KR20180108432A - Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processeing method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus capable of controlling the temperature of a processing liquid ejected from a nozzle at high precision and a substrate processing method. According to the present invention, a control device of the substrate processing apparatus comprises: an information acquisition unit to acquire a heating temperature representing a target value of the temperature of a processing liquid heated by a heater and a setting temperature, which is a target value of the temperature of the processing liquid ejected from the nozzle and is lower than the heating temperature; a heating execution unit to heat the processing liquid at the heating temperature by the heater; a storage device to store opening degree determination data to define the opening degree of a flow rate control valve corresponding to the flow rate of the processing liquid supplied to a pipe when the processing liquid supplied to the pipe at the heating temperature is ejected from the nozzle at a discharge temperature; an opening degree determination unit to determine a target opening degree making the discharge temperature correspond to the setting temperature or corresponding to the adjacent target flow rate based on the opening degree determination data, the heating temperature, and the setting temperature; an opening degree setting unit to set the opening degree of the flow rate control valve to the target opening degree; and a processing liquid supply unit to supply the processing liquid to the nozzle through the pipe.

Description

[0001] SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD [0002]

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate and a substrate processing method. Examples of the substrate to be processed include a semiconductor wafer, a substrate for a liquid crystal display, a substrate for a plasma display, a substrate for a field emission display (FED), a substrate for an optical disk, a substrate for a magnetic disk, A mask substrate, a ceramic substrate, a solar cell substrate, and the like.

In a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device or a liquid crystal display device, a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer or a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device is used.

Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2016-152354 discloses a single wafer type substrate processing apparatus for processing substrates one by one. The substrate processing apparatus includes a spin chuck for rotating a substrate about a vertical axis of rotation passing through a central portion of the substrate while horizontally holding the substrate, a nozzle for discharging the processing liquid toward the substrate held by the spin chuck, And a plurality of heaters for heating the treatment liquid. The plurality of heaters include an upstream heater for heating the circulating processing liquid and a downstream heater for heating the processing liquid heated by the upstream heater before being discharged from the nozzle.

The processing liquid supplied to the substrate is discharged from the nozzle through the flow path formed by the plurality of members including the pipe and the nozzle. The processing liquid discharged from the nozzle passes through the space between the nozzle and the substrate, and collides with the substrate.

When the treatment liquid supplied to the substrate is heated in advance by the heater, part of the heat of the treatment liquid is released into the flow path and air. Since such a heat loss necessarily occurs, the processing liquid which is slightly lower than the temperature of the heater is supplied to the substrate.

Immediately after the start of the treatment liquid and after that, the heat loss amount of the treatment liquid is different. Therefore, even if the temperature of the heater is set by predicting the heat loss, the temperature of the processing liquid when it is discharged from the nozzle changes with the lapse of time. Although it is conceivable to change the temperature setting of the heater on the way in order to suppress the same temperature change, the temperature of the heater and the treatment liquid can not be immediately changed.

Therefore, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method that can control the temperature of the processing liquid when discharged from a nozzle with higher precision.

An embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method for controlling a flow rate of a treatment liquid, comprising at least one heater for heating a treatment liquid, a first pipe for guiding a treatment liquid heated by the at least one heater, And a control device for controlling the at least one heater and the first flow rate adjusting valve, wherein the control device controls the at least one heater and the first flow rate adjusting valve, A substrate processing apparatus is provided.

Wherein the controller is configured to calculate a target value of a temperature of the processing solution heated by the at least one heater and a target value of the temperature of the processing solution when the processing solution is discharged from the first nozzle, A heating execution section for heating the treatment liquid at the heating temperature to the at least one heater; and a heating section for heating the treatment liquid supplied to the first pipe at the heating temperature to the first discharge temperature, 1 storage means for storing first opening degree determination data for defining an opening degree of the first flow rate adjusting valve corresponding to a flow rate of the processing liquid supplied to the first pipe when the first flow rate adjusting valve is discharged from the first nozzle; Based on the first degree determination data and the heating temperature and the first set temperature obtained by the information acquiring unit, the first discharging temperature is lower than the first setting temperature A first opening degree determining section for determining a first target opening degree corresponding to a first target flow rate that matches or approximates a temperature of the first flow rate adjusting valve, And a first processing liquid supply unit for supplying the processing liquid to the first nozzle through the first piping.

According to this configuration, the processing liquid heated by the heater to the heating temperature is supplied to the first nozzle through the first pipe. The first discharge temperature indicative of the temperature of the processing liquid when discharged from the first nozzle varies not only with the temperature of the processing liquid supplied to the first piping but also with the flow rate of the processing liquid supplied to the first piping. That is, when the supply flow rate of the treatment liquid decreases, the first discharge temperature decreases, and when the supply flow rate of the treatment liquid increases, the first discharge temperature rises. This is because the heat capacity of the treatment liquid changes in accordance with the supply flow rate of the treatment liquid, as compared with the case where the heat loss amount is substantially constant regardless of the supply flow rate of the treatment liquid.

Even if the heating temperature is the same, the discharge temperature differs when the flow rate of the treatment liquid is different. The first degree determination data defining these relationships is stored in the storage device of the control device. The supply flow rate of the treatment liquid is set based on the first opening determination data such that the first discharge temperature coincides with or is close to the first set temperature. In short, the opening degree of the first flow rate regulating valve that defines the supply flow rate of the process liquid is set to the first target opening degree corresponding to the first target flow rate at which the first discharge temperature coincides with or is close to the first set temperature. In this state, the treatment liquid at the heating temperature is supplied to the first pipe. Thereby, the processing liquid at the first set temperature or substantially the same temperature is discharged from the first nozzle.

In this manner, not only the temperature of the heater is appropriately controlled but also the flow rate of the process liquid supplied to the first pipe and the first nozzle, that is, the heat capacity of the process liquid is appropriately set in accordance with the heating temperature and the first set temperature, The temperature of the processing liquid when discharged from the first nozzle can be controlled with higher accuracy. This makes it possible to reduce the difference between the intended temperature and the actual temperature of the processing liquid supplied to the substrate. Further, by changing the opening degree of the first flow control valve, the temperature of the processing liquid supplied to the substrate can be changed without changing the temperature of the heater. Therefore, the temperature of the processing solution can be changed in a short time compared with the case of changing the temperature of the heater.

In the above embodiment, at least one of the following features may be added to the substrate processing apparatus.

The substrate processing apparatus includes a second nozzle for discharging the process liquid, a second pipe for guiding the treatment liquid to the second nozzle, a second flow rate adjusting valve for changing the flow rate of the process liquid supplied to the second pipe, Wherein the information acquiring unit of the control apparatus further acquires a second set temperature lower than the heating temperature and a target value of the temperature of the processing liquid when the processing liquid is discharged from the second nozzle, And the storage device stores the second flow rate corresponding to the flow rate of the process liquid supplied to the second pipe when the processing liquid supplied to the second pipe at the heating temperature is discharged from the second nozzle at the second discharge temperature, The second opening degree determination data that defines the opening degree of the adjustment valve is additionally stored in the storage device, Determines a second target opening corresponding to a second target flow rate at which the second discharge temperature coincides with or is close to the second set temperature, based on the heating temperature and the second set temperature acquired by the second opening determination unit A second opening degree setting section for setting the opening degree of the second flow rate adjusting valve at the second target opening degree and a second processing liquid supply section for supplying the processing liquid to the second nozzle through the second piping .

According to this configuration, similarly to the first nozzle, the opening degree of the second flow rate adjusting valve that specifies the flow rate of the processing liquid supplied to the second pipe and the second nozzle is larger than the opening degree of the second opening degree determination data , The second discharge opening temperature is set to the second target opening corresponding to the second target flow amount which coincides with or is close to the second set temperature. In this state, the treatment liquid at the heating temperature is supplied to the second pipe. Thereby, the processing liquid at the second set temperature or substantially the same temperature is discharged from the second nozzle.

The amount of heat of the processing liquid that is lost until it is supplied to the substrate may be different for each flow path. This is because members constituting the path of the flow path and the flow path may be different from each other. As described above, by separately setting the opening degrees of the first flow rate adjusting valve and the second flow rate adjusting valve, the difference between the intended temperature and the actual temperature of the processing liquid supplied to the substrate can be reduced even in such a case . This makes it possible to control the quality of the processed substrate with higher precision.

The second set temperature may be equal to the first set temperature or may be different from the first set temperature. The second degree determination data may be data different from the first opening determination data or may be the same data as the first opening determination data. The second degree-of-decision determining unit may be a first degree-of-opening determining unit or may be different from the first degree-of-opening determining unit. The second degree-of-setting section and the treatment liquid supply section are also the same as the second degree-of-opening determination section. The at least one heater may be one heater for heating the treatment liquid supplied to both the first nozzle and the second nozzle and may be a heater for heating the treatment liquid supplied to the first nozzle and a heater for heating the treatment liquid supplied to the second nozzle And a second heater for heating the treatment liquid.

The substrate processing apparatus includes a first substrate holding means for holding a substrate to be processed with a processing solution discharged from the first nozzle, a second substrate holding means for holding a substrate to be processed with the processing solution discharged from the second nozzle, Respectively.

According to this configuration, the processing liquid ejected from the first nozzle is supplied to the substrate held by the first substrate holding means, and the processing liquid ejected from the second nozzle is ejected from the second substrate And is supplied to the substrate held by the holding means. Even in such a case, by separately setting the opening degrees of the first flow rate adjusting valve and the second flow rate adjusting valve, the actual temperature of the processing liquid when it is discharged from the first nozzle is changed to the processing liquid Or close to the actual temperature of < / RTI > This makes it possible to reduce the difference in quality of the substrate treated with the processing liquid discharged from the first nozzle and the substrate treated with the processing liquid discharged from the second nozzle.

The substrate processing apparatus comprising substrate holding means for rotating the substrate around a vertical axis of rotation passing through a central portion of the substrate while holding the substrate to be processed by the treatment liquid discharged from the first nozzle and the second nozzle horizontally, Wherein the first nozzle discharges the processing liquid toward a first position which is a position on the substrate held by the substrate holding means, and the second nozzle controls the substrate held by the substrate holding means, And discharges the processing liquid toward a second position which is a position outside the first position.

According to this configuration, the process liquid discharged from the first nozzle and the process liquid discharged from the second nozzle are supplied to the same substrate. The first nozzle discharges the treatment liquid toward a first position, which is a position on the substrate, and the second nozzle discharges the treatment liquid toward a second position, which is a position on the same substrate. The second position is a position outside the first position with respect to the radial direction of the substrate. Therefore, the treatment liquid discharged from the second nozzle is adhered to the substrate outside the treatment liquid discharged from the first nozzle.

The temperature of the treatment liquid on the substrate tends to decrease as it moves away from the axis of rotation. By setting the opening degrees of the first flow rate adjusting valve and the second flow rate adjusting valve individually, the actual temperature of the processing liquid at the time of discharging from the second nozzle is intentionally changed from the actual temperature of the processing liquid when discharged from the first nozzle Can be made higher. This makes it possible to reduce the variation in the temperature of the processing solution on the substrate, thereby improving the uniformity of the processing. Of course, the processing liquid at the same or substantially the same temperature may be discharged from the first nozzle and the second nozzle.

The substrate processing apparatus further includes a common pipe for supplying the treatment liquid to both of the first pipe and the second pipe.

According to this configuration, the processing liquid flowing in the common piping is supplied to both the first piping and the second piping. Therefore, a treatment liquid having at least equal components is discharged from both the first nozzle and the second nozzle. When the processing liquid discharged from the first nozzle and the second nozzle is supplied to the respective substrates, it is possible to reduce variations in processing among a plurality of substrates. When the processing liquid discharged from the first nozzle and the second nozzle is supplied to the same substrate, the uniformity of the processing can be increased.

Wherein the substrate processing apparatus further comprises a common pipe for supplying a treatment liquid to both of the first pipe and the second pipe, wherein the substrate processing apparatus comprises a substrate on which a silicon oxide film and a silicon nitride film are exposed, The silicon nitride film is etched while suppressing the etching of the silicon oxide film.

According to this configuration, the high-temperature phosphoric acid heated by the heater (for example, boiling phosphoric acid at the concentration) is supplied from the common pipe to both of the first pipe and the second pipe, 2 nozzles. The discharged phosphoric acid is supplied to the substrate on which the silicon oxide film and the silicon nitride film are exposed. Thereby, selective etching is performed for etching the silicon nitride film while suppressing the etching of the silicon oxide film.

In particular, the opening degrees of the first flow rate adjusting valve and the second flow rate adjusting valve are individually adjusted so that the actual temperature of the phosphoric acid when discharged from the second nozzle is higher than the actual temperature of the phosphoric acid when discharged from the first nozzle By setting, deviation of the temperature of the phosphoric acid on the substrate can be reduced, and the uniformity of the etching can be further improved. Further, phosphoric acid having the same component is discharged from the first nozzle and the second nozzle toward the same substrate, so that the decrease in the uniformity of the selectivity (etching amount of silicon nitride film / etching amount of silicon oxide film) is prevented or prevented .

The first opening degree setting section sets the opening degree of the first flow rate adjusting valve to a first initial opening degree larger than the first target opening degree and thereafter decreases the first initial opening degree to the first target opening degree.

According to this configuration, the first opening degree setting section of the control apparatus sets the opening degree of the first flow rate adjusting valve to the first initial opening degree larger than the first target opening degree. In this state, the first process liquid supply unit of the control device supplies the process liquid to the first nozzle through the first pipe. Thereafter, the first opening degree setting section of the control device reduces the opening degree of the first flow rate adjusting valve from the first initial opening degree to the first target opening degree. In this state, the first process liquid supply unit of the control device supplies the process liquid to the first nozzle through the first pipe.

Immediately after the supply of the processing liquid to the first pipe and the first nozzle is started, since the first pipe and the first nozzle are cold, the amount of heat loss is relatively large. On the other hand, if a certain period of time has elapsed since the start of the supply of the treatment liquid, the amount of heat loss is reduced because the first pipe and the first nozzle are warmed. Therefore, when the treating liquid of the same temperature is continuously supplied to the first pipe and the first nozzle at the same flow rate, the temperature of the treating liquid when discharged from the first nozzle changes with the lapse of time.

According to this configuration, the flow rate of the processing liquid supplied to the first pipe and the first nozzle decreases with the lapse of time. In other words, at the start of the supply of the treatment liquid, the treatment liquid is supplied to the first pipe and the first nozzle at a relatively large flow rate. When the first pipe and the first nozzle are warmed, the process liquid is supplied to the first pipe and the first nozzle at a relatively small flow rate. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of fluctuation in the temperature of the processing liquid when it is discharged from the first nozzle.

Wherein the substrate processing apparatus further comprises a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the processing solution, and the first degree-of-opening setting unit sets the first flow rate setting unit to the first flow rate setting unit when the temperature of the processing solution detected by the temperature sensor reaches the switching temperature, The opening degree of the adjusting valve is reduced from the first initial opening degree to the first target opening degree.

According to this configuration, the temperature of the processing solution before being supplied to the substrate or the processing solution located on the substrate is detected by the temperature sensor. When it is confirmed that the temperature of the processing liquid detected by the temperature sensor reaches the switching temperature, that is, when the first pipe and the first nozzle are warmed, the first opening degree setting section of the control device sets the opening degree of the first flow rate adjusting valve From the first initial opening degree to the first target opening degree. Therefore, although the first pipe and the first nozzle are warm, it is possible to prevent the treatment liquid from being continuously supplied to the first pipe and the first nozzle at a relatively large flow rate.

The temperature sensor may detect the temperature of the processing liquid before being supplied to the substrate, may detect the temperature of the processing liquid on the substrate, or may detect the temperature of the processing liquid in the chamber that accommodates the first nozzle. When detecting the temperature of the processing solution before being supplied to the substrate, the temperature sensor may detect the temperature of the processing solution in the first pipe or the temperature of the processing solution in the first nozzle.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of treating a process liquid, comprising the steps of: at least one heater for heating a process liquid; a first pipe for guiding a treatment liquid heated by the at least one heater; A first nozzle for discharging the processing liquid guided by the first pipe toward the substrate; and a control device for controlling the at least one heater and the first flow rate adjusting valve A substrate processing method executed by a substrate processing apparatus is provided.

Wherein the substrate processing method further includes a step of calculating a target value of a temperature of the processing solution heated by the at least one heater and a target value of the temperature of the processing solution when the processing solution is discharged from the first nozzle, A heating step of heating the treatment liquid at the heating temperature to the at least one heater; and a control step of controlling, as data stored in the storage device of the control device, The first opening degree determination data defining the opening degree of the first flow rate adjusting valve corresponding to the flow rate of the processing liquid supplied to the first pipe when the processing liquid supplied to the first pipe is discharged from the first nozzle at the first discharge temperature Based on the heating temperature and the first set temperature obtained in the information acquiring step, the first discharging temperature is lower than the first set temperature A first opening degree setting step of setting an opening degree of the first flow rate adjusting valve to the first target opening degree, and a second opening degree setting step of setting the opening degree of the first flow rate adjusting valve to the first target opening degree, And a first process liquid supply step of supplying the process liquid to the first nozzle through the first pipe. According to this configuration, the same effect as the above-described effect can be obtained.

In the above embodiment, at least one of the following features may be added to the substrate processing method.

The substrate processing apparatus includes a second nozzle for discharging the process liquid, a second pipe for guiding the treatment liquid to the second nozzle, a second flow rate adjusting valve for changing the flow rate of the process liquid supplied to the second pipe, Wherein the storage device of the control device further includes a processing unit that performs a process of supplying the processing liquid supplied to the second pipe when the processing liquid supplied to the second pipe at the heating temperature is discharged from the second nozzle at a second discharge temperature Further comprising second opening degree determination data for defining an opening degree of the second flow rate adjusting valve corresponding to a flow rate of the liquid, wherein the substrate processing method further comprises: A second target temperature corresponding to a second target flow rate at which the second discharge temperature coincides with or is close to the second set temperature, based on the heating temperature and the second set temperature obtained by the obtaining unit, A second opening degree setting step of setting a degree of opening of the second flow rate adjusting valve at the second target opening degree and a second opening degree setting step of setting the opening degree of the second flow rate adjusting valve to the second nozzle through the second nozzle, And a second process liquid supply step for supplying the second process liquid. According to this configuration, the same effect as the above-described effect can be obtained.

The substrate processing apparatus includes a first substrate holding means for holding a substrate to be processed with a processing solution discharged from the first nozzle, a second substrate holding means for holding a substrate to be processed with the processing solution discharged from the second nozzle, Respectively. According to this configuration, the same effect as the above-described effect can be obtained.

The substrate processing apparatus comprising substrate holding means for rotating the substrate around a vertical axis of rotation passing through a central portion of the substrate while holding the substrate to be processed by the treatment liquid discharged from the first nozzle and the second nozzle horizontally, Wherein the substrate processing method further includes a first discharging step of discharging the processing liquid to the first nozzle toward a first position which is a position on the substrate held by the substrate holding means, And a second discharging step of discharging the processing liquid to the second nozzle toward a second position which is a position on the substrate which is held and is located outside the first position. According to this configuration, the same effect as the above-described effect can be obtained.

The substrate processing apparatus further includes a common pipe for supplying the treatment liquid to both of the first pipe and the second pipe. According to this configuration, the same effect as the above-described effect can be obtained.

Wherein the substrate processing apparatus further comprises a common pipe for supplying the processing liquid to both of the first pipe and the second pipe, and the substrate processing method is characterized in that the substrate on which the silicon oxide film and the silicon nitride film are exposed, The silicon nitride film is etched while suppressing the etching of the silicon oxide film. According to this configuration, the same effect as the above-described effect can be obtained.

The first opening degree setting step sets the opening degree of the first flow rate adjusting valve to a first initial opening degree larger than the first target opening degree and thereafter decreases from the first initial opening degree to the first target opening degree . According to this configuration, the same effect as the above-described effect can be obtained.

Wherein the substrate processing apparatus further comprises a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the processing solution, and the first degree of opening setting step includes a step of, when the temperature of the processing solution detected by the temperature sensor reaches the switching temperature, The opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve is reduced from the first initial opening degree to the first target opening degree. According to this configuration, the same effect as the above-described effect can be obtained.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus including a heater for heating a process liquid, a process liquid pipe for guiding the process liquid heated by the heater, a substrate holding means for holding the substrate, A valve for controlling the flow rate of the process liquid flowing through the process liquid pipe, and a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the process liquid flowing through the process liquid pipe, Based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor and the set temperature of the processing liquid acquired by the information acquiring means, the target temperature being the target value of the temperature of the processing liquid discharged from the nozzle, And a control device for controlling the opening degree of the valve. According to this configuration, the temperature of the processing liquid discharged from the nozzle can be brought close to the target temperature by a simple configuration.

The control device compares the set temperature acquired by the information acquisition means with the temperature of the processing solution detected by the temperature sensor so that the temperature of the processing solution detected by the temperature sensor exceeds the set temperature The opening degree of the valve is changed to decrease the flow rate of the processing liquid and when the temperature of the processing liquid detected by the temperature sensor is lower than the set temperature, The flow rate of the treatment liquid may be increased. According to this configuration, the same effect as the above-described effect can be obtained.

The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a schematic view of a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention viewed from above.
2 is a schematic view showing the inside of the processing unit horizontally.
3 is a schematic diagram showing a chemical liquid supply system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the substrate processing apparatus.
5 is a process diagram for explaining an example of the processing of the substrate executed by the substrate processing apparatus.
6 is a block diagram showing a functional block of the control device.
7 is a diagram showing an example of opening degree determination data stored in the control device.
Fig. 8 is a process chart showing an example of a flow from the start of heating of the chemical liquid to the supply of the heated chemical liquid to the substrate.
9 is a graph showing an example of a temporal change in the flow rate and the temperature of the chemical liquid supplied to the chemical liquid nozzle.
10 is a graph showing another example of the temporal change of the flow rate and the temperature of the chemical liquid supplied to the chemical liquid nozzle.
11 is a schematic view of a first chemical liquid nozzle and a second chemical liquid nozzle according to a second embodiment of the present invention viewed horizontally.
12 is a schematic plan view of the first chemical liquid nozzle and the second chemical liquid nozzle.
13 is a schematic view of the first chemical liquid nozzle and the second chemical liquid nozzle in the direction of arrow XIII shown in Fig.
14 is a schematic diagram showing a chemical liquid supply system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
15 is a graph showing an example of a temporal change in the flow rate of the chemical liquid supplied to the first chemical liquid nozzle and the second chemical liquid nozzle.
16 is a graph showing an example of a temporal change in the temperature of the chemical liquid supplied to the first chemical liquid nozzle and the second chemical liquid nozzle.
17 is a block diagram showing a functional block of the control apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention.
18 is a diagram showing an example of opening degree determination data stored in the control device.
Fig. 19 is a process chart showing an example of the flow of processing from the acquisition of the recipe to the stop of the supply of the heated chemical liquid.

1 is a schematic view of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention as viewed from above.

The substrate processing apparatus 1 is a single wafer type apparatus for processing a substrate W on a disk such as a semiconductor wafer one by one. The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a plurality of load ports LP for holding a plurality of carriers C that contain a substrate W and a plurality of load ports LP for holding a substrate W carried from the plurality of load ports LP, And a control device 3 for controlling the substrate processing apparatus 1. The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a plurality of processing units 2 for processing a plurality of substrates 1 with a processing fluid such as a processing gas.

The substrate processing apparatus 1 further includes a transfer robot for transferring the substrate W between the load port LP and the processing unit 2. [ The carrying robot includes an indexer robot (IR) and a center robot (CR). The indexer robot IR transports the substrate W between the load port LP and the center robot CR. The center robot CR transports the substrate W between the indexer robot IR and the processing unit 2. [ The indexer robot (IR) and the center robot (CR) include a hand for supporting the substrate (W).

The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a plurality of (four) fluid boxes 4 that accommodate fluid equipment such as an on-off valve 25 to be described later. The processing unit 2 and the fluid box 4 are disposed in the outer wall 1a of the substrate processing apparatus 1 and are covered with the outer wall 1a of the substrate processing apparatus 1. [ A plurality of (four) chemical liquid cabinets 5 that house a chemical liquid tank 31 and the like to be described later are disposed outside the outer wall 1a of the substrate processing apparatus 1. [ The chemical liquid cabinet 5 may be disposed on the side of the substrate processing apparatus 1 or under the clean room where the substrate processing apparatus 1 is installed.

The plurality of processing units 2 form four tows arranged so as to surround the center robot CR when seen in plan view. Each tower includes three processing units 2 stacked one above the other. The four liquid medicine cabinets 5 correspond to four towers, respectively. The four fluid boxes 4 correspond to four chemical liquid cabinets 5, respectively. The chemical liquid in the chemical liquid cabinet 5 is supplied to the three processing units 2 included in the same tower via the corresponding fluid box 4.

Fig. 2 is a schematic view showing the inside of the processing unit 2 horizontally.

The processing unit 2 includes a box-shaped chamber 6 having an inner space and a vertical rotation axis A1 passing through the central portion of the substrate W while holding the substrate W horizontally in the chamber 6. [ And a tubular cup 14 for receiving the process liquid discharged from the substrate W. The spin chuck 10 rotates around the spin chuck 10, The spin chuck 10 is an example of the substrate holding means and the substrate holding unit.

The chamber 6 is provided with a box-shaped partition 8 on which a loading / unloading port through which the substrate W passes, a shutter 9 for opening and closing the loading / unloading port, (Fan, filter, unit) for forming the inside of the chamber 6. The air temperature in the chamber 6 is kept constant by the clean air sent by the FFU 7. The center robot CR loads the substrate W into the chamber 6 through the loading and unloading port and unloads the substrate W from the chamber 6 through the loading and unloading port.

The spin chuck 10 includes a spin base 12 on a disk held in a horizontal posture, a plurality of chuck pins 11 for holding the substrate W in a horizontal posture above the spin base 12, And a spin motor 13 for rotating the substrate W around the rotation axis A1 by rotating a plurality of chuck pins 11. [ The spin chuck 10 is not limited to a narrow chuck for contacting a plurality of chuck pins 11 with the outer circumferential surface of the substrate W, The substrate W may be held in a horizontal position by being adsorbed on the upper surface of the substrate 12.

The cup 14 includes a cylindrical inclined portion 14a extending upwardly toward the axis of rotation A1 and a cylindrical guide portion extending downward from the lower end (outer end) of the inclined portion 14a 14b, and a liquid receiving portion 14c forming an annular groove opened upward. The inclined portion 14a includes an upper end of an annular shape having an inner diameter larger than that of the substrate W and the spin base 12. [ The upper end of the inclined portion 14a corresponds to the upper end of the cup 14. The upper end of the cup 14 surrounds the substrate W and the spin base 12 when seen in plan view.

The processing unit 2 has an upper position (the position shown in Fig. 2) in which the upper end of the cup 14 is located above the holding position at which the spin chuck 10 holds the substrate W And a cup elevating unit (15) for vertically elevating the cup (14) between the lower position where the upper end is located below the holding position. When the processing liquid is supplied to the substrate W, the cup 14 is placed in the upper position. The processing liquid scattered from the substrate W to the outside is taken out by the inclined portion 14a and collected in the liquid containing portion 14c by the guide portion 14b.

The processing unit 2 includes a chemical liquid nozzle 21 for discharging the chemical liquid downward toward the upper surface of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 10. The chemical liquid nozzle 21 is connected to the chemical liquid pipe 22 in which the open / close valve 25 is interposed. The processing unit 2 is configured to perform the processing of the chemical liquid ejected from the chemical liquid nozzle 21 between the processing position where the chemical liquid discharged from the chemical liquid nozzle 21 is supplied to the upper surface of the substrate W and the retreat position where the chemical liquid nozzle 21 is away from the substrate W And a nozzle moving unit 27 for moving the nozzle 21 horizontally. The nozzle moving unit 27 is a swiveling unit that horizontally moves the chemical liquid nozzle 21 around the nozzle pivot axis A2 extending vertically around the cup 14, for example.

When the opening / closing valve 25 is opened, the chemical liquid is supplied from the chemical liquid pipe 22 to the chemical liquid nozzle 21, and is discharged from the chemical liquid nozzle 21. The chemical liquid is, for example, phosphoric acid, which is an example of an etchant. The chemical liquid may be a liquid other than phosphoric acid. (For example, TMAH: tetramethylammonium hydroxide, and the like), organic acids (e.g., citric acid and oxalic acid), organic acids (e.g., TMAH: tetramethylammonium hydroxide, etc.), nitric acid, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, phosphoric acid, A liquid containing at least one of a surfactant and a corrosion inhibitor may be supplied to the chemical liquid nozzle 21. [

The processing unit 2 includes a rinsing liquid nozzle 16 for discharging the rinsing liquid downward toward the upper surface of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 10. The rinsing liquid nozzle 16 is connected to a rinsing liquid pipe 17 on which a rinsing liquid valve 18 is mounted. The processing unit 2 is a processing unit that is arranged between the processing position where the rinsing liquid discharged from the rinsing liquid nozzle 16 is supplied to the substrate W and the retreat position where the rinsing liquid nozzle 16 is away from the substrate W And a nozzle moving unit for moving the rinsing liquid nozzle 16 horizontally.

When the rinse liquid valve 18 is opened, the rinse liquid is supplied from the rinse liquid pipe 17 to the rinse liquid nozzle 16, and is discharged from the rinse liquid nozzle 16. The rinse liquid is, for example, deionized water. The rinsing liquid is not limited to pure water, and may be any of carbonated water, electrolytic ionized water, hydrogenated water, ozonated water, and hydrochloric acid having a dilution concentration (for example, about 10 to 100 ppm).

3 is a schematic diagram showing a chemical liquid supply system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 3, the fluid box 4 is indicated by a dashed line and the chemical liquid cabinet 5 is indicated by a two-dot chain line. The members disposed in the area enclosed by the one-dot chain line are disposed in the fluid box 4, and the members disposed in the area surrounded by the two-dot chain line are disposed in the chemical liquid cabinet 5. [

The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a plurality of chemical liquid supply systems each corresponding to a plurality of columns formed by a plurality of processing units 2. [ The chemical liquid supply system supplies the chemical liquid to all the processing units 2 included in the same tower. Fig. 3 shows one chemical solution supply system and three processing units 2 corresponding to this chemical solution supply system.

The chemical liquid supply system includes a chemical liquid tank 31 for storing the chemical liquid to be supplied to the substrate W and a circulation line 32 for forming an annular circulation path for circulating the chemical liquid in the chemical liquid tank 31. The chemical liquid supply system further includes a pump 34 for sending the chemical liquid in the chemical liquid tank 31 to the circulation pipe 32, a filter 35 for removing foreign substances such as particles from the chemical liquid, 31) for regulating the temperature of the chemical liquid. The pump 34, the filter 35 and the heater 33 are interposed in the circulation pipe 32.

The pump 34 normally sends the chemical liquid in the chemical liquid tank 31 into the circulation pipe 32. The chemical liquid supply system may be provided with a pressurizing device for pushing the chemical liquid in the chemical liquid tank 31 into the circulation pipe 32 by raising the air pressure in the chemical liquid tank 31 instead of the pump 34. [ The pump 34 and the pressurizing device are all examples of a liquid delivery device that sends the chemical solution in the chemical liquid tank 31 to the circulation pipe 32. [

The upstream end and the downstream end of the circulation pipe 32 are connected to the chemical liquid tank 31. The chemical liquid is sent from the chemical liquid tank 31 to the upstream end of the circulation pipe 32 and returns to the chemical liquid tank 31 from the downstream end of the circulation pipe 32. Thereby, the chemical liquid in the chemical liquid tank 31 circulates in the circulation path. While the chemical liquid is circulating in the circulation path, the foreign substance contained in the chemical liquid is removed by the filter 35, and the chemical liquid is heated by the heater 33. [ Thereby, the chemical liquid in the chemical liquid tank 31 is maintained at a constant temperature higher than the room temperature.

The three chemical liquid pipes 22 corresponding to the three processing units 2 included in the same tower are connected to the same circulating pipe 32. Therefore, the chemical liquid in the same chemical liquid tank 31 is supplied to the three processing units 2 included in the same tower. The flow meter 23, the flow rate adjusting valve 24, the on-off valve 25 and the temperature sensor 26 are interposed in the respective chemical liquid pipes 22.

The flow rate of the chemical liquid supplied to the chemical liquid nozzle 21 through the chemical liquid pipe 22 is changed by the flow rate adjusting valve 24. [ The switching of the supply and stop of the supply of the chemical solution to the chemical solution nozzle 21 is performed by the opening and closing valve 25. [ When the opening / closing valve 25 is opened, the chemical liquid is supplied to the chemical liquid nozzle 21 at a flow rate corresponding to the opening degree of the flow rate regulating valve 24. The flow rate of the chemical liquid supplied to the chemical liquid nozzle 21 through the chemical liquid pipe 22 is detected by the flow meter 23. The temperature of the chemical liquid in the chemical liquid pipe 22 is detected by the temperature sensor 26. The detected values of the flow meter 23 and the temperature sensor 26 are input to the control device 3. [

Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 1. Fig.

The control device 3 includes a computer main body 41 and a peripheral device 44 connected to the computer main body 41. [ The computer main body 41 includes a CPU 42 (central processing unit) for executing various commands and a main memory 43 for storing information. The peripheral device 44 includes an auxiliary storage device 45 for storing information such as a program P, a reading device 46 for reading information from the removable medium M, And a communication device 47 for communicating with another device.

The control device 3 is connected to the input device 48 and the display device 49. The input device 48 is operated when an operator such as a user or a person in charge of maintenance inputs information into the substrate processing apparatus 1. [ The information is displayed on the screen of the display device 49. The input device 48 may be a keyboard, a pointing device, or a touch panel, or may be a device other than these. A touch panel display serving also as the input device 48 and the display device 49 may be formed in the substrate processing apparatus 1. [

The CPU 42 executes the program P stored in the auxiliary storage device 45. [ The program P in the auxiliary storage device 45 may be either preinstalled in the control device 3 or sent from the removable medium M to the auxiliary storage device 45 via the reading device 46 And may be sent from an external device such as a host computer HC to the auxiliary storage device 45 via the communication device 47. [

The auxiliary memory device 45 and the removable medium M are nonvolatile memories that retain their memory even when power is not supplied. The auxiliary storage device 45 is, for example, a magnetic storage device such as a hard disk drive. The removable medium M is, for example, a semiconductor memory such as an optical disk such as a compact disk or a memory card. The removable medium M is an example of a computer-readable recording medium on which the program P is recorded.

The auxiliary storage device 45 stores a plurality of recipes. The recipe is information specifying the processing contents of the substrate W, the processing conditions, and the processing order. The set temperature to be described later is included in the recipe. The plurality of recipes are different from each other in at least one of the processing contents of the substrate W, the processing conditions, and the processing order. The control device 3 controls the substrate processing apparatus 1 so that the substrate W is processed in accordance with the recipe designated by the host computer HC. Each of the following processes is executed by the control device 3 controlling the substrate processing apparatus 1. [ In other words, the control device 3 is programmed to execute the following respective steps.

Fig. 5 is a process diagram for explaining an example of the processing of the substrate W executed by the substrate processing apparatus 1. Fig.

A specific example of the processing of the substrate W is a selective etching for selectively etching the silicon nitride film by supplying phosphoric acid to the surface (device formation surface) of the substrate W (silicon wafer) to which the silicon nitride film and the silicon oxide film are exposed . In this case, the phosphoric acid (strictly, phosphoric acid aqueous solution), which is an example of the chemical solution, is maintained at the boiling point at the concentration by the heater 33 (see FIG. 3). The treatment of the substrate W may be selective etching using an etching solution other than phosphoric acid, or may be treatment other than selective etching such as cleaning.

When the substrate W is processed by the substrate processing apparatus 1, a carrying-in step of carrying the substrate W into the chamber 6 is carried out (step S1 in Fig. 5).

More specifically, the center robot CR (see Fig. 1) is mounted on the substrate W in a state in which the chemical liquid nozzle 21 is retracted from above the substrate W and the cup 14 is positioned at the lower position, While the hand is supported by the hand. Thereafter, the center robot CR places the hand-held substrate W on the spin chuck 10 with the surface of the substrate W facing upward. The spin motor 13 starts rotation of the substrate W after the substrate W is held by the chuck pin 11. [ The center robot CR retracts the hand from the inside of the chamber 6 after the substrate W is placed on the spin chuck 10.

Next, a chemical liquid supply step of supplying phosphoric acid, which is an example of a chemical liquid, to the substrate W is performed (step S2 in Fig. 5).

More specifically, the nozzle moving unit 27 moves the chemical liquid nozzle 21 to the processing position, and the cup elevating unit 15 raises the cup 14 to the upper position. Thereafter, the open / close valve 25 is opened, and the chemical liquid nozzle 21 starts discharging phosphoric acid. When the chemical liquid nozzle 21 is discharging phosphoric acid, the nozzle moving unit 27 moves the central processing position where the phosphoric acid discharged from the chemical liquid nozzle 21 is adhered to the central portion of the upper surface of the substrate W, The chemical solution nozzle 21 may be moved between the peripheral treatment positions where the phosphoric acid discharged from the chemical solution nozzle 21 is molten at the outer peripheral portion of the upper surface of the substrate W, ) May be stopped.

The phosphoric acid discharged from the chemical liquid nozzle 21 flows on the upper surface of the substrate W and then flows outward along the upper surface of the rotating substrate W. Thereby, a liquid film of phosphoric acid covering the entire upper surface of the substrate W is formed, and phosphoric acid is supplied to the entire upper surface of the substrate W. Particularly, when the nozzle moving unit 27 moves the chemical liquid nozzle 21 between the central processing position and the outer peripheral processing position, since the entire upper surface of the substrate W is scanned at the liquid immersion position of the phosphoric acid, W). Thereby, the upper surface of the substrate W is treated uniformly. When a predetermined time has elapsed after the opening / closing valve 25 is opened, the opening / closing valve 25 is closed. Thereafter, the nozzle moving unit 27 moves the chemical liquid nozzle 21 to the retreat position.

Next, a rinsing liquid supplying step for supplying the pure water, which is an example of the rinsing liquid, to the upper surface of the substrate W is performed (step S3 in Fig. 5).

More specifically, the rinse liquid valve 18 is opened, and the rinse liquid nozzle 16 starts discharging pure water. The pure water mingled on the upper surface of the substrate W flows outward along the upper surface of the rotating substrate W. Phosphoric acid on the substrate W is washed away by the pure water discharged from the rinsing liquid nozzle 16. As a result, a pure liquid film covering the entire upper surface of the substrate W is formed. When a predetermined time has elapsed from the opening of the rinse liquid valve 18, the rinse liquid valve 18 is closed and the discharge of pure water is stopped.

Next, a drying step of drying the substrate W by the rotation of the substrate W is performed (step S4 in Fig. 5).

More specifically, the spin motor 13 accelerates the substrate W in the rotating direction and rotates at a high rotation speed (for example, several thousand rpm) larger than the rotation speed of the substrate W in the chemical liquid supply step and the rinsing liquid supply step, The substrate W is rotated. Thereby, the liquid is removed from the substrate W, and the substrate W is dried. When the predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the high-speed rotation of the substrate W, the spin motor 13 stops rotating. Thereby, the rotation of the substrate W is stopped.

Next, a carrying-out step for carrying out the substrate W from the chamber 6 is carried out (step S5 in Fig. 5).

More specifically, the cup elevating unit 15 moves the cup 14 down to the lower position. Thereafter, the center robot CR (see Fig. 1) enters the hand into the chamber 6. [ The center robot CR supports the substrate W on the spin chuck 10 with a hand after a plurality of chuck pins 11 release gripping of the substrate W. [ Thereafter, the center robot CR retracts the hand from the inside of the chamber 6 while supporting the substrate W with the hand. As a result, the processed substrate W is taken out of the chamber 6.

Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing a functional block of the control device 3. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of opening degree determination data stored in the control device 3. As shown in Fig. The information acquisition unit 51, the heating execution unit 52, the opening degree determination unit 53, the opening degree setting unit 54 and the process liquid supply unit 55 shown in Fig. ) Is a functional block realized by the CPU 42 executing.

The control device 3 includes an information acquisition unit 51 that acquires information input to the substrate processing apparatus 1. [ The information acquired by the information acquiring section 51 may be input from the external apparatus such as the host computer HC to the substrate processing apparatus 1 or may be input by the operator via the input apparatus 48 to the substrate processing apparatus 1 ) May be input. The heating temperature and the set temperature to be described later are included in the information acquired by the information acquisition section 51. [

The control unit 3 includes a heating execution unit 52 for heating the chemical liquid to the heater 33 at a heating temperature. The heating temperature is a target value of the temperature of the chemical liquid heated by the heater 33. The heating temperature is input to the substrate processing apparatus 1, for example, before the host computer HC designates the recipe. The heating execution section 52 heats the chemical liquid at the heating temperature to the heater 33 before the carrier C containing the substrate W to be processed is transported to the substrate processing apparatus 1 . Therefore, when the carrier C is transported to the substrate processing apparatus 1, the transport and processing of the substrate W can be started immediately.

The control apparatus 3 includes a plurality of sets of opening determination units 53 and an opening setting unit 54 and a process liquid supply unit 55. The control device 3 stores a plurality of opening determination data in the auxiliary storage device 45. [ The plurality of opening determination data correspond to the plurality of processing units 2, respectively. Similarly, a plurality of sets of opening degree determination section 53 and opening degree setting section 54 correspond to a plurality of processing units 2, respectively. In other words, dedicated opening determination data, an opening determination unit 53 and an opening degree setting unit 54 are formed for each processing unit 2.

The opening determination data is data defining the relationship between the heating temperature, the discharge temperature, and the supply flow rate. The heating temperature is a target value of the temperature of the chemical liquid heated by the heater 33. The discharge temperature is the actual temperature of the chemical liquid when it is discharged from the chemical liquid nozzle 21. [ The supply flow rate is an actual flow rate of the chemical liquid supplied to the chemical liquid pipe 22 when the chemical liquid supplied to the chemical liquid pipe 22 at the heating temperature is discharged from the chemical liquid nozzle 21 at the discharge temperature. The opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve 24 is in a relationship with the flow rate of the chemical liquid supplied to the chemical liquid pipe 22 directly proportional to the flow rate of the chemical liquid. Therefore, the opening determination data may also be referred to as data defining the relationship between the heating temperature, the discharge temperature, and the opening degree.

The set temperature, which is the target value of the temperature of the chemical liquid when it is discharged from the chemical liquid nozzle 21, is acquired by the information acquisition unit 51. [ The target value of the opening degree of the flow regulating valve 24, that is, the target value of the flow rate of the chemical liquid supplied to the chemical liquid pipe 22 is determined based on the opening degree determination data, the heating temperature and the set temperature. The target value of the opening degree of the flow rate regulating valve 24 is defined as the target opening degree. The opening determination data may be a matrix that defines a plurality of combinations of the heating temperature, the discharge temperature, and the target opening degree, or may be a calculation formula for calculating the target opening degree from the heating temperature and the discharge temperature.

Fig. 7 shows an example in which the opening determination data is a matrix. 7, Thx denotes a heating temperature, Tdy denotes a discharge temperature, and? Xy denotes a target opening degree (x and y indicate positive integers). The leftmost column contains a plurality of heating temperatures. The top row contains a plurality of discharge temperatures. When one heating temperature and one discharge temperature are specified, one target opening corresponding thereto is specified. If the heating temperature obtained by the information acquiring unit 51 is not included in the leftmost column, the closest value may be selected from the leftmost column. Similarly, when the information on the discharge temperature acquired by the information acquiring unit 51 is not included in the upper row, the closest value may be selected from the upper row.

Based on the opening degree determination data and the heating temperature and the set temperature acquired by the information acquisition unit 51, the opening degree determination unit 53 determines a target degree of opening corresponding to the target flow rate at which the discharge temperature coincides with or is close to the set temperature . The target flow rate is a target value of the flow rate of the chemical liquid supplied to the chemical liquid pipe 22. The opening degree setting section 54 sets the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve 24 to the target opening degree. The process liquid supply unit 55 supplies the chemical liquid to the chemical liquid nozzle 21 in this state by opening / closing the opening / closing valve 25. [ The specific operation of the flow regulating valve 24 will be described later.

Fig. 8 is a process chart showing an example of the flow until the heated chemical liquid is supplied to the substrate W after the heating of the chemical liquid is started.

The heating temperature indicating the target value of the temperature of the chemical liquid heated by the heater 33 is acquired by the information acquisition unit 51 of the control device 3 when the heating of the chemical liquid to be supplied to the substrate W is started Step S11 in Fig. 8). Thereafter, the heating execution part 52 of the control device 3 causes the heater 33 to heat the chemical liquid at the heating temperature (step S12 in Fig. 8). As a result, the heating of the chemical liquid is started, and the temperature of the chemical liquid in the chemical liquid tank 31 rises. When a certain period of time has elapsed since the start of heating of the chemical liquid, the chemical liquid in the chemical liquid tank 31 is stabilized at the heating temperature or substantially the same temperature.

The substrate W to be processed in the substrate processing apparatus 1 is transported to the load port LP in a state of being accommodated in the carrier C (step S13 in Fig. 8). When the carrier C is conveyed to the load port LP, a signal designating a recipe to be applied to the substrate W in the carrier C is inputted from the host computer HC to the control device 3 (Step S14). Thus, the target value of the temperature of the chemical liquid when discharged from the chemical liquid nozzle 21 and the set temperature lower than the heating temperature are acquired by the information acquisition unit 51 of the control device 3 (step S15 in Fig. 8).

The opening determination unit 53 of the control device 3 determines whether or not the discharge temperature matches the set temperature based on the opening determination data stored in the controller 3 and the heating temperature and the set temperature acquired by the information acquisition unit 51 Or determines a target opening degree corresponding to the target flow amount that is close to the target flow amount (step S16 in Fig. 8). Thereafter, the opening degree setting section 54 sets the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve 24 to the target opening degree (step S17 in Fig. 8). The process liquid supply unit 55 supplies the chemical liquid to the chemical liquid nozzle 21 through the chemical liquid pipe 22 in this state (step S18 in FIG. 8). The supply of the chemical liquid to the chemical liquid nozzle 21 may be started after the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve 24 is set to the target opening degree, or may be started before that. 9 and 10 show the latter.

9 is a graph showing an example of a temporal change in the flow rate and temperature of the chemical liquid supplied to the chemical liquid nozzle 21. As shown in Fig. 10 is a graph showing another example of the temporal change in the flow rate and the temperature of the chemical liquid supplied to the chemical liquid nozzle 21. As shown in Fig.

When the discharge of the chemical liquid from the chemical liquid nozzle 21 is started, the control device 3 increases the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve 24 from the recipe to the opening corresponding to the designated flow rate. The opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve 24 corresponding to the designated flow rate is an example of the initial opening degree which is larger than the target opening degree. After the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve 24 is set to the size corresponding to the designated flow rate, the control device 3 opens the opening / closing valve 25 and starts discharging the chemical liquid to the chemical liquid nozzle 21. [

After the discharge of the chemical liquid is started, the flow rate feedback control unit 24 changes the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve 24 based on the detection value of the flow meter 23 so that the chemical liquid is discharged from the chemical liquid nozzle 21 at the designated flow rate designated in the recipe Control is performed. Specifically, the control device 3 increases and decreases the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve 24 based on the detection value of the flow meter 23

As shown in Fig. 9, the flow rate of the chemical liquid discharged from the chemical liquid nozzle 21, that is, the discharge flow rate, sharply increases after the opening / closing valve 25 is opened to reach the vicinity of the designated flow rate. Thereafter, the discharge flow rate is stabilized at or near the designated flow rate by the flow rate feedback control. On the other hand, the temperature of the chemical liquid when discharged from the chemical liquid nozzle 21, that is, the discharge temperature starts to increase sharply a little later than the increase of the flow rate.

The control device 3 monitors the detection temperature calculated based on the detection value of the temperature sensor 26. [ When the detected temperature reaches the switching temperature, the controller 3 controls the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve 24 based on the detected value of the temperature sensor 26 so that the detected temperature is within the set temperature range including the set temperature. The temperature feedback control is performed. The set temperature is, for example, the center value of the set temperature range. If the value is within the set temperature range, the set temperature may not be the median of the set temperature range.

When the temperature feedback control is started, the control device 3 decreases the set flow rate indicating the target value of the flow rate of the chemical liquid supplied to the chemical liquid nozzle 21 from the designated flow rate to the target flow rate. Specifically, based on the opening degree determination data, the heating temperature, and the set temperature, the control device 3 previously determines the target opening corresponding to the target flow rate at which the discharge temperature coincides with or is close to the set temperature. When the temperature feedback control is started, the controller 3 decreases the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve 24 to approach the target opening degree. Thereafter, the control device 3 increases or decreases the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve 24 based on the detection value of the temperature sensor 26. [

Fig. 9 shows an example in which the discharge flow rate is abruptly reduced when the detection temperature reaches the switching temperature, and thereafter, the discharge flow rate is increased and decreased. The detection temperature falls within the set temperature range after the temperature feedback control is started. While the temperature feedback control is being executed, the detected temperature increases and decreases within the set temperature range, but the variation decreases with the lapse of time. When a certain period of time has elapsed since the start of the temperature feedback control, the detected temperature is stabilized at or about the median of the set temperature range. As a result, a chemical liquid having a temperature equal to or substantially equal to the set temperature is discharged from the chemical liquid nozzle 21.

In the example shown in Fig. 9, the case of performing the temperature feedback control has been described. However, as shown in Fig. 10, the control device 3 does not need to execute the temperature feedback control. In the example shown in Fig. 10, similarly to the example shown in Fig. 9, the set flow rate is initially set to the designated flow rate, and the opening degree of the flow rate adjustment valve 24 is set to a value corresponding to the designated flow rate. Thereafter, the control device 3 changes the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve 24 to the target opening degree. The timing for changing the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve 24 to the target opening degree may be when the detected temperature has reached the switching temperature or when a predetermined time has elapsed after the opening and closing valve 25 is opened. In the latter case, a timer is provided in the control device 3. In this case, the temperature sensor 26 is not required.

The length of the flow path from the chemical liquid tank 31 to the chemical liquid nozzle 21 may be different for the plurality of chemical liquid nozzles 21. [ In this case, the amount of heat of the chemical liquid that is lost until it is supplied to the substrate W differs from channel to channel. The opening degree determination data is formed for each chemical liquid nozzle 21, and the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve 24 is set for each chemical liquid nozzle 21. In short, the control to make the discharge temperature coincide with or close to the set temperature is executed for each chemical liquid nozzle 21. [ This makes it possible to reduce the deviation of the discharge temperature in the plurality of chemical liquid nozzles 21 and to reduce the difference in the processing quality between the plurality of substrates W processed in the other processing units 2.

As described above, in the first embodiment, the chemical liquid heated to the heating temperature by the heater 33 is supplied to the chemical liquid nozzle 21 through the chemical liquid pipe 22. The discharge temperature indicative of the temperature of the chemical liquid when discharged from the chemical liquid nozzle 21 varies according to not only the temperature of the chemical liquid supplied to the chemical liquid pipe 22 but also the flow rate of the chemical liquid supplied to the chemical liquid pipe 22. [ That is, when the supply flow rate of the chemical liquid decreases, the discharge temperature decreases, and when the chemical liquid flow rate increases, the discharge temperature rises. This is because the heat capacity of the chemical liquid varies depending on the supply flow rate of the chemical liquid, as compared with the case where the heat loss amount is substantially constant regardless of the supply flow rate of the chemical liquid.

Even if the heating temperature is the same, the discharge temperature differs when the supply flow rate of the chemical liquid is different. The opening determination data defining these relationships is stored in the control device 3. [ The supply flow rate of the chemical liquid is set based on the opening determination data such that the discharge temperature coincides with or approaches the set temperature. In short, the opening degree of the flow rate regulating valve 24 for regulating the supply flow rate of the chemical liquid is set to the target opening degree corresponding to the target flow rate in which the discharge temperature coincides with or is close to the set temperature. In this state, the chemical liquid at the heating temperature is supplied to the chemical liquid pipe 22. As a result, the chemical liquid at the set temperature or substantially the same temperature is discharged from the chemical liquid nozzle 21.

In this way, not only the temperature of the heater 33 is appropriately controlled but also the flow rate of the chemical liquid supplied to the chemical liquid pipe 22 and the chemical liquid nozzle 21, that is, the heat capacity of the chemical liquid is suitably set in accordance with the heating temperature and the set temperature The temperature of the chemical liquid when discharged from the chemical liquid nozzle 21 can be controlled with higher precision. Thereby, the difference between the intended temperature and the actual temperature of the chemical liquid supplied to the substrate W can be reduced. It is also possible to change the temperature of the chemical liquid supplied to the substrate W without changing the temperature of the heater 33 by changing the opening degree of the flow control valve 24. [ Therefore, the temperature of the chemical liquid can be changed in a short time as compared with the case of changing the temperature of the heater 33. [

In the first embodiment, a chemical solution flowing in the circulation pipe 32, which is an example of a common pipe, is supplied to a plurality of chemical liquid pipes 22. Therefore, a chemical liquid having at least equal components is discharged from a plurality of chemical liquid nozzles 21. The chemical liquid discharged from the plurality of chemical liquid nozzles 21 is supplied to each of the substrates W. Therefore, it is possible to supply the chemical liquids having at least equal components to each of the substrates W, so that variations in the processing among the plurality of substrates W can be reduced.

In the first embodiment, the opening degree setting section 54 of the control device 3 sets the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve 24 to the initial opening degree larger than the target opening degree. Specifically, the opening degree setting section 54 of the control apparatus 3 sets the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve 24 to an opening degree corresponding to the designated flow rate designated in the recipe. In this state, the process liquid supply unit 55 of the control device 3 supplies the chemical liquid to the chemical liquid nozzle 21 through the chemical liquid pipe 22. [ Thereafter, the opening degree setting section 54 of the control device 3 reduces the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve 24 from the initial opening degree to the target opening degree. In this state, the process liquid supply unit 55 of the control device 3 supplies the chemical liquid to the chemical liquid nozzle 21 through the chemical liquid pipe 22. [

Immediately after the supply of the chemical liquid to the chemical liquid pipe 22 and the chemical liquid nozzle 21 is started, the amount of heat loss is relatively large because the chemical liquid pipe 22 and the chemical liquid nozzle 21 are cold. On the other hand, since the chemical liquid pipe 22 and the chemical liquid nozzle 21 are warmed up after a certain period of time since the supply of the chemical liquid is started, the amount of heat loss is reduced. Therefore, when the chemical liquid at the same temperature is continuously supplied to the chemical liquid pipe 22 and the chemical liquid nozzle 21 at the same flow rate, the temperature of the chemical liquid when discharged from the chemical liquid nozzle 21 changes with the lapse of time.

In the first embodiment, the flow rate of the chemical liquid supplied to the chemical liquid pipe 22 and the chemical liquid nozzle 21 decreases with the lapse of time. In other words, when the supply of the chemical liquid is started, the chemical liquid is supplied to the chemical liquid pipe 22 and the chemical liquid nozzle 21 at a relatively large flow rate. Then, when the chemical liquid pipe 22 and the chemical liquid nozzle 21 are warmed, the chemical liquid is supplied to the chemical liquid pipe 22 and the chemical liquid nozzle 21 at a relatively small flow rate. This makes it possible to reduce the fluctuation amount of the temperature of the chemical liquid when it is discharged from the chemical liquid nozzle (21).

In the first embodiment, the temperature of the chemical liquid before being supplied to the substrate W is detected by the temperature sensor 26. [ When the temperature of the chemical liquid detected by the temperature sensor 26 reaches the switching temperature, that is, when it is confirmed that the chemical liquid pipe 22 and the chemical liquid nozzle 21 are warmed, the opening degree setting unit 54 ) Reduces the opening degree of the flow rate regulating valve 24 to the target opening degree. It is possible to prevent the chemical liquid from being continuously supplied to the chemical liquid pipe 22 and the chemical liquid nozzle 21 at a relatively large flow rate although the chemical liquid pipe 22 and the chemical liquid nozzle 21 are warmed.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

The second embodiment is mainly different from the first embodiment in that a plurality of nozzles for discharging the same kinds of processing liquid toward the same substrate W are formed in the same processing unit 2. [

In the following Figs. 11 to 16, the same components as those shown in Figs. 1 to 10 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in Fig. 1 and the like, and the description thereof is omitted.

11 is a schematic view of the first chemical liquid nozzle 61 and the second chemical liquid nozzle 62 according to the second embodiment of the present invention as viewed horizontally. 12 is a schematic plan view of the first chemical liquid nozzle 61 and the second chemical liquid nozzle 62. As shown in Fig. 13 is a schematic view of the first chemical liquid nozzle 61 and the second chemical liquid nozzle 62 in the direction of the arrow XIII shown in Fig. 11 to 13 show a state in which the first chemical liquid nozzle 61 and the second chemical liquid nozzle 62 are disposed at the processing position.

11, the processing unit 2 includes a first chemical liquid nozzle 61 having a first discharge port 61a for discharging a chemical liquid toward the upper surface of the substrate W, And a second chemical liquid nozzle 62 having a plurality of second discharge ports 62a for discharging the chemical liquid toward the second chemical liquid discharge port 62a. The first chemical liquid nozzle 61 and the second chemical liquid nozzle 62 are held in a nozzle holder 60. The nozzle moving unit moves the first chemical liquid nozzle 61 and the second chemical liquid nozzle 62 between the processing position and the retreat position by moving the nozzle holder 60. [

The first chemical liquid nozzle 61 includes a horizontal portion 61d extending horizontally in a direction away from the nozzle holder 60, a water dropping portion 61c extending downward from the horizontal portion 61d, And includes a discharge portion 61b extending downward from the water receiving portion 61c and thinner than the water receiving portion 61c. The second chemical liquid nozzle 62 includes an upper horizontal portion 62d extending horizontally in a direction away from the nozzle holder 60, a water bottom portion 62c extending downward from the upper horizontal portion 62d, And a lower horizontal portion 62b extending horizontally from the nozzle 62c to the nozzle pivot axis A2.

The horizontal portion 61d of the first chemical liquid nozzle 61 and the upper horizontal portion 62d of the second chemical liquid nozzle 62 are parallel to each other and extend in the horizontal direction D3. The first chemical liquid nozzle 61 is shorter than the second chemical liquid nozzle 62 in the longitudinal direction D3. 12, when the second chemical liquid nozzle 62 is disposed at the processing position, the water bottom portion 62c of the second chemical liquid nozzle 62 is overlapped with the central portion of the substrate W as viewed in a plan view And the outer end of the lower horizontal portion 62b of the second chemical liquid nozzle 62 overlaps with the outer circumferential portion of the substrate W when viewed in plan.

The upper horizontal portion 62d of the second chemical liquid nozzle 62 is disposed above the lower horizontal portion 62b of the second chemical liquid nozzle 62 and overlaps the lower horizontal portion 62b when viewed in plan view . As shown in Fig. 11, the lower horizontal portion 62b is supported on the upper horizontal portion 62d via a bracket 63 extending downward from the upper horizontal portion 62d. A plurality of second discharge ports (62a) are formed in the lower horizontal portion (62b) of the second chemical liquid nozzle (62). The plurality of second discharge openings 62a are arranged in the axial direction of the lower horizontal portion 62b coinciding with the longitudinal direction D3. When the second chemical liquid nozzle 62 is disposed at the processing position, the innermost second discharge port 62a is located inside the first discharge port 61a formed in the discharge portion 61b of the first chemical liquid nozzle 61 That is, on the side of the axis of rotation A1, and the outermost second outlet 62a is located outside the first outlet 61a.

When the first chemical liquid nozzle 61 is disposed at the processing position, the first chemical liquid nozzle 61 discharges the chemical liquid toward the center of the upper surface of the substrate W. When the second chemical liquid nozzle 62 is disposed at the processing position, the second chemical liquid nozzle 62 discharges the chemical liquid toward a plurality of liquid immersion positions on the upper surface of the substrate W except the central portion. The plurality of liquid immersion positions are different in distance from the rotation axis A1. The plurality of liquid immersion positions may deviate from the circumferential direction of the substrate W (the rotational direction of the substrate W) if the distances from the rotation axis A1 are different from each other.

11 and 13, the first discharge port 61a discharges the chemical liquid in the first discharge direction D1 from the first discharge port 61a toward the center of the upper surface of the substrate W. The second discharge port 62a discharges the chemical liquid in the second discharge direction D2 from the second discharge port 62a toward the upper surface of the substrate W. [ The first discharge direction D1 is an oblique direction inclined in the radial direction of the substrate W with respect to the upper surface of the substrate W. The second discharge direction D2 is an oblique direction inclined in the circumferential direction of the substrate W with respect to the upper surface of the substrate W. At least one of the first discharge direction D1 and the second discharge direction D2 may be a vertical direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the substrate W. [

The chemical liquid discharged from the first discharge port 61a of the first chemical liquid nozzle 61 is immersed in the center portion of the upper surface of the substrate W while the spin chuck 10 is rotating the substrate W, As shown in Fig. The chemical liquid discharged from the plurality of second discharge ports 62a of the second chemical liquid nozzle 62 flows into a plurality of liquid immersion positions on the upper surface of the substrate W and flows outward along the upper surface of the substrate W. Thereby, a liquid film of the chemical liquid covering the entire upper surface of the substrate W is formed, and the chemical liquid is uniformly supplied to each part of the upper surface of the substrate W.

14 is a schematic diagram showing a chemical liquid supply system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

The first chemical liquid nozzle 61 is connected to the first chemical liquid pipe 64 and the second chemical liquid nozzle 62 is connected to the second chemical liquid pipe 68. The first chemical liquid pipe 64 and the second chemical liquid pipe 68 are connected to the circulation pipe 32. Therefore, the chemical liquid in the same chemical liquid tank 31 is supplied to the first chemical liquid nozzle 61 and the second chemical liquid nozzle 62. The first flow meter 65, the first electrically operated valve 66 and the first temperature sensor 67 are interposed in the first chemical liquid pipe 64. Likewise, the second flow meter 69, the second electrically operated valve 70 and the second temperature sensor 71 are mounted on the second chemical liquid pipe 68.

Both the first and second electrohydraulic valves 66 and 70 are electric valves that perform switching of supply and stop of the liquid and change of the supply flow rate of the liquid. The electrically operated valve includes a valve body that forms a flow path, a valve body that is disposed in the flow path, and an electric actuator that moves the valve body. The valve element is movable between a fully closed position where the electric valve is closed by the contact between the valve element and the valve seat and a fully opened position where the opening degree of the electric valve is maximum. The control device 3 controls the electric actuator to position the valve element at any position within the range from the fully closed position to the deployed position.

The processing unit 2 may be provided with an opening and closing valve 25 and a flow rate adjusting valve 24 instead of the first electric valve 66. [ Similarly, the processing unit 2 may include an opening / closing valve 25 and a flow rate adjusting valve 24 instead of the second electric valve 70. The open / close valve 25 is a valve that is completely closed, and the flow control valve 24 is a valve that is not completely closed. The valve element of the on-off valve 25 is movable between a full closing position where the valve element contacts the valve seat and a deployment position where the valve element is away from the valve seat. The valve element of the flow regulating valve 24 is movable between a low flow rate position where the valve body is away from the valve seat and a high flow rate release position where the valve element is away from the valve seat. The opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve 24 when the valve element is disposed at the storage amount position is smaller than the opening degree of the flow amount adjusting valve 24 when the valve element is disposed at the high flow amount position.

The first temperature sensor 67 is disposed downstream of the first flow meter 65 and the first electromotive valve 66. That is, the first temperature sensor 67 is disposed on the first chemical liquid nozzle 61 side with respect to the first flow meter 65 and the first electrohydraulic valve 66. Likewise, the second temperature sensor 71 is disposed on the second chemical liquid nozzle 62 side with respect to the second flow meter 69 and the second electric valve 70. The first temperature sensor 67 and the second temperature sensor 71 are disposed in the chamber 6. Figs. 11 and 12 show an example in which the first temperature sensor 67 and the second temperature sensor 71 are disposed on the nozzle holder 60. Fig.

Since the detection position of the temperature by the first temperature sensor 67 is close to the first chemical liquid nozzle 61, the first detection temperature, which is calculated based on the detection value of the first temperature sensor 67, Can be brought close to the actual temperature of the chemical liquid when it is discharged from the discharge port (61). Similarly, since the detection position of the temperature by the second temperature sensor 71 is close to the second chemical solution nozzle 62, the second detection temperature calculated based on the detection value of the second temperature sensor 71 is referred to as the second It can be brought close to the actual temperature of the chemical liquid when it is discharged from the chemical liquid nozzle 62. Thereby, the actual temperature of the chemical liquid when discharged from the first chemical liquid nozzle 61 and the second chemical liquid nozzle 62 can be monitored with higher accuracy.

15 is a graph showing an example of a temporal change in the flow rate of the chemical liquid supplied to the first chemical liquid nozzle 61 and the second chemical liquid nozzle 62. As shown in Fig. 16 is a graph showing an example of a temporal change in the temperature of the chemical liquid supplied to the first chemical liquid nozzle 61 and the second chemical liquid nozzle 62. As shown in Fig.

The auxiliary storage device 45 of the control device 3 stores a plurality of recipes and a plurality of opening degree determination data (see Fig. 4). The plurality of opening degree determination data includes the first opening degree determination data corresponding to the first chemical liquid nozzle 61 and the second opening degree determination data corresponding to the second chemical liquid nozzle 62. [ The recipe includes a first designated flow rate indicating the target value of the flow rate of the chemical liquid discharged from the first chemical liquid nozzle 61 and a second designated flow rate indicating the target value of the flow rate of the chemical liquid discharged from the second chemical liquid nozzle 62 . A second set temperature representing the target value of the temperature of the chemical liquid discharged from the first chemical liquid nozzle 61 and a target value of the temperature of the chemical liquid discharged from the second chemical liquid nozzle 62 are included in the recipe do.

The first designated flow rate is an example of a first initial opening degree larger than the first target opening degree and the second specified flow rate is an example of a second initial opening degree larger than the second target opening degree. The first designated flow rate and the second specified flow rate may be equal to each other or may be different from each other. The same is also true for the first set temperature and the second set temperature. Fig. 15 shows an example in which the first designated flow rate is smaller than the second specified flow rate. 16 shows an example in which the first set temperature is lower than the second set temperature.

When the supply of the chemical liquid to the first chemical liquid nozzle 61 and the second chemical liquid nozzle 62 is started, the control device 3 controls the opening degree of the first electric motor 66 to the opening corresponding to the first specified flow rate . Likewise, the control device 3 increases the opening degree of the second electric motor 70 to an opening degree corresponding to the second designated flow rate. In the second embodiment, since the first electric valve 66 and the second electric valve 70 also serve as the on-off valve 25, when the first electric valve 66 and the second electric valve 70 are opened, The ejection of the chemical liquid from the first chemical liquid nozzle 61 and the second chemical liquid nozzle 62 is started. Fig. 15 shows an example in which the first chemical liquid nozzle 61 and the second chemical liquid nozzle 62 start discharging the chemical liquid at the same time. However, the first chemical liquid nozzle 61 and the second chemical liquid nozzle 62 may start discharging the chemical liquid at different times.

As shown in Fig. 16, when the first electromotive valve 66 and the second electromotive valve 70 are opened, the first detection temperature and the second detection temperature abruptly increase. When the first detection temperature reaches the first switching temperature, the control device 3 starts the temperature feedback control to bring the opening degree of the first electric motor valve 66 close to the first target opening degree. Similarly, when the second detection temperature reaches the second switching temperature, the control device 3 starts the temperature feedback control to bring the opening degree of the second electric motor valve 70 close to the second target opening degree. The first target opening degree is a value determined based on the first opening determination data, the heating temperature, and the first set temperature. The second target opening degree is a value determined based on the second opening determination data, the heating temperature, and the second set temperature. The first target temperature is lower than the second target temperature.

When the temperature feedback control is started, the control device 3 increases or decreases the opening degree of the first electric valve 66 based on the detection value of the first temperature sensor 67. Likewise, the control device 3 increases or decreases the opening degree of the second electric valve 70 based on the detection value of the second temperature sensor 71. The first detection temperature falls within the first set temperature range including the first set temperature and the second detected temperature falls within the second set temperature range including the second set temperature, Range. Thereby, a chemical liquid equal to or substantially equal to the first set temperature and the second set temperature is discharged from the first chemical liquid nozzle 61 and the second chemical liquid nozzle 62.

As described above, in the second embodiment, the chemical liquid discharged from the first chemical liquid nozzle 61 and the chemical liquid discharged from the second chemical liquid nozzle 62 are supplied to the same substrate W. The first chemical liquid nozzle 61 discharges the chemical liquid toward the center of the upper surface of the substrate W and the second chemical liquid nozzle 62 discharges the chemical liquid toward the plurality of liquid immersion positions on the upper surface of the substrate W. The plurality of liquid immersion positions are located outside the center of the upper surface of the substrate W with respect to the radial direction of the substrate W. Therefore, the chemical liquid discharged from the second chemical liquid nozzle 62 is adhered to the substrate W from the outside of the chemical liquid discharged from the first chemical liquid nozzle 61.

The temperature of the chemical liquid on the substrate W tends to decrease with distance from the rotation axis A1. When the opening degrees of the first and second electrically operated valves 66 and 70 are set individually, the actual temperature of the chemical liquid when discharged from the second chemical liquid nozzle 62 is intentionally changed to the first chemical liquid nozzle 61, the actual temperature of the chemical liquid can be higher than the actual temperature of the chemical liquid. Thus, the deviation of the temperature of the chemical liquid on the substrate W can be reduced, and the uniformity of the processing can be enhanced. Of course, it is also possible to discharge the chemical liquid at the same or substantially the same temperature from the first chemical liquid nozzle 61 and the second chemical liquid nozzle 62.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

The third embodiment differs from the first and second embodiments mainly in that in the third embodiment, the detection temperature of the chemical liquid in the chemical liquid pipe 22 output from the temperature sensors 26, 67, 71, The set opening degrees of the flow regulating valve 24 and the electromotive valves 66 and 70 are dynamically changed based on the set temperature to be additionally obtained. The following contents are applicable to both the first embodiment and the second embodiment, but the following description will be made by taking the configuration of the first embodiment as an example.

17 is a functional block diagram of the control device 103 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. 18 is a diagram showing an example of the opening degree determination data (d) stored in the control device 103. Fig. The information acquiring section 151, the opening degree determining section 153 and the opening degree setting section 154 shown in Fig. 17 are constituted by a function block realized by the CPU 42 executing the program P installed in the control device 103 to be. The opening degree determination section 153 and the opening degree setting section 154 are formed for each chemical liquid nozzle 21. The information acquisition unit 151 is an example of information acquisition means.

In the substrate processing recipe, the set temperature of the chemical liquid discharged from the chemical liquid nozzle 21 and the chemical liquid discharging time are specified. The information acquiring unit 151 acquires the set temperature of the chemical liquid from the recipe. The temperature sensor 26 detects the temperature of the chemical liquid flowing through the chemical liquid pipe 22 of each processing unit 2 and outputs the detected temperature to the information acquiring unit 151. The information acquisition unit 151 acquires the detection temperature of the chemical liquid, the set temperature, and the opening degree setting data (d), and outputs the obtained data to the opening degree determination unit 153. [ The opening degree determination unit 153 determines the setting degree of opening based on the information output from the information acquisition unit 151. [ The opening degree setting section (154) controls each flow rate adjusting valve (24) so as to be the opening degree determined by the opening degree determining section (153).

Fig. 18 is a table showing an example of the opening degree determination data (d) in the third embodiment. Three levels of opening degree setting data are stored in this table. The minimum opening degree p1 corresponds to the minimum opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve 24 and the maximum opening degree p3 corresponds to the maximum opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve 24. [ The intermediate opening degree p2 is set to a minimum opening p1 and a flow rate adjusting valve 24 is provided to flow the intermediate flow rate of the flow rate through the flow rate adjusting valve 24 when the flow rate adjusting valve 24 is set to the maximum opening p3. Respectively. The opening determination data d may be different for each of the recipe and the flow control valve 24.

19 is a process chart showing the adjustment of the flow rate adjusting valve 24 in the third embodiment. At the time of starting the process of Fig. 19, the chemical liquid is circulated through the circulation pipe 32 (see Fig. 2) while being heated, and the temperature of the chemical liquid is assumed to be stable at the set temperature. It is assumed that the substrate W is held on the spin base 12 of the processing unit 2.

First, a recipe to be executed in the processing unit 2 is specified (step S114). Next, the information acquiring unit 151 acquires the set temperature of the chemical liquid and the discharge time of the chemical liquid from the specified recipe. The information acquisition unit 151 acquires the opening determination data d corresponding to the specified recipe (step S115). The information acquiring unit 151 refers to the opening determination data (d) acquired in step S115 and acquires the intermediate opening p2 (step S116). The opening degree setting section 154 adjusts the flow rate adjusting valve 24 so as to become the intermediate opening degree p2 (step S117). The process liquid supply unit 55 supplies the chemical liquid to the chemical liquid nozzle 21 through the chemical liquid pipe 22 in this state (step S118). As a result, the chemical liquid is discharged from the chemical liquid nozzle 21 toward the substrate W at an intermediate flow rate. After the initiation of the discharge of the chemical liquid, the information acquiring unit 151 acquires the chemical liquid detection temperature acquired from the temperature sensor 26 (step S119).

Next, the opening determination unit 153 determines a new opening degree based on the magnitude relationship between the detected temperature and the set temperature acquired in step S119 (step S120).

That is, when the detected temperature exceeds the set temperature, an opening degree that is slightly smaller than the current set opening degree and does not fall below the minimum opening degree p1 is determined as the latest opening degree in order to reduce the flow rate of the chemical liquid. When the detected temperature is lower than the set temperature, an opening degree that is slightly larger than the present set opening degree and does not exceed the maximum opening degree p3 is determined as the latest opening degree, in order to increase the flow rate of the chemical liquid. When the detected temperature is equal to the set temperature, the current set opening degree is maintained as the latest opening degree.

Thereafter, the opening degree setting section 154 controls the flow rate adjusting valve 24 so as to attain the set opening degree determined in step S120 (step S121).

Thereafter, the opening degree setting section 154 determines whether the chemical liquid discharge time specified in the recipe has elapsed (step S122).

When the opening degree setting unit 154 determines that the prescribed chemical liquid discharging time has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S123, and the process liquid supply unit 55 stops the supply of the chemical liquid to the chemical liquid nozzle 21. [ On the other hand, if the opening degree setting section 154 determines that the chemical liquid discharge time has not elapsed, the flow returns to step S119 to resume the processing cycles of steps S119 to S122.

Other embodiments

The present invention is not limited to the contents of the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the temperature of the chemical liquid is controlled by setting the flow rate is described, but the temperature of the liquid other than the chemical liquid may be controlled by setting the flow rate.

The chemical liquid tank 31 and the heater 33 may be formed for each chemical liquid nozzle 21.

When the supply of the chemical liquid to the chemical liquid nozzle 21 is started, the opening degree of the flow rate regulating valve 24 is increased from the opening degree corresponding to the designated flow amount specified in the recipe (initial opening degree) However, if the target opening degree is larger than the target opening degree, the initial opening degree may be an opening different from the opening degree corresponding to the designated flow amount.

The number of the first discharge ports 61a formed in the first chemical liquid nozzle 61 may be two or more. On the other hand, the number of the second discharge ports 62a formed in the second chemical liquid nozzle 62 may be one.

The substrate processing apparatus 1 is not limited to an apparatus for processing a substrate W on a disk, but may be a device for processing a polygonal substrate W.

Two or more of all the above-described configurations may be combined. Two or more of the above-described processes may be combined.

In addition, various design modifications can be made within the scope of the matters described in the claims.

Claims (18)

At least one heater for heating the treatment liquid,
A first pipe for guiding the treatment liquid heated by the at least one heater,
A first flow rate adjusting valve for changing a flow rate of the process liquid supplied to the first pipe,
A first nozzle for discharging the treatment liquid guided by the first pipe toward the substrate,
And a control device for controlling said at least one heater and said first flow rate adjusting valve,
The control device includes:
A heating temperature indicating a target value of the temperature of the processing liquid heated by the at least one heater and a target value of a temperature of the processing liquid when the processing liquid is discharged from the first nozzle and acquiring a first set temperature lower than the heating temperature An acquisition unit,
A heating execution unit for heating the treatment liquid to the at least one heater at the heating temperature,
The opening degree of the first flow rate adjusting valve corresponding to the flow rate of the processing liquid supplied to the first pipe when the processing liquid supplied to the first pipe at the heating temperature is discharged from the first nozzle at the first discharge temperature A storage device for storing the first degree determination data to be defined,
Based on the first opening degree determination data stored in the storage device and the heating temperature and the first set temperature acquired by the information acquiring unit, the first discharge temperature is equal to or close to the first set temperature, A first degree-of-opening determiner for determining a first target degree of opening corresponding to a flow rate,
A first opening degree setting section for setting the opening degree of the first flow rate adjusting valve to the first target opening degree,
And a first processing liquid supply section for supplying the processing liquid to the first nozzle through the first piping. The method according to claim 1,
The substrate processing apparatus includes a second nozzle for discharging the process liquid, a second pipe for guiding the treatment liquid to the second nozzle, a second flow rate adjusting valve for changing the flow rate of the process liquid supplied to the second pipe, Further comprising:
Wherein the information acquiring unit of the control apparatus further acquires a second set temperature lower than the heating temperature and a target value of the temperature of the processing liquid when the processing liquid is discharged from the second nozzle,
Wherein the storage device of the control device controls the flow rate of the processing liquid supplied to the second pipe when the processing liquid supplied to the second pipe at the heating temperature is discharged from the second nozzle at the second discharge temperature Further comprising second opening degree determination data for defining an opening degree of the second flow rate adjusting valve,
The control device includes:
Based on the second opening degree determination data stored in the storage device and the heating temperature and the second set temperature acquired by the information acquiring unit, the second discharge temperature is equal to or close to the second set temperature, A second degree-of-opening determiner for determining a second target degree of opening corresponding to the flow rate,
A second opening degree setting section for setting the opening degree of the second flow rate adjusting valve to the second target opening degree,
And a second processing liquid supply unit for supplying the processing liquid to the second nozzle through the second piping. 3. The method of claim 2,
The substrate processing apparatus includes a first substrate holding means for holding a substrate to be processed with a processing solution discharged from the first nozzle, a second substrate holding means for holding a substrate to be processed with the processing solution discharged from the second nozzle, The substrate processing apparatus further comprising: 3. The method of claim 2,
The substrate processing apparatus comprising substrate holding means for rotating the substrate around a vertical axis of rotation passing through a central portion of the substrate while holding the substrate to be processed by the treatment liquid discharged from the first nozzle and the second nozzle horizontally, Further comprising:
The first nozzle discharges the processing liquid toward the first position, which is a position on the substrate held by the substrate holding means,
Wherein the second nozzle discharges the processing liquid toward a second position that is a position on the substrate held by the substrate holding means and outside the first position. The method according to claim 3 or 4,
Wherein the substrate processing apparatus further comprises a common pipe for supplying the process liquid to both of the first pipe and the second pipe. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the substrate processing apparatus further comprises a common pipe for supplying the treatment liquid to both of the first pipe and the second pipe,
Wherein the substrate processing apparatus supplies phosphoric acid as a processing solution to a substrate on which a silicon oxide film and a silicon nitride film are exposed to etch the silicon nitride film while suppressing etching of the silicon oxide film. The method according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6,
Wherein the first opening degree setting section sets the opening degree of the first flow rate adjusting valve to a first opening degree larger than the first target opening degree and thereafter decreases the first opening degree to the first target opening degree, / RTI > 8. The method of claim 7,
The substrate processing apparatus further comprises a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the processing liquid,
Wherein the first opening degree setting section decreases the opening degree of the first flow rate adjusting valve from the first initial opening degree to the first target opening degree when the temperature of the processing liquid detected by the temperature sensor reaches the switching temperature, Processing device. A first flow pipe for guiding a treatment liquid heated by the at least one heater, a first flow control valve for changing a flow rate of the treatment liquid supplied to the first pipe, A first nozzle for discharging the process liquid guided by the first pipe toward the substrate, and a control device for controlling the at least one heater and the first flow rate adjusting valve As a result,
A heating temperature indicating a target value of the temperature of the processing liquid heated by the at least one heater and a target value of a temperature of the processing liquid when the processing liquid is discharged from the first nozzle and acquiring a first set temperature lower than the heating temperature A step of acquiring,
A heating step of heating the treatment liquid to the at least one heater at the heating temperature,
Wherein when the processing liquid supplied to the first pipe at the heating temperature is discharged from the first nozzle at a first discharge temperature, the flow rate of the processing liquid supplied to the first pipe Based on the first opening degree determination data that defines the opening degree of the first flow rate adjusting valve corresponding to the first set temperature and the first set temperature which are acquired in the information acquiring step, To determine a first target opening corresponding to a first target flow amount that matches or approximates to the first target opening amount,
A first opening degree setting step of setting the opening degree of the first flow rate adjusting valve at the first target opening degree;
And a first process liquid supply step of supplying a process liquid to the first nozzle through the first pipe. 10. The method of claim 9,
The substrate processing apparatus includes a second nozzle for discharging the process liquid, a second pipe for guiding the treatment liquid to the second nozzle, a second flow rate adjusting valve for changing the flow rate of the process liquid supplied to the second pipe, Further comprising:
Wherein the storage device of the control device controls the flow rate of the processing liquid supplied to the second pipe when the processing liquid supplied to the second pipe at the heating temperature is discharged from the second nozzle at the second discharge temperature Further comprising second opening degree determination data for defining an opening degree of the second flow rate adjusting valve,
The substrate processing method includes:
Based on the second opening degree determination data stored in the storage device and the heating temperature and the second set temperature obtained in the information acquiring step, the second discharge temperature is equal to or close to the second set temperature, A second opening degree determination step of determining a second target opening degree corresponding to the target flow amount,
A second opening degree setting step of setting the opening degree of the second flow rate adjusting valve to the second target opening degree;
And a second process liquid supply step of supplying a process liquid to the second nozzle through the second pipe. 11. The method of claim 10,
The substrate processing apparatus includes a first substrate holding means for holding a substrate to be processed with a processing solution discharged from the first nozzle, a second substrate holding means for holding a substrate to be processed with the processing solution discharged from the second nozzle, Further comprising the step of: 11. The method of claim 10,
The substrate processing apparatus comprising substrate holding means for rotating the substrate around a vertical axis of rotation passing through a central portion of the substrate while holding the substrate to be processed by the treatment liquid discharged from the first nozzle and the second nozzle horizontally, Further comprising:
The substrate processing method includes:
A first discharging step of discharging the processing liquid to the first nozzle toward a first position which is a position on the substrate held by the substrate holding means;
Further comprising a second discharging step of discharging the processing liquid to the second nozzle toward a second position which is a position on the substrate held by the substrate holding means and which is located outside the first position, . The method according to claim 10 or 11,
Wherein the substrate processing apparatus further comprises a common pipe for supplying a treatment liquid to both of the first pipe and the second pipe. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the substrate processing apparatus further comprises a common pipe for supplying the treatment liquid to both of the first pipe and the second pipe,
Wherein the silicon nitride film is etched while suppressing etching of the silicon oxide film by supplying phosphoric acid as a treatment liquid to the substrate on which the silicon oxide film and the silicon nitride film are exposed. The method according to any one of claims 9, 10, 11, 12, and 14,
Wherein the first opening degree setting step sets the opening degree of the first flow rate adjusting valve to a first opening degree larger than the first target opening degree and thereafter decreases the first opening degree to the first target opening degree , ≪ / RTI > 16. The method of claim 15,
The substrate processing apparatus further comprises a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the processing liquid,
Wherein the first opening degree setting step decreases the opening degree of the first flow rate adjusting valve from the first initial opening degree to the first target opening degree when the temperature of the processing liquid detected by the temperature sensor reaches the switching temperature, / RTI > A processing liquid pipe for guiding the processing liquid heated by the heater; a substrate holding means for holding the substrate; and a controller for controlling the supply of the liquid to the substrate held by the substrate holding means through the processing liquid pipe A valve for controlling the flow rate of the processing liquid flowing through the processing liquid pipe; a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the processing liquid flowing through the processing liquid pipe; and a processing liquid And a control device for controlling the opening degree of the valve based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor and the set temperature of the processing solution acquired by the information acquiring means And the substrate processing apparatus. 18. The method of claim 17,
Wherein the control device compares the set temperature acquired by the information acquisition means with the temperature of the treatment liquid detected by the temperature sensor so that the temperature of the treatment liquid detected by the temperature sensor exceeds the set temperature The opening degree of the valve is changed to decrease the flow rate of the processing liquid and when the temperature of the processing liquid detected by the temperature sensor is lower than the set temperature, Thereby increasing the flow rate of the processing liquid.

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