WO2022176695A1 - Substrate processing device and liquid guide member - Google Patents

Abstract

The substrate processing device has a processing tank for housing a processing solution and a substrate, a plurality of gas nozzles for discharging a gas at the bottom within the processing tank, and a gas supply unit for supplying the gas to the plurality of gas nozzles. The gas nozzles are arranged along the bottom surface of the processing tank, have tube bodies in which are formed a plurality of discharge holes for discharging the gas in a first direction, and have liquid guide members for guiding the processing solution around the discharge holes so as to flow in the first direction in association with the movement of the gas discharged from the discharge holes.

Description

SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND LIQUID GUIDE MEMBER

The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a liquid guide member.

Patent Document 1 discloses a substrate processing apparatus having a processing tank containing a processing liquid and a substrate, a plurality of gas nozzles for discharging gas at the lower part of the processing tank, and a gas supply section for supplying gas to the plurality of gas nozzles. is disclosed.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-174257

The present disclosure provides a substrate processing apparatus and a liquid guide member capable of improving controllability of convection of the processing liquid.

A substrate processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a processing tank containing a processing liquid and a substrate, a plurality of gas nozzles for discharging gas at a lower portion of the processing tank, and a gas for supplying the gas to the plurality of gas nozzles. a supply unit, wherein the gas nozzle has a tubular body formed with a plurality of ejection holes arranged along the bottom surface of the processing bath and ejecting the gas in a first direction; A liquid guide member is provided to guide the processing liquid around the ejection hole so as to flow in the first direction as the ejected gas moves.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the controllability of the convection of the treatment liquid.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a substrate processing system. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an etching processing apparatus. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the processing bath. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a gas nozzle. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the liquid guide member. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a gas nozzle to which a liquid guide member is attached. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a gas nozzle fitted with a liquid guide member with spacers. FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a control unit; FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing a substrate processing procedure. FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing the process liquid filling procedure. FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing the nozzle cleaning procedure. FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing the immersion treatment procedure. FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing the procedure for controlling the amount of gas supply. FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing the procedure for discharging the treatment liquid. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the function of the liquid guide member. FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing the behavior of bubbles. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing another example of the function of the liquid guide member. FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view showing a modification of the liquid guide member.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the explanation, the same reference numerals are given to the same elements or elements having the same function, and duplicate explanations are omitted.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a substrate processing system. As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing system 100 includes a carrier loading/unloading section 2, a lot formation section 3, a lot placement section 4, a lot transfer section 5, a lot processing section 6, and a control section 7. have.

The carrier loading/unloading unit 2 loads and unloads a carrier 9 containing a plurality of (for example, 25) substrates (silicon wafers) 8 arranged vertically in a horizontal posture.

The carrier loading/unloading unit 2 includes a carrier stage 10 on which a plurality of carriers 9 are placed, a carrier transport mechanism 11 that transports the carriers 9, carrier stocks 12 and 13 that temporarily store the carriers 9, and the carriers 9. and a carrier mounting table 14 for mounting the . The carrier stock 12 temporarily stores substrates 8 as products before they are processed in the lot processing unit 6 . The carrier stock 13 is temporarily stored after the substrate 8 as a product is processed by the lot processing unit 6 .

The carrier loading/unloading section 2 uses the carrier transport mechanism 11 to transport the carrier 9 loaded onto the carrier stage 10 from the outside onto the carrier stock 12 and the carrier mounting table 14 . Further, the carrier loading/unloading section 2 transports the carrier 9 mounted on the carrier mounting table 14 to the carrier stock 13 and the carrier stage 10 using the carrier transport mechanism 11 . The carrier 9 transported to the carrier stage 10 is carried out to the outside.

The lot forming unit 3 combines the substrates 8 accommodated in one or more carriers 9 to form a lot consisting of a plurality of substrates 8 (for example, 50 substrates) to be processed simultaneously. When forming lots, the lots may be formed so that the surfaces of the substrate 8 on which the pattern is formed face each other. You may form a lot so that it may face .

The lot forming section 3 has a substrate transport mechanism 15 that transports a plurality of substrates 8 . The substrate transport mechanism 15 can change the posture of the substrate 8 from the horizontal posture to the vertical posture and from the vertical posture to the horizontal posture while the substrate 8 is being transported.

The lot formation unit 3 transports the substrates 8 from the carrier 9 placed on the carrier table 14 to the lot placement unit 4 using the substrate transfer mechanism 15 , and transfers the substrates 8 forming a lot to the lot placement unit 4 . Place. In addition, the lot forming section 3 transports the lot placed on the lot placing section 4 to the carrier 9 placed on the carrier placing table 14 by the substrate transport mechanism 15 . The substrate transport mechanism 15 includes, as substrate support parts for supporting a plurality of substrates 8, a pre-process substrate support part for supporting the substrates 8 before processing (before being transported by the lot transport part 5) and a post-process ( There are two types of post-processed substrate supporting parts that support the substrates 8 after they have been transferred by the lot transfer part 5 . This prevents particles or the like attached to the substrate 8 or the like before processing from being transferred to the substrate 8 or the like after processing.

The lot placing unit 4 temporarily places (stands by) the lot transported between the lot forming unit 3 and the lot processing unit 6 by the lot transporting unit 5 on the lot placing table 16 .

The lot placement unit 4 includes a loading-side lot placement table 17 for placing a lot before processing (before being transported by the lot transporting unit 5) and a lot after processing (after being transported by the lot transporting unit 5). and an unloading-side lot placing table 18 on which the lot is to be placed. A plurality of substrates 8 for one lot are placed on the load-in side lot placement table 17 and the carry-out side lot placement table 18 side by side in a vertical posture.

In the lot placing section 4 , the lot formed by the lot forming section 3 is placed on the load-in side lot placing table 17 , and the lot is carried into the lot processing section 6 via the lot conveying section 5 . In the lot placing section 4 , the lot carried out from the lot processing section 6 via the lot conveying section 5 is placed on the carry-out side lot placing table 18 , and the lot is conveyed to the lot forming section 3 .

The lot transport unit 5 transports lots between the lot placement unit 4 and the lot processing unit 6 and between the insides of the lot processing unit 6 .

The lot transport unit 5 has a lot transport mechanism 19 that transports lots. The lot transport mechanism 19 has rails 20 arranged along the lot placement section 4 and the lot processing section 6 , and a moving body 21 that moves along the rails 20 while holding a plurality of substrates 8 . The moving body 21 is provided with a substrate holder 22 that holds a plurality of substrates 8 arranged vertically in a forward and backward direction so as to be able to move back and forth.

The lot transport unit 5 receives the lot placed on the loading-side lot placement table 17 with the substrate holder 22 of the lot transport mechanism 19 and transfers the lot to the lot processing unit 6 . The lot transporter 5 also receives the lot processed by the lot processing unit 6 by the substrate holder 22 of the lot transport mechanism 19 , and transfers the lot to the carry-out side lot table 18 . Furthermore, the lot transport unit 5 uses the lot transport mechanism 19 to transport the lot inside the lot processing unit 6 .

The lot processing unit 6 performs processing such as etching, cleaning, and drying on a plurality of substrates 8 arranged in a vertical posture as one lot.

The lot processing section 6 includes a drying processing device 23 for drying the substrate 8, a substrate holder cleaning processing device 24 for cleaning the substrate holder 22, a cleaning processing device 25 for cleaning the substrate 8, It has two etching processing apparatuses 1 for etching a substrate 8 . For example, a drying processing device 23, a substrate holder cleaning processing device 24, a cleaning processing device 25, and two etching processing devices 1 are arranged side by side.

The drying processing apparatus 23 has a processing tank 27 and a substrate elevating mechanism 28 provided in the processing tank 27 so as to be able to move up and down. A drying processing gas (IPA (isopropyl alcohol) or the like) is supplied to the processing bath 27 . The substrate lifting mechanism 28 holds a plurality of substrates 8 for one lot side by side in a vertical posture. The drying processing apparatus 23 receives the lot from the substrate holder 22 of the lot transport mechanism 19 by the substrate lifting mechanism 28 , and lifts the lot by the substrate lifting mechanism 28 . A drying process for the substrate 8 is performed. The drying processing device 23 also transfers the lot from the substrate lifting mechanism 28 to the substrate holder 22 of the lot transport mechanism 19 .

The substrate holder cleaning processing apparatus 24 has a processing tank 29 and is configured to be able to supply a processing liquid for cleaning and a drying gas to the processing tank 29 . The substrate holder cleaning apparatus 24 supplies a cleaning processing liquid to the substrate holder 22 of the lot transport mechanism 19 and then supplies dry gas to clean the substrate holder 22 .

The cleaning processing apparatus 25 has a processing bath 30 for cleaning and a processing bath 31 for rinsing. A cleaning treatment liquid (SC-1 or the like) is stored in the cleaning treatment bath 30 . A processing liquid for rinsing (pure water or the like) is stored in the processing tank 31 for rinsing.

The etching processing apparatus 1 has a processing tank 34 for etching and a processing tank 35 for rinsing. An etching treatment liquid (phosphoric acid aqueous solution) is stored in the etching treatment bath 34 . A processing liquid for rinsing (pure water or the like) is stored in the processing tank 35 for rinsing.

The cleaning equipment 25 and the etching equipment 1 have the same configuration. The etching processing apparatus 1 will be described. A substrate lifting mechanism 36 holds a plurality of substrates 8 for one lot in a vertical posture, lined up in the front-to-rear direction. In the etching apparatus 1 , the lot is received by the substrate lifting mechanism 36 from the substrate holder 22 of the lot transport mechanism 19 , and the lot is lifted and lowered by the substrate lifting mechanism 36 to immerse the lot in the etching treatment liquid of the treatment tank 34 . Then, the substrate 8 is etched. After that, the etching processing apparatus 1 transfers the lot from the substrate lifting mechanism 36 to the substrate holder 22 of the lot transport mechanism 19 . Further, the lot is received by the substrate lifting mechanism 37 from the substrate holder 22 of the lot transport mechanism 19, and the lot is lifted and lowered by the substrate lifting mechanism 37 so that the lot is immersed in the treatment liquid for rinsing in the treatment tank 35, and the substrate 8 is transferred. rinsing. After that, the lot is transferred from the substrate lifting mechanism 37 to the substrate holder 22 of the lot transport mechanism 19 .

The control unit 7 controls the operation of each unit of the substrate processing system 100 (carrier loading/unloading unit 2, lot formation unit 3, lot placement unit 4, lot transfer unit 5, lot processing unit 6, etching processing apparatus 1).

The control unit 7 is composed of a computer, for example, and includes a computer-readable storage medium 38 . The storage medium 38 stores programs for controlling various processes executed in the substrate processing system 100 . The control unit 7 controls the operation of the substrate processing system 100 by reading and executing programs stored in the storage medium 38 . The program may be stored in the computer-readable storage medium 38 and may be installed in the storage medium 38 of the control unit 7 from another storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium 38 includes, for example, a hard disk (HD), flexible disk (FD), compact disk (CD), magnet optical disk (MO), memory card, and the like.

[Etching equipment]
Next, details of the etching processing apparatus 1 will be described. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the etching processing apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the processing bath. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the etching apparatus 1 includes an etching apparatus 1, a substrate lifting mechanism 36 (conveyor), and a controller . The etching processing apparatus 1 is an example of a substrate processing apparatus.

The etching processing apparatus 1 includes a liquid processing section 40, a processing liquid supply section 44, a processing liquid discharge section 67, a plurality of (for example, six) gas nozzles 70, a gas supply section 89, a gas heating section 94, a gas It has an extraction part 95 and a liquid level sensor 80 .

The liquid processing unit 40 includes a processing bath 41, an outer bath 42, and a processing liquid 43, and performs liquid processing (etching processing) on the substrate 8.

The processing tank 41 accommodates the processing liquid 43 and the substrate 8 . A specific example of the treatment liquid 43 is a phosphoric acid aqueous solution. Since the upper portion of the processing tank 41 is open, the substrate 8 can be immersed in the processing liquid 43 in the processing tank 41 from above. As will be described later, a circular substrate 8 is arranged in an upright state in the processing tank 41 . Hereinafter, the direction perpendicular to the height direction and along the substrate 8 in the processing bath 41 may be referred to as the “width direction”, and the direction perpendicular to the height direction and the width direction (that is, the thickness of the substrate 8 in the processing bath 41 direction) is sometimes referred to as the “depth direction”.

Both side portions in the width direction of the bottom surface of the processing tank 41 increase toward the outside. As a result, the dead space between the inner corner in the processing bath 41 and the outer periphery of the substrate 8 is reduced, and the processing liquid 43 is less likely to remain.

The outer bath 42 is provided so as to surround the processing bath 41 and accommodates the processing liquid overflowing from the processing bath 41 .

The processing liquid supply unit 44 supplies the processing liquid 43 into the processing tank 41 . For example, the processing liquid supply section 44 includes a processing liquid supply source 45 , a flow rate regulator 46 , a pure water supply source 47 , a flow rate regulator 48 , a processing liquid circulation section 49 and a concentration measurement section 55 .

The processing liquid supply source 45 supplies the processing liquid 43 to the outer bath 42 . The flow controller 46 is provided in the flow path of the processing liquid from the processing liquid supply source 45 to the outer tank 42, and performs opening/closing and opening adjustment of the flow path.

The pure water supply source 47 supplies pure water to the outer tank 42 . This pure water compensates for the moisture evaporated by heating the treatment liquid 43 . The flow controller 48 is provided in the pure water flow path from the pure water supply source 47 to the outer tank 42, and performs opening/closing and opening adjustment of the flow path.

The processing liquid circulation unit 49 sends the processing liquid 43 in the outer tank 42 to the lower part in the processing tank 41 . For example, the treatment liquid circulation unit 49 includes a plurality of (for example, three) treatment liquid nozzles 50 , a circulation channel 51 , a supply pump 52 , a filter 53 and a heater 54 .

The processing liquid nozzle 50 is provided in the lower part of the outer bath 42 and discharges the processing liquid 43 into the processing bath 41 . The plurality of processing liquid nozzles 50 are arranged in the width direction at the same height and extend in the depth direction.

The circulation flow path 51 guides the processing liquid from the outer tank 42 to the plurality of processing liquid nozzles 50 . One end of the circulation channel 51 is connected to the bottom of the outer tank 42 . The other end of the circulation flow path 51 is branched into a plurality of lines and connected to a plurality of processing liquid nozzles 50 respectively.

The supply pump 52, the filter 53, and the heater 54 are provided in the circulation flow path 51 and are arranged in order from the upstream side (outer tank 42 side) to the downstream side (processing liquid nozzle 50 side). The supply pump 52 pressure-feeds the processing liquid 43 from the upstream side to the downstream side. The filter 53 removes particles mixed in the processing liquid 43 . The heater 54 heats the treatment liquid 43 to a set temperature. The set temperature is set to a value near the boiling point of the treatment liquid 43, for example.

The concentration measurement unit 55 measures the concentration of the treatment liquid 43 . For example, the concentration measurement section 55 has a measurement channel 56 , on-off valves 57 and 59 , a concentration sensor 58 , a cleaning fluid supply section 60 and a cleaning fluid discharge section 64 .

The measurement flow path 56 branches from the circulation flow path 51 between the heater 54 and the processing liquid nozzle 50 , extracts part of the processing liquid 43 and returns it to the outer tank 42 . The on-off valves 57 and 59 are arranged in order from the upstream side (circulation flow path 51 side) to the downstream side (outer tank 42 side) in the measurement flow path 56 and open and close the measurement flow path 56 respectively. The concentration sensor 58 is provided between the on-off valves 57 and 59 in the measurement channel 56 and measures the concentration (for example, phosphoric acid concentration) of the processing liquid 43 flowing through the measurement channel 56 .

The cleaning fluid supply unit 60 supplies cleaning fluid (eg, pure water) to the concentration sensor 58 . For example, the cleaning fluid supply unit 60 has a cleaning fluid supply source 61 , a supply channel 62 and an on-off valve 63 . Cleaning fluid source 61 is a source of cleaning fluid. The supply channel 62 supplies the cleaning fluid from the cleaning fluid supply source 61 to the concentration sensor 58 . One end of the supply channel 62 is connected to the cleaning fluid supply source 61 , and the other end of the supply channel 62 is connected between the on-off valve 57 and the concentration sensor 58 . The on-off valve 63 opens and closes the supply channel 62 .

The cleaning fluid discharge part 64 discharges the cleaning fluid. For example, the cleaning fluid discharge section 64 has a discharge channel 65 and an on-off valve 66 . A discharge channel 65 leads the cleaning fluid that has passed through the concentration sensor 58 . One end of the discharge channel 65 is connected between the concentration sensor 58 and the on-off valve 59, and the other end of the discharge channel 65 is connected to a drain pipe (not shown) of the substrate processing system 100. . The on-off valve 66 opens and closes the discharge channel 65 .

The processing liquid discharge unit 67 discharges the processing liquid 43 from the processing tank 41 . For example, the processing liquid discharge section 67 has a drainage channel 68 and an on-off valve 69 . The drainage channel 68 leads out the processing liquid in the processing tank 41 . One end of the drainage channel 68 is connected to the bottom of the processing tank 41 , and the other end of the drainage channel 68 is connected to a drainage pipe (not shown) of the substrate processing system 100 . The on-off valve 69 opens and closes the drainage flow path 68 .

A plurality of gas nozzles 70 eject an inert gas (for example, N ₂ gas) at the bottom of the processing tank 41 . The plurality of gas nozzles 70 are arranged in the width direction below the processing liquid nozzle 50 and extend in the depth direction. The height of each gas nozzle 70 increases with distance from the center in the width direction.

A plurality of gas nozzles 70 may be arranged along an arc concentric with the substrate 8 . Lined up along the arc includes not only the case where the gas nozzles 70 are positioned on the arc, but also the case where some of the gas nozzles 70 are deviated from the arc within a predetermined range. The predetermined range can be arbitrarily set as long as the distance from each gas nozzle 70 to the center of the substrate 8 is more uniform than when the plurality of gas nozzles 70 are positioned at the same height.

For example, the plurality of gas nozzles 70 are a pair of gas nozzles 70A located innermost in the width direction, a pair of gas nozzles 70B located outside the pair of gas nozzles 70A, and a pair of gas nozzles 70B located further outside the pair of gas nozzles 70B. gas nozzle 70C. The gas nozzles 70B, 70B are located above the gas nozzles 70A, 70A, and the gas nozzles 70C, 70C are located above the gas nozzles 70B, 70B. Gas nozzles 70A, 70A, 70B, 70B, 70C, and 70C are arranged along an arc concentric with substrate 8 .

Note that the number and arrangement of the gas nozzles 70 can be changed as appropriate. A plurality of gas nozzles 70 may be arranged at the same height. Details of the gas nozzle 70 will be described later.

The gas supply unit 89 supplies the inert gas to the gas nozzle 70 . For example, the gas supply unit 89 includes a gas supply source 90 , a supply channel 91 , an on-off valve 92 and a flow controller 93 .

The gas supply source 90 is an inert gas supply source. The supply channel 91 guides the inert gas from the gas supply source 90 to the gas nozzle 70 . The on-off valve 92 opens and closes the supply channel 91 . The flow controller 93 adjusts the opening degree of the supply channel 91 between the on-off valve 92 and the gas supply source 90 to adjust the flow rate of the inert gas.

The supply channel 91, the on-off valve 92, and the flow controller 93 may be provided for each height of the gas nozzle 70. For example, the gas supply source 90 includes supply channels 91A, 91B, 91C, on-off valves 92A, 92B, 92C, and flow controllers 93A, 93B, 93C. The supply channel 91A guides the inert gas from the gas supply source 90 to one end of the gas nozzles 70A, 70A. The supply channel 91B guides the inert gas from the gas supply source 90 to one end of the gas nozzles 70B, 70B. The supply channel 91C guides the inert gas from the gas supply source 90 to one end of the gas nozzles 70C, 70C. The on-off valves 92A, 92B, 92C open and close the supply channels 91A, 91B, 91C, respectively. The flow controllers 93A, 93B, 93C adjust the opening degrees of the supply channels 91A, 91B, 91C, respectively.

The gas heating unit 94 heats the inert gas supplied to the gas nozzle 70 by the gas supply source 90 to a set temperature. The set temperature is set to a value near the boiling point of the treatment liquid 43, for example. For example, the gas heating section 94 is provided in the supply channel 91 . In the drawing, the gas heating section 94 is provided at a portion where the supply flow paths 91A, 91B, and 91C join on the side of the gas supply source 90, but this is not restrictive. The gas heating unit 94 may be provided for each of the supply channels 91A, 91B, 91C.

The gas release portion 95 reduces the internal pressure of the main body 71 of the gas nozzle 70 . For example, the degassing section 95 includes a pressure reducing passage 96 and a pressure reducing valve 97 . The decompression channel 96 branches from the supply channel 91 between the on-off valve 92 and the gas nozzle 70 to lead out the gas in the supply channel 91 . The pressure reducing valve 97 opens and closes the pressure reducing channel 96 .

The degassing section 95 may further include a forced exhaust pump. The pressure reducing passage 96 and the pressure reducing valve 97 may be provided for each height of the gas nozzle 70 . For example, the degassing section 95 includes pressure reducing passages 96A, 96B, 96C and pressure reducing valves 97A, 97B, 97C. The pressure reduction channel 96A branches from the supply channel 91A between the on-off valve 92A and the gas nozzle 70A, and leads out the gas in the supply channel 91A. The pressure reduction channel 96B branches from the supply channel 91B between the on-off valve 92B and the gas nozzle 70B, and leads out the gas in the supply channel 91B. The pressure reducing channel 96C branches from the supply channel 91C between the on-off valve 92C and the gas nozzle 70C, and leads out the gas in the supply channel 91C. The pressure reducing valves 97A, 97B and 97C open and close the pressure reducing channels 96A, 96B and 96C, respectively.

The liquid level sensor 80 acquires information on the amount of gas contained in the treatment liquid 43 . Hereinafter, the amount of gas contained in the treatment liquid 43 may be referred to as "the gas content of the treatment liquid 43". For example, the liquid level sensor 80 is a bubble level gauge, and includes a bubble tube 81, a pressurized gas supply source 83, a gas line 84, a purge set 82, a detection line 85, a first detector 86A, and a second detector 86B.

The bubble tube 81 is inserted into the processing liquid in the processing bath 41 and its end is positioned near the bottom of the processing bath 41 . The pressurized gas supply source 83 is an inert gas supply source for liquid level measurement. Hereinafter, the inert gas for liquid level measurement may be referred to as "measurement gas". A gas line 84 guides the measurement gas from the pressurized gas supply source 83 to the bubble tube 81 . The measurement gas guided to the bubble tube 81 is released from the end of the bubble tube 81 into the processing liquid in the processing tank 41 .

The purge set 82 adjusts the internal pressure of the gas line 84 so that the amount of measured gas released from the bubble tube 81 is constant. Note that "constant" means substantially constant, and means a state in which a predetermined value is used as a reference and is within an allowable range.

The detection line 85 transmits the internal pressure of the gas line 84 between the bubble tube 81 and the purge set 82 to the first detector 86A and the second detector 86B. One end of the detection line 85 is connected to the gas line 84 between the bubble tube 81 and the purge set 82, and the other end of the detection line 85 branches into two, the first detector 86A and the second detector 86A. Each is connected to a detector 86B.

The first detector 86A and the second detector 86B detect the pressure transmitted by the detection line 85. The detection ranges of the first detector 86A and the second detector 86B are different from each other. The first detector 86A detects the pressure when the liquid level (position of the liquid surface) of the processing liquid 43 in the processing tank 41 is at the lowest level (when the processing tank 41 is empty), and when the liquid level is at the highest level (processing The detection range is up to the pressure when the liquid 43 is overflowing from the processing tank 41). The detection range of the second detector 86B is from the minimum value to the maximum value of the pressure fluctuation range corresponding to the gas content of the processing liquid 43 when the liquid level of the processing liquid 43 in the processing tank 41 is at the highest level. and

With the liquid level of the treatment liquid 43 maintained at the highest level, the detection value of the second detector 86B fluctuates mainly according to the gas content of the treatment liquid 43 . That is, when the liquid level of the treatment liquid 43 is maintained at the highest level, the detection value of the second detector 86B substantially correlates with the gas content of the treatment liquid 43 . On the other hand, the detection range of the first detector 86A is larger than the detection range of the second detector 86B. It is practically imperceptible. Therefore, the detection value of the first detector 86A substantially correlates with the liquid level of the treatment liquid 43 . As described above, by using the first detector 86A and the second detector 86B in combination, information regarding the gas content of the treatment liquid 43 can be obtained. That is, when the detection value of the first detector 86A indicates that the liquid level of the treatment liquid 43 is maintained at the highest level, by acquiring the detection value of the second detector 86B, Information about the gas content of the liquid 43 is obtained.

The substrate lifting mechanism 36 immerses the substrate 8 in the processing liquid 43 in the processing tank 41 . For example, the substrate elevating mechanism 36 immerses the substrates 8 in the treatment liquid 43 while arranging them in the thickness direction.

The substrate elevating mechanism 36 has a plurality of support arms 87 and an elevating section 88 . The plurality of support arms 87 support the plurality of substrates 8 erected along the width direction in a state of being aligned in the depth direction. The plurality of support arms 87 are arranged in the width direction and extend in the depth direction. Each support arm 87 has a plurality of slots 87a arranged in the depth direction. The slot 87a is a groove-shaped portion that opens upward along the width direction, and receives the lower portion of the upright substrate 8 .

The elevating section 88 elevates the plurality of support arms 87 between a height at which the plurality of substrates 8 are immersed in the processing liquid 43 and a height at which the plurality of substrates 8 are positioned above the surface of the processing liquid 43 .

(gas nozzle)
Next, details of the gas nozzle 70 will be described. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the gas nozzle 70. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4, the gas nozzle 70 has a tubular (for example, cylindrical) main body 71 arranged to extend in the depth direction along the bottom surface of the processing tank 41, and an inner surface 73 and an outer surface 74 of the main body 71. and at least one discharge hole 77 formed therethrough. The main body 71 is an example of a tubular body. For example, the gas nozzle 70 has a plurality of discharge holes 77 arranged along the depth direction. The main body 71 is made of quartz, for example. The main body 71 may be made of a silicon-free material instead of quartz. Specific examples of silicon-free materials include resin materials such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

Each discharge hole 77 is provided at the bottom of the main body 71 . The discharge hole 77 may be provided at a position deviated from the vertical lower portion of the tube center 72 of the main body 71 . In this case, the position of the discharge hole 77 may be set so that the vertical imaginary plane 75 including the pipe center 72 of the main body 71 does not pass through the discharge hole 77 . The center of the discharge hole 77 may be positioned within a range 76 of ±10° vertically downward around the pipe center 72 of the main body 71 .

There is no limit to the direction in which the discharge hole 77 deviates from vertically below the tube center 72 . For example, the discharge hole 77 is shifted to the right side in the drawing, but it may be shifted to the left side in the drawing. Further, the discharge holes 77 shifted to the right side in the drawing and the discharge holes 77 shifted to the left side in the drawing may be arranged in a zigzag pattern along the depth direction.

The discharge hole 77 is formed so that the opening area is constant from the inner surface 73 side of the main body 71 to the outer surface 74 side.

In this embodiment, the liquid guide member 200 is detachably attached to the gas nozzle 70 . FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the liquid guide member 200. As shown in FIG. FIG. 5(a) is a top view, and FIGS. 5(b) and 5(c) are cross-sectional views. 5(b) corresponds to a cross-sectional view along the Vb-Vb line in FIG. 5(a), and FIG. 5(c) corresponds to a cross-sectional view along the Vc-Vc line in FIG. 5(a). do.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the liquid guide member 200 has a tubular guide portion 210 , a tubular base portion 220 , and a connecting portion 230 that connects the guide portion 210 and the base portion 220 . The liquid guide member 200 is made of quartz, for example. The liquid guide member 200 may be made of resin such as tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer (PFA). The guiding portion 210, the base portion 220, and the connecting portion 230 may be configured integrally.

The base 220 has a third opening 223 on the side of the guiding part 210 and a fourth opening 224 on the side opposite to the third opening 223 . The opening area of the fourth opening 224 is approximately the same as the opening area of the third opening 223 . The shape of the base portion 220 is, for example, cylindrical, and the outer wall surface of the base portion 220 has substantially the same shape as the inner wall surface of the discharge hole 77 . A base 220 is inserted into the discharge hole 77 .

The guiding part 210 has a first opening 211 on the side of the base part 220 and a second opening 212 on the side opposite to the first opening 211 . The opening area of the second opening 212 is smaller than the opening area of the first opening 211 . The first opening 211 and the second opening 212 are separated from each other in the direction in which the base 220 extends (first direction). The shape of the guiding portion 210 is, for example, a truncated cone shape. That is, the opening area of the guide portion 210 continuously decreases from the first opening 211 to the second opening 212 .

A plurality of connecting portions 230 are provided. For example, the guiding portion 210 and the base portion 220 are connected by three connecting portions 230 . The three connecting portions 230 are arranged, for example, at regular intervals (120° intervals) in the circumferential direction of the base portion 220 .

Preferably, the first opening 211 and the second opening 212 of the guiding portion 210 are arranged concentrically with the third opening 223 and the fourth opening 224 of the base portion 220 . For example, the diameter of the first opening 211 is between 1 mm and 15 mm, and the diameter of the second opening 212 is between 0.1 mm and 10 mm. For example, the diameter of the third opening 223 is 0.1 mm to 10 mm, and the diameter of the fourth opening 224 is 0.1 mm to 10 mm. Further, for example, the outer wall surface of the guide portion 210 is inclined by 1° to 80° with respect to the outer wall surface of the base portion 220 .

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the gas nozzle 70 to which the liquid guide member 200 is attached. 6(a) shows a cross section parallel to the tube axis of the gas nozzle 70, and FIG. 6(b) shows a cross section perpendicular to the tube axis of the gas nozzle 70. FIG. In FIG. 6, for the sake of convenience, the discharge holes 77 are shown extending upward.

As shown in FIG. 6(a), the lower end of the liquid guide member 200 is in contact with the main body 71 of the gas nozzle 70 in the cross section parallel to the pipe axis, but as shown in FIG. 6(b), the cross section perpendicular to the pipe axis There is a gap between the lower end of the liquid guide member 200 and the main body 71 . Although the details will be described later, the processing liquid around the liquid guide member 200 can flow into the guide section 210 through this gap.

As shown in FIG. 7, a spacer 225 larger than the opening diameter of the ejection hole 77 may be provided around the base 220 to facilitate the flow of the processing liquid around the liquid guide member 200 into the guide portion 210 . FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing gas nozzle 70 to which liquid guide member 200 with spacer 225 is attached. 7(a) shows a cross section parallel to the tube axis of the gas nozzle 70, and FIG. 7(b) shows a cross section perpendicular to the tube axis of the gas nozzle 70. FIG.

(control part)
The control unit 7 moves the substrate 8 from a first height H1 below the gas nozzle 70 (e.g., the height of the lowest part of the bottom surface of the processing bath 41) to a second height H2 (e.g., the height of the processing bath 41) at which the substrate 8 can be immersed. The processing liquid supply part 44 is controlled so as to supply the processing liquid 43 to the processing tank 41 until the liquid level rises to the height of the upper end surface), and the substrate is exposed to the liquid surface in a state where the liquid level is at the second height H2 or higher. 8 is immersed in the processing liquid 43, and the processing liquid 43 is discharged from the processing bath 41 until the liquid surface drops from the second height H2 to the first height H1. By controlling the processing liquid discharge part 67 and increasing the amount of gas supplied while the liquid level is rising from the first height H1 to the second height H2, the liquid level is increased from the second height H2 to the first height. and controlling the gas supply unit 89 so as to reduce the amount of gas supplied during the descent to H1.

The control unit 7 controls the gas venting unit 95 so as to reduce the internal pressure of the main body 71 to a pressure at which the processing liquid 43 can be sucked into the main body 71 of the gas nozzle 70 , and discharges the processing liquid 43 in the main body 71 . and controlling the gas supply unit 89 to increase the internal pressure of the main body 71 to the obtained pressure.

In addition, the control unit 7 controls the flow of gas from the gas supply unit 89 to the gas nozzle 70 according to at least one of the distance between the substrates 8, the elapsed time after the substrate 8 starts being immersed, and the arrangement position of the gas nozzle 70. is configured to vary the supply of

The control unit 7 may be configured to further control the gas supply unit 89 so as to bring the gas content of the processing liquid 43 closer to the target value by adjusting the gas supply amount. When changing the gas supply amount according to at least one of the distance between the substrates 8 and the elapsed time after the start of immersion of the substrate 8, the gas supply amount may be changed by changing the target value.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the control unit 7. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 7 includes a liquid supply control unit 111, a drainage control unit 112, an immersion control unit 113, a gas supply control unit 114, and a cleaning control unit 118 as functional components. , and a recipe storage unit 119 . Hereinafter, the functional configuration may be referred to as a "functional module".

The recipe storage unit 119 stores various parameters set in advance to specify the processing content.

The liquid supply control unit 111 controls the processing liquid supply unit 44 so as to supply the processing liquid 43 to the processing tank 41 until the liquid level rises from the first height H1 to the second height H2. Hereinafter, this control may be referred to as "filling control of the treatment liquid 43".

The immersion control unit 113 controls the substrate elevating mechanism 36 so that the substrate 8 is immersed in the processing liquid 43 while the liquid surface is at or above the second height H2. Hereinafter, this control may be referred to as "substrate 8 immersion control".

The liquid discharge control section 112 controls the processing liquid discharge section 67 so as to discharge the processing liquid 43 from the processing bath 41 until the liquid level drops from the second height H2 to the first height H1. Hereinafter, this control may be referred to as "discharge control of the treatment liquid 43".

The gas supply control unit 114 has an on/off control unit 115, a target value setting unit 116, and a follow-up control unit 117 as more subdivided functional modules.

The on/off control unit 115 increases the amount of gas supplied while the liquid level rises from the first height H1 to the second height H2, and the liquid level drops from the second height H2 to the first height H1. The gas supply unit 89 is controlled so as to reduce the amount of gas supplied during the process. Controlling the gas supply unit 89 to increase the amount of gas supplied includes controlling the gas supply unit 89 to open the on-off valve 92 from the closed state and start supplying gas. Controlling the gas supply unit 89 to reduce the amount of gas supplied includes controlling the gas supply unit 89 to close the on-off valve 92 from the open state to stop the gas supply.

The on/off control unit 115 starts supplying the gas before the liquid level rising from the first height H1 to the second height H2 reaches the discharge hole 77 of the gas nozzle 70, and increases the liquid level from the second height H2 to the second height H2. The gas supply unit 89 may be controlled so as to stop the supply of gas after the liquid surface that descends to one height H1 passes through the discharge hole 77 .

Further, the on/off control unit 115 starts supplying the gas before the liquid surface rising from the first height H1 to the second height H2 reaches the discharge hole 77 of the gas nozzle 70, and reaches the second height H2. to the first height H1 passes through the discharge hole 77, the gas supply unit 89 may be controlled so as to stop the gas supply for each gas nozzle 70 having a different height. . For example, the on/off control unit 115 changes the on-off valve 92A from the closed state to the open state before the liquid surface rising from the first height H1 to the second height H2 reaches the discharge hole 77 of the gas nozzle 70A. The on-off valve 92B is opened from the closed state before the liquid surface reaches the discharge hole 77 of the gas nozzle 70B, and the on-off valve 92C is opened from the closed state before the liquid surface reaches the discharge hole 77 of the gas nozzle 70C. The gas supply unit 89 is controlled so as to After that, the on/off control unit 115 closes the on-off valve 92C after the liquid surface that descends from the second height H2 to the first height H1 passes through the discharge hole 77 of the gas nozzle 70C, and After the surface passes through the discharge hole 77 of the gas nozzle 70B, the on-off valve 92B is opened from the closed state, and after the liquid surface passes through the discharge hole 77 of the gas nozzle 70A, the on-off valve 92C is changed from the open state to the closed state. It controls the gas supply unit 89 .

The on/off control unit 115 starts supplying the gas before the liquid level rising from the first height H1 to the second height H2 reaches the discharge hole 77 of the gas nozzle 70, and increases the liquid level from the second height H2 to the second height H2. The gas supply unit 89 may be controlled so as to stop the gas supply after the liquid surface descending to one height H1 passes through the discharge hole 77 at the same time with the gas nozzles 70 having different heights. In this case, the ON/OFF control unit 115 controls all the gas nozzles 70 before the liquid level rising from the first height H1 to the second height H2 reaches the discharge hole 77 of the lowest gas nozzle 70 (gas nozzle 70A). and stop supplying gas to all the gas nozzles 70 after the liquid level descending from the second height H2 to the first height H1 passes through the discharge hole 77 of the lowest gas nozzle 70. The gas supply unit 89 may be controlled so as to do so.

The target value setting unit 116 sets the target value of the gas content of the treatment liquid 43 according to at least one of the distance between the substrates 8 and the elapsed time after the substrates 8 start being immersed. For example, the target value setting unit 116 acquires the elapsed time from the immersion control unit 113, and changes the target value of the gas content of the treatment liquid 43 according to the elapsed time. More specifically, the target value setting unit 116 may change the target value of the gas content of the treatment liquid 43 before and after the elapsed time reaches a predetermined timing. The timing and target values before and after the timing are set in advance and stored in the recipe storage unit 119 , and the target value setting unit 116 acquires this information from the recipe storage unit 119 .

Different target values may be stored in the recipe storage unit 119 according to the spacing between the substrates 8 . In this case, the target value setting section 116 changes the target value according to the distance between the substrates 8 . The distance between substrates 8 is determined according to the number of substrates 8 supported by the support arm 87 of the substrate lifting mechanism 36 . The number of substrates 8 supported by the support arm 87 is appropriately set according to the etching conditions for the substrates 8 . For example, if the influence of the effluent from one of the adjacent substrates 8 on the etching process of the other cannot be ignored, the number of substrates 8 supported by the support arm 87 is reduced to leave some slots 87a open, and the substrates 8 are separated from each other. It is preferable to increase the interval between .

The follow-up control unit 117 controls the gas supply unit 89 so that the gas content of the treatment liquid 43 approaches the target value by adjusting the gas supply amount. At this time, the follow-up control unit 117 may change the amount of gas supplied from the gas supply unit 89 to the gas nozzle 70 according to the arrangement position of the gas nozzle 70 . For example, the tracking control unit 117 may change the amount of gas supplied from the gas supply unit 89 to the gas nozzle 70 according to the position of the gas nozzle 70 with respect to the center in the width direction. That is, the follow-up control unit 117 may increase the amount of gas supplied from the gas supply unit 89 to the gas nozzle 70 as the arrangement position of the gas nozzle 70 moves away from the center in the width direction. The amount of gas supplied from the gas supply portion 89 to the gas nozzle 70 may be decreased as the distance from the center in the width direction increases. More specifically, the tracking control unit 117 may vary the opening degrees of the flow controllers 93A, 93B, 93C so as to vary the amount of gas supplied to the gas nozzles 70A, 70B, 70C.

The cleaning control unit 118 controls the gas venting unit 95 so as to reduce the internal pressure of the main body 71 of the gas nozzle 70 to a pressure at which the processing liquid 43 can be sucked into the main body 71, and discharges the processing liquid 43 in the main body 71. and controlling the gas supply unit 89 to increase the internal pressure of the main body 71 to a possible pressure. Hereinafter, this control may be referred to as "cleaning control of the gas nozzle 70". The cleaning control unit 118 may perform cleaning control of the gas nozzle 70 after the liquid surface rises from the first height H1 to the second height H2 and before the substrate 8 is immersed in the processing liquid 43. , after the substrate 8 is immersed in the treatment liquid 43 and before the liquid surface drops from the second height H2 to the first height H1.

[Substrate liquid processing method]
Next, a control procedure executed by the control unit 7 will be described as an example of the substrate liquid processing method. FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing a substrate processing procedure. As shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 7 first executes step S01. Step S01 includes filling control of the treatment liquid 43 described above. A more detailed procedure will be described later. Next, the controller 7 executes step S02. Step S02 includes cleaning control of the gas nozzle 70 described above. A more detailed procedure will be described later. Next, the control section 7 executes step S03. Step S03 includes the immersion control of the substrate 8 described above. A more detailed procedure will be described later. Next, the controller 7 executes step S04. Step S04 includes discharge control of the treatment liquid 43 described above. A more detailed procedure will be described later.

Next, the control unit 7 executes step S05. Step S05 includes confirming whether liquid processing for all lots has been completed. In step S05, when it is determined that there are still lots for which liquid processing has not been completed, the control section 7 returns the procedure to step S01. After that, the filling control of the processing liquid 43, the cleaning control of the gas nozzle 70, the immersion control of the substrate 8, and the discharge control of the processing liquid 43 are repeated until the liquid processing of all lots is completed. In step S<b>05 , when it is determined that the liquid processing of all lots has been completed, the control unit 7 completes the control of the etching processing apparatus 1 .

In the example of FIG. 9, the control unit 7 executes the cleaning control of the gas nozzle 70 after the filling control of the processing liquid 43 and before the immersion control of the substrate 8, but it is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 7 may perform cleaning control of the gas nozzle 70 after controlling the immersion of the substrate 8 and before controlling the discharge of the processing liquid 43 . In the treatment in the etching treatment apparatus 1 , more silicon is eluted when the substrate 8 is immersed in the treatment liquid than in the treatment in the cleaning treatment apparatus 25 . As a result, when the silicon concentration in the processing tank 34 becomes high, as in the example of FIG. is preferred.

In the example of FIG. 9, the control unit 7 executes filling control of the processing liquid, cleaning control of the gas nozzle 70, and discharge control of the processing liquid for each process of one lot. Filling control of the processing liquid, cleaning control of the gas nozzle 70, and discharging control of the processing liquid may be executed for each lot.

(Processing liquid filling procedure)
Next, a detailed procedure of filling control of the treatment liquid 43 in step S01 will be described. FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing the process liquid filling procedure. As shown in FIG. 10, the controller 7 first executes step S11. In step S<b>11 , the liquid supply control unit 111 controls the processing liquid supply unit 44 so as to start filling the processing bath 41 with the processing liquid 43 . For example, the liquid supply controller 111 opens the flow controller 46 to start supplying the processing liquid 43 into the outer tank 42 in a state where the processing tank 41 is empty and the on-off valve 69 is closed. The processing liquid supply unit 44 is controlled so that the pump 52 is driven to start feeding the liquid from the outer bath 42 to the processing bath 41 .

Next, the control unit 7 executes step S12. In step S12, the on/off control unit 115 waits for a preset valve opening time for the on-off valve 92 to be opened next. The opening time of the on-off valve 92 is set to the time before the liquid surface reaches the discharge hole 77 of the gas nozzle 70 corresponding to the on-off valve 92 , and is stored in the recipe storage unit 119 . The opening time of the on-off valve 92 differs depending on the height of the corresponding gas nozzle 70, and the higher the gas nozzle 70 is, the longer the opening time is.

Next, the control unit 7 executes step S13. In step S13, the on/off control unit 115 controls the gas supply unit 89 so that the on-off valve 92 whose opening time has elapsed in step S12 is switched from the closed state to the open state.

Next, the control unit 7 executes step S14. In step S14, the on/off control unit 115 confirms whether or not the on-off valves 92 of all the gas nozzles 70 are opened.

If it is determined in step S14 that the on-off valve 92 remains unopened, the control unit 7 returns the procedure to step S12. Thereafter, until all the on-off valves 92 are opened, the control unit 7 repeats waiting for the valve opening time and opening the on-off valves 92 . As a result, the on-off valves 92 of the gas nozzles 70 at the lower level are sequentially opened. More specifically, the on-off valve 92A is opened before the liquid surface of the processing liquid 43 reaches the discharge hole 77 of the gas nozzle 70A, and the liquid surface passing through the discharge hole 77 of the gas nozzle 70A reaches the discharge hole 77 of the gas nozzle 70B. Before the on-off valve 92B is opened, the on-off valve 92C is opened before the liquid surface that has passed through the discharge hole 77 of the gas nozzle 70B reaches the discharge hole 77 of the gas nozzle 70C.

When it is determined in step S14 that all the on-off valves 92 have been opened, the controller 7 executes step S15. In step S15, the liquid supply control unit 111 waits until the preset filling time elapses. The filling time is set after the time when the liquid surface of the treatment liquid 43 reaches the second height H2, and is stored in the recipe storage unit 119 .

Next, the control unit 7 executes step S16. In step S<b>16 , the liquid supply controller 111 starts circulation control of the processing liquid 43 . The circulation of the processing liquid 43 is controlled by continuing to drive the supply pump 52 to control the processing liquid supply unit 44 so that the processing liquid 43 overflowing from the processing tank 41 into the outer tank 42 is circulated to the lower part of the processing tank 41. including doing In the circulation control, the liquid supply control unit 111 controls the processing liquid supply unit 44 so as to adjust the opening of the pure water flow rate regulator 48 according to the concentration of the processing liquid 43 detected by the concentration sensor 58 . You can do what you do. Above, the said step S01 is completed.

(Gas nozzle cleaning procedure)
Next, a detailed procedure of cleaning control of the gas nozzle 70 in step S02 will be described. FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing the nozzle cleaning procedure. As shown in FIG. 11, the controller 7 first executes step S21. In step S<b>21 , the cleaning control unit 118 controls the gas supply unit 89 so as to close the on-off valve 92 and interrupt the gas supply to the gas nozzle 70 .

Next, the control unit 7 executes step S22. In step S<b>22 , the cleaning control unit 118 controls the degassing unit 95 so as to reduce the internal pressure of the main body 71 of the gas nozzle 70 to a pressure at which the treatment liquid 43 can be sucked into the main body 71 . For example, the cleaning control unit 118 controls the degassing unit 95 to open the pressure reducing valve 97 from the closed state.

Next, the control unit 7 executes step S23. In step S23, the cleaning control unit 118 waits for a preset decompression time. The depressurization time is set so that an amount of the treatment liquid 43 suitable for cleaning is sucked into the main body 71 and is stored in the recipe storage unit 119 .

Next, the control unit 7 executes step S24. In step S<b>24 , the cleaning control unit 118 controls the degassing unit 95 so as to stop reducing the pressure inside the main body 71 . For example, the cleaning control unit 118 controls the degassing unit 95 to close the pressure reducing valve 97 from the open state.

Next, the control unit 7 executes step S25. In step S25, the cleaning control unit 118 waits for a preset cleaning time. The cleaning time is set so that the treatment liquid 43 sucked into the main body 71 has a sufficient cleaning effect, and is stored in the recipe storage unit 119 .

Next, the control unit 7 executes step S26. In step S<b>26 , the cleaning control unit 118 controls the gas supply unit 89 so as to increase the internal pressure of the main body 71 to a pressure that allows the treatment liquid 43 in the main body 71 to be discharged. For example, the cleaning control unit 118 controls the gas supply unit 89 to open the on-off valve 92 and restart the gas supply to the gas nozzle 70 .

Next, the control unit 7 executes step S27. In step S27, the cleaning control unit 118 waits for a preset drainage time. The liquid draining time is set so that the processing liquid 43 sucked into the main body 71 can be sufficiently drained, and is stored in the recipe storage unit 119 . The above step S02 is completed.

(Substrate immersion procedure)
Next, a detailed procedure for controlling the immersion of the substrate 8 in step S03 will be described. FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing the immersion treatment procedure. As shown in FIG. 12, the controller 7 first executes step S31. In step S<b>31 , the immersion control unit 113 moves the plurality of support arms from a height at which the plurality of substrates 8 are positioned above the liquid surface of the processing liquid 43 to a height at which the plurality of substrates 8 are immersed in the processing liquid 43 . The substrate lifting mechanism 36 is controlled so that the substrate 87 is lowered.

Next, the control unit 7 executes step S32. In step S32, the immersion control unit 113 waits for the preset processing time to elapse. The processing time is set according to the degree of etching required and stored in the recipe storage unit 119 .

Next, the control unit 7 executes step S33. In step S<b>33 , the immersion control unit 113 moves the plurality of support arms from a height at which the plurality of substrates 8 are immersed in the processing liquid 43 to a height at which the plurality of substrates 8 are positioned above the liquid surface of the processing liquid 43 . The substrate elevating mechanism 36 is controlled so that the substrate 87 is lifted. The above step S03 is completed.

(Procedure for controlling the gas supply section while the substrate is immersed)
In parallel with the immersion control of the substrate 8 , the control section 7 controls the amount of gas supplied by the gas supply section 89 . The procedure for controlling the gas supply amount will be described below. FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing the procedure for controlling the amount of gas supply. As shown in FIG. 13, the controller 7 first executes step S41. In step S<b>41 , the target value setting unit 116 acquires the target value of the gas content of the treatment liquid 43 from the recipe storage unit 119 .

As described above, the recipe storage unit 119 may store different target values depending on the spacing between the substrates 8 . In this case, the target value setting section 116 changes the target value according to the distance between the substrates 8 .

Next, the control unit 7 executes step S42. In step S<b>42 , the follow-up control unit 117 acquires information about the gas content of the treatment liquid 43 from the liquid level sensor 80 .

Next, the control unit 7 executes step S43. In step S43, the follow-up control unit 117 sets the amount of gas supplied from the gas supply unit 89 to the gas nozzle 70 so that the gas content of the processing liquid 43 approaches the target value. For example, the follow-up control unit 117 calculates the current value of the gas content of the treatment liquid 43 based on the information acquired in step S42, calculates the deviation between the target value and the current value, and computes the deviation proportionally. , proportional/integral calculation or proportional/integral/differential calculation is performed to calculate the opening of the flow rate regulator 93 .

The follow-up control unit 117 may change the amount of gas supplied from the gas supply unit 89 to the gas nozzle 70 according to the arrangement position of the gas nozzle 70 . For example, the follow-up control unit 117 may change the opening setting value of the flow controller 93 corresponding to the gas nozzle 70 according to the position of the gas nozzle 70 with respect to the center in the width direction. That is, the follow-up control unit 117 may increase the opening setting value of the flow rate regulator 93 as the arrangement position of the gas nozzle 70 moves away from the center in the width direction. The opening setting value of the flow rate regulator 93 may be decreased as the distance from the point increases. More specifically, the follow-up control unit 117 may vary the opening degrees of the flow controllers 93A, 93B, 93C so as to vary the amount of gas supplied to the gas nozzles 70A, 70B, 70C.

Next, the control unit 7 executes step S44. In step S44, the follow-up control unit 117 controls the gas supply unit 89 so as to adjust the opening of the flow rate regulator 93 according to the opening setting value set in step S43.

Next, the control unit 7 executes step S45. In step S45, the target value setting unit 116 checks whether or not the elapsed time after the start of the immersion of the substrate 8 has reached the change timing of the target value. The target value setting unit 116 acquires information on the elapsed time from the immersion control unit 113 and acquires information on timing of changing the target value from the recipe storage unit 119 .

When it is determined in step S45 that the elapsed time has reached the change timing of the target value, the control unit 7 executes step S46. In step S<b>46 , the target value setting unit 116 changes the target value of the gas content of the treatment liquid 43 . For example, the target value setting unit 116 acquires the target value of the gas content of the treatment liquid 43 after the change timing from the recipe storage unit 119 .

Next, the control unit 7 executes step S47. When it is determined in step S45 that the elapsed time has not reached the change timing of the target value, the control unit 7 executes step S47 without executing step S46. In step S47, the target value setting unit 116 confirms whether the immersion of the substrate 8 has been completed. The target value setting unit 116 acquires information indicating whether the immersion of the substrate 8 has been completed from the immersion control unit 113 .

If it is determined in step S47 that the immersion of the substrate 8 has not been completed, the controller 7 returns the procedure to step S42. After that, until the immersion of the substrate 8 is completed, the control to bring the gas content of the processing liquid 43 close to the target value and the change of the target time according to the elapsed time are repeated.

When it is determined in step S47 that the immersion of the substrate 8 has been completed, the controller 7 completes control of the gas supply amount.

(Processing liquid discharge procedure)
Next, a detailed procedure for controlling the discharge of the treatment liquid 43 in step S04 will be described. FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing the procedure for discharging the treatment liquid. As shown in FIG. 14, the controller 7 first executes step S51. In step S<b>51 , the liquid discharge control section 112 controls the processing liquid supply section 44 and the processing liquid discharge section 67 so as to start discharging the processing liquid 43 from the processing tank 41 . For example, the liquid discharge control unit 112 closes the flow rate regulators 46 and 48 to stop the supply of the processing liquid 43 and pure water, and then closes the on-off valve 69. The processing liquid discharge unit 67 is controlled so as to open and start discharging the processing liquid 43 from the processing tank 41 .

Next, the control unit 7 executes step S52. In step S52, the on/off control unit 115 waits for a preset valve closing time for the open/close valve 92 to be closed next. The closing time of the on-off valve 92 is set to the time after the liquid surface passes through the discharge hole 77 of the gas nozzle 70 corresponding to the on-off valve 92 , and is stored in the recipe storage unit 119 . The closing time of the on-off valve 92 differs depending on the height of the corresponding gas nozzle 70, and the lower the gas nozzle 70 is, the longer the closing time is.

Next, the control unit 7 executes step S53. In step S53, the on/off control unit 115 controls the gas supply unit 89 so that the on-off valve 92 whose closing time has elapsed in step S52 is switched from the open state to the closed state.

Next, the control unit 7 executes step S54. In step S54, the on/off control unit 115 confirms whether or not the on-off valves 92 of all the gas nozzles 70 are closed.

If it is determined in step S54 that the on-off valve 92 remains open, the control unit 7 returns the procedure to step S52. After that, waiting for the valve closing time and closing the on-off valves 92 are repeated until all the on-off valves 92 are closed. As a result, the on-off valves 92 of the gas nozzles 70 at the higher level are sequentially closed. More specifically, the on-off valve 92C is closed after the liquid surface of the processing liquid 43 passes through the discharge hole 77 of the gas nozzle 70C, and the liquid surface passing through the discharge hole 77 of the gas nozzle 70C passes through the discharge hole 77 of the gas nozzle 70B. After the opening/closing valve 92B is closed, the opening/closing valve 92A is closed after the liquid level passing through the discharge hole 77 of the gas nozzle 70B passes through the discharge hole 77 of the gas nozzle 70A.

When it is determined in step S54 that all the on-off valves 92 are closed, the control section 7 executes step S55. In step S55, the drainage control unit 112 waits until a preset drainage time elapses. The liquid draining time is set after the liquid level of the treatment liquid 43 reaches the first height H1, and is stored in the recipe storage unit 119 .

Next, the control unit 7 executes step S56. In step S<b>56 , the liquid discharge controller 112 controls the processing liquid supply section 44 to stop driving the supply pump 52 and controls the processing liquid discharge section 67 to close the on-off valve 69 . Above, the said step S04 is completed.

[Effect of Embodiment]
Next, effects of the embodiment will be described. 15A and 15B are diagrams showing an example of the function of the liquid guide member 200. FIG.

Gas 250 flowing through main body 71 of gas nozzle 70, as shown in FIG. get into Gas 250 that has entered guide portion 210 is subjected to pressure in the direction in which base portion 220 extends (first direction). The gas 250 that has entered the guiding portion 210 flows from the first opening 211 toward the second opening 212 due to pressure. Also, in the vicinity of the second opening 212, the continuous flow of gas 250 changes into bubbles. Also, the pressure in the space 215 decreases as the gas 250 moves.

When the pressure in the space 215 decreases, as shown in FIG. 15(b), the treatment liquid 43 is guided into the space 215 through the gap between the lower end of the guide portion 210 and the main body 71 (arrow 251). That is, the guiding portion 210 guides the processing liquid 43 around the ejection hole 77 to flow in the first direction.

When the treatment liquid 43 is guided to flow in the first direction, the pressure associated with the flow of the treatment liquid 43 acts on the gas 250 that has changed into bubbles. Therefore, in addition to the pressure in the first direction from the main body 71, the pressure in the first direction due to the flow of the processing liquid 43 acts on the portion of the gas 250 that has changed into a bubble shape, as shown in FIG. 15(c). As shown, the gas 250 is discharged into the processing liquid 43 from the second opening 212 as bubbles 255 . Since the pressure in the first direction due to the flow of the treatment liquid 43 acts on the bubbles 255, the straightness of the bubbles 255 immediately after being discharged can be improved. In addition, as the bubbles 255 are ejected, the treatment liquid 43 is guided to flow out of the guide section 210 through the second opening 212 (arrow 252).

After the bubbles 255 are discharged, the state shown in FIG. 15A is obtained again, and the discharge of the bubbles 255 is repeated while the supply of the gas 250 continues.

Further, as the bubbles 255 improve in straightness, the controllability of the convection of the treatment liquid 43 can be improved. Here, controllability of the convection of the treatment liquid 43 will be described. FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing the behavior of bubbles 255. As shown in FIG. 16(a) shows the behavior of bubbles 255 when the liquid guide member 200 is not provided, and FIG. 16(a) shows the behavior of the bubbles 255 when the liquid guide member 200 is provided. Here, regardless of the presence or absence of the liquid guide member 200, it is assumed that the treatment liquid 43 has an irregular flow to the same degree. An arrow 260 in FIGS. 16(a) and 16(b) indicates the moving direction of the foam 255 in design.

When the liquid guide member 200 is not provided, the pressure from the main body 71 acts on the bubbles 255 ejected from the ejection holes 77 . In this case, as shown in FIG. 16( a ), some bubbles 255 move in the processing liquid 43 along arrows 260 , while some other bubbles 255 are caused by the irregular flow of the processing liquid 43 . It can move to the opposite side of arrow 260 of body 71 without fully resisting.

On the other hand, when the liquid guide member 200 is provided, the bubbles 255 discharged from the liquid guide member 200 are affected by the flow of the processing liquid 43 guided by the liquid guide member 200 in addition to the pressure from the main body 71 . The accompanying pressure acts. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 16(b), generation of bubbles 255 moving in the direction opposite to the arrow 260 of the main body 71 without sufficiently resisting the irregular flow of the treatment liquid 43 is suppressed, and most of the bubbles 255 Bubble 255 can be moved along arrow 260 .

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the controllability of the convection of the processing liquid 43 caused by the discharge of the gas 250 can be improved.

17A and 17B are diagrams showing another example of the function of the liquid guide member 200. FIG. 17(a) shows the generation of bubbles 255 when the liquid guide member 200 is not provided, and FIG. 17(a) illustrates the generation of bubbles 255 when the liquid guide member 200 is provided.

When the liquid guide member 200 is not provided, the continuous flow of the gas 250 changes into bubbles in the vicinity of the discharge hole 77, as shown in FIG. 17(a). At this time, the flow of the gas 250 narrows in the ejection holes 77 and the processing liquid 43 flows into the ejection holes 77 .

On the other hand, when the liquid guide member 200 is provided, the continuous flow of the gas 250 changes into bubbles near the second opening 212 as shown in FIG. 17(b). At this time, the flow of the gas 250 narrows mainly within the guiding portion 210 . Therefore, the flow of the gas 250 is less likely to narrow within the ejection holes 77 , and the processing liquid 43 is less likely to flow into the ejection holes 77 .

Thus, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to suppress the processing liquid 43 from flowing into the ejection holes 77 . By suppressing the inflow of the treatment liquid 43, clogging of the ejection holes 77 can be suppressed.

Further, in the present embodiment, the liquid guiding member 200 has the cylindrical guiding portion 210 having the first opening 211 and the second opening 212, so that the processing liquid 43 around the ejection hole 77 is guided in the first direction. It's easy to do.

It is preferable that the guide portion 210 surrounds the ejection hole 77 when viewed from the ejection direction (first direction) of the gas 250 . This is because the treatment liquid 43 around the ejection holes 77 can be more stably guided in the first direction.

The second opening 212 is preferably arranged concentrically with the discharge hole 77 when viewed from the first direction. This is because the treatment liquid 43 around the ejection holes 77 can be more stably guided in the first direction.

The opening area of the second opening 212 is preferably 0.9 times or more and 1.1 times or less the opening area of the discharge hole 77 . This is because bubbles of the same size as when the liquid guide member 200 is not provided are likely to be generated.

The shape of the guiding part 210 is preferably a cylindrical truncated cone. This is because the treatment liquid 43 around the ejection holes 77 can be more stably guided in the first direction.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the liquid guide member 200 is detachably attached to the gas nozzle 70, so even if the liquid guide member 200 has a problem such as clogging, it can be easily replaced.

Note that the guiding portion 210 may be attached to the gas nozzle 70 without the base portion 220 and the connecting portion 230 being provided.

Also, the configuration of the liquid guide member 200 is not limited to the above. FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view showing a modification of the liquid guide member. For example, as shown in FIG. 18, the liquid guiding member 200 includes a gas flow adjusting portion 214 inside the guiding portion 210 that changes the flow of the gas 250, which is circular in cross section, into a partially annular shape. good too. The gas flow adjustment portion 214 may be connected to the guide portion 210 by a connection portion 230, for example. The gas flow adjuster 214 can increase the flow velocity of the gas 250 flowing through the liquid guide member 200 .

Further, the inclination angle of the guide portion 210 may be different among the plurality of liquid guide members 200 attached to the gas nozzle 70 . By appropriately adjusting the angle of inclination, the direction in which the bubbles 255 move can be controlled, and the convection of the treatment liquid 43 can be controlled. Here, the angle of inclination refers to the angle of the inner wall surface of the guide portion 210 with respect to the plane including the first opening 211 .

The application of the liquid guide member 200 is not limited to the gas nozzle 70 of the etching processing apparatus 1. For example, it can be used as a nozzle in which a fluid flows and which is immersed in a liquid and ejects the fluid in the liquid.

Although the preferred embodiments and the like have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and the like, and various modifications can be made to the above-described embodiments and the like without departing from the scope of the claims. and substitutions can be added.

The substrate to be processed is not limited to silicon wafers, and may be, for example, glass substrates, mask substrates, FPDs (Flat Panel Displays), and the like. Also, although the configuration of the etching processing apparatus 1 has been described in detail as a substrate processing apparatus, the same configuration can be applied to the cleaning processing apparatus 25 as well.

This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-025018 filed with the Japan Patent Office on February 19, 2021, and the entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-025018 are incorporated into this application. .

Reference Signs List 1 etching processing apparatus 43 processing liquid 70 gas nozzle 71 main body 77 discharge hole 100 substrate processing system 200 liquid guiding member 210 guiding section 211 first opening 212 second opening 214 gas flow adjusting section 215 space 220 base 223 third opening 224 fourth opening 225 Spacer 230 Connection 250 Gas 255 Bubble

Claims (13)

1. a processing tank containing a processing liquid and a substrate;
   a plurality of gas nozzles for discharging gas at a lower portion of the processing tank;
   a gas supply unit that supplies the gas to the plurality of gas nozzles;
   has
   The gas nozzle is arranged along the bottom surface of the processing bath and has a tubular body formed with a plurality of ejection holes for ejecting the gas in a first direction,
   A substrate processing apparatus comprising a liquid guiding member that guides the processing liquid around the ejection holes so as to flow in the first direction as the gas ejected from the ejection holes moves.
2. The liquid guide member is
   a first opening;
   a second opening spaced apart from the first opening in the first direction;
   having a cylindrical guiding part with
   2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said gas projecting from said ejection hole and said processing liquid around said ejection hole flow in said first direction from said first opening toward said second opening. .
3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the opening area of the second opening is smaller than the opening area of the first opening.
4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the guide portion surrounds the discharge hole when viewed from the first direction.
5. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the second opening is arranged concentrically with the ejection hole when viewed from the first direction.
6. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the opening area of the second opening is 0.9 times or more and 1.1 times or less the opening area of the discharge hole.
7. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of Claims 2 to 6, wherein the shape of the guide portion is a cylindrical truncated cone.
8. A plurality of the liquid guide members are provided for each of the gas nozzles,
   8. The substrate processing according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein angles of the inner wall surfaces of the guide portions with respect to a plane including the first opening are different among the plurality of liquid guide members. Device.
9. The liquid guide member is
   a cylindrical base portion extending from the first opening to the outside of the guide portion and through which the gas flows;
   a connection portion that connects the guide portion and the base portion;
   has
   9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said base is inserted into said discharge hole.
10. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the liquid guide member is detachably attached to the gas nozzle.
11. a cylindrical guiding portion having a first opening and a second opening spaced apart from the first opening in a first direction;
    a cylindrical base portion extending from the first opening to the outside of the guide portion and through which a fluid flows;
    a connection portion that connects the guide portion and the base portion;
    a liquid directing member having a
12. the base is inserted into a discharge hole of a nozzle that is immersed in a liquid and discharges fluid in the liquid in the first direction;
    12. The liquid guide member according to claim 11, which guides the liquid around the ejection hole so as to flow in the first direction as the fluid ejected from the ejection hole moves.
13. The liquid guide member according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the shape of the guide part is a cylindrical truncated cone.

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