JP2014093476A - Substrate treatment apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate treatment apparatus which can adjust the discharge timing and the discharge flow rate of a treatment fluid with a simple structure.SOLUTION: A coating nozzle 28 has a storage part 51, an introduction part 52 and a discharge part 53. The storage part 51 has an upper opening 51a and a lower opening 51b, and also has a storage space 51c which can store a treatment liquid. The tubular introduction part 52 is provided so as to extend upward from the upper opening 51a of the storage part 51. The tubular discharge part 53 is provided so as to extend downward from the lower opening 51b of the storage part 51. A spherical member 54 is arranged in the storage space 51c of the storage part 51 so as to block the lower opening 51b. A piezoelectric element 55 is attached on the outer peripheral surface of the discharge part 53. The piezoelectric element 55 is electrically connected to a voltage applying device 70. The voltage applying device 70 is composed so as to be able to apply AC voltage of a desired frequency to the piezoelectric element 55 at desired timing.

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate.

  In order to perform various processes on various substrates such as a semiconductor substrate, a liquid crystal display substrate, a plasma display substrate, an optical disk substrate, a magnetic disk substrate, a magneto-optical disk substrate or a photomask substrate, It is used. In a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate is processed using, for example, various processing fluids.

  The substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes a resist coating processing unit for coating a resist on a substrate. The resist application processing unit is provided with a discharge nozzle for discharging the resist. The discharge nozzle is connected to a discharge pump via an air valve. The discharge pump pumps the resist stored in the trap tank toward the discharge nozzle. When the air valve is open, the resist is discharged from the discharge nozzle, and when the air valve is closed, the discharge of the resist from the discharge nozzle is stopped.

JP 2008-251890 A

  In the above substrate processing apparatus, the discharge timing and discharge amount of the resist are adjusted by the air valve and the discharge pump. In this case, since the air valve and the discharge pump are provided separately from the discharge nozzle, the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus becomes complicated.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of adjusting the discharge timing and discharge flow rate of a processing fluid with a simple configuration.

  (1) A substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate by supplying a processing fluid to the substrate, and includes a discharge nozzle configured to discharge the processing fluid, and a discharge nozzle. A fluid supply unit configured to supply a processing fluid, and the discharge nozzle includes a storage unit capable of storing the processing fluid supplied by the fluid supply unit, a discharge port, and the storage unit to the discharge port. It includes a flow path forming section that forms a discharge flow path for guiding the processing fluid, and a flow rate adjusting mechanism configured to be able to adjust the flow rate of the processing fluid guided from the storage section to the discharge port through the discharge flow path.

  In this substrate processing apparatus, the processing fluid is supplied from the fluid supply unit to the discharge nozzle, and the processing fluid is discharged from the discharge nozzle to the substrate. Thereby, the substrate is processed. In the discharge nozzle, the processing fluid is stored in the storage section, and the processing fluid is guided from the storage section to the discharge port through the discharge flow path formed by the flow path forming section.

  The flow rate of the processing fluid guided from the storage unit to the discharge port is adjusted by a flow rate adjusting mechanism. Thereby, the discharge flow rate of the processing fluid from the discharge port is adjusted. In addition, when the flow rate of the processing fluid guided from the storage unit to the discharge port is adjusted to 0, the discharge of the processing fluid from the discharge port is stopped. Thereby, the discharge timing of the processing fluid from the discharge port can be adjusted. Therefore, the discharge timing and discharge flow rate of the processing fluid can be adjusted with a simple configuration.

  (2) The flow rate adjustment mechanism vibrates the opening / closing member provided movably between a closed position for closing the discharge flow path and an open position for opening at least a part of the discharge flow path. And a vibration generating unit that periodically moves the opening / closing member between the closed position and the open position.

  In this case, when the opening / closing member is in the open position, the processing fluid is guided from the storage portion to the discharge port through the discharge flow path, and when the opening / closing member is in the closed position, the processing fluid is not guided from the storage portion to the discharge port. The period of movement of the opening / closing member between the closed position and the opening position varies according to the period of vibration applied to the opening / closing member from the vibration generating unit.

  Thereby, the discharge timing of the processing fluid can be adjusted by adjusting the timing at which the vibration is applied from the vibration generating unit to the opening / closing member. Further, the discharge flow rate can be adjusted by adjusting the period of vibration applied from the vibration generating unit to the opening / closing member. Therefore, the discharge timing and discharge flow rate of the processing fluid can be adjusted with a simple configuration.

  (3) The vibration generating unit may include a piezoelectric element. In this case, the vibration of the opening / closing member can be accurately controlled by the piezoelectric element. Therefore, the discharge timing and discharge flow rate of the processing fluid can be accurately adjusted with a simple configuration.

  (4) The piezoelectric element may be disposed so as to surround the discharge flow path. In this case, vibration can be efficiently transmitted from the piezoelectric element to the opening / closing member. Therefore, the discharge timing and discharge flow rate of the processing fluid can be adjusted with higher accuracy.

  (5) The storage portion has a storage space and has an outlet at the bottom for communicating the storage space with the discharge flow path, and the flow path forming portion is disposed below the processing fluid in the storage space of the storage portion through the outlet. The opening / closing member may be disposed in the storage space so as to close the outflow port at the closed position and open at least a part of the outflow port at the open position.

  In this case, when the opening / closing member is not vibrated, the opening / closing member closes the outlet, and when the opening / closing member is vibrated, the opening / closing member periodically opens at least a part of the outlet. Further, when the outflow port is opened, the processing fluid is guided to the discharge port by its own weight and discharged from the discharge port. Thereby, the discharge timing and discharge flow rate of the processing fluid can be adjusted with a simple configuration.

  (6) The outlet may be a circular opening, and the opening / closing member may include a spherical member that is movably provided on the opening so as to close the opening. In this case, when vibration is not applied to the spherical member, the spherical member closes the opening due to gravity, and when vibration is applied to the spherical member, the spherical member is periodically disposed between the spherical member and the edge of the opening. There is a gap in Thereby, the discharge timing and discharge flow rate of the processing fluid can be adjusted with a simple configuration.

  (7) The fluid supply unit may include a pressurizing unit that continuously pressurizes the processing fluid guided to the discharge nozzle. In this case, the processing fluid can be reliably guided from the storage part to the discharge port.

  (8) The fluid supply unit includes a first storage tank that temporarily stores the processing fluid, a first pipe that is provided so as to guide the processing fluid from the first storage tank to the discharge nozzle, A first open / close valve provided in the first pipe so as to open and close a flow path in the pipe, and the pressurizing unit is provided in a portion of the first pipe between the open / close valve and the discharge nozzle. A pressurized pump may be included.

  In this case, in a state where the first opening / closing valve is opened, the processing fluid stored in the first storage tank is guided to the discharge nozzle through the first pipe while being pressurized by the pressure pump. Thereby, the processing fluid can be stably supplied to the discharge nozzle. Further, by discharging the processing fluid from the discharge nozzle while the first opening / closing valve is closed, the processing fluid discharge timing and the discharge flow rate can be adjusted stably.

  (9) The fluid supply unit includes a second storage tank that temporarily stores the processing fluid, a second pipe that is provided to guide the processing fluid to the second storage tank, and a second storage tank. And further including a third pipe provided to guide the processing fluid to the discharge nozzle and a second opening / closing valve provided to the second pipe so as to open and close the flow path in the second pipe. The pressure unit may be provided in the second storage tank so as to apply pressure to the processing fluid in the second storage tank.

  In this case, the processing fluid is guided to the second storage tank through the second pipe while the second opening / closing valve is open, and the second storage tank is closed while the second opening / closing valve is closed. The processing fluid is guided to the discharge nozzle through the third pipe while being pressurized by the pressurizing unit. Thereby, it is possible to stably supply the processing fluid to the discharge nozzle while preventing the processing fluid in the second storage tank from flowing back through the second pipe. Moreover, since the pressurizing part is provided in the second storage tank, the space occupied by the pressurizing part can be reduced.

  (10) The third supply tank, which is provided integrally with the discharge nozzle and configured to temporarily store the processing fluid and supply the processing fluid to the discharge nozzle, and the third storage tank A pressurizing section, further including a fourth pipe provided to guide the processing fluid to the first pipe and a third on-off valve provided in the fourth pipe so as to open and close the flow path in the fourth pipe. May be provided in the third storage tank so as to apply pressure to the processing fluid in the third storage tank.

  In this case, the processing fluid is guided to the third storage tank through the fourth pipe with the third on-off valve opened, and the third on-off valve is closed with the third on-off valve closed. The processing fluid is supplied to the discharge nozzle while being pressurized by the pressurizing unit. Thereby, it is possible to stably supply the processing fluid to the discharge nozzle while preventing the processing fluid in the third storage tank from flowing back through the fourth pipe. In addition, since the pressurization unit is provided in the third storage tank and the third storage tank is provided integrally with the discharge nozzle, the space occupied by the third storage tank and the pressurization unit can be reduced. .

  (11) The processing fluid may include a coating liquid for forming a film on the substrate. In this case, since the discharge timing and discharge flow rate of the processing liquid are adjusted with a simple configuration, a film can be appropriately formed on the substrate without complicating the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus.

  (12) The processing fluid may include a developer for performing development processing on the substrate. In this case, since the discharge timing and discharge flow rate of the developer are adjusted with a simple configuration, the development processing can be appropriately performed on the substrate without complicating the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus.

  According to the present invention, the discharge timing and discharge flow rate of the processing fluid can be adjusted with a simple configuration.

It is a typical top view which shows the structure of a substrate processing apparatus. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of a substrate processing apparatus mainly showing a coating processing section, a coating development processing section, and a cleaning / drying processing section of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of a substrate processing apparatus mainly showing a heat treatment section and a cleaning / drying processing section in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a side view mainly showing a transport unit in FIG. 1. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of a process liquid supply unit. It is typical sectional drawing which shows the structure of an application nozzle. It is typical sectional drawing for demonstrating operation | movement of a coating nozzle. It is a figure which shows the 1st modification of a process liquid supply unit. It is a figure which shows the 2nd modification of a process liquid supply unit. It is an external appearance perspective view which shows an example of a developing nozzle. It is a typical sectional view showing an example of a development nozzle. It is a typical sectional view showing other examples of a development nozzle.

  Hereinafter, a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the substrate means a semiconductor substrate, a liquid crystal display substrate, a plasma display substrate, a photomask glass substrate, an optical disk substrate, a magnetic disk substrate, a magneto-optical disk substrate, or a photomask substrate. Etc.

(1) Configuration of Substrate Processing Apparatus (1-1) Overall Configuration FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 100 includes an indexer block 11, a first processing block 12, a second processing block 13, a cleaning / drying processing block 14A, and a loading / unloading block 14B. The cleaning / drying processing block 14A and the carry-in / carry-out block 14B constitute an interface block 14. The exposure device 15 is disposed adjacent to the carry-in / carry-out block 14B. In the exposure device 15, the substrate W is subjected to exposure processing by a liquid immersion method.

  The indexer block 11 includes a plurality of carrier placement units 111 and a conveyance unit 112. On each carrier placement section 111, a carrier 113 that houses a plurality of substrates W in multiple stages is placed.

  The transport unit 112 is provided with a control unit 114 and a transport mechanism 115. The control unit 114 controls various components of the substrate processing apparatus 100. The transport mechanism 115 has a hand 116 for holding the substrate W. The transport mechanism 115 transports the substrate W while holding the substrate W by the hand 116.

  The first processing block 12 includes a coating processing unit 121, a transport unit 122, and a heat treatment unit 123. The coating processing unit 121 and the heat treatment unit 123 are provided so as to face each other with the conveyance unit 122 interposed therebetween. Between the transport unit 122 and the transport unit 112, a substrate platform PASS1 on which the substrate W is placed and substrate platforms PASS2 to PASS4 (see FIG. 4) described later are provided. The transport unit 122 is provided with a transport mechanism 127 for transporting the substrate W and a transport mechanism 128 (see FIG. 4) described later.

  The second processing block 13 includes a coating and developing processing unit 131, a conveying unit 132, and a heat treatment unit 133. The coating / development processing unit 131 and the heat treatment unit 133 are provided so as to face each other with the conveyance unit 132 interposed therebetween. Between the transport unit 132 and the transport unit 122, a substrate platform PASS5 on which the substrate W is placed and substrate platforms PASS6 to PASS8 (see FIG. 4) described later are provided. The transport unit 132 is provided with a transport mechanism 137 for transporting the substrate W and a transport mechanism 138 (see FIG. 4) described later.

  The cleaning / drying processing block 14 </ b> A includes cleaning / drying processing units 161, 162 and a transport unit 163. The cleaning / drying processing units 161 and 162 are provided to face each other with the conveyance unit 163 interposed therebetween. The transport unit 163 is provided with transport mechanisms 141 and 142. Between the transport unit 163 and the transport unit 132, a placement / buffer unit P-BF1 and a later-described placement / buffer unit P-BF2 (see FIG. 4) are provided. The placement / buffer units P-BF1 and P-BF2 are configured to accommodate a plurality of substrates W.

  A substrate platform PASS9 and a later-described placement / cooling unit P-CP (see FIG. 4) are provided between the transport mechanisms 141 and 142 so as to be adjacent to the carry-in / carry-out block 14B. The placement / cooling unit P-CP has a function of cooling the substrate W. In the placement / cooling section P-CP, the substrate W is cooled to a temperature suitable for the exposure process.

  A transport mechanism 146 is provided in the carry-in / carry-out block 14B. The transport mechanism 146 carries the substrate W into and out of the exposure apparatus 15. The exposure apparatus 15 is provided with a substrate carry-in portion 15a for carrying in the substrate W and a substrate carry-out portion 15b for carrying out the substrate W.

(1-2) Configuration of Application Processing Unit and Application Development Processing Unit FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the substrate processing apparatus 100 mainly showing the application processing unit 121, the application development processing unit 131, and the cleaning / drying processing unit 161 of FIG. It is.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the coating processing section 121 is provided with coating processing chambers 21, 22, 23, and 24 in a hierarchical manner. The coating development processing unit 131 is provided with development processing chambers 31 and 33 and coating processing chambers 32 and 34 in a hierarchical manner. Each of the coating processing chambers 21 to 24, 32, and 34 is provided with a coating processing unit 129. A development processing unit 139 is provided in each of the development processing chambers 31 and 33.

  Each coating processing unit 129 includes a spin chuck 25 that holds the substrate W and a cup 27 that is provided so as to cover the periphery of the spin chuck 25. In the present embodiment, each coating processing unit 129 is provided with two sets of spin chucks 25 and cups 27. The spin chuck 25 is rotationally driven by a driving device (not shown) (for example, an electric motor).

  As shown in FIG. 1, each coating processing unit 129 includes a plurality of coating nozzles 28 that discharge a coating liquid and a nozzle transport mechanism 29 that transports the coating nozzles 28. Each coating nozzle 28 is connected to the processing liquid supply unit 200 (FIG. 5), and the processing liquid is supplied from the processing liquid supply unit 200 to the coating nozzle 28. Details of the coating nozzle 28 and the treatment liquid supply unit 200 will be described later.

  In the present embodiment, a coating liquid for forming an antireflection film (hereinafter referred to as an antireflection liquid) is supplied as a processing liquid to the coating nozzle 28 of the coating processing unit 129 in the coating processing chambers 22 and 24. A coating liquid for forming a resist film (hereinafter referred to as a resist liquid) is supplied as a processing liquid to the coating nozzle 28 of the coating processing unit 129 in the coating processing chambers 21 and 23. A coating liquid for forming a resist cover film (hereinafter referred to as a resist cover liquid) is supplied as a processing liquid to the coating nozzle 28 of the coating processing unit 129 in the coating processing chambers 32 and 34.

  In each coating processing unit 129, one of the plurality of coating nozzles 28 is moved above the substrate W by the nozzle transport mechanism 29. The coating liquid is discharged from the coating nozzle 28 in a state where the spin chuck 25 is rotated by a driving device (not shown). Thereby, the coating liquid is applied onto the substrate W.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the development processing unit 139 includes a spin chuck 35 and a cup 37, similar to the coating processing unit 129. In the present embodiment, each development processing unit 139 is provided with three sets of spin chucks 35 and cups 37. The spin chuck 35 is rotationally driven by a driving device (not shown) (for example, an electric motor).

  As shown in FIG. 1, the development processing unit 139 includes two development nozzles 38 that discharge the developer and a moving mechanism 39 that moves the development nozzles 38 in one direction. The developer nozzle 38 is connected to a developer supply unit (not shown).

  In the development processing unit 139, while the spin chuck 35 is rotated by a driving device (not shown), one development nozzle 38 moves in one direction and supplies the developer to each substrate W, and then the other development. The developer is supplied to each substrate W while the nozzle 38 moves. In this case, by supplying the developer to the substrate W, the resist cover film on the substrate W is removed, and the substrate W is developed. In the present embodiment, different developing solutions are discharged from the two developing nozzles 38. Thereby, two types of developers can be supplied to each substrate W.

  The cleaning / drying processing unit 161 includes a plurality (four in this example) of cleaning / drying processing units SD1. In the cleaning / drying processing unit SD1, the substrate W before the exposure processing is cleaned and dried.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a fluid box unit 50 is provided in the coating processing unit 121 so as to be adjacent to the coating and developing processing unit 131. Similarly, a fluid box unit 60 is provided in the coating and developing processing unit 131 so as to be adjacent to the cleaning / drying processing block 14A. In the fluid box unit 50 and the fluid box unit 60, conduits, joints, valves, and the like for supply of chemicals to the coating processing unit 129 and the development processing unit 139 and waste liquid and exhaust from the coating processing unit 129 and the development processing unit 139, etc. Houses fluid-related equipment such as flow meters, regulators, pumps, and temperature controllers. A part of the processing liquid supply unit 200 described later is disposed in the fluid box portions 50 and 60.

(1-3) Configuration of Heat Treatment Unit FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the substrate processing apparatus 100 mainly showing the heat treatment units 123 and 133 and the cleaning / drying processing unit 162 of FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the heat treatment part 123 has an upper heat treatment part 301 provided above and a lower heat treatment part 302 provided below. Each of the upper heat treatment part 301 and the lower heat treatment part 302 is provided with a plurality of heat treatment units PHP, a plurality of adhesion strengthening treatment units PAHP, and a plurality of cooling units CP.

  In the heat treatment unit PHP, the substrate W is heated and cooled. Hereinafter, the heat treatment and the cooling treatment in the heat treatment unit PHP are simply referred to as heat treatment. In the adhesion reinforcement processing unit PAHP, adhesion reinforcement processing for improving the adhesion between the substrate W and the antireflection film is performed. Specifically, in the adhesion reinforcement processing unit PAHP, an adhesion enhancing agent such as HMDS (hexamethyldisilazane) is applied to the substrate W, and the substrate W is subjected to heat treatment. In the cooling unit CP, the substrate W is cooled.

  The heat treatment part 133 includes an upper heat treatment part 303 provided above and a lower heat treatment part 304 provided below. Each of the upper thermal processing section 303 and the lower thermal processing section 304 is provided with a cooling unit CP, an edge exposure unit EEW, and a plurality of thermal processing units PHP. In the edge exposure unit EEW, exposure processing (edge exposure processing) of the peripheral edge of the substrate W is performed. In the upper thermal processing section 303 and the lower thermal processing section 304, the thermal processing unit PHP provided adjacent to the cleaning / drying processing block 14A is configured to be able to carry the substrate W from the cleaning / drying processing block 14A.

  The cleaning / drying processing section 162 is provided with a plurality (four in this example) of cleaning / drying processing units SD2. In the cleaning / drying processing unit SD2, the substrate W after the exposure processing is cleaned and dried.

(1-4) Configuration of Conveying Unit FIG. 4 is a side view mainly showing the conveying units 122, 132, and 163 in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the transfer unit 122 includes an upper transfer chamber 125 and a lower transfer chamber 126. The transfer unit 132 includes an upper transfer chamber 135 and a lower transfer chamber 136. The upper transfer chamber 125 is provided with a transfer mechanism 127, and the lower transfer chamber 126 is provided with a transfer mechanism 128. The upper transfer chamber 135 is provided with a transfer mechanism 137, and the lower transfer chamber 136 is provided with a transfer mechanism 138.

  Substrate platforms PASS1 and PASS2 are provided between the transport unit 112 and the upper transport chamber 125, and substrate platforms PASS3 and PASS4 are provided between the transport unit 112 and the lower transport chamber 126. Substrate platforms PASS5 and PASS6 are provided between the upper transport chamber 125 and the upper transport chamber 135, and substrate platforms PASS7 and PASS8 are provided between the lower transport chamber 126 and the lower transport chamber 136. It is done.

  A placement / buffer unit P-BF1 is provided between the upper transfer chamber 135 and the transfer unit 163, and a placement / buffer unit P-BF2 is provided between the lower transfer chamber 136 and the transfer unit 163. . A substrate platform PASS9 and a plurality of placement / cooling units P-CP are provided so as to be adjacent to the interface block 15 in the transport unit 163.

  The transport mechanism 127 is configured to be able to transport the substrate W between the substrate platforms PASS1, PASS2, PASS5, PASS6, the coating processing chambers 21, 22 (FIG. 2), and the upper thermal processing section 301 (FIG. 3). The transport mechanism 128 is configured to be able to transport the substrate W between the substrate platforms PASS3, PASS4, PASS7, PASS8, the coating processing chambers 23, 24 (FIG. 2), and the lower thermal processing section 302 (FIG. 3).

  The transport mechanism 137 moves the substrate W between the substrate platforms PASS5 and PASS6, the placement / buffer unit P-BF1, the development processing chamber 31 (FIG. 2), the coating processing chamber 32, and the upper thermal processing unit 303 (FIG. 3). It is configured to be transportable. The transport mechanism 138 transfers the substrate W between the substrate platforms PASS7 and PASS8, the placement / buffer unit P-BF2, the development processing chamber 33 (FIG. 2), the coating processing chamber 34, and the lower thermal processing unit 304 (FIG. 3). It is configured to be transportable.

(1-5) Operation The operation of the substrate processing apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. A carrier 113 in which an unprocessed substrate W is accommodated is placed on the carrier placement portion 111 (FIG. 1) of the indexer block 11. The transport mechanism 115 transports the unprocessed substrate W from the carrier 113 to the substrate platforms PASS1 and PASS3 (FIG. 4). In addition, the transport mechanism 115 transports the processed substrate W placed on the substrate platforms PASS <b> 2 and PASS <b> 4 (FIG. 4) to the carrier 113.

  In the first processing block 12, the transport mechanism 127 (FIG. 4) causes the substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS1 (FIG. 4) to adhere to the adhesion reinforcement processing unit PAHP (FIG. 3) and the cooling unit CP (FIG. 3). ), Coating treatment chamber 22 (FIG. 2), heat treatment unit PHP (FIG. 3), cooling unit CP (FIG. 3), coating treatment chamber 21 (FIG. 2), heat treatment unit PHP (FIG. 3), and substrate platform PASS5 ( It conveys in order to FIG.

  In this case, after the adhesion reinforcement processing is performed on the substrate W in the adhesion reinforcement processing unit PAHP, the substrate W is cooled to a temperature suitable for forming the antireflection film in the cooling unit CP. Next, in the coating processing chamber 22, an antireflection film is formed on the substrate W by the coating processing unit 129 (FIG. 2). Subsequently, after the heat treatment of the substrate W is performed in the heat treatment unit PHP, the substrate W is cooled to a temperature suitable for formation of the resist film in the cooling unit CP. Next, in the coating processing chamber 21, a resist film is formed on the substrate W by the coating processing unit 129 (FIG. 2). Thereafter, the substrate W is heat-treated in the heat treatment unit PHP, and the substrate W is placed on the substrate platform PASS5.

  In addition, the transport mechanism 127 transports the substrate W after the development processing placed on the substrate platform PASS6 (FIG. 4) to the substrate platform PASS2 (FIG. 4).

  The transport mechanism 128 (FIG. 4) is configured to adhere the substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS3 (FIG. 4) to the adhesion reinforcement processing unit PAHP (FIG. 3), the cooling unit CP (FIG. 3), and the coating processing chamber 24 (FIG. 4). 2), sequentially transferred to the heat treatment unit PHP (FIG. 3), the cooling unit CP (FIG. 3), the coating treatment chamber 23 (FIG. 2), the heat treatment unit PHP (FIG. 3), and the substrate platform PASS7 (FIG. 4). Further, the transport mechanism 128 (FIG. 4) transports the substrate W after the development processing placed on the substrate platform PASS8 (FIG. 4) to the substrate platform PASS4 (FIG. 4). The processing contents of the substrate W in the coating processing chambers 23 and 24 (FIG. 2) and the lower thermal processing section 302 (FIG. 3) are the same as those in the coating processing chambers 21 and 22 (FIG. 2) and the upper thermal processing section 301 (FIG. 3). This is the same as the processing content of W.

  In the second processing block 13, the transport mechanism 137 (FIG. 4) is configured to apply the resist film-formed substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS 5 (FIG. 4) to the coating processing chamber 32 (FIG. 2), and a heat treatment unit. It conveys to PHP (FIG. 3), edge exposure part EEW (FIG. 3), and mounting and buffer part P-BF1 (FIG. 4) in order.

  In this case, a resist cover film is formed on the substrate W by the coating processing unit 129 in the coating processing chamber 32. Subsequently, after the substrate W is heat-treated in the heat treatment unit PHP, the edge exposure processing of the substrate W is performed in the edge exposure unit EEW, and the substrate W is placed on the placement / buffer unit P-BF1. The

  Further, the transport mechanism 137 (FIG. 4) takes out the substrate W after the exposure processing and after the heat treatment from the heat treatment unit PHP (FIG. 3) adjacent to the cleaning / drying processing block 14A, and removes the substrate W from the cooling unit CP (FIG. 3). ), The development processing chamber 31 (FIG. 2), the heat treatment unit PHP (FIG. 3), and the substrate platform PASS6 (FIG. 4) in this order.

  In this case, after the substrate W is cooled to a temperature suitable for the development processing in the cooling unit CP, the development processing of the substrate W is performed by the development processing unit 139 in the development processing chamber 31. Thereafter, the substrate W is heat-treated in the heat treatment unit PHP, and the substrate W is placed on the substrate platform PASS6.

  The transport mechanism 138 (FIG. 4) is configured to apply the resist film-formed substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS7 (FIG. 4) to the coating processing chamber 34 (FIG. 2), the heat treatment unit PHP (FIG. 3), and edge exposure. It is sequentially conveyed to the section EEW (FIG. 3) and the placement / buffer section P-BF2 (FIG. 4). Further, the transport mechanism 138 (FIG. 4) takes out the substrate W after the exposure processing and after the heat treatment from the heat treatment unit PHP (FIG. 3) adjacent to the back surface cleaning processing block 14, and removes the substrate W from the cooling unit CP (FIG. 3). ), The development processing chamber 33 (FIG. 2), the heat treatment unit PHP (FIG. 3), and the substrate platform PASS8 (FIG. 4) in this order. The processing content of the substrate W in the coating processing chamber 34, the development processing chamber 33, and the lower thermal processing section 304 is the same as the processing content of the substrate W in the coating processing chamber 32, the developing processing chamber 31, and the upper thermal processing section 303.

  In the cleaning / drying processing block 14 </ b> A, the transport mechanism 141 (FIG. 1) performs the cleaning / drying processing unit of the cleaning / drying processing unit 161 on the substrate W placed on the placement / buffer units P-BF 1, P-BF 2 (FIG. 4). It conveys to SD1 (FIG. 2) and mounting and cooling part P-CP (FIG. 4) in order. In this case, after the cleaning / drying processing of the substrate W is performed in the cleaning / drying processing unit SD1, the temperature suitable for the exposure processing in the exposure apparatus 15 (FIGS. 1 to 3) in the placement / cooling unit P-CP. Then, the substrate W is cooled.

  The transport mechanism 142 (FIG. 1) transports the substrate W after the exposure processing placed on the substrate platform PASS9 (FIG. 4) to the cleaning / drying processing unit SD2 (FIG. 3) of the cleaning / drying processing unit 162 for cleaning. Then, the substrate W after the drying treatment is transferred from the cleaning / drying treatment unit SD2 to the heat treatment unit PHP (FIG. 3) of the upper heat treatment section 303 or the heat treatment unit PHP (FIG. 3) of the lower heat treatment section 304. In this heat treatment unit PHP, a post-exposure bake (PEB) process is performed.

  In the interface block 15, the transport mechanism 146 (FIG. 1) transfers the substrate W before exposure processing placed on the placement / cooling unit P-CP (FIG. 4) to the substrate carry-in unit 15 a (FIG. 1) of the exposure apparatus 15. Transport to. The transport mechanism 146 (FIG. 1) takes out the substrate W after the exposure processing from the substrate carry-out portion 15b (FIG. 1) of the exposure apparatus 15, and transports the substrate W to the substrate platform PASS9 (FIG. 4).

  If the exposure apparatus 15 cannot accept the substrate W, the substrate W before the exposure process is temporarily accommodated in the placement / buffer units P-BF1, P-BF2. When the development processing unit 139 (FIG. 2) of the second processing block 13 cannot accept the substrate W after the exposure processing, the substrate W after the exposure processing is placed on the placement / buffer units P-BF1 and P-BF2. Temporarily accommodated.

  In the present embodiment, the processing of the substrate W in the coating processing chambers 21, 22, 32, the development processing chamber 31 and the upper thermal processing units 301, 303 provided in the upper stage, and the coating processing chambers 23, 24 provided in the lower stage. , 34, the development processing chamber 33 and the lower thermal processing sections 302, 304 can be processed in parallel. Thereby, the throughput can be improved without increasing the footprint.

(2) Processing Liquid Supply Unit In the present embodiment, a plurality of processing liquid supply units 200 are provided so as to correspond to the plurality of application nozzles 28, respectively. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the processing liquid supply unit 200. As shown in FIG. 5, the processing liquid supply unit 200 includes a processing liquid bottle 210, a tank 220, a filtration pump P1, a filter 230, a tank 240, a valve V1, a pressure pump P2, and a temperature adjustment unit 250. The treatment liquid bottle 210 is connected to the tank 220 via the pipe L1. By supplying gas (for example, nitrogen gas) from the gas supply source (not shown) to the processing liquid bottle 210, the processing liquid (coating liquid) in the processing liquid bottle 210 is guided to the tank 220 through the pipe L1.

  When the processing liquid remains in the processing liquid bottle 210, the tank 220 is filled with the processing liquid. When the processing liquid in the processing liquid bottle 210 runs out, the liquid level of the processing liquid gradually decreases in the tank 220. When the liquid level of the processing liquid in the tank 220 becomes lower than a certain height, an alarm for prompting replacement of the processing liquid bottle 210 is issued.

  The tank 220 is connected to the filtration pump P1 through the pipe L2, and the filtration pump P1 is connected to the filter 230 through the pipe L3. The processing liquid in the tank 220 is guided to the filter 230 through the pipes L2 and L3 by the filtration pump P1, and is purified through the filter 230. A discharge pipe L7 is connected to the filter 230. A valve V2 is inserted in the discharge pipe L7. When the valve 2 is opened, the gas staying in the filter 230 is discharged through the discharge pipe L7.

  The filter 230 is connected to the tank 240 via the pipe L4. The processing liquid cleaned by the filter 230 is guided to the tank 240 through the pipe L4. A discharge pipe L8 is connected to the tank 240. A valve V3 is inserted in the discharge pipe L8. By opening the valve V3, the gas staying in the tank 240 is discharged through the discharge pipe L8.

  The tank 240 is connected to the pressurization pump P2 through the pipe L5. A valve V1 is inserted in the pipe L5. The pressure pump P2 is connected to the coating nozzle 28 via the pipe L6. When the valve V1 is opened, the processing liquid in the tank 240 is guided to the coating nozzle 28 through the pipes L5 and L6. In this case, the processing liquid guided to the coating nozzle 28 is continuously pressurized by the pressure pump P2. A temperature adjustment unit 250 is provided along the pipe L6. Constant temperature water is continuously supplied to the temperature control unit 250. The temperature of the processing liquid is adjusted to be constant in the pipe L6 by the temperature adjustment unit 250.

  When the processing liquid is discharged from the application nozzle 28, the valve V1 may be closed. In this case, the discharge timing and discharge flow rate of the processing liquid from the coating nozzle 28 can be adjusted stably.

(3) Coating nozzle FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the coating nozzle 28. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the operation of the application nozzle 28. As shown in FIG. 6, the application nozzle 28 includes a storage part 51, an introduction part 52, and a discharge part 53. The reservoir 51 has a circular upper opening 51a and a circular lower opening 51b, and a storage space 51c capable of storing the processing liquid. A tubular introduction part 52 is provided so as to extend upward from the upper opening 51 a of the storage part 51. A pipe L6 in FIG. 5 is connected to the upper end portion of the introduction portion 52. A tubular discharge part 53 is provided so as to extend downward from the lower opening 51 b of the storage part 52. A discharge port 53 a is provided at the lower end of the discharge unit 53, and a discharge channel 53 b for guiding the processing liquid from the storage unit 51 to the discharge port 53 a is formed by the discharge unit 53. Casings 56 and 57 are provided so as to surround the outer peripheral surfaces of the storage unit 51, the introduction unit 52, and the discharge unit 53.

  A spherical member 54 is arranged in the storage space 51c of the storage part 51 so as to close the lower opening 51b. A piezoelectric element 55 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the discharge part 53 so as to be close to the storage part 51 and surround the discharge flow path 53b. The piezoelectric element 55 is electrically connected to the voltage application device 70. The voltage application device 70 is controlled by the control unit 114 of FIG. 1 and is configured to be able to apply an AC voltage having a desired frequency to the piezoelectric element 55 at a desired timing.

  The processing liquid is introduced into the storage space 51c of the storage section 51 through the pipe L6 and the introduction section 52 of FIG. 5, and the storage space 51c is filled with the processing liquid. A constant pressure is applied to the processing liquid in the storage space 51c by the pressurizing pump P2 in FIG. When no voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element 55, the spherical member 54 is pressed against the edge of the lower opening 51 b of the reservoir 51 by the pressure of the processing liquid and gravity as shown in FIG. Thereby, the lower opening 51b is liquid-tightly closed. Therefore, the processing liquid is not guided from the storage space 51c to the discharge channel 53b, and the processing liquid is not discharged from the discharge port 53a.

  When a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element 55, the piezoelectric element 55 vibrates. The vibration of the piezoelectric element 55 is transmitted to the spherical member 54 via the discharge part 53 and the storage part 51. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 7B, at least a part of the spherical member 54 is periodically separated from the edge of the lower opening 51b, and a gap is formed between the spherical member 54 and the edge of the lower opening 51b. Arise. Therefore, the lower opening 51b is periodically opened. As a result, the processing liquid is guided from the storage space 51c to the discharge channel 53b through the lower opening 51b, and the processing liquid is discharged from the discharge port 53a. Therefore, by adjusting the timing of applying the voltage to the piezoelectric element 55, the timing of discharging the treatment liquid from the coating nozzle 28 can be adjusted.

  Further, the vibration period of the piezoelectric element 55 changes according to the frequency of the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element 55. The period in which the lower opening 51b is opened depends on the vibration period of the piezoelectric element 55. The shorter the period in which the lower opening 51b is opened, the greater the amount of processing liquid discharged from the discharge unit 53 per unit time (hereinafter referred to as discharge flow rate). Therefore, the discharge flow rate of the processing liquid can be adjusted by adjusting the frequency of the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element 55.

(4) Effects In the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, when a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element 55, the spherical member 54 vibrates and the lower openings 51b are periodically opened. Thereby, the processing liquid is guided to the discharge flow path 53b through the lower opening 51b, and the processing liquid is discharged from the discharge port 53a.

  In this case, by adjusting the application timing of the voltage to the piezoelectric element 55, the timing of discharging the treatment liquid from the coating nozzle 28 can be adjusted. Further, the discharge flow rate of the processing liquid can be adjusted by adjusting the frequency of the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element 55.

  Thereby, the discharge timing and discharge flow rate of the processing liquid can be adjusted with a simple configuration. Accordingly, the coating liquid can be supplied as a processing liquid at a desired flow rate to a desired position on the substrate W without complicating the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 100, and an antireflection film, a resist film, and A resist cover film can be formed appropriately.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the spherical member 54 is disposed in the storage part 51, and the piezoelectric element 55 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the discharge part 53 so as to be close to the storage part 51 and surround the discharge flow path 53b. Thereby, vibration can be efficiently transmitted from the piezoelectric element 55 to the spherical member 54. Therefore, the discharge timing and discharge flow rate of the processing liquid can be adjusted with high accuracy.

  In the present embodiment, the spherical member 54 is disposed on the lower opening 51b so as to close the circular lower opening 51b. Accordingly, when the spherical member 54 is not vibrated, the spherical member 54 closes the lower opening 51b due to gravity, and when the spherical member 54 is vibrated, the edge of the spherical member 54 and the lower opening 51b. A gap is periodically generated between the two. Thereby, the discharge timing and discharge flow rate of the processing liquid can be adjusted with a simple configuration.

  In the present embodiment, since the discharge flow path 53b is formed so as to extend downward from the lower opening 51b, the processing liquid is guided from the storage space 51c to the discharge port 53a by its own weight. Furthermore, since the processing liquid guided to the application nozzle 28 is continuously pressurized by the pressurization pump P2, the processing liquid is more reliably guided from the storage space 51c to the discharge port 53a. Therefore, the discharge timing and discharge flow rate of the processing liquid can be adjusted with high accuracy.

(5) Modification of Treatment Liquid Supply Unit (5-1) First Modification FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a first modification of the treatment liquid supply unit 200. The processing liquid supply unit 200 of FIG. 8 will be described while referring to differences from the example of FIG.

  The processing liquid supply unit 200 of FIG. 8 includes a pressure tank 260 instead of the tank 240 and the pressure pump P2 of FIG. The pressurized tank 260 includes a storage unit 261 and a pressurizing unit 262. The storage unit 261 is configured to store the processing liquid. The pressurizing unit 262 is configured to pressurize the processing liquid in the storage unit 261. A discharge pipe L10 is connected to the storage unit 261. A valve V5 is inserted in the discharge pipe L10. By opening the valve V5, the gas staying in the storage part 261 is discharged through the discharge pipe L10.

  The filter 230 is connected to the storage part 261 of the pressurized tank 260 via the pipe L11. A valve V1a is inserted in the pipe L11. By opening the valve V1a, the processing liquid cleaned by the filter 230 is guided to the storage unit 261 of the pressurized tank 260 via the pipe L11. On the other hand, the backflow of the processing liquid from the pressurized tank 260 to the filter 230 is prevented by closing the valve V1a. A temperature control unit 250 is provided in the pressurized tank 260. The temperature adjustment unit 250 adjusts the temperature of the processing liquid in the pressurized tank 260 to be constant.

  The reservoir 261 of the pressurized tank 260 is connected to the application nozzle 28 via the pipe L12. The processing liquid stored in the storage unit 261 of the pressurized tank 260 is guided to the application nozzle 28 via the pipe L12. In this case, when the processing liquid in the storage unit 261 is pressurized by the pressurizing unit 262, the processing liquid guided to the coating nozzle 28 is continuously pressurized.

  In this example, since the pressurization unit 262 is provided in the pressurization tank 260, as compared with the case where the tank 240 and the pressurization pump P2 are separately provided as in the example of FIG. Occupied space can be reduced.

(5-2) Second Modification FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a second modification of the processing liquid supply unit 200. The processing liquid supply unit 200 of FIG. 9 will be described while referring to differences from the example of FIG.

  The processing liquid supply unit 200 of FIG. 9 includes a pressure tank 270 instead of the tank 240 and the pressure pump P2 of FIG. The pressurized tank 270 is provided integrally with the application nozzle 28. The pressurized tank 270 includes a storage unit 271 and a pressurizing unit 272. The storage unit 271 and the pressurization unit 272 have the same functions as the storage unit 261 and the pressurization unit 262 of FIG. A discharge pipe L13 is connected to the storage portion 271. A valve V6 is inserted in the discharge pipe L13. By opening the valve V6, the gas staying in the storage part 271 is discharged through the discharge pipe L13.

  The filter 230 is connected to the storage part 271 of the pressurized tank 270 via the pipe L14. A valve V1b is inserted in the pipe L14. By opening the valve V1b, the processing liquid cleaned by the filter 230 is guided to the storage portion 271 of the pressurized tank 270 via the pipe L14. On the other hand, the backflow of the processing liquid from the pressurized tank 270 to the filter 230 is prevented by closing the valve V1b. The processing liquid in the storage part 271 of the pressurized tank 270 is guided to the coating nozzle 28. In this case, when the processing liquid in the storage unit 271 is pressurized by the pressurizing unit 272, the processing liquid guided to the coating nozzle 28 is continuously pressurized.

  A temperature adjustment unit 280 is provided instead of the temperature adjustment unit 250 of FIG. The temperature adjustment unit 280 is provided in the coating processing unit 129 of FIG. The temperature adjustment unit 280 has a function similar to that of the temperature adjustment unit 250 of FIG. 5 and is provided so that the application nozzle 28 can be placed thereon. When the processing liquid is not discharged onto the substrate W, the coating nozzle 28 is placed on the temperature adjustment unit 280, and the temperature of the processing liquid in the pressurized tank 270 and the coating nozzle 28 is set by the temperature adjustment unit 280. Is adjusted to be constant. In this case, since the processing liquid immediately after the temperature adjustment by the temperature adjustment unit 280 can be supplied to the substrate W, the temperature of the processing liquid changes during the period from the temperature adjustment to the supply to the substrate W. Can be suppressed.

  In this example, the pressurizing unit 272 is provided in the pressurizing tank 270, and the pressurizing tank 270 is provided integrally with the application nozzle 28. Therefore, as in the example of FIG. And the space occupied by the processing liquid supply unit 200 can be further reduced compared to the case where the processing liquid supply unit 200 is provided separately.

(6) Development nozzle The development nozzle 38 of the development processing unit 139 in FIG. 1 may be connected to the processing liquid supply unit 200 in FIG. 5, FIG. 8, or FIG. 10 and 11 are an external perspective view and a schematic sectional view showing an example of the developing nozzle 38. FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, the developing nozzle 38 is attached to the tip of the nozzle arm 381. As illustrated in FIG. 11, the developing nozzle 38 includes a storage unit 351, an introduction unit 352, and a plurality of ejection units 353.

  The storage unit 351 has a circular upper opening 351a and a plurality of circular lower openings 351b, and a storage space 351c capable of storing a developer as a processing liquid. The plurality of lower openings 351b are provided so as to be aligned in one direction. A tubular introduction portion 352 is provided so as to extend upward from the upper opening 351a of the storage portion 351. The pipe L6 in FIG. 5, the pipe L12 in FIG. 8, or the pipe L14 in FIG. 9 is connected to the upper end of the introduction part 352. A tubular discharge portion 353 is provided so as to extend downward from each lower opening 351b of the storage portion 351. A discharge port 353 a is provided at the lower end of each discharge unit 353, and a discharge channel 353 b for guiding the developer from the storage unit 351 to the discharge port 353 a is formed by each discharge unit 353.

  A plurality of spherical members 354 are arranged in the storage space 351c so as to block the plurality of lower openings 351b, respectively. A piezoelectric element 355 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of each discharge portion 353 so as to be close to the storage portion 351 and surround each discharge flow path 353b. Each piezoelectric element 355 is electrically connected to a voltage application device 370. The voltage application device 370 is controlled by the control unit 114 in FIG. 1 and configured to apply an AC voltage having a desired frequency to a desired piezoelectric element 355 at a desired timing.

  The developer is introduced into the storage space 351c of the storage unit 351 through the introduction unit 352, and the storage space 351c is filled with the developer. When no voltage is applied to any of the piezoelectric elements 355, the plurality of lower openings 351b of the storage portion 351 are liquid-tightly closed by the plurality of spherical members 354, respectively. Therefore, the developer is not guided from the storage space 351c to any discharge flow path 353b, and the developer is not discharged from any discharge port 353a.

  When a voltage is applied to any one of the piezoelectric elements 355, the piezoelectric element 355 vibrates, and the spherical member 354 on the discharge portion 353 with which the piezoelectric element 355 comes into contact vibrates. Accordingly, the corresponding lower opening 351b is periodically opened, and the developer is guided to the discharge flow path 353b through the opened lower opening 351b. Therefore, the developer can be discharged from the desired discharge port 353a by selectively applying a voltage to the plurality of piezoelectric elements 355. Similarly to the above example, by adjusting the voltage application timing to the piezoelectric element 355, the timing of discharging the developer can be adjusted, and the frequency of the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element 355 can be adjusted. Thus, the discharge flow rate of the developer can be adjusted.

  Thereby, the discharge timing and discharge flow rate of the developer can be adjusted with a simple configuration. Therefore, the developer can be supplied to the desired position on the substrate W at a desired flow rate without complicating the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 100, and the development processing of the substrate W can be performed appropriately.

  FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of the developing nozzle 38. The difference between the developer nozzle 38 of FIG. 12 and the example of FIG. 11 will be described. In the developing nozzle 38 of FIG. 12, a plurality of storage portions 351 and a plurality of introduction portions 352 are provided so as to correspond to the plurality of discharge portions 353, respectively. In this case, since the plurality of storage portions 351 are provided separately, the vibration of each piezoelectric element 355 is prevented from being transmitted to the spherical member 354 other than the corresponding spherical member 354 via the storage portion 351. Thereby, the developer is prevented from being discharged from the discharge port 353a which is not desired.

(7) Other embodiments (7-1)
In the above embodiment, the piezoelectric element 55 (or the piezoelectric element 355) and the spherical member 54 (or the spherical element 354) are provided in the application nozzle 28 (or the developing nozzle 38) as the flow rate adjustment mechanism. The coating nozzle 28 (or the developing nozzle 38) may be provided. For example, an opening / closing mechanism that can open and close the discharge flow path mechanically by a motor or the like and adjust the opening / closing cycle may be provided in the application nozzle 28 (or the developing nozzle 38) as a flow rate adjusting mechanism.

(7-2)
In the above-described embodiment, the processing liquid is supplied from one processing liquid supply unit 200 to one coating nozzle 28 (or the developer nozzle 38). The processing liquid may be supplied to the coating nozzle 28 (or the developer nozzle 38). For example, the processing liquid may be supplied from a single processing liquid supply unit 200 to a plurality of coating nozzles 28 that discharge a common processing liquid.

(7-3)
In the above embodiment, the piezoelectric element 55 is disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the discharge unit 52 (or the discharge unit 352) so as to be close to the storage unit 51 (or the storage unit 351) and surround the discharge flow channel 53b (or the discharge flow channel 353b). (Or the piezoelectric element 355) is attached, but the arrangement of the piezoelectric element 55 (or the piezoelectric element 355) is not limited to this. If vibration can be transmitted to the spherical member 54 (or the spherical element 354), for example, the piezoelectric element 55 (or the piezoelectric element 355) may be disposed in the storage unit 51 (or the storage unit 351).

(7-4)
In the above embodiment, the piezoelectric elements 55 and 355 are used as the vibration generating unit, but the present invention is not limited to this. As long as it is possible to apply vibration to the spherical member 54 (or the spherical element 354), for example, an electric component such as a motor may be used as the vibration generating unit.

(7-5)
In the above embodiment, the storage 51 (or storage 351) is provided with a circular lower opening 51b (or lower opening 351b), and the spherical member 54 (or spherical member 354) causes the lower opening 51b (or lower opening 351b). However, the present invention is not limited to this. The lower opening 51b (or the lower opening 351b) may have another shape such as a quadrangle, and an opening / closing member of another shape may be used instead of the spherical member 54 (or the spherical member 354).

(7-6)
In the above embodiment, the application nozzle 28 that discharges the application liquid and the development nozzle 38 that discharges the developer are used as the discharge nozzles. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the discharge nozzle that discharges the gas for processing the substrate W is used. May be used.

(7-7)
The above embodiment is an example in which the present invention is applied to the substrate processing apparatus 100 that is provided adjacent to the exposure apparatus 15 and processes the substrate W before and after the exposure process. The invention may be applied. For example, the present invention may be applied to a substrate processing apparatus that performs a cleaning process on the substrate W by supplying a cleaning liquid to the substrate W, or a substrate that performs an etching process on the substrate W by supplying an etching liquid to the substrate W. The present invention may be applied to a processing apparatus.

(8) Correspondence between each constituent element of claim and each element of the embodiment Hereinafter, an example of correspondence between each constituent element of the claim and each element of the embodiment will be described. It is not limited to.

  In the above embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 100 is an example of a substrate processing apparatus, the coating nozzle 28 and the developing nozzle 38 are examples of discharge nozzles, the processing liquid supply unit 200 is an example of a fluid supply unit, and a storage unit 51 and 351 are examples of the reservoir, the discharge ports 53a and 353a are examples of the discharge port, the discharge channels 53b and 353b are examples of the discharge channel, and the discharge units 53 and 353 are the channel forming unit. The spherical members 54 and 354 and the piezoelectric elements 55 and 355 are examples of the flow rate adjusting mechanism. Further, the spherical members 54 and 354 are examples of the opening / closing member and the spherical member, the piezoelectric elements 55 and 355 are examples of the vibration generating unit and the piezoelectric element, the storage spaces 51c and 351c are examples of the storage space, and the lower opening 51b and 351b are examples of outlets, and the pressurizing pump P2 and pressurizing units 262 and 272 are examples of pressurizing units. The tank 240 is an example of a first storage tank, the pipes L5 and L6 are examples of a first pipe, the valve V1 is an example of a first on-off valve, and the pressure pump P2 is a pressure pump. The pressure tank 260 is an example of the second storage tank, the pipe L11 is an example of the second pipe, the pipe L12 is an example of the third pipe, and the valve V1a is the second tank. It is an example of an on-off valve, the pressurized tank 270 is an example of a third storage tank, the pipe L14 is an example of a fourth pipe, and the valve V1b is an example of a third on-off valve.

  As each constituent element in the claims, various other elements having configurations or functions described in the claims can be used.

  The present invention can be effectively used for various processing of substrates.

28 Application nozzle 38 Development nozzle 51, 351 Reservoir 51a, 351a Upper opening 51b, 351b Lower opening 51c, 351c Reservation space 52, 352 Introducing portion 53, 353 Discharge portion 53a, 353a Discharge port 53b, 353b Discharge flow channel 54, 354 Spherical member 55, 355 Piezoelectric element 100 Substrate processing apparatus 200 Processing liquid supply unit 240 Tank 260, 270 Pressurizing tank 262, 272 Pressurizing section L1-L6, L11, L12, L14 Piping P2 Pressurizing pump V1, V1a, V1b Valve W substrate

Claims (12)

A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate by supplying a processing fluid to the substrate,
A discharge nozzle configured to discharge a processing fluid;
A fluid supply unit configured to supply a processing fluid to the discharge nozzle,
The discharge nozzle is
A storage section capable of storing the processing fluid supplied by the fluid supply section;
A flow path forming unit that has a discharge port and forms a discharge flow channel for guiding a processing fluid from the storage unit to the discharge port;
A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a flow rate adjusting mechanism configured to be capable of adjusting a flow rate of a processing fluid guided from the storage unit to the discharge port through the discharge flow path. The flow rate adjusting mechanism is
An opening / closing member provided movably between a closed position for closing the discharge flow path and an open position for opening at least a part of the discharge flow path;
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a vibration generating unit that periodically moves the open / close member between the closed position and the open position by applying vibration to the open / close member. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the vibration generating unit includes a piezoelectric element. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the piezoelectric element is disposed so as to surround the discharge flow path. The reservoir has a storage space, and has an outlet at the bottom for communicating the storage space with the discharge flow path.
The flow path forming part forms the discharge flow path so that the processing fluid in the storage space of the storage part is guided downward through the outlet.
The open / close member is disposed in the storage space so as to close the outflow port at the closed position and open at least a part of the outflow port at the open position. The substrate processing apparatus as described. The outlet is a circular opening;
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the opening / closing member includes a spherical member movably provided on the opening so as to close the opening. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fluid supply unit includes a pressurizing unit that continuously pressurizes the processing fluid guided to the discharge nozzle. The fluid supply unit is
A first storage tank for temporarily storing the processing fluid;
A first pipe provided to guide a processing fluid from the first storage tank to the discharge nozzle;
A first on-off valve provided in the first pipe so as to open and close a flow path in the first pipe;
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the pressurizing unit includes a pressurization pump provided in a portion of the first pipe between the opening / closing valve and the discharge nozzle. The fluid supply unit is
A second storage tank for temporarily storing the processing fluid;
A second pipe provided to guide the processing fluid to the second storage tank;
A third pipe provided to guide a processing fluid from the second storage tank to the discharge nozzle;
A second open / close valve provided in the second pipe so as to open and close the flow path in the second pipe;
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the pressurizing unit is provided in the second storage tank so as to apply pressure to the processing fluid in the second storage tank. The fluid supply unit is
A third storage tank provided integrally with the discharge nozzle, configured to temporarily store a processing fluid and supply the processing fluid to the discharge nozzle;
A fourth pipe provided to guide the processing fluid to the third storage tank;
A third on-off valve provided in the fourth pipe so as to open and close the flow path in the fourth pipe;
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the pressurizing unit is provided in the third storage tank so as to apply pressure to the processing fluid in the third storage tank. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing fluid includes a coating liquid for forming a film on the substrate. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing fluid includes a developing solution for performing a developing process on the substrate.

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