TWI697976B - Processing liquid supplying apparatus, substrate processing apparatus, and processing liquid supplying method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a technique for reducing the amount of particles in a treatment liquid that has passed through a dissolution module. The processing liquid supply unit 3 is a device that supplies the processing liquid filtered by the filters 31 a to 31 d to the plurality of processing units 2. The supply valve 33 is inserted in the primary side supply pipe 32 connected to the filter 31a-the filter 31d. In addition, a drain piping 41 is connected to the primary side of the supply valve 33 in the primary side supply piping 32. Furthermore, the drain valve 42 is inserted in the drain pipe 41. The control unit 52 closes the supply valve 33 and opens the drain valve 42 according to the amount of particles in the treatment liquid, thereby discharging the treatment liquid through the dissolving module 30 and the primary supply pipe 32 and the drain pipe 41 .

Description

Processing liquid supply device, substrate processing device and processing liquid supply method

The present invention relates to a processing liquid supply device and a processing liquid supply method for supplying a processing liquid to a processing section that processes a substrate to be processed. The substrates to be processed include, for example, semiconductor wafers, glass substrates for liquid crystal display devices, substrates for plasma displays, substrates for Field Emission Display (FED), substrates for optical disks, substrates for magnetic disks, and substrates for magneto-optical disks. Substrates such as substrates, photomask substrates, ceramic substrates, and solar cell substrates.

In the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device or a liquid crystal display device, a substrate processing apparatus that processes a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer with a processing liquid is used. A piece-by-piece type substrate processing apparatus that processes substrates one by one, for example, includes a processing section in the main body section, the processing section having a rotating chuck that horizontally holds the substrate and rotates it, and is driven by the rotating chuck. The held substrate ejects the processing liquid from the processing liquid nozzle. In order to supply the processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle, the substrate processing apparatus includes a processing liquid supply device different from the main body. Self-treatment is connected to the treatment liquid nozzle The processing liquid supply pipe extended by the liquid supply device supplies processing liquid stored in the processing liquid tank of the processing liquid supply device via the processing liquid supply pipe (for example, Patent Document 1).

In addition, the substrate is also processed with a processing liquid in which a predetermined gas is dissolved by a dissolution module. For example, when a substrate is processed with a rinse liquid containing pure water as a main component, carbonated water in which carbon dioxide is dissolved in the pure water at a predetermined concentration may be used (for example, Patent Document 2). By using carbonated water to rinse the substrate, the substrate is prevented from being charged.

[Prior Art Literature]

[Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-351709

[Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2016-157895

However, there is a concern that particles (foreign matter) will be generated in the treatment liquid that has passed through the dissolution module due to the aging degradation caused by the long-term use of the dissolution module. With the miniaturization of the semiconductor structure, there is a strong demand for the removal of particles in the processing liquid, and therefore, a technology for reducing the amount of particles in the processing liquid that has passed through the dissolution module is required.

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a technique that can reduce the amount of particles in the treatment liquid that has passed through the dissolution module.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the first aspect is a processing liquid supply device for supplying processing liquid, which includes: a dissolving module for dissolving gas in the raw liquid of the processing liquid; The filter is connected to the other end of the primary side supply pipe to filter the processing liquid; the secondary side supply pipe is connected to the secondary side of the filter to form a The flow path through which the treatment liquid of the filter passes; a drain piping, which is connected to the primary side supply piping, and delivers the treatment liquid to the drain part; a switching part, which is provided on the primary side supply piping , Switching between the state in which the dissolution module is in communication with the filter and the state in which the dissolution module is in communication with the drain; the particle measuring section is arranged on the primary side of the switching section, Measuring the amount of particles in the treatment liquid passing through the primary side supply pipe; and a control unit that controls the switching operation performed by the switching unit in accordance with the amount of particles measured by the particle measuring unit.

The second aspect is the processing liquid supply device of the first aspect, in which the particle measuring unit measures the processing liquid on the primary side of the primary supply pipe that is closer to the primary side than the portion connected to the drain pipe The amount of the particles in.

The third aspect is the processing liquid supply device of the first aspect or the second aspect, wherein the switching unit includes a supply valve that is inserted into the primary side supply pipe and opens and closes the flow path in the primary side supply pipe And a drain valve inserted in the drain pipe to open and close the flow path in the drain pipe; and the control unit controls the opening and closing actions of the supply valve and the drain valve.

The fourth aspect is the processing liquid supply device of the third aspect, wherein the control unit corresponds to the state in which the supply valve is closed and the drain valve is opened. The particle amount measured by the particle measuring unit is notified to the outside by an output device.

The fifth aspect is the processing liquid supply device of the third aspect or the fourth aspect, wherein the primary side supply pipe is branched into a plurality of branch pipes on the secondary side of the switching section, and each of the plurality of branch pipes One of the filters is connected respectively.

The sixth aspect is a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, which includes: any one of the processing liquid supply device of the first to fifth aspects, and the filter that has been filtered by the filter of the processing liquid supply device. The processing unit for processing the substrate with the processing liquid.

The seventh aspect is a processing liquid supply method for supplying processing liquid, which includes: (a) a step of dissolving a gas in a raw solution of the processing liquid by a dissolving module; (b) dissolving the gas The process of supplying the processing liquid from the dissolution module to the primary side supply pipe; (c) filtering the processing liquid that has passed through the primary side supply pipe with a filter connected to the primary side supply pipe Step; (d) a step of measuring the amount of particles in the treatment liquid passing through the primary side supply pipe; and (e) corresponding to the amount of particles measured in the step (d), stopping the step (c) is directed to the supply of the processing liquid in the filter, and the processing liquid that has passed through the dissolution module is sent to the discharge pipe via a discharge pipe branched from the primary side supply pipe Steps in the liquid section.

According to the processing liquid supply device of the first aspect, the processing liquid can be discharged until the amount of particles in the processing liquid that has passed through the dissolution module decreases. In this way, the The amount of particles in the treatment solution of the solution module. In addition, by stopping the supply of the processing liquid to the filter and connecting the primary-side supply pipe with the drainage pipe, the processing liquid containing particles in the primary-side supply pipe can be discharged without passing through the filter. Thereby, it is possible to reduce the processing liquid containing particles from passing through the filter, so that the life of the filter can be increased. In addition, it is possible to reduce the diffusion of the treatment liquid containing particles to the secondary side of the filter.

According to the processing liquid supply device of the second aspect, it is possible to measure the amount of particles in the processing liquid toward the discharge pipe in the primary side supply pipe. Therefore, it can be confirmed whether or not the amount of particles has been reduced during the drainage process.

According to the processing liquid supply device of the third aspect, the control unit automatically controls the opening and closing of the supply valve and the drain valve to perform the drain treatment based on the measured particle amount, so that the burden on the operator can be reduced.

According to the processing liquid supply device of the fourth aspect, the amount of particles measured during the discharge process is notified to the outside, whereby the operator can appropriately recognize the maintenance of the parts. Replacement period, etc.

According to the processing liquid supply device of the fifth aspect, the liquid is discharged on the primary side of the plurality of filters, thereby reducing the passage of high-concentration particles through each filter. Therefore, it is possible to increase the life of each filter and to reduce the diffusion of particles to the secondary side of each filter.

According to the substrate processing apparatus of the sixth aspect, the processing liquid can be discharged until the amount of particles in the processing liquid that has passed through the dissolution module decreases. Thereby, the amount of particles in the treatment liquid that has passed through the dissolution module can be reduced. In addition, by stopping the supply of processing liquid to the filter and connecting the primary side supply pipe with the drain pipe, the primary side The processing liquid containing particles in the supply pipe is discharged without passing through the filter. In this way, the life of the filter can be increased. In addition, the particles can be reduced to be supplied to the processing section together with the processing liquid containing the particles.

According to the processing liquid supply method of the seventh aspect, the processing liquid can be discharged until the amount of particles in the processing liquid that has passed through the dissolution module decreases. Thereby, the amount of particles in the treatment liquid that has passed through the dissolution module can be reduced. In addition, by stopping the supply of the processing liquid to the filter and connecting the primary-side supply pipe with the drainage pipe, the processing liquid containing particles in the primary-side supply pipe can be discharged without passing through the filter. Thereby, it is possible to reduce the processing liquid containing particles from passing through the filter, so that the life of the filter can be increased. In addition, it is possible to reduce the diffusion of the treatment liquid containing particles to the secondary side of the filter.

1: Substrate processing device

2: Processing unit (processing department)

3: Processing liquid supply unit (processing liquid supply device)

4: Rotating chuck

5: Nozzle

8: Rotating base

9: Rotary drive mechanism

30: Dissolve the module

31a~31d: filter

32: Primary side supply piping

320a~320d: branch piping

322: Piping part

33: Supply valve

34a~34d: Secondary side supply piping

35: pump

36: air supply valve

41: Drainage piping

42: Drain valve

51: Particle Measurement Department

52: Control Department

53a~53d: spray valve

510: Sampling piping

90: Drain tank (drain part)

92: Discharge piping

94: Storage Department

940: library

D1, D2: branch part (connection part)

W: Wafer (semiconductor wafer)

S1~S6: steps

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining the electrical configuration of the main part of the substrate processing apparatus 1.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the treatment liquid supply unit 3 during liquid discharge processing.

FIG. 4 is a time chart for explaining the content of control at the time of liquid discharge processing performed by the control unit 52.

Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, the constituent elements described in this embodiment are only examples, not The meaning of limiting the scope of the present invention to only these constituent elements. In the drawings, for ease of understanding, sometimes the size or number of each part is exaggerated or simplified as necessary.

<1. Implementation mode>

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 1 processes a semiconductor wafer W (hereinafter, simply referred to as "wafer W") as an example of a substrate. The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a plurality of processing units 2 (processing sections), and a processing liquid supply unit 3 (processing liquid supply device) that supplies processing liquid to each processing unit 2. Here, the processing liquid is supplied to the four processing units 2 from one processing liquid supply unit 3, but a dedicated processing liquid supply unit may be provided for each processing unit.

The processing unit 2 is a piece-by-piece type device that processes wafers W one by one with a processing liquid. The processing unit 2 includes a rotating chuck 4 that holds and rotates the wafer W horizontally, and a nozzle 5 that supplies a processing liquid to the wafer W as a processing liquid.

The rotating chuck 4 includes a rotating base 8 that holds the wafer W substantially horizontally and can rotate around a vertical axis, and a rotation driving mechanism 9 that rotates the rotating base 8 around the vertical axis. The nozzle 5 can be set as a fixed nozzle in which the impingement position of the processing liquid on the wafer W is fixed, or the impingement position may be set to move from the rotation center of the wafer W to the edge of the wafer W Movable nozzle (scanning nozzle). The processing liquid is supplied to the nozzle 5 from the processing liquid supply unit 3.

The processing liquid supply unit 3 includes: a dissolution module 30, a filter 31a to a filter 31d, a primary side supply pipe 32, a supply valve 33, a secondary side supply pipe 34a to a secondary side supply pipe 34d, a pump 35, and an air supply valve 36, drain piping 41, drain valve 42. The particle measuring unit 51, the control unit 52, and the ejection valve 53a to the ejection valve 53d.

The dissolution module 30 is a device that generates carbonated water that mixes carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ) and pure water (DIW) that is a raw solution of the treatment liquid. Pure water is supplied to the dissolution module 30 from a pure water source, and carbon dioxide is supplied to the dissolution module 30 from a carbon dioxide source (cylinder, etc.). The supply of pure water is performed by a pump 35 installed on the pipe connecting the pure water source and the dissolution module 30. In addition, the supply of carbon dioxide is controlled by a gas supply valve 36 inserted in the pipe connecting the dissolution module 30 and the carbon dioxide source. The dissolving module 30 includes, for example, a hollow fiber membrane, and the carbon dioxide is supplied to pure water through the hollow fiber membrane, thereby dissolving the carbon dioxide in the pure water. In the processing unit 2, the wafer W is processed (rinse processing) with a processing liquid (carbonated water) obtained by dissolving carbon dioxide in pure water, thereby reducing the electrification of the wafer W.

The filter 31 a-the filter 31 d filter the treatment liquid supplied to each treatment unit 2. The filter 31a-the filter 31d include countless pores, for example, and filter the processing liquid supplied to the processing unit 2, and remove particles from the processing liquid.

The primary side supply pipe 32 forms a flow path for the processing liquid. One end of the primary side supply pipe 32 is connected to the dissolving module 30. In addition, the other end side of the primary side supply pipe 32 is branched into a plurality of branch pipes 320a to 320d at the branch portion D1 in the middle. The branch pipe 320a-the branch pipe 320d are connected to the filter 31a-the filter 31d, respectively.

The supply valve 33 is inserted into the primary side supply pipe 32. In more detail, the supply valve 33 is provided between the dissolving module 30 and the branch portion D1. The supply valve 33 will be a The flow path formed by the secondary supply piping 32 is opened and closed, thereby controlling the switch for supplying the processing liquid from the dissolution module 30 to the filter 31a to the filter 31d.

One end of the secondary side supply pipe 34a is connected to the filter 31a, and the other end is connected to one nozzle 5 of the plurality of processing units 2. Regarding the other secondary side supply piping 34b-the secondary side supply piping 34d, one end is also connected to one of the filter 31b-the filter 31d, and the other end is connected to one nozzle 5 in the plurality of processing units 2. The secondary side supply pipe 34a-the secondary side supply pipe 34d supply the processing liquid filtered by the filter 31a-the filter 31d connected to each to the nozzle 5 of the processing unit 2.

The discharge valve 53a-the discharge valve 53d are respectively inserted into each of the secondary side supply pipe 34a-the secondary side supply pipe 34d. The discharge valve 53 a-the discharge valve 53 d open and close the flow path of the processing liquid formed by the secondary side supply pipe 34 a-the secondary side supply pipe 34 d, thereby controlling the opening and closing of the discharge of the processing liquid from each nozzle 5. In addition, the discharge valve 53a-the discharge valve 53d can also be comprised so that the opening degree of the flow path of the secondary side supply pipe 34a-the secondary side supply pipe 34d can be adjusted. By adjusting the opening degree, the ejection amount per unit time of the processing liquid from each nozzle 5 can be controlled.

The drain pipe 41 is branched from the branch portion D2 on the primary side of the supply valve 33 of the primary side supply pipe 32 and is connected to the drain tank 90. The drain tank 90 is provided to accumulate the processing liquid discharged from the processing liquid supply unit 3. The processing liquid accumulated in the liquid drain tank 90 is discharged to the outside of the substrate processing apparatus 1 via the discharge pipe 92.

The drain valve 42 is inserted on the drain pipe 41. The drain valve 42 opens and closes the flow path formed by the drain pipe 41, thereby controlling the discharge from the primary side supply pipe 32 to the drain Switch for discharging the processing liquid in the tank 90.

The supply valve 33 and the drain valve 42 are installed on the primary side supply pipe 32 in a state where the dissolving module 30 communicates with the filter 31a to the filter 31d, and the dissolving module 30 and the drain tank 90 (drain part) An example of a switching unit that switches between connected states.

The particle measuring unit 51 measures the amount of particles in the processing liquid passing through the primary side supply pipe 32. The particle measuring unit 51 is, for example, a measuring device (particle counter) that counts particles (dust, fine particles, impurities, etc.) present in the treatment liquid. The particle measuring unit 51 measures, for example, the intensity of light scattering from the particles, and extracts the light intensity proportional to the size of the particles in the form of electrical signals, thereby measuring the amount of particles.

The particle measurement unit 51 measures the amount of particles in the processing liquid passing through the piping portion 322 from the dissolution module 30 to the branch portion D2 in the primary side supply piping 32. Here, the particle measurement unit 51 has a sampling pipe 510 as a bypass of the pipe portion 322. The sampling pipe 510 has a diameter smaller than that of the primary supply pipe 32. The particle measuring unit 51 measures the amount of particles passing through the sampling pipe 510 to thereby measure the amount of particles in the processing liquid passing through the pipe portion 322.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining the electrical configuration of the main part of the substrate processing apparatus 1. The control unit 52 includes a microcomputer, and controls the control target included in the substrate processing apparatus 1 in accordance with a predetermined control program. In particular, the control unit 52 controls the pump 35, the air supply valve 36, the supply valve 33, the drain valve 42, and the discharge valve 53a to 53d. The control unit 52 is connected to the particle measurement unit 51. Furthermore, it is not necessary to control the pump 35 and the air supply valve 36 by the control unit 52. For example, it can also be used in the treatment liquid supply unit The pump 35 is always driven at the start of 3, thereby always drawing pure water from the pure water source.

In addition, the control unit 52 is connected to the storage unit 94. A recipe 940 is stored in the storage unit 94. In the library 940, the conditions of the processing to be performed on the wafer W in the processing unit 2 are described in a predetermined data format. Specifically, the processing program and processing content (processing time, temperature, pressure, or supply amount) are described. The control unit 52 can access the storage unit 94 and read the library 940 as appropriate.

The control unit 52 determines whether the supply or stop of the processing liquid to the filter 31 a to the filter 31 d based on the amount of particles in the processing liquid passing through the primary side supply pipe 32 measured by the particle measuring unit 51. In detail, when the amount of particles exceeds a predetermined discharge reference value, the control unit 52 controls the opening and closing of the supply valve 33 and the discharge valve 42 to perform the discharge in the dissolution module 30 and the primary supply pipe 32. Drainage treatment of treatment liquid. In the case of performing draining processing, the control unit 52 closes the supply valve 33 and opens the drain valve 42. In this state, the processing liquid that has been transported by the pump 35 to the dissolution module 30 passes through the dissolution module 30 and the primary supply pipe 32, flows into the drainage pipe 41, and is then discharged. Thereby, the particles accumulated in the dissolving module 30, the primary supply pipe 32, and the like are appropriately washed with the processing liquid.

During the drainage process, the gas supply valve 36 is closed, whereby only pure water without carbon dioxide passes through the dissolving module 30 and the primary side supply pipe 32. In this case, the inside of the dissolving module 30 and the primary side supply pipe 32 are mainly purified by pure water. However, it is also possible to supply carbon dioxide to the dissolution module 30 at the time of the liquid discharge treatment, thereby allowing the treatment liquid containing carbon dioxide to pass through the primary supply pipe 32.

<Operation Description of Process Liquid Supply Unit 3>

In the case of supplying the processing liquid to each processing unit 2, the control unit 52 drives the pump 35 and opens the air supply valve 36. Thereby, a treatment liquid (carbonated water) is generated in the dissolution module 30. In addition, the control unit 52 turns the supply valve 33 into an open state, turns the drain valve 42 into a closed state, and supplies the processing liquid generated in the dissolution module 30 to the filters 31a to 31d through the primary supply pipe 32. (Provide step). Then, the treatment liquid passes through the filter 31a to the filter 31d respectively, thereby filtering the treatment liquid (filtration step). When the processing liquid from which particles have been removed by the filtration is fed to each processing unit 2, it is supplied onto the wafer W from the nozzle 5 of each processing unit 2 and the wafer W is processed.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the treatment liquid supply unit 3 during liquid discharge processing. FIG. 4 is a time chart for explaining the content of control at the time of liquid discharge processing performed by the control unit 52.

As shown in FIG. 3, the operation of the liquid discharge treatment in the treatment liquid supply unit 3 includes a step S1 in which the control unit 52 determines whether the liquid discharge treatment is necessary based on a predetermined judgment criterion. In this step S1, as described above, the amount of particles is used as the judgment criterion.

Specifically, the particle measurement unit 51 measures the amount of particles (particle amount measurement step). Then, if the control unit 52 receives information on the amount of particles as a result of the measurement, it determines whether the amount of particles exceeds a predetermined discharge reference value. If it does not exceed (No in step S1), step S1 is executed again. Furthermore, in this case, the determination in step S1 is preferably performed every cycle in which the particle measurement unit 51 measures the amount of particles. When the amount of particles exceeds the discharge reference value (Yes in step S1), the control unit 52 executes the next step S2.

In step S2, the control unit 52 changes the supply valve 33 from the open state to the closed state. As shown in FIG. 4, if the supply valve 33 is closed, the state in which the processing liquid is supplied to the filter 31a to the filter 31d becomes a state where the supply is stopped.

When the control unit 52 closes the supply valve 33, it changes the drain valve 42 from the closed state to the open state (step S3 in FIG. 3, refer to FIG. 4) at a timing that is slightly later or approximately at the same time. Thereby, the dissolution module 30, the primary side supply pipe 32 (specifically, the pipe portion 322), and the drain pipe 41 are in a state in which they communicate with the drain tank 90. At this time, as shown in FIG. 4, the pump 35 is in an operating state. In addition, the air supply valve 36 is closed. Therefore, the raw solution (pure water) of the treatment liquid containing no carbon dioxide flows from the dissolution module 30 into the drain pipe 41 via the primary side supply pipe 32, and is then discharged to the drain tank 90 (the drain step). Furthermore, as described above, it is not necessary to close the air supply valve 36 in the liquid discharge step. In other words, the treatment liquid containing carbon dioxide may be drained.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the draining step of this embodiment, after the drain valve 42 is opened, while the supply valve 33 is kept closed, it is performed multiple times (here, four times) to remove the drain valve 42 only. After closing the predetermined time T1, only the cyclic control for the predetermined time is turned on again. In this way, by periodically closing the drain valve 42, the flow of the processing liquid in the dissolving module 30 and the primary side supply pipe 32 can be stopped intermittently. Hereinafter, this type of draining process is referred to as "quick draining process". According to the rapid drainage treatment, the flow of the treatment liquid can be temporized. Therefore, particles that have adhered to the inside of the dissolving module 30 and the primary supply pipe 32 are likely to fall off, and therefore, the improvement of the particle removal efficiency can be expected.

Furthermore, the control unit 52 is in the rapid draining process, when entering the drain valve 42 During the opening and closing control, the driving of the pump 35 may be controlled on and off as shown by the broken line in FIG. 4. That is, the pump 35 may be stopped at the timing when the drain valve 42 is closed, and the pump 35 may be driven at the timing when the drain valve 42 is opened. Thereby, when the drain valve 42 is closed, it is possible to suppress the increase in the pressure inside the dissolving module 30 or the primary side supply pipe 32. Therefore, the burden imposed on the dissolution module 30 or the pump 35 can be reduced.

In addition, during the draining step, the drain valve 42 may be always opened to control the driving of the pump 35 on and off. In this case, rapid drainage can also be performed. In addition, it is not necessary to perform rapid draining treatment. That is, in the liquid discharge step, the pump 35 may always be driven and the liquid discharge valve 42 may be always opened.

In addition, in the liquid discharging step, when the control unit 52 has determined that a specific condition is satisfied, the rapid liquid discharging process may be performed. The “specified condition” refers to, for example, when the amount of particles measured by the particle measurement unit 51 is an abnormal value exceeding a predetermined threshold.

In step S3, after the drain valve 42 is opened, the control unit 52 determines whether or not the particle amount measured by the particle measuring unit 51 has become less than or equal to a predetermined allowable value (step S4). When the particles in the dissolution module 30 and the primary side supply pipe 32 have been removed by the discharge of the processing liquid, the amount of particles is expected to decrease. Therefore, in step S5, it is judged whether to continue liquid discharge by monitoring the amount of particles.

When the amount of particles has exceeded the predetermined allowable value (No in step S4), the process returns to step S3, and the discharge of the treatment liquid is continued. On the other hand, when the amount of particles has become below the predetermined allowable value due to the discharge of the treatment liquid (Yes in step S4), the control unit 52 turns the drain valve 42 into a closed state (step S5 in FIG. 3, refer to Figure 4). By closing the drain valve 42, the drain of the treatment liquid is stopped. Such as Here, the control unit 52 monitors the amount of particles to perform the liquid discharge treatment, thereby suppressing excessive liquid discharge treatment.

Furthermore, in step S4, the control unit 52 may output a notification to the outside through an output device (a display device, a printing device, a lamp, etc.) corresponding to the amount of particles measured by the particle measurement unit 51. For example, regarding the continuation time (or the discharge amount of the treatment liquid) of the liquid discharge treatment, it may be considered to determine a reference value in advance. That is, in step S4, when the particle amount does not fall below the allowable value even if the continuation time of the liquid discharge process (or the discharge amount of the treatment liquid) exceeds the reference value, the control unit 52 outputs the notification to the outside through the output device as should. By this notification, the operator can recognize the abnormality of the processing liquid supply unit 3, and therefore can appropriately recognize the maintenance of parts such as the dissolving module 30. Replacement period.

When the control unit 52 turns the drain valve 42 into the closed state, the supply valve 33 is turned from the closed state to the open state at a timing that is slightly later or approximately at the same time (step S6 in FIG. 3, refer to FIG. 4). In addition, by opening the gas supply valve 36, carbon dioxide is supplied to the dissolving module 30. Thereby, the processing liquid containing carbon dioxide flows in the primary side supply pipe 32 again, and is supplied to each of the filter 31a-the filter 31d (refer FIG. 4). That is, it becomes a state where the processing liquid supply unit 3 can supply the processing liquid to the processing unit 2.

As described above, according to the substrate processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, in the processing liquid supply unit 3, the supply valve 33 is closed (step S2), and the drain valve 42 is opened (step S3). Thereby, the amount of particles in the processing liquid that has passed through the dissolution module 30 can be reduced. In addition, the processing liquid can be discharged more to the primary side (that is, the processing liquid supply source side) than the filter 31a to the filter 31d. Therefore, in the dissolving module 30, The particles generated in the primary side supply pipe 32 or other sources of dust are discharged to the outside without passing through the filter 31a to the filter 31d. In this case, it is possible to reduce the processing liquid containing many particles generated on the primary side of the filter 31a to the filter 31d from passing through the filter 31a to the filter 31d. Thereby, the life span of the filter 31a-the filter 31d can be extended.

In addition, since the processing liquid containing many particles can be discharged from the primary side of the filter 31a to the filter 31d, the risk of the processing liquid containing the particles spreading to the secondary side of the filter 31a to the filter 31d can be reduced.

In addition, when the liquid discharge treatment is performed based on the amount of particles measured by the particle measuring section 51, the treatment liquid containing high-concentration particles can be appropriately suppressed from passing through the filter 31a to the filter 31d. In addition, the processing liquid containing many particles can be prevented from being used for the processing of the wafer W. In addition, it is possible to suppress unnecessary drainage treatment.

<2. Modifications>

The embodiment has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various modifications can be made.

For example, the amount of particles measured by the particle measuring unit 51 may be set in advance to maintain parts such as the dissolving module 30. The maintenance reference value of the replacement standard. Specifically, when the particle amount has exceeded a predetermined maintenance reference value, the control unit 52 may output a notification to the outside through an output device (a display device, a printing device, a lamp, etc.). By notifying the outside, the operator can properly recognize the maintenance of parts such as the dissolving module 30. Replacement period.

In addition, the supply valve 33 and the drain valve 42 may also be the same as in the above-mentioned embodiment, It is configured to be electrically openable and closed under the control of the control unit 52, but at least one of them may be configured to be manually openable and closable. However, by automatically performing opening and closing control, the burden on the operator can be reduced.

In addition, a three-way valve having both the functions of the supply valve 33 and the drain valve 42 may be used instead of inserting the supply valve 33 and the drain valve 42 into the primary side supply pipe 32 as a switching portion. In this case, it is preferable to provide a three-way valve at the branch portion D2 connected to the discharge pipe 41 of the primary side supply pipe 32.

The processing liquid supplied by the processing liquid supply unit 3 is not limited to one that has dissolved carbon dioxide, and for example, it may be one that has dissolved other types of gas such as nitrogen. In addition, it is also possible to use carbonated water or a liquid in which other types of gases such as nitrogen are dissolved, and other liquids such as chemical liquids can be used as the treatment liquid.

The substrate processing apparatus 1 of the above-mentioned embodiment is a piece-by-piece type apparatus that processes wafers W one by one with a processing liquid in the processing unit 2. However, the present invention can also be applied to a substrate processing apparatus including a batch processing unit that simultaneously processes a plurality of wafers W using a processing liquid.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the wafer W is used as the substrate to be processed, but it is not limited to the wafer W. For example, a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device, a substrate for a plasma display, and a substrate for FED may be used. Other types of substrates such as substrates, substrates for optical disks, substrates for magnetic disks, substrates for magneto-optical disks, substrates for photomasks, ceramic substrates, and substrates for solar cells are treated as objects.

Although this invention was demonstrated in detail, the said description is an illustration in all respects, and this invention is not limited to this. Explain countless variants that are not illustrated It is thought of so as not to depart from the scope of the present invention. The respective structures described in the respective embodiments and the respective modifications may be appropriately combined or omitted as long as they do not contradict each other.

1‧‧‧Substrate processing equipment

2‧‧‧Processing Unit (Processing Department)

3‧‧‧Processing liquid supply unit (processing liquid supply device)

4‧‧‧Rotating Chuck

5‧‧‧Nozzle

8‧‧‧Rotating base

9‧‧‧Rotary drive mechanism

30‧‧‧Dissolving Module

31a~31d‧‧‧Filter

32‧‧‧Primary side supply piping

320a~320d‧‧‧Branch piping

322‧‧‧Piping part

33‧‧‧Supply valve

34a~34d‧‧‧Secondary side supply piping

35‧‧‧Pump

36‧‧‧Air supply valve

41‧‧‧Drain piping

42‧‧‧Drain valve

51‧‧‧Particle Measurement Department

52‧‧‧Control Department

53a~53d‧‧‧Ejection valve

510‧‧‧Sampling pipe

90‧‧‧Drain tank (drain part)

92‧‧‧Exhaust pipe

D1, D2‧‧‧Branch part (connection part)

W‧‧‧wafer (semiconductor wafer)

Claims (7)

A processing liquid supply device, which is a processing liquid supply device for supplying processing liquid, includes: a dissolution module for dissolving gas in the raw solution of the processing liquid; a primary side supply pipe, one end of which is connected to the secondary Side connection; filter, connected to the other end of the primary side supply piping to filter the processing liquid; secondary side supply piping, connected to the secondary side of the filter to form the filter The flow path through which the processing liquid passes; the drain piping, which is connected to the primary side supply piping, and delivers the processing liquid to the drain portion; the switching portion, which is provided on the primary side supply piping, in the The dissolving module is in communication with the filter, and the dissolving module is in communication with the drain part; the particle measuring part is provided on the primary side of the switching part, and the measurement passes through The amount of particles in the processing liquid of the primary side supply pipe; and a control unit that controls the switching operation performed by the switching unit in accordance with the amount of particles measured by the particle measuring unit. The processing liquid supply device described in claim 1, wherein the particle measuring unit measures the primary side of the supply pipe that is closer to the primary side than the portion to which the drain pipe is connected. The amount of the particles in the treatment liquid. The treatment liquid supply device as described in item 1 or item 2 of the scope of patent application Wherein the switching unit includes: a supply valve inserted on the primary side supply pipe to open and close the flow path in the primary side supply pipe; and a drain valve inserted on the drain pipe , Opening and closing the flow path in the drain pipe; and the control unit controls the opening and closing actions of the supply valve and the drain valve. The processing liquid supply device described in the scope of patent application 3, wherein the control section corresponds to the measurement measured by the particle measurement section in a state where the supply valve is closed and the discharge valve is opened. The amount of particles is notified to the outside through an output device. The processing liquid supply device described in claim 3, wherein the primary side supply pipe is branched into a plurality of branch pipes on the secondary side of the switching section, and each of the plurality of branch pipes is connected to each There is a said filter. A substrate processing device, which is a substrate processing device for processing substrates, includes: a processing liquid supply device as described in the first or second patent application; and a processing section that uses the processing liquid supplied by the processing liquid The processing liquid filtered by the filter of the device processes the substrate. A processing liquid supply method, which is a processing liquid supply method for supplying a processing liquid, comprising: (a) a step of dissolving gas in a raw solution of the processing liquid by a dissolving module; (b) The step of supplying the processing liquid in which the gas is dissolved from the dissolution module to one end of the primary side supply pipe; (c) by means of a switching section provided on the primary side supply pipe, The dissolution module is communicated with a filter connected to the other end of the primary side supply piping, and the processing liquid that has passed through the primary side supply piping is filtered by the filter so that it passes through and The step of the secondary side supply pipe connected to the secondary side of the filter; (d) the step of measuring the amount of particles in the treatment liquid passing through the primary side supply pipe; and (e) the step (d) When the amount of particles measured in) exceeds the allowable value, the switching unit switches the dissolution module and the filter from the state in which the dissolution module is in communication with the primary The side supply piping is in a state of communication with the drain piping branched, and the supply of the treatment liquid to the filter in the step (c) is stopped, and the dissolving liquid is passed through the drain piping. The step of conveying the treatment liquid of the module to the liquid discharge part.

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