JP2018182048A - Substrate processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate processing apparatus that suppresses or prevents contamination of a substrate due to mist of processing liquid generated in a peripheral region of an upper surface of the substrate.SOLUTION: A nozzle head 17 includes a first cover 22. In a circumferential arrangement state in which a droplet nozzle 21 and the first cover 22 are arranged at the peripheral position Pe, the first cover 22 has an outer wall 81 that covers a second radial direction Z2 of the droplet nozzle 21. A lower end edge 81a of the outer wall 81 is provided so as to extend inside the peripheral edge of the substrate W and extend along the peripheral edge of the substrate W.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus. Examples of substrates to be processed by the substrate processing apparatus include semiconductor wafers, substrates for liquid crystal displays, substrates for plasma displays, substrates for field emission displays (FEDs), substrates for optical disks, substrates for magnetic disks, and magneto-optical disks. Substrates, substrates for photomasks, ceramic substrates, substrates for solar cells, etc. are included.

  In the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device or a liquid crystal display device, a cleaning process is performed in which a cleaning solution is supplied to the upper surface of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer or a glass substrate for liquid crystal display panel, and the upper surface of the substrate is cleaned with a processing solution. In such a substrate processing apparatus, for example, droplets of the processing liquid are formed by mixing the processing liquid (cleaning liquid) and a gas, and the droplets of the processing liquid are supplied to the upper surface of the substrate to perform the cleaning processing. There is something to do. Such a substrate processing apparatus includes, for example, a spin chuck that holds and rotates a substrate horizontally, a droplet nozzle that ejects droplets of a processing liquid toward the upper surface of the substrate being rotated, and a spin chuck. And a nozzle moving unit for moving (scanning) the droplet nozzle above the substrate.

JP 2002-270564 A

  As the droplets of the processing liquid from the droplet nozzles are ejected, a large amount of mist of the processing liquid may be generated around the ejection region (supply region) on the upper surface of the substrate. In the state where the droplet nozzle is disposed to face the peripheral region of the upper surface of the substrate, a large amount of mist of the processing solution may be generated around the peripheral region of the upper surface of the substrate. The atmosphere containing the mist may travel along the pins of the spin chuck and the like to enter the lower surface, become particles, and contaminate the lower surface of the substrate. If the device formation area is provided on the lower surface of the substrate, the device formation area is contaminated.

  Therefore, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus which suppresses or prevents the contamination of the substrate due to the mist of the processing liquid generated in the peripheral region of the upper surface of the substrate.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is a substrate holding unit for holding a substrate, and the substrate about a predetermined rotation axis passing through a central portion of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit. A substrate rotation unit for rotating the substrate, a droplet nozzle having a discharge unit for discharging a droplet of the processing liquid onto the upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, and movable integrally with the droplet nozzle. And a first cover covering the periphery of the discharge portion, the first cover being provided on a peripheral region of the upper surface of the substrate on which the droplet nozzle and the first cover are held by the substrate holding unit. It has an outer wall which covers the outward in the radial direction of rotation of the nozzle in the peripheral arrangement state which is arranged at the opposing peripheral position, and in the peripheral arrangement state, the first cover is At least the first end of the first cover on the downstream side in the rotational direction of the first cover is the discharge portion so that the lower end edge extends inward of the peripheral end of the substrate and along the peripheral end of the substrate. The substrate processing apparatus is provided so as to be separated by a gap on the downstream side in the rotational direction.

  According to this configuration, the first cover that covers the periphery of the discharge portion of the droplet nozzle is provided. As the droplets of the processing liquid from the droplet nozzles are ejected onto the upper surface of the substrate, mist of the processing liquid is generated around the supply region on the upper surface of the substrate. In the peripheral arrangement state of the droplet nozzle and the first cover, since the supply area overlaps the peripheral area of the upper surface of the substrate, mist is generated in the peripheral area of the upper surface of the substrate.

  In the peripheral arrangement state, at least the lower end edge of the outer wall of the first cover extends inward of the peripheral edge of the substrate and along the peripheral edge of the substrate. Therefore, the outer wall restricts the outward movement of the mist of the processing liquid generated in the peripheral region of the upper surface of the substrate in the radial direction of rotation than the peripheral region of the upper surface of the substrate. Therefore, the mist of this processing liquid comes to stay inside the first cover. Thereby, it is possible to suppress or prevent the mist of the processing liquid generated in the peripheral region of the upper surface of the substrate from coming around from the peripheral end of the substrate to the lower surface side. Thereby, generation of particles on the lower surface of the substrate can be suppressed or prevented.

  In addition, the thickness of the liquid film of the processing liquid is reduced in the supply region on the upper surface of the substrate by the ejection of the processing liquid onto the liquid film of the processing liquid. The droplets contained in the mist of the processing liquid generated as the droplets of the processing liquid are ejected move the upper surface of the substrate to the downstream side in the rotation direction of the substrate as the substrate rotates, and the first cover , Collide with the downstream first end in the rotational direction. If droplets that bounce off temporarily reach a thin supply area of the liquid film of the processing liquid, they adhere to the upper surface of the substrate in the supply area and cause particles. However, in this configuration, since the first end of the first cover is spaced apart from the discharge portion, the kinetic energy of the droplet colliding with the first end of the first cover is It is small, so that it does not reach the supply area even if it bounces off at the first end of the first cover. Therefore, it is possible to suppress or prevent the rebounded droplets from reaching the thin supply region of the liquid film of the processing liquid, thereby suppressing or preventing the generation of particles on the upper surface of the substrate.

As described above, it is possible to suppress or prevent the contamination of the substrate due to the mist of the processing liquid generated in the peripheral region of the upper surface of the substrate.
In the invention according to claim 2, in the peripheral arrangement state, the first end of the first cover is provided to be separated from the discharge portion by 100 mm or more in the horizontal direction. 1 is the substrate processing apparatus described in 1).

  According to this configuration, since the first end of the first cover is provided at a large distance from the discharge portion, the mist of the processing liquid which collides with the first end of the first cover The kinetic energy is small so that bouncing back at the first end of the first cover does not reach the delivery area. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively suppress or prevent the rebounded droplets from reaching the supply region, thereby more effectively suppressing or preventing the generation of particles on the upper surface of the substrate.

The invention according to claim 3 is that, in the peripheral arrangement state, the first cover has a second end on the upstream side in the rotational direction of the first cover in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the rotational radial direction. The distance between the discharge portion is set to be shorter than the distance between the first end of the first cover and the discharge portion. It is a substrate processing apparatus.
According to this configuration, since the first end of the first cover is provided at a large distance from the discharge portion, the mist of the processing liquid which collides with the first end of the first cover The kinetic energy is small so that bouncing back at the first end of the first cover does not reach the delivery area. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively suppress or prevent the rebounded droplets from reaching the supply region, thereby more effectively suppressing or preventing the generation of particles on the upper surface of the substrate.

Further, in the peripheral arrangement state, the distance between the second end and the discharge portion is shorter than the distance between the first end of the first cover and the discharge portion. Therefore, generation of particles on the upper surface of the substrate can be suppressed or prevented while reducing the volume of the inner space of the first cover.
In the invention according to claim 4, in the peripheral arrangement state, the first cover has an inner wall facing inward in the radial direction of rotation with respect to the outer wall with the droplet nozzle interposed therebetween, The cover is provided such that the distance in the radial direction of rotation between the outer wall and the discharge portion is shorter than the distance in the radial direction of rotation between the inner wall and the discharge portion in the peripheral arrangement state. It is the substrate processing apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1-3.

According to this configuration, it is possible to shorten the distance between the outer wall and the discharge portion of the droplet nozzle. Thereby, in the peripheral arrangement state, the discharge part of the droplet nozzle is brought as close as possible to the peripheral edge of the substrate while suppressing or preventing the wrap around the lower surface side of the processing solution mist generated in the peripheral region of the upper surface of the substrate. be able to.
The invention according to claim 5 is the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the lower end edge of the outer wall extends horizontally over the entire length of the outer wall.

According to this configuration, since the lower end edge of the outer wall extends horizontally over the entire length of the outer wall, the treatment liquid is passed from the inner space of the first cover through between the lower end edge of the outer wall and the upper surface of the substrate. It is possible to more effectively suppress or prevent the mist from flowing out.
As described in claim 6, the outer wall may extend in the vertical direction in the peripheral arrangement state. In this case, it is possible to reduce the volume of the internal space of the first cover.

As described in the seventh aspect, the outer wall may be provided to be tapered outward in the radial direction of rotation as it goes upward in the peripheral arrangement state. In this case, interference with an interference member (such as a holding pin) can be prevented.
As described in the eighth aspect, in the peripheral arrangement state, the outer wall is provided with a first tapered portion which is provided in a tapered shape which is directed outward in the rotational radial direction as it goes upward, and the peripheral arrangement state And a second tapered portion which is continuous with the first taper and which is tapered inward in the radial direction of rotation as it goes upward. In this case, interference with an interference member (such as a holding pin) can be prevented. Also, in this case, it is possible to reduce the volume of the inner space of the first cover.

The invention according to claim 9 has a suction port which is disposed on the downstream side of the discharge portion in the rotational direction with a gap from the discharge portion in the peripheral edge arrangement state, and the first cover divides the space. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising: a suction unit configured to suction an atmosphere of the inner space to be suctioned from the suction port.
According to this configuration, the atmosphere of the internal space is sucked from the suction port. Therefore, even if mist of the processing liquid is generated in the peripheral area of the upper surface of the substrate, the mist of the processing liquid is sucked from the suction port and removed from the peripheral area of the upper surface of the substrate. As a result, the mist of the treatment liquid can be more effectively suppressed or prevented from moving outward in the rotation radial direction.

The invention according to claim 10 is the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 9, wherein the suction port is provided so as to be separated from the discharge portion by 30 mm or more in the horizontal direction. .
According to this configuration, the suction port is provided sufficiently separated from the discharge portion. If the suction port is provided close to the discharge portion, the droplets of the processing liquid from the droplet nozzle are sucked from the suction port, and as a result, the amount of the processing liquid droplets applied to the upper surface of the substrate is It may decrease.

On the other hand, in this configuration, since the suction port is provided sufficiently separated from the discharge portion, suppressing or preventing suction of a droplet of the processing liquid from the droplet nozzle from the suction port As a result, a sufficient amount of processing solution droplets can be provided on the top surface of the substrate.
In the invention according to claim 11, in the peripheral arrangement state, the air inlet is arranged closer to a first end than an intermediate position between the first end and the discharge part. 11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

According to this configuration, the suction port is provided sufficiently separated from the discharge portion. If the suction port is provided close to the discharge portion, the droplets of the processing liquid from the droplet nozzle are sucked from the suction port, and as a result, the amount of the processing liquid droplets applied to the upper surface of the substrate is It may decrease.
On the other hand, in this configuration, since the suction port is provided sufficiently separated from the discharge portion, suppressing or preventing suction of a droplet of the processing liquid from the droplet nozzle from the suction port As a result, a sufficient amount of processing solution droplets can be provided on the top surface of the substrate.

In the invention according to claim 12, the suction port may be disposed above the discharge part.
The invention according to claim 13 further includes a second cover which covers the discharge radial outside in the inner space of the first cover. It is a substrate processing apparatus of a statement.

  According to this configuration, in the peripheral arrangement state, the outer side in the rotational radial direction with respect to the discharge portion is covered not only by the outer wall of the first cover but also by the second cover. Thereby, it can be more effectively suppressed that the mist of the processing liquid generated in the peripheral region of the upper surface of the substrate moves outward in the rotational radial direction more than the peripheral region of the upper surface of the substrate. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively suppress or prevent the mist of the processing liquid generated in the peripheral region of the upper surface of the substrate from coming around from the peripheral edge of the substrate to the lower surface side.

The invention according to claim 14 is the substrate processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the second cover covers only a part of the periphery of the discharge part.
According to this configuration, the second cover covers only a part of the periphery of the discharge portion. Assuming that the second cover surrounds the entire circumference of the discharge part, kinetic energy of mist of the processing liquid collides with the second cover because the distance between the second cover and the discharge part is short. Is large, the mist of the processing solution rebounded by the second cover may reach the supply area, and particles may be generated on the upper surface of the substrate. By covering only a part of the discharge part, generation of such particles can be suppressed.

As described in claim 15, the second cover may be provided in a semicircular cross section.
The invention according to claim 16 is characterized in that the first processing liquid supply unit for supplying the processing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate, the second processing liquid supply unit for supplying the processing liquid to the droplet nozzle, and the substrate rotation. A control unit for controlling the first processing liquid supply unit and the second processing liquid supply unit, wherein the control unit controls the first processing liquid supply unit to control the first processing liquid supply unit; A second step of forming a liquid film on the upper surface by supplying the processing solution to the upper surface, forming a liquid film of the processing solution, rotating the substrate about the rotation axis, and rotating the substrate; And a droplet ejecting step of controlling the processing liquid supply unit to eject the droplets of the processing liquid from the discharging portion of the droplets toward the liquid film of the processing liquid. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of .

  According to this configuration, the mist of the processing liquid is generated around the supply region on the top surface of the substrate as the droplet of the processing liquid from the droplet nozzle is ejected onto the top surface of the substrate. In the peripheral arrangement state, since the supply area overlaps the peripheral area of the upper surface of the substrate, mist of the processing liquid is generated in the peripheral area of the upper surface of the substrate, but the mist of the processing liquid is higher than the peripheral area of the upper surface of the substrate As a result of suppressing the outward movement in the radial direction of rotation, it is possible to suppress or prevent the contamination of the substrate by the mist of the processing liquid generated in the peripheral region of the upper surface of the substrate.

  The invention according to claim 17 is characterized in that the droplet nozzle is moved along the upper surface of the substrate by moving an arm that holds the droplet nozzle and the first cover integrally, and the arm. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising: a moving unit configured to control the moving unit to arrange the droplet nozzle at the peripheral position in the droplet jetting process. .

According to this configuration, the droplet nozzle and the first cover can be scanned while the substrate is rotated. Thereby, the droplets of the processing liquid from the droplet nozzles can be supplied to a wide area on the upper surface of the substrate.
In the droplet ejection step, the control device controls the moving unit to oppose the droplet nozzle to the peripheral position and to a central portion of the upper surface of the substrate. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the substrate processing apparatus is moved between the central position Pc and the central position Pc.

According to this configuration, since the droplets are moved between the peripheral position and the central position Pc while ejecting the droplets, the droplets of the processing liquid from the droplet nozzle are supplied over the entire top surface of the substrate. be able to.
The invention according to claim 19 is that the first cover further includes an opposite wall facing the upper surface of the substrate and closing an upper end of an internal space defined by the first cover. It is the substrate processing apparatus as described in any one of -18.

According to this configuration, it is possible to provide the internal space in a substantially sealed space.
The invention according to claim 20 is the substrate processing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the opposing wall is provided to be lowered downward as it goes downstream in the rotational direction in the peripheral arrangement state. .
According to this configuration, it is possible to reduce the volume of the internal space.

  As described in claim 21, the first cover may be formed using at least one of PTFE, PFA, PP, PE and PVC.

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing the layout of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the inside of a processing unit provided in the substrate processing apparatus as viewed in the horizontal direction. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the configuration of a droplet nozzle included in the processing unit. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the movement of the nozzle head included in the processing unit. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the nozzle head in a state of being disposed at the peripheral position. FIG. 6 is a view of FIG. 5 as seen from the cutting plane line VI-VI. FIG. 7 is a view of FIG. 5 as seen from the cutting plane line VII-VII. FIG. 8 is a block diagram for explaining the electrical configuration of the main part of the substrate processing apparatus. FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining an example of substrate processing performed by the processing unit. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a first modified example of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a view for explaining a second modified example of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining a third modification of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view for explaining the internal layout of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The substrate processing apparatus 1 is a sheet-fed apparatus that processes a disk-shaped substrate W such as a semiconductor wafer one by one with a processing liquid or a processing gas.

  The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a load port LP that holds a plurality of carriers C, a reversing unit TU that vertically flips the attitude of the substrate W, and a plurality of processing units 2 that process the substrate W. The load port LP and the processing unit 2 are horizontally spaced. The reversing unit TU is disposed on the transport path of the substrate W transported between the load port LP and the processing unit 2. In this embodiment, the processing unit 2 cleans the back surface (non-device forming surface) Wb of the substrate W. The plurality of processing units 2 have, for example, the same configuration.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 further includes an indexer robot IR disposed between the load port LP and the reversing unit TU, and a center robot disposed between the reversing unit TU and the processing unit 2. It includes CR and a control device 3 that controls the operation of the device provided in the substrate processing apparatus 1 and the opening and closing of the valve. The indexer robot IR transfers a plurality of substrates W one by one from the carrier C held in the load port LP to the reversing unit TU, and a plurality of sheets C on the carrier C held in the load port LP from the reversing unit TU. The substrates W are transported one by one. Similarly, the center robot CR transports a plurality of substrates W one by one from the reversing unit TU to the processing unit 2 and transports a plurality of substrates W one by one from the processing unit 2 to the reversing unit TU. The central robot CR further transports the substrate W between the plurality of processing units 2.

  The indexer robot IR includes a hand H1 that supports the substrate W horizontally. The indexer robot IR moves the hand H1 horizontally. Furthermore, the indexer robot IR raises and lowers the hand H1 and rotates the hand H1 about the vertical axis. Similarly, the center robot CR includes a hand H2 that supports the substrate W horizontally. The center robot CR moves the hand H2 horizontally. Further, the center robot CR raises and lowers the hand H2 and rotates the hand H2 around the vertical axis.

  The substrate W is accommodated in the carrier C in a state in which the front surface Wa of the substrate W, which is a device formation surface, is directed upward (upward posture). The control device 3 causes the indexer robot IR to transport the substrate W from the carrier C to the reversing unit TU with the surface Wa facing upward. Then, the control device 3 reverses the substrate W by the reversing unit TU. Thereby, the back surface Wb of the substrate W is directed upward. Thereafter, the control device 3 causes the central robot CR to transport the substrate W from the reversing unit TU to the processing unit 2 with the back surface Wb facing upward. Then, the control device 3 causes the processing unit 2 to process the back surface Wb of the substrate W.

  After the back surface Wb of the substrate W is processed, the control device 3 causes the center robot CR to transport the substrate W from the processing unit 2 to the reversing unit TU in a state where the back surface Wb is upward. Then, the control device 3 causes the reversing unit TU to reverse the substrate W. Thereby, the surface Wa of the substrate W is directed upward. Thereafter, the control device 3 causes the indexer robot IR to transport the substrate W from the reversing unit TU to the carrier C with the surface Wa facing upward. Thereby, the processed substrate W is accommodated in the carrier C. The control device 3 causes the indexer robot IR or the like to repeatedly execute this series of operations to process the plurality of substrates W one by one.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the inside of the processing unit 2 as viewed in the horizontal direction.
The processing unit 2 holds a box-shaped processing chamber 4 having an internal space, and a single substrate W in the processing chamber 4 in a horizontal posture, and rotates the substrate around a vertical rotation axis A1 passing through the center of the substrate W A spin chuck (substrate holding unit) 5 for rotating W, a droplet supply unit 6 for supplying droplets of the processing liquid on the upper surface of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 5, and the spin chuck 5 The rinse liquid is supplied to the upper surface of the substrate W which is being supplied, to the protective liquid supply unit (first processing liquid supply unit) 7 for supplying the protective liquid, and to the upper surface of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 5. And a cylindrical processing cup (not shown) surrounding the side of the spin chuck 5.

  As the spin chuck 5, a holding type chuck is adopted which holds the substrate W horizontally by holding the substrate W in the horizontal direction. Specifically, the spin chuck 5 includes a spin base 9, a plurality of holding pins 10 for holding the peripheral end of the substrate W above the spin base 9, and a spin axis 11 coupled to the center of the spin base 9. And a spin motor 12 for applying a rotational force to the spin shaft 11. The spin axis 11 extends vertically along the rotation axis A1. The spin axis 11 penetrates the spin base 9 and has an upper end above the spin base 9.

  The spin base 9 has a disk shape along the horizontal direction. The spin base 9 is provided on the circumferential end of the top surface of the spin base 9 at intervals in the circumferential direction of the spin base 9. The spin base 9 includes a horizontal, circular upper surface 9 a having an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the substrate W (for example, about 300 mm). The size of the substrate W may be other than that. The outer diameter of the spin base 9 may be substantially the same as the outer diameter of the substrate W, or may be smaller than the outer diameter of the substrate W.

  A plurality of (three or more, for example, six) sandwiching pins 10 (see also FIG. 4) are appropriately spaced on the circumference corresponding to the outer peripheral shape of the substrate W at the upper peripheral end of the spin base 9. For example, they are spaced at equal intervals. As the spin shaft 11 is rotated by the spin motor 12, the spin base 9 is rotated. Thereby, the substrate W is rotated around the rotation axis A1.

  The spin chuck 5 further includes an opening / closing unit 13 for opening and closing the plurality of holding pins 10. The opening / closing unit 13 includes, for example, a link mechanism (not shown) and a drive source (not shown). The drive source includes a ball screw mechanism and an electric motor. The plurality of holding pins 10 hold the substrate W by being closed by the open / close unit 13. The plurality of holding pins 10 release the holding of the substrate W by being opened by the open / close unit 13. The opening and closing unit 13 may be configured to open and close the plurality of holding pins 10 by magnetic force.

  The spin chuck 5 further includes a protective disk 14 facing the substrate W from below and protecting the lower surface of the substrate W from the mist of the processing liquid generated during the substrate processing. The protective disc 14 is substantially annular. The spin shaft 11 is inserted through the protective disk 14. The protective disk 14 is disposed between the substrate W held by the holding pins 10 and the spin base 9. The protective disk 14 can move up and down.

  An elevation unit 15 is connected to the protective disc 14 for raising and lowering the protective disc 14. The protection disk 14 is moved up and down by the lifting unit 15 to move away from the substrate W at the separated position (shown by the solid line in FIG. 2) and the substrate held by the clamping pin 10 above the separated position. It is movable between the proximity position (state shown by a broken line in FIG. 2) close to the lower surface of W. The elevating unit 15 is an example of an opposing member elevating unit that raises and lowers the opposing member. Elevating and lowering unit 15 includes, for example, a ball screw mechanism (not shown) and an electric motor (not shown) for applying a driving force to the ball screw mechanism. In addition, the lifting unit 15 may be configured to lift and lower the protection disk 14 by the magnetic force.

  A guide shaft 56 extending in the vertical direction parallel to the rotation axis A1 is coupled to the lower surface of the protective disk 14. The guide shafts 56 are arranged at a plurality of locations at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the spin base 9. The guide shaft 56 is coupled to a linear bearing 57 provided at a corresponding position of the spin base 9. The guide shaft 56 is movable in the vertical direction, that is, in a direction parallel to the rotation axis A1, while being guided by the linear bearing 57. Further, since the guide shaft 56 coupled to the lower surface of the protective disk 14 is coupled to the linear bearing 57, the protective disk 14 rotates integrally with the spin base 9 around the rotation axis A1.

  The guide shaft 56 passes through the linear bearing 57. The guide shaft 56 is provided at its lower end with an outwardly projecting flange 58. When the flange 58 abuts on the lower end of the linear bearing 57, the upward movement of the guide shaft 56, that is, the upward movement of the protective disc 14 is restricted. That is, the flange 58 is a restricting member that restricts the upward movement of the protective disc 14.

  The spin chuck 5 further includes a gas supply unit 16 that supplies a gas to the space between the lower surface of the substrate W and the protective disk 14. The gas supply unit 16 supplies a gas to a space between the lower surface of the substrate W and the protective disk 14, a gas nozzle 66, a gas supply pipe 67 coupled to the gas nozzle 66, and a gas supply pipe. And a gas valve 68 for opening and closing the gas flow path. The gas supply pipe 67 is supplied with a gas such as nitrogen gas from a gas supply source. The gas nozzle 66 is inserted into the spin shaft 11. The upper end of the gas nozzle 66 is exposed from the upper end of the spin shaft 11. Further, in the example of FIG. 2, above the upper end of the gas nozzle 66, a rectifying member 69 that rectifies the gas discharged from the gas nozzle 66 is provided.

  The droplet supply unit 6 includes a nozzle head 17 for supplying droplets of the processing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 5, a nozzle arm 18 for holding the nozzle head 17 at the tip, and a nozzle And a connected arm moving unit (moving unit) 20 coupled to a support shaft 19 rotatably supporting the arm 18. The arm moving unit 20 swings the nozzle arm 18 to horizontally move the nozzle head 17 along a locus X1 (see FIG. 4) passing through the center of the upper surface of the substrate W in plan view.

The nozzle head 17 includes a droplet nozzle 21 that discharges droplets of the processing liquid, a first cover 22 that covers the periphery of the droplet nozzle 21, and a suction nozzle 23 that sucks the atmosphere inside the first cover 22. And.
The droplet nozzle 21 has a form of a two-fluid nozzle that ejects a minute droplet of the processing liquid. Connected to the droplet nozzle 21 is a fluid supply unit (second processing solution supply unit) 24 for supplying the treatment liquid and the gas to the droplet nozzle 21. The fluid supply unit 24 includes a processing liquid pipe 25 for supplying the liquid drop nozzle 21 with the processing liquid of normal temperature from the processing liquid supply source, and a gas pipe 26 for supplying gas from the gas supply source to the liquid drop nozzle 21 including.

As a process liquid, a washing | cleaning chemical | medical solution, water, etc. can be illustrated. The cleaning solution may be, for example, an alkali solution such as SC1 (a solution containing NH ₄ OH and H ₂ O ₂ ) or ammonia water (a solution containing NH ₄ OH) or an acid solution. Water is, for example, deionized water (DIW), but is not limited to DIW, and is any of carbonated water, electrolytic ion water, hydrogen water, ozone water, and hydrochloric acid water of dilute concentration (for example, about 10 ppm to 100 ppm). May be

  In the process liquid pipe 25, the process liquid valve 27 for switching the discharge and supply stop of the process liquid from the process liquid pipe 25 to the droplet nozzle 21 and the opening degree of the process liquid pipe 25 are adjusted. A first flow control valve 28 for adjusting the flow rate of the supplied processing liquid is interposed. Although not shown, the first flow control valve 28 is an actuator for moving the valve body between an open position and a closed position, a valve body having a valve seat provided therein, a valve body for opening and closing the valve seat, and And. The same applies to the other flow rate adjustment valves.

In the gas pipe 26, a gas valve 29 for switching the discharge and supply stop of the gas from the gas pipe 26 to the droplet nozzle 21 and the opening degree of the gas pipe 26 are adjusted to control the gas supplied to the droplet nozzle 21. A second flow control valve 30 for adjusting the flow rate is interposed. As the gas to be supplied to the liquid droplet nozzle 21, a nitrogen gas (N ₂₎ Although exemplified inert gas other than nitrogen gas, for example, may be employed as dry air or clean air as an example.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the droplet nozzle 21. As shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the droplet nozzle 21 has a substantially cylindrical outer shape. The droplet nozzle 21 includes an outer cylinder 36 constituting a casing, and an inner cylinder 37 fitted inside the outer cylinder 36.
The outer cylinder 36 and the inner cylinder 37 are coaxially disposed on the common central axis line CL and are connected to each other. The internal space of the inner cylinder 37 is a straight treatment liquid flow path 38 through which the treatment liquid from the treatment liquid pipe 25 flows. Further, between the outer cylinder 36 and the inner cylinder 37, a cylindrical gas flow path 39 through which the gas supplied from the gas pipe 26 flows is formed.

  The treatment liquid flow path 38 is opened at the upper end of the inner cylinder 37 as the treatment liquid inlet 40. The processing liquid from the processing liquid pipe 25 is introduced into the processing liquid flow path 38 via the processing liquid inlet 40. Further, the processing liquid flow path 38 is opened at the lower end of the inner cylinder 37 as a circular processing liquid discharge port 41 having a center on the central axis CL. The processing liquid introduced into the processing liquid flow path 38 is discharged from the processing liquid discharge port 41.

  The gas passage 39 is a cylindrical gap having a central axis common to the central axis CL, is closed by the upper end of the outer cylinder 36 and the inner cylinder 37, and the central axis at the lower end of the outer cylinder 36 and the inner cylinder 37. An annular gas discharge port 42 having a center on the CL and surrounding the processing liquid discharge port 41 is opened. The lower end portion of the gas flow passage 39 has a flow passage area smaller than that of the middle portion in the lengthwise direction of the gas flow passage 39, and the diameter is reduced toward the lower side. Further, a gas inlet 43 communicating with the gas flow passage 39 is formed in the middle portion of the outer cylinder 36.

The gas pipe 26 is connected to the gas introduction port 43 in a state of penetrating the outer cylinder 36, and the internal space of the gas pipe 26 and the gas flow path 39 are in communication. The gas from the gas pipe 26 is introduced into the gas flow path 39 via the gas inlet 43 and discharged from the gas discharge port 42.
By opening the processing valve 27 and discharging the processing liquid from the processing liquid discharge port 41 while opening the gas valve 29 and discharging the gas from the gas discharge port 42, the processing liquid in the vicinity of the droplet nozzle 21 is gas. By colliding (mixing), minute droplets of the treatment liquid can be generated, and the treatment liquid can be discharged in the form of a spray. In this embodiment, the processing liquid discharge port 41 and the gas discharge port 42 form a discharge portion 21 a that discharges a droplet of the processing liquid.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the first cover 22 is formed in a substantially arc shape in plan view. The first cover 22 has a side wall 51 surrounding the side of the droplet nozzle, and an upper wall (opposing wall) 52 closing the side wall 51 from above. The lower surface of the first cover 22 is open. In the first cover 22, an inner space 53 is formed between the side wall 51, the facing wall 52, and the upper surface of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 5. The first cover 22 prevents the mist caused by the treatment liquid discharged from the droplet nozzle 21 from flowing out of the internal space 53. The side wall 51 and the opposing wall 52 are integrally formed using a resin material. As the resin material, at least one of PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), PFA (perfluoroalkoxyethylene), PP (polypropylene), PE (polyethylene) and PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is used as the first cover. ing.

  A suction pipe 62 is connected to the suction nozzle 23. A suction valve 63 for opening and closing the suction pipe 62 is interposed in the suction pipe 62. A suction device is connected to the other end side (tip end) of the suction pipe 62. The suction device is, for example, an ejector-type suction device. As a suction device, a siphon type or a diaphragm type may be employed instead of the ejector type. In this embodiment, a suction unit is configured by the suction nozzle 23, the suction pipe 62, and the suction device.

FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view for explaining the movement of the nozzle head 17.
The arm moving unit 20 horizontally moves the nozzle head 17 (including the droplet nozzle 21, the first cover 22 and the suction nozzle 23) in a horizontal plane including the upper side of the spin chuck 5. In FIG. 4, the nozzle head 17 and the nozzle arm 18 are shown by thick lines for easy viewing. The arm moving unit 20 moves the nozzle head 17 horizontally along an arc-shaped locus X1 passing through the upper central portion of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 5 (specifically, the rotation axis A1). The arm moving unit 20 is located between the processing position where the processing liquid discharged from the nozzle head 17 lands on the upper surface of the substrate W and the retracted position where the nozzle head 17 is set around the spin chuck 5 in plan view. , The nozzle head 17 is moved horizontally. Furthermore, the arm moving unit 20 moves the nozzle head 17 to a central position Pc (shown by a solid line in FIG. 4) above the central portion of the substrate W and a peripheral position Pe at the upper surface of the substrate W (shown by a broken line in FIG. 4) Move horizontally between In the state where the nozzle head 17 is disposed at the peripheral position Pe, the supply area DA of the processing liquid droplets on the upper surface of the substrate W (hereinafter simply referred to as “supply area DA”; see FIG. 6 and FIG. 7) Are disposed in the peripheral region 50 of the upper surface of the The central position Pc and the peripheral position Pe are both processing positions.

In this specification, the peripheral region 50 on the upper surface of the substrate W refers to an annular region having a width of about 0.5 to 10 mm from the peripheral edge of the substrate W.
The droplet nozzle 21, the first cover 22 and the suction nozzle 23 move with the positional relationship between the droplet nozzle 21, the first cover 22 and the suction nozzle 23 kept constant. Therefore, when the arm moving unit 20 rotates the nozzle arm 18, the droplet nozzle 21 moves horizontally along the trajectory X1 together with the first cover 22 and the suction nozzle 23.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the nozzle head 17 in a state (peripheral position arrangement state) arranged at the peripheral position Pe. FIG. 6 is a view of FIG. 5 as seen from the cutting plane line VI-VI. FIG. 7 is a view of FIG. 5 as seen from the cutting plane line VII-VII.
Hereinafter, the case where the substrate W is rotated in the rotational direction Dr in the cleaning step (S4 in FIG. 9) will be described. Further, the inward in the radial direction of rotation with the rotation of the substrate W is taken as a first radial direction Z1, and the outward in the radial direction of rotation with the rotation of the substrate W is taken as a second radial direction Z2.

  FIG. 5 is a plan view of the nozzle head 17 in a state of being arranged at the peripheral position Pe (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “peripheral position arrangement state”). FIG. 6 is a view of FIG. 5 as seen from the cutting plane line VI-VI. FIG. 7 is a view of FIG. 5 as seen from the cutting plane line VII-VII. 6, the cross-sectional shape of the droplet nozzle 21 is not shown, and in FIG. 7, the second cover 89 is omitted.

6 and 7 show the case where the substrate W is rotated in the rotational direction Dr in the cleaning step (S4 in FIG. 9). Further, the inward in the radial direction of rotation with the rotation of the substrate W is taken as a first radial direction Z1, and the outward in the radial direction of rotation with the rotation of the substrate W is taken as a second radial direction Z2.
The configuration of the nozzle head 17 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7.
The droplet nozzle 21 has the configuration shown in FIG. The droplet nozzle 21 is held by the nozzle arm 18 (see FIG. 2) such that both the outer cylinder 36 (see FIG. 3) and the inner cylinder 37 (see FIG. 3) extend in the vertical direction. Therefore, the discharge unit 21a (the processing liquid discharge port 41 (see FIG. 3) and the gas discharge port 42 (see FIG. 3)) discharges droplets of the processing liquid vertically downward. An interval W2 between the discharge part 21a and the upper surface of the substrate is set to, for example, about 20 mm.

  The side wall 51 of the first cover 22 has a tubular shape. The side wall 51 of the first cover 22 has an outer wall 81 covering the second radial direction Z2 side of the discharge portion 21a of the droplet nozzle 21 in the peripheral position position state of the nozzle head 17, and a first of the discharge portion 21a. An inner wall 82 covering the radial direction Z1 side and a rear wall 83 covering the upstream side of the rotation direction DR of the discharge portion 21a are integrally provided. The side wall 51 of the first cover 22 is substantially triangular in plan view. The outer wall 81, the inner wall 82, and the rear wall 83 extend in the vertical direction. The lower end edges of the outer wall 81, the inner wall 82 and the rear wall 83 respectively extend at the same height and horizontally over the entire length. The distance W1 between the lower end edges (including the lower end edge 81a) of the outer wall 81, the inner wall 82 and the rear wall 83 and the upper surface of the substrate W is set to about 5 mm.

In the peripheral position of the nozzle head 17, the outer wall 81 of the first cover 22 is inward (at a very small distance) from the peripheral end of the substrate W in plan view, as shown in FIG. And, it extends in an arc shape along the peripheral edge of the substrate W. In other words, the lower end edge 81 a of the outer wall 81 extends inward of the circumferential edge of the substrate W and along the circumferential edge of the substrate W.
The inner wall 82 of the first cover 22 is flat and faces the outer wall 81 in the first radial direction Z1. In the peripheral position position state of the nozzle head 17, the inner wall 82 extends in a direction perpendicular to the first radial direction Z1 and the second radial direction Z2 in plan view.

The back wall 83 of the first cover 22 is flat. In the peripheral position arrangement state of the nozzle head 17, the rear wall 83 is inclined at a predetermined angle in the first radial direction Z1 and the second radial direction Z2 in plan view. The rear wall 83 extends downstream in the rotational direction Dr as it goes in the first radial direction Z1.
A connection portion 84 between the outer wall 81 and the inner wall 82, a connection portion 85 between the outer wall 81 and the rear wall 83, and a connection portion 86 between the inner wall 82 and the rear wall 83 are circular in plan view centered on the droplet nozzle 21 side. It is curved in an arc and formed. The connecting portions 84, 85, 86 respectively extend in the vertical direction. Of the connection portion 84 between the outer wall 81 and the inner wall 82, the tip end on the downstream side in the rotational direction Dr is a first end 87 that is the downstream end of the first cover 22. Further, of the connection portion 86 between the inner wall 82 and the rear wall 83, the tip end on the upstream side in the rotational direction Dr is the second end 88 that is the downstream end of the first cover 22.

  The droplet nozzle 21 is provided in the vicinity of the connection portion 85 in plan view. That is, the first cover 22 is asymmetric in the rotational direction Dr with respect to the droplet nozzle 21 in plan view. Specifically, the first cover 22 and the second end 88 with respect to the horizontal direction X2 (see FIG. 5) perpendicular to the first radial direction Z1 and the second radial direction Z2 in the peripheral arrangement state The distance W12 between the discharge portion 21a and the discharge portion 21a is shorter than the distance W11 between the first end 87 and the discharge portion 21a. The distance W10 between the first end 87 and the discharge portion 21a is set to, for example, about 100 mm. When the distance W10 is less than 50 mm, deterioration of particles is observed on the upper surface of the substrate W.

In addition, the first cover 22 is asymmetric with respect to the droplet nozzle 21 also in the first radial direction Z1 and the second radial direction Z2 in a plan view. Specifically, the distance W13 between the outer wall 81 and the discharge portion 21a in the radial direction of rotation is shorter than the distance W14 between the inner wall 82 and the discharge portion 21a in the radial direction.
The suction nozzle 23 has a tubular (for example, cylindrical) tube wall. The suction nozzle 23 is held by a nozzle arm 18 (see FIG. 2) so as to extend in the vertical direction. A suction port 23 a is formed at the lower end of the suction nozzle 23. An interval W2 between the suction port 23a and the upper surface of the substrate W is set to, for example, about 30 mm. That is, the suction port 23a is disposed above the discharge portion 21a. By arranging the suction port 23a above the discharge part 21a, it is possible to avoid the spread of the spray from the discharge part 21a and the interference with the suction port 23a.

  The suction port 23a is disposed at a predetermined interval W15 from the discharge portion 21a in plan view. The distance W2 needs to be separated by, for example, about 30 mm or more. If the distance W15 is less than 30 mm, droplets of the processing liquid discharged from the droplet nozzle 21 are sucked from the suction port 23a, and as a result, the amount of droplets of the processing liquid supplied to the supply area DA decreases. It is thought that there is a risk of cleaning failure due to it.

In addition, the suction port 23a is disposed closer to the first end 87 than the intermediate position between the first end 87 and the discharge portion 21a.
The nozzle head 17 further includes a second cover 89 which covers the discharge portion 21a in the second radial direction Z2 in the inner space. The second cover 89 is provided concentrically with the droplet nozzle 21. The second cover 89 is cut away at a half on the first radial direction Z1 side from the center in a plan view. That is, the second cover 89 has a semicircular shape in plan view. A distance W4 between the lower end edge 89a of the second cover 89 and the upper surface of the substrate W is set to about 5 mm. That is, the lower end edge 81 a of the outer wall 81 and the lower end edge 89 a of the second cover 89 have the same height.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the protective liquid supply unit 7 includes a protective liquid nozzle 71. The protective liquid nozzle 71 is, for example, a straight nozzle that discharges the liquid in a continuous flow state, and fixedly disposed above the spin chuck 5 with its discharge port directed toward the upper central portion of the substrate W. A protective liquid pipe 72 to which the protective liquid from the protective liquid supply source is supplied is connected to the protective liquid nozzle 71. A protective liquid valve 73 for switching the supply / stop of the protective liquid from the protective liquid nozzle 71 is interposed in the middle of the protective liquid pipe 72. When the protective liquid valve 73 is opened, the continuous flow of protective liquid supplied from the protective liquid pipe 72 to the protective liquid nozzle 71 is discharged from the discharge port set at the lower end of the protective liquid nozzle 71. When the protective liquid valve 73 is closed, the supply of the protective liquid from the protective liquid pipe 72 to the protective liquid nozzle 71 is stopped.

The protective solution discharged from the protective solution nozzle 71 can be exemplified by a chemical solution such as SC1 (a solution containing NH ₄ OH and H ₂ O ₂ ) or ammonia water (a solution containing NH ₄ OH) or water. In the form, the same type of chemical solution as the treatment liquid is employed.
The protective liquid nozzle 71 may be fixedly disposed in the processing cup, not above the spin chuck 5.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the rinse liquid supply unit 8 includes a rinse liquid nozzle 74. The rinse liquid nozzle 74 is, for example, a straight nozzle that discharges the liquid in a continuous flow state, and is disposed above the spin chuck 5 so that its discharge port is directed toward the upper central portion of the substrate W. A rinse liquid pipe 75 to which the rinse liquid from the rinse liquid supply source is supplied is connected to the rinse liquid nozzle 74. A rinse solution valve 76 for switching the supply / stop of the rinse solution from the rinse solution nozzle 74 is interposed in the middle of the rinse solution piping 75. When the rinse liquid valve 76 is opened, the continuous flow of rinse liquid supplied from the rinse liquid piping 75 to the rinse liquid nozzle 74 is discharged from the discharge port set at the lower end of the rinse liquid nozzle 74. Further, when the rinse liquid valve 76 is closed, the supply of the rinse liquid from the rinse liquid piping 75 to the rinse liquid nozzle 74 is stopped. The rinse solution is, for example, deionized water (DIW), but not limited to DIW, and any of carbonated water, electrolytic ion water, hydrogen water, ozone water and hydrochloric acid with a dilution concentration (for example, about 10 ppm to 100 ppm) It may be.

  The protective liquid nozzle 71 and the rinse liquid nozzle 74 do not have to be fixedly arranged with respect to the spin chuck 5, and for example, they are attached to an arm swingable in a horizontal plane above the spin chuck 5. Thus, a so-called scan nozzle may be employed in which the landing position of the treatment liquid (chemical solution, rinse liquid or treatment liquid) on the upper surface of the substrate W is scanned by the swing of the arm.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram for explaining the electrical configuration of the main part of the substrate processing apparatus 1.
Control device 3 is configured using, for example, a microcomputer. The control device 3 has an arithmetic unit such as a CPU, a fixed memory device, a storage unit such as a hard disk drive, and an input / output unit. The storage unit stores a program to be executed by the arithmetic unit.

  In addition, a spin motor 12, an arm moving unit 20, and the like are connected to the control device 3 as control objects. The control device 3 controls the operations of the spin motor 12 and the arm moving unit 20 according to a predetermined program. Further, the control device 3 opens and closes the processing liquid valve 27, the gas valve 29, the suction valve 63, the protective liquid valve 73, the rinse liquid valve 76, and the like in accordance with a predetermined program. Further, the control device 3 adjusts the opening degree of the flow rate adjustment valves 28 and 30 in accordance with a predetermined program.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining an example of substrate processing performed by the processing unit 2. This substrate processing example will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 5 to 9.
This example of substrate processing is cleaning processing for removing foreign substances (particles) from the back surface (non-device forming surface) of the substrate W.
The unprocessed substrate W is carried from the carrier C to the processing unit 2 by the robots IR and CR, carried into the processing chamber 4 (S1: substrate W carried in), and the substrate W is in the state where its back surface Wb is directed upward. The wafer W is delivered to the spin chuck 5 and the substrate W is held by the spin chuck 5. Prior to the loading of the substrate W into the processing chamber 4, the droplet nozzle 21 is retracted to the retraction position.

In this state, the control device 3 controls the lifting and lowering unit 15 to place the protective disk 14 in the proximity position.
In addition, the control device 3 opens the gas valve 68 to supply a gas to the space between the lower surface of the substrate W and the protective disk 14. The gas is blown radially from the rotation axis A1 toward the narrow space between the protection disk 14 in the approaching position and the surface Wa (bottom surface) of the substrate W by the action of the flow straightening member 69 and the like.

  After the center robot CR is retracted out of the processing unit 2, the control device 3 controls the spin motor 12 to start the rotation of the substrate W (step S2 in FIG. 9). The substrate W is raised to a predetermined liquid processing speed (for example, several tens to several hundreds rpm) and maintained at the liquid processing speed (rotation step). When the rotation speed of the substrate W reaches the liquid processing speed, then the control device 3 supplies the protective liquid from the protective liquid nozzle 71 to the substrate W to cover the upper surface of the substrate W with the protective liquid (liquid film formation Step S3) of FIG. Specifically, the control device 3 opens the protective solution valve 73 while rotating the substrate W by the spin chuck 5 and directs the protective liquid nozzle toward the upper central portion of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 5. 71 to discharge the protective liquid. The protective liquid discharged from the protective liquid nozzle 71 is supplied to the central portion of the upper surface of the substrate W, and is spread outward along the upper surface of the substrate W under the centrifugal force of the rotation of the substrate W. Thus, the protective liquid is supplied to the entire upper surface of the substrate W, and a liquid film of the protective liquid covering the entire upper surface of the substrate W on the upper surface of the substrate W (liquid film LF of the processing liquid (see FIGS. 6 and 7)) Is formed. Even if the liquid film LF of the processing liquid does not cover the entire upper surface of the substrate W, it is sufficient if it has a size and a shape that covers at least the entire area of the trajectory X1. When a predetermined time has elapsed since the protective liquid valve 73 was opened, the control device 3 closes the protective liquid valve 73 to stop the discharge of the protective liquid from the protective liquid nozzle 71.

  Next, the control device 3 performs a cleaning step (droplet ejection step; step S4 in FIG. 9) of cleaning the upper surface of the substrate W by supplying droplets of the processing liquid from the droplet nozzle 21 to the upper surface of the substrate W. Do. In the cleaning step (S4), while rotating the substrate W at the liquid processing speed, the controller 3 causes the arm moving unit 20 to move the droplet nozzle 21 along the trajectory X1 between the central position Pc and the peripheral position Pe. Reciprocate several times (half scan). As shown by the solid line in FIG. 4, the central position Pc is a position where the supply area DA from the droplet nozzle 21 is disposed at the central portion of the upper surface of the substrate W, and the peripheral position Pe is the droplet nozzle in plan view 21 is a position where the supply area DA from 21 is arranged in the peripheral area 50 of the upper surface of the substrate W.

When the reciprocation movement of the supply area DA (the reciprocation swing operation of the nozzle arm 18) is performed a predetermined number of times, the cleaning step (S4) ends. Specifically, the control device 3 controls the arm moving unit 20 to retract the nozzle head 17 to the retracted position.
In the cleaning step (S4), in the above description, it has been described that droplets of the processing liquid are supplied to the upper surface of the substrate W while stopping the supply of the protective liquid to the upper surface of the substrate W The droplets of the processing liquid may be supplied to the upper surface of the substrate W while the protective liquid of the above is supplied to the upper surface of the substrate W.

In the cleaning step (S4), the supply area DA is moved between the central portion of the upper surface of the substrate W and the peripheral end of the upper surface of the substrate W (half scan). It may be moved between one peripheral end of the upper surface and the other peripheral end opposite to the one peripheral end and the center of the upper surface (full scan).
Further, in the cleaning step (S4), the movement of the supply area DA may be one-way movement instead of reciprocating movement.

  Next, a rinse process (step S5 in FIG. 9) of supplying the rinse solution to the substrate W is performed. Specifically, the control device 3 opens the rinse liquid valve 76 and discharges the rinse liquid from the rinse liquid nozzle 74 toward the central portion of the upper surface of the substrate W. The rinse liquid discharged from the rinse liquid nozzle 74 contacts the center of the upper surface of the substrate W. The rinse liquid deposited on the central portion of the upper surface of the substrate W flows toward the peripheral edge of the substrate W on the upper surface of the substrate W under the centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the substrate W. As a result, the processing liquid on the substrate W (the processing liquid containing the contaminant removed in the cleaning step (S4)) is flushed outward by the rinse liquid and discharged around the substrate W. Thus, the processing liquid used in the cleaning step (S4) is removed from the upper surface of the substrate W. When a predetermined time period has elapsed from the start of the rinse step (S5), the control device 3 closes the rinse solution valve 76 to stop the discharge of the rinse solution from the rinse solution nozzle 74.

The controller 3 closes the gas valve 68 to stop the supply of gas to the space between the lower surface of the substrate W and the protective disk 14.
Next, the control device 3 executes a spin dry process (step S6 in FIG. 9) of drying the substrate W. Specifically, the control device 3 controls the spin motor 12 so that the drying rotation speed (for example, several thousand rpm) larger than the rotation speed in the cleaning step (S4 in FIG. 9) and the rinsing step (S5 in FIG. 9). The substrate W is accelerated to a dry rotation speed at which the substrate W is rotated. As a result, a large centrifugal force is applied to the liquid on the substrate W, and the liquid adhering to the substrate W is shaken off around the substrate W. Thus, the liquid is removed from the substrate W, and the substrate W is dried. Then, when a predetermined time has elapsed from acceleration of the substrate W, the control device 3 controls the spin motor 12 to stop the rotation of the substrate W by the spin chuck 5 (step S7 in FIG. 9).

After stopping the rotation of the substrate W, the control device 3 controls the lifting and lowering unit 15 to lower the protection disk 14 to the separated position. Thus, a space sufficient to allow the hand H2 of the center robot CR to enter is secured between the upper surface of the protection disk 14 and the surface Wa (lower surface) of the substrate W.
Next, the substrate W is unloaded from the processing chamber 4 (step S8 in FIG. 9). Specifically, the control device 3 causes the hand H2 of the center robot CR to enter the inside of the processing chamber 4. Then, the control device 3 causes the hand H2 of the center robot CR to hold the substrate W on the spin chuck 5. Thereafter, the control device 3 retracts the hand of the center robot CR from the inside of the processing chamber 4. Thereby, the substrate W after the cleaning process is unloaded from the processing chamber 4.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, the first cover 22 which covers the periphery of the discharge portion 21 a of the droplet nozzle 21 is provided. As the droplets of the processing liquid from the droplet nozzles 21 are jetted to the liquid film LF of the processing liquid, the mist M of the processing liquid is generated around the supply area DA on the upper surface of the substrate W. In the peripheral end arrangement state of the nozzle head 17, the supply area DA overlaps the peripheral area 50 of the upper surface of the substrate W, so mist of the processing liquid is generated in the peripheral area 50 of the upper surface of the substrate W.

  The lower end edge 81 a of the outer wall 81 of the first cover 22 extends inward of the peripheral end of the substrate W and extends along the peripheral end of the substrate W in the peripheral end arrangement state of the nozzle head 17. Therefore, the outer wall 81 restricts the movement of the mist M of the processing liquid generated in the peripheral region 50 on the upper surface of the substrate W in the second radial direction Z2 more than the peripheral region 50. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress or prevent the mist M of the processing liquid generated in the peripheral region 50 of the upper surface of the substrate W from coming around from the peripheral end of the substrate W to the lower surface side. Thereby, generation of particles on the lower surface (surface Wa) of the substrate W can thereby be suppressed or prevented.

  Further, in this embodiment, the lower end edge 81a of the outer wall 81 of the first cover 22 extends horizontally along the entire length of the outer wall 81, and the distance W1 between the lower end edge 89a and the upper surface of the substrate W is a minute distance (for example, about Since the distance is set to 5 mm, the movement of the mist M of the processing liquid in the second radial direction Z2 relative to the peripheral region 50 can be more effectively restricted by the outer wall 81. Assuming that the distance W1 between the lower end edge 89a and the upper surface of the substrate W is a minute distance, if the lower end edge 81a of the outer wall 81 is provided to project in the second radial direction beyond the peripheral end of the substrate W, There is a possibility that 81 may interfere with the clamping pin 10 (see FIG. 2 etc.). In this embodiment, the lower end edge 81a of the outer wall 81 of the first cover 22 extends inward of the peripheral end of the substrate W and along the peripheral end of the substrate W. The distance W1 between the lower end edge 81a of the outer wall 81 and the upper surface of the substrate W can be provided as a minute distance without interference.

  Further, according to this embodiment, the thickness of the liquid film LF of the processing liquid is reduced in the supply area DA on the upper surface of the substrate by the ejection of the processing liquid of the processing liquid onto the liquid film LF. The droplets MD included in the mist M of the processing liquid generated as the droplets of the processing liquid are ejected move the upper surface of the substrate W to the downstream side in the rotation direction Dr as the substrate W rotates, Collides with the connecting portion 84 (see FIG. 7) of the cover 22 of FIG. However, since the connection portion 84 of the first cover 22 is provided at a large distance from the discharge portion 21a, the droplet MD which collides with the connection portion 84 of the first cover 22 (see FIG. 7) Therefore, the connection portion 84 of the first cover 22 does not reach the supply area DA even if it rebounds. Therefore, the rebounded droplets MD reach the thin supply area DA of the liquid film LF. Can be suppressed or prevented, whereby the generation of particles on the upper surface of the substrate W can be suppressed or prevented.

  Further, according to this embodiment, the atmosphere of the internal space 53 is sucked from the suction port 23a. Therefore, even if the mist M of the processing liquid is generated in the peripheral region 50 on the upper surface of the substrate W, the mist M of the processing liquid is sucked from the suction port 23 a and excluded from the peripheral region 50 on the upper surface of the substrate W. Thus, the atmosphere including the mist M of the treatment liquid can be more effectively suppressed or prevented from flowing out of the first cover 22. It is desirable that the volume in the internal space 53 be as small as possible, in which case the suction force from the suction port 23a can be kept high.

Further, since the suction port 23a is provided sufficiently separated from the discharge portion 21a of the droplet nozzle 21, it is suppressed that the droplet of the processing liquid from the droplet nozzle 21 is sucked from the suction port 23a or It is possible to prevent the processing liquid droplets from having a sufficient amount on the upper surface of the substrate W.
In this embodiment, the second radial direction Z2 of the discharge portion 21a is covered not only by the outer wall 81 of the first cover 22 but also by the second cover 89 in the peripheral arrangement state of the nozzle head 17. Ru. Thereby, it can be more effectively suppressed that the mist of the processing liquid generated in the peripheral region 50 of the upper surface of the substrate W moves in the second radial direction Z2 more than the peripheral region 50 of the upper surface of the substrate. Thereby, it can be more effectively suppressed or prevented that the mist of the processing liquid generated in the peripheral region of the upper surface of the substrate W wraps around from the peripheral end of the substrate W to the lower surface side.

As mentioned above, although one Embodiment of this invention was described, this invention can also be implemented with another form.
For example, although the outer wall 81 has been described as extending vertically in the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, instead of the outer wall 81, a tapered outer wall extending in the second radial direction Z2 upwards You may employ 181. Further, as shown in FIG. 11, instead of the outer wall 81, the first taper 201 provided in a tapered shape extending in the second radial direction Z2 as it goes upward and the first taper 201 are continuous and upward An outer wall 282 including a second tapered portion 202 which is tapered in the second radial direction Z2 in the direction of.

Furthermore, in the first cover 22, as shown in FIG. 12, instead of the opposing wall 52, an opposing wall 152 may be provided that descends downward toward the downstream side in the rotational direction Dr.
In addition, although the second cover 89 is described as having a semicircular cross section, the second cover 89 may have a C cross section that surrounds the droplet nozzle 21 at a wider range than 180 °. However, the second cover 89 should not surround the entire circumference. Also, the configuration of the second cover 89 may be eliminated.

In addition, although the suction port 23a is described as being disposed above the discharge portion 21a, the height position of the suction port 23a may be about the same as that of the discharge portion 21a, or may be higher than the discharge portion 21a. It may be low.
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the nozzle head 17 is moved between the peripheral position Pe and the central position Pc in the cleaning step (S4 in FIG. 9) has been described as an example. During S4 of 9), the nozzle head 17 may be always arranged at the peripheral position Pe. In this case, the configuration of the nozzle head 17 may be fixedly disposed at the peripheral position Pe.

In the above-described embodiment, the lower surface of the substrate W may be protected by a liquid (for example, water such as DIW) instead of a gas.
Further, in the above embodiment, the configuration for protecting the lower surface of the substrate W with the protective fluid may be eliminated.
In the above embodiment, although the upper surface of the substrate W which is the processing target surface is described as the back surface (device non-formation surface) Wb of the substrate W, the processing target surface (device forming surface) Wa of the substrate W is It may be a face.

In the above embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is an apparatus for processing a disk-shaped substrate W. However, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is a polygonal substrate such as a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device. It may be an apparatus for processing.
In addition, various design changes can be made within the scope of matters described in the claims.

1: Substrate processing apparatus 3: Controller 4: Processing chamber 5: Spin chuck 7: Protective liquid supply unit (first processing liquid supply unit)
18: Nozzle arm 20: Arm moving unit (moving unit)
21: droplet nozzle 21a: discharge part 22: first cover 23: suction nozzle (suction unit)
24: Fluid supply unit (second processing liquid supply unit)
50: peripheral region of upper surface 52: opposing wall 53: internal space 62: suction piping (suction unit)
63: Suction valve (suction unit)
81: outer wall 81a: lower end edge 82: inner wall 83: rear wall 87: first end 88: second end 89: second cover 89a: lower end edge 152: opposing wall 181: outer wall 201: first Taper 202: Second tapered portion 282: Outer wall A1: Rotational axis line LF: Liquid film of treatment liquid M: Mist Pc of treatment liquid: Central position Pe: Peripheral position W: Substrate Z1: First radial direction (rotational radius direction Inside of)
Z2: second radial direction (outward in the radial direction of rotation)
W11: Distance (distance between the first end and the discharge part)
W12: Distance (distance between the second end and the discharge part)
W13: Distance (distance in the radial direction of rotation between the outer wall and the discharge part)
W14: Distance (distance in the radial direction of rotation between the inner wall and the discharge part)

Claims (21)

A substrate holding unit for holding a substrate;
A substrate rotation unit configured to rotate the substrate about a predetermined rotation axis passing through a central portion of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit;
A droplet nozzle having a discharge unit that discharges a droplet of the processing liquid onto the upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit;
And a first cover which is integrally movable with the droplet nozzle and covers the periphery of the discharge portion.
In a peripheral arrangement state in which the first cover is arranged at a peripheral position facing the peripheral area of the upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, the droplet nozzle and the first cover Having an outer wall which covers the outward radial direction of the drop nozzle;
The first cover is such that, in the peripheral arrangement state, at least the lower end edge of the outer wall extends inward of the peripheral end of the substrate and along the peripheral end of the substrate A substrate processing apparatus, wherein a first end portion on the downstream side in the rotational direction of the substrate is spaced apart from the discharge portion on the downstream side in the rotational direction.   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first end portion of the first cover is provided to be separated from the discharge portion by 100 mm or more in the horizontal direction in the peripheral edge arrangement state.   In the peripheral arrangement state, the first cover has a distance between a discharge end and a second end on the upstream side in the rotational direction of the first cover in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the rotational radial direction. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate processing apparatus is provided so as to be shorter than a distance between the first end of the first cover and the discharge unit. The first cover has an inner wall opposed to the outer wall inward in the radial direction of rotation across the droplet nozzle in the peripheral arrangement state,
In the first cover, the distance in the radial direction of rotation between the outer wall and the discharge portion is shorter than the distance in the radial direction of rotation between the inner wall and the discharge portion in the peripheral arrangement state. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, provided in   The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the lower end edge of the outer wall extends horizontally over the entire length of the outer wall.   The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the outer wall extends vertically in the peripheral arrangement state.   The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the outer wall is provided in a tapered shape directed outward in a rotation radial direction toward the upper side in the peripheral arrangement state. The outer wall is
In the peripheral arrangement state, a first tapered portion provided in a tapered shape directed outward in the rotation radial direction as it goes upward;
6. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: a second tapered portion which is continuous with the first taper and is tapered inward in the radial direction of rotation in the peripheral arrangement state. The substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect.   In the peripheral arrangement state, a suction port is disposed downstream of the discharge portion in the rotational direction and separated from the discharge portion by a gap, and the atmosphere of the internal space divided by the first cover is suctioned The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a suction unit for suctioning from the mouth.   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the suction port is provided so as to be separated from the discharge portion by 30 mm or more in the horizontal direction.   11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, in the peripheral arrangement state, the intake port is disposed closer to a first end than an intermediate position between the first end and the discharge part. Substrate processing equipment.   The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the suction port is disposed above the discharge unit.   The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising: a second cover that covers the discharge radial direction in the inner space of the first cover.   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the second cover covers only a part of the periphery of the discharge unit.   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the second cover is provided in a semicircular shape in cross section. A first processing liquid supply unit for supplying a processing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate;
A second processing liquid supply unit that supplies the processing liquid to the droplet nozzle;
And a controller for controlling the substrate rotation unit, the first processing liquid supply unit, and the second processing liquid supply unit.
The controller is
A liquid film forming step of controlling the first processing liquid supply unit to supply the processing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate to form a liquid film of the processing liquid on the upper surface;
Rotating the substrate about the axis of rotation;
In parallel to the rotation step, a droplet ejection is performed to control the second treatment liquid supply unit to eject droplets of the treatment liquid from the ejection portion of the droplets toward the liquid film of the treatment liquid. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the process is performed. An arm that holds the droplet nozzle and the first cover together;
And a moving unit for moving the droplet nozzle along the upper surface of the substrate by moving the arm.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the control device controls the moving unit to arrange the droplet nozzle at the peripheral position in the droplet jetting process.   The control device controls the moving unit to move the droplet nozzle between the peripheral position and a central position Pc opposed to the central portion of the upper surface of the substrate in the droplet ejection step. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 17.   The first cover according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the first cover further includes an opposite wall facing the upper surface of the substrate and closing an upper end of an internal space defined by the first cover. Substrate processing equipment.   20. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the opposing wall is provided to be lowered downward as it goes downstream in the rotational direction in the peripheral arrangement state.   The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the first cover is formed using at least one of PTFE, PFA, PP, PE, and PVC.

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