JP6999449B2 - Liquid supply equipment, substrate processing equipment and liquid supply method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a liquid supply device, a substrate processing device, and a liquid supply method.

Patent Document 1 discloses a coating device. The coating device includes a pump, piping, a nozzle and a pressure sensor. Piping is connected to the pump and nozzle. In the coating process, the pump supplies the coating liquid to the nozzle through the pipe, and the nozzle discharges the coating liquid to the substrate. During the coating process, the pressure sensor detects the pressure of the coating liquid flowing through the pipe. Bubbles in the coating liquid are detected based on the detection result detected by the pressure sensor. If no air bubbles are detected, the next coating step is performed. If air bubbles are detected, the next coating step is not performed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-178817

However, in the case of the conventional example having such a configuration, there are the following problems. In the conventional example, air bubbles are detected during the execution of the coating process. More specifically, it detects air bubbles in the coating liquid discharged from the pump to the pipe. By the time the bubbles are detected, the coating liquid containing the bubbles has already been supplied to the substrate. As a result, the quality of processing for the substrate may deteriorate.

Further, in the conventional example, the pressure of the coating liquid flowing through the pipe is detected. The pressure of the coating liquid flowing through the pipe may fluctuate due to factors other than air bubbles. For example, when the pipe is flexible, the pressure of the coating liquid flowing through the pipe easily fluctuates depending on the amount of bending of the pipe. In this way, the pressure of the coating liquid flowing through the pipe is susceptible to disturbance. Therefore, the accuracy of detecting bubbles may decrease.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid supply device, a substrate processing device, and a liquid supply method capable of suitably detecting bubbles in a liquid.

The present invention has the following configuration in order to achieve such an object.
That is, in the present invention, in the liquid supply device, a pump chamber for accommodating the liquid, a movable member movably provided with respect to the pump chamber and pressing the pump chamber, and a pressure for detecting the pressure in the pump chamber. A sensor, a valve capable of closing the pump chamber, a storage unit for storing reference information, and a control unit for acquiring a detection result detected by the pressure sensor are provided, and the control unit includes the movable member and the movable member. The pressurizing operation is executed by controlling the valve, and the pressurizing operation is performed by the movable member pressing the pump chamber in a state where the valve closes the pump chamber. It is an operation of increasing the pressure, and the control unit further causes the pump chamber to have air bubbles based on the detection result detected during the execution of the pressurization operation and the reference information stored in the storage unit. It is a liquid supply device that executes a determination process for determining whether or not the product contains.

The liquid supply device includes a movable member and a valve. Therefore, the pump chamber can be suitably pressurized.
The determination process determines whether the pump chamber contains air bubbles. Therefore, the determination process can appropriately detect bubbles in the liquid.
The determination process is executed based on the detection result detected during the execution of the pressurizing operation. That is, the determination process is based on the detection result detected during the execution of the pressurizing operation. The pressure in the pump chamber during the pressurization operation is susceptible to air bubbles. Therefore, the determination process can accurately detect bubbles in the liquid. The determination process is executed based on not only the detection result but also the reference information. Therefore, the determination process can accurately determine whether or not the pump chamber contains air bubbles. Therefore, bubbles in the liquid can be detected more preferably.

In the liquid supply device described above, the control unit has at least one of an instantaneous value of the pressure in the pump chamber during the execution of the pressurization operation and a waveform of the pressure in the pump chamber during the execution of the pressurization operation. It is preferable to execute the determination process based on the above. In other words, in the above-mentioned liquid supply device, it is preferable that the detection result on which the determination process is based includes at least one of an instantaneous value of pressure and a waveform of pressure. When the detection result is an instantaneous value of pressure, it can be efficiently determined whether or not the pump chamber contains air bubbles. That is, the determination process can be simplified. When the detection result is a pressure waveform, it can be accurately determined whether or not the pump chamber contains air bubbles.

In the above-mentioned liquid supply device, the determination process further determines the size of bubbles contained in the pump chamber based on the detection result and the reference information detected during the execution of the pressurization operation. Is preferable. The pressure in the pump chamber during the pressurization operation is susceptible to the size of the bubbles. Therefore, the determination process can accurately detect the size of bubbles in the liquid.

The above-mentioned liquid supply device includes a discharge flow path communicating with the pump chamber, and the control unit controls a movable member and the valve to discharge liquid from the pump chamber to the discharge flow path. It is preferable that the control unit executes the pressurizing operation and the determination process every time the discharging operation is executed. According to this, it is possible to prevent air bubbles from leaving the pump chamber into the discharge flow path.

In the above-mentioned liquid supply device, the control unit starts the pressurizing operation at the same time as the end of the discharging operation, and continues pressing the pump chamber by the movable member over the discharging operation and the pressurizing operation. Is preferable. According to this, the time required for the entire discharge operation and pressurization operation can be suitably shortened. Further, even at the end of the discharge operation, the pump chamber is still pressurized. Therefore, at the end of the discharge operation, the valve can appropriately stop the flow of the liquid in the discharge flow path.

In the above-mentioned liquid supply device, when it is determined in the determination process that the pump chamber does not contain air bubbles, the control unit starts the discharge operation at the same time as the end of the pressurization operation, and the pressurization operation is performed. It is preferable to continue pressing the pump chamber by the movable member throughout the discharge operation. According to this, the time required for the entire pressurizing operation and discharging operation can be suitably shortened. Further, at the start of the discharge operation, the pump chamber is already pressurized. Therefore, at the start of the discharge operation, the liquid can be smoothly discharged from the pump chamber to the discharge flow path.

The above-mentioned liquid supply device includes a discharge flow path communicating with the pump chamber, and the control unit performs a discharge operation of discharging bubbles from the pump chamber to the discharge flow path by controlling the movable member and the valve. When it is determined that the pump chamber does not contain air bubbles in the determination process, the control unit executes the discharge operation, and when it is determined in the determination process that the pump chamber contains air bubbles, the control unit executes the discharge operation. It is preferable that the control unit executes the discharge operation. Bubbles can be discharged from the pump chamber without discharging bubbles from the pump chamber to the discharge flow path.

In the above-mentioned liquid supply device, when it is determined in the determination process that the pump chamber contains air bubbles, it is preferable that the control unit repeatedly executes the discharge operation twice or more. According to this, air bubbles can be discharged more reliably from the pump chamber.

In the above-mentioned liquid supply device, the control unit further executes a determination process for determining the number of times to execute the discharge operation based on the detection result and the reference information detected during the execution of the pressurization operation. However, it is preferable that the control unit repeatedly executes the discharge operation a number of times determined in the determination process. According to this, air bubbles can be discharged from the pump chamber reliably and efficiently.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY In a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, the present invention communicates the holding portion for holding the substrate, the liquid supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, with the pump chamber, and the holding portion. It is a substrate processing apparatus provided with a nozzle for supplying a liquid to the substrate to be held.

The substrate processing apparatus includes the above-mentioned liquid supply apparatus. Therefore, bubbles in the liquid can be suitably detected. Therefore, the quality of processing for the substrate can be preferably maintained.

The present invention is a liquid supply device for supplying a liquid, a first pump chamber for accommodating the liquid, and a first movable member movably provided with respect to the first pump chamber and pressing the first pump chamber. , A second pump chamber that accommodates the liquid, a second movable member that is movably provided with respect to the second pump chamber and presses the second pump chamber, and a pressure that detects the pressure in the second pump chamber. The sensor, the filter that filters the liquid, the first suction flow path that is connected to the first pump chamber and puts the liquid into the first pump chamber, and the first pump chamber and the filter that are connected to the first pump chamber. A first discharge flow path for sending liquid from the pump chamber to the filter, a second suction flow path connected to the filter and the second pump chamber, and sending liquid from the filter to the second pump chamber, and the second suction flow path. A second discharge flow path that is connected to the pump chamber and discharges liquid from the second pump chamber, and is connected to the first pump chamber and the second pump chamber, and the liquid is connected from the second pump chamber to the first pump chamber. A return flow path for returning the pump, a discharge flow path connected to the filter and discharging gas from the filter, the first suction flow path, the first discharge flow path, the second suction flow path, and the second discharge flow path. The control includes a flow path, a plurality of valves for opening and closing the return flow path and the discharge flow path, a storage unit for storing reference information, and a control unit for acquiring a detection result detected by the pressure sensor. The unit executes a pressurizing operation by controlling the second movable member and the valve, and the pressurizing operation is performed by the second movable member in a state where the valve closes the second pump chamber. It is an operation of increasing the pressure of the second pump chamber by pressing the second pump chamber, and the control unit further controls the detection result and the storage unit detected during the execution of the pressurization operation. It is a liquid supply device that executes a determination process for determining whether or not the second pump chamber contains air bubbles based on the reference information stored in the second pump chamber.

The liquid supply device includes a second movable member and a valve. Therefore, the second pump chamber can be suitably pressurized. The determination process determines whether or not the second pump chamber contains air bubbles. Therefore, the determination process can appropriately detect bubbles in the liquid. The determination process is executed based on the detection result detected during the execution of the pressurizing operation. The pressure in the second pump chamber during the pressurization operation is susceptible to air bubbles. Therefore, the determination process can accurately detect bubbles in the liquid. The determination process is executed based on not only the detection result but also the reference information. Therefore, the determination process can accurately determine whether or not the second pump chamber contains air bubbles. Therefore, bubbles in the liquid can be detected more preferably.

In the above-mentioned liquid supply device, the control unit executes a first suction operation, a second suction operation, and a discharge operation by controlling the first movable member, the second movable member, and the valve, and the first The suction operation is an operation of injecting a liquid from the first suction flow path into the first pump chamber, and the second suction operation is the operation of charging the liquid through the first discharge flow path, the filter, and the second suction flow path. The operation of injecting a liquid from the first pump chamber into the second pump chamber, the discharge operation is an operation of discharging a liquid from the second pump chamber to the second discharge flow path, and the control unit is the operation of discharging the liquid from the second pump chamber to the second discharge flow path. 2 The suction operation, the discharge operation, and the first suction operation are executed in this order, and the control unit performs the first period after the second suction operation and before the discharge operation, and after the discharge operation. It is preferable to execute the pressurizing operation and the determination process at least during the second period before the first suction operation. Each time the discharge operation is executed, the determination process determines whether or not the second pump chamber contains air bubbles. Therefore, it is possible to prevent air bubbles from coming out from the second pump chamber to the second discharge flow path.

In the above-mentioned liquid supply device, the control unit executes a first suction operation, a second suction operation, a return operation, and a discharge operation by controlling the first movable member, the second movable member, and the valve. The first suction operation is an operation of injecting a liquid from the first suction flow path into the first pump chamber, and the second suction operation is an operation of the first discharge flow path, the filter, and the second suction flow path. The operation is to put the liquid from the first pump chamber into the second pump chamber, and the return operation is an operation to return the liquid from the second pump chamber to the first pump chamber through the return flow path. The discharge operation is an operation of discharging a liquid from the second pump chamber to the second discharge flow path, and the control unit performs the second suction operation, the return operation, the discharge operation, and the first suction operation. , In this order, the control unit is at least one of the first period after the return operation and before the discharge operation, and the second period after the discharge operation and before the first suction operation. It is preferable to execute the pressurizing operation and the determination process. Each time the discharge operation is executed, the determination process determines whether or not the second pump chamber contains air bubbles. Therefore, it is possible to prevent air bubbles from coming out from the second pump chamber to the second discharge flow path.

In the above-mentioned liquid supply device, the control unit executes a discharge operation by controlling the first movable member, the second movable member, and the valve, and the discharge operation is performed by the second return flow path. It is an operation of returning bubbles from the pump chamber to the first pump chamber, sending bubbles from the first pump chamber to the filter through the first discharge flow path, and discharging bubbles from the filter to the discharge flow path. When it is determined in the determination process that the second pump chamber contains air bubbles, it is preferable that the control unit executes the discharge operation. Bubbles can be discharged from the second pump chamber without discharging bubbles from the second pump chamber to the discharge flow path.

The present invention is a liquid supply device for supplying a liquid, a first pump chamber for accommodating the liquid, and a first movable member movably provided with respect to the first pump chamber and pressing the first pump chamber. , A first pressure sensor that detects the pressure in the first pump chamber, a second pump chamber that houses the liquid, and a second pump chamber that is movably provided with respect to the second pump chamber and presses the second pump chamber. 2 The movable member, the filter that filters the liquid, the first suction flow path that is connected to the first pump chamber and puts the liquid into the first pump chamber, and the first pump chamber and the filter that are connected to the above. A first discharge flow path that sends liquid from the first pump chamber to the filter, a second suction flow path that is connected to the filter and the second pump chamber and sends liquid from the filter to the second pump chamber, and the above. A second discharge flow path connected to the second pump chamber and discharging liquid from the second pump chamber, and connected to the first pump chamber and the second pump chamber, from the second pump chamber to the first pump chamber. A return flow path for returning the liquid to the pump, a discharge flow path connected to the filter and discharging gas from the filter, the first suction flow path, the first discharge flow path, the second suction flow path, and the first suction flow path. 2 A discharge flow path, a return flow path, a plurality of valves for opening and closing the discharge flow path, a storage unit for storing reference information, and a control unit for acquiring a first detection result detected by the first pressure sensor. The control unit executes the first pressurizing operation by controlling the first movable member and the valve, and in the first pressurizing operation, the valve closes the first pump chamber. In this state, the first movable member presses the first pump chamber to increase the pressure in the first pump chamber, and the control unit further executes the first pressurizing operation. A liquid supply for executing a first determination process for determining whether or not the first pump chamber contains air bubbles based on the first detection result detected therein and the reference information stored in the storage unit. It is a device.

The liquid supply device includes a first movable member and a valve. Therefore, the first pump chamber can be suitably pressurized. The first determination process determines whether or not the first pump chamber contains air bubbles. Therefore, the first determination process can appropriately detect bubbles in the liquid. The first determination process is executed based on the first detection result detected during the execution of the first pressurization operation. The pressure in the first pump chamber during the execution of the first pressurization operation is susceptible to air bubbles. Therefore, the first determination process can accurately detect bubbles in the liquid. The first determination process is executed based on not only the first detection result but also the reference information. Therefore, the first determination process can accurately determine whether or not the first pump chamber contains air bubbles. Therefore, bubbles in the liquid can be detected more preferably.

In the above-mentioned liquid supply device, the control unit executes the first discharge operation by controlling the first movable member and the valve, and the first discharge operation is performed by the first discharge flow path. It is an operation of sending air bubbles from the pump chamber to the filter and discharging air bubbles from the filter to the discharge flow path, and when it is determined in the first determination process that the first pump chamber contains air bubbles, the said It is preferable that the control unit executes the first discharge operation. Bubbles can be discharged from the first pump chamber without sending bubbles from the first pump chamber to the second pump chamber.

The liquid supply device described above includes a second pressure sensor that detects the pressure in the second pump chamber, the control unit acquires the second detection result detected by the second pressure sensor, and the control unit obtains the second detection result. The second pressurizing operation is executed by controlling the second movable member and the valve, and the second pressurizing operation is the second movable operation in a state where the valve closes the second pump chamber. The member presses the second pump chamber to change the pressure in the second pump chamber, and the control unit further detects the second detection during the execution of the second pressurizing operation. It is preferable to execute the second determination process for determining whether or not the second pump chamber contains air bubbles based on the result and the reference information stored in the storage unit. The liquid supply device includes a second movable member and a valve. Therefore, the second pump chamber can be suitably pressurized. The second determination process determines whether or not the second pump chamber contains air bubbles. Therefore, the second determination process can appropriately detect bubbles in the liquid. The second determination process is executed based on the second detection result detected during the execution of the second pressurization operation. The pressure in the second pump chamber during the execution of the second pressurization operation is susceptible to air bubbles. Therefore, the second determination process can accurately detect bubbles in the liquid. The second determination process is executed based on not only the second detection result but also the reference information. Therefore, the second determination process can accurately determine whether or not the second pump chamber contains air bubbles. Therefore, bubbles in the liquid can be detected more preferably.

In the above-mentioned liquid supply device, the control unit executes the second discharge operation by controlling the first movable member, the second movable member, and the valve, and the second discharge operation is performed through the return flow path. Bubbles are returned from the second pump chamber to the first pump chamber, bubbles are sent from the first pump chamber to the filter through the first discharge flow path, and bubbles are discharged from the filter to the discharge channel. It is an operation, and when it is determined in the second determination process that the second pump chamber contains air bubbles, it is preferable that the control unit executes the second discharge operation. Bubbles can be discharged from the second pump chamber without discharging bubbles from the second pump chamber to the discharge flow path.

In the liquid supply method, the present invention comprises a pressurizing step of increasing the pressure of the pump chamber by pressing the pump chamber in a state where the pump chamber containing the liquid is closed, and an execution of the pressurizing step. A liquid supply comprising a pressure detection step of detecting the pressure in the pump chamber and a determination step of determining whether or not the pump chamber contains air bubbles based on the detection result detected by the pressure detection step. The method.

The determination step determines whether the pump chamber contains air bubbles. Therefore, the determination step can appropriately detect bubbles in the liquid. The determination step is executed based on the detection result detected during the execution of the pressurization step. The pressure in the pump chamber during the pressurization process is susceptible to air bubbles. Therefore, the determination step can accurately detect bubbles in the liquid.

In the liquid supply method described above, when it is determined in the determination step that the pump chamber does not contain air bubbles, the discharge step of discharging the liquid in the pump chamber to the discharge flow path and the pump chamber in the determination step generate air bubbles. It is preferable to include a discharge step of discharging air bubbles in the pump chamber to the discharge flow path when it is determined to contain the bubbles. Bubbles can be discharged from the pump chamber without discharging bubbles from the pump chamber to the discharge flow path.

According to the present invention, bubbles in a liquid can be suitably detected.

It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the operation procedure of the processing liquid supply apparatus. FIG. 3A is a diagram schematically showing an inhalation operation, FIG. 3B is a diagram schematically showing a discharge operation, and FIG. 3C is a diagram schematically showing a pressurization operation. Yes, FIG. 3D is a diagram schematically showing the discharge operation. It is a figure which shows typically the relationship between the pressure of a pump chamber, and time. It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 2. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of operation of the processing liquid supply apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 2. It is a figure which shows the 1st suction operation schematically. The second suction operation is schematically shown. It is a figure which shows the purging operation schematically. It is a figure which shows the pressurizing operation schematically. It is a figure which shows the discharge operation schematically. It is a figure which shows the discharge operation schematically. It is a figure which shows typically the relationship between the pressure of a 2nd pump chamber, and time. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of operation of the processing liquid supply apparatus which concerns on a modification embodiment. FIG. 15A is a diagram schematically showing a first pressurizing operation, and FIG. 15B is a diagram schematically showing a first discharging operation.

<Embodiment 1>
Hereinafter, Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment is an apparatus that processes a substrate (for example, a semiconductor wafer) W. The treatment is, for example, a liquid treatment for supplying the treatment liquid to the substrate W.

The substrate W is, for example, a semiconductor wafer, a liquid crystal display substrate, an organic EL (Electroluminescence) substrate, an FPD (Flat Panel Display) substrate, an optical display substrate, a magnetic disk substrate, a magneto-optical disk substrate, or a photomask. A substrate, a substrate for a solar cell.

1. 1. Outline of the board processing device 1 The board processing device 1 includes a holding unit 3 and a rotary motor 5. The holding portion 3 holds the substrate W. Specifically, the holding portion 3 holds the substrate W in a substantially horizontal posture. The holding portion 3 sucks and holds, for example, the back surface (lower surface) of the substrate W. The rotary motor 5 is connected to the center of the bottom of the holding portion 3. The rotary motor 5 rotates the holding portion 3 around a substantially vertical axis. As a result, the substrate W held by the holding portion 3 rotates about a substantially vertical axis.

The substrate processing device 1 includes a nozzle 7 and a cup 9. The nozzle 7 supplies the processing liquid to the substrate W held by the holding portion 3. The nozzle 7 is movably provided at a discharge position above the holding portion 3. When the nozzle 7 is in the discharge position, the nozzle 7 discharges the processing liquid onto the upper surface of the substrate W held by the holding portion 3. The cup 9 is arranged so as to surround the side of the holding portion 3. The cup 9 receives and collects the processing liquid scattered from the substrate W.

The substrate processing device 1 includes a processing liquid supply source 10 and a processing liquid supply device 11. The treatment liquid supply source 10 is, for example, a tank for storing the treatment liquid. The treatment liquid is, for example, a resist film material, various coating film materials, a chemical solution, thinner, and pure water. The treatment liquid supply device 11 supplies the treatment liquid. Specifically, the treatment liquid supply device 11 supplies the treatment liquid from the treatment liquid supply source 10 to the nozzle 7.

The treatment liquid supply device 11 is an example of the liquid supply device in the present invention. The treatment liquid is an example of the liquid in the present invention.

2. 2. Configuration of the processing liquid supply device 11 The treatment liquid supply device 11 includes a pump device 13. The pump device 13 sucks the treatment liquid from the treatment liquid supply source 10 and discharges the sucked treatment liquid to the nozzle 7.

The treatment liquid supply device 11 includes a suction pipe 14, a discharge pipe 15, and a discharge pipe 16. The suction pipe 14 is connected to the treatment liquid supply source 10 and the pump device 13. Specifically, the suction pipe 14 has a first end connected to the treatment liquid supply source 10 and a second end connected to the pump device 13. The discharge pipe 15 is connected to the pump device 13 and the nozzle 7. Specifically, the discharge pipe 15 has a first end connected to the pump device 13 and a second end connected to the nozzle 7. The discharge pipe 16 is connected to the pump device 13. Specifically, the discharge pipe 16 has a first end connected to the pump device 13. The discharge pipe 16 is connected to, for example, a processing liquid recovery unit (not shown).

The treatment liquid supply device 11 includes valves 17, 18, and 19. The valve 17 is provided on the suction pipe 14. The valve 17 opens and closes the flow path in the suction pipe 14. The valve 18 is provided on the discharge pipe 15. The valve 18 opens and closes the flow path in the discharge pipe 15. The valve 19 is provided on the discharge pipe 16. The valve 19 opens and closes the flow path in the discharge pipe 16. The valves 17-19 can operate independently of each other.

The flow path in the suction pipe 14 is an example of the suction flow path in the present invention. The flow path in the discharge pipe 15 is an example of the discharge flow path in the present invention. The flow path in the discharge pipe 16 is an example of the discharge flow path in the present invention.

The pump device 13 includes a pump chamber 21 for accommodating the treatment liquid. The pump chamber 21 is a space.

The pump device 13 includes a housing 22 and a diaphragm 26. The housing 22 and the diaphragm 26 partition the pump chamber 21. The housing 22 has, for example, a cylindrical shape. The housing 22 has an internal space inside the housing 22. The internal space of the housing 22 corresponds to the pump chamber 21. The housing 22 has an open end. One end is, for example, the bottom of the housing 22. The diaphragm 26 is attached to one end of the housing 22. The diaphragm 26 covers one end of the housing 22. The diaphragm 26 has flexibility. The diaphragm 26 is, for example, a rolling diaphragm. The material of the diaphragm 26 is, for example, a synthetic resin. In this way, the pump chamber 21 is partitioned by the housing 22 and the diaphragm 26.

The housing 22 has openings 23, 24, 25. Each of the openings 23-25 communicates with the pump chamber 21. The opening 23 is connected to the second end of the suction tube 14. The opening 24 is connected to the first end of the discharge pipe 15. The opening 25 is connected to the first end of the discharge pipe 16. As a result, the pump chamber 21 communicates with the suction pipe 14, the discharge pipe 15, and the discharge pipe 16. The pump chamber 21 communicates with the processing liquid supply source 10. The pump chamber 21 communicates with the nozzle 7.

The valves 17-19 can close the pump chamber 21. Specifically, when the valves 17-19 close the suction pipe 14, the discharge pipe 15, and the discharge pipe 16, the pump chamber 21 is closed.

The pump device 13 includes a piston 27 and a motor 28. The piston 27 and the motor 28 are provided outside the pump chamber 21. The motor 28 moves the piston 27 with respect to the pump chamber 21. In this way, the piston 27 is movably provided with respect to the pump chamber 21.

Specifically, the piston 27 has a first end attached to the diaphragm 26. The piston 27 has a second end connected to the motor 28. More specifically, the piston 27 and the motor 28 are connected via a mechanism (not shown) that converts the rotational motion of the motor 28 into a linear motion of the piston 27. The motor 28 is, for example, a stepping motor. When the motor 28 rotates forward and reverse, the piston 27 reciprocates linearly with respect to the motor 28. FIG. 1 illustrates the directions D1 and D2 in which the piston 27 moves. When the piston 27 moves in the direction D1, the piston 27 approaches the pump chamber 21. When the piston 27 moves in the direction D2, the piston 27 moves away from the pump chamber 21.

When the piston 27 moves relative to the pump chamber 21, the piston 27 deforms the diaphragm 26 and the piston 27 changes the volume of the pump chamber 21. As the piston 27 moves in direction D1, the volume of the pump chamber 21 decreases. As the piston moves in direction D2, the volume of the pump chamber 21 increases. When the piston 27 moves with respect to the pump chamber 21, the housing 22 does not deform.

Further, the piston 27 presses the pump chamber 21. Specifically, the piston 27 exerts a force in the direction D1 on the pump chamber 21.

The piston 27 is an example of a movable member in the present invention. The diaphragm 26 is an example of a movable partition member in the present invention.

The pump device 13 includes a pressure sensor 29 that detects the pressure in the pump chamber 21. The pressure sensor 29 is attached to, for example, the housing 22.

The processing liquid supply device 11 includes a control unit 31. The control unit 31 is communicably connected to the valve 17-19, the motor 28, and the pressure sensor 29. The control unit 31 controls the valve 17-19 and the motor 28. Here, controlling the motor 28 by the control unit 31 is synonymous with controlling the piston 27 by the control unit 31. The control unit 31 acquires the detection result detected by the pressure sensor 29.

The processing liquid supply device 11 includes a storage unit 33. The storage unit 33 stores reference information. The reference information is information regarding the pressure of the pump chamber 21. The reference information is set in advance before the operation of the substrate processing device 1 and the processing liquid supply device 11. The storage unit 33 is communicably connected to the control unit 31. The control unit 31 refers to the reference information stored in the storage unit 33.

The control unit 31 includes, for example, a processor that executes various processes (for example, a central processing unit (CPU)), a RAM (Random-Access Memory) that is a work area for arithmetic processing, and a semiconductor memory that stores various information. .. The storage unit 33 includes at least one of a semiconductor memory and a hard disk.

3. 3. Operation An operation example of the substrate processing device 1 and the processing liquid supply device 11 according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation procedure of the processing liquid supply device 11. The operations of the processing liquid supply device 11 are suction operation (step S1), discharge operation (step S2), pressurization operation (step S3), determination process (step S4), sub-suction operation (step S5), and discharge operation (step). S6) is included. The control unit 31 executes the suction operation and the discharge operation in this order. This series of operations is repeated. The control unit 31 executes the pressurization operation and the determination process in the period after the discharge operation and before the suction operation. Only when it is determined in the determination process that the pump chamber 21 contains air bubbles, the control unit 31 executes the sub-suction operation and the discharge operation.

3 (a) and 3 (d) are diagrams schematically showing the operation of the processing liquid supply device 11. Note that FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (d) are shown simplified as compared with FIG. 1 for convenience. In FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (d), the treatment liquid contained in the pump chamber 21 is designated by the reference numeral R for convenience.

In the following description, it is assumed that the pump chamber 21 is already filled with the treatment liquid R.

[Step S1: Inhalation operation]
FIG. 3A is a diagram schematically showing an inhalation operation. The control unit 31 controls the valve 17-19 and the piston 27 to execute the suction operation. The suction operation is an operation of charging the processing liquid R from the suction pipe 14 into the pump chamber 21.

Specifically, the valve 17 opens the suction tube 14. The valves 18 and 19 close the discharge pipe 15 and the discharge pipe 16. The piston 27 moves in direction D2 and moves away from the pump chamber 21. This increases the volume of the pump chamber 21. The pump chamber 21 sucks the treatment liquid R from the suction pipe 14.

[Step S2: Discharge operation]
FIG. 3B is a diagram schematically showing a discharge operation. The control unit 31 controls the valve 17-19 and the piston 27 to execute the discharge operation. The discharge operation is an operation of discharging the processing liquid R from the pump chamber 21 to the discharge pipe 15.

Specifically, the valve 18 opens the discharge pipe 15. The valves 17 and 19 close the suction pipe 14 and the discharge pipe 16. The piston 27 presses the pump chamber 21. The piston 27 moves in the direction D1 and approaches the pump chamber 21. As a result, the volume of the pump chamber 21 is reduced. The pump chamber 21 discharges the processing liquid R to the discharge pipe 15.

The processing liquid R is supplied to the nozzle 7 through the discharge pipe 15. The nozzle 7 supplies the processing liquid R to the substrate W held by the holding portion 3. As a result, processing is performed on one substrate W.

[Step S3: Pressurization operation]
FIG. 3C is a diagram schematically showing a pressurizing operation. The control unit 31 controls the valve 17-19 and the piston 27 to execute the pressurizing operation. The pressurizing operation is an operation in which the pressure of the pump chamber 21 is increased by the piston 27 pressing the pump chamber 21 while the valve 17-19 is closing the pump chamber 21.

Specifically, the valves 17-19 close the suction pipe 14, the discharge pipe 15, and the discharge pipe 16, respectively. As a result, the pump chamber 21 is closed. The piston 27 presses the pump chamber 21 in a state where the pump chamber 21 is closed. Specifically, the piston 27 exerts a force F in the direction D1 on the pump chamber 21. As a result, the pressure in the pump chamber 21 rises. That is, the pressure of the processing liquid R in the pump chamber 21 rises.

In the pressurizing operation, the piston 27 may or may not move in the direction D1 with respect to the pump chamber 21. That is, in the pressurizing operation, the piston 27 may or may not approach the pump chamber 21.

The control unit 31 starts the pressurizing operation at the same time as the end of the discharging operation. The control unit 31 continues pressing the pump chamber 21 by the piston 27 during the discharge operation and the pressurization operation. The moment the valve 18 closes the discharge pipe 15, the discharge operation is switched to the pressurization operation.

The period of the pressurizing operation is, for example, 1 second or less. The period of the pressurizing operation is, for example, in the range of 0.1 seconds to 0.3 seconds. The pressurizing operation pressurizes the pressure of the pump chamber 21 to, for example, several tens [kPa]. The pressurizing operation pressurizes the pressure of the pump chamber 21 to, for example, 20 [kPa]. In this specification, the pressure is expressed as a gauge pressure based on the atmospheric pressure.

During the pressurization operation, the pressure sensor 29 detects the pressure in the pump chamber 21.

[Step S4: Judgment processing]
The control unit 31 acquires the detection result of the pressure sensor 29 detected during the execution of the pressurizing operation. The control unit 31 acquires reference information from the storage unit 33. The control unit 31 executes the determination process based on the detection result of the pressure sensor 29 detected during the execution of the pressurization operation and the reference information stored in the storage unit 33. The determination process is a process for determining whether or not the pump chamber 21 contains air bubbles.
The determination process may be executed during the pressurization operation.

Here, the principle of the determination process will be described. The present inventor has found that the pressure in the pump chamber 21 during execution of the pressurizing operation fluctuates relatively greatly depending on whether or not the pump chamber 21 contains air bubbles.

FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the relationship between the pressure and time of the pump chamber 21. The horizontal axis of FIG. 4 is time. The vertical axis of FIG. 4 is the pressure of the pump chamber 21.

The discharge operation ends at time t1. The pressurizing operation starts at time t1. The pressurizing operation ends at time t3. The pressurizing operation is performed during the period of time t1-t3.

Both the waveforms A and B show the temporal change of the pressure in the pump chamber 21. The waveform A is information about the pressure of the pump chamber 21 containing no bubbles. Waveform B is information about the pressure of the pump chamber 21 containing bubbles. The waveforms A and B are acquired by experiments or simulations before the operation of the substrate processing device 1 and the processing liquid supply device 11.

For most of the time t1-t3, waveform A is lower than waveform B. For example, the instantaneous value a2 of the waveform A at time t2 is higher than the instantaneous value b2 of the waveform B at time t2. Here, the time t2 is, for example, a time point at which a predetermined time ta elapses from the time t1. Time t2 is a time point within the period of time t1-t3. The time t2 and the time ta are appropriately set so that the difference between the waveforms A and B can be clearly seen. For example, time ta may be half the period of time t1-t3.

As described above, when the pump chamber 21 contains air bubbles, the pressure increase of the pump chamber 21 during the execution of the pressurizing operation is suppressed as compared with the case where the pump chamber 21 does not contain air bubbles.

It is considered that the reason why the waveform B is lower than the waveform A is that the bubbles in the pump chamber 21 alleviate the increase in the pressure in the pump chamber 21. In other words, it is considered that the air bubbles in the pump chamber 21 play the role of a cushion.

Based on the above findings, the principle of the determination process is as follows. When the detection result of the pressure sensor 29 detected during the execution of the pressurizing operation is closer to the waveform A than the waveform B, it is determined that the pump chamber 21 does not contain air bubbles. When the detection result of the pressure sensor 29 detected during the execution of the pressurizing operation is closer to the waveform B than the waveform A, it is determined that the pump chamber 21 contains air bubbles.

A specific example of the determination process will be described. The reference information is determined based on the waveforms A and B. The reference information includes, for example, an instantaneous value a2 and a threshold value c. The threshold value c is determined based on, for example, the instantaneous values a2 and b2. The threshold value c is, for example, equal to or smaller than the difference between the instantaneous value a2 and the instantaneous value b2.

The control unit 31 extracts the instantaneous value d at a predetermined time point from the detection result of the pressure sensor 29. The predetermined time point is, for example, a time point at which a predetermined time ta elapses from the time when the pressurizing operation is started. The control unit 31 calculates the difference e between the instantaneous value a2 and the instantaneous value d. The control unit 31 determines whether or not the difference e is less than the threshold value c. When the difference e is less than the threshold value c, the control unit 31 determines that the pump chamber 21 does not contain air bubbles. When it is determined that the pump chamber 21 does not contain air bubbles, the process returns to step S1. When the difference e is equal to or greater than the threshold value c, the control unit 31 determines that the pump chamber 21 contains air bubbles. When it is determined that the pump chamber 21 contains air bubbles, the process proceeds to step S5.

[Step S5: Sub-inhalation operation]
The control unit 31 controls the valve 17-19 and the piston 27 to execute the sub-suction operation. The sub-inhalation operation is the same as the inhalation operation. More specifically, the sub-inhalation operation and the inhalation operation differ only in the timing of execution, and the contents of the operation are the same. That is, the sub-suction operation is an operation of charging the processing liquid R from the suction pipe 14 into the pump chamber 21. Therefore, the description of the sub-suction operation will be omitted.

[Step S6: Discharge operation]
FIG. 3D is a diagram schematically showing a discharge operation. The control unit 31 controls the valve 17-19 and the piston 27 to execute the discharge operation. The discharge operation is an operation of discharging air bubbles from the pump chamber 21 to the discharge pipe 16.

Specifically, the valve 19 opens the discharge pipe 16. The valves 17 and 18 close the suction pipe 14 and the discharge pipe 15. The piston 27 moves in the direction D1 and approaches the pump chamber 21. As a result, the volume of the pump chamber 21 is reduced. The pump chamber 21 discharges air bubbles into the discharge pipe 16. The pump chamber 21 discharges the processing liquid R together with air bubbles into the discharge pipe 16.

After the ejection operation is completed, the process returns to step S1.

The operation of the treatment liquid supply device 11 described above is an example of the liquid supply method in the present invention. The discharge operation is an example of the discharge process in the present invention. The pressurization operation is an example of the pressurization step in the present invention. The operation of the pressure sensor 29 during the execution of the pressurization operation is an example of the pressure detection step in the present invention. The determination process is an example of the determination process in the present invention. The discharge operation is an example of the discharge process in the present invention.

4. Effect According to the first embodiment, the following effects are obtained.

The control unit 31 executes the determination process. As a result, air bubbles in the processing liquid R housed in the pump chamber 21 can be suitably detected.

The determination process determines whether or not the pump chamber 21 contains air bubbles. The pump chamber 21 is not easily affected by disturbance. In particular, the closed pump chamber 21 is less susceptible to disturbance. Therefore, the determination process can appropriately detect bubbles in the processing liquid R.

The treatment liquid supply device 11 includes valves 17-19. Therefore, the pump chamber 21 can be suitably closed. The treatment liquid supply device 11 further includes a piston 27. Therefore, the pump chamber 21 can be suitably pressurized.

The control unit 31 executes the determination process based on the detection result of the pressure sensor 29 detected during the execution of the pressurization operation. That is, the control unit 31 executes the determination process based on the pressure in the pump chamber 21 during the pressurization operation. The determination process is executed based on the detection result of the pressure sensor 29 detected during the execution of the pressurizing operation. That is, the determination process is based on the detection result of the pressure sensor 29 detected during the execution of the pressurizing operation. As described above, the pressure in the pump chamber 21 during the pressurization operation is susceptible to air bubbles. Therefore, the determination process can accurately detect bubbles in the processing liquid R.

The processing liquid supply device 11 includes a pressure sensor 29. Therefore, the pressure in the pump chamber 21 during the pressurization operation can be suitably detected.

The control unit 31 further executes a determination process based on the reference information. The determination process is further executed based on the reference information. That is, the determination process is based on the reference information. Therefore, the determination process can accurately determine whether or not the pump chamber 21 contains air bubbles. Therefore, bubbles in the treatment liquid R can be detected even more preferably.

The processing liquid supply device 11 includes a storage unit 33. Therefore, the control unit 31 can suitably refer to the reference information.

The control unit 31 executes the determination process based on the instantaneous value d of the pressure in the pump chamber 21 during the execution of the pressurizing operation. That is, the detection result on which the determination process is based includes the instantaneous value d of the pressure. According to this, the control unit 31 can efficiently determine whether or not the pump chamber 21 contains air bubbles. That is, the amount of calculation in the determination process can be reduced.

The reference information is determined based on the waveforms A and B. More specifically, the reference information includes the pressure of the pump chamber 21 when the pressurizing operation is performed on the pump chamber 21 containing no bubbles and the pressurizing operation on the pump chamber 21 containing bubbles. It is determined based on the pressure of the pump chamber 21 at the time. Therefore, the determination process can accurately determine whether or not the pump chamber 21 contains air bubbles.

The reference information includes the instantaneous value a2. Therefore, in the determination process, the detection result of the pressure sensor 29 detected during the execution of the pressurization operation can be suitably compared with the reference information.

The determination process determines whether or not the pump chamber 21 contains air bubbles based on the difference e between the reference information (instantaneous value a2) and the detection result (instantaneous value d). Therefore, the determination process can appropriately determine whether or not the pump chamber 21 contains air bubbles.

The reference information further includes a threshold c. Therefore, the determination process can be suitably determined based on the difference e between the reference information and the detection result.

The control unit 31 executes a pressurizing operation and a determination process each time the ejection operation is executed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent air bubbles from coming out of the pump chamber 21 to the discharge pipe 15.

The control unit 31 executes a pressurizing operation and a determination process each time the suction operation is executed. Therefore, air bubbles that have entered the pump chamber 21 from the suction pipe 14 can be quickly detected.

The control unit 31 starts the pressurizing operation at the same time as the end of the discharging operation. Therefore, the time required for the entire discharge operation and pressurization operation can be suitably shortened.

The control unit 31 continues pressing the pump chamber 21 by the piston 27 during the discharge operation and the pressurization operation. Therefore, even at the end of the discharge operation, the pump chamber 21 is still pressurized. Therefore, when the discharge operation is completed (that is, when the valve 18 closes the discharge pipe 15), the flow of the processing liquid R in the discharge pipe 15 can be appropriately stopped. As a result, the liquid drainage of the nozzle 7 can be improved. Specifically, at the end of the discharge operation, the discharge of the processing liquid R by the nozzle 7 can be appropriately stopped. For example, it is possible to suitably prevent the treatment liquid R from dripping from the nozzle 7 after the discharge operation is completed.

When it is determined in the determination process that the pump chamber 21 does not contain air bubbles, the control unit 31 executes a discharge operation. As a result, the pump chamber 21 can discharge the processing liquid R containing no air bubbles to the discharge pipe 14. As a result, the processing liquid R containing no bubbles can be supplied to the substrate W.

When it is determined in the determination process that the pump chamber 21 does not contain air bubbles, the control unit 31 executes the discharge operation without executing the discharge operation. Therefore, it is possible to suitably prevent the discharge operation from being unnecessarily executed.

When it is determined in the determination process that the pump chamber 21 contains air bubbles, the control unit 31 executes a discharge operation. As a result, air bubbles can be automatically discharged from the pump chamber 21. Specifically, air bubbles can be discharged from the pump chamber 21 without stopping the operation of the processing liquid supply device 11, and then the discharge operation can be appropriately executed.

After the pump chamber 21 is determined to contain air bubbles in the determination process, the control unit 31 executes the discharge operation before the discharge operation. Therefore, it is possible to suitably prevent the pump chamber 21 from discharging air bubbles into the discharge pipe 14.

In the discharge operation, the air bubbles in the pump chamber 21 are discharged to the discharge pipe 16 together with the processing liquid R in the pump chamber 21. As a result, air bubbles can be smoothly discharged from the pump chamber 21 to the discharge pipe 16. Further, air bubbles can be smoothly flowed in the discharge pipe 16.

When it is determined in the determination process that the pump chamber 21 contains air bubbles, the control unit 31 executes a sub-suction operation in addition to the discharge operation. More specifically, after the pump chamber 21 is determined to contain air bubbles in the determination process, the control unit 31 executes a sub-suction operation in addition to the discharge operation before the discharge operation. Therefore, the air bubbles in the pump chamber 21 can be discharged more smoothly.

The substrate processing device 1 includes the above-mentioned processing liquid supply device 11. Therefore, air bubbles in the pump chamber 21 can be suitably detected. Therefore, the quality of processing for the substrate W can be preferably maintained.

Specifically, the treatment liquid supply device 11 can supply the treatment liquid R containing no bubbles to the substrate W. Therefore, the quality of processing for the substrate W can be preferably maintained.

<Embodiment 2>
Hereinafter, Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the substrate processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. The substrate processing device 1 according to the second embodiment is substantially the same as the first embodiment in terms of the configuration other than the processing liquid supply device 11. The substrate processing device 1 according to the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the configuration of the processing liquid supply device 11.

1. 1. Configuration of the processing liquid supply device 11 The processing liquid supply device 11 includes two pump devices 13. Hereinafter, when the two pump devices 13 are distinguished, they are referred to as "first pump device 13a" and "second pump device 13b".

"First" is appropriately added to the name of each element of the first pump device 13a. An "a" is appropriately added to the code of each element of the first pump device 13. For example, the pump chamber 21 of the first pump device 13a is appropriately referred to as a "first pump chamber 21a". Similarly, "second" is appropriately added to the name of each element of the second pump device 13b. "B" is appropriately added to the code of each element of the second pump device 13. For example, the pump chamber 21 of the second pump device 13b is appropriately referred to as a "second pump chamber 21b".

The first piston 27a is an example of a movable member and a first movable member in the present invention. The second piston 27b is an example of a movable member and a second movable member in the present invention.

The treatment liquid supply device 11 includes a filter 41 for filtering the treatment liquid. The filter 41 separates and removes foreign substances and the like in the treatment liquid from the treatment liquid, for example. The filter 41 includes a filter main body 42 and a plurality (for example, three) connection ports 43, 44, 45. The filter body 42 includes a filter medium, a primary side flow path, and a secondary side flow path (all not shown). The filter medium is, for example, a porous membrane. The primary side flow path is a flow path of the treatment liquid formed on the primary side of the filter medium. The secondary side flow path is a flow path of the treatment liquid formed on the secondary side of the filter medium. The connection port 43 is an inlet of the primary side flow path. The connection port 44 is an outlet of the secondary side flow path. The connection port 45 is a discharge port for discharging the gas in the filter main body 42. The connection port 45 can also discharge the processing liquid in the filter main body 42.

The treatment liquid supply device 11 includes pipes 51-56.

The pipe 51 is connected to the first pump chamber 21a. Specifically, the pipe 51 has a first end connected to the opening 23a of the first pump chamber 21a. The pipe 51 fills the first pump chamber 21a with the processing liquid. Further, the pipe 51 is connected to the treatment liquid supply source 10. Specifically, the pipe 51 has a second end connected to the treatment liquid supply source 10. The pipe 51 sends the processing liquid from the processing liquid supply source 10 to the first pump chamber 21a.

The pipe 52 is connected to the first pump chamber 21a and the filter 41. The pipe 52 has a first end connected to the opening 23b of the first pump chamber 21a and a second end connected to the connection port 43 of the filter 41. The pipe 52 sends the processing liquid from the first pump chamber 21a to the filter 41.

The pipe 53 is connected to the filter 41 and the second pump chamber 21b. The pipe 53 has a first end connected to the connection port 44 of the filter 41 and a second end connected to the opening 23b of the second pump chamber 21b. The pipe 53 sends the processing liquid from the filter 41 to the second pump chamber 21b.

The pipe 54 is connected to the second pump chamber 21b. The pipe 54 has a first end connected to the opening 24b of the second pump chamber 21b. The pipe 54 discharges the treatment liquid from the second pump chamber 21b. The pipe 54 is further connected to the nozzle 7. The pipe 54 has a second end connected to the nozzle 7. The pipe 54 supplies the processing liquid from the second pump chamber 21b to the nozzle 7.

The pipe 55 is connected to the second pump chamber 21b and the first pump chamber 21a. The pipe 55 has a first end connected to the opening 25b of the second pump chamber 21b and a second end connected to the opening 25a of the first pump chamber 21a. The pipe 55 returns the processing liquid from the second pump chamber 21b to the first pump chamber 21a.

The pipe 56 is connected to the filter 41. The pipe 56 has a first end connected to the connection port 45 of the filter 41. The pipe 56 is connected to, for example, a processing liquid recovery unit (not shown). The pipe 56 discharges gas (including air bubbles) from the filter 41. The pipe 56 further discharges the treatment liquid from the filter 41.

The treatment liquid supply device 11 includes valves 61-66. The valve 61 is provided on the pipe 51. The valve 61 opens and closes the flow path in the pipe 51. That is, the valve 61 opens and closes the pipe 51. Similarly, valves 62-66 are provided on pipes 52-56. The valves 62-66 open and close the flow path in the pipes 52-56. That is, the valves 62-66 open and close the pipes 52-56.

The flow path in the pipe 51 is an example of the first suction flow path in the present invention. The flow path in the pipe 52 is an example of the first discharge flow path in the present invention. The flow path in the pipe 53 is an example of the second suction flow path in the present invention. The flow path in the pipe 54 is an example of the second discharge flow path in the present invention. The flow path in the pipe 55 is an example of the return flow path in the present invention. The flow path in the pipe 56 is an example of the discharge flow path in the present invention.

The pipe 51 is an example of the first suction pipe in the present invention. The pipe 52 is an example of the first discharge pipe in the present invention. The pipe 53 is an example of the second suction pipe in the present invention. The pipe 54 is an example of the second discharge pipe in the present invention. The pipe 55 is an example of a return pipe in the present invention. The pipe 56 is an example of a discharge pipe in the present invention.

The control unit 31 is communicably connected to the first motor 28a, the second motor 28b, the first pressure sensor 29a, the second pressure sensor 29b, and the valve 61-66. The control unit 31 controls the first motor 28a, the second motor 28b, and the valves 61-66. Here, controlling the first motor 28a by the control unit 31 is synonymous with controlling the first piston 27a by the control unit 31.
Controlling the second motor 28b by the control unit 31 is synonymous with controlling the second piston 27b by the control unit 31. The control unit 31 acquires the detection result detected by the first pressure sensor 29a and the detection result detected by the second pressure sensor 29b.

2. 2. Operation An operation example of the substrate processing device 1 and the processing liquid supply device 11 according to the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation procedure of the processing liquid supply device 11. The operations of the processing liquid supply device 11 are the first suction operation (step S11), the second suction operation (step S12), the purge operation (step S13), the pressurization operation (step S14), the determination process (step S15), and the discharge. The operation (step S16), the determination process (step S17), the discharge operation (step S18), the first sub-suction operation (step S19), and the second sub-suction operation (step S20) are included. The control unit 31 executes the first suction operation, the second suction operation, the purge operation, and the discharge operation in this order. This series of operations is repeated. Therefore, it can be said that the control unit 31 executes the second suction operation, the purge operation, the discharge operation, and the first suction operation in this order. The control unit 31 executes the pressurizing operation and the determination process in the period after the purging operation and before the discharging operation. Only when it is determined in the determination process that the second pump chamber 21b contains air bubbles, the control unit 31 executes the discharge operation, the first sub-suction operation, and the second sub-suction operation.

FIG. 7-12 is a diagram schematically showing the operation of the processing liquid supply device 11. Note that FIGS. 7-12 are shown simplified as compared with FIG. 5 for convenience. In FIG. 7-12, for convenience, the treatment liquids contained in the first pump chamber 21a and the second pump chamber 21b are designated by reference numeral R.

In the following description, it is assumed that the first pump chamber 21a and the second pump chamber 21b are already filled with the treatment liquid R.

[Step S11: First inhalation operation]
FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing the first suction operation. The control unit 31 controls the piston 27 (that is, the first piston 27a and the second piston 27b) and the valve 61-66 to execute the first suction operation. The first suction operation is an operation of charging the processing liquid R from the pipe 51 into the first pump chamber 21a.

Specifically, the valve 61 opens the pipe 51. Valves 62-66 close pipes 52-56. The first piston 27a moves away from the first pump chamber 21a. The first piston 27a increases the volume of the first pump chamber 21a. As a result, the first pump chamber 21a sucks the treatment liquid R from the pipe 51. The second piston 27b is stationary with respect to the second pump chamber 21b. The second piston 27b does not change the volume of the second pump chamber 21b.

[Step S12: Second inhalation operation]
FIG. 8 schematically shows the second suction operation. The control unit 31 controls the piston 27 and the valves 61-66 to execute the second suction operation. The second suction operation is an operation of charging the processing liquid R from the first pump chamber 21a into the second pump chamber 21b through the pipes 52 and 53 and the filter 41.

Specifically, the valves 62 and 63 open the pipes 52 and 53. Valves 61, 64-66 close pipes 51, 54-56. The first piston 27a presses the first pump chamber 21a. The first piston 27a approaches the first pump chamber 21a. The first piston 27a reduces the volume of the pump chamber 21. The second piston 27b moves away from the second pump chamber 21b. The second piston 27b increases the volume of the second pump chamber 21b. The first pump chamber 21a discharges the processing liquid R into the pipe 52. The treatment liquid R enters the filter 41. The filter 41 filters the treatment liquid R. The filtered treatment liquid R exits from the filter 41 to the pipe 53. The second pump chamber 21b sucks the treatment liquid R from the pipe 53. In this way, the processing liquid R is sent from the first pump chamber 21a to the second pump chamber 21b.

[Step S13: Purge operation]
FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing a purge operation. The control unit 31 executes a purge operation by controlling the piston 27 and the valves 61-66. The purging operation is an operation of returning the processing liquid R from the second pump chamber 21b to the first pump chamber 21a through the pipe 55. The amount of the processing liquid R returned from the second pump chamber 21b to the first pump chamber 21a is relatively small.

Specifically, the valves 61 and 65 open the pipes 51 and 55. Valves 62-64, 66 close pipes 52-54, 56. The first piston 27a is stationary with respect to the first pump chamber 21a. The first piston 27a does not change the volume of the first pump chamber 21a. The second piston 27b presses the second pump chamber 21b. The second piston 27b approaches the second pump chamber 21b a little. The second piston 27b slightly reduces the volume of the second pump chamber 21b. The second pump chamber 21b discharges the processing liquid R to the pipe 55. The treatment liquid R enters the first pump chamber 21a through the pipe 55. Further, the treatment liquid R exits from the first pump chamber 21a to the pipe 51.

[Step S14: Pressurization operation]
FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing a pressurizing operation. The control unit 31 executes a pressurizing operation by controlling the piston 27 and the valves 61-66. The pressurizing operation is an operation in which the pressure of the second pump chamber 21b is increased by the second piston 27b pressing the second pump chamber 21b while the valve 61-66 is blocking the second pump chamber 21b. be.

Specifically, the valves 63-65 close the pipes 53-55. As a result, the second pump chamber 21b is closed. The second piston 27b presses the second pump chamber 21b in a state where the second pump chamber 21b is closed. Specifically, the second piston 27b causes a force F in the direction D1 to act on the second pump chamber 21b. As a result, the pressure in the second pump chamber 21b rises.
That is, the pressure of the processing liquid R in the second pump chamber 21b rises.

In the pressurizing operation, the second piston 27b may or may not move in the direction D1 with respect to the second pump chamber 21b. That is, in the pressurizing operation, the second piston 27b may or may not approach the second pump chamber 21b.

In the pressurizing operation, the valves 61, 62, 66 close the pipes 51, 52, 56. In the pressurizing operation, the first piston 27a is stationary with respect to the first pump chamber 21a.

During the pressurization operation, the second pressure sensor 29b detects the pressure in the second pump chamber 21b.

[Step S15: Judgment process]
The control unit 31 acquires the detection result of the second pressure sensor 29b detected during the execution of the pressurizing operation. The control unit 31 acquires reference information from the storage unit 33. The control unit 31 executes the determination process based on the detection result of the second pressure sensor 29b detected during the execution of the pressurization operation and the reference information stored in the storage unit 33. The determination process is a process for determining whether or not the second pump chamber 21b contains air bubbles. The determination process may be executed during the pressurization operation.

The standard information will be explained. FIG. 13 is a diagram schematically showing the relationship between the pressure and time of the second pump chamber 21b. The horizontal axis of FIG. 13 is time. The vertical axis of FIG. 13 is the pressure of the second pump chamber 21b.

The purge operation ends at time t11. The pressurizing operation starts at time t11.

The waveforms G, H, and I all show the temporal change of the pressure of the second pump chamber 21b during the pressurizing operation. The waveform G is a waveform of the pressure of the second pump chamber 21b containing no bubbles. Waveforms H and I are waveforms of the pressure of the second pump chamber 21b containing bubbles. The waveforms G, H, and I are acquired by experiment or simulation before the operation of the substrate processing device 1 and the processing liquid supply device 11.

The waveforms G, H, and I rise in the period of time t11-t12. Waveforms G, H, and I maintain substantially constant values after time t12. During the period t11-t12, the waveform G is higher than the waveforms H and I. As described above, when the second pump chamber 21b contains air bubbles, the increase in pressure of the second pump chamber 21b during the execution of the pressurizing operation is suppressed as compared with the case where the second pump chamber 21b does not contain air bubbles. Will be done. More specifically, when the second pump chamber 21b contains air bubbles, the pressure of the second pump chamber 21b rises immediately after the pressurization operation is started, as compared with the case where the second pump chamber 21b does not contain air bubbles. Is suppressed.

The waveform G rises sharply and falls sharply during the period of time t11-t12. That is, the waveform G has a spike-shaped portion. The waveform G has a prominent peak. The waveform G includes the maximum value g of the waveform G in the period of time t11-t12.

The waveform H rises sharply and falls sharply during the period of time t11-t12. That is, the waveform H also has a spike-shaped portion. However, the spike-shaped portion in the waveform H is smaller than the spike-shaped portion in the waveform G. The peak of the waveform H is lower than the peak of the waveform G. The maximum value h of the waveform H in the period of time t11-t12 is lower than the maximum value g of the waveform G in the period of time t11-t12.

Waveform I rises sharply during the period t11-t12, but does not fall sharply. That is, the waveform I does not have a spike-like portion. The peak of waveform I is lower than the peak of waveform H. The maximum value i of the waveform I in the period from time t11 to t12 is lower than the maximum value h.

The time t12 is a time point when a predetermined time tb elapses from the time t1. The time t12 is appropriately set so that the difference between the waveforms G, H, and I can be clearly seen.

The reference information is determined based on the waveforms G, H, and I. The reference information includes the lower limit value j. The lower limit value j is, for example, lower than the maximum value g and equal to or higher than the maximum value h.

The control unit 31 extracts the maximum value k in a predetermined period from the detection result of the second pressure sensor 29b. The maximum value k is an instantaneous value. The beginning of the predetermined period is, for example, the time when the pressurizing operation is started. The end of the predetermined period is, for example, the time when the time tb elapses from the time when the pressurizing operation is started.

The control unit 31 compares the maximum value k and the lower limit value j. When the maximum value k is equal to or greater than the lower limit value j, the control unit 31 determines that the second pump chamber 21b does not contain air bubbles. When it is determined that the second pump chamber 21b does not contain air bubbles, the process proceeds to step S16. When the maximum value k is less than the lower limit value j, the control unit 31 determines that the second pump chamber 21b contains air bubbles. When it is determined that the second pump chamber 21b contains air bubbles, the process proceeds to step S17.

[Step S16: Discharge operation]
FIG. 11 is a diagram schematically showing a discharge operation. The control unit 31 controls the piston 27 and the valves 61-66 to execute the discharge operation. The discharge operation is an operation of discharging the processing liquid R from the second pump chamber 21b to the pipe 54.

Specifically, the valve 64 opens the pipe 54. Valves 61-63, 65, 66 close pipes 51-53, 55, 56. The first piston 27a is stationary with respect to the first pump chamber 21a. The first piston 27a does not change the volume of the first pump chamber 21a. The second piston 27b presses the second pump chamber 21b. The second piston 27b approaches the second pump chamber 21b. The second piston 27b reduces the volume of the second pump chamber 21b. The second pump chamber 21b discharges the processing liquid R to the pipe 54.

The treatment liquid R is supplied to the nozzle 7 through the pipe 54. The nozzle 7 supplies the processing liquid R to the substrate W held by the holding portion 3. As a result, processing is performed on one substrate W.

When it is determined in the determination process that the second pump chamber 21b does not contain air bubbles, the control unit 31 starts the discharge operation at the same time as the end of the pressurization operation. In other words, when it is determined in the determination process that the second pump chamber 21b does not contain air bubbles, the control unit 31 executes the pressurizing operation until the discharge operation is started. Therefore, the period of the pressurizing operation may be 1 second or longer, or 1 second or shorter. The control unit 31 continues pressing the second pump chamber 21b by the second piston 27b over the pressurizing operation and the discharging operation. The moment the valve 64 opens the pipe 54, the purge operation is switched to the discharge operation.

After the discharge operation is completed, the process returns to step S1.

[Step S18: Determination process]
The control unit 31 executes the determination process based on the detection result of the second pressure sensor 29b detected during the execution of the pressurization operation and the reference information stored in the storage unit 33. The determination process is a process of determining the number of times N to execute the discharge operation.

Here, the principle of the determination process will be described. The present inventor has found that the pressure of the second pump chamber 21b during the execution of the pressurizing operation fluctuates relatively greatly depending on the size of the bubbles contained in the second pump chamber 21b.

See FIG. 13. The waveform H is a waveform of the pressure in the second pump chamber 21b containing relatively small bubbles. The waveform G is a waveform of the pressure in the second pump chamber 21b containing relatively large bubbles. As described above, the peak of the waveform I in the pressurizing operation is lower than the peak of the waveform H in the pressurizing operation. As described above, the larger the bubbles contained in the second pump chamber 21b, the more the increase in pressure in the second pump chamber 21b during the execution of the pressurizing operation is suppressed.

Furthermore, the present inventor has found that when the bubbles are relatively large, the bubbles can be easily discharged as compared with the case where the bubbles are relatively small. It is considered that this is because the larger the bubbles, the easier the bubbles can be discharged from the second pump chamber 21b, and the more easily the bubbles can flow through the flow path in the pipes 51-56.

Based on the above findings, the principle of the determination process is as follows. When the detection result of the second pressure sensor 29b detected during the execution of the pressurizing operation is close to the waveform H, it is determined that the bubbles in the pump chamber 21 are relatively small. Further, when it is determined that the bubbles in the pump chamber 21 are relatively small, the number of times N for executing the discharge operation is determined to be a relatively large value. When the detection result of the second pressure sensor 29b detected during the execution of the pressurizing operation is close to the waveform I, it can be determined that the bubbles in the pump chamber 21 are relatively large. Further, when it is determined that the bubbles in the pump chamber 21 are relatively large, the number of times N for executing the discharge operation is determined to be a relatively small value.

A specific example of the determination process will be described.

The reference information includes a predetermined value m. The predetermined value m is determined based on the waveforms H and I. The predetermined value m is, for example, the maximum value h or less and the maximum value i or more. The control unit 31 uses the maximum value k as the detection result of the second pressure sensor 29b detected during the execution of the pressurizing operation. The control unit 31 determines whether or not the maximum value k is larger than the predetermined value m. When the maximum value k is less than the predetermined value m, the number of times N is determined to be the value n1. When the maximum value k is equal to or greater than the predetermined value m, the number of times N is determined to be the value n2. However, the value n2 is larger than the value n1. The values n1 and n2 are integers. The value n1 is, for example, 3. The value n2 is, for example, 5.

Here, it is preferable that all of the processing liquid R contained in the second pump chamber 21b can be discharged at the time of the determination process when the discharge operation is repeatedly executed n1 times. For example, it is assumed that the second pump chamber 21b has a maximum volume V. The amount of the processing liquid R discharged from the second pump chamber 21b by one discharge operation is defined as the discharge amount Qout. In this case, the value n1 is preferably a value p or more obtained by dividing the maximum volume V by the emission amount Qout. According to this, the processing liquid R having a maximum volume V or more can be discharged from the second pump chamber 21b by the n1 discharge operation executed after the determination process and before the discharge operation. Further, the value n2 is preferably twice or more the value p. According to this, the processing liquid R having a maximum volume V of twice or more can be discharged from the second pump chamber 21b by n2 discharge operations executed after the determination process and before the discharge operation.

Here, the maximum volume V is, for example, the volume of the second pump chamber 21b when the second piston 27b is located at the position farthest from the second pump chamber 21b.

[Step S18: Discharge operation]
FIG. 12 is a diagram schematically showing a discharge operation. The control unit 31 controls the piston 27 and the valves 61-66 to execute the discharge operation. In the discharge operation, air bubbles are returned from the second pump chamber 21b to the first pump chamber 21a through the pipe 55, air bubbles are sent from the first pump chamber 21a to the filter 41 through the pipe 52, and air bubbles are discharged from the filter 41 to the pipe 56. It is an operation to do.

Specifically, the valves 62, 65, 66 open the pipes 52, 55, 56. The valves 61, 63, 64 close the pipes 51, 53, 54. The first piston 27a is stationary with respect to the first pump chamber 21a. The first piston 27a does not change the volume of the first pump chamber 21a. The second piston 27b approaches the second pump chamber 21b. The second piston 27b reduces the volume of the second pump chamber 21b. The second pump chamber 21b discharges air bubbles into the pipe 55. Bubbles enter the first pump chamber 21a from the pipe 55. Bubbles are sent from the first pump chamber 21a to the filter 41 through the pipe 52. Further, the bubbles exit from the filter 41 to the pipe 56. The treatment liquid R also flows together with bubbles. Specifically, the treatment liquid R flows from the second pump chamber 21b to the pipe 56 through the first pump chamber 21a, the filter 41 and the pipes 52 and 55.

As a result, one discharge operation is completed. The control unit 31 counts the number of discharge operations executed after the determination process.

[Step S19: First sub-inhalation operation]
The control unit 31 controls the piston 27 and the valves 61-66 to execute the first sub-suction operation. The first sub-inhalation operation is the same as the first inhalation operation. That is, the first sub-suction operation is an operation of charging the processing liquid R from the pipe 51 into the first pump chamber 21a.

[Step S20: Second sub-inhalation operation]
The control unit 31 controls the piston 27 and the valves 61-66 to execute the second sub-suction operation. The second sub-suction operation is the same as the second suction operation. That is, the second sub-suction operation is an operation of charging the processing liquid R from the first pump chamber 21a into the second pump chamber 21b through the pipes 52 and 53 and the filter 41.

[Step S21: Did the discharge operation be executed N times? ]
Based on the counted number of discharge operations and the number of times N determined in the determination process, the control unit 31 determines whether or not the discharge operation has been executed N times after the determination process. If it is determined that the ejection operation has not been executed N times, the process returns to step 18. If it is determined that the ejection operation has been executed N times, the process returns to step 13. As a result, the control unit 31 repeatedly executes the discharge operation a number of times N determined in the determination process.

The purge operation described above is an example of the return operation in the present invention. The pressurizing operation is an example of the pressurizing operation and the second pressurizing operation in the present invention. The detection result of the second pressure sensor 29b is an example of the detection result and the second detection result in the present invention. The determination process is an example of the determination process and the second determination process in the present invention. The discharge operation is an example of the discharge operation and the second discharge operation in the present invention.

The operation of the treatment liquid supply device 11 described above is an example of the liquid supply method in the present invention. The discharge operation is an example of the discharge process in the present invention. The pressurization operation is an example of the pressurization step in the present invention. The operation of the second pressure sensor 29b during the execution of the pressurization operation is an example of the pressure detection step in the present invention. The determination process is an example of the determination process in the present invention. The discharge operation is an example of the discharge process in the present invention.

3. 3. Effect According to the second embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment is obtained. Further, according to the second embodiment, the following effects are obtained.

The control unit 31 executes the pressurizing operation and the determination process. Therefore, air bubbles contained in the second pump chamber 21b can be suitably detected.

The detection result used as the basis of the determination process includes the maximum value k. The maximum value k is an instantaneous value of the pressure in the second pump chamber 21b during the execution of the pressurizing operation. Therefore, the control unit 31 executes the determination process based on the instantaneous value of the pressure in the second pump chamber 21b during the pressurization operation. According to this, the control unit 31 can efficiently determine whether or not the pump chamber 21 contains air bubbles. That is, the amount of calculation in the determination process can be reduced.

The reference information includes the lower limit value j. Therefore, the determination process can determine whether or not the second pump chamber 21b contains air bubbles based on the magnitude relationship between the lower limit value j and the maximum value k. That is, the determination process does not use the threshold value c described in the first embodiment. Therefore, the determination process can be simplified. The reference information does not have to include the threshold value c.

When it is determined in the determination process that the second pump chamber 21b contains air bubbles, the control unit 31 executes a discharge operation. Therefore, air bubbles can be automatically discharged from the second pump chamber 21b.

The control unit 31 executes the pressurizing operation and the determination process in the period after the purging operation and before the discharging operation. Therefore, it is possible to prevent air bubbles from being emitted from the second pump chamber 21b to the pipe 54 in the discharge operation.

When it is determined in the determination process that bubbles are not included, the control unit 31 starts the discharge operation at the same time as the end of the pressurization operation. Therefore, the time required for the entire pressurizing operation and discharging operation can be suitably shortened.

The control unit 31 continues pressing the second pump chamber 21b by the second piston 27b over the pressurizing operation and the discharging operation. Therefore, at the start of the discharge operation, the second pump chamber 21b is already pressurized. Therefore, the processing liquid R can be smoothly discharged from the second pump chamber 21b to the pipe 54 from the moment when the discharge operation is started.

The control unit 31 re-executes the pressurizing operation and the determination process after the discharging operation and before the discharging operation. It can be confirmed whether or not the bubbles have been removed from the second pump chamber 21b in the pressurizing operation and the determination process to be executed again. Further, the discharge operation is continued until it is confirmed that the bubbles have been removed from the second pump chamber 21b. Therefore, air bubbles can be reliably removed from the second pump chamber 21b.

The discharge operation uses pipes 52, 55, and 56 to discharge air bubbles in the second pump chamber 21b. Therefore, air bubbles in the second pump chamber 21b can be removed without producing air bubbles from the second pump chamber 21b to the pipe 54.

When it is determined that the second pump chamber 21b contains air bubbles, the control unit 31 repeatedly executes the discharge operation. As a result, air bubbles in the second pump chamber 21b can be discharged more reliably.

The determination process determines the number of times N to execute the discharge operation based on the detection result of the second pressure sensor 29b detected during the execution of the pressurization operation and the reference information. Therefore, for this reason, the number of times N can be appropriately determined.

The detection result on which the determination process is based includes the maximum value k. The maximum value k is an instantaneous value of the pressure in the second pump chamber 21b during the execution of the pressurizing operation. Therefore, the control unit 31 executes the determination process based on the instantaneous value of the pressure in the second pump chamber 21b during the pressurization operation. According to this, the amount of calculation in the determination process can be reduced.

The control unit 31 repeatedly executes the discharge operation a number of times N determined in the determination process. Specifically, after the determination process and before the discharge operation, the control unit 31 executes the discharge operation N times. Therefore, air bubbles can be reliably and efficiently discharged from the second pump chamber 21b.

In the determination process, the number of times N is determined according to the size of the bubbles contained in the second pump chamber 21b. In other words, the determination process changes the number of times N according to the size of the bubbles contained in the second pump chamber 21b. Therefore, the number of times N can be appropriately determined.

In the determination process, the number of times N is determined so that the number of times N decreases as the bubbles increase. Specifically, when it is determined that the bubbles contained in the second pump chamber 21b are large, the determination process determines the value n1 as the number of times N. When it is determined that the bubbles contained in the second pump chamber 21b are small, the determination process determines a value n2 larger than the value n1 as the number of times N. This reduces the number of times the discharge operation is performed when the bubbles are relatively large. As a result, the time required for the discharging operation can be shortened. If the bubbles are relatively small, increase the number of times the discharge operation is performed. As a result, air bubbles can be reliably discharged from the second pump chamber 21b.

When the value n1 of the number of times N is equal to or greater than the value p, all of the processing liquid R contained in the second pump chamber 21b at the time of the determination process is discharged. Therefore, air bubbles can be accurately removed from the second pump chamber 21b.

When the value n2 of the number of times N is twice or more the value p, all of the processing liquid R contained in the second pump chamber 21b at the time of the determination process is discharged. Therefore, air bubbles can be removed more accurately from the second pump chamber 21b.

When it is determined in the determination process that the second pump chamber 21b contains air bubbles, the control unit 31 causes the first sub-suction operation and the second sub-suction operation to be executed in addition to the discharge operation. More specifically, after the determination process determines that the second pump chamber 21b contains air bubbles, and before the discharge operation, the control unit 31 sets the first sub-suction operation and the second sub-suction in addition to the discharge operation. Perform the operation. Therefore, the treatment liquid R contained in the second pump chamber 21b at the time of the determination processing can be replaced with a new treatment liquid R. Therefore, air bubbles can be suitably discharged from the second pump chamber 21b.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments 1 and 2, and can be modified as follows.

(1) In the above-described first embodiment, the control unit 31 executes the pressurization operation and the determination process in the period after the discharge operation and before the suction operation. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 31 may execute the pressurizing operation and the determination process in the period after the suction operation and before the discharge operation. The control unit 31 may execute the pressurizing operation and the determination process in the period after the suction operation and before the discharge operation, and in the period after the discharge operation and before the suction operation.

(2) In the second embodiment described above, the control unit 31 executes the pressurizing operation and the determination process in the period after the purging operation and before the discharging operation. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 31 may execute the pressurization operation and the determination process in the period after the discharge operation and before the first suction operation. The control unit 31 may execute the pressurizing operation and the determination process in the period after the discharge operation and before the first suction operation, and after the purge operation and before the discharge operation.

(3) In the above-described first and second embodiments, the pressurization operation and the determination process are executed every time the discharge operation is executed once. However, it is not limited to this. The pressurizing operation and the determination process may be executed every time the discharging operation is executed two or more times.

(4) In the above-described first embodiment, the pressurizing operation and the determination process are executed every time the suction operation is executed. However, it is not limited to this. The pressurizing operation and the determination process may be executed every time the suction operation is executed two or more times. The second embodiment may be changed in the same manner.

(5) In the above-described first embodiment, the pressurizing operation and the determination process are not executed in the period after the discharging operation and before the discharging operation. However, it is not limited to this. The pressurizing operation and the determination process may be executed again in the period after the discharging operation and before the discharging operation. Specifically, in the flowchart shown in FIG. 2, after the end of step S6, the process may return to step S3.

(6) In the second embodiment described above, the pressurizing operation and the determination process related to the first pump chamber 21a are not executed. Therefore, the first pressure sensor 29a may be omitted.

(7) In the second embodiment described above, the pressurizing operation and the determination process related to the first pump chamber 21a are not executed. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the first pressurizing operation and the first determination process related to the first pump chamber 21a may be executed. For example, the first pressurizing operation and the first determination process related to the first pump chamber 21a and the second pressurizing operation and the second determination process related to the second pump chamber 21b may be executed.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the operation procedure of the processing liquid supply device 11 according to the modified embodiment. The same operation as in the second embodiment will be appropriately omitted.

The operations of the processing liquid supply device 11 according to the modified embodiment are the first suction operation (step S21), the first pressurization operation (step S22), the first determination process (step S23), and the second suction operation (step S24). And the discharge operation (step S25) and the first discharge operation (step S26) are included. The control unit 31 executes the first suction operation, the second suction operation, and the discharge operation in this order. This series of operations is repeated. The control unit 31 executes the first pressurizing step and the first determination step in the period after the first suction operation and before the second suction operation. Only when it is determined in the first determination process that the first pump chamber 21a contains air bubbles, the control unit 31 executes the first discharge operation. The operation of the processing liquid supply device 11 does not include a purge operation, a first sub-suction operation, and a second sub-suction operation.

FIG. 15 is a diagram schematically showing the operation of the processing liquid supply device 11. Note that FIG. 15 is shown simplified as compared with FIG. 5 for convenience. In FIG. 15, for convenience, the treatment liquids contained in the first pump chamber 21a and the second pump chamber 21b are designated by the reference numeral R.

[Step S22: First pressurization step]
FIG. 15A is a diagram schematically showing the first pressurizing operation. The control unit 31 executes the first pressurizing operation by controlling the piston 27 and the valves 61-66. In the first pressurizing operation, the pressure in the first pump chamber 21a is increased by the first piston 27a pressing the first pump chamber 21a in a state where the valves 61-66 are blocking the first pump chamber 21a. It is an operation.

Specifically, the valves 61, 62, 65 close the pipes 51, 52, 55. As a result, the first pump chamber 21a is closed. With the first pump chamber 21a closed, the first piston 27a presses the first pump chamber 21a. Specifically, the first piston 27a causes a force F in the direction D1 to act on the first pump chamber 21a. As a result, the pressure in the first pump chamber 21a rises.

In the first pressurizing operation, the valves 63, 64, 666 close the pipes 53, 54, 56. In the first pressurizing operation, the second piston 27b is stationary with respect to the second pump chamber 21b.

During the execution of the first pressurizing operation, the first pressure sensor 29a detects the pressure in the first pump chamber 21a.

[Step S23: First determination process]
The control unit 31 acquires the detection result of the first pressure sensor 29a detected during the execution of the first pressurization operation. The control unit 31 acquires reference information from the storage unit 33. The control unit 31 executes the first determination process based on the detection result of the first pressure sensor 29a detected during the execution of the first pressurization operation and the reference information stored in the storage unit 33. The first determination process is a process for determining whether or not the first pump chamber 21a contains air bubbles.

The reference information used in the first determination process may be the same as or different from the reference information used in the determination process (step 15) of the second embodiment.

When it is determined that the first pump chamber 21a does not contain air bubbles, the process proceeds to step S24. When it is determined that the first pump chamber 21a contains air bubbles, the process proceeds to step S26.

[Step S26: First discharge operation]
FIG. 15B is a diagram schematically showing the first discharge operation. The control unit 31 executes the first discharge operation by controlling the piston 27 and the valves 61-66. The first discharge operation is an operation of sending air bubbles from the first pump chamber 21a to the filter 41 through the pipe 52 and discharging air bubbles from the filter 41 to the pipe 56.

Specifically, the valves 62 and 66 open the pipes 52 and 56. Valves 61, 63-65 close pipes 51, 53-55. The first piston 27a presses the first pump chamber 21a. The first piston 27a approaches the first pump chamber 21a. The first piston 27a reduces the volume of the first pump chamber 21a. The first pump chamber 21a discharges air bubbles into the pipe 52. Bubbles enter the filter 41 from the pipe 52. Further, the bubbles exit from the filter 41 to the pipe 56. The treatment liquid R also flows from the first pump chamber 21a to the pipe 56 through the filter 41 and the pipe 52 together with the air bubbles.

After the end of the first ejection operation, the process returns to step S21.

According to the present modification, the control unit 31 executes the first pressurizing operation and the first determination process. Therefore, air bubbles contained in the first pump chamber 21a can be suitably detected.

When it is determined in the first determination process that the first pump chamber 21a contains air bubbles, the control unit 31 executes the first discharge operation. Therefore, air bubbles can be automatically discharged from the first pump chamber 21a.

In the first discharge operation, the air bubbles in the first pump chamber 21a are discharged using the pipes 52 and 56. Therefore, the bubbles in the first pump chamber 21a can be removed without sending the bubbles from the first pump chamber 21a to the pipe 54. That is, the bubbles in the first pump chamber 21a can be removed without sending bubbles from the first pump chamber 21a to the second pump chamber 21b.

In this modification, the control unit 31 executes the first pressurizing operation and the first determination process in the period after the first suction operation and before the second suction operation. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 31 may execute the first pressurization operation and the first determination process in the period after the second suction operation and before the purge operation. For example, the control unit 31 may execute the first pressurizing operation and the first determination process in the period after the purging operation and before the first suction operation.

When the second pressurizing operation and the second determination process related to the second pump chamber 21b are not executed as in the present modification embodiment, the second pressure sensor 29b may be omitted.

The above-mentioned first pressurizing operation is an example of the pressurizing operation and the first pressurizing operation in the present invention. The detection result of the first pressure sensor 29a is an example of the detection result and the first detection result in the present invention. The first determination process is an example of the determination process and the first determination process in the present invention. The first discharge operation is an example of the discharge operation and the first discharge operation in the present invention.

The operation of the treatment liquid supply device 11 described above is an example of the liquid supply method in the present invention. The discharge operation is an example of the discharge process in the present invention. The first pressurizing operation is an example of the pressurizing step in the present invention. The operation of the first pressure sensor 29a during the execution of the first pressurization operation is an example of the pressure detection step in the present invention. The first determination process is an example of the determination step in the present invention. The first discharge operation is an example of the discharge process in the present invention.

(8) In the above-described first and second embodiments, the size of the bubbles contained in the pump chamber 21 is not determined in the determination process. However, it is not limited to this. The determination process further determines the size of bubbles contained in the pump chamber 21 based on the detection result of the pressure sensor 29 detected during the execution of the pressurization operation and the reference information stored in the storage unit 33. May be good. In other words, the control unit 31 determines whether or not the pump chamber contains air bubbles based on the detection result of the pressure sensor 29 detected during the execution of the pressurization operation and the reference information stored in the storage unit 33. However, a determination process for determining the size of bubbles contained in the pump chamber 21 may be executed.

(9) In the above-described first and second embodiments, the control unit 31 executes the determination process based on the instantaneous value of the pressure in the pump chamber 21 / second pump chamber 21b during the execution of the pressurizing operation. That is, the detection result on which the determination process is based is the instantaneous value d or the maximum value k detected at a predetermined time point. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the detection result on which the determination process is based may include the waveform of the pressure detected in a predetermined period. In other words, the detection result on which the determination process is based may include time series data of the pressure detected in a predetermined period. Alternatively, the detection result on which the determination process is based may include the average value of the pressures detected in a predetermined period. For example, the detection result on which the determination process is based may include at least one of an instantaneous value of pressure, a waveform of pressure, and an average value of pressure. In short, the detection result on which the determination process is based may include at least one of the instantaneous value of pressure, the waveform of pressure, and the average value of pressure detected during the execution of the pressurizing operation. In other words, the control unit 31 has a waveform of the instantaneous value of the pressure in the pump chamber 21 / second pump chamber 21b during the pressurization operation and the pressure waveform of the pump chamber 21 / second pump chamber 21b during the pressurization operation. , And, the determination process may be executed based on at least one of the average values of the pressures of the pump chamber 21 / the second pump chamber 21b during the execution of the pressurizing operation. The predetermined period is all or part of the period in which the pressurizing operation is executed. That is, the predetermined period is at least a part of the period during which the pressurizing operation is performed.

The detection result that is the basis of the determination process may be changed in the same manner. For example, the detection result on which the determination process is based may include at least one of an instantaneous value of pressure, a waveform of pressure, and an average value of pressure detected during the pressurization operation. For example, the control unit 31 performs a determination process based on at least one of the instantaneous value of the pressure in the pump chamber 21 / the second pump chamber 21b, the waveform of the pressure, and the average value of the pressure during the execution of the pressurizing operation. You may do it.

The reference information may be appropriately changed according to the detection result which is the basis of the determination process. The reference information may be appropriately changed depending on the detection result that is the basis of the determination process. For example, the reference information may include at least one of waveforms A, B, G, H, and I.

(10) In the above-described first embodiment, the detection result which is the basis of the determination process is one instantaneous value d. However, it is not limited to this. The detection result on which the determination process is based may include a plurality of instantaneous values. That is, the determination process may be executed based on the instantaneous value of one or more pressures detected during the execution of the pressurizing operation. In other words, the control unit 31 may execute the determination process based on the instantaneous value of one or more pressures of the pump chamber 21 during the execution of the pressurizing operation. The second embodiment may be changed in the same manner.

The detection result that is the basis of the determination process may be changed in the same manner.

(11) In the above-described first and second embodiments, the reference information is determined based on the waveforms A, B, G, H, and I. However, it is not limited to this. Reference information may be determined based on information about the pressure in the pump chamber 21 during the pressurization operation.

(12) In the second embodiment described above, the reference information includes the lower limit value j. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the reference information may further include an upper limit. When the maximum value k is equal to or greater than the lower limit value j and is equal to or less than the upper limit value, the determination process may determine that the second pump chamber 21b does not contain bubbles. For example, the reference information may include tolerances. When the detection result of the pressure sensor 29 detected during the execution of the pressurizing operation is within the permissible range, the determination process may determine that the second pump chamber 21b does not contain air bubbles.

(13) In the above-described first embodiment, when it is determined in the determination process that the pump chamber 21 contains air bubbles, the discharge operation is executed once. However, it is not limited to this. That is, when it is determined in the determination process that the pump chamber 21 contains air bubbles, the control unit 31 may execute the discharge operation twice or more. More specifically, after the pump chamber 21 is determined to contain air bubbles in the determination process, the control unit 31 may execute the discharge operation twice or more before the discharge operation.

(14) In the first embodiment described above, the discharge amount of the treatment liquid R due to the discharge operation may be appropriately set. For example, when it is determined in the determination process that the pump chamber 21 contains air bubbles, the control unit 31 may discharge the treatment liquid R having a maximum volume or more of the pump chamber 21 from the pump chamber 21 by the discharge operation. More specifically, after the pump chamber 21 is determined to contain air bubbles in the determination process, and before the discharge operation, the control unit 31 performs one or two or more discharge operations to exceed the maximum volume of the pump chamber 21. The treatment liquid R may be discharged from the pump chamber 21. The second embodiment can be changed in the same manner.

For example, when it is determined in the determination process that the air bubbles in the pump chamber 21 are relatively large, the control unit 31 may discharge the treatment liquid R having a maximum volume or more of the pump chamber 21 from the pump chamber 21 by the discharge operation. good. For example, when it is determined in the determination process that the air bubbles in the pump chamber 21 are relatively small, the control unit 31 discharges the treatment liquid R, which is at least twice the maximum volume of the pump chamber 21, from the pump chamber 21 by the discharge operation. You may let me. The second embodiment can be changed in the same manner.

Here, the maximum volume is, for example, the volume of the pump chamber 21 when the piston 27 is at the position farthest from the pump chamber 21.

(15) In the above-described first and second embodiments, the discharge operation is executed. However, it is not limited to this. That is, it is not necessary to execute the discharge operation. For example, when it is determined in the determination process that the pump chamber 21 contains air bubbles, the control unit 31 may stop the operation of the processing liquid supply device 11. After the treatment liquid supply device 11 is stopped, air bubbles in the pump chamber 21 may be manually removed. For example, when it is determined in the determination process that the pump chamber 21 contains air bubbles, the control unit 31 may notify the user of the result of the determination process.

(16) In the above-described first and second embodiments, the discharge operation discharges the processing liquid R together with air bubbles from the pump chamber 21. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the discharge operation does not have to discharge the processing liquid R from the pump chamber 21. That is, in the discharge operation, only bubbles may be discharged from the pump chamber 21.

(17) In the above-described first and second embodiments, the discharge operation discharges the treatment liquid R together with bubbles. However, it is not limited to this. Bubbles may be removed from the discharged treatment liquid R, and the treatment liquid R from which the bubbles have been removed may be returned to the pump chamber 21.

(18) In the first embodiment described above, the discharge operation is an operation of discharging bubbles from the pump chamber 21 to the discharge pipe 16. However, it is not limited to this. The discharge operation may be changed as appropriate. For example, when the liquid supply device 11 includes a filter communicating with the pump chamber 21, the discharge operation may be changed to an operation of discharging air bubbles from the pump chamber 21 through the filter. Also in this modification, it is possible to suitably prevent air bubbles in the pump chamber 21 from flowing into the nozzle 7.

For example, the filter is provided on the discharge pipe 15. The filter is arranged between the pump chamber 21 and the nozzle 7. The filter includes a filter body and a discharge port for discharging gas in the filter body. In this case, the discharge operation may be changed to an operation in which bubbles are sent from the pump chamber 21 to the filter through the discharge pipe 15 and bubbles are discharged from the filter through the discharge port.

(19) In the first embodiment described above, the control unit 31 executes a sub-suction operation before the discharge operation. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 31 may execute the sub-suction operation after the discharge operation. In the second embodiment described above, the control unit 31 executes the first sub-suction operation after the discharge operation. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 31 may execute the first sub-suction operation before the discharge operation. In the second embodiment described above, the control unit 31 executes the second sub-suction operation after the discharge operation. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 31 may execute the second sub-suction operation before the discharge operation.

(20) In the above-described first embodiment, the operation of the treatment liquid supply device 11 includes a sub-suction operation. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the sub-inhalation operation may be omitted. In the second embodiment described above, the operation of the treatment liquid supply device 11 includes a first sub-suction operation and a second sub-suction operation. However, it is not limited to this. For example, at least one of the first sub-inhalation operation and the second sub-inhalation operation may be omitted.

(21) In the first embodiment described above, the inhalation amount of the treatment liquid R by the sub-inhalation operation may be appropriately set. For example, when it is determined in the determination process that the pump chamber 21 contains air bubbles, the control unit 31 may put the treatment liquid R having a maximum volume or more of the pump chamber 21 into the pump chamber 21 by the sub-suction operation. More specifically, after the pump chamber 21 is determined to contain air bubbles in the determination process, and before the discharge operation, the control unit 31 performs one or more sub-suction operations to obtain the maximum volume of the pump chamber 21. The above processing liquid R may be put into the pump chamber 21. The second embodiment can be changed in the same manner.

For example, when it is determined in the determination process that the air bubbles in the pump chamber 21 are relatively large, the control unit 31 may put the treatment liquid R having a maximum volume or more in the pump chamber 21 into the pump chamber 21 by the sub-suction operation. good. For example, when it is determined in the determination process that the air bubbles in the pump chamber 21 are relatively small, the control unit 31 transfers the treatment liquid R, which is at least twice the maximum volume of the pump chamber 21, to the pump chamber 21 by the sub-suction operation. You may put it in. The second embodiment can be changed in the same manner.

(22) In the second embodiment described above, the operation of the treatment liquid supply device 11 includes a purge operation. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the purge operation may be omitted. In the case of this modification, the control unit 31 executes the first suction operation, the second suction operation, and the discharge operation in this order. This series of operations is repeated. Therefore, it can be said that the control unit 31 executes the second suction operation, the discharge operation, and the first suction operation in this order. For example, the control unit 31 may execute the pressurizing operation and the determination process in the period after the second suction operation and before the discharge operation. For example, the control unit 31 may execute the pressurization operation and the determination process in the period after the discharge operation and before the first suction operation. For example, the control unit 31 may execute the pressurizing operation and the determination process in the period after the discharge operation and before the first suction operation, and after the second suction operation and before the discharge operation. ..

(23) In the above-described first and second embodiments, the number of openings 23-25 communicating with the pump chamber 21 is three. However, it is not limited to this. The number of openings communicating with the pump chamber 21 may be one or two. In the case of the present modification, for example, by branching the pipe connected to the pump chamber 21, the suction flow path, the discharge flow path, and the discharge flow path communicating with the pump chamber 21 can be formed. Further, by providing a three-way valve or the like on the pipe, the suction flow path, the discharge flow path, and the discharge flow path can be appropriately switched. Alternatively, the number of openings communicating with the pump chamber 21 may be four or more.

(24) In the above-described first and second embodiments, the diaphragm 26 is exemplified as the movable partition member. However, it is not limited to this. The movable bulkhead member may be, for example, a tube flam or bellows.

(25) In the above-described first and second embodiments, the diaphragm 26 partitions a part of the pump chamber 21. However, it is not limited to this. The movable partition member may partition the entire pump chamber 21.

(26) In the above-described first and second embodiments, the piston 27 is connected to the diaphragm 26. However, it is not limited to this. The piston 27 does not have to come into contact with the diaphragm 26. In the above-described first and second embodiments, the piston 27 directly presses the diaphragm 26. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the piston 27 may indirectly press the diaphragm 26. For example, the piston 27 may press the diaphragm 26 via an indirect fluid or working fluid. Alternatively, the piston 27 may come into contact with the pump chamber 21 (treatment liquid R of the pump chamber 21). The piston 27 may directly press the pump chamber 21 (treatment liquid R of the pump chamber 21).

(27) In the above-described first and second embodiments, the piston 27 is exemplified as the movable member. However, it is not limited to this. The movable member may be, for example, a rod or a shaft.

(28) In the above-described first and second embodiments, the suction pipe 14 / pipe 51 is directly connected to the treatment liquid supply source 10. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the suction pipe 14 / pipe 51 may be indirectly connected to the treatment liquid supply source 10. In the first and second embodiments, the discharge pipe 15 / pipe 54 is directly connected to the nozzle 7. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the discharge pipe 15 / pipe 54 may be indirectly connected to the nozzle 7.

(29) For each of the above-described embodiments 1 and 2 and each of the modified embodiments described in (1) to (28) above, each configuration may be further replaced or combined with the configuration of another modified embodiment as appropriate. You may change it.

1 ... Board processing device 3 ... Holding unit 7 ... Nozzle 13 ... Pump device 13a ... 1st pump device 13b ... 2nd pump device 14 ... Suction pipe 15 ... Discharge pipe 16 ... Discharge pipe 17-19 ... Valve 21 ... Pump room 21a … First pump room (pump room)
21b ... Second pump room (pump room)
22 ... Housing 26 ... Diaphragm (movable partition member)
27 ... Piston (movable member)
27a ... 1st piston (movable member, 1st movable member)
27b ... 2nd piston (movable member, 2nd movable member)
29 ... Pressure sensor 29a ... First pressure sensor (pressure sensor, first pressure sensor)
29b ... Second pressure sensor (pressure sensor, second pressure sensor)
31 ... Control unit 33 ... Storage unit 51 ... Piping (first suction pipe)
52 ... Piping (first discharge pipe)
53 ... Piping (second suction pipe)
54 ... Piping (second discharge pipe)
55 ... Piping (return pipe)
56 ... Piping (exhaust pipe)
61-66 ... Valve a2 ... Instantaneous value (reference information)
c ... Threshold value (reference information)
d ... Instantaneous value (pressure sensor detection result)
j ... Lower limit (reference information)
k ... Maximum value (pressure sensor detection result)
m ... Predetermined value (standard information)
N, n1, n2 ... Number of times determined in the determination process R ... Treatment liquid (liquid)
W ... Board

Claims (20)

In the liquid supply device
A pump room for storing liquids and
A movable member that is movably provided with respect to the pump chamber and presses the pump chamber,
A pressure sensor that detects the pressure in the pump chamber and
A valve that can close the pump chamber and
A storage unit that stores reference information and
A control unit that acquires the detection result detected by the pressure sensor, and
Equipped with
The control unit executes a pressurizing operation by controlling the movable member and the valve.
The pressurizing operation is an operation of increasing the pressure in the pump chamber by the movable member pressing the pump chamber in a state where the valve closes the pump chamber.
The control unit further determines whether or not the pump chamber contains air bubbles based on the detection result detected during the execution of the pressurization operation and the reference information stored in the storage unit. Execute the judgment process and
The determination process is a liquid supply device that further determines the size of bubbles contained in the pump chamber based on the detection result and the reference information detected during the execution of the pressurization operation . In the liquid supply device according to claim 1 ,
A discharge flow path that communicates with the pump chamber is provided.
The control unit controls the movable member and the valve to execute a discharge operation of discharging liquid from the pump chamber to the discharge flow path.
The control unit is a liquid supply device that executes the pressurizing operation and the determination process each time the discharging operation is executed. In the liquid supply device of claim 2 ,
When it is determined in the determination process that the pump chamber does not contain air bubbles, the control unit starts the discharge operation at the same time as the end of the pressurization operation, and the movable member covers the pressurization operation and the discharge operation. A liquid supply device that keeps pressing the pump chamber. In the liquid supply device
A pump room for storing liquids and
A movable member that is movably provided with respect to the pump chamber and presses the pump chamber,
A pressure sensor that detects the pressure in the pump chamber and
A valve that can close the pump chamber and
A discharge flow path communicating with the pump chamber and
A storage unit that stores reference information and
A control unit that acquires the detection result detected by the pressure sensor, and
Equipped with
The control unit executes a pressurizing operation by controlling the movable member and the valve.
The pressurizing operation is an operation of increasing the pressure in the pump chamber by the movable member pressing the pump chamber in a state where the valve closes the pump chamber.
The control unit further determines whether or not the pump chamber contains air bubbles based on the detection result detected during the execution of the pressurization operation and the reference information stored in the storage unit. Execute the judgment process and
The control unit controls the movable member and the valve to execute a discharge operation of discharging liquid from the pump chamber to the discharge flow path.
The control unit executes the pressurizing operation and the determination process each time the discharging operation is executed.
The control unit is a liquid supply device that starts the pressurizing operation at the same time as the end of the discharging operation, and continues pressing the pump chamber by the movable member over the discharging operation and the pressurizing operation . In the liquid supply device
A pump room for storing liquids and
A movable member that is movably provided with respect to the pump chamber and presses the pump chamber,
A pressure sensor that detects the pressure in the pump chamber and
A valve that can close the pump chamber and
A discharge flow path communicating with the pump chamber and
The discharge flow path communicating with the pump chamber and
A storage unit that stores reference information and
A control unit that acquires the detection result detected by the pressure sensor, and
Equipped with
The control unit executes a pressurizing operation by controlling the movable member and the valve.
The pressurizing operation is an operation of increasing the pressure in the pump chamber by the movable member pressing the pump chamber in a state where the valve closes the pump chamber.
The control unit further determines whether or not the pump chamber contains air bubbles based on the detection result detected during the execution of the pressurization operation and the reference information stored in the storage unit. Execute the judgment process and
The control unit controls the movable member and the valve to execute a discharge operation of discharging liquid from the pump chamber to the discharge flow path.
The control unit executes the pressurizing operation and the determination process each time the discharging operation is executed.
The control unit controls the movable member and the valve to execute a discharge operation of discharging bubbles from the pump chamber to the discharge flow path.
When it is determined in the determination process that the pump chamber does not contain air bubbles, the control unit executes the discharge operation.
When it is determined in the determination process that the pump chamber contains air bubbles, the control unit executes the discharge operation.
When it is determined in the determination process that the pump chamber contains air bubbles, the control unit is a liquid supply device that repeatedly executes the discharge operation twice or more . In the liquid supply device
A pump room for storing liquids and
A movable member that is movably provided with respect to the pump chamber and presses the pump chamber,
A pressure sensor that detects the pressure in the pump chamber and
A valve that can close the pump chamber and
A discharge flow path communicating with the pump chamber and
The discharge flow path communicating with the pump chamber and
A storage unit that stores reference information and
A control unit that acquires the detection result detected by the pressure sensor, and
Equipped with
The control unit executes a pressurizing operation by controlling the movable member and the valve.
The pressurizing operation is an operation of increasing the pressure in the pump chamber by the movable member pressing the pump chamber in a state where the valve closes the pump chamber.
The control unit further determines whether or not the pump chamber contains air bubbles based on the detection result detected during the execution of the pressurization operation and the reference information stored in the storage unit. Execute the judgment process and
The control unit controls the movable member and the valve to execute a discharge operation of discharging liquid from the pump chamber to the discharge flow path.
The control unit executes the pressurizing operation and the determination process each time the discharging operation is executed.
The control unit controls the movable member and the valve to execute a discharge operation of discharging bubbles from the pump chamber to the discharge flow path.
When it is determined in the determination process that the pump chamber does not contain air bubbles, the control unit executes the discharge operation.
When it is determined in the determination process that the pump chamber contains air bubbles, the control unit executes the discharge operation.
The control unit further executes a determination process for determining the number of times to execute the discharge operation based on the detection result and the reference information detected during the execution of the pressurization operation.
The control unit is a liquid supply device that repeatedly executes the discharge operation a number of times determined in the determination process . In the liquid supply device according to any one of claims 4 to 6 .
When it is determined in the determination process that the pump chamber does not contain air bubbles, the control unit starts the discharge operation at the same time as the end of the pressurization operation, and the movable member covers the pressurization operation and the discharge operation. A liquid supply device that keeps pressing the pump chamber. In the liquid supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 .
The control unit performs the determination process based on at least one of the instantaneous value of the pressure in the pump chamber during the execution of the pressurization operation and the pressure waveform of the pump chamber during the execution of the pressurization operation. A liquid feeder that runs. In a board processing device that processes a board
The holding part that holds the board and
The liquid supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 .
A nozzle that communicates with the pump chamber and supplies liquid to the substrate held in the holding portion,
Board processing equipment equipped with. In a liquid supply device that supplies liquid,
The first pump chamber that houses the liquid and
A first movable member that is movably provided with respect to the first pump chamber and presses the first pump chamber, and a first movable member.
A second pump room that houses the liquid,
A second movable member that is movably provided with respect to the second pump chamber and presses the second pump chamber.
A pressure sensor that detects the pressure in the second pump chamber and
With a filter that filters the liquid,
A first suction flow path connected to the first pump chamber and injecting a liquid into the first pump chamber,
A first discharge flow path connected to the first pump chamber and the filter to send a liquid from the first pump chamber to the filter.
A second suction flow path that is connected to the filter and the second pump chamber and sends a liquid from the filter to the second pump chamber.
A second discharge flow path connected to the second pump chamber and discharging a liquid from the second pump chamber,
A return flow path connected to the first pump chamber and the second pump chamber and returning the liquid from the second pump chamber to the first pump chamber.
A discharge channel connected to the filter and discharging gas from the filter,
A plurality of valves that open and close the first suction flow path, the first discharge flow path, the second suction flow path, the second discharge flow path, the return flow path, and the discharge flow path.
A storage unit that stores reference information and
A control unit that acquires the detection result detected by the pressure sensor, and
Equipped with
The control unit executes a pressurizing operation by controlling the second movable member and the valve.
The pressurizing operation is an operation in which the pressure in the second pump chamber is increased by the second movable member pressing the second pump chamber in a state where the valve closes the second pump chamber. can be,
The control unit further determines whether or not the second pump chamber contains air bubbles based on the detection result detected during the execution of the pressurization operation and the reference information stored in the storage unit. Judgment A liquid supply device that executes a judgment process. In the liquid supply device according to claim 10 ,
The control unit executes a first suction operation, a second suction operation, and a discharge operation by controlling the first movable member, the second movable member, and the valve.
The first suction operation is an operation of injecting a liquid from the first suction flow path into the first pump chamber.
The second suction operation is an operation of injecting a liquid from the first pump chamber into the second pump chamber through the first discharge flow path, the filter, and the second suction flow path.
The discharge operation is an operation of discharging a liquid from the second pump chamber to the second discharge flow path.
The control unit executes the second suction operation, the discharge operation, and the first suction operation in this order.
The control unit may use at least one of the first period after the second suction operation and before the discharge operation, and at least one of the second period after the discharge operation and before the first suction operation. A liquid supply device that performs a pressurization operation and the determination process. In the liquid supply device according to claim 10 ,
The control unit controls the first movable member, the second movable member, and the valve to execute a first suction operation, a second suction operation, a return operation, and a discharge operation.
The first suction operation is an operation of injecting a liquid from the first suction flow path into the first pump chamber.
The second suction operation is an operation of injecting a liquid from the first pump chamber into the second pump chamber through the first discharge flow path, the filter, and the second suction flow path.
The return operation is an operation of returning the liquid from the second pump chamber to the first pump chamber through the return flow path.
The discharge operation is an operation of discharging a liquid from the second pump chamber to the second discharge flow path.
The control unit executes the second suction operation, the return operation, the discharge operation, and the first suction operation in this order.
The control unit pressurizes the pressurizing unit at least in the first period after the return operation and before the discharge operation, and in the second period after the discharge operation and before the first suction operation. A liquid supply device that performs an operation and the determination process. In the liquid supply device according to any one of claims 10 to 12 .
The control unit executes a discharge operation by controlling the first movable member, the second movable member, and the valve.
In the discharge operation, air bubbles are returned from the second pump chamber to the first pump chamber through the return flow path, air bubbles are sent from the first pump chamber to the filter through the first discharge flow path, and the filter is used. It is an operation of discharging air bubbles into the discharge flow path from the above.
When it is determined in the determination process that the second pump chamber contains air bubbles, the control unit is a liquid supply device that executes the discharge operation. In a liquid supply device that supplies liquid,
The first pump chamber that houses the liquid and
A first movable member that is movably provided with respect to the first pump chamber and presses the first pump chamber, and a first movable member.
A first pressure sensor that detects the pressure in the first pump chamber,
A second pump room that houses the liquid,
A second movable member that is movably provided with respect to the second pump chamber and presses the second pump chamber.
With a filter that filters the liquid,
A first suction flow path connected to the first pump chamber and injecting a liquid into the first pump chamber,
A first discharge flow path connected to the first pump chamber and the filter to send a liquid from the first pump chamber to the filter.
A second suction flow path that is connected to the filter and the second pump chamber and sends a liquid from the filter to the second pump chamber.
A second discharge flow path connected to the second pump chamber and discharging a liquid from the second pump chamber,
A return flow path connected to the first pump chamber and the second pump chamber and returning the liquid from the second pump chamber to the first pump chamber.
A discharge channel connected to the filter and discharging gas from the filter,
The first suction flow path, the first discharge flow path, the second suction flow path, the second discharge flow path, the return flow path, and a plurality of valves for opening and closing the discharge flow path.
A storage unit that stores reference information and
A control unit that acquires the first detection result detected by the first pressure sensor, and
Equipped with
The control unit executes the first pressurizing operation by controlling the first movable member and the valve.
In the first pressurizing operation, the pressure in the first pump chamber is increased by the first movable member pressing the first pump chamber in a state where the valve closes the first pump chamber. It's an operation,
The control unit further contains air bubbles in the first pump chamber based on the first detection result detected during the execution of the first pressurization operation and the reference information stored in the storage unit. A liquid supply device that executes a first determination process for determining whether or not to use the liquid. In the liquid supply device according to claim 14 ,
The control unit executes the first discharge operation by controlling the first movable member and the valve.
The first discharge operation is an operation of sending bubbles from the first pump chamber to the filter through the first discharge flow path and discharging bubbles from the filter to the discharge flow path.
When it is determined in the first determination process that the first pump chamber contains air bubbles, the control unit is a liquid supply device that executes the first discharge operation. In the liquid supply device according to claim 14 or 15 .
A second pressure sensor for detecting the pressure in the second pump chamber is provided.
The control unit acquires the second detection result detected by the second pressure sensor, and obtains the second detection result.
The control unit executes the second pressurizing operation by controlling the second movable member and the valve.
The second pressurizing operation is an operation of changing the pressure in the second pump chamber by the second movable member pressing the second pump chamber in a state where the valve closes the second pump chamber. And
The control unit further contains air bubbles in the second pump chamber based on the second detection result detected during the execution of the second pressurization operation and the reference information stored in the storage unit. A liquid supply device that executes a second determination process for determining whether or not it is present. In the liquid supply device according to claim 16 ,
The control unit executes the second discharge operation by controlling the first movable member, the second movable member, and the valve.
In the second discharge operation, air bubbles are returned from the second pump chamber to the first pump chamber through the return flow path, air bubbles are sent from the first pump chamber to the filter through the first discharge flow path, and the bubbles are sent to the filter. It is an operation of discharging air bubbles from the filter to the discharge flow path.
When it is determined in the second determination process that the second pump chamber contains air bubbles, the control unit is a liquid supply device that executes the second discharge operation. In a board processing device that processes a board
The holding part that holds the board and
The liquid supply device according to any one of claims 10 to 17.
A nozzle that communicates with the second pump chamber and supplies a liquid to the substrate held by the holding portion,
Board processing equipment equipped with. In the liquid supply method
A pressurizing step of increasing the pressure in the pump chamber by pressing the pump chamber in a state where the pump chamber containing the liquid is closed, and
A pressure detection step of detecting the pressure in the pump chamber during the execution of the pressurization step, and a pressure detection step.
A determination step of determining whether or not the pump chamber contains air bubbles based on the detection result detected by the pressure detection step, and a determination step of determining whether or not the pump chamber contains air bubbles.
The discharge process of discharging the liquid in the pump chamber to the discharge flow path and
Equipped with
The pressurizing step is started at the same time as the end of the discharging step, and the pressurizing step is started.
The pressing on the pump chamber is continued from the discharging step to the pressurizing step.
Liquid supply method. In the liquid supply method according to claim 19,
When it is determined in the determination step that the pump chamber contains air bubbles, the discharge step of discharging the air bubbles in the pump chamber to the discharge flow path and the discharge step.
Equipped with
When it is determined in the determination step that the pump chamber does not contain air bubbles, the discharge step is executed.
Liquid supply method.

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