JP2022128061A - Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a technique that can more appropriately replace deionized water with IPA solution on multiple substrates.SOLUTION: A substrate processing apparatus 10 is a substrate processing apparatus that performs batch processing for a plurality of substrates W. The substrate processing apparatus 10 comprises a processing tank 2, a liquid supply pipe 311, a first liquid drain pipe 321, and a discharge pipe 61. The processing tank 2 stores an IPA solution, which is an isopropyl alcohol solution, and a carrier C containing the plurality of substrates W is immersed in the IPA solution. The liquid supply pipe 311 supplies the IPA solution to the processing tank 2. The first liquid drain pipe 321 discharges the IPA solution from the processing tank 2. The discharge pipe 61 is located above the processing tank 2 and discharges IPA vapor, which is isopropyl alcohol vapor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method.

2. Description of the Related Art Batch-type substrate processing apparatuses that collectively process a plurality of substrates have been conventionally proposed (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). The substrate processing apparatus of Patent Literature 1 includes a processing tank, a first ejection nozzle, a second ejection nozzle, and a discharge section. The first discharge nozzle supplies the processing liquid to the processing bath. As a result, the processing liquid is stored in the processing bath. The processing liquid is pure water, for example. A carrier containing a plurality of substrates is carried into the processing bath. As a result, a plurality of substrates are immersed in the treatment liquid, and the plurality of substrates are collectively treated according to the treatment liquid.

The second ejection nozzle is arranged vertically above the processing tank and ejects vapor of the organic solvent. The vapor of the organic solvent contacts the surface of the processing liquid stored in the processing tank and is liquefied, forming a liquid film of the organic solvent on the liquid surface. The organic solvent is a liquid with higher volatility than the processing liquid, such as isopropyl alcohol (IPA).

The discharge part discharges the processing liquid from the processing bath. As a result, the surface of the processing liquid (liquid film of the organic solvent) in the processing bath descends with the lapse of time. At this time, the liquid film of the organic solvent sequentially contacts the substrate from above. As a result, the processing liquid on the surface of the substrate is sequentially replaced with the organic solvent from the upper side. After that, the substrate processing apparatus dries the carriers and substrates by supplying a high-temperature drying gas toward the plurality of substrates.

The substrate processing apparatus of Patent Document 2 includes an IPA bath. An IPA liquid is stored in the IPA tank. A cassette containing a plurality of substrates is immersed in this IPA liquid. By this immersion, the pure water adhering to the substrate can be replaced with the IPA liquid. The cassette stored in the IPA tank is then transported to the centrifugal dryer. A centrifugal dryer dries the cassette and multiple substrates.

JP 2019-160954 A JP-A-5-206096

In recent years, substrates that are difficult to dry have appeared. For example, miniaturization, lamination, and three-dimensionalization of MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) devices are progressing as the performance thereof is improved. A three-dimensional structure may be formed on the surface of the substrate during fabrication of the device, and a space may be formed inside the three-dimensional structure. If pure water enters the internal space of such a three-dimensional structure, it is difficult to dry the substrate. This is because the pure water is difficult to be discharged from the internal space, and it is difficult to replace the pure water with the IPA liquid.

Such substrates cannot be sufficiently processed by the substrate processing apparatuses disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2. In other words, the pure water adhering to the substrate cannot be sufficiently replaced with the IPA solution.

An object of the present application is to provide a technique capable of more appropriately replacing the pure water of a plurality of substrates with an IPA liquid.

A first aspect of a substrate processing apparatus is a substrate processing apparatus that processes a plurality of substrates collectively, in which an IPA liquid that is an isopropyl alcohol liquid is stored, and a carrier that accommodates the plurality of substrates is the above substrate processing apparatus. A treatment bath immersed in an IPA solution, a liquid supply pipe for supplying the IPA solution to the treatment bath, a first drain pipe for discharging the IPA solution from the treatment bath, and a treatment bath provided above the treatment bath. , and a discharge pipe for discharging IPA vapor, which is isopropyl alcohol vapor.

A second aspect of the substrate processing apparatus is the substrate processing apparatus according to the first aspect, further comprising a filter provided in the liquid supply pipe for trapping at least one of particles and metal ions in the IPA liquid. Prepare.

A third aspect of the substrate processing apparatus is the substrate processing apparatus according to the first or second aspect, further comprising: a circulation pipe connected to the processing bath for circulating the IPA liquid; and a bottom portion of the processing bath. and a distribution plate provided between the carrier carried into the processing bath, the distribution plate being larger than the downstream port.

A fourth aspect of the substrate processing apparatus is the substrate processing apparatus according to the third aspect, wherein the dispersion plate is smaller than the lower opening provided below the carrier.

A fifth aspect of the substrate processing apparatus is the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the IPA liquid recovered from the processing tank through the first drain pipe is stored. A storage tank is further provided, and the upstream end of the liquid supply pipe is connected to the storage tank.

A sixth aspect of the substrate processing apparatus is the substrate processing apparatus according to the fifth aspect, comprising: a sensor for measuring the moisture concentration in the reservoir; and a second drain for discharging the IPA liquid in the reservoir. It further comprises a liquid pipe and a new liquid pipe for supplying the new IPA liquid to the storage tank.

A seventh aspect of the substrate processing apparatus is the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, further comprising a swinging mechanism for swinging the carrier in the processing tank.

An eighth aspect of the substrate processing apparatus is the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein the substrate processing apparatus is provided inside the processing bath and the plurality of substrates are lifted from the carrier. and a push-up mechanism for supporting the plurality of substrates.

A first aspect of the substrate processing method is a substrate processing method for collectively processing a plurality of substrates, wherein a carrier containing the plurality of substrates is treated with IPA, which is an isopropyl alcohol solution, in a processing tank. an immersion step of immersing in a liquid, and after the immersion step, the liquid surface of the IPA liquid is lowered relative to the carrier and the plurality of substrates to remove the carrier and the plurality of substrates from the IPA liquid. and a post-IPA vapor supply step of supplying IPA vapor, which is isopropyl alcohol vapor, from a discharge pipe to the carrier and the plurality of substrates exposed from the IPA liquid.

A second aspect of the substrate processing method is the substrate processing method according to the first aspect, wherein, prior to the post-IPA vapor supply step, pipe heating is performed to discharge an inert gas heated by a heater from the discharge pipe. A step is further provided.

A third aspect of the substrate processing method is the substrate processing method according to the second aspect, wherein the immersion step includes an IPA liquid supply step of supplying the IPA solution to the processing tank, and The pipe heating step is performed before the IPA liquid supply step.

A fourth aspect of the substrate processing method is the substrate processing method according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the immersion step includes a state in which the carrier is immersed in the IPA solution in the processing tank. and a circulation step of circulating the IPA solution through a circulation pipe connected to the processing tank.

A fifth aspect of the substrate processing method is the substrate processing method according to the fourth aspect, further comprising a pre-circulation step of circulating the IPA solution through the circulation pipe before carrying the carrier into the processing bath. Prepare more.

A sixth aspect of the substrate processing method is the substrate processing method according to the fourth or fifth aspect, wherein the immersion step is performed in parallel with the circulation step, and the IPA vapor is discharged from the discharge pipe. It further includes an IPA vapor supplying step.

A seventh aspect of the substrate processing method is the substrate processing method according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the water concentration in a storage tank for storing the IPA liquid recovered from the processing tank is a measuring step of measuring, a discharging step of discharging the IPA liquid in the storage tank when the water concentration is equal to or higher than an allowable value, and a new supplying step of supplying the new IPA liquid to the storage tank after the discharging step. and an IPA liquid supply step.

According to the first aspect of the substrate processing apparatus, by immersing the plurality of substrates in the IPA liquid, a large amount of the IPA liquid can act on the carrier and the plurality of substrates. Therefore, the pure water adhering to the carrier and the plurality of substrates can be effectively replaced with the IPA liquid. Further, the carrier and the substrate can be exposed from the IPA liquid by, for example, discharging the IPA liquid from the processing bath through the first drain pipe. By supplying IPA vapor to the carrier and the plurality of substrates in this state, the pure water remaining on the substrates after being immersed in the IPA liquid can be replaced with the IPA liquid. That is, the two-stage treatment of immersion in the IPA liquid and supply of the IPA vapor can more appropriately replace the pure water adhering to the carrier and the plurality of substrates with the IPA liquid.

According to the second aspect of the substrate processing apparatus, an IPA solution containing few impurities can be supplied to the processing bath.

According to the third aspect of the substrate processing apparatus, the distribution plate can widen the flow of the IPA liquid supplied from the downstream port of the circulation pipe. Therefore, the IPA liquid can be flowed evenly over the plurality of substrates.

According to the fourth aspect of the substrate processing apparatus, the IPA liquid supplied from the downstream port of the circulation pipe flows from the periphery of the dispersion plate into the lower opening of the carrier. Therefore, the IPA liquid flows over a wider range of the substrates housed in the carrier. Therefore, the IPA liquid can be flowed evenly over the plurality of substrates.

According to the fifth aspect of the substrate processing apparatus, the IPA liquid can be supplied from the storage tank to the processing tank, and the IPA liquid can be recovered from the processing tank to the storage tank. Therefore, the IPA liquid can be reused.

According to the sixth aspect of the substrate processing apparatus, when the carrier containing the plurality of substrates to which pure water is attached is immersed in the IPA liquid in the processing bath, the moisture concentration in the processing bath increases. Since the liquid in the treatment tank is collected in the reservoir, the water concentration in the reservoir increases each time the carrier is treated.

A second drain line can drain old liquid in the reservoir and a new liquid line can supply new IPA liquid to the reservoir. That is, it is possible to perform liquid exchange processing for the storage tank.

Moreover, since the sensor measures the water concentration in the reservoir, it is possible to monitor the water concentration in the reservoir and perform liquid exchange. Specifically, when the measured water concentration becomes high, the liquid in the storage tank can be exchanged. As a result, an IPA solution with a low water concentration can be supplied from the storage tank to the treatment tank.

According to the seventh aspect of the substrate processing apparatus, processing efficiency for a plurality of substrates can be enhanced.

According to the eighth aspect of the substrate processing apparatus, since the gap between the side surface of each substrate and the inner side surface of the carrier can be widened, the IPA liquid can easily flow through the gap. Therefore, replacement of pure water with IPA liquid can be accelerated even in the gap.

According to the first aspect of the substrate processing method, a large amount of IPA liquid can be applied to the carrier and the plurality of substrates in the immersion step. Therefore, the pure water adhering to the carrier and the plurality of substrates can be effectively replaced with the IPA liquid. Further, the pure water remaining on the substrate even after the immersion process can be replaced with the IPA liquid by the post-IPA vapor supply process. That is, the two-stage treatment of immersion in the IPA liquid and supply of the IPA vapor can more appropriately replace the pure water adhering to the carrier and the plurality of substrates with the IPA liquid.

According to the second aspect of the substrate processing method, the discharge pipe can be heated before the IPA vapor is supplied, so condensation of the IPA vapor can be suppressed.

According to the third aspect of the substrate processing method, the IPA liquid supply step is performed after the piping heating step. If the IPA solution is supplied to the treatment tank during the pipe heating step, the evaporation of the IPA solution is accelerated. be able to. Therefore, consumption of the IPA liquid can be reduced.

According to the fourth aspect of the substrate processing method, since a liquid flow can be formed in the processing tank, the IPA liquid can easily act on the surfaces of the plurality of substrates, further promoting the replacement of the pure water with the IPA liquid. can do.

According to the fifth aspect of the substrate processing method, the gas in the circulation pipe can be discharged before the immersion step.

According to the sixth aspect of the substrate processing method, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the circulation amount of the IPA liquid.

According to the seventh aspect of the substrate processing method, the IPA liquid having a low water concentration can be supplied from the storage tank to the processing tank.

It is a figure showing roughly an example of composition of a substrate processing device concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a figure which shows roughly an example of an internal structure of a control part. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation|movement of a substrate processing apparatus. It is a flow chart which shows a concrete example of an immersion process. It is a figure which shows roughly an example of the appearance of a substrate processing apparatus. It is a figure which shows roughly an example of the appearance of a substrate processing apparatus. It is a figure which shows roughly an example of the appearance of a substrate processing apparatus. It is a figure which shows roughly an example of the appearance of a substrate processing apparatus. 4 is a timing chart showing an example of a circulation process, an exposure process, an IPA vapor supply process, and a post-IPA vapor supply process; 5 is a flowchart showing an example of liquid replacement processing; It is a figure which shows roughly an example of a structure of the substrate processing apparatus concerning 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing an example of a processing tank, a dispersion plate, and a circulation pipe; FIG. 4 is a plan view schematically showing an example of the size relationship between the lower opening of the carrier, the dispersion plate, and the downstream opening of the circulation pipe; It is a figure which shows roughly an example of a structure of the substrate processing apparatus concerning 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows roughly an example of a mode that a carrier rocks. It is a figure which shows roughly an example of a structure of the substrate processing apparatus concerning 4th Embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of the positional relationship among the push-up mechanism, carrier, and substrate; FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example of a positional relationship among a push-up mechanism, a carrier, and a substrate according to a comparative example;

Embodiments will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. It should be noted that the drawings are shown schematically, and for the convenience of explanation, the configurations are omitted and simplified as appropriate. Also, the interrelationships between the sizes and positions of the components shown in the drawings are not necessarily described accurately and may be changed as appropriate. In addition, in each drawing, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system having the Z-axis direction as the vertical direction and the XY plane as the horizontal plane is appropriately attached in order to clarify the positional relationship of the constituent elements. Hereinafter, one side in the Z-axis direction (here, the vertically upper side) will be referred to as the +Z side, and the other side in the Z-axis direction (here, the vertically lower side) will also be referred to as the -Z side. The same applies to the X-axis and Y-axis.

In addition, in the description given below, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, a detailed description thereof may be omitted to avoid duplication.

Also, even if ordinal numbers such as “first” or “second” are used in the description below, these terms are used to facilitate understanding of the content of the embodiments. are used for convenience, and are not limited to the order or the like that can occur with these ordinal numbers.

Expressions indicating relative or absolute positional relationships (e.g., "in one direction", "along one direction", "parallel", "perpendicular", "center", "concentric", "coaxial", etc.) are used unless otherwise specified. Not only the positional relationship is strictly expressed, but also the relatively displaced state in terms of angle or distance within the range of tolerance or equivalent function. Expressions indicating equality (e.g., "same", "equal", "homogeneous", etc.), unless otherwise specified, not only express quantitatively strictly equality, but also tolerances or equivalent functions can be obtained It shall also represent the state in which there is a difference. Expressions indicating shapes (e.g., "square shape" or "cylindrical shape"), unless otherwise specified, not only represent the shape strictly geometrically, but also to the extent that the same effect can be obtained, such as Shapes having unevenness, chamfering, etc. are also represented. The terms "comprise", "comprise", "comprise", "include" or "have" an element are not exclusive expressions that exclude the presence of other elements. The phrase "at least one of A, B and C" includes only A, only B, only C, any two of A, B and C, and all of A, B and C.

<First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 10 is a batch type processing apparatus that processes a plurality of substrates W collectively.

The substrate W to be processed has a flat plate shape, and in the example of FIG. 1, has a substantially circular shape when viewed along the thickness direction of the substrate W. The diameter of the substrate W is, for example, about 200 mm, and its thickness is, for example, about several hundred μm. The substrate W is, for example, a semiconductor substrate. As the semiconductor substrate, for example, a substrate such as a silicon substrate or a silicon carbide substrate can be adopted. Various three-dimensional structures can be formed on the main surface of the substrate W. FIG. The substrate W is, for example, a substrate in the process of manufacturing a MEMS device. Inside this three-dimensional structure, a space can be formed in which liquid can enter.

A plurality of substrates W are transported into the substrate processing apparatus 10 while being accommodated in the carrier C. As shown in FIG. This carrier C has an internal space that opens at least on the +Z side and the -Z side, and a plurality of substrates W are accommodated in this internal space. Hereinafter, the opening on the +Z side of the carrier C is called an upper opening C1, and the opening on the -Z side of the carrier C is called a lower opening C2. The carrier C is made of fluorine-based resin such as PFA (perfluoroalkoxyalkane).

A plurality of substrates W are in an upright posture in the inner space of the carrier C, and are accommodated side by side along the normal direction of the main surface of the substrate W (that is, the thickness direction of the substrate W: here, the Y-axis direction). . The standing posture is a posture in which the normal direction (thickness direction) of the main surface of the substrate W is along the horizontal direction. Although the number of substrates W accommodated in the carrier C is not particularly limited, it is, for example, about several tens (eg, 25). Outside the substrate processing apparatus 10, a plurality of substrates W are inserted into the carrier C through the upper opening C1 of the carrier C and taken out of the carrier C through the upper opening C1.

Here, the plurality of substrates W housed in the carrier C have been processed in a pre-process before being loaded into the substrate processing apparatus 10, and the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W are adhered with pure water. The carrier C is loaded into the substrate processing apparatus 10 with pure water adhering to it. The substrate processing apparatus 10 replaces the pure water (cleaning liquid) adhering to the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W with an isopropyl alcohol liquid (hereinafter referred to as an IPA liquid: an organic solvent) having a lower latent heat of vaporization, and then replaces the carrier C with an organic solvent. and the plurality of substrates W are dried. Therefore, it can be said that the substrate processing apparatus 10 is a drying apparatus.

A substrate processing apparatus 10 includes a chamber 1 , a processing bath 2 , an IPA liquid unit 3 and a gas supply section 5 .

<Chamber>
Chamber 1 includes housing 11 and lid 12 . The housing 11 has a box-like shape that opens on the +Z side. The lid 12 is attached to the +Z side end (upper end) of the housing 11 so that it can be opened and closed. Opening and closing of the lid 12 is controlled by the control unit 90 , and closing the lid 12 closes the +Z side opening of the chamber 1 .

<Treatment tank>
A processing bath 2 is arranged inside the chamber 1 . The processing tank 2 has an opening that opens on the +Z side, and the carrier C is carried into the processing tank 2 through this opening. In the example of FIG. 1, the processing tank 2 is fixed to the housing 11 via a fixing member (not shown) while being separated from the bottom of the housing 11 .

A plurality of substrates W accommodated in a carrier C are transported into the chamber 1 by a transport mechanism (not shown). Specifically, the carrier C is carried into the processing bath 2 through the opening of the housing 11 when the lid 12 is opened. In the example of FIG. 1 , the substrate processing apparatus 10 is provided with a mounting section 20 . The mounting unit 20 includes a mounting table 21, and the mounting table 21 is provided inside the processing bath 2, and the carrier C is mounted thereon. In the example of FIG. 1 , the mounting table 21 is connected to the chamber 1 while suspended by the connecting member 22 . The mounting table 21 is configured so that the liquid can pass in the Z-axis direction, and may be configured in a net shape, for example.

<Overview of IPA liquid unit>
The IPA liquid unit 3 includes an IPA liquid supply section 31 and an IPA liquid discharge section 32 .

The IPA liquid supply unit 31 supplies the IPA liquid to the processing bath 2 as will be described in detail later. As a result, the IPA liquid is stored in the processing tank 2 . The IPA liquid supply unit 31 supplies the IPA liquid to the processing bath 2 in such a supply amount that at least the carrier C can be immersed in the IPA liquid. By immersing the carrier C in the IPA liquid, the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W can be rinsed together. In other words, the pure water adhering to the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W can be replaced with the IPA liquid all at once. Since the plurality of substrates W are entirely immersed in the IPA liquid, even when a three-dimensional structure such as MEMS is provided on the surface of the substrate W, the IPA liquid easily enters the internal space of the three-dimensional structure. Therefore, replacement of pure water with IPA liquid in the internal space can be promoted.

In the example of FIG. 1, the IPA liquid unit 3 further includes an IPA liquid circulation section 33 . The IPA liquid circulation unit 33 circulates the IPA liquid with the processing tank 2 as a part of the circulation path, as will be described in detail later. This causes the IPA liquid to flow from the upstream side to the downstream side of the circulation path inside the processing tank 2 , so that the IPA liquid easily acts on the plurality of substrates W. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the replacement of the pure water adhering to the substrate W with the IPA liquid can be further promoted.

The IPA liquid discharge part 32 discharges the IPA liquid stored in the processing tank 2 to the outside of the processing tank 2, as will be described in detail later. For example, the IPA liquid discharge part 32 discharges the IPA liquid in the processing bath 2 after the carrier C is immersed in the IPA liquid for a predetermined time. A detailed example of each part of the IPA liquid unit 3 will be described below.

<IPA liquid supply unit>
In the example of FIG. 1, the IPA liquid supply unit 31 includes a liquid supply pipe 311, a pump 312, a valve 314 and a valve 315. The liquid supply pipe 311 is a pipe for supplying the IPA solution to the processing tank 2, and in the example of FIG.

The upstream end of pipe 42 is connected to storage tank 41 . The storage tank 41 is supplied with the IPA liquid from the liquid exchange section 8 described later and stores the IPA liquid. The upstream end of the pipe 42 corresponds to the upstream end of the liquid supply pipe 311 and corresponds to a suction port for sucking the IPA liquid from the storage tank 41 . The downstream end of the pipe 42 is connected to the upstream end of the pipe 43 , the downstream end of the pipe 43 is connected to the upstream end of the pipe 44 , and the downstream end of the pipe 44 is connected to the treatment tank 2 . The downstream end of the pipe 44 corresponds to the downstream end of the liquid supply pipe 311 and can function as a liquid supply port for supplying the IPA liquid to the processing tank 2 . In the example of FIG. 1, the downstream end (liquid supply port) of the pipe 44 opens at the bottom of the processing tank 2 . Thus, the liquid supply pipe 311 connects the processing tank 2 and the storage tank 41 to each other.

A pump 312 is provided in the liquid supply pipe 311 . In the example of FIG. 1 , the pump 312 is provided in the pipe 43 .

In the example of FIG. 1, the liquid supply pipe 311 is provided with a filter 313 . As a more specific example, the filter 313 is provided on the pipe 43 . The filter 313 captures at least one of particles and metal ions in the IPA liquid flowing through the liquid supply pipe 311 . As the filter 313, for example, Protego (registered trademark) Plus can be adopted.

A valve 314 and a valve 315 are provided on the liquid supply pipe 311 . In the example of FIG. 1 , the valve 314 is provided on the pipe 42 and the valve 315 is provided on the pipe 43 . When both the valves 314 and 315 are opened and the pump 312 operates, the IPA liquid in the storage tank 41 is supplied to the processing tank 2 through the liquid supply pipe 311 .

<IPA liquid discharge part>
In the example of FIG. 1, the IPA liquid discharge section 32 includes a first drain pipe 321 , a valve 322 and a valve 323 . The first drain pipe 321 is a pipe for discharging the IPA solution in the processing tank 2 to the outside of the processing tank 2. In the example of FIG. and piping 47 . Since the pipe 44 also functions as part of the liquid supply pipe 311 , the pipe 44 is shared by the liquid supply pipe 311 and the first liquid drain pipe 321 . Therefore, the connecting end of the pipe 44 to the processing bath 2 functions not only as a liquid supply port but also as a liquid drain port. The connection point between the pipe 44 and the pipe 43 is connected to the upstream end of the pipe 45, the downstream end of the pipe 45 is connected to the upstream end of the pipe 46, the downstream end of the pipe 46 is connected to the upstream end of the pipe 47, and the pipe The downstream end of 47 is connected to reservoir 41 . The downstream end of the pipe 47 corresponds to the downstream end of the first drain pipe 321 and corresponds to a discharge port for discharging the IPA liquid to the storage tank 41 . Thus, the first drain pipe 321 connects the processing tank 2 and the storage tank 41 to each other.

A valve 322 and a valve 323 are provided on the first drain pipe 321 . In the example of FIG. 1 , the valve 322 is provided on the pipe 45 and the valve 323 is provided on the pipe 47 . When both the valves 322 and 323 are opened, the IPA liquid stored in the processing tank 2 is collected in the storage tank 41 through the first drain pipe 321 . The storage tank 41 stores the recovered IPA liquid. As a result, the recovered IPA liquid can be reused for the next carrier C treatment. In the example of FIG. 1, the IPA liquid discharge part 32 recovers the IPA liquid in the processing tank 2 to the storage tank 41, so the IPA liquid discharge part 32 can also be said to be an IPA liquid recovery part. It can be said that it is a collection pipe, and the storage tank 41 can also be said to be a collection tank.

<IPA liquid circulation part>
The IPA liquid circulation unit 33 circulates the IPA liquid with the processing bath 2 as a part of the circulation path. Here, IPA is circulated while overflowing the IPA liquid from the processing tank 2 . The IPA liquid overflowing from the +Z side end of the processing bath 2 runs along the outer peripheral surface of the processing bath 2 and accumulates at the bottom of the chamber 1 . The IPA liquid circulation unit 33 sucks the IPA liquid from the chamber 1 and returns it to the processing bath 2 to circulate the IPA liquid.

In the example of FIG. 1 , the IPA liquid circulation section 33 includes a circulation pipe 331 , a pump 312 , a valve 332 , a valve 333 , a valve 334 and a valve 315 .

The circulation pipe 331 is a pipe for circulating the IPA liquid, and in the example shown in FIG. The upstream end of pipe 49 opens at the bottom of chamber 1 . The upstream end of the pipe 49 corresponds to the upstream end of the circulation pipe 331 and corresponds to the upstream port through which the IPA liquid collected at the bottom of the chamber 1 flows. The downstream end of pipe 49 is connected to the upstream end of pipe 46 . Since the pipe 46 also functions as part of the first drain pipe 321 , the pipe 46 is shared by the first drain pipe 321 and the circulation pipe 331 . The downstream end of pipe 46 is connected to the upstream end of pipe 48 , and the downstream end of pipe 48 is connected to the upstream end of pipe 43 . Since the pipe 43 also functions as part of the liquid supply pipe 311 , the pipe 43 is shared by the liquid supply pipe 311 and the circulation pipe 331 . Since the pipe 44 also functions as part of the liquid supply pipe 311 and part of the first liquid drain pipe 321 , the pipe 44 is also used by the liquid supply pipe 311 , the first liquid drain pipe 321 and the circulation pipe 331 . The connection end of the pipe 44 connected to the processing bath 2 also corresponds to the downstream end of the circulation pipe 331 and can function as a downstream port for flowing out the IPA liquid to the processing bath 2 . Thus, the circulation pipe 331 connects the chamber 1 and the processing bath 2 to each other.

Since the pump 312 is provided in the pipe 43 forming part of the circulation pipe 331 , it can be said that the pump 312 is provided in the circulation pipe 331 . In other words, the pump 312 is shared by the IPA liquid supply section 31 and the IPA liquid circulation section 33 . Similarly, it can be said that the filter 313 and the valve 315 are also provided in the circulation pipe 331 . That is, the filter 313 and the valve 315 are also used by the IPA liquid supply section 31 and the IPA liquid circulation section 33 .

A valve 332 is provided on the pipe 49 , and a valve 333 and a valve 334 are provided on the pipe 48 . The valve 333 is provided in the upstream portion of the pipe 48 and the valve 334 is provided in the downstream portion of the pipe 48 .

In the IPA liquid circulation unit 33, the valves 332, 333, 334, and 315 are opened, and the pump 312 is operated to allow the IPA liquid accumulated in the chamber 1 to flow into the upstream port of the circulation pipe 331. , through the circulation pipe 331 and supplied again into the processing bath 2 from the downstream port. The IPA solution flows from the −Z side to the +Z side inside the processing bath 2, overflows from the +Z side end of the processing bath 2, flows toward the bottom of the chamber 1, and flows into the upstream port of the circulation pipe 331 again. do.

By such circulation, the IPA liquid flows into the inside of the carrier C from the lower opening C2 of the carrier C inside the processing tank 2, flows to the +Z side between the plurality of substrates W, and flows out from the upper opening C1. According to this, the IPA liquid can be easily applied to the surfaces of the plurality of substrates W, and the replacement of the pure water on the surfaces of the substrates W with the IPA liquid can be promoted.

In the example of FIG. 1, the pipe 48 is provided with valves 333 and 334 . For example, when the IPA liquid supply unit 31 supplies the IPA liquid, at least the valve 334 is closed. As a result, the IPA liquid flowing from the liquid supply pipe 311 into the pipe 48 can be blocked by the valve 334 provided near the liquid supply pipe 311 . Therefore, the inflow into the pipe 48 can be suppressed more reliably. Moreover, when the IPA liquid is discharged by the IPA liquid discharger 32, at least the valve 333 is closed. As a result, the IPA liquid flowing into the pipe 48 from the first drain pipe 321 can be blocked by the valve 333 provided near the first drain pipe 321 . Thereby, the inflow of the IPA liquid into the pipe 48 can be suppressed more reliably.

<Piping configuration>
Incidentally, the piping configuration of the IPA liquid unit 3 is not necessarily limited to the mode shown in FIG. 1, and can be changed as appropriate. For example, although part of the liquid supply pipe 311, the first drain pipe 321, and the circulation pipe 331 are common, they may be configured by pipes different from each other.

<Gas supply section>
A gas supply unit 5 supplies gas to the internal space of the chamber 1 . The gas supply section 5 includes an IPA vapor supply section 51 and an inert gas supply section 52 .

<IPA steam supply unit>
The IPA vapor supply unit 51 supplies isopropyl alcohol vapor (hereinafter referred to as IPA vapor) to the space on the +Z side of the processing tank 2 (that is, the upper space). IPA vapor may also be referred to as IPA gas.

The IPA vapor supply 51 includes a discharge pipe 61 . The discharge pipe 61 is provided in a space above the processing tank 2 in the chamber 1 and has a discharge port 61 a that opens inside the chamber 1 . The IPA vapor supply unit 51 discharges IPA vapor from the discharge port 61a.

In the example of FIG. 1, a pair of discharge pipes 61 are provided as the discharge pipes 61 . The pair of discharge pipes 61 are spaced apart from each other in the X-axis direction. The height positions of the pair of discharge pipes 61 may be the same, or may be different from each other.

The discharge pipe 61 has an elongated shape extending along the Y-axis direction, for example. The discharge pipe 61 may be provided with a plurality of discharge ports 61a. The plurality of discharge ports 61a are arranged at intervals along the Y-axis direction. In the example of FIG. 1, the ejection port 61a opens toward the inside of the processing bath 2. In the example of FIG. As a specific example, the discharge direction of the discharge port 61a of the discharge pipe 61 on the -X side is an oblique direction on the +X side and the -Z side, and the discharge direction of the discharge port 61a of the discharge pipe 61 on the +X side is - It is an oblique direction on the X side and the -Z side.

The IPA vapor supply 51 further includes a vapor supply pipe 511 and a valve 512 . The steam supply pipe 511 is a pipe for supplying IPA vapor to the discharge pipe 61, and in the example of FIG. The pipe 62 branches on the way, and each downstream end thereof is connected to each of the pair of discharge pipes 61 . The upstream end of pipe 62 is connected to the downstream end of pipe 63 , and the upstream end of pipe 63 is connected to IPA vapor supply source 513 . IPA vapor source 513 supplies IPA vapor to the upstream end of line 63 . Thus, the steam supply pipe 511 connects the discharge pipe 61 and the IPA vapor supply source 513 to each other.

A valve 512 is provided in the steam supply pipe 511 . In the example of FIG. 1 , the valve 512 is provided on the pipe 63 . When the valve 512 is opened, IPA vapor is supplied from the IPA vapor supply source 513 to the discharge pipe 61 through the vapor supply pipe 511 and discharged from the discharge port 61 a of the discharge pipe 61 . When the valve 512 is closed, the IPA vapor delivery stops.

In the example of FIG. 1, the steam supply pipe 511 is provided with a heater 65 . In the example of FIG. 1, the heater 65 is provided in the pipe 62 . A heater 65 heats the IPA vapor flowing through the pipe 62 . Heater 65 may be, for example, an electrical resistance heater including a heating wire. By heating the IPA vapor with the heater 65, condensation of the IPA vapor can be suppressed.

The IPA vapor supply source 513 may supply not only IPA vapor but also carrier gas. The carrier gas is an inert gas and includes at least one of a rare gas such as argon gas and nitrogen gas. In this case, a mixed gas of IPA vapor and carrier gas is discharged from the discharge port 61 a of the discharge pipe 61 .

In the example of FIG. 1, IPA vapor supply 513 includes reservoir 53 and heater 54 . The IPA liquid is stored in the storage tank 53 . The storage tank 53 is, for example, a closed storage tank. A heater 54 heats the IPA liquid stored in the storage tank 53 . Heater 54 may be, for example, an electrical resistance heater including a heating wire. In the example of FIG. 1, the heater 54 is provided on the bottom surface of the storage tank 53 . The IPA liquid in the storage tank 53 is heated by the heater 54 to evaporate. Therefore, the space on the +Z side of the IPA liquid surface in the storage tank 53 is filled with IPA vapor.

The upstream end (upstream port) of the steam supply pipe 511 is open on the +Z side of the liquid surface of the IPA liquid in the storage tank 53, and the IPA vapor in the storage tank 53 flows from the upstream port of the steam supply pipe 511. It flows into the supply pipe 511 .

In the example of FIG. 1, the storage tank 53 is connected to the inert gas supply source 523 via the carrier gas supply pipe 55 . The inert gas supply source 523 supplies inert gas as carrier gas to the upstream end of the carrier gas supply pipe 55 . The downstream end of the carrier gas supply pipe 55 opens on the +Z side of the liquid surface of the IPA liquid in the storage tank 53 .

A valve 56 is provided in the carrier gas supply pipe 55 . By opening the valve 56, the carrier gas from the inert gas supply source 523 is supplied into the storage tank 53 through the carrier gas supply pipe 55, and flows into the upstream port of the steam supply pipe 511 together with the IPA vapor in the storage tank 53. . The carrier gas flows through the vapor supply pipe 511 together with the IPA vapor, and is discharged from the discharge port 61a of the discharge pipe 61 .

As described above, the IPA vapor supply unit 51 can supply IPA vapor and carrier gas to the upper space in the chamber 1 . As will be described in detail later, the IPA vapor supply unit 51 supplies IPA vapor while the IPA liquid discharge unit 32 has discharged the IPA liquid from the processing tank 2 . The IPA vapor flows toward the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W and acts on the carrier C surface and the plurality of substrates W surfaces. As a result, the pure water remaining on the surface of the carrier C and the surface of the substrate W can be replaced with the IPA liquid.

<Inert gas supply unit>
The inert gas supply unit 52 supplies an inert gas for drying to the space above the processing tank 2 . By supplying the inert gas for drying toward the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W from the inert gas supply unit 52, the evaporation of the IPA liquid adhering to the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W can be accelerated. Thereby, the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W can be dried quickly.

In the example of FIG. 1 , the inert gas supply section 52 includes an inert gas supply pipe 521 and a valve 522 . The inert gas supply pipe 521 is a pipe for supplying inert gas to the discharge pipe 61, and in the example of FIG. Since the pipe 62 also functions as part of the steam supply pipe 511 , the pipe 62 is shared by the steam supply pipe 511 and the inert gas supply pipe 521 . The upstream end of pipe 62 is also connected to the downstream end of pipe 64 , and the upstream end of pipe 64 is connected to inert gas supply source 523 . Inert gas supply 523 supplies inert gas to the upstream end of line 64 .

A valve 522 is provided on the inert gas supply pipe 521 . In the example of FIG. 1, the valve 522 is provided in the piping 64 . When the valve 522 is opened, the inert gas is supplied from the inert gas supply source 523 to the discharge pipe 61 through the inert gas supply pipe 521 and discharged from the discharge port 61 a of the discharge pipe 61 . When the valve 522 is closed, the inert gas discharge stops.

In the example of FIG. 1 , the heater 65 is provided in the pipe 62 , so it can be said that the heater 65 is provided in the inert gas supply pipe 521 . That is, the heater 65 is shared by the IPA vapor supply section 51 and the inert gas supply section 52 . The heater 65 can heat the inert gas flowing through the pipe 62 . Thereby, the high-temperature inert gas is supplied to the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W can be dried quickly.

<Piping configuration>
The piping configuration of the gas supply unit 5 is not necessarily limited to that shown in FIG. 1, and can be changed as appropriate. For example, in the example of FIG. discharge pipe 61 may be provided separately.

<Gas discharge part>
In the example of FIG. 1 , the substrate processing apparatus 10 further includes a gas discharge section 7 . The gas discharge part 7 discharges the gas inside the chamber 1 to the outside of the chamber 1 . The gas exhaust section 7 includes an exhaust pipe 71 and a valve 72 . The upstream end of the exhaust pipe 71 opens inside the chamber 1 . In the example of FIG. 1, the upstream end of exhaust pipe 71 is connected to the side wall of chamber 1 . A downstream end of the exhaust pipe 71 is connected to a predetermined exhaust portion outside the chamber 1 . A valve 72 is provided in the exhaust pipe 71 . By opening the valve 72 , the gas inside the chamber 1 is discharged to the outside through the exhaust pipe 71 . Closing the valve 72 stops the exhaust of the gas.

<Liquid exchange part>
In the example of FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 10 further includes a liquid exchange section 8, which will be detailed later.

<Control part>
Various components within the substrate processing apparatus 10 are controlled by the control unit 90 . Specifically, the control unit 90 controls various configurations such as opening and closing of the lid 12 of the chamber 1, various valves, various pumps, and various heaters.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram schematically showing an example of the internal configuration of the control section 90. As shown in FIG. The control unit 90 is an electronic circuit and has, for example, a data processing unit 91 and a storage medium 92 . In the specific example of FIG. 2, the data processing section 91 and the storage medium 92 are interconnected via a bus 93 . The data processing unit 91 may be an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU (Central Processor Unit). The storage medium 92 may have a non-temporary storage medium (eg, ROM (Read Only Memory) or hard disk) 921 and a temporary storage medium (eg, RAM (Random Access Memory)) 922 . The non-temporary storage medium 921 may store, for example, a program that defines processing to be executed by the control unit 90 . By the data processing unit 91 executing this program, the control unit 90 can execute the processing specified in the program. Of course, part or all of the functions of the control unit 90 may be realized by hardware circuits.

<Example of operation of substrate processing apparatus>
3 and 4 are flowcharts showing an example of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 10. FIG. Here, initially, the carrier C is not carried into the chamber 1 and the IPA liquid is not stored in the processing tank 2 . 5 to 8 are diagrams schematically showing an example of the state of the substrate processing apparatus 10 in each step.

In the example of FIG. 3, first, the inert gas supply unit 52 supplies high-temperature inert gas into the chamber 1 (step S1: piping heating step). FIG. 5(a) schematically shows an example of the state of the substrate processing apparatus 10 in step S1. In step S1, the controller 90 opens the valve 522 and causes the heater 65 to perform a heating operation. Thereby, the inert gas from the inert gas supply source 523 is supplied to the discharge pipe 61 through the inert gas supply pipe 521 . Since the inert gas is heated by the heater 65 , the high-temperature inert gas is supplied to the discharge pipe 61 and discharged into the chamber 1 from the discharge port 61 a of the discharge pipe 61 .

Thereby, the high-temperature inert gas can preheat the piping on the downstream side of the heater 65 . When the piping is sufficiently heated, the inert gas supply section 52 stops supplying the inert gas. For example, when a first predetermined time has elapsed from the start of step S1, the controller 90 closes the valve 522 and causes the heater 65 to stop the heating operation.

Next, an IPA solution is supplied into the processing bath 2, and the carrier C is immersed in the IPA solution in the processing bath 2 (step S2: immersion step). FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of a specific operation of the immersion step (step S2).

In the example of FIG. 4, first, the IPA liquid supply unit 31 supplies the IPA liquid to the processing tank 2 (Step S21: IPA liquid supply step). FIG. 5B schematically shows an example of the state of the substrate processing apparatus 10 in step S21. At step S21, the control unit 90 opens the valves 314 and 315 to operate the pump 312. FIG. As a result, the IPA liquid in the storage tank 41 is supplied into the processing tank 2 through the liquid supply pipe 311 . In the example of FIG. 5(b), since the filter 313 is provided in the liquid supply pipe 311, impurities including at least one of particles and metal ions in the IPA liquid are captured by the filter 313, resulting in less impurities. An IPA liquid is supplied to the processing bath 2 .

As the IPA liquid is supplied to the processing tank 2 , the liquid level of the IPA liquid in the processing tank 2 rises over time, and eventually the IPA liquid overflows from the +Z side end of the processing tank 2 . The IPA liquid overflowing from the +Z side end of the processing bath 2 is collected at the bottom of the chamber 1 .

When sufficient IPA liquid is stored in the processing tank 2 and the chamber 1, the IPA liquid supply section 31 stops supplying the IPA liquid. For example, when the second predetermined time has elapsed from the start of step S21, the control unit 90 closes the valves 314 and 315 and stops the pump 312. FIG.

Next, the IPA liquid circulation unit 33 circulates the IPA liquid (step S22: pre-circulation step). FIG. 6(a) schematically shows an example of the state of the substrate processing apparatus 10 in step S22. At step S22, the control unit 90 opens the valves 332, 333, 334, and 315 to operate the pump 312. FIG. As a result, the IPA liquid accumulated at the bottom of the chamber 1 is supplied to the processing tank 2 through the circulation pipe 331 . The IPA liquid flows in the processing bath 2 toward the +Z side, overflows from the +Z side end of the processing bath 2, and flows to the bottom of the chamber 1 again.

Since the IPA solution circulates through the processing bath 2, the chamber 1, and the circulation pipe 331 in this way, the gas (for example, air) initially present inside the circulation pipe 331 is pushed out into the processing bath 2 by the IPA solution. It rises in the IPA liquid in the processing bath 2 and is discharged into the chamber 1 . That is, the gas in the circulation pipe 331 can be removed by step S22.

Further, since the filter 313 is provided in the circulation pipe 331, the filter 313 captures impurities in the IPA liquid during circulation of the IPA liquid. Thereby, a cleaner IPA liquid can be circulated.

In both steps S21 and S22, the valve 315 is opened and the pump 312 is operated. It doesn't have to be stopped.

When the IPA liquid circulates sufficiently, the IPA liquid circulation section 33 stops the IPA circulation. For example, when the third predetermined time has elapsed from the start of step S22, the controller 90 closes the valves 332, 333, 334 and 315 and stops the pump 312.

Next, the carrier C containing the plurality of substrates W is loaded into the chamber 1 (step S23: loading step). FIG. 6B schematically shows an example of the state of the substrate processing apparatus 10 in step S23. In step S23, the control unit 90 opens the lid 12, and the transport mechanism (not shown) carries the carrier C into the chamber 1 through the opening of the housing 11 on the +Z side. The transport mechanism moves the carrier C to the −Z side, thereby carrying the carrier C into the processing bath 2 through the opening on the +Z side of the processing bath 2 . As a result, the carrier C is immersed in the IPA solution in the processing bath 2 and placed on the placing table 21 . When the loading of the carrier C is completed, the controller 90 closes the lid 12 .

Next, the IPA liquid circulation unit 33 circulates the IPA liquid (step S24: circulation step). FIG. 7A schematically shows an example of the state of the substrate processing apparatus 10 in step S24 and step S25 described later. In step S24, the control unit 90 opens the valves 332, 333, 334, and 315 to operate the pump 312. As a result, the IPA solution circulates through the processing tank 2 , the chamber 1 and the circulation pipe 331 .

In this circulation path, the IPA liquid flows in the processing tank 2 from the -Z side toward the +Z side. Therefore, part of the IPA liquid flows into the inside of the carrier C from the lower opening C2 of the carrier C, flows to the +Z side between the plurality of substrates W, and flows out from the upper opening C1 of the carrier C. Since the IPA liquid flows between the plurality of substrates W in this manner, the IPA liquid easily acts on the surfaces of the substrates W and easily enters the internal space of the three-dimensional structure on the surfaces of the substrates W. As a result, replacement of the pure water with the IPA liquid in the inner space of the substrate W can be promoted more.

In the example of FIG. 4, in parallel with step S24, the IPA vapor supply unit 51 supplies IPA vapor to the space above the treatment bath 2 (step S25: IPA vapor supply step). At step S25, the controller 90 opens the valve 512 and causes the heater 65 to perform a heating operation. Thereby, the IPA vapor from the IPA vapor supply source 513 is supplied to the discharge pipe 61 through the vapor supply pipe 511 . Since the heater 65 heats the IPA vapor, condensation of the IPA vapor can be suppressed. The controller 90 may also open the valve 56 to supply not only the IPA vapor but also the carrier gas.

By supplying the IPA vapor into the chamber 1, it is possible to suppress evaporation of the circulating IPA liquid in the chamber 1, thereby suppressing a decrease in the circulation amount of the IPA liquid. For example, IPA vapor can condense and liquefy on the surface of the IPA liquid in the treatment tank 2 .

When the circulation of the IPA liquid is sufficiently performed, the IPA liquid circulation section 33 stops the circulation of the IPA liquid. For example, when a fourth predetermined time has elapsed from the start of step S24, the controller 90 closes the valves 332, 333, 334 and 315 and stops the pump 312.

It should be noted that the deionized water attached to the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W is not necessarily completely replaced with the IPA liquid even by this step S24, and the deionized water may remain on the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W. For example, the pure water attached to the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W may flow together with the IPA liquid and attach to the carrier C or the substrates W again.

Next, the liquid surface of the IPA liquid is lowered relative to the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W to expose the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W from the IPA liquid (step S3: exposure step). As a specific example, the IPA liquid discharge section 32 discharges the IPA liquid in the processing tank 2 and the chamber 1 to the outside of the chamber 1 (discharging step). FIG. 7B schematically shows an example of the state of the substrate processing apparatus 10 in step S3. At step S<b>3 , the control unit 90 opens the valves 322 , 323 and 332 . As a result, the IPA solution in the processing bath 2 is recovered to the reservoir 41 through the first drain pipe 321 , and the IPA solution in the chamber 1 is recovered to the reservoir 41 through the pipe 49 and the first drain pipe 321 . The IPA liquid collected in the storage tank 41 is reused for processing the next plurality of substrates W. FIG.

It should be noted that the IPA liquid in the chamber 1 does not necessarily have to be discharged, and the valve 332 may be closed.

As the IPA liquid in the processing tank 2 is discharged, the liquid level of the IPA liquid drops over time, so that the +Z side portions of the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W are gradually exposed from the liquid surface of the IPA liquid.

Step S25 may be continued in parallel with this step S3. In this case, IPA vapor acts on the exposed portions of the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W while the IPA liquid is being discharged. As a result, the pure water remaining on the exposed portions of the carrier C and the substrate W is replaced with the IPA liquid.

When the IPA liquid is sufficiently discharged, the IPA liquid discharger 32 stops discharging the IPA liquid. For example, when the fifth predetermined time has elapsed since the start of step S3, the control section 90 closes the valves 322, 323 and 332.

Next, a post-IPA steam supply step (step S4) is performed. The content of the post-IPA vapor supply step is the same as the IPA vapor supply step (step S25). That is, the IPA vapor supply unit 51 supplies the IPA vapor to the chamber 1 . FIG. 8(a) schematically shows an example of the state of the substrate processing apparatus 10 in step S4. In step S<b>4 , the IPA solution in the processing tank 2 has already been discharged, so the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W are entirely exposed in the chamber 1 . Therefore, the IPA vapor supplied by the IPA vapor supply unit 51 acts on the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W as a whole, and the pure water remaining on the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W is replaced with the IPA liquid.

FIG. 9 is a timing chart showing an example of the circulation process (step S24), the IPA vapor supply process (step S25), the exposure process (step S3), and the post-IPA vapor supply process (step S4). In the example of FIG. 9, the IPA vapor supply process is performed in parallel with the circulation process and the exposure process, and the post-IPA vapor supply process is performed continuously with this exposure process. That is, the IPA vapor supply unit 51 supplies IPA vapor during the circulation process and the exposure process (step S25), and also after the exposure process (step S4).

When the pure water is sufficiently replaced with the IPA liquid by the IPA vapor, the IPA vapor supply unit 51 stops the supply of the IPA vapor. For example, when the sixth predetermined time has elapsed from the start of step S4, the controller 90 closes the valve 512 and causes the heater 65 to stop the heating operation. The sixth predetermined time is, for example, several minutes. Further, when the IPA vapor supply unit 51 supplies not only the IPA vapor but also the carrier gas, the control unit 90 also closes the valve 56 .

Next, the inert gas supply unit 52 supplies high-temperature inert gas (step S5: drying step). FIG. 8B schematically shows an example of the state of the substrate processing apparatus 10 in step S5. In step S5, the controller 90 opens the valve 522 and causes the heater 65 to perform a heating operation. Thereby, the inert gas from the inert gas supply source 523 is supplied to the discharge pipe 61 through the inert gas supply pipe 521 . Since the heater 65 heats the inert gas, the high-temperature inert gas is discharged from the discharge pipe 61 into the chamber 1 .

The hot inert gas flows toward the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W and acts on the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W. As shown in FIG. Thereby, the evaporation of the IPA liquid adhering to the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W can be accelerated. Therefore, the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W can be dried more quickly.

Since the heater 65 performs the heating operation in both steps S4 and S5, the heating operation of the heater 65 does not have to be temporarily stopped during the transition between steps S4 and S5.

When the carrier C and the substrate W are sufficiently dried, the inert gas supply part 52 stops supplying the inert gas. For example, when the seventh predetermined time has elapsed from the start of step S5, the control section 90 closes the valve 522 and causes the heater 65 to stop the heating operation. The seventh predetermined time is, for example, about 10 minutes.

Next, the dried carrier C is unloaded (step S6: unloading step). Specifically, the control unit 90 opens the lid 12 and the transport mechanism unloads the carrier C from the chamber 1 . After the carrier C is unloaded, the controller 90 closes the lid 12 .

<Effect of substrate processing apparatus>
As described above, according to the substrate processing apparatus 10, the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W are immersed in the IPA liquid in the processing tank 2 (step S2: immersion step). Therefore, a larger amount of the IPA liquid acts on the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W, and the pure water adhering to the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W can be replaced with the IPA liquid. As a result, the replacement of the pure water with the IPA liquid in the internal space of the three-dimensional structure of the substrate W can also be promoted.

Moreover, after the immersion step (step S2), the IPA vapor is caused to act on the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W (for example, step S4: post-IPA vapor supply step). Therefore, the pure water remaining on the surfaces of the carrier C and the plurality of substrates without being replaced by the IPA liquid immersion can be replaced with the IPA liquid by the IPA vapor.

In other words, in the substrate processing apparatus 10, pure water adhering to the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W is replaced with the IPA liquid by two-step processing of immersion in the IPA liquid and supply of the IPA vapor. Therefore, even if the three-dimensional structure of the substrate W is formed, the pure water adhering to the substrate W can be more appropriately replaced with the IPA liquid.

Especially in the above example, the IPA liquid discharge part 32 recovers the IPA liquid in the processing tank 2 and the chamber 1 to the storage tank 41 , so that the IPA liquid containing pure water is recovered in the storage tank 41 . In the above example, the piping system of the IPA liquid unit 3 is not provided with a water removal mechanism for separating the IPA liquid and the pure water. It is supplied from the storage tank 41 to the processing tank 2 . In this case, there is a high possibility that a small amount of pure water will remain on the carrier C and the substrate W even after the immersion step (step S2).

In the present embodiment, the deionized water adhering to the carrier C and the substrate W can be replaced with the IPA liquid not only by immersion in the IPA liquid as described above but also by IPA vapor. Since this IPA vapor contains almost no moisture, the pure water remaining on the carrier C and the substrate W can be more appropriately replaced with the IPA liquid. In other words, even if the IPA solution containing water in the processing tank 2 is supplied by reusing the IPA solution, the pure water of the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W can be obtained by the two-step treatment of immersion in the IPA solution and supply of IPA vapor. can be more appropriately replaced with IPA solution.

In addition, since the water removing mechanism distills the IPA liquid from the liquid containing the IPA liquid and the pure water to remove the pure water, there are a space for heating the liquid with a heater and a space for cooling the IPA vapor to return it to the IPA liquid. is necessary. In other words, a complicated structure is required. On the other hand, in the above example, the structure of the piping system can be simplified because the moisture removal mechanism can be omitted.

Further, in the above example, the IPA liquid is circulated while the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W are immersed in the IPA liquid in the processing bath 2 (step S24: circulation step). Thereby, the IPA liquid can form a liquid flow in which the IPA liquid flows between the plurality of substrates W in the processing bath 2 . Therefore, the IPA liquid can easily act on the plurality of substrates W. FIG. That is, it becomes easier for the IPA liquid to enter the internal space of the three-dimensional structure of the substrate W, and the replacement of pure water with the IPA liquid in the internal space can be further promoted.

By the way, IPA liquid may contain more impurities such as particles and metal ions than IPA vapor. In addition, by immersing the carrier C in the IPA liquid, impurities adhering to the carrier C and the substrate W may flow into the IPA liquid in the processing bath 2 . As a result, the concentration of impurities in the IPA liquid in the processing tank 2 increases. If the IPA liquid contains impurities in this way, there is a possibility that the impurities will re-adhere to the substrates W from the IPA liquid in the processing tank 2 .

In contrast, in the above example, the liquid supply pipe 311 and the circulation pipe 331 are provided with the filter 313 . Impurities in the IPA liquid can thereby be reduced. Therefore, the adhesion of impurities to the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W can be suppressed.

Further, in the above example, the pipe heating step (step S1) is performed. That is, the piping can be heated before supplying IPA vapor (for example, step S25: IPA vapor supply step). Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the IPA vapor is cooled in the piping when the IPA vapor is supplied. Therefore, condensation of IPA vapor can be suppressed.

Further, in the above example, the pipe heating step (step S1) is performed before the supply of the IPA liquid (step S21: IPA liquid supply step). According to this, evaporation of the IPA liquid supplied to the processing bath 2 can be suppressed. That is, when the high-temperature inert gas is supplied into the chamber 1 while the IPA liquid is stored in the processing tank 2, the evaporation of the IPA liquid in the processing tank 2 is accelerated. In particular, since the latent heat of vaporization of the IPA liquid is small, the IPA liquid is easily vaporized by the high-temperature inert gas. In this case, the consumption of the IPA liquid will increase. On the other hand, in the above example, the high temperature inert gas is supplied before the IPA liquid is supplied, and the high temperature inert gas is not supplied in the IPA liquid supply step (step S21). According to this, the evaporation of the IPA liquid supplied to the processing tank 2 can be suppressed, and the consumption of the IPA liquid can be suppressed.

Further, in the above example, the pre-circulation step (step S22) is performed before the carrying-in step (step S23). According to this, the gas (for example, air) existing in the circulation pipe 331 can be discharged before the carrier C is carried. Therefore, even if the carrier C is carried in, the gas acting on the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W can be reduced or avoided. When the gas acts on the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W, impurities in the gas can adhere to the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W, and such adhesion of impurities can be suppressed or avoided.

In the above example, since the circulation pipe 331 is provided with the filter 313, in the pre-circulation step (step S22), the concentration of impurities in the IPA liquid being circulated can be reduced over time. Thereby, a cleaner IPA liquid can be circulated, and the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W can be immersed in the cleaner IPA liquid in the carrying-in step (step S23).

In the above example, IPA vapor is supplied into the chamber 1 in the circulation step (step S24) (step S25: IPA vapor supply step). According to this, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the circulation amount of the IPA liquid.

In the above example, IPA vapor is also supplied into the chamber 1 in the exposure step (step S3) (step S25: IPA vapor supply step). In the exposure step, the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W are gradually exposed from the IPA liquid from their +Z side portions, and the exposed portions can be quickly acted upon by the IPA vapor. In other words, the IPA vapor can act on the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W from earlier timing.

<Replacement of IPA solution>
As described above, in the substrate processing apparatus 10, the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W to which the pure water is attached are immersed in the IPA liquid in the processing tank 2, so the IPA liquid in the processing tank 2 is mixed with the pure water. In the above example, since the IPA liquid is collected in the storage tank 41, the water concentration in the storage tank 41 increases each time a plurality of substrates W are processed. Especially in the above example, since the piping system of the IPA solution unit 3 is not provided with a moisture removal mechanism, the moisture concentration in the storage tank 41 tends to increase.

Therefore, when the moisture concentration in the storage tank 41 becomes higher than the allowable value, the IPA liquid in the storage tank 41 should be replaced with new IPA liquid.

In the example of FIG. 1, a liquid exchange section 8 is provided. The liquid exchange section 8 includes a new liquid supply section 81 and an old liquid discharge section 82 . The old liquid discharge part 82 discharges the old liquid (mixed liquid of IPA liquid and pure water) in the storage tank 41 to the outside. The drained liquid is for example discarded. In the example of FIG. 1, the old liquid discharge section 82 includes a second liquid drain pipe 821 and a valve 822 . The upstream end of the second drain pipe 821 is connected to, for example, the bottom of the storage tank 41 . A valve 822 is provided on the second drain pipe 821 . By opening the valve 822 , the liquid in the storage tank 41 is discharged to the outside through the second drain pipe 821 . By closing the valve 822, the discharge of the liquid in the storage tank 41 is stopped.

The new liquid supply unit 81 supplies new IPA liquid (hereinafter also referred to as new IPA liquid) to the storage tank 41 . The new IPA liquid has a lower concentration of impurities than the old IPA liquid in the storage tank 41 and contains almost no pure water. In the example of FIG. 1 , the new liquid supply section 81 includes a new liquid pipe 811 , a valve 812 and a valve 813 . The new liquid pipe 811 is a pipe for supplying the new IPA liquid to the storage tank 41, and in the example of FIG. The downstream end of pipe 84 is connected to storage tank 41 , the upstream end of pipe 84 is connected to the downstream end of pipe 85 , and the upstream end of pipe 85 is connected to IPA liquid supply source 87 . An IPA liquid supply source 87 supplies fresh IPA liquid to the upstream end of pipe 85 . Thus, the new liquid pipe 811 connects the reservoir 41 and the IPA liquid supply source 87 to each other.

A valve 812 and a valve 813 are provided on the new liquid pipe 811 . In the example of FIG. 1 , the valve 812 is provided on the pipe 84 and the valve 813 is provided on the pipe 85 . By opening the valves 812 and 813 , new IPA liquid is supplied from the IPA liquid supply source 87 to the storage tank 41 through the new liquid pipe 811 . By closing the valves 812 and 813, the supply of the new IPA liquid is stopped.

In the example of FIG. 1, a sensor 80 is provided to detect the moisture concentration of the liquid stored in the storage tank 41 . The sensor 80 is a so-called moisture meter. The sensor 80 may be, for example, an electric resistance moisture meter that measures the electric resistance value of the liquid in the storage tank 41 as the moisture concentration. The sensor 80 outputs an electrical signal indicating the measured moisture concentration to the controller 90 .

The controller 90 determines whether liquid replacement is necessary based on the moisture concentration measured by the sensor 80 . For example, the control unit 90 determines that liquid replacement is necessary when the moisture concentration is equal to or higher than the allowable value.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of liquid replacement processing. This liquid exchange process is performed, for example, in a state where the carrier C is not loaded into the substrate processing apparatus 10 (so-called standby state). First, the sensor 80 measures the moisture concentration of the liquid in the storage tank 41 (step S11: measurement step). Next, the control unit 90 determines whether liquid replacement is necessary based on the moisture concentration measured by the sensor 80 (step S12: determination step). For example, the control unit 90 determines whether the moisture concentration is equal to or higher than the allowable value, and determines that liquid replacement is necessary when the moisture concentration is equal to or higher than the allowable value. On the other hand, the control unit 90 determines that liquid replacement is unnecessary when the water concentration is less than the allowable value. When liquid replacement is unnecessary, step S11 is executed again.

When the liquid needs to be replaced, the old liquid discharge section 82 discharges the liquid in the storage tank 41 to the outside (step S13: discharge step). Specifically, the controller 90 opens the valve 822 . As a result, the liquid in the storage tank 41 is discharged to the outside through the second drain pipe 821 . When the liquid in storage tank 41 is sufficiently discharged, controller 90 closes valve 822 . For example, the control unit 90 closes the valve 822 when the eighth predetermined time has elapsed since the start of step S13.

Next, the new liquid supply unit 81 supplies the new IPA liquid to the storage tank 41 (step S14: new IPA liquid supply step). Specifically, control unit 90 opens valve 812 and valve 813 . As a result, new IPA liquid from the IPA liquid supply source 87 is supplied into the storage tank 41 through the new liquid pipe 811 . When the new IPA liquid is sufficiently stored in the storage tank 41, the new liquid supply section 81 stops supplying the new IPA liquid. For example, when the ninth predetermined time has elapsed from the start of step S14, the control section 90 closes the valves 812 and 813. FIG.

As described above, when the water concentration in the storage tank 41 increases, liquid exchange for the storage tank 41 is performed. As a result, the IPA solution with a low water concentration can be stored in the storage tank 41 and the IPA solution with a low water concentration can be supplied from the storage tank 41 to the processing tank 2 .

<Replenishment of IPA liquid in the IPA vapor supply source>
In the example of FIG. 1, an IPA liquid replenisher 83 is also provided. The IPA liquid replenisher 83 supplies new IPA liquid to the storage tank 53 of the IPA vapor supply source 513 . The IPA liquid replenisher 83 includes a replenishment pipe 831 , a valve 832 and a valve 813 . The replenishment pipe 831 is a pipe for supplying the new IPA liquid to the storage tank 53, and in the example of FIG. The downstream end of the pipe 86 is connected to the storage tank 53 and the upstream end of the pipe 86 is connected to the downstream end of the pipe 85 . Since the pipe 85 functions as part of the new liquid pipe 811 , the pipe 85 is also used by the new liquid pipe 811 and the replenishment pipe 831 .

A valve 832 is provided in the pipe 86 . By opening the valves 832 and 813 , new IPA liquid is supplied from the IPA liquid supply source 87 to the storage tank 53 through the replenishment pipe 831 . Thereby, when the amount of the IPA liquid in the storage tank 53 becomes small, the IPA liquid in the storage tank 53 can be replenished. By closing the valves 832 and 813, the supply of the new IPA liquid to the storage tank 53 is stopped.

<Second Embodiment>
FIG. 11 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 10A according to the second embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 10A has the same configuration as the substrate processing apparatus 10 except for the presence or absence of the dispersion plate 23. As shown in FIG. In addition, in the example of FIG. 11, various configurations outside the chamber 1 are appropriately omitted in order to facilitate illustration. In other drawings referred to below, the configuration is omitted as appropriate.

The dispersion plate 23 is provided inside the processing bath 2 at a position facing the downstream port of the circulation pipe 331 . Specifically, the dispersion plate 23 is provided between the mounting table 21 and the downstream port of the circulation pipe 331, and the carrier C, the mounting table 21, the dispersion plate 23, and the downstream port of the circulation pipe 331 are located at placed side by side.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view schematically showing an example of the configuration of the processing tank 2, the dispersion plate 23 and the circulation pipe 331. As shown in FIG. In the example of FIG. 12, the dispersion plate 23 has a disk shape and is provided in a posture in which its thickness direction is along the Z-axis direction. 11 and 12, the dispersion plate 23 is fixed to the bottom of the processing tank 2 via a plurality of connecting members 24. In the example of FIG. A plurality of connecting members 24 are protruded from the periphery of the dispersion plate 23 at equal intervals, for example, and extend to the -Z side. The −Z side end of the connecting member 24 is connected to the bottom of the processing tank 2 . Spaces are formed between the plurality of connecting members 24 as described above.

FIG. 13 is a plan view for schematically showing the size relationship between the lower opening C2 of the carrier C, the distribution plate 23, and the downstream opening of the circulation pipe 331. FIG. The dispersion plate 23 has a size that covers the downstream port of the circulation pipe 331 in plan view. That is, in plan view, the circular contour of the downstream port of the circulation pipe 331 is included inside the circular contour of the dispersion plate 23 , and the downstream port of the circulation pipe 331 is outside the dispersion plate 23 in plan view. not spread. In other words, the diameter of the downstream port of circulation pipe 331 is smaller than the diameter of dispersion plate 23 .

On the other hand, the dispersion plate 23 is smaller than the lower opening C2 of the carrier C in plan view. In other words, in plan view, the circular contour of the dispersion plate 23 is included inside the rectangular contour of the lower opening C2 of the carrier C, and the dispersion plate 23 extends outside the lower opening C2 in plan view. do not have.

An example of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 10A according to the second embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment. However, in the second embodiment, the circulation step (step S24) is essential. In the circulation process, the IPA liquid flowing into the processing tank 2 from the downstream port of the circulation pipe 331 collides with the main surface (=lower surface) on the −Z side of the dispersion plate 23 and flows along the lower surface of the dispersion plate 23. , passing between the plurality of connecting members 24 (see also the dashed arrows in FIG. 1). Then, the IPA liquid flows from the periphery of the dispersion plate 23 toward the lower opening C2 of the carrier C, and flows between the plurality of substrates W toward the +Z side.

According to this, the distribution plate 23 can widen the flow of the IPA liquid in plan view. Therefore, the IPA liquid flows from the -Z side to the +Z side in the entire internal space of the carrier C. As shown in FIG. That is, the flow velocity distribution of the IPA liquid in the carrier C can be made more uniform when viewed from above. Therefore, each substrate W can be more uniformly replaced with IPA from pure water.

<Third Embodiment>
FIG. 14 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 10B according to the third embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 10B has the same configuration as the substrate processing apparatus 10 except for the presence or absence of the swing mechanism 20B.

The rocking mechanism 20B reciprocates (rocks) the carrier C loaded into the chamber 1 within a predetermined movement range. For example, the swing mechanism 20B swings the carrier C mounted on the mounting table 21 by swinging the mounting table 21 . Thereby, the processing efficiency for a plurality of substrates W can be improved, as described in detail below.

In the example of FIG. 14, the swinging mechanism 20B includes the mounting section 20 and the driving section 25. As shown in FIG. Further, in the example of FIG. 14 , the connecting member 22 that connects the mounting table 21 of the mounting section 20 to the chamber 1 includes a pair of column members 221 and a pair of shafts 222 .

A pair of pillar members 221 are erected on both sides of the mounting table 21 in the X-axis direction. That is, one column member 221 is connected to the −X side end of the mounting table 21, and the other column member 221 is connected to the +X side end. The pair of pillar members 221 extends from the mounting table 21 to the +Z side, and the +Z side end thereof is located on the +Z side relative to the +Z side end of the processing tank 2 . The +Z side end of each column member 221 is connected to the shaft 222 . A pair of shafts 222 are provided coaxially about the rotation axis Q1. The -X side shaft 222 extends from the -X side column member 221 to the -X side and is rotatably supported by the -X side wall of the chamber 1 about the rotation axis Q1. The +X side shaft 222 extends from the +X side column member 221 to the +X side and is rotatably supported by the +X side wall of the chamber 1 around the rotation axis Q1. The rotation axis Q1 is, for example, parallel to the horizontal direction, and is parallel to the X-axis direction as a specific example.

The drive unit 25 rotates the shaft 222 around the rotation axis Q1. The drive unit 25 may for example have a motor. Alternatively, the drive unit 25 may include, for example, an air cylinder and a link mechanism that converts the linear driving force of the air cylinder into a rotational force and transmits the rotational force to the shaft 222 .

The drive unit 25 rotates the shaft 222 about the rotation axis Q1 within a predetermined angle range, so that the mounting table 21 reciprocates within a predetermined movement range along the circumferential direction about the rotation axis Q1. As a result, the carrier C mounted on the mounting table 21 also reciprocates (that is, swings).

An example of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 10B according to the third embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment. However, the swinging mechanism 20B swings the carrier C in the drying step (step S5).

FIG. 15 is a diagram schematically showing an example of how the carrier C swings. FIG. 15(a) shows an example of the state of the substrate processing apparatus 10B when the carrier C is moving to the -Y side, and FIG. 15(b) shows the carrier C moving to the +Y side. An example of the state of the substrate processing apparatus 10B at that time is shown. However, in FIG. 15, only the internal configuration of the chamber 1 is schematically shown for ease of illustration.

When the swinging mechanism 20B swings the carrier C in the drying process, the carrier C swings while high-temperature inert gas is supplied from the discharge port 61a of the discharge pipe 61. As shown in FIG. This rocking movement causes the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W to move relative to the ejection pipe 61 . Therefore, the high-temperature inert gas discharged from the discharge pipe 61 acts on the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W more uniformly.

For comparison, a case where the carrier C does not swing will be described. First, the flow velocity distribution of the inert gas discharged from the discharge pipe 61 will be described. Since a plurality of discharge ports 61a are formed in the discharge pipe 61 along the Y-axis direction, the flow velocity distribution of the inert gas fluctuates in the Y-axis direction. Specifically, the flow velocity is high immediately below each ejection port 61a, and is low between the ejection ports 61a. Therefore, when the carrier C does not oscillate, the plurality of substrates W includes a mixture of substrates W to which the inert gas acts at a high flow rate and substrates W to which the inert gas acts at a low flow rate. This causes the substrates W to dry more unevenly and thus slightly increases the time required to dry all the substrates W. FIG.

On the other hand, when the carrier C is oscillated by the oscillating mechanism 20B, the time average value of the flow velocity of the inert gas supplied to each substrate W can be made more uniform. In particular, when the swing direction includes the Y-axis direction component, the time average value can be made more uniform. As a result, the substrates W can be dried more uniformly, and a plurality of substrates W can be dried in a shorter time.

In particular, when the swing mechanism 20B moves the carrier C along the circumferential direction around the shaft 222, the main surface of the substrate W is tilted according to the position of the carrier C. As shown in FIG. For example, in FIG. 15(a), the main surface on the −Y side of the substrate W is inclined to face the +Z side, and in FIG. 15(b), the main surface on the +Y side of the substrate W is inclined to face the +Z side. . In the example of FIG. 15(a), the inert gas hits the main surface on the −Y side of the substrate W with a greater wind pressure, and in the example of FIG. 15(b), hits the main surface on the +Y side of the substrate W with a greater wind pressure. . Therefore, the inert gas can be applied to both main surfaces of the substrate W with a greater wind pressure. According to this, the high-temperature inert gas can easily heat both main surfaces of the substrate W, and the substrate W can be dried in a shorter time.

Note that the swinging mechanism 20B does not necessarily swing the carrier C in the drying step (step S5). For example, the swinging mechanism 20B may swing the carrier C while the carrier C is immersed in the IPA solution in the processing bath 2 (for example, step S24: circulation step). As a result, the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W move relative to the rinsing liquid, so that the replacement of the pure water adhering to the surfaces of the carrier C and the substrates W with the rinsing liquid can be further promoted. In particular, when the swing direction includes the Y-axis direction component, the substrate W moves along the thickness direction with respect to the rinse liquid. According to this, since the substrate W is pressed against the rinsing liquid over a larger area, the rinsing liquid tends to act on the surface of the substrate W perpendicularly. Therefore, it is possible to further promote the replacement of pure water with the rinsing liquid.

Further, the swinging mechanism 20B may swing the carrier C in the IPA vapor supply step (step S25) and the post-IPA vapor supply step (step S4). Thereby, the IPA vapor discharged from the discharge pipe 61 acts on the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W more uniformly. Therefore, the replacement of the pure water with the rinsing liquid in the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W can be performed more uniformly.

<Fourth Embodiment>
FIG. 16 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 10C according to the fourth embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 10</b>C has the same configuration as the substrate processing apparatus 10 except for the internal configuration of the mounting section 20 .

In the substrate processing apparatus 10</b>C, the mounting section 20 further includes a push-up mechanism 26 . 17A and 17B are diagrams for explaining the positional relationship among the push-up mechanism 26, the carrier C, and the substrate W. FIG. FIG. 17 shows an XZ cross section at a position passing through one substrate W. FIG.

The push-up mechanism 26 is provided on the mounting table 21 and lifts and supports the plurality of substrates W from the carrier C while the carrier C is mounted on the mounting table 21 . In the example of FIGS. 16 and 17, the push-up mechanism 26 includes a projection support portion 261. As shown in FIG. The projection support portion 261 is erected on the mounting table 21 and protrudes from the mounting table 21 to the +Z side. The projection support portion 261 can be made of, for example, quartz or resin. The projection support portion 261 is positioned within the lower opening C2 of the carrier C while the carrier C is mounted on the mounting table 21 . The tips (ends on the +Z side) of the projection support portions 261 abut the -Z side portions of the side surfaces of the plurality of substrates W, and support the plurality of substrates W in a floating state with respect to the carrier C. FIG. That is, in a state in which the plurality of substrates W are supported by the protrusion support portions 261, the side surfaces of the substrates W are separated from the carrier C, and the carrier C no longer supports the plurality of substrates W in the Z-axis direction. However, the carrier C supports the substrate W in its thickness direction so that the substrate W can be maintained in an upright posture.

In the example of FIGS. 16 and 17, two projection support portions 261a and 261b are provided as the projection support portion 261. In the example of FIG. The projection support portion 261a and the projection support portion 261b are provided at positions sandwiching the center of the substrate W in the X-axis direction. The projection support portion 261a is provided on the −X side with respect to the center, and the projection support portion 261b is provided on the +X side with respect to the center. Therefore, the tip of the projection support portion 261a abuts on the side surface of the plurality of substrates W at a position shifted to the -X side from the center of the substrate W, and the tip of the projection support portion 261b is shifted to the +X side from the center of the substrate W. It abuts on the side surfaces of the plurality of substrates W at the positions. Thereby, the projection support portion 261a and the projection support portion 261b can support the substrate W in the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction.

An example of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 10C according to the fourth embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment. In this substrate processing apparatus 10C, the push-up mechanism 26 supports a plurality of substrates W while being lifted from the carrier C. Therefore, for example, when the carrier C is immersed in the IPA liquid in the processing bath 2, the IPA liquid is applied to each substrate. It tends to flow into the gap between the side surface of the substrate W and the inner side surface of the carrier C.

For comparison, consider the case where the push-up mechanism 26 is not provided. In the example of FIG. 17, the substrate W without the push-up mechanism 26 is indicated by phantom lines. In this case, each substrate W is supported by the carrier C by a portion of the side surface of each substrate W and a portion of the inner side surface of the carrier C contacting each other. When the side surface of the substrate W and the inner side surface of the carrier C are in contact with each other in this way, the IPA liquid is less likely to act on the substrate W and the carrier C at the contact point P, and the pure water is replaced with the IPA liquid at the contact point P. hard to do.

On the other hand, the side surface of each substrate W can be separated from the inner side surface of the carrier C when the push-up mechanism 26 is provided. Therefore, the IPA liquid easily flows through the gap between the side surface of each substrate W and the inner side surface of the carrier C, and the replacement of the pure water with the IPA liquid can be promoted in the gap as well. Especially when the circulation step (step S24) is performed, part of the IPA liquid easily passes through the gap between the side surface of each substrate W and the inner surface of the carrier C from the -Z side toward the +Z side. Therefore, the replacement of the pure water with the IPA solution can be further accelerated even in the gap.

Further, in the fourth embodiment, the exposure process (step S3: discharge process) is performed while the plurality of substrates W are supported by the push-up mechanism 26 . According to this, part of the IPA liquid can easily flow from the +Z side to the -Z side through the gap between each substrate W and the inner surface of the carrier C while the IPA liquid in the processing tank 2 is being discharged. can.

For comparison, consider the case where the push-up mechanism 26 is not provided. In this case, in step S3, the IPA liquid in the processing tank 2 is discharged while a part of the side surface of each substrate W and a part of the inner side surface of the carrier C are in contact with each other. When the side surface of each substrate W and the inner side surface of the carrier C are in contact with each other in this manner, the IPA liquid tends to remain at the contact point P. As shown in FIG.

On the other hand, when the push-up mechanism 26 is provided, the IPA liquid can easily flow through the gap between each substrate W and the inner surface of the carrier C as described above. It is possible to reduce the residual amount of the IPA liquid after the discharge.

Further, in the fourth embodiment, the post-IPA vapor supply step (step S4) is performed with the plurality of substrates W supported by the push-up mechanism . Therefore, part of the IPA vapor can easily flow through the gap between each substrate W and the inner surface of the carrier C in the post-IPA vapor supply step. Therefore, replacement of the pure water with the IPA solution can be further accelerated even in the gap.

Further, in the fourth embodiment, the drying process (step S5) is performed while the plurality of substrates W are supported by the push-up mechanism . Therefore, part of the hot inert gas can easily flow through the gap between each substrate W and the inner surface of the carrier C during the drying process. Therefore, drying can be accelerated even in the gap. That is, a plurality of substrates W and carriers C can be dried in a shorter time.

<Shape of projection support>
In the examples of FIGS. 16 and 17, the projection support portion 261 has a tapered shape that tapers toward the +Z side. With this configuration, the contact area between the projection supporting portion 261 and the side surface of the substrate W can be reduced, so that the residual amount of the processing liquid at this contact portion can also be reduced. From this point of view, it is desirable that the protrusion supporting portion 261 makes point contact with the substrate W on the ZX plane. Further, it is preferable that the projection support portion 261 extends uniformly along the Y-axis direction. According to this, the contact area between each protrusion supporting portion 261 and the side surfaces of all the substrates W can be reduced.

Hereinafter, the −X side surface and the +X side surface forming the tip of the projection support portion 261a are referred to as tip surfaces 262 and 263, respectively. The side surfaces are called tip surfaces 264 and 265, respectively. The tip surfaces 262 and 263 are, for example, flat surfaces, and are connected to each other at the ends on the +Z side to form the tapered shape of the projection support portion 261a. The tip surfaces 263 and 264 are, for example, flat surfaces, and are connected to each other at their +Z side ends to form the tapered shape of the projection support portion 261b.

In the example of FIG. 17, in the −X side projection support portion 261a, the −X side tip surface 262 is along the Z-axis direction more than the +X side tip surface 263 is. Conversely, the inclination of the tip surface 263 is gentler than the inclination of the tip surface 262 in the projection support portion 261a. As a more specific example, the tip of the projection support portion 261a has the same shape as the cutter blade on the ZX plane. That is, the tip surface 262 is parallel to the Z-axis direction, and the tip surface 263 is inclined with respect to the Z-axis direction.

In the +X-side projection support portion 261b, the +X-side tip surface 265 extends along the Z-axis direction more than the -X-side tip surface 264. As shown in FIG. Conversely, the inclination of the tip surface 264 is gentler than the inclination of the tip surface 265 in the projection support portion 261b. As a more specific example, the tip of the projection support portion 261b has the same shape as the cutter blade on the ZX plane. That is, the tip surface 265 is parallel to the Z-axis direction, and the tip surface 264 is inclined with respect to the Z-axis direction.

Such a shape of the protrusion supporting portion 261 is particularly suitable for the IPA liquid discharging process (step S3: exposure process). A specific description will be given below.

In the discharge process, part of the IPA solution in the processing tank 2 flows through the gap between each substrate W and the carrier C from the -Z side to the +Z side. Since the inner surface of the carrier C is inclined in the region on the -Z side, the IPA liquid flows obliquely along the inner surface of the carrier C toward the lower opening C2. For example, the IPA liquid flowing through the gap between the −X side surface of each substrate W and the −X side inner surface of the carrier C flows diagonally toward the lower opening C2 toward the +X side and the −Z side. This IPA liquid hits the tip surface 262 on the -X side of the projection support portion 261a. Since the tip surface 262 extends along the Z-axis direction, the IPA liquid hitting the tip surface 262 flows along the tip surface 262 toward the -Z side.

FIG. 18 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a push-up mechanism 26 according to a comparative example. In the example of FIG. 18, the tip surface 263 on the +X side of the projection support portion 261a is parallel to the Z-axis direction, and the tip surface 262 on the -X side is inclined. That is, the projection support portion 261a in FIG. 18 has a shape symmetrical to the projection support portion 261a in FIG. In this structure, the IPA liquid flowing out from between the −X side surface of each substrate W and the −X side inner surface of the carrier C flows into the space between the tip surface 262 and the substrate W. FIG. Since the space between the tip end surface 262 and the substrate W is deep, the IPA liquid that has flowed into the space between the tip end surface 262 and the substrate W is pushed deep into the space (that is, between the tip of the projection support portion 261a and the substrate W). contact points).

On the other hand, in the example of FIG. 17, the tip surface 262 is parallel to the Z-axis direction, so the IPA liquid hitting the tip surface 262 flows directly to the -Z side. Therefore, the IPA liquid can be easily discharged, and the IPA liquid can be suppressed from remaining at the contact portion between the projection support portion 261a and the substrate W. FIG. The same applies to the projection support portion 261b.

<Number of projection support parts>
In the above example, two protrusion support portions 261a and 261b are provided, but three or more protrusion support portions 261 may be provided side by side in the X-axis direction.

As described above, the substrate processing apparatuses 10, 10A to 10C and the substrate processing method have been described in detail. The substrate processing method is not limited thereto. It is understood that numerous variations not illustrated can be envisioned without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Each configuration described in each of the above-described embodiments and modifications can be appropriately combined or omitted as long as they do not contradict each other.

For example, in the above example, the IPA vapor supply unit 51 and the inert gas supply unit 52 discharge the IPA vapor and the inert gas from the common discharge pipe 61, respectively. However, a pair of discharge pipes 61 for IPA vapor and a pair of discharge pipes 61 for inert gas may be provided.

In addition, in the example of FIG. 1, the direction of gas discharge from the discharge ports 61a of the pair of discharge pipes 61 is inclined from the horizontal direction to the -Z side, but this is not necessarily the case. The ejection direction may be parallel to the horizontal direction, or may be inclined toward the +Z side.

In the above example, in the exposure step (step S3), the IPA liquid discharger 32 discharges the IPA liquid in the processing tank 2, thereby exposing the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W from the IPA liquid. However, it is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the carrier C and the plurality of substrates W may be exposed from the IPA solution by providing an elevating unit for elevating the carrier C and elevating the carrier C to a space above the processing tank 2 .

In the above example, the sensor 80 measures the water concentration in the storage tank 41, and the liquid exchange process for the storage tank 41 is performed based on the measured water concentration. However, liquid exchange may be performed, for example, when the elapsed time since the previous liquid exchange reaches a predetermined time or longer, or the number of carriers C processed since the previous liquid exchange reaches a predetermined number or more. It may be done when

In the above example, the piping system of the IPA liquid unit 3 is not provided with a heater, but a heater may be provided. By heating the IPA liquid with the heater, the high-temperature IPA liquid can be circulated. As a result, the period required for the subsequent drying process can be shortened.

10, 10A-10C substrate processing apparatus 2 processing tank 20B rocking mechanism 23 dispersing plate 26 push-up mechanism 311 liquid supply pipe 313 filter 321 first drain pipe 331 circulation pipe 41 storage tank 61 discharge pipe 80 sensor 811 new liquid pipe 821 second 2 drainage pipe C carrier C2 lower opening S1 pipe heating step (step)
S2 immersion step (step)
S21 IPA liquid supply step S22 Pre-circulation step (step)
S23 Loading process (step)
S24 circulation step (step)
S25 IPA vapor supply step (step)
S3 Exposure process (step)
S4 Post-IPA steam supply step (step)
W substrate

Claims (15)

A substrate processing apparatus for collectively processing a plurality of substrates,
a processing tank in which an IPA liquid, which is an isopropyl alcohol liquid, is stored, and the carrier housing the plurality of substrates is immersed in the IPA liquid;
a liquid supply pipe for supplying the IPA liquid to the processing tank;
a first drain pipe for discharging the IPA solution from the processing tank;
A substrate processing apparatus provided above the processing tank and comprising a discharge pipe for discharging IPA vapor, which is isopropyl alcohol vapor. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1,
A substrate processing apparatus, further comprising a filter provided in the liquid supply pipe for trapping at least one of particles and metal ions in the IPA liquid. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
a circulation pipe that is connected to the processing tank and that circulates the IPA solution;
A distribution plate provided between the downstream port of the circulation pipe connected to the bottom of the processing tank and the carrier carried into the processing tank,
The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the dispersion plate is larger than the downstream port. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3,
The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the dispersion plate is smaller than a lower opening provided in the lower portion of the carrier. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
further comprising a storage tank for storing the IPA liquid recovered from the processing tank through the first drain pipe,
A substrate processing apparatus, wherein an upstream end of the liquid supply pipe is connected to the reservoir. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5,
a sensor for measuring the water concentration in the reservoir;
a second drain pipe for discharging the IPA liquid in the storage tank;
A substrate processing apparatus, further comprising a new liquid pipe for supplying the new IPA liquid to the storage tank. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A substrate processing apparatus further comprising a swing mechanism for swinging the carrier in the processing tank. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The substrate processing apparatus further comprising a push-up mechanism provided inside the processing bath and supporting the plurality of substrates while lifting the plurality of substrates from the carrier. A substrate processing method for collectively processing a plurality of substrates,
an immersion step of immersing the carrier containing the plurality of substrates in an IPA liquid, which is an isopropyl alcohol liquid, in a processing bath;
an exposing step of, after the immersion step, lowering the liquid surface of the IPA liquid relative to the carrier and the plurality of substrates to expose the carrier and the plurality of substrates from the IPA liquid;
a post-IPA vapor supply step of supplying IPA vapor, which is isopropyl alcohol vapor, from a discharge pipe to the carrier and the plurality of substrates exposed from the IPA liquid. The substrate processing method according to claim 9,
The substrate processing method, further comprising a pipe heating step of discharging inert gas heated by a heater from the discharge pipe before the post-IPA vapor supply step. The substrate processing method according to claim 10,
The immersion step includes
an IPA solution supplying step of supplying the IPA solution to the processing bath; and a carrying-in step of carrying the carrier into the processing bath,
The substrate processing method, wherein the pipe heating step is performed before the IPA liquid supply step. The substrate processing method according to any one of claims 9 to 11,
The substrate processing method, wherein the immersion step includes a circulation step of circulating the IPA solution through a circulation pipe connected to the processing bath while the carrier is immersed in the IPA solution in the processing bath. The substrate processing method according to claim 12,
The substrate processing method, further comprising a pre-circulation step of circulating the IPA solution through the circulation pipe before carrying the carrier into the processing bath. The substrate processing method according to claim 12 or 13,
The immersion step includes
The substrate processing method, further comprising an IPA vapor supply step of discharging the IPA vapor from the discharge pipe, which is executed in parallel with the circulation step. The substrate processing method according to any one of claims 9 to 14,
a measuring step of measuring the water concentration in a storage tank that stores the IPA liquid recovered from the processing tank; and a discharging step of discharging the IPA liquid in the storage tank when the water concentration is equal to or higher than an allowable value. When,
A substrate processing method, further comprising a new IPA liquid supplying step of supplying new IPA liquid to the storage tank after the discharging step.

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