JP2023110399A - Substrate processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a substrate processing device capable of easily desorbing air bubbles from an air bubble supply tube regardless of a contact angle.SOLUTION: An upward layer flow of process liquid is formed inside of a processing tub, and a substrate is immersed in the process liquid. A plurality of air bubble supply tubes 51 is disposed inside of the processing tub, and the plurality of air bubble supply tube 51 supplies air bubbles from below the substrate into the process liquid stored in the processing tub. A plurality of air bubble holes 65 discharging air bubbles is formed on both side faces of the air bubble supply tube 51 and at least above each air bubble hole 65, a tabular guide body 60 which guides upward air bubbles discharged from the air bubble hole 65 is erected in a vertical direction. The air bubbles discharged from the air bubble holes 65 rise while being guided by the guide body 60, which is erected in the vertical direction, and are discharged into the process liquid, so that the air bubbles can be easily desorbed from the air bubble supply tube 51 regardless of a contact angle of a material of the air bubble supply tube 51.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus that performs surface processing such as etching with a processing liquid on a substrate. Substrates to be processed include, for example, semiconductor substrates, liquid crystal display device substrates, flat panel display (FPD) substrates used in organic EL (electroluminescence) display devices, optical disk substrates, magnetic disk substrates, and magneto-optical disks. substrates for photomasks, ceramic substrates, substrates for solar cells, and the like.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a substrate processing apparatus for performing various processes on a semiconductor substrate (hereinafter simply referred to as "substrate") has been used in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device. As one of such substrate processing apparatuses, there is known a batch-type substrate processing apparatus in which a processing liquid is stored in a processing tank, and a plurality of substrates are immersed in the processing liquid at once to perform etching processing or the like. ing.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-200001 discloses that a processing liquid discharger for discharging a processing liquid and a bubble supply unit for supplying bubbles are provided below a plurality of substrates held by a substrate holder in a processing bath. . By supplying air bubbles into the processing liquid in addition to discharging the processing liquid, the flow velocity of the processing liquid in the processing tank increases, thereby improving the efficiency of surface processing of the substrate.

JP 2021-106254 A

However, when supplying air bubbles from the air bubble supply unit, the air bubbles may not be easily released from the air bubble holes. In particular, when a bubble supply pipe made of a material with a large contact angle (for example, PFA (perfluoroalkoxyalkane)) is provided with a bubble hole, the bubbles are remarkably difficult to separate from the bubble hole. When the air bubbles become difficult to separate from the pore, a plurality of air bubbles coalesce to form a huge bubble, resulting in considerable variation in the size of the air bubbles. As a result, there arises a problem that it becomes difficult to obtain the effect of supplying bubbles into the treatment liquid.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a substrate processing apparatus in which bubbles can be easily released from a bubble supply tube regardless of the contact angle.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention of claim 1 provides a substrate processing apparatus for surface-treating a substrate with a processing liquid, comprising: a processing tank for storing the processing liquid; a liquid supply unit; a substrate holding unit that holds a substrate and immerses the substrate in the processing liquid stored in the processing tank; and the substrate that is arranged inside the processing tank and held by the substrate holding unit. a tubular bubble supply pipe for supplying bubbles to the processing liquid stored in the processing bath from below; a plurality of bubble holes for discharging bubbles are provided on the side surface of the bubble supply pipe; A plate-like guide is erected above each of the air bubbles for guiding upward the air bubbles discharged from the air bubbles.

The invention of claim 2 is characterized in that, in the substrate processing apparatus according to the invention of claim 1, the plurality of bubble holes are provided on both side surfaces of the bubble supply pipe.

According to the invention of claim 3, in the substrate processing apparatus according to the invention of claim 1 or claim 2, the bubble supply pipe has a square prism shape, and the dielectric is provided along the side surface of the bubble supply pipe. It is characterized by

According to the invention of Claims 1 to 3, a plate-like dielectric is erected above each of the plurality of bubble holes to guide upward the bubbles discharged from the bubble holes. Bubbles ejected from the bubble hole are guided upward by the dielectric and released into the treatment liquid, and the bubbles can be easily removed from the bubble supply tube regardless of the contact angle.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the state which the lifter raised. It is a figure which shows the state which the lifter descended. It is the figure which looked at the nozzle, the dispersion plate, and the punching plate from the bottom part of the processing tank. 4 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a bubble supply pipe; FIG. It is a perspective view which expands and shows a derivative|guide_body. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between a plurality of inductors and a substrate; It is a figure which shows a mode that a bubble is discharged from a bubble hole. It is a figure which shows a mode that a bubble leaves|separates from a derivative|guide_body. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing how bubbles are discharged from a plurality of bubble supply pipes;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention. The substrate processing apparatus 1 is a batch-type substrate processing apparatus that collectively performs surface treatment of a plurality of substrates W such as semiconductor wafers with a processing liquid. In addition, in FIG. 1 and subsequent figures, the dimensions and numbers of each part are exaggerated or simplified as necessary for easy understanding. Also, in FIG. 1 and subsequent figures, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system with the Z-axis direction as the vertical direction and the XY plane as the horizontal plane is appropriately attached in order to clarify their directional relationships.

As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 mainly includes a processing bath 10 that stores a processing liquid, and a lifter 20 that holds a plurality of substrates (hereinafter simply referred to as "substrates") W and moves up and down. a processing liquid supply unit 30 for supplying the processing liquid to the processing bath 10; a draining unit 40 for discharging the processing liquid from the processing bath 10; It includes a unit 50 and a control unit 70 that controls the operation of each unit in the device.

The processing tank 10 is a reservoir made of a chemical-resistant material such as quartz. The processing bath 10 has a double bath structure including an inner bath 11 in which a processing solution is stored and the substrates W are immersed, and an outer bath 12 formed around the upper end of the inner bath 11 . Each of the inner bath 11 and the outer bath 12 has an upper opening that opens upward. The height of the upper edge of the outer tub 12 is higher than the height of the upper edge of the inner tub 11 . When the processing liquid is further supplied from the processing liquid supply unit 30 while the processing liquid is stored up to the upper end of the inner bath 11 , the processing liquid overflows from the top of the inner bath 11 to the outer bath 12 .

As used herein, the term "treatment liquid" is a conceptual term including various chemical solutions and pure water. The chemical includes, for example, a liquid for etching or a liquid for removing particles. Specifically, tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH), SC-1 liquid (ammonium hydroxide a mixed solution of hydrogen peroxide and pure water), SC-2 solution (a mixed solution of hydrochloric acid, hydrogen peroxide and pure water), or phosphoric acid. The chemical solution also includes one diluted with pure water.

The lifter 20 is a transport mechanism for holding and transporting the substrate W up and down. The lifter 20 has a back plate 22 extending in the vertical direction (Z direction) and three holding bars 21 extending in the horizontal direction (Y direction) from the lower end of the back plate 22 . A plurality of (for example, 50) holding grooves are formed in each holding bar 21 at a predetermined pitch. A plurality of substrates W are placed on three holding rods 21 with their peripheral edges fitted in the holding grooves, and are placed in parallel standing postures (postures in which the normal to the main surface is in the horizontal direction) at predetermined intervals. is held in

Further, the lifter 20 is connected to a drive mechanism 24 conceptually shown in FIG. 1 and moved up and down. 2 and 3 are diagrams showing the lifting operation of the lifter 20. FIG. When the drive mechanism 24 is operated, the lifter 20 moves up and down, and the substrate W moves between the immersion position (the position in FIG. 3) inside the processing tank 10 and the position above the processing tank 10 as indicated by the arrow AR1 in FIG. is moved up and down between the raised position (position shown in FIG. 2). By lowering the substrate W to the immersion position while the processing liquid is stored in the processing bath 10, the substrate W is immersed in the processing liquid and subjected to the surface treatment.

Returning to FIG. 1, the treatment liquid supply unit 30 includes a nozzle 31 and a piping system for supplying the treatment liquid thereto. The nozzle 31 is arranged at the bottom inside the inner bath 11 of the processing bath 10 . A dispersion plate 15 is provided directly above the nozzle 31 so as to face the nozzle 31 . Furthermore, a punching plate 17 is provided above the dispersion plate 15 .

FIG. 4 is a view of the nozzle 31, the dispersion plate 15 and the punching plate 17 viewed from the bottom of the processing bath 10. FIG. A tip portion of the pipe 32 of the processing liquid supply unit 30 (a portion extending into the processing tank 10) constitutes a pipe 132. As shown in FIG. A plurality of nozzles 31 are formed above the pipe 132 . Each nozzle 31 is communicatively connected to a pipe 132 . A dispersion plate 15 is provided above each of the plurality of nozzles 31 . The dispersion plate 15 is a disk-shaped member provided parallel to the horizontal plane. The nozzle 31 projects vertically upward from the pipe 132 toward the distribution plate 15 . A punching plate 17 is provided over the entire horizontal cross section of the inner tank 11 above the dispersion plate 15 . A plurality of processing liquid holes 17 a are formed on the entire surface of the punching plate 17 .

The processing liquid supplied to the pipe 132 is discharged from the nozzle 31 toward the distribution plate 15 directly above. When the processing liquid is discharged upward from the nozzle 31 while the processing liquid is stored in the processing tank 10, the flow of the processing liquid impinges on the distribution plate 15, the pressure of the liquid is dispersed, and the processing liquid is discharged. It extends horizontally along the surface of the dispersion plate 15 . The processing liquid spread horizontally by the dispersion plate 15 rises from the plurality of processing liquid holes 17a of the punching plate 17 to form a laminar flow in the processing bath 10 from the bottom to the top.

Returning to FIG. 1 , the piping system for supplying the processing liquid to the nozzle 31 comprises a pipe 32 equipped with a pump 33 , a heater 34 , a filter 35 , a flow control valve 36 and a valve 37 . Pump 33, heater 34, filter 35, flow control valve 36 and valve 37 are arranged in this order from upstream to downstream of pipe 32 (from outer tank 12 to inner tank 11).

The distal end of the pipe 32 extends into the processing bath 10 to form a pipe 132 (FIG. 4), and the proximal end of the pipe 32 is connected to the outer bath 12 . The pipe 32 guides the processing liquid flowing out of the outer bath 12 back to the inner bath 11 . That is, the processing liquid supply unit 30 circulates the processing liquid in the processing tank 10 . The pump 33 discharges the processing liquid from the outer tank 12 to the pipe 32 and sends the processing liquid to the nozzle 31 . The heater 34 heats the processing liquid flowing through the pipe 32 . When phosphoric acid or the like is used as the processing liquid, the processing liquid is heated by the heater 34 and the heated processing liquid is stored in the processing tank 10 .

The filter 35 filters the treatment liquid flowing through the pipe 32 to remove impurities and the like. A flow control valve 36 adjusts the flow rate of the processing liquid flowing through the pipe 32 . The valve 37 opens and closes the channel of the pipe 32 . By opening the valve 37 while operating the pump 33 , the processing liquid discharged from the outer tank 12 flows through the pipe 32 and is supplied to the nozzle 31 , the flow rate of which is regulated by the flow control valve 36 .

The chemical supply unit 80 includes a chemical supply source 81 , a valve 82 , a nozzle 83 and a pipe 84 . The pipe 84 has a distal end connected to the nozzle 83 and a proximal end connected to the chemical solution supply source 81 . A valve 82 is provided in the middle of the path of the pipe 84 . When the valve 82 is opened, the chemical liquid is supplied from the chemical liquid supply source 81 to the nozzle 83 and discharged from the nozzle 83 toward the outer tank 12 of the processing tank 10 . The chemical solution supplied from the chemical solution supply part 80 to the outer tank 12 is supplied into the inner tank 11 by the treatment liquid supply part 30 . It should be noted that the nozzle 83 of the chemical solution supply unit 80 may directly supply the chemical solution to the inner tank 12 .

Pure water supply unit 90 includes pure water supply source 91 , valve 92 , nozzle 93 and pipe 94 . The tip side of the pipe 94 is connected to the nozzle 93 , and the base end side is connected to the pure water supply source 91 . A valve 92 is provided in the middle of the path of the pipe 94 . When the valve 92 is opened, pure water is supplied from the pure water supply source 91 to the nozzle 93 and discharged from the nozzle 93 toward the outer tank 12 of the processing tank 10 . The chemical solution is supplied from the chemical solution supply part 80 to the processing bath 10 and the pure water is supplied from the pure water supply part 90 to dilute the chemical solution.

Drainage unit 40 includes pipe 41 and valve 45 . The tip side of the pipe 41 is connected to the bottom wall of the inner tank 11 of the processing tank 10 . A valve 45 is provided in the middle of the path of the pipe 41 . The base end side of the pipe 43 is connected to the drainage equipment of the factory where the substrate processing apparatus 1 is installed. When the valve 45 is opened, the processing liquid stored in the inner tank 11 is rapidly discharged from the bottom of the inner tank 11 to the pipe 41 and processed by the drainage equipment.

The bubble supply unit 50 includes a plurality of bubble supply pipes 51 (six in this embodiment) and a piping system for supplying gas to them. The six bubble supply pipes 51 are arranged inside the inner bath 11 of the processing bath 10 above the punching plate 17 and below the substrate W held at the immersion position by the lifter 20 . Each of the six bubble supply pipes 51 discharges gas into the processing liquid stored in the processing bath 10 . When gas is supplied from the six bubble supply pipes 51 into the processing liquid while the processing liquid is stored in the processing bath 10, the gas becomes bubbles and rises in the processing liquid. The gas supplied by the bubble supply unit 50 is, for example, an inert gas. The inert gas is, for example, nitrogen or argon (nitrogen is used in this embodiment).

A piping system for supplying gas to the six bubble supply pipes 51 includes pipes 52 , a gas supply mechanism 53 and a gas supply source 54 . The tip side of one pipe 52 is connected to each of the six bubble supply pipes 51 . A proximal end of the pipe 52 is connected to a gas supply source 54 . A gas supply mechanism 53 is provided for each of the pipes 52 . That is, one gas supply mechanism 53 is provided for each of the six bubble supply pipes 51 . A gas supply source 54 delivers gas to each pipe 52 . The gas supply mechanism 53 includes a mass flow controller and an opening/closing valve (not shown), and supplies gas to the bubble supply pipe 51 through the pipe 52 and adjusts the flow rate of the supplied gas.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the bubble supply pipe 51. As shown in FIG. Although one of the six bubble supply pipes 51 is shown in the figure, the other bubble supply pipes 51 have exactly the same structure. The bubble supply pipe 51 is a long tubular member. The material of the bubble supply pipe 51 is, for example, PFA (perfluoroalkoxyalkane), PEEK (polyetheretherketone), or quartz (PFA is used in this embodiment). The bubble supply tube 51 includes a body portion 55 and a derivative 60 . The body portion 55 of the present embodiment has a hollow quadrangular prism shape. A hollow portion of the body portion 55 is connected to the pipe 52 , and the gas supply mechanism 53 supplies gas to the internal space of the body portion 55 .

As shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of dielectrics 60 are provided on both side surfaces (surfaces parallel to the YZ plane) of a quadrangular prism-shaped body portion 55 extending in the Y direction. Each derivative 60 is a rectangular prism-shaped plate member. The plurality of inductors 60 are provided parallel to each other at equal intervals on the side surface of the main body 55 so that the longitudinal direction thereof extends along the vertical direction (Z direction).

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the inductor 60. As shown in FIG. A circular air bubble hole 65 is formed in the inductor 60 . The bubble hole 65 is formed in a plane parallel to the YZ plane among the planes of the quadrangular prism-shaped dielectric 60 . The bubble hole 65 communicates with the internal space of the body portion 55 . Therefore, the gas supplied from the gas supply mechanism 53 to the internal space of the body portion 55 is discharged from the air bubble hole 65 .

The overall length h of the inductor 60 is, for example, 8 mm. A width w of the inductor 60 is, for example, 1 mm. The thickness t of the dielectric is, for example, 0.5 mm. Also, the diameter of the circular bubble hole 65 is, for example, 0.5 mm. The length l from the upper end of the inductor 60 to the center of the bubble hole 65 is, for example, 5 mm. That is, the bubble hole 65 is formed below the center of the inductor 60 .

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the multiple inductors 60 and the substrate W. As shown in FIG. A lifter 20 holds a plurality of substrates W (for example, 25 or 50) parallel to each other at regular intervals at an immersion position inside the processing tank 10 . On the other hand, a plurality of inductors 60 are also provided parallel to each other at regular intervals along the side surface of the quadrangular prism-shaped body portion 55 . The holding interval of the plurality of substrates W (the distance between adjacent substrates W) and the installation interval of the plurality of inductors 60 (the distance between adjacent inductors 60) are equal. Each of the plurality of inductors 60 is installed so as to be positioned between adjacent substrates W held by the lifters 20 . Therefore, air bubbles formed by discharging gas from air bubble holes 65 formed in the inductor 60 rise between the substrates W adjacent to each other.

The control unit 70 controls the various operating mechanisms provided in the substrate processing apparatus 1 . The hardware configuration of the control unit 70 is the same as that of a general computer. That is, the control unit 70 includes a CPU that is a circuit that performs various arithmetic processing, a ROM that is a read-only memory that stores basic programs, a RAM that is a readable and writable memory that stores various information, and control software and data. A storage unit (for example, a magnetic disk) for storing data is provided. The control unit 70 is electrically connected to the valve 37 of the processing liquid supply unit 30, the gas supply mechanism 53, and the like.

A storage unit of the control unit 70 stores a recipe (hereinafter referred to as a “processing recipe”) that defines the procedure and conditions for processing the substrate W. FIG. The processing recipe is acquired by the substrate processing apparatus 1 by, for example, being input via a GUI by an operator of the apparatus and stored in the storage unit. Alternatively, a processing recipe may be transferred from a host computer that manages a plurality of substrate processing apparatuses 1 to the substrate processing apparatus 1 through communication and stored in the storage unit. The control unit 70 advances the surface treatment of the substrate W as described in the processing recipe by controlling the operation of the gas supply mechanism 53 and the like based on the description of the processing recipe stored in the storage unit.

Next, processing operations in the substrate processing apparatus 1 having the above configuration will be described. In the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the processing liquid overflows from the inner bath 11 of the processing bath 10 to the outer bath 12 and returns to the inner bath 11, thereby circulating the processing liquid. . Specifically, the processing liquid flowing out from the outer tank 12 to the pipe 32 is sent to the nozzle 31 by the pump 33 . At this time, the processing liquid flowing through the pipe 32 is heated by the heater 34 as necessary. Also, the flow rate of the processing liquid flowing through the pipe 32 is regulated by a flow rate control valve 36 .

The processing liquid supplied to the nozzle 31 is discharged upward in the inner tank 11 from the nozzle 31 . The treatment liquid discharged from the nozzles 31 collides with the dispersion plate 15 and spreads horizontally along the surface of the dispersion plate 15 . The processing liquid spread in the horizontal direction by the dispersion plate 15 reaches the punching plate 17 and passes through the plurality of processing liquid holes 17a. to form. The processing liquid that has reached the upper end of the inner bath 11 overflows and flows into the outer bath 12 .

The substrate W is immersed in the processing liquid while a laminar flow of the processing liquid is formed in the processing bath 10 . Specifically, the lifter 20 receives a plurality of substrates W transported by a transport mechanism outside the apparatus at a lifting position above the processing bath 10 . The substrate W is placed on three holding bars 21 and held by the lifter 20 . Subsequently, the control unit 70 operates the drive mechanism 24 to lower the lifter 20, lower the substrate W to the immersion position in the processing tank 10, and immerse the substrate W in the processing liquid.

By holding the substrate W at the immersion position by the lifter 20 in a state where a laminar flow of the processing liquid is formed in the processing bath 10, the laminar flow of the processing liquid flows between the substrates W and the substrates are immersed. The surface of W is exposed to the treatment liquid, and the surface treatment (etching treatment in this embodiment) of the substrate W proceeds. Here, the flow velocity of the laminar flow of the processing liquid formed by the dispersion plate 15 and the punching plate 17 is relatively low. Therefore, since the flow velocity of the processing liquid flowing along the surface of the substrate W is not so high, the processing efficiency is suppressed. Therefore, in the present embodiment, bubbles are supplied from the bubble supply unit 50 into the treatment liquid.

The gas is supplied to the corresponding bubble supply pipe 51 by the gas supply mechanism 53 of the bubble supply unit 50 . A plurality of air bubble holes 65 for discharging air bubbles are provided on both sides of the air bubble supply tube 51 in the shape of a quadrangular prism (see FIG. 5). The gas supplied to the bubble supply pipe 51 is discharged from the plurality of bubble holes 65 .

The bubble supply pipe 51 of this embodiment is made of PFA with a relatively large contact angle. For this reason, if the gas is simply discharged from the bubble holes, the bubbles will be difficult to separate from the bubble holes, and a plurality of bubbles will coalesce to form a huge bubble, and there is a risk that the size of the bubbles will vary significantly. Therefore, in this embodiment, the bubble supply pipe 51 is provided with the inductor 60 .

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing how air bubbles are discharged from the air bubble hole 65. As shown in FIG. The gas supplied to the bubble supply pipe 51 is discharged from the bubble hole 65 formed in the inductor 60 to form the bubbles BA. As shown in FIG. 8, the formed air bubbles BA are guided along the surface of the inductor 60 erected along the vertical direction and rise.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing how the air bubble BA is detached from the inductor 60. As shown in FIG. The air bubbles BA discharged from the bubble holes 65 and guided upward along the surface of the inductor 60 eventually reach the upper end of the inductor 60 . The air bubbles BA reaching the upper end of the inductor 60 are quickly separated from the corners of the upper end and released into the treatment liquid. That is, by providing the dielectric 60 along the vertical direction, the bubbles BA ejected from the bubble holes 65 are smoothly and quickly discharged into the processing liquid, and a plurality of bubbles BA are combined to form a huge bubble. prevented from forming.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing how bubbles are discharged from a plurality of bubble supply pipes 51. As shown in FIG. The six bubble supply pipes 51 supply bubbles from below the substrate W held at the immersion position by the lifter 20 into the processing liquid stored in the processing bath 10 . Since the air bubble holes 65 are provided on both side surfaces of the air bubble supply tube 51 having a square prism shape, air bubbles are supplied from both side surfaces of the air bubble supply tube 51 . In addition, since the plurality of inductors 60 are positioned between the adjacent substrates W held by the lifter 20, the bubbles discharged from the bubble supply pipe 51 do not interfere with the adjacent substrates W. It rises between the substrate W. That is, many bubbles rise near the surface of the substrate W. As shown in FIG.

As described above, if bubbles are not supplied, the flow velocity of the laminar flow of the processing liquid formed by the dispersion plate 15 and the punching plate 17 is relatively low. By rising in the processing liquid, the flow velocity of the processing liquid increases. By increasing the flow velocity of the processing liquid in the vicinity of the surface of the substrate W, the surface processing efficiency of the substrate W can be improved and the etching rate can be increased.

In particular, when the processing liquid is alkaline TMAH, the lower the dissolved oxygen concentration in the processing liquid, the higher the etching rate. By supplying nitrogen bubbles into the processing liquid from the plurality of bubble supply pipes 51, the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the processing liquid is lowered, and as a result, the etching rate of the substrate W can be increased.

After the etching process for a predetermined time is completed, the processing liquid in the processing tank 10 is replaced with pure water, and the substrate W is rinsed with pure water. After that, the control unit 70 operates the drive mechanism 24 to raise the lifter 20 and pull up the substrate W from the processing tank 10 . Subsequently, the transport mechanism outside the apparatus receives the processed substrate W from the lifter 20 . A series of processes in the substrate processing apparatus 1 is completed as described above.

In this embodiment, an upward laminar flow of the processing liquid is formed inside the processing tank 10, and the substrate W is immersed in the processing liquid. A plurality of bubble supply pipes 51 are arranged inside the processing bath 10 , and the plurality of bubble supply pipes 51 feed bubbles into the processing liquid stored in the processing bath 10 from below the substrates W held by the lifter 20 . supply. A plurality of bubble holes 65 for discharging bubbles are formed on both sides of the bubble supply pipe 51, and the bubbles discharged from the bubble holes 65 are guided upward at least above each bubble hole 65. A plate-shaped derivative 60 is erected along the vertical direction. As a result, the bubbles discharged from the bubble hole 65 are guided upward by the vertically arranged inductor 60 and released into the treatment liquid. Regardless, bubbles can be easily released from the bubble supply pipe 51 . As a result, it is possible to prevent a plurality of bubbles discharged from the bubble hole 65 from coalescing to form a huge bubble, thereby preventing variations in the size of the bubbles.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention can be modified in various ways other than those described above without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the bubble supply tube 51 including the inductor 60 is made of PFA, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the bubble supply tube 51 may be made of another material such as PEEK or quartz. It may be formed. When phosphoric acid is used as the treatment liquid, the bubble supply pipe 51 is preferably made of quartz, which has excellent heat resistance, in order to heat the treatment liquid to a high temperature. However, in the case of a material with a relatively small contact angle, such as quartz, bubbles tend to separate in the first place. becomes.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the bubble supply pipe 51 has a square prism shape, but the bubble supply pipe 51 is not limited to this, and may have other polygonal prism shapes (eg, hexagonal prism shape, octagonal prism shape, etc.). ), or may be cylindrical. Even if the bubble supply pipe 51 has a cylindrical shape or the like, the bubble supply pipe 51 is provided with a bubble hole 65, and at least above the bubble hole 65, a plate-like dielectric 60 is provided along the vertical direction. In this way, the air bubbles ejected from the air bubble hole 65 are guided upward by the inductor 60 and released into the treatment liquid, and the same effects as in the above embodiment can be obtained. However, if the bubble supply pipe 51 has a square prism shape as in the above embodiment, the inductor 60 can be easily provided along the side surface thereof.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the inductor 60 is set up along the vertical direction, but the inductor 60 may be provided with a slight inclination from the vertical direction. Even in this way, the air bubbles ejected from the air bubble hole 65 are guided by the inductor 60 to rise, and the same effects as in the above embodiment can be obtained.

In addition, the dimensions of the inductor 60 are not limited to the examples of the above embodiments, and can be set to appropriate values.

Also, the number of air bubble supply pipes 51 provided in the processing tank 10 is not limited to six, and may be one or more.

Further, in the above embodiment, the etching process is performed as the surface treatment of the substrate W with the treatment liquid, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the substrate W may be cleaned with the treatment liquid, for example. .

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 substrate processing apparatus 10 processing tank 11 inner tank 12 outer tank 15 dispersion plate 17 punching plate 20 lifter 30 processing liquid supply section 31 nozzle 33 pump 50 bubble supply section 51 bubble supply pipe 53 gas supply mechanism 60 derivative 65 bubble hole 70 control section 80 chemical supply unit 90 pure water supply unit W substrate

Claims (3)

A substrate processing apparatus for surface-treating a substrate with a processing liquid,
a processing tank for storing the processing liquid;
a processing liquid supply unit that supplies a processing liquid into the processing tank;
a substrate holder for holding a substrate and immersing the substrate in the processing liquid stored in the processing bath;
a tubular air bubble supply pipe disposed inside the processing tank for supplying air bubbles to the processing liquid stored in the processing tank from below the substrate held by the substrate holding unit;
with
A plurality of bubble holes for discharging bubbles are provided on the side surface of the bubble supply pipe,
A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plate-like conductor is erected above each of the plurality of air bubbles for guiding upward air bubbles discharged from the air bubbles. In the substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1,
The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the plurality of bubble holes are provided on both sides of the bubble supply pipe. In the substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2,
The bubble supply pipe has a square prism shape,
The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the dielectric is provided along a side surface of the bubble supply pipe.

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