JP6328538B2 - Substrate liquid processing apparatus cleaning method, storage medium, and substrate liquid processing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for cleaning a processing liquid supply line that supplies a processing liquid to a nozzle that discharges the processing liquid onto a substrate in a substrate liquid processing apparatus that performs liquid processing on the substrate by supplying the processing liquid to the substrate.

  The manufacturing process of the semiconductor device includes liquid processing such as wet etching processing or cleaning processing. Such liquid processing is performed, for example, by supplying a processing liquid from a nozzle located above the substrate to the rotating substrate.

  When a plurality of types of processing liquids are supplied from one nozzle to the substrate, the first processing liquid supplied first and the second processing liquid supplied later are arranged inside the nozzle and the processing liquid supply line connected thereto. In some cases, it may be required to avoid mixing each other. In this case, a drain operation is performed in which the first processing liquid remaining in the nozzle and the processing liquid supply line flows back to the processing liquid supply line and is discharged from the drain line connected to the processing liquid supply line.

  When a plurality of nozzles are carried by a single nozzle arm, the first nozzle can be placed on the substrate when the second nozzle is supplying the processing liquid to the substrate after the first nozzle has finished supplying the processing liquid. The liquid may sag. In order to prevent this, the drain operation of the first nozzle and the processing liquid supply line connected thereto may be performed in the same manner as described above.

  In any of the drain operations, the atmosphere around the nozzle passes through the nozzle outlet as the surface of the processing liquid located in the nozzle outlet is drawn into the processing liquid supply line. It may be drawn into the processing liquid supply line and deposits derived from the atmosphere may adhere to the inner wall surface of the processing liquid supply line. When this deposit is insoluble in the processing liquid discharged from the nozzle, it is difficult to wash out the deposit by discharging the processing liquid from the nozzle (for example, by performing dummy tips). In this case, the deposits may be peeled off little by little when the processing liquid is discharged to become particles and contaminate the substrate.

JP 2013-030559 A

  An object of the present invention is to provide a technique for efficiently cleaning contaminants adhering to the inside of a processing liquid supply line connected to a nozzle.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in a cleaning method for cleaning a processing liquid supply line that is connected to a nozzle that discharges a processing liquid toward a substrate and supplies the processing liquid to the nozzle, the processing liquid supply line is cleaned. For cleaning the processing liquid supply line by flowing a cleaning liquid different from the processing liquid for the processing liquid supply line through the processing liquid supply line and not supplying the cleaning liquid flowing through the processing liquid supply line to the substrate. An apparatus cleaning method is provided.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, when executed by a computer for controlling the operation of the substrate liquid processing apparatus, the computer controls the substrate liquid processing apparatus and the substrate liquid processing apparatus described above. A storage medium in which a program for executing the cleaning method is recorded is provided.

  According to another embodiment of the present invention, a substrate holding part that holds a substrate, a nozzle that discharges the processing liquid to the substrate held by the substrate holding part, and a processing liquid supply that supplies the processing liquid to the nozzle A processing liquid supply unit that supplies the processing liquid for processing the substrate to the processing liquid supply line; a cleaning liquid supply unit that supplies a cleaning liquid for cleaning the processing liquid supply line to the processing liquid supply line; , And the cleaning liquid is different from the processing liquid and is not supplied to the substrate from the nozzle.

  According to the present invention, even when it is difficult to remove contaminants adhering to the inside of the treatment liquid supply line with the treatment liquid, the treatment liquid supply line is efficiently washed by using a cleaning liquid suitable for removing the contaminants. be able to.

1 is a schematic plan view showing a configuration of a substrate processing system according to an embodiment of a substrate liquid processing apparatus according to the present invention. The schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the structure of the processing unit shown in FIG. The piping diagram which shows the structure of the process fluid supply part and process fluid supply source of the process unit shown in FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the washing | cleaning procedure of a process liquid supply line. It is a figure for demonstrating the washing | cleaning procedure of a process liquid supply line. The piping diagram which shows the other structure of the processing fluid supply part and processing fluid supply source of the processing unit shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows other embodiment which provided multiple liquid receptacles.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing system according to the present embodiment. In the following, in order to clarify the positional relationship, the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis that are orthogonal to each other are defined, and the positive direction of the Z axis is the vertically upward direction.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing system 1 includes a carry-in / out station 2 and a processing station 3. The carry-in / out station 2 and the processing station 3 are provided adjacent to each other.

  The carry-in / out station 2 includes a carrier placement unit 11 and a transport unit 12. A plurality of carriers C that accommodate a plurality of wafers W in a horizontal state are placed on the carrier placement unit 11.

  The transport unit 12 is provided adjacent to the carrier placement unit 11 and includes a substrate transport device 13 and a delivery unit 14 inside. The substrate transfer device 13 includes a substrate holding mechanism that holds the wafer W. Further, the substrate transfer device 13 can move in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction and turn around the vertical axis, and transfers the wafer W between the carrier C and the delivery unit 14 using the substrate holding mechanism. Do.

  The processing station 3 is provided adjacent to the transfer unit 12. The processing station 3 includes a transport unit 15 and a plurality of processing units 16. The plurality of processing units 16 are provided side by side on the transport unit 15.

  The transport unit 15 includes a substrate transport device 17 inside. The substrate transfer device 17 includes a substrate holding mechanism that holds the wafer W. Further, the substrate transfer device 17 can move in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction and can turn around the vertical axis, and transfers the wafer W between the delivery unit 14 and the processing unit 16 using the substrate holding mechanism. I do.

  The processing unit 16 performs predetermined substrate processing on the wafer W transferred by the substrate transfer device 17.

  Further, the substrate processing system 1 includes a control device 4. The control device 4 is a computer, for example, and includes a control unit 18 and a storage unit 19. The storage unit 19 stores a program for controlling various processes executed in the substrate processing system 1. The control unit 18 controls the operation of the substrate processing system 1 by reading and executing the program stored in the storage unit 19.

  Such a program may be recorded on a computer-readable storage medium, and may be installed in the storage unit 19 of the control device 4 from the storage medium. Examples of the computer-readable storage medium include a hard disk (HD), a flexible disk (FD), a compact disk (CD), a magnetic optical disk (MO), and a memory card.

  In the substrate processing system 1 configured as described above, first, the substrate transfer device 13 of the loading / unloading station 2 takes out the wafer W from the carrier C placed on the carrier placement unit 11 and receives the taken-out wafer W. Place on the transfer section 14. The wafer W placed on the delivery unit 14 is taken out from the delivery unit 14 by the substrate transfer device 17 of the processing station 3 and carried into the processing unit 16.

  The wafer W loaded into the processing unit 16 is processed by the processing unit 16, then unloaded from the processing unit 16 by the substrate transfer device 17, and placed on the delivery unit 14. Then, the processed wafer W placed on the delivery unit 14 is returned to the carrier C of the carrier platform 11 by the substrate transfer device 13.

  Next, a schematic configuration of the processing unit 16 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the processing unit 16.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the processing unit 16 includes a chamber 20, a substrate holding mechanism 30, a processing fluid supply unit 40, and a recovery cup 50.

  The chamber 20 accommodates the substrate holding mechanism 30, the processing fluid supply unit 40, and the recovery cup 50. An FFU (Fan Filter Unit) 21 is provided on the ceiling of the chamber 20. The FFU 21 forms a down flow in the chamber 20.

  The substrate holding mechanism 30 includes a holding unit 31, a support unit 32, and a driving unit 33. The holding unit 31 holds the wafer W horizontally. The support | pillar part 32 is a member extended in a perpendicular direction, a base end part is rotatably supported by the drive part 33, and supports the holding | maintenance part 31 horizontally in a front-end | tip part. The drive unit 33 rotates the column unit 32 around the vertical axis. The substrate holding mechanism 30 rotates the support unit 32 by rotating the support unit 32 using the drive unit 33, thereby rotating the wafer W held by the support unit 31. .

  The processing fluid supply unit 40 supplies a processing fluid to the wafer W. The processing fluid supply unit 40 is connected to a processing fluid supply source 70.

  The collection cup 50 is disposed so as to surround the holding unit 31, and collects the processing liquid scattered from the wafer W by the rotation of the holding unit 31. A drain port 51 is formed at the bottom of the recovery cup 50, and the processing liquid collected by the recovery cup 50 is discharged from the drain port 51 to the outside of the processing unit 16. Further, an exhaust port 52 for discharging the gas supplied from the FFU 21 to the outside of the processing unit 16 is formed at the bottom of the recovery cup 50.

  Next, the processing fluid supply unit 40 and the processing fluid supply source 70 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. The processing fluid supply unit 40 and the processing fluid supply source 70 include a first processing liquid supply unit 810, a second processing liquid supply unit 820, and a third processing liquid supply unit 830.

  The first processing liquid supply unit 810 is for supplying SC1, DHF (dilute hydrofluoric acid), and DIW (pure water) to the wafer W. The first processing liquid supply unit 810 includes a first nozzle 811 and a processing liquid supply line 812 for supplying the processing liquid to the first nozzle 811. An SC1 supply mechanism 813, a DHF supply mechanism 814, and a DIW supply mechanism 815 are connected in parallel to the processing liquid supply line 812.

  The SC1 liquid supply mechanism 813 includes an SC1 line 813b connected to the SC1 supply source 813a, and a flow rate control valve 813c and an on-off valve 813d interposed in the SC1 line 813b. The DHF supply mechanism 814 includes a DHF line 814b connected to the DHF supply source 814a, and a flow rate control valve 814c and an on-off valve 814d interposed in the DHF line 814b. The DIW supply mechanism 815 includes a DIW line 815b connected to the DIW supply source 815a, and a flow rate control valve 815c and an opening / closing valve 815d provided in the DIW line 815b.

  At the branch point 812a between the upstream end of the processing liquid supply line 812 to which the SC1 supply mechanism 813, the DHF supply mechanism 814, and the DIW supply mechanism 815 are connected, and the first nozzle 811, the drain line 816 extends from the processing liquid supply line 812. Is branched. On the drain line 816, an on-off valve 816a and an orifice 816b are interposed. An on-off valve 817 is interposed in the processing liquid supply line 812 between the first nozzle 811 and the branch point 812a.

The second processing liquid supply unit 820 is for supplying DIW (pure water) as a rinse liquid to the wafer W. The second processing liquid supply unit 820 includes a second nozzle 821 and a processing liquid supply line 822 for supplying DIW to the second nozzle 821. A DIW supply mechanism 823 is connected to the processing liquid supply line 822. The DIW supply mechanism 823 includes a DIW line 823b connected to the DIW supply source 823a, and a flow rate control valve 823c and an opening / closing valve 823d provided in the DIW line 823b. A drain line 826 branches from the processing liquid supply line 822 at a branch point 822 a between the upstream end of the processing liquid supply line 822 to which the DIW supply mechanism 823 is connected and the second nozzle 821. On the drain line 826, an on-off valve 826a and an orifice 826b are interposed. An open / close valve 827 is interposed in the processing liquid supply line 822 between the second nozzle 821 and the branch point 822a.

  The third processing liquid supply unit 830 is for supplying IPA (isopropyl alcohol) to the wafer W. The third processing liquid supply unit 830 includes a third nozzle 831 and a processing liquid supply line 832 for supplying IPA to the third nozzle 831. An IPA supply mechanism 833 is connected to the processing liquid supply line 832. The IPA supply mechanism 833 includes an IPA line 833b connected to the IPA supply source 833a, and a flow rate control valve 833c and an opening / closing valve 833d interposed in the IPA line 833b. A drain line 836 is branched from the treatment liquid supply line 832 at a branch point 832 a between the upstream end of the treatment liquid supply line 832 to which the IPA supply mechanism 833 is connected and the third nozzle 831. The drain line 836 is provided with an on-off valve 836a and an orifice 836b. An open / close valve 837 is interposed in the processing liquid supply line 832 between the third nozzle 831 and the branch point 832a.

  The first nozzle 811, the second nozzle 821 and the third nozzle 831 are held at the tip of one nozzle arm 802. By operating the nozzle arm 802, the processing position directly above the center of the wafer W is set. It is possible to move between the standby position located outside the collection cup 50 in a plan view. The first nozzle 811, the second nozzle 821, and the third nozzle 831 may be held by separate arms.

  A liquid tray (liquid reservoir) 900 is provided directly below the first to third nozzles 811, 821, and 831 located at the standby position. A drain line 901 is connected to the bottom of the liquid tray 900. An open / close valve 902 is interposed in the drain line 901. A liquid receiving member provided for the dummy dispensing in the processing unit 16 can be used as the liquid receiving tray 900. However, you may provide the liquid receiving tray 900 used exclusively for the washing | cleaning operation which concerns on this embodiment explained in full detail below. “Dummy dispense” means that the processing liquid having a composition inappropriate for the processing existing in the processing liquid supply line connected to the nozzle and the nozzle or the processing liquid staying for a long time is discarded from the nozzle and the processing liquid supply line. For this purpose, it means an operation of discharging the processing liquid from the nozzle toward a different location from the processing target substrate (wafer).

  A cleaning liquid supply mechanism 910 that supplies IPA as a cleaning liquid to the liquid receiving tray 900 is provided. The cleaning liquid supply mechanism 910 includes a cleaning liquid (IPA) line 912 connected to a cleaning liquid (IPA) supply source 911 and an opening / closing valve 913 provided in the cleaning liquid line 912.

  When performing processing on the wafer W, the first, second, and third nozzles 811, 821, and 831 are positioned directly above the center of the wafer W, and necessary processing liquid is applied to the wafer W from these nozzles. Supplied. For example, while rotating the wafer W, the SC1 liquid is supplied from the first nozzle 811 to the wafer W to perform the SC1 cleaning process, and then DIW is supplied from the second nozzle 821 to the wafer W to perform the rinse process. Then, DHF cleaning processing is performed by supplying DHF from the first nozzle 811 to the wafer W, and then DIW is supplied from the first nozzle 811 to the wafer W to perform rinsing processing, and then the third nozzle 831 is applied to the wafer W. IPA is supplied to replace the DIW on the wafer W with the IPA, and then the rotation speed of the wafer W is increased and the wafer W is dried.

  After supplying DHF from the first nozzle 811 to the wafer W, the first nozzle 811 remains directly on the wafer W for a while. At this time, in order to prevent DHF remaining in the first nozzle 811 from dripping onto the wafer W and contaminating the wafer W, the processing liquid in the vicinity of the discharge port of the first nozzle 811 is removed from the processing liquid supply line. In order to draw back into 812, a drain operation for discharging the processing liquid in the processing liquid supply line 812 through the drain line 816 is performed (liquid dripping prevention drain operation).

  Further, for example, when two or more kinds of processing liquids are discharged from the first nozzle 811 to the wafer W, the first processing liquid supplied to the wafer W first and the second processing liquid supplied to the wafer W later are used. Even when it is desired to prevent mixing before discharge from the first nozzle 811 as much as possible, the processing liquid remaining in the first nozzle 811 and the processing liquid supply line 812 is removed from the drain line 816. The discharge operation is performed (mixing prevention drain operation). Specifically, for example, when the processing liquid is discharged from the first nozzle 811 to each wafer W in the order of SC-1 → DIW → DHF → DIW, the processing for the first wafer W is completed. At the time, the last discharged processing liquid (DIW in this case) remains in the first nozzle 811 and the processing liquid supply line 812. The liquid remaining in the first nozzle 811 and the processing liquid supply line 812 is mixed with the processing liquid (SC-1 in this case) to be first supplied to the second wafer W, or It is not preferable that the remaining liquid is discharged before the liquid to be supplied first to the second wafer W. For this reason, after the last processing liquid is supplied to the first wafer W and before the first processing liquid is supplied to the second wafer W, the above-described mixing prevention drain operation is performed.

  When the drain treatment is performed, the atmosphere around the first nozzle 811 (the atmosphere in the chamber 20) enters the processing liquid supply line 812 through the discharge port of the first nozzle 811 and the first nozzle 811. In some cases, the inner wall surface of the discharge port and the inner wall surface of the processing liquid supply line 812 may be contaminated. Such drain operation is also performed in the second and third processing liquid supply units 820 and 830 as necessary.

  4 and FIG. 5 are procedures for cleaning the inner wall surface of the discharge port of the first nozzle 811 and the inner wall surface of the processing liquid supply line that are contaminated when the above-described liquid dripping prevention drain operation or mixing prevention drain operation is performed. Will be described with reference to FIG. The cleaning procedure described below is automatically performed under the control of the control device 4 based on the control program of the processing unit 16 incorporated in the storage unit 19 and the cleaning recipe incorporated in the processing recipe. In FIGS. 4 and 5, for the sake of simplification of the drawings, the display of members that are not necessary for explaining the drain operation is omitted.

  First, prior to the description of the cleaning procedure, the above-described dripping prevention drain operation will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b). FIG. 4A shows a state immediately after the first nozzle 811 discharges one of the processing liquids (SC1, DHF, DIW) that can be discharged onto the wafer W, here DHF. At this time, all of the on-off valves displayed in FIG. 4A are closed. At this time, the first nozzle 811 is directly above the center of the wafer W, and it is necessary to prevent liquid dripping from the first nozzle 811 to the wafer W.

  From this state, the on-off valves 817 and 816a are opened. The on-off valve 816a of the drain line 816 is at a position lower than the discharge port of the first nozzle 811 (the portion indicated by reference numeral 811a in FIG. 3 at the lower end of the first nozzle 811) and the discharge port of the first nozzle 811. Since the section from the drain line 816 to the on-off valve 816a is continuously filled with DHF, the DHF in the section opens the on-off valve 816a and simultaneously opens the drain line as shown in FIG. It flows toward 816. After elapse of a predetermined time, the on-off valve 816a is closed and the drain operation is terminated.

  If the SC1 liquid is continuously supplied from the state of FIG. 4A (the processing liquid discharge in this order is not normally performed, but it is described for the sake of explanation), the SC1 liquid is added to the DHF. Since mixing is to be avoided as much as possible, an anti-mix drain operation is performed. The mixing prevention drain operation can be performed in the same procedure as the dripping prevention drain operation.

  In the dripping prevention drain operation, if the position of the liquid surface on the most downstream side of the processing liquid (DHF) moves backward from the discharge port of the first nozzle 811 to such an extent that dripping from the discharge port of the first nozzle 811 can be prevented. It is enough. In the mixing prevention drain operation, it is preferable that all of the processing liquid existing downstream of the branch point 812a of the processing liquid supply line 812 is discharged. The discharge amount of the processing liquid from the processing liquid supply line 812 through the drain line 816 can be changed by changing the time during which the on-off valve 816a is opened.

  In any case, by performing the above drain operation, the position of the liquid surface on the most downstream side of DHF moves upstream in the processing liquid supply line 812, and along with this movement, the discharge of the first nozzle 811 occurs. The atmosphere around the first nozzle 811 enters the processing liquid supply line 812 from the outlet. Contaminants derived from this atmosphere may adhere to the discharge port of the first nozzle 811 and the inner wall surface of the processing liquid supply line 812. In the chamber 20, there is an inevitably contaminating atmosphere (although measures are taken to increase cleanliness). Since the treatment liquid supply line 812 is a line for flowing an inorganic treatment liquid, when the attached contaminant is an organic substance, it is difficult to completely wash it off with the inorganic treatment liquid. In order to remove contaminants composed of organic substances, the following procedure is performed using an organic cleaning liquid, here IPA as a cleaning liquid.

  First, as shown in FIG. 4C, the first nozzle 811 is moved to the standby position, and the first nozzle 811 is positioned directly above the liquid tray 900. In this state, the on-off valve 817 and the on-off valve 815d are opened, DIW is supplied from the DIW supply source 815a to the first nozzle 811 via the DIW line 815b and the processing liquid supply line 812, and the liquid receiving tray 900 is supplied from the first nozzle 811. DIW is discharged toward At this time, the open / close valve 902 of the drain line 901 is open, and the DIW supplied to the liquid receiving tray 900 is immediately discharged from the liquid receiving tray 900. After an elapse of a predetermined time (which may be a short time), the on-off valve 815d is closed. As a result, the entire region of the processing liquid supply line 812 and the region upstream of the on-off valve 816a of the drain line 816 are filled with DIW.

  When the drain operation shown in FIG. 4B drains a part or all of the drain line 816, the on-off valve 816a of the drain line 816 is opened when the operation of FIG. 4C is performed. In this state, DIW is supplied from the DIW supply source 815a, and then the on-off valve 816a is closed so that the region upstream of the on-off valve 816a of the drain line 816 is filled with DIW.

  The process shown in FIG. 4C, in which the entire area of the processing liquid supply line 812 and the area upstream of the on-off valve 816a of the drain line 816 are filled with DIW, is performed in the next process by the siphon principle. This is to enable the pull-in. Therefore, if the entire region of the processing liquid supply line 812 and the region upstream of the on-off valve 816a of the drain line 816 are already filled with some processing liquid before performing the process shown in FIG. The process shown in 4 (c) can be omitted.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 4D, with the open / close valve 902 of the drain line 901 of the liquid receiving tray 900 closed, IPA as the cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid supply mechanism 910 to the liquid receiving tray 900, and the liquid receiving tray 900 IPA as a cleaning liquid is stored in (stored).

  Next, as shown in FIG. 4E, the first nozzle 811 is lowered using a lifting mechanism (not shown) provided in the nozzle arm 802 (not shown in FIG. 4), and the first nozzle 811 is moved downward. The discharge port is positioned at a position lower than the liquid level of the IPA stored in the liquid tray 900. That is, the discharge port of the first nozzle 811 is immersed in the IPA liquid reservoir. At this time, the discharge port of the first nozzle 811 is located higher than the on-off valve 816a of the drain line 816.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 4 (f), when the on-off valve 816 a of the drain line 816 is opened, the IPA stored in the liquid receiving tray 900 is processed through the discharge port of the first nozzle 811 according to the siphon principle. The liquid flows into the liquid supply line 812, further flows into the drain line 816, and is discharged from the drain line 816. By this IPA flow, organic pollutants attached to the discharge port of the first nozzle 811 and the inner wall surface of the processing liquid supply line 812 are washed away.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5G, the open / close valve 902 of the drain line 901 of the liquid tray 900 is opened, the open / close valve 815d of the DIW line 815b is opened, and DIW is supplied from the DIW supply source 815a. The DIW is discharged from the nozzle 811 to the liquid receiving tray 900 through the processing liquid supply line 812. DIW also flows into the drain line 816. After the elapse of a predetermined time, the opening / closing valve 815d of the DIW line 815b and the opening / closing valve 816a of the drain line 816 are closed. As a result, the entire region of the processing liquid supply line 812 and the region upstream of the on-off valve 816a of the drain line 816 are filled with DIW.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5 (h), the on / off valve 815d of the DIW line 815b is closed, the on / off valve 813d of the SC1 line 813b is opened, and the SC1 liquid is supplied from the SC1 supply source 813a. The SC1 liquid is discharged from the nozzle 811 to the liquid receiving tray 900 through the processing liquid supply line 812. The SC1 liquid also flows into the drain line 816.

  After the elapse of a predetermined time, the on-off valve 813d of the SC1 line 813b and the on-off valve 816a of the drain line 816 are closed. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5I, the entire region of the processing liquid supply line 812 and the region upstream of the on-off valve 816a of the drain line 816 are filled with the SC1 liquid. Thus, the preparation for discharging the SC1 liquid to the next wafer W is completed.

  The process of FIG. 5G may be skipped and the process of FIG. 5H may be performed after the process of FIG.

  According to the above embodiment, even if organic pollutants adhere to the inside of the first nozzle 811 and the inner wall surface of the processing liquid supply line 812 for supplying the inorganic processing liquid to the first nozzle 811, Contaminants can be removed efficiently. In addition, since a part of the nozzles (in this case, the first to third nozzles 811, 821, 831) is immersed in the cleaning liquid, the surface portion of the nozzle immersed in the cleaning liquid can also be cleaned.

  DHF discharge onto wafer W with actual apparatus → mixing prevention drain operation described above → DIW discharge onto wafer → IPA cleaning of the processing liquid supply line described above is repeated, and the wafer is determined depending on the presence or absence of IPA cleaning of the processing liquid supply line. The number of particles having a size of 50 nm or more adhering to W was examined. When IPA cleaning of the treatment liquid supply line was performed, an increase in particles due to repeated treatment was not confirmed. On the other hand, when IPA cleaning of the processing liquid supply line was not performed, an increase in the number of particles of 15 particles in the first wafer and 40 particles in the second wafer was confirmed in one processing unit. In another processing unit, an increase in the number of particles of 6 in the first wafer and 172 in the second wafer was confirmed. This test confirmed that the treatment liquid supply line is contaminated by the atmospheric suction accompanying the drain operation described above, and that the IPA cleaning of the treatment liquid supply line has a great effect on decontamination.

In the above embodiments, is provided with the cleaning liquid supply mechanism 910 for supplying IPA as the cleaning liquid in the liquid receiving plate 900 is not limited to this, the third nozzle 831 of the third processing liquid supply unit 830 is a liquid receiving tray 900 IPA as a cleaning liquid may be supplied. According to this, it is not necessary to additionally provide a cleaning liquid supply mechanism just to supply IPA to the liquid tray 900, and it is possible to prevent the configuration of the substrate liquid processing apparatus from being complicated and the cost from being increased. Further, IPA may be supplied to the liquid receiving tray 900 from a nozzle (not shown) held by a nozzle arm (not shown) other than the nozzle arm 802.

  In the above embodiment, the processing liquid supply line 812 is a processing liquid supply line dedicated to supplying an inorganic processing liquid. However, the present invention is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 6, an IPA supply mechanism 818 may be connected to the processing liquid supply line 812. The IPA supply mechanism 818 includes an IPA line 818b connected to the IPA supply source 818a, and an on-off valve 818d interposed in the IPA line 818b. When the first nozzle 811 and the processing liquid supply line 812 contaminated by the drain operation described above in the configuration of FIG. 6 are cleaned, the first nozzle 811 is placed above the liquid tray 900 (not shown in FIG. 6). In the state where the on-off valves 813d, 814d, and 815d are closed and the on-off valve 817 (and the on-off valve 816a in some cases) is opened, the on-off valve 818d is opened, and IPA as a cleaning liquid is supplied to the processing liquid supply line 812. What is necessary is just to discharge and to discharge from the 1st nozzle 811. Whether the opening / closing valve 816a of the drain line 816 is opened at this time is whether or not the atmosphere around the first nozzle 811 has entered the drain line 816 when the drain operation is performed via the drain line 816 of the processing liquid supply line 812. It may be determined according to.

  According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, there is an advantage that the first nozzle 811 and the processing liquid supply line 812 can be cleaned by a very simple operation. On the other hand, according to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the configuration of the conventional processing unit 16 is not changed at all or hardly (addition of piping is not required or almost unnecessary), for example, only by changing the recipe. The cleaning function of the first nozzle 811 and the processing liquid supply line 812 can be realized, and there is an advantage that application to an existing apparatus is easy.

  In the above embodiment, the inorganic processing liquid (SC1, DHF, DIW) is attached to the inner surface of the nozzle (811) and the processing liquid supply line (812) for discharging the wafer W to the wafer W (by the inorganic processing liquid). Although it is difficult to remove the organic pollutant), the organic pollutant is washed with an organic washing liquid (IPA), but is not limited thereto. Even if inorganic contaminants adhering to the nozzles for discharging the organic processing liquid onto the wafer W and the inner surface of the processing liquid supply line (which are difficult to remove depending on the organic processing liquid) are washed with the inorganic cleaning liquid Good. That is, a contaminant attached to the inner surface of the nozzle for discharging the processing liquid onto the wafer W and the processing liquid supply line (which is difficult to remove depending on the processing liquid) may be cleaned with a cleaning liquid different from the processing liquid.

  In the embodiment of FIGS. 3 to 5, the cleaning liquid is drawn into the processing liquid supply line 812 via the first nozzle 811 according to the siphon principle, but the present invention is not limited to this. A vacuum suction device such as an aspirator may be connected to the drain line 816, and the cleaning liquid may be forcibly drawn into the processing liquid supply line 812 by the vacuum suction device.

  In the embodiment of FIGS. 3 to 5, the plurality of nozzles (811 to 831) are immersed in the liquid stored in one common liquid tray (900), but the present invention is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of liquid trays 900A, 900B, and 900C that can immerse each of the plurality of nozzles may be provided. In this way, for example, by storing the organic cleaning liquid in one liquid receiving tray and storing the inorganic cleaning liquid in another liquid receiving tray, the treatment liquid supply line to which the organic pollutants are adhered and the inorganic pollutants are reduced. It is possible to simultaneously wash the attached processing liquid supply line.

  In the above embodiment, the substrate processed by the processing unit 16 is not limited to the semiconductor wafer W, but may be any substrate used in the technical field of semiconductor device manufacture, such as a glass substrate for LCD and a ceramic substrate. .

811 nozzle (first nozzle)
812 Treatment liquid supply line 813, 814, 815 Treatment liquid supply part 816 Drain line 816a Drain line open / close valve 900 Liquid reservoir (liquid tray)

Claims (8)

In a cleaning method of a substrate liquid processing apparatus for cleaning a processing liquid supply line that is connected to a nozzle that discharges a processing liquid toward a substrate and supplies the processing liquid to the nozzle,
Flowing a cleaning liquid different from the processing liquid for cleaning the processing liquid supply line through the processing liquid supply line ,
The flow of the cleaning liquid through the nozzle and the processing liquid supply line means that the cleaning liquid stored in the liquid reservoir is passed through the discharge port in a state where the discharge port of the nozzle is immersed in the cleaning liquid stored in the liquid reservoir. Aspirating into the processing liquid supply line, and discharging the cleaning liquid sucked from the drainage portion provided in the processing liquid supply line to the outside of the processing liquid supply line,
Not supply the cleaning liquid flowing through the treatment liquid supply line to the substrate, washing method of the substrate solution treatment apparatus.   The method for cleaning a substrate liquid processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing liquid is one of an organic liquid and an inorganic liquid, and the cleaning liquid is the other. The drainage section has a drain line branched from the processing liquid supply line, and an on-off valve interposed in the drain line, and the on-off valve of the drain line is at a position lower than the discharge port of the nozzle. The cleaning liquid is sucked into the treatment liquid supply line by filling the space between the discharge port of the nozzle and the open / close valve of the drain line with the liquid, and opening the open / close valve of the drain line to open the drain line. The method for cleaning a substrate liquid processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning method is performed by releasing the atmosphere. The cleaning method for a substrate liquid processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the suction of the processing liquid to the processing liquid supply line is performed by suctioning the drainage part under reduced pressure. When executed by a computer for controlling the operation of the substrate solution processing apparatus, the computer substrate solution processing apparatus according to any one of the four preceding claims 1 to control the substrate solution processing unit A storage medium on which a program for executing the cleaning method is recorded. A substrate holder for holding the substrate;
A nozzle for discharging a processing liquid onto the substrate held by the substrate holding unit;
A treatment liquid supply line for supplying the treatment liquid to the nozzle;
A processing liquid supply unit for supplying the processing liquid for processing the substrate to the processing liquid supply line;
A cleaning liquid supply unit for supplying a cleaning liquid for cleaning the processing liquid supply line to the processing liquid supply line;
A drain line connected to the processing liquid supply line;
An on-off valve interposed in the drain line;
A nozzle arm that holds the nozzle and moves the nozzle between a processing position above the substrate and a standby position outside the substrate;
A liquid reservoir provided below the nozzle in the standby position;
With
The liquid reservoir constitutes at least a part of the cleaning liquid supply unit, and the processing liquid supply line is cleaned with the cleaning liquid stored in the liquid reservoir,
The cleaning liquid, unlike the treatment liquid, and have a supplied from the nozzle to the substrate, board fluid processing apparatus. A control device for controlling the operation of the substrate liquid processing apparatus;
The control device stores the cleaning liquid in the liquid reservoir when cleaning the processing liquid supply line, and stores the cleaning liquid in the liquid reservoir in a state where the discharge port of the nozzle is immersed in the cleaning liquid stored in the liquid reservoir. Sucking the cleaned cleaning liquid into the processing liquid supply line through the discharge port, and discharging the cleaning liquid sucked from the drainage portion provided in the processing liquid supply line to the outside of the processing liquid supply line. The substrate liquid processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the substrate liquid processing apparatus is controlled to be executed. The substrate liquid processing apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising another nozzle provided on the nozzle arm and configured to supply a cleaning liquid to the liquid reservoir, wherein the another nozzle constitutes at least a part of the cleaning liquid supply unit. .

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