JP2009004728A - Substrate processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To more accurately recognize the processing state of a substrate. <P>SOLUTION: This substrate processing apparatus has processing tanks 10A to 10C and is configured so as to perform cleaning processings, while supplying rinse liquid to the surface of the substrate S by shower nozzles 14 in each of the processing tanks 10A to 10C, respectively, while conveying the substrate S in an inclined attitude. A pH-measuring instrument 16 for receiving the rinse liquid flowing down along the surface of the substrate S, before the rinse liquid reaches the bottom in each of the tanks to measure pH of the rinse liquid is provided inside the respective processing tanks 10A to 10C, and a controller 40 controls the amount of supply of the rinse liquid in each of the processing tanks 10A to 10C, on the basis of the result of the measurement by each pH-measurement instrument 16. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus for supplying a processing liquid to a substrate such as an LCD, a glass substrate for PDP, and a semiconductor substrate and performing various processes.

Conventionally, as a substrate processing apparatus as described above, the processing liquid stored in the tank is supplied to the processing tank and supplied onto the substrate from the nozzle member disposed therein, while the processing liquid after use is processed. It is known that the tank is recovered from the tank and used while circulating the treatment liquid. As this type of apparatus, for example, in Patent Document 1, the state of contamination (deterioration) of the processing liquid derived from the processing tank is measured, specifically, the pH value of the processing liquid is measured, and the degree of contamination of the processing liquid is measured. However, immediately after the start of the treatment, all of the derived treatment liquid is discarded, and the treatment liquid is collected in the tank when the contamination level falls below a certain level.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-238716

  In this type of conventional substrate processing apparatus, the processing liquid is generally supplied quantitatively to the substrate. For example, in the case of performing processing while transporting a substrate, the supply start and stop of the processing liquid is performed based on detection of the substrate by a sensor provided in the transport path or the like. A processing liquid is supplied to the substrate. Therefore, in the case of a small-sized substrate or the like, there is a case where the processing liquid is supplied more than necessary and the processing liquid is wasted.

  In recent years, it has been demanded to suppress wasteful consumption (supply) of a processing liquid in order to proceed with the processing of a substrate more economically. As in Patent Document 1, contamination (deterioration) of a processing liquid derived from a processing tank is required. It is conceivable to monitor the state and optimize the supply amount of the processing liquid. That is, since there is a certain degree of correlation between the deterioration state of the processing liquid and the processing state of the substrate, the processing state of the substrate is estimated from the contamination state of the processing liquid, and the supply amount of the processing liquid is controlled based on this. It is possible. However, when the contamination state of the processing liquid derived from the processing tank is monitored as in the above-mentioned literature 1, the processing liquid that does not pass through the substrate, that is, the excess sprayed on the wall surface of the processing tank and attached to the wall surface. Since the processing liquid containing the contaminating component is also monitored, it is not sufficient for accurately grasping the processing status of the substrate.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a first object is to make it possible to more accurately grasp the processing status of the substrate, and a second object is to uselessly consume processing liquid. The purpose is to rationally process the substrate while suppressing (supply).

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a processing liquid that flows down from the surface of a substrate in a substrate processing apparatus having a processing tank that supplies a processing liquid to the surface of the substrate by a nozzle member and performs a predetermined processing on the substrate. Is received before the processing liquid reaches the bottom of the processing tank, and is provided with measuring means for measuring a predetermined physical quantity associated with the deterioration state (Claim 1).

  Thus, according to the configuration in which the processing liquid flowing down from the surface of the substrate is directly received before the processing liquid reaches the bottom of the processing tank and the physical quantity is measured, only the processing liquid poured into the substrate is present. Since it becomes a measuring object, an excess contaminant component can be excluded from a measuring object. Therefore, it becomes possible to grasp the processing status of the substrate more accurately based on the measurement result of the physical quantity.

  More specifically, in the case of having support means for supporting the substrate in an inclined posture during processing, the measurement means is disposed below the lower edge of the substrate supported by the support means ( Claim 2).

  For example, in an apparatus that performs processing by supplying a processing liquid to the surface of the substrate while conveying the substrate in an inclined posture, the processing liquid flowing down along the inclination of the substrate can be well received by following the above configuration, It is possible to appropriately measure the physical quantity.

  In addition, the measurement unit may include a measurement unit that measures the physical quantity in contact with a processing liquid, and a guide unit that receives the processing liquid flowing down from the substrate and guides it to the measurement unit. .

  As described above, according to the configuration in which the processing liquid flowing down from the substrate is received and guided to the measurement unit, the physical quantity can be measured more reliably by bringing the processing liquid into contact with the measurement unit.

  The substrate processing apparatus preferably includes a supply amount control means for controlling the supply amount of the processing liquid supplied to the substrate based on the measurement result of the physical quantity. For example, it is preferable that the supply amount control means controls the supply amount of the processing liquid per unit time based on the measurement result (claim 5). The supply amount control means controls the supply time of the processing liquid to the substrate based on the measurement result (Claim 6). For example, when supplying the processing liquid to the substrate while transporting the substrate It is preferable that the substrate transport speed is controlled based on the measurement result.

  That is, since there is a correlation between the deterioration state of the processing liquid and the processing state of the substrate, as described above, the physical quantity is measured by the measuring means, and the supply amount of the processing liquid to the substrate is determined based on the measurement result. By controlling, it becomes possible to supply an appropriate amount of the processing liquid corresponding to the processing state of the substrate, thereby suppressing wasteful consumption of the processing liquid.

  In addition, it becomes possible to grasp | ascertain the processing condition of a board | substrate more correctly by comparing the deterioration state of the processing liquid before and behind use. Therefore, when the measurement unit is the first measurement unit, the apparatus further includes a second measurement unit that measures the physical quantity related to the processing liquid before being supplied to the substrate. It is preferable that the amount control means controls the supply amount based on the difference between the measurement results obtained by the first and second measurement means (claim 8).

  Further, in the substrate processing apparatus, a processing liquid used for processing in the processing tank, and a processing liquid recovered after use for processing in the processing tank is used again for processing in the processing tank, and the circulation system A draining means for draining the processing liquid recovered after use from the processing liquid circulating in the interior from the circulation system, a new liquid introducing means for introducing a new processing liquid into the circulation system, and the measurement means. And a replacement control means for replacing the processing liquid in the circulation system by controlling the drainage means and the new liquid introduction means based on the measurement result (claim 9).

  According to such a configuration, in the substrate processing apparatus for circulating the processing liquid to the processing tank, waste of the processing liquid can be effectively suppressed based on the measurement of the physical quantity, and the quality of the processing liquid is improved. Thus, the processing of the substrate can be promoted.

  In addition, the processing tank includes a first processing tank and a second processing tank that processes the substrate on the substrate that has been processed in the first processing tank using the same type of processing liquid as the first processing tank. The first processing tank is a processing liquid used for processing in the second processing tank, and has a processing liquid supply system used for processing in the first processing tank. The measurement means is provided, and the control means determines at least one of a supply amount of the treatment liquid to the substrate in the first treatment tank and a supply amount of the treatment liquid to the substrate in the second treatment tank based on the measurement result. It may be configured to control (claim 10).

  According to such a configuration, waste of processing liquid can be suppressed in a total in an apparatus in which processing tanks are connected in a so-called cascade connection.

  According to the first to third aspects of the present invention, since excess contaminant components are excluded from the measurement target, it becomes possible to accurately grasp the processing status of the substrate. According to the inventions according to claims 4 to 9, since the supply amount of the processing liquid to the substrate is controlled according to the processing state of the substrate, it is possible to process the substrate economically while suppressing wasteful processing liquid consumption. Become.

  A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 schematically shows a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention in a schematic view. The substrate processing apparatus shown in the figure performs, for example, a cleaning process on a substrate after an etching process (chemical solution process).

  As shown in the figure, this substrate processing apparatus has first to third consecutive three processing tanks 10 (first processing tank 10A, second processing tank 10B, and third processing tank 10C). . In each of the processing tanks 10 </ b> A to 10 </ b> C, a plurality of transport rollers 12 are provided at predetermined intervals, and the substrate S is transported from the left side to the right side in the figure while being supported by the transport rollers 12. It has become. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, each conveyance roller 12 is inclined and provided in the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the board | substrate S, and the state which inclined the board | substrate S by predetermined angle (theta) with respect to the horizontal surface by this It is designed to be transported by.

  In each of the treatment tanks 10A to 10C, a shower nozzle 14 (corresponding to a nozzle member according to the present invention) for supplying a rinse liquid (pure water in this embodiment) to the substrate S from above is provided. In the third treatment tank 10C, the shower nozzle 14 is provided so as to supply the rinsing liquid from both the upper and lower sides of the substrate S. The shower nozzle 14 has a plurality of scattered nozzle openings, and is configured to discharge droplet-like rinse liquid from each nozzle opening and spray it onto the substrate S.

  The rinsing liquid supply system for each of the treatment tanks 10A to 10C is configured as follows.

  The treatment tanks 10A, 10B, and 10C are provided with tanks 20A, 20B, and 20C (first tank 20A, second tank 20B, and third tank 20C) for storing the rinse liquid, respectively. Each of the tanks 20A to 20C is provided with a supply pipe 22 provided with a pump 23 and a valve 22a. By the operation of the pump 23, the tanks 20A to 20C are respectively transferred to the corresponding processing tanks 10A to 10C. On the other hand, the rinse liquid is fed, and the rinse liquid after use is led out through lead-out pipes 24A to 24C connected to the treatment tanks 10A to 10C, respectively. Each tank 20A-20C is provided with a waste liquid waste pipe 26 provided with a valve 26a. During maintenance, the rinse liquid in each tank 20A-20C is removed by operating the valve 26a. It can be led to a waste liquid tank outside the figure.

  Of the outlet pipes 24A to 24C provided in the processing tanks 10A to 10C, the outlet pipe 24C of the third processing tank 10C is connected to the second tank 20B of the second processing tank 10B, and the second processing tank 10B. The lead-out pipe 24B is connected to the first tank 20A of the first treatment tank 10A. The outlet pipe 24A of the first treatment tank 10A is connected to a waste liquid tank not shown. A new liquid supply pipe 28 is further connected to the third tank 20C, and a new rinse is supplied from the rinse liquid supply source 30 to the third tank 20C in accordance with the operation of the valve 28a interposed in the new liquid supply pipe 28. The liquid is introduced. That is, in this substrate processing apparatus, the new rinsing liquid is introduced from the rinsing liquid supply source 30 to the third tank 20C, and this rinsing liquid is supplied to the third processing tank 10C and is used from the third processing tank 10C. The subsequent rinse liquid is introduced into the second tank 20B on the upstream side. Then, the rinsing liquid in the second tank 20B is sent to the second processing tank 10B, and the rinsing liquid used in the second processing tank 10B is further introduced into the first tank 20A on the upstream side, and the first tank 20A After the rinsing liquid is fed to the first processing tank 10A, the rinsing liquid derived from the first processing tank 10A is introduced into a waste liquid tank (not shown). In short, the rinsing liquid supply system is configured to use the rinsing liquid used in the downstream processing tank in the upstream processing tank while sequentially raising the rinsing liquid to the upstream side, in other words, the processing tanks 10A to 10C are Cascade connection is established via the supply system.

  In the following description, when the tanks 20A to 20C are referred to as “upstream side” and “downstream side”, they correspond to the transport direction of the substrate S.

  The processing tanks 10A to 10C and the tanks 20A to 20C are provided with measuring means for measuring predetermined physical quantities associated with the deterioration state of the rinse liquid, respectively.

  Specifically, each of the processing tanks 10A to 10C directly receives the rinsing liquid flowing down along the substrate S during the processing of the substrate S, that is, the rinsing liquid flowing down from the substrate S reaches the bottom of the tank. A pH measuring device 16 (referred to as a first pH measuring device 16) that receives and measures the pH value before reaching is provided, while each tank 20A-20C measures the pH value of the rinsing liquid in the tank 20A-20C, respectively. A second pH measuring device 36 is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the first pH measuring device 16 is substantially in the center (substantially the center in the substrate transport direction) in the processing tanks 10 </ b> A to 10 </ b> C, and is supported in an inclined posture by the transport roller 12 as illustrated in FIG. 2. The substrate S is disposed below the lower end of the substrate S. The first pH measuring device 16 includes a funnel-shaped liquid receiving portion 17 (corresponding to a guide portion according to the present invention) and a measurement head provided below the liquid receiving portion 17 as shown in FIG. The pH meter main body 18 (corresponding to the measuring unit according to the present invention) is provided, and the rinse liquid flowing down along the substrate S is received by the liquid receiving unit 17 and guided to the pH meter main body 18 for rinsing. The pH value of the liquid is measured, and a signal corresponding to the measurement result is output to the controller 40 described later.

  On the other hand, although not shown in detail, the second pH measuring device 36 has a measuring head at a predetermined position inside each of the tanks 20A to 20C, and the rinsing liquid stored in each of the tanks 20A to 20C by this measuring head. The pH value is measured, and a signal corresponding to the measurement result is output to the controller 40 described later.

  The substrate processing apparatus includes a controller 40 (corresponding to a supply amount control unit according to the present invention) that controls a series of cleaning operations of the substrate S. The controller 40 is composed mainly of a CPU or the like that executes a logical operation. The motor that drives the transport roller 12, the pump 23, the valves 22a, 26a, and 28a, the pH measuring devices 16 and 36, and the like. All are electrically connected to the controller 40. The valve 22a and the like are controlled to be opened and closed by the controller 40 based on the measurement results by the pH measuring devices 16 and 36. Hereinafter, an example of the cleaning operation of the substrate S based on the control of the controller 40 will be described.

  As a preparation stage for starting the processing of the substrate S, a certain amount of new liquid (new rinse liquid) is stored in each of the tanks 20A to 20C. In the storage of the new liquid, the new liquid is introduced into the third tank 20C from the rinsing liquid supply source 30 through the new liquid supply pipe 28, and this new liquid is supplied to the upstream tanks 20A and 20B through the liquid supply pipe not shown. Is done.

  When the preparation of each of the tanks 20A to 20C is completed, the transport roller 12 is driven to start transport of the substrate S, and the substrate S after the chemical solution processing is transported in an inclined posture from the upstream side. And if the front-end | tip of the board | substrate S is detected by the board | substrate (tip) sensor outside a figure arrange | positioned immediately upstream of 10 A of 1st process tanks, the rinse liquid will be discharged from the shower nozzle 14 in 10 A of 1st process tanks. Then, the supply of the rinse liquid to the substrate S is started. Thus, when the substrate S is carried into the first processing tank 10A, the rinse liquid is supplied from the shower nozzle 14 to the upper surface of the substrate S, and a predetermined cleaning process is performed on the substrate S. During the cleaning process, a part of the rinsing liquid flowing down from the upper surface of the substrate S flows into the liquid receiving part 17 of the pH measuring device 16 (see FIG. 2), whereby the use provided for the processing of the substrate S is performed. The pH value of the subsequent rinse solution is measured.

  When the rear end of the substrate S is detected by a substrate (rear end) sensor (not shown) disposed near the downstream end in the first processing tank 10A when the substrate S is further conveyed, the rinse from the shower nozzle 14 is performed. The liquid supply is stopped.

  The substrate S that has passed through the first processing tank 10A is further transported sequentially to the second processing tank 10B and the third processing tank 10C by driving the transport roller 12, and the rinse liquid is applied to the upper surface of each of the processing tanks 10B and 10C. By being supplied, a cleaning process is similarly performed. At that time, the pH value of the rinsing liquid flowing down from the substrate S is measured by the pH measuring device 16 during the processing in each of the processing tanks 10B and 10C as well as the one processing tank 10A.

  When the substrate S thus passes through the processing tanks 10A to 10C, a series of cleaning processes for the substrate S is completed. Although the explanation is omitted, the second and third processing tanks 10B and 10C also have a substrate (tip) sensor disposed immediately upstream of the processing tanks 10B and 10C, and the processing tanks 10B and 10C. The supply start and stop of the rinsing liquid are controlled based on detection of the substrate S by the substrate (rear end) sensor disposed in the vicinity of the downstream end.

  In such a cleaning process of the substrate S, the supply amount of the rinse liquid to the substrate S in each of the processing tanks 10A to 10C is controlled as follows based on the measurement result of the pH measuring device 16. That is, in the above apparatus for performing the cleaning process (cleaning process using pure water as a rinsing liquid) on the substrate S after the etching process (chemical solution process), the rinse after use provided for cleaning the substrate S during the cleaning process. The pH value of the liquid changes as the treatment proceeds. Specifically, the pH value of the rinse liquid is high immediately after the start of the treatment, and the pH value decreases as the treatment proceeds. Therefore, the controller 40 stores a pH value (referred to as a reference value) corresponding to the reference cleaning level in advance for each of the processing tanks 10A to 10C, and a measured pH value (for example, a predetermined time) in each of the processing tanks 10A to 10C. The difference between the average value) and the reference value is calculated, and based on the result, the supply amount of the rinsing liquid to the substrate S in each of the processing tanks 10A to 10C is controlled. Specifically, when the measured pH value is higher than a reference level by a certain level, that is, when the cleaning of the substrate S is not sufficiently advanced, the supply amount of the rinsing liquid per unit time is increased by a predetermined flow rate. Thus, the opening degree of the valve 22a is controlled. On the contrary, when the measured value of pH is lower than the reference value by a certain level or more, that is, when the cleaning of the substrate S is proceeding more than planned, the supply amount of the rinsing liquid per unit time decreases by a predetermined flow rate. Thus, the opening degree of the valve 22a and the like are controlled. Such control of the supply amount of the rinsing liquid to the substrate S is executed in a constant cycle or according to an input operation by the operator. When the pump 23 is a pump driven by an inverter motor, for example, the rotational speed of the motor is changed instead of controlling the opening degree of the valve 22a or in combination with the opening degree control. Thereby, the flow rate of the rinse liquid supplied to the shower nozzle 14 is controlled.

  On the other hand, during the cleaning process of the substrate S, the pH value of the rinse liquid in each of the tanks 20 </ b> A to 20 </ b> C is measured by the second pH measuring device 36. In addition to the reference value for flow rate control, the controller 40 stores a reference value for the pH value for liquid management in advance for each of the tanks 20A to 20C, and the measured pH value in any of the tanks 20A to 20C. Exceeds the reference value, that is, when the rinsing liquid in each of the tanks 20A to 20C deteriorates to a certain level or more, a part of the rinsing liquid in the tanks 20A to 20C is discarded through the waste liquid pipe 26, or not shown. While the liquid is supplied to the upstream tank through the liquid supply pipe, the rinsing liquid with less dirt is sent from the downstream tank to the tank through the liquid supply pipe, and thereby the function of the rinse liquid is recovered. .

  As described above, in the substrate processing apparatus of the above embodiment, the pH value of the rinse liquid after use having a correlation with the processing state of the substrate S is measured by the pH measuring apparatus 16, and the substrate S is sufficiently cleaned from the measured value. If the measured pH value is higher than the reference value by a certain level or more, the supply amount of the rinsing liquid to the substrate S is corrected to increase, and conversely, the cleaning of the substrate S is performed. When it is determined that the progress is higher than planned (when the measured pH value is lower than a reference level by a certain level or more), the supply amount of the rinsing liquid to the substrate S is corrected to decrease. The cleaning process can be performed while supplying a necessary and sufficient rinse liquid to the substrate S according to the processing state of S. Therefore, wasteful consumption of the rinsing liquid can be suppressed and the substrate S can be processed economically.

  In particular, in this apparatus, as described above, the rinsing liquid flowing down from the substrate S is directly received by the pH measuring device 16 and the pH value thereof is measured. There is an advantage that it can be accurately controlled according to the situation. That is, as another method, it is conceivable to measure the pH value of the rinsing liquid derived from each of the treatment tanks 10A to 10C through the outlet tubes 24A to 24B. In this case, the substrate S is not poured. A rinse solution containing excess contaminating components that fall to the inner bottoms of the treatment tanks 10A to 10C and adhere to the inner bottoms is also a measurement target of the pH value. Therefore, the measurement result does not become a value corresponding to the actual processing state of the substrate S, and it becomes difficult to accurately control the supply amount of the rinsing liquid according to the processing state of the substrate S. Thus, according to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, only the rinsing liquid that is actually poured into the substrate S and subjected to the processing becomes the measurement object of the pH value, so the reliability of the measurement value is high. The supply amount of the rinsing liquid can be accurately controlled according to the actual processing state of the substrate S.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 3 schematically shows a substrate processing apparatus according to the second embodiment in a schematic view. The substrate processing apparatus shown in the figure is different from the substrate processing apparatus of the first embodiment in the following points, and other configurations are basically the same as those of the first embodiment. Yes. Accordingly, portions common to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, description thereof is omitted, and only differences will be described in detail (this also applies to a third embodiment described later). .

  First, in this apparatus, outlet pipes 24A to 24C are provided so as to return the rinsing liquid used in the processing tanks 10A to 10C to the tanks 20A to 20C corresponding to the processing tanks 10A to 10C, respectively. Thus, for example, in the case of the first processing tank 10A, the rinsing liquid in the first tank 20A is fed to the first processing tank 10A and supplied to the substrate S, and the used rinsing liquid is supplied from the first processing tank 10A. The rinsing liquid supply system is configured to perform the cleaning process of the substrate S while circulating the rinsing liquid between the first processing tank 10A and the first tank 20A so that the substrate S is collected in the first tank 20A. . The same applies to the second treatment tank 10B and the third treatment tank 10C.

  In addition, a first liquid supply pipe 32 having a pump 32a for supplying the rinse liquid in the third tank 20C to the second tank 20B is provided between the third tank 20C and the second tank 20B. Furthermore, a second liquid supply pipe 34 having a pump 34a for supplying the rinse liquid in the second tank 20B to the first tank 20A is provided between the second tank 20B and the first tank 20A. ing. Thus, the rinsing liquid can be sequentially fed from the downstream tank to the upstream tank.

  That is, in the substrate processing apparatus of the second embodiment, a new rinsing liquid is introduced from the rinsing liquid supply source 30 to the third tank 20C, and this rinsing liquid is supplied to the upstream side via the liquid supply pipes 32 and 34. The rinsing liquid is stored in each of the tanks 20A to 20C by sequentially feeding the liquid to the tanks 20A and 20B, and then the rinsing liquid between the processing tanks 10A to 10C and the corresponding tanks 20A to 20C as described above. The substrate S is cleaned while circulating, and if necessary, the rinse liquid in the first tank 20A is discarded through the waste liquid pipe 26, and the rinse liquid in the downstream tanks 20B and 20C is supplied to the liquid supply pipe 32, The liquid is sequentially sent to the upstream side through 34.

  In the substrate processing apparatus of the second embodiment, the valve 22a and the like are controlled by the controller 40 as follows based on the measurement results by the pH measuring devices 16 and 36.

  The controller 40 has a reference value for the difference between the pH value of the rinsing liquid before use and the pH value of the rinsing liquid after use, that is, the pH value corresponding to the reference cleaning level of each of the treatment tanks 10A to 10C. The reference value for the difference between the measured value of the 2 pH measuring device 36 (corresponding to the second measuring means according to the present invention) and the measured value of the first pH measuring device 16 (corresponding to the first measuring means according to the present invention) is stored. Has been. During the cleaning process, the difference in the pH value of the rinsing liquid before and after use is calculated for each of the treatment tanks 10A to 10C in a certain cycle or based on an input operation by the operator. The supply amount of the rinsing liquid to the substrate S in each of the treatment tanks 10A to 10C is controlled. “Before use” and “after use” mean “before use” and “after use” of the rinse liquid in each of the treatment tanks 10A to 10C.

  For example, the first treatment tank 10A will be described as an example. The pH value of the rinse liquid (rinse liquid after use) measured by the pH measurement device 16 and the first tank 20A measured by the second pH measurement device 36 are described. When the difference from the pH value of the rinsing liquid (the rinsing liquid before use) is calculated and the value is larger than a certain level with respect to the reference value, that is, it can be determined that the cleaning of the substrate S is not sufficiently advanced. The opening degree of the valve 22a is controlled so that the supply amount of the rinse liquid per unit time is increased by a predetermined flow rate. On the contrary, when the calculated value is lower than the reference value by a certain level or more, that is, when it can be determined that the cleaning of the substrate S is progressing more than planned, the supply amount of the rinsing liquid per unit time is the predetermined flow rate. The opening degree of the valve 22a and the like are controlled so as to decrease only by that amount. As a result, a necessary and sufficient rinsing liquid suitable for the processing state of the substrate S is supplied to the substrate S. Here, the processing in the first processing tank 10A has been described as an example, but the same applies to the processing in the second processing tank 10B and the third processing tank 10C.

  That is, in the substrate processing apparatus of the second embodiment that performs the cleaning process of the substrate S while circulating the rinse liquid between the processing tanks 10A to 10C and the corresponding tanks 20A to 20C as described above, The rinse liquid discharged from the nozzle 14 deteriorates with time. Therefore, it becomes difficult to accurately grasp the processing state of the substrate S only by the measurement result by the pH measurement device 16 as in the first embodiment in which the rinsing liquid is not significantly deteriorated with time. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the supply amount of the rinse liquid to the substrate S is controlled based on the change in the pH value of the rinse liquid before and after use. Therefore, according to the substrate processing apparatus of the second embodiment, the cleaning process of the substrate S is performed while circulating the rinse liquid between the processing tanks 10A to 10C and the corresponding tanks 20A to 20C as described above. Under the apparatus configuration, the same effect as that of the apparatus of the first embodiment that the substrate S can be processed economically while suppressing wasteful consumption of the rinsing liquid can be obtained.

  Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 4 schematically shows a substrate processing apparatus according to the third embodiment in a schematic view. In the substrate processing apparatus shown in the figure, the rinsing liquid used in the first and second processing tanks 10A and 10B is returned to the tanks 20A and 20B corresponding to the processing tanks 10A and 10B, respectively. 24B is provided. Accordingly, in the case of the first processing tank 10A, the rinsing liquid in the first tank 20A is sent to the first processing tank 10A and supplied to the substrate S, and the used rinsing liquid is supplied from the first processing tank 10A to the first processing tank 10A. The substrate S can be cleaned while circulating the rinsing liquid between the first processing tank 10A and the first tank 20A in such a manner that it is collected in one tank 20A. The same applies to the second treatment tank 10B.

  Each outlet pipe 24A, 24B is provided with a valve 25 and branch pipes 24A ', 24B' branched from the upstream side of the valve 25. The branch pipe 24A ′ branched from the outlet pipe 24A of the first treatment tank 10A is connected to a waste liquid tank (not shown), while the branch pipe 24B ′ branched from the outlet pipe 24B of the second treatment tank 10B is It is connected to one tank 20A. That is, by operating the valve 25 as necessary, the used rinse liquid derived from the first treatment tank 10A is led out to the waste liquid tank through the branch pipe 24A ′, and is also led out from the second treatment tank 10B. The rinse liquid to be supplied can be sent to the first tank 20A through the branch pipe 24B '. In this embodiment, the branch pipes 24A ', 24B', the valve 25, etc. correspond to the drainage means according to the present invention.

  In this apparatus, the third tank 20B corresponding to the third processing tank 10C is not provided, and a new liquid is supplied to the third processing tank 10C from the rinse liquid supply source 30 through the supply pipe 22 directly. It is a configuration to be supplied. Each of the tanks 20A and 20B corresponding to the first and second processing tanks 10A and 10B has a new liquid supply pipe 39 (corresponding to the new liquid introducing means according to the present invention) provided with a valve 39a. The new liquid can be directly introduced into the tanks 20A and 20B from the rinse liquid supply source 30.

  That is, in the substrate processing apparatus of the third embodiment, the rinsing liquid is stored in the first tank 20A and the second tank 20B from the rinsing liquid supply source 30, and then the first to third through the supply pipes 22. The rinsing liquid is supplied to the processing tanks 10A to 10C to perform the cleaning process of the substrate S. At this time, the first and second processing tanks 10A and 10B are connected to the corresponding tanks 20A and 20B. The substrate S is cleaned while circulating the rinse liquid, and the rinse liquid led out from the second treatment tank 10B is sent to the first tank 20A through the lead-out pipe 24B (branch pipe 24B ') as necessary. The rinse liquid led out from the first treatment tank 10A is drained through the lead-out pipe 24A (branch pipe 24A ′).

  In this apparatus, based on the measurement results by the pH measuring devices 16 and 36, the driving of the conveying roller 12 and the valves 25 and 39a are controlled by the controller 40 as follows.

  That is, the difference between the measured pH value of the first pH measuring device 16 in each of the treatment tanks 10A to 10C and its reference value is calculated, and when the measured pH value is higher than a certain level with respect to the reference value (the substrate S is sufficiently cleaned) In the case of not proceeding to the above, the transport speed of the substrate S by the transport roller 12 is lowered to a constant speed, whereby the cleaning time of the substrate S is extended with respect to the standard time, and the supply amount of the rinse liquid to the substrate S Is increased. On the other hand, when the measured pH value is lower than a reference level by a certain level or more (when the cleaning of the substrate S is proceeding more than expected), the transport speed of the substrate S by the transport roller 12 is increased by a certain speed. Thereby, the cleaning time of the substrate S is shortened, and the supply amount of the rinsing liquid to the substrate S is reduced.

  Further, when the measured pH value of the first pH measuring device 16 exceeds the reference value (predetermined pH value for liquid management) in the first processing tank 10A during the cleaning process of the substrate S, the first processing tank 10A is derived. The rinse liquid to be discharged is drained through the outlet pipe 24A (branch pipe 24A '). Similarly, when the measured pH value exceeds the reference value in the second treatment tank 10B, the rinse liquid led out from the second treatment tank 10B is fed to the first tank 20A through the lead-out pipe 24B (branch pipe 24B ′). Is done. Further, a new liquid is introduced into the tanks 20A and 20B through the new liquid supply pipe 39. Thereby, the function recovery of the rinse liquid circulated with respect to each processing tank 10A, 10B will be achieved. That is, in this embodiment, the controller 40 corresponds to a supply amount control unit and a replacement control unit according to the present invention.

  According to the apparatus of the third embodiment as described above, when the cleaning of the substrate S has progressed more than expected, the conveyance speed of the substrate S is increased by a certain speed, and thereby the supply amount of the rinsing liquid to the substrate S On the contrary, when the cleaning of the substrate S is not sufficiently progressed, the transport speed of the substrate S is lowered by a certain speed, thereby increasing the supply amount of the rinsing liquid to the substrate S. As in the embodiment, the cleaning process can be performed while supplying the substrate S with a necessary and sufficient rinse liquid according to the processing state of the substrate S. Therefore, wasteful consumption of the rinse liquid can be suppressed and the substrate can be economically operated. S can be processed. Further, since the transport speed of the substrate S is increased according to the progress of the cleaning process of the substrate S in this way, it is possible to improve the throughput as compared with the case where the cleaning process is performed while transporting the substrate S at a constant speed. There is also an advantage of becoming.

  The substrate processing apparatus according to the first to third embodiments described above is an example of a preferred embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, and its specific configuration departs from the gist of the present invention. It is possible to change appropriately within the range not to be.

  For example, in the embodiment, the pH measuring device 16 is configured to guide the rinsing liquid flowing down from the substrate S to the pH meter main body 18 while receiving the rinsing liquid at the liquid receiving portion 17, but of course, the liquid receiving portion 17 is omitted. Alternatively, the rinsing liquid flowing down from the substrate S may be directly received by the pH meter body 18 to measure the pH. In short, it is only necessary to measure the pH value of the rinse liquid flowing down from the substrate S before the rinse liquid reaches the bottom of the treatment tanks 10A to 10C. However, when the pH measuring device 16 as in the above embodiment is used, even when the rinsing liquid flows loosely along the substrate S, the rinsing liquid can be surely touched to the pH meter main body 18. Therefore, the pH value can be measured more reliably.

  In the embodiment, the processing state of the substrate S is grasped based on the deterioration degree of the rinsing liquid, and the deterioration degree of the rinsing liquid is detected by measuring the pH value of the rinsing liquid as described above. Any physical quantity other than the pH value may be detected as long as it is a physical quantity associated with the degree of deterioration of the rinse liquid. For example, the specific resistance value and conductivity of the rinse liquid may be measured.

  Moreover, in 1st Embodiment, although it becomes the structure which controls the supply amount of the rinse liquid with respect to the board | substrate S in the said 1st processing tank 10A based on the measurement result of pH value of the 1st processing tank 10A, For example, in the first treatment tank 10A, based on the measurement result of the pH value of the first treatment tank 10A without controlling the supply amount of the rinse liquid or in conjunction with the control of the supply amount of the rinse liquid in the first treatment tank 10A. The supply amount of the rinsing liquid to the substrate S in the processing tanks 10B and 10C on the downstream side may be controlled. Specifically, when it is determined that the cleaning of the substrate S has progressed more than expected in the first processing tank 10A (when the measured value of pH is lower than a reference level by a certain level), the processing tank The amount of rinsing liquid supplied to the substrate S at 10B and 10C is corrected to decrease, or the processing of either one of the processing tanks 10B and 10C is omitted (that is, the rinsing liquid is simply passed without being supplied). Also good. In short, the supply amount of the rinsing liquid in the downstream processing tank may be controlled based on the measurement result of the pH value of the rinsing liquid in the upstream processing tank. This is the same for the second and third embodiments.

  The embodiment is an example in which the present invention is applied to a type of substrate processing apparatus that supplies a rinsing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate S while it is being transported. Of course, the rinsing liquid is supplied to the substrate S in a stationary state. The present invention can also be applied to a substrate processing apparatus that performs a cleaning process and transports the substrate S downstream after the cleaning process. In this case, the pH value of the rinsing liquid flowing down from the substrate S is measured by a pH measuring device, and the rinsing liquid is supplied when the measured value is lowered to a certain level at which it is recognized that the cleaning of the substrate S is completed. Is stopped and the substrate S is unloaded. According to this, since the consumption amount of the rinsing liquid and the stop time of the substrate S can be suppressed to the necessary minimum, the cleaning process of the substrate S can be performed economically and efficiently. In particular, if such a process is carried out with respect to the third processing tank 10C, it is possible to avoid the disadvantage that the substrate S is carried out to the downstream side while the cleaning process is insufficient. There is an advantage that the certainty can be increased.

  Further, in order to increase or decrease the supply amount of the rinsing liquid to the substrate S according to the progress of the cleaning process, the first and second embodiments control the supply amount of the rinsing liquid per unit time, In the third embodiment, the transport speed of the substrate S (processing time of the substrate S) is controlled. Of course, both the discharge amount of the rinse liquid from the shower nozzle 14 and the transport speed of the substrate S are set. By controlling, the supply amount of the rinsing liquid to the substrate S may be increased or decreased.

  In the embodiment, as an application example of the present invention, a substrate processing apparatus that performs a cleaning process on a substrate S after an etching process has been described. However, for example, an apparatus that cleans a substrate S after a resist film peeling process can also be used. The present invention is applicable. The present invention is also applicable to a device that performs a chemical treatment while flowing a chemical solution along the substrate S, in addition to the cleaning treatment while flowing the rinse solution along the substrate S in this way. Further, as in the embodiment, in addition to processing while supplying the processing liquid (rinsing liquid) to the substrate S in an inclined posture, the processing is performed while supplying the processing liquid to the substrate S in a horizontal posture or a vertical posture. The present invention is also applicable to.

1 is a schematic diagram showing a substrate processing apparatus (first embodiment) according to the present invention. It is an internal side view of the processing tank which shows the positional relationship of the board | substrate and pH measurement apparatus in each processing tank, and the structure of a pH measurement apparatus. It is a schematic diagram which shows the substrate processing apparatus (2nd Embodiment) which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the substrate processing apparatus (3rd Embodiment) based on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10A 1st processing tank 10B 2nd processing tank 10C 3rd processing tank 20A 1st tank 20B 2nd tank 20C 3rd tank 12 Conveyance roller 14 Shower nozzle 16 pH measuring device 17 Liquid receiving part 18, 36 pH meter main body 22 Supply Piping 40 Controller

Claims (10)

In a substrate processing apparatus having a processing tank for supplying a processing liquid to the surface of a substrate by a nozzle member and performing a predetermined processing on the substrate,
It has a measuring means for receiving the processing liquid flowing down from the surface of the substrate before the processing liquid reaches the bottom of the processing tank and measuring a predetermined physical quantity associated with the deterioration state. A substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1,
Substrate processing characterized in that it has support means for supporting the substrate in an inclined posture during processing, and the measurement means is disposed below the lower edge of the substrate supported by the support means. apparatus. In the substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the measuring unit includes a measuring unit that measures the physical quantity by contacting a processing solution, and a guide unit that receives the processing solution flowing down from the substrate and guides it to the measuring unit. In the substrate processing apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1 thru | or 3,
A substrate processing apparatus comprising supply amount control means for controlling a supply amount of a processing liquid supplied to the substrate based on the measurement result of the physical quantity. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4,
The substrate supply apparatus is characterized in that the supply amount control means controls the supply amount of the processing liquid per unit time based on the measurement result. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4,
The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the supply amount control means controls a supply time of the processing liquid to the substrate based on the measurement result. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6,
A substrate processing apparatus for supplying a processing liquid to a substrate while transporting the substrate, wherein the supply amount control means controls a transport speed of the substrate based on the measurement result. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 7,
When the measurement means is the first measurement means, it further includes second measurement means for measuring the physical quantity related to the processing liquid before being supplied to the substrate, and the supply amount control means The substrate processing apparatus is characterized in that the supply amount is controlled based on a difference between measurement results obtained by the first and second measuring means. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The processing liquid used for the treatment in the treatment tank, and the treatment liquid collected after use is used again among the treatment liquid circulating system used for the treatment in the treatment tank and the treatment liquid circulating in the circulation system. A draining means for draining a processing liquid recovered later from the circulation system, a new liquid introducing means for introducing a new processing liquid into the circulation system, and the draining means based on a measurement result by the measurement means And a replacement control means for replacing the processing liquid in the circulation system by controlling the new liquid introduction means. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 7,
As the processing tank, a first processing tank and a substrate that has been processed in the first processing tank include a second processing tank that processes the substrate using the same type of processing liquid as the first processing tank, and A treatment liquid used for the treatment in the second treatment tank, which is a treatment liquid recovered after use, has a supply system for the treatment liquid used for the treatment in the first treatment tank, and the measurement is performed in the first treatment tank. Means is provided, and the supply amount control means controls at least one of the supply amount of the processing liquid to the substrate in the first processing tank and the supply amount of the processing liquid to the substrate in the second processing tank based on the measurement result. A substrate processing apparatus.

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