TW202236479A - Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention comprises: a support tray that is a flat plate shape and supports a lower surface of a substrate in a horizontal position; a container body in which a processing space that can accommodate the support tray supporting the substrate is provided, and in which an opening that is in communication with the processing space and is for allowing the support tray to pass through is provided in the rear; a lid part that is provided so as to be able to block the opening while retaining the support tray; and a vertical movement mechanism that, by causing the lid part to move relative to the container body in a vertical direction, adjusts the vertical direction relative location of the substrate supported by the support tray, said relative location being relative to the processing space.

Description

Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

The present invention relates to a substrate processing technology for accommodating a substrate in a processing space of a container body and supplying a processing fluid toward the processing space to process the substrate.

All disclosures in the specification, drawings, and patent claims of the Japanese application shown below are incorporated into this specification by reference: Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-197880 (applied on November 30, 2020).

The processing steps of various substrates such as semiconductor substrates and glass substrates for display devices include the process of processing the substrates with various processing fluids. In order to effectively utilize the treatment fluid and prevent it from escaping to the outside, such treatment is sometimes carried out in an airtight treatment container. In this case, the processing container is provided with a container body and a cover, the container body has an opening for loading and unloading the substrate, and a processing space for accommodating the substrate in a horizontal posture, and the cover closes the opening. To ensure the airtightness of the internal space. For example, in the processing apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-039040, a substrate (wafer) to be processed is carried into a processing container while being placed on a flat plate-shaped holder integrated with a cover ( In the processing area (equivalent to the "processing space" of the present invention) corresponding to the "container body" of the present invention. And, the supercritical fluid is supplied from one side of the substrate to the other side of the substrate in such a manner that a laminar flow is formed on the upper surface of the substrate. Thereby, the laminar flow of the supercritical fluid passes over the fine pattern formed on the upper surface of the substrate. When the laminar flow passes, the processing liquid held between the fine patterns is stirred, so that the processing liquid and the supercritical fluid can be replaced efficiently. In addition, since the processing fluid flows in one direction on the upper surface of the substrate, the particles removed from the substrate can be prevented from reattaching to the substrate.

However, in the device thus constituted, the processing space is designed in such a manner that it is formed slightly larger than the outer contours of the substrate and the holder. That is to say, in the vertical direction, the gap between the upper surface of the substrate accommodated in the processing space and the top surface of the processing space facing the upper surface of the substrate is limited to less than a few mm. Therefore, the amount of treatment fluid used can be reduced to improve treatment efficiency. On the other hand, even if the aforesaid gap in the vertical direction is only slightly smaller than the optimal value, the flow rate and flow rate of the processing fluid supplied to the upper surface of the substrate will still be greatly reduced. As a result, the above-mentioned replacement becomes incomplete, resulting in a decrease in the quality of substrate processing.

The present invention has been made in view of the aforementioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to improve the quality of the aforementioned processing in a substrate processing technique in which a substrate is accommodated in a horizontal posture and processed in a processing space.

One aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus, which is characterized in that it includes: a flat support tray that supports the lower surface of the substrate in a horizontal posture; The processing space, and the opening communicating with the processing space and used to allow the support tray to pass through; the cover part, which is arranged to close the opening while maintaining the support tray; and the vertical movement mechanism, which makes the cover part relative to the container The main body relatively moves in the vertical direction to adjust the relative position of the substrate supported on the supporting tray relative to the processing space in the vertical direction.

In addition, another aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing method, which is characterized in that it includes the following steps: the first step is to move the lid portion of the support tray holding the flat plate in the horizontal direction to pass through the container The opening of the main body accommodates the support tray in the processing space of the container body, and the opening is closed by the cover. In the processing space of the closed container body, the substrate is processed by the processing fluid; and the third step, before the first step, is adjusted by making the cover relatively move in the vertical direction relative to the container body. The relative position of the substrate supported on the support tray relative to the processing space in the vertical direction.

In their inventions, the lid portion holding the support tray and the container main body having the processing space move relative to each other in the vertical direction. Thereby, the relative position of the substrate supported by the supporting tray relative to the processing space can be adjusted in the vertical direction. Moreover, the substrate is processed in the processing space.

As described above, in the present invention, since the lid is relatively moved in the vertical direction relative to the container body, the relative position of the substrate in the vertical direction relative to the processing space can be adjusted, so that the substrate processing in the processing space can be improved. quality.

Not all of the plurality of constituent elements of the above-mentioned aspects of the present invention are essential. In order to solve part or all of the aforementioned problems, or to achieve part or all of the effects described in this specification, the aforementioned plurality of constituent elements can be appropriately adjusted. Changes, deletions, replacements with new other constituent elements, partial deletion of limited content. In addition, in order to solve part or all of the aforementioned problems, or to achieve part or all of the effects described in this specification, part or all of the technical features included in the aforementioned aspect of the present invention may also be combined with the aforementioned other aspects of the present invention. A combination of some or all of the included technical features is an independent form of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing main parts of a processing unit. Fig. 3 is a diagram schematically showing the flow of a treatment fluid in a treatment space. The substrate processing apparatus 1 is an apparatus for processing the surface of various substrates such as semiconductor substrates using a supercritical fluid. In order to uniformly display the directions in the following figures, as shown in Figure 1, set the XYZ orthogonal coordinate system. Wherein, the XY plane is a horizontal plane, and the Z direction represents a vertical direction. More specifically, the (-Z) direction represents a vertically downward direction.

As the "substrate" in this embodiment, semiconductor wafers, glass substrates for photomasks, glass substrates for liquid crystal displays, glass substrates for plasma displays, substrates for FED (Field Emission Display, field emission displays), and optical disks can be applied. Various substrates such as substrates, substrates for magnetic disks, substrates for optical magnetic disks, etc. Hereinafter, a substrate processing apparatus for processing a disk-shaped semiconductor wafer will be described as an example with reference to the drawings, but it can also be applied to the processing of various substrates exemplified above. In addition, various shapes can also be applied regarding the shape of a board|substrate.

The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a processing unit 10 , a transfer unit 30 , a supply unit 50 , and a control unit 90 . The processing unit 10 is used as the execution body of the supercritical drying process. The transfer unit 30 receives the unprocessed substrate S transported by an external transport device not shown and carries it into the processing unit 10 , and delivers the processed substrate S from the processing unit 10 to the external transport device. The supply unit 50 supplies chemical substances, power and energy required for processing to the processing unit 10 and the transfer unit 30 .

The control unit 90 controls each part of these devices to realize predetermined processing. For this purpose, the control unit 90 is equipped with a CPU 91 for executing various control programs, a memory 92 for temporarily storing processing data, a storage 93 for storing control programs executed by the CPU 91, and for communicating with users or external devices. Interface 94 for information exchange, etc. The operation of the device described later is realized by the CPU 91 executing the control program written in the memory 93 in advance and making each part of the device perform predetermined operations.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the processing unit 10 has a structure in which a processing chamber 12 is installed on a base 11 via an elevating actuator 20 . This lift actuator 20 is generally used in, for example, an automatic height adjustment mechanism for a petri dish, and in this embodiment, a servo motor is used as a drive source. The elevating actuator 20 is controlled to elevate by the chamber elevating control unit 57 of the supply unit 50 in a state of being connected to the entire lower surface of the processing chamber 12 . The chamber elevation control unit 57 operates according to a control command from the control unit 90 to control the position of the processing chamber 12 in the vertical direction Z, that is, the so-called height position. Furthermore, the height position control of the processing chamber 12 will be described in detail later.

The processing chamber 12 is composed of a combination of several metal blocks, and the inside thereof is hollow to form a processing space SP. The substrate S to be processed is carried into the processing space SP and processed. A slit-shaped opening 121 elongated in the X direction is formed at the center of the (-Y) side surface 127 of the processing chamber 12 , and the processing space SP is communicated with the external space through the opening 121 .

On the (-Y) side of the processing chamber 12 , a cover member 13 is provided to close the opening 121 . The cover member 13 has a closing surface 131 on the (+Y) direction side. The sealing surface 131 faces the (-Y) side surface 127 of the processing chamber 12 and moves toward the processing chamber 12 as the cover member 13 moves in the (+Y) direction. Then, the closing surface 131 closes the opening 121 provided on the (-Y) side surface 127 . Thereby, an airtight processing container is formed, and the substrate S can be processed under high pressure in the internal processing space SP. Thus, in this embodiment, the (-Y) side surface 127 and the sealing surface 131 correspond to an example of the "closed surface" and the "closed surface" of the present invention, respectively. Furthermore, in the following description, the (-Y) side surface 127 of the processing chamber 12 is referred to as a "closed surface 127".

In addition, a flat plate-shaped support tray 15 is mounted in a horizontal posture on the central portion of the sealing surface 131 of the cover member 13 and is held by the sealing surface 131 . The upper surface of the supporting tray 15 is used as a supporting surface on which the substrate S can be placed. The cover member 13 is supported so as to be able to move horizontally in the Y direction by a support mechanism not shown in the figure.

The cover member 13 can move forward and backward relative to the processing chamber 12 along the Y direction by the forward and backward mechanism 52 provided on the supply unit 50 . Specifically, the advancing and retreating mechanism 52 includes linear moving mechanisms such as a linear motor, a linear moving guide, a ball screw mechanism, a solenoid, and a pneumatic cylinder, and the planting line moving mechanism moves the cover member 13 in the Y direction. The forward and backward mechanism 52 operates according to the control command from the control unit 90 .

The cover member 13 is separated from the processing chamber 12 by retreating in the (-Y) direction. take this. As shown by the dotted line in FIG. 1 , the support tray 15 is pulled out from the processing space SP through the opening 121 , so that the support tray 15 can be accessed. That is, it is possible to place the substrate S on the support tray 15 and to take out the substrate S placed on the support tray 15 . On the other hand, as the cover member 13 advances in the (+Y) direction, the support tray 15 is accommodated in the processing space SP. When the substrate S is placed on the support tray 15 , the substrate S is carried into the processing space SP together with the support tray 15 .

The opening 121 is blocked by the closing surface 131 by advancing the cover member 13 in the (+Y) direction, thereby closing the processing space SP. A sealing member 122 is provided between the sealing surface 131 of the cover member 13 and the closed surface 127 of the processing chamber 12 to maintain the airtight state of the processing space SP. The sealing member 122 is made of rubber, for example, and in this embodiment, it is installed in a groove (not shown) provided on the peripheral portion of the closed surface 127 so as to surround the opening 121 on the closed surface 127 of the processing chamber 12. ). Therefore, regardless of the movement of the cover member 13 in the horizontal direction Y, the sealing member 122 is fixedly arranged in the processing chamber 12 . Furthermore, the fixing position of the sealing member 122 is not limited thereto, and the sealing member 122 may also be fixed on the sealing surface 131 of the cover member 13 . In this case, the sealing member 122 moves in the (+Y) direction together with the cover member 13 and is in close contact with the closed surface 127 of the processing chamber 12 to perform a sealing function.

In addition, the lid member 13 is fixed to the processing chamber 12 by a locking mechanism not shown. Thus, in this embodiment, the cover member 13 can be in a closed state (solid line) in which the opening 121 is closed to seal the processing space SP, and a separated state (dashed line) in which the substrate S can enter and exit from the opening 121 by a large distance. to switch between. In addition, in the closed state, the sealing member 122 is interposed between the sealing surface 131 and the closed surface 127 to ensure airtightness.

In this way, the substrate S is processed in the processing space SP in a state where the airtight state of the processing space SP is ensured. In this embodiment, the processing fluid that can be used for supercritical processing, such as carbon dioxide, is supplied to the processing unit 10 from the fluid supply unit 55 provided in the supply unit 50 in a gaseous, liquid or supercritical state. . Considering that it becomes a supercritical state at relatively low temperature and low pressure, and easily dissolves organic solvents often used in substrate processing, carbon dioxide is a chemical substance that is very suitable for supercritical drying treatment. The critical point at which carbon dioxide becomes supercritical is the air pressure (critical pressure) of 7.38MPa and the temperature (critical temperature) of 31.1°C.

If the processing fluid is filled in the processing space SP to make the temperature and pressure in the processing space SP reach a suitable temperature, the processing space SP will be filled with the processing fluid in a supercritical state. In this way, the substrate S is processed by the supercritical fluid in the processing chamber 12 . A fluid recovery unit 53 is provided in the supply unit 50 , and the treated fluid system is recovered by the fluid recovery unit 53 . Each part of the fluid supply part 55 and the fluid recovery part 53 is controlled by the control unit 90, and the processing fluid is circulated in the processing container in the flow shown in FIG. 3 . That is, as shown in the figure, the fluid supply part 55 that supplies the processing fluid is connected to the introduction flow paths 123, 124, and the introduction flow paths 123, 124 are provided on the (+Y) side of the processing space SP, that is, from the processing space SP. Look at the side opposite to the opening 121 . More specifically, the first introduction flow path 123 and the second introduction flow path 123 are formed in the processing chamber 12 on the (+Y) side of the (+Y) side end of the substrate S accommodated in the processing space SP. Road 124.

The first introduction channel 123 is connected to the fluid supply part 55 through a pipe 172 having a valve 171 . By opening the valve 171 , the treatment fluid from the fluid supply unit 55 flows into the first introduction channel 123 . The first introduction channel 123 directs the flow direction of the fluid toward the horizontal direction Y at last, and discharges the treatment fluid from the first introduction port 123a, which faces the processing at the (+Y) side end of the processing space SP. Space SP opening.

On the other hand, the second introduction channel 124 is connected to the fluid supply part 55 through a pipe 174 having a valve 173 . By opening the valve 173 , the treatment fluid from the fluid supply unit 55 flows into the second introduction channel 124 . The second introduction channel 124 makes the flow direction of the fluid finally face the horizontal direction Y, and discharges the treatment fluid from the second introduction port 124a, which faces the processing at the (+Y) side end of the processing space SP. Space SP opening.

The first introduction port 123a opens toward the processing space SP above the substrate S held in the processing space SP. On the other hand, the second introduction port 124a opens toward the processing space SP that is lower than the substrate S held in the processing space SP, and more strictly, faces the processing space SP that is lower than the supporting tray 15 that supports the substrate S. The first introduction port 123a and the second introduction port 124a are slit-shaped openings having a certain opening width and elongated in the X direction, and extend to the outside of the end of the substrate S in the X direction. Therefore, the treatment fluids ejected from the first inlet 123a and the second inlet 124a are thin in the up-down direction (Z direction) and flow in the (-Y) direction in a thin layer that is wider than the width of the substrate S in the X direction. The flow is introduced into the processing space SP. In addition, as long as the direction of the processing fluid finally discharged from the first inlet 123a and the second inlet 124a is substantially horizontal (Y), the shape of the flow path on the way is not limited to the one shown in the figure.

Considering the processing purpose of filling the surroundings of the substrate S with the supercritical fluid, it is also possible to select an option not to discharge the processing fluid before filling the processing space SP with the supercritical fluid. However, if so, the processing fluid stagnates in the processing space SP, and there may be a risk that impurities present in the processing space SP will adhere to the substrate S and contaminate the substrate S. In order to prevent such a situation, it is preferable to discharge the processing fluid so that a clean processing fluid can always be supplied to the substrate S even in a supercritical state.

Therefore, the first discharge flow path 125 and the second discharge flow path 126 for discharging the processing fluid are provided in the vicinity of the (-Y) side end of the processing space SP. Specifically, the first discharge port 125a is opened on the top surface SPa of the processing space SP on the (-Y) side of the substrate S accommodated in the processing space SP, and the first discharge flow path 125 communicating with it is through a The pipe 176 of the valve 175 is connected to the fluid recovery part 53 . By opening the valve 175 , the processing fluid in the processing space SP is discharged to the fluid recovery part 53 through the first discharge channel 125 .

On the other hand, on the bottom surface SPb of the processing space SP that is closer to the (-Y) side than the (-Y) side end of the substrate S accommodated in the processing space SP, a second discharge port 126a is opened and communicated with the second discharge port 126a. The discharge channel 126 is connected to the fluid recovery unit 53 through a pipe 178 having a valve 177 . By opening the valve 177 , the processing fluid in the processing space SP is discharged to the fluid recovery part 53 through the second discharge channel 126 .

The first discharge port 125a and the second discharge port 126a are slit-shaped openings having a certain opening width and elongated in the X direction, and extend to the outside of the end of the substrate S in the X direction. In the Y direction, the (-Y) side is further open than the (-Y) side end of the substrate S. In addition, the processing space SP is substantially separated by the support tray 15 in the up-down direction in the vicinity of their arrangement positions. Therefore, the processing fluid flowing above the substrate S is discharged from the first discharge port 125a, and on the other hand, the processing fluid flowing below the substrate S is discharged from the second discharge port 126a.

The openings of the valves 171 and 175 are adjusted so that the flow rate of the processing fluid supplied to the first introduction channel 123 is equal to the flow rate of the processing fluid discharged from the first discharge channel 125 . Similarly, the openings of the valves 173 and 177 are adjusted so that the flow rate of the processing fluid supplied to the second introduction flow path 124 is equal to the flow rate of the processing fluid discharged from the second discharge flow path 126 .

With these configurations, the processing fluid introduced from the fluid supply part 55 through the first introduction channel 123 is discharged from the first introduction port 123a toward the substantially horizontal direction Y, flows along the upper surface of the substrate S, and finally flows from the first introduction channel 123a. The discharge port 125a discharges to the outside and is finally recovered by the fluid recovery unit 53 . On the other hand, the treatment fluid introduced from the fluid supply part 55 through the second introduction channel 124 is discharged from the second introduction port 124a toward the substantially horizontal direction Y, flows along the lower surface of the support tray 15, and finally exits the second discharge port. 126a is discharged to the outside, and finally recovered by the fluid recovery unit 53 . That is, in the processing space SP, it is expected that the laminar flow of the processing fluid toward the (-Y) direction is formed above the substrate S and below the support tray 15, respectively. The blank arrows shown in Figure 3 schematically show the flow of such treatment fluids.

In this way, by forming a laminar flow of the processing fluid in one direction in the processing space SP, especially the space above the substrate S, turbulent flow around the substrate S can be prevented. Therefore, even if it is assumed that the liquid adheres to the surface of the substrate S, by dissolving the liquid in the processing fluid in a supercritical state and flowing toward the downstream side, it is possible to avoid remaining on the substrate S after drying. In addition, by setting the flow direction of the processing fluid so that the opening 121, which is likely to generate impurities as a contamination source, is located on the downstream side of the substrate S, impurities generated around the opening 121 are prevented from being carried toward the upstream side by turbulent flow. The case of adhesion to the substrate S occurs. Thereby, the board|substrate S can be dried favorably without causing contamination.

In order to prevent the processing fluid in the supercritical state from being cooled in the processing chamber 12 to cause a phase change, it is preferable to install a suitable heat source inside the processing chamber 12 . In particular, in order to prevent unexpected phase change around the substrate S, in this embodiment, a heater 153 is incorporated in the support tray 15 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 . The temperature of the heater 153 is controlled by the temperature control unit 56 of the supply unit 50 . In addition, the temperature control unit 56 also has a function of controlling the temperature of the processing fluid supplied from the fluid supply unit 55 by operating according to a control command from the control unit 90 .

The processing space SP has a shape and volume in which the support tray 15 and the substrate S supported by the support tray 15 can be placed. That is, the processing space SP has a rectangular cross-sectional shape larger than the width of the support tray 15 in the horizontal direction X and greater than the total height of the support tray 15 and the substrate S in the vertical direction, and has a depth in which the support tray 15 can be accommodated. In this way, although the processing space SP has the shape and volume to accommodate only the support tray 15 and the substrate S, the gap between the support tray 15 and the substrate S and the inner wall of the processing space SP is extremely small. Therefore, the amount of processing fluid required to fill the processing space SP needs to be small.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the transfer unit 30 is responsible for delivering the substrate S between the external transfer device and the support tray 15 . For this purpose, the transfer unit 30 includes a main body 31 , a lift member 33 , a base member 35 , and a plurality of lift pins 37 . The elevating member 33 is a columnar member extending in the Z direction, and is supported so as to be movable in the Z direction by a support mechanism not shown in the figure. A base member 35 having a substantially horizontal upper surface is attached to the upper portion of the lifting member 33 , and a plurality of lift pins 37 are erected upward from the upper surface of the base member 35 . Each lift pin 37 supports the substrate S in a horizontal posture from below by abutting its upper end against the lower surface of the substrate S. As shown in FIG. In order to stably support the substrate S in a horizontal posture, it is preferable to provide three or more lift pins 37 whose upper ends are equal in height.

The lifting member 33 can be moved up and down by the lifting mechanism 51 provided on the supply unit 50 . Specifically, the lifting mechanism 51 has a linear movement mechanism such as a linear motor, a linear movement guide, a ball screw mechanism, a solenoid, and a pneumatic cylinder, and such a linear movement mechanism moves the lifting member 33 in the Z direction. The lifting mechanism 51 operates according to the control command from the control unit 90 .

When the base member 35 moves up and down by the elevation of the elevation member 33, the plurality of elevation pins 37 moves up and down integrally therewith. Thereby, the transfer of the substrate S can be realized between the transfer unit 30 and the support tray 15 .

When the cover member 13 is in the separated state moving in the (-Y) direction, as shown in FIG. 2 , the support tray 15 is drawn out from the processing chamber 12 toward the external space. Below the support tray 15 at this time, the base member 35 provided with the lift pin 37 is arrange|positioned. A through hole 152 having a larger diameter than the lift pin 37 is pierced at a position corresponding to the position directly above the lift pin 37 in the support tray 15 .

When the base member 35 rises, the upper end of the lift pin 37 passes through the through hole 152 and reaches above the support surface 151 of the support tray 15 . In this state, the substrate S supported and transported by the robot arm H of the external transport device is handed over to the lift pins 37 . After the manipulator H retracts, the lift pins 37 are lowered to transfer the substrate S from the lift pins 37 to the support tray 15 . The unloading of the board|substrate S can be performed by the reverse procedure of the above.

Moreover, the symbol 54 in FIG. 1 is a height sensor, which measures the height position of the processing chamber 12 , that is, the position of the processing chamber 12 in the vertical direction Z. The measurement results of the height sensor 54 are sent to the control unit 90 . Then, the control unit 90 executes the height adjustment step described next according to the measurement result.

Fig. 4 is a flow chart and a schematic view showing the height adjustment steps performed in the first embodiment. This height adjustment step is performed when the assembly of the substrate processing apparatus 1 is completed, during maintenance, or when the type and processing content of the substrate S to be processed is changed. In addition, the execution of the height adjustment step is realized by the CPU 91 of the control unit 90 executing the aforementioned control program so that each part of the device performs the actions described below.

In the height adjustment step, first, the forward and backward mechanism 52 moves the cover member 13 in the (−Y) direction according to a control command from the control unit 90 . Thereby, the support tray 15 is drawn out of the processing chamber 12 together with the cover member 13, and retreats from the processing space SP (step S11). Then, in the next step S12, the height sensor 54 measures the height position of the processing chamber 12, that is, the chamber height. Wherein, the cover member 13 and the support tray 15 move horizontally at a predetermined height position, and the processing space SP is also provided in the processing chamber 12 with a predetermined size. Therefore, the CPU 91 is based on the design values related to its height positions, the measurement results of the height sensor 54, various dimensions of the processing space SP (the symbol W in the same figure is the amplitude in the vertical direction Z) and the thickness of the substrate S, As shown in the upper right row of FIG. 4, the upper clearance CLa and the lower clearance CLb are calculated (step S13). Wherein, the "upper gap CLa" refers to the distance in the vertical direction Z between the upper surface Sa of the substrate S supported on the support tray 15 and the top surface SPa of the processing space SP. In addition, the "lower clearance CLb" refers to the distance in the vertical direction Z between the lower surface 15b of the support tray 15 and the bottom surface SPb of the processing space SP.

Wherein, the upper gap CLa is the width in the vertical direction Z of the processing fluid supplied to the upper surface Sa of the substrate S. If the gap is narrow, the quality of the substrate processing may be reduced. That is, if the upper gap CLa is smaller than the appropriate value, the flow rate and flow velocity of the processing fluid supplied to the upper surface Sa of the substrate S are greatly reduced. As a result, the above-mentioned replacement becomes incomplete, and processing failure may occur. In addition, since the heater 153 is built in the support tray 15, thermal deformation of the support tray 15 is unavoidable. Therefore, if the lower gap CLb is less than 0.5mm, when the support tray 15 advances and retreats in the Y direction relative to the processing chamber 12, it may contact the bottom surface SPb of the processing space SP. In practice, it is preferable to make the lower gap CLb Adjust to 1mm or more. In addition, from the viewpoint of improving the processing efficiency of the substrate S, it is preferable that the upper gap CLa be wider than the lower gap CLb, and that the ratio of the upper gap CLa to the total value of the upper gap CLa and the lower gap CLb be 65. It is better to adjust in the range of 75% to 75%.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the range of 65% to 75% is defined as the appropriate range of the aforementioned ratio, and based on the upper gap CLa and the lower gap CLb calculated by the CPU 91 in step S13, it is determined whether the aforementioned ratio converges within the appropriate range (step S14). For example, as shown in the lower right row of FIG. 4 , if it is determined that the aforementioned ratio (=100×CLa/(CLa+CLb)) converges within an appropriate range, the CPU 91 directly ends the height adjustment step.

On the other hand, for example, as shown in the upper right section of FIG. 4, if it is determined that the aforementioned ratio is out of the appropriate range, the CPU 91 corrects the relative height position of the support tray 15 with respect to the processing space SP (steps S15, S16), Then, the height adjustment step ends. That is, the CPU 91 calculates the displacement amount of the processing chamber 12 in the vertical direction Z required to bring the aforementioned ratio within the appropriate range as the corrected movement amount (step S15 ). Then, the CPU 91 gives a control command corresponding to the corrected movement amount to the chamber elevation control unit 57 . Upon receiving the command, the chamber elevation control unit 57 controls the elevation actuator 20 to move the processing chamber 12 in the vertical direction Z by the corrected movement distance. For example, as shown in the upper right section of FIG. 4 , when the aforementioned ratio is less than 50%, the processing chamber 12 is moved in the (+Z) direction by the lift actuator 20 .

This height adjustment step is equivalent to an example of the "third step" of the present invention, and the relative position of the substrate S supported on the support tray 15 relative to the processing space SP in the vertical direction Z is always determined by the height adjustment step. is adjusted within an appropriate range. Then, a series of processes shown in FIG. 5 are executed in the thus adjusted state.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart and a schematic diagram showing a part of processing performed by the substrate processing system including the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1 . This substrate processing apparatus 1 is used for the purpose of drying the substrate S washed with the cleaning solution in the previous step. The specific steps are as follows. After the substrate S is cleaned with a cleaning solution in the previous step (step S21), it is transported to the substrate processing apparatus 1 (step S23) with a liquid film of isopropyl alcohol (IPA) formed on the surface (step S22). ).

For example, when a fine pattern is formed on the upper surface Sa of the substrate S, the pattern may collapse due to the surface tension of the liquid remaining on the substrate S. In addition, water marks may remain on the upper surface Sa of the substrate S due to incomplete drying. In addition, deterioration such as oxidation may occur when the surface of the substrate S is exposed to outside air. In order to avoid such a problem beforehand, it may convey in the state which covered the upper surface Sa (pattern formation surface) of the board|substrate S with the surface layer of liquid or solid.

For example, in the case where the cleaning liquid is mainly composed of water, the liquid film is formed by a liquid with lower surface tension and lower corrosion to the substrate, such as an organic solvent such as IPA or acetone. The transfer is performed in the state. That is, the substrate S is supported in a horizontal state, and is conveyed to the substrate processing apparatus 1 in a state where a liquid film is formed on the upper surface.

The substrate S is placed on the support tray 15 in a state where the pattern forming surface is the upper surface Sa and the upper surface Sa is covered with a thin liquid film (step S24). If the support tray 15 and the cover member 13 are integrally advanced in the (+Y) direction, the support tray 15 supporting the substrate S is accommodated in the processing space SP in the processing chamber 12 , and the sealing surface 131 of the cover member 13 The opening 121 is closed (step S25). At this time, as shown in the right side view of FIG. 5 , the relative position of the substrate S supported on the support tray 15 relative to the processing space SP in the vertical direction Z is adjusted so that the aforementioned ratio (=100×CLa/(CLa+CLb) ) always converges in an appropriate range. That is, the lower gap CLb that is sufficiently wider than the amount of thermal deformation of the support tray 15 can be ensured, and the upper gap CLa is sufficiently wider than the lower gap CLb. Therefore, the flow rate and flow velocity of the processing fluid supplied to the upper surface Sa of the substrate S can be set to values suitable for the supercritical drying process (step S26 ) described next. In this way, steps S25 and S26 correspond to examples of the "first step" and "second step" of the present invention, respectively.

In the processing space SP in which the substrate S is carried in together with the support tray 15 and sealed, a supercritical drying process is performed, and the contents are as follows. The substrate S on which the liquid film is formed is carried into the processing chamber 12 from the outside, and first, the processing fluid is introduced into the processing space SP in a gas phase state. Then, while exhausting the inside of the processing space SP, the processing fluid in the gas phase is introduced, and the ambient gas in the processing space SP is replaced by the processing fluid. In addition, in this embodiment, the example which uses carbon dioxide (CO2) as a processing fluid is demonstrated, but the kind of processing fluid is not limited to this.

The processing fluid in the liquid state is introduced into the processing space SP. The liquid carbon dioxide fully dissolves the liquid (organic solvent, such as IPA) constituting the liquid film on the substrate S, and makes it free from the upper surface of the substrate S. By draining the liquid in the processing space SP, the IPA remaining on the substrate S can be drained. Next, the processing fluid in the supercritical state is introduced into the processing space SP. It is also possible to introduce a processing fluid pre-set to a supercritical state outside the processing chamber 12. In addition, it is also possible to set the temperature and pressure in the processing chamber 12 filled with a liquid processing fluid as the critical point. Above, so that the processing fluid reaches the state of supercritical state.

Then, by depressurizing the inside of the processing chamber 12 while maintaining the temperature, the supercritical fluid is vaporized and discharged without passing through the liquid phase. Thereby, the board|substrate S becomes a dry state. During this period, since the pattern formation surface of the substrate S is not exposed to the interface between the liquid phase and the gas phase, the collapse of the pattern due to the surface tension of the liquid can be prevented. In addition, since the surface tension of the supercritical fluid is extremely low, even if it is a substrate with a fine pattern formed on the surface, the processing fluid can still be well wound into the pattern. Therefore, liquid and the like remaining inside the pattern can be efficiently replaced. In this way, the substrate S can be sufficiently dried.

Then, the processed substrate S is sent to the next step (step S27). That is, by moving the cover member 13 in the (−Y) direction, the support tray 15 is drawn out from the processing chamber 12 to the outside, and the substrate S is delivered to the outside transfer device through the transfer unit 30 . At this time, the substrate S is in a dry state. Furthermore, the content of the latter step is arbitrary.

As described above, in the aforementioned first embodiment, before the support tray 15 is advanced in the (+Y) direction to accommodate the substrate S to be processed in the processing space SP (first step), the process shown in FIG. 4 is performed. The height adjustment step (the third step). Therefore, in the vertical direction Z, the substrate S supported by the support tray 15 is positioned at a position suitable for the supercritical drying process relative to the processing space SP. That is, while ensuring the lower clearance CLb to such an extent that the support tray 15 does not come into contact with the bottom surface SPb of the processing space SP, the upper clearance CLa is sufficiently wider than the lower clearance CLb. On this basis, the processing fluid is supplied to the processing space SP, and supercritical drying processing is performed. As a result, the processing quality in the processing space SP can be improved.

In addition, in the above-mentioned first embodiment, in the height adjustment step, after the cover member 13 is retracted in the (-Y) direction relative to the closed surface 127 on which the sealing member 122 is attached (step S11), the processing chamber 12 Lifting and descending in the vertical direction Z (step S16). Therefore, the relative position of the processing space SP relative to the substrate S in the vertical direction Z can be adjusted without causing damage to the sealing member 122 . Furthermore, the sealing member 122 can also be installed on the sealing surface 131 of the cover member 13 instead of the closed surface 127. In this case, it is preferable to make the cover member 13 moves back in the (-Y) direction, and then moves the processing chamber 12 up and down in the vertical direction Z.

Furthermore, in the aforementioned first embodiment, the lifting actuator 20 is connected to the lower surface of the outer side surface of the processing chamber 12 facing the (-Z) direction, and the processing chamber 12 is raised and lowered from the outside. Therefore, while keeping the processing space SP clean, the substrate S can be positioned at a position suitable for the supercritical drying process with respect to the processing space SP. Furthermore, as for the position where the lift actuator 20 is connected, it is arbitrary as long as it is at a position other than the closed surface 127 on the outer side surface of the processing chamber 12 .

As described above, in the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, the processing chamber 12 and the cover member 13 respectively correspond to examples of the "container body" and the "cover" of the present invention. In addition, the lift actuator 20 corresponds to an example of the "vertical movement mechanism" and the "first lift member" of the present invention. In addition, the advance and retreat mechanism 52 is equivalent to an example of the "horizontal movement mechanism" of this invention. In addition, the upper gap CLa and the lower gap CLb respectively correspond to an example of the "first gap" and the "second gap" of the present invention.

In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, As long as it does not deviate from the essence, various changes can be added other than the said structure. For example, in the aforementioned embodiment, since the lifting actuator 20 is integrally connected with the processing chamber 12, the processing chamber 12 can only be raised and lowered along the vertical direction Z while maintaining a horizontal posture. In contrast, as shown in FIG. 6 , the lifting actuator 20 may also be composed of a plurality of lifting members 21 to 24, and the lifting members 21 to 24 are respectively controlled by the chamber lifting control unit 57 (second embodiment form). In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6 , the lifting members 21 to 24 are fixed on the base 11 corresponding to the four corners of the lower surface of the processing chamber 12 . Therefore, for example, when the substrate S is inserted into the processing space SP in a slightly inclined posture, the processing chamber 12 in the vertical direction Z can be controlled by the lifting members 21 to 24 according to the inclination direction and amount of the substrate S. The lifting amount. With such individual control, even in the case of inclination and deflection of the substrate S, not only can the substrate S be positioned at a position suitable for the supercritical drying process with respect to the processing space SP, but also the processing space can always be kept. The SP is positioned substantially parallel to the substrate S. As shown in FIG. Thereby, the upper gap CLa can be uniformly adjusted on the entire upper surface of the substrate S. As shown in FIG. As a result, the supercritical drying treatment of the treatment fluid can be uniformly performed on the entire upper surface of the substrate S.

In addition, in the aforementioned embodiment, the vertical movement mechanism (elevating actuator 20 ) is connected to the peripheral surface of the processing chamber 12 except the closed surface 127 . However, it is also possible to replace this configuration or add a configuration in which a vertical movement mechanism of a second lifting member including a lifting actuator and the like is connected to the peripheral surface of the cover member 13 except for the sealing surface 131. , the cover member 13 is raised and lowered in the vertical direction Z. Thereby, the substrate S can be positioned at a position suitable for the supercritical drying process relative to the processing space SP.

Furthermore, in the aforementioned embodiment, the height adjustment step is performed based on the measurement result of the height sensor 54 (height position of the processing chamber 12). However, instead of or in addition to this configuration, a configuration in which the height adjustment step is performed according to the discharge flow rate of the treatment fluid may be added. For example, a measurement unit is provided to measure the flow rate of the treatment fluid discharged from the first discharge port 125a and the flow rate of the treatment fluid discharged from the second discharge port 126a, and based on the measurement results of the measurement unit, the cover member 13 is set relative to the treatment fluid. The chamber 12 relatively moves in the vertical direction Z.

In addition, in the aforementioned embodiment, carbon dioxide is used as the treatment fluid for supercritical treatment, and IPA is used as the liquid for forming the liquid film. However, this is only an example, and the chemical substances used are not limited thereto.

The invention has been described above based on specific embodiments, but this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Apparently, those who are proficient in the art related to the present invention should be able to understand the various modified examples of the disclosed embodiments in the same way as other embodiments of the present invention as long as they refer to the description of the invention. Therefore, it can be considered that within the scope not exceeding the scope of the essential content of the invention, the scope of the appended patent application includes the modified example or embodiment.

The present invention can be applied to all substrate processing technologies that process substrates by supplying a processing fluid into the processing space while accommodating the substrates in the processing space of the container body.

1: Substrate processing device 10: Processing unit 11:Pedestal 12: Processing chamber (container body) 13: Cover member (cover part) 15: Support tray 15b: (of the supporting tray 15) lower surface 20: Lifting actuator (vertical movement mechanism) 21~24: Lifting member (vertical movement mechanism) 30: transfer unit 31: Ontology 33: lifting components 35: Abutment component 37:Lift pin 50: supply unit 51: Jack up lifting mechanism 52: Advance and retreat mechanism (horizontal movement mechanism) 53: Fluid Recovery Department 54:Height sensor 55: Fluid supply part 56: Temperature control department 57:Chamber lifting control department 90: Control unit 91:CPU 92: memory 93: Storage 94: interface 121: (of the container body) opening 122: sealing member 123: The first introduction flow path 123a: the first import port 124: the second introduction flow path 124a: the second import port 125: the first discharge flow path 125a: the first outlet 126: Second discharge flow path 126a: the second outlet 127: (of the container body) the closed surface (the (-Y) side of the processing chamber) 131: (of the cover) closed surface 151: Support surface 152: Through hole 153: heater 171, 173, 175, 177: valve 172, 174, 176, 178: Piping CLa: upper clearance (first clearance) CLb: lower clearance (second clearance) H: manipulator S: Substrate Sa: (substrate S) upper surface SP: Processing Space SPa: (of processing space SP) top surface SPb: (of processing space SP) bottom surface W: (the magnitude of the processing space in the vertical direction) X, Y: horizontal direction Z: vertical direction

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a first embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing main parts of a processing unit. Fig. 3 is a diagram schematically showing the flow of a treatment fluid in a treatment space. Fig. 4 is a flow chart and a schematic view showing the height adjustment steps performed in the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flow chart and a schematic diagram showing a part of processing performed by the substrate processing system including the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1 . 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of a vertical movement mechanism of a second embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention.

12: Processing chamber (container body)

15: Support tray

15b: (of the supporting tray 15) lower surface

122: sealing member

127: (of the container body) the closed surface (the (-Y) side of the processing chamber)

153: heater

CLa: upper clearance (first clearance)

CLb: lower clearance (second clearance)

S: Substrate

Sa: (substrate) top surface

SP: Processing Space

SPa: (of processing space SP) top surface

SPb: (of processing space SP) bottom surface

W: (the magnitude of the processing space in the vertical direction)

X, Y: horizontal direction

Z: vertical direction

Claims (12)

A substrate processing device, characterized in that it comprises: A flat support tray, which supports the lower surface of the substrate in a horizontal posture; The container body, which is provided with a processing space capable of accommodating the aforementioned support tray supporting the aforementioned substrate on the side, and an opening communicating with the aforementioned processing space for allowing the aforementioned support tray to pass through; a cover portion configured to close the opening while holding the supporting tray; and The vertical movement mechanism adjusts the relative position of the substrate supported on the support tray relative to the processing space in the vertical direction by relatively moving the lid in the vertical direction relative to the container body. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vertical moving mechanism is located in the vertical direction so that the first gap formed between the upper surface of the substrate supported by the support tray and the container body is smaller than that formed on the support The aforementioned relative position is adjusted in such a way that the second gap between the lower surface of the tray and the aforementioned container body is wider. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein in the vertical movement mechanism, the ratio of the first gap to the total value of the first gap and the second gap is 65% or more and 75% or less. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the container itself has a closed surface with the opening in the center, The above-mentioned vertical moving mechanism has a first lifting member, and the first lifting member is connected to the peripheral surface of the container body except the closed surface to lift the container body. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cover part has a sealing surface facing the container body and capable of closing the opening, and the support tray is held by the sealing surface, The said vertical movement mechanism has the 2nd lifting member which is connected to the peripheral surface of the said cover part except the said sealing surface, and raises and lowers the said cover part. The substrate processing device according to claim 1, further comprising: a horizontal movement mechanism that advances the cover in a horizontal direction relative to the container body, inserts the support tray held by the cover into the processing space and closes the opening by the cover; withdrawing the support tray held by the cover from the processing space by making the cover retreat horizontally relative to the container body; and A sealing member disposed between the container body and the lid advanced by the horizontal movement mechanism so as to surround the opening; The above-mentioned container system has a closed surface with the above-mentioned opening provided in the central part, The aforementioned cover portion has a sealing surface facing the aforementioned sealed surface and capable of closing the aforementioned opening, and holds the aforementioned support tray at the central portion of the aforementioned sealing surface, The sealing member is installed on the peripheral portion of the closed surface, and is in close contact with the cover portion advanced by the horizontal movement mechanism, thereby sealing the processing space. The substrate processing device according to claim 1, further comprising: a horizontal movement mechanism that advances the cover in a horizontal direction relative to the container body, inserts the support tray held by the cover into the processing space and closes the opening by the cover; withdrawing the support tray held by the cover from the processing space by making the cover retreat horizontally relative to the container body; and A sealing member disposed between the container body and the lid advanced by the horizontal movement mechanism so as to surround the opening; The aforementioned container body has a closed surface with the aforementioned opening provided in the central portion, The aforementioned cover portion has a sealing surface facing the aforementioned sealed surface and capable of closing the aforementioned opening, and holds the aforementioned support tray at the central portion of the aforementioned sealing surface, The sealing member is installed on the peripheral edge of the sealing surface, and the horizontal moving mechanism advances integrally with the cover to tightly contact the peripheral edge of the sealed surface to seal the processing space. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a fluid supply unit for supplying processing fluid to the processing space, The aforementioned container body is provided with: The first inlet, which is used as an inlet for introducing the processing fluid into the processing space, is located on the outside of one end of the substrate in a plan view, and opens toward a space above the substrate in the processing space; and The second introduction port is located on the outer side of the first end and opens towards a space in the processing space that is lower than the supporting tray. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a fluid supply unit, which is located outside one end of the substrate in plan view, and supplies the processing fluid to the processing space, The aforementioned container body is provided with: The first discharge port, which is used as a discharge port for discharging the processing fluid from the processing space, is located on the outside of the other end opposite to the one end of the substrate in a plan view, and faces toward the processing space. The space opening above the aforementioned supporting tray; and The second discharge port is located on the outer side of the other end and opens towards a space in the processing space that is lower than the supporting tray. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a measuring unit for measuring the flow rate of the processing fluid discharged from the first discharge port and the flow rate of the processing fluid discharged from the second discharge port, The vertical movement mechanism relatively moves the lid in the vertical direction with respect to the container body based on the measurement result of the measurement unit. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a fluid supply unit for supplying a processing fluid for supercritical processing to the processing space. A substrate processing method, characterized in that it has the following steps: The first step is to store the support tray in the processing space of the container body through the opening of the container body by moving the cover portion of the flat plate-shaped support tray in the horizontal direction, and move the aforementioned support tray through the cover portion. The opening is closed, and the support tray supports the lower surface of the substrate in a horizontal position; a second step, processing the substrate with a processing fluid in the processing space of the container body whose opening is closed by the lid; and In the third step, prior to the first step, the substrate supported on the support tray is adjusted in the vertical direction relative to the processing space by relatively moving the lid portion in the vertical direction relative to the container body its relative position.

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