JP7267079B2 - Processing liquid preparation apparatus, substrate processing apparatus, processing liquid preparation method, and substrate processing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a processing liquid preparation apparatus, a substrate processing apparatus, a processing liquid preparation method, and a substrate processing method.

A substrate processing apparatus for processing substrates is known. For example, substrate processing apparatuses are used in the manufacture of semiconductor substrates or glass substrates. In some cases, the substrate is phosphated to etch the silicon nitride layer as an insulating layer (see, for example, US Pat. Patent Document 1 describes that a phosphoric acid solution containing silica at a predetermined concentration is used as an etchant by measuring the phosphoric acid concentration together with the silica concentration.

JP 2015-195306 A

In Patent Document 1, the phosphoric acid solution is produced in one bath, but it is desired to produce the phosphoric acid solution with the same processing characteristics in a plurality of storage tanks. For example, a large number of substrates can be continuously and stably processed by generating phosphoric acid solutions having the same processing characteristics in a plurality of storage tanks. However, in practice, even if you try to calibrate the concentration of the phosphoric acid solution based on the measurement results of the measuring equipment, there is a difference between the phosphoric acid concentration meters. ) was difficult to set.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a processing liquid preparation apparatus, a substrate processing apparatus, a processing liquid preparation method, and a substrate processing method that enable calibration with other phosphoric acid solutions with high accuracy. to provide.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a treatment liquid preparation device includes a storage section, a measurement section, and a storage section. The reservoir stores a phosphoric acid solution. The measurement unit measures a value indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution in the reservoir. The storage unit stores the values measured by the measurement unit. The storage section stores a reference indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid liquid measured by the measuring section when the storage section is in a boundary state between a bumping state in which the phosphoric acid liquid bumps and a non-bumping state in which the phosphoric acid liquid does not bump. store the value. The storage section includes a first storage section that stores a first phosphoric acid solution and a second storage section that stores a second phosphoric acid liquid. The storage section stores the specific gravity of the first phosphoric acid liquid measured by the first measuring section when the first phosphoric acid liquid is in a boundary state between a bumping state in which the first phosphoric acid liquid is bumped and a non-bumping state in which the first phosphoric acid liquid is not bumped. A first reference value indicating the is stored. The storage section stores the specific gravity of the second phosphoric acid liquid measured by the second measuring section when the second phosphoric acid liquid is in a boundary state between a bumping state in which the second phosphoric acid liquid is bumped and a non-bumping state in which the second phosphoric acid liquid is not bumped. A second reference value indicating the is stored.

In one embodiment, the storage part prepares the phosphoric acid solution so that the value indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution is larger than the reference value.

In one embodiment, the processing liquid preparing apparatus further includes an imaging section that captures an image of the phosphoric acid liquid in the reservoir.

In one embodiment, the first phosphoric acid solution is prepared based on the first reference value, and the second phosphoric acid solution is prepared based on the second reference value.

In one embodiment, the second reservoir supplies the phosphoric acid solution prepared in the second reservoir to the first reservoir.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a substrate processing apparatus includes the processing liquid preparation apparatus described above, and a substrate processing section that processes a substrate using the phosphoric acid liquid prepared in the processing liquid preparation apparatus.

In one embodiment, the substrate processing section has a substrate holding section that holds and rotates the substrate, and a nozzle that supplies the phosphoric acid solution to the substrate held by the substrate holding section.

In one embodiment, the substrate processing section has a substrate loading section capable of loading a plurality of the substrates, and a processing tank for storing the phosphoric acid solution prepared in the processing liquid preparation apparatus.

In one embodiment, the substrate processing section has a substrate loading section capable of loading a plurality of the substrates, and the substrate loading section is immersed in the phosphoric acid solution in the storage section of the processing liquid preparation apparatus.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, a substrate processing apparatus includes a processing liquid preparing apparatus, and a substrate processing section for processing a substrate using the phosphoric acid liquid prepared in the processing liquid preparing apparatus. The treatment liquid preparation device includes a storage section, a measurement section, and a storage section. The reservoir stores a phosphoric acid solution. The measurement unit measures a value indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution in the reservoir. The storage unit stores the values measured by the measurement unit. The storage section stores a reference indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid liquid measured by the measuring section when the storage section is in a boundary state between a bumping state in which the phosphoric acid liquid bumps and a non-bumping state in which the phosphoric acid liquid does not bump. store the value. The substrate processing section has a substrate holding section that holds and rotates the substrate, and a nozzle that supplies the phosphoric acid solution to the substrate held by the substrate holding section.
In one embodiment, the value indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution in the reservoir is set based on the state of the phosphoric acid solution supplied to the nozzle.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, the method for preparing a treatment liquid includes the step of setting the phosphoric acid liquid to a boundary state between a bumping state in which the phosphoric acid liquid in the pool is bumping and a non-bumping state in which the phosphoric acid liquid is not bumped. , measuring a reference value indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution set in the boundary state; and storing the reference value. The step of setting the phosphoric acid solution in the boundary state includes setting the first phosphoric acid solution in a boundary state with a non-bumping state in which the first phosphoric acid solution does not bubble, and a step of setting the first phosphoric acid solution in a non-bumping state in which the second phosphoric acid solution does not bump. and setting the second phosphoric acid solution to a boundary condition of The step of measuring the reference value includes the step of measuring a first reference value indicating the specific gravity of the first phosphoric acid solution set in the boundary state, and the step of measuring the specific gravity of the second phosphoric acid solution set in the boundary state. and measuring the indicated second reference value. Storing the reference value includes storing the first reference value and storing the second reference value.

In one embodiment, the processing liquid preparation method further includes the step of preparing the phosphoric acid liquid such that the value indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid liquid is greater than the reference value.

In one embodiment, setting the phosphoric acid solution to the boundary condition comprises imaging the phosphoric acid solution.

In one embodiment, the treatment liquid preparation method comprises the steps of preparing the first phosphoric acid solution based on the first reference value and preparing the second phosphoric acid solution based on the second reference value. Including further.

In one embodiment, the processing liquid preparation method further includes mixing the second phosphoric acid liquid with the first phosphoric acid liquid.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate processing method comprising the steps of: preparing a phosphoric acid solution according to the above-described method of preparing a processing solution; and processing.

In one embodiment, the step of processing the substrate includes holding and rotating the substrate, and supplying the phosphoric acid solution to the rotating substrate.

In one embodiment, the step of treating the substrate includes the step of supplying the phosphoric acid solution to a treatment tank and immersing the substrate in the phosphoric acid solution in the treatment tank.

In one embodiment, the step of treating the substrate includes immersing the substrate in a reservoir in which the phosphoric acid solution is prepared.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, a substrate processing method comprises the steps of preparing a phosphoric acid solution according to a processing solution preparation method, and treating a substrate using the phosphoric acid solution prepared by the processing solution preparation method. encompasses The method for preparing the treatment liquid comprises: setting the phosphoric acid liquid to a boundary state between a bumping state in which the stored phosphoric acid liquid is bumped and a non-bumping state in which the phosphoric acid liquid is not bumped; It includes a step of measuring a reference value indicating the specific gravity of the liquid, and a step of storing the reference value. The step of processing the substrate includes holding and rotating the substrate, and supplying the phosphoric acid solution to the rotating substrate.
In one embodiment, in the step of supplying the phosphoric acid solution, the value indicating the specific gravity of the stored phosphoric acid solution is set based on the state of the phosphoric acid solution supplied to the nozzle.

According to the present invention, calibration with other phosphoric acid solutions can be performed with high accuracy.

1 is a schematic diagram of a substrate processing apparatus provided with the processing liquid preparation apparatus of the present embodiment; FIG. 4(a) to 4(d) are schematic diagrams showing the supply of water to a storage tank, the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution, and the state of the phosphoric acid solution in the processing solution preparing apparatus of the present embodiment. FIG. (a) to (d) are schematic diagrams showing the supply of water to the first and second storage tanks, the value indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution, and the state of the phosphoric acid solution in the processing solution preparation apparatus of the present embodiment. be. (a) to (c) are schematic diagrams showing the supply of water to the first reservoir and the second reservoir, the value indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution, and the state of the phosphoric acid solution in the processing solution preparation apparatus of the present embodiment. be. (a) to (c) are schematic diagrams for explaining preparation of a phosphoric acid solution in the substrate processing apparatus of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of a substrate processing apparatus provided with the processing liquid preparation apparatus of this embodiment; 1 is a schematic diagram of a substrate processing apparatus provided with the processing liquid preparation apparatus of the present embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a substrate processing apparatus provided with the processing liquid preparation apparatus of the present embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a substrate processing apparatus provided with the processing liquid preparation apparatus of the present embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a substrate processing system provided with the substrate processing apparatus of the present embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of a substrate processing apparatus provided with the processing liquid preparation apparatus of this embodiment; 1 is a schematic diagram of a substrate processing apparatus provided with the processing liquid preparation apparatus of the present embodiment; FIG. (a) to (f) are schematic diagrams for explaining changes in the flow of the phosphoric acid solution in the substrate processing apparatus provided with the processing solution preparing apparatus of the present embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of a processing liquid preparation apparatus and a processing liquid preparation method according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated.

An embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus 200 having a processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a substrate processing apparatus 200 of this embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 200 processes substrates W. FIG. The substrate processing apparatus 200 processes the substrate W such that the substrate W is subjected to at least one of etching, surface treatment, characterization, treatment film formation, removal of at least a portion of the film, and cleaning.

The substrate W is a thin plate. Typically, the substrate W is thin and generally disk-shaped. The substrate W is, for example, a semiconductor wafer, a liquid crystal display device substrate, a plasma display substrate, a field emission display (FED) substrate, an optical disk substrate, a magnetic disk substrate, a magneto-optical disk substrate, or a photomask. substrates, ceramic substrates and substrates for solar cells.

The substrate processing apparatus 200 processes a substrate W with a processing liquid containing phosphoric acid. Typically, the phosphoric acid treatment etches the silicon nitride layer that serves as the insulating layer of the substrate W. FIG. Here, the substrate processing apparatus 200 processes the substrates W one by one with the phosphoric acid solution.

The substrate processing apparatus 200 includes a processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 and a substrate processing section 210 . The processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 prepares a processing liquid. The processing liquid contains a phosphoric acid solution. The treatment liquid preparation apparatus 100 adjusts the temperature and specific gravity of the phosphoric acid liquid to predetermined states. The processing liquid preparing apparatus 100 supplies the prepared processing liquid to the substrate processing section 210 .

The substrate processing section 210 processes the substrate W with the processing liquid supplied from the processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 . Here, the substrate processing section 210 is a single wafer processing apparatus. The substrate processing section 210 processes the substrates W one by one with a phosphoric acid solution. When the substrate processing unit 210 processes the substrate W, if the phosphoric acid solution contains gas, the substrate W may not be uniformly processed. Therefore, it is preferable that the phosphoric acid liquid supplied from the processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 to the substrate processing section 210 does not contain gas.

Substrate processing portion 210 includes chamber 212 , substrate holder 214 , nozzle 216 , and cup 218 . Chamber 212 accommodates substrate W. FIG. The substrates W are accommodated one by one in the chamber 212 . A substrate W is accommodated within the chamber 212 and processed within the chamber 212 .

The substrate holding part 214 holds the substrate W. As shown in FIG. Further, the substrate holding part 214 rotates together with the substrate W while holding the substrate W. As shown in FIG. For example, the substrate holding part 214 may be of a clamping type that clamps the edge of the substrate W. As shown in FIG.

Alternatively, the substrate holder 214 may have any mechanism for holding the substrate W from the back surface. For example, substrate holder 214 may be of the vacuum type. In this case, the substrate holding part 214 horizontally holds the substrate W by causing the central portion of the back surface (lower surface) of the substrate W, which is the non-device forming surface, to be attracted to the upper surface. Alternatively, the substrate holding part 214 may be a combination of a clamping type in which a plurality of chuck pins are brought into contact with the peripheral edge surface of the substrate W and a vacuum type.

Nozzle 216 is housed within chamber 212 . The nozzle 216 discharges the phosphoric acid solution toward the substrate W held by the substrate holding part 214 .

The cup 218 collects the phosphoric acid solution supplied to the substrate W. FIG. Although the details will be described later, the treatment liquid collected by the cup 218 is returned to the treatment liquid preparation apparatus 100 .

The treatment liquid preparation apparatus 100 includes a storage section 102 that stores the phosphoric acid liquid. In reservoir 102, a phosphoric acid solution is prepared. The phosphoric acid solution contains phosphoric acid and water. The reservoir 102 prepares the phosphoric acid solution to have a predetermined temperature and specific gravity.

Here, reservoir 102 includes first reservoir 110 and second reservoir 120 . A phosphoric acid solution is stored in the first reservoir 110 as a treatment liquid. A phosphoric acid solution is stored in the second reservoir 120 as a treatment liquid. Note that the phosphoric acid solution in first reservoir 110 and the phosphoric acid solution in second reservoir 120 are not mixed until preparation of first reservoir 110 and second reservoir 120 is completed. However, after the preparation of the first reservoir 110 and the second reservoir 120 is completed, the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 and the phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120 may be mixed with each other. When the phosphoric acid solution in first reservoir 110 and the phosphoric acid solution in second reservoir 120 are mixed, the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution in first reservoir 110 is substantially equal to the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution in second reservoir 120. is preferred. Also, the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 is preferably substantially equal to the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120 .

Here, the first storage part 110 supplies the phosphoric acid solution to the substrate processing part 210 . The second reservoir 120 replenishes the phosphoric acid solution to the first reservoir 110 . Also, here, the second storage section 120 collects the processing liquid used in the substrate processing section 210 .

In this specification, the phosphoric acid solution prepared in the first reservoir 110 may be referred to as the first phosphoric acid solution. Also, the phosphoric acid solution prepared in the second reservoir 120 may be referred to as a second phosphoric acid solution.

First reservoir 110 includes first reservoir 112 , first pipe 113 , and first measuring section 114 . The first storage tank 112 stores a phosphoric acid solution as a processing liquid.

A first pipe 113 connects the first storage tank 112 and the substrate processing section 210 . Further, the first pipe 113 has a circulation pipe 113a returning to the first storage tank 112 on the way.

The first measurement unit 114 is attached to the first storage tank 112 . The first measuring unit 114 measures a value indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid liquid stored in the first storage tank 112 . The first measurement unit 114 measures the back pressure of the first storage tank 112 .

For example, the tip of the first measuring section 114 is arranged at a predetermined depth from the surface of the phosphoric acid liquid in the first storage tank 112 . In the first measurement unit 114 , gas is supplied to the tip of the first measurement unit 114 to form bubbles in the phosphoric acid liquid in the first storage tank 112 . As a result, the liquid pressure of the phosphoric acid liquid stored in the first storage tank 112 is the gas pressure at the tip of the first measurement unit 114 arranged at a predetermined depth from the liquid surface of the first storage tank 112. detected. Nitrogen gas is typically used as the gas. By measuring the relationship between the gas pressure and the phosphoric acid solution in advance and creating a look-up table showing the relationship between the gas pressure and the phosphoric acid solution in advance, it is possible to generate bubbles according to the gas pressure at which gas bubbles are formed. The specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution can be measured.

Note that the first measurement unit 114 does not necessarily have to measure the value of the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution itself. For example, the first measuring unit 114 may measure a value that changes in proportion to the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution. However, in this specification, for the sake of convenience, measuring the value indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution may be referred to as measuring the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution.

The first reservoir 110 further includes a pump 115a, a heater 115b, a filter 115c, a valve 115d and a valve 115e. A pump 115 a , a heater 115 b , a filter 115 c and a valve 115 d are arranged in the first pipe 113 . The valve 115e is arranged in the circulation pipe 113a.

The pump 115a sucks the phosphoric acid solution once and then pushes the sucked phosphoric acid solution downstream. The phosphoric acid solution is pushed into the first pipe 113 by the pump 115a. The heater 115b heats the first phosphoric acid solution. The temperature of the first phosphoric acid solution can be set to 130° C. or higher by heating the phosphoric acid solution with the heater 115b. The temperature of the first phosphoric acid solution may be set at 130° C. or higher and 200° C. or lower, or may be set at 150° C. or higher and 180° C. or lower.

The filter 115c filters suspended matter in the first phosphoric acid solution. Valve 115d controls the flow of the first phosphoric acid solution. The phosphoric acid solution flows toward the substrate processing section 210 by opening the valve 115d. By closing the valve 115 d , the phosphoric acid solution stops flowing from the processing liquid preparing apparatus 100 toward the substrate processing section 210 .

Valve 115e also controls the flow of the phosphoric acid solution. By opening the valve 115d, the phosphoric acid solution flows toward the first storage tank 112, so that the phosphoric acid solution can be circulated. The circulation of the phosphoric acid solution is stopped by closing the valve 115e.

For example, by opening the valve 115e while the valve 115d is closed, the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 circulates through the circulation pipe 113a. At this time, the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 can be set to a predetermined temperature by heating the circulating phosphoric acid solution with the heater 115b.

Since the valves 115 d and 115 e are open, the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 is circulated through the circulation pipe 113 a and supplied to the substrate processing section 210 through the first pipe 113 . Therefore, the substrate processing section 210 can process the substrate W with the phosphoric acid solution at a predetermined temperature.

In addition, the first storage unit 110 further includes a first water supply unit 116a, a first phosphoric acid supply unit 116b, and a first gas supply unit 116c. The first water supply unit 116 a supplies water to the first storage tank 112 . For example, when the phosphoric acid liquid is circulated, if the phosphoric acid liquid is heated to a high temperature exceeding the boiling point of water by the heater 115b, water with a low boiling point evaporates preferentially from the phosphoric acid liquid. Therefore, when the phosphoric acid solution is circulated, the first water supply unit 116a may continuously supply a constant amount of water in order to keep the temperature and specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution constant.

Since the specific gravity of phosphoric acid is higher than that of water, if the phosphoric acid component in the phosphoric acid solution is large, the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution increases. Conversely, if the water content in the phosphoric acid solution is large, the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution will decrease.

Further, since the boiling point of phosphoric acid is higher than that of water, if the phosphoric acid component in the phosphoric acid solution is large, the phosphoric acid solution will be difficult to boil. Conversely, if the water content in the phosphoric acid solution is large, the phosphoric acid solution tends to boil. Therefore, even if the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution is constant, the state of the phosphoric acid solution changes depending on the components of the phosphoric acid solution. For example, if the phosphoric acid solution contains a large amount of water, the phosphoric acid solution is prone to bumping. Therefore, by controlling the amount of water supplied from the first water supply unit 116a, the bumping state and the non-bumping state of the phosphoric acid liquid can be controlled.

The first phosphoric acid supply unit 116b supplies phosphoric acid solution to the first storage tank 112 . Typically, when the first phosphoric acid solution is stored in the first storage tank 112 , the first phosphoric acid supply unit 116 b supplies the first phosphoric acid solution to the first storage tank 112 .

The first gas supply unit 116 c supplies gas to the first storage tank 112 . For example, the first gas supply unit 116 c supplies nitrogen gas to the first storage tank 112 .

For example, the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution in the first storage tank 112 is based on the measurement result of the first measurement unit 114, and the amount of water supplied from the first water supply unit 116a and/or the amount of water supplied from the first phosphoric acid supply unit 116b It is controlled by controlling the amount of phosphoric acid supplied.

The first storage tank 112 has a main body tank 112a and a circulation tank 112b. The circulation bath 112b is arranged adjacent to the main bath 112a. The main bath 112a is arranged so that the phosphoric acid solution overflowing from the circulation bath 112b flows into it. The volume of the main body tank 112a is larger than the volume of the circulation tank 112b.

The tip of the circulation pipe 113a is located in the circulation tank 112b. After passing through the circulation pipe 113a, the phosphoric acid solution returns to the circulation tank 112b of the first storage tank 112, overflows the circulation tank 112b, reaches the main tank 112a, and passes through the first pipe 113 again. Moreover, the 1st measurement part 114 is attached to the circulation tank 112b.

The first reservoir 110 may further include a liquid level sensor 114a. The liquid level sensor 114 a detects the height of the liquid level of the phosphoric acid solution in the first storage tank 112 .

The second reservoir 120 has a configuration corresponding to that of the first reservoir 110 . The second storage unit 120 includes a second storage tank 122, a second pipe 123, a second measurement unit 124, a pump 125a, a heater 125b, a filter 125c, a valve 125d, a valve 125e, and a second water It includes a supply 126a, a second phosphoric acid supply 126b, and a second gas supply 126c. Duplicate descriptions of the second reservoir 120 are omitted to avoid redundant description.

A second pipe 123 of the second reservoir 120 connects the second reservoir 122 and the first reservoir 112 . Also, the valve 125 d controls the flow of the phosphoric acid solution from the second storage tank 122 toward the first storage tank 112 . The phosphoric acid solution flows toward the first storage tank 112 by opening the valve 125d. By closing the valve 125 d , the phosphoric acid solution stops flowing from the second reservoir 120 toward the first reservoir 110 .

Further, the phosphoric acid solution flows toward the second storage tank 122 by opening the valve 125e, so that the phosphoric acid solution can be circulated. The circulation of the phosphoric acid solution is stopped by closing the valve 125e.

For example, by opening the valve 125e while the valve 125d is closed, the phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120 circulates through the circulation pipe 123a. At this time, the phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120 can be set to a predetermined temperature by heating the circulating phosphoric acid solution with the heater 125b.

Further, since the valves 125d and 125e are open, the phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120 is circulated through the circulation pipe 123a and supplied to the first reservoir 110 through the second pipe 123. FIG. Therefore, the second reservoir 120 can replenish the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 .

In addition, the second pipe 123 has a circulation pipe 123a that returns to the second storage tank 122 on the way. Furthermore, the second reservoir 120 has a return pipe 123 b that connects the substrate processing part 210 and the second reservoir 122 . The processing liquid collected by the cup 126 in the substrate processing section 210 flows through the return pipe 123b. The processing liquid passing through the return pipe 123 b returns to the main tank 122 a of the second storage tank 122 .

The treatment liquid preparation apparatus 100 further includes a control section 104 and a storage section 106 . Control unit 104 includes a processor. A processor has a central processing unit (Central Processing Unit: CPU), for example. Alternatively, the processor may comprise a general purpose computing machine. For example, the control unit 104 controls the first measurement unit 114 of the first storage unit 110, the liquid level sensor 114a, the pump 115a, the heater 115b, the filter 115c, the valve 115d, the valve 115e, the first water supply unit 116a, the first phosphoric acid supply It controls the section 116b and the first gas supply section 116c. In addition, the control unit 104 controls the second measurement unit 124 of the second storage unit 120, the liquid level sensor 124a, the pump 125a, the heater 125b, the filter 125c, the valve 125d, the valve 125e, the second water supply unit 126a, the second phosphoric acid supply unit. It controls the portion 126b and the second gas supply portion 126c.

Storage unit 106 stores data and computer programs. Storage unit 106 includes a main storage device and an auxiliary storage device. The main storage device is, for example, a semiconductor memory. Auxiliary storage devices are, for example, semiconductor memories and/or hard disk drives. Storage unit 106 may include removable media. The control unit 104 executes the computer program stored in the storage unit 106 to execute the treatment liquid preparation method.

A computer program having a predetermined procedure is stored in the storage unit 106, and the processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 operates according to the procedure determined by the computer program.

The substrate processing section 210 further includes a pipe 213, a valve 213a, a pipe 215, and a valve 215a. A pipe 213 connects the first pipe 113 of the first reservoir 110 and the chamber 212 . A valve 213 a is arranged in the pipe 213 . A valve 213 a controls the flow of the phosphoric acid solution in the pipe 213 . The phosphoric acid solution is discharged onto the substrate W through the nozzle 216 toward the chamber 212 by opening the valve 213a. By closing valve 213 a , the phosphoric acid solution stops flowing toward chamber 212 .

A pipe 215 connects the chamber 212 and the return pipe 123 b of the second reservoir 120 . A valve 215 a is arranged in the pipe 215 . Valve 215 a controls the flow of phosphoric acid solution in line 215 . The phosphoric acid solution flows from the chamber 212 toward the second reservoir 120 by opening the valve 215a. Closing the valve 215 a stops the phosphoric acid from flowing toward the second reservoir 120 .

Further, the substrate processing section 210 further includes a control section 204 and a storage section 206 . Control unit 204 includes a processor. A processor has a central processing unit (Central Processing Unit: CPU), for example. Alternatively, the processor may comprise a general purpose computing machine. For example, the controller 204 controls the valve 213a, the substrate holder 214, the valve 215a and the nozzle 216. FIG.

Storage unit 206 stores data and computer programs. Storage unit 206 includes a main storage device and an auxiliary storage device. The main storage device is, for example, a semiconductor memory. Auxiliary storage devices are, for example, semiconductor memories and/or hard disk drives. Storage unit 206 may include removable media. The control unit 104 executes the computer program stored in the storage unit 206 to execute the substrate processing method.

A computer program having a predetermined procedure is stored in the storage unit 206, and the substrate processing unit 210 operates according to the procedure defined in the computer program.

Note that the control unit 104, the storage unit 106, the control unit 204, and the storage unit 206 may be configured integrally. For example, the control unit 104 , the storage unit 106 , the control unit 204 , and the storage unit 206 may be configured integrally to control the substrate processing apparatus 200 as the apparatus control unit 201 .

In the processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the storage unit 106 stores the measurement value of the first measurement unit 114 when the first phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 is in the boundary state between the bumping state and the non-bumping state. Remember. The measured value of the measuring unit when the first phosphoric acid solution is in the boundary state can be used as a reference state unique to the first phosphoric acid solution. Therefore, by using the measured value of the first measuring unit 114, the first phosphoric acid solution can be calibrated to the same state as the other phosphoric acid solutions. For example, the first phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 can be prepared in the same state as the second phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120 by using the measured value of the first measuring unit 114 .

Further, the storage unit 106 stores the measured value of the second measurement unit 124 when the second phosphoric acid liquid in the second storage unit 120 is in the boundary state between the bumping state and the non-bumping state. The measurement value of the measuring unit when the second phosphoric acid solution is in the boundary state can be used as a reference state unique to the second phosphoric acid solution. Therefore, by using the measured value of the second measuring unit 124, the second phosphoric acid solution can be prepared in the same state as the first phosphoric acid solution.

As described above, the phosphoric acid solution in first reservoir 110 and second reservoir 120 is heated by heater 115b and heater 125b. Depending on the ratio of phosphoric acid and water in the phosphoric acid solution, the treatment characteristics of the phosphoric acid solution will differ if the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution is constant. The more the water component in the phosphoric acid solution, the lower the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution. Further, if the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution is kept constant, the more the water component in the phosphoric acid solution, the more the etching rate of the substrate W can be improved. Further, the more the phosphoric acid component in the phosphoric acid solution, the higher the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution and the easier it is to raise the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution. If the component (or specific gravity) of the phosphoric acid solution is constant, the higher the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution is, the more the etching rate of the substrate W can be improved.

Next, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in the processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the value indicating the supply of water to the first storage tank 112, the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution in the first storage section 110, and the phosphoric acid Explain the state of the liquid. FIGS. 2(a) to 2(d) show the supply of water to the first storage tank 112 in the processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, and values indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution in the first storage section 110 and the phosphoric acid concentration. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state of a liquid.

Note that the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution is kept constant in FIGS. 2(a) to 2(d). For example, the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution is 130° C. or higher and 180° C. or lower. Also, the state of the phosphoric acid solution can be observed in a portion of the first pipe 113 . The state of the phosphoric acid solution may be visually checked at a portion of the first pipe 113 .

As shown in FIG. 2A, when a relatively large amount of water is supplied from the first water supply section 116a to the first storage tank 112, the water component of the phosphoric acid solution becomes relatively large. In this case, the first measuring unit 114 measures a relatively low value as the specific gravity of the first phosphoric acid solution. Here, the measured value is 33.9. At this time, the first phosphoric acid solution is boiling and partially vaporized.

As shown in FIG. 2B, when the amount of water supplied from the first water supply part 116a to the first storage tank 112 is slightly reduced, the water component of the phosphoric acid solution is slightly reduced. In this case, the first measuring unit 114 measures a slightly high value as the specific gravity of the first phosphoric acid solution. Here, the measured value is 34.0. At this time, the first phosphoric acid solution is still boiling and partially vaporized.

As shown in FIG. 2(c), if the amount of water supplied from the first water supply part 116a to the first storage tank 112 is further reduced, the water component of the phosphoric acid solution is further reduced. In this case, the first measuring unit 114 measures a higher value as the specific gravity of the first phosphoric acid solution. Here, the measured value is 34.1. At this time, the first phosphoric acid solution is still boiling and partially vaporized.

As shown in FIG. 2(d), if the amount of water supplied from the first water supply part 116a to the first storage tank 112 is further reduced, the water component of the phosphoric acid solution is further reduced. In this case, the first measurement unit 114 measures a higher value for the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution in the first storage unit 110 . Here, the measured value is 34.2. At this time, the first phosphoric acid solution remains transparent without boiling.

As can be understood from the description with reference to FIGS. 2(a) to 2(d), even if the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution is constant, the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution and the state of the phosphoric acid solution change as the components of the phosphoric acid solution change. Change. Specifically, the lower the water content of the phosphoric acid solution, the higher the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution, and the harder the phosphoric acid solution is to boil.

As described with reference to FIG. 1, in the treatment liquid preparation apparatus 100, the first measurement unit 114 measures a value indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110, and the second measurement unit 124 measures the value of the second reservoir. A value indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution in the portion 120 is measured. However, since the first measuring unit 114 and the second measuring unit 124 differ from device to device, even if the phosphoric acid solution in the first storage unit 110 and the phosphoric acid solution in the second storage unit 120 have the same specific gravity, the The measurement result of the first measurement unit 114 may not be equal to the measurement result of the second measurement unit 124 . Conversely, even if the measurement result of the first measurement unit 114 is equal to the measurement result of the second measurement unit 124, the specific gravities of the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 and the phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120 may not be the same. . In this case, even if the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 and the phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120 are prepared so that the measured value of the first measuring unit 114 and the measured value of the second measuring unit 124 match each other, The specific gravity of one phosphoric acid solution will be different from the specific gravity of the second phosphoric acid solution. If two phosphoric acid solutions having different specific gravities are mixed in this way, the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution will be different from the originally planned specific gravity, and the treatment characteristics of the treatment solution will change.

Next, control of the processing liquid preparing apparatus 100 before preparing a processing liquid according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. FIGS. 3(a) to 3(d) show values indicating the supply of water to the first reservoir 112 and the second reservoir 122 and the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 and the second reservoir 120. and a schematic diagram showing the state of the phosphoric acid solution.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the first water supply unit 116a and the second water supply unit 116a and the second water supply unit 116a and the second water supply unit 116a are adjusted so that the measurement value of the first measurement unit 114 and the measurement value of the second measurement unit 124 are the same value (33.9). Controls the amount of water from the water supply 126a. In this case, both the phosphoric acid liquid flowing through the first pipe 113 and the phosphoric acid liquid flowing through the second pipe 123 are violently bumping. Bubbles are formed on the sides of the pipe, and the phosphoric acid solution flows only in the center of the pipe. At this time, both the first phosphoric acid solution and the second phosphoric acid solution correspond to the state shown in FIG. 2(a).

As shown in FIG. 3B, the first water supply unit 116a and the second water supply unit 116a and the second water supply unit 116a are adjusted so that the measurement value of the first measurement unit 114 and the measurement value of the second measurement unit 124 are both the same value (34.0). Control is performed so that the amount of water from the water supply unit 126a is reduced. In this case, both the phosphoric acid liquid flowing through the first pipe 113 and the phosphoric acid liquid flowing through the second pipe 123 are bumping. However, the bumping of the phosphoric acid liquid flowing through the first pipe 113 is relatively strong, whereas the bumping of the phosphoric acid liquid flowing through the second pipe 123 is relatively weak. At this time, the first phosphoric acid solution corresponds to the state shown in FIG. 2(b), and the second phosphoric acid solution corresponds to the state shown in FIG. 2(c).

As shown in FIG. 3(c), the first water supply section 116a and the second Control is performed so that the amount of water from the water supply unit 126a is reduced. In this case, the phosphoric acid liquid flowing through the first pipe 113 is still bumping, whereas the phosphoric acid liquid flowing through the second pipe 123 is not bumping. At this time, the first phosphoric acid solution corresponds to the state shown in FIG. 2(c), and the second phosphoric acid solution corresponds to the state shown in FIG. 2(d).

As shown in FIG. 3(d), the first water supply unit 116a and the second water supply unit 116a and the second Control is performed so that the amount of water from the water supply unit 126a is reduced. In this case, neither the phosphoric acid liquid flowing through the first pipe 113 nor the phosphoric acid liquid flowing through the second pipe 123 bumps. At this time, both the first phosphoric acid solution and the second phosphoric acid solution correspond to the state shown in FIG. 2(d).

As described with reference to FIGS. 3( a ) to 3 ( d ), the first storage tank 112 and the second storage tank 112 and the second storage tank 112 are adjusted so that the measurement value of the first measurement unit 114 and the measurement value of the second measurement unit 124 are equal. Even if the storage tank 122 is controlled, the first phosphoric acid solution and the second phosphoric acid solution are in different states. This is due to the inter-device difference between the first measurement unit 114 and the second measurement unit 124 . Therefore, even if the amount of water from the first water supply unit 116a and the second water supply unit 126a is controlled so that the measurement result of the first measurement unit 114 and the measurement result of the second measurement unit 124n match, The phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 and the phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120 cannot have the same specific gravity.

In the processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 and the phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120 are set to a common state, and the first measurement unit 114 measures the The value indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution is measured, and the second measurement unit 124 measures the value indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120 . Since these specific gravities indicate the common state of the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 and the phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120 , not affected by differences. After that, it is preferable to prepare the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 and the phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120 based on these measurement results.

Next, referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, the processing liquid preparation method of this embodiment will be described. 4(a) to 4(c) show the supply of water to the first reservoir 112 and the second reservoir 122, the first reservoir 110 and the second reservoir in the treatment liquid preparation apparatus 100 of this embodiment. 12 is a schematic diagram showing a value indicating the specific gravity of a phosphoric acid solution of 120 and the state of the phosphoric acid solution. FIG. In this embodiment, the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 and the phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120 are both set to the boundary state between the bumping state and the non-bumping state. A value indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution in the portion 110 is measured, and the second measuring portion 124 measures a value indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution in the second storage portion 120 . Typically, in this state, the measured value of the first measuring section 114 is different from the measured value of the second measuring section 124 .

As shown in FIG. 4(a), the first water supply section 116a and the second water supply section 116a and the second water supply section are arranged so that the state of the phosphoric acid solution in the first storage section 110 is approximately equal to the state of the phosphoric acid liquid in the second storage section 120. As shown in FIG. Controls the amount of water from 126a. Here, the first water supply section 116a and the first water supply section 116a and the The amount of water from the second water supply section 126a is controlled. At this time, the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 and the phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120 are slightly bumped as shown in FIG. 2(c).

For example, in FIG. 4A, the measured value of the first reservoir 110 measured by the first measuring unit 114 is 34.1, and the measured value of the first reservoir 110 measured by the second measuring unit 124 is 34.1. is 34.0.

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 4(b), the first water supply part 116a and the second water supply part 116a and the second water supply part 116a are adjusted so that the state of the phosphoric acid solution in the first storage part 110 becomes substantially equal to the state of the phosphoric acid solution in the second storage part 120. As shown in FIG. Controls the amount of water from supply 126a. Here, the first water supply part 116a is set so that both the phosphoric acid solution in the first storage part 110 and the phosphoric acid solution in the second storage part 120 are in the non-bumping state on the boundary between the bumping state and the non-bumping state. and the amount of water from the second water supply section 126a. At this time, the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 and the phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120 are not bumped as shown in FIG. 2(d).

For example, in FIG. 4B, the value indicating the specific gravity of the first phosphoric acid solution measured by the first measuring unit 114 is 34.2, and the specific gravity of the second phosphoric acid solution measured by the second measuring unit 124 is 34.2. The value shown is 34.1.

According to the preparation conditions of the phosphoric acid liquid in the first storage section 110, when the measured value of the first measurement section 114 is between 34.1 and 34.2, the phosphoric acid liquid in the first storage section 110 is in a bumping state. and the non-bumping state. At this time, the state of the first phosphoric acid solution is the same as the state of the second phosphoric acid solution. Therefore, storage unit 106 (FIG. 1) stores 34.2 as the reference value for first storage unit 110 from the measurement value of first measurement unit 114 . Further, the storage unit 106 (FIG. 1) stores 34.1 as the reference value of the second storage unit 120 from the measured value of the second measurement unit 124 .

The specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution actually used in the substrate processing section 210 is preferably higher than the specific gravity corresponding to the reference value. As a result, even if the temperature of the substrate processing section 210 is somewhat low, it is possible to prevent the phosphoric acid liquid from vaporizing and generating bubbles in the processing liquid.

As shown in FIG. 4(c), both the measured value of the first measuring unit 114 and the measured value of the second measuring unit 124 are measured by the first water supply unit 116a so that the specific gravity is increased by a predetermined value from the reference value. and the amount of water from the second water supply unit 126a is controlled to decrease. Here, the predetermined value is 0.3. Therefore, the measured value of the first measuring unit 114 is 34.5, and the measured value of the second measuring unit 124 is 34.4. As described above, the measured value of the phosphoric acid solution used for substrate processing may differ from the reference value that serves as the standard for calibration of the phosphoric acid solution.

The measurement value of the first measurement unit 114 when supplying the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 is preferably determined by observing the phosphoric acid solution flowing through the substrate processing unit 210 .

Hereinafter, preparation of the phosphoric acid solution in the substrate processing apparatus 200 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams of the substrate processing apparatus 200. FIG. 5(a) to 5(c) are schematic diagrams showing a part of the substrate processing apparatus 200 of FIG. Here, the state of the phosphoric acid solution flowing through the substrate processing section 210 is checked. For example, the state of the phosphoric acid solution immediately before passing through the nozzle 216 in the substrate processing section 210 is checked.

As shown in FIG. 5A, when the measured value of the first measuring unit 114 is the first reference value (34.2), the first phosphoric acid liquid is in a non-bumping state. Here, the phosphoric acid liquid in the first reservoir 110 is not bumping, whereas the phosphoric acid liquid in the substrate processing section 210 is bumping. The phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 corresponds to the state shown in FIG. 2(d), and the phosphoric acid solution in the substrate processing part 210 corresponds to the state shown in FIG. 2(b). In this case, the amount of water from the first water supply part 116a is decreased so that the value indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution in the first storage part 110 further increases.

As shown in FIG. 5B, when the value indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution in first reservoir 110 further increases and the measured value of first measurement unit 114 is 34.4, first reservoir 110 Although the degree of bumping of the phosphoric acid liquid in the substrate processing section 210 has decreased, the phosphoric acid liquid in the substrate processing section 210 remains in a bumping state. The phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 corresponds to the state shown in FIG. 2(d), and the phosphoric acid solution in the substrate processing part 210 corresponds to the state shown in FIG. 2(c). In this case, the amount of water from the first water supply part 116a is decreased so that the value indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution in the first storage part 110 further increases.

As shown in FIG. 5C, when the measured value of the first measurement unit 114 is the first reference value (34.5), the first phosphoric acid liquid in the first reservoir 110 is in a non-bumping state and the substrate The phosphoric acid solution in the processing section 210 is in a non-bumping state. The phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 corresponds to the state shown in FIG. 2(d), and the phosphoric acid solution in the substrate processing part 210 corresponds to the state shown in FIG. 2(d). As such, the first phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 is preferably prepared so that the phosphoric acid solution in the substrate processing part 210 is in a non-bumping state.

However, the etching rate of the substrate W decreases as the value indicating the specific gravity of the first phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 increases. For this reason, the value indicating the specific gravity of the first phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 is preferably relatively low within a range in which the phosphoric acid solution in the substrate processing part 210 does not boil.

In the above description with reference to FIGS. 5A to 5C, the state of the phosphoric acid liquid immediately before passing through the nozzle 216 as the phosphoric acid liquid in the substrate processing section 210 was observed. is not limited to As the phosphoric acid solution in the substrate processing section 210, the state of the phosphoric acid solution in the pipe 213 may be observed.

The flow of the processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 of this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of the processing liquid preparation apparatus 100. As shown in FIG.

In step S102, the phosphoric acid liquid in the first reservoir 110 is set to be in a boundary state between a bumping state and a non-bumping state. Also, the phosphoric acid liquid in the second reservoir 120 is set to be in a boundary state between a bumping state and a non-bumping state.

For example, the phosphoric acid liquid in the first storage section 110 and the phosphoric acid liquid in the second storage section 120 are arranged to be in the bumping state between the bumping state and the non-bumping state, as shown in FIG. After controlling the amount of water from the first water supply unit 116a and the second water supply unit 126a, the amount of water from the first water supply unit 116a and the second water supply unit 126a is reduced to the first storage The phosphoric acid solution in the portion 110 and the phosphoric acid solution in the second storage portion 120 may be controlled to be in the non-bumping state within the boundary between the bumping state and the non-bumping state, as shown in FIG. 4(b). good. Alternatively, the phosphoric acid liquid in the first storage section 110 and the phosphoric acid liquid in the second storage section 120 may be in a non-bumping state on the boundary between the bumping state and the non-bumping state, as shown in FIG. 4(b). After controlling the amount of water from the first water supply unit 116a and the second water supply unit 126a, the amount of water from the first water supply unit 116a and the second water supply unit 126a is increased to As shown in (a), it may be controlled to be in the bumping state on the boundary between the bumping state and the non-bumping state.

In step S104, when the phosphoric acid liquid in the first reservoir 110 is in the boundary state between the bumping state and the non-bumping state, the value indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid liquid in the boundary state obtained by the first measurement unit 114 is taken as the first reference value. measure. Similarly, when the phosphoric acid liquid in the second reservoir 120 is in the boundary state between the bumping state and the non-bumping state, the second measuring section 124 measures the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid liquid in the boundary state as the second reference value. do.

In step S<b>106 , the storage unit 106 stores the specific gravity measured by the first measurement unit 114 . The storage unit 106 also stores the specific gravity measured by the second measurement unit 124 .

In step S108, the first reservoir 110 is adjusted such that the value indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 deviates from the first reference value by a predetermined value. Typically, first reservoir 110 prepares the first phosphoric acid solution so that the value indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution in first reservoir 110 increases from the reference value.

When the difference between the measured value after preparation and the reference value is small, the amount of additionally supplied water is small, so the phosphoric acid solution can be kept at a high temperature. However, since the phosphoric acid solution is prepared so that the measured value of specific gravity increases by a predetermined value from the reference value, bumping does not occur in the phosphoric acid solution in principle, but the possibility of bumping due to unintended factors is further reduced. Therefore, it is preferable that the difference is large to some extent.

Also, the second reservoir 120 is prepared so that the value indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution is shifted from the second reference value by a predetermined value. Typically, the second reservoir 120 prepares the phosphoric acid solution so that the value indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120 increases from the reference value.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 can be made the same as the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120, and the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 can be made to have the same specific gravity as the second reservoir. The phosphoric acid solution in reservoir 120 can be calibrated as well. Therefore, even if the phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120 is mixed with the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110, the processing characteristics of the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 do not change, and the substrate processing part 210 can be continuously operated. Therefore, the substrate W can be stably processed.

In the processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1, the states of the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 and the phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120 were visually confirmed, but the present embodiment is not limited to this. . The state of at least one of the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 and the phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120 may be checked with an imaging device.

Next, a substrate processing apparatus 200 including the processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the substrate processing apparatus 200. As shown in FIG. The substrate processing apparatus 200 shown in FIG. 7 is similar to the substrate processing apparatus 200 described above with reference to FIG. It has the same configuration as Therefore, redundant descriptions are omitted for the purpose of avoiding redundancy.

The substrate processing apparatus 200 includes a processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 and a substrate processing section 210 . The processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 includes a reservoir 102 . Reservoir 102 includes first reservoir 110 and second reservoir 120 . The first storage section 110 further includes a first imaging section 118 in addition to the first storage tank 112 and the first pipe 113 . The first imaging unit 118 images at least part of the first pipe 113 . The first imaging unit 118 preferably images the transparent portion of the first pipe 113 .

The second storage section 120 further includes a second imaging section 128 in addition to the second storage tank 122 and the second pipe 123 . The second imaging unit 128 images at least part of the second pipe 123 . It is preferable that the second imaging unit 128 images the transparent portion of the second pipe 123 .

The control section 104 controls the first imaging section 118 and the second imaging section 128 . For example, the control unit 104 analyzes the imaging result of the first imaging unit 118 and the imaging result of the second imaging unit 128 . In one example, while changing the amount of water flowing from the first water supply unit 116a, the first phosphoric acid solution is in the state shown in FIG. It is specified that the first phosphoric acid solution is in the state shown in FIG. 2(d). In this way, the first measuring unit 114 measures the value indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid liquid in the first reservoir 110 while the phosphoric acid liquid in the first reservoir 110 is set to the boundary state between the bumping state and the non-bumping state. However, the storage unit 106 may store the measurement result of the first measurement unit 114 .

Further, while changing the amount of water flowing from the second water supply unit 126a, based on the imaging result of the second imaging unit 128, the second phosphoric acid solution is in the state shown in FIG. It is specified that the diphosphoric acid solution is in the state shown in FIG. 2(d). In this way, the second measurement unit 124 measures the value indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid liquid in the second storage section 120 in a state where the phosphoric acid liquid in the second storage section 120 is adjusted to the boundary state between the bumping state and the non-bumping state. However, the storage unit 106 may store the measurement result of the second measurement unit 124 .

In the substrate processing apparatus 200 shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, the processing liquid preparing apparatus 100 supplies the processing liquid to one substrate processing section 210 in order to avoid excessively complicated drawings. This embodiment is not limited to this. The processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 may supply the processing liquid to a plurality of substrate processing units 210 . In this case, the specific gravity and temperature of the phosphoric acid solution supplied from the processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 to the substrate processing section 210 are the farthest from the processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 among the plurality of substrate processing sections 210 (that is, the processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 It is preferable that the phosphoric acid solution be set so as not to generate air bubbles in the processing section (which has a long piping distance from the source).

In the substrate processing apparatus 200 shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, the processing liquid preparing apparatus 100 supplies the processing liquid to the single-wafer type substrate processing section 210, but the present embodiment is not limited to this. The processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 may supply the processing liquid to a batch-type substrate processing section.

Next, a substrate processing apparatus 200 including the processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of the substrate processing apparatus 200. As shown in FIG. The substrate processing apparatus 200 of FIG. 8 has the same configuration as the substrate processing apparatus 200 described above with reference to FIG. 1, except that the substrate processing section 220 is of a batch type. Duplicate description is omitted for the purpose.

The substrate processing apparatus 200 includes a processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 and a substrate processing section 220 . The processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 prepares a processing liquid for the substrate processing section 220 and supplies the processing liquid to the substrate processing section 220 . The substrate processing section 220 processes the substrate W. FIG. The substrate processing section 220 is of a batch type.

The substrate processing section 220 includes a processing tank 222 and a substrate loading section 224 . A phosphoric acid solution is supplied from the processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 to the processing bath 222, and the processing bath 222 stores the phosphoric acid solution. The substrate stacking section 224 stacks the substrates W thereon. Typically, the substrate stacking section 224 stacks a plurality of substrates W thereon. The substrate loading unit 224 is immersed in the processing tank 222 with the substrate W loaded thereon. Thereby, the substrate W is processed with the processing liquid.

As described above, the processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 of the present embodiment supplies the processing liquid to the batch-type substrate processing section 220 . The processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 is also suitable for batch processing.

In the substrate processing apparatus 200 shown in FIG. 8, the processing liquid preparing apparatus 100 supplies the processing liquid to the processing bath 222 of the batch type substrate processing section 220, but the present embodiment is not limited to this. A substrate may be processed in the processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 .

Hereinafter, a substrate processing apparatus 200 including the processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of the substrate processing apparatus 200 of this embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 200 shown in FIG. 9 is used as a storage tank for processing the substrates W by the processing liquid preparation apparatus 100, and the phosphoric acid solution in the second storage part 120 is used as the phosphoric acid solution in the first storage part 110. It has the same configuration as the substrate processing apparatus 200 described above with reference to FIG. 8, except that it is not mixed with .

The substrate processing apparatus 200 includes a processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 and a substrate loading section 230 . The treatment liquid preparation device 100 includes a first reservoir 110 and a second reservoir 120 . The first reservoir 110 produces the prepared phosphoric acid solution. The second reservoir 120 also produces the prepared phosphoric acid solution. In addition, in the substrate processing apparatus 200 of the present embodiment, the phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120 is not mixed with the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 .

The substrate stacking unit 230 stacks the substrates W thereon. Typically, the substrate stacking section 230 stacks a plurality of substrates W thereon. The substrate loading unit 230 loads the substrate W and immerses it in the phosphoric acid solution of the processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 .

The substrate stacking portion 230 includes a first stacking portion 232 and a second stacking portion 234 . The first loading unit 232 is immersed in the first storage tank 112 of the first storage unit 110 while holding the substrate W thereon. The second loading section 234 holds the substrate W and is immersed in the second storage tank 122 of the second storage section 120 .

Typically, before first loading unit 232 is immersed in first storage tank 112 of first storage unit 110, the phosphoric acid solution in first storage unit 110 is set to a predetermined temperature and specific gravity. Similarly, before the second loading section 234 is immersed in the second storage tank 122 of the second storage section 120, the phosphoric acid liquid in the second storage section 120 is set to a predetermined temperature and specific gravity. Even in this case, the phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120 is prepared based on the measured value of the boundary state in the same manner as the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110, so that the substrate W is not affected by the phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120. The processing can be aligned with the processing of the substrate W with the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 .

As described above, the processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 of this embodiment may be used as a storage tank for processing the substrate W. FIG. The processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 is also suitably used as a storage tank of a batch processing apparatus.

Although the substrate processing apparatus 200 includes a plurality of reservoirs in the above description with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9, the present embodiment is not limited to this. The number of reservoirs included in the substrate processing apparatus 200 may be one.

Hereinafter, a substrate processing system 300 including the substrate processing apparatus 200 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a substrate processing system 300. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, the substrate processing system 300 includes a substrate processing apparatus 200A and a substrate processing apparatus 200B. Substrate processing apparatus 200A and substrate processing apparatus 200B are similar to substrate processing apparatus 200 described above with reference to FIG. It has a similar configuration, and redundant description is omitted to avoid redundancy.

Typically, the substrate processing apparatus 200A and the substrate processing apparatus 200B are arranged apart from each other. For example, substrate processing apparatus 200A and substrate processing apparatus 200B may be located at different locations in the same country. Alternatively, substrate processing apparatus 200A and substrate processing apparatus 200B may be located in different countries.

The substrate processing apparatus 200A includes a processing liquid preparation apparatus 100A and a substrate processing section 210A. Here, the treatment liquid preparation apparatus 100A has a first reservoir 110. As shown in FIG. A first phosphoric acid solution is prepared in the first reservoir 110 .

The substrate processing apparatus 200B includes a processing liquid preparation apparatus 100B and a substrate processing section 210B. Here, the treatment liquid preparation apparatus 100A has a second reservoir 120. As shown in FIG. A second phosphoric acid solution is prepared in the second reservoir 120 .

The substrate processing system 300 may further include an information processing device 310 capable of communicating with the substrate processing apparatus 200A and the substrate processing apparatus 200B. The information processing device 310 is, for example, a server. For example, the substrate processing apparatus 200A can communicate information with the substrate processing apparatus 200B via the information processing apparatus 310 .

For example, after the substrate processing apparatus 200A measures the first reference value indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid liquid in the boundary state of the first phosphoric acid liquid, the substrate processing apparatus 200A transmits information indicating the first reference value to the information processing apparatus 310. Send. The information processing apparatus 310 receives and stores information indicating the first reference value from the substrate processing apparatus 200A. Moreover, the information processing apparatus 310 transmits the first reference value of the substrate processing apparatus 200A to the substrate processing apparatus 200B as necessary. After that, the substrate processing apparatus 200B also measures the second reference value indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution in the boundary state of the second phosphoric acid solution. After that, the phosphoric acid solution of the substrate processing apparatus 200B is calibrated using the reference value as the standard value in the same manner as the phosphoric acid solution of the substrate processing apparatus 200A. As a result, the second phosphoric acid solution of the substrate processing apparatus 200B can be calibrated in the same manner as the first phosphoric acid solution of the substrate processing apparatus 200A.

In the above description with reference to FIG. 10, substrate processing system 300 includes substrate processing apparatuses 200A and 200B, but substrate processing apparatus 200A and substrate processing apparatus 200B do not have to exist at the same time. For example, the substrate processing apparatus 200A stores the first reference value of the boundary state of the phosphoric acid liquid one month ago, and the substrate processing apparatus 200B stores the first reference value of the substrate processing apparatus 200A and the second reference value measured by itself. One month after the measurement of the substrate processing apparatus 200A, the second phosphoric acid liquid may be calibrated in the same manner as the first phosphoric acid liquid of the substrate processing apparatus 200A.

As described above, even if the substrate processing apparatus 200A and the substrate processing apparatus 200B do not exist at the same time, the processing liquid preparation apparatus 100B of the substrate processing apparatus 200B can have the phosphoric acid liquid of the processing liquid preparation apparatus 100B in the bumping state and the non-bumping state. By using the second reference value and the first reference value in the boundary state between the second phosphoric acid solution in the processing liquid preparation apparatus 100B and the phosphoric acid solution in the treatment liquid preparation apparatus 100A, the conditions can be adjusted to the same level. can.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 11, it is a flow diagram for explaining the flow of the processing liquid preparation apparatus 100A. Although FIG. 11 shows the flow of the processing liquid preparation apparatus 100A of FIG. 10, the processing liquid preparation apparatus 100B included in the substrate processing apparatus 200B may also operate according to the same flow.

In step S202, the phosphoric acid liquid in the first reservoir 110 is brought into a boundary state between a bumping state and a non-bumping state.

In step S204, when the phosphoric acid liquid in the first reservoir 110 is in the boundary state between the bumping state and the non-bumping state, the first measurement unit 114 indicates the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid liquid in the first reservoir 110 in the boundary state. Measure the value (first reference value).

In step S<b>206 , the storage unit 106 stores the measured value (first reference value) of the first measurement unit 114 .

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the storage unit 106 stores the measurement value (first reference value) of the first measurement unit 114 in the boundary state of the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 . Therefore, the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120 can be made the same as the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 , and the phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120 can be mixed with the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 . can be calibrated.

Hereinafter, a substrate processing apparatus 200 including the processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a substrate processing apparatus 200 including the processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 of this embodiment. 12 except that the processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 further includes a third storage section 130 and a new liquid supply section 140 in addition to the first storage section 110 and the second storage section 120. It has the same configuration as the substrate processing apparatus 200 described above with reference to FIG. 1, and redundant description is omitted to avoid redundancy.

The substrate processing apparatus 200 includes a processing liquid preparation apparatus 100 and a substrate processing section 210 . The reservoir 102 of the treatment liquid preparation apparatus 100 further includes a third reservoir 130 in addition to the first reservoir 110 and the second reservoir 120 . In addition, the treatment liquid preparation apparatus 100 further includes a new liquid supply section 140 .

As described above, the second reservoir 120 prepares the second phosphoric acid solution and replenishes the first reservoir 110 with the second phosphoric acid solution. Similarly, the third reservoir 130 prepares the third phosphoric acid solution and replenishes the first reservoir 110 with the third phosphoric acid solution. However, the timing at which the third reservoir 130 is replenished with the third phosphoric acid solution is different from the timing at which the second reservoir 120 is replenished with the second phosphoric acid solution.

New liquid supply unit 140 supplies the phosphoric acid liquid to second storage unit 120 and third storage unit 130 . Note that the new solution supply unit 140 supplies the phosphoric acid solution to the second storage unit 120 while the second storage unit 120 does not replenish the first storage unit 110 with the second phosphoric acid solution. Further, the new solution supply unit 140 supplies the phosphoric acid solution to the third storage unit 130 while the third storage unit 130 does not replenish the first storage unit 110 with the third phosphoric acid solution. Here, the phosphoric acid solution is not prepared at a predetermined temperature and specific gravity in the new solution supply unit 140 .

Third reservoir 130 has a configuration corresponding to first reservoir 110 and/or second reservoir 120 . The third storage unit 130 includes a third storage tank 132, a third pipe 133, a third measurement unit 134, a pump 135a, a heater 135b, a filter 135c, a valve 135d, a valve 135e, and a third water. It includes a supply section 136a, a third phosphoric acid supply section 136b, and a third gas supply section 136c. Redundant description of the third reservoir 130 is omitted to avoid redundant description.

A third pipe 133 of the third reservoir 130 connects the third reservoir 132 and the first reservoir 112 . Also, the valve 135 d controls the flow of the phosphoric acid solution from the third storage tank 132 to the first storage tank 112 . The phosphoric acid solution flows toward the first storage tank 112 by opening the valve 135d. Closing the valve 135 d stops the phosphoric acid from flowing from the third reservoir 130 toward the first reservoir 110 .

Further, the phosphoric acid liquid flows toward the third storage tank 132 by opening the valve 135e, so that the phosphoric acid liquid can be circulated. The circulation of the phosphoric acid solution is stopped by closing the valve 135e.

For example, by opening the valve 135e while the valve 135d is closed, the phosphoric acid solution in the third reservoir 130 circulates through the circulation pipe 133a. At this time, the phosphoric acid solution in the third reservoir 130 can be set to a predetermined temperature by heating the circulating phosphoric acid solution with the heater 135b.

Further, since the valves 135 d and 135 e are open, the phosphoric acid solution in the third reservoir 130 is circulated through the circulation pipe 133 a and supplied to the first reservoir 110 through the third pipe 133 . Therefore, the third reservoir 130 can replenish the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 .

Furthermore, the third reservoir 130 has a return pipe 133 b that connects the substrate processing part 210 and the third reservoir 132 . The processing liquid collected by the cup 136 in the substrate processing section 210 flows through the return pipe 133b. The processing liquid passing through the return pipe 133 b returns to the main tank 132 a of the third storage tank 132 .

Further, the piping 215 of the substrate processing section 210 is provided with a valve 215b as well as a valve 215a. A pipe 215 connects the chamber 212 , the return pipe 123 b of the second reservoir 120 and the return pipe 133 b of the third reservoir 130 . Valve 215 b controls the flow of phosphoric acid solution in line 215 . The phosphoric acid solution flows from the chamber 212 toward the third reservoir 130 by opening the valve 215b. Closing the valve 215 a stops the phosphoric acid from flowing toward the third reservoir 130 .

The new liquid supply section 140 has a storage tank 142 , a pipe 143 and a phosphoric acid supply section 146 . The phosphoric acid supply unit 146 supplies a phosphoric acid solution. The storage tank 142 stores phosphoric acid.

A pipe 143 connects the reservoir 142 with the second reservoir 122 and the third reservoir 132 . The pipe 143 is provided with a valve 143a and a valve 143b. A valve 143 a controls the flow of the phosphoric acid solution in the pipe 143 . The phosphoric acid solution flows from the storage tank 142 toward the second storage tank 122 by opening the valve 143a. By closing the valve 143 a , the phosphoric acid solution stops flowing toward the second storage tank 122 .

Valve 143b controls the flow of the phosphoric acid solution in pipe 143 . The phosphoric acid solution flows from the storage tank 142 toward the third storage tank 132 by opening the valve 143b. Closing the valve 143 b stops the phosphoric acid from flowing toward the third storage tank 132 .

According to the substrate processing apparatus 200 of the present embodiment, the second reservoir 120 and the third reservoir 130 alternately supply the phosphoric acid solution to the first reservoir 110 . Therefore, the first storage part 110 can continuously supply the phosphoric acid solution to the substrate processing part 210 . Also, the second storage section 120 and the third storage section 130 alternately collect the processing liquid from the substrate processing section 210 . Therefore, the second storage section 120 and the third storage section 130 can effectively utilize the processing liquid from the substrate processing section 210 by adjusting it to a predetermined temperature and specific gravity. Further, the second reservoir 120 and the third reservoir 130 are alternately supplied with the phosphoric acid solution from the new solution supply part 140, and can be efficiently adjusted to a predetermined temperature and specific gravity.

Hereinafter, changes in the flow of the phosphoric acid solution in the substrate processing apparatus 200 shown in FIG. 12 will be described with reference to FIG. FIGS. 13A to 13F are schematic diagrams for explaining changes in the flow of the phosphoric acid solution in the substrate processing apparatus 200 shown in FIG. 12. FIG. 13(a) to 13(f), the first reservoir 110, the second reservoir 120, and the third reservoir of the treatment liquid preparation apparatus 100 are shown in order to avoid excessively complicated drawings. 130, the new solution supply unit 140 and the substrate processing unit 210 are shown schematically, and only the piping through which the phosphoric acid solution flows is shown.

Further, in FIGS. 13(a) to 13(f), arrows indicate changes in the amounts of the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110, the second reservoir 120 and the third reservoir . An upward arrow indicates an increasing amount of phosphoric acid solution and a downward arrow indicates a decreasing amount of phosphoric acid solution.

As shown in FIG. 13A, the first reservoir 110 starts supplying the phosphoric acid solution to the substrate processing section 210 . The first storage part 110 supplies the phosphoric acid solution to the substrate processing part 210 and circulates the phosphoric acid solution, so that the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution in the first storage part 110 is kept constant.

By circulating the phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120, the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120 is kept constant.

By circulating the phosphoric acid solution in the third reservoir 130, the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution in the third reservoir 130 is kept constant. Also, the third reservoir 130 collects the processing liquid used in the substrate processing section 210 . The processing liquid used in the substrate processing section 210 reaches the third reservoir 130 through the pipe. The processing liquid is circulated in the third reservoir 130 and maintained at a predetermined temperature.

The phosphoric acid solutions in first reservoir 110, second reservoir 120 and third reservoir 130 are set to the same temperature. Note that the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110 , the second reservoir 120 , and the third reservoir 130 is the boundary between the first reservoir 110 and the substrate processing part 210 before the phosphoric acid solution is supplied to the substrate processing part 210 . Prepared on the basis of the standard value of the state. As described above, the measurement results of the first measurement unit 114 of the first storage unit 110, the second measurement unit 124 of the second storage unit 120, and the third measurement unit 134 of the third storage unit 130 may be different. 13(a) to 13(f), the phosphoric acid solution in the first reservoir 110, the second reservoir 120 and the third reservoir 130 is different from the phosphoric acid solution in the substrate processing part 210 from the first reservoir 110. is adjusted based on boundary condition measurements made prior to the start of supplying

As shown in FIG. 13B, the first reservoir 110 continues to supply the substrate processing section 210 with the phosphoric acid solution. The first storage part 110 supplies the phosphoric acid solution to the substrate processing part 210 and circulates the phosphoric acid solution, so that the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution in the first storage part 110 is kept constant.

The second reservoir 120 supplies the phosphoric acid solution to the first reservoir 110 . In addition, the second reservoir 120 supplies the phosphoric acid solution to the first reservoir 110 and circulates the phosphoric acid solution, so that the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120 is kept constant.

The third reservoir 130 continues to collect the processing liquid used in the substrate processing section 210 . Further, the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution in the third storage part 130 is kept constant by circulating the phosphoric acid solution in the third storage part 130 .

As shown in FIG. 13C, the first reservoir 110 continues to supply the substrate processing section 210 with the phosphoric acid solution. The first storage part 110 supplies the phosphoric acid solution to the substrate processing part 210 and circulates the phosphoric acid solution, so that the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution in the first storage part 110 is kept constant.

By circulating the phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120, the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120 is kept constant. The second reservoir 120 also collects the processing liquid used in the substrate processing section 210 . The processing liquid used in the substrate processing section 210 reaches the second reservoir 120 through the pipe. The processing liquid is circulated in the second reservoir 120 and maintained at a predetermined temperature.

By circulating the phosphoric acid solution in the third reservoir 130, the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution in the third reservoir 130 is kept constant. Further, new phosphoric acid solution is supplied from the new solution supply part 140 to the third storage part 130 .

As shown in FIG. 13D, the first reservoir 110 continues to supply the substrate processing section 210 with the phosphoric acid solution. The first storage part 110 supplies the phosphoric acid solution to the substrate processing part 210 and circulates the phosphoric acid solution, so that the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution in the first storage part 110 is kept constant.

The second reservoir 120 continues to collect the processing liquid used in the substrate processing section 210 . Further, the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution in the second storage part 120 is kept constant by circulating the phosphoric acid solution in the second storage part 120 .

Third reservoir 130 supplies the phosphoric acid solution to first reservoir 110 . In addition, the third reservoir 130 supplies the phosphoric acid solution to the first reservoir 110 and circulates the phosphoric acid solution, so that the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution in the third reservoir 130 is kept constant.

As shown in FIG. 13E, the first reservoir 110 continues to supply the substrate processing section 210 with the phosphoric acid solution. The first storage part 110 supplies the phosphoric acid solution to the substrate processing part 210 and circulates the phosphoric acid solution, so that the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution in the first storage part 110 is kept constant.

By circulating the phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120, the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120 is kept constant. Further, a new phosphoric acid solution is supplied from the new solution supply part 140 to the second storage part 120 .

By circulating the phosphoric acid solution in the third reservoir 130, the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution in the third reservoir 130 is kept constant. Also, the third reservoir 130 collects the processing liquid used in the substrate processing section 210 . The processing liquid used in the substrate processing section 210 reaches the third reservoir 130 through the pipe. The processing liquid is circulated in the third reservoir 130 and maintained at a predetermined temperature.

As shown in FIG. 13(f), the first reservoir 110 continues to supply the substrate processing section 210 with the phosphoric acid solution. The first storage part 110 supplies the phosphoric acid solution to the substrate processing part 210 and circulates the phosphoric acid solution, so that the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution in the first storage part 110 is kept constant.

The second reservoir 120 supplies the phosphoric acid solution to the first reservoir 110 . In addition, the second reservoir 120 supplies the phosphoric acid solution to the first reservoir 110 and circulates the phosphoric acid solution, so that the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution in the second reservoir 120 is kept constant.

The third reservoir 130 continues to collect the processing liquid used in the substrate processing section 210 . Further, the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution in the third storage part 130 is kept constant by circulating the phosphoric acid solution in the third storage part 130 .

After that, by switching the flow of the phosphoric acid liquid as shown in FIGS. As described above, according to the present embodiment, the second storage section 120 and the third storage section 130 alternately recover the processing liquid used in the substrate processing section 210 and store the phosphoric acid solution in the first storage section 110. supply.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented in various aspects without departing from the gist of the present invention. Further, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of constituent elements disclosed in the above embodiments. For example, some components may be omitted from all components shown in the embodiments. Furthermore, components across different embodiments may be combined as appropriate. In order to make the drawings easier to understand, the drawings mainly show each component schematically. may be different. In addition, the material, shape, dimensions, etc. of each component shown in the above embodiment are examples and are not particularly limited, and various changes are possible without substantially departing from the effects of the present invention. be.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is suitably used for a processing liquid preparation apparatus and a processing liquid preparation method.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 processing liquid preparation device 102 reservoir 104 control unit 106 storage unit 110 first reservoir 120 second reservoir 200 substrate processing apparatus 210 substrate processing unit W substrate

Claims (22)

a reservoir for storing the phosphoric acid solution;
a measuring unit that measures a value indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution in the reservoir;
A storage unit that stores the values measured by the measurement unit,
The storage section stores a reference indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid liquid measured by the measuring section when the storage section is in a boundary state between a bumping state in which the phosphoric acid liquid bumps and a non-bumping state in which the phosphoric acid liquid does not bump. remember the value,
The reservoir includes a first reservoir for storing a first phosphoric acid solution and a second reservoir for storing a second phosphoric acid solution,
The storage section stores the specific gravity of the first phosphoric acid liquid measured by the first measuring section when the first phosphoric acid liquid is in a boundary state between a bumping state in which the first phosphoric acid liquid is bumped and a non-bumping state in which the first phosphoric acid liquid is not bumped. storing a first reference value indicating
The storage section stores the specific gravity of the second phosphoric acid liquid measured by the second measuring section when the second phosphoric acid liquid is in a boundary state between a bumping state in which the second phosphoric acid liquid is bumped and a non-bumping state in which the second phosphoric acid liquid is not bumped. A processing liquid preparation device that stores a second reference value indicating 2. The processing liquid preparing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said reservoir prepares said phosphoric acid liquid so that the value indicating the specific gravity of said phosphoric acid liquid is greater than said reference value. 3. The processing liquid preparation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an imaging section that images the phosphoric acid liquid in the storage section. The first phosphoric acid solution is prepared based on the first reference value,
4. The processing liquid preparing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said second phosphoric acid liquid is prepared based on said second reference value. 5. The processing liquid preparing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein said second reservoir supplies the phosphoric acid solution prepared in said second reservoir to said first reservoir. a treatment liquid preparation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ;
A substrate processing apparatus comprising a substrate processing section for processing a substrate using the phosphoric acid solution prepared in the processing liquid preparation apparatus. The substrate processing section
a substrate holder that holds and rotates the substrate;
7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising a nozzle for supplying said phosphoric acid solution to said substrate held by said substrate holding part. The substrate processing section
a substrate loading unit capable of loading a plurality of the substrates;
7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising a processing tank for storing the phosphoric acid liquid prepared in said processing liquid preparation apparatus. The substrate processing section has a substrate loading section capable of loading a plurality of the substrates,
7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein said substrate loading section is immersed in said phosphoric acid solution in said storage section of said processing liquid preparing apparatus. a treatment liquid preparation device;
a substrate processing section that processes a substrate using the phosphoric acid solution prepared in the processing solution preparation apparatus;
A substrate processing apparatus comprising
The processing liquid preparation device includes:
a reservoir for storing the phosphoric acid solution;
a measuring unit that measures a value indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution in the reservoir;
a storage unit that stores the values measured by the measurement unit;
with
The storage section stores a reference indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid liquid measured by the measuring section when the storage section is in a boundary state between a bumping state in which the phosphoric acid liquid bumps and a non-bumping state in which the phosphoric acid liquid does not bump. remember the value,
The substrate processing section
a substrate holder that holds and rotates the substrate;
and a nozzle for supplying the phosphoric acid solution to the substrate held by the substrate holding part. 11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the value indicating the specific gravity of said phosphoric acid solution in said reservoir is set based on the state of said phosphoric acid solution supplied to said nozzle. setting the phosphoric acid liquid to a boundary state between a bumping state in which the phosphoric acid liquid is bumped and a non-bumping state in which the phosphoric acid liquid is not bumped;
a step of measuring a reference value indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution set in the boundary state;
and storing the reference value ;
The step of setting the phosphoric acid solution in the boundary state includes setting the first phosphoric acid solution in a boundary state with a non-bumping state in which the first phosphoric acid solution does not bubble, and a step of setting the first phosphoric acid solution in a non-bumping state in which the second phosphoric acid solution does not bump. setting the second phosphoric acid solution to a boundary state of
The step of measuring the reference value includes the step of measuring a first reference value indicating the specific gravity of the first phosphoric acid solution set in the boundary state, and the step of measuring the specific gravity of the second phosphoric acid solution set in the boundary state. and measuring a second reference value indicated,
The processing liquid preparing method, wherein the step of storing the reference value includes the step of storing the first reference value and the step of storing the second reference value. 13. The method of preparing a processing liquid according to claim 12, further comprising the step of preparing said phosphoric acid liquid such that the value indicating the specific gravity of said phosphoric acid liquid is greater than said reference value. 14. The processing liquid preparation method according to claim 12, wherein the step of setting the phosphoric acid solution to the boundary state includes the step of imaging the phosphoric acid solution. preparing the first phosphoric acid solution based on the first reference value;
15. The processing liquid preparation method according to claim 12 , further comprising the step of preparing said second phosphoric acid liquid based on said second reference value. 16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising mixing said second phosphoric acid solution with said first phosphoric acid solution. a step of preparing a phosphoric acid solution according to the method for preparing a treatment solution according to any one of claims 12 to 16 ;
and a step of treating a substrate with the phosphoric acid solution prepared in the treatment solution preparing method. The step of treating the substrate includes:
holding and rotating the substrate;
and supplying the phosphoric acid solution to the rotating substrate. 18. The substrate processing method according to claim 17 , wherein said step of treating said substrate includes a step of supplying said phosphoric acid solution to a treating bath and immersing said substrate in said phosphoric acid solution in said treating bath. 18. The substrate processing method according to claim 17 , wherein the step of processing the substrate includes immersing the substrate in a reservoir in which the phosphoric acid solution is prepared. preparing a phosphoric acid solution according to a method for preparing a treatment solution;
a step of treating a substrate using the phosphoric acid solution prepared in the method for preparing a treatment solution;
encompasses
The treatment liquid preparation method includes:
setting the phosphoric acid liquid to a boundary state between a bumping state in which the phosphoric acid liquid is bumped and a non-bumping state in which the phosphoric acid liquid is not bumped;
a step of measuring a reference value indicating the specific gravity of the phosphoric acid solution set in the boundary state;
storing the reference value;
encompasses
The step of treating the substrate includes:
holding and rotating the substrate;
supplying the phosphoric acid solution to the rotating substrate;
A method of processing a substrate, comprising: 22. The substrate processing method according to claim 21 , wherein in the step of supplying said phosphoric acid solution, the value indicating the specific gravity of said stored phosphoric acid solution is set based on the state of said phosphoric acid solution supplied to said nozzle.

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