JP4409312B2 - Substrate peripheral processing apparatus and substrate peripheral processing method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method for processing a peripheral portion of a substrate. The substrates to be processed include various substrates such as semiconductor wafers, glass substrates for liquid crystal display devices, glass substrates for plasma display panels, optical disk substrates, magnetic disk substrates, magneto-optical disk substrates, and photomask substrates. included.

  In the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, a metal thin film such as a copper thin film is formed over the entire surface of a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter simply referred to as “wafer”) and the peripheral end surface (in some cases, the back surface). In some cases, unnecessary portions are removed by etching. For example, since the copper thin film for wiring formation only needs to be formed in the element formation region on the front surface of the wafer, the peripheral portion of the front surface of the wafer (for example, a portion having a width of about 5 mm from the peripheral edge of the wafer), the back surface and The copper thin film formed on the peripheral end surface is not necessary. In addition, copper or copper ions on the peripheral edge, back surface, and peripheral edge surface contaminate the hand of the substrate transfer robot provided in the substrate processing apparatus, and further, this contamination is transferred to another substrate held by the hand. Causes the problem of metastasis.

For the same reason, there is a process for removing metal contaminants (including metal ions) on the surface by thinly etching a film (such as an oxide film or a nitride film) other than the metal film formed on the periphery of the substrate. Sometimes done.
A substrate peripheral edge processing apparatus for selectively etching a thin film at the peripheral edge and peripheral edge of a wafer includes, for example, a spin chuck that rotates while holding the wafer horizontally, and a space on the wafer above the spin chuck. A blocking plate for limiting, and an etchant supply nozzle for supplying an etchant to the lower surface of the wafer. The etching solution supplied to the lower surface of the wafer travels outward in the rotational radial direction along the lower surface of the wafer by centrifugal force, travels to the upper surface through the end surface of the wafer, and the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the wafer is unnecessary. Etch things. At this time, the shielding plate is disposed close to the upper surface of the wafer, and an inert gas such as nitrogen gas is supplied between the shielding plate and the wafer.

By appropriately adjusting the flow rate of the inert gas and the rotation speed of the spin chuck, the amount of the etching solution can be adjusted, so that a region having a predetermined width (for example, 1 to 7 mm) on the peripheral edge of the upper surface of the wafer can be selectively selected. An etching process can be performed (so-called bevel etching process).
While the wafer is held and rotated by the spin chuck, an etching solution is supplied from the lower surface of the wafer, so that unnecessary materials on the peripheral edge of the upper surface of the wafer are removed by etching. On the other hand, after the pure water rinsing process is performed, the spin chuck is rotated at a high speed, and a drying process is performed to shake off water droplets on the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer.
JP 2003-88793 A

However, in the configuration as described above, it is impossible to accurately control the amount of the etching solution circulated, so that the etching width accuracy is not so good, and the etching width becomes uneven at each peripheral portion of the wafer. is there.
That is, when the distance between the upper surface of the wafer and the shielding plate is long, the etching solution does not contact the shielding plate, so that the amount of wraparound to the wafer upper surface is small and the wraparound amount cannot be accurately controlled. Further, in this case, since the communication space between the upper surface of the wafer and the shielding plate and the external space is large, the atmosphere of the etchant from the outside, the scattered droplets, mist or vapor (so-called mist) There is also a problem that the device enters the device formation region at the center of the wafer surface.

On the other hand, when the distance between the upper surface of the wafer and the shielding plate is short, the etching solution that has entered the upper surface of the wafer comes into contact with the lower surface (plane) of the shielding plate. It cannot be done accurately.
As described above, in any case, the amount of the etching solution cannot be accurately controlled.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate peripheral processing apparatus and a substrate peripheral processing method that can accurately control the processing width of the peripheral portion of the substrate surface.

The invention according to claim 1 for achieving the above object is a substrate peripheral processing apparatus for supplying an etching solution to the surface of the peripheral portion of the substrate (W) and etching away unnecessary materials on the surface of the peripheral portion. Etching solution supply means (4, 5, 7) for supplying an etching solution to the peripheral portion of the substrate, and the etching solution formed on the surface of the peripheral portion with respect to the surface of the peripheral portion of the substrate The liquid film (50) is arranged so as to be close to each other with a predetermined gap, and has an inner peripheral edge on or inside the outer peripheral edge of the substrate. Annular members (32, 61) for defining the processing width, a lid member (31) for closing the space inside the annular member, and a gas supply means for supplying gas to the space surrounded by the lid member and the annular member (2 , And 26,30,18,19), said annular member is formed in a gas flow passage for communicating the enclosed space and the outer space by the cover member and the annular member and (36,63,75), the In the space surrounded by the lid member and the annular member, the gas provided by the gas supply means is directed toward the gas flow path, and is arranged farther from the substrate than the closest part of the annular member to the substrate. A substrate peripheral edge processing apparatus including a rectifying plate (33) for rectifying . The alphanumeric characters in parentheses indicate corresponding components in the embodiments described later. The same applies hereinafter.

  According to this configuration, the annular member is disposed with a predetermined gap with respect to the surface of the peripheral edge portion of the substrate, and the annular member has an inner peripheral edge on the inner peripheral edge of the substrate or on the inner side thereof. The etching processing width on the surface of the peripheral edge of the substrate is defined. That is, the etching solution supplied from the etching solution supply means forms a liquid film on the peripheral portion of the surface of the substrate. When the annular member comes into contact with the liquid film, the etching solution is formed near the inner peripheral edge of the annular member. It is regulated and the etching solution can be prevented from entering the inner region of the substrate. In this way, the peripheral edge of the substrate can be etched with a processing width with good accuracy.

  Further, since the space inside the annular member is closed by the lid member, the droplet or mist of the etching solution existing in the space outside the annular member may pass through the annular member and reach the central region of the substrate. Therefore, the surface of the peripheral portion can be satisfactorily processed without damaging the central region of the substrate. Moreover, the annular member and the peripheral surface of the substrate are sealed with a liquid film, and droplets or mist outside the annular member pass through the gap between the annular member and the peripheral surface of the substrate. It is possible to suppress reaching the inner region. Thus, the inner area of the substrate can be protected.

  The space surrounded by the annular member and the lid member is supplied with gas from the gas supply means, and the gas in this space flows out to the outside through the gas flow passage. Thereby, the gas in the space surrounded by the annular member and the lid member can be replaced with the gas supplied from the gas supply means. As a result, it is possible to avoid the problem that the atmosphere of the etching solution stays in the space and undesired corrosion occurs on the substrate in the vicinity of the inner peripheral edge of the annular member.

Moreover, since the gas supplied to the space flows out to the outside through the gas flow passage, the pressure inside the annular member becomes too high compared to the pressure outside the ring member, and is formed on the surface of the peripheral portion of the substrate. The liquid film of the etched etching solution is not torn, and a good etching process can be performed on the entire periphery of the peripheral portion of the substrate.
Furthermore, the gas supplied to the space surrounded by the annular member and the lid member is smoothly guided to the gas flow passage formed in the annular member by the rectifying plate. Thereby, the retention of the etching solution atmosphere in the space can be effectively suppressed or prevented, and corrosion of the central region of the substrate can be effectively suppressed. Furthermore, since the current plate is arranged farther from the substrate than the closest part of the annular member to the substrate, an etching liquid film is not formed between the current plate and the substrate. Moreover, even if mist or splash enters from the gas flow path, these can be received by the current plate, and can be prevented from reaching the central region of the substrate. Thereby, higher quality substrate processing becomes possible.
The lid member may be integrated with the annular member, or may be a member different from the annular member.

The substrate may be a substantially circular substrate such as a semiconductor wafer, or may be a square substrate such as a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device.
Since the inner peripheral edge of the annular member has a shape corresponding to the outer peripheral edge of the substrate, it has a substantially circular shape when processing a substantially circular substrate, and has a rectangular shape when processing a rectangular substrate. become.

The gas flow passage may be formed in the annular member or may be formed in the lid member.
The invention described in claim 2 further includes substrate holding means (1) for holding the substrate from one surface side, and the lid member and the annular member are disposed on the other surface side of the substrate. The substrate peripheral edge processing apparatus according to claim 1.

According to the present invention, the substrate can be held from the one surface side by the substrate holding means, and the peripheral portion of the substrate can be processed by arranging the lid member and the annular member on the other surface side.
For example, the substrate holding means may hold the substrate from below, and the annular member may be disposed close to the upper surface side of the substrate.
The substrate peripheral processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the lid member is provided so as to be rotatable relative to the substrate held by the substrate holding means. May be.

4. The substrate periphery according to claim 2, wherein the annular member is provided so as to be relatively rotatable with respect to the substrate held by the substrate holding means. It may be a processing device.
When the substrate is a substantially circular substrate, the substrate peripheral edge processing apparatus preferably further includes substrate rotating means (1, 2) for rotating the substrate. And it is preferable that the inner periphery of the said annular member has a circular shape which has an internal diameter below the diameter of a board | substrate. For example, the substrate rotating means may include a substrate holding means (1) that holds the substrate and a rotation drive mechanism (2) that rotates the substrate holding means.

  The annular member may be driven to rotate in synchronization with the rotation of the substrate (that is, the rotation direction and the rotation speed of the substrate are the same), but the annular member may be kept stationary. The substrate may be rotated at a rotational speed different from the rotational speed of the substrate. As described above, if the substrate and the annular member are relatively rotated, the relative position between the substrate and the annular member can be changed. Processing can be averaged. Moreover, since the etching liquid which comprises the liquid film which contacts the peripheral part of a board | substrate can be stirred and substitution to a new liquid can be accelerated | stimulated, the capability of an etching liquid can be maintained and the process of the peripheral part of a board | substrate can be performed efficiently.

  Further, the etching solution may be supplied from the etching solution supply unit to the peripheral portion of the substrate while the substrate is rotated by the substrate rotation unit. According to this configuration, the substrate is rotated, and the etching solution is supplied from the etching solution supply unit to the peripheral portion of the substrate. At this time, a liquid film of the etching solution is formed on the peripheral edge of the substrate, but the action of the annular member prevents the liquid film of the etching solution from entering the inner region of the substrate.

  It is preferable that the annular member has a substrate facing surface that extends outward from the inner peripheral edge and faces the surface of the peripheral edge of the substrate. According to this configuration, the liquid film of the etchant can be brought into contact with the substrate facing surface, and the liquid film can be present between the substrate facing surface and the peripheral surface of the substrate. This makes it possible to reliably form a stable liquid film of the etching liquid over the entire surface of the peripheral edge of the substrate, thereby enabling a more stable and uniform etching process.

If the substrate facing surface is a surface substantially parallel to the surface of the peripheral edge of the substrate, a more stable liquid film of an etching solution can be formed .

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the etching solution is provided between the edge of the rectifying plate and the inner peripheral surface of the annular member by the ejector effect caused by the gas flowing from the rectifying plate into the gas flow passage. claims 1, characterized in that the etching fluid passage leading to the passage (39) is formed a peripheral edge of the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of 4.
According to this configuration, the etching liquid can be drawn out to the gas discharge path via the etching liquid passage formed between the edge of the current plate and the inner peripheral surface of the annular member. Thereby, it is possible to forcibly exclude the etchant that tries to enter the central portion of the substrate from the inner peripheral edge of the annular member. In addition, since the replacement of the etchant constituting the liquid film in contact with the peripheral edge of the substrate with a new liquid can be promoted, the ability of the etchant can be maintained and the peripheral edge of the substrate can be processed efficiently.

The invention according to claim 6 further includes an orifice forming member (32A) for forming an orifice between the lid member and the rectifying plate so as to narrow the gas passage toward the gas flow passage. The substrate peripheral edge processing apparatus according to claim 5 .
According to this configuration, since the ejector effect can be enhanced by accelerating the gas by the orifice, it is possible to more reliably suppress the etching solution from reaching the central portion of the substrate, and to form the liquid film. It is possible to further promote the replacement of with a new solution.

Invention according to claim 7, in the rectifying plate, claims 1, characterized in that the ventilation holes for circulating a gas (46) is formed between its one surface and the other surface side 6 The substrate peripheral edge processing apparatus according to any one of the above.
According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the space between the substrate and the rectifying plate from being excessively depressurized, so that it is possible to prevent the etching solution from entering the gap between the rectifying plate and the substrate.

Invention according to claim 8, in any one of claims 1, characterized in that the gas supply hole (17) is formed for supplying 7 a gas into the space between the substrate and the rectifier plate It is a board | substrate periphery processing apparatus of description.
Also with this configuration, it is possible to prevent the space between the substrate and the current plate from being excessively depressurized, so that it is possible to further suppress the etching solution from entering the gap between the current plate and the substrate.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, the gas flow passage is formed in the annular member, and the annular member opens in a substrate-facing surface facing the substrate and is connected to the liquid flow passage ( 73) The substrate peripheral edge processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , further comprising: 73).
According to this configuration, the etching liquid between the substrate facing surface and the surface of the peripheral edge portion of the substrate can be discharged to the space outside the annular member via the liquid discharge path. That is, due to the ejector effect that occurs when the gas flows out through the gas flow passage formed in the annular member, the inside of the liquid discharge path is decompressed, and the etching liquid that forms a liquid film between the substrate facing surface and the substrate is removed. Can be sucked out. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the etching liquid from entering the central region of the substrate, and it is possible to promote the replacement of the etching liquid constituting the liquid film with a new liquid and to improve the processing efficiency.

The liquid discharge path is preferably formed so as to open near the inner periphery of the annular member .

The etching solution supply means may include a nozzle (5) that supplies the etching solution toward a surface opposite to the surface of the substrate including the surface of the peripheral edge. According to this configuration, the etching solution is supplied from the surface opposite to the surface of the peripheral portion of the substrate, which is the processing target region, and the etching solution travels around the end surface of the substrate and is guided to the surface of the peripheral portion. Here, a stable liquid film can be formed in cooperation with the annular member.

In order to guide the etching solution supplied to the surface on the opposite side to the surface of the peripheral portion, it is preferable to rotate the substrate and guide the etching solution supplied from the nozzle to the end surface of the substrate by centrifugal force. . Further, when the substrate is a circular substrate, the etching solution can be supplied more favorably to the surface of the peripheral portion of the substrate.
The nozzle may supply an etching solution toward a central portion of the opposite surface, or supply an etching solution toward a peripheral portion of the opposite surface. Good.

  The annular member preferably has an inner wall surface (47) rising from the inner peripheral edge in a direction away from the surface of the substrate. With this configuration, it is possible to reliably prevent the liquid film of the etching solution from entering the area inside the substrate further from the vicinity of the inner wall surface of the annular member. The inner wall surface may be a surface along the vertical, or an inclined surface inclined with respect to the horizontal.

The invention according to claim 10 is a substrate peripheral processing method for supplying an etchant to the surface of the peripheral portion of the substrate (W) and etching away unnecessary substances on the surface of the peripheral portion. An etching solution supplying step for supplying the etching solution to the substrate and a surface of the peripheral portion of the substrate are close to each other with a predetermined gap that can contact the liquid film of the etching solution formed on the surface of the peripheral portion. A processing width defining step of disposing an annular member (32, 61) having an inner peripheral edge on the inner peripheral edge of the substrate or on the inner side of the substrate, and defining a processing width by an etching solution on the surface of the peripheral edge of the substrate; A step of disposing a lid member (31) for closing the space inside the annular member, a gas supply step of supplying gas to the space surrounded by the lid member and the annular member, the lid member, and The gas in the enclosed space by Jo member, and the gas discharge step of discharging to the outside through the gas flow passage formed in the annular member (36,63,75), surrounded by the lid member and the annular member The gas supplied in the gas supply step is rectified toward the gas flow path by the rectifying plate (33) arranged farther from the substrate than the closest part of the annular member to the substrate in the space formed. A substrate peripheral edge processing method comprising: a step . By this method, the same effect as that of the invention of claim 1 can be achieved.
The invention of this method can be modified in the same manner as in the case of the substrate peripheral edge processing apparatus described above.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the configuration of a substrate peripheral edge processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. This substrate peripheral processing apparatus removes a thin film formed on a peripheral portion and an end surface of a surface of a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter simply referred to as “wafer”) W (upper surface in this embodiment) which is a substantially circular substrate. Is something that can be done. This substrate processing peripheral device holds a wafer W substantially horizontally with its back surface facing downward, and also rotates a spin chuck 1 that rotates about a vertical axis passing through the substantially center of the held wafer W (not shown). ).

  The spin chuck 1 is coupled to a rotary shaft 3 that is a drive shaft of a rotary drive mechanism 2 including a motor or the like and is rotated. The rotating shaft 3 is a hollow shaft, and a processing liquid supply pipe 4 capable of supplying pure water or an etching liquid is inserted into the rotating shaft 3. A central axis nozzle (fixed nozzle) 5 having a discharge port 5 a is coupled to the upper end of the processing liquid supply pipe 4 at a position close to the center of the lower surface of the wafer W held by the spin chuck 1. Pure water or an etching solution can be supplied from the discharge port 5 a of the nozzle 5 toward the center of the lower surface of the wafer W.

Pure water or etching liquid is supplied to the processing liquid supply pipe 4 at a required timing via a pure water supply valve 6 connected to the pure water supply source or an etching liquid supply valve 7 connected to the etching liquid supply source. It has come to be.
As the etchant, a type corresponding to the type of thin film to be removed from the peripheral surface of the wafer W is applied. For example, when removing a metal film such as a copper thin film from the peripheral surface of the wafer W, for example, a mixed solution of hydrochloric acid and hydrogen peroxide solution, a mixed solution of hydrofluoric acid and hydrogen peroxide solution, or nitric acid is etched. Used as a liquid. Further, when removing the polysilicon film, the amorphous silicon film or the silicon oxide film from the wafer W, for example, a mixed solution of hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid is used as an etching solution. Further, when removing the oxide film or nitride film on the wafer W, for example, hydrofluoric acid such as DHF (dilute hydrofluoric acid) or 50% hydrofluoric acid is used as an etching solution.

  A space between the processing liquid supply pipe 4 and the rotating shaft 3 is a process gas supply path 8, and the process gas supply path 8 communicates with a space below the wafer W around the central axis nozzle 5. is doing. A process gas (for example, an inert gas such as nitrogen) from a process gas supply source is supplied to the process gas supply path 8 via a process gas supply valve 9.

  Above the spin chuck 1, a disc-shaped blocking plate 10 that faces the wafer W held by the spin chuck 1 is provided horizontally. The blocking plate 10 is formed in a size that can cover almost the entire upper surface of the wafer W, and can be lifted and lowered with respect to the spin chuck 1 by the blocking plate lifting / lowering drive mechanism 11. Further, the shielding plate 10 can be rotated on the same rotational axis as the rotational axis of the spin chuck 1 by a motor 12 as a shielding plate rotation drive mechanism.

In this embodiment, the motor 12 is configured by a hollow motor, and the blocking plate 10 is coupled to the lower end of the rotating shaft 13 that is rotationally driven by the motor 12.
The rotating shaft 13 is a hollow shaft, and a central shaft nozzle 14 is inserted through the rotating shaft 13. Pure water from a pure water supply source can be supplied to the central axis nozzle 14 via a pure water supply valve 15, and a chemical solution from a chemical (for example, etchant) liquid supply source can be supplied via a chemical supply valve 16. Can be supplied. The lower end of the central axis nozzle 14 enters a through hole 17 formed in the center of the blocking plate 10 and faces the center (rotation center) of the upper surface of the wafer W held by the spin chuck 1.

  A gap between the rotary shaft 13 that is a hollow shaft and the central shaft nozzle 14 forms a process gas supply path 18, and this process gas supply path 18 passes from the through hole 17 of the blocking plate 10 to the wafer W. It faces the center of the top surface. A process gas (for example, an inert gas such as nitrogen gas) from a process gas supply source can be supplied to the process gas supply path 18 via a process gas supply valve 19.

  In the housing 20 that houses the motor 12, a bearing 21 that supports the rotating shaft 13 and a process gas supply mechanism 22 that supplies process gas to the internal space of the blocking plate 10 are provided. The process gas supply mechanism 22 includes a cylindrical labyrinth member 23 having a labyrinth surface opposed to the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft 13 on the inner peripheral surface, and a process gas coupled to a process gas supply port 23 a formed in the labyrinth member 23. And an introduction path 24.

On the labyrinth surface of the labyrinth member 23, an annular groove 23b is formed at a position corresponding to the process gas supply port 23a. The seal gas supplied from the seal gas introduction path 25 is supplied to the upper and lower labyrinth portions of the annular groove 23b.
A process gas (inert gas such as nitrogen gas) is supplied from a process gas supply source to the process gas introduction path 24 via a process gas supply valve 26, and a seal gas supply source is supplied to the seal gas introduction path 25. Then, a seal gas (dry air or the like) is supplied through the seal gas supply valve 27.

The internal atmosphere near the lower end of the labyrinth member 23 is sucked and exhausted from the suction port 28 so that the process gas or the seal gas does not leak into the processing chamber.
The rotary shaft 13 has a double shaft structure of an inner shaft 13A and an outer shaft 13B surrounding the inner shaft 13A, and the lower end of the outer shaft 13B is supported by an outward flange 29 formed near the lower end of the inner shaft 13A. Has been. The outer shaft 13B is formed with a process gas passage 30 that opens to a position facing the annular groove 23b of the labyrinth member 23 and extends in the axial direction within the thickness thereof. The process gas passage 30 communicates with the internal space of the shielding plate 10 through a through hole formed in the flange 29 and a through hole formed in the upper lid portion 31 of the shielding plate 10.

The process gas supplied from the process gas introduction path 24 is guided to the process gas passage 30 of the rotating shaft 13 while being sealed by the seal gas on the labyrinth surface of the labyrinth member 23.
The blocking plate 10 is coupled to the upper lid portion 31 from below in a disc-shaped upper lid portion 31, an annular member 32 coupled to the lower surface of the peripheral portion of the upper lid portion 31, and an inner side of the annular member 32. And a disc-shaped rectifying plate 33. A gas space 34 is defined inside the blocking plate 10 by the upper lid portion 31, the annular member 32, and the rectifying plate 33. The process gas from the process gas passage 30 is guided to the gas space 34.

  FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view for explaining the configuration in the vicinity of the annular member 32. The wafer W to be processed is sandwiched between a plurality of (for example, three) chuck pins 41 provided in the spin chuck 1. The chuck pin 41 includes a support portion 42 that supports the peripheral portion of the lower surface of the wafer W, and a guide pin 43 that contacts the end surface of the wafer W and restricts the horizontal movement of the wafer W.

The annular member 32 is positioned inward in the rotational radius direction of the wafer W with respect to the guide pins 43, and faces the peripheral edge of the upper surface of the wafer W on the upper side of the wafer W held by the spin chuck 1. Yes.
The annular member 32 has an upper ring 32A fixed to the peripheral edge portion of the lower surface of the upper lid portion 31, and a lower ring 32B provided below the upper ring 32A so as to face the upper ring 32A. Yes. The upper ring 32 </ b> A and the lower ring 32 </ b> B are coupled to each other by a plurality of support members 35 (for example, twelve at equal angular intervals) arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction. Thereby, a gas flow passage 36 in the form of a slit opening is provided between the lower surface of the upper ring 32A and the upper surface of the lower ring 32B so that the space surrounded by the upper lid portion 31 and the annular member 32 communicates with the outer space. Is formed.

The lower ring 32B rises obliquely upward from the inner peripheral edge of the wafer facing surface 45 to the outer peripheral surface of the wafer W and faces the outer peripheral surface of the wafer W, and is connected to the gas flow passage 36. It has a wall surface 47 and an outer wall surface 48 that rises vertically upward from the outer peripheral edge of the wafer facing surface 45.
An etchant liquid film 50 is formed in the gap between the wafer facing surface 45 and the peripheral edge of the wafer W. The liquid film 50 is in contact with the wafer facing surface 45 and the inner periphery ( The ridge line portion where the inner wall surface 47 and the wafer facing surface 45 intersect each other) restricts the movement of the wafer W inward.

  The rectifying plate 33 is attached to the lower surface of the upper lid portion 31 by, for example, a plurality of (for example, four) rectifying plate support members 37 provided at equal angular intervals with respect to the rotation center of the blocking plate 10. The lower surface of the current plate 33 forms a facing surface that faces the center of the wafer W, and is located farther from the upper surface of the wafer W than the wafer facing surface 45 of the lower ring 32B. The upper surface of the rectifying plate 33 (the surface opposite to the wafer W) is located substantially in the same plane as the gas flow path 36. And the peripheral end surface 38 of the baffle plate 33 has comprised the inclined surface substantially parallel to the inner wall surface 47 of the lower ring 32B. The peripheral end surface 38 of the rectifying plate 33 and the inner wall surface 47 of the lower ring 32B are opposed to each other, and the etching solution E is caused to flow into the gas flow passage by the ejector effect caused by the process gas flowing from the upper surface of the rectifying plate 33 into the gas flow passage 36. An etchant passage 39 leading to 36 is formed.

The peripheral edge of the rectifying plate 33 reaches the vicinity of the inlet of the gas flow passage 36, and the upper surface thereof is located near the lower edge of the inlet. For this reason, even if splashes of the processing liquid enter from the outside via the gas flow passage 36, the splashes and the like are received on the upper surface of the rectifying plate 33. Thereby, it is possible to suppress or prevent the upper surface of the wafer W from being contaminated by splashes or the like.
The upper ring 32 </ b> A has an orifice forming surface 40 formed of an inclined surface that has an inner peripheral surface that is closer to the upper surface of the rectifying plate 33 as it goes outward in the rotational radius direction, and that reaches the vicinity of the upper surface of the peripheral portion of the rectifying plate 33. It has become. The process gas supplied to the gas space 34 flows to the outer side in the rotational radial direction and is rectified into an air flow toward the gas flow passage 36 by the rectifying plate 33. An orifice is formed between the orifice forming surface 40 and the upper surface of the rectifying plate 33 so that the gas passage is narrowed toward the gas flow passage 36. As a result, the process gas is accelerated in the vicinity of the inlet of the gas flow passage 36. As a result, the ejector effect on the etchant passage 39 is enhanced, and the etchant that tends to enter inward from the wafer facing surface 45 of the lower ring 32B is discharged to the outside through the gas flow passage 36. . Thereby, undesired etching with respect to the central region of the wafer W can be suppressed. In addition, since the replacement of the etching liquid constituting the liquid film 50 with a new liquid is promoted, the etching ability of the liquid film 50 can be maintained. Thereby, processing efficiency can be improved and processing time can be shortened.

  In order to prevent the space between the rectifying plate 33 and the upper surface of the wafer W from being depressurized due to the ejector effect, a vent hole 46 having a diameter of about 1 to 10 mm (see FIG. 1) may be formed. One or more vent holes 46 may be provided. Alternatively, the process gas from the process gas supply path 18 is supplied from the through hole 17 formed in the center of the rectifying plate 33 to the space between the rectifying plate 33 and the upper surface of the wafer W at a flow rate corresponding to the degree of decompression. You may make it do. Furthermore, the supply of the process gas from the process gas introduction path 24 may be stopped and only the process gas from the process gas supply path 18 may be supplied.

  The inner peripheral edge of the lower ring 32B is slightly outside (for example, 0.1 to several mm) from the inner peripheral edge of the processing target region (region from the outer peripheral edge of the wafer W to 3 to 5 mm inside) at the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the wafer W. However, it is preferable to be disposed on the outside, however, depending on the type of etching solution and the surface state of the wafer W. That is, the inner peripheral edge of the annular member 32 has a circular shape with a diameter shorter than the diameter of the wafer W, and is slightly larger than the diameter of the circle formed by the inner peripheral edge of the processing target region at the peripheral edge of the upper surface of the wafer W. It is preferable to form a circular shape.

The distance between the wafer facing surface 45 and the surface of the peripheral edge of the wafer W depends on the type of the etchant and the surface state of the wafer W, but is about 0.1 to 5.0 mm (more preferably 0). About 1 to 0.2 mm).
As shown in FIG. 1, the spin chuck 1 is provided with a disc-shaped spin base 441 and a chuck pin drive mechanism 44 for operating a chuck pin 41 erected on the spin base 441. ing. The chuck pin drive mechanism 44 includes, for example, a link mechanism 442 provided inside the spin base 441 and a drive mechanism 443 that drives the link mechanism 442. The drive mechanism 443 includes a rotation-side movable member 444 that rotates together with the rotation shaft 3, a fixed-side movable member 446 that is coupled to the outer peripheral side of the rotation-side movable member 444 via a bearing 445, and the fixed-side movable member 446. And an elevating drive mechanism 447 for driving a chuck pin for elevating and lowering.

  When the fixed side movable member 446 is moved up and down by the chuck pin drive lift drive mechanism 447, the rotary side movable member 444 is lifted and lowered together with this, and the lift movement is transmitted to the link mechanism 442 and converted into the operation of the chuck pin 41. The Thus, by operating the chuck pin driving lift drive mechanism 447, the wafer W can be clamped by the chuck pins 41, or the clamping can be released. Since the fixed-side movable member 446 and the rotary-side movable member 444 are coupled via the bearing 445, even when the spin chuck 1 is rotating, the chucking of the wafer W by the chuck pins 41 is released or loosened. Thus, the holding position of the wafer W can be changed.

  When the wafer W to be processed is introduced into the spin chuck 1, the blocking plate 10 is retracted to the retracted position away from the spin chuck 1 by the function of the blocking plate lifting / lowering drive mechanism 11. In this state, an unprocessed wafer W is delivered to the spin chuck 1 by a substrate transfer robot (not shown). Thereafter, the wafer W is held between the chuck pins 41 by the action of the chuck pin driving mechanism 44.

  Thereafter, the blocking plate 10 is moved down toward the spin chuck 1 by the operation of the blocking plate lifting / lowering drive mechanism 11, the rectifying plate 33 is positioned close to the central region of the wafer W, and the annular member 32 is moved to the wafer W. It is set as the state which adjoined to the surface of the peripheral part. At this time, the distance between the upper surface of the wafer W and the wafer facing surface 45 is, for example, 0.5 mm. In this state, the spin chuck 1 is rotationally driven by the rotational drive mechanism 2, and the blocking plate 10 is rotationally driven by the motor 12. At this time, the rotation drive mechanism 2 and the motor 12 are controlled so that the spin chuck 1 and the blocking plate 10 rotate in the same direction but at a slightly different rotational speed. For example, the spin chuck 1 and the blocking plate 10 rotate at about 500 rpm and 450 rpm, respectively.

  In this state, the etchant E is supplied from the central axis nozzle 5 toward the center of the back surface of the wafer W by opening the etchant supply valve 7. The etching solution receives a centrifugal force, travels along the lower surface of the wafer W, reaches the peripheral end surface thereof, wraps around the peripheral end surface, and reaches the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the wafer W. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, a liquid film 50 is formed in a gap between the wafer facing surface 45 of the lower ring 32 </ b> B and the peripheral surface of the wafer W. The liquid film 50 contacts the wafer facing surface 45. The inner wall surface 47 of the lower ring 32B rises obliquely upward toward the outside, and an ejector effect is generated on the etching liquid passage 39. Therefore, the etching liquid film 50 is greatly increased from the inner peripheral edge of the lower ring 32B. It cannot enter the inner area of the wafer W. Thereby, the etching width in the peripheral part of the upper surface of the wafer W can be controlled with high accuracy.

  On the other hand, the process gas supply valve 26 is opened, and an air flow of process gas from the gas space 34 toward the gas flow passage 36 is formed. In some cases, the process gas supply valve 19 is opened and the upper surface of the wafer W is opened. Process gas may also be supplied to the space 55. The pressure of the process gas supplied to the upper surface space 55 can also prevent the etchant liquid film 50 from entering the inner region of the wafer W. The process gas supplied to the upper surface space 55 is guided to the gas flow passage 36 through the etching solution passage 39 formed between the peripheral end surface 38 of the rectifying plate 33 and the inner wall surface 47 of the lower ring 32B. . Therefore, the etching solution atmosphere can be prevented from staying in the upper surface space 55, and this etching solution atmosphere can be quickly replaced with a clean process gas. Thereby, corrosion of the center area | region of the wafer W can be suppressed.

The space inside the lower ring 32B is sealed by the liquid film 50, but the upper surface space 55 and the external space of the wafer W communicate with each other through the etching liquid passage 39 and the gas flow passage 36. The liquid film 50 is not broken at any position due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside.
In this state, when the surface of the peripheral edge of the wafer W is etched for a predetermined time, the etching solution supply valve 7 is closed and the blocking plate 10 is moved to a predetermined height (for example, the wafer facing surface) by the blocking plate elevating drive mechanism 11. 45 and a position where the distance between the upper surface of the wafer W is 50 mm). Thereafter, the pure water supply valve 6 is opened, the process gas supply valve 26 is closed, and the pure water supply valve 15 is opened. Thus, pure water is supplied to the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer W, and pure water rinsing processing for washing the wafer W is performed.

  Thereafter, the pure water supply valves 6 and 15 are closed, and the shielding plate 10 is lowered again by the shielding plate raising / lowering drive mechanism 11 so as to be close to the upper surface of the wafer W (for example, the interval between the wafer facing surface 45 and the upper surface of the wafer W is 0). .3mm position). In this state, the spin chuck 1 is driven to rotate at a high speed, and a drying process for removing the water on the wafer W by removing the water by centrifugal force is performed.

The process gas supply valves 9 and 19 are always opened during the processing of the wafer W, and hold the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer W in an inert gas atmosphere. Similarly, the seal gas supply valve 27 is always opened during the processing of the wafer W, thereby preventing the atmosphere from flowing in and out of the flow path of the process gas.
As described above, according to this embodiment, the liquid film 50 of the etching solution on the peripheral edge portion of the wafer W is regulated so as not to enter the inner region of the wafer W by the annular member 32. Thereby, the etching width in the peripheral part of the wafer W can be controlled with high precision, and a favorable process can be performed on the peripheral part of the wafer W.

Further, the etching solution atmosphere does not stay in the upper surface space of the wafer W, and this etching solution can be quickly replaced with the process gas. Thereby, undesired corrosion on the central region of the wafer W can be suppressed or prevented.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the configuration of the substrate peripheral edge processing apparatus according to the first reference embodiment. 3, portions corresponding to the respective portions shown in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIG.

In this reference form, the blocking plate 10 is composed of an upper lid portion 31 and an annular member 61 attached to the lower surface of the peripheral edge portion of the upper lid portion 31, and is provided with a rectifying plate as in the above-described embodiment. Not.
The annular member 61 has a wafer facing surface 62 having an inner peripheral edge corresponding to the annular processing target region at the peripheral edge of the wafer W. That is, the inner peripheral edge of the wafer facing surface 62 has a circular shape with a diameter smaller than the diameter of the wafer W. The circular shape formed by the inner peripheral edge is slightly larger than the inner peripheral edge of the processing target region at the peripheral edge of the upper surface of the wafer W.

  The annular member 61 is formed with a gas flow passage 63 for communicating an inner space 65 surrounded by the upper lid portion 31 and the annular member 61 with a space outside the annular member 61. In this embodiment, a plurality of gas flow paths 63 are formed radially from the rotation center of the wafer W (for example, 36 at equal angular intervals), and are supplied from the process gas supply path 18 to the space 65. The process gas that goes to the outside of the wafer W is discharged to the external space.

In this reference embodiment, since the rectifying plate is not provided, unlike the case of the implementation described above, it is not necessary to provide a separate process gas passages 30 from the process gas supply line 18. Therefore, the process gas supply mechanism 22 is not provided, and only the seal gas is supplied to the labyrinth gap formed by the labyrinth member 23. Thereby, the dust generation from the bearing 21 can be suppressed or prevented.

Also in the configuration of this reference embodiment, the liquid film 50 formed between the wafer facing surface 62 and the peripheral edge of the upper surface of the wafer W is moved to the inner region of the wafer W by the wafer facing surface 62 of the annular member 61. Intrusion can be suppressed or prevented, and the peripheral edge processing with the liquid film 50 can be performed satisfactorily. Further, the pressure of the process gas supplied from the process gas supply line 18, liquid film 50 Ru can be suppressed or prevented from entering into the central area of the wafer W. Further, the atmosphere of the space 65 above the wafer W can be replaced by this process gas, and the atmosphere of the etching solution can be discharged to the external space through the gas flow path 63. Thereby, it is possible to effectively suppress or prevent the inner space of the wafer W from being corroded by the atmosphere of the etching solution.

As shown in FIG. 3, the gas flow passage 63 formed in the annular member 61 is formed with a groove extending from the inner peripheral surface to the outer peripheral surface on the upper surface of the annular member 61. By combining with 31, it can be formed between the groove and the lower surface of the upper lid portion 31.
In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, a gas flow passage 63 can be formed by forming a through-hole penetrating the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the annular member 61 at an intermediate position in the vertical direction of the annular member 61.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5A, a groove 71 extending from the inner peripheral surface to the outer peripheral surface can be formed on the lower surface, which is the wafer facing surface 62 of the annular member 61, so that the gas flow passage 63 can be formed. . When a plurality of grooves 71 are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction on the wafer facing surface 62, depending on the size of the grooves 71, depending on the size of the groove 71, the vertical cylindrical surface along the circumferential direction of the wafer facing surface 62 is taken. The liquid film 50 may be divided at the groove 71 as shown in FIG. In this case, if the blocking plate 10 and the wafer W (spin chuck 1) are rotated relative to each other, processing unevenness at the peripheral edge of the wafer W does not occur. The relative rotation between the blocking plate 10 and the wafer W is performed, for example, by rotating the spin chuck 1 while keeping the blocking plate 10 in a stopped state or by changing the rotation speed of the blocking plate 10 and the spin chuck 1. Can be achieved.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, an etchant discharge path 73 from the vicinity of the inner peripheral edge of the wafer facing surface 62 to the gas flow path 63 may be formed inside the annular member 61. As a result, the etchant in the vicinity of the inner peripheral edge of the wafer facing surface 62 can be discharged through the etchant discharge path 73 by the ejector effect generated when the process gas is discharged through the gas flow passage 63. As a result, the etching solution for forming the liquid film 50 can be sequentially replaced with a new solution, and the etching solution can be more effectively suppressed from entering the inner periphery of the wafer facing surface 62. Or it can be prevented.

As shown in FIG. 6, the etchant discharge path 73 is preferably formed so as to rise obliquely upward toward the outside, thereby rotating the blocking plate 10 and the spin chuck 1. The etching solution constituting the liquid film 50 can be discharged to the outside through the etching solution discharge path 73 also using the centrifugal force generated by the above.
FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view showing a part of the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus according to the second embodiment . In FIG. 7, parts corresponding to the parts shown in FIG. 3 are given the same reference numerals as those in FIG.

In this reference embodiment , a protrusion 66 that protrudes downward toward the wafer W is formed inside the annular member 61 on the lower surface of the upper lid portion 31. The protrusion 66 has a wafer facing surface 67 that faces the upper surface of the wafer W and is formed substantially parallel to the upper surface of the wafer W. The wafer facing surface 67 is located farther from the wafer W than the wafer facing surface 62 of the annular member 61, and the liquid film 50 of the etching solution does not contact the wafer facing surface 67 of the upper lid portion 31.

Since the wafer facing surface 67 is closer to the upper surface of the wafer W than the lower surface of the upper lid portion 31 in the case of the first reference embodiment described above, the space above the wafer W is limited to be small. Accordingly, it is possible to more effectively suppress the liquid film 50 from entering inward by promoting the flow of the process gas from the central portion of the wafer W toward the outside. At the same time, the etching solution atmosphere in the space above the wafer W can be quickly replaced with the process gas. In this case, the process gas is supplied to the wafer W from the through hole 17 formed in the center of the blocking plate 10.

  The inner peripheral surface 68 of the annular member 61 forms an inclined surface that rises obliquely upward toward the outside. In addition, an inclined surface 69 that is opposed to the inner peripheral surface 68 and is parallel to the inner peripheral surface 68 is formed at the peripheral edge of the protrusion 66. Thereby, a gas passage 70 rising obliquely upward toward the outside is formed between the inner peripheral surface 68 and the inclined surface 69 so as to communicate with the gas flow passage 63. With this configuration, since the process gas passage is smoothly guided to the gas passage 70, the atmosphere of the etching solution above the wafer W can be satisfactorily replaced.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view showing a part of the configuration of the substrate peripheral edge processing apparatus according to the third embodiment . 8, parts corresponding to the respective parts shown in FIG. 3 are given the same reference numerals as those in FIG.
In this reference embodiment, no gas flow passage is formed in the annular member 61, and a gas flow passage 75 including a through hole penetrating the upper and lower surfaces is formed in the upper lid portion 31. Also with this configuration, the etching solution atmosphere in the space 65 can be replaced with a process gas, and the etching solution atmosphere can be discharged to the outside, so that corrosion of the central region of the wafer W can be suppressed or prevented.

An annular guide member 76 that guides the gas discharged upward from the gas flow passage 75 outward in the rotational radius direction is provided on the upper surface of the upper lid portion 31. In this case as well, the process gas is supplied to the wafer W from the through hole 17 formed in the center of the blocking plate 10.
As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention can also be implemented with another form. For example, in the above-described embodiment and reference embodiment , the configuration in which the gas flow passage is provided in one of the upper lid portion or the annular member has been described, but the gas flow passage may be provided in both of them.

In the above embodiment and reference embodiment , the etching solution is supplied to the center of the lower surface of the wafer W. However, the etching solution is supplied to the vicinity of the peripheral portion of the lower surface of the wafer W, and this etching solution is applied to the upper surface of the wafer W. You may make it wrap around a peripheral part.
Further, the etching solution may be supplied from the side of the spin chuck 1 to the peripheral edge of the upper surface of the wafer W, for example, along the outer peripheral surface of the annular member. Further, an etching solution supply path penetrating in the vertical direction may be formed in the annular member, and the etching solution may be supplied from above the annular member to the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the wafer W through the etching solution supply path. . In these cases, the spin chuck 1 is brought into a non-rotating state or a low-speed rotating state (a state in which the etching solution does not jump out of the substrate by centrifugal force) when the etching solution is supplied. Etching liquid is accumulated, and unnecessary liquid on the periphery of the surface of the wafer W can be removed by etching with the accumulated etching liquid. Since the liquid film of the accumulated etching liquid is prevented from entering the inside of the wafer W by the action of the annular member, the etching width can be defined with good accuracy. Moreover, the consumption of the etching solution can be significantly reduced by depositing the etching solution on the wafer W and processing the peripheral portion thereof.

In the above embodiment and reference embodiment , when processing the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the wafer W, the processing liquid is not supplied to the central portion of the upper surface of the wafer W. During the processing of the part, the pure water supply valve 15 may be opened to cover the central region of the wafer W with pure water and protect it from the etching solution. For the purpose of protecting the central region of the wafer W, an etching protective solution such as carbonated water, hydrogen water, reduced water, ionic water or magnetic water can be used in addition to pure water.

However, the etching protection liquid supplied to the central region of the wafer W is mixed with the etching liquid at the peripheral portion of the wafer W to dilute the etching liquid. Therefore, in order to reduce the consumption of the etching liquid, the etching protection liquid is used. It is preferable not to use a liquid.
In the above embodiment and reference embodiment , the spin chuck 1 configured to sandwich the peripheral end surface of the wafer W is exemplified. However, the vacuum chuck that holds the lower surface of the wafer W by suction and the end surface of the wafer W are brought into contact with each other. In addition, a roller chuck that rotates the wafer W by rotating in that state may be adopted.

In the above-described embodiment and reference embodiment , an example of processing a semiconductor wafer that is a circular substrate has been described. In particular, in the case of employing a process in which an etching solution is deposited on a substrate, liquid crystal is used. The present invention can also be applied to a square substrate such as a glass substrate for a display device.
In addition, various design changes can be made within the scope of matters described in the claims.

It is sectional drawing for demonstrating the structure of the substrate periphery processing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is an expanded sectional view for demonstrating the structure of the vicinity of the annular member which controls the liquid film of an etching liquid in the peripheral part of the surface of a wafer. It is sectional drawing for demonstrating the structure of the board | substrate periphery processing apparatus which concerns on a 1st reference form . It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the modification about arrangement | positioning of a gas flow path. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the other modification about arrangement | positioning of a gas flow path. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the structure which formed the etchant discharge path connected to a gas flow path. It is a fragmentary sectional view for demonstrating the structure of the board | substrate periphery processing apparatus which concerns on a 2nd reference form . It is a fragmentary sectional view for demonstrating the structure of the board | substrate periphery processing apparatus which concerns on a 3rd reference form .

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Spin chuck 2 Rotation drive mechanism 3 Rotating shaft 4 Processing liquid supply pipe 5 Center axis nozzle 5a Discharge port 6 Pure water supply valve 7 Etching liquid supply valve 8 Process gas supply path 9 Process gas supply valve 10 Shut-off plate 11 Shut-off drive Mechanism 12 Motor 13 Rotating shaft 14 Center axis nozzle 15 Pure water supply valve 16 Chemical solution supply valve 17 Through hole 18 Process gas supply path 19 Process gas supply valve 20 Housing 21 Bearing 22 Process gas supply mechanism 23 Labyrinth member 24 Process gas introduction path 25 Seal gas introduction path 26 Process gas supply valve 27 Seal gas supply valve 28 Suction port 29 Flange 30 Process gas passage 31 Upper lid part 32 Annular member 32A Upper ring 32B Lower ring 33 Current plate 34 Gas space 35 Support member 36 Gas Passage 37 Rectifying plate support member 38 Peripheral end surface 39 Etch solution passage 40 Orifice formation surface 41 Chuck pin 42 Support part 43 Guide pin 44 Chuck pin drive mechanism 45 Wafer facing surface 46 Vent hole 47 Inner wall surface 48 Outer wall surface 50 Liquid film 55 Upper surface space 61 annular member 62 wafer facing surface 63 gas flow path 65 space 66 projecting portion 67 wafer facing surface 68 inner peripheral surface 69 inclined surface 70 gas passage 71 groove 73 etchant discharge passage 75 gas flow passage 76 guide member 441 spin base 442 link mechanism 443 Drive mechanism 444 Rotation side movable member 445 Bearing 446 Fixed side movable member 447 Lifting / lowering drive mechanism for driving chuck pin E Etching solution W Wafer

Claims (10)

A substrate peripheral processing apparatus for supplying an etching solution to the surface of the peripheral portion of the substrate and etching away unnecessary materials on the surface of the peripheral portion,
Etching solution supply means for supplying an etching solution to the peripheral edge of the substrate;
The substrate is arranged so as to be close to the peripheral surface of the substrate with a predetermined gap that can come into contact with the liquid film of the etching solution formed on the peripheral surface. An annular member having an inner peripheral edge on the inner side and defining a treatment width by an etching solution on the surface of the peripheral edge of the substrate;
A lid member for closing the space inside the annular member;
Gas supply means for supplying gas to the space surrounded by the lid member and the annular member;
A gas flow passage formed in the annular member and communicating with the outer space and the space surrounded by the lid member and the annular member ;
In the space surrounded by the lid member and the annular member, the gas supplied from the gas supply means is directed to the gas flow path, and is arranged farther from the substrate than the closest part of the annular member to the substrate. A substrate peripheral edge processing apparatus comprising: a rectifying plate that rectifies the substrate. A substrate holding means for holding the substrate from one surface side;
2. The substrate peripheral edge processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lid member and the annular member are disposed on the other surface side of the substrate.   3. The substrate peripheral edge processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the lid member is provided so as to be rotatable relative to the substrate held by the substrate holding means.   4. The substrate peripheral edge processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the annular member is provided so as to be relatively rotatable with respect to the substrate held by the substrate holding means. An etching liquid passage between the edge of the current plate and the inner peripheral surface of the annular member guides the etching liquid to the gas flow path by an ejector effect caused by gas flowing from the current plate into the gas flow path. There substrate periphery processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1, characterized in that it is formed 4. 6. The substrate peripheral processing apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising an orifice forming member that forms an orifice that narrows the gas passage as it goes toward the gas flow passage between the lid member and the current plate. The aforementioned rectifying plate, the substrate peripheral edge processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the vent for flowing gas is formed between its one surface and the other surface side. The aforementioned rectifying plate, the substrate periphery processing according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the gas supply holes for supplying gas are formed in the space between the substrate and the current plate apparatus. The gas flow passage is formed in the annular member,
Said annular member is adapted to open the substrate facing surface that faces the substrate, the substrate peripheral edge according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it has a liquid discharge passage in communication with the gas flow passage Processing equipment. A substrate peripheral processing method of supplying an etching solution to the surface of the peripheral portion of the substrate and etching away unnecessary materials on the surface of the peripheral portion,
An etchant supply step of supplying an etchant to the peripheral edge of the substrate;
On the outer peripheral edge of the substrate or closer to the surface of the peripheral edge of the substrate so as to be close to the surface of the peripheral edge with a predetermined gap that can contact the liquid film of the etching solution formed on the surface of the peripheral edge. A processing width defining step of disposing an annular member having an inner peripheral edge on the inner side and defining a processing width with an etching solution on the surface of the peripheral edge of the substrate;
Arranging a lid member for closing the space inside the annular member;
A gas supply step for supplying a gas to the space surrounded by the lid member and the annular member;
A gas discharge step of discharging the gas in the space surrounded by the lid member and the annular member to the outside via a gas flow passage formed in the annular member ;
In the space surrounded by the lid member and the annular member, the gas supplied by the gas supply step is circulated by the rectifying plate disposed farther from the substrate than the closest part of the annular member to the substrate. And a step of rectifying toward the road .

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