KR100798769B1 - Substrate processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Since the groove part is provided in the wall board along the outer periphery of the rotating cup, the resist liquid which flows out from the outflow hole of the rotating cup can be reliably recovered by this groove part. Therefore, for example, the case where the resist liquid flows into the mist state and is scattered as compared with the case where the resist liquid flowing out of the outflow hole of the rotary cup without the trough is in direct contact with the wall plate. Therefore, the liquid discharged from the outlet hole of the container is difficult to adhere to the wall plate or the like, and such liquid is difficult to attach or reattach due to the mist state.

Description

Substrate Processing Equipment {SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS}

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a top view which shows the resist coating and image development processing system of the board | substrate to which this invention is applied.

2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a resist coating processing unit CT to which the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the resist coating processing unit CT shown in FIG. 2.

4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a part of a resist coating unit CT for explaining a modification of the present invention.

5 is a schematic cross-sectional view in a rotating cup for explaining a modification of the present invention.

6 is a schematic view for explaining a modification of the present invention.

7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a part of a resist coating processing unit CT for explaining a modification of the present invention.

8 is a schematic view for explaining a modification of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a photograph showing the results of experiments for confirming the effects of the modification shown in FIG. 8.                 

10 is a schematic view for explaining another modification of the present invention.

11 is a schematic view for explaining another modification of the present invention.

<Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

22: resist coating unit (CT) 41: spin chuck

42: rotating cup 44: drain cup

51: resist liquid discharge nozzle 52: solvent discharge nozzle

58: outflow hole of the rotary cup 71: wall plate

72: opening 73: trough

74: ceiling part of the trough 75: bottom of the trough

76 outlet 77

78: first exhaust passage 79: exhaust port

80: second exhaust passage 81: guide plate

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus such as a resist coating apparatus for applying a resist liquid onto a glass substrate used for a liquid crystal display device, for example.

In the manufacture of a liquid crystal display device, a resist film is formed by applying a resist solution on a quadrangular substrate made of glass, and a so-called photolithography technique in which a resist film is exposed and developed according to a circuit pattern. As a result, a circuit pattern is formed.

As a method of applying a resist liquid onto a glass substrate, a so-called spin coat method is generally employed in which a resist liquid is supplied onto the glass substrate while the glass substrate is rotated, and the resist liquid is diffused onto the entire surface of the glass substrate by centrifugal force. . After that, a step of rotating the substrate again to make the film thickness of the resist film constant is performed.

In this way, when the resist liquid is applied by the spin coat method, and the substrate is rotated again later, a strong air flow is generated near the outer periphery of the glass substrate, which causes coating stains. For this reason, for example, the glass substrate is accommodated in the container and synchronized with the rotation of the glass substrate to rotate the container itself.

In this container, for example, an outlet hole for discharging the resist liquid diffused from the glass substrate to the outside of the container is formed on the outer circumference of the container. In addition, the wall plate is disposed so as to surround the outer circumference of the container, a discharge port is formed below the wall plate, and the resist liquid discharged from the outlet hole is discharged to the outside through the discharge port. In addition, an exhaust passage is formed on the rear surface side beyond the wall plate, and the gas-liquid separated gas is exhausted to the outside through an exhaust port connected to the exhaust passage.                         

However, the above-described configuration has a problem that the resist liquid discharged from the outflow hole of the container adheres to the wall plate so that resist contamination is likely to occur. In particular, the resist liquid discharged from the outlet hole of the container contacts the wall plate and becomes a mist state, and the resist liquid in the mist state reaches the exhaust passage without being discharged to the discharge port, and is attached to the upper portion of the exhaust passage, for example. It is.

For this reason, the inside of a wall board was wash | cleaned about once in one lot (for example, about 40 sheets) conventionally. This cleaning was performed by, for example, rotating the container while supplying thinner, which is a cleaning liquid, into the container to discharge the thinner from the outlet hole of the container toward the wall plate.

In this case, however, the resist contamination of the portion is reduced by the thinner in direct contact with the wall plate, but there is a problem that the above-mentioned mist is generated by the thinner in contact with the portion, resulting in more resist being attached to the exhaust passage. .

It is an object of the present invention to provide a substrate processing apparatus in which liquid discharged from an outlet hole of a container is hard to adhere to a wall plate or the like, and such liquid is difficult to be attached or reattached due to a mist state. It is done.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of reducing the amount of the cleaning liquid used, such as thinner, as much as possible, and performing the cleaning treatment in a short time.

In order to solve the above problems, the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention includes a support member for supporting a substrate to be rotated, a supply unit for supplying a predetermined liquid to the substrate supported by the support member, and a support member for supporting the substrate. A container having an outlet hole capable of accommodating the substrate and rotating in synchronism with the support member and allowing the liquid to be discharged to an outer periphery, and a liquid discharged from the outlet hole. A receiving opening is provided so as to face the outflow hole, and includes a groove portion arranged along an outer circumference of the container.

According to the present invention, since the liquid discharged from the outlet hole of the container is recovered through the trough portion, only the trough portion can be suppressed from being locally contaminated. In addition, since the mist is confined in the trough portion, the mist is less likely to scatter in the exhaust passage or the like. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a substrate processing apparatus in which liquid discharged from an outlet hole of a container is hard to adhere to a wall plate or the like, and such liquid is difficult to attach or reattach due to a mist state. According to the present invention, since the cleaning range may be only a trough portion, the amount of the cleaning liquid such as thinner can be reduced as much as possible, and the cleaning treatment can be performed in a short time.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the Example of this invention is described based on drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a top view which shows the resist coating and image development processing system of the board | substrate to which this invention is applied.

This coating and developing processing system includes a cassette station 1 for placing a cassette C containing a plurality of substrates G, and a series of processes including resist coating and developing on the substrate G. And an interface unit 3 for conveying the substrate G between the processing unit 2 having a plurality of processing units for exposing it, and an exposure apparatus (not shown in the drawing), and both ends of the processing unit 2. The cassette station 1 and the interface unit 3 are respectively arranged in (iii).

The cassette station 1 is provided with a conveyance mechanism 10 for conveying a substrate between the cassette C and the processing unit 2. Then, the cassette C is carried in and out of the cassette station 1. Moreover, the conveyance mechanism 10 is equipped with the conveyance arm 11 which can move on the conveyance path 10a provided along the arrangement direction of a cassette, The cassette C and the processing part 2 by this conveyance arm 11 The substrate G is transported in between.

The processing part 2 is divided into a front end part 2a, a middle part part 2b, and a rear end part 2c, and the conveyance paths 12, 13, and 14 are centered, respectively. ), And each processing unit is provided on both sides of these conveying paths. The relays 15 and 16 are provided between them.

The front end part 2a is equipped with the main conveying apparatus 17 which can move along the conveyance path 12, and one washing | cleaning unit (SCR) 21a, 21b is provided in one side of the conveyance path 12. As shown in FIG. The processing block 25 and heat processing unit HP which are arrange | positioned at the other side of the conveyance path 12 are superimposed on two stages of an ultraviolet irradiation unit UV and a cooling unit COL. A processing block 26 formed by stacking a stack and a processing block 27 formed by stacking a cooling unit COL in two stages are arranged.

Moreover, the stop part 2b is equipped with the main conveying apparatus 18 which can move along the conveyance path 13, The resist coating process unit (CT) 22 and the board | substrate G are provided in one side of the conveyance path 13; The edge resist removal unit (ER) 23 which removes the edge resist of this process is integrally provided, and the process block in which the heat processing unit HP is superimposed in two stages on the other side of the conveyance path 13 is carried out. 28, a processing block 29 in which the heat treatment unit HP and the cooling processing unit COL are stacked up and down, and a processing block in which the adhesion-reinforcement processing unit AD and the cooling unit COL are stacked up and down. 30 is arranged.

In addition, the rear end 2c is provided with a main conveying apparatus 19 that can move along the conveying path 14, and one of the conveying paths 14 has three developing processing units (DEVs) 24a, 24b, and 24c. The other side of the conveying path 14, the processing block 31, the heating processing unit HP and the cooling processing unit COL formed by stacking the heat treatment unit HP in two stages are piled up and down. The processing blocks 32 and 33 are arranged together.

Moreover, the processing part 2 arrange | positions only spinner system units, such as the washing process unit 21a, the resist processing unit 22, and the developing process unit 24a, on one side with a conveyance path between them, It has a structure which arrange | positions only heat processing system units, such as a heat processing unit and a cooling processing unit.

Further, a chemical liquid supply unit 34 is disposed in the spinner system unit arrangement side portion of the relay units 15 and 16, and a space 35 for maintenance of the main transport apparatus is provided. It is.

The main transport apparatuses 17, 18, and 19 each have an X-axis drive mechanism, a Y-axis drive mechanism, and a Z-axis drive mechanism in the vertical direction, respectively, in a horizontal plane, and are rotated about the Z axis. The drive mechanism is provided, and the arms 17a, 18a, 19a which support the board | substrate G are provided, respectively.

The main conveying apparatus 17 conveys the substrate G between the conveying mechanism 10 and the arm 11, and carries the substrate G into and out of the processing unit of the front end portion 2a. And a function of conveying the substrate G to the relay unit 15. Moreover, the main conveying apparatus 18 conveys the board | substrate G between the relay part 15, and carries in and carries out the board | substrate G to each processing unit of the interruption | blocking part 2b, and also the relay part It has the function of conveying the board | substrate G to (16). Moreover, the main conveying apparatus 19 conveys the board | substrate G between the relay part 16, and carries in and carries out the board | substrate G to each processing unit of the rear end part 2c, and also an interface part. It has a function to convey the board | substrate G by (3). The relay units 15 and 16 also function as cooling plates.                     

The interface unit 3 includes an extension 36 which temporarily supports the substrate when transferring the substrate between the processing unit 2, and two buffer stages 37 which are provided on both sides of the substrate to arrange the buffer cassette. And a conveyance mechanism 38 for carrying in and out of the substrate G between these and the exposure apparatus (not shown). The conveyance mechanism 38 is equipped with the conveyance arm 39 which can move on the conveyance path 38a provided along the extension 36 and the buffer stage 37 in the arrangement direction, and the conveyance arm 39 processes the process part. The conveyance of the board | substrate G is performed between (2) and an exposure apparatus.

In this way, by concentrating and integrating each processing unit, it is possible to save space and to increase processing efficiency.

In the resist coating and developing processing system configured as described above, the substrate G in the cassette C is conveyed to the processing unit 2, and the processing unit 2 irradiates ultraviolet rays of the processing block 25 of the front end portion 2a. Surface modification and cleaning treatment is first performed in the unit UV, cooled in the cooling treatment unit COL, and then scrubber cleaning is performed in the cleaning units SCRs 21a and 21b. And heat-dried in the heat treatment unit HP of any one of the process blocks 26 and then cooled in the cooling unit COL of any one of the process blocks 27.

Subsequently, the substrate G is conveyed to the stop portion 2b to be hydrophobized (HMDS treatment) in the adhesive strengthening processing unit AD on the upper end of the processing block 30 in order to increase the fixing property of the resist. After cooling in the cooling unit COL at the bottom, the resist is applied in the resist coating unit CT 22 and the resist remaining at the edge of the substrate G in the edge resist removing unit ER 23. Is removed. Subsequently, the substrate G is prebaked in any one of the heat treatment units HP of the stop 2b and cooled in the cooling unit COL at the lower end in the processing block 29 or 30.

Then, the board | substrate G is conveyed from the relay part 16 to the exposure apparatus by the main transport apparatus 19 via the interface part 3, and a predetermined pattern is exposed here. Subsequently, the substrate G is carried back through the interface unit 3, and a post exposure bake treatment is performed in the heat treatment unit HP of any one of the processing blocks 31, 32, and 33 of the rear end 2c, as necessary. After the processing, the processing is performed in any one of the development processing units (DEVs) 24a, 24b, and 24c to form a predetermined circuit pattern. The developed substrate G is subjected to post-baking in one of the heat treatment units HP of the rear ends 2c, and then cooled in one of the cooling units COL, and the main transport apparatuses 19 and 18. And 17) and the conveyance mechanism 10 are accommodated in a predetermined cassette on the cassette station 1.

Next, a resist coating processing unit (CT) 22 to which the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention is applied will be described.

As shown in Fig. 2, the resist coating unit (CT) 22 is provided so that the spin chuck 41, which is a support member rotated by the substrate rotating means, for example, the driving device 40, rotates. On the chuck 41, the substrate G is adsorbed and placed while leveling its surface. Moreover, it becomes rotatable with this spin chuck 41, and the cylindrical rotating cup 42 provided with the bottom which surrounds the spin chuck 41 and the board | substrate G from below is provided. .

On the outer circumferential side of the rotary cup 42, a drain cup 44 covering the outer circumferential side and the lower side of the rotary cup 42 is disposed.

In the rotary cup 42, an annular lid 45 having an opening 46 at its center portion is attached to the opening of the upper portion by a mounting arm not shown in the drawing. The annular lid 45 rotates together with the rotary cup 42 when the rotary cup 42 rotates with the substrate G. As shown in FIG. In the opening 46 of the lid 45, a cylindrical cylindrical member 47 is installed to prevent the splash of the resist liquid at the time of discharging the resist liquid.

The outer lid 60 is mounted above the rotary cup 42 by a mounting arm not shown in the drawing. In order to supply the resist liquid or a solvent to the board | substrate G above the outer lid 60, by the arm which abbreviate | omits what is shown in the figure between the standby position and the upper part of the opening 46. Will move. The spray table 49 includes a multi-system consisting of a coating liquid ejecting nozzle, for example, a resist liquid ejecting nozzle 51 for ejecting a resist liquid, and a solvent ejecting nozzle 52 for ejecting a solvent such as a thinner. Nozzle unit is installed.

In the annular lid 45, the opening 46 is configured to be fitted with a small lid 53. This small lid 53 can be raised and lowered by an arm which is omitted from the drawing.

In the rotary cup 42, a plurality of outlet holes 58 having an inner diameter of about 4 to 5 mm are formed on the outer circumferential side of the bottom, and the outer circumferential side of the annular lid 45 is formed on the circumference. A plurality of air inlet holes 59 are formed on the circumference. The centrifugal force acts on the air in the rotary cup 42 by rotating the rotary cup 42 so that the air and the resist liquid flow out to the outlet hole 58 of the rotary cup 42 as indicated by the arrow in FIG. At the same time, an air flow in which air is introduced from the outside through the inlet hole 59 of the lid 45 is formed. By changing the sizes of the outflow holes 58 and the inflow holes 59 to adjust the airflow, the resist liquid drying speed around the substrate G can be adjusted to adjust the diffusion speed, so that the resist film around the substrate G The film thickness can be controlled and the uniformity of the film thickness can be maintained.

The drain cup 44 has a wall plate 71 disposed along the outer circumference of the rotary cup 42. The wall plate 71 is provided with a groove portion 73 formed by concave deformation of the wall plate 71 itself so as to have a U-shape in cross section along the outer circumference of the rotary cup 42. In this way, the gutter portion 73 and the wall plate 71 are integrated to facilitate manufacturing and a good sealing property. However, the gutter portion 73 can be detached from the wall plate 71. This is good and can make maintenance easy. In addition, the trough portion 73 is formed to face the outlet hole 58 of the rotary cup 42, and receives the opening liquid discharged from the outlet hole 58 of the rotary cup 42 ( 72). The surface of the trough 73 is preferably coated with, for example, teflon or the like so that the resist liquid does not adhere.

The ceiling 74 of the trough portion 73 is inclined to open toward the rotary cup 42. The inclination angle θ1 is 10 ° to 45 °, more preferably 20 °. And the outlet hole 58 of the rotary cup 42 may be installed to face the inclined surface of the ceiling (74). Accordingly, the resist liquid discharged from the outlet hole 58 of the rotary cup 42 hits the ceiling 74 and flows down to the bottom 75 of the trough portion 73 to discharge the resist liquid discharged from the trough portion 73. It can be reliably recovered.

Below the wall plate 71, discharge ports 76 for discharging the recovered resist liquid to the outside are formed at six places at equal intervals on the same circumference, for example. In addition, a pipe 77 for flowing out the resist liquid from the trough portion 73 to the discharge hole 76 is provided from the bottom portion 75 of the trough portion 73 toward the respective discharge ports 76. Thereby, the resist liquid recovered by the trough portion 73 and the resist liquid that cannot be recovered by the trough portion 73 can be efficiently discharged to the outside through the discharge port 76.

The drain cup 44 is provided with a first exhaust passage 78 which communicates from the lower side of the wall plate 71 to the back side of the wall plate 71, and an exhaust port 79 is connected to the first exhaust passage 78. have. An exhaust pump (not shown in the drawing) is connected to the exhaust port 79 to exhaust the gas in the drain cup 44. Thereby, it is possible to reliably collect | recover gaseous gas separated. In addition, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of turbulent flow in the drain cup 44, which can effectively prevent the mist scattering.

In addition, the drain cup 44 is provided with a second exhaust passage 80 which communicates from the upper side of the wall plate 71 to the back side of the wall plate 71. Thereby, turbulence, such as a vortex, does not generate | occur | produce from the upper side of the back side of the wall board 71, and scattering of mist can be prevented effectively.

In addition, since the lower end of the tube 77 is inserted into each outlet 76, that is, the lower end of the tube 77 is disposed below the upper end of each outlet 76, a fine liquid or the like flows down the tube 77. The possibility of sending out from each discharge port 76 to the first exhaust passage 78 side is reduced. The first exhaust passage 78 also serves as a removal function for removing the fine liquid contained in the exhaust gas. The first exhaust passage 78 inclines the first exhaust passage 78 up and down to allow the fine liquid contained in the exhaust gas to lie in the first exhaust passage. Since it separates below 78, the possibility to discharge to each discharge port 76 is improved.

In addition, the bottom portion 75 of the trough portion 73 is inclined to open toward the rotary cup 42 similarly to the ceiling portion 74. The inclination angle θ1 of the ceiling 74 and the inclination angle θ2 of the bottom 75 are substantially the same. As the bottom portion 75 is inclined in this manner, the resist liquid can be reliably discharged from the bottom portion 75 toward the discharge port 76 through the pipe 77. In addition, since the inclination angle of the ceiling portion 74 and the inclination angle of the bottom portion 75 are substantially the same, the inclination angle of the back surface of the ceiling portion 74 and the inclination angle of the back surface of the bottom portion 75 on the back side of the trough portion 73 are It becomes almost the same, and the airflow which flows from the 1st exhaust passage 78 toward the exhaust port 79 and the airflow which flows from the 2nd exhaust passage 80 toward the exhaust port 79 flow almost equally, and the wall board 71 Turbulent flows, such as vortex, do not occur on the back side of the surface, so that mist can be effectively prevented from scattering.

In addition, on the first exhaust passage 78, a guide plate 81 whose upper portion is opened is provided. As a result, the mist does not flow into the rear surface side of the wall plate 71 from the first exhaust passage 78. In addition, since the guide plate 81 is provided below the bottom portion 75 in the trough portion 73, the thickness of the first exhaust passage 78 can be easily adjusted by adjusting the height of the guide plate 81. It is possible.

In addition, a mesh 100 is disposed between the second exhaust passage 80 and the exhaust port 79. This prevents mist from entering the exhaust port 79 side. In addition, a damper 101 is inserted into the exhaust port 79. And when the resist is apply | coated on the board | substrate G, the damper 101 will be in the open state, and otherwise, the exhaust port 79 will be closed by the damper 101. As shown in FIG. This also prevents mist from entering the exhaust port 79 side.                     

Next, the operation of the resist coating processing unit (CT) 22 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG.

The lid 45 is peeled off from the rotary cup 42 by a carrier arm not shown in the drawing, and the substrate G is transported on the spin chuck 41 by the main transport device 18 and adsorbed (step 1). ).

Next, the lid 45 is attached to the upper opening of the rotary cup 42 by a transfer arm (not shown) (step 2), and the resist liquid discharge nozzle 51 and the solution discharge nozzle 52 are attached to the substrate G. Above the opening 46 of the lid 45, the solvent such as thinner from the solution discharge nozzle 52 passes through the opening 46 of the lid 45 before the rotation of the substrate G starts. It discharges to the board | substrate G (step 3).

Next, when the resist liquid is discharged from the resist liquid ejecting nozzle 51 to the substrate G through the opening 46 of the lid 45 (step 4), the substrate G and the rotary cup 42 rotate together. Start (step 5). By rotating the substrate G while discharging the resist liquid in this manner, the resist liquid is diffused on the substrate G to form a resist film on the substrate G. As shown in FIG.

After the resist film is formed in this way, the discharge of the resist liquid and the rotation of the substrate G and the rotating cup 42 are stopped (step 6), and the small lid 53 is conveyed by the arm not shown in the drawing, and the lid is conveyed. It is attached to the opening 46 of 45 (step 7).

Next, the substrate G and the rotary cup 42 are rotated again, so that the film thickness of the resist film is constant (step 8). In this embodiment, in particular, when the film thickness of the resist film is made constant, since the small lid 53 is attached to the opening 46 of the lid 45, the resist liquid is prevented from scattering to the outside. In addition, intrusion of air from the opening 46 can be prevented, and airflow that adversely affects the processing is not generated around the substrate, so that the film thickness of the resist film is prevented from being uneven.

Thereafter, the rotation of the substrate G and the rotary cup 42 is stopped (step 9), and the lid 60 and the lid 45 are peeled off, and the substrate G is carried out to the next step (step 10).

Here, when the substrate G and the rotating cup 42 are being rotated (steps 5 and 8), the gas and the resist liquid are directed from the outlet hole 58 of the rotating cup 42 toward the outer circumference of the rotating cup 42. This flows out, and the resist liquid reaches the trough portion 73 by centrifugal force and is discharged to the outside through the trough portion 73, the pipe 77, and the discharge port 76.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, since the trough portion 73 is provided along the outer circumference of the rotary cup 42 in the wall plate 71, the resist liquid flows out of the outlet hole 58 of the rotary cup 42. Can be reliably recovered by this trough portion 73. Thus, for example, compared with the case where the resist liquid flowing out of the outlet hole 58 of the rotary cup 42 without the trough portion 73 contacts the wall plate 71 as it is, the resist liquid becomes mist and scatters. The case is less. In addition, since the portion where contamination is caused by the resist liquid can be almost localized only in the trough portion 73, the cup cleaning time can be shortened, and the amount of the cleaning thinner used can also be reduced.

Next, the washing | cleaning process in the resist coating process unit (CT) 22 comprised in this way is demonstrated. The following washing process is performed once per lot, for example, about 40 board | substrates.

In the washing step, the lid 45 is peeled off from the rotary cup 42 by a carrier arm not shown in the drawing, and the substrate G is transported onto the spin chuck 41 by the main transport device 18 and adsorbed. The lid 45 is attached to the upper opening of the rotary cup 42 by a carrier arm not shown in the drawing, and the resist liquid discharge nozzle 51 and the solution discharge nozzle 52 are placed on the lid (above the substrate G). 45 is positioned above the opening 46 of the opening 45, and thinner is discharged from the solution discharge nozzle 52 through the opening 46 of the lid 45 while rotating the substrate G and the rotary cup 42. Is discharged to. Accordingly, the thinner flows from the outlet hole 58 of the rotary cup 42 toward the outer circumference of the rotary cup 42 to reach the trough portion 73 by centrifugal force to clean the trough portion 73 with the thinner. .

Thus, when washing | cleaning by thinner, the rotation speed of the board | substrate G and the rotating cup 42 is changed suitably, and as shown in FIG. 4, the washing position S (position which a thinner reaches) by a thinner is changed. This makes it possible to efficiently clean the entire surface of the trough portion 73.

When cleaning, a dummy substrate may be used instead of the substrate G, or as shown in FIG. 5, a dedicated cleaning nozzle 91 is provided in the rotary cup 42, and the cleaning nozzle 91 is provided. ) May be supplied with a cleaning liquid.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6, without connecting the pipe 77 directly to the discharge port 76, for example, a resist collected by the three-way valve 92 and recovered from the trough portion 73, for example. The liquid may be reused and the thinner and the like recovered from the trough 73 may be discharged. Thereby, it is possible to reduce the consumption of the resist liquid.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 7, the groove part 73 may be divided into two parts up and down (groove parts 73a and 73b), and the surface may be covered with the removable protection member 94. As shown in FIG. As a result, it is possible to easily and surely clean the trough 73.

In addition, although the Teflon coating is preferably applied to the surface of the trough 73 as described above, in this case, as shown in FIG. 8, the outlet hole 58 of the rotary cup 42 of the trough 73 is provided. Teflon coating is preferably applied to the lower region 102 in which the resist liquid flowing out from the contact portion, and Teflon coating is not applied to the upper region 103 in which the resist liquid does not contact the trough portion 73. Further, the trough portion 73 is made of a metal material such as SUS, for example, so that the upper region 103 is exposed to this metal material. According to the experiments of the present inventors, as shown in FIG. 9 (a), when the teflon coating was applied to the entire trough portion 73, the liquid A in the resist liquid was attached, whereas FIG. 9 (b) As shown in FIG. 2, when the Teflon coating is not applied to the upper region 103 of the trough portion 73 where the resist liquid does not directly contact, only the resist liquid in the mist state is attached in comparison with the same portion as above. Therefore, the case where the Teflon coating is not applied to the upper region 103 in the trough portion 73 where the resist liquid does not directly contact improves the cleanability.

10, the ceiling 74 of the trough 73 may be bent like a bow. Thereby, only the resist liquid of the mist state adheres to the ceiling part 74 of the trough part 73 similarly to the above, and washability improves.

11, the cover part 104 may be provided in the upper part of the outflow hole 58 in the outer periphery of the rotating cup 42. As shown in FIG. As a result, the mist and the resist liquid can be prevented from scattering upward.

In the above-described embodiment, the glass substrate is used as the substrate, but the present invention can be applied to other substrates such as semiconductor wafers. In addition, although the resist liquid was described as an example as a predetermined liquid, the present invention can naturally be applied to other kinds of liquids.

As described above, according to the present invention, the liquid discharged from the outlet hole of the container is hard to adhere to the wall plate or the like, and such liquid is difficult to attach or reattach due to the mist state. Moreover, the usage-amount of cleaning liquid, such as a thinner, can be reduced as much as possible, and a washing process can be performed in a short time.

Claims (21)

A support member for supporting the substrate to rotate; A supply unit for supplying a predetermined liquid to the substrate supported by the support member; A container having an outlet hole for accommodating the substrate supported by the support member and rotating in synchronism with the support member and for discharging the liquid to an outer periphery; An opening for receiving liquid discharged from the outflow hole is provided to face the outflow hole, and has a trough portion continuously arranged along the outer periphery of the container, A wall plate is disposed along the outer periphery of the container, The groove part is formed by concave the wall plate in the shape of a cross section, A first exhaust passage is provided from the lower side of the wall plate to the rear side of the wall plate; A second exhaust passage is provided from the upper side of the wall plate to the rear side of the wall plate; An exhaust port is connected to the first exhaust passage and the second exhaust passage. The method according to claim 1, The inclination angle of the ceiling portion of the trough portion and the inclination angle of the bottom portion are substantially the same so that the airflow flowing from the first exhaust passage toward the exhaust port and the airflow flowing from the second exhaust passage toward the exhaust port are linearly symmetrical to sandwich the groove portion. The substrate processing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. The method according to claim 1 or 2, And the ceiling portion of the trough having a U-shaped cross section is formed to be inclined to open toward the container. The method according to claim 3, And the ceiling portion is formed in a curved shape. The method according to claim 1, Substrate processing apparatus, characterized in that the discharge port for discharging the liquid is formed below the wall plate. The method according to claim 5, And a tube for discharging liquid from the trough portion to the outlet is provided from the bottom of the trough portion toward the outlet. delete The method according to claim 1, A substrate processing apparatus, characterized in that a mesh member is disposed between the first exhaust passage and the exhaust port. The method according to claim 1, And a damper for opening and closing the exhaust port is inserted into the exhaust port. delete The method according to claim 1, And said inclined angle of the ceiling portion is substantially equal in said gutter portion. The method according to claim 1, And a guide plate on which the upper portion is opened is provided on the first exhaust passage. The method according to claim 12, And the guide plate is provided below the bottom of the trough. The method according to claim 3, And said outflow hole faces an inclined surface of said ceiling portion of said trough portion. The method according to claim 1, Means for supplying a cleaning liquid into the container, Rotating the container while supplying the cleaning liquid discharges the cleaning liquid from the outflow hole and cleans the inside of the trough portion with the discharged cleaning liquid. The method according to claim 15, And a means for controlling the rotational speed of the container when cleaning the inside of the trough portion with the cleaning liquid. The method according to claim 15, And a switching valve for reusing the predetermined liquid recovered from the trough portion and discharging the cleaning liquid recovered from the trough portion. The method according to claim 1, And a surface in the trough portion is covered with a removable protective member. The method according to claim 1, The trough is substrate processing apparatus, characterized in that the teflon (Teflon) coating is carried out. The method according to claim 19, Teflon coating is applied to the first region in which the liquid discharged from the outlet hole of the container is in direct contact with the trough portion, and Teflon coating is not applied to the second region above the first region. Substrate processing apparatus. The method according to claim 1, Substrate processing apparatus, characterized in that the cover portion is provided on the outlet hole of the outer circumference of the container.

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