TW202338968A - Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method. The substrate processing method includes: acquiring information on a substrate; selecting either one of liquid change and concentration adjustment; performing, when the liquid change is selected in the selecting, first processing liquid adjustment by which at least a portion of a processing liquid in a processing tank is discharged from the processing tank and sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide are supplied to the processing tank if the processing liquid in the processing tank does not satisfy a specific condition; performing, when the concentration adjustment is selected in the selecting, second processing liquid adjustment by which the concentration of the processing liquid in the processing tank is adjusted while the processing liquid in the processing tank is circulated via a pipe connected to the processing tank; and immersing the substrate in the processing liquid in the processing tank while the processing liquid in the processing tank that has been adjusted in the first processing liquid adjustment or the second processing liquid adjustment is circulated via a pipe connected to the processing tank.

Description

Substrate processing device and substrate processing method

The invention relates to a substrate processing device and a substrate processing method.

On the surface of the substrate to be processed, for example, a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a wafer), substances generated in the manufacturing steps of the semiconductor device may adhere. Since these substances will degrade the characteristics of semiconductor devices, in order to remove these substances, a plurality of chemical liquids are used to clean the wafer surface.

SPM liquid is used to clean the wafer surface. SPM liquid is a mixture of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide. In addition to stripping off the resist remaining on the wafer surface and removing the residue on the substrate after ashing the resist, the SPM liquid is also used as a chemical liquid for oxidizing the substrate after component separation. SPM liquid can be used not only in a single-wafer processing device that supplies chemical liquid to the surface of a wafer held on a rotating platform while rotating it, but also in a processing tank filled with chemical liquid that simultaneously immerses multiple wafers. It is a batch processing device that also performs cleaning.

When using SPM liquid to process wafers in a batch-type substrate processing equipment, usually dozens of wafers are immersed in an SPM liquid heated to 100°C to 130°C. After a specific period of time, the wafers are taken out, and then the process is repeated. The action of dipping the next wafer allows continuous processing of multiple wafers. In this kind of continuous processing, since the SPM liquid in the processing tank will adhere to the wafer surface, part of it is taken out of the processing tank and the liquid level decreases, so the SPM liquid must be supplemented with sulfuric acid and peroxide at specific times. Hydrogen water.

In addition, hydrogen peroxide is known to be a relatively unstable substance. Since hydrogen peroxide decomposes over time to produce water, even if sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water are replenished in conjunction with a decrease in liquid level, the sulfuric acid concentration in the SPM liquid will also decrease over time. When the concentration of sulfuric acid decreases, the ability to remove contaminants decreases. Therefore, the processing of wafers using the processing tank is periodically stopped, and the entire SPM liquid in the processing tank is replaced. This results in a reduction in processing efficiency and/or chemicals. The liquid consumption increases, and the cost of the liquid medicine increases accordingly. Therefore, in a batch-type substrate processing apparatus, studies have been conducted on suppressing a decrease in the ability to remove contaminants (Patent Document 1).

In the substrate processing apparatus of Patent Document 1, sulfuric acid is replenished on the downstream side of the heater in the circulation flow path. Patent Document 1 describes that by supplementing sulfuric acid on the downstream side of the heater in the circulation flow path, hydrogen peroxide and carboxyl acid, which are considered to contribute to effective removal of pollutants, are suppressed from being directly heated and decomposed. [Prior technical literature] [Patent Document]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2011-114305

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In the substrate processing apparatus of Patent Document 1, the SPM concentration of the processing tank is adjusted to be constant regardless of the type of substrate. However, depending on the type of substrate, there are cases where the substrate can be appropriately processed without strictly adjusting the SPM concentration of the processing tank. In the substrate processing device of Patent Document 1, the amount of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water required to process the substrate In contrast, sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide are sometimes used needlessly.

The present invention was completed in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method that can avoid excessive use of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water. [Technical means to solve problems]

According to an aspect of the present invention, in a substrate processing method, the substrate is immersed in a processing tank containing a processing liquid containing sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water to process the substrate. The above-mentioned substrate processing method includes the following steps: before immersing the above-mentioned substrate in the above-mentioned treatment liquid in the above-mentioned treatment tank, obtaining substrate information showing information related to the above-mentioned substrate; based on the above-mentioned substrate information, selecting either a liquid replacement step and a concentration adjustment step Or, as the processing liquid adjustment step for adjusting the above-mentioned processing liquid; the first processing liquid adjustment step, when the above-mentioned liquid replacement step is selected among the above-mentioned selection steps, when the above-mentioned processing liquid in the above-mentioned treatment tank does not meet specific conditions, Discharging at least part of the above-mentioned treatment liquid in the above-mentioned treatment tank from the above-mentioned treatment tank, supplying sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water to the above-mentioned treatment tank to adjust the above-mentioned treatment liquid in the above-mentioned treatment tank; the second treatment liquid adjustment step is in the above-mentioned selected step. When the above-mentioned concentration adjustment step is selected, the concentration of the above-mentioned treatment liquid in the above-mentioned treatment tank is adjusted while circulating the above-mentioned treatment liquid in the above-mentioned treatment tank through the piping connected to the above-mentioned treatment tank; In the adjustment step or the second treatment liquid adjustment step, the processing liquid in the processing tank adjusted in the processing tank is circulated through a pipe connected to the processing tank, and the substrate is immersed in the processing liquid in the processing tank.

In a certain embodiment, in the step of obtaining the substrate information, when the substrate information shows that the resist of the substrate has been ashed, the liquid replacement step is selected in the selection step; in the step of obtaining the substrate, In the information step, when the substrate information shows that either the resist of the substrate has been ion implanted or the substrate has been separated from components, the concentration adjustment step is selected in the selection step.

In one embodiment, in the first treatment liquid adjustment step, when the treatment liquid in the treatment tank satisfies a specific condition, the treatment liquid in the treatment tank is not discharged.

In one embodiment, the first processing liquid adjustment step includes the following step: before immersing the substrate, setting the concentration of the processing liquid discharged from the processing tank based on an elapsed time since the substrate was immersed in the processing liquid of the processing tank. quantity.

In one embodiment, the second treatment liquid adjustment step includes the step of adjusting the hydrogen peroxide concentration of the treatment liquid based on the measurement result of a concentration sensor that measures the concentration of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank.

In one embodiment, the second treatment liquid adjustment step includes the following steps: before the substrate is immersed in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank, the treatment is performed by increasing the hydrogen peroxide concentration of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank. The tank supplies hydrogen peroxide water; and after the substrate is immersed in the processing liquid in the processing tank, the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the processing liquid in the processing tank is reduced.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a substrate processing apparatus is provided with: a treatment tank that stores a treatment liquid containing sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water; a circulation unit that has a pipe for circulating the treatment liquid in the treatment tank; and a drainage unit. , which discharges the above-mentioned treatment liquid in the above-mentioned treatment tank; a treatment liquid supply part which supplies sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water to the above-mentioned treatment tank; a substrate holding part which holds the substrate and immerses the above-mentioned substrate in the above-mentioned treatment liquid in the above-mentioned treatment tank; and a control unit that controls the circulation unit, the liquid discharge unit, the processing liquid supply unit, and the substrate holding unit. Before immersing the substrate in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank, the control unit selects either a liquid replacement step or a concentration adjustment step as a treatment liquid for adjusting the treatment liquid based on the substrate information that displays information related to the substrate. Adjustment step: When the above-mentioned liquid replacement step is selected, the above-mentioned control unit controls the above-mentioned liquid discharge part and the above-mentioned processing liquid supply part in a manner to perform the first processing liquid adjustment step, and the above-mentioned first processing liquid adjustment step is performed during the above-mentioned processing. When the treatment liquid in the tank does not meet specific conditions, at least a part of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank is discharged from the treatment tank, and the treatment liquid supply part supplies the sulfuric acid and the hydrogen peroxide water to the treatment tank to adjust the treatment. The above-mentioned treatment liquid in the tank; when the above-mentioned concentration adjustment step is selected, the above-mentioned control part controls the above-mentioned circulation part and the above-mentioned treatment liquid supply part in a manner to perform the second treatment liquid adjustment step, and the above-mentioned second treatment liquid adjustment step is carried out simultaneously The concentration of the processing liquid is adjusted while the processing liquid in the processing tank is circulated through the piping of the circulation unit; and the control unit adjusts the concentration of the processing liquid in the first processing liquid adjustment step or the second processing liquid adjustment step. The processing liquid in the processing tank is circulated through the piping of the circulation section, and the circulation section and the substrate holding section are controlled such that the substrate is immersed in the processing liquid in the processing tank. [Effects of the invention]

According to the present invention, excessive use of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water can be avoided.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same or corresponding parts in the drawings are marked with the same reference symbols and will not be repeatedly explained. In addition, in the specification of this case, in order to make it easier to understand the invention, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis that are orthogonal to each other may be described. Typically, the X-axis and Y-axis are parallel to the horizontal direction, and the Z-axis is parallel to the vertical direction.

Referring to FIG. 1 , an embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus 100 of the present invention will be described. 1(a) and 1(b) are schematic perspective views of the substrate processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment. FIG. 1( a ) shows the substrate processing apparatus 100 before the substrate W is put into the processing tank 110 . FIG. 1( b ) shows the substrate processing apparatus 100 after the substrate W is put into the processing tank 110 .

The substrate processing apparatus 100 processes the substrate W. The substrate processing apparatus 100 processes the substrate W by performing at least one of etching, surface treatment, oxidation treatment, characterizing, forming a treatment film, removing, and cleaning at least a part of the film.

The substrate W is in a thin plate shape. Typically, the substrate W is thin and approximately disc-shaped. The substrate W includes, for example, a semiconductor wafer, a substrate for a liquid crystal display device, a substrate for a plasma display, a substrate for a field emission display (Field Emission Display: FED), a substrate for an optical disk, a substrate for a magnetic disk, a substrate for a magneto-optical disk, and a substrate for a photomask Substrates, ceramic substrates and solar cell substrates, etc.

The substrate processing apparatus 100 is a batch type substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus 100 processes a plurality of substrates W at a time. Typically, the substrate processing apparatus 100 processes a plurality of substrates W in groups. For example, one group includes 25 substrates W.

As shown in FIG. 1( a ), the substrate processing apparatus 100 includes a processing tank 110 , a substrate holding part 120 , and a processing liquid supply part 130 . The processing tank 110 stores a processing liquid for processing the substrate W. The treatment liquid is a mixture of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide. The processing liquid supply unit 130 supplies the processing liquid to the processing tank 110 . For example, the processing liquid supply unit 130 supplies sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water to the processing tank 110 . In one example, sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water are mixed in the treatment tank 110 to generate a treatment liquid. However, the sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water supplied from the treatment liquid supply part 130 may be mixed before reaching the treatment tank 110 to generate a treatment liquid.

The substrate holding part 120 holds the substrate W. The normal direction of the main surface of the substrate W held by the substrate holding part 120 is parallel to the Y direction. A plurality of substrates W are arranged in a row along the Y direction. The plurality of substrates W are arranged substantially parallel to the horizontal direction. In addition, the normal line of each of the plurality of substrates W extends in the Y direction, and each of the plurality of substrates W extends substantially parallel to the X direction and the Z direction.

Typically, the substrate holding unit 120 collectively holds a plurality of substrates W. Here, the substrate holding part 120 holds the substrates W arranged in a row in the Y direction. The substrate holding part 120 moves the substrate W while holding the substrate W. For example, the substrate holding portion 120 moves vertically upward or vertically downward in the vertical direction while holding the substrate W.

Specifically, the substrate holding part 120 includes a lifting part. The substrate holding part 120 moves vertically upward or vertically downward while holding a plurality of substrates W. As the substrate holding portion 120 moves vertically downward, the plurality of substrates W held by the substrate holding portion 120 are immersed in the processing liquid L stored in the processing tank 110 .

In FIG. 1( a ), the substrate holding part 120 is located above the processing tank 110 . The substrate holding part 120 descends vertically downward (Z direction) while holding a plurality of substrates W. Thereby, a plurality of substrates W are put into the processing tank 110 .

As shown in FIG. 1( b ), when the substrate holding part 120 descends to the processing tank 110 , a plurality of substrates W are immersed in the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 . The substrate holding part 120 immerses a plurality of substrates W neatly arranged at specific intervals into the processing liquid stored in the processing tank 110 .

The processing tank 110 has a dual tank structure. The processing tank 110 has an inner tank 112 and an outer tank 114. The outer groove 114 surrounds the inner groove 112 . Both the inner groove 112 and the outer groove 114 have upper openings that open upward.

Each of the inner tank 112 and the outer tank 114 stores a treatment liquid. A plurality of substrates W are put into the inner tank 112 . Specifically, the plurality of substrates W held by the substrate holding part 120 are put into the inner tank 112 . By putting a plurality of substrates W into the inner tank 112, they are immersed in the processing liquid of the inner tank 112.

The substrate holding part 120 includes a body plate 122 and a holding rod 124 . The body plate 122 is a plate extending in the vertical direction (Z direction). The holding rod 124 extends in the horizontal direction (X direction) from one main surface of the body plate 122 . In FIG. 1(a) and FIG. 1(b) , three holding rods 124 extend in the horizontal direction from one main surface of the body plate 122 . A plurality of substrates W are arranged neatly at specific intervals, and are held in an upright posture (vertical posture) by a plurality of holding rods 124 contacting the lower edge of each substrate W.

The substrate holding part 120 may further include a lifting unit 126 . The lifting unit 126 positions the main plate 122 at a position below the plurality of substrates W held on the holding rod 124 in the processing tank 110 (the position shown in FIG. 1(b) ), and at a position where the plurality of substrates W held on the holding rod 124 are positioned The upper part of the processing tank 110 rises and lowers between the upper position (the position shown in FIG. 1(a) ). Therefore, by using the lifting unit 126 to move the main plate 122 to the lower position, the plurality of substrates W held on the holding rod 124 are immersed in the processing liquid.

The plurality of substrates W are held by a plurality of holding rods 124 . Specifically, the plurality of holding rods 124 hold the plurality of substrates W in an upright posture (vertical posture) because the lower edge of each substrate W is in contact with the plurality of holding rods 124 . More specifically, the plurality of substrates W held by the substrate holding part 120 are neatly arranged at intervals along the Y direction. Therefore, a plurality of substrates W are arranged in a line along the Y direction. In addition, each of the plurality of substrates W is held by the substrate holding portion 120 in an attitude substantially parallel to the XZ plane.

The lifting unit 126 raises and lowers the body plate 122 and the holding rod 124 . The body plate 122 and the holding rod 124 are raised and lowered by the lifting unit 126, and the body plate 122 and the holding rod 124 move vertically upward or vertically downward while holding a plurality of substrates W. The lifting unit 126 has a driving source and a lifting mechanism. The driving source drives the lifting mechanism to raise and lower the body plate 122 and the holding rod 124 . The drive source includes a motor, for example. The lifting mechanism includes, for example, a rack/pinion mechanism or a ball screw.

More specifically, the lifting unit 126 raises and lowers the substrate holding part 120 between the processing position (the position shown in FIG. 1(b) ) and the retreat position (the position shown in FIG. 1(a) ). As shown in FIG. 1( b ), when the substrate holding part 120 moves down vertically downward (Z direction) while holding the plurality of substrates W and moves to the processing position, the plurality of substrates W are put into the inner tank 112 . Specifically, the plurality of substrates W held in the substrate holding part 120 move into the inner groove 112 . As a result, the plurality of substrates W are immersed in the processing liquid in the inner tank 112 and processed by the processing liquid. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1(a) , when the substrate holding part 120 moves to the retracted position, the plurality of substrates W held in the substrate holding part 120 move above the inner tank 112 and are lifted up from the processing liquid.

Next, the substrate processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 . FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the substrate processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the substrate processing apparatus 100 includes a processing tank 110 , a substrate holding unit 120 , a processing liquid supply unit 130 , a circulation unit 140 , a liquid drain unit 150 , and a control device 180 . The control device 180 controls the substrate holding part 120, the processing liquid supply part 130, the circulation part 140, and the liquid discharge part 150.

The treatment tank 110 stores the treatment liquid L. The substrate holding part 120 holds the substrate W. The substrate holding part 120 includes a lifting part. The plurality of substrates W can be immersed in the processing liquid L stored in the processing tank 110 through the substrate holding part 120 .

The processing liquid supply unit 130 supplies the processing liquid to the processing tank 110 . The processing liquid supply part 130 has a sulfuric acid supply part 132 and a hydrogen peroxide supply part 134. The sulfuric acid supply unit 132 supplies sulfuric acid to the treatment tank 110 . The hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 supplies hydrogen peroxide water to the treatment tank 110 .

As mentioned above, hydrogen peroxide decomposes over time to produce water. Therefore, in order to maintain the concentration of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 constant, the sulfuric acid supply part 132 and the hydrogen peroxide supply part 134 supply sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water to the treatment tank 110 . Typically, the amount of sulfuric acid per unit time supplied from the sulfuric acid supply part 132 is greater than the amount of hydrogen peroxide water per unit time supplied from the hydrogen peroxide supply part 134 . For example, the ratio of the supply amount (volume) of sulfuric acid to the supply amount (volume) of hydrogen peroxide water is 5:1 to 10:1.

The circulation unit 140 circulates the treatment liquid L stored in the treatment tank 110 . When the circulation unit 140 circulates the treatment liquid L in the treatment tank 110, the treatment liquid is heated to a specific temperature. In addition, when the circulation unit 140 circulates the treatment liquid L in the treatment tank 110, the treatment liquid may be filtered to remove impurities from the treatment liquid.

The liquid discharge part 150 discharges the processing liquid L stored in the processing tank 110 . The processing liquid in the processing tank 110 can be discharged through the liquid drainage part 150 . In addition, the liquid discharge part 150 discharges the treatment liquid L stored in the treatment tank 110, and the sulfuric acid supply part 132 and the hydrogen peroxide supply part 134 supply sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water to the treatment tank 110, whereby the treatment liquid L stored in the treatment tank 110 can be discharged. The treatment liquid L in the tank 110 is replaced with a new treatment liquid.

As described above, the treatment tank 110 stores the treatment liquid L. The treatment liquid L is a mixed liquid of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water. In the treatment liquid L, the sulfuric acid concentration (mass concentration) is 80% or more and 90% or less, and the hydrogen peroxide concentration (mass concentration) is 0.8% or more and 2.0% or less.

Here, the processing tank 110 has a double tank structure. The processing tank 110 has an inner tank 112 and an outer tank 114. The inner groove 112 and the outer groove 114 each have an upper opening that opens upward. The inner tank 112 is configured to store the processing liquid L and accommodate a plurality of substrates W. The outer groove 114 is disposed on the outer side of the upper opening of the inner groove 112 . The height of the upper edge of the outer groove 114 is higher than the height of the upper edge of the inner groove 112 .

The processing tank 110 further has a cover 116 . The cover 116 can be opened and closed relative to the upper opening of the inner groove 112 . By closing the cover 116, the cover 116 can seal the upper opening of the inner groove 112.

The cover 116 has a door opening 116a and a door opening 116b. The door opening 116a is located on one side of the upper opening of the inner groove 112 in the X direction. The door opening 116a is disposed near the upper edge of the inner groove 112, and can be opened and closed relative to the upper opening of the inner groove 112. The door opening 116b is located on the other side of the upper opening of the inner groove 112 in the X direction. The door opening 116b is disposed near the upper edge of the inner groove 112 and can be opened and closed relative to the upper opening of the inner groove 112 . By closing the door portion 116a and the door portion 116b to cover the upper opening of the inner tank 112, the inner tank 112 of the treatment tank 110 can be closed.

The substrate holding part 120 holds the substrate W. The substrate holding part 120 moves vertically upward or vertically downward while holding the substrate W. As the substrate holding portion 120 moves vertically downward, the substrate W held by the substrate holding portion 120 is immersed in the processing liquid L stored in the inner tank 112 .

The substrate holding part 120 includes a body plate 122 and a holding rod 124 . The body plate 122 is a plate extending in the vertical direction (Z direction). The holding rod 124 extends in the horizontal direction (X direction) from one main surface of the body plate 122 . Here, three holding rods 124 extend in the Y direction from one main surface of the body plate 122 . In a state where a plurality of substrates W are arranged along the front direction of the paper, a plurality of holding rods 124 are in contact with the lower edge of each substrate W to hold the plurality of substrates W in an upright posture (vertical posture).

The substrate holding part 120 may further include a lifting unit 126 . The lifting unit 126 positions the main plate 122 at a processing position (the position shown in FIG. 2 ) where the substrate W held by the substrate holding part 120 is located in the inner tank 112 , and the substrate W held by the substrate holding part 120 is positioned above the inner tank 112 between the retreat position (not shown). Therefore, by moving the body plate 122 to the processing position using the lifting unit 126, the plurality of substrates W held on the holding rod 124 are immersed in the processing liquid. Thereby, the substrate W is processed.

The sulfuric acid supply part 132 includes a pipe 132a and a valve 132b. Sulfuric acid is sprayed toward the treatment tank 110 from one end of the pipe 132a. The pipe 132a is connected to a sulfuric acid supply source. The valve 132b is arranged in the pipe 132a. The supply of sulfuric acid to the treatment tank 110 can be controlled by the valve 132b. When the valve 132b is opened under the control of the control device 180, sulfuric acid is supplied to the treatment tank 110 through the pipe 132a. In the treatment tank 110, sulfuric acid is mixed with the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110.

For example, sulfuric acid sprayed from the pipe 132a is supplied to the inner tank 112. When the treatment liquid overflows from the upper edge of the inner tank 112, the overflowing treatment liquid is caught and recovered by the outer tank 114. Here, sulfuric acid is ejected into the inner tank 112 . One end of the pipe 132 a for supplying sulfuric acid from the sulfuric acid supply part 132 to the inner tank 112 may be disposed in the inner tank 112 .

The hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 includes a pipe 134a and a valve 134b. Hydrogen peroxide water is sprayed toward the treatment tank 110 from one end of the pipe 134a. The pipe 134a is connected to the hydrogen peroxide water supply source. The valve 134b is arranged in the pipe 134a. The supply of hydrogen peroxide water to the treatment tank 110 can be controlled by the valve 134b. When the valve 134b is opened under the control of the control device 180, the hydrogen peroxide water passing through the pipe 134a is supplied to the treatment tank 110. In the treatment tank 110, the hydrogen peroxide water is mixed with the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110.

For example, the hydrogen peroxide water sprayed from the pipe 134a is supplied to the inner tank 112. When the treatment liquid overflows from the upper edge of the inner tank 112, the overflowing treatment liquid is caught and recovered by the outer tank 114. Here, the hydrogen peroxide water is sprayed into the inner tank 112 . One end of the pipe 134a for supplying hydrogen peroxide water from the hydrogen peroxide supply part 134 to the inner tank 112 may be disposed in the inner tank 112.

The circulation unit 140 includes a pipe 141, a pump 142, a filter 143, a heater 144, a regulating valve 145, a valve 146, and a circulating liquid supply pipe 148. The pump 142, the filter 143, the heater 144, the regulating valve 145, and the valve 146 are arranged in order from the upstream to the downstream of the pipe 141.

The pipe 141 guides the processing liquid discharged from the processing tank 110 to the processing tank 110 again. Specifically, the upstream end of the pipe 141 is located in the outer tank 114 , and the downstream end of the pipe 141 is located in the inner tank 112 . The downstream end of the pipe 141 is connected to the circulating liquid supply pipe 148 located in the inner tank 112 .

The pump 142 delivers the processing liquid from the pipe 141 to the circulating liquid supply pipe 148 . The filter 143 filters the treatment liquid flowing through the pipe 141 . The filter 143 filters and removes foreign matter such as particles in the treatment liquid flowing through the pipe 141 .

The heater 144 heats the processing liquid flowing through the pipe 141 . The temperature of the treatment liquid is adjusted by the heater 144. The heater 144 heats the processing liquid flowing through the pipe 141 and adjusts it to a processing temperature (for example, about 100°C to 120°C). The heater 144 can also heat the processing liquid and measure the temperature of the processing liquid. In this case, the heater 144 has a heating part and a temperature measurement part.

The adjustment valve 145 adjusts the opening of the pipe 141 to adjust the flow rate of the processing liquid supplied to the circulating liquid supply pipe 148 . The regulating valve 145 regulates the flow rate of the treatment liquid. The adjustment valve 145 includes a valve body (not shown) with a valve seat inside, a valve body that opens and closes the valve seat, and an actuator (not shown) that moves the valve body between an open position and a closed position. The same applies to other regulating valves. The valve 146 opens and closes the pipe 141. In addition, the adjustment valve 145 may be omitted. In this case, the flow rate of the processing liquid supplied to the circulating liquid supply pipe 148 is adjusted by controlling the control pump 142 .

The circulating fluid supply pipe 148 is arranged in the inner tank 112 . Here, the circulating liquid supply pipe 148 is arranged at the bottom of the inner tank 112 of the treatment tank 110 . The circulating liquid supply pipe 148 is arranged in the treatment liquid L stored in the inner tank 112 . The circulating liquid supply pipe 148 supplies the circulated treatment liquid to the inner tank 112 .

The drain part 150 has a drain pipe 151, a valve 152, a drain pipe 153, a valve 154, and a valve 155. The treatment liquid in the inner tank 112 is discharged through the drain pipe 151 and the valve 152. The treatment liquid in the outer tank 114 is discharged through the drain pipe 153, the valve 154 and the valve 155.

A drain pipe 151 is connected to the bottom wall of the inner tank 112 . A valve 152 is arranged in the drain pipe 151 . The valve 152 is opened and closed by the control device 180 . By opening the valve 152, the treatment liquid stored in the inner tank 112 is discharged to the outside through the drain pipe 151. The discharged treatment liquid is transported to a discharge treatment device (not shown) for processing.

A drain pipe 153 is connected to the pipe 141 . Here, the drain pipe 153 is connected to the pipe 141 downstream of the pump 142 . In the pipe 141, a valve 154 is arranged downstream of the connection part with the drain pipe 153. The valve 155 is located in the drain pipe 153 . By opening the valve 154 and closing the valve 155, the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 can be returned to the treatment tank 110 through the pipe 141, and the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 can be circulated. Furthermore, by closing the valve 154 and opening the valve 155, the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 can be discharged through the pipe 141 and the drain pipe 153.

In addition, in FIG. 2 , in order to avoid overly complicating the diagram, one adjustment valve 145 and one valve 146 are shown, but at least one of the adjustment valves 145 and 146 may be provided in plural numbers.

The control device 180 is configured using a microcomputer, for example. The control device 180 has a computing unit such as a central processing unit (CPU), a fixed memory device, a memory unit such as a hard disk, and an input/output unit. The memory unit stores programs executed by the arithmetic unit.

Next, an embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus 100 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 . FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of the substrate processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the control device 180 includes a control unit 182 and a storage unit 184 . The control unit 182 controls the operations of each unit of the substrate processing apparatus 100 .

The control unit 182 includes a processor. The processor has, for example, a central processing unit (Central Processing Unit: CPU). Alternatively, the processor may also have a general-purpose arithmetic unit.

The memory unit 184 stores data and computer programs. The memory unit 184 includes a main memory device and an auxiliary memory device. The main memory device is, for example, a semiconductor memory. The auxiliary memory device is, for example, a semiconductor memory and/or a hard disk. Memory 184 may also include removable media. The processor of the control unit 182 executes the computer program stored in the memory unit 184 to execute the substrate processing method.

The control device 180 controls the substrate holding part 120, the sulfuric acid supply part 132, the hydrogen peroxide supply part 134, the circulation part 140 and the liquid discharge part 150 according to a preset program. Specifically, the control device 180 controls the operations of the lifting unit 126, the pump 142, the filter 143, the heater 144, and the like. Furthermore, the control device 180 controls the opening and closing operations of the valves 132b, 134b, 146, 152, 154, and 155. Furthermore, the control device 180 controls the opening adjustment action of the adjustment valve 145 .

The substrate processing apparatus 100 has a concentration sensor 162 . The concentration sensor 162 measures the sulfuric acid concentration and the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 .

For example, the concentration sensor 162 is installed in the treatment tank 110 . The concentration sensor 162 measures a value indicating the specific gravity of the treatment liquid stored in the treatment tank 110 . The concentration sensor 162 measures the back pressure of the processing tank 110 .

For example, the front end of the concentration sensor 162 is disposed at a specific depth from the processing liquid level of the processing tank 110 . In the concentration sensor 162 , gas is supplied to the front end of the concentration sensor 162 to form bubbles in the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 . Thereby, the hydraulic pressure of the processing liquid stored in the processing tank 110 is detected as the air pressure at the front end of the concentration sensor 162 arranged at a specific depth from the liquid level of the processing tank 110 . As the gas, nitrogen gas is typically used. By measuring the relationship between the air pressure and the sulfuric acid concentration and hydrogen peroxide concentration of the treatment liquid in advance, and making a comparison table showing the relationship between the air pressure and the treatment liquid in advance, the specific gravity of the treatment liquid can be measured based on the air pressure at which bubbles are formed by the gas.

In addition, the control unit 182 functions as the substrate information acquisition unit 182a and the processing liquid adjustment step selection unit 182b by executing the computer program stored in the memory unit 184. Therefore, the control unit 182 includes a substrate information acquisition unit 182a and a processing liquid adjustment step selection unit 182b.

The substrate information acquisition unit 182a acquires substrate information indicating information related to the substrate W before the substrate W is processed by the substrate processing apparatus 100. The substrate information may also display the processing performed before the substrate W is loaded into the substrate processing apparatus 100 .

The processing liquid adjustment step selection unit 182b selects which of the liquid replacement step and the concentration adjustment step is to be performed as a processing liquid adjustment step for adjusting the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 . The processing liquid adjustment step selection unit 182b selects either a liquid replacement step or a concentration adjustment step based on the substrate information. The liquid replacement procedure and concentration adjustment procedure will be described later.

Furthermore, the control unit 182 functions as the processing liquid information acquisition unit 182c by executing the computer program stored in the memory unit 184. Therefore, the control unit 182 includes a processing liquid information acquisition unit 182c. The processing liquid information acquisition unit 182c acquires processing liquid information indicating information related to the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 . For example, the processing liquid information acquisition unit 182 c obtains the processing liquid information based on the measurement result of the concentration sensor 162 .

Next, the substrate processing method of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 . FIG. 4 is a flow chart of the substrate processing method of this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 4 , in step S10 , substrate information indicating information related to the substrate processed by the substrate processing apparatus 100 is obtained. For example, the substrate information acquisition unit 182a acquires the substrate information from the storage unit 184.

For example, the substrate information displays the processing performed on the substrate W before being loaded into the substrate processing apparatus 100 . In one example, the substrate information shows that the resist has been ashed before the substrate W is loaded into the substrate processing apparatus 100 . Or, the substrate information shows that the resist has been ion-implanted before the substrate W is loaded into the substrate processing apparatus 100 . Or, the substrate information shows that the substrate W is in a state before component separation and oxidation treatment.

In step S20, a processing liquid adjustment step is selected. The control unit 182 selects either a liquid replacement step or a concentration adjustment step as the processing liquid adjustment step based on the substrate information. For example, the processing liquid adjustment step selection unit 182b selects either a liquid replacement step or a concentration adjustment step.

For example, when the substrate W is a substrate that can be appropriately processed even if the concentration range of the processing liquid required to appropriately process the target substrate to be processed by the substrate processing apparatus 100 is set relatively loosely, in this case, the control unit 182 Select the liquid replacement step as the treatment fluid adjustment step. As an example, when processing a substrate for removing residues from a substrate that has been subjected to ashing treatment of a resist, the substrate can be appropriately processed even if the concentration range of the processing liquid is set relatively loosely. Therefore, when the substrate is a substrate that has undergone ashing treatment of the resist, the control unit 182 selects the liquid replacement step.

On the other hand, when the substrate W is a substrate that cannot be processed appropriately unless the concentration range of the processing liquid required to properly process the target substrate is set to a relatively narrow range, the control unit 182 selects the concentration adjustment step as the processing liquid adjustment step. . As an example, when the substrate W has a resist that has been ion-implanted, the resist cannot be properly removed or stripped unless the concentration range of the processing liquid is set relatively strictly. Therefore, when the substrate W is a substrate having a resist that has been ion-implanted, the control unit 182 selects the concentration adjustment step.

Or, when the substrate after device separation is subjected to oxidation treatment, the substrate cannot be properly processed unless the concentration range of the processing liquid is set relatively strictly. Therefore, when the substrate W is a substrate to be oxidized after component separation, the control unit 182 selects the concentration adjustment step.

In this way, the control unit 182 selects either a liquid replacement step or a concentration adjustment step for the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 based on the substrate information. Typically, before the target substrate reaches the substrate processing apparatus 100, the control unit 182 selects a processing liquid adjustment step based on the substrate information.

When the liquid replacement step is selected in step S20, the process proceeds to step S30. On the other hand, when the density adjustment step is selected in step S20, the process proceeds to step S40.

In step S30, a liquid replacement step is performed. Through the liquid replacement step, the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is adjusted. In this manual, the adjustment of the processing liquid when the liquid replacement step is selected may be described as the first processing liquid adjustment step.

In this case, it is determined whether the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 satisfies the standard. The standard may be set based on the sulfuric acid concentration and/or hydrogen peroxide concentration of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 .

Alternatively, the reference may be set based on the time since the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 was replaced. Alternatively, the reference may be set based on the number of groups of substrates W processed after the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is replaced. The reference may also be set based on the elapsed time since the previous substrate was immersed in the processing liquid of the processing tank 110 .

When the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 meets the standard, the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 is not discharged. However, even in this case, in order to maintain the hydrogen peroxide concentration at which the hydrogen peroxide water is decomposed, the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 may continue to supply hydrogen peroxide water to the treatment tank 110 in a fixed amount.

On the other hand, when the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 does not meet the standard, at least part of the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is replaced. In this case, at least part of the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is discharged, and on the other hand, the processing liquid is supplied to the processing tank 110 .

When the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 is discharged, in one example, the treatment liquid in the outer tank 114 is discharged. In this case, the control unit 182 drives the pump 142 to open the valve 155 and close the valve 154. Thereby, the processing liquid in the outer tank 114 can be discharged. Furthermore, the treatment liquid in the inner tank 112 is discharged. For example, the control unit 182 opens the valve 152 to discharge the processing liquid in the inner tank 112 .

Furthermore, the processing liquid is supplied to the processing tank 110 . In this case, the processing liquid supply unit 130 supplies the processing liquid to the processing tank 110 . For example, the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 supplies sulfuric acid to the treatment tank 110 . The hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 supplies hydrogen peroxide water to the treatment tank 110 . Thereby, the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is adjusted. The sulfuric acid supply unit 132 and the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 respectively supply sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water in a ratio such that the treatment liquid containing sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water supplied to the treatment tank 110 reaches a specific concentration. In this case, the temperature of the treatment liquid rises due to the reaction with sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water.

In addition, in order to maintain the processing liquid at a specific temperature, the pump 142 and the heater 144 can be driven to circulate and heat the processing liquid. In this case, the heater 144 heats the processing liquid as necessary. For example, when the temperature of the processing liquid is lower than a specific temperature, the heater 144 heats the processing liquid by raising the temperature to a specific temperature. On the other hand, when the temperature of the treatment liquid rises above a specific temperature due to the reaction with sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water, the heater 144 stops heating the treatment liquid in a manner to lower the temperature of the treatment liquid. Next, the process proceeds to step S50A.

In step S50A, the substrate W is immersed in the processing liquid of the processing tank 110 . Thereafter, the substrate W is taken out from the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 . The substrate processing is completed as above.

In step S40, a density adjustment step is performed. Through the concentration adjustment step, the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 is adjusted. In this specification, the adjustment of the treatment liquid when the concentration adjustment step is selected may be described as the second treatment liquid adjustment step.

In this case, the concentration of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 is adjusted. For example, the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the treatment liquid of the treatment tank 110 is adjusted. In one example, the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the treatment liquid of the treatment tank 110 is increased.

Or, adjust the sulfuric acid concentration in the treatment liquid of the treatment tank 110 . In one example, the concentration of sulfuric acid in the treatment liquid of the treatment tank 110 is increased.

Typically, the processing liquid supply unit 130 supplies the processing liquid to the processing tank 110 . For example, the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 supplies sulfuric acid to the treatment tank 110 . The hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 supplies hydrogen peroxide water to the treatment tank 110 . The sulfuric acid supply unit 132 and the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 respectively supply sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water in a ratio such that the treatment liquid containing sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water supplied to the treatment tank 110 reaches a specific concentration.

For example, when the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the treatment liquid of the treatment tank 110 is increased, the sulfuric acid supply part 132 and the hydrogen peroxide supply part 134 increase the ratio of hydrogen peroxide water to increase the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the treatment tank 110 . To increase the concentration, supply sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water.

In this case, the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 is circulated. Here, in order to maintain the processing liquid at a specific temperature, the pump 142 and the heater 144 may be driven to circulate and heat the processing liquid.

The control unit 182 supplies sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water until the sulfuric acid concentration and/or the hydrogen peroxide concentration measured by the concentration sensor 162 reaches a specific concentration. Furthermore, the control unit 182 supplies sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water so that the sulfuric acid concentration and/or the hydrogen peroxide concentration measured by the concentration sensor 162 are maintained at a specific concentration. In this way, the control unit 182 can use the concentration sensor 162 to adjust the sulfuric acid concentration and/or the hydrogen peroxide concentration through feedback control. In addition, the concentration adjustment is performed immediately before the substrate W is immersed in the treatment tank 110. When the substrate W is not immersed in the treatment tank 110 for a specific period, it is preferable that the concentration adjustment is not performed. Next, the process proceeds to step S50B.

In step S50B, the substrate is immersed in the treatment liquid in which the concentration of hydrogen peroxide has been adjusted. Thereafter, the substrate W is taken out from the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 . The substrate processing is completed as above.

According to this embodiment, the substrate W is processed with the processing liquid adjusted in different ways according to the substrate W. For example, when the substrate to be processed in the substrate processing apparatus 100 can also be processed by a processing liquid adjusted to a relatively loose concentration range, the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is adjusted in the liquid replacement step. Thereby, the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is replaced only when the standard is not met. Therefore, the replacement frequency of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 can be suppressed, and the cost of the treatment liquid can be reduced. In addition, when the substrate to be processed in the substrate processing apparatus 100 needs to be processed with a processing liquid adjusted to a relatively strict concentration range, the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is adjusted in the concentration adjustment step. Thereby, it is possible to avoid maintaining the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 in a concentration-adjusted state when the substrate has not been loaded, and to properly process the loaded substrate. Therefore, according to this embodiment, excessive use of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water can be avoided depending on the substrate W.

Next, the liquid replacement procedure of the substrate processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5 . 5(a) to 5(c) are schematic diagrams for explaining the liquid replacement step in the substrate processing method of this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 5(a) , the treatment liquid is stored in the treatment tank 110 . Here, a certain amount of processing liquid is stored in each of the inner tank 112 and the outer tank 114 . As mentioned above, the treatment liquid overflowing from the inner tank 112 flows into the outer tank 114 . The quantitative quantity of the inner tank 112 is set to the maximum quantity of containers in the inner tank 112 .

The quantity of the outer tank 114 is set to be less than the maximum quantity of containers in the outer tank 114 . When more than a certain amount of the treatment liquid flows into the outer tank 114, the control unit 182 drives the pump 142 to cause the treatment liquid in the outer tank 114 to flow out to the outside.

As shown in FIG. 5(b) , the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is discharged. For example, when the processing liquid in the inner tank 112 is discharged, the control unit 182 opens the valve 152 to discharge the processing liquid in the inner tank 112 .

When the processing liquid in the outer tank 114 is discharged, the control unit 182 drives the pump 142 and closes the valve 154 and opens the valve 155 to discharge the processing liquid in the outer tank 114 .

The amount of treatment liquid discharged from the treatment tank 110 can also be set based on the time elapsed since the last liquid replacement was performed. For example, when the elapsed time since the last liquid replacement was performed is relatively long, the amount of the processing liquid discharged from the processing tank 110 is set to be relatively large. On the contrary, when the time elapsed since the last liquid replacement was performed is relatively short, the amount of the processing liquid discharged from the processing tank 110 is set to be relatively small.

Alternatively, the amount of processing liquid discharged from the processing tank 110 may also be set based on the time that has elapsed since the last time the substrate was immersed. When the elapsed time since the last immersion of the substrate is relatively long, the amount of the processing liquid discharged from the processing tank 110 is set to be relatively large. On the contrary, when the elapsed time since the last immersion of the substrate is relatively short, the amount of the processing liquid discharged from the processing tank 110 is set to be relatively small.

Typically, when the treatment liquid is discharged from the treatment tank 110, the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 is not circulated. However, it is also possible to discharge the treatment liquid from the treatment tank 110 while circulating the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 .

As shown in FIG. 5(c) , the processing liquid supply unit 130 supplies the processing liquid to the processing tank 110 . Specifically, the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 supplies sulfuric acid to the treatment tank 110 . In addition, the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 supplies hydrogen peroxide water to the treatment tank 110 . In this case, the control unit 182 controls the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 and the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 so that the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 and the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 supply sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water to the treatment tank 110 , respectively.

After the processing liquid is supplied to the processing tank 110 , the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is circulated through the circulation unit 140 . For example, the control unit 182 drives the pump 142 to open the regulating valve 145 and the valve 146, and opens the valve 154 and closes the valve 155, thereby circulating the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 from the treatment tank 110 to the treatment tank 110 through the pipe 141. Furthermore, the controller 182 drives the heater 144 to heat the processing liquid flowing through the pipe 141 .

At this time, in order to maintain the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110, the sulfuric acid supply part 132 and the hydrogen peroxide supply part 134 can supply sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water to the treatment tank 110. The ratio of the amounts of sulfuric acid supplied from the sulfuric acid supply part 132 and the amount of hydrogen peroxide water supplied from the hydrogen peroxide supply part 134 is the same as before the liquid replacement.

As mentioned above, the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 can be adjusted by liquid replacement. According to this embodiment, part of the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 can be discharged and the processing liquid can be supplied to the processing tank 110 . Therefore, the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 can be quickly adjusted to processing conditions suitable for substrate processing. In addition, since the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is not completely discarded, the substrate processing cost can be reduced.

Next, the liquid replacement step in the substrate processing method of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6 . FIG. 6 is a graph showing temporal changes in the sulfuric acid concentration and the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the processing tank 110 during the liquid replacement step in the substrate processing method of this embodiment. In Fig. 6, line Lsp represents the time change of the sulfuric acid concentration. The line Lhp represents the temporal change in hydrogen peroxide concentration.

As shown by the line Lsp, the sulfuric acid concentration is approximately constant until the liquid replacement period Pp. However, strictly speaking, the sulfuric acid concentration will gradually decrease over time. This is because hydrogen peroxide water reacts and decomposes with sulfuric acid in the treatment tank 110 to produce water.

During the liquid replacement period Pp, the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 is at least partially drained. In addition, during the liquid replacement period Pp, sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water are supplied to the treatment tank 110 again. Typically, after the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 starts to be discharged, new treatment liquid is supplied to the treatment tank 110 . However, the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 can be discharged and supplied at any timing.

After the liquid replacement period Pp, the sulfuric acid concentration increases compared to before the liquid replacement period Pp. Thereafter, the sulfuric acid concentration gradually decreased with the passage of time.

As shown by the line Lhp, the hydrogen peroxide concentration is approximately constant until the liquid replacement period Pp. However, strictly speaking, the concentration of hydrogen peroxide gradually decreases over time. This is because hydrogen peroxide water reacts and decomposes with sulfuric acid in the treatment tank 110 to produce water.

After the liquid replacement period Pp ends, the hydrogen peroxide concentration increases compared to before the liquid replacement period Pp. Thereafter, the hydrogen peroxide concentration decreases with the passage of time.

In addition, in FIG. 6 , before and after the liquid replacement period Pp, the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 is heated while circulating through the circulation unit 160 . During the liquid replacement period Pp, the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 may be heated while circulating through the circulation unit 160 .

Next, the substrate processing method of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7 . FIG. 7 is a flowchart when a liquid replacement step is selected in the substrate processing method of this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 7 , in step S102 , it is determined whether the substrate W processed by the substrate processing apparatus 100 is the target substrate of the liquid replacement step. For example, when the substrate W is a substrate that has been ashed with resist, the control unit 182 determines that the substrate W is the target substrate of the liquid replacement step. Typically, before the substrate reaches the substrate processing apparatus 100, the control unit 182 determines whether the substrate W is the target substrate.

When the substrate W is not the target substrate (No in step S102), the process returns to step S102. On the other hand, when the substrate W is the target substrate (Yes in step S102), the process proceeds to step S104.

In step S104, it is determined whether the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 meets a specific criterion. The specific standard is set as an index indicating that the substrate W can be appropriately processed without adjusting the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 . When the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 meets a specific standard, the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 is not discharged. On the other hand, when the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 does not meet the specific standard, the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 is discharged and adjusted.

The specific standard may be set based on the concentration of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 . For example, the specific reference is set based on the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the treatment liquid of the treatment tank 110 . In one example, when the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 is equal to or higher than a specific value, the control unit 182 determines that the specific criterion is met. On the other hand, when the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 is lower than a specific value, the control unit 182 determines that the specific criterion is not satisfied.

When the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 meets the specific criterion (YES in step S104), the process proceeds to step S112. On the other hand, when the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 does not satisfy the specific criterion (NO in step S104), the process proceeds to step S106.

In step S106, the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is discharged. At least part of the treatment liquid stored in the treatment tank 110 is discharged. The control unit 182 drives the pump 142 to open the valve 154 and close the valve 155 to discharge the treatment liquid in the outer tank 114 . Furthermore, the control unit 182 opens the valve 152 to discharge the processing liquid in the inner tank 112 .

In step S108, the processing liquid is supplied to the processing tank 110. The processing liquid supply unit 130 supplies the processing liquid to the processing tank 110 . Under the control of the control unit 182 , the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 and the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 supply sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water to the treatment tank 110 .

In step S110, the supply of the processing liquid to the processing tank 110 is stopped. Under the control of the control unit 182, the supply of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water from the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 and the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 to the treatment tank 110 is stopped.

In step S112, the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 is heated while circulating the treatment liquid. Under the control of the control unit 182 , the pump 142 is driven to open the regulating valve 145 and the valve 146 , and opens the valve 154 and closes the valve 155 , thereby circulating the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 from the treatment tank 110 to the treatment tank 110 through the pipe 141 . Furthermore, under the control of the control unit 182, the heater 144 heats the processing liquid flowing through the pipe 141.

In step S114, it is determined whether the temperature of the processing liquid is a specific temperature. When the temperature of the processing liquid is not the specific temperature (NO in step S114), the process returns to step S112. On the other hand, when the temperature of the processing liquid is the specific temperature (YES in step S114), the process proceeds to step S116.

In step S116, the substrate W is immersed in the processing liquid of the processing tank 110. Typically, the substrate holding part 120 descends toward the processing tank 110 while holding the substrate W, and immerses the substrate W in the processing liquid of the processing tank 110 . At this time, the processing liquid supply unit 130 may not supply sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water to the processing tank 110 . Alternatively, with respect to the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 , the treatment liquid supply unit 130 may supply only hydrogen peroxide water to the treatment tank 110 . In any case, it is preferable to drive the heater 144 and the pump 142 together to heat the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 while circulating the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 .

Thereafter, the substrate W is lifted up from the processing tank 110 . Typically, the substrate W is unloaded from the substrate processing apparatus 100 .

In step S118, it is determined whether the substrate W to be processed next by the substrate processing apparatus 100 is a target substrate. Typically, before the next substrate arrives at the substrate processing apparatus 100, the control unit 182 determines whether the substrate W is the target substrate.

When the next substrate W is not the target substrate (NO in step S118), the process ends. On the other hand, when the next substrate W is the target substrate (YES in step S118), the process proceeds to step S120.

In step S120, it is determined whether the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 meets a specific criterion. The specific criterion is set in the same manner as in step S104.

When the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 does not meet the specific criterion (NO in step S120), the process returns to step S106. On the other hand, when the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 meets the specific criterion (Yes in step S120), the process returns to step S116. In this case, the treatment liquid supply unit 130 may not supply sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water to the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 . Alternatively, the processing liquid supply unit 130 may supply hydrogen peroxide water only to the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 . In any case, it is preferable to drive the heater 144 and the pump 142 together to heat the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 while circulating the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 .

In this embodiment, as described above, when the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 meets a specific criterion, the substrate W is immersed without discharging the processing liquid. On the other hand, when the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 does not meet the specific standard, at least part of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 is discharged, and sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water are resupplied, thereby at least partially replacing the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 . This can reduce the number of replacements of the treatment liquid and suppress an increase in the cost of the treatment liquid.

As described above, the flow chart of the liquid replacement step and the selected liquid replacement step in the substrate processing method of this embodiment has been described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7 . In addition, the concentration adjustment step in the substrate processing method of this embodiment is performed as follows.

Next, the density adjustment step in the substrate processing method of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8 . 8(a) to 8(c) are schematic diagrams for explaining the density adjustment step in the substrate processing method of this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 8(a) , the state of the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is maintained. Here, a certain amount of processing liquid is stored in each of the inner tank 112 and the outer tank 114 . For example, the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 is maintained in a fixed state by being heated while circulating.

For example, the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 maintains a sulfuric acid concentration of 75% to 90%, a hydrogen peroxide concentration of 0.8% to 2.0%, and a temperature of 100°C to 140°C. In one example, the treatment liquid maintained in the treatment tank 110 has a sulfuric acid concentration of 82%, a hydrogen peroxide concentration of 1.0%, and a temperature of 110°C.

Through the control of the control unit 182, the temperature of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110, the sulfuric acid concentration of the treatment liquid, and the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the treatment liquid are maintained. Specifically, the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 supplies a specific amount of sulfuric acid to the treatment tank 110 , and the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 supplies a specific amount of hydrogen peroxide water to the treatment tank 110 . In addition, the heater 144 heats the treatment liquid with a constant amount of electric power.

As shown in FIG. 8(b) , the concentration of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 is adjusted. At this time, the ratio of the amounts of sulfuric acid supplied from the sulfuric acid supply part 132 and the hydrogen peroxide water supplied from the hydrogen peroxide supply part 134 is changed. For example, the concentration of the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is adjusted just before the substrate W is immersed in the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 .

Here, the hydrogen peroxide concentration is increased while maintaining the sulfuric acid concentration in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 . In this case, the control unit 182 controls the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 to increase the supply amount of hydrogen peroxide water until the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 increases. In addition, the control unit 182 controls the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 to supply sulfuric acid to a level that maintains the sulfuric acid concentration in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 .

In one example, the treatment liquid maintained in the treatment tank 110 has a sulfuric acid concentration of 82%, a hydrogen peroxide concentration of 1.4%, and a temperature of 110°C.

Thereafter, the control unit 182 immerses the substrate W in the treatment liquid of the treatment tank 110, and maintains the temperature of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110, the sulfuric acid concentration of the treatment liquid, and the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the treatment liquid until the substrate W is removed from the treatment tank 110. 110 of the processing liquid until the substrate W is lifted up. Specifically, the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 supplies a specific amount of sulfuric acid to the treatment tank 110 , and the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 supplies a specific amount of hydrogen peroxide water to the treatment tank 110 . In addition, the heater 144 heats the treatment liquid with a constant amount of electric power.

After lifting the substrate W from the processing liquid in the processing tank 110, the control unit 182 changes the temperature of the processing liquid in the processing tank 110, the sulfuric acid concentration of the processing liquid, and the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the processing liquid. Typically, the control unit 182 changes any one of the temperature of the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 , the sulfuric acid concentration of the processing liquid, and the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the processing liquid to the state before the substrate W is immersed.

As shown in FIG. 8(c) , the state of the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is restored. Here, the hydrogen peroxide concentration is reduced while maintaining the sulfuric acid concentration in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 . In this case, the control unit 182 controls the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 to reduce the supply amount of hydrogen peroxide water until the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 decreases. In addition, the control unit 182 controls the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 to supply sulfuric acid to a level that maintains the sulfuric acid concentration in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 . At this time, the ratio of the amounts of sulfuric acid supplied from the sulfuric acid supply part 132 and the hydrogen peroxide water supplied from the hydrogen peroxide supply part 134 is changed again.

In one example, the treatment liquid maintained in the treatment tank 110 has a sulfuric acid concentration of 82%, a hydrogen peroxide concentration of 1.0%, and a temperature of 110°C.

Thereafter, the control unit 182 maintains the temperature of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110, the sulfuric acid concentration of the treatment liquid, and the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the treatment liquid. Specifically, the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 supplies a specific amount of sulfuric acid to the treatment tank 110 , and the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 supplies a specific amount of hydrogen peroxide water to the treatment tank 110 . In addition, the heater 144 heats the treatment liquid with a constant amount of electric power.

Next, the density adjustment step in the substrate processing method of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9 . FIG. 9 is a graph showing temporal changes in the sulfuric acid concentration and the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the processing tank 110 during the concentration adjustment step in the substrate processing method of this embodiment. In Fig. 9, line Lsc represents the time change of the sulfuric acid concentration. Line Lhc represents the temporal change in hydrogen peroxide concentration.

As shown by the line Lsc, before the concentration adjustment period Pc, the sulfuric acid concentration maintains the target concentration Tsb. However, strictly speaking, the sulfuric acid concentration changes with the passage of time relative to the target concentration Tsb. This is because the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 intermittently supplies sulfuric acid to the treatment tank 110 based on the measurement result of the concentration sensor 162 . Here, when the sulfuric acid concentration decreases and reaches the target concentration Tsb, the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 supplies a specific amount of sulfuric acid to the treatment tank 110 . Therefore, the sulfuric acid concentration temporarily increases from the target concentration Tsb.

During the concentration adjustment period Pc, the sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water that became the new processing liquid during the liquid replacement period Pp are supplied to the treatment tank 110 . Typically, the concentration adjustment period Pc is a period immediately before the substrate W is immersed in the processing liquid of the processing tank 110 .

Here, compared with before the concentration adjustment period Pc, the sulfuric acid concentration also maintains the target concentration Tsb after the concentration adjustment period Pc. In this case, strictly speaking, the sulfuric acid concentration also changes with the passage of time relative to the target concentration Tsb.

On the other hand, as shown by the line Lhc, before the concentration adjustment period Pc, the hydrogen peroxide concentration maintains the target concentration Tob1. However, strictly speaking, the hydrogen peroxide concentration changes with the passage of time relative to the target concentration Tob1. This is because the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 intermittently supplies hydrogen peroxide water to the treatment tank 110 . Here, when the hydrogen peroxide concentration decreases and reaches the target concentration Tob1, the hydrogen peroxide supply part 134 also supplies a specific amount of hydrogen peroxide water to the treatment tank 110. Therefore, the hydrogen peroxide concentration temporarily increases from the target concentration Tob1.

The hydrogen peroxide concentration increases after the concentration adjustment period Pc compared with before the concentration adjustment period Pc. This is because the target concentration of the hydrogen peroxide water has been changed from the target concentration Tob1 to the target concentration Tob2 through concentration adjustment. However, strictly speaking, the hydrogen peroxide concentration changes with the passage of time relative to the target concentration Tob2. As described above, this is because the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 intermittently supplies hydrogen peroxide water to the treatment tank 110 .

Thereafter, if the substrate W is not scheduled to be immersed in the treatment liquid of the treatment tank 110 for a specific period of time, the target concentration of hydrogen peroxide concentration is restored from the target concentration Tob2 to the target concentration Tob1.

Next, an embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus 100 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10 . FIG. 10(a) is a graph showing the temporal change of the sulfuric acid concentration in the processing tank 110 in the substrate processing method of this embodiment. FIG. 10(b) is a graph showing the peroxidation rate in the processing tank 110 in the substrate processing method of this embodiment. Graph of hydrogen concentration over time.

As shown in FIG. 10(a) , the sulfuric acid concentration fluctuates relative to the target concentration Ts. This is because the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 intermittently supplies sulfuric acid to the treatment tank 110 based on the measurement result of the concentration sensor 162 .

Specifically, after the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 stops supplying sulfuric acid for a specific period, the sulfuric acid concentration gradually decreases with the passage of time. When the concentration sensor 162 detects that the sulfuric acid concentration reaches the lower limit Tsd, the control unit 182 controls the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 so that the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 supplies a specific amount of sulfuric acid to the treatment tank 110 . In addition, the amount of sulfuric acid supplied from the sulfuric acid supply part 132 is set so that the sulfuric acid concentration measured by the concentration sensor 162 does not exceed the upper limit Tsu. Therefore, the sulfuric acid concentration changes with the passage of time relative to the target concentration Ts.

As shown in FIG. 10(b) , the hydrogen peroxide concentration fluctuates relative to the target concentration Th. This is because the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 intermittently supplies hydrogen peroxide water to the treatment tank 110 based on the measurement result of the concentration sensor 162 .

Specifically, after the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 stops supplying the hydrogen peroxide water for a specific period, the hydrogen peroxide concentration gradually decreases as time passes. When the concentration sensor 162 detects that the hydrogen peroxide concentration reaches the lower limit Thd, the control unit 182 controls the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 so that the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 supplies a specific amount of hydrogen peroxide water to the treatment tank 110 . In addition, the amount of hydrogen peroxide water supplied from the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 is set so that the hydrogen peroxide concentration measured by the concentration sensor 162 does not exceed the upper limit Thu. Therefore, the hydrogen peroxide concentration changes with the passage of time relative to the target concentration Th.

In addition, as shown in Figure 10(a) and Figure 10(b) , the sulfuric acid concentration and the hydrogen peroxide concentration can also be feedback-controlled on the target concentration. In addition, feedback control is preferably performed in the concentration adjustment step. However, feedback control can also be performed during the liquid replacement step.

Next, the concentration adjustment step in the substrate processing method of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11 . FIG. 11 is a flowchart when selecting a density adjustment step in the substrate processing method of this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 11 , in step S202 , the state of the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is maintained. The control unit 182 maintains the temperature of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 and the sulfuric acid concentration and hydrogen peroxide concentration of the treatment liquid. Based on the result of the concentration sensor 162, the control unit 182 controls the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 and the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 so that the sulfuric acid concentration and the hydrogen peroxide concentration of the treatment liquid reach specific values respectively. Furthermore, the control unit 182 controls the heater 144 so that the processing liquid maintains a specific temperature based on the temperature measured by the heater 144 .

In step S204, it is determined whether the substrate W processed by the substrate processing apparatus 100 is a target substrate for density adjustment. Typically, before the substrate reaches the substrate processing apparatus 100, the control unit 182 determines whether the substrate W is the target substrate.

For example, when the substrate W is a substrate having a resist that has been ion-implanted, the control unit 182 determines that the substrate W is a target substrate for concentration adjustment. Or, when the substrate W is a substrate subjected to oxidation treatment after element separation, the control unit 182 determines that the substrate W is a target substrate for concentration adjustment.

When the substrate W is not the target substrate (NO in step S204), the process returns to step S202. On the other hand, when the substrate W is the target substrate (YES in step S204), the process proceeds to step S206.

In step S206, the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 is increased. Typically, the control unit 182 controls the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 to increase the supply amount of hydrogen peroxide water until the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 increases. In addition, the control unit 182 controls the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 to supply sulfuric acid to a level that maintains the sulfuric acid concentration in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 .

In step S208, it is determined whether the concentration adjustment of the processing liquid is completed. When the hydrogen peroxide concentration increases and the concentration sensor 162 displays a specific value, the concentration adjustment of the treatment liquid is completed.

When the adjustment of the processing liquid has not been completed (NO in step S208), the process returns to step S208. On the other hand, when the adjustment of the processing liquid is completed (YES in step S208), the process proceeds to step S210.

In step S210, the state of the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is maintained. The control unit 182 maintains the temperature of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110, the sulfuric acid concentration of the treatment liquid, and the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the treatment liquid. Specifically, the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 supplies a specific amount of sulfuric acid to the treatment tank 110 , and the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 supplies a specific amount of hydrogen peroxide water to the treatment tank 110 . In addition, the heater 144 heats the treatment liquid with a constant amount of electric power.

In step S212, the substrate W is immersed in the processing liquid of the processing tank 110. Typically, the substrate W is loaded into the substrate processing apparatus 100 and immersed in the processing liquid of the processing tank 110 . Thereafter, the substrate W is loaded from the substrate processing apparatus 100 . Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S214.

In step S214, it is determined whether there is a substrate W that the substrate processing apparatus 100 should process next, and whether the substrate W is a target substrate. Typically, before the next substrate reaches the substrate processing apparatus 100, the control unit 182 determines whether there is the next substrate W and whether the next substrate W is the target substrate.

When there is no next substrate W or the next substrate W is not the target substrate (NO in step S214), the process proceeds to step S216. On the other hand, when there is the next substrate W and the substrate W is the target substrate (Yes in step S214), the process returns to step S210.

In step S216, the hydrogen peroxide concentration of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 is reduced. Typically, the control unit 182 controls the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 to reduce the supply amount of hydrogen peroxide water until the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 decreases. In addition, the control unit 182 controls the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 to supply sulfuric acid to a level that maintains the sulfuric acid concentration in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 .

In step S218, it is determined whether the concentration adjustment of the processing liquid is completed. When the hydrogen peroxide concentration decreases and the concentration sensor 162 displays a specific value, the concentration adjustment of the treatment liquid is completed.

When the adjustment of the processing liquid has not been completed (NO in step S218), the process returns to step S216. On the other hand, when the adjustment of the processing liquid is completed (YES in step S218), the process proceeds to step S220.

In step S220, the state of the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is maintained. The control unit 182 maintains the temperature of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110, the sulfuric acid concentration of the treatment liquid, and the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the treatment liquid. Specifically, the sulfuric acid supply unit 132 supplies a specific amount of sulfuric acid to the treatment tank 110 , and the hydrogen peroxide supply unit 134 supplies a specific amount of hydrogen peroxide water to the treatment tank 110 . In addition, the heater 144 heats the treatment liquid with a constant amount of electric power.

According to this embodiment, as described above, the concentration of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 is adjusted. According to this embodiment, just before the substrate W is immersed in the processing tank 110, the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is adjusted to a concentration suitable for processing the substrate W. Therefore, when the substrate is not the target of concentration adjustment, the concentration of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 does not need to be adjusted, thereby avoiding excessive use of hydrogen peroxide water.

Furthermore, in FIGS. 9 and 11 , as an example of concentration adjustment, when the substrate W is the target substrate, the hydrogen peroxide concentration is increased, but the present embodiment is not limited to this. When the substrate W is the target substrate, the sulfuric acid concentration may be increased.

In addition, in the flowchart shown in FIG. 4 , the processing liquid adjustment step is selected based on the substrate information indicating information related to the substrate performed before the substrate processing apparatus 100 processes the substrate, but the present embodiment is not limited to this. Processing fluid adjustment steps can also be selected based on substrate information and other information.

Next, the substrate processing method of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 12 . FIG. 12 is a flow chart of the substrate processing method of this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 12 , in step S10 , substrate information related to the substrate W processed by the substrate processing apparatus 100 is obtained. For example, the substrate information acquisition unit 182a acquires the substrate information from the storage unit 184.

In step S10A, processing liquid information indicating the state of the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is obtained. The treatment liquid information may indicate any one of the sulfuric acid concentration, the hydrogen peroxide concentration, and the temperature in the treatment liquid of the treatment tank 110 . For example, the concentration sensor 162 measures the sulfuric acid concentration and hydrogen peroxide concentration in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 . Furthermore, the heater 144 measures the temperature of the processing liquid. The processing liquid information acquisition unit 182 c obtains the processing liquid information from the concentration sensor 162 and/or the heater 144 .

In step S20, a processing liquid adjustment step is selected. The control unit 182 selects which one of the liquid replacement step or the concentration adjustment step to adjust the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 based on the substrate information and the processing liquid information. Typically, the control unit 182 selects a processing liquid adjustment step based on the substrate information and the processing liquid information before the substrate W reaches the substrate processing apparatus 100 .

For example, based on the substrate information, the target value of the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is set. In one example, the target sulfuric acid concentration, the target hydrogen peroxide concentration, and the target temperature in the processing liquid of the processing tank 110 are set based on the processing performed on the substrate W before being loaded into the substrate processing apparatus 100 .

The processing liquid adjustment step selection unit 182b selects a processing liquid adjustment step. For example, the processing liquid adjustment step selection unit 182b selects the target sulfuric acid concentration, target hydrogen peroxide concentration, and target temperature set based on the substrate information, and the sulfuric acid concentration, target hydrogen peroxide concentration of the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 shown in the processing liquid information. The difference between concentration and target temperature is used to select the treatment liquid adjustment procedure. For example, when the difference is relatively large, the processing liquid adjustment step selection unit 182b selects a liquid replacement step as the processing liquid adjustment step. On the other hand, when the difference is relatively small, the processing liquid adjustment step selection unit 182b selects the concentration adjustment step as the processing liquid adjustment step.

When the liquid replacement step is selected in step S20, the process proceeds to step S30. On the other hand, when the density adjustment step is selected in step S20, the process proceeds to step S40.

In step S30, a liquid replacement step is performed. Through the liquid replacement step, the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is adjusted. As described above, it is determined whether the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 satisfies the standard. When the treatment liquid meets the standard, the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 is not discharged. When the treatment liquid does not meet the standard, the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 is discharged and sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water are supplied to the treatment tank 110 again. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S50A.

In step S50A, the substrate W is immersed in the processing liquid of the processing tank 110 . Thereafter, the substrate W is taken out from the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 . The substrate processing is completed as above.

In step S40, a density adjustment step is performed. In this case, the concentration of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 110 is adjusted. Next, the process proceeds to step S50B.

In step S50B, the substrate is immersed in the processing liquid of the processing tank 110 . Thereafter, the substrate W is taken out from the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 . The substrate processing is completed as above.

According to this embodiment, not only the substrate information but also the processing liquid information is considered to select the processing liquid adjustment step. Therefore, the time required for adjusting the processing liquid can also be considered to appropriately process the substrate W.

In addition, in the above description with reference to FIGS. 1 to 12 , in order to avoid overly complicating the invention, the substrate W is processed in one substrate processing apparatus 100 , but the present embodiment is not limited to this. The substrate W can also be processed in two or more substrate processing apparatuses 100 .

Next, the substrate processing system 10 including the substrate processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 13 . FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of the substrate processing system 10 including the substrate processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment. The substrate processing system 10 shown in FIG. 13 includes a first substrate processing device 100A to a third substrate processing device 100C.

As shown in FIG. 13 , the substrate processing system 10 includes an input unit 20 , a plurality of storage units 30 , a transfer mechanism 40 , a removal unit 50 , a buffer unit BU, a first transport device CTC, a second transport device WTR, and a plurality of substrate processing devices. 100, and control device 180.

The plurality of substrate processing apparatuses 100 include a first substrate processing apparatus 100A, a second substrate processing apparatus 100B, and a third substrate processing apparatus 100C. The first substrate processing apparatus 100A, the second substrate processing apparatus 100B, and the third substrate processing apparatus 100C are arranged side by side in one direction. For example, the first substrate processing apparatus 100A, the second substrate processing apparatus 100B, and the third substrate processing apparatus 100C are adjacent to the transport path of the first transport device CTC, and are sequentially arranged from the vicinity of the transport path of the first transport device CTC. Substrate processing apparatus 100A, second substrate processing apparatus 100B, and third substrate processing apparatus 100C.

Here, the first substrate processing apparatus 100A to the third substrate processing apparatus 100C store a processing liquid containing sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water. The substrate W that has been processed differently may be input to each of the first substrate processing apparatus 100A to the third substrate processing apparatus 100C.

The substrate W processed by the substrate processing apparatus 100 is loaded from the loading unit 20 . The input part 20 includes a plurality of placement tables 22 . The substrate W processed by the substrate processing apparatus 100 is carried out from the removal part 50 . The removal part 50 includes a plurality of mounting tables 52 .

The storage portion 30 in which the substrate W is stored is placed in the input portion 20 . The storage portion 30 placed on the input portion 20 stores the substrate W that has not been processed by the substrate processing apparatus 100 . Here, the two storage units 30 are placed on the two mounting tables 22 respectively.

Each of the plurality of storage portions 30 stores a plurality of substrates W. Each substrate W is stored in the storage portion 30 in a horizontal posture. The storage unit 30 is, for example, a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod).

The storage portion 30 placed on the removal portion 50 stores the substrate W processed by the substrate processing apparatus 100 . The removal part 50 includes a plurality of mounting tables 52. The two storage parts 30 are respectively placed on the two mounting tables 52. The removal part 50 stores the processed substrate W in the storage part 30 and moves it out together with the storage part 30 .

The buffer unit BU is arranged adjacent to the input unit 20 and the removal unit 50 . The buffer unit BU lifts the storage part 30 placed in the insertion part 20 into the inside together with the substrate W, and places the storage part 30 on a shelf (not shown). Furthermore, the buffer unit BU receives the processed substrate W, stores it in the storage part 30, and places the storage part 30 on the rack. The transfer mechanism 40 is arranged in the buffer unit BU.

The transfer mechanism 40 transfers the receiving part 30 between the input part 20 and the removal part 50 and the shelf. Furthermore, the transfer mechanism 40 transfers only the substrate W to the first transport device CTC. That is, the transfer mechanism 40 transfers a set of substrates W to the first transfer device CTC.

After receiving the unprocessed plurality of substrates W from the transfer mechanism 40 , the first conveying device CTC converts the postures of the plurality of substrates W from the horizontal posture to the vertical posture, and transfers the plurality of substrates W to the second conveying device WTR. . Furthermore, after receiving the processed plurality of substrate groups W from the second transportation apparatus WTR, the first transport device CTC converts the postures of the plurality of substrates W from the vertical posture to the horizontal posture, and transfers the substrate group W to the transfer mechanism. 40.

The second transport device WTR can move from the third substrate processing device 100C to the second substrate processing device 100B along the length direction of the substrate processing system 10 . The second transport device WTR can transport the group of substrates W into and out of the first substrate processing apparatus 100A, the second substrate processing apparatus 100B, and the third substrate processing apparatus 100C.

The control device 180 controls various operations of the substrate processing system 10 . Specifically, the control device 180 controls the transfer mechanism 40 , the first transfer device CTC, the second transfer device WTR, and the substrate processing device 100 .

The control device 180 includes a control unit 182 and a memory unit 184 . The control unit 182 has a processor. The control unit 182 includes, for example, a central processing unit. Alternatively, the control unit 182 may have a general-purpose arithmetic unit.

The memory unit 184 stores data and computer programs. The data includes manufacturing process data. Process data contains information showing multiple processes. Each of the plurality of processes defines the processing content and processing sequence of the substrate W.

The memory unit 184 includes a main memory device and an auxiliary memory device. The main memory device is, for example, a semiconductor memory. The auxiliary memory device is, for example, a semiconductor memory and/or a hard disk. Memory 184 may also include removable media. The memory unit 184 is equivalent to an example of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

The memory unit 184 stores computer programs with preset sequences. The substrate processing apparatus 100 operates according to the sequence specified by the computer program. The control unit 182 executes the computer program stored in the memory unit 184 to perform substrate processing operations. The processor of the control unit 182 controls the transfer mechanism 40 , the first transfer device CTC, the second transfer device WTR, and the substrate processing device 100 by executing the computer program stored in the memory unit 184 .

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining the plurality of constituent elements disclosed in the above embodiments. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment. Furthermore, the constituent elements spanning different implementation forms can also be appropriately combined. To facilitate understanding, the drawings are shown schematically with each constituent element as the main body. The thickness, length, number, spacing, etc. of each constituent element shown in the illustrations are made for the convenience of making the drawings, and may be different from the actual ones. In addition, the materials, shapes, dimensions, etc. of each component shown in the above embodiment are just examples and are not particularly limited, and various changes can be made within the scope that does not substantially deviate from the effects of the present invention. [Industrial availability]

The present invention is suitably used in a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method.

10:Substrate processing system 20:Investment Department 22: Loading platform 30: Storage Department 40: Handover agency 50:Remove Department 52: Loading platform 100:Substrate processing device 100A: 1st substrate processing device 100B: Second substrate processing device 100C: 3rd substrate processing device 110: Processing tank 112:Inner tank 114:Outer tank 116: cover 116a,116b: door opening 120:Substrate holding part 122:Body board 124:Hold rod 126:Lifting unit 130: Treatment liquid supply department 132: Sulfuric acid supply department 132a:Piping 132b: valve 134: Hydrogen peroxide supply department 134a:Piping 134b: valve 140:Circulation Department 141:Piping 142:Pump 143:Filter 144:Heater 145:Adjusting valve 146,152,154,155: valve 148:Circulating fluid supply pipe 150: Drainage part 151: Drainage piping 153:Drainage piping 162:Concentration sensor 180:Control device 182:Control Department 182a:Substrate information acquisition department 182b: Treatment liquid adjustment step selection part 182c: Processing fluid information acquisition department 184:Memory department BU: buffer unit CTC: 1st conveyor L: treatment liquid Lhc,Lhp,Lsc,Lsp: line Pc: Concentration adjustment period Pp: during liquid replacement S10, S10A, S20, S30, S40, S50A, S50B: Steps S102, S104, S106, S108, S110, S112, S114, S116, S118, S120: Steps S202, S204, S206, S208, S210, S212, S214, S216, S218, S220: Steps Th, Ts, Tsb: target concentration Thd, Tsd: lower limit Thu, Tsu: upper limit Tob1, Tob2: target concentration W: substrate WTR: 2nd conveyor

1(a) and (b) are schematic perspective views of the substrate processing apparatus of this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the substrate processing apparatus of this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of the substrate processing apparatus of this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flow chart of the substrate processing method of this embodiment. 5 (a) to (c) are schematic diagrams for explaining the liquid replacement step in the substrate processing method of this embodiment. FIG. 6 is a graph showing the time changes of the sulfuric acid concentration and the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the processing tank during the liquid replacement step in the substrate processing method of this embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart when a liquid replacement step is selected in the substrate processing method of this embodiment. 8(a) to (c) are schematic diagrams showing the concentration adjustment steps in the substrate processing method of this embodiment. FIG. 9 is a graph showing temporal changes in the sulfuric acid concentration and the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the treatment tank during concentration adjustment in the substrate processing method of this embodiment. 10(a) and (b) are graphs showing temporal changes in the sulfuric acid concentration and the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the processing tank in the substrate processing method of this embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flowchart when selecting a density adjustment step in the substrate processing method of this embodiment. FIG. 12 is a flow chart of the substrate processing method of this embodiment. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a substrate processing system including the substrate processing apparatus of this embodiment.

S10, S20, S30, S40, S50A, S50B: steps

Claims (7)

A method for treating a substrate, which involves immersing the substrate in a treatment tank containing a treatment liquid containing sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water to process the substrate, and includes the following steps: Before immersing the above-mentioned substrate in the above-mentioned treatment liquid in the above-mentioned treatment tank, obtain substrate information showing information related to the above-mentioned substrate; Based on the above substrate information, select any one of the liquid replacement step and the concentration adjustment step as the processing liquid adjustment step to adjust the above processing liquid; The first treatment liquid adjustment step is to discharge the treatment liquid in the treatment tank from the treatment tank when the treatment liquid in the treatment tank does not meet specific conditions when the liquid replacement step is selected in the above selection step. At least part of the method supplies sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water to the treatment tank to adjust the treatment liquid in the treatment tank; In the second treatment liquid adjustment step, when the concentration adjustment step is selected among the above selection steps, the treatment in the treatment tank is adjusted while the treatment liquid in the treatment tank is circulated through the piping connected to the treatment tank. the concentration of the liquid; and The substrate is immersed in the processing tank while the processing liquid in the processing tank adjusted in the first processing liquid adjustment step or the second processing liquid adjustment step is circulated through a pipe connected to the processing tank. The above treatment liquid. Such as the substrate processing method of claim 1, wherein In the step of obtaining the above-mentioned substrate information, when the above-mentioned substrate information shows that the resist of the above-mentioned substrate has been ashed, select the above-mentioned liquid replacement step in the above-mentioned selection step; In the step of obtaining the above-mentioned substrate information, if the above-mentioned substrate information shows that the resist of the above-mentioned substrate has been ion-implanted or the above-mentioned substrate has been subjected to element separation, the above-mentioned concentration is selected in the above-mentioned selection step. Adjustment steps. Such as the substrate processing method of claim 1 or 2, wherein In the first treatment liquid adjustment step, when the treatment liquid in the treatment tank satisfies a specific condition, the treatment liquid in the treatment tank is not discharged. Such as the substrate processing method of claim 1 or 2, wherein The first processing liquid adjustment step includes the step of setting the amount of the processing liquid discharged from the processing tank based on the elapsed time since the substrate was immersed in the processing liquid in the processing tank before immersing the substrate. Such as the substrate processing method of claim 1 or 2, wherein The above-mentioned second treatment liquid adjustment step includes the following step: adjusting the hydrogen peroxide concentration of the above-mentioned treatment liquid based on the measurement result of the concentration sensor that measures the concentration of the above-mentioned treatment liquid in the above-mentioned treatment tank. Such as the substrate processing method of claim 1 or 2, wherein The above-mentioned second treatment liquid adjustment step includes the following steps: Before the substrate is immersed in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank, hydrogen peroxide water is supplied to the treatment tank in a manner to increase the hydrogen peroxide concentration of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank; and After the substrate is immersed in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank, the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank is reduced. A substrate processing device having: A treatment tank that stores a treatment solution containing sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water; A circulation section having a pipe for circulating the treatment liquid in the treatment tank; A drain part that drains the above-mentioned treatment liquid in the above-mentioned treatment tank; A treatment liquid supply unit that supplies sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water to the treatment tank; a substrate holding part that holds the substrate and immerses the substrate in the processing liquid in the processing tank; and a control unit that controls the circulation unit, the liquid drain unit, the processing liquid supply unit, and the substrate holding unit; and Before the substrate is immersed in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank, the control unit selects either a liquid replacement step or a concentration adjustment step as the treatment liquid for adjusting the treatment liquid based on the substrate information that displays information related to the substrate. Adjustment steps; When the above-mentioned liquid replacement step is selected, the above-mentioned control part controls the above-mentioned liquid discharge part and the above-mentioned processing liquid supply part in a manner to perform the first processing liquid adjustment step, and the above-mentioned first processing liquid adjustment step is performed on the above-mentioned part of the above-mentioned processing tank. When the treatment liquid does not meet the specific conditions, at least part of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank is discharged from the treatment tank, and the treatment liquid supply part supplies the sulfuric acid and the hydrogen peroxide water to the treatment tank to adjust the above-mentioned temperature of the treatment tank. treatment fluid; When the concentration adjustment step is selected, the control unit controls the circulation unit and the treatment liquid supply unit to perform a second treatment liquid adjustment step, and the second treatment liquid adjustment step causes the above-mentioned concentration of the treatment tank to The treatment liquid is circulated through the piping of the circulation unit while adjusting the concentration of the treatment liquid; The control unit immerses the substrate in the treatment tank while circulating the treatment liquid in the treatment tank adjusted in the first treatment liquid adjustment step or the second treatment liquid adjustment step through the pipe of the circulation unit. The processing liquid in the processing tank controls the circulation unit and the substrate holding unit.