JP2018147970A - Substrate processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To inhibit generation of particles on a lower surface of a wafer in a drying method using treatment fluids in a supercritical state.SOLUTION: A substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of performing a drying treatment to dehydrate a substrate where a liquid film is formed on an upper surface having a pattern by using treatment fluids in a supercritical state comprises a holding part for holding a substrate and a supply part for supplying the treatment fluids to a processing space. The holding part has a support part which projects upward and abuts a lower surface of the substrate to hold the substrate, and which when the substrate is held, exposes at least part of the lower surface of the substrate to the processing space.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4A

Description

  The disclosed embodiment relates to a substrate processing apparatus.

  Conventionally, in a drying process after processing an upper surface of a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a wafer) as a substrate with a liquid, the wafer whose upper surface is wetted by the liquid is brought into contact with a processing fluid in a supercritical state. Thus, a method of drying a wafer is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP 2013-131729 A

  However, in a conventional drying method using a supercritical processing fluid, the liquid accumulated on the wafer may wrap around the lower surface of the wafer. Further, since the lower surface of the wafer is in contact with and covered with the holding plate, the supercritical processing fluid is not supplied to the lower surface side of the wafer. Therefore, there is a possibility that particles may be generated in the dried portion by drying the liquid that has come to the lower surface of the wafer without being dissolved in the processing fluid.

  One embodiment of the present invention has been made in view of the above, and provides a substrate processing apparatus capable of suppressing generation of particles on the lower surface of a wafer in a drying method using a processing fluid in a supercritical state. For the purpose.

  The substrate processing apparatus which concerns on 1 aspect of embodiment is a substrate processing apparatus with which the drying process which dries the board | substrate with which the liquid film was formed on the upper surface which has a pattern using the process fluid of a supercritical state is performed, The said board | substrate And a supply unit that is provided on a side of the substrate held by the holding unit and supplies the processing fluid into a processing space. The holding portion has a support portion that protrudes upward and contacts the lower surface of the substrate to support the substrate. When the substrate is held, at least one of the lower surfaces of the substrate is supported by the support portion. The part is exposed to the processing space.

  According to an aspect of the embodiment, generation of particles on the lower surface of the wafer can be suppressed in the drying method using the supercritical processing fluid.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a substrate processing system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of the cleaning processing unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view showing the configuration of the drying processing unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of the internal configuration of the drying processing unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 4B is a plan view illustrating an example of an internal configuration of the drying processing unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of an internal configuration of a drying processing unit according to Modification 1 of the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of an internal configuration of a drying processing unit according to Modification 2 of the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of an internal configuration of a drying processing unit according to Modification 3 of the embodiment. FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of an internal configuration of a drying processing unit according to Modification 4 of the embodiment. FIG. 8B is a plan view illustrating an example of an internal configuration of a drying processing unit according to Modification 4 of the embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a substrate processing apparatus disclosed in the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited by embodiment shown below.

<Outline of substrate processing system>
First, a schematic configuration of the substrate processing system 1 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a substrate processing system 1 according to the embodiment. In the following, in order to clarify the positional relationship, the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis that are orthogonal to each other are defined, and the positive direction of the Z axis is the vertically upward direction.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing system 1 includes a carry-in / out station 2 and a processing station 3. The carry-in / out station 2 and the processing station 3 are provided adjacent to each other.

  The carry-in / out station 2 includes a carrier placement unit 11 and a transport unit 12. A plurality of carriers C that accommodate a plurality of semiconductor wafers W (hereinafter referred to as wafers W) in a horizontal state are placed on the carrier placement unit 11.

  The transport unit 12 is provided adjacent to the carrier placement unit 11 and includes a substrate transport device 13 and a delivery unit 14 inside. The substrate transfer device 13 includes a wafer holding mechanism that holds the wafer W. Further, the substrate transfer device 13 can move in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction and can turn around the vertical axis, and transfers the wafer W between the carrier C and the delivery unit 14 using the wafer holding mechanism. Do.

  The processing station 3 is provided adjacent to the transfer unit 12. The processing station 3 includes a transport unit 15, a plurality of cleaning processing units 16, and a plurality of drying processing units 17. The plurality of cleaning processing units 16 and the plurality of drying processing units 17 are provided side by side on both sides of the transport unit 15. The arrangement and the number of the cleaning processing units 16 and the drying processing units 17 shown in FIG. 1 are examples, and are not limited to those shown in the drawing.

  The transport unit 15 includes a substrate transport device 18 inside. The substrate transfer device 18 includes a wafer holding mechanism that holds the wafer W. Further, the substrate transfer device 18 can move in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction and can turn around the vertical axis, and uses a wafer holding mechanism to deliver the delivery unit 14, the cleaning processing unit 16, and the drying processing unit 17. The wafer W is transferred between the two.

  The cleaning processing unit 16 performs a predetermined cleaning process on the wafer W transferred by the substrate transfer device 18. A configuration example of the cleaning processing unit 16 will be described later.

  The drying processing unit 17 performs a predetermined drying process on the wafer W cleaned by the cleaning processing unit 16. A configuration example of the drying processing unit 17 will be described later.

  Further, the substrate processing system 1 includes a control device 4. The control device 4 is a computer, for example, and includes a control unit 19 and a storage unit 20.

  The control unit 19 includes a microcomputer having a central processing unit (CPU), a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an input / output port, and various circuits. The CPU of such a microcomputer realizes control to be described later by reading and executing a program stored in the ROM.

  The program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium and may be installed in the storage unit 20 of the control device 4 from the recording medium. Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include a hard disk (HD), a flexible disk (FD), a compact disk (CD), a magnetic optical disk (MO), and a memory card.

  The storage unit 20 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a RAM or a flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or an optical disk.

  In the substrate processing system 1 configured as described above, first, the substrate transfer device 13 of the loading / unloading station 2 takes out the wafer W from the carrier C placed on the carrier placement unit 11 and receives the taken-out wafer W. Place on the transfer section 14. The wafer W placed on the delivery unit 14 is taken out from the delivery unit 14 by the substrate transfer device 18 of the processing station 3 and carried into the cleaning processing unit 16.

  The wafer W carried into the cleaning processing unit 16 is subjected to a cleaning process by the cleaning processing unit 16 and then unloaded from the cleaning processing unit 16 by the substrate transfer device 18. The wafer W carried out from the cleaning processing unit 16 is carried into the drying processing unit 17 by the substrate transfer device 18 and is subjected to drying processing by the drying processing unit 17.

  The wafer W dried by the drying processing unit 17 is unloaded from the drying processing unit 17 by the substrate transfer device 18 and placed on the delivery unit 14. Then, the processed wafer W placed on the delivery unit 14 is returned to the carrier C of the carrier placement unit 11 by the substrate transfer device 13.

<Outline of cleaning unit>
Next, a schematic configuration of the cleaning processing unit 16 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of the cleaning processing unit 16 according to the embodiment. The cleaning processing unit 16 is configured as, for example, a single wafer cleaning processing unit that cleans wafers W one by one by spin cleaning.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the cleaning processing unit 16 holds the wafer W substantially horizontally by the wafer holding mechanism 25 disposed in the outer chamber 23 that forms the processing space, and the wafer holding mechanism 25 is moved around the vertical axis. The wafer W is rotated by rotating it. Then, the cleaning processing unit 16 causes the nozzle arm 26 to enter above the rotating wafer W, and supplies the chemical liquid and the rinse liquid from the chemical liquid nozzle 26 a provided at the tip of the nozzle arm 26 in a predetermined order. Thus, the upper surface Wa of the wafer W is cleaned.

  In the cleaning processing unit 16, a chemical solution supply path 25 a is also formed inside the wafer holding mechanism 25. Then, the cleaning process of the lower surface Wb of the wafer W is performed by the chemical liquid or the rinse liquid supplied from the chemical liquid supply path 25a.

  In the above-described cleaning process of the wafer W, for example, particles and organic contaminants are first removed with an SC1 solution (a mixed solution of ammonia and hydrogen peroxide solution) that is an alkaline chemical solution, and then a rinse solution is used. A rinse with deionized water (hereinafter referred to as DIW) is performed. Next, the natural oxide film is removed with a dilute hydrofluoric acid (hereinafter referred to as DHF) which is an acidic chemical solution, and then rinse cleaning with DIW is performed.

  The various chemical solutions described above are received by the outer chamber 23 and the inner cup 24 disposed in the outer chamber 23, and the drain port 23 a provided at the bottom of the outer chamber 23 and the drain provided at the bottom of the inner cup 24. The liquid is discharged from the liquid port 24a. Further, the atmosphere in the outer chamber 23 is exhausted from an exhaust port 23 b provided at the bottom of the outer chamber 23.

  After the above-described rinsing process of the wafer W, while the wafer holding mechanism 25 is rotated, IPA in a liquid state (hereinafter referred to as “IPA liquid”) is supplied to the upper surface Wa and the lower surface Wb of the wafer W, and the wafer. Replace with DIW remaining on both sides of W. Thereafter, the rotation of the wafer holding mechanism 25 is gently stopped.

  The wafer W that has been cleaned in this way remains in a state in which the IPA liquid 71 (see FIG. 4A) is accumulated on the upper surface Wa (a state in which the liquid film of the IPA liquid 71 is formed on the upper surface Wa of the wafer W). The wafer is transferred to the substrate transfer device 18 by a transfer mechanism (not shown) provided in the wafer holding mechanism 25 and is unloaded from the cleaning processing unit 16.

  Here, the IPA liquid 71 accumulated on the upper surface Wa of the wafer W is transferred to the upper surface Wa during the transfer of the wafer W from the cleaning processing unit 16 to the drying processing unit 17 or the loading operation to the drying processing unit 17. It functions as an anti-drying liquid that prevents pattern collapse due to evaporation (vaporization) of the liquid. The thickness of the IPA liquid 71 accumulated on the wafer W is, for example, about 1 to 5 mm.

  After the cleaning processing in the cleaning processing unit 16 is completed, the wafer W on which the IPA liquid 71 is deposited on the upper surface Wa is transferred to the drying processing unit 17. Then, by bringing the supercritical processing fluid 70 (see FIG. 4A) into contact with the IPA liquid 71 on the upper surface Wa in the drying processing unit 17, the IPA liquid 71 is dissolved and removed in the supercritical processing fluid 70. Then, a process for drying the wafer W is performed.

<Overview of drying unit>
Hereinafter, the configuration of the drying processing unit 17 will be described. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view showing the configuration of the drying processing unit 17 according to the embodiment.

  The drying processing unit 17 includes a main body 31, a holding unit 32, and a lid member 33. An opening 34 for loading and unloading the wafer W is formed in the casing-shaped main body 31.

  The holding unit 32 holds the wafer W to be processed in the horizontal direction. An opening 32 a is formed in the substantially flat holding portion 32 between the held wafer W and the lid member 33. Further, on the upper surface side of the holding portion 32, a support portion 41 (see FIG. 4A) that contacts the lower surface Wb of the wafer W and a shift suppression portion 42 adjacent to the wafer W are provided. Details of the support portion 41 and the shift suppression portion 42 will be described later.

  The lid member 33 supports the holding unit 32 and seals the opening 34 when the wafer W is loaded into the main body 31.

  The main body 31 is a container in which a processing space 31a (see FIG. 4A) capable of accommodating, for example, a wafer W having a diameter of 300 mm is formed, and supply ports 35 and 36 and a discharge port 37 are provided on the wall portion. It is done. The supply ports 35 and 36 and the discharge port 37 are connected to supply lines for circulating a processing fluid 70 (see FIG. 4A) provided on the upstream side and the downstream side of the drying processing unit 17, respectively. A configuration example of such a supply line will be described later.

  The supply port 35 is connected to a side surface opposite to the opening 34 in the housing-shaped main body 31. The supply port 36 is connected to the bottom surface of the main body 31. Further, the discharge port 37 is connected to the lower side of the opening 34. 3 shows two supply ports 35 and 36 and one discharge port 37, the number of supply ports 35 and 36 and discharge ports 37 is not particularly limited.

  Further, inside the main body 31, fluid supply headers 38 and 39, which are an example of a supply unit, and a fluid discharge header 40, which is an example of a discharge unit, are provided. A plurality of supply ports 38a, 39a are formed in the fluid supply headers 38, 39 side by side in the longitudinal direction of the fluid supply headers 38, 39, and a plurality of discharge ports 40a are provided in the fluid discharge header 40. The discharge header 40 is formed side by side in the longitudinal direction.

  The fluid supply header 38 is connected to the supply port 35 and is provided adjacent to the side surface opposite to the opening 34 in the housing-shaped main body 31. The plurality of supply ports 38a formed side by side with the fluid supply header 38 face the opening 34 side.

  The fluid supply header 39 is connected to the supply port 36 and is provided at the center of the bottom surface inside the housing-shaped main body 31. The plurality of supply ports 39a formed side by side with the fluid supply header 39 face upward.

  The fluid discharge header 40 is connected to the discharge port 37, and is adjacent to the side surface on the opening 34 side and provided below the opening 34 in the housing-like main body 31. Moreover, the several discharge port 40a formed along with the fluid discharge header 40 has faced upwards.

  The fluid supply headers 38 and 39 supply the processing fluid 70 into the main body 31. The fluid discharge header 40 guides and discharges the processing fluid 70 in the main body 31 to the outside of the main body 31. Details of the flow of the processing fluid 70 inside the main body 31 will be described later.

  The drying processing unit 17 further includes a pressing mechanism (not shown). The pressing mechanism presses the lid member 33 toward the main body 31 against the internal pressure caused by the supercritical processing fluid 70 supplied into the processing space 31a inside the main body 31, and seals the processing space 31a. It has a function. Further, a heat insulating material, a tape heater, or the like may be provided on the surface of the main body 31 so that the processing fluid 70 supplied into the processing space 31a can maintain a predetermined temperature.

In the embodiment, the IPA liquid 71 (see FIG. 4A) is used as a liquid for preventing drying, and CO ₂ is used as the processing fluid 70. However, a liquid other than IPA (for example, an organic solvent such as methanol) is used. A liquid for preventing drying may be used, or a fluid other than CO ₂ may be used as the processing fluid 70.

  Here, the processing fluid 70 in the supercritical state is in a state of equilibrium with the processing fluid 70 in the supercritical state in addition to having a lower viscosity than the liquid (for example, the IPA liquid 71) and having a high ability to dissolve the liquid. There is no interface between liquid and gas. Thereby, in the drying process using the processing fluid 70 in the supercritical state described above, the liquid can be dried without being affected by the surface tension, so that the pattern collapse of the pattern P can be suppressed.

  On the other hand, a part of the IPA liquid 71 accumulated on the upper surface Wa of the wafer W also goes around the lower surface Wb. Further, when the entire lower surface Wb of the wafer W is in contact with the holding unit 32, the processing fluid 70 is not supplied to the lower surface Wb side, and therefore, the drying process using the supercritical processing fluid 70 is performed on the lower surface Wb side. Not done.

  As a result, the IPA liquid 71 that has entered the lower surface Wb may be dried on the lower surface Wb without being dissolved in the processing fluid 70, and particles may be generated in the dried place.

  Therefore, according to the drying processing unit 17 according to the embodiment, generation of particles on the lower surface Wb of the wafer W can be suppressed by configuring the holding unit 32 to have a predetermined configuration.

<Embodiment>
Next, details of the drying processing unit 17 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B. FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of the internal configuration of the drying processing unit 17 according to the embodiment, and FIG. 4B is a plan view illustrating an example of the internal configuration of the drying processing unit 17 according to the embodiment. 4A is a cross-sectional view of the fluid supply header 38 and the holding portion 32 when cut along the line AA shown in FIG. 4B.

  Until the state shown in FIG. 4A is reached, the wafer W on which the IPA liquid 71 is accumulated is first held by the holding unit 32 and carried into the drying processing unit 17. Next, when the processing fluid 70 is supplied into the drying processing unit 17 via the fluid supply header 39 (see FIG. 3), the processing space 31a of the main body 31 is filled with the processing fluid 70, and the pressure is increased to a desired pressure. Is done.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 4A, the processing fluid 70 is supplied from the fluid supply header 38 and the processing fluid 70 is discharged from the fluid discharge header 40, and the processing is performed between the fluid supply header 38 and the fluid discharge header 40. A fluid 70 flows. Since the fluid supply header 39 does not supply the processing fluid 70 when the processing fluid 70 flows, the fluid supply header 39 is not shown in FIG. 4A.

  The processing fluid 70 flows, for example, from the fluid supply header 38 provided on the side of the wafer W and having the supply port 38 a directed in a substantially horizontal direction, toward the lid member 33 on the upper surface Wa of the wafer W. Further, the processing fluid 70 changes its direction downward in the vicinity of the lid member 33, passes through the opening 32 a formed in the holding portion 32, and flows toward the discharge port 40 a of the fluid discharge header 40. The processing fluid 70 flows in a laminar flow, for example.

  Here, in the embodiment, the holding portion 32 includes a plurality of support portions 41. The plurality of support portions 41 protrude upward from predetermined locations on the upper surface of the holding portion 32 that is flat. The support part 41 has, for example, a round pin shape.

  Furthermore, each upper end part in the some support part 41 is arrange | positioned substantially flush with a horizontal direction. And the wafer W is hold | maintained at the holding | maintenance part 32 so that the front-end | tip part of this some support part 41 and the lower surface Wb of the wafer W contact | abut.

  Thereby, as shown in FIG. 4A, the wafer W can be held such that at least a part of the lower surface Wb of the wafer W is exposed to the processing space 31a. Further, the processing fluid 70 can be circulated between the lower surface Wb of the wafer W and the holding unit 32.

  Therefore, even if the IPA liquid 71 accumulated on the upper surface Wa of the wafer W wraps around the exposed lower surface Wb, the IPA liquid 71 adhering to the lower surface Wb can be brought into contact with the processing fluid 70 in the supercritical state.

  That is, since the IPA liquid 71 that has entered the lower surface Wb can also be dried by the processing fluid 70, it is possible to prevent the IPA liquid 71 from drying without being dissolved in the processing fluid 70. Therefore, according to the embodiment, on the lower surface Wb of the wafer W, generation of particles due to the IPA liquid 71 that is not dried with the processing fluid 70 can be suppressed.

  Note that the shape of the support portion 41 is not limited to the round pin shape, and may be other shapes (for example, a shape elongated in the flow direction of the processing fluid 70). 4B shows the holding portions 32 having seven support portions 41, the number of the support portions 41 is not particularly limited, and any number as long as the wafer W can be held by the holding portions 32 is shown. Or arrangement.

  Moreover, in embodiment, as shown to FIG. 4A, it is good to make the front-end | tip part of the support part 41 into the round shape. Thereby, since the contact area of the front-end | tip part of the support part 41 and the lower surface Wb of the wafer W can be reduced, the exposed area of the lower surface Wb can be increased. Therefore, generation of particles due to the IPA liquid 71 that is not dried with the processing fluid 70 on the lower surface Wb of the wafer W can be further suppressed.

  Furthermore, in the embodiment, the outer peripheral portion on the lower surface Wb of the wafer W may be exposed by bringing the support portion 41 into contact with a portion other than the outer peripheral portion on the lower surface Wb of the wafer W. This is because when the IPA liquid 71 accumulated on the upper surface Wa wraps around the lower surface Wb, it adheres mainly to the outer peripheral portion of the lower surface Wb. This is because the contained IPA liquid 71 can be effectively dried. Therefore, according to the embodiment, generation of particles due to the IPA liquid 71 can be efficiently suppressed.

  Furthermore, in the embodiment, the supply port 38a of the fluid supply header 38 is arranged substantially flush with the wafer W so that the direction of the processing fluid 70 discharged from the fluid supply header 38 faces the side surface Wc of the wafer W and is substantially the same. It is oriented horizontally.

  In this way, by disposing the fluid supply header 38 so that the direction of the discharged processing fluid 70 faces the side surface Wc of the wafer W, as shown in FIG. 4A, respectively, on the upper surface Wa and the lower surface Wb of the wafer W. The processing fluid 70 can be circulated. As a result, the processing fluid 70 can be sufficiently brought into contact with both the IPA liquid 71 accumulated on the upper surface Wa and the IPA liquid 71 that has flowed around the lower surface Wb.

  Therefore, according to the embodiment, it is possible to achieve both the drying process of the IPA liquid 71 accumulated on the upper surface Wa and the drying process of the IPA liquid 71 wrapping around the lower surface Wb.

  On the other hand, the fluid supply header 38 is not necessarily arranged so that the direction of the discharged processing fluid 70 faces the side surface Wc of the wafer W. As long as the processing fluid 70 can be sufficiently brought into contact with both the IPA liquid 71 accumulated on the upper surface Wa and the IPA liquid 71 wrapping around the lower surface Wb, the fluid supply header 38 can be installed in any position and orientation. May be.

  Furthermore, in the embodiment, the holding unit 32 may further include a shift suppressing unit 42 that suppresses the wafer W from shifting to the downstream side due to the flow of the processing fluid 70. The shift suppressing portion 42 is provided so as to protrude upward from a predetermined position in the flat holding portion 32 and to be adjacent to the downstream side surface Wc of the wafer W.

  Thereby, even when the wafer W is about to be pushed downstream by the flow of the processing fluid 70, the wafer W can be prevented from shifting to the downstream side. 4B shows the holding unit 32 having two shift suppression units 42, the number of shift suppression units 42 is not particularly limited, and any number can be used as long as the shift of the wafer W can be suppressed. Or arrangement.

  In the embodiment, the support portion 41 and the shift suppression portion 42 may be made of a polymer resin. Thereby, when the support part 41 or the shift | offset | difference suppression part 42 and the wafer W contact, it can suppress that the lower surface Wb and the side surface Wc of the wafer W are shaved.

  Furthermore, in the embodiment, a shape corresponding to the bevel shape formed on the side surface Wc of the wafer W may be provided on the side surface of the deviation suppressing unit 42 facing the side surface Wc of the wafer W. By applying such a shape, the contact area between the side surface Wc and the shift suppressing portion 42 is increased, and the force applied per unit area of the contact portion is reduced. Therefore, the shift suppressing portion 42 can scrape the side surface Wc of the wafer W. Further suppression can be achieved.

<Modification>
Subsequently, various modifications of the drying processing unit 17 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of the internal configuration of the drying processing unit 17 according to Modification 1 of the embodiment. In the following description, the same components as those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of the same points as in the embodiment may be omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 5, in the first modification, a rectifying plate 43 that regulates the flow of the processing fluid 70 is provided between the fluid supply header 38 and the side surface Wc of the wafer W in the main body 31. The rectifying plate 43 can smoothly distribute the processing fluid 70 to the upper surface Wa side and the lower surface Wb side of the wafer W, respectively. As a result, the processing fluid 70 can be smoothly brought into contact with both the IPA liquid 71 accumulated on the upper surface Wa and the IPA liquid 71 circulated around the lower surface Wb.

  Therefore, according to the modification 1, the drying process of the IPA liquid 71 accumulated on the upper surface Wa and the drying process of the IPA liquid 71 wrapping around the lower surface Wb can be further made compatible.

  Moreover, in the modification 1, as shown in FIG. 5, it is good to form the baffle plate 43 so that it may become a divergent form as it approaches the wafer W by sectional view. Thereby, since the flow of the processing fluid 70 can be efficiently divided, the processing fluid 70 discharged from the supply port 38a can be more smoothly distributed between the upper surface Wa side and the lower surface Wb side of the wafer W. .

  FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of the internal configuration of the drying processing unit 17 according to the second modification of the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, in Modification 2, the fluid supply header 38 processes the first supply port 38 a 1 for discharging the processing fluid 70 toward the upper surface Wa side of the wafer W and the process toward the lower surface Wb side of the wafer W. And a second supply port 38a2 through which the fluid 70 is discharged.

  As described above, a dedicated supply port (first supply port 38a1) for discharging the processing fluid 70 to the upper surface Wa side of the wafer W and a dedicated supply port (second supply port) for discharging the processing fluid 70 to the lower surface Wb side of the wafer W. By providing the supply ports 38a2), the processing fluid 70 can be circulated smoothly on the upper surface Wa side and the lower surface Wb side of the wafer W, respectively.

  As a result, the processing fluid 70 can be smoothly brought into contact with both the IPA liquid 71 accumulated on the upper surface Wa and the IPA liquid 71 circulated around the lower surface Wb. Therefore, according to the modified example 2, it is possible to further balance the drying process of the IPA liquid 71 accumulated on the upper surface Wa and the drying process of the IPA liquid 71 wrapping around the lower surface Wb.

  In the second modification, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, the first supply port 38a1 may be provided at the upper part of the side facing the wafer W in the fluid supply header 38, and the second supply port 38a2 may be provided at the lower part of the same side. .

  In the second modification, the rectifying plate 43 is not provided between the fluid supply header 38 and the wafer W, but the rectifying plate 43 is provided between the fluid supply header 38 and the wafer W as shown in FIG. May be provided. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of the internal configuration of the drying processing unit 17 according to Modification 3 of the embodiment.

  In this way, the first supply port 38a1 and the second supply port 38a2 are provided in the fluid supply header 38, and the first supply is provided by providing the rectifying plate 43 between the fluid supply header 38 and the side surface Wc of the wafer W. The processing fluid 70 discharged from the port 38a1 and the second supply port 38a2 can be circulated to the upper surface Wa side and the lower surface Wb side of the wafer W without interfering with each other.

  Thereby, the processing fluid 70 discharged from the fluid supply header 38 can be more smoothly distributed to the upper surface Wa side and the lower surface Wb side of the wafer W. Therefore, according to the third modification, the drying process of the IPA liquid 71 accumulated on the upper surface Wa and the drying process of the IPA liquid 71 wrapping around the lower surface Wb can be made more compatible.

  In the third modification shown in FIG. 7, the rectifying plate 43 is attached to a predetermined location inside the main body 31. For example, the rectifying plate 43 is connected to the first supply port 38 a 1 and the second supply port 38 a of the fluid supply header 38. You may attach between supply port 38a2. Moreover, in the modification 3, like the modification 2, the baffle plate 43 does not need to be divergent in a sectional view.

  Next, details of the drying processing unit 17 according to Modification 4 of the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 8A and 8B. FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of the internal configuration of the drying processing unit 17 according to Modification 4 of the embodiment, and FIG. 8B illustrates an example of the internal configuration of the drying processing unit 17 according to Modification 4 of the embodiment. FIG.

  In addition, among the cross-sectional views shown in FIG. 8A, the fluid supply header 38 and the holding portion 32 are cross-sectional views when cut along the line BB shown in FIG. 8B.

  In the modified example 4, the wafer W is not supported by the plurality of pin-shaped support portions 41 as in the embodiment, but is supported by the single circular trapezoidal support portion 41. In this way, by supporting the wafer W with the support member 41 having a trapezoidal shape, the wafer W can be supported more stably. Therefore, according to the modification 4, the drying process using the process fluid 70 in the supercritical state can be more stably performed.

  In the fourth modification, the outer peripheral portion on the lower surface Wb of the wafer W may be exposed by bringing the support portion 41 into contact with a portion other than the outer peripheral portion on the lower surface Wb of the wafer W, as in the embodiment. Thereby, since the IPA liquid 71 that has entered the lower surface Wb can be effectively dried, the generation of particles due to the IPA liquid 71 can be effectively suppressed.

  In Modification 4, since the support portion 41 is formed in a circular trapezoidal shape, the processing fluid 70 can be smoothly circulated also on the downstream side of the lower surface Wb of the wafer W. On the other hand, the shape of the support portion 41 is not limited to a circular trapezoidal shape, and may be other shapes.

  Furthermore, in the modification 4, as shown to FIG. 8A, the edge part of the upper surface in the support part 41 is good to round. With this shape, it is possible to suppress the lower surface Wb of the wafer W from being scraped by the support portion 41.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, you may combine the support part 41 in the modification 4, and the baffle plate 43 in the modification 1. FIG.

  Moreover, you may combine the support part 41 in the modification 4, and the fluid supply header 38 in the modification 2. FIG. Furthermore, you may combine the support part 41 in the modification 4, the fluid supply header 38 in the modification 3, and the baffle plate 43. FIG.

  The substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment is a substrate processing apparatus that performs a drying process for drying a substrate (wafer W) on which a liquid film is formed on a top surface Wa having a pattern using a processing fluid 70 in a supercritical state. And a holding part 32 for holding the substrate (wafer W) and a supply part (fluid supply header 38) for supplying the processing fluid 70 into the processing space 31a. The holding part 32 has a support part 41 that protrudes upward and contacts the lower surface Wb of the substrate (wafer W) to support the substrate (wafer W). The portion 41 exposes at least a part of the lower surface Wb of the substrate (wafer W) to the processing space 31a. Thereby, in the drying method using the processing fluid 70 in the supercritical state, generation of particles on the lower surface Wb of the wafer W can be suppressed.

  In the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment, the holding unit 32 exposes the outer peripheral portion of the lower surface Wb to the processing space 31a by the support unit 41 when holding the substrate (wafer W). Thereby, generation | occurrence | production of the particle resulting from the IPA liquid 71 can be suppressed effectively.

  The substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment further includes a rectifying plate 43 provided between the supply unit (fluid supply header 38) and the side surface Wc of the substrate (wafer W). Thereby, the drying process of the IPA liquid 71 accumulated on the upper surface Wa and the drying process of the IPA liquid 71 wrapping around the lower surface Wb can be further made compatible.

  In the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment, the direction of the processing fluid 70 discharged from the supply unit (fluid supply header 38) faces the side surface Wc of the substrate (wafer W) held by the holding unit 32. Thereby, the drying process of the IPA liquid 71 accumulated on the upper surface Wa and the drying process of the IPA liquid 71 wrapping around the lower surface Wb can be made compatible.

  In the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment, the supply unit (fluid supply header 38) includes a first supply port 38a1 that discharges the processing fluid 70 toward the upper surface Wa side of the substrate (wafer W), and the substrate (wafer W). ) To the lower surface Wb side of the second supply port 38a2 for discharging the processing fluid 70. Thereby, the drying process of the IPA liquid 71 accumulated on the upper surface Wa and the drying process of the IPA liquid 71 wrapping around the lower surface Wb can be further made compatible.

  In the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment, the holding unit 32 protrudes upward, is adjacent to the side surface Wc of the substrate (wafer W), and is processed by the processing fluid 70 discharged from the supply unit (fluid supply header 38). It further includes a displacement suppression unit 42 that suppresses the displacement of the wafer W). Thereby, even when the wafer W is about to be pushed downstream by the flow of the processing fluid 70, the wafer W can be prevented from shifting to the downstream side.

  Further effects and modifications can be easily derived by those skilled in the art. Thus, the broader aspects of the present invention are not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described above. Accordingly, various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

W Wafer Wa Upper surface Wb Lower surface Wc Side surface 1 Substrate processing system 4 Control device 16 Cleaning processing unit 17 Drying processing unit 19 Control unit 31 Main body 31a Processing space 32 Holding unit 33 Lid member 34 Opening portion 38 Fluid supply header 38a Supply port 38a1 First Supply port 38a2 Second supply port 41 Support portion 42 Deviation suppression portion 43 Current plate 70 Processing fluid 71 IPA liquid

Claims (7)

A substrate processing apparatus for performing a drying process for drying a substrate having a liquid film formed on an upper surface having a pattern using a processing fluid in a supercritical state,
A holding unit for holding the substrate;
A supply unit for supplying the processing fluid into the processing space;
With
The holding part is
A support portion that protrudes upward and contacts the lower surface of the substrate to support the substrate; and when the substrate is held, at least a part of the lower surface of the substrate is exposed to the processing space by the support portion. Let the substrate processing equipment. The supply unit
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate processing apparatus is provided on a side of the substrate held by the holding unit. The holding part is
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the substrate is held, an outer peripheral portion of the lower surface is exposed to the processing space by the support portion. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a current plate provided between the supply unit and a side surface of the substrate. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a direction of the processing fluid discharged from the supply unit faces a side surface of the substrate held by the holding unit. The supply unit
5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a first supply port that discharges the processing fluid toward the upper surface side of the substrate; and a second supply port that discharges the processing fluid toward the lower surface side of the substrate. The substrate processing apparatus as described in one. The holding part is
7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a shift suppression unit that protrudes upward and is adjacent to a side surface of the substrate and suppresses the shift of the substrate by the processing fluid discharged from the supply unit. Substrate processing equipment.

Images