JP2023111228A - Substrate processing device and substrate processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

To avoid the excessive use of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide solution.SOLUTION: A substrate processing method includes the steps of: acquiring substrate information; selecting any of a liquid replacing step and a density adjusting step; discharging at least a part of a process liquid in a processing tank from the processing tank and supplying sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide solution to the processing tank when the liquid replacing step is selected in the selecting step and the process liquid in the processing tank does not satisfy a prescribed condition (first process liquid adjusting step); adjusting the density of the process liquid in the processing tank while circulating the process liquid in the processing tank via a piping connected to the processing tank when the density adjusting step is selected in the selecting step (second process liquid adjusting step); and immersing the substrate in the process liquid in the processing tank while circulating the process liquid in the processing tank adjusted in the first process liquid adjusting step or in the second process liquid adjusting step via the piping connected to the processing tank.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

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

2. Description of the Related Art Substances generated in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device sometimes adhere to the surface of a substrate to be processed, such as a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a wafer). Since these substances degrade the characteristics of the semiconductor device, in order to remove these substances, the surface of the wafer is cleaned using a plurality of types of chemical solutions.

The SPM liquid is used for cleaning the wafer surface. The SPM liquid is a mixture of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide. The SPM liquid is used not only for stripping the resist remaining on the wafer surface and removing the residue of the substrate after the resist has been ashed, but also as a chemical liquid for oxidizing the element-isolated substrate. The SPM solution is used not only in a single-wafer processing apparatus in which a chemical solution is supplied to the surface of a wafer held on a rotary table while rotating the wafer, but also in a process tank in which a plurality of wafers are simultaneously immersed in a processing tank filled with a chemical solution. It is also used in batch-type processing equipment in which cleaning is performed by

When wafers are processed using an SPM liquid in a batch-type substrate processing apparatus, for example, several tens of wafers are generally immersed in the SPM liquid heated to 100° C. to 130° C. After a predetermined time has passed, the wafers are taken out. A plurality of wafers are continuously processed by repeating the operation of immersing the next wafer. In such continuous processing, the SPM liquid in the processing bath adheres to the surface of the wafer and part of it is taken out of the processing bath, causing the liquid level to drop. Add hydrogen water.

Also, hydrogen peroxide is known to be a relatively unstable substance. Since hydrogen peroxide decomposes over time to produce water, for example, even if sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide are replenished as the liquid level drops, the concentration of sulfuric acid in the SPM liquid will decrease over time. declines substantially. As the concentration of sulfuric acid decreases, the ability to remove contaminants decreases. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically stop the processing of wafers using this processing bath and replace the entire amount of the SPM solution in the processing bath. This results in reduced efficiency and/or increased chemical consumption and associated increased chemical costs. For this reason, in batch-type substrate processing apparatuses, it has been studied to suppress the reduction in the ability to remove contaminants (Patent Document 1).

In the substrate processing apparatus of Patent Document 1, sulfuric acid is replenished downstream of the heater in the circulation flow path. Patent Document 1 discloses that hydrogen peroxide and Caro's acid, which are considered to effectively contribute to the removal of contaminants, are directly heated and decomposed by replenishing sulfuric acid downstream of the heater in the circulation flow path. stated to be suppressed.

Japanese Patent No. 2011-114305

In the substrate processing apparatus of Patent Document 1, the SPM concentration in the processing bath is adjusted to be constant regardless of the type of substrate. However, depending on the type of substrate, some substrates can be properly processed without strictly adjusting the SPM concentration in the processing tank. Sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide may be wasted compared to the amount of hydrogen water.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method capable of avoiding excessive use of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the substrate processing method processes the substrate by immersing the substrate in the processing liquid containing the sulfuric acid and the hydrogen peroxide solution in the processing tank storing the processing liquid. The substrate processing method includes acquiring substrate information indicating information about the substrate before the substrate is immersed in the processing liquid in the processing tank, and adjusting the processing liquid based on the substrate information. a step of selecting either a liquid exchanging step or a concentration adjusting step as the processing liquid adjusting step; and when the liquid exchanging step is selected in the selecting step, the processing liquid in the processing bath does not satisfy a predetermined condition. Sometimes, a first processing liquid for adjusting the processing liquid in the processing tank by discharging at least part of the processing liquid in the processing tank from the processing tank and supplying sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide solution to the processing tank When the concentration adjusting step is selected in the adjusting step and the selecting step, the concentration of the processing liquid in the processing tank is adjusted while circulating the processing liquid in the processing tank through a pipe connected to the processing tank. and circulating the processing liquid in the processing bath adjusted in the first processing liquid adjusting step or the second processing liquid adjusting step through a pipe connected to the processing bath. and immersing the substrate in the processing liquid in the processing tank.

In one embodiment, in the step of obtaining the substrate information, if the substrate information indicates that the resist of the substrate has been subjected to an ashing process, in the step of selecting, the liquid exchanging step is selected, and In the step of acquiring substrate information, if the substrate information indicates either that ion implantation has been performed in the resist of the substrate or that the substrate is element-isolated, in the step of selecting, Select the density adjustment step.

In one embodiment, in the first processing liquid adjusting step, when the processing liquid in the processing tank satisfies a predetermined condition, the processing liquid in the processing tank is not discharged.

In one embodiment, the first treatment liquid adjustment step comprises discharging the treatment liquid from the treatment tank based on the elapsed time after the substrate is immersed in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank before the substrate is immersed. setting the amount of

In one embodiment, the second processing liquid adjusting step includes a step of adjusting the hydrogen peroxide concentration of the processing liquid based on the measurement result of a concentration sensor that measures the concentration of the processing liquid in the processing tank.

In one embodiment, the second processing liquid adjusting step includes adjusting the processing bath so as to increase the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the processing liquid in the processing bath before the substrate is immersed in the processing liquid in the processing bath. and reducing the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the processing liquid in the processing tank after the substrate is immersed in the processing liquid in the processing tank.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a substrate processing apparatus includes a processing tank storing a processing liquid containing sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide, a circulation section having a pipe through which the processing liquid in the processing tank circulates, and a drainage unit for discharging the processing liquid from the processing bath; a processing liquid supply unit for supplying sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water to the processing bath; and a control unit for controlling the circulation unit, the drainage unit, the processing liquid supply unit, and the substrate holding unit. Before the substrate is immersed in the processing liquid in the processing tank, the control unit performs a liquid replacement step and a concentration adjustment step as processing liquid adjustment steps for adjusting the processing liquid based on substrate information indicating information about the substrate. When any one of the processes is selected and the liquid exchange process is selected, the control unit controls at least one of the processing liquids in the processing tank when the processing liquid in the processing tank does not satisfy a predetermined condition. from the processing tank, and the processing liquid supply unit supplies the sulfuric acid and the hydrogen peroxide solution to the processing tank to perform a first processing liquid adjustment step of adjusting the processing liquid in the processing tank. and, when the concentration adjustment step is selected, the control unit controls the drainage unit and the processing liquid supply unit, and circulates the processing liquid in the processing tank through the pipe of the circulation unit. The control unit controls the circulation unit and the processing liquid supply unit so as to perform a second processing liquid adjusting step of adjusting the concentration of the processing liquid while adjusting the concentration of the processing liquid, and the control unit performs the first processing liquid adjusting step or the second processing liquid. The circulation unit and the substrate holding unit are arranged so that the substrate is immersed in the processing liquid in the processing tank while the processing liquid in the processing tank adjusted in the liquid adjustment step is circulated through the piping of the circulation unit. control the department.

Excessive use of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide can be avoided according to the present invention.

(a) and (b) are schematic perspective views of the substrate processing apparatus of the present embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of the substrate processing apparatus of this embodiment. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment; FIG. It is a flow chart of the substrate processing method of this embodiment. (a) to (c) are schematic diagrams for explaining a liquid exchange step in the substrate processing method of the present embodiment. 5 is a graph showing temporal changes in sulfuric acid concentration and hydrogen peroxide concentration in a processing tank during a liquid exchange step in the substrate processing method of the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flow diagram when a liquid exchange step is selected in the substrate processing method of the present embodiment; (a) to (c) are schematic diagrams showing a concentration adjustment step in the substrate processing method of the present embodiment. 5 is a graph showing temporal changes in sulfuric acid concentration and hydrogen peroxide concentration in a processing tank during concentration adjustment in the substrate processing method of the present embodiment. 4(a) and 4(b) are graphs showing temporal changes in sulfuric acid concentration and hydrogen peroxide concentration in a processing tank in the substrate processing method of the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flow diagram when a concentration adjustment step is selected in the substrate processing method of the present embodiment; It is a flow chart of the substrate processing method of this embodiment. 1 is a schematic diagram of a substrate processing system provided with the substrate processing apparatus of the present embodiment; FIG.

Embodiments of a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated. In the specification of the present application, the X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis that are orthogonal to each other are sometimes described in order to facilitate understanding of the invention. Typically, the X and Y axes are horizontally parallel and the Z axis is vertically parallel.

An embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1(a) and 1(b) are schematic perspective views of a substrate processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment. FIG. 1(a) shows the substrate processing apparatus 100 before substrates W are loaded into the processing tank 110. FIG. FIG. 1B shows the substrate processing apparatus 100 after loading the substrates W into the processing tank 110 .

The substrate processing apparatus 100 processes substrates W. FIG. The substrate processing apparatus 100 processes the substrate W so as to subject the substrate W to at least one of etching, surface treatment, oxidation treatment, property imparting, treatment film formation, removal of at least part of the film, and cleaning. do.

The substrate W is a thin plate. Typically, the substrate W is thin and generally disk-shaped. The substrate W is, for example, a semiconductor wafer, a liquid crystal display device substrate, a plasma display substrate, a field emission display (FED) substrate, an optical disk substrate, a magnetic disk substrate, a magneto-optical disk substrate, or a photomask. substrates, ceramic substrates and substrates for solar cells.

The substrate processing apparatus 100 is a batch type substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus 100 processes a plurality of substrates W collectively. Typically, the substrate processing apparatus 100 processes a plurality of substrates W per lot. For example, one lot consists of 25 substrates W.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the substrate processing apparatus 100 includes a processing tank 110, a substrate holding section 120, and a processing liquid supply section . The processing bath 110 stores a processing liquid for processing the substrates W. FIG. The treatment liquid is a mixed liquid containing sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide. The processing liquid supply unit 130 supplies the processing liquid to the processing bath 110 . For example, the processing liquid supply unit 130 supplies sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide solution to the processing tank 110, respectively. In one example, the sulfuric acid and the hydrogen peroxide solution are mixed in the processing tank 110 to generate the processing liquid. However, the sulfuric acid and the hydrogen peroxide solution supplied from the processing liquid supply unit 130 may be mixed before reaching the processing bath 110 to generate the processing liquid.

The substrate holding part 120 holds the substrate W. As shown in FIG. The normal direction of the main surface of the substrate W held by the substrate holding part 120 is parallel to the Y direction. A plurality of substrates W are arranged in a row along the Y direction. The plurality of substrates W are arranged substantially parallel in the horizontal direction. Further, the normal to each of the plurality of substrates W extends in the Y direction, and each of the plurality of substrates W extends substantially parallel to the X and Z directions.

Typically, the substrate holder 120 holds a plurality of substrates W collectively. Here, the substrate holding part 120 holds the substrates W arranged in a row along the Y direction. The substrate holding part 120 moves the substrate W while holding it. For example, the substrate holding part 120 moves vertically upward or downward while holding the substrate W along the vertical direction.

Specifically, substrate holder 120 includes a lifter. The substrate holding part 120 moves vertically upward or downward while holding a plurality of substrates W. As shown in FIG. By moving the substrate holding part 120 vertically downward, the plurality of substrates W held by the substrate holding part 120 are immersed in the processing liquid L stored in the processing tank 110 .

In FIG. 1A, the substrate holder 120 is located above the processing bath 110 . The substrate holding part 120 descends vertically downward (in the Z direction) while holding the plurality of substrates W. As shown in FIG. Thereby, a plurality of substrates W are loaded into the processing bath 110 .

As shown in FIG. 1B, when the substrate holder 120 descends to the processing bath 110 , the plurality of substrates W are immersed in the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 . The substrate holder 120 immerses a plurality of substrates W arranged at predetermined intervals in the processing liquid stored in the processing bath 110 .

The processing bath 110 has a double bath structure. The processing bath 110 has an inner bath 112 and an outer bath 114 . The outer tub 114 surrounds the inner tub 112 . Both the inner bath 112 and the outer bath 114 have upper openings that open upward.

Each of the inner bath 112 and the outer bath 114 stores a processing liquid. A plurality of substrates W are loaded into the inner bath 112 . Specifically, a plurality of substrates W held by the substrate holding part 120 are put into the inner tank 112 . A plurality of substrates W are immersed in the processing liquid in the inner bath 112 by being put into the inner bath 112 .

The substrate holder 120 includes a body plate 122 and a holding bar 124 . The body plate 122 is a plate extending in the vertical direction (Z direction). The holding bar 124 extends horizontally (Y direction) from one main surface of the body plate 122 . 1(a) and 1(b), three retaining bars 124 extend horizontally from one major surface of body plate 122. In FIGS. The plurality of substrates W are held in an upright position (vertical position) with the lower edges of the substrates W being brought into contact with the plurality of holding bars 124 while being aligned at predetermined intervals.

The substrate holder 120 may further include an elevating unit 126 . The elevating unit 126 has a lower position (position shown in FIG. 1B) where the plurality of substrates W held by the holding rods 124 are positioned in the processing tank 110 (the position shown in FIG. 1B), and a position where the plurality of substrates W held by the holding rods 124 W raises and lowers the body plate 122 between the upper position (the position shown in FIG. 1A) located above the processing bath 110 . Therefore, by moving the body plate 122 to the lower position by the elevating unit 126, the plurality of substrates W held by the holding rods 124 are immersed in the processing liquid.

A plurality of substrates W are held by a plurality of holding bars 124 . Specifically, the plurality of substrates W are held in an upright posture (vertical posture) by the plurality of holding rods 124 by abutting the lower edge of each substrate W on the plurality of holding rods 124 . More specifically, the plurality of substrates W held by the substrate holding part 120 are aligned in the Y direction at intervals. Therefore, the plurality of substrates W are arranged in a row along the Y direction. Further, each of the plurality of substrates W is held by the substrate holder 120 in a posture substantially parallel to the XZ plane.

The elevating unit 126 elevates the body plate 122 and the holding bar 124 . The elevating unit 126 raises and lowers the main plate 122 and the holding rods 124 so that the main plate 122 and the holding rods 124 move vertically upward or downward while holding the plurality of substrates W thereon. The elevating unit 126 has a drive source and an elevating mechanism, and the drive source drives the elevating mechanism to raise and lower the body plate 122 and the holding rod 124 . The drive source includes, for example, a motor. The lifting mechanism includes, for example, a rack and pinion mechanism or a ball screw.

More specifically, the elevating unit 126 elevates the substrate holder 120 between the processing position (the position shown in FIG. 1B) and the retracted position (the position shown in FIG. 1A). As shown in FIG. 1B, when the substrate holding unit 120 moves vertically downward (in the Z direction) while holding the plurality of substrates W to the processing position, the plurality of substrates W are put into the inner bath 112. be done. Specifically, a plurality of substrates W held by the substrate holding part 120 are moved into the inner tank 112 . As a result, a plurality of substrates W are immersed in the processing liquid in the inner tank 112 and processed with the processing liquid. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1A, when the substrate holding part 120 moves to the retracted position, the plurality of substrates W held by the substrate holding part 120 move above the inner tank 112, and the processing liquid is lifted from

Next, the substrate processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the substrate processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the substrate processing apparatus 100 includes a processing bath 110 , a substrate holding section 120 , a processing liquid supply section 130 , a circulation section 140 , a liquid drainage section 150 and a control device 180 . The control device 180 controls the substrate holding section 120 , the processing liquid supply section 130 , the circulation section 140 and the liquid drainage section 150 .

The processing tank 110 stores the processing liquid L. As shown in FIG. The substrate holding part 120 holds the substrate W. As shown in FIG. The substrate holder 120 includes a lifter. A plurality of substrates W can be collectively immersed in the processing liquid L stored in the processing bath 110 by the substrate holding unit 120 .

The processing liquid supply unit 130 supplies the processing liquid to the processing bath 110 . The treatment liquid supply section 130 has a sulfuric acid supply section 132 and a hydrogen peroxide supply section 134 . The sulfuric acid supply unit 132 supplies sulfuric acid to the processing bath 110 . The hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 supplies hydrogen peroxide solution to the treatment tank 110 .

As noted above, hydrogen peroxide decomposes over time to produce water. Therefore, the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 and the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 supply sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide solution to the processing bath 110 in order to keep the concentration of the processing solution in the processing bath 110 constant. Typically, the amount of sulfuric acid supplied from the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 per unit time is greater than the amount of hydrogen peroxide solution supplied from the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 per unit time. For example, the ratio of the supply amount (volume) of sulfuric acid and the supply amount (volume) of hydrogen peroxide solution is 5:1 to 10:1.

The circulation unit 140 circulates the processing liquid L stored in the processing tank 110 . When the circulation unit 140 circulates the processing liquid L in the processing bath 110, the processing liquid is heated to a predetermined temperature. Further, when the circulation unit 140 circulates the processing liquid L in the processing bath 110, the processing liquid can be filtered to remove impurities from the processing liquid.

The drainage part 150 drains the processing liquid L stored in the processing bath 110 . The processing liquid in the processing bath 110 can be discharged by the drainage unit 150 . Further, the drainage unit 150 discharges the processing liquid L stored in the processing bath 110, and the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 and the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 supply sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide solution to the processing bath 110. Thus, the processing liquid L stored in the processing bath 110 can be replaced with a new processing liquid.

The processing tank 110 stores the processing liquid L as described above. The treatment liquid L is a mixture of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide. In the treatment liquid L, the sulfuric acid concentration (mass concentration) is 80% or more and 90% or less, and the hydrogen peroxide concentration (mass concentration) is 0.8% or more and 2.0% or less.

Here, the processing bath 110 has a double bath structure. The processing bath 110 has an inner bath 112 and an outer bath 114 . Each of the inner bath 112 and the outer bath 114 has an upper opening that opens upward. The inner tank 112 is configured to store the processing liquid L and to accommodate a plurality of substrates W therein. The outer tub 114 is provided on the outer surface of the upper opening of the inner tub 112 . The height of the upper edge of the outer tub 114 is higher than the height of the upper edge of the inner tub 112 .

The processing bath 110 further has a lid 116 . The lid 116 can be opened and closed with respect to the upper opening of the inner tank 112 . By closing the lid 116 , the lid 116 can block the upper opening of the inner tank 112 .

The lid 116 has an open door portion 116a and an open door portion 116b. The open door portion 116a is positioned on one side of the upper opening of the inner tank 112 in the X direction. The opening portion 116 a is arranged near the upper edge of the inner tank 112 and can be opened and closed with respect to the upper opening of the inner tank 112 . The open door portion 116b is positioned on the other side of the upper opening of the inner tank 112 in the X direction. The opening portion 116 b is arranged near the upper edge of the inner tank 112 and can be opened and closed with respect to the upper opening of the inner tank 112 . The inner bath 112 of the processing bath 110 can be closed by closing the open door portions 116 a and 116 b to cover the upper opening of the inner bath 112 .

The substrate holding part 120 holds the substrate W. As shown in FIG. The substrate holding part 120 moves vertically upward or downward while holding the substrate W. As shown in FIG. By moving the substrate holding part 120 vertically downward, the substrate W held by the substrate holding part 120 is immersed in the processing liquid L stored in the inner tank 112 .

The substrate holder 120 includes a body plate 122 and a holding bar 124 . The body plate 122 is a plate extending in the vertical direction (Z direction). The holding bar 124 extends horizontally (Y direction) from one main surface of the body plate 122 . Here, three holding bars 124 extend from one main surface of the body plate 122 in the Y direction. The plurality of substrates W are held in an upright posture (vertical posture) with the lower edge of each substrate W being brought into contact with the plurality of holding rods 124 in a state in which the plurality of substrates W are arranged in the front-to-back direction of the paper surface.

The substrate holder 120 may further include an elevating unit 126 . The elevating unit 126 has a processing position (the position shown in FIG. 2 ) where the substrate W held by the substrate holding part 120 is positioned inside the inner tank 112 , and a position where the substrate W held by the substrate holding part 120 is positioned inside the inner tank 112 . The main body plate 122 is moved up and down between a retracted position (not shown) located above the . Therefore, by moving the body plate 122 to the processing position by the elevating unit 126, the plurality of substrates W held by the holding rods 124 are immersed in the processing liquid. Thereby, the substrate W is processed.

The sulfuric acid supply unit 132 includes a pipe 132a and a valve 132b. Sulfuric acid is discharged into the processing bath 110 from one end of the pipe 132a. The pipe 132a is connected to a sulfuric acid supply source. A valve 132b is arranged in the pipe 132a. The supply of sulfuric acid to the processing tank 110 can be controlled by the valve 132b. When the valve 132b is opened under the control of the control device 180, the sulfuric acid passing through the pipe 132a is supplied to the processing tank 110. As shown in FIG. In the processing bath 110 , the sulfuric acid is mixed with the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 .

For example, sulfuric acid discharged from the pipe 132 a is supplied to the inner tank 112 . When the processing liquid overflows from the upper edge of the inner tank 112, the overflowing processing liquid is received by the outer tank 114 and collected. Here, sulfuric acid is discharged into the inner tank 112 . The inner tank 112 may be provided with one end of a pipe 132 a that supplies sulfuric acid from the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 to the inner tank 112 .

The hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 includes a pipe 134a and a valve 134b. A hydrogen peroxide solution is discharged into the treatment tank 110 from one end of the pipe 134a. The pipe 134a is connected to a hydrogen peroxide solution supply source. A valve 134b is arranged in the pipe 134a. The supply of the hydrogen peroxide solution to the treatment tank 110 can be controlled by the valve 134b. When the valve 134b is opened under the control of the controller 180, the hydrogen peroxide solution that has passed through the pipe 134a is supplied to the treatment tank 110. In the processing tank 110 , the hydrogen peroxide solution is mixed with the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 .

For example, the hydrogen peroxide solution discharged from the pipe 134 a is supplied to the inner tank 112 . When the processing liquid overflows from the upper edge of the inner tank 112, the overflowing processing liquid is received by the outer tank 114 and collected. Here, the hydrogen peroxide solution is discharged into the inner tank 112 . The inner tank 112 may be provided with one end of a pipe 134 a for supplying the hydrogen peroxide solution from the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 to the inner tank 112 .

Circulation unit 140 includes pipe 141 , pump 142 , filter 143 , heater 144 , adjustment valve 145 , valve 146 and circulating fluid supply pipe 148 . Pump 142 , filter 143 , heater 144 , regulating valve 145 and valve 146 are arranged in this order from upstream to downstream of pipe 141 .

The pipe 141 leads the processing liquid discharged from the processing bath 110 back to the processing bath 110 . Specifically, the upstream end of the pipe 141 is located in the outer tank 114 and the downstream end of the pipe 141 is located in the inner tank 112 . A downstream end of the pipe 141 is connected to a circulating fluid supply pipe 148 located in the inner tank 112 .

The pump 142 sends the processing liquid from the pipe 141 to the circulating liquid supply pipe 148 . The filter 143 filters the processing liquid flowing through the pipe 141 . The filter 143 filters and removes foreign matter such as particles in the processing liquid flowing through the pipe 141 .

The heater 144 heats the processing liquid flowing through the pipe 141 . The heater 144 adjusts the temperature of the processing liquid. The heater 144 heats the processing liquid flowing through the pipe 141 to adjust the processing temperature (for example, approximately 100° C. to 120° C.). The heater 144 may be capable of heating the processing liquid and measuring the temperature of the processing liquid. In this case, the heater 144 has a heating portion and a temperature measuring portion.

The adjustment valve 145 adjusts the opening degree of the pipe 141 to adjust the flow rate of the processing liquid supplied to the circulating liquid supply pipe 148 . The adjustment valve 145 adjusts the flow rate of the processing liquid. The adjustment valve 145 includes a valve body (not shown) having a valve seat therein, a valve body that opens and closes the valve seat, and an actuator (not shown) that moves the valve body between an open position and a closed position. including. The same applies to other control valves. A valve 146 opens and closes the pipe 141 . Note that the adjustment valve 145 may be omitted. In this case, the flow rate of the processing liquid supplied to the circulating liquid supply pipe 148 is adjusted by controlling the pump 142 .

A circulating fluid supply pipe 148 is arranged in the inner tank 112 . Here, the circulating liquid supply pipe 148 is arranged at the bottom of the inner tank 112 of the processing tank 110 . The circulating liquid supply pipe 148 is arranged in the processing liquid L stored in the inner tank 112 . The circulating liquid supply pipe 148 supplies the circulated processing liquid to the inner tank 112 .

The drainage section 150 has a drainage pipe 151 , a valve 152 , a drainage pipe 153 , a valve 154 and a valve 155 . The processing liquid in the inner tank 112 is discharged by the drain pipe 151 and the valve 152 . The processing liquid in the outer tank 114 is discharged by the drain pipe 153 , the valve 154 and the valve 155 .

A drainage pipe 151 is connected to the bottom wall of the inner tank 112 . A valve 152 is arranged in the drain pipe 151 . Valve 152 is opened and closed by controller 180 . By opening the valve 152 , the processing liquid stored in the inner tank 112 is discharged to the outside through the liquid discharge pipe 151 . The discharged processing liquid is sent to a waste liquid processing device (not shown) and processed.

A drainage pipe 153 is connected to the pipe 141 . Here, the drainage pipe 153 connects with the pipe 141 downstream of the pump 142 . A valve 154 is arranged in the pipe 141 downstream of the connection with the drain pipe 153 . A valve 155 is located in the drain pipe 153 . By opening the valve 154 and closing the valve 155, the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 can be returned to the processing bath 110 through the pipe 141, and the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 can be circulated. Also, by closing the valve 154 and opening the valve 155 , the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 can be discharged through the pipe 141 and the drainage pipe 153 .

In FIG. 2, one adjusting valve 145 and one valve 146 are shown in order to avoid making the drawing overly complicated. good.

The control device 180 is configured using, for example, a microcomputer. The control device 180 has an arithmetic unit such as a central processing unit (CPU), a fixed memory device, a storage unit such as a hard disk drive, and an input/output unit. The storage unit stores a program to be executed by the arithmetic unit.

Next, an embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of the substrate processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the control device 180 includes a control section 182 and a storage section 184 . The control section 182 controls the operation of each section of the substrate processing apparatus 100 .

Control unit 182 includes a processor. A processor has a central processing unit (Central Processing Unit: CPU), for example. Alternatively, the processor may comprise a general purpose computing machine.

Storage unit 184 stores data and computer programs. Storage unit 184 includes a main storage device and an auxiliary storage device. The main storage device is, for example, a semiconductor memory. Auxiliary storage devices are, for example, semiconductor memories and/or hard disk drives. Storage unit 184 may include removable media. The processor of the control unit 182 executes the computer program stored in the storage unit 184 to execute the substrate processing method.

The controller 180 controls the substrate holding section 120, the sulfuric acid supply section 132, the hydrogen peroxide supply section 134, the circulation section 140 and the drainage section 150 according to a predetermined program. Specifically, the control device 180 controls the operations of the lifting unit 126, the pump 142, the filter 143, the heater 144, and the like. The control device 180 also controls the opening and closing operations of the valves 132b, 134b, 146, 152, 154, and 155. FIG. Further, the control device 180 controls the operation of adjusting the opening degree of the adjusting valve 145 .

The substrate processing apparatus 100 has a concentration sensor 162 . The concentration sensor 162 measures the concentration of sulfuric acid and the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the processing liquid within the processing bath 110 .

For example, concentration sensor 162 is attached to processing bath 110 . The concentration sensor 162 measures a value indicating the specific gravity of the processing liquid stored in the processing bath 110 . A concentration sensor 162 measures the back pressure of the processing bath 110 .

For example, the tip of the concentration sensor 162 is arranged at a predetermined depth from the surface of the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 . In the concentration sensor 162 , gas is supplied to the tip of the concentration sensor 162 to form bubbles in the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 . As a result, the liquid pressure of the processing liquid stored in the processing bath 110 is detected as the gas pressure at the tip of the concentration sensor 162 arranged at a predetermined depth from the liquid surface of the processing bath 110 . Nitrogen gas is typically used as the gas. By measuring the relationship between the gas pressure and the concentration of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide in the treatment liquid in advance and creating a lookup table showing the relationship between the gas pressure and the treatment liquid in advance, the generation of air bubbles caused by the gas can be minimized. The specific gravity of the processing liquid can be measured according to the gas pressure formed.

Further, the control unit 182 functions as a substrate information acquisition unit 182a and a processing liquid adjustment process selection unit 182b by executing computer programs stored in the storage unit 184. FIG. Therefore, the control section 182 includes a substrate information acquisition section 182a and a treatment liquid adjustment process selection section 182b.

The substrate information acquisition unit 182a acquires substrate information indicating information about the substrate W before the substrate processing apparatus 100 processes the substrate W. FIG. The substrate information may indicate processing performed before the substrate W is loaded into the substrate processing apparatus 100 .

The processing liquid adjustment process selection unit 182b selects which of the liquid exchange process and the concentration adjustment process is performed as the processing liquid adjustment process for adjusting the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 . The processing liquid adjustment process selection unit 182b selects either the liquid replacement process or the concentration adjustment process based on the substrate information. The liquid exchange process and the concentration adjustment process will be described later.

Furthermore, the control unit 182 functions as a processing liquid information acquisition unit 182c by executing a computer program stored in the storage unit 184. FIG. Therefore, the control unit 182 includes a treatment liquid information acquisition unit 182c. The processing liquid information acquisition unit 182 c acquires processing liquid information indicating information about the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 . For example, the processing liquid information acquisition unit 182c acquires processing liquid information based on the measurement result of the concentration sensor 162. FIG.

Next, the substrate processing method of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the substrate processing method of this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 4, in step S10, substrate information indicating information about the substrate to be processed by the substrate processing apparatus 100 is obtained. For example, the board information acquisition unit 182 a acquires board information from the storage unit 184 .

For example, the substrate information indicates the processing performed on the substrate W before being loaded into the substrate processing apparatus 100 . In one example, the substrate information indicates that the resist was ashed before the substrate W was loaded into the substrate processing apparatus 100 . Alternatively, the substrate information indicates that ion implantation was performed on the resist before the substrate W was loaded into the substrate processing apparatus 100 . Alternatively, the substrate information indicates that the substrate W is in a state before element isolation and oxidation treatment.

In step S20, a processing liquid adjusting step is selected. The control unit 182 selects either the liquid replacement process or the concentration adjustment process as the treatment liquid adjustment process based on the substrate information. For example, the treatment liquid adjustment process selection unit 182b selects either the liquid exchange process or the concentration adjustment process.

For example, when the substrate W is a substrate that can be properly processed even when the concentration range of the processing liquid required for appropriately processing the target substrate to be processed by the substrate processing apparatus 100 is set relatively loosely, The control unit 182 selects the liquid replacement process as the processing liquid adjustment process. As an example, when processing a substrate to remove residue from a substrate that has been subjected to an ashing process to a resist, the substrate can be properly processed even if the concentration range of the processing liquid is set relatively loosely. Therefore, when the substrate is a substrate subjected to ashing processing with respect to resist, the control unit 182 selects the liquid exchange process.

On the other hand, if the substrate W is a substrate that cannot be properly processed unless the concentration range of the processing liquid necessary for properly processing the target substrate is set relatively narrow, the control unit 182 performs the processing liquid adjustment step. Select the concentration adjustment process. As an example, when the substrate W has a resist into which ions have been implanted, the resist cannot be properly removed and stripped unless the concentration range of the processing liquid is set relatively strictly. Therefore, when the substrate W is a substrate having a resist into which ions have been implanted, the controller 182 selects the concentration adjustment process.

Alternatively, when an element-isolated substrate is subjected to oxidation treatment, the substrate cannot be properly treated unless the concentration range of the treatment liquid is set relatively strictly. Therefore, when the substrate W is a substrate to be oxidized after element isolation, the controller 182 selects the concentration adjustment process.

In this manner, the control unit 182 selects either the liquid replacement process or the concentration adjustment process for the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 based on the substrate information. Typically, before the target substrate reaches the substrate processing apparatus 100, the control section 182 selects the processing liquid adjusting process based on the substrate information.

If the liquid replacement step is selected in step S20, the process proceeds to step S30. On the other hand, if the density adjustment process is selected in step S20, the process proceeds to step S40.

In step S30, a liquid exchange step is performed. The processing liquid in the processing bath 110 is adjusted by the liquid exchange process. In this specification, the adjustment of the treatment liquid when the liquid exchange process is selected may be referred to as the first treatment liquid adjustment process.

In this case, it is determined whether or not the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 satisfies the standard. The criteria may be set based on the concentration of sulfuric acid and/or the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the processing solution in processing bath 110 .

Alternatively, the reference may be set based on the time after the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 is replaced. Alternatively, the reference may be set based on the number of lots of substrates W processed after the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 is replaced. The criterion may be set based on the time that has elapsed since the previous substrate was immersed in the processing liquid of the processing bath 110 .

If the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 satisfies the criteria, the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is not discharged. However, even in this case, the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 may continue to supply a constant amount of hydrogen peroxide solution to the treatment tank 110 in order to maintain the hydrogen peroxide concentration due to decomposition of the hydrogen peroxide solution.

On the other hand, if the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 does not meet the criteria, the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 is at least partially replaced. In this case, at least part of the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is discharged, while the processing liquid is supplied to the processing tank 110 .

When the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is discharged, for example, the processing liquid in the outer tank 114 is discharged. In this case, the controller 182 drives the pump 142 to open the valve 154 and close the valve 155 . Thereby, the processing liquid in the outer tank 114 can be discharged. Also, the processing liquid in the inner bath 112 is discharged. For example, the control unit 182 discharges the processing liquid in the inner tank 112 by opening the valve 152 .

Also, the processing liquid is supplied to the processing bath 110 . In this case, the processing liquid supply unit 130 supplies the processing liquid to the processing bath 110 . For example, the sulfuric acid supplier 132 supplies sulfuric acid to the processing bath 110 . The hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 supplies hydrogen peroxide solution to the treatment tank 110 . Thereby, the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 is adjusted. The sulfuric acid supply unit 132 and the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 supply sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide solution, respectively, at a rate that the processing liquid containing sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide solution supplied in the processing tank 110 has a predetermined concentration. In this case, the temperature of the treatment liquid rises due to the reaction with the sulfuric acid and the hydrogen peroxide solution.

The processing liquid may be heated while being circulated by driving the pump 142 and the heater 144 so that the processing liquid maintains a predetermined temperature. In this case, the heater 144 heats the processing liquid as necessary. For example, when the temperature of the processing liquid is lower than a predetermined temperature, the heater 144 heats the processing liquid so as to raise the temperature to the predetermined temperature. On the other hand, when the temperature of the processing liquid rises above the predetermined temperature due to the reaction with the sulfuric acid and the hydrogen peroxide solution, the heater 144 stops heating the processing liquid so that the temperature of the processing liquid drops to the temperature of the processing liquid. The process then proceeds to step S50A.

In step S50A, the substrate W is immersed in the processing liquid in the processing tank 110. As shown in FIG. After that, the substrate W is taken out from the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 . Substrate processing is completed as described above.

In step S40, a density adjustment process is performed. The concentration adjustment step adjusts the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 . In this specification, the adjustment of the treatment liquid when the concentration adjustment process is selected may be referred to as a second treatment liquid adjustment process.

In this case, the concentration of the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is adjusted. For example, the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 is adjusted. In one example, the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the processing solution in processing bath 110 is increased.

Alternatively, the concentration of sulfuric acid in the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is adjusted. In one example, the concentration of sulfuric acid in the processing solution in processing bath 110 is increased.

Typically, the processing liquid supply unit 130 supplies the processing liquid to the processing bath 110 . For example, the sulfuric acid supplier 132 supplies sulfuric acid to the processing bath 110 . The hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 supplies hydrogen peroxide solution to the treatment tank 110 . The sulfuric acid supply unit 132 and the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 supply sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide solution, respectively, at a rate that the processing liquid containing sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide solution supplied in the processing tank 110 has a predetermined concentration.

For example, when increasing the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the processing liquid in the processing tank 110, the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 and the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 increase the ratio of the hydrogen peroxide solution to increase the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the processing tank 110. Sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide are supplied to increase.

In this case, the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 is circulated. Here too, the pump 142 and the heater 144 may be driven so that the processing liquid is heated while being circulated so that the processing liquid maintains a predetermined temperature.

The controller 182 supplies sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide solution until the sulfuric acid concentration and/or the hydrogen peroxide concentration measured by the concentration sensor 162 reaches a predetermined concentration. Further, the control unit 182 supplies sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide solution such that the sulfuric acid concentration and/or the hydrogen peroxide concentration measured by the concentration sensor 162 maintains a predetermined concentration. Thus, the controller 182 may use the concentration sensor 162 to adjust the concentration of sulfuric acid and/or the concentration of hydrogen peroxide through feedback control. Note that the concentration adjustment is performed immediately before the substrate W is immersed in the processing bath 110, and if the substrate W is not immersed in the processing bath 110 for a predetermined period, the concentration adjustment is preferably not performed. The process then proceeds to step S50B.

In step S50B, the substrate is immersed in the treatment liquid in which the hydrogen peroxide concentration has been adjusted. After that, the substrate W is taken out from the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 . Substrate processing is completed as described above.

According to the present embodiment, the substrate is processed with the processing liquid prepared in a different manner according to the substrate W. FIG. For example, when a substrate to be processed in the substrate processing apparatus 100 can be processed with a processing liquid adjusted to a relatively loose concentration range, the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is adjusted in the liquid exchange process. As a result, the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is replaced only when the standard is not met. Therefore, the replacement frequency of the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 can be suppressed, and the cost related to the processing liquid can be reduced. Further, when substrates to be processed in the substrate processing apparatus 100 need to be processed with a processing liquid adjusted to a relatively strict concentration range, the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is adjusted in a concentration adjustment step. As a result, when no substrate is loaded, the loaded substrate can be properly processed while avoiding maintaining the concentration of the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 adjusted. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, excessive use of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide can be avoided depending on the substrate W.

Next, the liquid exchange process of the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG. 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams for explaining the liquid exchange step in the substrate processing method of this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 5A, a processing bath 110 stores a processing liquid. Here, a fixed amount of processing liquid is stored in each of the inner bath 112 and the outer bath 114 . As described above, the processing liquid overflowing from the inner bath 112 flows into the outer bath 114 . The fixed amount of the inner tank 112 is set to the maximum amount of the container of the inner tank 112 .

The fixed amount of the outer tank 114 is set to be less than the maximum amount of the container of the outer tank 114 . When more processing liquid than the fixed amount flows into the outer tank 114, the control unit 182 drives the pump 142 to cause the processing liquid in the outer tank 114 to flow out to the outside.

As shown in FIG. 5B, the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is discharged. For example, when discharging the processing liquid from the inner tank 112 , the control unit 182 opens the valve 152 to discharge the processing liquid from the inner tank 112 .

When the processing liquid in the outer tank 114 is discharged, the control unit 182 drives the pump 142 and closes the valve 154 and opens the valve 155 to discharge the processing liquid in the outer tank 114 .

The amount of the processing liquid discharged from the processing tank 110 may be set according to the time that has elapsed since the liquid was last replaced. For example, if a relatively long time has passed since the last liquid exchange, the amount of the processing liquid to be discharged from the processing tank 110 is set relatively large. Conversely, if the time that has elapsed since the last liquid exchange was relatively short, the amount of the processing liquid to be discharged from the processing tank 110 is set to be relatively small.

Alternatively, the amount of the processing liquid discharged from the processing bath 110 may be set according to the time that has elapsed since the substrate was previously immersed. If a relatively long time has elapsed since the previous substrate was immersed, the amount of the processing liquid to be discharged from the processing tank 110 is set relatively large. Conversely, if the time that has elapsed since the substrate was previously immersed is relatively short, the amount of processing liquid discharged from the processing tank 110 is set relatively small.

Typically, when the processing liquid is discharged from the processing bath 110, the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 is not circulated. However, the processing liquid may be discharged from the processing bath 110 while the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 is being circulated.

As shown in FIG. 5C, the processing liquid supply unit 130 supplies the processing liquid to the processing bath 110 . Specifically, the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 supplies sulfuric acid to the processing tank 110 . Also, the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 supplies the hydrogen peroxide solution to the treatment tank 110 . In this case, the control unit 182 controls the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 and the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 so that the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 and the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 supply sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide solution to the treatment tank 110, respectively. .

After supplying the processing liquid to the processing bath 110 , the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 circulates through the circulation unit 140 . For example, the control unit 182 drives the pump 142 to open the adjustment valves 145 and 146 , opens the valve 154 and closes the valve 155 , so that the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 flows from the processing bath 110 through the pipe 141 . and circulates to the processing tank 110 . Further, the control unit 182 drives the heater 144 to heat the treatment liquid flowing through the pipe 141 .

At this time, the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 and the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 may supply sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide solution to the processing bath 110 in order to maintain the processing solution in the processing bath 110 . The ratio of the amount of sulfuric acid supplied from the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 and the amount of hydrogen peroxide supplied from the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 is the same as before the liquid exchange.

As described above, the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 can be adjusted by liquid exchange. According to this embodiment, the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 can be partially discharged and the processing liquid can be supplied to the processing tank 110 . Therefore, the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 can be quickly adjusted to processing conditions suitable for substrate processing. Also, since the processing solution in the processing tank 110 is not completely discarded, the substrate processing cost can be reduced.

Next, the liquid exchange step in the substrate processing method of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. FIG. FIG. 6 is a graph showing temporal changes in sulfuric acid concentration and hydrogen peroxide concentration in the processing tank 110 during the liquid exchange step in the substrate processing method of the present embodiment. In FIG. 6, line Lsp indicates the time change of sulfuric acid concentration. A line Lhp indicates the time change of the hydrogen peroxide concentration.

As indicated by the line Lsp, the sulfuric acid concentration is substantially constant before the liquid exchange period Pp. Strictly speaking, however, the sulfuric acid concentration gradually decreases over time. This is because the hydrogen peroxide solution reacts with sulfuric acid in the treatment tank 110 and is decomposed to produce water.

During the liquid exchange period Pp, the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is at least partially discharged. Further, sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide are newly supplied to the processing tank 110 during the liquid exchange period Pp. Typically, fresh processing liquid is supplied to the processing bath 110 after the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 begins to be drained. However, the discharge and supply of the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 may be performed at any timing.

After the liquid exchange period Pp, the concentration of sulfuric acid increases compared to before the liquid exchange period Pp. The sulfuric acid concentration then gradually decreases over time.

As indicated by the line Lhp, the hydrogen peroxide concentration is substantially constant before the liquid replacement period Pp. Strictly speaking, however, the hydrogen peroxide concentration gradually decreases over time. This is because the hydrogen peroxide solution reacts with sulfuric acid in the treatment tank 110 and is decomposed to produce water.

After the end of the liquid replacement period Pp, the hydrogen peroxide concentration increases compared to before the liquid replacement period Pp. The hydrogen peroxide concentration then decreases over time.

In FIG. 6, before and after the liquid exchange period Pp, the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 is heated while being circulated through the circulation section 160 . During the liquid exchange period Pp, the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 may be heated while being circulated through the circulation section 160 .

Next, the substrate processing method of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. FIG. FIG. 7 is a flowchart when the liquid exchange step is selected in the substrate processing method of this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 7, in step S102, it is determined whether or not the substrate W to be processed by the substrate processing apparatus 100 is the target substrate for the liquid replacement process. For example, when the substrate W is a substrate subjected to an ashing process of resist, the control unit 182 determines that the substrate W is the target substrate of the liquid exchange process. Typically, before the target substrate reaches the substrate processing apparatus 100, the control unit 182 determines whether the substrate W is the target substrate.

If the substrate W is not the target substrate (No in step S102), the process returns to step S102. On the other hand, if the substrate W is the target substrate (Yes in step S102), the process proceeds to step S104.

In step S104, it is determined whether or not the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 satisfies a predetermined standard. The predetermined standard is set as an index indicating that the substrates W can be appropriately processed without adjusting the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 . When the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 satisfies a predetermined standard, the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is not discharged. On the other hand, if the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 does not satisfy the predetermined standard, the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is discharged and adjusted.

The predetermined standard may be set based on the processing liquid concentration in the processing bath 110 . For example, the predetermined standard is set based on the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 . For example, when the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the control unit 182 determines that the predetermined criterion is satisfied. On the other hand, when the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is lower than the predetermined value, the control unit 182 determines that the predetermined standard is not satisfied.

If the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 satisfies the predetermined criteria (Yes in step S104), the process proceeds to step S112. On the other hand, if the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 does not meet the predetermined criteria (No in step S104), the process proceeds to step S106.

In step S106, the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is discharged. At least part of the processing liquid stored in the processing tank 110 is discharged. The control unit 182 drives the pump 142 to open the valve 154 and close the valve 155 to discharge the processing liquid in the outer tank 114 . Also, the control unit 182 discharges the processing liquid in the inner tank 112 by opening the valve 152 .

In step S<b>108 , the processing liquid is supplied to the processing bath 110 . The processing liquid supply unit 130 supplies the processing liquid to the processing bath 110 . Under the control of control unit 182 , sulfuric acid supply unit 132 and hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 supply sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide solution to treatment tank 110 .

At step S110, the supply of the processing liquid to the processing tank 110 is stopped. Under the control of the control unit 182, the supply of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide solution from the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 and the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 to the processing bath 110 is stopped.

In step S112, the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is heated while being circulated. Under the control of the control unit 182 , the pump 142 is driven to open the adjustment valves 145 and 146 , the valve 154 is opened, and the valve 155 is closed. and circulates to the processing tank 110 . Also, the heater 144 heats the processing liquid flowing through the pipe 141 under the control of the control unit 182 .

In step S114, it is determined whether the temperature of the treatment liquid is a predetermined temperature. If the temperature of the treatment liquid is not the predetermined temperature (No in step S114), the process returns to step S112. On the other hand, if the temperature of the treatment liquid is the predetermined temperature (Yes in step S114), the process proceeds to step S116.

In step S<b>116 , the substrate W is immersed in the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 . Typically, the substrate holder 120 descends toward the processing bath 110 while holding the substrate W, and immerses the substrate W in the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 . At this time, the processing liquid supply unit 130 does not have to supply the sulfuric acid and the hydrogen peroxide solution to the processing bath 110 . Alternatively, for the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 , the processing liquid supply unit 130 may supply only the hydrogen peroxide solution to the processing bath 110 . In any case, it is preferable to heat the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 while circulating the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 by driving the heater 144 together with the pump 142 .

After that, the substrate W is pulled up from the processing bath 110 . Typically, the substrate W is unloaded from the substrate processing apparatus 100 .

In step S118, it is determined whether or not the substrate W to be processed next by the substrate processing apparatus 100 is the target substrate. Typically, before the next target substrate reaches the substrate processing apparatus 100, the control unit 182 determines whether the substrate W is the target substrate.

If the next substrate W is not the target substrate (No in step S118), the process ends. On the other hand, if the next substrate W is the target substrate (Yes in step S118), the process proceeds to step S120.

In step S120, it is determined whether or not the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 satisfies a predetermined standard. A predetermined criterion is set in the same manner as in step S104.

If the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 does not meet the predetermined criteria (No in step S120), the process returns to step S106. On the other hand, if the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 satisfies the predetermined criteria (Yes in step S120), the process returns to step S116. Also in this case, the processing liquid supply unit 130 does not have to supply the sulfuric acid and the hydrogen peroxide solution to the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 . Alternatively, the processing liquid supply unit 130 may supply only the hydrogen peroxide solution to the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 . In any case, it is preferable to heat the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 while circulating the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 by driving the heater 144 together with the pump 142 .

In this embodiment, as described above, when the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 satisfies a predetermined standard, the substrate W is immersed without discharging the processing liquid. On the other hand, when the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 does not satisfy the predetermined standard, at least a part of the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is discharged, and sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide are newly supplied to the processing tank. At least partially replace the processing liquid of 110 . As a result, it is possible to reduce the number of times the treatment liquid is replaced and to suppress an increase in the cost associated with the treatment liquid.

As described above, with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7, the liquid exchange process and the flow when the liquid exchange process is selected in the substrate processing method of the present embodiment have been described. The concentration adjustment step in the substrate processing method of this embodiment is performed as follows.

Next, the concentration adjustment step in the substrate processing method of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. FIG. 8A to 8C are schematic diagrams for explaining the concentration adjustment step in the substrate processing method of this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 8A, the state of the processing solution in the processing bath 110 is maintained. Here, a fixed amount of processing liquid is stored in each of the inner bath 112 and the outer bath 114 . For example, the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 is maintained in a constant state by being heated while being circulated.

For example, the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 is maintained at a sulfuric acid concentration of 75% to 90%, a hydrogen peroxide concentration of 0.8% to 2.0%, and a temperature of 100°C to 140°C. In one example, the processing solution maintained in processing bath 110 has a sulfuric acid concentration of 82%, a hydrogen peroxide concentration of 1.0%, and a temperature of 110°C.

Under the control of the controller 182, the temperature of the processing liquid in the processing bath 110, the concentration of sulfuric acid in the processing liquid, and the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the processing liquid are maintained. Specifically, the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 supplies a predetermined amount of sulfuric acid to the processing tank 110 , and the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 supplies a predetermined amount of hydrogen peroxide solution to the processing tank 110 . Also, the heater 144 heats the processing liquid with a constant amount of electric power.

As shown in FIG. 8B, the concentration of the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is adjusted. At this time, the ratio of the amount of sulfuric acid supplied from the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 and the amount of hydrogen peroxide solution supplied from the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 is changed. For example, the concentration of the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is adjusted immediately before the substrates W are immersed in the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 .

Here, the concentration of hydrogen peroxide is increased while maintaining the concentration of sulfuric acid in the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 . In this case, the control unit 182 controls the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 so as to increase the supply amount of the hydrogen peroxide solution until the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 increases. Further, the control unit 182 controls the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 so as to supply sulfuric acid to such an extent that the concentration of sulfuric acid in the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 is maintained.

In one example, the processing solution maintained in processing bath 110 has a sulfuric acid concentration of 82%, a hydrogen peroxide concentration of 1.4%, and a temperature of 110°C.

Thereafter, the control unit 182 causes the substrate W to be immersed in the processing liquid in the processing bath 110, and maintains the temperature of the processing liquid in the processing bath 110, the concentration of sulfuric acid in the processing liquid, and Maintain the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the processing solution. Specifically, the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 supplies a predetermined amount of sulfuric acid to the processing tank 110 , and the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 supplies a predetermined amount of hydrogen peroxide solution to the processing tank 110 . Also, the heater 144 heats the processing liquid with a constant amount of electric power.

After pulling up the substrate W from the processing liquid in the processing bath 110, the control unit 182 changes the temperature of the processing liquid in the processing bath 110, the concentration of sulfuric acid in the processing liquid, and the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the processing liquid. Typically, the control unit 182 sets any one of the temperature of the processing liquid in the processing bath 110, the concentration of sulfuric acid in the processing liquid, and the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the processing liquid to the state before the substrate W is immersed. change.

As shown in FIG. 8C, the state of the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is restored. Here, the concentration of hydrogen peroxide is lowered while maintaining the concentration of sulfuric acid in the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 . In this case, the control unit 182 controls the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 so as to reduce the supply amount of the hydrogen peroxide solution until the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 decreases. Further, the control unit 182 controls the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 so as to supply sulfuric acid to such an extent that the concentration of sulfuric acid in the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 is maintained. At this time, the ratio of the amount of sulfuric acid supplied from the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 and the amount of hydrogen peroxide supplied from the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 is changed again.

In one example, the processing solution maintained in processing bath 110 has a sulfuric acid concentration of 82%, a hydrogen peroxide concentration of 1.0%, and a temperature of 110°C.

After that, the controller 182 maintains the temperature of the processing liquid in the processing tank 110, the concentration of sulfuric acid in the processing liquid, and the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the processing liquid. Specifically, the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 supplies a predetermined amount of sulfuric acid to the processing tank 110 , and the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 supplies a predetermined amount of hydrogen peroxide solution to the processing tank 110 . Also, the heater 144 heats the processing liquid with a constant amount of electric power.

Next, the concentration adjustment step in the substrate processing method of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9. FIG. FIG. 9 is a graph showing temporal changes in sulfuric acid concentration and hydrogen peroxide concentration in the processing bath 110 during the concentration adjustment step in the substrate processing method of the present embodiment. In FIG. 9, line Lsc indicates the time change of sulfuric acid concentration. A line Lhc indicates the time change of the hydrogen peroxide concentration.

As indicated by the line Lsc, the sulfuric acid concentration is maintained at the target concentration Tsb before the concentration adjustment period Pc. Strictly speaking, however, the sulfuric acid concentration fluctuates with respect to the target concentration Tsb over time. This is because the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 intermittently supplies sulfuric acid to the processing tank 110 based on the measurement result of the concentration sensor 162 . Here, when the sulfuric acid concentration decreases and reaches the target concentration Tsb, the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 supplies a predetermined amount of sulfuric acid to the processing tank 110 . Therefore, the sulfuric acid concentration temporarily increases from the target concentration Tsb.

During the concentration adjustment period Pc and the liquid exchange period Pp, sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide solution, which are new processing liquids, are supplied to the processing tank 110 . Typically, the concentration adjustment period Pc is a period immediately before the substrate W is immersed in the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 .

Here, the sulfuric acid concentration is maintained at the target concentration Tsb even after the concentration adjustment period Pc compared to before the concentration adjustment period Pc. Also in this case, strictly speaking, the concentration of sulfuric acid fluctuates with respect to the target concentration Tsb over time.

On the other hand, as indicated by the line Lhc, the hydrogen peroxide concentration is maintained at the target concentration Tob1 before the concentration adjustment period Pc. Strictly speaking, however, the hydrogen peroxide concentration fluctuates with respect to the target concentration Tob1 over time. This is because the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 intermittently supplies the hydrogen peroxide solution to the treatment tank 110 . Also here, when the hydrogen peroxide concentration decreases and reaches the target concentration Tob1, the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 supplies a predetermined amount of hydrogen peroxide solution to the treatment tank 110 . Therefore, the hydrogen peroxide concentration temporarily increases from the target concentration Tob1.

After the concentration adjustment period Pc, the hydrogen peroxide concentration increases compared to before the concentration adjustment period Pc. This is because the concentration adjustment changed the target concentration of the hydrogen peroxide solution from the target concentration Tob1 to the target concentration Tob2. Strictly speaking, however, the hydrogen peroxide concentration fluctuates with respect to the target concentration Tob2 over time. This is because the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 intermittently supplies the hydrogen peroxide solution to the treatment tank 110 as described above.

Thereafter, after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, when the substrate W is no longer scheduled to be immersed in the processing liquid in the processing tank 110, the target concentration of hydrogen peroxide returns from the target concentration Tob2 to the target concentration Tob1.

Next, an embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10. FIG. FIG. 10(a) is a graph showing temporal changes in sulfuric acid concentration in the processing bath 110 in the substrate processing method of the present embodiment, and FIG. is a graph showing the time change of the concentration of hydrogen peroxide.

As shown in FIG. 10(a), the sulfuric acid concentration fluctuates with respect to the target concentration Ts. This is because the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 intermittently supplies sulfuric acid to the processing bath 110 based on the measurement result of the concentration sensor 162 .

Specifically, when the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 stops supplying sulfuric acid for a specific period of time, the concentration of sulfuric acid gradually decreases over time. When the concentration sensor 162 detects that the concentration of sulfuric acid has reached the lower limit Tsd, the controller 182 controls the sulfuric acid supplier 132 so that it supplies a predetermined amount of sulfuric acid to the processing tank 110 . The amount of sulfuric acid supplied by the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 is set so that the concentration of sulfuric acid measured by the concentration sensor 162 does not exceed the upper limit Tsu. Therefore, the sulfuric acid concentration fluctuates with respect to the target concentration Ts over time.

As shown in FIG. 10(b), the hydrogen peroxide concentration fluctuates with respect to the target concentration Th. This is because the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 intermittently supplies the hydrogen peroxide solution to the treatment tank 110 based on the measurement result of the concentration sensor 162 .

Specifically, when the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 stops supplying the hydrogen peroxide solution for a specific period of time, the concentration of hydrogen peroxide gradually decreases over time. When the concentration sensor 162 detects that the concentration of hydrogen peroxide has reached the lower limit Thd, the control unit 182 causes the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 to supply a predetermined amount of hydrogen peroxide solution to the processing tank 110 . It controls the supply unit 134 . The amount of hydrogen peroxide solution supplied by the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 is set so that the hydrogen peroxide concentration measured by the concentration sensor 162 does not exceed the upper limit Thu. Therefore, the hydrogen peroxide concentration fluctuates with respect to the target concentration Th over time.

Incidentally, as shown in FIGS. 10(a) and 10(b), the sulfuric acid concentration and the hydrogen peroxide concentration may be feedback-controlled with respect to the target concentration. Feedback control is preferably performed in the density adjustment process. However, feedback control may be performed in the liquid exchange process.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11, the concentration adjustment step in the substrate processing method of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 11 is a flowchart when the concentration adjustment step is selected in the substrate processing method of this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 11, in step S202, the state of the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 is maintained. The control unit 182 maintains the temperature of the processing liquid in the processing bath 110, the sulfuric acid concentration, and the hydrogen peroxide concentration of the processing liquid. The control unit 182 controls the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 and the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 based on the result of the concentration sensor 162 so that the concentration of sulfuric acid and the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the treatment liquid become predetermined values, respectively. Also, based on the temperature measured by the heater 144, the controller 182 controls the heater 144 so that the treatment liquid maintains a predetermined temperature.

In step S204, it is determined whether or not the substrate W to be processed by the substrate processing apparatus 100 is the target substrate for density adjustment. Typically, before the target substrate reaches the substrate processing apparatus 100, the control unit 182 determines whether the substrate W is the target substrate.

For example, when the substrate W is a substrate having a resist into which ions have been implanted, the control unit 182 determines that the substrate W is the target substrate for concentration adjustment. Alternatively, when the substrate W is a substrate to be subjected to oxidation treatment after element isolation, the control unit 182 determines that the substrate W is the target substrate for concentration adjustment.

If the substrate W is not the target substrate (No in step S204), the process returns to step S202. On the other hand, if the substrate W is the target substrate (Yes in step S204), the process proceeds to step S206.

At step S206, the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is increased. Typically, the control unit 182 controls the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 so as to increase the supply amount of the hydrogen peroxide solution until the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 increases. Further, the control unit 182 controls the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 so as to supply sulfuric acid to such an extent that the concentration of sulfuric acid in the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 is maintained.

In step S208, it is determined whether or not the adjustment of the concentration of the treatment liquid has been completed. When the concentration of hydrogen peroxide increases and the concentration sensor 162 indicates a predetermined value, the concentration adjustment of the treatment liquid is finished.

If the adjustment of the treatment liquid has not ended (No in step S208), the process returns to step S208. On the other hand, if the adjustment of the treatment liquid is completed (Yes in step S208), the process proceeds to step S210.

At step S210, the state of the processing solution in the processing bath 110 is maintained. The controller 182 maintains the temperature of the processing liquid in the processing tank 110, the concentration of sulfuric acid in the processing liquid, and the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the processing liquid. Specifically, the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 supplies a predetermined amount of sulfuric acid to the processing tank 110 , and the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 supplies a predetermined amount of hydrogen peroxide solution to the processing tank 110 . Also, the heater 144 heats the processing liquid with a constant amount of electric power.

In step S212, the substrate W is immersed in the processing bath 110 processing liquid. Typically, the substrate W is loaded into the substrate processing apparatus 100 and immersed in the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 . After that, the substrate W is loaded from the substrate processing apparatus 100 . After that, the process proceeds to step S214.

In step S214, the substrate processing apparatus 100 determines whether there is a substrate W to be processed next and whether or not the substrate W is a target substrate. Typically, before the next target substrate reaches the substrate processing apparatus 100, the control unit 182 determines the presence or absence of the next substrate W and whether the next substrate W is the target substrate.

If there is no next substrate W or if the next substrate W is not the target substrate (No in step S214), the process proceeds to step S216. On the other hand, if there is a next substrate W and that substrate W is the target substrate (Yes in step S214), the process returns to step S210.

At step S216, the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is lowered. Typically, the control unit 182 controls the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 so as to reduce the supply amount of the hydrogen peroxide solution until the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 decreases. Further, the control unit 182 controls the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 so as to supply sulfuric acid to such an extent that the concentration of sulfuric acid in the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 is maintained.

In step S218, it is determined whether or not the adjustment of the concentration of the treatment liquid has been completed. When the concentration of hydrogen peroxide decreases and the concentration sensor 162 indicates a predetermined value, the concentration adjustment of the treatment liquid is completed.

If the adjustment of the treatment liquid has not ended (No in step S218), the process returns to step S216. On the other hand, if the adjustment of the treatment liquid is finished (Yes in step S218), the process proceeds to step S220.

At step S220, the state of the processing solution in the processing bath 110 is maintained. The controller 182 maintains the temperature of the processing liquid in the processing tank 110, the concentration of sulfuric acid in the processing liquid, and the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the processing liquid. Specifically, the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 supplies a predetermined amount of sulfuric acid to the processing tank 110 , and the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 supplies a predetermined amount of hydrogen peroxide solution to the processing tank 110 . Also, the heater 144 heats the processing liquid with a constant amount of electric power.

According to this embodiment, the concentration of the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is adjusted as described above. According to the present embodiment, the concentration of the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 is adjusted to be suitable for processing the substrates W immediately before the substrates W are immersed in the processing bath 110 . Therefore, when the substrate is not the target of concentration adjustment, it is not necessary to adjust the concentration of the processing liquid in the processing tank 110, and excessive use of hydrogen peroxide solution can be avoided.

In FIGS. 9 and 11, as an example of concentration adjustment, the concentration of hydrogen peroxide is increased when the substrate W is the target substrate, but the present embodiment is not limited to this. If the substrate W is the target substrate, the concentration of sulfuric acid may be increased.

In the flowchart shown in FIG. 4, the processing liquid adjustment step is selected based on the substrate information indicating the information about the substrate performed before the substrate processing apparatus 100 processes the substrate. is not limited to this. The treatment liquid adjustment process may be selected based on the substrate information and further information.

Next, the substrate processing method of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 12. FIG. FIG. 12 is a flowchart of the substrate processing method of this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 12, in step S10, substrate information about the substrate W to be processed by the substrate processing apparatus 100 is acquired. For example, the board information acquisition unit 182 a acquires board information from the storage unit 184 .

In step S10A, processing liquid information indicating the state of the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is obtained. The processing liquid information may indicate any one of the concentration of sulfuric acid, the concentration of hydrogen peroxide, and the temperature of the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 . For example, the concentration sensor 162 measures the concentration of sulfuric acid and the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the processing liquid within the processing tank 110 . Also, the heater 144 measures the temperature of the treatment liquid. The processing liquid information acquisition unit 182 c acquires processing liquid information from the concentration sensor 162 and/or the heater 144 .

In step S20, a processing liquid adjusting step is selected. Based on the substrate information and the processing liquid information, the control unit 182 selects whether the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 should be adjusted in the liquid exchange process or the concentration adjustment process. Typically, the control unit 182 selects the processing liquid adjusting process based on the substrate information and the processing liquid information before the substrate W reaches the substrate processing apparatus 100 .

For example, the target value of the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is set based on the substrate information. In one example, the target sulfuric acid concentration, the target hydrogen peroxide concentration, and the target temperature of the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 are set according to the processing performed on the substrate W before it is loaded into the substrate processing apparatus 100 .

The treatment liquid adjustment process selection unit 182b selects a treatment liquid adjustment process. For example, the treatment liquid adjustment process selection unit 182b selects the target sulfuric acid concentration, the target hydrogen peroxide concentration, and the target temperature set based on the substrate information, the sulfuric acid concentration of the treatment liquid in the treatment bath 110 indicated by the treatment liquid information, A treatment liquid adjusting step is selected from the difference between the target hydrogen peroxide concentration and the target temperature. For example, when the difference is relatively large, the processing liquid adjustment process selection unit 182b selects the liquid replacement process as the processing liquid adjustment process. On the other hand, when the difference is relatively small, the treatment liquid adjustment process selection unit 182b selects the concentration adjustment process as the treatment liquid adjustment process.

If the liquid replacement step is selected in step S20, the process proceeds to step S30. On the other hand, if the density adjustment process is selected in step S20, the process proceeds to step S40.

In step S30, a liquid exchange step is performed. The processing liquid in the processing bath 110 is adjusted by the liquid exchange process. As described above, it is determined whether the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 meets the criteria. If the processing liquid satisfies the criteria, the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 is not discharged. If the processing liquid does not satisfy the standard, the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 is discharged and the processing bath 110 is newly supplied with sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide solution. After that, the process proceeds to step S50A.

In step S50A, the substrate W is immersed in the processing liquid in the processing tank 110. As shown in FIG. After that, the substrate W is taken out from the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 . Substrate processing is completed as described above.

In step S40, a density adjustment process is performed. In this case, the concentration of the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is adjusted. The process then proceeds to step S50B.

In step S<b>50</b>B, the substrate is immersed in the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 . After that, the substrate W is taken out from the processing liquid in the processing bath 110 . Substrate processing is completed as described above.

According to the present embodiment, the processing liquid adjustment process is selected considering not only the substrate information but also the processing liquid information. Therefore, the substrate W can be properly processed in consideration of the time required for adjusting the processing liquid.

1 to 12, the substrate W is processed by one substrate processing apparatus 100 for the purpose of avoiding overcomplication of the invention. is not limited to A substrate W may be processed in two or more substrate processing apparatuses 100 .

Next, a substrate processing system 10 including the substrate processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a substrate processing system 10 including the substrate processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment. The substrate processing system 10 shown in FIG. 13 includes a first substrate processing apparatus 100A to a third substrate processing apparatus 100C.

As shown in FIG. 13, the substrate processing system 10 includes an input section 20, a plurality of storage sections 30, a delivery mechanism 40, a dispensing section 50, a buffer unit BU, a first transport device CTC, a second transport An apparatus WTR, a plurality of substrate processing apparatuses 100, and a controller 180 are provided.

The plurality of substrate processing apparatuses 100 includes a first substrate processing apparatus 100A, a second substrate processing apparatus 100B, and a third substrate processing apparatus 100C. The first substrate processing apparatus 100A, the second substrate processing apparatus 100B and the third substrate processing apparatus 100C are arranged side by side in one direction. For example, the first substrate processing apparatus 100A, the second substrate processing apparatus 100B, and the third substrate processing apparatus 100C are arranged adjacent to the transport path of the first transport apparatus CTC from near the transport path of the first transport apparatus CTC to the first substrate processing apparatus. The first substrate processing apparatus 100A, the second substrate processing apparatus 100B and the third substrate processing apparatus 100C are arranged in this order.

Here, the first substrate processing apparatus 100A to the third substrate processing apparatus 100C store processing liquid containing sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide. Substrates W that have undergone different processes may be loaded into each of the first substrate processing apparatus 100A to the third substrate processing apparatus 100C.

A substrate W to be processed by the substrate processing apparatus 100 is loaded from the loading section 20 . The loading section 20 includes a plurality of mounting tables 22 . The substrate W processed by the substrate processing apparatus 100 is unloaded from the dispensing section 50 . Dispensing section 50 includes a plurality of mounting tables 52 .

A storage unit 30 containing substrates W is placed on the input unit 20 . The storage unit 30 placed on the input unit 20 stores substrates W that have not been processed by the substrate processing apparatus 100 . Here, the two storage units 30 are mounted on the two mounting bases 22, respectively.

Each of the multiple storage units 30 stores multiple substrates W. As shown in FIG. Each substrate W is accommodated in the accommodation section 30 in a horizontal posture. The storage unit 30 is, for example, a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod).

The storage unit 30 placed on the dispensing unit 50 stores the substrates W processed by the substrate processing apparatus 100 . Dispensing section 50 includes a plurality of mounting tables 52 . The two storage units 30 are mounted on the two mounting tables 52, respectively. The delivery unit 50 stores the processed substrates W in the storage unit 30 and delivers the substrates W together with the storage unit 30 .

The buffer unit BU is arranged adjacent to the input section 20 and the dispensing section 50 . The buffer unit BU takes in the storage unit 30 placed on the input unit 20 together with the substrate W, and places the storage unit 30 on a shelf (not shown). Further, the buffer unit BU receives the processed substrate W and stores it in the storage section 30, and places the storage section 30 on the shelf. A transfer mechanism 40 is arranged in the buffer unit BU.

The transfer mechanism 40 transfers the storage section 30 between the input section 20 and the output section 50 and the shelf. Further, the transfer mechanism 40 transfers only the substrate W to the first transport device CTC. That is, the transfer mechanism 40 transfers the lot of substrates W to the first transport apparatus CTC.

After receiving a lot of unprocessed substrates W from the delivery mechanism 40, the first transport apparatus CTC converts the posture of the plurality of substrates W from the horizontal posture to the vertical posture, and transfers the plurality of substrates W to the second transport. Pass to device WTR. Further, after receiving a lot of processed substrates W from the second transport apparatus WTR, the first transport apparatus CTC converts the orientation of the plurality of substrates W from the vertical orientation to the horizontal orientation. The lot is passed to the transfer mechanism 40.

The second transport apparatus WTR is movable along the longitudinal direction of the substrate processing system 10 from the third substrate processing apparatus 100C to the second substrate processing apparatus 100B. The second transport apparatus WTR can carry a lot of substrates W into and out of the first substrate processing apparatus 100A, the second substrate processing apparatus 100B and the third substrate processing apparatus 100C.

The control device 180 controls various operations of the substrate processing system 10 . Specifically, controller 180 controls transfer mechanism 40 , first transport device CTC, second transport device WTR, and substrate processing apparatus 100 .

Control device 180 includes control unit 182 and storage unit 184 . The control unit 182 has a processor. The control unit 182 has, for example, a central processing computer. Alternatively, the controller 182 may have a general-purpose computer.

Storage unit 184 stores data and computer programs. The data includes recipe data. Recipe data includes information indicating a plurality of recipes. Each of the plurality of recipes defines the processing content and processing procedure of the substrate W. FIG.

Storage unit 184 includes a main storage device and an auxiliary storage device. The main storage device is, for example, a semiconductor memory. Auxiliary storage devices are, for example, semiconductor memories and/or hard disk drives. Storage unit 184 may include removable media. Storage unit 184 corresponds to an example of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

The storage unit 184 stores computer programs with predetermined procedures. The substrate processing apparatus 100 operates according to procedures defined in a computer program. The control unit 182 executes the computer program stored in the storage unit 184 to perform the substrate processing operation. The processor of control unit 182 controls transfer mechanism 40 , first transport device CTC, second transport device WTR, and substrate processing apparatus 100 by executing computer programs stored in storage unit 184 .

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented in various aspects without departing from the gist of the present invention. Also, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of constituent elements disclosed in the above embodiments. For example, some components may be omitted from all components shown in the embodiments. Furthermore, components across different embodiments may be combined as appropriate. In order to make the drawings easier to understand, the drawings mainly show each component schematically. may be different. In addition, the material, shape, dimensions, etc. of each component shown in the above embodiment are examples and are not particularly limited, and various changes are possible within a range that does not substantially deviate from the effects of the present invention. be.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is suitably used for a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 substrate processing system 100 substrate processing apparatus 110 processing tank 112 inner tank 114 outer tank 120 substrate holding section 130 processing liquid supply section 180 control device 182 control section 184 storage section W substrate

Claims (7)

A substrate processing method for processing a substrate by immersing the substrate in the processing liquid in a processing tank containing a processing liquid containing sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide, comprising:
acquiring substrate information indicating information about the substrate before the substrate is immersed in the processing liquid in the processing tank;
a step of selecting either a liquid exchanging step or a concentration adjusting step as a processing liquid adjustment step for adjusting the processing liquid based on the substrate information;
When the liquid exchange step is selected in the selecting step, at least part of the processing liquid in the processing tank is discharged from the processing tank when the processing liquid in the processing tank does not satisfy a predetermined condition. a first processing liquid adjustment step of supplying sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water to the processing tank to adjust the processing liquid in the processing tank;
When the concentration adjusting step is selected in the selecting step, the concentration of the processing liquid in the processing tank is adjusted while the processing liquid in the processing tank is circulated through a pipe connected to the processing tank. 2 treatment liquid adjustment step;
The processing liquid in the processing bath adjusted in the first processing liquid adjusting step or the second processing liquid adjusting step is circulated through a pipe connected to the processing bath, and the processing solution is added to the processing bath in the processing bath. and immersing the substrate. in the step of acquiring the substrate information, if the substrate information indicates that the resist of the substrate has been subjected to an ashing process, in the step of selecting, selecting the liquid replacement step;
In the step of acquiring the substrate information, if the substrate information indicates either that the resist of the substrate has been ion-implanted or that the substrate is element-isolated, in the selecting step 2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein said concentration adjusting step is selected. 3. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein in said first processing liquid adjusting step, said processing liquid in said processing bath is not discharged when said processing liquid in said processing bath satisfies a predetermined condition. In the first treatment liquid adjusting step, before the substrate is immersed, the amount of the treatment liquid to be discharged from the treatment tank is set based on the elapsed time after the substrate is immersed in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank. 4. The substrate processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising a step. 5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said second processing liquid adjusting step includes a step of adjusting the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in said processing liquid based on a measurement result of a concentration sensor that measures the concentration of said processing liquid in said processing tank. The substrate processing method according to any one of the above. The second treatment liquid adjustment step includes:
a step of supplying hydrogen peroxide solution to the processing bath so as to increase the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the processing solution in the processing bath before the substrate is immersed in the processing solution in the processing bath;
6. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, further comprising reducing the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in said processing liquid in said processing tank after said substrate is immersed in said processing liquid in said processing tank. a processing tank for storing a processing liquid containing sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide;
a circulation unit having a pipe through which the processing liquid in the processing tank circulates;
a drainage unit for discharging the processing liquid from the processing tank;
a processing liquid supply unit that supplies sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide to the processing tank;
a substrate holding unit that holds a substrate and immerses the substrate in the processing liquid in the processing tank;
a control unit that controls the circulation unit, the drainage unit, the processing liquid supply unit, and the substrate holding unit;
Before the substrate is immersed in the processing liquid in the processing bath, the control unit performs a liquid replacement step and a concentration adjustment step as processing liquid adjustment steps for adjusting the processing liquid based on substrate information indicating information about the substrate. Select one of the processes,
When the liquid replacement step is selected, the control unit discharges at least part of the processing liquid in the processing tank from the processing tank when the processing liquid in the processing tank does not satisfy a predetermined condition. and the liquid draining section and the controlling the processing liquid supply,
When the concentration adjustment step is selected, the control unit performs a second treatment liquid adjustment step of adjusting the concentration of the treatment liquid while circulating the treatment liquid in the treatment tank through the pipe of the circulation unit. controlling the circulation unit and the processing liquid supply unit so as to perform
The control unit circulates the processing liquid in the processing bath adjusted in the first processing liquid adjusting step or the second processing liquid adjusting step through the piping of the circulation unit, while performing the processing in the processing bath. A substrate processing apparatus that controls the circulation section and the substrate holding section so as to immerse the substrate in a liquid.

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