechanism, the rinse liquid supply mechanism, and the dry gas supply mechanism, so that any one of the chemical liquid, the rinse liquid, and the dry gas is supplied to the discharge nozzle. A switching mechanism for switching the processing fluid;
The remaining portion of the rinse liquid remaining inside the discharge nozzle is connected to the discharge nozzle upstream of the discharge port and before the drying gas is discharged after the rinse liquid is discharged onto the substrate. A liquid processing apparatus comprising a liquid suction mechanism for sucking in a direction opposite to the discharge direction. The discharge nozzle includes a plate member facing the back surface of the substrate held by the holding unit at a predetermined interval;
A support member for supporting the plate member;
The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a nozzle hole for passing the chemical liquid, the rinsing liquid, and the dry gas provided to penetrate the plate member and the support member.   The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the plate member is provided to be movable up and down.   The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the liquid suction mechanism is connected to the switching mechanism.

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