JP2020150190A - Substrate treatment apparatus and substrate treatment method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of appropriately cleaning a substrate the surface of which has been treated with a treatment liquid, and suppressing an occurrence of treatment unevenness.SOLUTION: The substrate treatment apparatus removes a first treatment liquid which adheres to the surface of the substrate, by a gas blow and a supply of a second treatment liquid. At the time of cleaning, the substrate treatment apparatus discharges the second treatment liquid in a direction of the substrate surface from a discharge port that opens in a slit shape, which covers portions from one end to the other end in the width direction of the substrate; allows the second treatment liquid discharged from the discharge port to flow along a smooth inclined surface that is provided below the discharge port so as to oppose the entire opening of the discharge port and inclines so as to descend from the upstream side to the downstream side of a conveyance direction; thereby forms a thin-layer shape of a liquid flow which has a component in a direction toward the downstream side of the conveyance direction, on the inclined surface; and allows the liquid to flow down onto the substrate surface from the downstream side end of the inclined surface. A distance between the downstream side end of the inclined surface in the conveyance direction and the substrate surface is larger than a thickness of the liquid film that is formed on the substrate surface by the liquid flow.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method for cleaning a substrate on which a treatment liquid adheres to a surface. The above substrates include semiconductor substrates, photomask substrates, liquid crystal display substrates, organic EL display substrates, plasma display substrates, FED (Field Emission Display) substrates, optical disk substrates, magnetic disk substrates, and optical disks. Includes substrates for magnetic disks.

In the manufacturing process of electronic parts such as semiconductor devices and display devices, a processing process is commonly used in which a substrate is processed by, for example, applying a processing liquid for processing on the surface of the substrate, and then the substrate is washed with a cleaning liquid. .. Examples of the treatment liquid in this case include a developing liquid and an etching liquid. In this case, in order to obtain uniform and good treatment results on the substrate surface, it is necessary to strictly observe the specified treatment time in the treatment with the treatment liquid. For this purpose, it is required that the treatment liquid is immediately and surely removed and the treatment is stopped after the treatment with the treatment liquid is continued for a specified time.

For example, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, a developing solution is first sprayed on a substrate in which a developing solution corresponding to the above-mentioned "treatment solution" is horizontally conveyed in a state of being filled on the surface by blowing curtain-like air. The progress of development is stopped by removing the rinse solution on the surface of the substrate on the downstream side and spraying the rinse solution on the surface of the substrate in the downstream direction to cover the substrate with a liquid film. In this technology, the lower surface of the nozzle that discharges the rinse liquid and the surface of the substrate are made liquid-tight with the rinse liquid, so that the air blown to the substrate invades the downstream side and disturbs the liquid film of the rinse liquid. Is prevented.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-192980

The liquid film formed on the substrate in the above technique inevitably contains impurities dissolved or suspended in the treatment liquid, particularly in the vicinity of the upstream end portion of the liquid film in the transport direction of the substrate. In the above-mentioned conventional technique, the space between the lower surface of the nozzle and the surface of the substrate is in a liquid-tight state, and such impurities in the liquid may adhere to or reprecipitate on the nozzle. In particular, if the discharge port of the nozzle is partially blocked by deposits, the cleaning liquid is not supplied to the substrate at this portion, and as a result, there is a possibility that processing such as development may be uneven.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of appropriately cleaning a substrate whose surface has been treated with a treatment liquid and suppressing the occurrence of treatment unevenness.

The substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention has a transport mechanism for transporting a substrate having a first treatment liquid adhered to its surface in a transport direction along a horizontal direction with the surface facing upward, and a transport mechanism in a width direction orthogonal to the transport direction. A gas discharge section that blows gas onto the surface over the entire area of the substrate to remove the first treatment liquid from the surface, and a downstream side in the transport direction from a position where the gas is sprayed from the gas discharge section. A liquid discharge portion for supplying the second treatment liquid is provided on the surface of the above.

In order to achieve the above object, in one aspect of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, the liquid discharge portion is opened in a slit shape covering from one end to the other end of the substrate in the width direction. A discharge port for discharging the second treatment liquid in the direction of the surface is provided below the discharge port so as to face the entire opening of the discharge port, and is provided from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction. It has a smooth inclined surface that inclines downward, and by allowing the second treatment liquid discharged from the discharge port to flow down along the inclined surface, a component in a direction toward the downstream side in the transport direction is released. A thin-layered liquid flow having a thin layer is formed on the inclined surface, and the liquid flow is allowed to flow down from the downstream end of the inclined surface to the surface, and the downstream end of the inclined surface and the surface in the transport direction. The distance from the liquid film is larger than the thickness of the liquid film formed on the surface by the liquid flow.

Further, in another aspect, the liquid discharge portion is opened in a slit shape covering from one end portion to the other end portion in the width direction of the substrate, and the second treatment liquid is discharged in the direction of the surface. A smooth inclined surface provided below the discharge port so as to face the entire opening of the discharge port and inclined downward from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction. The distance between the downstream end of the inclined surface and the surface in the transport direction is larger than the opening size of the discharge port in the direction orthogonal to the width direction.

Further, in the substrate processing method according to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, the substrate on which the first treatment liquid is adhered to the surface is conveyed with the surface facing upward while being conveyed in the conveying direction along the horizontal direction. A first treatment step of spraying a gas onto the surface over the entire area of the substrate in a width direction orthogonal to the direction to remove the first treatment liquid from the surface, and in the transport direction rather than a position where the gas is sprayed. A second treatment step of supplying the second treatment liquid from the liquid discharge portion to the surface on the downstream side is provided.

In the second treatment step, the second treatment liquid is discharged from a slit-shaped opening that covers from one end to the other end of the substrate in the width direction toward the surface, and from the discharge port. The discharged second treatment liquid is provided below the discharge port so as to face the entire opening of the discharge port, and is smoothed so as to be inclined downward from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction. By flowing down along the inclined surface, a thin layer liquid flow having a component in the direction toward the downstream side in the transport direction is formed on the inclined surface, and the liquid flow is formed on the inclined surface at the downstream end of the inclined surface. It flows down from the portion to the surface. Further, the distance between the downstream end of the inclined surface and the surface in the transport direction is set to be larger than the thickness of the liquid film formed on the surface by the liquid flow.

In the invention configured as described above, the second treatment liquid discharged from the discharge port is not directly supplied to the substrate after the first treatment liquid is removed by the gas, but is once discharged to the inclined surface. It is supplied to the substrate after flowing down the inclined surface. A liquid film formed by the second treatment liquid supplied in this way is formed on the surface of the substrate to clean the substrate. The second treatment liquid discharged from the wide slit-shaped discharge port flows down the wide inclined surface facing the discharge port, so that a uniform thin layer liquid flow in the width direction can be supplied to the substrate surface.

In the following description, in order to avoid complicating the description, "upstream, upstream, and upstream directions in the substrate transport direction" are simply abbreviated as "upstream, upstream, and upstream," respectively. The "downstream, downstream, and downstream directions in the substrate transport direction" may be simply abbreviated as "downstream, downstream, and downstream directions," respectively.

In the present invention, the most downstream end of the inclined surface through which the second treatment liquid passes immediately before being supplied to the substrate is from the upper surface of the liquid film formed on the substrate surface by the liquid flow supplied to the substrate surface. The distance between the downstream end of the inclined surface and the surface of the substrate is set so as to be upward. In this way, the downstream end of the inclined surface is separated from the substrate surface, and the liquid flow flowing down from the inclined surface to the substrate surface is given a component in the direction toward the downstream side in the transport direction of the substrate. Therefore, the liquid film formed by the supplied second treatment liquid is formed on the substrate surface on the downstream side of the downstream end of the inclined surface and below it.

Therefore, it is possible to prevent the residue after the substrate treatment by the first treatment liquid from adhering to the periphery of the liquid discharge portion. Further, even if the droplets of the first treatment liquid (or the mixture of the first treatment liquid and the second treatment liquid) fly to the inclined surface, they are taken into the flowing liquid flow and discharged. Further, even if the uniformity of the second treatment liquid discharged from the discharge port in the width direction is lowered due to the deposits on the discharge port, it is eliminated while flowing down the inclined surface. Therefore, the supply of the second treatment liquid to the substrate surface due to the deposits can be made uniform and even, and the treatment unevenness of the substrate can be suppressed.

Further, since the direction of the liquid flow when being supplied to the substrate surface is defined by the inclination of the inclined surface, the flow path of the second processing liquid leading to the discharge port can be set relatively freely. Therefore, it is not necessary for the flow path itself to go from the upstream side to the downstream side, and the liquid discharge portion including the flow path can be made compact. As a result, it is possible to reduce the distance between the position where the gas is sprayed by the gas discharge part and the position where the second treatment liquid is supplied, and the second treatment is promptly applied to the substrate surface after the first treatment liquid is removed by the gas spraying. It becomes possible to supply the liquid. This also contributes to the effect of suppressing the occurrence of processing unevenness.

As described above, according to the present invention, the first treatment liquid is removed by spraying gas on the substrate whose surface is treated with the first treatment liquid, and the substrate is further cleaned with the second treatment liquid uniformly supplied. Therefore, it is possible to properly clean the substrate and suppress the occurrence of processing unevenness.

It is a side sectional view which shows the schematic structure of the substrate processing apparatus of this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the operation of a substrate processing apparatus. It is a schematic side view which shows the boundary part between a developing part and a rinsing part enlarged. It is an exploded perspective view which shows the outer shape and the internal structure of a rinse liquid nozzle. It is a figure which shows the dimensional relationship of a rinse liquid nozzle and a substrate. It is a partial cross-sectional view which shows the internal structure of a rinse liquid nozzle. It is a figure which shows other example of the position and shape of the lower surface of a rinse liquid nozzle. It is a figure which shows the modification of the rinse liquid nozzle. It is a figure which shows the modification of the rinse liquid nozzle.

Hereinafter, the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. The substrate processing device 1 described here functions as a part of a substrate processing system for manufacturing a display screen panel in a display device such as a liquid crystal display device. The overall configuration of such a substrate processing system is disclosed in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-192980) described above. The substrate processing system executes a series of manufacturing processes in which a resist film is formed on a screen panel, for example, a square glass substrate, and the resist film is exposed and developed to form a predetermined circuit pattern on the substrate. is there. The substrate processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment can be applied to a process of developing and cleaning a substrate after exposure.

Further, the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment has main features in the structure and operation of the rinse liquid nozzle described later, but other basic configurations and operations are described in Patent Document 1 (for example, FIG. 2). It is common with the board processing equipment. Since the description of Patent Document 1 can be referred to for such a common configuration, only a brief description will be given here.

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the substrate processing apparatus of the present embodiment. In addition, in order to clarify the directional relationship between FIGS. 1 and 1 and thereafter, an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system with the Z direction as the vertical direction and the XY plane as the horizontal plane is appropriately attached. In addition, for the purpose of facilitating understanding, the dimensions and numbers of each part are exaggerated or simplified as necessary.

In this substrate processing apparatus 1, a resist film is formed on the surface thereof, and the glass substrate (hereinafter, simply referred to as “substrate”) S exposed according to a predetermined pattern shape is received and developed, washed, and dried. It is a device of. For this purpose, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is provided with a developing unit 20, a rinsing unit 30, and a drying unit 300. The developing unit 20 immerses the exposed substrate S in the developing solution L1 to remove an unnecessary resist film. The rinsing unit 30 rinses the developed substrate S with the rinsing liquid L2 to stop the development and clean the substrate S. The drying unit 300 removes the rinsing liquid on the substrate S and dries the substrate S.

The developing unit 20, the rinsing unit 30, and the drying unit 300 are arranged in this order along the X direction. The substrate S passes through the developing section 20, the rinsing section 30, and the drying section 300 in this order by being conveyed in the (+ X) direction, and undergoes processing. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the upstream side of the substrate S in the transport direction, that is, the (-X) direction side is simply referred to as the "upstream side", and the downstream side of the substrate S in the transport direction, that is, the (+ X) direction. The side is simply referred to as the "downstream side". Further, the Y direction orthogonal to the X direction, which is the transport direction, that is, the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 1, is referred to as the "width direction" of the substrate S.

The developing unit 20, the rinsing unit 30, and the drying unit 300 are housed in the housing 40. The housing 40 includes a partition plate 41 for partitioning the developing unit 20 and the rinsing unit 30, and a partition plate 42 for partitioning the rinsing unit 30 and the drying unit 300. The partition plate 41 is provided with a passage port 411 for passing the substrate S, and the partition plate 42 is provided with a passage port 421 for passing the substrate S. Further, the upstream side surface of the housing 40 is provided with a carry-in inlet 401 for receiving the substrate S from the device that executes the pre-process (for example, the exposure process), while the downstream side surface is provided with the post-process (for example, the post-baking process). ) Is provided with a carry-out port 402 for paying out the substrate S.

In the substrate processing device 1, the substrates S are arranged along the X direction and are conveyed by a plurality of transfer rollers 50 that are rotationally driven by a drive mechanism (not shown). More specifically, the substrate S discharged from the previous process is carried into the developing unit 20 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 via the carry-in inlet 401. Then, by the operation of the transport roller 50, the substrate S is sequentially fed from the developing section 20 to the rinsing section 30 and the drying section 300, and finally is discharged from the carry-out port 402 to the subsequent process.

The developing unit 20 is provided with a developer nozzle 22 that supplies the developer L1 to the upper surface of the substrate S, and an air nozzle 24 that blows air onto the upper surface of the substrate S. The developer nozzle 22 is provided near the upstream end of the developing unit 20, that is, inside the housing 40 and near the carry-in inlet 401. On the other hand, the air nozzle 24 is attached near the downstream end of the developing unit 20, specifically, on the upstream side of the partition plate 411.

A discharge port for discharging the developer L1 is provided on the lower surface of the developer nozzle 22, and a discharge port for discharging air is provided on the lower surface of the air nozzle 24. Each of these discharge ports has a slit-shaped opening elongated in the width direction, and the opening is provided so as to cover the entire space between both ends in the width direction of the substrate S.

Therefore, the developer L1 discharged from the developer nozzle 22 is discharged substantially uniformly over the entire width direction (Y direction) of the substrate S. When the substrate S is transported in the transport direction (X direction), the developer supply position to the substrate S changes sequentially in the X direction, and finally the entire substrate S is filled with the developer L1 and paddle. It will be covered with a liquid film.

The air nozzle 24 blows curtain-shaped (thin film-shaped or band-shaped) air sufficiently longer than the width of the substrate S onto the substrate S conveyed below from above. This prevents the developer L1 piled on the upper surface of the substrate S from being conveyed further downstream. That is, the air nozzle 24 has a function as an air knife device that blocks the spread of the developer L1 along the substrate S by the curtain-shaped air. A developer recovery unit 26 is provided below the developing unit 20, and the developer L1 that overflows from the edge of the substrate S and falls downward is collected by the developer collection unit 26. The recovered developer is subjected to regenerative processing such as removing dissolution products and foreign substances of the resist film that has been dissolved by the development process and removed from the substrate, and adjusting the concentration as necessary for the development process. It can be reused. Alternatively, it may be treated as a waste liquid.

The rinse portion 30 is provided with a rinse liquid nozzle 32 for supplying the rinse liquid L2 on the upper surface of the substrate S to be conveyed. The rinse liquid nozzle 32 is provided near the downstream side of the partition plate 41 in the housing 40. Therefore, the rinse liquid is supplied to the substrate S immediately after the developer L1 is removed by the air knife. The structure of the rinse liquid nozzle 32 will be described in detail later. Further, a plurality of shower nozzles 34 for supplying the rinse liquid from above the substrate S are provided on the downstream side of the rinse liquid nozzle 32. As a result, the upper surface of the substrate S is covered with the liquid film of the rinse liquid L2 and cleaned.

The drying portion 300 is provided with a pair of air nozzles 35a and 35b for removing the rinse liquid L2 charged on the substrate S by supplying curtain-shaped air to the upper surface and the lower surface of the substrate S and drying the substrate S. There is. The pair of air nozzles 35a and 35b are provided in the vicinity of the carry-out port 402 in the drying portion 300. A rinse liquid recovery unit 36 is provided below the rinse unit 30 and the drying unit 300, and the rinse liquid L2 that falls downward from the substrate S is collected by the rinse liquid recovery unit 36.

In this way, the developing unit 20 in which the developer L1 is handled, the rinsing unit 30 in which the rinsing solution L2 is handled, and the drying unit 300 are partitioned by partition plates 411 and 421, respectively, and the developing solution L1 discharged from each partition is provided. By recovering the rinse liquid L2 separately, it is possible to effectively utilize the recovered liquid such as reusing the developing solution and to reduce the cost of waste liquid treatment.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the substrate processing apparatus. As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1 horizontally conveys the substrate S that has been exposed and carried in in the previous step in the horizontal direction (step S101), and develops the substrate S by supplying the developer L1 (step S102). ), Removal of the developing solution with an air knife (step S103), rinsing treatment with the liquid film of the rinsing liquid L2 (step S104), and removal / drying of the liquid film with the rinsing liquid (step S105).

In the substrate processing apparatus 1 configured as described above and its operation, in order to obtain a uniform and good development result in the entire substrate S, the time of contact with the developing solution (hereinafter referred to as "development time") is the substrate. The whole S needs to be equal. Each part of the substrate S first touches the developer L1 and development is started when it passes directly under the developer nozzle 22. On the other hand, the developer is removed and the development is stopped, in principle, when the developer passes a position directly below the air nozzle 24 which functions as an air knife. Therefore, if the distance between the developer nozzle 22 and the air nozzle 24 is fixed and the transport speed of the substrate S is constant, the developing time of the substrate S should be constant regardless of the position.

However, the developer may remain on the upper surface of the substrate S even after passing through the position where the developer is removed by the air knife. Since development proceeds due to such local residual developer, there is a possibility that the development time may differ depending on the position, resulting in uneven development, that is, variation in development results. Development is surely stopped by supplying the rinse liquid L2 to the substrate S after removing the developer, but if the timing of the rinse liquid supply varies in the width direction, the timing of the development stop becomes non-uniform, and development unevenness also occurs. Causes. The structure and function of the rinse liquid nozzle 32 of the present embodiment for solving this problem will be described in detail below.

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing an enlarged boundary portion between the developing portion and the rinsing portion. 4 to 6 are views showing the structure of the rinse liquid nozzle in more detail. More specifically, FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the outer shape and internal structure of the rinse liquid nozzle 32, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the dimensional relationship between the rinse liquid nozzle 32 and the substrate S. Further, FIG. 6A is a partial cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the rinse liquid nozzle 32, and FIG. 6B is a diagram showing the state of the rinse liquid discharged from the rinse liquid nozzle 32.

As shown in FIG. 3, the air nozzle 24 and the rinse liquid nozzle 32 are arranged close to each other with the partition plate 411 interposed therebetween. The air nozzle 24 is attached to the upstream side surface of the partition plate 411. Compressed air is supplied to the air nozzle 24 from the compressed air supply unit 29, and a discharge port 241 is provided at the lower end. Therefore, the air nozzle 24 ejects curtain-shaped air A from above toward the upper surface of the substrate S in which a liquid film of the developer L1 is formed on the upper surface and is conveyed in the (+ X) direction by the rotation of the conveying roller 50. .. As a result, the liquid film of the developer L1 is prevented from being further downstream, and the upper surface of the substrate S on the downstream side from the air blowing position is in a state where the developer has been removed. The developer L1 that falls downward from the substrate S is recovered by the developer recovery unit 26.

On the other hand, the rinse liquid nozzle 32 is supported by a support member (not shown) at a predetermined distance from the downstream side surface of the partition plate 411. Therefore, a gap G is provided between the downstream side surface of the partition plate 411 and the upstream side surface of the rinse liquid nozzle 32. A liquid such as pure water or deionized water (DIW) is supplied to the rinse liquid nozzle 32 as the rinse liquid L2 from the rinse liquid supply unit 39. According to the structure described in detail next, the rinsing liquid nozzle 32 has a function of supplying the rinsing liquid L2 to the substrate S as a liquid flow having a downstream and downward directional component. As a result, a liquid film of the rinse liquid L2 is formed on the upper surface of the substrate S. The rinse liquid L2 that falls downward from the substrate S is recovered by the rinse liquid recovery unit 36.

A gap G is provided between the partition plate 411 and the rinse liquid nozzle 32 in order to prevent the liquid flow of the rinse liquid L2 from being disturbed by the air blown from the air nozzle 24. That is, if there is no gap G, the blown air flows into the gap between the rinse liquid nozzle 32 and the substrate S, and disturbs the flow of the rinse liquid L2 supplied from the rinse liquid nozzle 32 to the substrate S. By providing the gap G, air escapes upward through the gap G, so that the flow of the rinse liquid L2 is not disturbed. That is, the gap G has a function of discharging the air blown from the air nozzle 24 from the periphery of the rinse liquid nozzle 32.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6A, the rinsing liquid nozzle 32 has a structure in which the first member 321 and the second member 322 are laminated in the X direction via the spacer 323. The first member 321 and the second member 322 can be made of a material that can withstand the pressure of the rinsing liquid supplied from the rinsing liquid supply unit 39, for example, a resin or metal having an appropriate hardness.

The first member 321 is connected to a flat plate-shaped flat portion 321a having a substantially rectangular outer shape with the Y direction as the longitudinal direction when viewed from the X direction, and the lower end of the flat portion 321a in the (+ X) direction and (-X) direction and (-). It has an inclined portion 321b extending diagonally downward in the Z) direction. The cross-sectional shape of the inclined portion 321b is wedge-shaped, and the thickness thereof becomes thinner as it approaches the tip. The upper surface of the inclined portion 321b is a smooth flat inclined surface 321c, and the normal of the inclined surface has components in the (+ X) direction and the (+ Z) direction.

Further, the second member 322 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped block whose plane size seen from the X direction is substantially the same as the flat portion 321a of the first member 321. A through hole 322a is provided so as to penetrate between the (−X) side surface and the (+ X) side surface and receive the rinse liquid supplied from the rinse liquid supply unit 39. As shown by the broken line in FIG. 5, a plurality of through holes 322a may be provided at different positions in the Y direction.

The spacer 323 is an inverted U-shaped member along three sides excluding the lower side of the rectangle when the flat portion 321a of the first member 321 is viewed from the X direction. By stacking the first member 321 and the second member 322 via the spacer 323, the (+ X) side side surface of the first member 321 and the (-X) side side surface of the second member 322 become the second member 322. Will face each other with a gap corresponding to the thickness of the spacer 323. As a result, a gap space GS having a constant width is formed between the two. For the spacer 323, a material capable of preventing liquid leakage from the gap while maintaining a minute and constant distance between the first member 321 and the second member 322, for example, a resin material having appropriate elasticity can be used. .. As described below, the gap space GS functions as a part of the rinse liquid flow path.

The lower end of the gap space GS is not blocked by the spacer 323 and communicates with the external space, and the through hole 322a is provided at a position communicating with the gap space GS. Therefore, the rinse liquid supplied from the rinse liquid supply unit 39 to the through hole 322a fills the gap space GS, and is finally discharged from the lower end of the gap space GS to the external space. In this sense, the opening formed by the first member 321 and the second member 322 and the spacer 323 at the lower end of the gap space GS constitutes the rinse liquid discharge port 324 in the rinse liquid nozzle 32. Therefore, the opening size of the discharge port 324 in the direction orthogonal to the width direction (X direction) is the same as the gap interval of the gap space GS (indicated by the symbol Dg in FIG. 6B). An inclined surface 321c, which is the upper surface of the inclined portion 321b, is located directly below the discharge port 324, and it can be said that the inclined surface 321c is provided at a position facing the discharge port 324.

The liquid discharged downward from the discharge port 324 hits the inclined surface 321c of the inclined portion 321b and forms a thin layered liquid flow flowing down along the inclined surface. The liquid flow finally flows downward from the lower end of the inclined surface 321c. As shown in FIG. 5, when viewed in the X direction, the opening width Yd of the discharge port 324 is larger than the width Ys of the substrate S, and the discharge port 324 covers the entire surface including both ends of the substrate S in the Y direction. Has an opening to Further, the width Yc of the inclined surface 321c is larger than the opening width Yd of the discharge port 324, and the inclined surface 321c is provided so as to cover the entire area including both ends of the discharge port 324 in the Y direction. Therefore, the liquid discharged from the discharge port 324 and flowing down the inclined surface 321c is uniformly supplied over the entire width direction (Y direction) of the substrate S.

The rinse liquid L2 is pressure-fed from the rinse liquid supply unit 39 to the rinse liquid nozzle 32 configured in this way. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6B, the rinse liquid L2 discharged from the discharge port 324 flows down along the inclined surface 321c and is supplied to the upper surface Sa of the substrate S from the lower end thereof. If the amount of liquid supplied, the pressing force, the gap interval Dg, etc. are appropriately set, the liquid flow of the rinse liquid L2 falling from the inclined surface 321c is vigorously jetted toward the downstream side, that is, in the (+ X) direction. It can contain a relatively large amount of velocity component. For example, the flow velocity of the rinse liquid L2 flowing down from the inclined surface 321c can be made higher than the transport speed of the substrate S.

In this way, the rinse liquid L2 can be applied to the upper surface Sa of the substrate S on the downstream side of the downstream end portion of the inclined surface 321c. That is, the liquid landing position P2 in the X direction can be set to a position (+ X) side of the position P1 of the downstream end portion of the inclined surface 321c. This prevents the rinse liquid L2 from adhering to the lower surface 320 of the rinse liquid nozzle 32. When the rinse liquid adheres to the nozzle lower surface 320, the rinse liquid L2 drops from the nozzle lower surface 320 to the substrate S, and the area between the nozzle lower surface 320 and the substrate upper surface Sa becomes locally liquid-tight with the rinse liquid L2. As a result, the position where the substrate S first touches the rinse liquid L2 shifts to the upstream side of the original liquid landing position P2. When such a deviation occurs locally, uneven development occurs. By making the rinse liquid L2 land on the substrate S on the downstream side of the most downstream end of the nozzle (that is, the tip 321d of the inclined surface 321c), the rinse liquid wraps around the lower surface 320 of the nozzle and adheres to the substrate S. It is possible to suppress.

Further, since the rinse liquid L2 supplied to the substrate S lands on the substrate S in a state of having a velocity component toward the downstream side, the possibility of backflow from the liquid landing position toward the upstream side is extremely low. Therefore, it is easy to make the position where the substrate S first contacts the rinse liquid L2 constant over the entire width direction (Y direction). Further, the influence of the air blown out from the air nozzle 24 and flowing into the gap between the rinse liquid nozzle 32 and the substrate S can be suppressed.

When a certain amount of rinse liquid L2 is continuously supplied from the rinse liquid supply unit 39, the gap Dg of the gap space GS (the opening size of the discharge port 324 is also equal to this) and the inclined surface 321c The thickness Tc of the liquid flow flowing down the substrate S and the thickness Tp of the liquid film formed on the substrate S immediately after landing on the substrate S are substantially the same. With respect to these dimensions, the distance Ds between the lower end of the inclined surface 321c and the upper surface Sa of the substrate is larger, that is, the lower end of the inclined surface 321c is located above the upper surface of the liquid film on the substrate. The arrangement position of the rinse liquid nozzle 32 in the Z direction is set. Therefore, the vertical position of the discharge port 324 is also above the height of the upper surface of the liquid film. Further, among the lower surfaces of the rinse liquid nozzle 32, the position closest to the upper surface Sa of the substrate S is the most downstream end portion 321d of the inclined portion 321b which is the connecting portion between the nozzle lower surface 320 and the inclined surface 321c. These purposes are also to prevent the rinse liquid L2 from adhering to the nozzle lower surface 320. That is, the most downstream end portion 321d of the nozzle lower surface 320 is at the lowest position, and the rinse liquid is discharged from this position to suppress the liquid from sneaking into other positions of the nozzle lower surface 320. it can.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another example of the position and shape of the lower surface of the rinse liquid nozzle. In the comparative example shown in FIG. 7A, the distance between the lower surface 320 of the rinse liquid nozzle 32 and the upper surface Sa of the substrate is smaller than the thickness of the liquid film on the substrate S. In such a case, the tip portion of the inclined portion 321b is substantially included in the liquid film. Further, in the rinse liquid nozzle N1 of the comparative example shown in FIG. 7B, the lower surface is the upper surface of the substrate S. Is parallel to. Further, in the rinse liquid nozzle N2 of the comparative example shown in FIG. 7C, there is a portion on the bottom surface of the nozzle closer to the substrate S than the most downstream end portion of the inclined portion. In each of these configurations, the rinse liquid tends to stay in the portion surrounded by the dotted line, which tends to cause uneven development. In the examples shown in FIGS. 7 (b) and 7 (c), a problem is likely to occur especially when the distance between the lower surface of the nozzle and the upper surface of the substrate Sa is small.

As shown in FIG. 6B, in the rinse liquid nozzle 32 of the present embodiment, the lower surface 320 of the nozzle is lowered toward the downstream side, and the most downstream end portion 321d of the inclined portion 321b is the lowest, that is, It is located near the upper surface Sa of the substrate. Moreover, the distance Ds between the most downstream end and the upper surface Sa of the substrate is larger than the thickness Tp of the liquid film on the substrate S. Further, the liquid flow of the rinse liquid L2 supplied from the rinse liquid nozzle 32 to the substrate S has a relatively large velocity component in the (+ X) direction. With these configurations, the rinsing liquid is effectively suppressed from staying between the nozzle lower surface 320 and the substrate upper surface Sa. Therefore, the occurrence of development unevenness due to the retention of the rinse liquid is suppressed.

Further, the rinse liquid supplied to the substrate S contains a component of the resist film that has been peeled off from the substrate S or dissolved in the liquid, which was contained in the developing solution remaining on the substrate S. In a configuration in which the periphery of the discharge port and the lower surface of the nozzle are in a liquid-tight state, such components may reprecipitate and adhere to the discharge port and the lower surface of the nozzle to obstruct the flow of the liquid, resulting in uneven development.

In the present embodiment, since the nozzle lower surface 320 is not brought into contact with the rinsing liquid, such deposits do not occur on the nozzle lower surface 320, and even if they adhere, there is no effect on the rinsing treatment. Further, a new rinse liquid L2 is constantly supplied to the inclined surface 321c. Therefore, even if the liquid containing the component of the resist film comes in, it is taken into the liquid flow and flowed to the downstream side, so that it is prevented from adhering to the inclined surface 321c and the discharge port 324 further upstream. Further, even if deposits are formed on the discharge port 324 and the discharge amount becomes non-uniform, the liquid flow becomes uniform while flowing down the inclined surface 321c, so that development unevenness due to such a cause can be prevented. Will be done.

Further, in the rinse liquid nozzle 32 of this embodiment, the inclined surface 321c is opposed to the lower side of the discharge port 324 which opens downward. The rinse liquid L2 discharged downward from the discharge port 324 is given a velocity component toward the downstream side by flowing down along the inclined surface 321c. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a flow path for the rinse liquid on the upstream side of the discharge port 324. This means that the shape of the rinse liquid nozzle 32 on the upstream side of the discharge port 324 is not restricted by the flow path and has a high degree of freedom. For example, it is possible to appropriately set the interval between the air supply position and the rinse liquid supply position on the substrate S to adjust the time from the removal of the developer to the supply of the rinse liquid.

As described above, in the above-described embodiment, the developer L1 and the rinse solution L2 correspond to the "first treatment solution" and the "second treatment solution" of the present invention, respectively. Further, in the above embodiment, the transport roller 50, the air nozzle 24, and the rinse liquid nozzle 32 function as the "convey mechanism", the "gas discharge unit", and the "liquid discharge unit" of the present invention, respectively. Further, in the above embodiment, the gap space GS of the rinsing liquid nozzle 32 corresponds to the "flow path" of the present invention, and the gap G between the rinsing liquid nozzle 32 and the partition plate 411 corresponds to the "exhaust path" of the present invention. ing. Further, steps S103 and S104 in FIG. 2 correspond to the "first processing step" and the "second processing step" of the present invention, respectively.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications other than those described above can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, instead of the rinse liquid nozzle 32 of the above embodiment, a nozzle having the following structure can be applied.

8 and 9 are views showing some modifications of the rinse liquid nozzle. In the rinse liquid nozzle 61 of the modified example shown in FIG. 8A, the first member 611 is provided with a flat portion 611a and an inclined portion 611b by bending the lower end of the flat plate-shaped member toward the downstream side. The second member 612 and the spacer 613 can be the same as those in the above embodiment. The rinse liquid nozzle 61 having such a structure can be mounted on the substrate processing device instead of the rinse liquid nozzle 32 of the above embodiment.

Further, the modified examples shown in FIGS. 8 (b) to 8 (d) are composite nozzles in which the rinse liquid nozzle also has the function of an air nozzle. That is, in the composite nozzle 62 of the modified example shown in FIG. 8B, the first member 621 and the second member 622 are arranged to face each other via the spacer 624, which is the same as the above embodiment. On the other hand, the third member 623 is attached to the side surface (upstream side in the substrate transport direction) of the first member 621 opposite to the second member 622 via the spacer 625.

In such a configuration, the rinse liquid nozzle also functions as an air nozzle by sending air into the gap between the first member 621 and the third member 623 and blowing air out from the opening 626 at the lower end of the gap. It will be. Therefore, the composite nozzle 62 can be applied as a substitute for the air nozzle 24 and the rinse liquid nozzle 32 provided in the above embodiment. In this case, the composite nozzle 62 may be attached to the partition plate 411, but it is desirable that consideration is given so that the developer and the rinse liquid that fall from the substrate can be separated and collected. The same applies to each of the following modifications.

The composite nozzle 63 of the modified example shown in FIG. 8C is a partially modified version of the composite nozzle 62 described above. That is, the point that the first member 631 and the second member 632 arranged to face each other via the spacer 634 form a flow path of the rinse liquid is the same as that of the composite nozzle 62 of the above modification. On the other hand, the air flow path composed of the first member 631 and the third member 633 facing each other via the spacer 635 is bent to the upstream side (left side in the figure) at the lower end thereof.

In such a configuration, the blown air has a velocity component in the upstream direction. Therefore, by pushing the developer adhering to the substrate back to the upstream side, it is possible to more reliably prevent the developer and the rinse solution from being mixed.

The composite nozzle 64 of the modified example shown in FIG. 8D faces the rinse liquid nozzle 64a including the first member 641 and the second member 642 facing each other via the spacer 645, and faces the rinse liquid nozzle 64a via the spacer 646. The air nozzle 64b including the third member 643 and the fourth member 644 has a structure supported by an appropriate support member (not shown) so as to face each other with a certain gap serving as an exhaust path 647. The upper end portion of the exhaust path 647 may be open to the space inside the housing 40, or may be connected to an appropriate exhaust mechanism.

According to such a configuration, the air blown out from the air nozzle 64a is exhausted through the exhaust path 647, so that the air wraps around between the lower surface of the rinse liquid nozzle 64a and the substrate to prevent the rinse liquid from flowing. It is prevented from being disturbed. Further, since the air nozzle and the rinse liquid nozzle can be arranged close to each other without causing turbulence of the liquid flow due to air, the surface of the substrate from the developer removal to the rinse liquid supply is exposed. The time can be shortened.

Further, the rinse liquid nozzle 65 of the modified example shown in FIG. 9 has a structure in which three blocks of the first member 651, the second member 652, and the third member 653 are combined. The first member 651 and the second member 652 face each other with the gap space GS interposed therebetween, and the third member 653 is attached to the lower portion of the first member 651. The first member 651 and the third member 653 integrally correspond to the first member 321 of the above embodiment, and are divided into two pieces mainly from the viewpoint of ease of manufacture.

The upper surface 655 of the third member 653 functions as an "inclined surface". The downstream tip of the upper surface 655 has a shape in which the tip, which had a sharp cross-sectional shape in the above embodiment, is slightly cut off. Therefore, the downstream end portion 655a of the upper surface 655 and the downstream end portion 650a of the lower surface 650 do not match. That is, the downstream end portion 650a of the lower surface 650 is located below and upstream of the downstream end portion 655a. Such a shape is based on the same ease of manufacture as described above, and for practical reasons that there is less risk of deformation or loss due to contact with other members than with a sharp tip.

Even in this case, by setting the height of the downstream end portion 655a of the upper surface 655 to be larger than the thickness of the liquid film formed on the upper surface Sa of the substrate, it is possible to prevent the liquid from sneaking into the lower part of the nozzle. .. In order to further enhance this effect, the downstream end portion 650a of the lower surface 650 is larger than the thickness of the liquid film, and the lowest position on the nozzle lower surface 650 is the downstream end portion 650a of the lower surface 650. It is more preferable that the requirements are met.

Further, the above embodiment is a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate using a developing solution as a "first processing solution" and a rinsing solution as a "second processing solution" of the present invention. The type of the second treatment liquid is not limited to this, and the present invention can be applied to substrate treatment using various liquids.

As described above, as described by exemplifying a specific embodiment, in the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, the discharge port is configured to open at a position above, for example, the downstream end of the inclined surface. Good. With such a configuration, it is possible to solve the problem that unnecessary components contained in the second treatment liquid adhere to and clog the periphery of the discharge port and disturb the flow of the second treatment liquid.

Further, for example, the distance between the lower surface of the liquid discharge portion connected to the downstream end portion of the inclined surface and facing the surface and the substrate surface may be increased toward the upstream side in the transport direction. In other words, the distance between the lower surface of the liquid discharge portion facing the substrate surface and the substrate surface may be minimized at the connection portion of the lower surface of the liquid discharge portion with the downstream end of the inclined surface. According to such a configuration, it is possible to suppress treatment unevenness caused by the retention of the second treatment liquid between the lower surface of the liquid discharge portion and the surface of the substrate.

Further, for example, among the liquid landing positions where the liquid flow lands on the substrate surface, the most upstream end in the transport direction may be configured to be downstream in the transport direction from the downstream end of the inclined surface. According to such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the second treatment liquid containing a contamination source from adhering to the substrate from adhering to the liquid discharge portion.

Further, for example, the lower surface of the liquid discharge portion facing the substrate surface may be configured so as not to come into contact with the liquid film formed on the substrate surface. Even with such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the second treatment liquid, which may contain a contamination source by adhering to the substrate, from adhering to the liquid discharge portion.

Further, for example, the liquid discharge portion has a cross-sectional shape that is the same as the opening shape of the discharge port, has a flow path that communicates with the discharge port, and allows the second treatment liquid to flow toward the discharge port, and the second treatment liquid in the flow path. The distribution direction may be vertically downward. According to such a configuration, the degree of freedom regarding the shape of the liquid discharge portion on the upstream side of the discharge port is high, and for example, the distance between the gas discharge portion and the liquid discharge portion can be appropriately adjusted.

Further, for example, an exhaust path for discharging gas may be provided between the gas discharge portion and the liquid discharge portion in the transport direction. According to such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the liquid flow from being disturbed by blowing the gas blown out from the gas discharge part between the liquid discharge part and the surface of the substrate.

The present invention can be applied to various substrate treatments for removing a treatment liquid from a substrate after treatment with a treatment liquid. For example, the present invention can be suitably applied to a resist film development process, an etching process, a peeling process, and the like.

1 Substrate processing device 20 Development unit 24 Air nozzle (gas discharge unit)
30 Rinse part 32 Rinse liquid nozzle (liquid discharge part)
50 Transport roller (convey mechanism)
321 First member 321c Inclined surface 322 Second member GS Gap space (flow path)
S board Sa board top surface

Claims (10)

A transport mechanism that transports the substrate on which the first treatment liquid adheres to the surface in the transport direction along the horizontal direction with the surface facing upward.
A gas discharge portion that blows gas onto the surface over the entire area of the substrate in a width direction orthogonal to the transport direction to remove the first treatment liquid from the surface.
A liquid discharge unit that supplies the second treatment liquid to the surface on the downstream side in the transport direction from the position where the gas is sprayed from the gas discharge unit is provided.
The liquid discharge part is
A discharge port that opens in a slit shape that covers from one end to the other end of the substrate in the width direction and discharges the second treatment liquid in the direction of the surface.
It has a smooth inclined surface that is provided below the discharge port so as to face the entire opening of the discharge port and is inclined downward from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction. By allowing the second treatment liquid discharged from the outlet to flow down along the inclined surface, a thin layered liquid flow having a component in the direction toward the downstream side in the transport direction is formed on the inclined surface. A liquid flow is allowed to flow down from the downstream end of the inclined surface to the surface.
A substrate processing apparatus in which the distance between the downstream end of the inclined surface and the surface in the transport direction is larger than the thickness of the liquid film formed on the surface by the liquid flow. A transport mechanism that transports the substrate on which the first treatment liquid adheres to the surface in the transport direction along the horizontal direction with the surface facing upward.
A gas discharge portion that blows gas onto the surface over the entire area of the substrate in a width direction orthogonal to the transport direction to remove the first treatment liquid from the surface.
A liquid discharge unit that supplies the second treatment liquid to the surface on the downstream side in the transport direction from the position where the gas is sprayed from the gas discharge unit is provided.
The liquid discharge part is
A discharge port that opens in a slit shape that covers from one end to the other end of the substrate in the width direction and discharges the second treatment liquid in the direction of the surface.
It has a smooth inclined surface that is provided below the discharge port so as to face the entire opening of the discharge port and is inclined downward from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction.
A substrate processing apparatus in which the distance between the downstream end of the inclined surface and the surface in the transport direction is larger than the opening size of the discharge port in the direction orthogonal to the width direction. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the discharge port opens at a position above the downstream end of the inclined surface. According to any one of claims 1 to 3, the distance between the lower surface of the liquid discharge portion connected to the downstream end portion of the inclined surface and facing the surface and the surface becomes larger toward the upstream side in the transport direction. The substrate processing apparatus described. The distance between the lower surface of the liquid discharge portion facing the surface and the surface thereof is the smallest in the connection portion of the lower surface with the downstream end portion of the inclined surface according to any one of claims 1 to 4. Board processing equipment. Claims 1 to 5 in which the most upstream end in the transport direction of the liquid landing positions where the liquid flow lands on the surface is downstream in the transport direction from the downstream end of the inclined surface. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the lower surface of the liquid discharging portion facing the surface does not come into contact with the liquid film formed on the surface. The liquid discharge portion has a cross-sectional shape that is the same as the opening shape of the discharge port, has a flow path that communicates with the discharge port, and allows the second treatment liquid to flow toward the discharge port, and the flow path in the flow path. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the flow direction of the second processing liquid is vertically downward. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein an exhaust path for discharging the gas is provided between the gas discharge portion and the liquid discharge portion in the transport direction. While transporting the substrate on which the first treatment liquid adheres to the surface in the transport direction along the horizontal direction with the surface facing upward, gas is applied to the surface over the entire area of the substrate in the width direction orthogonal to the transport direction. A first treatment step of spraying to remove the first treatment liquid from the surface, and
A second treatment step of supplying the second treatment liquid from the liquid discharge portion to the surface on the downstream side in the transport direction from the position where the gas is sprayed is provided.
In the second treatment step, the second treatment liquid is discharged from a slit-shaped opening that covers from one end to the other end of the substrate in the width direction toward the surface.
The second treatment liquid discharged from the discharge port is provided below the discharge port so as to face the entire opening of the discharge port so as to descend from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction. By flowing down along a smooth inclined surface that inclines toward It is allowed to flow down from the downstream end to the surface.
A substrate processing method in which the distance between the downstream end of the inclined surface and the surface in the transport direction is made larger than the thickness of the liquid film formed on the surface by the liquid flow.

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