JP7066892B2 - Cooling equipment, substrate processing equipment, cooling method, and substrate processing method - Google Patents

Description

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

For example, in a substrate cleaning device, an etching device, or the like, a low-temperature gas may be supplied to an object to be treated to lower the temperature of the object for processing. In such a technique, for example, a low-temperature liquid such as liquid nitrogen is evaporated to generate a low-temperature gas, and the generated gas is supplied to an object.

However, low-temperature liquids such as liquid nitrogen have problems that it is difficult to store them for a long period of time and to cope with an increase or decrease in the required amount, and the running cost is high. Therefore, a technique has been proposed in which a cooling device is used to cool a gas and the cooled gas is supplied to an object (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

By the way, the low temperature gas may be supplied to the object only during the treatment requiring cooling. For example, it is not necessary to supply a low temperature gas between treatments of an object. Therefore, if the amount of gas supplied during the treatment requiring cooling and between the treatments of the object is the same, the amount of wasteful gas will increase.

Further, depending on the processing of the object, a processing requiring cooling and a processing not requiring cooling may coexist in a series of processing. Therefore, if the amount of gas supplied during the treatment requiring cooling and the treatment not requiring cooling are the same, the amount of wasteful gas will increase. Therefore, it is conceivable to stop the supply of the low-temperature gas or reduce the supply amount between the treatments of the object or during the treatment that does not require cooling.

However, if the supply of low-temperature gas is stopped or the supply amount is reduced during the processing of the object or between the processing of the object, the cooling device often fails.

Utility Model Registration No. 3211245 Gazette

The problem to be solved by the present invention is a cooling device, a substrate processing device, a cooling method, and a cooling device capable of suppressing the occurrence of a failure of the cooling device even if the supply of low-temperature gas is stopped or the supply amount is reduced. It is to provide a substrate processing method.

The cooling device according to the embodiment includes a flow path through which the refrigerant can flow, a condenser provided in the flow path, a heat exchanger provided in the flow path, and the condenser and the heat exchanger. A compressor provided in the flow path, a cooler for cooling the refrigerant flowing into the heat exchanger from the condenser, and a heat exchanger are supplied with gas, and heat is exchanged with the refrigerant. , A gas cooling unit capable of cooling the gas, a first thermometer capable of detecting the temperature of the cooled gas, and a second thermometer capable of detecting the temperature of the refrigerant flowing into the heat exchanger. And a first control unit capable of controlling the temperature at which the refrigerant flowing into the heat exchanger is cooled by the cooler. The first control unit controls the temperature at which the refrigerant flowing into the heat exchanger is cooled based on the temperature detected by the first thermometer, and the second temperature. The second control, which is controlled based on the temperature detected by the meter, is switched and controlled.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, a cooling device, a substrate processing device, a cooling method, and a substrate capable of suppressing the occurrence of failure of the cooling device even if the supply of the low temperature gas is stopped or the supply amount is reduced. A processing method is provided.

It is a schematic diagram for exemplifying the substrate processing apparatus provided with the cooling apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is a system diagram of a cooling device. It is a timing chart for exemplifying the operation of a substrate processing apparatus. It is a schematic diagram for exemplifying another substrate processing apparatus provided with the cooling apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is a schematic diagram for exemplifying the structure of the substrate to be processed by another substrate processing apparatus.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be illustrated with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, similar components are designated by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.
The cooling device according to this embodiment can be used, for example, as a substrate cleaning device, an etching device, or the like. However, the application of the cooling device is not limited to these, and it can also be used, for example, when a low-temperature gas is supplied to the heat-treated substrate to cool it. That is, it can be used for supplying a low-temperature gas to an object.

Here, as an example, the cooling device 20 that can be used for cleaning the substrate 100 will be described. Therefore, the substrate 100 illustrated below can be, for example, a semiconductor wafer, a template for imprinting, a mask substrate for photolithography, a plate-like body used for MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems), or the like. However, the use of the substrate 100 is not limited to these. For example, the substrate 100 can be used to fire an organic film.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for exemplifying a substrate processing device 1 provided with a cooling device 20 according to the present embodiment.
The "board processing device 1 provided with the cooling device 20" is not only when the cooling device 20 is built in the board processing device 1, but also when the cooling device 20 and the board processing device 1 are separate bodies. The case where the cooling device 20 is connected to the substrate processing device 1 via a pipe or the like is also included.

The substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment exists on the surface of the substrate 100 by supplying the cleaning treatment liquid to the surface of the substrate 100, cooling the cleaning treatment liquid, freezing it, thawing it, and discharging it. A device for cleaning contaminants.
The contaminants are particles, foreign substances and the like.

FIG. 2 is a system diagram of the cooling device 20.
As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing device 1 includes a mounting unit 2, a cooling device 20, a cooling gas supply unit 3, a liquid supply unit 4, a housing 6, a blower unit 7, an exhaust unit 9, and a control unit 10. (Corresponding to an example of the second control unit) is provided.

The mounting unit 2 has a mounting table 2a, a rotating shaft 2b, and a driving unit 2c.
The mounting table 2a is provided inside the housing 6. The mounting table 2a has a plate shape. A plurality of protrusions 2a1 for holding the substrate 100 are provided on one main surface of the mounting table 2a. The substrate 100 is placed on the plurality of protrusions 2a1. When the substrate 100 is mounted, the surface of the substrate 100 to be cleaned is oriented so as to face the direction opposite to the mounting table 2a side. The surface to be cleaned is, for example, a surface on which an uneven portion is formed, and the uneven portion can be, for example, a pattern.

The plurality of protrusions 2a1 hold the peripheral edge of the substrate 100. A hole 2a2 that penetrates the mounting table 2a in the thickness direction is provided in the central portion of the mounting table 2a.

One end of the rotating shaft 2b is fitted into the hole 2a2 of the mounting table 2a. The other end of the rotating shaft 2b is provided on the outside of the housing 6. The rotary shaft 2b is connected to the drive unit 2c outside the housing 6.

The rotating shaft 2b has a cylindrical shape. A blowing portion 2b1 is provided at the end of the rotating shaft 2b on the mounting table 2a side. When the substrate 100 is mounted on the mounting table 2a, the opening of the blowing portion 2b1 faces the surface of the substrate 100 on the mounting portion 2 side. The holes 2a2 of the mounting table 2a and the tips of the cooling nozzles 3c described later may be referred to as blowout portions 2b1.

The end of the rotating shaft 2b on the side opposite to the mounting table 2a side is closed. A cooling nozzle 3c, which will be described later, is inserted into the end of the rotating shaft 2b on the side opposite to the mounting table 2a side. A rotary shaft seal (not shown) is provided between the end of the rotary shaft 2b on the side opposite to the mounting table 2a side and the cooling nozzle 3c. Therefore, the rotary shaft 2b can rotate with the cooling nozzle 3c fixed. Further, the end portion of the rotating shaft 2b on the side opposite to the mounting table 2a side is sealed so as to be airtight by a rotating shaft seal (not shown).

The drive unit 2c is provided outside the housing 6. The drive unit 2c is connected to the rotation shaft 2b. The rotational force of the drive unit 2c is transmitted to the mounting table 2a via the rotation shaft 2b. Therefore, the drive unit 2c can rotate the mounting table 2a and, by extension, the substrate 100 mounted on the mounting table 2a. Further, the drive unit 2c can change not only the start and stop of rotation but also the rotation speed (rotational speed). The drive unit 2c may be provided with a control motor such as a servo motor, for example.

The cooling device 20 cools the gas and supplies the cooled gas (cooling gas 3d) to the cooling gas supply unit 3.
As shown in FIG. 2, the cooling device 20 may be provided with a circulation unit 21, a gas cooling unit 22, and a control unit 24 (corresponding to an example of the first control unit).

The circulation unit 21 includes a compressor 21a, a condenser 21c, a cooler 21e, a heat exchanger 21f, and a thermometer 21h (corresponding to an example of the second thermometer). The circulation unit 21 is provided with a flow path (piping) through which the refrigerant L can flow. The compressor 21a, the condenser 21c, the cooler 21e, the heat exchanger 21f, and the thermometer 21h can be provided in the flow path.

The compressor 21a is provided in the flow path between the condenser 21c and the heat exchanger 21f. The compressor 21a sends the gaseous refrigerant L toward the condenser 21c, so that the refrigerant L is circulated between the condenser 21c and the heat exchanger 21e. The refrigerant L may be, for example, a mixture of chlorofluorocarbons, argon, krypton and the like.

The condenser 21c cools and aggregates the gaseous refrigerant L sent from the compressor 21a. The condenser 21c turns the gaseous refrigerant L into a liquid refrigerant L. For example, the condenser 21c is supplied with a coolant by the refrigerant cooling unit 23 described later. The condenser 21c can change the gaseous refrigerant L into a liquid refrigerant L by exchanging heat between the gaseous refrigerant L and the coolant. Although the liquid-cooled condenser 21c is illustrated, an air-cooled condenser 21c or the like can also be used.

The cooler 21e is, for example, liquefied by the condenser 21c and cools the liquid refrigerant L flowing into the heat exchanger 21f. As the cooler 21e, for example, a known cooler such as an evaporator or a cascade condenser can be used. It is also possible to have a structure in which an evaporator and a cascade capacitor are combined in multiple stages. The cooler 21e is provided with an expansion valve and a capillary tube (not shown) that reduce the pressure of the refrigerant L (expand the refrigerant L) so that the refrigerant L can easily evaporate. Further, the cooler 21e can not only cool the refrigerant L but also attach a heating unit for heating.

The heat exchanger 21f exchanges heat with the refrigerant L that has been liquefied by the condenser 21c. The heat exchanger 21f is cooled by the refrigerant L, and the cooled heat exchanger 21f exchanges heat with the gas to be cooled. The liquid refrigerant L evaporates by heat exchange with the heat exchanger 21f. The gaseous refrigerant L flows into the compressor 21a and is sent to the condenser 21c by the compressor 21a.

The thermometer 21h detects the temperature of the liquid refrigerant L flowing into the heat exchanger 21f. The thermometer 21h may directly detect the temperature of the liquid refrigerant L flowing in the pipe, or indirectly detect the temperature of the liquid refrigerant L by detecting the temperature of the pipe. May be. The thermometer 21h can be, for example, a thermocouple or the like.

The gas cooling unit 22 supplies gas to the heat exchanger 21f, and supplies the gas cooled by the heat exchanger 21f (cooling gas 3d) to the cooling gas supply unit 3 (connection unit 3a). That is, the gas cooling unit 22 can supply gas to the heat exchanger 21f and cool the gas by heat exchange with the refrigerant L.

The gas cooling unit 22 has a flow path 22a, a flow rate control unit 22b, a flow path 22d, a discharge port 22e, and a thermometer 22c (corresponding to an example of the first thermometer). The flow path 22a is a member that connects the gas supply unit 25, which will be described later, and the heat exchanger 21f. A known pipe can be used for the flow path 22a. For example, stainless steel or copper can be used as the material. The flow path 22a supplies the gas supplied from the gas supply unit 25 to the heat exchanger 21f. The flow rate control unit 22b is provided in the flow path 22a.

The flow rate control unit 22b controls the flow rate of the gas supplied to the heat exchanger 21f. The flow rate control unit 22b can be, for example, an MFC (Mass Flow Controller) or the like. Further, the flow rate control unit 22b may indirectly control the gas flow rate by controlling the gas supply pressure. In this case, the flow rate control unit 22b can be, for example, an APC (Auto Pressure Controller).

The flow path 22d is a member that connects the heat exchanger 21f and the discharge port 22e. A known pipe can be used for the flow path 22d. For example, stainless steel or copper can be used as the material. The flow path 22d supplies the gas (cooling gas 3d) cooled by the heat exchanger 21f to the discharge port 22e.

The discharge port 22e is a discharge port from which the cooling gas 3d is discharged. The discharge port 22e is connected to the cooling gas supply unit 3 via the connection unit 3a of the substrate processing device 1 described later. A thermometer 22c is provided at the discharge port 22e.

The thermometer 22c detects the temperature of the cooling gas 3d at the discharge port 22e. The thermometer 22c may directly detect the temperature of the cooling gas 3d flowing in the discharge port 22e, or indirectly detect the temperature of the cooling gas 3d by detecting the temperature of the discharge port 22e. May be. The thermometer 22c can be, for example, a thermocouple or the like. It is sufficient that the temperature of the cooling gas 3d flowing through the discharge port 22e or the temperature of the pipe can be measured.

The gas supply unit 25 is a supply source that supplies the gas to be cooled toward the cooling device 20. The gas supply unit 25 is connected to the flow path 22a provided with the flow rate control unit 22b, for example, via a connection unit (not shown).

The gas supplied to the gas cooling unit 22 may be appropriately selected as long as it can cool the substrate 100 to a required temperature. For example, it is a gas that does not easily react with the material of the substrate 100, can obtain the temperature required for processing the substrate 100, and can be a gas at the required temperature. The gas supplied to the gas cooling unit 22 can be, for example, an inert gas such as nitrogen gas, helium gas, or argon gas. In this case, if a gas having a high specific heat is used, the cooling time of the substrate 100 can be shortened. For example, if helium gas is used, the cooling time of the substrate 100 can be shortened. Further, if a relatively inexpensive nitrogen gas is used, the processing cost of the substrate 100 can be reduced. The gas supply unit 25 can be, for example, a high-pressure cylinder in which gas is stored, a factory pipe capable of supplying gas, or the like.

The refrigerant cooling unit 23 supplies the coolant to the condenser 21c. The coolant is not particularly limited. The coolant can be, for example, water.
The refrigerant cooling unit 23 has a supply source 23a and a flow rate control unit 23b.
The supply source 23a supplies the coolant of the condenser 21c. The supply source 23a can be, for example, a supply device such as a tank and a pump for storing the coolant. Further, the supply source 23a may be, for example, a factory pipe for supplying the cooling liquid. The coolant flowing out of the condenser 21c can be returned to the tank described above or discharged to the drain of the factory.

The flow rate control unit 23b controls the flow rate of the coolant supplied to the condenser 21c. Further, the flow rate control unit 23b can also have a function of switching between supply and stop of the supply of the coolant.
Although the refrigerant cooling unit 23 in the case where the condenser 21c is a liquid-cooled type is exemplified, a gas-cooled type or an air-cooled type may be used. When the condenser 21c is an air-cooled type, the refrigerant cooling unit 23 can be, for example, a blower fan or the like.

The control unit 24 controls the operation of each element provided in the cooling device 20.
The control unit 24 controls, for example, the flow rate control unit 22b to control the supply amount of the gas to be cooled. Further, the cooler 21e is controlled to control the temperature of the refrigerant L.

Further, the control unit 24 can store in advance a first set temperature which is a target temperature of the cooling gas 3d when processing the substrate 100. The first set temperature may have a temperature range including the target temperature.

Further, the control unit 24 can store the second set temperature and the threshold value, which will be described later, in advance. The first set temperature, the second set temperature, and the threshold value can be input to the control unit 24 by the operator using an input device (not shown).

Next, returning to FIG. 1, other elements provided in the substrate processing apparatus 1 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 1, the cooling gas supply unit 3 directly supplies the cooling gas 3d to the surface (the surface on the mounting table 2a side) opposite to the surface on which the substrate 100 is cleaned.

The cooling gas supply unit 3 has a connection unit 3a, a pipe 3b, a cooling nozzle 3c, and a thermometer 3e (corresponding to an example of the first thermometer). The connection portion 3a and the pipe 3b are provided outside the housing 6.
The connection portion 3a is a member that connects the discharge port 22e of the cooling device 20 and the pipe 3b.

The pipe 3b has a hollow cylindrical shape and connects the cooling device 20 and the cooling nozzle 3c. One end of the pipe 3b is connected to the cooling device 20 via the connecting portion 3a. The other end of the pipe 3b is connected to the cooling nozzle 3c via a connection portion (not shown). A known material can be used for the pipe 3b. For example, stainless steel or copper can be used.

The cooling nozzle 3c has a cylindrical shape and is inserted into the rotating shaft 2b through a gap. The cooling nozzle 3c supplies the cooling gas 3d to the substrate 100. The cooling gas 3d discharged from the cooling nozzle 3c is directly supplied to the surface of the substrate 100 on the mounting portion 2 side.

The thermometer 3e detects the temperature of the cooling gas 3d in the cooling nozzle 3c. The thermometer 3e is preferably provided in the vicinity of the discharge port of the cooling nozzle 3c. By doing so, the difference between the temperature of the cooling gas 3d supplied to the surface of the substrate 100 on the mounting portion 2 side and the temperature of the cooling gas 3d detected by the thermometer 3e can be reduced.

The thermometer 3e may directly detect the temperature of the cooling gas 3d flowing in the cooling nozzle 3c, or indirectly detect the temperature of the cooling gas 3d by detecting the temperature of the cooling nozzle 3c. May be. The thermometer 3e can be, for example, a thermocouple or the like. It is sufficient that the temperature of the cooling gas 3d flowing through the cooling nozzle 3c or the temperature of the pipe can be measured.

The liquid supply unit 4 supplies the liquid 101 to the surface of the substrate 100 to be cleaned. The liquid 101 can be, for example, water (for example, pure water, ultrapure water, etc.), a liquid containing water as a main component, or the like.

When a liquid containing water as a main component is used, if the amount of components other than water is too large, it becomes difficult to utilize the physical force associated with the increase in volume, so that the removal rate of pollutants may decrease. Therefore, the concentration of components other than water is preferably 5 wt% or more and 30 wt% or less.

The liquid supply unit 4 includes a liquid storage unit 4a, a supply unit 4b, a flow rate control unit 4c, and a liquid nozzle 4d.

The liquid storage unit 4a stores the liquid 101.
The supply unit 4b is connected to the liquid storage unit 4a via a pipe. The supply unit 4b supplies the liquid 101 toward the liquid nozzle 4d. The supply unit 4b can be, for example, a pump or the like.

The flow rate control unit 4c is connected to the supply unit 4b via a pipe. The flow rate control unit 4c controls the flow rate of the liquid 101 supplied by the supply unit 4b, and switches between supply and stop of the liquid 101. The flow rate control unit 4c can be, for example, a flow rate control valve.

The liquid nozzle 4d has a cylindrical shape and is provided inside the housing 6. One end of the liquid nozzle 4d is connected to the flow rate control unit 4c via a pipe. The other end of the liquid nozzle 4d faces the surface of the substrate 100 to be cleaned. The liquid 101 discharged from the liquid nozzle 4d is supplied to the surface of the substrate 100 to be cleaned.

The housing 6 has a box shape. A cover 6a is provided inside the housing 6. The cover 6a is supplied to the substrate 100 and receives the liquid 101 discharged to the outside of the substrate 100 by rotating the substrate 100. The cover 6a has a tubular shape. The end portion (upper end portion in FIG. 1) of the cover 6a opposite to the mounting table 2a side is bent toward the center of the cover 6a. Therefore, it is possible to easily capture the liquid 101 scattered above the substrate 100.

Further, a partition plate 6b is provided inside the housing 6. The partition plate 6b is provided between the outer surface of the cover 6a and the inner surface of the housing 6.

A discharge port 6c is provided on the side surface of the housing 6 on the bottom surface side. The used cooling gas 3d, the air 7a in the housing 6, and the used liquid 101 are discharged to the outside of the housing 6 from the discharge port 6c. An exhaust pipe 6c1 is connected to the exhaust port 6c, and a used cooling gas 3d and an exhaust unit 9 for exhausting the air 7a in the housing 6 are connected to the exhaust pipe 6c1. Further, a discharge pipe 6c2 for discharging the used liquid 101 is also connected to the discharge port 6c. The discharge port 6c is provided below the substrate 100 mounted on the mounting portion 2.

The blower portion 7 is provided on the ceiling surface of the housing 6. The blower portion 7 can also be provided on the side surface of the housing 6 on the ceiling side. The blower unit 7 may be provided with a blower such as a fan and a filter. The filter can be, for example, a HEPA filter (High Efficiency Particulate Air Filter) or the like. The ventilation unit 7 supplies air 7a (outside air) to the space between the partition plate 6b and the ceiling of the housing 6.

The control unit 10 may include a calculation unit such as a CPU and a storage unit such as a memory. The control unit 10 controls the operation of each element provided in the board processing device 1 based on the control program stored in the storage unit.
The control unit 10 controls, for example, the flow rate control unit 4c to control the supply amount of the liquid 101. Further, the control unit 10 controls the drive unit 2c to rotate the substrate 100. For example, the control unit 10 rotates the substrate 100 to control the supplied liquid 101 so as to spread over the entire region of the substrate 100, or discharge the liquid 101 from the substrate 100.

Further, the control unit 10 can control the control unit 24 of the cooling device 20. For example, the flow rate control unit 22b is controlled to issue a command to the control unit 24 to change the flow rate of the cooling gas 3d.

(Board processing operation)
Next, the operation (action) of the substrate processing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 3 is a timing chart for exemplifying the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1.
Note that FIG. 3 shows a case where the substrate 100 is a 6025 quartz (Qz) substrate (152 mm × 152 mm × 6.35 mm) and the liquid 101 is pure water.

As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment supplies the cleaning treatment liquid to the surface of the substrate 100, cools the cleaning treatment liquid, freezes the cleaning treatment liquid, thawes the cleaning treatment liquid, and discharges the cleaning treatment liquid to the substrate 100. Clean the contaminants present on the surface of the surface.
As shown in FIG. 3, this cleaning process is divided into a substrate processing step of performing cleaning and a substrate loading / unloading step of loading / unloading the substrate 100 to be cleaned into the substrate processing device 1.

In the substrate processing apparatus 1, in the substrate processing step, a liquid film is formed on the surface of the substrate 100 previously carried into the housing 6 to be cleaned, and the liquid film is cooled and frozen. After that, the surface of the substrate 100 to be cleaned is cleaned by performing a thawing / drying step of removing the thawed liquid film and drying it. After cleaning the substrate 100, a substrate loading / unloading step is performed in which the processed substrate 100 is carried out from the housing 6 and the untreated substrate 100 is carried into the housing 6.
Hereinafter, the freezing process, the thawing / drying process, and the substrate loading / unloading process will be described in this order.

First, in the freezing step, the control unit 10 controls the flow rate control unit 4c to supply the liquid 101 to the substrate 100 from the liquid nozzle 4d. Next, the drive unit 2c is controlled to rotate the substrate 100 to form a liquid film on the substrate 100.

Next, the control unit 10 issues a command to the control unit 24 of the cooling device 20 to supply the cooling gas 3d to the substrate 100. The control unit 24 controls the flow rate control unit 22b to supply nitrogen gas to the heat exchanger 21f. The supplied nitrogen gas is cooled by the heat exchanger 21f and discharged from the cooling nozzle 3c. This cooled nitrogen gas is the cooling gas 3d. In the present embodiment, the cooling gas 3d is discharged to the substrate 100 at a temperature and a flow rate required for freezing the liquid film. For example, the liquid film on the substrate 100 is frozen by being discharged from the cooling nozzle 3c to the substrate 100 at a flow rate of about −120 ° C. to 30 ° C. and 40 NL / min to 200 NL / min. At this time, the supply of the liquid 101 to the substrate 100 is stopped.

Next, in the thawing / drying step, the control unit 10 issues a command to the control unit 24 of the cooling device 20 to stop the supply of the cooling gas 3d. The control unit 24 controls the flow rate control unit 22b to stop the supply of the cooling gas 3d. Then, the control unit 10 controls the flow rate control unit 4c to supply the liquid 101 to the substrate 100 again to thaw the frozen liquid film. After thawing, the supply of the liquid 101 to the substrate 100 is stopped, and the substrate 100 is dried by rotating the substrate 100. After drying, the rotation of the substrate 100 is stopped.
The freezing process and the thawing / drying process are collectively called the substrate processing process. Therefore, when the thawing / drying step is completed and the substrate 100 is dried, the process of cleaning the substrate 100 is completed.

Next, in the substrate loading / unloading process, the processed substrate 100 is carried out of the housing 6 through a loading / unloading outlet (not shown) of the housing 6. When the removal of the processed substrate 100 is completed, the presence or absence of the unprocessed substrate 100 is confirmed. If the untreated substrate 100 is present, the untreated substrate 100 is carried into the housing 6 and placed on the plurality of protrusions 2a1 of the mounting table 2a. Then, the process returns to the substrate processing step and the above processing is repeated.

If there is no unprocessed substrate 100, the control unit 10 stops the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 after carrying out the processed substrate 100.

As described above, as shown in FIG. 3, in the present embodiment, the cooling gas 3d by the cooling device 20 is supplied in the freezing step and stopped in the thawing / drying step and the substrate loading / unloading step.

When the operation of the substrate processing device 1 starts, the cooling device 20 also starts the operation. At this time, the control unit 24 refers to the first set temperature, which is the temperature target value of the gas, and controls the cooler 21e so that the temperature of the second thermometer 21h becomes the first set temperature. The temperature of the refrigerant L is adjusted by the control unit 24 controlling the cooler 21e.

Then, at the time of substrate processing, the control unit 24 controls the cooler 21e so that the detected value of the thermometer 22c (cooling device 20 outlet temperature) becomes the first set temperature. As a result, the cooling gas 3d having a temperature required for processing can be supplied to the substrate 100.

(About failure of cooling device)
Here, in the interval between the processing of the substrate 100, in the present embodiment, it is not necessary to supply the cooling gas 3d to the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the substrate loading / unloading step. Further, it is not necessary to supply the cooling gas 3d to the substrate processing apparatus 1 even in the processing that does not require cooling, or in the thawing / drying step in the present embodiment. Therefore, it is consumed to supply the same amount of the cooling gas 3d as the cooling gas 3d when processing the substrate 100 to the substrate processing apparatus 1 between the processing of the object and during the processing which does not require cooling. This leads to an increase in the amount of cooling gas 3d.

Further, when the substrate 100 is carried in and out, the position of the substrate 100 may be displaced due to the supplied cooling gas 3d, and the substrate 100 may not be held. Further, in the thawing / drying of the substrate 100, if the cooling with the cooling gas 3d continues, the thawing / drying time may increase.

Therefore, in the interval between the treatments of the substrate 100 or in the treatment that does not require cooling of the substrate 100, the supply of the cooling gas 3d is stopped or the supply amount of the gas is reduced to reduce the amount of the cooling gas 3d consumed. Reduced. However, if the supply of the low-temperature gas is stopped or the supply amount is reduced between the processing of the substrate 100 or in the processing that does not require cooling of the substrate 100, the cooling device 20 often fails.

As a result of the study, the present inventor obtained the following findings. First, it was found that when the supply of the cooling gas 3d was stopped or the supply amount was reduced, the temperature of the supply system of the cooling gas 3d (for example, the gas cooling unit 22 and the cooling gas supply unit 3) increased. It was also found that the refrigerant L may solidify due to an increase in the temperature of the supply system of the cooling gas 3d.

The supply system of the cooling gas 3d is in contact with the surrounding air. Therefore, the supply system of the cooling gas 3d receives heat from the surrounding air. On the other hand, when the cooling gas 3d is flowing inside the supply system of the cooling gas 3d, heat conduction occurs between the supply system of the cooling gas 3d and the cooling gas 3d. Therefore, the supply system of the cooling gas 3d also receives heat from the cooling gas 3d.

When the temperature of the cooling gas 3d is sufficiently lower than the temperature of the surrounding air, the temperature of the supply system of the cooling gas 3d and the temperature of the cooling gas 3d are substantially the same value. Therefore, even when the thermometer 22c detects the temperature of the supply system of the cooling gas 3d, the detected value can be regarded as the temperature of the cooling gas 3d. Therefore, if the control unit 24 controls the cooler 21e so that the detected value of the thermometer 22c becomes the first set temperature, the temperature of the cooling gas 3d supplied to the substrate 100 can be set to the first set temperature. The value can be within the included target range.

That is, the control unit 24 may execute the first control method of adjusting the temperature of the refrigerant L so that the detected value of the thermometer 22c becomes a temperature within the target range (first set temperature).

However, when the cooling gas 3d does not flow inside the supply system of the cooling gas 3d, heat conduction does not occur between the cooling gas 3d and the supply system of the cooling gas 3d. Therefore, the supply system of the cooling gas 3d does not receive heat from the cooling gas 3d, but receives heat only from the surrounding air. Therefore, the temperature of the supply system of the cooling gas 3d rises with respect to the case where the cooling gas 3d flows inside the supply system of the cooling gas 3d. Finally, the temperature of the supply system of the cooling gas 3d becomes substantially the same as the temperature of the surrounding air.

As described above, when the cooling gas 3d does not flow inside the supply system of the cooling gas 3d, the detected value of the thermometer 22c is not the temperature of the cooling gas 3d but the temperature of the supply system of the cooling gas 3d. This is the same even when the temperature of the cooling gas 3d is directly detected. Then, the detected value of the thermometer 22c maintains a temperature higher than the first set temperature which is the target temperature of the cooling gas 3d when processing the substrate 100. Therefore, when the control unit 24 executes the first control method based on the detection value of the thermometer 22c, the detection value of the thermometer 22c actually indicates the temperature of the supply system of the cooling gas 3d, so that the refrigerant L is only cooled. When the refrigerant L is cooled, the temperature of the refrigerant L becomes lower.

However, even if the temperature of the refrigerant L is lowered, the detected value of the thermometer 22c hardly changes. Therefore, the control unit 24 controls the cooler 21e in order to further lower the temperature of the refrigerant L.

If the temperature of the liquid refrigerant L becomes too low, the liquid refrigerant L tends to solidify. When the liquid refrigerant L solidifies, the piping through which the refrigerant L circulates may be clogged. If the piping through which the refrigerant L circulates is clogged, the compressor 21a or the like that circulates the refrigerant L may fail. In addition, each unit provided in the flow path through which the refrigerant L flows, such as the condenser 21c and the heat exchanger 21f, may also fail. The solidifying state of the refrigerant L also includes a state in which a part of the refrigerant L solidifies.

The control unit 24 controls the cooler 21e to cool the refrigerant L more than necessary even when a small amount of the cooling gas 3d is flowing inside the supply system of the cooling gas 3d. The cooling gas 3d flowing inside the supply system of the cooling gas 3d absorbs heat from the supply system of the cooling gas 3d. As the flow rate of the cooling gas 3d decreases, the heat received by the cooling gas 3d per unit flow rate from the supply system of the cooling gas 3d increases. As the heat received by the cooling gas 3d increases, the amount of temperature increase of the cooling gas 3d also increases. That is, the smaller the flow rate of the cooling gas 3d, the larger the amount of temperature increase of the cooling gas 3d.

If the amount of temperature increase of the cooling gas 3d becomes too large, the temperature range of the first set temperature may be exceeded. Therefore, it is necessary to consider not only the case where the supply of the cooling gas 3d is stopped but also the case where the supply amount of the cooling gas 3d is small.

Here, a method of providing a heat insulating member in the cooling gas supply system to prevent the cooling gas supply system from receiving heat from the surrounding air can be considered. However, even if the heat insulating member is provided in the cooling gas supply system, it is not possible to completely prevent the heat from being received from the surrounding air.

Based on the above findings, the present inventor has set a threshold value in advance for the supply amount of the cooling gas 3d in order to prevent the cooling device 20 from failing. When the supply amount of the cooling gas 3d is equal to or less than the threshold value, the control unit 24 cools the refrigerant L so that the temperature of the refrigerant L is within the temperature range including the second set temperature based on the detection value of the thermometer 21h. The control is switched to the second control method for controlling the device 21e.

In the second control method, the temperature of the refrigerant L is adjusted based on the temperature of the refrigerant L immediately before entering the heat exchanger so that the temperature of the refrigerant L becomes the second set temperature set in the temperature range in which the refrigerant L does not solidify. It is a control method that adjusts the temperature of. When the control unit 24 switches from the first control method to the second control method, the target for temperature control is switched from the cooling gas 3d to the refrigerant L. For example, when the cooling gas 3d is not flowing or only a small amount is flowing inside the supply system of the cooling gas 3d, and the control unit 24 cools the refrigerant L based on the detection value of the thermometer 22c. The control unit 24 excessively cools the refrigerant L in an attempt to change the detected value of the thermometer 22c that does not change or does not change easily. By performing the above switching by the control unit 24, the refrigerant L is not excessively cooled. Therefore, solidification does not occur in the refrigerant L and the cooling device 20 does not break down.

That is, even if the control unit 24 executes the first control method of adjusting the temperature of the refrigerant L so that the temperature within the target range becomes the detected value based on the detected value of the thermometer 22c, the thermometer 22c If the detected value cannot be adjusted within the target range, the temperature control target can be switched by switching to the second control method. Therefore, the refrigerant L is excessively cooled in an attempt to change the detected value of the thermometer 22c which does not change or is hard to change, and the refrigerant L does not solidify and the cooling device 20 does not break down.

Here, the threshold value, which is a predetermined value, is a value for preventing failure of the cooling device 20 as described above. Specifically, it is a reference value for switching from the first control method to the second control method. In the present embodiment, the threshold value is the cooling gas 3d in which the cooling gas 3d receives heat from the supply system of the cooling gas 3d and the temperature rises, and the temperature of the reached cooling gas 3d is within the range of the first set temperature. Is the supply amount of. For example, the threshold is 30 NL / min.

The threshold value differs depending on the pipe diameter and the pipe length of the gas cooling unit 22 and the cooling gas supply unit 3. The threshold value may be obtained by experiment in advance. For example, the cooling gas 3d is supplied in a sufficiently large supply amount, and the detection value of the thermometer 22c is set to be within the temperature range of the first set temperature. Next, the supply amount of the cooling gas 3d may be gradually reduced, and the supply amount when the detected value of the thermometer 22c deviates from the temperature range of the first set temperature may be set as the threshold value.

The second set temperature is a temperature range in which the refrigerant L does not solidify. The second set temperature may also be obtained by experiment in advance. For example, the temperature at which the refrigerant L solidifies may be determined by cooling the refrigerant L using a known cascade capacitor, and the temperature may be set to a temperature higher than that temperature. The second set temperature may be set as long as it can suppress the occurrence of failure of the cooling device 20. For example, some solidification of the refrigerant L may occur. The temperature in such a case can also be included in the temperature range.

Next, the operation of the cooling device 20 in the substrate processing device 1 will be illustrated.

In the freezing step, the control unit 24 of the cooling device 20 obtains data (for example, 150 NL / min) of the supply amount of the cooling gas 3d from the command of the control unit 10 of the substrate processing device 1. The control unit 24 determines whether or not the supply amount of the obtained cooling gas 3d is equal to or greater than the threshold value. When the threshold value is set to 30 NL / min, the supply amount of the cooling gas 3d is equal to or higher than the threshold value. The control unit 24 controls the cooler 21e based on the detection value from the thermometer 22c provided in the discharge port 22e of the cooling device 20, and the difference between the detection value from the thermometer 22c and the first set temperature. The temperature of the cooling gas 3d is adjusted so that the temperature is within the permissible range (first control method).

Therefore, since the temperature of the cooling gas 3d is controlled by the thermometer 22c, it is possible to reduce the variation in the temperature of the cooling gas 3d while being supplied to the substrate 100. As a result, the temperature of the substrate 100 and, by extension, the temperature of the liquid 101 on the substrate 100 can be controlled with high accuracy. Further, even if the substrate 100 is replaced, the reproducibility of the cooling process can be improved.

Similar to the freezing step, in the thawing / drying step, the control unit 24 obtains data (stop: 0NL / min) of the supply amount of the cooling gas from the command of the control unit 10. Then, the control unit 24 determines whether or not the supply amount of the cooling gas is equal to or higher than the threshold value. When the threshold value is set to 30 NL / min, the supply amount of the cooling gas 3d is less than the threshold value. Based on the determination result, the control unit 24 changes from the first control method (control using the thermometer 22c) described above to the second control method for controlling the cooler 21e based on the detected value from the thermometer 21h. Switch. The control unit 24 adjusts the temperature of the refrigerant L so that the difference between the detected value from the thermometer 21h and the second set temperature is within the allowable range.

When the supply amount of the cooling gas 3d is less than the threshold value, the control unit 24 of the cooling device 20 performs the second control method, so that the refrigerant L can be suppressed from solidifying. As a result, the amount of wastefully consumed gas can be suppressed, and the occurrence of failure of the cooling device can be suppressed.

In the substrate loading / unloading process that follows the thawing / drying process, the control unit 10 has not issued a new command regarding the supply amount of the cooling gas 3d. Therefore, the control unit 24 controls the flow rate control unit 22b to maintain the supply stop of the cooling gas 3d. Further, the control unit 24 controls the cooler 21e so that the temperature of the refrigerant L flowing through the circulation unit 21 of the cooling device 20 becomes the second set temperature. That is, the control unit 24 continues to carry out the second control method from the thawing / drying step.

In the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the temperature of the discharge portion of the cooling gas 3d is high during the thawing / drying processing step and the substrate loading / unloading step in which the supply of the cooling gas 3d is stopped or the supply amount is reduced. Become. Therefore, in the thawing / drying processing step and the substrate loading / unloading step, the control unit 24 tries to lower the temperature of the cooling gas 3d to the first set temperature as in the conventional case based on the temperature at the discharge portion of the cooling gas 3d. When the operation of the cooling device 20 was controlled, failures of the cooling device 20 occurred frequently.

Therefore, the substrate processing device 1 of the present embodiment has a flow path through which the refrigerant L can flow, a condenser 21c provided in the flow path, a heat exchanger 21f provided in the flow path, a condenser 21c, and heat. A compressor 21a provided in the flow path between the exchanger 21f, a cooler 21e for cooling the refrigerant L flowing into the heat exchanger 21f from the condenser 21c, and a heat exchanger 21f are supplied with gas to exchange heat. A gas cooling unit 22 capable of cooling gas by heat exchange with the device 21f, a thermometer 22c capable of detecting the temperature of the cooled gas, and a temperature capable of detecting the temperature of the refrigerant L flowing into the heat exchanger 21f. A total of 21h and a control unit 24 capable of adjusting the temperature of the refrigerant L flowing into the heat exchanger 21f to be cooled by controlling the cooler 21e are provided, and the control unit 24 is the heat exchanger 21f. The first control that controls the temperature of the refrigerant L flowing into the water based on the temperature detected by the thermometer 22c and the second control that controls the temperature based on the temperature detected by the thermometer 21h are switched and controlled. The cooling device 20 is provided.

In the freezing treatment step, the substrate processing device 1 provided with the cooling device 20 adjusts the temperature of the cooling gas 3d so that the difference between the detected value from the thermometer 22c and the first set temperature is within an allowable range. The first control method can be implemented. Then, in the thawing / drying processing step and the substrate loading / unloading step, the substrate processing apparatus 1 sets the temperature of the refrigerant L so that the difference between the detected value from the thermometer 21h and the second set temperature is within the allowable range. A second control method to be adjusted can be implemented.

When a process performed by cooling the substrate 100, for example, a freezing process step is continuously performed, the temperature difference of the cooling gas 3d supplied for each process can be reduced by implementing the first control method. Therefore, the difference in the removal rate for each substrate 100 can be reduced. Further, it is possible to suppress the solidification of the refrigerant L by implementing the second control method during the treatment that does not require cooling or between the treatments of the substrate 100, for example, in the thawing / drying treatment step and the substrate carry-in / carry-out step. Can be done. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the clogging of the piping and the failure of the cooling device 20 and the consumption of gas.

In the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the supply of the cooling gas 3d was stopped in the substrate loading / unloading process. However, if there is no effect on the loading and unloading of the substrate 100, the supply amount of the cooling gas 3d may be supplied in an amount equal to or more than the threshold value and smaller than the value required for processing. By doing so, it is possible to keep the supply system of the cooling gas 3d lower than the ambient temperature. By keeping the supply system of the cooling gas 3d cold, when the cooling gas supply unit 3 supplies the cooling gas 3d to process the next substrate 100, the time for the cooling gas 3d to be cooled to the first set temperature is time. It will be shortened. Therefore, the operating rate of the substrate processing apparatus 1 can be improved.

As described above, the cooling method according to the embodiment of the present invention is a cooling method in which the refrigerant L is evaporated and the gas is cooled by heat exchange with the supplied gas. In the cooling method according to the embodiment of the present invention, when the flow rate of the supplied gas is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the temperature of the refrigerant L is controlled based on the temperature of the cooled gas. When the flow rate of the supplied gas is less than a predetermined value, the temperature of the refrigerant L is controlled based on the temperature of the refrigerant L before evaporation. By doing so, it is possible to suppress the solidification of the liquid refrigerant L. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of failure of the cooling device 20 due to the clogging of the piping and the consumption of gas.

(Second embodiment)
Next, as another example, a cooling device that can be used for etching the substrate will be described.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for exemplifying the substrate processing device 11 provided with the cooling device 20 according to the present embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 11 is a substrate processing apparatus that can be used for manufacturing a fine structure such as an electronic component. Specifically, it is a device for etching a semiconductor substrate by plasma.

(substrate)
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram for illustrating the structure of the substrate 200 to be processed by the substrate processing apparatus 11. A wiring layer 201 with metal wiring is formed on the substrate 200. An insulating film 202 such as SiO2 is formed on the wiring layer 201. The resist pattern 203 is formed on the insulating film 202. The substrate 200 on which the resist pattern 203 is formed is also referred to as a substrate 200. The application of the substrate 200 is not limited to this, and the substrate corresponding to the substrate 100 of the first embodiment can also be applied.

As shown in FIG. 4, the substrate processing device 11 includes a chamber 12, a mounting unit 13, a cooling gas supply unit 30, a cooling member 15, a heating device 16, a power supply unit 17, a plasma forming gas supply unit 18, and a decompression unit. 19, a control unit 10a (corresponding to an example of the second control unit), and a cooling device 20 can be provided.

The chamber 12 is a container capable of maintaining an atmosphere depressurized from atmospheric pressure. A region 12e in which plasma P is generated is provided inside the chamber 12. The chamber 12 has a main body portion 12a and a window portion 12b. The main body 12a has an opening 12c at one end and is cylindrical with the other end closed. The other end of the block is the bottom surface of the chamber 12. The main body 12a is formed of a conductive material such as aluminum.

A gas supply port 12d for supplying the gas G for plasma generation is provided on the side surface of the main body 12a near the opening 12c. Further, an exhaust port 12f for discharging the gas inside the chamber 12 is provided at the other end of the main body portion 12a that is closed.

The window portion 12b is provided in the opening portion 12c via a seal member (not shown). The window portion 12b is formed of an insulating material such as quartz.

The mounting portion 13 is inside the chamber 12 and can be provided on the bottom surface of the chamber 12. The mounting portion 13 has an electrode 13a, a pedestal 13b, a heating portion 13c, and a power supply (not shown).

The electrode 13a can be provided below the region 12e where the plasma P is generated. The substrate 200 can be placed on the upper surface of the electrode 13a.

The pedestal 13b can be provided between the electrode 13a and the bottom surface of the chamber 12. The pedestal 13b can be provided to insulate between the electrode 13a and the chamber 12. A heating unit 13c and a cooling unit 13e can be provided inside the pedestal 13b.

The heating unit 13c can heat the substrate 200 via the electrode 13a. The heating unit 13c can be, for example, one that utilizes Joule heat, one that circulates a heat medium, one that radiates infrared rays, and the like.

The cooling unit 13e is a flow path through which the cooling gas 3d flows. For example, it is formed on the pedestal 13b. One end of the cooling unit 13e is connected to a cooling gas supply unit 30 (pipe 30b1) described later. The other end of the cooling unit 13e is connected to the outside of the substrate processing device 11. As a result, the cooling gas 3d supplied from the cooling device 20 passes through the piping and is discharged to the outside of the device. The cooling unit 13e can cool the substrate 200 via the electrode 13a.

The cooling gas supply unit 30 connects the chamber 12 (main body unit 12a), the mounting unit 13, and the cooling device 20. The cooling gas 3d flows inside the cooling gas supply unit 30. In the present embodiment, the cooling gas supply unit 30 has a connection unit 30a, and a pipe 30b1 and a pipe 30b2.

The connection portion 30a is a pipe having a branch.
One end of the connecting portion 30a is connected to a cooling device 20 described later. The branched other end of the connecting portion 30a is connected to the pipe 30b1 and the pipe 30b2, respectively.

The pipe 30b1 is connected to the cooling portion 13e of the mounting portion 13 described above. The pipe 30b2 is connected to the cooling member 15 described later. The pipe 30b1 and the pipe 30b2 are provided with valves (not shown) for controlling the supply and stop of the cooling gas 3d, respectively.

A cooling member 15 and a heating device 16 can be provided on the side surface of the chamber 12. The cooling member 15 can cool the main body portion 12a. The cooling member 15 has, for example, a main body portion 15a and a pipe 15b.

The main body portion 15a covers the side surface of the chamber 12. The main body portion 15a may be made of a material having good thermal conductivity, and is made of, for example, a thin metal plate.

A pipe 15b is provided on the surface of the main body 15a opposite to the surface in contact with the chamber 12. The pipe 15b has a structure in which one pipe is bent along the surface or the inside of the main body portion 15a. One end of the pipe 15b is connected to the pipe 30b2, and the other end is provided outside the chamber 12. As a result, the cooling gas 3d supplied from the cooling device 20 passes through the piping and is discharged to the outside of the device. The cooling gas 3d flows inside the pipe 15b to cool the pipe 15b. As a result, the side surface of the chamber 12 is cooled via the main body portion 15a.

The heating device 16 heats the chamber 12 via the cooling member 15. The heating device 16 is provided on the outer periphery of the cooling member 15, for example. The heating device 16 may be, for example, one that utilizes Joule heat, one that circulates a heat medium, one that radiates infrared rays, and the like.

The power supply unit 17 is provided in the upper part of the chamber 12. The power supply unit 17 is a plasma generation unit that generates plasma P inside the chamber 12. For the power supply unit 17, for example, a known ICP plasma source can be used.

The plasma forming gas supply unit 18 can supply the gas G to the region 12e in which the plasma P is generated inside the chamber 12 via the gas supply port 12d.

The pressure reducing unit 19 can reduce the pressure so that the inside of the chamber 12 has a pressure required for processing the substrate 200. The decompression unit 19 can be, for example, a turbo molecular pump or the like. The decompression unit 19 is connected to the exhaust port 12f provided in the main body unit 12a via a pipe (not shown).

The control unit 10a can have the same configuration as the control unit 10. The control unit 10a can control the operation of each element provided in the substrate processing device 11. For example, the control unit 10a controls a power supply (not shown) to apply high frequency power to the electrodes 13a and the power supply unit 17.

The control unit 10a controls the heating unit 13c, the cooling device 20, and the cooling gas supply unit 30 to control the temperature of the substrate 200 mounted on the electrode 13a. Further, the control unit 10a controls the heating device 16, the cooling device 20, and the cooling gas supply unit 30 to control the temperature of the chamber 12.

The control unit 10a controls the plasma forming gas supply unit 18 to control the supply and stop of the gas G to the chamber 12. Further, the control unit 10a controls the supply amount of the gas G to control the pressure in the chamber 12. The control unit 10a stores in advance the time for cooling the chamber 12 with the cooling member 15. The cooling time may be determined in advance by an experiment.

Next, etching of the substrate 200 by RIE (reactive ion etching), for example, using the substrate processing apparatus 11 will be described. The insulating film 202 of the substrate 200 is etched using the resist pattern 203 as a mask to form grooves.

First, the substrate 200 is carried into the chamber 12 and the chamber 12 is sealed. After that, the inside of the chamber 12 is decompressed by the decompression unit 19. When the predetermined pressure is reached, the gas G, which is a reactive gas, is supplied into the chamber 12 from the plasma forming gas supply unit 18. Next, a high frequency voltage is applied to the power supply unit 17 to generate plasma.

The insulating film 202 of the substrate 200 is etched by the ions and radicals generated in the plasma. At this time, a reaction product is produced by the reaction between the gas G and the substrate 200.

When etching the insulating film 202, the mounting portion 13 and / or the chamber 12 are cooled by the cooling portion 13e, the cooling member 15 or both in order to change the generation state of the reaction product generated during the etching process. do. Alternatively, the mounting section 13 and / or the chamber 12 are heated by the heating section 13c and / or the heating device 16.

The amount of reaction product produced varies depending on the temperature of the substrate 200. By heating the substrate 200, the reaction is promoted and the reaction products increase. The generated reaction product adheres to the inner wall of the substrate 200 or the chamber 12. The amount of reaction product adhered varies depending on the temperature of the inner wall of the substrate 200 and the chamber 12. The higher the temperature of the inner wall of the substrate 200 or the chamber 12, the less likely it is to adhere.

The reaction product becomes a side wall protective film that protects the side wall of the groove formed in the insulating film 202 by etching. This makes it possible to control the etching shape. Therefore, in order to attach the reaction product to the wall portion of the groove, the temperature of the mounting portion 13 is controlled to cool the substrate 200. An example of temperature control is described below.

For example, before etching the insulating film 202, the mounting portion 13 is cooled to −30 ° C. The control unit 10a issues a command to supply the cooling gas 3d to the control unit 24 of the cooling device 20. The control unit 24 controls the flow rate control unit 22b to supply the cooling gas 3d to the gas cooling unit 22. The control unit 24 obtains data (for example, 100 NL / min) of the supply amount of the cooling gas 3d from the command of the control unit 10 of the substrate processing device 1. Then, the control unit 24 compares the supply amount of the cooling gas 3d with the threshold value. As a result, it is determined whether or not the supply amount of the cooling gas 3d is equal to or greater than the threshold value. When the threshold value is set to 30 NL / min, the supply amount of the cooling gas 3d is larger than the threshold value. Therefore, the control unit 24 controls the cooler 21e so that the temperature of the cooling gas 3d becomes −30 ° C. (first set temperature) based on the signal of the thermometer 22c.

While the mounting unit 13 is cooled, the control unit 10a controls the heating device 16 to heat the chamber 12 in order to prevent the reaction product from adhering to the inner wall of the chamber 12 that causes particles. In this case, the valve (not shown) of the pipe 30b2 is closed. By closing the valve (not shown), the cooling gas 3d does not flow inside the pipe 30b2. Since the other end of the pipe 15b is connected to the outside of the chamber 12, the cooling gas 3d inside the pipe 15b is discharged to the outside of the chamber 12. As a result, it is possible to prevent the cooling member 15 from hindering the heating of the heating device 16.

Next, after etching the insulating film 202, the control unit 10a controls the heating unit 13c to heat the mounting unit 13 to room temperature. If the substrate 200 in a cooled state comes into contact with the air in the atmosphere, dew condensation may occur. If dew condensation occurs, watermarks may be formed, or particles may adhere to the substrate 200 and the substrate 200 may become defective. By heating the mounting portion 13 to room temperature, the temperature of the substrate 200 is set to room temperature and dew condensation is prevented. Further, if a transfer arm or the like that conveys the substrate 200 in a state where the chamber is at a high temperature is thrown into the chamber, the transfer arm may be deformed by heat. In order to prevent such transfer trouble, the chamber 12 is cooled and returned to room temperature. In this case, the valve (not shown) of the pipe 30b1 is closed, and the valve (not shown) of the pipe 30b2 is opened.

In this case, no new command is issued from the control unit 10a to the control unit 24. Therefore, the control unit 24 continues to supply the cooled cooling gas 3d by controlling the flow rate control unit 22b at 100 L / min. Further, the cooler 21e is controlled so that the temperature of the cooling gas 3d becomes −30 ° C. based on the signal of the thermometer 22c. (First control method)

The control unit 10a issues a command to the control unit 24 to stop the supply of the cooling gas 3d after the time for cooling the chamber 12 by the cooling member 15 stored in advance has elapsed.

Upon receiving the command, the control unit 24 controls the flow rate control unit 22b and stops the supply of the cooling gas 3d. Further, the control unit 24 acquires information on the supply amount of the cooling gas 3d from the signal of the command to stop the supply of the cooling gas 3d, and compares the supply amount of the cooling gas 3d with the threshold value. In this case, the supply amount of the cooling gas 3d is zero, which is smaller than the threshold value. Therefore, the control unit 24 controls the cooler 21e so that the temperature of the refrigerant L becomes the second set temperature within the temperature range in which the refrigerant L does not solidify, based on the signal of the thermometer 21h. (Second control method)

When the temperatures of the substrate 200 and the chamber 12 reach room temperature, the substrate 200 is carried out and the untreated substrate 200 is carried in. During this period, no new command has been issued regarding the supply amount of the cooling gas 3d by the control unit 10a. Therefore, the control unit 24 continues to control the cooler 21e so that the temperature of the refrigerant L becomes the second set temperature based on the signal of the thermometer 21h.

When processing the substrate 200, the temperature of the substrate 200 and the chamber 12 is adjusted by using a heating means or a cooling means. When the cooling device 20 is applied to the substrate processing device 11, cooling is not required when the substrate 200 or the chamber 12 is being heated or when the substrate 200 is taken in and out. Therefore, the control unit 24 stops the supply of the cooling gas 3d in order to stop the cooling of the substrate 200 or the chamber 12. In order to adjust the temperature of the chamber 12 and the mounting unit 13 to an appropriate temperature for processing, the control unit 24 measures the temperature of the cooling gas 3d supplied to the chamber 12 and the mounting unit 13. Then, the control unit 24 controls the cooling device 20 so that the temperature is within the required temperature range.

When the cooling gas 3d supplied to the chamber 12 and the mounting portion 13 is stopped, the temperature of the chamber 12 and the mounting portion 13 rises. Therefore, when the temperature of the cooling gas 3d supplied to the chamber 12 or the mounting portion 13 whose temperature is measured becomes higher than the target range, the cooling device 20 tries to lower the temperature of the cooling gas 3d to be supplied. .. Since the supply of the cooling gas 3d is stopped, the temperature of the supplied cooling gas 3d does not return to the target range. Therefore, the temperature of the cooling gas 3d is excessively lowered, and the cooling device 20 is damaged.

In the above embodiment, when the supply amount of the cooling gas 3d falls below the threshold value because the cooling gas 3d supplied to the chamber 12 and the mounting unit 13 is stopped, the control unit 24 controls the first control. The method is switched to the second control method. As a result, even if the supply of the cooling gas 3d to the chamber 12 and the mounting portion 13 is stopped, the cooling device 20 does not operate to excessively lower the temperature of the cooling gas 3d. Therefore, the cooling device 20 is not damaged. The temperature of the refrigerant L may be detected after being cooled by the cooler 21e. The first control method is to control the cooling device 20 so as to adjust the temperature of the cooling gas 3d supplied to the chamber 12 and the mounting portion 13 to the target range. The second control method is to adjust the temperature of the refrigerant L before being supplied to the heat exchanger 21f of the cooling device 20 to the second target range (second set value).

Although etching has been described in this embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 11 of this embodiment can also be used for ashing and film formation using plasma.

In the above-described embodiment, the application of the cooling device according to the present invention to the substrate processing apparatus that performs the substrate cleaning treatment and the etching treatment is described, but the apparatus to which the cooling device according to the present invention is applied is to these. Not limited. Applicable to cases where there is a process that does not require cooling, such as a cleaning process, or when there is a process in which cooling is performed intermittently, such as when heating and cooling are repeated such as an etching process, or to the applicable equipment. It is possible.

For example, a batch type oven or a firing furnace that heat-treats the object to be processed but does not cool it during the heat treatment and cools it when the object to be processed is replaced can be mentioned.

The embodiment has been illustrated above. However, the present invention is not limited to these descriptions.
With respect to the above-described embodiment, those skilled in the art appropriately adding, deleting or changing the design, or adding, omitting or changing the conditions of the process also have the features of the present invention. As long as it is included in the scope of the present invention.
For example, the shape, dimensions, number, arrangement, and the like of each element included in the substrate processing apparatus 1 and the substrate processing apparatus 11 are not limited to those illustrated, and can be appropriately changed.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the operation of the cooling device 20 is controlled based on the signal from the thermometer 22c provided in the discharge port 22e of the gas cooling unit 22. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the operation of the cooling device 20 may be controlled based on a signal from the thermometer 3e provided in the cooling nozzle 3c of the cooling gas supply unit in the substrate processing device 1.

The detected value of the thermometer 3e corresponds to the outlet temperature of the nozzle 3c. Therefore, by using the signal from the thermometer 3e, the difference between the temperature of the cooling gas 3d supplied to the surface of the substrate 100 on the mounting portion 2 side and the temperature of the cooling gas 3d detected by the thermometer 3e can be reduced. .. As a result, the temperature of the substrate 100, and by extension, the temperature of the liquid 101 on the substrate 100 can be controlled more accurately. Therefore, the reproducibility of the processing of the substrate 100 can be improved.

Of course, even if a thermometer for measuring the temperature of the mounting portion 13 or the chamber 12 in the substrate processing apparatus 11 is provided, it can be handled in the same manner as the thermometer 3e. Even in this case, the temperature of the substrate 200 and the temperature of the chamber 12 can be controlled accurately. Therefore, the reproducibility of the processing of the substrate 200 can be improved.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the flow rate control unit 22b is provided inside the cooling device. However, it is not limited to this. For example, it may be provided between the gas supply unit 25 and the cooling device 20. Alternatively, it may be provided between the cooling device 20 and the cooling gas supply unit 3. Further, it may be provided inside the substrate processing apparatus.

Further, the control unit 10 or the control unit 10a may control the flow rate control unit 22b. When the control unit 10 or the control unit 10a controls the flow rate control unit 22b, the control unit 10 does not issue a command to the control unit 24. The control unit 24 may acquire a signal from the flow rate control unit 22b and acquire information on the supply amount of the cooling gas 3d.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the substrate processing device and the cooling device are each provided with a control unit. However, it is not limited to this. For example, only the control unit on the substrate processing side may be used, and this control unit may also control the operation of the cooling device.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the switching between the first control method and the second control method is performed based on the command for supplying the cooling gas 3d issued by the control device 10. However, the supply system of the cooling gas 3d may be provided with a flow meter for detecting the flow rate of the cooling gas 3d, and may be based on the actual flow rate of the cooling gas 3d based on the detected value of the flow meter. In this case, even if an unintended flow rate decrease occurs due to gas leakage or the like, it can be dealt with.

Further, by comparing the detected value of the thermometer 22c with the first set temperature, it may be determined whether the control of the cooling device 20 is the first control method or the second control method. .. In this case, the threshold value is not for the supply state or supply amount of the cooling gas 3d, but for the temperature of the cooling gas 3d.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the cooling device supplies the cooling gas to the substrate processing device, but the cooling gas may be used instead of the cooling gas.

1 board processing device, 2 mounting unit, 2a mounting table, 2b rotating shaft, 2c drive unit, 3 cooling gas supply unit, 3a connection unit, 3b piping, 3c cooling nozzle, 3d cooling gas, 3e thermometer, 4 liquid supply , 4a Liquid storage, 4b Supply, 4c Flow control, 4d Liquid nozzle, 6 chassis, 10 Control, 20 Cooler, 21 Circulator, 21a Compressor, 21c Condenser, 21e Cooler, 21f Heat exchange Unit, 21h thermometer, 22 gas cooling unit, 22a flow path, 22b flow control unit, 22c thermometer, 22d flow path, 22e discharge port, 23 refrigerant cooling unit, 23a supply source, 23b flow control unit, 100 board, 101 liquid

Claims (5)

The flow path through which the refrigerant can flow and
With the condenser provided in the flow path,
The heat exchanger provided in the flow path and
A compressor provided in the flow path between the condenser and the heat exchanger,
A cooler that cools the refrigerant flowing from the condenser to the heat exchanger, and
A gas cooling unit that can cool the gas by supplying gas to the heat exchanger and exchanging heat with the refrigerant.
A first thermometer capable of detecting the temperature of the cooled gas, and
A second thermometer capable of detecting the temperature of the refrigerant flowing into the heat exchanger, and
A first control unit capable of controlling the temperature at which the refrigerant flowing into the heat exchanger is cooled by the cooler.
Equipped with
The first control unit controls the temperature for cooling the refrigerant flowing into the heat exchanger based on the temperature detected by the first thermometer, and the second temperature. A cooling device that switches and controls a second control that controls based on the temperature detected by the meter. The first control unit is
When the flow rate of the gas supplied to the heat exchanger is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the first control is performed.
The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein when the flow rate of the gas supplied to the heat exchanger is less than a predetermined value, the second control is performed. The cooling device according to claim 1 or 2, and
A mounting part that can mount and rotate the board, and
A liquid supply unit that can supply liquid to the surface to be cleaned of the substrate,
A cooling unit capable of supplying the gas cooled by the cooling device to the surface of the substrate on the side of the previously described mounting portion,
A second control unit capable of controlling the rotation speed of the substrate, the supply amount of the liquid, and the first control unit of the cooling device.
Board processing equipment equipped with. A cooling method in which a refrigerant flows into a heat exchanger and the gas is cooled by heat exchange with the supplied gas.
A first control that controls the temperature of the refrigerant flowing into the heat exchanger based on the temperature of the cooled gas, and a second control that controls the temperature of the refrigerant flowing into the heat exchanger based on the temperature of the cooled gas. A gas cooling method that is controlled by switching between control and control. A substrate processing method for processing a substrate by using the gas cooling method according to claim 4.
The substrate processing method is
The process of carrying the substrate into the mounting section and
The process of supplying a liquid to one surface of the substrate and
A step of supplying the cooled gas to the other surface of the substrate,
A step of freezing at least a part of the liquid on the surface of the substrate,
The process of thawing the frozen liquid and
The step of drying the substrate obtained by thawing the liquid and
The process of carrying out the dried substrate from the mounting section and
Have,
In the step of freezing at least a part of the liquid, the gas is cooled by the first control in the method of cooling the gas.
In the step of carrying in, the step of thawing, the step of drying, and the step of carrying out the substrate, a substrate processing method for cooling the gas by the second control in the gas cooling method.

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