KR101491055B1 - Chemical supplying unit, substrate treating apparatus and substrate treating method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus for processing a substrate. The substrate processing apparatus includes a housing, a support unit for supporting the substrate, a nozzle unit for supplying the liquid to the substrate placed on the support unit, and a liquid supply unit for supplying the liquid to the nozzle unit, The liquid supply unit includes a liquid supply source, a first tank and a second tank for storing liquid, a liquid supply line for supplying liquid to the first tank and the second tank from the liquid supply source, A circulation line for circulating the liquid in each of the first tank and the second tank, a member provided in the circulation line, and a controller for controlling the member Wherein the controller includes a first mode and a second mode for controlling the liquid supply unit, and in the second mode, The energy consumption can be small.

Description

Technical Field [0001] The present invention relates to a liquid supply unit, a substrate processing apparatus, and a substrate processing method using the substrate processing apparatus. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0002]

The present invention relates to a liquid supply unit for supplying a liquid to a substrate, a substrate processing apparatus including the liquid supply unit, and a substrate processing method for processing the substrate using the substrate processing apparatus.

Contaminants such as particles, organic contaminants, and metallic contaminants on the surface of the substrate greatly affect the characteristics of semiconductor devices and the yield of production. Therefore, a cleaning process for removing various contaminants adhering to the surface of the substrate is very important in the semiconductor manufacturing process, and a process for cleaning the substrate is performed before and after each unit process for manufacturing a semiconductor. In general, cleaning of a substrate is performed by a chemical treatment process for removing metal foreign substances, organic substances, or particles remaining on the substrate by using a chemical, a rinsing process for removing chemicals remaining on the substrate by using pure water, And the like.

In the chemical treatment process, the liquid supply unit provides liquid to the nozzle unit. Generally, a circulation line is connected to the liquid supply unit, and a pump and a heater are provided to the circulation line. The liquid in the tank needs to reach the setting conditions so that the liquid can be supplied quickly to the nozzle immediately if necessary. Therefore, the pump installed in the circulation line has a high stroke per minute, which causes a large amount of energy consumption.

An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of variably controlling the liquid supply state according to use conditions.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of reducing energy.

The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and the problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description and the accompanying drawings will be.

The present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus including a housing, a support unit disposed inside the housing, for supporting the substrate, a nozzle unit for supplying a liquid to the substrate placed on the support unit, And a liquid supply unit. The liquid supply unit includes a liquid supply source, a first tank and a second tank for storing liquid, a liquid supply line for supplying liquid to the first tank and the second tank from the liquid supply source, A circulation line for circulating the liquid in each of the first tank and the second tank, a member provided in the circulation line, and a controller for controlling the member . The controller includes a first mode and a second mode for controlling the liquid supply unit, and the energy consumption is smaller in the second mode than in the first mode.

The controller may maintain the first mode until the liquid in the first tank or the second tank reaches the process condition, and may switch to the second mode after the process condition is reached.

The controller may initially maintain the first mode and then switch to the second mode and maintain the second mode.

The member includes a pump and the controller can control the stroke per minute of the pump to be lower than that in the first mode when the mode is the second mode.

The member includes a heater, and the controller can control the heater to a low temperature in the second mode as compared with the first mode.

Wherein the member includes a pump and a heater and the controller is capable of controlling the stroke of the pump at a lower rate and the temperature of the heater at a lower temperature than in the first mode when the mode is the second mode.

The circulation line includes a first line connected to the first tank, a second line connected to the second tank, a third line through which the liquid flows in the first tank, a second line connected to the second tank, 4 lines, the first line, the second line, the third line, and the fourth line are all connected, and the member is installed in the shared line, Circulating through the first line, the shared line, and the third line, and the liquid in the second tank may circulate through the second line, the shared line, and the fourth line.

The present invention can also provide a liquid supply unit.

A liquid supply unit for supplying a liquid to be supplied to a substrate, comprising a liquid supply source, a tank for storing the liquid, a liquid supply line for supplying the liquid from the liquid supply source to the tank, A circulation line for circulating the liquid in the tank, a member provided in the circulation line, And a controller for controlling the member. The controller may include a first mode and a second mode for controlling the member, and in the second mode, the controller may be a liquid supply unit that consumes less energy than in the first mode.

Wherein the controller holds the liquid supply unit in the first mode until the liquid in the first tank or the second tank is adjusted to the supply condition and switches to the second mode after the supply condition is satisfied .

The controller may initially maintain the first mode and then switch to the second mode and maintain the second mode.

The member includes a pump and the controller can control the stroke per minute of the pump to be lower than that in the first mode when the mode is the second mode.

The member includes a heater, and the controller can control the heater to a low temperature in the second mode as compared with the first mode.

Wherein the member includes a pump and a heater and the controller is capable of controlling the stroke of the pump at a lower rate and the temperature of the heater at a lower temperature than in the first mode when the mode is the second mode.

The tank may include a first tank and a second tank, wherein the liquid supply source may include a first liquid supply source for supplying the first liquid, and a second liquid supply source for supplying the second liquid.

The present invention can also provide a substrate processing method. According to one example, a substrate processing method comprises circulating a liquid supplied into a tank through a circulation line connected to the tank while circulating the liquid until the process condition is reached, And thereafter controls the second mode different from the first mode.

The second mode may have a lower energy consumption than the first mode.

The circulation line is provided with a heater for controlling the temperature of the liquid. In the second mode, the temperature can be controlled to be lower than that in the first mode.

The circulation line is provided with a pump for controlling the flow rate of the liquid. In the second mode, the stroke per minute of the pump can be controlled to be lower than that in the first mode.

Wherein the circulation line is provided with a pump for controlling the flow rate of the liquid and a heater for controlling the temperature of the liquid. In the second mode, the stroke per minute of the pump is lower than that in the first mode, Energy consumption can be reduced.

Further, according to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of controlling energy and reducing the stroke per minute of the pump.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-described effects, and the effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the present specification and the attached drawings

1 is a front view schematically showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus provided with a substrate processing apparatus according to an example of the present invention.
2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus provided in the process chamber of FIG.
3 is a view showing a first embodiment of the liquid supply unit.
FIG. 4 is a view showing the circulation of liquid in the circulation line of FIG. 3. FIG.
Fig. 5 is a view showing a controller for controlling the member of Fig. 3; Fig.
Figures 6 and 7 show another embodiment of a controller for controlling the member.
Fig. 8 is a view showing energy consumption according to the supply mode.
9 is a view showing the stroke per minute of the pump according to the supply mode.
10 is a view showing the temperature of the heater according to the supply mode.
11 is a view showing another embodiment of the liquid supply unit.
12 is a view showing another embodiment of the liquid supply unit.
Figs. 13 to 18 are views sequentially showing a method of processing wafers using the liquid supply unit of Fig. 3. Fig.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments of the present invention can be modified into various forms, and the scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the following embodiments. This embodiment is provided to more fully describe the present invention to those skilled in the art. Thus, the shape of the elements in the figures has been exaggerated to emphasize a clearer description.

Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG.

1 is a plan view schematically showing a substrate processing apparatus 1 of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 has an index module 10 and a processing module 20, and the index module 10 has a load port 120 and a transfer frame 140. The load port 120, the transfer frame 140, and the process module 20 are sequentially arranged in a line. Hereinafter, the direction in which the load port 120, the transfer frame 140, and the process module 20 are arranged is referred to as a first direction 12. A direction perpendicular to the first direction 12 is referred to as a second direction 14 and a direction perpendicular to the plane including the first direction 12 and the second direction 14 is referred to as a third direction (16).

The carrier 130 in which the substrate W is accommodated is seated in the load port 140. A plurality of load ports 120 are provided, and they are arranged in a line along the second direction 14. In FIG. 1, four load ports 120 are shown. However, the number of load ports 120 may increase or decrease depending on conditions such as process efficiency and footprint of the process module 20. The carrier 130 is formed with a slot (not shown) provided to support the edge of the substrate. The slots are provided in a plurality of third directions 16, and the substrates are positioned in the carrier so as to be stacked apart from each other along the third direction 16. As the carrier 130, a front opening unified pod (FOUP) may be used.

The process module 20 has a buffer unit 220, a transfer chamber 240, and a process chamber 260. The transfer chamber 240 is disposed such that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the first direction 12. Process chambers 260 are disposed on one side and the other side of the transfer chamber 240 along the second direction 14, respectively. The process chambers 260 located at one side of the transfer chamber 240 and the process chambers 260 located at the other side of the transfer chamber 240 are provided to be symmetrical with respect to the transfer chamber 240. Some of the process chambers 260 are disposed along the longitudinal direction of the transfer chamber 240. In addition, some of the process chambers 260 are stacked together. That is, at one side of the transfer chamber 240, the process chambers 260 may be arranged in an array of A X B (where A and B are each at least one natural number). Where A is the number of process chambers 260 provided in a row along the first direction 12 and B is the number of process chambers 260 provided in a row along the third direction 16. When four or six process chambers 260 are provided on one side of the transfer chamber 240, the process chambers 260 may be arranged in an array of 2 X 2 or 3 X 2. The number of process chambers 260 may increase or decrease. Unlike the above, the process chamber 260 may be provided only on one side of the transfer chamber 240. Also, unlike the above, the process chamber 260 may be provided as a single layer on one side and on both sides of the transfer chamber 240.

The buffer unit 220 is disposed between the transfer frame 140 and the transfer chamber 240. The buffer unit 220 provides a space for the substrate W to stay before the transfer of the substrate W between the transfer chamber 240 and the transfer frame 140. [ The buffer unit 220 is provided with a slot (not shown) in which the substrate W is placed, and a plurality of slots (not shown) are provided to be spaced apart from each other in the third direction 16. The surface of the buffer unit 220 opposed to the transfer frame 140 and the surface of the transfer chamber 240 facing each other are opened.

The transfer frame 140 transfers the substrate W between the buffer unit 220 and the carrier 130 that is seated on the load port 120. The transfer frame 140 is provided with an index rail 142 and an index robot 144. The index rail 142 is provided so that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the second direction 14. The index robot 144 is installed on the index rail 142 and is linearly moved along the index rail 142 in the second direction 14. The index robot 144 has a base 144a, a body 144b, and an index arm 144c. The base 144a is installed so as to be movable along the index rail 142. The body 144b is coupled to the base 144a. The body 144b is provided to be movable along the third direction 16 on the base 144a. Also, the body 144b is provided to be rotatable on the base 144a. The index arm 144c is coupled to the body 144b and is provided to be movable forward and backward relative to the body 144b. A plurality of index arms 144c are provided and each is provided to be individually driven. The index arms 144c are stacked in a state of being spaced from each other along the third direction 16. Some of the index arms 144c are used to transfer the substrate W from the processing module 20 to the carrier 130 while the other part is used to transfer the substrate W from the carrier 130 to the processing module 20. [ As shown in Fig. This can prevent the particles generated from the substrate W before the process processing from adhering to the substrate W after the process processing in the process of loading and unloading the substrate W by the index robot 144. [

The transfer chamber 240 transfers the substrate W between the buffer unit 220 and the process chamber 260 and between the process chambers 260. The transfer chamber 240 is provided with a guide rail 242 and a main robot 244. The guide rails 242 are arranged so that their longitudinal directions are parallel to the first direction 12. The main robot 244 is installed on the guide rails 242 and is linearly moved along the first direction 12 on the guide rails 242. The main robot 244 has a base 244a, a body 244b, and a main arm 244c. The base 244a is installed so as to be movable along the guide rail 242. The body 244b is coupled to the base 244a. The body 244b is provided to be movable along the third direction 16 on the base 244a. Body 244b is also provided to be rotatable on base 244a. The main arm 244c is coupled to the body 244b, which is provided for forward and backward movement relative to the body 244b. A plurality of main arms 244c are provided and each is provided to be individually driven. The main arms 244c are stacked in a state of being spaced from each other along the third direction 16. A main arm 244c used when the substrate is transported from the buffer unit 220 to the process chamber 260 and a main arm 244c used when transporting the substrate from the process chamber 260 to the buffer unit 220 They may be different from each other.

In the process chamber 260, a substrate processing apparatus 300 for performing a cleaning process on the substrate W is provided. The substrate processing apparatus 300 provided in each process chamber 260 may have a different structure depending on the type of the cleaning process to be performed. Alternatively, the substrate processing apparatus 300 in each process chamber 260 may have the same structure. Optionally, the process chambers 260 are divided into a plurality of groups, and the substrate processing apparatuses 300 provided in the process chambers 260 belonging to the same group have the same structure and are provided in the process chambers 260 belonging to different groups The substrate processing apparatuses 300 may have different structures from each other. For example, if the process chambers 260 are divided into two groups, a first group of process chambers 260 is provided on one side of the transfer chamber 240 and a second group of process chambers 260 are provided on the other side of the transfer chamber 240 Process chambers 260 may be provided. Optionally, a first group of process chambers 260 may be provided on the lower layer and a second group of process chambers 260 may be provided on the upper and lower sides of the transfer chamber 240, respectively. The first group of process chambers 260 and the second group of process chambers 260 may be classified according to the type of the chemical used and the type of the cleaning method.

An example of the substrate processing apparatus 300 for cleaning the substrate W by using the process liquid will be described below. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the substrate processing apparatus 300. FIG. 2, the substrate processing apparatus 300 has a housing 320, a support unit 340, a lift unit 360, a nozzle unit 380, and a liquid supply unit 400.

The housing 320 provides a space in which the substrate processing process is performed, and the upper portion thereof is opened. The housing 320 has an inner recovery cylinder 322, an intermediate recovery cylinder 324, and an outer recovery cylinder 326. Each of the recovery cylinders 322, 324, and 326 recovers the different treatment liquids among the treatment liquids used in the process. The inner recovery bottle 322 is provided in an annular ring shape surrounding the support unit 340 and the intermediate recovery bottle 324 is provided in the shape of an annular ring surrounding the inner recovery bottle 322. The outer recovery bottle 326 Is provided in the shape of an annular ring surrounding the intermediate recovery bottle 324. The inner space 322a of the inner recovery cylinder 322 and the space 324a between the inner recovery cylinder 322 and the intermediate recovery cylinder 324 and the space 324 between the intermediate recovery cylinder 324 and the outer recovery cylinder 326 326a function as an inlet through which the processing liquid flows into the inner recovery cylinder 322, the intermediate recovery cylinder 324, and the outer recovery cylinder 326, respectively. Recovery passages 322b, 324b, and 326b extending vertically downward from the bottom of the recovery passages 322, 324, and 326 are connected to the recovery passages 322, 324, and 326, respectively. Each of the recovery lines 322b, 324b, and 326b discharges the processing liquid that has flowed through the respective recovery cylinders 322, 324, and 326. [ The discharged treatment liquid can be reused through an external treatment liquid recovery system (not shown).

The support unit 340 is disposed within the housing 320. The support unit 340 supports the substrate and rotates the substrate during the process. The support unit 340 has a body 342, a support pin 334, a chuck pin 346, and a support shaft 348. The body 342 has a top surface that is generally circular when viewed from the top. A support shaft 348 rotatable by a motor 349 is fixedly coupled to the bottom surface of the body 342. A plurality of support pins 334 are provided. The support pin 334 is spaced apart from the edge of the upper surface of the body 342 by a predetermined distance and protrudes upward from the body 342. The support pins 334 are arranged so as to have a generally annular ring shape in combination with each other. The support pins 334 support the rear edge of the substrate such that the substrate is spaced a distance from the top surface of the body 342. A plurality of chuck pins 346 are provided. The chuck pin 346 is disposed farther away from the center of the body 342 than the support pin 334. The chuck pin 346 is provided to protrude upward from the body 342. The chuck pin 346 supports the side of the substrate such that the substrate is not laterally displaced in place when the spin head 340 is rotated. The chuck pin 346 is provided so as to be linearly movable between a standby position and a supporting position along the radial direction of the body 342. The standby position is a distance from the center of the body 342 relative to the support position. When the substrate is loaded or unloaded onto the spin head 340, the chuck pin 346 is positioned in the standby position and the chuck pin 346 is positioned in the support position when the substrate is being processed. At the support position, the chuck pin 346 contacts the side of the substrate.

The lifting unit 360 moves the housing 320 linearly in the vertical direction. As the housing 320 is moved up and down, the relative height of the housing 320 with respect to the supporting unit 340 is changed. The lifting unit 360 has a bracket 362, a moving shaft 364, and a driver 366. The bracket 362 is fixed to the outer wall of the housing 320 and the bracket 362 is fixedly coupled to the moving shaft 364 which is moved up and down by the actuator 366. The housing 320 is lowered so that the support unit 340 protrudes to the upper portion of the housing 320 when the substrate W is placed on the support unit 340 or lifted from the support unit 340. [ When the process is performed, the height of the housing 320 is adjusted so that the treatment liquid can be introduced into the predetermined collection container 360 according to the type of the treatment liquid supplied to the substrate W. For example, while processing the substrate with the first processing solution, the substrate is positioned at a height corresponding to the inner space 322a of the inner recovery cylinder 322. [ During the processing of the substrate with the second processing solution and the third processing solution, the substrate is separated from the space 324a between the inner recovery cylinder 322 and the intermediate recovery cylinder 324, and between the intermediate recovery cylinder 324 and the outside And may be located at a height corresponding to the space 326a of the recovery cylinder 326. [ The lift unit 360 can move the spin head 340 in the vertical direction instead of the housing 320. [

The nozzle unit 380 supplies the processing liquid to the substrate W during the substrate processing step. The nozzle unit 380 has a nozzle support 382, a nozzle 384, a support shaft 386, and a driver 388. The support shaft 386 is provided along its lengthwise direction along the third direction 16 and a driver 388 is coupled to the lower end of the support shaft 386. The driver 388 rotates and lifts the support shaft 386. The nozzle support 382 is coupled perpendicular to the opposite end of the support shaft 386 coupled to the driver 388. The nozzle 384 is installed at the bottom end of the nozzle support 382. The nozzle 384 is moved by a driver 388 to a process position and a standby position. The process position is that the nozzle 384 is located at the vertically upper portion of the housing 320 and the standby position is the position at which the nozzle 384 is deviated from the vertical upper portion of the housing 320. One or a plurality of nozzle units 380 may be provided. When a plurality of nozzle units 380 are provided, the chemical, rinsing liquid, or organic solvent may be provided through different nozzle units 380. The rinsing liquid may be pure, and the organic solvent may be a mixture of an isopropyl alcohol vapor and an inert gas or an isopropyl alcohol liquid.

The liquid supply unit 4100 supplies the liquid to the nozzle unit 380. For example, the chemical may be an acidic solution such as hydrofluoric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, phosphoric acid or the like, or an alkaline solution containing potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, ammonium or the like, or pure water.

Hereinafter, the first embodiment of the liquid supply unit 400 will be described. 3 is a view showing a first embodiment of the liquid supply unit.

3, the liquid supply unit 4100 includes a liquid supply source 4110, a first tank 4120, a second tank 4130, liquid supply lines 4142 and 4144, a liquid discharge line 4150, A line 4160, a member 4170, and a controller 4180.

The liquid supply source 4110 stores the liquid used in the process and supplies the liquid to the first tank 4120 or the second tank 4130. The liquid supply source 4110 may have a first liquid supply source 4112 for storing the first liquid and a second liquid supply source 4114 for storing the second liquid.

The first tank 4120 and the second tank 4130 have substantially the same structure. The first tank 4120 and the second tank 4130 store the liquid. While supplying liquid to the nozzle unit 380 in either the first tank 4120 or the second tank 4130, the liquid exchange is performed in the other tank.

The liquid supply lines 4142 and 4144 may have a first liquid supply line 4142 and a second liquid supply line 4144. The first liquid supply line 4142 connects the first liquid supply source 4110 to the first tank 4120 and the second tank 4120, respectively. The first liquid supply line 4142 supplies the liquid from the first liquid supply source 4112 to the first tank 4120 and the second tank 4130, respectively. The second liquid supply line 4144 connects the second liquid supply source 4110 to the first tank 4120 and the second tank 4120, respectively. The second liquid supply line 4144 supplies the liquid from the second liquid supply source 4114 to the first tank 4120 and the second tank 4130, respectively.

The liquid discharge line 4150 connects the first tank 4120 and the second tank 4130 to the nozzle unit 380. The liquid discharge line 4150 supplies the liquid to the nozzle unit 380.

Referring to FIG. 3, the mixed liquid in which the first liquid and the second liquid are mixed is stored in the first tank 4120 and the second tank 4130. Alternatively, the first tank 4120 or the second tank 4130 may store only one liquid. The liquid flows uniformly through the circulation line (4160).

The circulation line 4160 has a first line 4161, a second line 4162, a third line 4163, a fourth line 4164 and a shared line 4165. The circulation line 4160 circulates the liquid in the first tank 4120 and the second tank 4130. The first line 4161 is connected to the upper surface of the first tank 4120. The second line 4162 is connected to the upper surface of the second tank 4130. The third line 4163 is connected to the bottom surface of the first tank 4120. The liquid in the first tank 4120 flows out through the third line 4163. The fourth line 4164 is connected to the bottom surface of the second tank 4130. The liquid in the second tank 4130 flows out through the fourth line 4164. The shared line 4165 connects the first line 4161, the second line 4162, the third line 4163, and the fourth line 4164 all together. The liquid flowing through the shared line 4165 flows back into the first tank 4120 through the first line 4161 or into the second tank 4130 through the second line 4162. [

4, the liquid in the first tank 4120 circulates through the first line 4161, the shared line 4165, and the third line 4163. The liquid in the second tank 4130 circulates through the second line 4162, the shared line 4165, and the fourth line 4164.

A member 4170 is provided on the circulation line 4160. The member 4170 includes a pump 4172 and a heater 4174 as shown in Fig. The pump 4172 controls the stroke per minute to regulate the supply flow rate of the liquid. The heater 4174 regulates the temperature of the liquid. Alternatively, the member 4170 may include only one of the pump 4172 or the heater 4174.

Controller 4180 controls member 4170. 5). Controller 4180 controls pump 4172 to regulate the stroke per minute. The controller 4180 also controls the heater 4174 to regulate the temperature of the liquid. The controller 4180 includes a first mode and a second mode. In the second mode, the energy consumption is smaller than in the first mode. (See Fig. 6)

The controller 4180 maintains the liquid in the first tank 4120 or the second tank 4130 initially in the first mode and then in the second mode. According to one embodiment, the controller 4180 maintains the first mode until the liquid in the first tank 4120 or the second tank 4130 reaches a process condition, and after reaching the process condition, Mode. The process condition is a set temperature or concentration condition of the liquid in the first tank 4120 to the second tank 4130. In the first mode, the controller 4180 quickly controls the stroke per minute of the pump 4172 so that the liquid quickly reaches the process conditions. By rapidly circulating the liquid, the liquid can be quickly mixed and the process conditions can be quickly reached. In the second mode, the controller 4180 controls the stroke per minute of the pump 4172 to be lower than that in the first mode, and maintains the temperature and concentration conditions in the process condition state. For example, referring to FIG. 7, the first stroke may be controlled to the first stroke in the first mode and the second stroke may be controlled in the second mode. The first stroke may be about 70 to 100 spm, and the second stroke may be about 10 to 30 spm. Also, to quickly reach process conditions, the controller 4180 regulates the heater 4174 to a high temperature in the first mode. Further, the controller 4180 controls the heater 4174 to be cooler than the first mode when the second mode is selected. Referring to FIG. 8, the first temperature may be controlled to the first temperature in the first mode, and the second temperature may be controlled in the second mode. The second temperature may be a process temperature, and the first temperature may be a temperature higher than the process temperature.

Alternatively, the controller 4180 can independently control only the pump 4172 of the pump 4172 and the heater 4174. [ 9). Controller 4180 can also independently control only pump 4172 and heater 4174 among heaters 4174. [ (See Fig. 10)

11 is a view showing another embodiment of the liquid supply unit 4200. Fig.

The liquid supply unit 4200 includes a liquid supply source 4210, a first tank 4220, a second tank 4230, a liquid supply line 4240, a liquid discharge line 4250, a circulation line 4260, ), And a controller 4280. A liquid supply source 4210, a first tank 4220, a second tank 4230, a first liquid supply line 4242, a second liquid supply line 4244, a liquid discharge line 4250, a member 4270, The controller 4280 is connected to the liquid supply source 4110, the first tank 4120, the second tank 4130, the first liquid supply line 4142, the second liquid supply line 4244, (4150), member (4170), and controller (4180). The circulation line 4260 is provided independently from each other in the first tank 4220 and the second tank 4230, respectively. The circulation line 4260 circulates the liquid in the first tank 4220 and the second tank 4230, respectively. On the circulation line 4260, a member 4270 is provided.

Fig. 12 shows another embodiment of the liquid supply unit 4300. Fig.

12, the liquid supply unit 4300 may have a liquid supply source 4310, a tank 4320, a liquid discharge line 4350, a circulation line 4360, a member 4370, and a controller 4380 . The liquid supply source 4310, the liquid supply line 4340, the liquid discharge line 4350, the circulation line 4360, the member 4370 and the controller 4380 are the same as the liquid supply source 4210, 4250, circulation line 4260, member 4270, and controller 4280. In some embodiments, As shown in Fig. 12, only one tank 4320 and liquid supply line 4340 may be provided.

Hereinafter, a method of processing wafers using the liquid supply unit 4100 of Fig. 3 will be described with reference to Figs. 13 to 18. Fig. 13 to 18 are views sequentially showing a method of processing wafers by using the liquid supply unit 4100 of Fig. The arrows indicate the flow of the fluid. The valve is closed when the inside of the valve is filled, and the inside of the valve is empty, which means that the valve is open.

The liquid supply unit 4100 can be controlled to the first mode in the initial stage and then to the second mode. As an example, the initial may be until a process condition is reached.

Initially, as shown in FIG. 13, liquid in the first tank 4120 is supplied to the nozzle unit 380 through the liquid discharge line 4150. 14, liquid in the liquid supply sources 4112 and 4114 is supplied into the second tank 4130 through the liquid supply line 4112.4144 so that the second tank 4130 can reach the process conditions. Then, referring to FIG. 15, the liquid is circulated through the circulation line 4360. The circulation is made by the pump 4172. During the circulation, the liquid is heated by the heater 4174 and mixing is performed uniformly.

FIGS. 16 and 17 are diagrams showing the circulation of the liquid when the mode is the first mode and when the mode is the second mode. FIGS. 16 and 17 show the flow of the liquid for the same time, and the number of arrows indicates the size of the stroke of the pump 4172 per minute. The controller 4180 controls the first mode as shown in Fig. 16 until the process condition is reached. Thereafter, when the process condition is reached, the second mode is controlled and circulated as shown in Fig. In the second mode, the stroke per minute of the pump 4172 is controlled to be lower than that in the first mode. For example, in the first mode, the stroke per minute is controlled to be about 70 to 100 spm, and in the second mode, the stroke can be controlled to about 10 to 30 spm. In the second mode, the heater 4174 is controlled to be lower in temperature than in the first mode. For example, in the second mode, the process temperature is controlled, and in the first mode, the temperature can be controlled to be higher than the process temperature. Therefore, in the second mode, energy consumption is smaller than in the first mode. Thereafter, the liquid in the second tank 4130 is supplied to the nozzle unit 380 through the liquid discharge line 4150 as shown in Fig.

According to the embodiment of the present invention in which the supply state is controlled according to the supply mode, it is possible to save about 2.71 [g / wafer] from 234.82 [g / wafer] to 232.11 [g / wafer].

Although the liquid supply unit 4100 including the first tank 4120 and the second tank 4130 is described as an example in the present embodiment, this is merely an example for facilitating the understanding of the present invention. But it can be similarly applied to a case including one tank, and it can be similarly applied to a case including three or more tanks although not shown in the drawings.

The foregoing detailed description is illustrative of the present invention. In addition, the foregoing is intended to illustrate and explain the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention may be used in various other combinations, modifications, and environments. That is, it is possible to make changes or modifications within the scope of the concept of the invention disclosed in this specification, within the scope of the disclosure, and / or within the skill and knowledge of the art. The embodiments described herein are intended to illustrate the best mode for implementing the technical idea of the present invention and various modifications required for specific applications and uses of the present invention are also possible. Accordingly, the detailed description of the invention is not intended to limit the invention to the disclosed embodiments. It is also to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover such other embodiments.

360: housing 380: nozzle unit
400, 4100, 4200, 4300: liquid supply unit 4110: liquid supply source
4120: first tank 4130: second tank
4142: First liquid supply line 4144: Second liquid supply line
4150: liquid discharge line 4170: member
4180:

Claims (19)

An apparatus for processing a substrate,
housing;
A support unit disposed inside the housing and supporting the substrate;
A nozzle unit for supplying a liquid to the substrate placed on the support unit; And
And a liquid supply unit for supplying liquid to the nozzle unit,
The liquid supply unit includes:
Liquid supply source;
A first tank and a second tank for storing the liquid;
A liquid supply line for supplying the liquid from the liquid supply source to each of the first tank and the second tank;
A liquid discharge line for supplying a liquid to the nozzle unit from each of the first tank and the second tank;
A circulation line for circulating the liquid in each of the first tank and the second tank;
A member installed in the circulation line and including a pump; And
And a controller for controlling said member,
Wherein the controller controls the stroke per minute of the pump to be lower than that in the first mode when the second mode is selected. The method according to claim 1,
The controller comprising:
Wherein the first mode or the second tank is maintained in the first mode until the liquid in the first tank or the second tank reaches the process condition, and after the process condition is reached, the mode is switched to the second mode. The method according to claim 1,
The controller comprising:
Wherein the first mode is maintained at the initial stage, and thereafter the mode is switched to the second mode. delete The method according to claim 1,
Said member comprising a heater,
Wherein the controller controls the heater to be lower in temperature than in the first mode when the second mode is selected. delete The method according to claim 1,
The circulation line may include:
A first line connected to a bottom surface of the first tank;
A second line connected to a bottom surface of the second tank;
A third line connected to an upper surface of the first tank;
A fourth line connected to an upper surface of the second tank;
And a shared line to which the first line, the second line, the third line, and the fourth line are all connected,
Said member being installed in said shared line,
The liquid in the first tank circulates through the first line, the shared line, and the third line, and the liquid in the second tank circulates through the second line, the shared line, and the fourth line .
A liquid supply unit for supplying a liquid to be supplied to a substrate,
Liquid supply source;
A tank for storing liquid;
A liquid supply line for supplying the liquid from the liquid supply source to the tank;
A liquid discharge line for supplying liquid from the tank to the nozzle unit;
A circulation line for circulating the liquid in the tank;
A member installed in the circulation line and including a pump; And
And a controller for controlling said member,
Wherein the controller controls the stroke per minute of the pump to be lower than that in the first mode when the mode is the second mode. 9. The method of claim 8,
The controller comprising:
Wherein the first mode or the second tank is maintained in the first mode until the liquid in the first tank or the second tank is adjusted to the supply condition and is switched to the second mode after the supply condition is satisfied. 9. The method of claim 8,
The controller comprising:
The liquid supply unit is maintained in the first mode at an initial stage, and thereafter is switched to the second mode. delete 9. The method of claim 8,
Said member comprising a heater,
Wherein the controller controls the heater to be lower in temperature than in the first mode in the second mode. delete 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the tank comprises a first tank and a second tank,
The liquid supply source including a first liquid supply source for supplying the first liquid, and a second liquid supply source for supplying the second liquid. Circulating the liquid supplied into the tank through a circulation line connected to the tank, circulating the liquid in the first mode until the process condition is reached, and, after reaching the process condition, 2 mode, and controls the flow rate of the liquid in the circulation line to be lower than that in the first mode when the mode is the second mode. 16. The method of claim 15,
And the energy consumption amount is smaller in the second mode than in the first mode. 16. The method of claim 15,
A heater for controlling the temperature of the liquid is installed in the circulation line,
And when the first mode is the second mode, the temperature is controlled to be lower than the first mode.


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