JP6982646B2 - Board processing equipment and board processing method - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method.

The substrate processing apparatus is an apparatus that supplies a processing liquid to the surface of a substrate such as a wafer or a liquid crystal substrate in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor or the like, cleans the surface of the substrate, for example, and then dries the surface of the substrate.

By the way, in recent years, as the miniaturization of patterns progresses with the increasing integration and capacity of semiconductors, for example, the patterns around memory cells and gates collapse in the drying process using the above-mentioned substrate processing apparatus. There is a problem. This is due to the spacing and structure between the patterns, the surface tension of the treatment liquid, and the like.

Therefore, a substrate drying device using a halogen lamp has been proposed for the purpose of suppressing the collapse of the above-mentioned pattern (see, for example, Patent Document 1), and the IPA on the substrate surface is made into a liquid ball and the liquid ball is used. The substrate may be dried by removing the above.

JP-A-2015-29041

According to the treatment method using such a substrate drying device, the pattern collapse is suppressed, and a good drying treatment can be performed. By the way, in order to protect the heating means such as a halogen lamp from the treatment liquid, a transmission window is also arranged between the heating means and the substrate. In this case, of course, the transmission window is also heated by the heating means. When the temperature of the transmission window becomes high due to repeated processing, the surface of the substrate is unevenly dried when the substrate is carried into the drying processing chamber, which causes watermarks (water stains) and patterns. It turned out that a collapse would occur.

An object to be solved by the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method capable of suppressing the occurrence of watermarks and pattern collapses and performing good substrate processing.

The substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment is
In a substrate processing apparatus that processes a substrate to which a processing liquid has been supplied,
With the chamber
A holding means provided in the chamber and holding the substrate to be carried in a state where the treatment liquid is filled.
A heating means for heating the substrate on which the treatment liquid held by the holding means is filled, and a heating means.
In the chamber, the space provided with the heating means and the space provided with the holding means are partitioned, and a plurality of spaces are provided at predetermined intervals so as to face the heating means, and the light emitted from the heating means is emitted. A transparent window that is transparent,
A flow path for supplying a cooling fluid to the space formed by the plurality of transmission windows provided, and a flow path for supplying the cooling fluid.
A control means for supplying the cooling fluid to the flow path when heating by the heating means is not performed, and
Equipped with
The feature is that the supply of the cooling fluid suppresses the start of drying of the treatment liquid filled on the substrate before the substrate is conveyed into the chamber and the heating of the substrate by the heating means starts. do.

The substrate processing method according to the embodiment is
In the substrate processing method for processing a substrate to which a treatment liquid is supplied to the surface,
A step of holding the substrate carried in a state where the treatment liquid is filled in the chamber by a holding means, and a step of holding the substrate.
The substrate on which the treatment liquid held in the chamber is filled is partitioned by a heating means from a space provided with the heating means and a space provided with the holding means in the chamber. The process of heating through a plurality of transmission windows provided at predetermined intervals, and
A step of supplying a cooling fluid to a space formed by the plurality of transparent windows provided to cool the transparent windows, and a step of cooling the transparent windows.
Equipped with
By supplying the cooling fluid, the substrate on which the treatment liquid is filled is brought into the chamber, and before the heating step is started, the treatment liquid filled on the substrate starts to dry. It is characterized by suppressing.

According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of watermarks and pattern collapse, and to perform good substrate processing.

It is a figure which shows the whole schematic structure of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the processing chamber of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the drying processing chamber of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the heating means and the cooling means of the drying processing chamber of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the arrangement structure of the heating means and the cooling means in the drying processing chamber of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the arrangement structure of the heating means and the cooling means in the drying processing chamber of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the buffer part of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the buffer part of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the shutter composition in the buffer part of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure in the buffer part of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the drying processing chamber of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the drying processing chamber of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on 5th Embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment has a FOUP 2 in which an unprocessed substrate W is housed, a FOUP mounting table 3 on which the FOUP 2 is mounted, and an unprocessed board processing device 1 housed in the FOUP 2. The transfer robot 4 for taking out the substrate W for processing, the transfer rail 5 on which the transfer robot 4 moves, the substrate mounting table 6 on which the substrate W conveyed by the transfer robot 4 is placed, and the substrate mounting table 6 are mounted. The substrate W is processed by the transfer robot 7 that transfers the substrate W to the processing chamber 10 and the drying processing chamber 30, which will be described later, the transfer rail 8 to which the transfer robot 7 moves, the processing chamber 10 that executes processing with the processing liquid, and the processing chamber 10. It is provided with a drying processing chamber 30 for drying the formed substrate W.

FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the processing chamber 10. In the processing chamber 10, there is a rotary table 11 which is a holding means for holding the substrate W horizontally. The rotary table 11 is connected to a rotary shaft 12 and a motor 13, and is configured so that the rotary table 11 can be rotated by the rotational operation of the motor 13. The motor 13 is electrically connected to the control unit 100 and rotates in the direction of arrow I shown in FIG. 2 at a rotation speed set by a command from the control unit 100. The holding pin 14 is configured to have a structure capable of eccentric rotation (not shown), and the holding pin 14 rotates eccentrically so as to contact the end of the substrate W carried into the processing chamber 10 and hold the substrate. It has become.

The cup 15 plays a role of collecting the processing liquid supplied to the processing surface of the substrate W rotated by the rotary table 11 and guiding the collected processing liquid to a discharge pipe (not shown). The cup 15 may have a double structure so that the treatment liquid can be separated and recovered.

The arm drive mechanism 16 rotationally drives the swing arm 17. The arm drive mechanism 16 is electrically connected to the control unit 100 and drives the rocking arm 17 by a program set in the control unit 100.

The processing liquid discharge nozzle 18 is connected to the tip of the swing arm 17, and can be moved in the horizontal direction on the substrate W by the operation of the arm drive mechanism 16. The treatment liquid is discharged onto the surface of the substrate W by the treatment liquid discharge nozzle 18, and the surface of the substrate W can be treated. When processing the substrate W, the processing liquid discharge nozzle 18 is horizontally moved from the standby position toward the center of the substrate W by the operation of the arm drive mechanism 16. The processing liquid discharge nozzle 18 is connected to a processing liquid supply pipe (not shown) from the processing liquid supply unit 40 via an arm drive mechanism 16 and a swing arm 17. In addition, a valve (not shown) is installed in the middle of the processing liquid supply pipe. The valve and the processing liquid supply unit 40 are electrically connected to the control unit 100, respectively. The processing liquid is supplied to the processing liquid discharge nozzle 18 by controlling the processing liquid supply unit 40 and the valve by the control unit 100. As this treatment liquid, an etching liquid, a cleaning liquid (APM, SC-1) or the like is used.

The arm drive mechanism 19 is connected so that the swing arm 20 can be rotationally driven. The arm drive mechanism 19 is electrically connected to the control unit 100 and is driven by a program set in the control unit 100.

The rinse liquid discharge nozzle 21 is connected to the tip of the swing arm 20 and can move horizontally on the substrate W by the operation of the arm drive mechanism 19. The rinse liquid R is discharged onto the surface of the substrate W by the rinse liquid discharge nozzle 21, and the treatment liquid discharged from the treatment liquid discharge nozzle 18 existing on the surface of the substrate W can be washed away. The rinse liquid discharge nozzle 21 is connected to a rinse liquid supply pipe (not shown) from the rinse liquid supply unit 50 via an arm drive mechanism 19 and a swing arm 20. A valve (not shown) is set in the middle of the rinse liquid supply pipe. The valve and the rinse liquid supply unit 50 are electrically connected to the control unit 100, respectively. The rinse liquid supply unit 50 and the valve are controlled by the control unit 100 to supply the rinse liquid R to the rinse liquid discharge nozzle 21. Ultrapure water is used as the rinse liquid R. As the rinse liquid R, IPA (isopropyl alcohol) may be used in addition to ultrapure water, and a nozzle for discharging IPA or a supply source may be provided in addition to the rinse liquid discharge nozzle 21.

The transfer door 22 opens and closes the carry-in entrance for carrying the substrate W into the rotary table 11 by the transfer robot 7. The transport door 22 can be opened and closed by being provided so as to be able to move up and down by an elevating mechanism (not shown). That is, the transfer door 22 is lowered by the operation of the elevating mechanism, so that the transfer robot 7 can carry in and out the substrate W to and from the processing chamber 10. This elevating mechanism is electrically connected to the control unit 100, and the elevating operation is controlled by the control unit 100.

FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the drying processing chamber 30. The drying processing chamber 30 is composed of a lamp chamber 60 for accommodating a lamp 61 as a drying means and a processing chamber 37 for processing a substrate. The processing chamber 37 has a rotary table 31 which is a holding means for holding the substrate W horizontally. The rotary table 31 is connected to the rotary shaft 32 and the motor 33, and is configured to be rotatable by the rotational operation of the motor 33. The motor 33 is electrically connected to the control unit 100 and rotates in the direction of arrow I shown in FIG. 3 at a rotation speed set by a command from the control unit 100. The holding pin 34 is configured to be able to rotate eccentrically (not shown), and when the holding pin 34 rotates eccentrically, the holding pin 34 comes into contact with the end portion of the board W carried into the drying processing chamber 30 to bring the board. Hold.

The transfer door 35 opens and closes the carry-in entrance for carrying the substrate W into the rotary table 31 by the transfer robot 7. The transport door 35 is provided so as to be able to move up and down by an elevating mechanism (not shown), and opens and closes the carry-in entrance. That is, by lowering the transfer door 35, the transfer robot 7 can carry in and out the substrate W to and from the processing chamber 37. This elevating mechanism is electrically connected to the control unit 100, and the elevating operation is controlled by the control unit 100.

A lamp chamber 60 is provided above the processing chamber 37. The lamp chamber 60 includes a lamp 61 as a heating means, a plurality of nozzles 64 as a cooling means (cooling fluid injection unit), and a buffer unit 63.

The lamp 61 irradiates the surface of the substrate W on the rotary table 31 with light. The lamp 61 is electrically connected to the control unit 100, and the lighting control of the lamp is performed by the control unit 100. Here, as the lamp 61, for example, a plurality of straight tube type lamps 61 provided in parallel at predetermined intervals, a lamp 61 provided in an array arrangement (lattice pattern), or the like can be used. Further, as the lamp 61, for example, a halogen lamp, a xenon flash lamp (for example, a flash lamp having a wavelength light of 400 to 1000 nm), a far-infrared heater, or the like can be used.

A transmission window 62 that transmits the light emitted from the lamp 61 is installed between the processing chamber 37 and the lamp chamber 60. The transmission window 62 is located directly below the lamp 61 and is provided so as to be supported by the lamp chamber 60. Further, the transmission window 62 prevents particles (metal dust) and the like from adhering to the surface of the substrate W from the lamp chamber 60. In this embodiment, quartz is used for the transmission window 62, but the transmission window 62 is not limited to quartz and may be any member as long as it transmits light.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the buffer unit 63 has a box shape, and the cooling fluid supply unit 70, the pipe 72, and the supply port 73 are connected to each other. The cooling fluid G, for example, air or nitrogen gas, can be supplied from the cooling fluid supply unit 70 into the buffer unit 63 through the pipe 72 as shown by an arrow N. A valve 71 is interposed in the middle of the pipe 72. As shown in FIG. 6, the bottom portion 63b of the buffer portion 63 is provided with a plurality of supply ports 69a so as to correspond to the plurality of nozzles 64, respectively. The supply port 69a and the nozzle 64 are joined so that the cooling fluid G does not leak.

As shown in FIG. 4, a partition plate 65 is installed in the buffer portion 63. The horizontal length of the partition plate 65 is set shorter than the horizontal length of the buffer portion 63. Therefore, a gap A is formed between both ends of the partition plate 65 and the side wall surface 63a of the buffer portion 63.

The plurality of nozzles 64 are provided at the bottom portion 63b of the buffer portion 63 and are fixed so as to correspond to the plurality of supply ports 69a. A plurality of the plurality of nozzles 64 are arranged in the gaps of the plurality of lamps 61 arranged at predetermined intervals. Further, each nozzle 64 is installed so that the cooling fluid G sent from the cooling fluid supply unit 70 can be supplied toward the transmission window 62 (see FIG. 3). Each nozzle 64 adopts a material (for example, aluminum) that does not transmit the light from the lamp 61. The discharge port of each nozzle 64 faces the transmission window 62, and the height position of the discharge port is the center height position of the lamp 61 and the transmission window 62 when viewed in the vertical direction (vertical direction in FIG. 4). It is set to be located between the height position of the upper surface. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a nozzle 64 is provided so as to face the periphery of the transmission window 62 so that the cooling fluid G can be supplied to the entire transmission window 62. In this embodiment, the nozzle diameters of the plurality of nozzles 64 are 4 mm in diameter and 25 mm in length.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the reflector 66 is located between the buffer unit 63 and the lamp 61, and is detachably fixed and provided to the buffer unit 63. A plurality of through holes 69b are formed in the reflector 66, and a plurality of nozzles 64 can be installed at the bottom 63b of the buffer portion 63 via the through holes 69b. That is, the through hole 69b corresponds to a plurality of supply ports 69a provided in the bottom portion 63b of the buffer portion 63. The reflector 66 reflects the light emitted from the lamp 61 in the direction opposite to the surface side of the substrate W so as to be directed toward the surface of the substrate W.

As shown in FIG. 4, the support member 67 is a member that fixes the lamp 61 and the plurality of nozzles 64 to the buffer portion 63. The support member 67 is detachably fixed to the buffer portion 63. Here, the support member 67 and the lamp 61 are fixed by the fixture 67a. Further, the support member 67 and the plurality of nozzles 64 are fixed by the fixture 67a. The support member 67 and the plurality of nozzles 64 may be fixed with an adhesive or the like.

Returning to FIG. 3, the discharge port 68 discharges the cooling fluid G ejected from the plurality of nozzles 64 from the inside of the lamp chamber 60 to the outside. The discharge port 68 is installed on the upper side of the lamp chamber 60, but is not limited to the upper side of the lamp chamber 60 as long as it does not affect the processing process. Further, a discharge pump (not shown) may be connected to the discharge port 68 to discharge at a constant discharge amount.

The control unit 100 constituting the control device includes a microcomputer that centrally controls each unit, and a storage unit that stores substrate processing information and various programs related to substrate processing. The control unit 100 includes transfer robots 4 and 7, motors 13 and 33, arm drive mechanisms 16 and 19, transfer doors 22 and 35, processing liquid supply unit 40, rinse liquid supply unit 50, lamp 61, and cooling fluid supply unit 70. Etc. are controlled by a fixed program.

Next, the substrate processing (board processing method) performed by the substrate processing apparatus 1 described above will be described. It is assumed that the FOUP 2 in which the unprocessed substrate W is housed is set in the FOUP mounting table 3.

As shown in FIG. 1, the transfer robot 4 moves along the transfer rail 5 and is positioned so as to face the FOUP 2 set on the FOUP mounting table 3. The transfer robot 4 takes out the substrate W stored in the FOUP2, moves along the transfer rail 5 while holding the substrate W, and is positioned so as to face the substrate mounting table 6. Then, the substrate W is placed on the substrate mounting table 6 by the transfer robot 4. Next, the transfer robot 7 moves along the transfer rail 8 and is positioned so as to face the substrate mounting table 6. The transfer robot 7 holds the board W mounted on the board mounting table 6 and moves along the transfer rail 8 while holding the board W. The transfer robot 7 is positioned so as to face the processing chamber 10 and carries the substrate W into the processing chamber 10.

As shown in FIG. 2, the substrate W held by the transfer robot 7 is placed on the rotary table 11. At this time, the transport door 22 is open. The substrate W placed on the rotary table 11 is held by the eccentric rotation holding pin 14 coming into contact with the end portion of the substrate W. As a result, the substrate W is rotatably held together with the rotary table 11.

When the substrate W is held on the rotary table 11, an electric signal is transmitted from the control unit 100 to the motor 13, and the motor 13 is rotationally driven at a predetermined rotation speed. By this rotation drive, the rotary table 11 and the substrate W are rotated.

Next, in order to treat the surface of the rotating substrate W, the processing liquid discharge nozzle 18 shown in FIG. 2 is retracted to the outside of the cup 15 from the position (standby position) on the surface of the substrate W. It is moved by the arm drive mechanism 16 and the swing arm 17 to the vicinity of the center (processing position).

When it is determined that the processing liquid discharge nozzle 18 is set to the processing position, an electric signal is sent from the control unit 100 to the processing liquid supply unit 40. As a result, the processing liquid is supplied from the processing liquid supply unit 40 to the processing liquid discharge nozzle 18. Then, the treatment liquid is discharged to the surface of the substrate W, and after a predetermined time elapses, the supply of the treatment liquid is stopped from the treatment liquid supply unit 40. When the supply of the processing liquid is stopped, the processing liquid discharge nozzle 18 is moved to the standby position by the arm drive mechanism 16 and the swing arm 17.

Next, the rinsing liquid discharge nozzle 21 is retracted to the outside of the cup 15 (standby position) to the vicinity of the center of the surface of the substrate W (processing position) by the arm drive mechanism 19 and the swing arm 20. Moving.

When the rinse liquid discharge nozzle 21 is moved to the processing position, the control unit 100 transmits an electric signal to the rinse liquid supply unit 50. As a result, the rinse liquid R is supplied from the rinse liquid supply unit 50 to the rinse liquid discharge nozzle 21. Then, the rinse liquid R is supplied from the rinse liquid discharge nozzle 21 to the surface of the substrate W, and when a predetermined time elapses, the supply from the rinse liquid supply unit 50 is stopped. Here, before the elapse of a predetermined time, the rotation speed of the motor 13 is decelerated, and when the supply of the rinse liquid R is stopped, the rotation is stopped almost at the same time. That is, the process is completed in a state where the rinse liquid R is filled on the entire surface of the substrate W. Further, when the processing by the rinsing liquid R is completed, the rinsing liquid discharge nozzle 21 is moved to the standby position by the arm drive mechanism 19 and the swing arm 20. Note that FIG. 2 shows a state in which the rinse liquid R is supplied to the substrate W.

Next, the substrate W in a state of being filled with the rinse liquid R is carried into the drying processing chamber 30 by the transfer robot 7. Then, the carried-in substrate W is placed on the rotary table 31 shown in FIG. At this time, the opening / closing door 35 is open, and the substrate W placed on the rotary table 31 is held by the holding pin 34 so that it can rotate together with the rotary table 31.

After the substrate W is held on the rotary table 31, the control unit 100 starts lighting the lamp 61, and at the same time, drives the motor 33 to rotate the substrate W. As a result, the drying process is started. This drying process is performed by instantly raising the temperature of the substrate W by lighting the lamp 61. The lamp 61 of the embodiment enables the substrate W to reach 100 ° C. or higher in 10 seconds.

Specifically, the light from the lamp 61 is absorbed only by the substrate W and passes through the rinse liquid R existing on the surface of the substrate W. As a result, only the substrate W is heated. As a result, the substrate W is instantly heated, and the rinse liquid R in the portion in contact with the surface (including the pattern surface) of the substrate W is instantly vaporized to form the air layer. That is, an air layer (space) is formed between the surface of the substrate W and the rinse liquid R. Due to the formation of this air layer, the rinse liquid R becomes a liquid ball shape due to the action of surface tension.

Then, the rinse liquid R in the form of a liquid ball is blown off from the surface of the substrate W by the centrifugal force of the rotating substrate W, and as a result, the substrate W is dried. Then, when the drying process is performed for a predetermined time, the drying process is completed, the lighting of the lamp 61 and the rotation of the rotary table 31 are both stopped, and the dried substrate W is carried out from the processing chamber 37 by the transfer robot 7.

By the way, when the above-mentioned drying treatment is repeated, the temperature of the transmission window 62 gradually rises. This is due to the influence of light due to the lighting of the lamp 61. Since the light from the lamp 61 contains a wavelength absorbed by the transmission window 62, the transmission window 62 is heated. Since the temperature of the transmission window 62 does not drop immediately, heat is stored in the transmission window 62 by repeating the drying process. When this state continued and the drying process was performed several times, it was confirmed that the temperature of the transmission window 62 was 100 ° C. or higher before the lamp 61 was turned on.

Since the transmission window 62 is in a high temperature state, the atmosphere in the drying processing chamber 30 is warmed up, resulting in a high temperature environment. After the substrate W in a state of being filled with the rinse liquid R is carried into the drying processing chamber 30 in this high temperature environment (before the substrate W is placed on the rotary table 31), and before the drying treatment by the lamp 61 is started. In addition, the surface of the substrate W starts to dry. As a result, the rinse liquid R liquid-filled on the surface of the substrate W is dried unevenly, causing uneven drying and watermarking, and the substrate W may become defective (wiring pattern collapse). confirmed. It is considered that this is also due to the fact that the transparent window 62 does not have a uniform temperature as a whole.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the cooling fluid supply unit 70 and the valve 71 are controlled by the control unit 100 at the same time as or after the end of the drying process, and the cooling fluid G is supplied to the buffer unit 63 through the pipe 72. To. At this time, the lamp 61 is turned off. The cooling fluid G supplied to the buffer unit 63 is ejected from the plurality of nozzles 64 toward the transmission window 62. As a result, the entire transmission window 62 is cooled by the cooling fluid G. The cooling fluid G that fills the lamp chamber 60 is discharged from the discharge port 68 provided in the buffer 60.

Then, when the cooling time of the transmission window 62 elapses, the cooling fluid supply unit 70 and the valve 71 are controlled, and the supply of the cooling fluid G is stopped. When this cooling time elapses, the undried substrate W processed in the processing chamber 10 is newly carried into the processing chamber 37, and the above-mentioned drying process is executed. In the present embodiment, the supply time (cooling time) of the cooling fluid G is set to 50 seconds. This is because the time from the removal of the dried substrate W from the drying processing chamber 30 to the loading of the next substrate W into the drying processing chamber 30 is set to 50 seconds. This time can be adjusted.

In the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, a plurality of nozzles 64 that directly supply the cooling fluid G to the transmission window 62 are provided in the gap between the adjacent lamps. The cooling fluid G is directly injected from the plurality of nozzles 64 into the transmission window 62 without being interrupted by the lamp 61, whereby the transmission window 62 is cooled. That is, when the substrate W is carried into the processing chamber 37, the temperature of the transmission window 62 is lowered to a temperature at which the surface of the substrate W does not cause uneven drying. In this embodiment, the transmission window 62 is cooled to 40 degrees or less.

By doing so, it is possible to prevent the transmission window 62 from being kept in a high temperature state even if the drying process is repeated. Further, this can prevent the atmosphere in the drying processing chamber 30 from becoming a high temperature environment.

Therefore, even if the drying process is repeated, the transmission window 62 is not in a high temperature state (it has dropped to the temperature described above), so that the substrate W is being conveyed into the drying process chamber 30. It is possible to prevent the surface of the window from starting to dry. As a result, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of uneven drying, watermarks, etc. due to the uneven heating of the surface of the substrate W. As a result, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of products in which the pattern collapses, which leads to an improvement in productivity.

The injection of the cooling fluid G from the plurality of nozzles 64 may always be executed. Further, it may be executed immediately before the lamp 61 is turned on. Further, instead of performing each time the drying process of the substrate W is completed, the cooling fluid G may be injected every time the drying process of a predetermined number of substrates W is completed. In this case, the predetermined number of sheets is determined based on the correlation between the number of treatments obtained in an experiment or the like and the temperature of the transmission window 62.

The second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7.

The second embodiment is basically the same as the first embodiment. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the differences from the first embodiment will be described, and the same parts as those described in the first embodiment will be described by the same item, and the description thereof will be omitted.

The buffer portion 163 shown in FIG. 7 has a main body portion 163a formed in a cylindrical shape and a circular bottom portion 163b corresponding to the size of the cylindrical shape. The lower part of the main body portion 163a is open, and the open portion is closed by the bottom portion 163b. The area of the bottom portion 163b is configured to have a size larger than the size of the substrate W. That is, the size of the buffer portion 163 in the radial direction is such that it covers the surface of the substrate W.

In the buffer portion 163, a circular shutter 165 is provided above the bottom portion 163b and in close proximity to the bottom portion 163b. The shutter 165 is connected to the rotation mechanism 111 in the buffer unit 163 so that the shutter 165 can rotate in the direction of the arrow F. A part of the shutter 165 has a fan-shaped opening E having a central angle of 45 degrees.

The rotation mechanism 111 includes a motor (not shown) and a rotation shaft, and is fixed to the upper part of the buffer portion 163. Further, the rotation mechanism 111 is electrically connected to the control unit 100, and the rotation is controlled by the control unit 100. The motor of the rotation mechanism 111 is, for example, a servo motor.

The lamp 61 and the transmission window 62 are installed in an arrangement and length corresponding to the cylindrical shape of the buffer portion 163. The size is not limited to this, and may be larger than the size corresponding to the buffer portion 163.

In this second embodiment, the buffer portion 163 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and a rotatable shutter 165 having an opening E is provided in the buffer portion 163. The cooling fluid G supplied from the supply port 73 is supplied toward the bottom portion 163b of the buffer portion 163. In this process, the cooling fluid G supplied from the supply port 73 is once supplied to the shutter 165, passes through the portion of the opening E, and is supplied to the supply port 69a at a position facing the opening E. That is, the cooling fluid G is supplied to the nozzle 64 located at a position facing the opening E, and the cooling fluid G is injected from the nozzle 64 to cool the transmission window 62. Therefore, the second embodiment has the same effect as that of the first embodiment. The timing of injecting the cooling fluid G from the nozzle 64 is the same as that of the first embodiment.

Further, when the shutter 165 is rotated in the direction of the arrow F by the rotation mechanism 111, the opening E also moves. When the rotation of the rotation mechanism 111 is controlled, the nozzle 64 that injects the cooling fluid G to the transmission window 62 changes among the plurality of nozzles 64. That is, it is possible to inject the cooling fluid G toward the transmission window 62 while changing the cooling position (injection position) in the transmission window 62. In the rotation control, the rotation may be seamlessly performed, or the rotation and the stop may be repeated intermittently.

Further, according to the present embodiment, by providing the opening E in the shutter 165, the cooling fluid G having a high flow velocity can be supplied from the plurality of nozzles 64. This is because when the cooling fluid G is supplied into the buffer unit 163 from the supply port 73, it once spreads in the buffer unit 163 and then is intensively supplied to the opening E. , Is supplied to the corresponding nozzle 64 via the supply port 69a facing the opening E. In this way, the cooling fluid G having a high flow velocity can be injected from the plurality of nozzles 64 into the transmission window 62. When the flow velocity of the cooling fluid G becomes high, the cooling efficiency of the transmission window 62 is improved, and the high temperature atmosphere around the transmission window 62 can be efficiently discharged to the outside of the buffer unit 163. It is possible to prevent the inside of the lamp chamber 60 from becoming hot.

The third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10.

The third embodiment is basically the same as the second embodiment. Therefore, in the third embodiment, the differences from the second embodiment will be described, and the same parts as those described in the second embodiment will be indicated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 (c), the main body portion 163a and the bottom portion 163b constituting the buffer portion 170 have the same configuration as the second embodiment described above. A circular shutter 265 (see FIG. 9A) and a circular shutter 365 (see FIG. 9B) corresponding to the shape of the buffer portion 170 are housed in the buffer unit 170.

At the center of the shutter 265, a through hole 266 to which the rotation shaft of the rotation mechanism 111 is joined is provided. The rotation mechanism 111 allows the shutter 265 to rotate. The size of the shutter 265 is set to be slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the main body portion 163a so that it can rotate in the buffer portion 163. Further, as shown in FIG. 9A, the shutter 265 is formed with a supply port 267 which is a hole through which the cooling fluid G passes. It should be noted that each supply port 267 is arranged so as to be arranged on two orthogonal diameters of the shutter 265. The supply port 267 is installed at a distance a from the center of the through hole 266, and the distance between the supply ports 267 is also a distance a, that is, at equal intervals.

At the center of the shutter 365, a through hole 366 through which the rotation axis of the rotation mechanism 111 penetrates is provided. A bearing (not shown) is installed in the through hole 366, and the rotation shaft of the rotation mechanism 111 is rotatably supported by the shutter 365 by the bearing. The shutter 365 is fixed to the main body portion 163a. Therefore, the rotation axis of the rotation mechanism 111 can rotate. Further, on the lower surface of the shutter 365, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 (b), an outer partition portion 368 and an inner partition portion 369, which are continuous walls along the circumferential direction, are provided. The outer partition portion 368 and the inner partition portion 369 form a region of the shutter 365 divided into three, an outer area U, an inner area V, and an inner area Y. Further, in each area, a supply port 367 is formed, which is a hole through which the cooling fluid G passes, similarly to the supply port 267. The distance between the supply port 367 and the through hole 366 provided in the inner area Y is the same as the distance a between the through hole 266 and the supply port 267. The supply port 367 provided in the middle area V is provided at a position at a distance 2a from the center of the through hole 366. This is twice the distance between the through hole 366 and the supply port 367 in the inner area Y. The supply port 367 provided in the outer area U is provided at a position at a distance of 3a from the center of the through hole 366. This is three times the distance between the through hole 366 and the supply port 367 in the inner area Y. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 9B, the supply port 367 provided in the inner area Y is provided on the vertical axis and the horizontal axis in the figure centering on the through hole 366, and is in the middle. The supply port 367 provided in the side area V is provided on the axis rotated 30 degrees from the vertical axis and 30 degrees from the horizontal axis in the left direction (in the direction of arrow M in FIG. 10), and is provided in the outer area U. The supply port 367 provided is provided on an axis rotated 60 degrees from the vertical axis and 60 degrees from the horizontal axis, both of which are rotated in the left direction (direction of arrow M in FIG. 10).

As shown in FIG. 8, the shutter 265, the shutter 365, and the bottom 163b are arranged in this order in the direction of the arrow Q. Further, the outer partition portion 368 and the inner partition portion 369 provided on the shutter 365 described above are located between the shutter 365 and the bottom portion 163b.

As shown in FIG. 9B, by partitioning the shutter 365 into three areas, an outer area U, an inner area V, and an inner area Y, the supply port 367 and the supply port 69a are also partitioned for each area. Will be.

FIG. 10 shows the positional relationship between the shutter 265, the shutter 365, and the bottom 163b as seen from the direction of arrow Q in FIG. 10 (a), 10 (b), and 10 (c) show a state in which the shutter 265 is rotated in the direction of the arrow M every 30 degrees by the rotation mechanism 111. In FIG. 10, the supply port in which the supply port 267 of the shutter 265 and the supply port 367 of the shutter 365 overlap is indicated by a solid line (white circle), and the supply port in which the shutter 365 has a non-overlapping supply port is indicated by a black circle or a broken line. There is.

The positional relationship shown in FIG. 10A indicates when the shutter 265 is in the position of FIG. 9A. The cooling fluid G can pass through the supply port 367 that overlaps with the supply port 267. Then, the cooling fluid G that has passed through the supply port 267 and the supply port 367 can be supplied to the supply port 69a and the plurality of nozzles 64. Here, since the supply port 367 that overlaps with the supply port 267 exists in the inner area Y partitioned by the inner partition portion 369, the supply section 69a (belonging to) arranged in the inner area Y and the supply section 69a thereof. The cooling fluid G is supplied to the corresponding nozzle 64. This makes it possible to supply the cooling fluid G to the inside (central portion) of the transmission window 62.

FIG. 10B shows a state when the shutter 265 at the position of FIG. 10A is rotated by 30 degrees in the direction of the arrow M, and the position of the supply port 367 overlapping the supply port 267 (in solid line). Show) changes. Further, the position of the supply port 367 (indicated by a black circle and a broken line) that does not overlap with the supply port 267 also changes. Since the position of the supply port 367 that overlaps with the supply port 267 exists in the middle area V between the outer partition portion 368 and the inner partition portion 169, the supply port 69a arranged in the middle area V and its portion thereof. The cooling fluid G is supplied to the nozzle 64 corresponding to the supply unit 69a. As a result, the cooling fluid G is supplied to the inner side (the region between the central portion and the outer peripheral portion) of the transmission window 62.

FIG. 10 (c) shows a state when the shutter 265 at the position of FIG. 10 (b) is further rotated by 30 degrees in the direction of arrow M. In this state, the position (indicated by the solid line) of the supply port 367 overlapping the supply port 267 changes as compared with FIGS. 10A and 10B. Further, the position (black circle and broken line) of the supply port 367 that does not overlap with the supply port 267 also changes. Since the position of the supply port 367 that overlaps with the supply port 267 exists in the outer area U, which is outside the outer partition portion 368, the nozzles corresponding to the supply port 69a arranged in the outer area U and the supply portion 69a thereof. The cooling fluid G is supplied to 64. As a result, the cooling fluid G is supplied to the outside (outer peripheral portion) of the transmission window 62.

In the present embodiment, when the shutter 265 is rotated in the direction of the arrow M in the order of FIGS. 10 (a), (b), and (c), the cooling fluid G is formed in the inner area Y, the inner area V, and the outer area U. The fluid is sequentially supplied to the transmission window 62 via the nozzles 64 belonging to each. By supplying the cooling fluid G in this way, the transmission window 62 is gradually cooled from the inside to the outside. Therefore, the second embodiment has the same effect as that of the first embodiment. The timing of injecting the cooling fluid G from the nozzle 64 is the same as that of the first embodiment.

Further, the transmission window 62 can be cooled while discharging the high-temperature atmosphere (gas) around the transmission window 62 so as to drive it away from the inside to the outside of the transmission window 62. That is, the cooling fluid G can be directly supplied to the transmission window 62 by eliminating the high temperature atmosphere around the transmission window 62. In this way, as the shutter 265 rotates, the supply port 69a and the nozzle 64 to which the cooling fluid G is supplied change, and the supply position of the cooling fluid G can be changed with respect to the transmission window 62. As a result, the influence of interference between the cooling fluids G is reduced as compared with the case where the cooling fluid G is simultaneously supplied to the entire transmission window 62, so that the high-temperature atmosphere (gas) around the transmission window 62 is efficiently discharged. It becomes possible to do. Therefore, the high temperature atmosphere is discharged, and the cooling fluid G is directly jetted to the transmission window 62, so that the transmission window 62 is easily cooled.

Further, since the cooling fluid G is intensively supplied only to the supply port 367 that overlaps with the supply port 267, the flow velocity becomes high. As a result, the cooling fluid G having a faster flow velocity is ejected from the nozzle 64, so that the cooling efficiency of the transmission window 62 is improved and the atmosphere (gas) in the high temperature state around the transmission window 62 is created in the buffer 170. Since it can be efficiently discharged to the outside of the transparent window 62, the efficiency of cooling the transmission window 62 can be improved.

The fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

The fourth embodiment is basically the same as the first embodiment. Therefore, in the fourth embodiment, the differences from the first embodiment will be described, and the same parts as those described in the first embodiment will be described by the same item, and the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 11, in the drying processing chamber 30 according to the fourth embodiment, the buffer unit 180 in which a plurality of nozzles 64 are installed is connected to the elevating drive unit 120 via the elevating shaft 121. The elevating drive unit 120 drives the elevating shaft 121 to move the buffer unit 180 in the vertical direction. That is, the elevating drive unit 120 enables the buffer unit 180 to move in contact with the transmission window 62 from the standby position (indicated by a solid line) to the processing position (indicated by a broken line) and from the processing position to the standby position. ing. In the present embodiment, the standby position is a position above the lamp 61 to the extent that the nozzle 64 is less likely to be affected by heating by the lamp 61, and the processing position is a position where the nozzle 64 enters the gap between the lamps. Nozzle. Further, the elevating drive unit 120 is electrically connected to the control unit 100 and is controlled by the control unit 100. These elevating drive units 120 are, for example, servomotors, and the elevating shaft 121 is, for example, a ball screw. In addition, it is also possible to configure it in a linear motor system.

Further, a pipe (not shown) for supplying the cooling fluid G supplied from the supply port 73 to the buffer unit 180 is mounted on the elevating drive unit 120 and the elevating shaft 121. Since the piping mounted in the elevating shaft 121 is configured to be expandable and contractible, it is possible to supply the cooling fluid G when the buffer portion 63 descends from the standby position to the processing position. ing.

The lamp 61 is supported by the support member 167 and fixed in the lamp chamber 60. The support member 167 is provided with a through hole (not shown) through which the nozzle 64 penetrates and a reflector (not shown).

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the buffer unit 180 is in a state of waiting at the standby position while the lamp 61 is turned on and the substrate W is dried. Then, after the lighting of the lamp 61 is stopped, the drying process of the substrate W is completed, and the substrate W is carried out from the processing chamber 37 by the transfer robot 7, the elevating drive mechanism 120 and the elevating shaft 121 are driven. The buffer unit 180 is moved to the processing position. Then, by the time the untreated substrate W is carried into the processing chamber 37, the cooling fluid G is injected from the plurality of nozzles 64 to cool the transmission window 62. When the cooling of the transmission window 62 is completed, the buffer unit 180 is moved to the standby position by the elevating drive mechanism 120 and the elevating shaft 121.

As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained. Further, by positioning the buffer unit 180 provided with the plurality of nozzles 64 in the standby position when the lamp is lit, the influence of heat on the nozzles 64 when the lamp 61 is lit is the first to third. Much less than in the embodiment of. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the nozzle 64 from being heated and damaged, and to prevent the inside of the nozzle 64 from becoming hot.

The timing of moving the buffer unit 63 up and down and the timing of injecting the cooling fluid G from the nozzle 64 are, for example, the timing of lowering the buffer unit 180 from the standby position to the processing position during the drying process of the substrate W to provide the transmission window 62. It is also possible to cool. Further, a sensor or the like for monitoring the temperature of the transmission window 62 may be installed in the lamp chamber 60, and the transmission window 63 may be cooled based on the sensor.

A fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

The fifth embodiment is basically the same as the fourth embodiment. Therefore, in the fifth embodiment, the differences from the fourth embodiment will be described, and the same parts as those described in the fourth embodiment will be described by the same item, and the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 12, in the drying processing chamber 30 according to the fifth embodiment, in addition to the transmission window 62 provided in the lamp chamber 60, the transmission window 162 is provided in the processing chamber 37. The transmission window 162 is located above the processing chamber 37, maintains a constant distance from the transmission window 62 at a predetermined distance, and a space S is formed between the transmission window 62 and the transmission window 62. That is, the transparent window has a two-layer structure with a certain space.

A flow path 201 and a flow path 202 are provided between the processing chamber 37 and the lamp chamber 60. One end of the flow path 201 is connected to the supply port 73, and the cooling fluid G is supplied from the cooling fluid supply unit 70. Further, the other end of the flow path 201 is connected to the space S. That is, the cooling fluid G is supplied to the space S.

One end of the flow path 202 is connected to the space S, and the other end of the flow path 202 is connected to the discharge port 74. As a result, the cooling fluid G is discharged from the space S through the flow path 202. The discharge port 74 is connected to the cooling fluid supply unit 70 via a pipe 75.

In this fifth embodiment, a two-layer transparent window of a transparent window 62 and a transparent window 162 is provided so that the space S is formed. The cooling fluid G is supplied to this space S from the cooling fluid supply unit 70 through the pipe 72 and the flow path 201. Then, the cooling fluid G supplied to the space S is returned to the cooling fluid supply unit 70 through the flow path 202 and the pipe 75. That is, the cooling fluid G is configured to circulate.

By supplying and circulating the cooling fluid G to the space S formed by the transmission windows provided in the two layers in this way, the heat generated by the lighting of the lamp 61 can be taken away and the heating of the transmission window 162 can be reduced. .. This makes it possible to prevent a high temperature environment inside the processing chamber 37, and as in the first embodiment, it is possible to prevent uneven drying and watermarks from occurring when the untreated substrate is carried in. can. The timing of supplying the cooling fluid G to the space S can be the same as the timing of discharging the cooling fluid G from the nozzle 64 in the first embodiment.

In the fifth embodiment, the transparent window 62 and the transparent window 162 have a two-layer structure, and a space S is provided between the two layers, but two or more layers may be used. Further, not only the space S is provided by the two-layer transmission window, but also the inside of the processing chamber 37 and the lamp chamber 60 is provided with a flow path through which the cooling fluid G flows in the wall surface of the processing chamber 37 and the lamp chamber 60. It may be possible to cool it.

Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to be limited to the scope of the invention. For example, as described in the first to fourth embodiments, the configuration described in the fifth embodiment can be added to the structure in which the cooling fluid is ejected from the nozzle to the transmission window. In addition, the above-described embodiment can be implemented in various other embodiments, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and variations thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

1 Substrate processing device 10 Processing chamber 30 Drying processing chamber 31 Rotating table 32 Rotating shaft 33 Motor 34 Holding pin 60 Lamp chamber 61 Lamp (heating means)
62 Transmission window 63 Buffer unit 64 Nozzle 66 Reflector 70 Cooling fluid supply unit 100 Control unit 165 Shutter
G cooling fluid W substrate

Claims (5)

In a substrate processing apparatus that processes a substrate to which a processing liquid has been supplied,
With the chamber
A holding means provided in the chamber and holding the substrate to be carried in a state where the treatment liquid is filled.
A heating means for heating the substrate on which the treatment liquid held by the holding means is filled, and a heating means.
In the chamber, the space provided with the heating means and the space provided with the holding means are partitioned, and a plurality of spaces are provided at predetermined intervals so as to face the heating means, and the light emitted from the heating means is emitted. A transparent window that is transparent,
A flow path for supplying a cooling fluid to the space formed by the plurality of transmission windows provided, and a flow path for supplying the cooling fluid.
A control means for supplying the cooling fluid to the flow path when heating by the heating means is not performed, and
Equipped with
The feature is that the supply of the cooling fluid suppresses the start of drying of the treatment liquid filled on the substrate before the substrate is conveyed into the chamber and the heating of the substrate by the heating means starts. Substrate processing equipment. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing liquid is a rinsing liquid. In the substrate processing method for processing a substrate to which a treatment liquid is supplied to the surface,
A step of holding the substrate carried in a state where the treatment liquid is filled in the chamber by a holding means, and a step of holding the substrate.
The substrate on which the treatment liquid held in the chamber is filled is partitioned by a heating means from a space provided with the heating means and a space provided with the holding means in the chamber. The process of heating through a plurality of transmission windows provided at predetermined intervals, and
A step of supplying a cooling fluid to a space formed by the plurality of transparent windows provided to cool the transparent windows is provided.
By supplying the cooling fluid, the substrate on which the treatment liquid is filled is brought into the chamber, and before the heating step is started, the treatment liquid filled on the substrate starts to dry. A substrate processing method characterized by suppressing. The substrate processing method according to claim 3, wherein the step of cooling the transmission window with a cooling fluid is performed after the completion of the heating step. The substrate processing method according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the treatment liquid is a rinse liquid.

Images