JP2013021198A - Chemical liquid temperature control device and method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a chemical liquid temperature control device and method, capable of controlling a temperature of a chemical liquid without use of a heater.SOLUTION: In a chemical liquid temperature control device, a chemical liquid including sulfuric acid is stored in a temperature control tank 20, and when water is fed as an additive liquid to the chemical liquid in the temperature control tank 20 from an additive liquid feed part 30, a temperature of the chemical liquid is raised by hydration heat of the sulfuric acid, and a new liquid of the sulfuric acid is stored in a preparation tank 10, and heat exchange between the new liquid of the sulfuric acid in the preparation tank 10 and the chemical liquid in the temperature control tank 20 is performed by using a heat exchange part 40, to raise a temperature of the new liquid to a target temperature, and if necessary, the new liquid in the preparation tank 10 is cooled by a cooling part 50, and after the new liquid in the preparation tank 10 reaches the predetermined target temperature, the new liquid having the target temperature is fed to a cleansing processing part 8. The temperature of the new liquid in the preparation tank 10 is raised to the target temperature by using reaction heat generated by the reaction of the water and the sulfuric acid, allowing the temperature of the chemical liquid to be controlled without use of a heater.

Description

  The present invention provides temperature control of a chemical solution supplied to a substrate processing unit that performs a liquid process such as a cleaning process on a thin precision electronic substrate (hereinafter simply referred to as “substrate”) such as a semiconductor wafer or a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device. The present invention relates to a chemical temperature controller and a chemical temperature control method.

  In a semiconductor device manufacturing process, a substrate cleaning process is a very important process. As a cleaning method for removing particles and metal contamination by supplying a chemical solution to the substrate surface, ammonia hydrogen peroxide cleaning (SC-1 cleaning) ), Hydrogen peroxide cleaning with hydrochloric acid (SC-2 cleaning), sulfuric acid hydrogen peroxide cleaning (SPM cleaning) and the like are widely used. Among these, in the washing treatment using sulfuric acid hydrogen peroxide (hereinafter, abbreviated as “sulfuric acid / hydrogen peroxide”), sulfuric acid / hydrogen peroxide may be heated to a high temperature (100 ° C. or higher).

  In the conventional sulfuric acid / hydrogen peroxide cleaning, normal temperature sulfuric acid is heated to a predetermined target temperature by a temperature controller equipped with a heater, and hydrogen peroxide is added to the heated sulfuric acid and supplied to the cleaning unit. Then, the sulfuric acid / hydrogen peroxide used in the cleaning process is recovered from the cleaning unit to the cooling tank, cooled by heat exchange with the cooling water, cooled to a temperature that can be discarded, and then discharged to an external waste drain. I was doing.

  In the case of such a conventional system, the thermal energy is also discarded by discarding the high-temperature sulfuric acid / hydrogen peroxide after the treatment, while enormous electric energy is required to heat the sulfuric acid / hydrogen peroxide before the treatment to the target temperature by the heater. Needed. In order to reduce such energy loss, Patent Document 1 proposes a technique for raising the temperature of the new liquid and cooling the waste liquid by heat exchange between the new liquid and the waste liquid to which the auxiliary liquid that generates heat by mixing with the waste liquid is added. Has been.

JP 2006-66727 A

  However, according to the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, although the temperature of the new liquid can be raised to some extent by heat exchange between the waste liquid and the new liquid, it does not reach the temperature used for the actual treatment, so It was necessary to raise the temperature of the new solution with a heater. That is, heating with a heater is still necessary after heat exchange, and corresponding electric energy is consumed.

  This invention is made | formed in view of the said subject, and it aims at providing the chemical | medical solution temperature control apparatus and chemical | medical solution temperature control method which can perform temperature control of a chemical | medical solution without a heater.

  In order to solve the above problems, the invention of claim 1 is directed to a chemical temperature controller for controlling the temperature of a chemical supplied to a substrate processing unit that performs liquid processing on a substrate, and a new chemical to be supplied to the substrate processing unit. The preparation tank to be stored, the temperature control tank for collecting and storing the chemical used in the liquid processing in the substrate processing unit, and the chemical liquid stored in the temperature control tank reacts with the chemical to generate heat of reaction. A new chemical solution stored in the temperature adjustment tank and heated by the addition of the additive liquid and a new chemical solution stored in the preparation tank. A heat exchanging unit that raises the temperature of the chemical solution, a control unit that controls the heat exchange unit so that the new chemical solution stored in the mixing vessel is heated to a preset target temperature, and the mixing vessel A new solution for feeding the chemical solution heated to the target temperature to the substrate processing unit Characterized in that it comprises a sheet portion.

  The invention of claim 2 is the chemical temperature controller according to the invention of claim 1, further comprising a cooling unit for cooling the chemical heated in the preparation tank above the target temperature, and the control unit Is characterized in that the heat exchange unit and the cooling unit are controlled so that the temperature of a new chemical stored in the preparation tank is adjusted to a preset target temperature.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the chemical temperature controller according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the controller is configured such that the temperature of the chemical stored in the temperature control tank falls within a predetermined temperature range. The temperature control is further performed.

  Further, the invention of claim 4 is the chemical temperature controller according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a part of the preparation tank is immersed in the chemical stored in the temperature control tank. The said preparation tank is provided in the said temperature control tank, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the chemical temperature controller according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the chemical liquid is a liquid containing sulfuric acid, and the additive liquid is water. To do.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the chemical temperature control method for controlling the temperature of a chemical solution supplied to a substrate processing unit that performs liquid processing on a substrate, a new chemical solution to be supplied to the substrate processing unit is stored in a preparation tank. A new liquid storage step, a heat generation step of charging a chemical solution and an additive liquid that reacts with the chemical solution to generate heat of reaction into the temperature control tank, and a chemical solution stored in the temperature control tank and heated by the addition of the additive liquid; A temperature increasing step of raising the temperature of the new chemical solution to a preset target temperature by exchanging heat with the new chemical solution stored in the preparation tank, and raising the temperature to the target temperature in the preparation tank A feeding step of feeding the heated chemical solution to the substrate processing unit; and a recovery step of collecting the chemical solution used for the liquid processing in the substrate processing unit in the temperature control tank. .

  The invention of claim 7 is the chemical temperature control method according to the invention of claim 6, further comprising a cooling step of cooling the chemical heated in the preparation tank above the target temperature. To do.

  The invention of claim 8 is the chemical temperature control method according to claim 6 or claim 7, further comprising a temperature control step of controlling the temperature of the chemical stored in the temperature control tank within a predetermined temperature range. It is further provided with the feature.

  The invention of claim 9 is the chemical temperature control method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein a part of the preparation tank is immersed in a chemical stored in the temperature control tank. Heat exchange is directly performed between the chemical solution and the preparation tank.

  The invention of claim 10 is characterized in that in the chemical liquid temperature control method according to any of claims 6 to 9, the chemical liquid is a liquid containing sulfuric acid, and the additive liquid is water. To do.

  According to the first to fifth aspects of the present invention, a new chemical solution is obtained by exchanging heat between the chemical solution stored in the temperature control tank and generating heat due to the addition of the additive solution and the new chemical solution stored in the preparation tank. Is heated to a preset target temperature, and the chemical liquid heated to the target temperature is fed to the substrate processing unit, so there is no need to heat the chemical liquid with a heater. Tones.

  In particular, according to the third aspect of the invention, the temperature of the chemical stored in the temperature control tank is controlled to be within a predetermined temperature range, so that the temperature control of the new chemical stored in the mixing tank is easier. Can be.

  In particular, according to the invention of claim 4, the preparation tank is provided in the temperature adjustment tank so that a part of the preparation tank is immersed in the chemical solution stored in the temperature adjustment tank. It is possible to further promote heat exchange and a heat retaining effect with a new chemical stored in the mixing tank.

  According to the inventions of claims 6 to 10, a new chemical solution is obtained by exchanging heat between the chemical solution stored in the temperature control tank and generating heat by the addition of the additive liquid and the new chemical liquid stored in the preparation tank. Is heated to a preset target temperature, and the chemical liquid heated to the target temperature is fed to the substrate processing unit, so there is no need to heat the chemical liquid with a heater. Tones.

  In particular, according to the eighth aspect of the invention, the temperature of the chemical solution stored in the temperature control tank is controlled within a predetermined temperature range, so that the temperature control of the new chemical solution stored in the preparation tank is easier. can do.

  In particular, according to the invention of claim 9, a part of the preparation tank is immersed in the chemical solution stored in the temperature control tank and heat exchange is performed directly between the chemical solution and the preparation tank. Heat exchange between the stored chemical solution and the new chemical solution stored in the preparation tank can be further promoted.

1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a substrate cleaning system including a chemical temperature controller according to the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a control part. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the processing operation in a substrate cleaning system. It is a figure which shows the whole structure of the board | substrate cleaning system of 2nd Embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

<1. First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a substrate cleaning system including a chemical temperature controller according to the present invention. The substrate cleaning system 100 controls the temperature of sulfuric acid (H ₂ SO ₄ ), and performs a cleaning process on the substrate W using sulfuric acid / hydrogen peroxide obtained by adding hydrogen peroxide (H ₂ O ₂ ) to the sulfuric acid. This is a treatment system for discarding the subsequent sulfuric acid / hydrogen peroxide. The substrate cleaning system 100 includes a cleaning processing unit 8 that performs cleaning processing of the substrate W using sulfuric acid / hydrogen peroxide, a chemical temperature control unit 1 that controls the temperature of sulfuric acid supplied to the cleaning processing unit 8, and a chemical temperature control unit 1. And a waste liquid treatment unit 7 that performs waste liquid treatment on the chemical liquid after treatment used for temperature control in Further, the substrate cleaning system 100 includes a control unit 9 that controls each mechanism of the chemical liquid temperature control unit 1, the cleaning processing unit 8, and the waste liquid processing unit 7. The “chemical solution” in the present invention is not limited to a single chemical solution, but is a liquid containing a specific type of chemical solution. The “chemical solution” in the present embodiment is a liquid containing sulfuric acid, and includes both “sulfuric acid” and “sulfuric acid / hydrogen peroxide”.

  The cleaning processing unit 8 is a single-wafer type substrate cleaning apparatus that performs liquid processing (cleaning processing in this embodiment) of the substrate W using sulfuric acid / hydrogen peroxide, and includes a discharge nozzle 82 and a spin chuck 83 inside the processing chamber 81. And a cup 84 and the like. The spin chuck 83 sucks and holds the substrate W in a horizontal posture (a posture in which the normal line is along the vertical direction), and rotates the substrate W in a horizontal plane by being driven by a rotation motor (not shown). The discharge nozzle 82 discharges a chemical solution (sulfuric acid / hydrogen peroxide in the cleaning processing unit 8) onto the upper surface of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 83. The cup 84 surrounds the periphery of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 83, and receives and recovers the chemical liquid scattered from the rotating substrate W by centrifugal force.

  The chemical liquid temperature control unit 1 supplies the temperature-adjusted sulfuric acid to the cleaning processing unit 8 and collects the sulfuric acid / hydrogen peroxide used in the cleaning processing unit 8. The chemical liquid temperature control unit 1 includes a preparation tank 10, a temperature control tank 20, an additive liquid charging unit 30, a heat exchange unit 40, a cooling unit 50, and a new liquid feeding unit 60.

  The mixing tank 10 is a tank for storing new sulfuric acid to be supplied to the cleaning processing unit 8. The mixing tank 10 is formed of a material having resistance to a chemical solution, for example, a fluororesin. A sulfuric acid supply source 12 is connected to the mixing tank 10 via a valve 11. By opening the valve 11, sulfuric acid is supplied from the sulfuric acid supply source 12 to the preparation tank 10. The sulfuric acid supplied from the sulfuric acid supply source 12 to the preparation tank 10 is concentrated sulfuric acid having a concentration of about 98%. The mixing tank 10 is provided with a temperature sensor 13 for measuring the temperature of the sulfuric acid stored.

  The temperature control tank 20 is a tank that collects and stores the sulfuric acid / hydrogen peroxide used for the liquid processing in the substrate processing unit 8 and warms the sulfuric acid stored in the preparation tank 10. The temperature control tank 20 is also formed of a material (for example, a fluororesin) having resistance to a chemical solution, similar to the preparation tank 10. A sulfuric acid supply source 22 is connected to the temperature control tank 20 via a valve 21. By opening the valve 21, sulfuric acid is supplied from the sulfuric acid supply source 22 to the temperature control tank 20. In addition, the sulfuric acid supply source 22 of the temperature control tank 20 may be the same as the sulfuric acid supply source 12 of the preparation tank 10. The temperature control tank 20 is provided with a temperature sensor 23 for measuring the temperature of the stored chemical solution.

The additive liquid charging unit 30 charges the chemical liquid stored in the temperature control tank 20 with an additive liquid that reacts with sulfuric acid to generate reaction heat. In this embodiment, water (H ₂ O) is used as the additive solution. As is well known, sulfuric acid has a very strong affinity for water, and reacts with water to generate a large heat of reaction (heat of hydration). The additive liquid charging unit 30 is configured by connecting a proximal end of a charging pipe 31 with a valve 32 interposed therebetween to a water supply source 33. The tip of the input pipe 31 is connected to the temperature control tank 20 in communication. By opening the valve 32, water is supplied from the water supply source 33 to the temperature control tank 20.

  The heat exchanging unit 40 exchanges heat between the chemical liquid stored in the temperature control tank 20 and generating heat due to the addition of the additive liquid and the new chemical liquid (new liquid) stored in the preparation tank 10 to obtain a new sulfuric acid solution. Raise the temperature. The heat exchanging unit 40 has a part of the heating pipe 41 as a spiral flow path. The heat exchange unit 40 that is a spiral tube is immersed in the chemical solution stored in the temperature control tank 20, so that heat is generated between the new solution flowing through the heating pipe 41 and the chemical solution stored in the temperature control tank 20. Exchange is performed. If the additive solution is charged into the chemical solution stored in the temperature control tank 20 to generate heat, the new solution flowing through the heating pipe 41 can be heated by heat exchange. The heat exchanging unit 40 is not limited to a part of the heating pipe 41 having a spiral tube, and various known heat exchanger structures that perform heat exchange between liquids may be employed. it can. For example, the heat exchanging unit 40 may be a part of the heating pipe 41 having a meandering flow path, or a part of the heating pipe 41 branched into a large number of heat transfer pipes. Any structure having a large contact area with the chemical stored in the temperature control tank 20 may be used.

  The cooling unit 50 cools the new sulfuric acid solution stored in the preparation tank 10. The cooling unit 50 is also a heat exchanger, and is configured by combining a cooling pipe 51 with a water-cooled pipe 52. In this embodiment, the water cooling pipe | tube 52 is provided in the meandering shape around the cooling pipe 51, and heat exchange is performed between both pipes. In other words, when a predetermined temperature of cooling water is supplied to the water cooling pipe 52 while a new liquid of sulfuric acid is supplied to the cooling pipe 51, heat exchange is performed between the two and the new liquid flowing through the cooling pipe 51 can be cooled. . Note that various known heat exchanger structures that perform heat exchange between liquids can also be adopted for the cooling unit 50.

  The new liquid feeding unit 60 feeds the chemical liquid heated to the target temperature described later in the preparation tank 10 to the cleaning processing unit 8. The new liquid supply unit 60 is configured by inserting a pump 62 and a valve 63 into a supply pipe 61. The proximal end of the supply pipe 61 is connected to the preparation tank 10 and the distal end is connected to the discharge nozzle 82 of the cleaning processing unit 8. The valve 63 is provided on the downstream side (tip side) of the pump 62. In the middle of the route of the supply pipe 61, another pipe branches from a position between the pump 62 and the valve 63, and the separate pipe further branches into a heating pipe 41 and a cooling pipe 51. A valve 64 is provided in another pipe branched from the feed pipe 61. The heating pipe 41 is provided with a valve 42, and the cooling pipe 51 is provided with a valve 53.

  While operating the pump 62, the valve 64 is closed and the valve 63 is opened, so that the temperature-controlled chemical solution stored in the preparation tank 10 is supplied to the cleaning processing unit 8. When the temperature of the chemical solution stored in the preparation tank 10 is adjusted, the valve 63 is closed and the valve 64 is opened while the pump 62 is operated. When the valve 64 and the valve 42 are opened, the chemical stored in the preparation tank 10 flows through the heating pipe 41 and is heated. On the other hand, when the valve 64 and the valve 53 are opened, the chemical stored in the preparation tank 10 flows through the cooling pipe 51 and is cooled.

  Further, an overwater pipe 65 is connected to the downstream side of the valve 63 in the course of the supply pipe 61. The overwater pipe 65 is connected to an overwater supply source 66, and a valve 67 is inserted in the middle of the path. By opening the valve 67, the hydrogen peroxide solution is supplied from the overwater supply source 66 to the supply pipe 61. Both liquids are mixed in the supply pipe 61 by supplying the hydrogen peroxide solution from the overwater supply source 66 while supplying the sulfuric acid whose temperature is adjusted from the preparation tank 10 through the supply pipe 61. Thus, sulfuric acid / hydrogen peroxide is generated and supplied to the cleaning processing unit 8.

  Further, a discharge pipe 85 is connected to the cleaning processing unit 8. The tip of the discharge pipe 85 is connected to the temperature control tank 20 in communication. A valve 86 is inserted in the discharge pipe 85. By opening the valve 86, the sulfuric acid / hydrogen peroxide used for the cleaning process of the substrate W in the cleaning processing unit 8 is discharged to the temperature control tank 20.

  The waste liquid processing unit 7 is a unit that performs waste liquid processing on the chemical liquid stored in the temperature control tank 20 and used for temperature control of the new liquid in the preparation tank 10. The waste liquid processing unit 7 includes a waste liquid tank 70 and a waste heat unit 71. The waste liquid tank 70 receives and stores the chemical liquid stored in the temperature control tank 20 and used for temperature control of the new liquid. The waste liquid tank 70 and the temperature control tank 20 are connected by a waste liquid pipe 72, and a valve 73 is inserted in the waste liquid pipe 72. By opening the valve 73, the chemical liquid stored in the temperature control tank 20 flows into the waste liquid tank 70.

  The waste heat unit 71 cools the chemical stored in the waste liquid tank 70 to a temperature at which it can be discarded to the outside. The waste heat unit 71 is a heat exchanger similar to the heat exchange unit 40, and a part of the cooling water pipe is formed into a spiral flow path. When the waste heat part 71 made into the spiral pipe is immersed in the waste liquid stored in the waste liquid tank 70, heat exchange is performed between the cooling water flowing through the spiral pipe and the waste liquid stored in the waste liquid tank 70. The waste liquid is cooled. Note that various known heat exchanger structures that perform heat exchange between liquids can also be adopted for the waste heat unit 71.

  A waste liquid drain 74 is connected to the waste liquid tank 70. The waste liquid drain 74 is provided with a valve 75. When the valve 75 is opened, the waste liquid stored in the waste liquid tank 70 is discharged to the outside.

  The control unit 9 controls the various operation mechanisms provided in the substrate cleaning system 100. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the control unit 9. The configuration of the control unit 9 as hardware is the same as that of a general computer. That is, the control unit 9 stores a CPU 91 that performs various arithmetic processes, a ROM 92 that is a read-only memory that stores basic programs, a RAM 93 that is a readable / writable memory that stores various information, and control programs and data. The magnetic disk 94 to be placed is connected to the bus line 99.

  Further, the plurality of valves provided in the substrate cleaning system 100, the pump 62 of the new liquid feeding unit 60, the temperature sensors 13 and 23, and the like are electrically connected to the bus line 99. The CPU 91 of the control unit 9 executes the control program stored in the magnetic disk 94, thereby controlling each of these operation mechanisms to perform the cleaning process and the new liquid temperature adjustment process in the substrate cleaning system 100.

  Further, a display unit 95 and an input unit 96 are electrically connected to the bus line 99. The display unit 95 is configured by using, for example, a liquid crystal display and displays various information such as processing results and recipe contents. The input unit 96 is configured using, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, and the like, and receives input of commands, parameters, and the like. The operator of the apparatus can input commands and parameters from the input unit 96 while confirming the contents displayed on the display unit 95. The display unit 95 and the input unit 96 may be integrated to form a touch panel.

  Next, the processing operation in the substrate cleaning system 100 having the above configuration will be described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the processing operation in the substrate cleaning system 100. The processing procedure shown below proceeds by the control unit 9 controlling each operation mechanism of the substrate cleaning system 100.

  First, a new chemical liquid is stored in the preparation tank 10 (step S1). Specifically, the valve 11 is opened under the control of the control unit 9, and a new solution of sulfuric acid is supplied from the sulfuric acid supply source 12 to the preparation tank 10. At this time, the new liquid supplied to the blending tank 10 is concentrated sulfuric acid having a concentration of about 98%. The valve 11 is closed when a predetermined amount (less than the capacity of the mixing tank 10) of sulfuric acid is stored in the mixing tank 10. When a new solution is introduced into the blending tank 10, the pump 62 is stopped and the valve 63 is also closed. In addition, the temperature of the new solution of sulfuric acid supplied to the blending tank 10 is normal temperature.

  Next, a chemical solution is introduced into the temperature control tank 20 (step S2). In the initial stage of processing, a new chemical solution is also introduced into the temperature control tank 20. Specifically, the valve 21 is opened under the control of the control unit 9, and a new sulfuric acid solution is supplied from the sulfuric acid supply source 22 to the temperature adjustment tank 20. The valve 21 is closed when a predetermined amount of sulfuric acid is stored in the temperature control tank 20.

  Subsequently, water as an additive solution is introduced into the sulfuric acid stored in the temperature control tank 20 (step S3). That is, the valve 32 is opened and water is supplied from the water supply source 33 to the temperature control tank 20. And the big reaction heat generate | occur | produces when the water thrown into the temperature control tank 20 reacts with a sulfuric acid, and the temperature of the chemical | medical solution in the temperature control tank 20 rises with the reaction heat. The amount of water to be added as the additive solution is such that the chemical solution in the temperature control tank 20 is heated to an appropriate temperature by reaction heat. If the amount of water to be added is too small, sufficient heat of hydration will not be generated. Conversely, if the amount is too large, it will become dilute sulfuric acid and the temperature of the chemical solution will decrease.

  The temperature of the chemical solution in the temperature control tank 20 is measured by the temperature sensor 23, and the measurement result is transmitted to the control unit 9. Based on the measurement result of the temperature sensor 23, the control unit 9 monitors the temperature of the chemical solution in the temperature control tank 20, and closes the valve 32 when the chemical solution temperature rises to a predetermined value or more, and serves as an additive solution. Stop water injection.

  Thereafter, the temperature of the new solution is increased by heat exchange between the new solution of sulfuric acid stored in the preparation tank 10 and the chemical solution in the temperature adjustment tank 20 (step S4). At this time, the pump 62 is operated under the control of the control unit 9, and the valve 64 and the valve 42 are opened. The valve 63 is continuously closed. When the valve 64 and the valve 42 are opened, the heating is such that the mixing tank 10 is connected to the heating pipe 41 through a part of the supply pipe 61 and returns to the mixing tank 10 again through the heat exchange unit 40. A line is formed. The new sulfuric acid solution stored in the blending tank 10 is sent out to the heating line by the pump 62, passes through the heat exchanging unit 40, and is returned to the blending tank 10 again.

  The heat exchanging unit 40 in which a part of the heating pipe 41 is a spiral tube is a chemical solution heated in the temperature control tank 20 (mixed solution of sulfuric acid added in step S2 and water added in step S3). Soaked in. When a new solution of sulfuric acid stored in the mixing tank 10 passes through the heat exchanging unit 40, heat exchange is performed with the heated chemical solution in the temperature adjustment tank 20. As a result, the new sulfuric acid solution is heated in the heat exchanging section 40 and is returned to the preparation tank 10.

  The temperature of the new chemical liquid stored in the mixing tank 10 is measured by the temperature sensor 13, and the measurement result is transmitted to the control unit 9. The controller 9 monitors the temperature of the new liquid in the blending tank 10 based on the measurement result of the temperature sensor 13 and adjusts the temperature of the new liquid (step S5). A target temperature to be supplied to the cleaning processing unit 8 is set in advance in the new chemical liquid stored in the preparation tank 10. In this embodiment, the target temperature of the new solution of sulfuric acid stored in the preparation tank 10 is set to 80 ° C.

  When the temperature of the new liquid in the preparation tank 10 measured by the temperature sensor 13 is lower than the target temperature, the control unit 9 continues to operate the pump 62 and open the valves 64 and 42 to supply the new liquid to the heating line. The temperature is raised and the temperature is raised at the heat exchanging unit 40. When the new solution of sulfuric acid heated in the heat exchange unit 40 is returned to the preparation tank 10, the temperature of the new liquid in the preparation tank 10 also rises.

  On the other hand, when the temperature of the new liquid in the preparation tank 10 measured by the temperature sensor 13 becomes higher than the target temperature, the controller 9 opens the valve 64 and the valve 53 while continuing the operation of the pump 62. Further, the control unit 9 closes the valve 42 of the heating pipe 41. By opening the valve 64 and the valve 53, a cooling line is formed in which the preparation tank 10 is connected to the cooling pipe 51 through a part of the supply pipe 61 and returns to the preparation tank 10 again through the cooling unit 50. Is done. A new solution of sulfuric acid stored in the mixing tank 10 is sent out to the cooling line by the pump 62, passes through the cooling unit 50, and is returned to the mixing tank 10 again. When the new solution of sulfuric acid cooled in the cooling unit 50 is returned to the preparation tank 10, the temperature of the new liquid in the preparation tank 10 also decreases.

  As described above, the control unit 9 feedback-controls the temperature of the new sulfuric acid solution stored in the preparation tank 10 based on the measurement result of the temperature sensor 13. That is, when the measurement result of the temperature sensor 23 is higher than the target temperature, the control unit 9 opens the valve 53 to select a cooling line, and cools the new liquid by the cooling unit 50. On the contrary, when the measurement result of the temperature sensor 23 is lower than the target temperature, the control unit 9 opens the valve 42 to select the heating line, and the heat exchange unit 40 heats the new liquid.

  The temperature adjustment of the new solution in the preparation tank 10 using the heating line and / or the cooling line is performed until the temperature of the new solution reaches the target temperature (step S6). Then, after the new solution of sulfuric acid stored in the preparation tank 10 reaches the target temperature, the new solution is supplied to the cleaning processing unit 8 (step S7). At this time, the valve 64 is closed while the valve 63 is opened under the control of the control unit 9. The operation of the pump 62 is continued. As a result, the new sulfuric acid solution whose temperature has been adjusted to the target temperature is supplied to the cleaning processing section 8 through the supply pipe 61.

  Hydrogen peroxide solution is supplied to the new sulfuric acid solution supplied through the supply pipe 61 from the overwater supply source 66 in the course of the route. A hydrogen peroxide solution is added to a new solution of sulfuric acid whose temperature has been adjusted to the target temperature, whereby sulfuric acid / hydrogen peroxide is generated. At this time, as with the addition of water to sulfuric acid, the reaction heat (heat of hydration) is generated when hydrogen peroxide water is added to the new sulfuric acid solution. Becomes higher than the target temperature of the new liquid. In this embodiment, the sulfuric acid hydrogen peroxide is heated by the reaction heat generated by adding hydrogen peroxide to the sulfuric acid fresh solution adjusted to the target temperature of 80 ° C., and the sulfuric acid hydrogen peroxide is about 120 ° C. Water is supplied to the discharge nozzle 82 of the cleaning processing unit 8.

  In the cleaning processing unit 8, the substrate W is cleaned using sulfuric acid / hydrogen peroxide at about 120 ° C. More specifically, the spin chuck 83 that holds the substrate W in a horizontal posture is discharged from the discharge nozzle 82 to the vicinity of the rotation center of the upper surface of the substrate W while rotating the substrate W in a horizontal plane. . Thereby, the cleaning process of the substrate W using sulfuric acid / hydrogen peroxide proceeds. The sulfuric acid / hydrogen peroxide used for the cleaning process of the substrate W is collected by the cup 84 and the like, and is discharged from the discharge pipe 85 to the temperature control tank 20.

  In this way, the used sulfuric acid / hydrogen peroxide is recovered in the temperature control tank 20 (step S8). The sulfuric acid / hydrogen peroxide of about 120 ° C. discharged from the discharge nozzle 82 has a temperature of about 100 ° C. when it is used for cleaning the substrate W and discharged from the discharge pipe 85 to the temperature control tank 20. And further reaction heat generate | occur | produces by adding water from the water supply source 33 to the sulfuric acid hydrogen peroxide after use, and the temperature of the chemical | medical solution in the temperature control tank 20 rises with the reaction heat. Thus, the chemical | medical solution in the temperature control tank 20 heated up becomes a new heat source, and heats the new liquid of the preparation tank 10 via the heat exchange part 40. FIG. Thereafter, water is added to the chemical solution used in the cleaning processing unit 8 and discharged to the temperature adjustment tank 20 to generate reaction heat, and the generated chemical solution in the temperature adjustment tank 20 and the new solution in the preparation tank 10 are combined. Heat exchange is performed between them to raise the temperature of the new liquid, and the process of supplying the new liquid that has reached the target temperature to the cleaning processing unit 8 is repeated.

  As the above-described process proceeds, the amount of the chemical solution in the temperature control tank 20 increases, and when the amount of the chemical solution exceeds a predetermined value, the control unit 9 opens the valve 73 and the chemical solution in the temperature control tank 20 becomes the waste liquid. It is transferred to the tank 70 as waste liquid. The waste liquid transferred to the waste liquid tank 70 is cooled to a temperature at which it can be discharged outside the system by the cooling water flowing through the waste heat unit 71. The cooled waste liquid is discharged from the waste liquid drain 74 to the outside.

  In the first embodiment, the additive solution is added to the chemical solution stored in the temperature control tank 20 to generate reaction heat to raise the temperature of the chemical solution, and the heated chemical solution and the new chemical solution in the preparation tank 10 The new liquid is heated to the target temperature by heat exchange. And after the new liquid of the preparation tank 10 reaches the preset target temperature, the new liquid of the target temperature is sent to the washing | cleaning process part 8. FIG. That is, since the new chemical solution in the preparation tank 10 is heated to the target temperature by the reaction heat generated when the additive solution is added to the chemical solution, it is not necessary to heat the chemical solution by the heater at all. The temperature can be adjusted. As a result, it is not necessary to install a heater and consumption of electrical energy can be eliminated.

  In addition, the additive solution is put into the chemical solution discharged into the temperature control tank 20 after being used in the cleaning processing unit 8, and the potential energy (chemical energy) of the chemical solution after use is drawn out, and the temperature of the new solution is increased. Accordingly, the energy utilization efficiency of the substrate cleaning system 100 as a whole can be improved.

<2. Second Embodiment>
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of the substrate cleaning system 200 according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 4, the same elements as those of the substrate cleaning system 100 of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the first embodiment, the mixing tank 10 and the temperature control tank 20 are provided separately. However, in the second embodiment, the mixing tank 10 is provided in the temperature control tank 20.

  In the substrate cleaning system 200 of the second embodiment, the preparation tank 10 is provided in the temperature adjustment tank 20 so that at least a part of the preparation tank 10 is immersed in the chemical solution stored in the temperature adjustment tank 20. By immersing at least a part of the mixing tank 10 in the chemical liquid stored in the temperature control tank 20, the chemical liquid stored in the temperature control tank 20 and the new liquid stored in the mixing tank 10 through the tank wall of the mixing tank 10. Heat exchange is performed directly with the liquid.

  In the second embodiment, the same heat exchanging unit 40 as that in the first embodiment is also provided. That is, the heat exchange unit 40 is provided in which a part of the heating pipe 41 is immersed in a chemical stored in the temperature control tank 20 as a spiral tube. Therefore, the substrate cleaning system 200 according to the second embodiment includes two mechanisms for performing heat exchange between the chemical liquid stored in the temperature control tank 20 and the new liquid stored in the preparation tank 10. In addition, in FIG. 4, although the heat exchange part 40 is made into the spiral tube similar to 1st Embodiment, you may pipe this so that the outer periphery of the mixing tank 10 may be enclosed spirally. If it does in this way, the installation space of the heat exchange part 40 can be decreased, and the footprint (exclusive area) of the chemical | medical solution temperature control part 1 whole can be made small.

  The remaining configuration of the substrate cleaning system 200 according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment except that the blending tank 10 is provided in the temperature control tank 20. Further, the procedure of the processing operation in the substrate cleaning system 200 of the second embodiment is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment (FIG. 3). However, in the second embodiment, when the temperature of the new liquid in the preparation tank 10 is increased using the chemical liquid in the temperature adjustment tank 20 that has been heated by the addition of the additive liquid (steps S4 and S5), In addition, heat exchange between the chemical solution in the temperature control tank 20 and the new solution of sulfuric acid stored in the preparation tank 10 is performed via the tank wall of the preparation tank 10. For this reason, while raising the temperature-raising efficiency of the new solution of sulfuric acid stored in the blending tank 10, it is possible to obtain the heat retaining effect of the heated new solution.

  Moreover, in 2nd Embodiment, since the preparation tank 10 is provided in the temperature control tank 20, the footprint only of the preparation tank 10 becomes zero, and the footprint of the chemical | medical solution temperature control part 1 and the board | substrate washing | cleaning system 200 whole is also included. Can be small.

<3. Modification>
While the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention can be modified in various ways other than those described above without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in each of the above embodiments, the temperature of the new liquid in the mixing tank 10 is adjusted based on the measurement result of the temperature sensor 13, but in addition to this, the control unit 9 performs the measurement result of the temperature sensor 23. The temperature of the chemical stored in the temperature control tank 20 may be adjusted based on the above. As described above, the sulfuric acid / hydrogen peroxide used in the cleaning processing unit 8 flows into the temperature control tank 20. In addition, water is appropriately supplied from the additive solution input unit 30 to the temperature control tank 20. The sulfuric acid concentration in the sulfuric acid / peroxide discharged from the cleaning unit 8 to the temperature control tank 20 is not always constant, and even if a certain amount of water is introduced from the additive solution introduction unit 30, a sufficient calorific value cannot be obtained. Conversely, excessive reaction heat may be generated.

  For this reason, it is preferable to perform temperature control of the chemical solution itself stored in the temperature control tank 20. Specifically, based on the measurement result of the temperature sensor 23, the control unit 9 is within a predetermined temperature range in which the temperature of the chemical solution stored in the temperature adjustment tank 20 is appropriate (for example, 100 ° C. to 120 ° C.). The temperature control is performed. When the temperature of the chemical solution in the temperature control tank 20 measured by the temperature sensor 23 is lower than a predetermined temperature range, for example, the control unit 9 opens the valve 21 and supplies a new solution of sulfuric acid to the temperature control tank 20. Then, the valve 32 is opened and water is poured into the temperature control tank 20. A new reaction heat is generated by the reaction between the new sulfuric acid solution and water, and the temperature of the chemical solution stored in the temperature control tank 20 rises.

  On the other hand, when the temperature of the chemical solution in the temperature adjustment tank 20 measured by the temperature sensor 23 becomes higher than a predetermined temperature range, for example, the control unit 9 opens the valve 32 for a long time and supplies water to the temperature adjustment tank 20. Throw in large quantities. Thereby, if the sulfuric acid concentration in the chemical | medical solution stored in the temperature control tank 20 becomes thin, the temperature of the said chemical | medical solution will fall. By performing the temperature control of the chemical solution stored in the temperature control tank 20 as described above, the temperature control of the new liquid in the preparation tank 10 can be facilitated.

  In particular, as in the second embodiment, when the preparation tank 10 is provided in the temperature adjustment tank 20 so that at least a part of the preparation tank 10 is immersed in the chemical solution stored in the temperature adjustment tank 20, Even if the heating line including the heat exchanging unit 40 is closed, heat exchange between the new liquid in the mixing tank 10 and the chemical liquid in the temperature control tank 20 is performed, so that the temperature control of the chemical liquid stored in the temperature control tank 20 is performed. It is preferable to do this. Rather, in the substrate cleaning system 200 of the second embodiment, the temperature of the new liquid in the preparation tank 10 can be controlled to some extent only by adjusting the temperature of the chemical solution stored in the temperature control tank 20. That is, if the temperature of the chemical stored in the temperature control tank 20 is increased, the temperature of the new liquid in the preparation tank 10 immersed therein can also be increased. Conversely, if the temperature of the chemical stored in the temperature control tank 20 is lowered, the temperature of the new liquid in the preparation tank 10 can also be lowered. In this case, when the temperature of the new liquid in the preparation tank 10 exceeds the target temperature, the chemical liquid in the temperature adjustment tank 20 is discharged into the waste liquid tank 70 to lower the liquid level, thereby reducing the liquid level. The new solution may be cooled.

  Further, if the temperature of the new liquid can be adjusted to the target temperature only by heat exchange between the chemical liquid in the temperature adjustment tank 20 and the new liquid stored in the preparation tank 10, the cooling unit 50 is not necessarily an essential element.

  Moreover, in each said embodiment, although the additive liquid thrown into the chemical | medical solution containing the sulfuric acid in the temperature control tank 20 from the additive liquid injection | throwing-in part 30 was made into water, it is not limited to this, It reacts with a sulfuric acid. An additive solution that generates reaction heat may be added. For example, the alkaline solution may be charged from the additive solution charging unit 30 to the chemical solution containing sulfuric acid in the temperature control tank 20.

  Further, in each of the above embodiments, the single-wafer type substrate cleaning apparatus that performs the cleaning process by discharging sulfuric acid / hydrogen peroxide onto the rotating substrate W is not limited to this. The cleaning processing unit 8 can be replaced with another substrate processing unit that performs predetermined liquid processing on the substrate W. For example, the cleaning processing unit 8 may be a substrate processing unit that supplies an etching solution to the substrate W to perform an etching process, or a batch type substrate processing unit that performs a cleaning process by immersing a plurality of substrates W in a chemical solution. It is also good.

The chemical solution is not limited to a liquid containing sulfuric acid, and may contain other specific liquid species. For example, it may be a liquid containing hydrochloric acid (HCl) or aqueous ammonia (NH ₄ OH), and an appropriate chemical solution can be selected according to the processing content in the cleaning processing unit 8 and the configuration of the cleaning processing unit 8. . If the type of chemical solution is different, the type of additive solution that reacts with the chemical solution to generate heat of reaction is also used.

  Further, the chemical liquid in the temperature control tank 20 and the chemical liquid stored in the preparation tank 10 may be different types. For example, sulfuric acid is stored in the temperature control tank 20 and water is added as an additive solution, and hydrochloric acid stored in the preparation tank 10 is heated by the generated reaction heat and supplied to the cleaning processing unit 8. good. In this case, the cleaning unit 8 performs a cleaning process on the substrate W using hydrochloric acid hydrogen peroxide.

  Further, some or all of the valves provided in the substrate cleaning system 100 (or 200) may be a flow rate adjusting valve having a flow rate adjusting function. In particular, if the heating line valve 42 and the cooling line valve 53 are flow control valves, the flow rate of the new liquid flowing through the heating line and / or the cooling line can be adjusted. Temperature control can be performed. The flow rate adjusting valve may be provided in place of the valve in each of the above embodiments, or may be additionally provided.

  Moreover, it replaces with supplying the new liquid of a sulfuric acid from the sulfuric acid supply source 22 to the temperature control tank 20, and the separate piping which connects the mixing tank 10 and the temperature control tank 20 is provided, and the new tank of the mixing tank 10 is provided by the separate piping. You may make it supply a liquid to the temperature control tank 20. FIG.

  The substrate to be processed by the substrate cleaning apparatus 1 is not limited to a semiconductor substrate, and may be a glass substrate used for a flat panel display such as a liquid crystal display device.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Chemical liquid temperature control part 7 Waste liquid process part 8 Cleaning process part 9 Control part 10 Preparation tank 13,23 Temperature sensor 20 Temperature control tank 30 Additive liquid input part 40 Heat exchange part 41 Heating pipe 50 Cooling part 51 Cooling pipe 60 New liquid Feed unit 62 Pump 70 Waste liquid tank 71 Waste heat unit 81 Processing chamber 82 Discharge nozzle 100,200 Substrate cleaning system W substrate

Claims (10)

A chemical temperature controller for controlling the temperature of a chemical supplied to a substrate processing unit that performs liquid processing on a substrate,
A mixing tank for storing a new chemical solution to be supplied to the substrate processing unit;
A temperature control tank for collecting and storing the chemical used in the liquid processing in the substrate processing unit;
An additive liquid charging unit that inputs an additive liquid that reacts with the chemical liquid stored in the temperature control tank and generates reaction heat; and
A heat exchanging unit that heats the chemical solution stored in the temperature control tank and generates heat by charging the additive liquid and the new chemical liquid stored in the preparation tank to raise the temperature of the new chemical liquid;
A control unit that controls the heat exchange unit so that a new chemical stored in the preparation tank is heated to a preset target temperature;
A new liquid feeding unit that feeds the chemical solution heated to the target temperature in the preparation tank to the substrate processing unit;
The chemical | medical solution temperature control apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. In the chemical | medical solution temperature control apparatus of Claim 1,
A cooling unit for cooling the chemical solution heated above the target temperature in the preparation tank;
The said control part controls the said heat exchange part and the said cooling part so that the new chemical | medical solution stored in the said mixing tank may be temperature-controlled to the preset target temperature, The chemical | medical solution temperature control apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. In the chemical | medical solution temperature control apparatus of Claim 1 or Claim 2,
The said control part further performs temperature control from which the temperature of the chemical | medical solution stored in the said temperature control tank becomes in a predetermined temperature range, The chemical | medical solution temperature control apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. In the chemical | medical solution temperature control apparatus in any one of Claims 1-3,
The chemical liquid temperature control apparatus, wherein the preparation tank is provided in the temperature control tank so that a part of the preparation tank is immersed in the chemical liquid stored in the temperature control tank. In the chemical | medical solution temperature control apparatus in any one of Claims 1-4,
The chemical solution is a liquid containing sulfuric acid,
The chemical liquid temperature control apparatus, wherein the additive liquid is water. A chemical temperature control method for controlling the temperature of a chemical supplied to a substrate processing unit that performs liquid processing on a substrate,
A new solution storage step of storing a new chemical solution to be supplied to the substrate processing unit in the preparation tank;
An exothermic process of charging a chemical solution and an additive solution that reacts with the chemical solution and generates heat of reaction into a temperature control tank;
Heat exchange is performed between the chemical liquid stored in the temperature control tank and heated by the addition of the additive liquid and the new chemical liquid stored in the preparation tank, and the new chemical liquid is raised to a preset target temperature. A temperature raising step for heating;
A feeding step of feeding the chemical solution heated to the target temperature in the preparation tank to the substrate processing unit;
A recovery step of recovering the chemical used in the substrate processing section in the temperature control tank;
A method for controlling the temperature of a chemical solution, comprising: In the chemical | medical solution temperature control method of Claim 6,
The chemical | medical solution temperature control method characterized by further providing the cooling process which cools the chemical | medical solution heated up exceeding the said target temperature in the said mixing tank. In the chemical | medical solution temperature control method of Claim 6 or Claim 7,
The chemical | medical solution temperature control method further provided with the temperature control process which controls the temperature of the chemical | medical solution stored in the said temperature control tank within the predetermined temperature range. In the chemical | medical solution temperature control method in any one of Claim 6 to 8,
A chemical liquid temperature control method, wherein a part of the preparation tank is immersed in a chemical liquid stored in the temperature adjustment tank and heat exchange is directly performed between the chemical liquid and the preparation tank. In the chemical | medical solution temperature control method in any one of Claim 6 to 9,
The chemical solution is a liquid containing sulfuric acid,
The chemical liquid temperature control method, wherein the additive liquid is water.

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