TW202224797A - Substrate processing apparatus, cleaning unit, and cleaning method for multiple valve - Google Patents

Abstract

The object of the present invention is to effectively clean a multi-channel valve. The substrate processing apparatus of the present invention includes a storage tank for supplying a chemical liquid; a multi-channel valve capable of selectively supplying a plurality of processing liquids; and a processing liquid nozzle for processing the substrate by using the processing liquids supplied from the multi-channel valve; the substrate processing apparatus can switch between a substrate processing mode for processing the substrate and a cleaning mode for at least cleaning the multi-channel valve; in the cleaning mode, the chemical liquid is supplied from the storage tank to the multi-channel valve in the cleaning path, which is a path that passes through the storage tank and the multi-channel valve without passing through the processing liquid nozzle.

Description

Substrate processing apparatus, cleaning unit, and multi-channel valve cleaning method

The technology disclosed in the description of this case is related to a substrate processing technology. Substrates to be processed include, for example, semiconductor wafers, glass substrates for liquid crystal display devices, substrates for flat panel displays (FPDs) such as organic EL (electroluminescence) display devices, substrates for optical discs, magnetic Substrates for discs, substrates for magneto-optical discs, glass substrates for masks, ceramic substrates, substrates for field emission displays (FED), or substrates for solar cells, etc.

In a substrate processing apparatus, in order to use a plurality of processing liquids for substrate processing, a valve unit that can selectively supply one of a plurality of processing liquids, that is, a multi-channel valve is provided (for example, refer to Patent Document 1). [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2019-012791

[Problems to be Solved by Invention]

The above-mentioned multi-channel valve is a structure in which the treatment liquid is supplied from a plurality of pipes connected to the upstream side, respectively, and since the pipe connections are concentrated, dirt tends to accumulate. On the other hand, since the structure is complicated, there is a problem that it is not easy to sufficiently wash.

The technology disclosed in the description of the present case was completed in view of the above-mentioned problems, that is, the technology for effectively cleaning the multi-channel valve. [Technical means to solve problems]

The substrate processing apparatus according to the first aspect of the technology disclosed in this specification is provided with: a storage tank for supplying a chemical solution; and a multi-channel valve for supplying a plurality of processing liquids for processing a substrate, and a plurality of types can be selectively supplied at least one of the above-mentioned processing liquids; and a processing liquid nozzle for processing the above-mentioned substrate using the above-mentioned processing liquid supplied from the above-mentioned multi-channel valve; the substrate processing mode for processing the above-mentioned substrate is switchable and for at least cleaning The cleaning mode of the multi-channel valve; in the substrate processing mode, the substrate is processed by the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle; in the cleaning mode, the storage tank is not passed through the processing liquid nozzle in the cleaning mode In the cleaning path, which is a path with the multi-channel valve, the chemical solution is supplied from the storage tank to the multi-channel valve.

The substrate processing apparatus of the second aspect of the technology disclosed in this specification is related to the substrate processing apparatus of the first aspect, wherein the chemical solution is one of a plurality of the aforementioned processing solutions.

The substrate processing apparatus of the third aspect of the technology disclosed in this specification is associated with the substrate processing apparatus of the first or second aspect, wherein the cleaning path is downstream of the storage tank and upstream of the multi-channel valve. The position further includes: a plurality of supply pipes to which the chemical solution is supplied; and at least one connection pipe that is connected across the plurality of supply pipes.

The substrate processing apparatus of the fourth aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is related to the substrate processing apparatus of the third aspect, wherein the connection piping is accommodated in a case that accommodates the multi-channel valve.

The substrate processing apparatus of the fifth aspect of the technology disclosed in this specification is related to the substrate processing apparatus of the third or fourth aspect, wherein the connection piping is accommodated in a housing that accommodates the storage tank and the multi-channel valve.

The substrate processing apparatus of the sixth aspect of the technology disclosed in this specification is related to the substrate processing apparatus of any one of the third to fifth aspects, wherein the multi-channel valve includes a plurality of switches for opening and closing each of the plurality of supply pipes. a selector valve, and in the cleaning mode, at least one of the plurality of supply pipes is opened and closed by the corresponding selector valve.

The substrate processing apparatus of the seventh aspect of the technology disclosed in this specification is associated with the substrate processing apparatus of any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein in the cleaning mode, the chemical solution circulates in the cleaning path .

The substrate processing apparatus of the eighth aspect of the technology disclosed in this specification is associated with the substrate processing apparatus of the seventh aspect, and further includes: a rinsing liquid supply source for supplying the rinsing liquid; and a suction unit for Suction is performed in the multi-channel valve; in the cleaning mode, after the chemical solution circulates in the cleaning path, the flushing liquid is supplied to the multi-channel valve, and the multi-channel valve is further sucked by the suction part. in the channel valve.

The substrate processing apparatus of the ninth aspect of the technology disclosed in this specification is associated with the substrate processing apparatus of the eighth aspect, wherein in the cleaning mode, the circulation of the chemical solution in the cleaning path is repeated a plurality of times, The flushing liquid is supplied after the circulation of the chemical solution, and the suction in the multi-channel valve after the flushing liquid is supplied.

The substrate processing apparatus of the tenth aspect of the technology disclosed in this specification is related to the substrate processing apparatus of any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein the supply pressure of the chemical solution varies in the cleaning mode.

The cleaning unit according to the eleventh aspect of the technology disclosed in this specification is provided with: a storage tank for supplying a chemical solution; and a cleaning pipe for forming a cleaning path, which is a path for cleaning at least the multi-channel valve; The multi-channel valve is supplied with a plurality of treatment liquids, and can selectively supply at least one of the plurality of treatment liquids; the cleaning path passes through the storage tank; the multi-channel valve is in the cleaning path by passing from the storage tank The supplied chemical solution is washed, and the washing pipe can be attached to and detached from the multi-channel valve.

The cleaning unit of the twelfth aspect of the technology disclosed in this specification is associated with the cleaning unit of the eleventh aspect, wherein the cleaning path is downstream of the storage tank and upstream of the multi-channel valve, and further It includes: a plurality of supply pipes to which the chemical solution is supplied; and at least one connection pipe connected across the plurality of the supply pipes.

The cleaning unit of the thirteenth aspect of the technology disclosed in this specification is associated with the cleaning unit of the twelfth aspect, wherein the multi-channel valve includes a plurality of selector valves for opening and closing each of the plurality of supply pipes, and the plurality of At least one of the supply pipes is opened and closed by the corresponding selector valve.

The cleaning unit of the 14th aspect of the technology disclosed in this specification is associated with the cleaning unit of any one of the 11th to 13th aspects, wherein the chemical solution is circulated in the cleaning path.

The cleaning unit of the fifteenth aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is associated with the cleaning unit of any one of aspects 11 to 14, and further includes: a rinse liquid supply source for supplying the rinse liquid; and a pump a suction part for suctioning the inside of the multi-channel valve; after the chemical solution circulates in the cleaning path, the flushing liquid is supplied to the multi-channel valve, and then the multi-channel valve is sucked by the suction part Inside.

The cleaning unit of the 16th aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is associated with the cleaning unit of the 15th aspect, repeats the above-mentioned chemical solution circulation in the above-mentioned cleaning path a plurality of times, and supplies the above-mentioned rinsing after the above-mentioned chemical solution circulation. liquid, and suction in the multi-channel valve after supplying the flushing liquid.

The multi-channel valve cleaning method according to the seventeenth aspect of the technology disclosed in this specification is connected in a state in which a plurality of processing liquids for processing a substrate are supplied, and at least one of the plurality of processing liquids can be selectively supplied. A multi-channel valve cleaning in a substrate processing apparatus, and the substrate processing apparatus includes: a storage tank for supplying a chemical solution; and a processing liquid nozzle for processing the substrate using the processing liquid supplied from the multi-channel valve; The substrate processing apparatus can switch between a substrate processing mode for processing the substrate and a cleaning mode for cleaning at least the multi-channel valve; in the substrate processing mode, the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle is processing the substrate; in the cleaning mode, supplying the chemical solution from the storage tank to the multi-channel valve in a cleaning path that does not pass through the processing liquid nozzle but through the storage tank and the multi-channel valve; In the cleaning mode, a step of cleaning the above-mentioned multi-channel valve is provided. [Effect of invention]

According to at least the first, eleventh, and seventeenth aspects of the technology disclosed in this specification, the multi-channel valve can be efficiently cleaned by supplying the chemical liquid to the cleaning path that does not pass through the processing liquid nozzle.

Furthermore, the objects, features, aspects, and advantages related to the technology disclosed in the present specification will be further clarified by the accompanying drawings in the detailed description shown below.

Hereinafter, the embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following embodiments, although detailed features and the like are also shown for the purpose of explaining the technology, these are examples, and all of them are not necessarily features necessary for the implementation of the embodiments.

In addition, the drawings are shown schematically, and for convenience of description, the configuration is appropriately omitted or simplified in the drawings. In addition, the mutual relationship of the size and the position of the structure etc. shown in each of the different drawings is not necessarily exactly what is described, but can be appropriately changed. In addition, in some drawings, such as a top view which is not a cross-sectional view, hatching may be added in order to make it easy to understand the content of an embodiment.

In addition, in the description shown below, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected to the same component, and it is shown in figure, and the name and function of the same are also the same. Therefore, in some cases, detailed descriptions related to them are omitted in order to avoid repetition.

In addition, in the description of the description of this case, when a certain component is described as "has", "includes" or "has", unless otherwise specified, it is not an expression of exclusivity that excludes the existence of other components .

In addition, in the descriptions described in the specification of this application, even when ordinal numbers such as "1st" or "2nd" are used, these terms are used to facilitate the understanding of the content of the embodiment, and are not limited to those that may be used by The order resulting from the ordinal numbers is equivalent.

In addition, in the description described in the description of this case, even if the use of "up", "down", "left", "right", "side", "bottom", "front" or "back" means a specific position In the case of terms of directions or directions, these terms are also used by the user to facilitate easy understanding of the content of the embodiment, and have nothing to do with the actual position or direction of the implementation.

In addition, in the description described in the specification of this application, when it is described as "the upper surface of ..." or "the lower surface of ...", etc., it is assumed that in addition to the upper surface itself or the lower surface itself of the constituent elements that become the object, it is also It includes the state in which other constituent elements are formed on the upper surface or the lower surface of the constituent element to be the target. That is, for example, when it is described as "B installed on the upper surface of A", it does not prevent the existence of another constituent element "C" between A and B.

<Embodiment> Hereinafter, the substrate processing apparatus and the cleaning unit according to the present embodiment will be described.

<About the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus> FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a configuration example of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a load port 601 , a transfer robot 602 , a central robot 603 , a control unit 90 , and at least one processing unit 600 (four processing units in FIG. 1 ).

The processing unit 600 is a monolithic device that can be used for substrate processing, specifically, a device that performs processing to remove organic substances attached to the substrate W. As shown in FIG. The organic matter attached to the substrate W is, for example, a photoresist film that has been used. The photoresist film is used, for example, as an implant mask for the ion implantation step.

Also, the processing unit 600 may have the chamber 180 . In this case, by controlling the atmosphere in the chamber 180 by the control unit 90, the processing unit 600 can perform substrate processing in a desired atmosphere.

The control unit 90 can control the operations of the respective components of the substrate processing apparatus 1 . The carrier C is a container for accommodating the substrate W. As shown in FIG. In addition, the loading port 601 is a container holding mechanism for holding a plurality of carriers C. As shown in FIG. The transfer robot 602 can transfer the substrate W between the loading port 601 and the substrate placing portion 604 . The central robot 603 can transfer the substrate W between the substrate placement portion 604 and the processing unit 600 .

With the above configuration, the transfer robot 602 , the substrate placement portion 604 , and the center robot 603 function as a transfer mechanism for transferring the substrate W between the respective processing units 600 and the loading port 601 .

The unprocessed substrate W is taken out from the carrier C by the transfer robot 602 . Then, the unprocessed substrate W is transferred to the central robot 603 via the substrate placement portion 604 .

The central robot 603 carries the unprocessed substrate W into the processing unit 600 . Then, the processing unit 600 processes the substrate W.

The processed substrate W in the processing unit 600 is taken out from the processing unit 600 by the central robot 603 . And, after passing the processed substrate W through another processing unit 600 as required, it is transferred to the transfer robot 602 via the substrate placement portion 604 . The transfer robot 602 carries the processed substrate W into the carrier C. As shown in FIG. By the above, the process of the board|substrate W is performed.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the control unit 90 illustrated in FIG. 1 . The control unit 90 may also be constituted by a general computer having a circuit. Specifically, the control unit 90 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 91 , a read only memory (ROM) 92 , and a random access memory (RAM) 93 , a recording device 94, an input unit 96, a display unit 97, a communication unit 98, and a bus line 95 connecting these to each other.

The ROM 92 stores basic programs. The RAM 93 is used as a work area when the CPU 91 performs specific processing. The recording device 94 is constituted by a non-volatile recording device such as a flash memory or a hard disk device. The input unit 96 is composed of various switches, a touch panel, or the like, and receives input setting instructions such as processing recipes from the user. The display unit 97 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display device and a lamp, and displays various information under the control of the CPU 91 . The communication unit 98 has a data communication function via a local area network (LAN, local area network) or the like.

In the recording device 94, a plurality of modes related to the control of each configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 1 of FIG. 1 are preset. By causing the CPU 91 to execute the processing program 94P, one of the above-mentioned plural modes is selected, and each control is controlled in this mode. In addition, the processing program 94P may be recorded on an external recording medium. If this recording medium is used, the processing program 94P can be installed in the control unit 90 . In addition, some or all of the functions performed by the control unit 90 are not necessarily realized by software, but may be realized by hardware such as a dedicated logic circuit.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a structure in which each processing unit 600 is connected via piping in the structure of the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment.

As illustrated in FIG. 3 , the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a tank 30 , a tank 40 , a tank 50 , a fluid tank 60 , a fluid tank 70 , a processing unit 600A, and a processing unit 600B. In addition, the number of cabinets is not limited to the number shown in FIG. 3 . In addition, it is sufficient that only one fluid tank is provided for one processing unit. In addition, the processing unit 600A and the processing unit 600B are equivalent to the processing unit 600 shown in FIG. 1 .

The tank 30 includes a chemical liquid storage tank 32 , a valve 34 , a pump 36 , and a filter 38 . In the chemical liquid storage tank 32, a chemical liquid (for example, organic solvents such as H ₂ O ₂ , NH ₄ OH, O ₃ , IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol: isopropyl alcohol), etc., which can be used for processing the substrate W is stored, and can be used for cleaning a little. The medicinal solution of the multi-channel valve described later, or the medicinal solution used in combination with these. The valve 34 , the pump 36 , and the filter 38 are respectively provided in the supply piping 39 , which is a piping connected to the chemical solution storage tank 32 .

The chemical liquid stored in the chemical liquid storage tank 32 passes through the filter 38 and flows to the supply by the pump 36 which is also operated by the control of the control section 90 in a state where the valve 34 of the adjustment switch is opened by the control of the control section 90. The inside of the piping 39 flows to the downstream fluid tank 60 and further to the processing unit 600A and the like.

The tank 40 includes a chemical liquid storage tank 42 , a valve 44 , a pump 46 , and a filter 48 . The chemical liquid storage tank 42 stores a chemical liquid that can be used for processing the substrate W, a chemical liquid that can be used to clean a multi-channel valve described later, or a chemical liquid that can be used in combination with these. The valve 44 , the pump 46 and the filter 48 are respectively provided in the supply piping 49 which is a piping connected to the chemical solution storage tank 42 .

The chemical solution stored in the chemical solution storage tank 42 passes through the filter 48 and flows to the supply by the pump 46 which is also operated by the control of the control part 90 in a state in which the valve 44 which is adjusted and opened by the control of the control part 90 is opened. The inside of the piping 49 flows to the downstream fluid tank 60 and further to the processing unit 600A and the like.

The tank 50 includes a chemical liquid storage tank 52 , a valve 54 , a pump 56 , and a filter 58 . The chemical liquid storage tank 52 stores a chemical liquid that can be used for processing the substrate W, a chemical liquid that can be used to clean a multi-channel valve described later, or a chemical liquid that can be used in combination with these. The valve 54 , the pump 56 and the filter 58 are respectively provided in the supply piping 59 which is a piping connected to the chemical solution storage tank 52 .

The chemical liquid stored in the chemical liquid storage tank 52 passes through the filter 58 and flows to the supply by the pump 56 which is also operated by the control of the control section 90 in a state in which the valve 54 of the adjustment switch is opened by the control of the control section 90. The inside of the piping 59 flows to the downstream fluid tank 60 and further to the processing unit 600A and the like.

In addition, the pure water as the flushing liquid supplied from the pure water supply source also flows into the supply piping 100 connected to the pure water supply source, to the downstream fluid tank 60, and further to the processing unit 600A and the like.

The supply piping 39 is also connected to a fluid tank other than the fluid tank 60 (eg, the fluid tank 70 or another fluid tank not shown), so that the chemical liquid in the chemical liquid storage tank 32 flows to each of the fluid tanks.

The supply piping 49 is also connected to a fluid tank other than the fluid tank 60 (eg, the fluid tank 70 or another fluid tank not shown), so that the chemical liquid in the chemical liquid storage tank 32 flows to each of the fluid tanks.

The supply piping 59 is also connected to a fluid tank other than the fluid tank 60 (for example, the fluid tank 70 or another fluid tank not shown), so that the chemical liquid in the chemical liquid storage tank 32 flows to each of the fluid tanks.

The supply piping 100 is also connected to a fluid tank other than the fluid tank 60 (eg, the fluid tank 70 or another fluid tank not shown), so that pure water as a flushing liquid flows to each of the fluid tanks.

The fluid tank 60 includes a supply valve 62A, a supply valve 62B, a supply valve 62C, a supply valve 62D, a connection pipe 64E, a connection pipe 64F, a connection pipe 64G, a connection valve 66E, a connection valve 66F, a connection valve 66G, a multi-channel valve 68, and an open Valve 65 , supply valve 67 , and drain valve 69 .

The supply valve 62A, the supply valve 62B, the supply valve 62C, and the supply valve 62D are valves provided in the respective pipes (eg, the supply piping 39, the supply piping 49, the supply piping 59, and the supply piping 100) connected from the upstream side.

The connection piping 64E is downstream of the supply valve 62A and the supply valve 62B, and spans the piping provided with the supply valve 62A and the piping provided with the supply valve 62B.

The connection piping 64F is downstream of the supply valve 62B and the supply valve 62C, and spans the piping provided with the supply valve 62B and the piping provided with the supply valve 62C.

The connection piping 64G is downstream of the supply valve 62C and the supply valve 62D, and spans the piping provided with the supply valve 62C and the piping provided with the supply valve 62D.

The connection valve 66E is a valve provided in the connection pipe 64E. The connection valve 66F is a valve provided in the connection pipe 64F. The connection valve 66G is a valve provided in the connection pipe 64G.

The multi-channel valve 68 can be connected to a plurality of pipes corresponding to each of the supply valve 62A, the supply valve 62B, the supply valve 62C, and the supply valve 62D, and at least one of the plurality of pipes is selected and flows to the downstream supply pipe Valve of 61.

The opening valve 65 is a valve provided in a pipe, and the pipe is branched downstream of the connecting valve in any pipe provided with a supply valve and upstream of the multi-channel valve 68 . The opening valve 65 is a valve for introducing air or an inert gas (eg, nitrogen) into the piping, or for suctioning the piping (ie, exhausting the piping).

The supply valve 67 is a valve of the supply pipe 61 provided downstream of the multi-channel valve 68 . The treatment liquid supplied from the multi-channel valve 68 is supplied to the treatment unit 600A in a state in which the supply valve 67 is opened under the control of the control unit 90 .

A drain valve 69 is a valve of the piping branched downstream of the multi-channel valve 68 in the supply piping 61 and upstream of the supply valve 67 . The drain valve 69 is a valve for draining the treatment liquid in the piping.

Here, the treatment liquid is not limited to the chemical liquid stored in the chemical liquid storage tank 32 , the chemical liquid storage tank 42 , and the chemical liquid storage tank 52 , but also includes, for example, a rinsing liquid such as pure water (DIW: Deionized Water), or the like. of the mixture.

The fluid tank 70 includes a supply valve 72A, a supply valve 72B, a supply valve 72C, a supply valve 72D, a connection pipe 74E, a connection pipe 74F, a connection pipe 74G, a connection valve 76E, a connection valve 76F, a connection valve 76G, a multi-channel valve 78, and an open Valve 75 , supply valve 77 , and drain valve 79 .

The supply valve 72A, the supply valve 72B, the supply valve 72C, and the supply valve 72D are valves provided in the respective pipes connected from the upstream side.

The connection piping 74E is downstream of the supply valve 72A and the supply valve 72B, and spans the piping provided with the supply valve 72A and the piping provided with the supply valve 72B.

The connection piping 74F is downstream of the supply valve 72B and the supply valve 72C, and spans the piping provided with the supply valve 72B and the piping provided with the supply valve 72C.

The connection piping 74G is downstream of the supply valve 72C and the supply valve 72D, and spans the piping provided with the supply valve 72C and the piping provided with the supply valve 72D.

The connection valve 76E is a valve provided in the connection pipe 74E. The connection valve 76F is a valve provided in the connection pipe 74F. The connection valve 76G is a valve provided in the connection pipe 74G.

The multi-channel valve 78 can be connected to a plurality of pipes corresponding to the supply valve 72A, the supply valve 72B, the supply valve 72C, and the supply valve 72D, respectively, and at least one of the plurality of pipes is selected and flows to the downstream supply pipe 71 valve.

The opening valve 75 is a valve provided in the piping, and the piping is branched downstream of the connecting valve in any piping provided with the supply valve and upstream of the multi-channel valve 78 . The open valve 75 is a valve for introducing air or an inert gas (eg, nitrogen) into the piping, or for suctioning the piping.

The supply valve 77 is a valve of the supply pipe 71 provided downstream of the multi-channel valve 78 . The processing liquid supplied from the multi-channel valve 78 is supplied to the processing unit 600B in a state in which the supply valve 77 is opened by the control of the control unit 90 .

The drain valve 79 is a valve provided in the piping branched downstream of the multi-channel valve 78 in the supply piping 71 and upstream of the supply valve 77 . The drain valve 79 is a valve for draining the treatment liquid in the piping.

The multi-channel valve 68 includes a connection portion 68A that is connected across a plurality of pipes (for example, the supply pipe 39, the supply pipe 49, the supply pipe 59, and the supply pipe 100) connected from the upstream side; a selection valve 68B, a selection valve 68C, The selector valve 68D and the selector valve 68E, which are equal to the upstream side of the connection portion 68A, are provided in each of the plurality of pipes; and the selector valve 68F, which is provided on the downstream side of the connection portion 68A, is provided in the supply pipe 61 connected to the connection portion 68A. .

In a state where at least one of the selection valve 68B, the selection valve 68C, the selection valve 68D, and the selection valve 68E, and the selection valve 68F of the multi-channel valve 68 are open, the processing liquid supplied from the upstream side is passed through the multi-channel valve 68 supplied to the processing unit 600A.

The multi-channel valve 78 includes a connection portion 78A connected across a plurality of pipes connected from the upstream side, and a selection valve 78B, a selection valve 78C, a selection valve 78D, and a selection valve 78E, which are provided on the upstream side of the connection portion 78A. In each of the plurality of pipes; and the selector valve 78F is provided on the supply pipe 71 connected to the connection portion 78A on the downstream side of the connection portion 78A.

In a state where at least one of the selection valve 78B, the selection valve 78C, the selection valve 78D, and the selection valve 78E, and the selection valve 78F of the multi-channel valve 78 are open, the processing liquid supplied from the upstream side is passed through the multi-channel valve 78 supplied to the processing unit 600B. Here, in the case where the multi-channel valve 68 is arranged such that a plurality of selection valves (ie, selection valve 68B, selection valve 68C, selection valve 68D, and selection valve 68E) are arranged in the vertical direction, it is desirable to supply the selection valve 68E with pure The pure water (DIW) of the water supply source.

The control unit 90 supplies the treatment liquid to the fluid tank by controlling the opening and closing of the valves in each cabinet and the output of the pump. In addition, the control unit 90 adjusts the flow rates of various treatment liquids supplied to the multi-channel valve 68 by controlling the switches of each valve in the fluid tank and the switches of each valve provided in the multi-channel valve 68, and supplies the treatment liquid to the corresponding The processing unit 600 supplies.

<About the processing unit> FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the processing unit 600 . As shown in FIG. 4 , the processing unit 600 includes: a spin chuck 10 that holds one substrate W in a substantially horizontal posture and rotates the substrate W around a vertical rotation axis Z1 passing through the center of the substrate W; a processing liquid nozzle 20 , which sprays the processing liquid to the substrate W; the nozzle arm 22 , which installs the processing liquid nozzle 20 at the end;

In the case of assuming a plurality of processing liquids, a plurality of processing liquid nozzles 20 may be provided corresponding to various processing liquids. The processing liquid nozzle 20 discharges the processing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate W. As shown in FIG.

The spin chuck 10 includes: a disk-shaped rotating base 10A for vacuum suctioning the lower surface of the substrate W in a substantially horizontal posture; a rotating shaft 10C extending downward from the center of the rotating base 10A; and a rotating motor 10D, By rotating the rotating shaft 10C, the substrate W attached to the rotating base 10A is rotated. In addition, instead of the spin chuck 10, a clamp-type chuck can be used. The clamp-type chuck is provided with a plurality of chuck pins protruding upward from the outer peripheral portion of the upper surface of the rotary base. The disk pin clamps the peripheral portion of the substrate W. As shown in FIG.

The nozzle arm 22 includes an arm portion 22A, a shaft body 22B, and an actuator 22C. The actuator 22C adjusts the angle around the axis of the shaft body 22B. One end of the arm portion 22A is fixed to the shaft body 22B, and the other end portion of the arm portion 22A is disposed apart from the shaft of the shaft body 22B. Moreover, the processing liquid nozzle 20 is attached to the other end part of 22 A of arm parts. Thereby, the process liquid nozzle 20 is comprised so that it can rock|fluctuate in the radial direction of the board|substrate W. In addition, the moving direction of the oscillating processing liquid nozzle 20 only needs to have a component in the radial direction of the substrate W, and does not need to be strictly parallel to the radial direction of the substrate W. As shown in FIG. Here, the nozzle arm 22 can also be raised and lowered in the vertical direction by a motor or the like not shown. In this case, the distance between the processing liquid nozzle 20 mounted on the end of the nozzle arm 22 and the upper surface of the substrate W can be adjusted by raising and lowering the nozzle arm 22 .

The control unit 90 controls the rotational speed of the rotary motor 10D, and discharges the processing liquid from the processing liquid nozzle 20 to the upper surface of the substrate W. As shown in FIG. In addition, the control unit 90 swings the processing liquid nozzle 20 on the upper surface of the substrate W by controlling the driving of the actuator 22C.

<About the operation of the substrate processing apparatus> Next, the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 .

The transfer robot 602 transfers the substrate W from the carrier C of the loading port 601 to the substrate placing portion 604 . The central robot 603 transfers the substrate W to one processing unit 600 from the substrate placement unit 604 . The processing unit 600 processes the substrate W. The central robot 603 transfers the substrate W from the processing unit 600 to the substrate placement portion 604 . The transfer robot 602 transfers the substrate W to the carrier C of the loading port 601 from the substrate placing portion 604 .

The above-mentioned processing of the substrate W is performed in a state where the substrate processing apparatus 1 is set to the substrate processing mode. In the substrate processing mode, firstly, under the control of the control unit 90, at least one of the cabinet 30, the cabinet 40, the cabinet 50 and the supply source of the processing liquid (including pure water) not shown is supplied for processing. The processing liquid for the substrate W.

Next, under the control of the control unit 90, in the fluid tank (here, the fluid tank 60) corresponding to the processing unit 600 (here, the processing unit 600A) that processes the substrate W, the fluid tank (here, the fluid tank 60) is opened and provided in the supply. The valve of at least one pipe (ie, at least one of the supply valve 62A, the supply valve 62B, the supply valve 62C, and the supply valve 62D) through which the treatment liquid flows, supplies the treatment liquid to the multi-channel valve 68 .

At this time, the connection valve 66E provided in the connection piping 64E, the connection valve 66F provided in the connection piping 64F, the connection valve 66G provided in the connection piping 64G, and the opening valve 65 are closed, respectively. However, as necessary, the valve 65 is opened to introduce air or an inert gas into the piping.

Next, under the control of the control unit 90, the switches of at least one of the selection valve 68B, the selection valve 68C, the selection valve 68D, the selection valve 68E, and the selection valve 68F are adjusted, and the processing liquid is supplied to the multi-channel valve through the connection part 68A. Downstream side of 68.

Next, under the control of the control unit 90, the supply valve 67 is opened to supply the treatment liquid to the corresponding treatment unit 600A. Among them, the liquid drain valve 69 discharges the processing liquid in the piping as necessary in order to adjust the processing liquid that can be used for processing the substrate W.

On the other hand, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can be switched to the cleaning mode, which is a mode for cleaning the piping structure including the multi-channel valve 68 and the like. As shown below, this switching is mainly performed by opening and closing the valve of the piping structure.

In the washing mode, at least one of the supply sources of the tank 30, the tank 40, the tank 50 and the supply source of the treatment liquid (including pure water) not shown is firstly supplied by the control unit 90 and can be used for washing. The processing liquid containing the piping structure of the multi-channel valve 68 is clean.

Next, under the control of the control unit 90, in the fluid tank to be cleaned (here, the fluid tank 60), the valve (ie, the supply valve) provided in at least one pipe through which the supplied treatment liquid flows is opened. 62A, at least one of the supply valve 62B, the supply valve 62C, and the supply valve 62D) to supply the treatment liquid to the multi-channel valve 68 .

At this time, the connection valve 66E provided in the connection piping 64E, the connection valve 66F provided in the connection piping 64F, and the connection valve 66G provided in the connection piping 64G are each opened. Therefore, the treatment liquid supplied to the fluid tank 60 can be simultaneously supplied to the selection valve 68B, the selection valve 68C, the selection valve 68D, and the selection valve 68E of the multi-channel valve 68 .

In addition, by closing at least one of the connection valve 66E, the connection valve 66F, and the connection pipe 64G, only the selection valve 68B, the selection valve 68C, the selection valve 68D, and the selection valve 68E of the multi-channel valve 68 may be cleaned. part.

In addition, under the control of the control unit 90, the switches of at least one of the selector valve 68B, selector valve 68C, selector valve 68D, selector valve 68E, and selector valve 68F are adjusted, and the treatment liquid is supplied to the multi-channel valve 68 via the connection unit 68A. downstream side.

Here, if at least one of the selection valve 68B, the selection valve 68C, the selection valve 68D, and the selection valve 68E located on the upstream side of the connection portion 68A, a sharp switch occurs due to the switching action (for example, repeated every 2 seconds). Changes in flow velocity may cause water hammer to vibrate the piping due to pressure fluctuations in the piping. In addition, there are cases in which cavitation due to foaming occurs due to pressure fluctuations in the pipe.

These phenomena can bring physical impact to the cleaning object in the cleaning mode, which can improve the cleaning effect.

In addition, under the control of the control unit 90 , the supply valve 67 is closed, and the drain valve 69 is opened, and the treatment liquid used for the cleaning of the multi-channel valve 68 is drained.

In addition, the treatment liquid flowing through the drain valve 69 can also be circulated to a chemical liquid storage tank for storing the same kind of treatment liquid or a supply source not shown. In this case, the amount of the treatment liquid used in the cleaning mode can be reduced.

In addition, the following method can be used: first, the cleaning in the above-mentioned cleaning mode is performed using a chemical solution, and then the used treatment solution is changed to pure water (DIW) for cleaning, and finally, the opening valve 65 is used to include the multi-channel valve 68. Suction inside the piping. Furthermore, after supplying the chemical solution, a cycle of supplying the flushing solution (pure water) and then pumping the inside of the piping may be repeated several times.

According to this method, the substance to be cleaned remaining in the piping is rinsed with the chemical solution and pure water, and the chemical solution and pure water that may contain the substance to be cleaned are sucked, thereby improving the cleaning effect. In addition, according to the experiments of the inventors, it was found that in the case where suction is performed after washing with the chemical solution and pure water, the chemical solution and the pure water are performed for a long time (for example, 24 hours) without suction. In the case of cleaning, cleaning with chemical solution and pure water is performed in a shorter time (eg, 2 hours to 6 hours), and the cleaning effect of suction after each cleaning is better.

As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can clean the piping structure including the multi-channel valve 68 in the cleaning mode. Thereby, the substances remaining in the piping to be cleaned can be removed, and in the substrate processing mode, the substrate processing can be performed while maintaining a state with less impurities in the processing liquid.

Here, the path formed in the cleaning mode to which the processing liquid is supplied is referred to as a cleaning path. In the above case, the cleaning path corresponds to the multi-channel valve in the fluid tank from any chemical liquid storage tank through the supply piping, and then to the place where the drain valve 69 (or the drain valve 79) located downstream of the multi-channel valve is arranged. The path to the end of the piping. By closing the supply valve 67 , a cleaning path from the chemical liquid storage tank to the multi-channel valve is formed as a path not including the processing liquid nozzle 20 .

In addition, the chemical liquid storage tank for storing the processing liquid that can be used for cleaning the piping structure in the cleaning mode can also be used as the chemical liquid storage tank for storing the processing liquid that can be used for substrate processing. Therefore, there is no need to provide a separate chemical liquid storage tank for storing the processing liquid that can be used for cleaning the piping structure. Furthermore, if a plurality of chemical liquid storage tanks are provided, a plurality of chemical liquids can be used for cleaning separately according to the substances to be cleaned.

Also, the multi-channel valves 68 in a plurality of fluid tanks may be cleaned at the same time. Thereby, the cleaning time can be shortened. In addition, by supplying different chemical liquids to the fluid tank, it is possible to effectively compare the effects of chemical liquids on objects to be cleaned, and the like.

In addition, if it is limited to only a part of the fluid tanks, the substrate processing is performed in the substrate processing mode in the other fluid tanks, so that the substrate processing apparatus 1 as a whole can perform cleaning without interrupting the substrate processing.

In addition, the supply pressure of the chemical solution in the cleaning mode can also be changed by adjusting the output of the pump in the cabinet, adjusting the opening and closing of the valve, and adjusting the opening and closing of the selection valve.

In addition, in the cleaning mode, the processing liquid nozzle 20 may be moved by the drive of the actuator 22C in such a manner that the processing liquid nozzle 20 is retracted from above the substrate W, but the processing liquid nozzle 20 may still be located above the substrate W. . In the cleaning mode, since the supply valve 67 is closed, the processing liquid used in the cleaning mode does not reach the processing unit 600 . Therefore, even if the processing liquid nozzle 20 is still positioned above the substrate W, the substrate W will not be contaminated by the processing liquid.

<About the modification of the structure of the substrate processing apparatus> FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a modification of the structure of the substrate processing apparatus 1A according to the present embodiment, which is connected to each processing unit 600 via piping.

In FIG. 5 , unlike the case of FIG. 3 , supply valves other than the supply valve 62D, connection pipes, and connection valves are not provided in the fluid tank 160 . Similarly, in the fluid tank 170, supply valves other than the supply valve 72D and connection valves are not provided. In addition, the supply valve 62D and the supply valve 72D may be provided on the upstream side of the corresponding fluid tank.

Instead, corresponding piping and valves are provided downstream of each tank and upstream of the fluid tank.

That is, a supply valve 162A is provided in the supply piping 39 downstream of the tank and upstream of the fluid tank, and a supply valve 162B is provided in the supply piping 49 downstream of the tank and upstream of the fluid tank. A supply valve 162C is provided in the supply piping 59 downstream and upstream of the fluid tank.

In addition, the connection piping 164E is provided downstream of the supply valve 162A and the supply valve 162B, and is provided across the piping provided with the supply valve 162A and the piping provided with the supply valve 162B.

Moreover, the connection piping 164F is provided downstream of the supply valve 162B and the supply valve 162C, and is provided astride the piping provided with the supply valve 162B, and the piping provided with the supply valve 162C.

Moreover, the connection piping 164G is provided downstream of the supply valve 162C, and is provided astride the piping provided with the supply valve 162C and the supply piping 100 .

Moreover, the connection valve 166E is provided in the connection piping 164E. Moreover, the connection valve 164F is provided in the connection piping 164F. The connection valve 166G is provided in the connection piping 164G.

In this configuration, as in the case of FIG. 3 , the substrate processing mode and the cleaning mode are switched, and processing is performed.

Specifically, in the substrate processing mode, under the control of the control unit 90, the valve (ie, the supply valve 162A) corresponding to the tank (here, the tank 30) that stores the processing liquid that can be used to process the substrate W is opened. , and supply the treatment liquid to the fluid tank 160 .

At this time, the connection valve 166E, the connection valve 166F and the connection valve 166G are respectively closed.

Next, under the control of the control unit 90, the supply valve 67 is opened to supply the treatment liquid to the corresponding treatment unit 600A.

On the other hand, in the cleaning mode, under the control of the control unit 90 , the tank corresponding to the tank (here, the tank 30 ) that stores the processing liquid that can be used to clean the piping structure including the multi-channel valve 68 is opened. The valve (ie, the supply valve 162A) supplies the treatment liquid to the fluid tank 160 .

At this time, the connection valve 166E, the connection valve 166F, and the connection valve 166G are opened, respectively. Therefore, the treatment liquid supplied to the fluid tank 160 can be simultaneously supplied to the selection valve 68B, the selection valve 68C, the selection valve 68D, and the selection valve 68E of the multi-channel valve 68 .

Next, under the control of the control unit 90 , the supply valve 67 is closed, and the drain valve 69 is opened, and the treatment liquid that can be used for cleaning the multi-channel valve 68 is drained.

As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1A can clean the piping structure including the multi-channel valve 68 in the cleaning mode.

Furthermore, in addition to the effects exhibited by the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 3 , by arranging the connection piping and the connection valve on the upstream side of each fluid tank, compared with the case where these structures are provided in each fluid tank , the structure can be simplified.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another modification of the structure of the substrate processing apparatus 1B according to the present embodiment, which is connected to each processing unit 600 via piping. In addition, in FIG. 6, about the structure similar to the structure shown in FIG. 3, a part of illustration is abbreviate|omitted.

6 is different from the case of FIG. 3 , in the piping provided with any one of the supply valves in the fluid tank 260 (ie, any one of the supply valve 62A, the supply valve 62B, the supply valve 62C, and the supply valve 62D) Downstream, a supply piping 239 for supplying a chemical solution used for cleaning the piping structure is connected. Likewise, downstream of the piping provided with any one of the supply valves in the fluid tank 270 (ie, any one of the supply valve 72A, the supply valve 72B, the supply valve 72C, and the supply valve 72D), there is connected a pipe for supplying the washing machine The supply piping 239 of the chemical solution used in the clean piping structure. In addition, the supply piping 239 may be a piping connected upstream of each fluid tank.

In addition, the supply piping 239 is connected to the washing tank 230 on the upstream side. The cleaning cabinet 230 includes a chemical liquid storage tank 232 , a valve 234 , a pump 236 , and a filter 238 . In the chemical liquid storage tank 232, a chemical liquid that can be used for cleaning the piping structure including the multi-channel valve is stored. The valve 234 , the pump 236 and the filter 238 are respectively provided in the supply piping 239 , which is a piping connected to the chemical solution storage tank 232 .

The chemical liquid stored in the chemical liquid storage tank 232 passes through the filter 238 and flows to the supply by the pump 236 which is also operated by the control of the control section 90 in a state in which the valve 234 of the adjustment switch is opened by the control of the control section 90. The inside of the piping 239 flows to the downstream fluid tank 260 . Furthermore, by opening the supply valve 240 in the fluid tank 260 (or the supply valve 241 in the fluid tank 270 ), the multi-channel valve 68 (or the multi-channel valve 78 ) is supplied with the chemical solution.

In addition, in the fluid tank 260, a circulation pipe 264, which is a pipe branched from the pipe provided with the drain valve 69, is provided. A circulation valve 262 is provided in the circulation piping 264, and the opening and closing operations of the drain valve 69 and the circulation valve 262 are controlled by the control of the control unit 90, whereby it is possible to select whether to drain or circulate the chemical solution that can be used for cleaning.

Similarly, the fluid tank 270 is provided with a circulation pipe 274 which is a branched pipe from the pipe provided with the drain valve 79 . A circulation valve 272 is provided in the circulation piping 274, and the opening and closing operations of the drain valve 79 and the circulation valve 272 are controlled by the control of the control unit 90, whereby it is possible to select whether to drain or circulate the chemical solution that can be used for cleaning.

As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1B can clean the piping structure including the multi-channel valve 68 in the cleaning mode.

Furthermore, in addition to the effect exhibited by the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 3 , by providing a dedicated chemical solution storage tank 232 for storing a chemical solution that can be used for cleaning the piping structure including the multi-channel valve, it is also possible to use a chemical solution for cleaning. The type and concentration of the chemical solution do not depend on the substrate processing. Therefore, the degree of freedom of the medicinal solution to be supplied is improved.

Here, in the above-mentioned cleaning mode, the multi-channel valve, which is the object to be cleaned, may be removed from the fluid tank, and other parts may be cleaned.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the cabinet 330 configured to accommodate the multi-channel valve 68 removed in the washing mode.

As shown in FIG. 7 , the tank 330 includes a chemical liquid storage tank 332, a valve 331, a valve 333, a valve 334, a valve 335, a pump 336, an opening valve 337, a filter 338, a supply piping 339, a circulation piping 402, a supply piping 404, Supply piping 406 , supply piping 408 , supply piping 410 , supply piping 414 , and connecting piping 412 .

The chemical solution storage tank 332 stores a chemical solution that can be used to process the substrate W, a chemical solution that can be used to clean the multi-channel valve 68 , or pure water that can be used to clean the multi-channel valve 68 . The chemical solution is supplied from the chemical solution supply source by opening the valve 331 , and pure water is supplied from the pure water supply source by opening the valve 333 .

The valve 335 , the opening valve 337 , the pump 336 and the filter 338 are respectively provided in the supply piping 414 connected from the chemical liquid storage tank 332 to the multi-channel valve 68 . Moreover, the valve 334 is provided in the circulation piping 402 branched from the supply piping 414 upstream of the valve 335. The circulation piping 402 circulates the chemical liquid flowing through the supply piping 414 to the chemical liquid storage tank 332 .

The supply piping 404, the supply piping 406, the supply piping 408, and the supply piping 410 branched from the supply piping 414 are connected to the upstream side of the mounted multi-channel valve 68, and the supply piping 404, the supply piping 406, and the supply piping 408 are connected across the And the supply piping 410 is provided with the connecting piping 412 .

Moreover, the piping 340 which drains or circulates the process liquid used for washing|cleaning the multi-channel valve 68 is connected to the downstream side of the multi-channel valve 68 mounted.

In the substrate processing mode, when the valve 335 is closed and the valve 334 is opened, the chemical solution for processing the substrate W is supplied from the chemical solution storage tank 332 to the downstream fluid through the supply piping 414 , the circulation piping 402 and the supply piping 339 . box. At this time, the multi-channel valve 68 is mounted in the downstream fluid tank.

On the other hand, in the cleaning mode, in the state where the valve 334 is closed and the valve 335 is opened, the chemical solution for cleaning the multi-channel valve 68 is sent from the chemical solution storage tank 332 through the supply piping 414, the connecting piping 412, and the supply piping. 404 , the supply piping 406 , the supply piping 408 , and the supply piping 410 are supplied to the multi-channel valve 68 . After that, the chemical liquid is drained or recovered from the piping 340 connected downstream of the multi-channel valve 68 .

Furthermore, in the cleaning mode, the pure water for cleaning the multi-channel valve 68 may be supplied from the chemical solution storage tank 332 through the supply piping 414, the connecting piping 412, and the The piping 404 , the supply piping 406 , the supply piping 408 , and the supply piping 410 are supplied to the multi-channel valve 68 . In addition, after that, it is also possible to use the open valve 337 to perform suction in the piping including the multi-channel valve 68 .

As described above, in the tank 330 in the cleaning mode, the piping structure including the multi-channel valve 68 can be cleaned.

Furthermore, in addition to the effect exhibited by the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 3 , by removing the multi-channel valve 68 and disposing it near the chemical liquid storage tank 332 , even if the structure of the substrate processing apparatus is diverted, it can be used for cleaning The piping structure is shortened and simplified, and the time for cleaning is shortened.

Here, the cleaning unit, which is a dedicated unit for cleaning the multi-channel valve, may be provided separately from the substrate processing apparatus.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the cleaning unit 80 configured to accommodate the multi-channel valve 68 .

As illustrated in FIG. 8 , the cleaning unit 80 includes a chemical solution tank 82 , a valve 81 , a valve 83 , a valve 84 , a valve 85 , a pump 86 , an open valve 87 , a filter 88 , an open valve 89 , a supply pipe 502 , and a circulation pipe 514 , supply piping 506 , supply piping 508 , supply piping 510 , supply piping 512 , connecting piping 504 , and drain piping 516 .

In the chemical liquid storage tank 82, a chemical liquid that can be used for cleaning the multi-channel valve 68 is stored. The chemical liquid is supplied to the multi-channel valve 68 by opening the valve 81 . In addition, the pure water is supplied to the multi-channel valve 68 from the pure water supply source by opening the valve 83 .

The opening valve 87 , the pump 86 , and the filter 88 are respectively provided in the supply piping 502 for supplying the chemical solution or pure water to the mounted multi-channel valve 68 . Here, the open valve 87 can be used for suction in the piping.

Supply piping 506, supply piping 508, supply piping 510, and supply piping 512 branched from supply piping 502 are connected to the upstream side of the mounted multi-channel valve 68, and are connected across supply piping 506, supply piping 508, and supply piping 510. And the supply piping 512 is provided with the connecting piping 504 .

Further, downstream of the mounted multi-channel valve 68, a valve 85 is provided in the drain pipe 516 for draining the processing liquid that can be used for cleaning the multi-channel valve 68, A valve 84 is provided in the circulation piping 514 for circulating the chemical liquid to the chemical liquid storage tank 82 . Here, the open valve 89 can be used for suction in the piping downstream of the multi-channel valve 68 .

In the cleaning unit 80, a cleaning path for cleaning the mounted multi-channel valve 68 is formed by cleaning piping. Here, in the example of FIG. 8 , the cleaning piping includes piping from the chemical solution storage tank 82 to the downstream side to the supply piping 502 , and further to the supply piping 506 , the supply piping 508 , the supply piping 510 , and the supply piping 512 , and the self-medication. The liquid storage tank 82 reaches the piping of the circulation piping 514 and the drain piping 516 on the upstream side. The cleaning piping is configured to be detachable from the multi-channel valve 68 .

Further, downstream of the mounted multi-channel valve 68, a valve 85 is provided in the drain piping 516 for draining the processing liquid that can be used for cleaning the multi-channel valve 68, A valve 84 is provided in the circulation piping 514 of the chemical liquid of 68 to the chemical liquid storage tank 82 . Here, the open valve 89 is used for suction in the piping downstream of the multi-channel valve 68 .

When the multi-channel valve 68 is cleaned using the cleaning unit 80 , the chemical solution and, if necessary, pure water is supplied to the multi-channel valve 68 from the chemical solution storage tank 82 . Then, when the chemical solution that can be used for cleaning is circulated to the chemical solution storage tank 82, the valve 84 is opened and the valve 85 is closed. On the other hand, when the chemical solution or pure water that can be used for cleaning is to be drained, the valve 84 is closed and the valve 85 is opened.

In particular, after cleaning of the chemical solution and further cleaning with pure water, suction in the piping is performed by the open valve 87 and the open valve 89 on both the upstream side and the downstream side of the multi-channel valve 68, and suction is performed. The cleaning effect can be improved by absorbing medicinal liquid or pure water that may contain the substance to be washed. Moreover, by repeating this cycle a plurality of times, the cleaning effect can be improved.

As described above, by using the cleaning unit 80, the piping structure including the multi-channel valve 68 can be cleaned.

Furthermore, in addition to the effect exhibited by the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 3 , since the multi-channel valve 68 is removed and cleaning is performed in the cleaning unit 80 provided for cleaning the multi-channel valve 68, the cleaning used for cleaning The type and concentration of the chemical solution do not depend on the substrate processing. Therefore, the degree of freedom of the medicinal solution to be supplied is improved.

<About the effects produced by the above-described embodiment> Next, an example of the effect produced by the embodiment described above is shown. In addition, in the following description, although this effect is described based on the specific structure exemplified in the above-described embodiment, it can be replaced with another specific structure exemplified in the present specification within the scope of producing the same effect. That is, in the following, for the sake of convenience, only one of the specific configurations corresponding to the representative description may be described, but the specific configuration of the representative description may be replaced with other specific configurations corresponding to each other.

According to the embodiment described above, the substrate processing apparatus includes the tank for supplying the chemical solution, the multi-channel valve 68 (or the multi-channel valve 78 ), and the processing solution nozzle 20 . Here, the storage tank corresponds to, for example, at least one of the chemical liquid storage tank 32 , the chemical liquid storage tank 42 , the chemical liquid storage tank 52 , the chemical liquid storage tank 232 , the chemical liquid storage tank 332 , and the like. The multi-channel valve 68 supplies a plurality of processing liquids for processing the substrate W. In addition, the multi-channel valve 68 selectively supplies at least one of a plurality of treatment liquids. The processing liquid nozzle 20 processes the substrate W using the processing liquid supplied from the multi-channel valve 68 . Here, the substrate processing apparatus can switch between a substrate processing mode for processing the substrate W and a cleaning mode for cleaning at least the multi-channel valve 68 . In the substrate processing mode, the substrate W is processed by the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle 20 . In the cleaning mode, the chemical liquid is supplied from the chemical liquid storage tank 32 to the multi-channel valve 68 in the cleaning path that does not pass through the processing liquid nozzle 20 but passes through the path of the chemical liquid storage tank 32 and the multi-channel valve 68 .

According to such a configuration, the multi-channel valve 68 can be cleaned efficiently by supplying the chemical liquid to the cleaning path that does not pass through the processing liquid nozzle 20 . In addition, since the cleaning path does not include the processing liquid nozzle 20, the chemical liquid is not ejected from the processing liquid nozzle 20 in the cleaning mode, and the substrate W is not contaminated by the chemical liquid.

In addition, the same effect can be produced even when other structures illustrated in the present specification are appropriately added to the above-mentioned structures, that is, when other structures in the present specification that are not mentioned as the above-mentioned structures are appropriately added.

Moreover, according to the embodiment described above, the chemical liquid is one of a plurality of treatment liquids. According to such a configuration, since the chemical solution supplied from the chemical solution storage tank that can be used for processing the substrate W can be diverted to the cleaning multi-channel valve 68 , there is no need to prepare a separate chemical solution storage tank for cleaning the multi-channel valve 68 .

Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus includes: a plurality of supply pipes to which the chemical solution is supplied to a position downstream of the chemical solution storage tank 32 in the cleaning path and upstream of the multi-channel valve 68; and at least one The connecting pipe is connected across the plurality of supply pipes. Here, the supply piping corresponds to, for example, supply piping 39, supply piping 49, supply piping 59, supply piping 100, supply piping 404, supply piping 406, supply piping 408, supply piping 410, and the like. The connection piping corresponds to, for example, connection piping 64E, connection piping 64F, connection piping 64G, connection piping 74E, connection piping 74F, connection piping 74G, connection piping 164E, connection piping 164F, connection piping 164G, connection piping 412, and the like. According to such a configuration, the chemical solution can be simultaneously supplied to the plurality of supply pipes connected to the multi-channel valve 68 via the connection pipes. Therefore, a plurality of supply pipes connected to the multi-channel valve 68 can be cleaned at the same time, and the cleaning time can be shortened.

Moreover, according to the embodiment described above, the connection piping is accommodated in the case (for example, the fluid tank 60 , the fluid tank 70 , the tank 330 , etc.) that accommodates the multi-channel valve 68 . According to such a configuration, the substrate processing mode and the cleaning mode can be switched to perform processing for each fluid tank 60 . Therefore, as a whole of the substrate processing apparatus 1, the interruption time of the substrate processing can be shortened.

Moreover, according to the embodiment described above, the connection piping 412 is accommodated in the tank 330 that accommodates the chemical solution storage tank 332 and the multi-channel valve 68 . According to such a configuration, the multi-channel valve 68 , the chemical liquid storage tank 332 , and the connection piping 412 are accommodated in the cabinet 330 , so that even if the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus is used, the piping structure for cleaning can be shortened and Simplified, shortening the time for cleaning.

Moreover, according to the above-described embodiment, the multi-channel valve 68 includes a plurality of selector valves for opening and closing each of the plurality of supply pipes. Here, the selection valve is, for example, selection valve 68B, selection valve 68C, selection valve 68D, selection valve 68E, selection valve 68F, selection valve 78B, selection valve 78C, selection valve 78D, selection valve 78E, selection valve 78F, etc. At least 1 counterpart.

In the cleaning mode, at least one of the plurality of supply pipes is opened and closed by the corresponding selection valve. According to such a configuration, if a rapid change in flow rate occurs due to the opening and closing operation of the selector valve, there may be cases where a water hammer occurs that causes the piping to vibrate due to the pressure change in the pipe. In addition, there are cases in which cavitation due to foaming occurs due to pressure fluctuations in the pipe. By these phenomena, a physical impact is given to the cleaning object, and the cleaning effect can be improved.

Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, in the cleaning mode, the chemical solution circulates in the cleaning path. According to such a configuration, the amount of the chemical solution used for cleaning can be reduced.

Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus includes: a rinsing liquid supply source (eg, a pure water supply source) for supplying the rinsing liquid; Here, the suction part corresponds to at least one of the open valve 65 , the open valve 75 , the open valve 337 , and the like, for example. In the cleaning mode, after the chemical liquid in the cleaning path is circulated, the flushing liquid is supplied to the multi-channel valve 68 , and then the valve 65 is opened to suck in the multi-channel valve 68 . According to this configuration, the substance to be cleaned remaining in the piping is flushed with the chemical solution and pure water, and the chemical solution and pure water that may contain the substance to be cleaned are further suctioned, thereby improving the cleaning effect.

Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, in the cleaning mode, the circulation of the chemical solution in the cleaning path, the supply of the rinse solution after the cycle of the chemical solution, and the pumping in the multi-channel valve 68 after the supply of the rinse solution are repeated several times. Suck. According to such a configuration, by repeating the circulation of the chemical solution and the pure water remaining in the piping by rinsing the substance to be cleaned by the chemical solution and the pure water, and by suctioning the chemical solution and the pure water that may contain the substance to be cleaned, the cleaning can be improved. net effect.

Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, in the cleaning mode, the supply pressure of the chemical solution is changed. According to such a configuration, if a rapid change in flow velocity occurs, there is a case where a water hammer that causes the piping to vibrate due to the pressure change in the pipe is generated. In addition, there are cases in which cavitation due to foaming occurs due to pressure fluctuations in the pipe. By these phenomena, a physical impact is given to the cleaning object, and the cleaning effect can be improved.

According to the above-described embodiment, the cleaning unit includes the storage tank for supplying the chemical solution and the cleaning piping. Here, the storage tank corresponds to, for example, the chemical liquid storage tank 82 or the like. The cleaning piping forms a cleaning path, which is a path for cleaning at least the multi-channel valve 68 . The cleaning path passes through the chemical liquid storage tank 82 . In the cleaning path, the multi-channel valve 68 is cleaned by the chemical solution supplied from the chemical solution storage tank 82 . In addition, the wash piping can be attached to and detached from the multi-channel valve 68 .

According to such a configuration, the multi-channel valve 68 can be cleaned efficiently by supplying the chemical solution to the cleaning path. In addition, since the multi-channel valve 68 is removed and cleaning is performed in the cleaning unit 80 provided for cleaning the multi-channel valve 68, the type and concentration of the chemical solution used for cleaning do not depend on the substrate processing. Therefore, the degree of freedom of the medicinal solution to be supplied is improved.

In addition, in the case of no particular limitation, the order of performing each process can be changed.

In addition, the same effect can be produced even when other structures illustrated in the description of the present application are appropriately added to the above-mentioned structures, that is, other structures in the description of the present application that are not mentioned as the above-mentioned structures are appropriately added.

Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, the cleaning unit includes a plurality of supply piping 506 (or supply piping 508, supply piping 510, and supply piping 512) which are equal to the downstream of the chemical solution storage tank 82 in the cleaning path and have multiple channels. The position upstream of the valve 68 is supplied with the chemical solution; and at least one connection pipe 504 is connected across the plurality of supply pipes. According to such a configuration, the chemical solution can be simultaneously supplied to the plurality of supply pipes connected to the multi-channel valve 68 via the connection pipes. Thereby, a plurality of supply pipes connected to the multi-channel valve 68 can be cleaned at the same time, and the cleaning time can be shortened.

Moreover, according to the above-described embodiment, the multi-channel valve 68 includes a plurality of selector valves for opening and closing each of the plurality of supply pipes. And, at least one of the plurality of supply pipes is opened and closed by the corresponding selection valve. According to such a configuration, if a rapid change in flow rate occurs due to the opening and closing operation of the selector valve, there may be cases where a water hammer occurs that causes the piping to vibrate due to the pressure change in the pipe. In addition, there are cases in which cavitation due to foaming occurs due to pressure fluctuations in the pipe. By these phenomena, a physical impact is given to the cleaning object, and the cleaning effect can be improved.

Moreover, according to the embodiment described above, the chemical solution is circulated in the cleaning path. According to such a configuration, the amount of the chemical solution used for cleaning can be reduced.

Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, the cleaning unit includes a rinse liquid supply source (eg, a pure water supply source) for supplying the rinse liquid, and a suction unit that performs suction in the multi-channel valve 68 . Here, the suction part corresponds to at least one of the open valve 87, the open valve 89, and the like, for example. After the chemical liquid in the cleaning path is circulated, the flushing liquid is supplied to the multi-channel valve 68 , and then the multi-channel valve 68 is sucked by opening the valve 87 . According to this configuration, the substance to be cleaned remaining in the piping is flushed with the chemical solution and pure water, and the chemical solution and pure water that may contain the substance to be cleaned are further suctioned, thereby improving the cleaning effect.

Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, the circulation of the chemical solution in the cleaning path, the supply of the rinse solution after the cycle of the chemical solution, and the suction in the multi-channel valve 68 after the supply of the rinse solution are repeated a plurality of times. According to such a configuration, by repeating the circulation of the chemical solution and the pure water remaining in the piping by rinsing the substance to be cleaned by the chemical solution and the pure water, and by suctioning the chemical solution and the pure water that may contain the substance to be cleaned, the cleaning can be improved. net effect.

<About the modification of the above-mentioned embodiment> In the above-described embodiments, the dimensions, shapes, relative arrangement relationships, and implementation conditions of the respective constituent elements are also described, but these are all examples and are not limited.

Therefore, innumerable variations and equivalents that are not illustrated are assumed within the technical scope disclosed in the present specification. For example, the case where at least one constituent element is changed, the case where it is added, or the case where it is omitted is included.

In addition, in the embodiment described above, when the material name or the like is not specifically described, as long as there is no conflict, other additives, such as alloys, are included in the material.

1: Substrate processing device 1A: Substrate processing device 1B: Substrate processing device 10: Rotary chuck 10A: Rotary abutment 10C: Rotary axis 10D: Rotary Motor 12: Processing Cups 20: Treatment fluid nozzle 22: Nozzle Arm 22A: Arm 22B: Shaft body 22C: Actuator 30: Cabinets 32: Liquid storage tank 34: Valve 36: Pump 38: Filter 39: Supply piping 40: Cabinets 42: Liquid storage tank 44: Valve 46: Pump 48: Filter 49: Supply piping 50: Cabinets 52: Liquid storage tank 54: Valve 56: Pump 58: Filter 59: Supply piping 60: Fluid tank 61: Supply piping 62A: Supply valve 62B: Supply valve 62C: Supply valve 62D: Supply valve 64E: Connecting piping 64F: Connecting piping 64G: Connecting piping 65: Open valve 66E: Connection valve 66F: Connection valve 66G: Connection valve 67: Supply valve 68: Multi-channel valve 68A: Connector 68B: Select Valve 68C: Select Valve 68D: Select Valve 68E: Select valve 68F: Select Valve 69: Drain valve 70: Fluid tank 71: Supply piping 72A: Supply valve 72B: Supply valve 72C: Supply valve 72D: Supply valve 74E: Connecting piping 74F: Connecting Piping 74G: Connecting Piping 75: Open valve 76E: Connection valve 76F: Connection valve 76G: Connection valve 77: Supply valve 78: Multi-channel valve 78A: Connector 78B: Select Valve 78C: Select Valve 78D: Select Valve 78E: Select Valve 78F: Select Valve 79: Drain valve 80: washing unit 81: Valve 82: Liquid storage tank 83: Valve 84: Valve 85: Valve 86: Pump 87: Open valve 88: Filter 89: Open valve 90: Control Department 91:CPU 92:ROM 93: RAM 94: Recording device 94P: Handler 95: bus wire 96: Input section 97: Display part 98: Ministry of Communications 100: Supply piping 160: Fluid Tank 162A: Supply valve 162B: Supply valve 162C: Supply valve 164E: Connecting Piping 164F: Connecting Piping 164G: Connecting Piping 166E: Connection valve 166F: Connection valve 166G: Connection valve 170: Fluid Tank 180: Chamber 230: Wash Cabinet 232: Liquid storage tank 234: Valve 236: Pump 238: Filter 239: Supply piping 240: Supply valve 241: Supply valve 260: Fluid Tank 262: Circulation valve 264: Circulation piping 270: Fluid Tank 272: Circulation valve 274: Circulation piping 330: Cabinets 331: Valve 332: Liquid storage tank 333: Valve 334: Valve 335: Valve 336: Pump 337: Open valve 338: Filter 339: Supply piping 340: Piping 402: Circulation piping 404: Supply piping 406: Supply piping 408: Supply piping 410: Supply piping 412: Connecting piping 414: Supply piping 502: Supply piping 504: Connecting Piping 506: Supply piping 508: Supply piping 510: Supply piping 512: Supply piping 514: Circulation piping 516: Drain piping 600: Processing unit 600A: Processing unit 600B: Processing Unit 601: Loadport 602: Carrier Manipulator 603: Center Robot 604: Substrate mounting part C: carrier W: substrate Z1: Rotation axis

FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a configuration example of a substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the control unit illustrated in FIG. 1 . FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a structure in which each processing unit is connected via piping in the structure of the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a processing unit. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a modification of the structure connected to each processing unit via piping in the structure of the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another modification of the structure connected to each processing unit via piping in the structure of the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a cabinet configured to accommodate the multi-channel valve removed in the washing mode. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a cleaning unit configured to accommodate a multi-channel valve.

1: Substrate processing device

30: Cabinets

32: Liquid storage tank

34: Valve

36: Pump

38: Filter

39: Supply piping

40: Cabinets

42: Liquid storage tank

44: Valve

46: Pump

48: Filter

49: Supply piping

50: Cabinets

52: Liquid storage tank

54: Valve

56: Pump

58: Filter

59: Supply piping

60: Fluid tank

61: Supply piping

62A: Supply valve

62B: Supply valve

62C: Supply valve

62D: Supply valve

64E: Connecting piping

64F: Connecting piping

64G: Connecting piping

65: Open valve

66E: Connection valve

66F: Connection valve

66G: Connection valve

67: Supply valve

68: Multi-channel valve

68A: Connector

68B: Select Valve

68C: Select Valve

68D: Select Valve

68E: Select valve

68F: Select Valve

69: Drain valve

70: Fluid tank

71: Supply piping

72A: Supply valve

72B: Supply valve

72C: Supply valve

72D: Supply valve

74E: Connecting piping

74F: Connecting Piping

74G: Connecting Piping

75: Open valve

76E: Connection valve

76F: Connection valve

76G: Connection valve

77: Supply valve

78: Multi-channel valve

78A: Connector

78B: Select Valve

78C: Select Valve

78D: Select Valve

78E: Select Valve

78F: Select Valve

79: Drain valve

100: Supply piping

600A: Processing unit

600B: Processing Unit

Claims (17)

A substrate processing apparatus comprising: A storage tank, which is used to supply the medicinal liquid; A multi-channel valve, which is supplied with a plurality of processing liquids for processing the substrate, and can selectively supply at least one of the plurality of above-mentioned processing liquids; and a processing liquid nozzle for processing the substrate using the processing liquid supplied from the multi-channel valve; and A substrate processing mode for processing the substrate and a cleaning mode for cleaning at least the multi-channel valve can be switched; In the substrate processing mode, the substrate is processed by the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle; and In the cleaning mode, the chemical solution is supplied from the storage tank to the multi-channel valve in a cleaning path that passes through the path of the storage tank and the multi-channel valve without passing through the processing liquid nozzle. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein The above-mentioned chemical liquid is one of a plurality of the above-mentioned treatment liquids. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein The position downstream of the storage tank in the cleaning path and upstream of the multi-channel valve is further provided with: a plurality of supply pipes, which are supplied with the above-mentioned chemical solution; and At least one connection pipe is connected across the plurality of supply pipes. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein The said connection piping is accommodated in the case which accommodates the said multi-channel valve. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein The said connection piping is accommodated in the case which accommodates the said storage tank and the said multi-channel valve. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein The multi-channel valve includes a plurality of selector valves for opening and closing each of the plurality of supply pipes, In the cleaning mode, at least one of the plurality of supply pipes is opened and closed by the corresponding selector valve. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein In the cleaning mode, the chemical solution circulates in the cleaning path. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 7, further comprising: a flushing fluid supply for supplying flushing fluid; and a suction part, which performs suction in the above-mentioned multi-channel valve; and In the cleaning mode, after the chemical solution circulates in the cleaning path, the flushing solution is supplied to the multi-channel valve, and the inside of the multi-channel valve is sucked by the suction part. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 8, wherein In the cleaning mode, the circulation of the chemical solution in the cleaning path, the supply of the rinse solution after the cycle of the chemical solution, and the suction in the multi-channel valve after the supply of the rinse solution are repeated several times. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein In the cleaning mode, the supply pressure of the chemical solution fluctuates. A cleaning unit comprising: Reservoirs for supplying medicinal liquids; and a cleaning pipe for forming a cleaning path, which is a path for cleaning at least the multi-channel valve; and The multi-channel valve is supplied with a plurality of treatment liquids, and can selectively supply at least one of the plurality of treatment liquids; The cleaning path passes through the storage tank; The multi-channel valve is cleaned in the cleaning path by the chemical solution supplied from the storage tank; The said cleaning piping is attachable and detachable with respect to the said multi-channel valve. The cleaning unit of claim 11, wherein In a position downstream of the storage tank in the cleaning path and upstream of the multi-channel valve, further comprising: a plurality of supply pipes, which are supplied with the above-mentioned chemical solution; and At least one connection pipe is connected across the plurality of supply pipes. The cleaning unit of claim 12, wherein The multi-channel valve includes a plurality of selector valves for opening and closing each of the plurality of supply pipes, and At least one of the plurality of supply pipes is opened and closed by the corresponding selector valve. The cleaning unit of any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein The above-mentioned chemical solution circulates in the above-mentioned cleaning path. The cleaning unit of any one of claims 11 to 13, further comprising: a flushing fluid supply for supplying flushing fluid; and a suction part, which performs suction in the above-mentioned multi-channel valve; and After the chemical liquid circulates in the cleaning path, the flushing liquid is supplied to the multi-channel valve, and the inside of the multi-channel valve is sucked by the suction part. The cleaning unit of claim 15, wherein The circulation of the chemical solution in the cleaning path, the supply of the rinse solution after the cycle of the chemical solution, and the suction in the multi-channel valve after the supply of the rinse solution are repeated a plurality of times. A multi-channel valve cleaning method, which is connected to a multi-channel valve cleaning device of a substrate processing apparatus in a state in which a plurality of processing liquids for processing a substrate are supplied, and at least one of the plurality of above-mentioned processing liquids can be selectively supplied clean, and The above-mentioned substrate processing apparatus includes: Reservoirs for supplying medicinal liquids; and a processing liquid nozzle for processing the substrate using the processing liquid supplied from the multi-channel valve; and The substrate processing apparatus can switch between a substrate processing mode for processing the substrate and a cleaning mode for cleaning at least the multi-channel valve; In the substrate processing mode, the substrate is processed by the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle; In the cleaning mode, the chemical solution is supplied from the storage tank to the multi-channel valve in a cleaning path that does not pass through the processing liquid nozzle but passes through the storage tank and the multi-channel valve; and In the above-mentioned cleaning mode, a step of cleaning the above-mentioned multi-channel valve is provided.

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