WO2022114127A1 - Substrate processing device and substrate processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

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

Description

Board processing equipment and board processing method

The present invention relates to a substrate processing technique for processing a substrate by supplying a processing fluid to the processing space while accommodating the substrate in the processing space of the container body.

The specification, drawings and claims of the Japanese application shown below are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety:
Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-197880 (filed on November 30, 2020).

The processing process of various substrates such as semiconductor substrates and glass substrates for display devices includes processing the substrates with various processing fluids. Such treatment may be performed in an airtight treatment container for the purpose of efficient use of the treatment fluid and prevention of dissipation to the outside. In this case, the processing container has an opening for loading and unloading the substrate and a container body having a processing space for accommodating the substrate in a horizontal posture, and the opening is closed to ensure the airtightness of the internal space. A lid is provided. For example, in the processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the substrate (wafer) to be processed is placed in a processing container (the "container body" of the present invention) in a state of being placed on a flat plate-shaped holder integrated with a lid. It is carried into the processing area (corresponding to the "processing space" of the present invention). Then, the supercritical fluid is supplied from one side of the substrate toward the other side of the substrate so that a laminar flow is formed on the upper surface of the substrate. As a result, the laminar flow of the supercritical fluid passes above the fine pattern formed on the upper surface of the substrate. At the time of passing through the treatment liquid, the treatment liquid held between the fine patterns is agitated, and the treatment liquid and the supercritical fluid are efficiently replaced. Further, since the processing fluid flows in one direction on the upper surface of the substrate, the reattachment of the particles removed from the substrate to the substrate is suppressed.

JP-A-2015-039040

By the way, in the device configured in this way, the processing space is designed to be formed slightly larger than the envelope outer shape of the substrate and the holder. That is, the gap between the upper surface of the substrate accommodated in the processing space in the vertical direction and the ceiling surface of the processing space facing the upper surface of the substrate is limited to several mm or less. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the amount of the processing fluid used and improve the processing efficiency. On the other hand, even if the gap is slightly lower than the optimum value in the vertical direction, the flow rate and the flow velocity of the processing fluid supplied to the upper surface of the substrate are significantly reduced. As a result, the above substitution becomes incomplete, which may lead to deterioration in the quality of substrate processing.

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

One aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus, in which a flat plate-shaped support tray that supports the lower surface of a substrate in a horizontal position and a processing space and a processing space that can accommodate the support tray that supports the substrate are supported in communication with each other. The container body is provided with an opening for passing the tray on the side, the lid is provided so that the opening can be closed while holding the support tray, and the lid is moved in the vertical direction relative to the container body. It is characterized in that it is provided with a vertical movement mechanism that adjusts the relative position of the substrate supported by the support tray in the vertical direction with respect to the processing space.

Further, another aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing method, in which the opening of the container body is opened by moving the lid portion holding the flat plate-shaped support tray that supports the lower surface of the substrate in the horizontal posture in the horizontal direction. The first step of accommodating the support tray in the processing space of the container body and closing the opening by the lid portion, and the second step of treating the substrate with the processing fluid in the processing space of the container body whose opening is closed by the lid portion. A third step of adjusting the relative position of the substrate supported by the support tray in the vertical direction with respect to the processing space by moving the lid portion in the vertical direction relative to the container body prior to the step and the first step. It is characterized by having a process.

In these inventions, the lid for holding the support tray and the container body having the processing space are relatively moved in the vertical direction. As a result, the relative position of the substrate supported by the support tray with respect to the processing space is adjusted in the vertical direction. Then, the substrate is processed in the processing space.

As described above, in the present invention, since the lid portion is moved in the vertical direction relative to the container body to adjust the relative position of the substrate with respect to the processing space in the vertical direction, the substrate processing in the processing space is performed. The quality of the can be improved.

The plurality of components of each aspect of the present invention described above are not all essential, and may be used to solve some or all of the above-mentioned problems, or part or all of the effects described herein. In order to achieve the above, it is possible to change, delete, replace a part of the plurality of components with new other components, and partially delete the limited contents, as appropriate. Further, in order to solve a part or all of the above-mentioned problems, or to achieve a part or all of the effects described in the present specification, the technical features included in the above-mentioned aspect of the present invention. It is also possible to combine some or all with some or all of the technical features contained in the other aspects of the invention described above to form an independent form of the invention.

It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the 1st Embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the main part of a processing unit. It is a figure which shows typically the flow of the processing fluid in the processing space. It is a flowchart and operation schematic diagram which show the height adjustment process executed in 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart and operation schematic diagram which shows a part of the processing executed by the substrate processing system including the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the vertical movement mechanism in the 2nd Embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on this invention.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a main part of the processing unit. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing the flow of the processing fluid in the processing space. The substrate processing device 1 is a device for processing the surface of various substrates such as a semiconductor substrate by using a supercritical fluid. In order to show the directions in each of the following figures in a unified manner, the XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is set as shown in FIG. Here, the XY plane is a horizontal plane, and the Z direction represents a vertical direction. More specifically, the (-Z) direction represents a vertical downward direction.

The "board" in the present embodiment includes a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate for a photomask, a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display, a glass substrate for a plasma display, a substrate for a FED (Field Emission Display), a substrate for an optical disk, a substrate for a magnetic disk, and light. Various substrates such as magnetic disk substrates can be applied. In the following, a substrate processing apparatus mainly used for processing a disk-shaped semiconductor wafer will be described with reference to the drawings, but the present invention can be similarly applied to the processing of various substrates exemplified above. In addition, various shapes of the substrate can be applied.

The board processing device 1 includes a processing unit 10, a transfer unit 30, a supply unit 50, and a control unit 90. The processing unit 10 is the main execution body of the supercritical drying process. The transfer unit 30 receives the unprocessed substrate S conveyed by an external transfer device (not shown) and carries it into the processing unit 10, and also transfers the processed substrate S from the processing unit 10 to the external transfer device. The supply unit 50 supplies the chemical substances, power, energy, and the like necessary for processing to the processing unit 10 and the transfer unit 30.

The control unit 90 controls each part of these devices to realize a predetermined process. For this purpose, the control unit 90 includes a CPU 91 that executes various control programs, a memory 92 that temporarily stores processing data, a storage 93 that stores control programs executed by the CPU 91, and information with users and external devices. It is equipped with an interface 94 for exchanging. The operation of the device, which will be described later, is realized by the CPU 91 executing a control program written in the storage 93 in advance and causing each part of the device to perform a predetermined operation.

As shown in FIG. 1, the processing unit 10 has a structure in which a processing chamber 12 is mounted on a pedestal 11 via an elevating actuator 20. The elevating actuator 20 is often used in, for example, a Petri dish height automatic adjustment mechanism, and in the present embodiment, a servomotor is used as a drive source. The elevating actuator 20 is elevated and controlled by the chamber elevating control unit 57 of the supply unit 50 in a state of being connected to the entire lower surface of the processing chamber 12. The chamber elevating control unit 57 operates in response to a control command from the control unit 90, and has a function of controlling the position of the processing chamber 12 in the vertical direction Z, that is, the so-called height position. The height position control of the processing chamber 12 will be described in detail later.

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

A lid member 13 is provided on the (-Y) side of the processing chamber 12 so as to close the opening 121. The lid member 13 has a closing surface 131 on the (+ Y) direction side. The closed surface 131 moves to the processing chamber 12 as the lid member 13 moves in the (+ Y) direction while facing the (−Y) side side surface 127 of the processing chamber 12. Then, the closing surface 131 closes the opening 121 provided on the (−Y) side side surface 127. As a result, an airtight processing container is configured, and the substrate S can be processed under high pressure in the internal processing space SP. As described above, in the present embodiment, the (−Y) side side surface 127 and the closed surface 131 correspond to an example of the “closed surface” and the “closed surface” of the present invention, respectively. In the following, the (−Y) side side surface 127 of the processing chamber 12 will be referred to as a “closed surface 127”.

Further, a flat plate-shaped support tray 15 is attached in a horizontal position to the central portion of the closed surface 131 of the lid member 13, and is held by the closed surface 131. The upper surface of the support tray 15 is a support surface on which the substrate S can be placed. The lid member 13 is supported so as to be horizontally movable in the Y direction by a support mechanism (not shown).

The lid member 13 can be moved back and forth in the Y direction with respect to the processing chamber 12 by the advancing / retreating mechanism 52 provided in the supply unit 50. Specifically, the advancing / retreating mechanism 52 has a linear motion mechanism such as a linear motor, a linear motion guide, a ball screw mechanism, a solenoid, and an air cylinder, and such a linear motion mechanism makes the lid member 13 in the Y direction. Move to. The advancing / retreating mechanism 52 operates in response to a control command from the control unit 90.

The lid member 13 retracts in the (−Y) direction to separate from the processing chamber 12. As a result, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 1, the support tray 15 is pulled out from the processing space SP through the opening 121, and the support tray 15 can be accessed. That is, the substrate S can be placed on the support tray 15 and the substrate S mounted on the support tray 15 can be taken out. On the other hand, as the lid member 13 advances in the (+ Y) direction, the support tray 15 is accommodated in the processing space SP. When the substrate S is placed on the support tray 15, the substrate S is carried into the processing space SP together with the support tray 15.

The processing space SP is sealed by the lid member 13 advancing in the (+ Y) direction and the closing surface 131 closing the opening 121. A seal member 122 is provided between the closed surface 131 of the lid member 13 and the closed surface 127 of the processing chamber 12, and the airtight state of the processing space SP is maintained. The seal member 122 is made of rubber, for example, and in the present embodiment, it is attached to a groove (not shown) provided on the peripheral edge of the closed surface 127 so as to surround the opening 121 in the closed surface 127 of the processing chamber 12. There is. Therefore, regardless of the movement of the lid member 13 in the horizontal direction Y, the seal member 122 is fixedly arranged in the processing chamber 12. The fixing position of the seal member 122 is not limited to this, and the seal member 122 may be fixed to the closing surface 131 of the lid member 13. In this case, the sealing member 122 moves in the (+ Y) direction together with the lid member 13 and performs a sealing function in close contact with the closed surface 127 of the processing chamber 12.

Further, the lid member 13 is fixed to the processing chamber 12 by a lock mechanism (not shown). As described above, in this embodiment, the lid member 13 is in a closed state (solid line) in which the opening 121 is closed to seal the processing space SP, and a separated state in which the substrate S can be taken in and out at a large distance from the opening 121. It can be switched between (dotted line) and. Then, in the closed state, the seal member 122 is interposed between the closed surface 131 and the closed surface 127, and airtightness is ensured.

In this way, the processing for the substrate S is executed in the processing space SP while the airtight state of the processing space SP is secured. In this embodiment, from the fluid supply unit 55 provided in the supply unit 50, the treatment fluid of a substance that can be used for supercritical treatment, for example, carbon dioxide, is treated as a treatment fluid in a gas, liquid or supercritical state. Supply to. Carbon dioxide is a chemical substance suitable for supercritical drying treatment because it is in a supercritical state at a relatively low temperature and low pressure and has a property of well dissolving an organic solvent often used for substrate treatment. The critical points at which carbon dioxide is in a supercritical state are an atmospheric pressure (critical pressure) of 7.38 MPa and a temperature (critical temperature) of 31.1 ° C.

The processing fluid is filled in the processing space SP, and when the inside of the processing space SP reaches an appropriate temperature and pressure, the processing space SP is filled with the processing fluid in a supercritical state. In this way, the substrate S is processed by the supercritical fluid in the processing chamber 12. The supply unit 50 is provided with a fluid recovery unit 53, and the treated fluid is collected by the fluid recovery unit 53. Each part of the fluid supply part 55 and the fluid recovery part 53 is controlled by the control unit 90, and the processing fluid is circulated in the processing container by the flow shown in FIG. That is, as shown in the figure, the fluid supply unit 55 for supplying the processing fluid is provided on the (+ Y) side of the processing space SP, that is, the introduction flow path 123 provided on the side opposite to the opening 121 when viewed from the processing space SP. , 124. More specifically, the first introduction flow path 123 and the second introduction flow path 124 are formed in the processing chamber 12 on the (+ Y) side of the (+ Y) side end of the substrate S housed in the processing space SP. Has been done.

The first introduction flow path 123 is connected to the fluid supply unit 55 by a pipe 172 having a valve 171. When the valve 171 is opened, the processing fluid from the fluid supply unit 55 flows into the first introduction flow path 123. The first introduction flow path 123 finally sets the flow direction of the fluid to the horizontal direction Y, and discharges the processing fluid from the first introduction port 123a that opens facing the processing space SP at the (+ Y) side end of the processing space SP. do.

On the other hand, the second introduction flow path 124 is connected to the fluid supply unit 55 by a pipe 174 having a valve 173. When the valve 173 is opened, the processing fluid from the fluid supply unit 55 flows into the second flow path 124. The second introduction flow path 124 finally sets the flow direction of the fluid to the horizontal direction Y, and discharges the processing fluid from the second introduction port 124a which opens facing the processing space SP at the (+ Y) side end of the processing space SP. do.

The first introduction port 123a is open facing the processing space SP above the substrate S held in the processing space SP. On the other hand, the second introduction port 124a opens toward the processing space SP below the substrate S held in the processing space SP, more strictly below the support tray 15 that supports the substrate S. The first introduction port 123a and the second introduction port 124a are slit-shaped openings extending in the X direction with a certain opening width, and extend outward from the end portion of the substrate S in the X direction. Therefore, the processing fluids discharged from the first introduction port 123a and the second introduction port 124a are thin in the vertical direction (Z direction) and in the X direction in a thin layer shape wider than the width of the substrate S (−Y). It is introduced into the processing space SP as a directional flow. It is only necessary that the direction of the processing fluid finally discharged from the first introduction port 123a and the second introduction port 124a is the horizontal direction Y, and the shape of the flow path in the middle is not limited to the one shown in the drawing.

For the purpose of processing that the periphery of the substrate S is filled with the supercritical fluid, there may be an option that the processing fluid is not discharged until the processing space SP is filled with the supercritical fluid. However, if this is done, the processing fluid may stay in the processing space SP, and impurities existing in the processing space SP may adhere to the substrate S and contaminate the substrate S. In order to prevent this, it is desirable to discharge the processing fluid even in the supercritical state so that the substrate S is always supplied with a clean processing fluid.

For this purpose, a first discharge flow path 125 and a second discharge flow path 126 for discharging the treatment fluid are provided in the vicinity of the (−Y) side end portion of the treatment space SP. Specifically, the first discharge port 125a is opened in the ceiling surface SPa of the processing space SP on the (−Y) side of the substrate S accommodated in the processing space SP, and the first discharge flow path communicating with the first discharge port 125a is opened. 125 is connected to the fluid recovery unit 53 via a pipe 176 having a valve 175. When the valve 175 is opened, the processing fluid in the processing space SP is discharged to the fluid recovery unit 53 via the first discharge flow path 125.

On the other hand, a second discharge port 126a is opened in the bottom surface SPb of the processing space SP on the (-Y) side of the (-Y) side end of the substrate S accommodated in the processing space SP, and communicates with the second discharge port 126a. The second discharge flow path 126 is connected to the fluid recovery unit 53 via a pipe 178 having a valve 177. When the valve 177 is opened, the processing fluid in the processing space SP is discharged to the fluid recovery unit 53 via the second discharge flow path 126.

The first discharge port 125a and the second discharge port 126a are slit-shaped openings extending in the X direction with a certain opening width, and extend to the outside of the end portion of the substrate S in the X direction. In the Y direction, the substrate S is further opened on the (-Y) side of the (-Y) side end. Further, in the vicinity of these arrangement positions, the processing space SP is substantially divided in the vertical direction by the support tray 15. Therefore, the processing fluid flowing above the substrate S is discharged from the first discharge port 125a, while the processing fluid flowing below the substrate S is discharged from the second discharge port 126a.

The opening degree of the valves 171 and 175 is adjusted so that the flow rate of the processing fluid supplied to the first introduction flow path 123 and the flow rate of the processing fluid discharged from the first discharge flow path 125 are equal to each other. Similarly, the opening degrees of the valves 173 and 177 are adjusted so that the flow rate of the processing fluid supplied to the second introduction flow path 124 and the flow rate of the processing fluid discharged from the second discharge flow path 126 are equal to each other. Will be.

With these configurations, the processing fluid introduced from the fluid supply unit 55 via the first introduction flow path 123 is discharged from the first introduction port 123a in the substantially horizontal direction Y, flows along the upper surface of the substrate S, and finally flows. It is discharged to the outside from the first discharge port 125a, and finally collected by the fluid recovery unit 53. On the other hand, the processing fluid introduced from the fluid supply unit 55 via the second introduction flow path 124 is discharged from the second introduction port 124a in the substantially horizontal direction Y, flows along the lower surface of the support tray 15, and finally. It is discharged to the outside from the second discharge port 126a and finally collected by the fluid recovery unit 53. That is, in the processing space SP, it is expected that a laminar flow of the processing fluid directed in the (−Y) direction is formed above the substrate S and below the support tray 15, respectively. The white arrows shown in FIG. 3 schematically show the flow of such a processing fluid.

In this way, by forming a laminar flow of the processing fluid in one direction in the processing space SP, particularly in the space above the substrate S, it is possible to prevent turbulence from occurring around the substrate S. Therefore, even if the liquid adheres to the surface of the substrate S, it is prevented from remaining on the substrate S after drying because it dissolves in the processing fluid in the supercritical state and flows to the downstream side. Further, by setting the flow direction of the processing fluid so that the opening 121 in which impurities that are a pollution source are likely to be generated is on the downstream side of the substrate S, the impurities generated around the opening 121 are carried to the upstream side by turbulence. Adhesion to the substrate S is avoided. This makes it possible to satisfactorily dry the substrate S without contaminating it.

In order to prevent the processing fluid in the supercritical state from being cooled in the processing chamber 12 and undergoing a phase change, it is preferable to provide an appropriate heat source inside the processing chamber 12. In particular, in order to prevent an unintended phase change from occurring around the substrate S, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a heater 153 is built in the support tray 15. The temperature of the heater 153 is controlled by the temperature control unit 56 of the supply unit 50. Further, the temperature control unit 56 operates in response to a control command from the control unit 90, and has a function of controlling the temperature of the processing fluid supplied from the fluid supply unit 55.

The processing space SP has a shape and volume that can accept the support tray 15 and the substrate S supported by the support tray 15. That is, the processing space SP accepts a rectangular cross-sectional shape that is wider than the width of the support tray 15 in the horizontal direction X and larger than the combined height of the support tray 15 and the substrate S in the vertical direction, and the support tray 15. It has a possible depth. As described above, the processing space SP has a shape and a volume sufficient to receive the support tray 15 and the substrate S, but the gap between the support tray 15 and the substrate S and the inner wall surface of the processing space SP is small. .. Therefore, the amount of processing fluid required to fill the processing space SP is relatively small.

As shown in FIG. 1, the transfer unit 30 is responsible for transferring the substrate S between the external transfer device and the support tray 15. For this purpose, the transfer unit 30 includes a main body 31, an elevating member 33, a base member 35, and a plurality of lift pins 37. The elevating member 33 is a columnar member extending in the Z direction, and is movably supported in the Z direction by a support mechanism (not shown). A base member 35 having a substantially horizontal upper surface is attached to the upper part of the elevating member 33, and a plurality of lift pins 37 are erected upward from the upper surface of the base member 35. Each of the lift pins 37 supports the substrate S in a horizontal posture from below by abutting the upper end portion thereof on the lower surface of the substrate S. In order to stably support the substrate S in a horizontal posture, it is desirable that three or more lift pins 37 having the same height at the upper ends are provided.

The elevating member 33 can be moved up and down by the lift elevating mechanism 51 provided in the supply unit 50. Specifically, the lift elevating mechanism 51 has, for example, a linear motor, a linear motion guide, a ball screw mechanism, a solenoid, an air cylinder, or the like, and such a linear motion mechanism Zs the elevating member 33. Move in the direction. The lift elevating mechanism 51 operates in response to a control command from the control unit 90.

The base member 35 moves up and down by raising and lowering the elevating member 33, and a plurality of lift pins 37 move up and down integrally with the base member 35. As a result, the transfer of the substrate S between the transfer unit 30 and the support tray 15 is realized.

When the lid member 13 is in a separated state moved in the (−Y) direction, the support tray 15 is in a state of being pulled out from the processing chamber 12 to the external space as shown in FIG. A base member 35 having a lift pin 37 is arranged below the support tray 15 at this time. A through hole 152 having a diameter larger than the diameter of the lift pin 37 is formed at a position of the support tray 15 immediately above the lift pin 37.

When the base member 35 rises, the upper end of the lift pin 37 reaches above the support surface 151 of the support tray 15 through the through hole 152. In this state, the substrate S supported and transported by the hand H of the external transport device is delivered to the lift pin 37. When the lift pin 37 is lowered after the hand H is retracted, the substrate S is handed over from the lift pin 37 to the support tray 15. The substrate S can be carried out by the reverse procedure of the above.

Reference numeral 54 in FIG. 1 is a height sensor that measures the height position of the processing chamber 12, that is, the position of the processing chamber 12 in the vertical direction Z. The measurement result by the height sensor 54 is sent to the control unit 90. Then, the control unit 90 executes the height adjusting step described below based on the measurement result.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart and an operation schematic diagram showing the height adjustment process executed in the first embodiment. This height adjusting step is executed at the timing when the assembly of the substrate processing apparatus 1 is completed, at the time of maintenance, or when the type or processing content of the substrate S to be processed is changed. Further, the execution of the height adjustment step is realized by the CPU 91 of the control unit 90 executing the control program and causing each part of the apparatus to perform the operation described below.

In the height adjustment step, first, the advancing / retreating mechanism 52 moves the lid member 13 in the (−Y) direction in response to a control command from the control unit 90. As a result, the support tray 15 is pulled out of the processing chamber 12 together with the lid member 13 and retracted from the processing space SP (step S11). Then, in the next step S12, the height sensor 54 measures the height position of the processing chamber 12, that is, the height of the chamber. Here, the lid member 13 and the support tray 15 move horizontally at a predetermined height position, and the processing space SP is also provided in the processing chamber 12 with preset dimensions. Therefore, the CPU 91 is based on the design values relating to their height positions, the measurement results of the height sensor 54, various dimensions of the processing space SP (reference numeral W in the figure is the width in the vertical direction Z), and the thickness of the substrate S. As shown in the upper right corner of FIG. 4, the upper gap CLa and the lower gap CLb are calculated (step S13). Here, the "upper clearance CLa" means the distance between the upper surface Sa of the substrate S supported by the support tray 15 in the vertical direction Z and the ceiling surface Spa of the processing space SP. Further, the "lower gap CLb" means the distance between the lower surface 15b of the support tray 15 and the bottom surface SPb of the processing space SP in the vertical direction Z.

Here, the upper gap CLa is the width of the processing fluid supplied to the upper surface Sa of the substrate S in the vertical direction Z, and if this is narrowed, the quality of the substrate processing may deteriorate. That is, when the upper gap CLa is lower than the appropriate value, the flow rate and the flow velocity of the processing fluid supplied to the upper surface Sa of the substrate S are significantly reduced. As a result, the above substitution may be incomplete and processing defects may occur. Further, since the support tray 15 has a built-in heater 153, thermal deformation of the support tray 15 is unavoidable. Therefore, if the lower clearance CLb is narrower than 0.5 mm, the support tray 15 may come into contact with the bottom surface SPb of the processing space SP when advancing and retreating in the Y direction with respect to the processing chamber 12, and in actual use. It is preferable to adjust the lower clearance CLb to 1 mm or more. Further, from the viewpoint of improving the processing efficiency of the substrate S, it is desirable to widen the upper gap CLa more than the lower gap CLb, and the ratio of the upper gap CLa to the total value of the upper gap CLa and the lower gap CLb is 65% to 75%. It is preferable to adjust so that it is within the range of.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the range of 65% to 75% is defined as the appropriate range of the above ratio, and the ratio is within the appropriate range based on the upper gap CLa and the lower gap CLb calculated by the CPU 91 in step S13. It is determined whether or not it is (step S14). For example, as shown in the lower right of FIG. 4, when it is determined that the above ratio (= 100 × CLa / (CLa + CLb)) is within an appropriate range, the CPU 91 ends the height adjustment step as it is.

On the other hand, for example, as shown in the upper right of FIG. 4, when it is determined that the ratio is out of the appropriate range, the CPU 91 corrects the relative height position of the support tray 15 with respect to the processing space SP (steps S15 and S16). Then, the height adjustment process is completed. That is, the CPU 91 calculates the displacement amount of the processing chamber 12 in the vertical direction Z, which is necessary to keep the ratio within the appropriate range, as the correction movement amount (step S15). Then, the CPU 91 gives a control command corresponding to the corrected movement amount to the chamber elevating control unit 57. Upon receiving this, the chamber elevating control unit 57 controls the elevating actuator 20 to move the processing chamber 12 in the vertical direction Z by the corrected movement amount. For example, as shown in the upper right corner of FIG. 4, when the ratio is less than 50%, the elevating actuator 20 moves the processing chamber 12 in the (+ Z) direction.

Such a height adjusting step corresponds to an example of the "third step" of the present invention, and the relative position of the substrate S supported by the support tray 15 in the vertical direction Z by the height adjusting step with respect to the processing space SP is always appropriate. Adjusted to range. Then, a series of processes shown in FIG. 5 is executed in such an adjusted state.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart and an operation schematic diagram showing a part of the processing executed by the substrate processing system including the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. This substrate processing apparatus 1 is used for the purpose of drying the substrate S washed with the cleaning liquid in the previous step. Specifically, it is as follows. After the substrate S is washed with the cleaning liquid in the previous step (step S21), the substrate S is conveyed to the substrate processing apparatus 1 in a state where a liquid film of isopropyl alcohol (IPA) is formed on the surface (step S22) (step S23). ).

For example, when a fine pattern is formed on the upper surface Sa of the substrate S, the pattern may collapse due to the surface tension of the liquid residually adhering to the substrate S. In addition, watermarks may remain on the upper surface Sa of the substrate S due to incomplete drying. Further, when the surface of the substrate S comes into contact with the outside air, deterioration such as oxidation may occur. In order to avoid such a problem, the upper surface Sa (pattern forming surface) of the substrate S may be transported in a state of being covered with a liquid or solid surface layer.

For example, when the cleaning liquid contains water as a main component, it can be transported in a state where a liquid film is formed by a liquid having a lower surface tension and less corrosiveness to the substrate, for example, an organic solvent such as IPA or acetone. Will be executed. That is, the substrate S is supported in a horizontal state and is conveyed to the substrate processing apparatus 1 in a state where a liquid film is formed on the upper surface thereof.

The substrate S is placed on the support tray 15 with the pattern forming surface set to the upper surface Sa and the upper surface Sa covered with a thin liquid film (step S24). When the support tray 15 and the lid member 13 are integrally advanced in the (+ Y) direction, the support tray 15 that supports the substrate S is housed in the processing space SP in the processing chamber 12, and the opening 121 closes the lid member 13. It is closed by the surface 131 (step S25). At this time, as shown in the right drawing of FIG. 5, the relative position of the substrate S supported by the support tray 15 with respect to the processing space SP in the vertical direction Z is adjusted, and the above ratio (= 100 × CLa / (CLa + CLb) is always adjusted. )) Is within the proper range. That is, the upper gap CLa is sufficiently wider than the lower gap CLb while ensuring a lower gap CLb that is sufficiently wider than the amount of thermal deformation of the support tray 15. Therefore, the flow rate and the flow velocity of the processing fluid supplied to the upper surface Sa of the substrate S can be set to values suitable for the supercritical drying process (step S26) described below. As described above, steps S25 and S26 correspond to examples of the "first step" and the "second step" of the present invention, respectively.

In the processing space SP in which the substrate S is carried in together with the support tray 15 and sealed, supercritical drying processing is executed, and the contents are as follows. When the substrate S on which the liquid film is formed is carried into the processing chamber 12 from the outside, the processing fluid is first introduced into the processing space SP in a gas phase state. By sending the gas phase processing fluid while exhausting the inside of the processing space SP, the atmosphere of the processing space SP is replaced by the processing fluid. In this embodiment, a case where carbon dioxide (CO2) is used as the processing fluid will be described, but the type of the processing fluid is not limited to this.

The processing fluid in the liquid phase state is introduced into the processing space SP. The liquid carbon dioxide dissolves the liquid (organic solvent; for example, IPA) constituting the liquid film on the substrate S well and releases it from the upper surface of the substrate S. By discharging the liquid in the processing space SP, the IPA remaining on the substrate S can be discharged. Next, the processing fluid in the supercritical state is introduced into the processing space SP. A processing fluid previously set to a supercritical state may be introduced outside the processing chamber 12, or the temperature and pressure in the processing chamber 12 filled with the liquid processing fluid may be set to a critical point or higher. May be in a mode of reaching a supercritical state.

After that, the inside of the processing chamber 12 is depressurized while maintaining the temperature, so that the supercritical fluid is vaporized and discharged without going through the liquid phase. As a result, the substrate S becomes a dry state. During this time, since the pattern forming surface of the substrate S is not exposed to the interface between the liquid phase and the gas phase, the occurrence of pattern collapse due to the surface tension of the liquid is prevented. Further, since the surface tension of the supercritical fluid is extremely low, the processing fluid often wraps around the inside of the pattern even if the substrate has a fine pattern formed on the surface. Therefore, the liquid or the like remaining inside the pattern can be efficiently replaced. In this way, the substrate S is satisfactorily dried.

Then, the processed substrate S is dispensed to a subsequent process (step S27). That is, when the lid member 13 moves in the (−Y) direction, the support tray 15 is pulled out from the processing chamber 12, and the substrate S is delivered to the external transfer device via the transfer unit 30. At this time, the substrate S is in a dry state. The content of the post-process is arbitrary.

As described above, in the first embodiment, the support tray 15 is advanced in the (+ Y) direction, and the substrate S to be processed is stored in the processing space SP (first step). The indicated height adjustment step (third step) is being executed. Therefore, in the vertical direction Z, the substrate S supported by the support tray 15 is positioned at a position suitable for supercritical drying treatment with respect to the processing space SP. That is, the upper gap CLa is sufficiently wider than the lower gap CLb while securing the lower gap CLb such that the support tray 15 does not come into contact with the bottom surface SPb of the processing space SP. Then, the processing fluid is supplied to the processing space SP to perform the supercritical drying process. As a result, the quality of processing in the processing space SP can be improved.

Further, in the first embodiment, in the height adjusting step, the lid member 13 is retracted in the (−Y) direction with respect to the closed surface 127 to which the seal member 122 is attached (step S11), and then the processing chamber is processed. 12 is moved up and down in the vertical direction Z (step S16). Therefore, the relative position of the processing space SP with respect to the substrate S in the vertical direction Z can be adjusted without damaging the seal member 122. The seal member 122 may be attached to the closed surface 131 of the lid member 13 instead of the closed surface 127. In this case, the lid member 13 may be attached in the (−Y) direction while the seal member 122 is attached to the closed surface 131. It is desirable to move the processing chamber 12 up and down in the vertical direction Z after retracting.

Further, in the first embodiment, the elevating actuator 20 is connected to the lower surface of the outer surface of the processing chamber 12 facing the (-Z) direction, and the processing chamber 12 is moved up and down from the outside. Therefore, the substrate S can be positioned at a position suitable for supercritical drying processing with respect to the processing space SP while keeping the processing space SP clean. The location where the elevating actuator 20 is connected is arbitrary as long as it is the outer surface of the processing chamber 12 other than the closed surface 127.

As described above, in the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, the processing chamber 12 and the lid member 13 correspond to an example of the "container body" and the "cover portion" of the present invention, respectively. Further, the elevating actuator 20 corresponds to an example of the "vertical movement mechanism" and the "first elevating member" of the present invention. Further, the advancing / retreating mechanism 52 corresponds to an example of the "horizontal movement mechanism" of the present invention. Further, the upper gap CLa and the lower gap CLb correspond to an example of the "first gap" and the "second gap" of the present invention, respectively.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications other than those described above can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, since the elevating actuator 20 is connected to the entire processing chamber 12, the processing chamber 12 only elevates and elevates in the vertical direction Z while maintaining a horizontal posture. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, the elevating actuator 20 may be configured to be composed of a plurality of elevating members 21 to 24, and the elevating members 21 to 24 may be individually controlled by the chamber elevating control unit 57 (. 2nd embodiment). In this second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the elevating members 21 to 24 are fixed on the pedestal 11 corresponding to the four corners of the lower surface of the processing chamber 12. Therefore, for example, when the substrate S is inserted into the processing space SP in a slightly inclined posture, the amount of elevation of the processing chamber 12 in the vertical direction Z by the elevating members 21 to 24 is increased according to the inclination direction and the amount of inclination of the substrate S. Each can be controlled. Even if the substrate S is tilted or bent by such individual control, the substrate S is not only positioned at a position suitable for supercritical drying processing with respect to the processing space SP, but is always processed. The space SP can be positioned substantially parallel to the substrate S. Thereby, the upper gap CLa can be uniformly adjusted over the entire upper surface of the substrate S. As a result, the supercritical drying treatment with the treatment fluid can be uniformly applied to the entire upper surface of the substrate S.

Further, in the above embodiment, the vertical movement mechanism (elevating actuator 20) is connected to the outer peripheral surface of the processing chamber 12 excluding the closed surface 127. However, instead of or in addition to this, a vertical movement mechanism including a second elevating member such as an elevating actuator is connected to the outer peripheral surface of the outer peripheral surface of the lid member 13 excluding the closed surface 131 to connect the lid member 13 in the vertical direction. It may be moved up and down to Z. As a result, the substrate S can be positioned at a position suitable for supercritical drying processing with respect to the processing space SP.

Further, in the above embodiment, the height adjustment step is executed based on the measurement result (height position of the processing chamber 12) by the height sensor 54. However, alternative or in addition to this, the height adjustment step may be performed based on the discharge flow rate of the processing fluid. For example, a measuring unit for measuring the flow rate of the processing fluid discharged from the first discharge port 125a and the flow rate of the processing fluid discharged from the second discharge port 126a is provided, and the lid member is provided based on the measurement result by the measuring unit. 13 may be moved in the vertical direction Z relative to the processing chamber 12.

Further, in the above embodiment, carbon dioxide is used as a treatment fluid for supercritical treatment, and IPA is used as a liquid for forming a liquid film. However, this is merely an example, and the chemical substances used are not limited thereto.

The invention has been described above according to a specific embodiment, but this description is not intended to be interpreted in a limited sense. With reference to the description of the invention, as with other embodiments of the invention, various variations of the disclosed embodiments will be apparent to those familiar with the art. Therefore, the appended claims are considered to include such modifications or embodiments without departing from the true scope of the invention.

The present invention can be suitably applied to all substrate processing techniques for processing a substrate by supplying a processing fluid to the processing space while accommodating the substrate in the processing space of the container body.

1 ... Substrate processing device 10 ... Processing unit 12 ... Processing chamber (container body)
13 ... Closure member (closure part)
15 ... Support tray 15b ... Bottom surface (of support tray 15) 20 ... Elevating actuator (vertical movement mechanism)
21 to 24 ... Elevating member (vertical movement mechanism)
52 ... Advance / retreat mechanism (horizontal movement mechanism)
54 ... Height sensor 55 ... Fluid supply unit 121 ... Opening (of the container body) 122 ... Seal member 123 ... First introduction flow path 123a ... First introduction port 124 ... Second introduction flow path 124a ... Second introduction port 125 ... 1st discharge flow path 125a ... 1st discharge port 126 ... 2nd discharge flow path 126a ... 2nd discharge port 127 ... Closed surface 131 ... (of the container body) Closed surface CLa ... Upper gap (first) gap)
CLb ... Lower gap (second gap)
S ... Substrate Sa ... Top surface SP (of substrate S) SP ... Processing space SPa ... Ceiling surface SPb ... (of processing space SP) Bottom surface Z ... Vertical direction

Claims (12)

1. A flat plate-shaped support tray that supports the lower surface of the board in a horizontal position,
   A processing space that can accommodate the support tray that supports the substrate, and a container body that communicates with the processing space and has an opening for passing the support tray on the side.
   A lid portion provided so as to be able to close the opening while holding the support tray, and
   A vertical movement mechanism that adjusts the relative position of the substrate supported by the support tray in the vertical direction with respect to the processing space by moving the lid portion in the vertical direction relative to the container body.
   A substrate processing apparatus characterized by comprising.
2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1.
   In the vertical movement mechanism, in the vertical direction, a first gap formed between the upper surface of the substrate supported by the support tray and the container body is formed between the lower surface of the support tray and the container body. A substrate processing device that adjusts the relative position so as to be wider than the second gap.
3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2.
   The vertical movement mechanism is a substrate processing apparatus in which the ratio of the first gap to the total value of the first gap and the second gap is 65% or more and 75% or less.
4. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
   The container body has a closed surface provided with the opening in the center thereof.
   The vertical movement mechanism is a substrate processing apparatus having a first elevating member connected to an outer peripheral surface of the container body excluding the closed surface to raise and lower the container body.
5. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
   The lid portion has a closing surface that faces the container body and can close the opening, and holds the support tray on the closing surface.
   The vertical movement mechanism is a substrate processing apparatus having a second elevating member connected to an outer peripheral surface of the lid portion excluding the closed surface to elevate the lid portion.
6. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
   The support tray held by the lid portion is inserted into the processing space by advancing the lid portion horizontally with respect to the container body, and the opening is closed by the lid portion so as to the container body. A horizontal movement mechanism for pulling out the support tray held by the lid portion from the processing space by retracting the lid portion in the horizontal direction.
   Further comprising a sealing member arranged to surround the opening between the container body and the lid portion advanced by the horizontal movement mechanism.
   The container body has a closed surface provided with the opening in the central portion.
   The lid portion has a closed surface that faces the closed surface and can close the opening, and holds the support tray at the center of the closed surface.
   The sealing member is a substrate processing apparatus attached to the peripheral edge of the closed surface and in close contact with the lid portion advanced by the horizontal movement mechanism to seal the processing space.
7. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
   Holding with respect to the container body The support tray held by the lid portion is inserted into the processing space by advancing the lid portion in the horizontal direction, and the opening is closed by the lid portion to form the container body. On the other hand, a horizontal movement mechanism for pulling out the support tray held by the lid portion from the processing space by retracting the lid portion in the horizontal direction.
   Further comprising a sealing member arranged to surround the opening between the container body and the lid portion advanced by the horizontal movement mechanism.
   The container body has a closed surface provided with the opening in the central portion.
   The lid portion has a closed surface that faces the closed surface and can close the opening, and holds the support tray at the center of the closed surface.
   The sealing member is attached to the peripheral edge portion of the closed surface, and is integrally advanced with the lid portion by the horizontal moving mechanism to be in close contact with the peripheral edge portion of the closed surface to seal the processing space. ..
8. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
   Further provided with a fluid supply unit for supplying the processing fluid to the processing space,
   The container body has
   As an introduction port for introducing the processing fluid into the processing space, a first introduction port that opens to face the space above the substrate in the processing space outside one end of the substrate in a plan view. When,
   A second introduction port that opens to face the space below the support tray in the processing space outside the one end.
   Board processing device provided with.
9. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
   Further, a fluid supply unit for supplying a processing fluid to the processing space from the outside of one end of the substrate in a plan view is provided.
   The container body has
   As a discharge port for discharging the processing fluid from the processing space, it is outside the other end of the substrate opposite to the one end in a plan view, and above the support tray in the processing space. The first outlet that opens facing the space,
   A second discharge port that opens to face the space below the support tray in the processing space outside the other end.
   Board processing device provided with.
10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9.
    Further, a measuring unit for measuring the flow rate of the processing fluid discharged from the first discharge port and the flow rate of the processing fluid discharged from the second discharge port is provided.
    The vertical movement mechanism is a substrate processing device that moves the lid portion in the vertical direction relative to the container body based on the measurement result by the measurement unit.
11. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
    A substrate processing apparatus further comprising a fluid supply unit that supplies a processing fluid for supercritical processing to the processing space.
12. By moving the lid portion holding the flat plate-shaped support tray that supports the lower surface of the substrate in the horizontal posture in the horizontal direction, the support tray is accommodated in the processing space of the container body through the opening of the container body, and the support tray is accommodated in the processing space of the container body. The first step of closing the opening with the lid and
    A second step of treating the substrate with a treatment fluid in the treatment space of the container body whose opening is closed by the lid portion.
    Prior to the first step, the lid portion is moved in the vertical direction relative to the container body to adjust the relative position of the substrate supported by the support tray in the vertical direction with respect to the processing space. The third step to do and
    A substrate processing method comprising.
    

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