JP2021034442A - Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of increasing a uniformity of a substrate processing.SOLUTION: A substrate processing apparatus (1) performing a prescribed processing to a substrate (W) by implanting the substrate (W) into a processing liquid, comprises: a processing tank (2) in which a processing liquid is accumulated; a substrate lifting part (13) that holds the substrate (W) so as to enable a lift, makes the substrate (W) drop, and makes the substrate (W) implant into the processing liquid, accumulated in the processing tank (2); a chemical liquid supply part (9a and 9b) supplying a chemical liquid or a pure water structuring the processing liquid to the processing tank (2); and a control part (5) that controls a supply of the chemical liquid or the pure water to the processing tank (2) by the chemical liquid supply part (9a and 9b). The control part (5) stops the supply of the chemical liquid or the pure water to the processing tank (2) over a prescribed time in a state where the substrate (W) is implanted into the processing liquid in the processing tank (2) by the substrate lifting part (13).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a semiconductor wafer, a liquid crystal display substrate, a plasma display substrate, an organic EL substrate, a FED (Field Emission Display), an optical display substrate, a magnetic disk substrate, an optical magnetic disk substrate, a photomask substrate, and the like. The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method for processing a substrate such as a substrate for a solar cell (hereinafter, simply referred to as a “board”) with a processing liquid.

Conventionally, as the above-mentioned device, there is an device that stores a processing liquid for processing a substrate in a processing tank and immerses the substrate in the processing liquid in the processing tank to execute the processing of the substrate. Among them, a device that circulates the treatment liquid in the treatment tank by a circulation line and returns the treatment liquid once discharged from the treatment tank to the treatment tank while appropriately maintaining the temperature in the treatment liquid and the concentration of each chemical solution. It is known. (See, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2.)

However, in such a circulation type substrate processing apparatus, when the processing liquid is continuously circulated during the processing of the substrate, the processing liquid flows in from the inflow port of the recirculating treatment liquid provided in the treatment tank. As a result, a liquid flow is generated in the treatment tank, and the treatment proceeds preferentially in the region where the liquid flow of the treatment liquid acts on the substrate, and there is a possibility that the degree of progress of the treatment on the substrate is biased.

JP-A-2019-079954 JP-A-2019-079881

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to make a deviation in the degree of progress of processing on a substrate in an apparatus for processing a substrate by immersing the substrate in a processing liquid in a processing tank. It is to provide a technology that can be suppressed.

The present invention for solving the above problems is a substrate processing apparatus that performs a predetermined treatment on the substrate by immersing the substrate in a treatment liquid.
A treatment tank in which the treatment liquid is stored and
A substrate elevating part that holds the substrate so as to be able to move up and down, lowers the substrate, and immerses the substrate in the treatment liquid stored in the treatment tank.
A chemical solution supply unit that supplies the chemical solution or pure water that constitutes the treatment solution to the treatment tank,
A control unit that controls the supply of the chemical solution or pure water to the processing tank by the chemical solution supply unit,
With
The control unit stops the supply of the chemical solution or pure water to the processing tank by the chemical solution supply unit for a predetermined time in a state where the substrate is immersed in the processing liquid in the processing tank by the substrate elevating unit. It is a substrate processing apparatus characterized by the above.

That is, in the present invention, in a state where the substrate is immersed in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank, the supply of the chemical solution or pure water to the treatment tank is stopped for a predetermined time. As a result, it is possible to prevent the water flow generated by supplying the chemical solution or pure water into the treatment tank from acting on a specific part of the surface of the substrate, and to prevent the degree of progress of the treatment on the substrate from being biased. be able to.

Further, in the present invention, the temperature distribution in the treatment tank in a state where the substrate is immersed in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank by the substrate holding portion and the supply of the chemical solution or pure water to the treatment tank is stopped. A correction unit for correcting the bias of the progress state of the process may be further provided.

Here, when the substrate is immersed in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank and the supply of the chemical solution or pure water to the treatment tank is stopped for a predetermined time, the water flow is a specific portion of the surface of the substrate. However, even in this case, among the treatment liquids in the treatment tank, the relatively high temperature treatment liquid moves to the upper part, and the relatively low temperature treatment liquid moves to the lower part. Due to the movement, a temperature distribution is generated in the treatment liquid, and as a result, there is a concern that the progress of the treatment on the substrate is biased. On the other hand, in the present invention, a correction unit for correcting the bias of the progress state of the treatment due to the temperature distribution in the treatment tank when the supply of the chemical solution or pure water to the treatment tank is stopped is provided. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably suppress the occurrence of bias in the progress of processing on the substrate.

Further, in the present invention, the correction unit performs the treatment in a state where the substrate is immersed in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank by the substrate elevating part and the supply of the chemical solution or pure water to the treatment tank is stopped. An ultrasonic generator that causes ultrasonic waves to act on the treatment liquid in the lower part of the tank may be provided.

That is, in the present invention, in a state where the substrate is immersed in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank and the supply of the chemical solution or pure water to the treatment tank is stopped, ultrasonic waves are applied to the treatment liquid in the lower part of the treatment tank. Then, the temperature of the treatment liquid in the lower part of the treatment tank can be raised by the energy applied by the ultrasonic waves. As a result, the temperature distribution in the treatment tank can be made more uniform, and it is possible to more reliably prevent the degree of progress of the treatment on the substrate from being biased.

Further, in the present invention, in the correction unit, after the substrate is immersed in the processing liquid in the processing tank by the substrate elevating part and the supply of the chemical solution or pure water to the processing tank is stopped, the correction unit is used. A sprinkler that drains the treatment liquid in the treatment tank from the lower part of the treatment tank and sprinkles pure water having a temperature lower than that of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank from the upper side of the treatment tank into the treatment tank. You may have it.

That is, in the present invention, after the substrate is immersed in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank and the supply of the chemical solution or pure water to the treatment tank is stopped, the treatment liquid in the treatment tank is drained from the lower part of the treatment tank. At the same time, pure water having a lower temperature than the treatment liquid in the treatment tank is sprinkled into the treatment tank from above the treatment tank. According to this, the temperature can be preferentially lowered from the upper part of the substrate on which the higher temperature treatment liquid is acting, and the concentration of the treatment liquid can be lowered. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably suppress the occurrence of bias in the progress of processing on the substrate.

Further, in the present invention, the watering nozzle may start the watering at the timing when the drainage of the treatment liquid from the lower part of the treatment tank is started. According to this, it is possible to reduce the concentration and temperature of the treatment liquid in the vicinity of the upper part of the substrate while the substrate is immersed in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank. As a result, the processing speed on the upper part of the substrate can be gradually reduced, and it is possible to more reliably suppress the occurrence of bias in the progress of processing on the substrate. Here, the timing at which the drainage of the treatment liquid from the lower part of the treatment tank is started may be the same as the start of the drainage of the treatment liquid from the lower part of the treatment tank, or there may be a slight deviation before and after. There may be.

Further, in the present invention, in the watering nozzle, the treatment liquid in the treatment tank is drained from the lower part of the treatment tank, and the substrate immersed in the treatment liquid is exposed from the water surface of the treatment liquid. The watering may be started. According to this, watering can be started before and after the substrate is exposed from the water surface of the treatment liquid, and low-temperature pure water can be sprinkled directly on the substrate, so that the progress rate of the treatment on the upper part of the substrate can be reduced more rapidly. Can be made to. As a result, it is possible to correct the bias of the progress of processing on the substrate more rapidly. Here, the timing at which the substrate immersed in the treatment liquid is exposed from the water surface of the treatment liquid is that drainage is started, the water surface of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank is lowered, and the upper part of the substrate is from the water surface of the treatment liquid. It may be exposed at the same time, or there may be a slight deviation in the front-back direction. This timing may be detected by measuring the water level of the treatment liquid with a liquid amount sensor or the like, may be calculated in advance as the time from the start of drainage, or may be obtained experimentally. ..

Further, the present invention may be a substrate processing system including the above-mentioned substrate processing device and a substrate supply device for supplying the unprocessed substrate to the substrate elevating part.

Further, the present invention is a substrate processing method for performing a predetermined treatment on the substrate by immersing the substrate in a treatment liquid.
A storage process in which a chemical solution or pure water constituting the treatment solution is supplied and stored in the treatment tank, and
A lowering step of lowering the substrate into the treatment liquid stored in the treatment tank, and
A dipping step of maintaining the state in which the substrate is immersed in the processing liquid in the processing tank by the descent step.
Have,
In the dipping step, the substrate processing method may be characterized in that the supply of the chemical solution or pure water to the processing tank is stopped for a predetermined time.

Further, in the substrate processing method of the present invention, in the state where the supply of the chemical solution or pure water to the processing tank is stopped in the dipping step, the bias of the progress state of the processing due to the temperature distribution in the processing tank is determined. A correction step for correction may be further provided.

Further, in the substrate treatment method of the present invention, in the correction step, in the state where the supply of the chemical solution or pure water to the treatment tank in the dipping step is stopped, the treatment liquid in the lower part of the treatment tank is charged. Ultrasonic waves may be applied.

Further, in the substrate treatment method of the present invention, in the correction step, after the supply of the chemical solution or pure water to the treatment tank in the dipping step is stopped, the treatment liquid in the treatment tank is subjected to. In addition to draining water from the lower part of the treatment tank, pure water having a temperature lower than that of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank may be sprinkled into the treatment tank from the upper side of the treatment tank.

Further, in the substrate processing method of the present invention, in the correction step, the watering may be started at the timing when the drainage of the processing liquid from the lower part of the processing tank is started. Alternatively, in the correction step, the watering is started at the timing when the treatment liquid in the treatment tank is drained from the lower part of the treatment tank and the substrate immersed in the treatment liquid is exposed from the water surface of the treatment liquid. You may try to do it.

In the present invention, the means for solving the above-mentioned problems can be implemented in combination as much as possible.

According to the present invention, it is possible to further improve the uniformity of substrate processing.

It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the substrate processing apparatus of Example 1. It is a figure which shows the process of substrate processing in Example 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the substrate processing apparatus of Example 2. It is a graph which shows the temperature rise effect of the treatment liquid in the lower part of a treatment tank by applying ultrasonic vibration of Example 2. It is a figure which shows the process of substrate processing in Example 2. FIG. It is a figure which shows the process of substrate processing in Example 3. FIG. It is a figure which shows the process of substrate processing in Example 4. FIG.

Hereinafter, examples of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The examples shown below are one aspect of the present invention and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

<Example 1>
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The substrate processing apparatus 1 is an apparatus that executes processing of a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter, also simply referred to as a substrate W). Here, in the manufacturing process of the substrate W, for example, an ingod such as silicon is sliced in the direction of the rod axis, and the obtained product is sequentially subjected to processing such as chamfering, wrapping, etching treatment, and polishing. The etching process of the substrate W executed in the processing tank 2 is aimed at removing, for example, a polysilicon film, a metal film, or the like on the substrate W, and is performed by immersing the substrate W in a processing liquid. To.

In this embodiment, the chemical solution constituting the processing solution used in the substrate processing apparatus 1 _{is assumed to be SC1 (a mixed solution of NH 4} OH + H ₂ O ₂ + DIW (pure water)). However, as the chemical solution constituting the treatment solution, in addition to SC1, TMAH (tetramethylammonium hydroxide), hydrofluoric acid (HF), sulfuric acid (H ₂ SO ₄ ), acetic acid (CH ₃ COOH), nitric acid (HNO ₃ ) , Hydrochloric acid (HCL), aqueous ammonia (NH ₃ Water), aqueous hydrogen peroxide (H ₂ O ₂ ), organic acids (eg citric acid (C (OH) (CH ₂ COOH) ₂ COOH), solvent ((COOH)) ₂ ), etc.), Surfactant, Corrosion Inhibitor, Organic Solvent, Carbonated Water (CO ₂ Water), Ozon Water, etc. Good.

In FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is provided with a processing tank 2 in which a processing liquid is stored and a lifter 13 for immersing the substrate W in the processing liquid in the processing tank 2. The lifter 13 has a back plate 13a arranged parallel to the paper surface of FIG. 1 and three holding rods 13b erected perpendicularly to the back plate 13a. The holding rods 13b collectively hold a plurality of (for example, 50) substrates W arranged in parallel to each other in an upright posture. More specifically, the holding rod 13b abuts three points, the edge of the central portion of the lower edge of the substrate W and the both end edges of the diagonally lower portion of the lower edge of the substrate W, to support the substrate W in an upright posture. .. The lifter 13 is located between a processing position (solid line position in FIG. 1) in which a plurality of substrates W to be held are immersed in the processing liquid in the processing tank 2 and a delivery position (broken line position in FIG. 1) pulled up from the processing liquid. Raise and lower with. The lifter 13 corresponds to a substrate elevating part in this embodiment.

Further, the substrate processing device 1 includes a drainage unit 4 for draining the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 2. The drainage unit 4 has a drainage line 4a for passing the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 2 and a drainage valve 4b. When the drain valve 4b is opened, the drain unit 4 drains the treated liquid in the treatment tank 2 as it is through the drain line 4a. When the drain valve 4b is closed, the treatment liquid can be stored in the treatment tank 2, but when the drain valve 4b is open, the treatment liquid stored in the treatment tank 2 is rapidly stored. The treatment tank 2 can be emptied by being drained (hereinafter, also referred to as rapid drainage). As a method of draining the treatment liquid from the treatment tank 2, the chemical solution or pure water constituting the treatment liquid is flowed into the treatment tank 2 while the drain valve 4b is closed, and the upper end of the treatment tank 2 is drained. It is also possible to drain the treatment liquid by overflowing it.

Further, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is provided with a concentration adjusting unit 40 for adjusting the amount and concentration of the processing liquid in the processing tank 2. The concentration adjusting unit 40 has ejection pipes 6a and 6b as chemical liquid supply units on both sides of the bottom plate 2a of the processing tank 2 when viewed from the front. The ejection pipes 6a and 6b eject chemicals or pure water constituting the treatment liquid from the ejection holes toward the central portion of the bottom plate 2a of the treatment tank 2. The ejection pipes 6a and 6b have a long axis along the arrangement direction of the plurality of substrates W (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1). The concentration adjusting unit 40 includes a chemical solution line 42a connecting the SC1 supply source 41a, the SC1 supply source 41a and the treatment tank 2, and a pure water line connecting the pure water supply source 41b, the pure water supply source 41a and the treatment tank 2. It has 42b and.

The chemical solution line 42a is provided with a flow meter 44a capable of measuring the flow rate of SC1. Further, a replenishment valve 45a capable of adjusting the flow rate of the SC1 is provided. On the other hand, the pure water line 42b is provided with a pure water flow meter 44b for measuring the flow rate of pure water passing through the pure water line 42b and a pure water replenishment valve 45b for adjusting the flow rate of pure water. Further, a heater 8 for adjusting the temperature of SC1 and pure water ejected from the ejection pipes 6a and 6b is provided.

Further, the substrate processing device 1 is provided with a control unit 5. The control unit 5 has a configuration similar to that of a general computer such as a CPU and a memory (not shown), and each unit of the lifter 13, the drainage unit 4, and the concentration adjustment unit 40 is based on a recipe that defines a processing procedure. Control. For example, when adjusting the concentration of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 2, the replenishment valve 45a and the pure water replenishment valve 45b are controlled based on the measurement result of the concentration meter 51 for measuring the concentration of the chemical solution or pure water in the treatment tank 2. By doing so, the amounts of SC1 and pure water supplied to the treatment tank 2 are adjusted. Further, the calorific value of the heater 8 is adjusted. As a result, the concentration, amount, and temperature of the processing liquid in the processing tank 2 are controlled so as to be in an optimum state for processing the substrate W.

Next, the processing process of the substrate processing apparatus 1 having the above configuration will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. In this embodiment, in step 1 of FIG. 2, SC1 is ejected from the ejection pipes 6a and 6b into the processing tank 2 for the first hour from the state where the processing tank 2 is mainly filled with pure water for treatment. The SC1 concentration in the tank 2 is increased and controlled so as to be an appropriate concentration for processing the substrate W. In this embodiment, this step corresponds to a storage step (the same applies to the following examples). Then, the lifter 13 holding the substrate W descends from the delivery position to the processing position, so that the substrate W is immersed in the processing liquid. This step corresponds to the descent step in this embodiment (the same applies to the following examples). At that time, the SC1 is ejected from the ejection pipes 6a and 6b toward the bottom plate 2a of the treatment tank 2, and then a water flow is generated from the lower part to the upper part of the treatment tank 2. The first time in this step 1 is determined based on the recipe, but may be, for example, 100 to 200 sec.

Next, the process proceeds to step 2. In step 2, the ejection of SC1 from the ejection pipes 6a and 6b is stopped, and the substrate W is allowed to stand in a state of being immersed in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 2 for the second time. The second time in this step 2 is determined based on the recipe, but may be, for example, 900 to 1800 sec. During this period, the processing of the substrate W proceeds. In this embodiment, this step corresponds to a dipping step. Next, the process proceeds to step 3. In step 3, pure water is ejected from the ejection pipes 6a and 6b into the treatment tank 2 for a third time to reduce the SC1 concentration in the treatment tank 2.

At that time, pure water is ejected from the ejection pipes 6a and 6b toward the bottom plate 2a of the treatment tank 2, and then a water flow is generated from the lower part to the upper part of the treatment tank 2. Then, during that period, the used treatment liquid containing SC1 overflows from the upper end of the treatment tank 2 and is drained, and finally, the treatment tank 2 is substantially filled with pure water. Then, in the process, the substrate W is washed (rinsed), and the progress of the process is also stopped.

The third time in step 3 is determined based on the recipe, but may be, for example, about 60 seconds. When step 3 is completed and the rinsing of the substrate W is completed, the lifter 13 is raised and moved to the delivery position. Then, the substrate W mounted on the lifter 13 shifts to the next process, and the substrate W to be processed next is mounted on the lifter 13. Further, the treatment tank 2 is filled with pure water, and the process returns to step 1 of FIG.

In this embodiment, in step 2 in FIG. 2, chemicals such as SC1 and pure water do not flow in from the ejection pipes 6a and 6b, and the treatment of the substrate W proceeds in a state where the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 2 is stationary. .. Therefore, the treatment is promoted in the region where the water flow due to the chemical solution or pure water ejected from the ejection pipes 6a and 6b directly acts on the substrate W, and it is possible to suppress that the degree of progress of the treatment on the substrate W is biased.

<Example 2>
Next, Example 2 of the present invention will be described. In Example 1, in step 2, the ejection of SC1 and pure water from the ejection pipes 6a and 6b to the processing tank 2 was stopped, and the substrate W was allowed to stand in a state of being immersed in the processing liquid. On the other hand, in the second embodiment, an example in which the ultrasonic generator is arranged in the lower part of the treatment tank 2 and the ultrasonic vibration is applied to the treatment liquid in the lower part of the treatment tank 2 in step 2 will be described.

As described above, in Example 1, in step 2, the ejection of the chemical solution or pure water to the treatment tank 2 was stopped, and the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 2 and the substrate W were allowed to stand still. Even in this case, for example, the presence of the lifter 13 and the substrate W in the treatment liquid controlled to a temperature suitable for the treatment (for example, 60 ° C.) may cause a temperature distribution in the treatment liquid. .. Then, the higher temperature treatment liquid tends to move to the upper part of the treatment tank 2, and the lower temperature treatment liquid tends to move to the lower part of the treatment tank 2, so that the treatment is promoted in the upper part of the substrate W as compared with the lower part. In some cases, the degree of progress of the processing of the substrate W may be biased. In particular, SC1 used in the treatment liquid in this embodiment has a remarkable temperature dependence of the treatment speed. Therefore, in the treatment using SC1, the treatment of the substrate W caused by the temperature distribution in the treatment liquid is performed. The bias in the degree of progress may be more pronounced.

On the other hand, in this embodiment, an ultrasonic generator 7 for causing ultrasonic vibration to act on the processing tank 2 is provided under the processing tank 2, and in step 2, the ultrasonic generator 7 is provided. It was decided to apply ultrasonic vibration to the treatment liquid in the lower part of the treatment tank 2.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the substrate processing device 11 in this embodiment. In FIG. 3, an ultrasonic generator 7 is provided below the processing tank 2. In the ultrasonic generator 7, a propagation tank 7b in which the propagation water 7c is stored is provided so that the lower portion of the treatment tank 2 is immersed. An ultrasonic vibration element 7a is attached to the central portion of the lower surface of the propagation tank 7b. The ultrasonic vibration element 7a is fitted into an opening formed on the lower surface of the propagation tank 7b, and the vibration surface 70a above the ultrasonic vibration element 7a is fixed in a state of being located in the propagation tank 7b. In this embodiment, since the ultrasonic vibration element 7a is attached to the propagation tank 7b, the ultrasonic vibration has a high degree of freedom without being subject to technical restrictions when the ultrasonic vibration element 7a is directly attached to the processing tank 2. The element 7a can be arranged.

Inside the propagation tank 7b, a supply pipe 7d for supplying the propagation water to the propagation tank 7b is provided. The ultrasonic vibration element 7a generates ultrasonic vibration from the vibration surface 70a above the ultrasonic vibration element 7a. The generated ultrasonic vibration propagates to the bottom plate 2a of the treatment tank 2 via the propagating water in the propagation tank 7b, permeates the bottom plate 2a, and further propagates to the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 2. Then, the temperature of the treatment liquid in the lower part of the treatment tank 2 rises due to the energy of the ultrasonic vibration propagated to the treatment liquid. Examples of the propagation water supplied from the supply pipe 7d into the propagation tank 7b include pure water.

FIG. 4 shows the effect of ultrasonic vibration by the ultrasonic generator 7. FIG. 4 shows the relationship between the presence or absence of ultrasonic vibration by the ultrasonic generator 7 and the temperature of the lower part of the processing tank 2 in steps 11 and 12 of this embodiment described later. The broken line in the figure indicates the case where ultrasonic vibration is not applied, and the solid line in the figure indicates the case where ultrasonic vibration is applied. As can be seen from FIG. 4, it is possible to raise the temperature of the treatment liquid in the lower part of the treatment tank 2 by applying ultrasonic vibration to the treatment tank 2, which occurs during the immersion of the substrate W in the treatment liquid. It is possible to correct the influence of the temperature distribution of the treatment liquid. Here, the correction unit in this embodiment includes the ultrasonic generator 7.

Next, the processing process of the substrate processing apparatus 11 having the above configuration will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. In this embodiment, in step 11, as in step 1 of Example 1, the SC1 is transferred from the ejection pipes 6a and 6b to the treatment tank 2 in the first hour from the state where the treatment tank 2 is mainly filled with pure water. It is spouted over and the SC1 concentration in the processing tank 2 is increased to control the concentration to be appropriate for the processing of the substrate W. Then, the lifter 13 holding the substrate W descends from the delivery position to the processing position. Further, in this embodiment, in this step 11, ultrasonic vibration is simultaneously generated from the ultrasonic generator 7 toward the processing tank 2. As a result, the temperature of the treatment liquid in the lower part of the treatment tank 2 rises as compared with the case where ultrasonic vibration is not generated. In this step 11, the first time is determined based on the recipe, but may be, for example, 100 to 200 sec.

Next, the process proceeds to step 12. In step 12, the ejection of SC1 from the ejection pipes 6a and 6b is stopped, and the substrate W is immersed in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 2 for the second time, and the treatment is performed from the ultrasonic generator 7. Ultrasonic vibration is generated toward the tank 2. The second time in this step 12 may be, for example, about 900 sec, as in step 2 of the first embodiment. The temperature of the treatment liquid in the lower part of the treatment tank 2 rises as compared with the case where there is no ultrasonic vibration. Therefore, in this period, the processing at the lower part of the substrate W progresses more as compared with the case where there is no ultrasonic vibration, and it is possible to correct the bias of the degree of progress of the processing of the substrate W when there is no ultrasonic vibration. .. In this embodiment, the step 12 corresponds to the dipping step and the correction step.

Next, the process proceeds to step 13. In step 13, pure water is ejected from the ejection pipes 6a and 6b into the treatment tank 2 for a third time to reduce the SC1 concentration in the treatment tank 2. At that time, as in step 3 of Example 1, pure water is ejected from the ejection pipes 6a and 6b toward the bottom plate 2a of the treatment tank 2, and then a water flow is generated from the lower part to the upper part of the treatment tank 2. Then, during that period, the used treatment liquid containing SC1 overflows from the upper end of the treatment tank 2 and is drained, and finally, the state is filled with pure water. Further, in step 13, the generation of ultrasonic vibration by the ultrasonic generator 7 is stopped. In this process, the substrate W is washed (rinsed).

The third time in this step 13 may be, for example, about 60 seconds, as in step 3 of the first embodiment. The movement of the lifter 13 after the step 13 is completed and the rinsing of the substrate W is completed is the same as that of the first embodiment. When step 13 is completed, the treatment tank 2 is filled with pure water, and the process returns to step 11.

According to this embodiment, in step 12 in FIG. 5, S from the ejection pipes 6a and 6b
No chemical solution such as C1 or pure water is ejected, and the processing of the substrate W proceeds with the processing solution in the processing tank 2 stationary. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the promotion of the treatment in the region where the water flow due to the chemical solution or pure water ejected from the ejection pipes 6a and 6b directly acts on the substrate W, and to suppress the deviation of the progress of the treatment on the substrate W. .. Further, in step 12, the ultrasonic wave generator 7 causes the treatment liquid in the lower part of the treatment tank 2 to be subjected to ultrasonic vibration to raise the temperature of the treatment liquid in the lower part in the treatment tank 2. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent the degree of progress of the processing of the substrate W from being biased in step 12.

ここで、処理厚さの偏り（％）は、ステップ１１及び１２の終了後における基板Ｗの各場所における厚み減少量の（最大値−最小値）／２*平均値で示される値である。このよ
うに、ステップ１１〜１２において超音波振動を処理槽１２の下部の処理液に作用させることで、基板Ｗの処理の進行度合いの偏りが改善されることが分かる。 Table 1 shows the difference in the deviation of the processing thickness of the substrate W after the completion of step 12 depending on the presence or absence of ultrasonic vibration in step 12.

Here, the bias (%) of the processing thickness is a value indicated by (maximum value-minimum value) / 2 * average value of the thickness reduction amount at each location of the substrate W after the completion of steps 11 and 12. As described above, it can be seen that by applying the ultrasonic vibration to the treatment liquid in the lower part of the treatment tank 12 in steps 11 to 12, the bias of the progress of the treatment of the substrate W is improved.

In this embodiment, the ultrasonic generator 7 causes the processing tank 2 to be subjected to ultrasonic vibration via the propagation tank 7b, but the ultrasonic generator in this embodiment is limited to such a form. Not done. For example, the propagation tank 7b may not be provided, and the vibration from the ultrasonic vibration element 7a may be directly propagated to the bottom plate 2a of the processing tank 2. In this case, it is preferable to attach the ultrasonic vibration element 7a to the bottom plate 2a of the processing tank 2 so as to press it in close contact with the bottom plate 2a. Even with such a configuration, it is possible to improve the bias of the degree of progress of the processing of the substrate W as in the second embodiment described above. Further, in this embodiment, the time for applying the ultrasonic vibration in step 12 does not have to be the same as the time for immersing the substrate W in the treatment liquid. The ultrasonic vibration may be applied during a part of the immersion time of the substrate W in the treatment liquid in step 12. Further, the action of ultrasonic vibration in step 11 is not always necessary.

<Example 3>
Next, Example 3 of the present invention will be described. In the first embodiment, in step 2, the substrate W is allowed to stand in a state of being immersed in the treatment liquid, and then in step 3, pure water is ejected from the ejection pipes 6a and 6b into the treatment tank 2 for a third time. , The SC1 concentration in the treatment tank 2 was lowered. Then, during that period, the used treatment liquid containing SC1 overflowed from the upper end of the treatment tank 2 and was drained, and finally, the state was filled with pure water. In the third embodiment, after the completion of step 22 corresponding to step 2, instead of ejecting pure water from the ejection pipes 6a and 6b, rapid drainage is performed from the drainage unit 4 from the upper part of the treatment tank 2. An example will be described in which the substrate W is cleaned and the temperature of the upper part of the substrate W is lowered by sprinkling pure water having a temperature lower than that of the treatment liquid.

As described above, in Example 1, in step 2, the ejection of the chemical solution or pure water to the treatment tank 2 was stopped, and the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 2 and the substrate W were allowed to stand still. Even in this case, the presence of the lifter 13 and the substrate W in the treatment liquid controlled to a temperature suitable for the treatment (for example, 60 ° C.) causes a temperature distribution in the treatment liquid, so that the treatment of the substrate W can be performed. In some cases, the degree of progress was biased. On the other hand, in this embodiment, after the completion of step 22 corresponding to step 2, pure water having a temperature lower than that of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 2 is sprinkled on the treatment tank 2 from above the treatment tank 2 to obtain the substrate W. While cleaning, the temperature of the upper part of the substrate W is lowered. Here, the temperature of the pure water sprinkled may be, for example, room temperature (around 25 ° C.).

FIG. 6 shows the processing process of the substrate processing apparatus 21 in this embodiment. In this embodiment, the contents of step 21 and step 22 are the same as those of step 1 and step 2 in the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof will be omitted. When step 22 is completed, the process proceeds to step 23. In step 23, the drainage unit 4 shown in FIG. 1 is operated to rapidly drain the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 2. Then, at the timing when the water level of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 2 drops and the upper part of the substrate W begins to be exposed, pure water is sprinkled from the upper ejection pipes 9a and 9b as sprinklers to the treatment tank 2 for a fourth hour. To do. The fourth time is appropriately determined by the recipe according to the type of the substrate W and the content of the treatment, but may be, for example, about 30 sec.

As a result, low-temperature pure water is preferentially sprinkled on the exposed upper part of the substrate W, and the processing speed on the upper part of the substrate W rapidly decreases. Further, since the SC1 concentration is preferentially lowered from the vicinity of the water surface of the treatment liquid, the treatment is suppressed from the upper side of the substrate W even in the portion immersed in the treatment liquid. Then, during the period of rapid drainage, cleaning (rinsing) is preferentially performed from the upper part of the substrate W. Then, when the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 2 runs out due to rapid drainage, the drain valve 4b of the drainage unit 4 is closed, and pure water is continuously sprinkled from the upper ejection pipes 9a and 9b. When the treatment tank 2 is filled with pure water, the process returns to step 21.

According to this embodiment, in step 22, the temperature of the treatment liquid in the upper part of the treatment tank 2 may be higher than the temperature of the treatment liquid in the lower part, but in step 23, the upper part of the substrate W is given priority. Since low-temperature pure water is sprinkled, the treatment on the upper part of the substrate W can be suppressed preferentially. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably suppress the bias in the progress of the processing of the substrate W after the completion of step 23. Here, the correction unit in this embodiment includes the upper ejection pipes 9a and 9b. Further, the step 23 corresponds to the correction step in this embodiment.

ここで、処理厚さの偏り（％）は、ステップ２３及びステップ３の終了後における、基板Ｗの各場所における厚み減少量の（最大値−最小値）／２*平均値で示される値である
。このように、ステップ２３において低温の純水を処理槽２の上側から散水することで、基板Ｗの処理の進行度合いの偏りが改善されることが分かる。 Table 2 shows the difference in the deviation of the substrate treatment thickness depending on the presence or absence of watering and rapid drainage from the upper side of the treatment tank 2 (difference between step 23 of this embodiment and step 3 of embodiment 1).

Here, the bias (%) of the processing thickness is a value indicated by (maximum value-minimum value) / 2 * average value of the thickness reduction amount at each location of the substrate W after the completion of steps 23 and 3. is there. As described above, it can be seen that by sprinkling low-temperature pure water from the upper side of the treatment tank 2 in step 23, the unevenness of the progress of the treatment of the substrate W is improved.

In this embodiment, in step 23, rapid drainage is first performed, and pure water is sprayed from the upper ejection pipes 9a and 9b at the timing when the upper part of the substrate W begins to be exposed from the water surface of the treatment liquid. Did. However, the timing at which the watering of pure water from the upper ejection pipes 9a and 9b is started is not limited to this. For example, rapid drainage and watering of pure water may be started at the same time. Further, in this case, if the amount of drainage is controlled to be larger than the amount of shower, the water level of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 2 is gradually lowered, and when the upper part of the substrate W is exposed from the water surface, pure water is sprinkled. By directly hitting the substrate W, the treatment liquid can be washed away from the substrate W more quickly, the temperature of the substrate W can be lowered, and the progress of the treatment can be suppressed. Then, when the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 2 is exhausted due to the rapid drainage, the rapid drainage is stopped and the pure water is continuously sprinkled from the upper ejection pipes 9a and 9b, so that the treatment tank 2 is pure. The water will be filled. After that, the process may return to step 21 of FIG.

Further, if the amount of drainage is controlled to be less than the amount of water sprinkled, the water level of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 2 can be raised, the water temperature at the upper part of the treatment liquid can be lowered, and the SC1 concentration can be lowered. it can. In this case, the low-temperature treatment liquid in the upper part moves to the lower part, and the high-temperature treatment liquid in the lower part moves to the upper part. It is possible to rinse W. Further, in this case, the treatment tank 2 can be filled with pure water by continuing both rapid drainage and watering of pure water from the upper ejection pipes 9a and 9b.

<Example 4>
Next, Example 4 of the present invention will be described. In the above-described second embodiment, the ultrasonic generator 7 is arranged under the treatment tank 2, and in step 12, the ejection of the chemical solution or pure water to the treatment tank 2 is stopped and the lower part of the treatment tank 2 is stopped. Ultrasonic vibration was applied from the side. Then, in step 13, pure water was ejected from the ejection pipes 6a and 6b into the treatment tank 2 to reduce the SC1 concentration in the treatment tank 2. Then, during that period, the used treatment liquid containing SC1 was overflowed from the upper end of the treatment tank 2 and drained, and finally, it was in a state of being filled with pure water.

In Example 4, in step 32 corresponding to step 12, the ejection of the chemical solution or pure water to the treatment tank 2 is stopped, and ultrasonic vibration is applied from the lower side of the treatment tank 2. Further, in step 33 corresponding to step 13, after the completion of step 32, instead of ejecting pure water from the ejection pipes 6a and 6b, the treatment tank 2 is subjected to rapid liquid water from the drainage unit 4. An example will be described in which the upper part of the substrate W is cleaned and the temperature of the upper part of the substrate W is lowered by sprinkling low-temperature pure water from the upper upper ejection pipes 9a and 9b.

That is, in the second embodiment, the ultrasonic generator 7 for causing the ultrasonic vibration to act on the treatment liquid in the lower part of the treatment tank 2 is provided, and in step 12, the treatment tank is provided with the ultrasonic generator 7. It was decided to apply ultrasonic vibration to the treatment liquid in the lower part of No. 12. However, when ultrasonic vibration is applied in step 12, the temperature of the treatment liquid in the lower part of the treatment tank 2 rises as shown in FIG. After that, the treatment liquid in the lower part of the treatment tank 2 whose temperature has risen moves to the upper part of the treatment tank 2, and the temperature distribution in the treatment liquid may not be sufficiently eliminated.

On the other hand, in this embodiment, in step 32 corresponding to step 12, the treatment in the lower part of the substrate W is promoted by applying ultrasonic vibration to the treatment liquid in the lower part of the treatment tank 2, and further, the step. In step 13, which corresponds to step 13, low-temperature pure water is sprinkled from the upper side of the treatment tank 2, the upper part of the substrate W is preferentially washed, and the temperature of the upper part of the substrate W is preferentially lowered. ..

FIG. 6 shows the processing process of the substrate processing apparatus 31 in this embodiment. In this embodiment, the contents of steps 31 and 32 are the same as those of steps 11 and 12 in the second embodiment, and thus the description thereof will be omitted. When step 32 is completed, the process proceeds to step 33. In step 33, the drainage unit 4 shown in FIG. 1 is operated to rapidly drain the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 2. Then, at the timing when the water level of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 2 drops and the upper part of the substrate W begins to be exposed, pure water is sprinkled from the upper ejection pipes 9a and 9b to the treatment tank 2 for a fourth hour. This fourth time may be, for example, about 30 seconds.

As a result, pure water is preferentially sprinkled on the exposed upper part of the substrate W, and the processing speed on the upper part of the substrate W rapidly decreases. Further, since the SC1 concentration is preferentially lowered from the water surface of the treatment liquid, the treatment of the portion immersed in the treatment liquid is suppressed from the upper side of the substrate W. Then, during the period of rapid drainage, cleaning (rinsing) is preferentially performed from the upper part of the substrate W. Then, when the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 2 runs out due to rapid drainage, the drain valve 4b of the drainage unit 4 is closed, and pure water is continuously sprinkled from the upper ejection pipes 9a and 9b. When the treatment tank 2 is filled with pure water, the process returns to step 31.

According to this embodiment, even if the temperature distribution in the treatment tank 2 is relaxed by applying ultrasonic vibration in step 32, the temperature of the treatment liquid in the upper part of the treatment tank 2 is still the temperature of the treatment liquid in the lower part. In step 33, low-temperature pure water is preferentially sprinkled on the upper part of the substrate W even when the temperature becomes higher than the temperature. Therefore, the processing speed at the upper part of the substrate W can be reduced preferentially. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably suppress the bias of the progress of the processing on the substrate W after the completion of the step 33. The correction unit in this embodiment includes an ultrasonic generator 7 and upper ejection pipes 9a and 9b. Further, in this embodiment, the steps of step 32 and step 33 correspond to the correction step.

ここで、処理厚さの偏り（％）は、ステップ３３及びステップ３の終了後における、基板Ｗの各場所における厚み減少量の（最大値−最小値）／２*平均値で示される値である
。このように、本実施例においては、ステップ３２における処理槽２の下部の処理液への超音波振動の作用と、ステップ３３における処理槽２の上側からの純水の散水の相乗効果により、基板Ｗにおける処理の進行度合いの偏りが顕著に改善されることが分かる。 Table 3 shows the deviation of the treatment thickness after the completion of step 33 due to the presence or absence of ultrasonic vibration and watering from above (difference between steps 32 and 33 of this example and steps 2 and 3 of example 1). Show the difference.

Here, the bias (%) of the processing thickness is a value indicated by (maximum value-minimum value) / 2 * average value of the thickness reduction amount at each location of the substrate W after the completion of steps 33 and 3. is there. As described above, in this embodiment, due to the synergistic effect of the action of ultrasonic vibration on the treatment liquid in the lower part of the treatment tank 2 in step 32 and the sprinkling of pure water from the upper side of the treatment tank 2 in step 33, the substrate It can be seen that the bias of the progress of the processing in W is remarkably improved.

1, 11, 21, 31 ... Substrate processing device 2 ... Processing tank 4 ... Drainage unit 5 ... Control unit 6a, 6b ... Ejection pipe 7 ... Ultrasonic generator 9a, 9b ・ ・ ・ Upper ejection pipe 40 ・ ・ ・ Concentration adjustment unit 100 ・ ・ ・ Substrate processing system W ・ ・ ・ Substrate

Claims (12)

A substrate processing apparatus that performs a predetermined treatment on the substrate by immersing the substrate in a processing liquid.
A treatment tank in which the treatment liquid is stored and
A substrate elevating part that holds the substrate so as to be able to move up and down, lowers the substrate, and immerses the substrate in the treatment liquid stored in the treatment tank.
A chemical solution supply unit that supplies the chemical solution or pure water that constitutes the treatment solution to the treatment tank,
A control unit that controls the supply of the chemical solution or pure water to the processing tank by the chemical solution supply unit,
With
The control unit stops the supply of the chemical solution or pure water to the processing tank by the chemical solution supply unit for a predetermined time in a state where the substrate is immersed in the processing liquid in the processing tank by the substrate elevating unit. A substrate processing device, characterized in that it does. The state of progress of the treatment according to the temperature distribution in the treatment tank in a state where the substrate is immersed in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank by the substrate holding portion and the supply of the chemical solution or pure water to the treatment tank is stopped. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a correction unit for correcting bias. In the correction unit, the treatment in the lower part of the treatment tank is performed in a state where the substrate is immersed in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank by the substrate elevating part and the supply of the chemical solution or pure water to the treatment tank is stopped. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an ultrasonic generator that causes ultrasonic waves to act on the liquid. In the correction unit, after the substrate is immersed in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank by the substrate elevating part and the supply of the chemical solution or pure water to the treatment tank is stopped, the treatment in the treatment tank is stopped. It is characterized by having a sprinkler that drains the liquid from the lower part of the treatment tank and sprinkles pure water at a temperature lower than that of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank from the upper side of the treatment tank. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3. The substrate treatment apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the watering nozzle starts the watering at the timing when the drainage of the treatment liquid from the lower part of the treatment tank is started. The watering nozzle starts sprinkling the water at the timing when the treatment liquid in the treatment tank is drained from the lower part of the treatment tank and the substrate immersed in the treatment liquid is exposed from the water surface of the treatment liquid. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, which is characterized. A substrate processing method in which a predetermined treatment is performed on the substrate by immersing the substrate in a treatment liquid.
A storage process in which a chemical solution or pure water constituting the treatment solution is supplied and stored in the treatment tank, and
A lowering step of lowering the substrate into the treatment liquid stored in the treatment tank, and
A dipping step of maintaining the state in which the substrate is immersed in the processing liquid in the processing tank by the descent step.
Have,
The substrate processing method, which comprises stopping the supply of the chemical solution or pure water to the processing tank for a predetermined time in the dipping step. It is characterized by further having a correction step of correcting the bias of the progress state of the treatment due to the temperature distribution in the treatment tank in the state where the supply of the chemical solution or pure water to the treatment tank is stopped in the immersion step. The substrate processing method according to claim 7. The correction step is characterized in that ultrasonic waves are applied to the treatment liquid in the lower part of the treatment tank in a state where the supply of the chemical solution or pure water to the treatment tank in the immersion step is stopped. The substrate processing method according to claim 8. In the correction step, after the supply of the chemical solution or pure water to the treatment tank in the dipping step is stopped, the treatment liquid in the treatment tank is drained from the lower part of the treatment tank, and the treatment liquid is drained from the lower part of the treatment tank. The substrate treatment method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein pure water having a temperature lower than that of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank is sprinkled into the treatment tank from above the treatment tank. The substrate treatment method according to claim 10, wherein in the correction step, the watering is started at the timing when the drainage of the treatment liquid from the lower part of the treatment tank is started. In the correction step, the watering is started at the timing when the treatment liquid in the treatment tank is drained from the lower part of the treatment tank and the substrate immersed in the treatment liquid is exposed from the water surface of the treatment liquid. 10. The substrate processing method according to claim 10.

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