JP2012004310A - Substrate liquid processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To recover processing liquid supplied onto the surface of a substrate well regardless of the rotational speed of the substrate.SOLUTION: The substrate liquid processing apparatus (1) which processes a rotating substrate (2) by supplying processing liquid thereto comprises a turntable (28) which rotates the substrate (2) while holding it horizontally, an annular recovery cup (39) disposed on the lower periphery of the substrate (2) in order to recover the processing liquid supplied to the substrate (2), a recovery groove (44) formed between the inner peripheral wall (43) and the outer peripheral wall (42) of the recovery cup (39), and a cup cover (47) arranged on the inner peripheral wall (43) of the recovery cup (39) to stretch obliquely inward toward the recovery groove (44).

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate liquid processing apparatus for supplying a processing liquid to a rotating substrate and processing the substrate.

  Conventionally, when manufacturing semiconductor parts, flat displays, etc., substrate liquid processing is performed to process substrates such as semiconductor wafers and liquid crystal substrates using processing liquids such as cleaning liquid, etching liquid, resist liquid, and developing liquid. The device is used.

  The substrate liquid processing apparatus includes a substrate rotation holding means for rotating the substrate while horizontally holding the substrate, a processing liquid supply means for supplying a processing liquid to the surface of the substrate, and a process supplied to the substrate. A processing liquid recovery means for recovering the liquid is provided. The processing liquid recovery means has a configuration in which an annular recovery cup is disposed below the outer periphery of the substrate, an annular recovery groove is formed in the recovery cup, and an inner peripheral wall of the recovery groove is disposed outside the outer peripheral edge of the substrate. It has become.

  In the conventional substrate liquid processing apparatus, the processing liquid is recovered by the processing liquid recovery means after the substrate is processed with the processing liquid. In that case, the processing liquid is shaken off from the surface of the substrate toward the outer periphery by the action of centrifugal force by the rotating substrate and is collected in the collection groove of the collection cup (for example, see Patent Document 1). ).

JP 2009-59895 A

  The conventional substrate liquid processing apparatus is capable of recovering the processing liquid to the recovery cup satisfactorily by applying an appropriate centrifugal force to the processing liquid by liquid processing the substrate at a preset rotational speed. is there.

  However, with recent diversification of substrate liquid processing methods, it has been studied to perform substrate liquid processing at an extremely low or high rotational speed of the substrate, and the rotational speed of the substrate is low or high. In such a case, there is a concern that the treatment liquid cannot be recovered satisfactorily with the structure of the conventional recovery cup.

  That is, when the rotation speed of the substrate is reduced, the centrifugal force acting on the processing liquid is reduced, and all the processing liquid is not shaken off outside the outer periphery of the substrate, and some of the processing liquid is less than the outer peripheral edge of the substrate. There is a possibility that the liquid will fall on the inner peripheral side and the processing liquid cannot be recovered well in the recovery cup.

  On the other hand, when the rotation speed of the substrate becomes high, the centrifugal force acting on the processing liquid increases, and the processing liquid recovered in the recovery cup collides with the outer peripheral wall of the recovery groove and bounces inward, and the inner peripheral wall of the recovery groove is There is a risk that it will get over and overflow outside, and it will not be possible to successfully recover the processing liquid in the recovery cup.

  Therefore, in the present invention, in a substrate liquid processing apparatus for supplying a processing liquid to a rotating substrate and processing the substrate, a rotating table for rotating the substrate while holding it horizontally, and the substrate are supplied to the substrate. An annular recovery cup disposed below the outer periphery of the substrate to recover the processing liquid, a recovery groove formed between the inner peripheral wall and the outer peripheral wall of the recovery cup, and an inner peripheral wall of the recovery cup, And a cup cover projecting inwardly toward the recovery groove.

  Further, the inner peripheral end portion of the cup cover is arranged closer to the inner peripheral side than the outer peripheral end edge of the rotary table.

  In addition, a through hole is formed in the rotary table and a holder for holding the substrate is provided so as to be openable and closable in a state of being penetrated through the through hole, and an inner peripheral end portion of the cup cover is more than the through hole. The rotary table is arranged on the inner peripheral side.

  In addition, a peripheral wall is formed at the inner peripheral end of the cup cover.

In addition, a concave drain port is formed in the recovery groove of the recovery cup, a drain pipe is connected to the drain port, and a port cover is provided above the drain port.
Further, the lower surface of the drain port is formed to be inclined toward the drain pipe.

  In the present invention, since the cup cover that is inclined inward toward the recovery groove is arranged on the inner peripheral wall of the recovery cup, the rotation speed of the substrate is low and the centrifugal force acting on the processing liquid is small. Even in such a case, the processing liquid falling from the outer peripheral edge of the rotary table can be recovered well in the recovery groove of the recovery cup by the cup cover, and the centrifugal force that acts on the processing liquid at a high rotation speed of the substrate. Even when the force is large, the processing liquid can be well recovered in the recovery groove of the recovery cup by preventing the processing liquid from overflowing from the inner peripheral wall of the recovery groove by the cup cover.

The top view which shows a substrate liquid processing apparatus. The top view which shows a substrate processing chamber. The front view. Side surface sectional drawing (a) and top view (b) which show a collection | recovery cup. The same side expanded sectional view. The same operation explanatory drawing (in the case of the 1st rotation speed). The same operation explanatory drawing (in the case of the 2nd rotation speed). The same operation explanatory drawing (in the case of the 3rd rotation speed).

  Hereinafter, a specific configuration of the substrate liquid processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate liquid processing apparatus 1 carries in a substrate for loading and unloading a plurality of substrates 2 (here, semiconductor wafers, for example, 25 sheets) at the front end by a carrier 3. In addition to forming the output platform 4, a substrate transport unit 5 for transporting the substrate 2 accommodated in the carrier 3 is formed at the rear of the substrate loading / unloading platform 4, and the substrate 2 is cleaned at the rear of the substrate transport unit 5. A substrate processing unit 6 is formed.

  The substrate carry-in / out table 4 is configured so that the four carriers 3 can be placed with a space left and right with the four carriers 3 in close contact with the front wall 7 of the substrate transport unit 5.

  The substrate transfer unit 5 forms a transfer chamber 9 that accommodates the transfer device 8 on the front side, and forms a substrate transfer chamber 11 that accommodates the substrate transfer table 10 on the rear side.

  The substrate transport unit 5 transports the substrate 2 between any one of the carriers 3 placed on the substrate carry-in / out table 4 and the substrate delivery table 10 using the transport device 8.

  The substrate processing unit 6 forms a substrate transfer chamber 12 extending in the front-rear direction at the center, and accommodates a substrate transfer device 13 inside the substrate transfer chamber 12.

  Further, the substrate processing unit 6 forms the first to fourth substrate processing chambers 14 to 17 side by side on the left side of the substrate transfer chamber 12 and the fifth to eighth substrate processing on the right side of the substrate transfer chamber 12. The chambers 18 to 21 are formed side by side.

  Then, the substrate processing unit 6 uses the substrate transfer device 13 to transfer the substrate 2 between the substrate delivery chamber 11 of the substrate transfer unit 5 and each of the substrate processing chambers 14 to 21 while holding the substrates 2 horizontally one by one. At the same time, the substrates 2 are processed one by one in each substrate processing chamber 14-21.

  Each of the substrate processing chambers 14 to 21 has the same configuration, and here, the configuration of the first substrate processing chamber 14 will be described.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the substrate processing chamber 14 supplies a substrate rotation holding means 23 for rotating the substrate 2 while holding the substrate 2 horizontally inside the casing 22, and a processing liquid to the surface of the substrate 2. The processing liquid supply means 24 for performing the processing and the processing liquid recovery means 25 for recovering the processing liquid are accommodated.

  The substrate rotation holding means 23 has a drive motor 26 attached to the center of the bottom of the casing 22, a disk-shaped rotary table 28 is horizontally attached to the tip of the drive shaft 27 of the drive motor 26, and the substrate 2 is held on the rotary table 28. Three holders 29 are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 5, each holding tool 29 is formed in a substantially L shape by a holding part 30 that holds the outer peripheral edge of the substrate 2 and a movable part 31 that extends in the horizontal direction at the lower end of the holding part 30. Forming. Further, each holding tool 29 allows the holding part 30 to pass through the through hole 32 formed in the rotary table 28, and the base end part of the movable part 31 can be turned up and down by the bracket 33 formed on the back surface of the rotary table 28. It is pivotally supported. As described above, the holder 29 can be opened and closed while being passed through the through hole 32 formed in the turntable 28. As a result, the holder 29 is brought into an open state (a state indicated by a one-dot chain line in FIG. 5) by raising the distal end portion of the movable portion 31 by the drive mechanism 48, while lowering the distal end portion of the movable portion 31. As a result, the substrate 2 is held in a closed state (indicated by a solid line in FIG. 5).

  The substrate rotation holding means 23 holds the substrate 2 horizontally by the holder 29 and rotates the rotary table 28 by driving the drive motor 26 so that the substrate 2 is rotated while being held horizontally. Yes.

  The treatment liquid supply means 24 has a support column 34 attached to the bottom right rear of the casing 22 so as to be horizontally rotatable, an arm 35 attached horizontally to the upper end portion of the support column 34, and a nozzle 36 attached to the lower end of the arm 35.

  Then, the processing liquid supply means 24 rotates the arm 35 to move the nozzle 36 from the center of the substrate 2 toward the outer peripheral edge, while moving from the nozzle 36 toward the surface (upper surface) of the substrate 2. Treatment liquid is supplied.

  In the treatment liquid recovery means 25, an annular rotary cup 37 is attached to the upper part of the rotary table 28 via a support column 38, and an annular recovery cup 39 is disposed below the outer periphery of the substrate 2.

  The rotating cup 37 is formed by a ceiling wall 40 that covers the upper peripheral edge of the substrate 2 and a side wall 41 that covers the outer peripheral edge of the substrate 2, and the side wall 41 is disposed inside the outer peripheral wall 42 of the recovery cup 39. is doing.

  The rotating cup 37 rotates together with the substrate 2 (the rotary table 28), and the processing liquid supplied to the surface of the substrate 2 is shaken off outward by the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the substrate 2. At this time, the processing liquid is prevented from being scattered to the surroundings by the ceiling wall 40 and the processing liquid is guided to the recovery cup 39 by the side wall 41.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the recovery cup 39 has an outer peripheral wall 42 formed at the outer peripheral edge and an inner peripheral wall 43 formed at the inner peripheral edge, and an annular shape is formed between the outer peripheral wall 42 and the inner peripheral wall 43. The recovery groove 44 is formed.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 5, the recovery cup 39 has the upper end of the outer peripheral wall 42 positioned outward and above the outer peripheral edge of the substrate 2, so that the substrate 2, the rotary table 28, and the rotary cup 37 are The outer periphery is covered, and the processing liquid flowing down from the outer periphery of the substrate 2 and the rotary table 28 is collected.

  Further, the recovery cup 39 has the inner peripheral wall 43 positioned on the inner peripheral side with respect to the outer peripheral edge of the substrate 2 and the rotary table 28, and is positioned on the inner side of the through hole 32 formed in the rotary table 28. Yes.

  Further, the recovery cup 39 tilts the recovery groove 44 downward from the inner peripheral side toward the outer peripheral side, so that the recovered processing liquid does not get over the inner peripheral wall 43 and overflow.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the recovery cup 39 is formed with a concave drain port 45 inclined downward in a part of the recovery groove 44, and the drain pipe 46 is connected to the lowest part of the drain port 45 to recover The treated liquid is discharged from the collection groove 44 to the drain pipe 46.

  The drain port 45 is covered with a port cover 49 at the top. The port cover 49 has a lower surface inclined toward the drain pipe 46 by forming an inclined surface 50 along the inclination of the drain port 45 on the lower surface.

As described above, the recovery cup 39 forms the drain port 45 in which the drain pipe 46 is connected to the recovery groove 44, thereby smoothly discharging the processing liquid recovered in the recovery groove 44 from the drain port 45 to the drain pipe 46. I am doing so. Moreover, the recovery cup 39 covers the upper part of the concave drain port 45 with the port cover 49, thereby preventing the processing liquid from colliding with the concave portion of the drain port 45 and scattering as mist. . Further, the lower surface of the port cover 49 is formed in an inclined shape toward the drain pipe 46, so that generation of mist is suppressed and the processing liquid can be discharged smoothly.

  In addition, the recovery cup 39 is attached with a bowl-shaped cup cover 47 that protrudes inwardly toward the inner side (recovery groove side) at the upper end portion of the inner peripheral wall 43.

  The cup cover 47 has a convex peripheral wall 51 formed on the inner peripheral end portion 54, and an upper inclined surface 52 that is inclined downward from the inner peripheral side toward the outer peripheral side toward the recovery groove 44 on the upper surface, and a lower surface In addition, a lower inclined surface 53 that is inclined downward from the inner peripheral side toward the outer peripheral side toward the recovery groove 44 is formed.

  Then, the processing liquid recovery means 25 uses the centrifugal force applied to the processing liquid by the rotation of the substrate 2 to recover the processing liquid with the recovery cup 39 and discharge it from the drain pipe 46 as described below. I have to.

  That is, when the substrate 2 is rotating at a first rotation speed (for example, 100 rpm to 500 rpm), an appropriate centrifugal force acts on the processing liquid as shown in FIG. The substrate 2 is shaken off to the outer periphery, guided to the collection groove 44 of the collection cup 39 by the side wall 41 of the rotary cup 37, and then in the same direction as the rotation direction of the substrate 2 inside the collection groove 44. It turns and is discharged to the drain pipe 46 at the drain port 45.

  Further, when the substrate 2 is rotated at a second rotational speed (for example, 10 rpm to 30 rpm) lower than the first rotational speed, as shown in FIG. Since all the processing liquid is reduced and is not spun off toward the outer periphery of the substrate 2, a part of the processing liquid is transferred from the outer peripheral edge of the substrate 2 to the back surface of the substrate 2 or the holder 29 of the substrate rotation holding means 23. The inner peripheral end portion 54 of the cup cover 47 is formed inside the outer peripheral edge of the substrate 2 and the rotary table 28 and the through hole 32, and falls downward from the through hole 32 of the rotary table 28. Therefore, it is guided to the collection groove 44 along the upper inclined surface 52 formed on the upper surface of the cup cover 47, turns inside the collection groove 44 in the same direction as the rotation direction of the substrate 2, and drains at the drain port 45. It is discharged into the pipe 46. At this time, the processing wall is prevented from overflowing inside the recovery cup 39 by the peripheral wall 51 formed at the inner peripheral edge of the cup cover 47.

  Further, when the substrate 2 is rotated at a third rotational speed (for example, 1000 rpm to 2000 rpm) higher than the first rotational speed, as shown in FIG. The processing liquid is shaken off toward the outer periphery of the substrate 2 and guided to the recovery groove 44 of the recovery cup 39 by the side wall 41 of the rotating cup 37, and a part of the processing liquid is generated by the outer peripheral wall 42. It bounces toward the inner peripheral wall 43, but is guided to the recovery groove 44 again by the lower inclined surface 53 formed on the lower surface of the cup cover 47, and then swivels in the same direction as the rotation direction of the substrate 2 inside the recovery groove 44. Then, the water is discharged to the drain pipe 46 at the drain port 45.

  As described above, in the substrate liquid processing apparatus 1, the cup cover 47 that is inclined inward toward the recovery groove 44 is disposed on the inner peripheral wall 43 of the recovery cup 39, so that the rotation speed of the substrate 2 is high. Even when the centrifugal force acting on the processing liquid at a low speed is small, the processing liquid falling from the outer peripheral edge of the rotary table 28 can be satisfactorily recovered in the recovery groove 44 of the recovery cup 37 by the cup cover 47, Further, even when the rotation speed of the substrate 2 is high and the centrifugal force acting on the processing liquid is large, the cup cover 47 prevents the processing liquid from overflowing from the inner peripheral wall 43 of the recovery groove 44, and the processing liquid Can be satisfactorily recovered in the recovery groove 44 of the recovery cup 37.

  In particular, in the substrate liquid processing apparatus 1, the inner peripheral end portion 54 of the cup cover 47 is disposed inside the through hole 32 of the rotary table 28 through which the holder 29 passes, so that the processing liquid penetrates. Even if it falls through the hole 32, it can be recovered well by the recovery cup 39.

  In the substrate liquid processing apparatus 1, the configuration in which the rotary cup 37 is provided on the rotary table 28 has been described. However, even if the rotary cup 37 is not provided, the processing liquid can be recovered satisfactorily by the recovery cup 39. Can do.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Substrate liquid processing apparatus 2 Substrate 3 Carrier 4 Substrate carry-in / out stand 5 Substrate transfer unit 6 Substrate processing unit 7 Front wall 8 Transfer device 9 Transfer chamber 10 Substrate delivery table
11 Substrate delivery chamber 12 Substrate transfer chamber
13 Substrate transfer device 14-21 Substrate processing chamber
22 Casing 23 Substrate rotation holding means
24 Treatment liquid supply means 25 Treatment liquid recovery means
26 Drive motor 27 Drive shaft
28 Rotary table 29 Holder
30 Holding part 31 Moving part
32 Through hole 33 Bracket
34 Prop 35 Arm
36 nozzle 37 rotating cup
38 Prop 39 Collection cup
40 Ceiling wall 41 Side wall
42 Outer wall 43 Inner wall
44 Recovery groove 45 Drain port
46 Drain pipe 47 Cup cover
48 Drive mechanism 49 Port cover
50 Inclined surface 51 Perimeter wall
52 Upper inclined surface 53 Lower inclined surface
54 Inner edge

Claims (6)

In a substrate liquid processing apparatus for processing a substrate by supplying a processing liquid to a rotating substrate,
A turntable for rotating while holding the substrate horizontally;
An annular recovery cup disposed below the outer periphery of the substrate to recover the processing liquid supplied to the substrate;
A recovery groove formed between an inner peripheral wall and an outer peripheral wall of the recovery cup;
A cup cover disposed on the inner peripheral wall of the recovery cup and projecting inwardly toward the recovery groove;
A substrate liquid processing apparatus comprising:   The substrate liquid processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an inner peripheral end portion of the cup cover is disposed closer to an inner peripheral side than an outer peripheral end edge of the rotary table.   A through hole is formed in the rotary table and a holder for holding the substrate is provided so as to be openable and closable in a state of passing through the through hole, and an inner peripheral end of the cup cover is rotated more than the through hole. The substrate liquid processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate liquid processing apparatus is disposed on an inner peripheral side of the table.   The substrate liquid processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a peripheral wall is formed at an inner peripheral end of the cup cover.   5. A concave drain port is formed in a recovery groove of the recovery cup, a drain pipe is connected to the drain port, and a port cover is provided above the drain port. The substrate liquid processing apparatus according to any one of the above.   The substrate liquid processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a lower surface of the drain port is formed to be inclined toward the drain pipe.

Images