JP7237670B2 - SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method for cleaning a substrate having a processing liquid attached to its surface. The above substrates include semiconductor substrates, photomask substrates, liquid crystal display substrates, organic EL display substrates, plasma display substrates, FED (Field Emission Display) substrates, optical disk substrates, magnetic disk substrates, optical Substrates for magnetic disks, etc. are included.

2. Description of the Related Art In the process of manufacturing electronic components such as semiconductor devices and display devices, a processing step is commonly used in which a substrate is processed by applying a processing liquid for processing to the surface of the substrate, and then washed with a cleaning liquid. . Examples of the processing liquid in this case include a developer and an etching liquid. In this case, in order to obtain uniform and good processing results on the substrate surface, it is necessary to strictly observe the specified processing time in processing with the processing liquid. For this purpose, it is required to immediately and reliably remove the processing liquid and stop the processing after the processing with the processing liquid has been continued for a specified period of time.

For example, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, a curtain-like air is first blown onto a substrate that is horizontally transported in a state in which the developing solution corresponding to the above-described "processing liquid" is heaped up on the surface of the substrate, thereby removing the developing solution. Further, the substrate is covered with a liquid film by spraying the rinsing liquid on the downstream side of the substrate surface in the downstream direction, thereby stopping the progress of development. In this technique, the bottom surface of the nozzle that discharges the rinse liquid and the surface of the substrate are made liquid-tight with the rinse liquid, so that the air blown onto the substrate enters the downstream side and disturbs the liquid film of the rinse liquid. is prevented.

JP 2015-192980 A

In the above technique, the liquid film formed on the substrate inevitably contains impurities dissolved in or floating in the processing liquid, particularly in the vicinity of the upstream end of the liquid film in the transport direction of the substrate. In the prior art described above, the space between the lower surface of the nozzle and the substrate surface is in a liquid-tight state, and such impurities in the liquid may adhere or re-deposit on the nozzle. In particular, if the discharge port of the nozzle is partially blocked by the deposits, the cleaning liquid cannot be supplied to the substrate at this portion, which may result in uneven processing such as development.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a technique capable of appropriately cleaning a substrate whose surface has been treated with a treatment liquid and suppressing the occurrence of treatment unevenness.

A substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention comprises a transport mechanism for transporting a substrate having a first processing liquid adhered to the surface thereof in a transport direction along a horizontal direction with the surface facing upward, and a gas discharger for blowing gas onto the surface over the entire area of the substrate to remove the first processing liquid from the surface; and a liquid discharger for supplying a second treatment liquid to the surface of the substrate.

In order to achieve the above object, in one aspect of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, the liquid discharger has a slit-like opening covering from one end to the other end in the width direction of the substrate, An ejection port for ejecting the second treatment liquid in the direction of the surface, and an ejection port provided below the ejection port so as to face the entire opening of the ejection port, extending from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction. and a smooth slope that slopes downward, and the second treatment liquid ejected from the ejection port is caused to flow down along the slope, thereby reducing the component in the direction toward the downstream side of the transport direction. forming a thin layer of liquid flow on the inclined surface, causing the liquid flow to flow down from the downstream end of the inclined surface in the conveying direction to the surface, and The distance is greater than the thickness of the liquid film formed on the surface by the liquid flow, and the lower surface of the liquid discharger facing the surface does not contact the liquid film formed on the surface.

In another aspect, the liquid ejection part has a slit-like opening covering from one end to the other end in the width direction of the substrate, and ejects the second treatment liquid in the direction of the surface. and a smooth inclined surface that is provided below the ejection port so as to face the entire opening of the ejection port and that slopes downward from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction. the lower surface of the liquid discharger has a slope that descends toward the downstream side in the conveying direction and is connected to the downstream end of the inclined surface at the lowest portion ; and the surface is larger than the opening size of the ejection port in the direction orthogonal to the width direction.

Further, in order to achieve the above object, the substrate processing method according to the present invention is such that a substrate having a first processing liquid adhering to its surface is transported in a transport direction along a horizontal direction with the surface facing upward, and the transport is a first treatment step of blowing a gas onto the entire surface of the substrate in a width direction perpendicular to the direction to remove the first processing liquid from the surface; and a second treatment step of supplying a second treatment liquid from a liquid discharger to the surface on the downstream side.

In the second treatment step, the second treatment liquid is ejected in the direction of the surface from a slit-shaped ejection opening covering from one end to the other end in the width direction of the substrate. The ejected second treatment liquid is applied to a smooth surface that slopes downward from the upstream side toward the downstream side in the conveying direction, provided below the ejection port so as to face the entire opening of the ejection port. By flowing down along the inclined surface, a thin layer-like liquid flow having a component in the direction toward the downstream side of the conveying direction is formed on the inclined surface, and the liquid flow is formed on the inclined surface in the conveying direction It flows down the surface from the downstream end. Further, by making the distance between the downstream end portion and the surface larger than the thickness of the liquid film formed on the surface by the liquid flow, the liquid ejecting section facing the surface The second processing liquid is supplied without contacting the lower surface with the liquid film formed on the surface.

In the invention configured as described above, the second treatment liquid ejected from the ejection port is not directly supplied to the substrate after the first treatment liquid has been removed by the gas, but is once ejected onto the inclined surface. After flowing down the inclined surface, it is supplied to the substrate. A liquid film is formed on the surface of the substrate by the second processing liquid thus supplied, and the substrate is cleaned. The second processing liquid ejected from the wide slit-shaped ejection port flows down the wide inclined surface facing the ejection port, so that a thin liquid flow uniform in the width direction can be supplied to the substrate surface.

In the following description, in order to avoid complicating the description, "upstream, upstream, and upstream directions in the substrate transport direction" will be abbreviated as "upstream, upstream, and upstream directions" respectively. "Downstream, downstream side, and downstream direction in the transport direction of the substrate" may be abbreviated as "downstream, downstream side, and downstream direction," respectively.

In the present invention, the most downstream end of the inclined surface through which the second processing liquid passes just before it is supplied to the substrate is located above the upper surface of the liquid film formed on the substrate surface by the liquid flow supplied to the substrate surface. The distance between the downstream end of the inclined surface and the substrate surface is set so that the edge of the inclined surface is also upward. In this way, the downstream end of the inclined surface is separated from the substrate surface, and the liquid flow flowing down from the inclined surface to the substrate surface is given a component in the downstream direction in the substrate transport direction. Therefore, the liquid film of the supplied second processing liquid is formed on the substrate surface downstream and below the downstream end of the inclined surface.

Therefore, it is possible to prevent the residue after substrate processing with the first processing liquid from adhering to the periphery of the liquid discharger. Also, even if the splash of the first treatment liquid (or the mixture of the first treatment liquid and the second treatment liquid) flies onto the inclined surface, it is caught in the flowing liquid flow and discharged. Furthermore, even if the uniformity in the width direction of the second processing liquid ejected from the ejection port deteriorates due to the deposits on the ejection port, it is eliminated while flowing down the inclined surface. Therefore, it is possible to uniformly supply the second processing liquid to the substrate surface due to deposits, and to suppress uneven processing of the substrate.

In addition, since the direction of the liquid flow when supplied to the substrate surface is defined by the inclination of the inclined surface, the flow path of the second processing liquid up to the ejection port can be relatively freely set. Therefore, the flow path itself does not need to be directed from the upstream side to the downstream side, and the liquid discharge section including the flow path can be configured to be small. This makes it possible to reduce the distance between the position where the gas is blown by the gas discharger and the position where the second processing liquid is supplied, and the second processing can be performed quickly on the substrate surface after the first processing liquid has been removed by the gas blowing. Liquid can be supplied. This also contributes to the effect of suppressing the occurrence of processing unevenness.

As described above, according to the present invention, a substrate whose surface has been treated with the first treatment liquid is blown with gas to remove the first treatment liquid, and then cleaned with the uniformly supplied second treatment liquid. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately clean the substrate and suppress the occurrence of processing unevenness.

It is a side sectional view showing a schematic structure of a substrate processing apparatus of this embodiment. It is a flow chart which shows operation of a substrate processing device. 4 is a schematic side view showing an enlarged boundary portion between the developing section and the rinsing section; FIG. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the outer shape and internal structure of the rinse liquid nozzle; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the dimensional relationship between the rinse liquid nozzle and the substrate; FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the rinse liquid nozzle; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the position and shape of the lower surface of the rinse liquid nozzle; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a modification of the rinse liquid nozzle; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a modification of the rinse liquid nozzle;

A substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The substrate processing apparatus 1 described here functions as part of a substrate processing system for manufacturing a display screen panel in a display device such as a liquid crystal display device. The overall configuration of such a substrate processing system is disclosed in the aforementioned Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-192980). A substrate processing system executes a series of manufacturing processes in which a resist film is formed on, for example, a rectangular glass substrate, which will become a screen panel, and a predetermined circuit pattern is formed on the substrate by exposing and developing the resist film. be. The substrate processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment can be applied to the processing of developing and cleaning the exposed substrate.

Further, the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is mainly characterized by the structure and operation of the rinsing liquid nozzle, which will be described later. Common with substrate processing equipment. Since the description of Patent Document 1 can be referred to for such a common configuration, only a brief description will be given here.

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the substrate processing apparatus of this embodiment. In order to clarify the directional relationship between them, FIG. 1 and subsequent figures appropriately use an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system in which the Z direction is the vertical direction and the XY plane is the horizontal plane. Also, for the purpose of facilitating understanding, the dimensions and numbers of each part are exaggerated or simplified as necessary.

This substrate processing apparatus 1 receives a glass substrate (hereinafter simply referred to as "substrate") S having a resist film formed on its surface and exposed according to a predetermined pattern shape, and develops, cleans and dries the substrate. device. For this purpose, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is provided with a developing section 20 , a rinsing section 30 and a drying section 300 . The developing section 20 immerses the exposed substrate S in the developer L1 to remove the unnecessary resist film. The rinsing unit 30 stops the development and cleans the substrate S by rinsing the developed substrate S with the rinsing liquid L2. The drying section 300 removes the rinse liquid on the substrate S and dries the substrate S. FIG.

The developing section 20, the rinsing section 30 and the drying section 300 are arranged in this order along the X direction. The substrate S is conveyed in the (+X) direction and passes through the developing section 20, the rinsing section 30 and the drying section 300 in this order and undergoes processing. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the upstream side in the transport direction of the substrate S, that is, the (−X) direction side is simply referred to as the “upstream side”, and the downstream side in the transport direction of the substrate S, that is, the (+X) direction. side is simply referred to as the "downstream side". Further, the Y direction, which is perpendicular to the X direction, which is the transport direction, that is, the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG.

The developing section 20 , the rinsing section 30 and the drying section 300 are accommodated in the housing 40 . The housing 40 includes a partition plate 41 that partitions the developing section 20 and the rinse section 30 and a partition plate 42 that partitions the rinse section 30 and the drying section 300 . The partition plate 41 is provided with a passage port 411 through which the substrate S passes, and the partition plate 42 is provided with a passage port 421 through which the substrate S is passed. Further, the housing 40 has an inlet 401 for receiving the substrate S from an apparatus that performs a pre-process (e.g., an exposure process) on the upstream side surface of the housing 40, and a post-process (e.g., post-baking process) on the downstream side surface. ) is provided with a discharge port 402 for discharging the substrate S.

In the substrate processing apparatus 1, the substrate S is transported by a plurality of transport rollers 50 arranged along the X direction and driven to rotate by a driving mechanism (not shown). More specifically, the substrate S discharged from the previous process is carried into the developing section 20 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 through the carry-in port 401 . Then, by the operation of the transport rollers 50, the substrate S is sent from the developing section 20 to the rinsing section 30 and the drying section 300 in order, and finally discharged from the carry-out port 402 to the post-process.

The developing section 20 is provided with a developer nozzle 22 for supplying the developer L1 onto the upper surface of the substrate S and an air nozzle 24 for blowing air onto the upper surface of the substrate S. As shown in FIG. The developer nozzle 22 is provided near the upstream end of the developing section 20 , that is, inside the housing 40 and near the entrance 401 . On the other hand, the air nozzle 24 is attached near the downstream end of the developing section 20 , specifically, on the upstream side surface of the partition plate 411 .

The developer nozzle 22 has a discharge port for discharging the developer L1, and the air nozzle 24 has a discharge port for discharging air. Each of these ejection ports has a slit-shaped opening that is elongated in the width direction, and the opening is provided so as to cover the entire area between both ends of the substrate S in the width direction.

Therefore, the developer L1 discharged from the developer nozzle 22 is substantially uniformly discharged over the entire width direction (Y direction) of the substrate S. As shown in FIG. As the substrate S is transported in the transport direction (X direction), the developer supply position to the substrate S is sequentially changed in the X direction. It becomes a state covered with a liquid film.

The air nozzle 24 blows curtain-like (thin film-like or belt-like) air sufficiently longer than the width of the substrate S from above onto the substrate S being conveyed below. As a result, the developer L1 piled up on the upper surface of the substrate S is prevented from being transported further downstream. In other words, the air nozzle 24 functions as an air knife device that blocks the spread of the developer L1 along the substrate S with curtain-like air. A developer collecting section 26 is provided below the developing section 20, and the developer L1 overflowing from the edge of the substrate S and falling downward is collected by the developer collecting section 26. FIG. The recovered developer is subjected to a regenerating process such as removal of dissolved products of the resist film dissolved and removed from the substrate by the development process and foreign matter, and concentration adjustment, etc., if necessary, before the development process. It can be reused. Alternatively, it may be treated as a waste liquid.

The rinsing section 30 is provided with a rinsing liquid nozzle 32 that supplies the rinsing liquid L2 onto the upper surface of the substrate S being transported. The rinse liquid nozzle 32 is provided near the downstream side of the partition plate 41 in the housing 40 . Therefore, the rinse liquid is supplied to the substrate S immediately after the developer L1 is removed by the air knife. The structure of the rinse liquid nozzle 32 will be described later in detail. A plurality of shower nozzles 34 for supplying the rinse liquid from above the substrate S are provided downstream of the rinse liquid nozzles 32 . As a result, the upper surface of the substrate S is covered with the liquid film of the rinse liquid L2 and cleaned.

The drying section 300 is provided with a pair of air nozzles 35a and 35b for drying the substrate S by supplying curtain-like air to the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate S to remove the rinsing liquid L2 piled up on the substrate S. there is A pair of air nozzles 35 a and 35 b are provided near the outlet 402 in the drying section 300 . A rinse liquid recovery section 36 is provided below the rinse section 30 and the drying section 300, and the rinse liquid L2 dropping downward from the substrate S is recovered by the rinse liquid recovery section 36. FIG.

In this way, the developing section 20 handling the developer L1 and the rinsing section 30 and the drying section 300 handling the rinse liquid L2 are separated by the partition plates 411 and 421, respectively. By collecting the rinse liquid L2 separately, it becomes possible to effectively utilize the collected liquid, such as reuse of the developing liquid, and to reduce the cost of waste liquid treatment.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the operation of the substrate processing apparatus. As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1 horizontally transports the substrate S that has been exposed in the previous process and is carried in (step S101), and develops the substrate S by supplying the developer L1 (step S102). ), removing the developer with an air knife (step S103), rinsing with the liquid film of the rinse liquid L2 (step S104), and removing and drying the liquid film with the rinse liquid (step S105).

In the substrate processing apparatus 1 configured as described above and its operation, in order to obtain a uniform and favorable development result on the entire substrate S, the time for which the substrate is exposed to the developer (hereinafter referred to as "development time") is must be equal over S. Each portion of the substrate S first touches the developer L1 and development starts when the substrate S passes through the position immediately below the developer nozzle 22 . On the other hand, the developing solution is removed and the development is stopped, in principle, when passing the position directly below the air nozzle 24 functioning as an air knife. Therefore, if the distance between the developer nozzle 22 and the air nozzle 24 is fixed and the transport speed of the substrate S is constant, the development time of the substrate S should be constant regardless of the position.

However, the developing solution may remain on the upper surface of the substrate S even after the substrate S has passed through the position where the developing solution is removed by the air knife. Since the development progresses due to such local remaining developer, there is a possibility that the development time differs depending on the position, resulting in uneven development, that is, variations in the development result. Although the development is reliably stopped by supplying the rinse liquid L2 to the substrate S after the developer has been removed, if the timing of supplying the rinse liquid varies in the width direction, the timing of stopping the development becomes uneven, which also causes uneven development. cause. The structure and function of the rinse liquid nozzle 32 of this embodiment for solving this problem will be described in detail below.

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing an enlarged boundary portion between the developing section and the rinsing section. 4 to 6 are diagrams showing the structure of the rinse liquid nozzle in more detail. More specifically, FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the outer shape and internal structure of the rinse nozzle 32, and FIG. 6A is a partial cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the rinse liquid nozzle 32, and FIG. 6B is a diagram showing the state of the rinse liquid discharged from the rinse liquid nozzle 32. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, the air nozzle 24 and the rinse liquid nozzle 32 are arranged close to each other with a partition plate 411 interposed therebetween. The air nozzle 24 is attached to the upstream side surface of the partition plate 411 . Compressed air is supplied to the air nozzle 24 from a compressed air supply section 29, and a discharge port 241 is provided at the lower end. Therefore, the air nozzle 24 ejects a curtain-like air A from above toward the upper surface of the substrate S, which has a liquid film of the developer L1 formed on its upper surface and is conveyed in the (+X) direction by the rotation of the conveying roller 50. . As a result, the liquid film of the developer L1 is prevented from being transported further downstream, and the developer is removed from the upper surface of the substrate S on the downstream side of the air blowing position. The developer L<b>1 dropping downward from the substrate S is recovered by the developer recovery section 26 .

On the other hand, the rinse liquid nozzle 32 is supported at a predetermined distance from the downstream side surface of the partition plate 411 by a support member (not shown). Therefore, a gap G is provided between the downstream side surface of the partition plate 411 and the upstream side surface of the rinse liquid nozzle 32 . Liquid such as pure water or deionized water (DIW) is supplied to the rinse liquid nozzle 32 as the rinse liquid L2 from the rinse liquid supply unit 39 . With a structure that will be described in detail below, the rinse liquid nozzle 32 has a function of supplying the rinse liquid L2 to the substrate S as a liquid flow having components in the downstream and downward directions. As a result, a liquid film of the rinse liquid L2 is formed on the upper surface of the substrate S. As shown in FIG. The rinse liquid L<b>2 dropping downward from the substrate S is recovered by the rinse liquid recovery section 36 .

A gap G is provided between the partition plate 411 and the rinse liquid nozzle 32 in order to prevent the flow of the rinse liquid L2 from being disturbed by the air blown out from the air nozzle 24 . That is, if there is no gap G, the blown air flows into the gap between the rinse liquid nozzle 32 and the substrate S, disturbing the flow of the rinse liquid L2 supplied from the rinse liquid nozzle 32 to the substrate S. By providing the gap G, the air escapes upward through the gap G, so that the flow of the rinse liquid L2 is not disturbed. In other words, the gap G has a function of discharging the air blown from the air nozzle 24 from around the rinse liquid nozzle 32 .

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6A, the rinse liquid nozzle 32 has a structure in which a first member 321 and a second member 322 are stacked in the X direction with spacers 323 interposed therebetween. The first member 321 and the second member 322 can be made of a material that can withstand the pressure of the rinse liquid supplied from the rinse liquid supply section 39, such as a resin or metal having appropriate hardness.

The first member 321 includes a flat plate-like flat portion 321a having a substantially rectangular outer shape whose longitudinal direction is the Y direction when viewed from the X direction, and a flat portion 321a connected to the lower end of the flat portion 321a in the (+X) and (−X) directions. and an inclined portion 321b extending obliquely downward in the Z) direction. The cross-sectional shape of the inclined portion 321b is wedge-shaped, and the thickness of the inclined portion 321b decreases toward the tip. The upper surface of the inclined portion 321b is a smooth planar inclined surface 321c, and the normal to the inclined surface has components in the (+X) direction and the (+Z) direction.

The second member 322 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped block whose planar size when viewed in the X direction is substantially the same as the flat portion 321a of the first member 321 . A through hole 322a for receiving the rinse liquid supplied from the rinse liquid supply section 39 is provided through between the (−X) side surface and the (+X) side surface. As indicated by broken lines in FIG. 5, a plurality of through holes 322a may be provided at different positions in the Y direction.

The spacer 323 is an inverted U-shaped member along three sides except the lower side of a rectangle when the flat portion 321a of the first member 321 is viewed from the X direction. By stacking the first member 321 and the second member 322 via the spacer 323, the (+X) side surface of the first member 321 and the (−X) side surface of the second member 322 are separated from each other by the second member 322. are opposed to each other with an interval corresponding to the thickness of the spacer 323 . Thereby, a gap space GS having a constant width is formed between them. For the spacer 323, a material that can prevent liquid leakage from the gap while keeping the gap between the first member 321 and the second member 322 minute and constant, for example, a resin material having appropriate elasticity can be used. . As described below, the gap space GS functions as part of the rinse liquid flow path.

The lower end of the gap space GS is not blocked by the spacer 323 and communicates with the external space, and the through hole 322a is provided at a position communicating with the gap space GS. Therefore, the rinse liquid supplied from the rinse liquid supply portion 39 to the through-holes 322a fills the gap space GS, and is finally discharged from the lower end of the gap space GS to the external space. In this sense, the opening formed by the first member 321 , the second member 322 and the spacer 323 at the lower end of the gap space GS constitutes the rinse liquid discharge port 324 of the rinse liquid nozzle 32 . Therefore, the opening size of the ejection port 324 in the direction (X direction) orthogonal to the width direction is the same as the gap interval of the gap space GS (indicated by symbol Dg in FIG. 6B). An inclined surface 321 c , which is the upper surface of the inclined portion 321 b , is positioned immediately below the ejection port 324 , and the inclined surface 321 c is provided at a position facing the ejection port 324 .

The liquid ejected downward from the ejection port 324 hits the inclined surface 321c of the inclined portion 321b and forms a thin liquid flow that flows down along the inclined surface. The liquid flow finally flows downward from the lower end of the inclined surface 321c. As shown in FIG. 5, when viewed in the X direction, the opening width Yd of the ejection port 324 is larger than the width Ys of the substrate S, and the ejection port 324 covers the entire substrate S including both ends in the Y direction. It has an opening for Further, the width Yc of the inclined surface 321c is larger than the opening width Yd of the ejection port 324, and the inclined surface 321c is provided so as to cover the entirety including both ends of the ejection port 324 in the Y direction. Therefore, the liquid discharged from the discharge port 324 and flowing down the inclined surface 321c is supplied uniformly over the entire width of the substrate S (Y direction).

The rinse liquid L2 is pressure-fed from the rinse liquid supply section 39 to the rinse liquid nozzle 32 configured in this way. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 6B, the rinse liquid L2 discharged from the discharge port 324 flows down along the inclined surface 321c and is supplied to the upper surface Sa of the substrate S from the lower end thereof. If the liquid supply amount, pressure, gap distance Dg, etc. are appropriately set, the liquid flow of the rinsing liquid L2 falling from the inclined surface 321c is vigorously jetted downstream, that is, in the (+X) direction. It may contain a relatively large amount of velocity components. For example, the flow velocity of the rinse liquid L2 flowing down from the inclined surface 321c can be made higher than the transport velocity of the substrate S.

By doing so, the rinse liquid L2 can be made to land on the upper surface Sa of the substrate S on the downstream side of the downstream end of the inclined surface 321c. That is, the liquid landing position P2 in the X direction can be positioned on the (+X) side of the downstream end position P1 of the inclined surface 321c. This prevents the rinse liquid L2 from adhering to the bottom surface 320 of the rinse liquid nozzle 32 . If the rinse liquid adheres to the nozzle lower surface 320, the rinse liquid L2 may drop from the nozzle lower surface 320 onto the substrate S, or the rinse liquid L2 may locally cause a liquid-tight state between the nozzle lower surface 320 and the substrate upper surface Sa. As a result, the position where the substrate S first comes into contact with the rinse liquid L2 shifts to the upstream side of the original liquid landing position P2. Due to such a local deviation, uneven development occurs. By setting the rinse liquid L2 to land on the substrate S downstream of the most downstream end of the nozzle (that is, the tip 321d of the inclined surface 321c), the rinse liquid wraps around and adheres to the nozzle lower surface 320. can be suppressed.

In addition, since the rinse liquid L2 supplied to the substrate S lands on the substrate S while having a velocity component toward the downstream side, the risk of backflow from the liquid landing position toward the upstream side is extremely low. Therefore, it is easy to make the position where the substrate S comes into first contact with the rinse liquid L2 uniform throughout the width direction (Y direction). Moreover, the influence of the air blown from the air nozzle 24 and flowing into the gap between the rinse liquid nozzle 32 and the substrate S can also be suppressed.

When a constant amount of the rinse liquid L2 is continuously supplied from the rinse liquid supply unit 39, the interval Dg (the opening size of the discharge port 324 is also equal to this) of the gap space GS, which is the flow path, and the inclined surface 321c and the thickness Tp of the liquid film formed on the substrate S immediately after the liquid lands on the substrate S are substantially the same. With respect to these dimensions, the distance Ds between the lower end of the inclined surface 321c and the upper surface Sa of the substrate is larger, that is, the lower end of the inclined surface 321c is positioned above the upper surface of the liquid film on the substrate. The arrangement position in the Z direction of the rinse liquid nozzle 32 is set. Therefore, the vertical position of the ejection port 324 is also above the height of the upper surface of the liquid film. In addition, the portion of the lower surface of the rinse liquid nozzle 32 that is closest to the upper surface Sa of the substrate S is the most downstream end 321d of the inclined portion 321b, which is the connecting portion between the nozzle lower surface 320 and the inclined surface 321c. The purpose of these is also to prevent the rinsing liquid L2 from adhering to the nozzle lower surface 320 . That is, the most downstream end 321d of the nozzle lower surface 320 is at the lowest position, and the rinse liquid is discharged from this position, thereby suppressing the liquid from flowing to other positions on the nozzle lower surface 320. can.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another example of the position and shape of the lower surface of the rinse liquid nozzle. 7A, the distance between the lower surface 320 of the rinse liquid nozzle 32 and the substrate upper surface Sa is smaller than the thickness of the liquid film on the substrate S. In the comparative example shown in FIG. In such a case, the tip portion of the inclined portion 321b is substantially included in the liquid film. is parallel to In addition, in the rinse liquid nozzle N2 of the comparative example shown in FIG. 7C, there is a portion closer to the substrate S than the most downstream end of the inclined portion on the bottom surface of the nozzle. In these configurations, the rinsing liquid tends to stagnate in the portions enclosed by the dotted lines, which tends to cause uneven development. In the examples shown in FIGS. 7B and 7C, problems tend to occur particularly when the distance between the nozzle lower surface and the substrate upper surface Sa is small.

As shown in FIG. 6B, in the rinse liquid nozzle 32 of the present embodiment, the nozzle lower surface 320 is lowered toward the downstream side, and the most downstream end 321d of the inclined portion 321b is the lowest. It is located near the substrate upper surface Sa. Moreover, the distance Ds between the most downstream end portion and the substrate upper surface Sa is larger than the thickness Tp of the liquid film on the substrate S. Furthermore, the liquid flow of the rinse liquid L2 supplied to the substrate S from the rinse liquid nozzle 32 has a relatively large velocity component in the (+X) direction. These configurations effectively prevent the rinse liquid from staying between the nozzle lower surface 320 and the substrate upper surface Sa. Therefore, the occurrence of uneven development due to retention of the rinse liquid is suppressed.

In addition, the rinse liquid supplied to the substrate S contains components of the resist film that have been peeled off from the substrate S or dissolved in the liquid, and which are contained in the developer remaining on the substrate S. In a configuration in which the periphery of the ejection port and the lower surface of the nozzle are liquid-tight, such components may re-precipitate and adhere to the ejection port and the lower surface of the nozzle, hindering the flow of the liquid and causing uneven development.

In this embodiment, since the nozzle lower surface 320 is not in contact with the rinse liquid, such deposits do not occur on the nozzle lower surface 320, and even if they adhere, they do not affect the rinse process. Also, new rinse liquid L2 is always supplied to the inclined surface 321c. Therefore, even if droplets of the liquid containing the components of the resist film are splashed, they are taken in by the liquid flow and flowed downstream, so that they are prevented from adhering to the inclined surface 321c and the discharge port 324 further upstream. In addition, even if the ejection amount becomes uneven due to deposits on the ejection port 324, the liquid flow is made uniform while flowing down the inclined surface 321c. be done.

In addition, in the rinse liquid nozzle 32 of this embodiment, the inclined surface 321c is opposed to the lower side of the discharge port 324 that opens downward. The rinse liquid L2 ejected downward from the ejection port 324 is imparted with a downstream velocity component by flowing down along the inclined surface 321c. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a rinse liquid flow path upstream of the discharge port 324 . This means that the shape of the rinse liquid nozzle 32 on the upstream side of the discharge port 324 is not restricted by the flow path and has a high degree of freedom. For example, it is possible to appropriately set the interval between the air supply position and the rinse liquid supply position on the substrate S to adjust the time from the removal of the developer to the supply of the rinse liquid.

As described above, in the above embodiment, the developer L1 and the rinse liquid L2 respectively correspond to the "first processing liquid" and the "second processing liquid" of the present invention. Further, in the above embodiment, the transport roller 50, the air nozzle 24 and the rinse liquid nozzle 32 respectively function as the "transport mechanism", the "gas ejector" and the "liquid ejector" of the present invention. Further, in the above embodiment, the gap space GS of the rinse liquid nozzle 32 corresponds to the "channel" of the invention, and the gap G between the rinse liquid nozzle 32 and the partition plate 411 corresponds to the "exhaust path" of the invention. ing. Also, steps S103 and S104 in FIG. 2 correspond to the "first processing step" and the "second processing step" of the present invention, respectively.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications other than those described above can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, instead of the rinsing liquid nozzle 32 of the above-described embodiment, it is also possible to apply a nozzle having the following structure.

8 and 9 are diagrams showing some modifications of the rinse liquid nozzle. In the rinse liquid nozzle 61 of the modified example shown in FIG. 8A, the first member 611 is formed by bending the lower end of the flat plate-like member toward the downstream side to provide a flat portion 611a and an inclined portion 611b. The second member 612 and spacer 613 can be the same as those in the above embodiment. The rinsing liquid nozzle 61 having such a structure can be installed in the substrate processing apparatus in place of the rinsing liquid nozzle 32 of the above embodiment.

8(b) to 8(d) show a composite nozzle in which the rinsing liquid nozzle also functions as an air nozzle. That is, in the composite nozzle 62 of the modified example shown in FIG. 8(b), the point that the first member 621 and the second member 622 are opposed to each other with the spacer 624 interposed therebetween is the same as in the above embodiment. On the other hand, a third member 623 is attached via a spacer 625 to the side surface of the first member 621 opposite to the second member 622 (on the upstream side in the substrate transport direction).

In such a configuration, the rinse liquid nozzle also functions as an air nozzle by feeding air into the gap between the first member 621 and the third member 623 and blowing the air out from the opening 626 at the lower end of the gap. It will be. Therefore, the composite nozzle 62 can be applied as a substitute for the air nozzle 24 and rinse liquid nozzle 32 provided in the above embodiment. In this case, the composite nozzle 62 may be attached to the partition plate 411, but it is desirable that consideration be given to separate and collect the developing solution and the rinsing solution falling from the substrate. The same applies to the following modified examples.

A modified composite nozzle 63 shown in FIG. 8C is obtained by partially changing the above-described composite nozzle 62 . That is, the point that the first member 631 and the second member 632 that are opposed to each other with the spacer 634 interposed therebetween form a flow path for the rinse liquid is the same as the composite nozzle 62 of the above modified example. On the other hand, the air flow path formed by the first member 631 and the third member 633 facing each other with the spacer 635 interposed therebetween is bent upstream (to the left in the drawing) at its lower end.

In such a configuration, the blown air has a velocity component in the upstream direction. Therefore, by pushing back the developer adhering to the substrate to the upstream side, it is possible to more reliably prevent mixing of the developer and the rinse liquid.

A composite nozzle 64 of a modified example shown in FIG. 8D faces a rinse liquid nozzle 64a including a first member 641 and a second member 642 facing each other via a spacer 645 via a spacer 646. The air nozzle 64b including the third member 643 and the fourth member 644 is supported by an appropriate support member (not shown) so as to face each other with a certain gap serving as the exhaust path 647. The upper end portion of the exhaust path 647 may be open to the space inside the housing 40, or may be connected to an appropriate exhaust mechanism.

With such a configuration, the air blown out from the air nozzle 64a is exhausted through the exhaust path 647, so that the air flows between the bottom surface of the rinse liquid nozzle 64a and the substrate, thereby reducing the flow of the rinse liquid. Disturbance is prevented. In addition, since the air nozzle and the rinsing liquid nozzle can be arranged close to each other without causing turbulence of the liquid flow due to air, the substrate surface is exposed from the removal of the developing liquid to the supply of the rinsing liquid. time can be shortened.

9 has a structure in which three blocks of a first member 651, a second member 652 and a third member 653 are combined. The first member 651 and the second member 652 face each other across the gap space GS, and the third member 653 is attached to the lower portion of the first member 651 . The first member 651 and the third member 653 integrally correspond to the first member 321 of the above embodiment, and are divided into two pieces mainly from the viewpoint of ease of manufacture.

The third member 653 has an upper surface 655 that functions as an "inclined surface". The downstream tip of the upper surface 655 has a shape obtained by slightly cutting off the tip, which had a sharp cross-sectional shape in the above embodiment. Therefore, the downstream end 655a of the upper surface 655 and the downstream end 650a of the lower surface 650 do not match. In other words, the downstream end 650a of the lower surface 650 is positioned below and upstream of the downstream end 655a. Such a shape is based on the same ease of manufacture as described above and the practical reason that there is less risk of deformation or damage due to contact with other members than with sharp tip portions.

Even in this case, by making the height of the downstream end portion 655a of the upper surface 655 larger than the thickness of the liquid film formed on the substrate upper surface Sa, it is possible to prevent the liquid from flowing into the lower part of the nozzle. . In order to enhance this effect, the downstream end 650a of the lower surface 650 should be larger than the thickness of the liquid film, and the lowest position on the nozzle lower surface 650 should be the downstream end 650a of the lower surface 650. More preferably, the requirements are met.

Further, the above embodiment is a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate using the developer as the "first processing liquid" and the rinsing liquid as the "second processing liquid" of the present invention. The type of the second processing liquid is not limited to this, and the present invention can be applied to substrate processing using various liquids.

As described above by exemplifying specific embodiments, in the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, the ejection port is configured to open at a position above the downstream end of the inclined surface, for example. good. According to such a configuration, the problem that unnecessary components contained in the second processing liquid adhere to the periphery of the ejection port and cause clogging or disturb the flow of the second processing liquid can be solved.

Further, for example, the distance between the lower surface of the liquid discharger connected to the downstream end portion of the inclined surface and facing the surface and the substrate surface may be configured to increase toward the upstream side in the transport direction. In other words, the distance between the lower surface of the liquid discharger facing the substrate surface and the substrate surface may be the smallest at the portion of the lower surface of the liquid discharger that is connected to the downstream end of the inclined surface. According to such a configuration, it is possible to suppress uneven processing caused by the second processing liquid remaining between the lower surface of the liquid discharger and the substrate surface.

Further, for example, the most upstream end in the transport direction of the liquid landing positions where the liquid lands on the substrate surface may be configured to be downstream in the transport direction from the downstream end of the inclined surface. According to such a configuration, the second processing liquid, which may contain a contamination source by adhering to the substrate, is prevented from adhering to the liquid discharger.

Further, for example, the lower surface of the liquid ejection portion facing the substrate surface may be configured so as not to come into contact with the liquid film formed on the substrate surface. Such a configuration also prevents the second processing liquid, which may contain a contamination source by adhering to the substrate, from adhering to the liquid discharger.

Further, for example, the liquid ejecting portion has a channel having a cross-sectional shape identical to the opening shape of the ejection port, communicating with the ejection port, and allowing the second processing liquid to flow toward the ejection port. may be configured such that the flow direction of the liquid is vertically downward. With such a configuration, the degree of freedom in the shape of the liquid ejection portion on the upstream side of the ejection port is high, and for example, it is possible to appropriately adjust the distance between the gas ejection portion and the liquid ejection portion.

Further, for example, an exhaust path for exhausting gas may be provided between the gas ejection section and the liquid ejection section in the transport direction. According to such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the liquid flow from being disturbed by the gas blown out from the gas discharger blowing in between the liquid discharger and the substrate surface.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be applied to various types of substrate processing in which the processing liquid is removed from the substrate after processing with the processing liquid. For example, the present invention can be suitably applied to resist film development processing, etching processing, stripping processing, and the like.

1 Substrate Processing Apparatus 20 Developing Section 24 Air Nozzle (Gas Discharging Section)
30 rinse section 32 rinse liquid nozzle (liquid ejection section)
50 transport roller (transport mechanism)
321 First member 321c Inclined surface 322 Second member GS Gap space (flow path)
S Substrate Sa Substrate upper surface

Claims (9)

a transport mechanism for transporting the substrate having the first processing liquid adhered to the surface in a transport direction along the horizontal direction with the surface facing upward;
a gas ejection unit for blowing gas onto the surface over the entire surface of the substrate in a width direction orthogonal to the transport direction to remove the first processing liquid from the surface;
a liquid ejection unit that supplies a second treatment liquid to the surface downstream in the transport direction from a position where the gas is blown from the gas ejection unit;
The liquid ejection part is
a slit-shaped ejection opening that covers from one end to the other end in the width direction of the substrate and ejects the second treatment liquid in the direction of the surface;
a smooth inclined surface that is provided below the ejection port so as to face the entire opening of the ejection port and that slopes downward from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction; By causing the second treatment liquid discharged from the outlet to flow down along the inclined surface, a thin-layered liquid flow having a component directed toward the downstream side in the conveying direction is formed on the inclined surface, causing a liquid flow to flow down to the surface from a downstream end of the inclined surface in the conveying direction ;
the distance between the downstream end and the surface is greater than the thickness of the liquid film formed on the surface by the liquid flow;
A substrate processing apparatus, wherein a lower surface of the liquid discharger facing the surface does not contact a liquid film formed on the surface. a transport mechanism for transporting the substrate having the first processing liquid adhered to the surface in a transport direction along the horizontal direction with the surface facing upward;
a gas ejection unit for blowing gas onto the surface over the entire surface of the substrate in a width direction orthogonal to the transport direction to remove the first processing liquid from the surface;
a liquid ejection unit that supplies a second treatment liquid to the surface downstream in the transport direction from a position where the gas is blown from the gas ejection unit;
The liquid ejection part is
a slit-shaped ejection opening that covers from one end to the other end in the width direction of the substrate and ejects the second treatment liquid in the direction of the surface;
a smooth inclined surface that is provided below the ejection port so as to face the entire opening of the ejection port and that slopes downward from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction;
the lower surface of the liquid discharger has a gradient that descends toward the downstream side in the transport direction and is connected to the downstream end of the inclined surface at the lowest portion;
A substrate processing apparatus, wherein a distance between the downstream end portion and the surface is larger than an opening size of the ejection port in a direction orthogonal to the width direction. a transport mechanism for transporting the substrate having the first processing liquid adhered to the surface in a transport direction along the horizontal direction with the surface facing upward;
a composite nozzle for ejecting a gas and a liquid respectively onto the transported substrate;
The composite nozzle includes a gas discharger for blowing the gas onto the entire surface of the substrate in a width direction orthogonal to the transport direction to remove the first processing liquid from the surface, and and a liquid ejection part for supplying a second treatment liquid as the liquid to the surface on the downstream side in the transport direction from the position where the gas is sprayed,
The liquid ejection part has a slit-like ejection opening that covers from one end to the other end in the width direction of the substrate and ejects the second processing liquid toward the surface, and an opening of the ejection opening. a smooth inclined surface provided below the discharge port so as to face the entire part and inclined downward from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction;
In the gas discharge portion, a gap provided in the composite nozzle adjacent to the discharge port on the upstream side in the transport direction and communicating with the lower surface of the composite nozzle serves as the flow path of the gas.
Substrate processing equipment. 3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said ejection port opens at a position above said downstream end of said inclined surface. 5. The distance between the lower surface of the liquid discharger facing the surface and the surface is the smallest at a portion of the lower surface that is connected to the downstream end of the inclined surface. The substrate processing apparatus according to 1. 2. The most upstream end in the transport direction of the landing positions where the second treatment liquid lands on the surface is downstream in the transport direction from the downstream end of the inclined surface. 6. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of 1, 2, 4, and 5. The liquid ejection part has a flow path having the same cross-sectional shape as the opening shape of the ejection port, communicates with the ejection port, and circulates the second treatment liquid toward the ejection port. 7. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the flow direction of the second processing liquid is vertically downward. 8. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein an exhaust path for exhausting the gas is provided between the gas discharger and the liquid discharger in the transport direction. While transporting the substrate having the first processing liquid adhered to the surface thereof in a transport direction along the horizontal direction with the surface facing upward, a gas is applied to the surface over the entire area of the substrate in a width direction orthogonal to the transport direction. a first treatment step of spraying to remove the first treatment liquid from the surface;
a second treatment step of supplying a second treatment liquid from a liquid ejection part to the surface on the downstream side in the transport direction from the position where the gas is blown,
In the second treatment step,
discharging the second treatment liquid in the direction of the surface from a slit-shaped discharge opening covering from one end portion to the other end portion of the substrate in the width direction;
The second treatment liquid ejected from the ejection port is provided below the ejection port so as to face the entire opening of the ejection port so as to descend from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction. By flowing down along a smooth inclined surface that is inclined to the direction of flow down to the surface from the downstream end in the conveying direction ;
By setting the distance between the downstream end portion and the surface to be larger than the thickness of the liquid film formed on the surface by the liquid flow, the lower surface of the liquid ejecting portion facing the surface is the surface. and supplying the second processing liquid without contacting the liquid film formed on the substrate.

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