JP7199602B2 - SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing method and a substrate processing apparatus.

In the liquid processing method described in Patent Document 1, a chemical liquid and a rinse liquid are supplied in this order to the lower surface of the substrate while the substrate is horizontally held and rotated. A fluid supply tube including a plurality of nozzles is arranged directly below the center of the bottom surface of the substrate. The fluid supply pipe is inserted inside the rotating shaft of the holding portion that horizontally holds the substrate, and is installed so as not to rotate even when the rotating shaft rotates. The fluid supply pipe supplies a chemical solution, a rinse solution, nitrogen gas, etc. to the lower surface of the substrate.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-130931

One aspect of the present disclosure provides a technique for cleaning a nozzle unit facing the center of the bottom surface of a substrate.

A substrate processing method according to an aspect of the present disclosure has the following (A) to (C). (A) While the substrate is held horizontally and rotated, a first acidic or alkaline chemical solution and a pure liquid are applied to the lower surface of the substrate from a nozzle unit including a plurality of nozzles arranged facing the center of the lower surface of the substrate. and water in this order. (B) holding the substrate horizontally and rotating to dry the substrate; (C) After supplying the first chemical solution and before drying the substrate, pure water is discharged from one of the nozzles of the nozzle unit to form a cleaning film of pure water covering all the nozzles of the nozzle unit. Form on the nozzle unit.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to clean the nozzle unit facing the center of the lower surface of the substrate.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a substrate processing method according to one embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of S101 in FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of S102 in FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of S103 in FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of S104 in FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of S105 in FIG. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of S106 in FIG. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of S107 in FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of S108 in FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a substrate processing method according to a modification. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of S106 in FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of S107 in FIG. FIG. 14 is a plan view showing a first example of the baffle plate. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XV-XV of FIG. 14, showing a state in which the organic solvent is supplied to the upper surface of the substrate. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing an enlarged baffle plate of FIG. 15. FIG. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing a second example of the baffle plate. FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view showing a third example of the baffle plate.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, in each drawing, the same reference numerals are given to the same or corresponding configurations, and explanations thereof may be omitted. In this specification, the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction are directions perpendicular to each other. The X-axis direction and Y-axis direction are horizontal directions, and the Z-axis direction is vertical direction.

First, the substrate processing apparatus 10 will be described with reference to FIG. The substrate processing apparatus 10 processes substrates W. As shown in FIG. Substrate W includes, for example, a silicon wafer or a compound semiconductor wafer. The substrate W may be a glass substrate. The substrate processing apparatus 10 includes, for example, a holding section 20, a rotating section 30, a first liquid supply section 40, a second liquid supply section 50, a nozzle unit 60, a ring 62, a gutter 63, and a fluid supply unit. 70 , a cup 80 , and a control unit 90 .

The holding part 20 holds the substrate W horizontally. The substrate W includes a top surface Wa and a bottom surface Wb. The holding part 20 has a base plate 21 that forms a space with the lower surface Wb of the substrate W, and opening/closing claws 22 that grip the peripheral edge of the substrate W. As shown in FIG. The base plate 21 is disk-shaped and arranged horizontally. A hole is formed in the center of the base plate 21, and the fluid supply shaft 71 of the fluid supply unit 70 is arranged in the hole. A plurality of opening/closing claws 22 are arranged at intervals along the periphery of the base plate 21 .

The rotating portion 30 rotates the holding portion 20 . The rotating portion 30 includes, for example, a rotating shaft 31 that extends downward from the center of the base plate 21 of the holding portion 20, a rotating motor 32 that rotates the rotating shaft 31, and a belt that transmits the rotational driving force of the rotating motor 32 to the rotating shaft 31. 33 and The rotating shaft 31 is cylindrical, and a fluid supply shaft 71 is arranged inside the rotating shaft 31 . The fluid supply shaft 71 is fixed and does not rotate together with the rotating shaft 31 .

The first liquid supply unit 40 supplies liquid to the upper surface Wa of the substrate W held by the holding unit 20 . The first liquid supply unit 40 has, for example, a nozzle 41 that ejects liquid, a moving mechanism 42 that moves the nozzle 41 in the radial direction of the substrate W, and a supply line 43 that supplies the liquid to the nozzle 41. . The nozzle 41 is provided above the holding portion 20 and ejects liquid downward.

The moving mechanism 42 has, for example, a swivel arm 42a that holds the nozzle 41 and a swivel mechanism 42b that swivels the swivel arm 42a. The turning mechanism 42b may also serve as a mechanism for raising and lowering the turning arm 42a. The swivel arm 42a is arranged horizontally, holds the nozzle 41 at one end in the longitudinal direction, and is swiveled about a swivel shaft extending downward from the other end in the longitudinal direction. In addition, the moving mechanism 42 may have a guide rail and a linear motion mechanism instead of the turning arm 42a and the turning mechanism 42b. The guide rails are horizontally arranged, and a direct-acting mechanism moves the nozzle 41 along the guide rails.

The supply line 43 includes, for example, a common line 43a and a plurality of individual lines 43b connected to the common line 43a. An individual line 43b is provided for each type of liquid. Examples of liquid types include a first chemical liquid L1, a second chemical liquid L2, and pure water L3. One of the first chemical liquid L1 and the second chemical liquid L2 is acidic and the other is alkaline. The acidic chemical solution is, for example, DHF (dilute hydrofluoric acid). The alkaline chemical solution is, for example, SC1 (aqueous solution containing hydrogen peroxide and ammonium hydroxide). Pure water L3 is, for example, DIW (deionized water). An on-off valve 45 for opening and closing the flow path of the liquid and a flow rate controller 46 for controlling the flow rate of the liquid are provided in the middle of the individual line 43b.

Although the first chemical liquid L1, the second chemical liquid L2, and the pure water L3 are discharged from one nozzle 41 in FIG. 1, they may be discharged from different nozzles 41. FIG. When the number of nozzles 41 is plural, a supply line 43 is provided for each nozzle 41 .

The second liquid supply section 50 supplies liquid to the upper surface Wa of the substrate W held by the holding section 20 in the same manner as the first liquid supply section 40 . The second liquid supply unit 50 has, for example, a nozzle 51 that ejects liquid, a moving mechanism 52 that moves the nozzle 51 in the radial direction of the substrate W, and a supply line 53 that supplies the liquid to the nozzle 51. . The nozzle 51 is provided above the holding portion 20 and ejects liquid downward. The nozzle 51 of the second liquid supply section 50 and the nozzle 41 of the first liquid supply section 40 are moved independently.

The moving mechanism 52 has, for example, a turning arm 52a that holds the nozzle 51 and a turning mechanism 52b that turns the turning arm 52a. The turning mechanism 52b may also serve as a mechanism for raising and lowering the turning arm 52a. The swivel arm 52a is arranged horizontally, holds the nozzle 51 at one end in the longitudinal direction, and is swiveled about a swivel shaft extending downward from the other end in the longitudinal direction. In addition, the moving mechanism 52 may have a guide rail and a direct-acting mechanism instead of the turning arm 52a and the turning mechanism 52b. The guide rails are arranged horizontally, and a direct-acting mechanism moves the nozzle 51 along the guide rails.

A supply line 53 supplies an organic solvent L4 such as IPA to the nozzle 51 . In the middle of the supply line 53, an on-off valve 55 for opening and closing the flow path of the organic solvent L4 and a flow rate controller 56 for controlling the flow rate of the organic solvent L4 are provided.

The organic solvent L4 used has a lower surface tension than the pure water L3. After the liquid film on the upper surface Wa of the substrate W is replaced with the liquid film of the organic solvent L4 from the liquid film of the pure water L3, the substrate W can be dried. When the substrate W is dried, it is possible to suppress collapse of the uneven pattern due to surface tension.

The uneven pattern is formed on the upper surface Wa of the substrate W in advance. The uneven pattern does not have to be formed on the lower surface Wb of the substrate W in advance. Therefore, the organic solvent L4 only needs to be supplied to the upper surface Wa of the substrate W, and does not have to be supplied to the lower surface Wb of the substrate W.

In this embodiment, as will be described later, when replacing the liquid film on the upper surface Wa of the substrate W from the liquid film of the pure water L3 with the liquid film of the organic solvent L4, the liquid film of the pure water L3 is not interrupted. The supply position and the supply position of the organic solvent L4 are independently moved. Specifically, the supply position of the pure water L3 is moved outward in the radial direction of the substrate W while the supply position of the organic solvent L4 is fixed at the center of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the second liquid supply section 50 and the first liquid supply section 40 are provided separately.

However, depending on the size and shape of the concave-convex pattern of the substrate W, the material of the substrate W, etc., the pure water L3 may be shifted to the substrate W while the organic solvent L4 is fixed to the center of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W. In some cases, it is not necessary to move radially outward. In this case, the second liquid supply section 50 may be omitted, and the nozzle 41 of the first liquid supply section 40 may discharge the organic solvent L4.

As shown in FIG. 6 and the like, the nozzle unit 60 includes a plurality of nozzles 61A, 61B, and 61C arranged facing the center of the lower surface of the substrate W held by the holding section 20 . The center of the lower surface is, for example, a region within 50 mm from the center of the lower surface. A plurality of nozzles 61A, 61B, and 61C are formed on the upper surface of the nozzle unit 60, and each eject fluid upward. The nozzle 61A ejects, for example, the first chemical liquid L1, the second chemical liquid L2, and the pure water L3 upward. The nozzle 61B, for example, ejects pure water L3 upward. The nozzle 61C ejects gas such as _N2 gas upward.

A ring 62 surrounding a plurality of nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C is provided on the upper surface of the nozzle unit 60. As shown in FIG. The ring 62 protrudes upward from the peripheral edge of the upper surface of the nozzle unit 60 and stores the pure water L3 inside. The ring 62 includes, for example, an inclined portion 62a that inclines outward in the radial direction of the substrate W as it goes vertically upward from the peripheral edge of the upper surface of the nozzle unit 60, and a vertical portion 62b that extends directly downward from the upper end of the inclined portion 62a. .

The nozzle unit 60 is arranged inside a ring-shaped gutter 63 . The gutter 63 stores pure water L3 overflowing from the ring 62. - 特許庁The gutter 63 includes an inner wall 63a surrounding the nozzle unit 60, an outer wall 63b arranged outside the inner wall 63a, a groove 63c formed between the inner wall 63a and the outer wall 63b, and a bottom wall 63d forming the bottom of the groove 63c. and including.

The lower end of the vertical portion 62b of the ring 62 is inserted into the groove 63c of the gutter 63. As shown in FIG. The pure water L3 flowing down along the vertical portion 62b is temporarily stored in the groove 63c of the gutter 63 and overflows from the outer wall 63b of the gutter 63 to the outside. A gas such as N ₂ gas is supplied between the inner wall 63a of the gutter 63 and the nozzle unit 60 so that the pure water L3 does not overflow inward from the inner wall 63a of the gutter 63 .

As shown in FIG. 1, the fluid supply unit 70 supplies the nozzle unit 60 with a first chemical liquid L1, a second chemical liquid L2, pure water L3, and gas. The fluid supply unit 70 has a fluid supply shaft 71 on which the nozzle unit 60 is provided. The fluid supply shaft 71 is arranged inside the rotating shaft 31 and does not rotate together with the rotating shaft 31 . The fluid supply shaft 71 is provided with a plurality of supply lines 72A, 72B, 72C connected to the plurality of nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C.

The supply line 72A is connected to the nozzle 61A and supplies the first chemical liquid L1, the second chemical liquid L2, and the pure water L3 to the nozzle 61A. The supply line 72A includes, for example, a common line 72Aa and a plurality of individual lines 72Ab connected to the common line 72Aa. The individual line 72Ab is provided for each type of liquid. An on-off valve 75A that opens and closes the flow path of the first chemical liquid L1 and the like, and a flow controller 76A that controls the flow rate of the first chemical liquid L1 and the like are provided in the middle of the individual line 72Ab.

Similarly, the supply line 72B is connected to the nozzle 61B and supplies pure water L3 to the nozzle 61B. In the middle of the supply line 72B, an on-off valve 75B that opens and closes the flow path of the pure water L3, a flow rate controller 76B that controls the flow rate of the pure water L3, a temperature controller 77B that adjusts the temperature of the pure water L3, is provided. The temperature controller 77B includes, for example, a heater that heats the pure water L3. In FIG. 1, one common supply source for the pure water L3 of the supply line 72B and one supply source of the pure water L3 for the supply line 72A are provided, but separate sources may be provided.

Also, the supply line 72C is connected to the nozzle 61C and supplies gas such as _N2 gas to the nozzle 61C. An on-off valve 75C that opens and closes the gas flow path and a flow rate controller 76C that controls the flow rate of the liquid are provided in the middle of the supply line 72C.

The cup 80 collects various liquids supplied to the substrate W. FIG. Cup 80 includes a cylindrical portion 81 , a bottom lid portion 82 and an inclined portion 83 . The cylindrical portion 81 has an inner diameter larger than the diameter of the substrate W and is arranged vertically. The bottom lid portion 82 closes the opening at the lower end of the cylindrical portion 81 . The inclined portion 83 is formed along the entire circumference of the upper end of the cylindrical portion 81 and is inclined upward toward the radially inner side of the cylindrical portion 81 . The bottom lid portion 82 is provided with a drain pipe 84 for discharging liquid accumulated inside the cup 80 and an exhaust pipe 85 for discharging gas accumulated inside the cup 80 .

The control section 90 controls the rotating section 30 , the first liquid supply section 40 , the second liquid supply section 50 and the fluid supply unit 70 . The control unit 90 is, for example, a computer, and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 91 and a storage medium 92 such as a memory. The storage medium 92 stores programs for controlling various processes executed in the substrate processing apparatus 10 . The control unit 90 controls the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 10 by causing the CPU 91 to execute programs stored in the storage medium 92 .

Next, a substrate processing method will be described with reference to FIG. 2 and the like. Each step S101 to S108 shown in FIG. In each step S101 to S108, the substrate W is horizontally held and rotated about a vertical rotation axis 31. As shown in FIG. Further, in each step S101 to S108, the nozzle 61C of the nozzle unit 60 continues to eject gas.

First, in step S101, the first chemical liquid L1 is supplied to both the upper surface Wa and the lower surface Wb of the substrate W, as shown in FIG. The first chemical liquid L1 is supplied from the nozzle 41 of the first liquid supply unit 40 to the center of the upper surface of the substrate W, spreads over the entire upper surface by centrifugal force, and processes the entire upper surface. Further, the first chemical liquid L1 is supplied from the nozzle 61A of the nozzle unit 60 to the center of the lower surface of the substrate W, spreads over the entire lower surface by centrifugal force, and treats the entire lower surface.

In step S101, the first chemical liquid L1 is splashed by collision with the lower surface Wb of the substrate W to form droplets. The droplets adhere onto the nozzle unit 60 .

Next, in step S102, as shown in FIG. 4, pure water L3 is supplied to both the upper surface Wa and the lower surface Wb of the substrate W, and the liquid film of the first chemical liquid L1 formed in S101 is removed by the pure water L3. Replace with liquid film. The pure water L3 is supplied from the nozzle 41 of the first liquid supply unit 40 to the center of the upper surface of the substrate W, spreads over the entire upper surface due to centrifugal force, washes away the first chemical liquid L1 remaining on the upper surface Wa, and spreads the pure water L3 on the upper surface Wa. to form a liquid film of Further, the pure water L3 is supplied from the nozzle 61A of the nozzle unit 60 to the center of the lower surface of the substrate W, spreads over the entire lower surface by centrifugal force, washes away the first chemical liquid L1 remaining on the lower surface Wb, and spreads the pure water L3 on the lower surface Wb. Form a liquid film.

Next, in step S103, as shown in FIG. 5, the second chemical solution L2 is supplied to both the upper surface Wa and the lower surface Wb of the substrate W, and the liquid film of the pure water L3 formed in S102 is applied to the second chemical solution. Replace with the liquid film of L2. The second chemical liquid L2 is supplied from the nozzle 41 of the first liquid supply unit 40 to the center of the upper surface of the substrate W, spreads over the entire upper surface by centrifugal force, and treats the entire upper surface. Further, the second chemical liquid L2 is supplied from the nozzle 61A of the nozzle unit 60 to the center of the lower surface of the substrate W, spreads over the entire lower surface by centrifugal force, and treats the entire lower surface.

In step S103, the second chemical liquid L2 splashes upon collision with the lower surface Wb of the substrate W to form droplets. The droplets adhere onto the nozzle unit 60 . As a result, a neutralization reaction occurs between the first chemical liquid L1 and the second chemical liquid L2 on the nozzle unit 60, and crystals are deposited. The precipitated crystals form particles P.

Next, in step S104, as shown in FIG. 6, pure water L3 is supplied to both the upper surface Wa and the lower surface Wb of the substrate W, and the liquid film of the second chemical liquid L2 formed in S103 is removed by the pure water L3. Replace with liquid film. The pure water L3 is supplied from the nozzle 41 of the first liquid supply unit 40 to the center of the upper surface of the substrate W, spreads over the entire upper surface by centrifugal force, washes away the second chemical solution L2 remaining on the upper surface Wa, and spreads the pure water L3 on the upper surface Wa. to form a liquid film of Further, the pure water L3 is supplied from the nozzle 61A of the nozzle unit 60 to the center of the lower surface of the substrate W, spreads over the entire lower surface by centrifugal force, washes away the second chemical liquid L2 remaining on the lower surface Wb, and spreads the pure water L3 on the lower surface Wb. Form a liquid film.

In this embodiment, in step S104, one nozzle 61B of the nozzle unit 60 discharges the pure water L3 to form a cleaning film F of the pure water L3 on the nozzle unit 60. FIG. The cleaning film F covers all the nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C of the nozzle unit 60. As shown in FIG. The cleaning film F also covers the particles P and dissolves the particles P to remove them. Therefore, the nozzle unit 60 can be washed.

The nozzle unit 60 is arranged to face the center of the lower surface of the substrate W and is arranged in the vicinity of the lower surface Wb of the substrate W. As shown in FIG. Therefore, when the particles P are generated on the upper surface of the nozzle unit 60, the generated particles P may scatter and contaminate the center of the lower surface of the substrate W. FIG. According to this embodiment, the particles P generated on the upper surface of the nozzle unit 60 can be removed, so the cleanliness of the substrate W can be improved.

A ring 62 surrounding a plurality of nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C is provided on the upper surface of the nozzle unit 60. As shown in FIG. The ring 62 stores the pure water L3 inside. The pure water L3 can be collected inside the ring 62, and all the nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C of the nozzle unit 60 can be reliably covered with the cleaning film F. The ring 62 is particularly effective when the heights of the plurality of nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C are different and steps are formed. The ring 62 protrudes above all the nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C. The cleaning film F can be formed without the ring 62 by using the cohesive force of the pure water L3.

During the formation of the cleaning film F, the nozzle 61B may continue to discharge the pure water L3, and the pure water L3 may overflow from the inside of the ring 62 to the outside. Components eluted from the particles P into the pure water L3 also flow out from the inside of the ring 62 to the outside together with the pure water L3. Therefore, the pure water concentration of the cleaning film F accumulated inside the ring 62 can be maintained high, and the dissolution rate of the particles P can be maintained high.

The cleaning film F may be formed of pure water L3 whose temperature has been adjusted in advance. The pure water L3 is discharged from the nozzle 61B after being temperature-controlled by the temperature controller 77B. The temperature of the pure water L3 is set higher than the freezing point and lower than the boiling point. The temperature of the pure water L3 is adjusted so as to efficiently dissolve the particles P, and is preferably higher than room temperature. The particles P can be efficiently dissolved by heating the pure water L3 with the temperature controller 77B.

During the formation of the cleaning film F, a space S separating the cleaning film F and the lower surface Wb of the substrate W is formed. The space S is formed between the cleaning film F and the liquid film of pure water L3 formed on the lower surface Wb of the substrate W. As shown in FIG. The space S can restrict particles P from moving from the upper surface of the nozzle unit 60 to the lower surface Wb of the substrate W. As shown in FIG.

One nozzle 61A ejects the pure water L3 so as to reach the lower surface Wb of the substrate W, and therefore, the pure water L3 is ejected at a flow rate of, for example, 800 ml/min to 1600 ml/min, preferably 1000 ml/min to 1400 ml/min. .

The other nozzle 61B ejects the pure water L3 so as not to reach the lower surface Wb of the substrate W, so the pure water L3 is ejected at a flow rate of, for example, 250 ml/min to 500 ml/min, preferably 300 ml/min to 450 ml/min. do.

The nozzle 61B ejects the pure water L3 at a flow rate lower than that of the nozzle 61A. After the pure water L3 is discharged from the nozzle 61B, it flows sideways without hardly flowing upward, covering all the nozzles 61A, 61B, and 61C. Splashing of pure water L3 can be suppressed.

While one nozzle 61A supplies pure water L3 to the lower surface Wb of the substrate W, another nozzle 61B forms the cleaning film F on the nozzle unit 60. FIG. That is, while the pure water L3 is removing the second chemical liquid L2 remaining on the lower surface Wb of the substrate W, the nozzle unit 60 is cleaned. The cleaning of the nozzle unit 60 can be performed while the substrate W is being processed, and a decrease in throughput can be suppressed.

Next, in step S105, as shown in FIG. 7, the liquid film of the pure water L3 is replaced with the liquid film of the organic solvent L4. The pure water L3 supply position is moved from the central position P0 to the first eccentric position P1, and the organic solvent L4 is supplied to the second eccentric position P2. The second eccentric position P2 and the first eccentric position P1 are positions across the center position P0. The center position P0 is the center of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W. As shown in FIG.

After that, the supply position of the pure water L3 is moved from the first eccentric position P1 in the direction opposite to the center position P0 (outward in the radial direction of the substrate W). At the same time, the supply position of the organic solvent L4 is moved from the second eccentric position P2 to the central position P0.

Thereafter, the supply position of the pure water L3 is moved until it reaches the peripheral edge of the substrate W while the supply position of the organic solvent L4 is fixed at the central position P0. When the organic solvent L4 spreads radially outward from the center position P0, the pure water L3 can be replenished in front of the organic solvent L4, thereby suppressing breakage of the liquid film.

In this embodiment, the cleaning film F is sucked into the nozzle unit 60 and removed from above the nozzle unit 60 in step S105. Drying of the cleaning film F can be suppressed, and generation of particles due to residues of the cleaning film F can be suppressed.

As shown in FIG. 1, a discharge line 72D is connected to the supply lines 72A and 72B. An on-off valve 75D for opening and closing the flow path and a flow rate controller 76D for controlling the flow rate are provided in the middle of the discharge line 72D. When the on-off valve 75D opens the channel, the cleaning film F is sucked into the nozzles 61A and 61B by gravity.

Next, in step S106, an organic solvent L4 is supplied to the upper surface Wa of the substrate W, as shown in FIG. The organic solvent L4 is supplied to the center of the upper surface of the substrate W from the nozzle 51 of the second liquid supply unit 50, spreads over the entire upper surface by centrifugal force, washes away the pure water L3 remaining on the upper surface Wa, and spreads the organic solvent L4 on the upper surface Wa. Form a liquid film.

Next, in step S107, as shown in FIG. 9, the supply position of the organic solvent L4 is moved from the center of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W to the periphery. An opening is formed in the center of the liquid film of the organic solvent L4, and the opening gradually widens from the center of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W toward the periphery. A gas such as N ₂ gas may be supplied toward the edge of the opening in order to hold down the edge of the liquid film of the organic solvent L4. The gas supply position moves following the supply position of the organic solvent L4.

Finally, in step S108, as shown in FIG. 10, the substrate W is horizontally held and rotated, and the substrate W is dried.

Next, a substrate processing method according to a modification will be described with reference to FIG. 11 and the like. In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the cleaning film F is formed on the nozzle unit 60 in step S104 in which the pure water L3 is supplied to both the upper surface Wa and the lower surface Wb of the substrate W. As shown in FIG. On the other hand, in this modified example, the cleaning film F is formed on the nozzle unit 60 in step S106 of supplying the organic solvent L4 to the upper surface Wa of the substrate W as shown in FIG. Hereinafter, differences between the above-described embodiment and this modification will be mainly described.

In step S106, an organic solvent L4 is supplied to the upper surface Wa of the substrate W, as shown in FIG. The organic solvent L4 is supplied to the center of the upper surface of the substrate W from the nozzle 51 of the second liquid supply unit 50, spreads over the entire upper surface by centrifugal force, washes away the pure water L3 remaining on the upper surface Wa, and spreads the organic solvent L4 on the upper surface Wa. Form a liquid film.

In this modification, in step S106, one nozzle 61B of the nozzle unit 60 discharges the pure water L3 to form a cleaning film F of the pure water L3 on the nozzle unit 60. FIG. Since the cleaning film F is formed in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment, the same effects as in the above-described embodiment can be obtained in this modified example as well. In addition, cleaning of the nozzle unit 60 can be performed while the substrate W is being processed, thereby suppressing a decrease in throughput.

Next, in step S107, as shown in FIG. 13, the supply position of the organic solvent L4 is moved from the center of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W to the periphery. An opening is formed in the center of the liquid film of the organic solvent L4, and the opening gradually widens from the center of the upper surface Wa of the substrate W toward the periphery. A gas such as N ₂ gas may be supplied toward the edge of the opening in order to hold down the edge of the liquid film of the organic solvent L4. The gas supply position moves following the supply position of the organic solvent L4.

In this modification, the cleaning film F is sucked into the nozzle unit 60 and removed from above the nozzle unit 60 in step S107. Drying of the cleaning film F can be suppressed, and generation of particles due to residues of the cleaning film F can be suppressed.

Next, a first example of the baffle plate 64 will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 16. FIG. The substrate processing apparatus 10 has a baffle plate 64 . As shown in FIG. 14, the baffle plate 64 is installed above the nozzles 61B forming the cleaning film F. As shown in FIG. The nozzle 61B ejects the pure water L3 to form a cleaning film F of the pure water L3 on the nozzle unit 60 . The cleaning film F covers all the nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C of the nozzle unit 60. As shown in FIG.

A ring 62 surrounding a plurality of nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C is provided on the upper surface of the nozzle unit 60. As shown in FIG. The ring 62 protrudes upward from the peripheral edge of the upper surface of the nozzle unit 60 and stores the pure water L3 inside. The ring 62 includes, for example, a first inclined portion 62a that inclines outward in the radial direction of the substrate W as it goes vertically upward from the peripheral edge of the upper surface of the nozzle unit 60, and a first inclined portion 62a that inclines vertically downward from the upper end of the first inclined portion 62a. and a second sloped portion 62b that slopes radially outward in W.

Ring 62 further includes a cylindrical portion 62 c surrounding the outer peripheral surface of nozzle unit 60 . A flange portion 62d that protrudes inward from the cylindrical portion 62c is provided at the lower end of the cylindrical portion 62c. A step is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the nozzle unit 60, and the flange portion 62d contacts the step. On the other hand, a first inclined portion 62a is provided at the upper end of the cylindrical portion 62c.

The nozzle unit 60 is arranged inside a ring-shaped gutter 63 . The gutter 63 stores pure water L3 overflowing from the ring 62. - 特許庁The gutter 63 includes an inner wall 63a surrounding the nozzle unit 60, an outer wall 63b arranged outside the inner wall 63a, a groove 63c formed between the inner wall 63a and the outer wall 63b, and a bottom wall 63d forming the bottom of the groove 63c. and including. A gas such as N ₂ gas is supplied between the inner wall 63a of the gutter 63 and the nozzle unit 60 so that the pure water L3 does not overflow inward from the inner wall 63a of the gutter 63 .

As shown in FIG. 15 , the baffle plate 64 is installed below the substrate W held by the holding section 20 . The baffle plate 64 spans the ring 62, for example. The baffle plate 64 receives the pure water L3 discharged upward from the nozzle 61B, and changes the direction of the pure water L3 from upward to sideways. Deionized water L3 can be suppressed from adhering to the lower surface Wb of the substrate W, and the number of particles adhering to the lower surface Wb of the substrate W can be reduced.

The nozzle 61B ejects the pure water L3, for example, in step S106 of supplying the organic solvent L4 to the upper surface Wa of the substrate W. As shown in FIG. The baffle plate 64 suppresses the temperature change of the substrate W caused by the adhesion of the pure water L3 by suppressing the adhesion of the pure water L3 to the lower surface Wb of the substrate W. As a result, the number of particles adhering to the lower surface Wb of the substrate W can be reduced.

Further, in step S106, the nozzle 61B discharges the pure water L3 to supply the organic solvent L4 onto the upper surface Wa of the substrate W, so that the organic solvent L4 collected in the cup 80 (see FIG. 1) is Dilute. After being stored inside the ring 62, the pure water L3 overflows outside the ring 62 and flows over the base plate 21 that rotates. The pure water L3 flows outward in the radial direction of the base plate 21 due to centrifugal force, mixes with the organic solvent L4 when shaken off from the base plate 21, and dilutes the organic solvent L4.

The organic solvent L4 diluted with the pure water L3 is collected in the cup 80 and discharged outside the cup 80 via the drain pipe 84 without staying inside the cup 80 . Therefore, volatilization of the organic solvent L4 can be suppressed, and the concentration of the organic solvent L4 contained in the exhaust gas can be reduced. This effect is obtained more remarkably as the amount of the pure water L3 discharged is larger. The baffle plate 64 can suppress adhesion of the pure water L3 to the substrate W even if the discharge amount of the pure water L3 is increased.

As shown in FIG. 15, the baffle plate 64 has, for example, a triangular prism shape and includes a pair of tapered surfaces 64a and 64b (see FIG. 16) that taper upward. The pair of tapered surfaces 64a and 64b has an inverted V-shaped cross section. After stopping the supply of the pure water L3, the pure water L3 can be dropped obliquely by gravity, and the pure water L3 can be removed from above the baffle plate 64. - 特許庁The cleaning film F remaining on the nozzle unit 60 is sucked into the nozzles 61A and 61B by gravity. Drying of the cleaning film F can be suppressed, and generation of particles due to residues of the cleaning film F can be suppressed.

As shown in FIG. 15, the lower surface 64c (see FIG. 16) of the baffle plate 64 is lower than the upper end of the ring 62. As shown in FIG. The baffle plate 64 bounces the pure water L3 inside the ring 62 so that the pure water L3 can be reliably stored inside the ring 62. - 特許庁More preferably, the height of the upper end 64 d of the baffle plate 64 (see FIG. 16) is lower than the height of the upper end of the ring 62 . The baffle plate 64 can be accommodated inside the ring 62, and interference between the baffle plate 64 and the substrate W can be suppressed.

The lower surface 64c of baffle plate 64 may be flat, as shown in FIG. 16, or may include conical depressions 64e opposite nozzles 16B, as shown in FIG. A downward flow can be formed by the depression 64e, and the pure water L3 can be reliably stored inside the ring 62. - 特許庁

As shown in FIG. 18, through holes 64f, 64g may be formed through the baffle plate 64 laterally from the recess 64d to the tapered surfaces 64a, 64b. A lateral flow can be formed by the through holes 64g, 64g, and particles adhering to the tapered surfaces 64a, 64b can be washed away.

Although the embodiments and the like of the substrate processing method and the substrate processing apparatus according to the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments and the like. Various changes, modifications, substitutions, additions, deletions, and combinations are possible within the scope of the claims. These also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present disclosure.

For example, in the above-described embodiment and modification, the cleaning film F is formed after the first chemical liquid L1 and the second chemical liquid L2 are sequentially supplied to the lower surface Wb of the substrate W, but the technique of the present disclosure is applied to this. Not limited. For example, the cleaning film F may be formed between the supply of the first chemical liquid L1 and the supply of the second chemical liquid L2, for example, in step S102.

Moreover, in the above-described embodiment and modified example, both the first chemical liquid L1 and the second chemical liquid L2 are supplied to the lower surface Wb of the substrate W, but only the first chemical liquid L1 may be supplied. The cleaning film F can remove droplets of the first chemical liquid L1 adhering to the nozzle unit 60 . When the droplets of the first chemical liquid L1 are dried, particles may be generated due to the residue. If the droplets of the first chemical liquid L1 are removed by the cleaning film F before the droplets of the first chemical liquid L1 are dried, the generation of particles can be suppressed.

This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-071070 filed with the Japan Patent Office on April 10, 2020 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-014519 filed with the Japan Patent Office on February 1, 2021. It claims priority, and the entire contents of Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2020-071070 and 2021-014519 are incorporated herein by reference.

60 nozzle unit 61A nozzle 61B nozzle F cleaning film L1 first chemical liquid L2 second chemical liquid L3 pure water W substrate Wa upper surface Wb lower surface

Claims (15)

While the substrate is horizontally held and rotated, a nozzle unit including a plurality of nozzles arranged facing the center of the bottom surface of the substrate sprays an acidic or alkaline first chemical solution, pure water, and in this order, and
holding the substrate horizontally and rotating to dry the substrate;
After supplying the first chemical solution and before drying the substrate, pure water is discharged from one of the nozzles of the nozzle unit, and a cleaning film of pure water covering all the nozzles of the nozzle unit is formed on the nozzle unit. forming on a substrate. 2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein a space separating said cleaning film and said lower surface of said substrate is formed during the formation of said cleaning film. 3. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein while one nozzle of said nozzle unit supplies pure water to said lower surface of said substrate, another said nozzle of said nozzle unit forms said cleaning film. . 4. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein pure water is stored inside a ring surrounding all said nozzles of said nozzle unit to form said cleaning film. 5. The substrate processing method according to claim 4, further comprising allowing pure water to overflow from the inside of said ring to the outside during the formation of said cleaning film. 6. The substrate processing method according to claim 5, comprising receiving pure water discharged upward from said nozzles forming said cleaning film with a baffle plate installed below said substrate, and changing the direction from upward to sideways. . 7. The substrate processing method according to claim 6, wherein said baffle plate includes a pair of tapered surfaces that taper upward. 8. The substrate processing method according to claim 6, wherein said baffle plate includes, on its lower surface, conical depressions facing said nozzles forming said cleaning film. the baffle plate includes a pair of tapered surfaces that taper upward, and a conical depression on the lower surface that faces the nozzles that form the cleaning film;
7. The substrate processing method according to claim 6, wherein a through-hole is formed through said baffle plate in a lateral direction from said depression to said tapered surface. 10. The substrate processing method according to claim 6, wherein the height of the lower surface of said baffle plate is lower than the height of the upper end of said ring. 11. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, further comprising removing said cleaning film from above said nozzle unit before drying said substrate. 12. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein said cleaning film is formed of pure water whose temperature has been adjusted in advance. the nozzle unit sequentially supplies the first chemical solution and a second chemical solution different from the first chemical solution to the lower surface of the substrate, and then forms the cleaning film;
13. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein one of said first chemical solution and said second chemical solution is acidic and the other is alkaline. supplying the first chemical solution, pure water, and an organic solvent in this order to the upper surface of the substrate;
14. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning film is formed while the organic solvent is being supplied. a holding part that horizontally holds the substrate;
a rotating part that rotates the holding part;
a nozzle unit including a plurality of nozzles facing the center of the lower surface of the substrate horizontally held by the holding part;
a fluid supply unit that supplies an acidic or alkaline first chemical solution and pure water to the nozzle unit;
a control unit that controls the rotating unit and the fluid supply unit;
The control unit
supplying the first chemical solution and pure water in this order from the nozzle unit to the lower surface of the substrate while the substrate is horizontally held and rotated;
holding the substrate horizontally and rotating to dry the substrate;
After supplying the first chemical solution and before drying the substrate, pure water is discharged from one of the nozzles of the nozzle unit, and a cleaning film of pure water covering all the nozzles of the nozzle unit is formed on the nozzle unit. A substrate processing apparatus for performing the forming on.

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