Organic solvent recovery apparatus, substrate processing apparatus, and organic solvent recovery method

Abstract

This technology provides a highly reliable method for separating water from a mixed liquid. [Solution] The organic solvent recovery apparatus comprises a first dewaterer 60, a second dewaterer 70, a switching unit 50, and a control unit. The first dewaterer 60 includes a first separation membrane 62c, and the second dewaterer 70 includes a second separation membrane 72c. The switching unit 50 switches between a first state in which the solvent concentration of the mixture of organic solvent and water is increased in the first dewaterer 60, and a second state in which the mixture is supplied to the second dewaterer 70. The control unit causes the switching unit 50 to select the first state when the solvent concentration of the mixture is a first value equal to or greater than the lower limit of the concentration of the first separation membrane 62c, and causes the switching unit 50 to select the second state when the solvent concentration of the mixture is a second value less than the lower limit of the concentration. The lower limit of the solvent concentration range applicable to the second separation membrane 72c is less than the lower limit of the concentration range applicable to the first separation membrane 62c, and the separation constant of the first separation membrane 62c is higher than the separation constant of the second separation membrane 72c.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an IPA recovery system that recovers water-containing IPA (isopropyl alcohol) discharged from a processing unit that processes a substrate. The IPA recovery system includes a storage tank, a circulation pipe, a pump, a dehydration unit, and a filter. The storage tank is supplied with water-containing IPA from the processing unit. The circulation pipe is connected to the storage tank and returns the water-containing IPA from the storage tank to the storage tank. The pump is provided in the circulation pipe and pumps the water-containing IPA from the upstream end to the downstream end of the circulation pipe. The filter is provided in the circulation pipe and removes foreign substances in the water-containing IPA. The dehydration unit is provided in the circulation pipe and removes moisture from the water-containing IPA.

[0003] The recovery system circulates the water-containing IPA through a circulation path including the storage tank and the circulation pipe. Through this circulation, the water-containing IPA passes through the filter and the dehydration unit. As a result, the IPA concentration of the water-containing IPA during circulation increases, and the foreign substances in the water-containing IPA are reduced. That is, through this circulation, water-containing IPA with a high IPA concentration and free of foreign substances is stored in the storage tank. The water-containing IPA in this storage tank is supplied to the processing unit again. Thereby, the amount of IPA waste can be reduced.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] A membrane separator with a separation membrane may be used as a dehydration unit. Such a separation membrane has an applicable range for solvent concentration. That is, if a mixture with a solvent concentration below the lower limit of the applicable range attempts to pass through the separation membrane, there is a risk of malfunction in the separation membrane.

[0006] Therefore, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide a technology that can separate water from a mixed liquid with high reliability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The first embodiment is an organic solvent recovery apparatus, comprising: a recovery pipe through which a mixture of organic solvent and water discharged from a processing unit that processes substrates flows; a first dewaterer including a first membrane separator having a first separation membrane having an applicable range of solvent concentrations, which separates water from the mixture and increases the solvent concentration of the mixture; a switching unit that switches between a first state in which the solvent concentration of the mixture discharged from the processing unit is increased in the first dewaterer and a second state in which the mixture discharged from the processing unit is supplied to a separate unit different from the first dewaterer; and the solvent concentration of the mixture is within the applicable range. The device comprises a control unit that causes the switching unit to select a first state when the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid is a first value greater than or equal to a lower limit of concentration, and a control unit that causes the switching unit to select a second state when the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid is a second value less than the lower limit of concentration, wherein the separate unit includes a second dehydrator that separates water from the mixed liquid to increase the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid, the second dehydrator includes a second membrane separator having a second separation membrane, the lower limit of the solvent concentration range of the second separation membrane is less than the lower limit of concentration of the first separation membrane, and the separation constant of the first separation membrane is higher than the separation constant of the second separation membrane.

[0008] A second embodiment is an organic solvent recovery apparatus according to the first embodiment, comprising a storage unit that stores recipe information indicating the processing content of the substrate by the processing unit, and a control unit that calculates the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid discharged from the processing unit based on the recipe information.

[0009] A third embodiment is an organic solvent recovery apparatus according to the second embodiment, wherein the processing unit includes a substrate holding unit that rotates while holding the substrate, a discharge unit that sequentially discharges pure water and an organic solvent onto the main surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, and a cylindrical cup surrounding the substrate holding unit that receives liquid scattered from the periphery of the substrate, the upstream end of the recovery piping is connected to the cup, the recipe information sets the pure water flow rate and discharge time of the pure water discharged onto the substrate, the solvent flow rate and discharge time of the organic solvent discharged onto the substrate, and the rotation speed of the substrate, the storage unit stores correspondence relationship information showing the correspondence relationship between the rotation speed and the amount of pure water film, which is the amount of pure water on the main surface of the substrate, the control unit determines the amount of pure water film based on the rotation speed of the substrate identified based on the recipe information and the correspondence relationship information, and calculates the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid discharged from the processing unit based on the amount of pure water film, the time integral value of the pure water flow rate, and the time integral value of the solvent flow rate.

[0010] A fourth embodiment is an organic solvent recovery apparatus according to the second embodiment, comprising a concentration sensor for measuring the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid, wherein the control unit controls the switching unit based on the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid measured by the concentration sensor.

[0011] The fifth embodiment is an organic solvent recovery apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth embodiments, wherein the mixed liquid from a plurality of processing units flows through the recovery piping.

[0012] The sixth embodiment is an organic solvent recovery apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth embodiments, wherein the first dewaterer has a first circulation pipe on which the first membrane separator is provided, and includes a first circulation section that circulates the mixed liquid through the first circulation pipe.

[0013] The seventh embodiment is an organic solvent recovery apparatus according to any one of the first to sixth embodiments, wherein the second dewaterer raises the solvent concentration of the mixture to above the lower limit of the concentration of the first separation membrane, and supplies the mixture having a solvent concentration above the lower limit to the first dewaterer.

[0014] The eighth aspect is an organic solvent recovery apparatus according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein the second dewaterer includes a second circulation pipe on which the second membrane separator is provided, and a liquid supply section provided in the second circulation pipe.

[0015] The ninth aspect is an organic solvent recovery apparatus according to the eighth aspect, comprising a concentration tank for storing the mixed liquid from the recovery piping, the first dewaterer includes a first circulation piping connected to the concentration tank and equipped with a first membrane separator, the first circulation piping includes a common circulation piping equipped with a liquid delivery unit and a first individual piping equipped with a first membrane separator, the second circulation piping includes the common circulation piping and a second individual piping equipped with a second membrane separator, and the switching unit switches between a first state in which the mixed liquid circulates through the concentration tank and the first circulation piping and a second state in which the mixed liquid circulates through the concentration tank and the second circulation piping.

[0016] The tenth embodiment is a substrate processing apparatus comprising an organic solvent recovery apparatus according to any one of the first to ninth embodiments and the processing unit.

[0017] The eleventh aspect is a method for recovering an organic solvent, comprising: a concentration acquisition step of acquiring the solvent concentration of a mixed solution of an organic solvent and water discharged from a processing unit that processes a substrate; and a dehydration step of separating water from the mixed solution using a first membrane separator including a first separation membrane when the solvent concentration is a first value, thereby increasing the solvent concentration of the mixed solution. The first value is not less than the lower limit value of the applicable range of the solvent concentration of the first separation membrane. In the dehydration step, when the solvent concentration is a second value less than the lower limit value, water is separated from the mixed solution using a second membrane separator including a second separation membrane, thereby increasing the solvent concentration of the mixed solution. The lower limit value of the applicable range of the solvent concentration of the second separation membrane is less than the lower limit value of the first separation membrane. The separation constant of the first separation membrane is higher than the separation constant of the second separation membrane.

Advantages of the Invention

[0018] According to the first, tenth, and eleventh aspects, the organic solvent recovery device can increase the solvent concentration of the mixed solution with high reliability. Moreover, even when the solvent concentration is the second value, the second membrane separator can increase the solvent concentration of the mixed solution, so that the amount of waste organic solvent can be further reduced.

[0019] According to the second aspect, since there is no need to provide a concentration sensor, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

[0020] According to the third aspect, the solvent concentration can be calculated with high accuracy.

[0021] According to the fourth aspect, the solvent concentration can be obtained with high accuracy.

[0022] According to the fifth aspect, there is no need to provide a switching unit for each of a plurality of processing units one by one, and a single switching unit may be provided. Therefore, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

[0023] According to the sixth aspect, the size required for the first membrane separator can be reduced.

[0024] According to the seventh aspect, after the second dehydrator raises the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid to be not less than the lower limit concentration of the first separation membrane, the highly efficient first dehydrator can further raise the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid. Therefore, the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid can be raised with even higher efficiency.

[0025] According to the eighth aspect, the size required for the second membrane separator can be reduced.

[0026] According to the ninth aspect, since the liquid feeding section is shared by the first circulation pipe and the second circulation pipe, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0027] [Figure 1] It is a plan view schematically showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 2] It is a side view schematically showing an example of a processing unit. [Figure 3] It is a diagram schematically showing a first example of a substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a diagram schematically showing an example of a specific configuration of the first dehydrator of the organic solvent recovery section. [Figure 5] It is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the organic solvent recovery section according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] It is a diagram schematically showing an example of a processing unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] It is a diagram schematically showing an example of the state of the processing unit in each step of Table 1. [Figure 8] It is a graph showing an example of the distance from the center of the substrate to each position on the substrate and the thickness of the pure water liquid film at each position. [Figure 9] It is a diagram schematically showing an example of the state of the processing unit in each step of Table 2. [Figure 10] It is a graph showing an example of the distance from the center of the substrate to each position on the substrate and the thickness of the liquid film at each position. [Figure 11]This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the concentration estimation unit. [Figure 12] This figure schematically shows a second example of a substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 13] This figure schematically shows an example of a substrate processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] This figure schematically shows an example of an organic solvent recovery unit according to the third embodiment. [Figure 15] This diagram schematically shows an example of a second dehydrator. [Figure 16] This is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the organic solvent recovery unit according to the third embodiment. [Figure 17] This figure schematically shows an example of a second dewaterer according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 18] This figure schematically shows an example of an organic solvent recovery unit according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 19] This figure schematically shows an example of an organic solvent recovery unit according to the sixth embodiment. [Figure 20] This flowchart shows an example of the operation of the organic solvent recovery unit according to the sixth embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0028] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that, for the purpose of ease of understanding, the dimensions and number of parts in the drawings are exaggerated or simplified as needed. Also, parts with similar configurations and functions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted in the following description.

[0029] Furthermore, in the following explanations, similar components will be denoted by the same symbols, and their names and functions will also be the same. Therefore, detailed explanations of them may be omitted to avoid redundancy.

[0030] Furthermore, even if ordinal numbers such as "first" or "second" are used in the following descriptions, these terms are used for convenience to facilitate understanding of the embodiments and are not limited to the order that may result from these ordinal numbers.

[0031] When expressions indicating relative or absolute positional relationships are used (e.g., "in one direction," "along one direction," "parallel," "orthogonal," "center," "concentric," "coaxial," etc.), unless otherwise specified, such expressions shall not only strictly represent the positional relationship but also represent a state in which there is a relative displacement in terms of angle or distance within a tolerance or a range in which equivalent functionality is obtained. When expressions indicating equality are used (e.g., "identical," "equal," "homogeneous," etc.), unless otherwise specified, such expressions shall not only strictly represent a state in which there is a quantitatively exact equality but also represent a state in which there is a difference within a tolerance or a range in which equivalent functionality is obtained. When expressions indicating shape are used (e.g., "quadrilateral" or "cylindrical"), unless otherwise specified, such expressions shall not only strictly represent the geometrically exact shape but also represent a shape with features such as concavities or chamfers within a range in which equivalent effects are obtained. When expressions such as "possess," "equip," "include," or "have" a single component are used, such expressions are not exclusive expressions that exclude the existence of other components. When the expression "at least one of A, B, and C" is used, it includes A only, B only, C only, any two of A, B, and C, and all of A, B, and C.

[0032] <First Embodiment> <1. Substrate Processing Equipment> A substrate processing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the substrate processing apparatus 100.

[0033] The substrate processing apparatus 100 is a so-called single-wafer processing apparatus that processes substrates W one at a time. The substrates W to be processed by the substrate processing apparatus 100 are, for example, semiconductor substrates. The shape of the substrates W to be processed is, for example, a disc shape.

[0034] The substrate processing apparatus 100 includes a load port 1, an indexer robot 2, a main transport robot 3, a processing unit 4, an organic solvent recovery unit 5, and a control unit 6.

[0035] Load port 1 is an interface for loading and unloading substrates W into and out of carrier C, which is a type of container that houses multiple substrates. Multiple load ports 1 are provided, for example (three in the example shown in the figure). Multiple load ports 1 are arranged in a single row horizontally, for example. Carrier C may be a type that houses substrates W in a sealed space (for example, FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod), SMIF (Standard Mechanical Interface) pod, etc.) or a type that exposes substrates W to the outside air (for example, OC (Open Cassette), etc.).

[0036] The indexer robot 2 is a transport device that transports substrates W. For example, the indexer robot 2 is a horizontal articulated robot and is equipped with a pair of hands 21, 21 for holding substrates W and arms 22 connected to each hand 21. The indexer robot 2 is also equipped with a drive mechanism (not shown) for rotating each hand 21 and bending, rotating, and raising and lowering each arm 22. The indexer robot 2 transports substrates W between the carrier C placed on the load port 1 and the main transport robot 3. That is, the indexer robot 2 accesses the carrier C placed on the load port 1 and performs an unloading operation (i.e., the operation of taking out the substrates W contained in the carrier C with the hands 21) and an loading operation (i.e., the operation of placing the substrates W held by the hands 21 into the carrier C). The indexer robot 2 also accesses the transfer position and transfers the substrates W to and from the main transport robot 3.

[0037] The main transport robot 3 is a transport device that transports the substrate W. For example, the main transport robot 3 is a horizontal articulated robot and is equipped with a pair of hands 31, 31 for holding the substrate W and arms 32 connected to each hand 31. The main transport robot 3 is also equipped with a drive mechanism (not shown) for rotating each hand 31 and bending, rotating, and raising and lowering each arm 32. The main transport robot 3 transports the substrate W between the indexer robot 2 and each processing unit 4. That is, the main transport robot 3 accesses the transfer position and transfers the substrate W to the indexer robot 2. The main transport robot 3 also accesses the processing unit 4 and performs loading operations (i.e., loading the substrate W held by the hands 31 into the processing unit 4) and unloading operations (i.e., unloading the substrate W from the processing unit 4 with the hands 31).

[0038] The processing unit 4 performs a predetermined process on the substrate W using a processing solution (e.g., chemical solution, rinse solution, and IPA). Here, for example, multiple processing units 4 stacked vertically (e.g., 3) constitute one tower, and multiple such towers (4 in the example shown in the figure) are provided surrounding the main transport robot 3. The specific configuration of the processing unit 4 will be described later.

[0039] The organic solvent recovery unit 5 recovers organic solvent from the processing unit 4 and purifies the recovered organic solvent before supplying it back to the processing unit 4. As an example, an organic solvent recovery unit 5 may be provided in a one-to-one correspondence with each of the multiple towers, and each organic solvent recovery unit 5 may recover and supply organic solvent to each processing unit 4 contained in the corresponding tower. The specific configuration of the organic solvent recovery unit 5 will be described later.

[0040] The control unit 6 controls the operation of each part of the substrate processing apparatus 100 (load port 1, indexer robot 2, main transport robot 3, processing unit 4, and organic solvent recovery unit 5). The control unit 6 is composed of, for example, a general-purpose computer having electrical circuits. As an example, the control unit 6 is composed of a CPU (Central Processor Unit) as a central processing unit that performs various arithmetic operations (data processing), ROM (Read Only Memory) where basic programs are stored, RAM (Random Access Memory) used as a work area when the CPU performs predetermined processing (data processing), a storage device composed of non-volatile storage devices such as flash memory and hard disk drives, and bus lines connecting these to each other. A program that defines the processing to be executed by the control unit 6 may be stored in the storage device or RAM. In this case, for example, the CPU may execute the program so that each part of the substrate processing apparatus 100 is controlled by the control unit 6, and the processing defined by the program is executed in the substrate processing apparatus 100. That is, the CPU may execute the program so that a circuit that performs the processing defined by the program is realized in the control unit 6. However, some or all of the control performed by the control unit 6 (some or all of the circuits implemented by the control unit 6) may be executed (implemented) by hardware such as dedicated logic circuits.

[0041] <2. Processing Unit> The processing unit 4 will be explained with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2 is a schematic side view showing an example of the processing unit 4.

[0042] <2-1. Configuration of the Processing Unit> The processing unit 4 performs a predetermined process on the substrate W using a processing liquid (e.g., chemical solution, rinse solution, and IPA). The processing unit 4 includes, for example, a spin chuck 41, a cup 42, and a discharge unit 430, which are examples of substrate holding parts. The discharge unit 430 includes a nozzle 43. The spin chuck 41, cup 42, and nozzle 43 are housed in a processing chamber 44.

[0043] The spin chuck 41 holds the substrate W in a horizontal position (a position in which the thickness direction of the substrate W is aligned with the vertical direction) and rotates the substrate W around an axis (rotation axis) A that extends vertically through the center of its main surface. Specifically, the spin chuck 41 includes, for example, a spin base 411. The spin base 411 is a disc-shaped member and is positioned so that its thickness direction is aligned with the vertical direction. Multiple chuck pins 412 are provided on the upper surface of the spin base 411. The multiple chuck pins 412 are arranged at equal intervals along the circumference corresponding to the periphery of the substrate W. Link mechanisms (not shown) are connected to the multiple chuck pins 412 to move them between a contact position and an open position. The "contact position" is the position in which the chuck pins 412 contact the periphery of the substrate W. The "open position" is the position in which the chuck pins 412 are away from the periphery of the substrate W. When each of the multiple chuck pins 412 is positioned in contact, the substrate W is held (chucked) in a horizontal position above the spin base 411. When each of the multiple chuck pins 412 is positioned in the open position, the substrate W is released. The link mechanism switches the positions of the chuck pins 412 according to instructions from the control unit 6. That is, the timing of holding the substrate W, the timing of releasing the substrate W, etc., are controlled by the control unit 6. The spin base 411 is connected to a spin motor 414 via a shaft portion 413 that is provided coaxially with the rotation axis A. The shaft portion 413 and the spin motor 414 are housed in a cover 415. The spin motor 414 rotates the shaft portion 413 around the rotation axis A. As a result, the spin base 411, and consequently the substrate W held above it, rotates around the rotation axis A. The spin motor 414 rotates the spin base 411 according to instructions from the control unit 6. In other words, the rotation speed of the spin base 411 (and consequently the substrate W), the start timing of rotation, the end timing of rotation, etc., are controlled by the control unit 6.

[0044] The cup 42 has a cylindrical shape that surrounds the spin chuck 41 and receives the processing liquid discharged from the substrate W that is held and rotated by the spin chuck 41. Specifically, the cup 42 includes, for example, a cylindrical guide portion 421 arranged coaxially with the rotation axis A, an inclined portion 422 connected to the upper end of the guide portion 421 that decreases in diameter as it extends upward, and a liquid receiving portion 423 connected to the lower end of the guide portion 421 that forms an annular groove opening upward. The liquid receiving portion 423 is provided with a cup-side recovery pipe (specifically, for example, a cup-side recovery pipe for chemical solutions (not shown) and a cup-side recovery pipe 424 for IPA) for recovering the liquid received there. The cup 42 is also connected to a cup lifting mechanism 425 that raises and lowers it between a lower position and an upper position. The "lower position" is a position in which the upper end of the cup 42 (specifically, the upper end of the inclined portion 422) is positioned below the substrate W held by the spin chuck 41. The "upper position" is the position in which the upper end of the cup 42 is positioned above the substrate W held by the spin chuck 41. The cup lifting mechanism 425 raises and lowers the cup 42 in response to instructions from the control unit 6. In other words, the position of the cup 42 is controlled by the control unit 6.

[0045] The discharge unit 430 (specifically, the nozzle 43) discharges the processing liquid toward the upper surface of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 41. Here, for example, separate nozzles 43 are provided for each type of processing liquid. That is, a nozzle 43 for discharging chemical solution (hereinafter also called "chemical solution nozzle 43a"), a nozzle 43 for discharging rinse solution (hereinafter also called "rinse solution nozzle 43b"), and a nozzle 43 for discharging IPA (hereinafter also called "IPA nozzle 43c") are provided.

[0046] The chemical nozzle 43a discharges the chemical solution toward the upper surface of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 41. The chemical nozzle 43a is connected to the chemical supply source 433a via a chemical pipe 432a through which a chemical valve 431a is inserted. When the chemical valve 431a is opened, the chemical solution is supplied to the chemical nozzle 43a through the chemical pipe 432a, and the chemical solution is discharged from the chemical nozzle 43a. The chemical valve 431a is opened and closed according to instructions from the control unit 6. That is, the timing of the discharge of the chemical solution from the chemical nozzle 43a is controlled by the control unit 6. The chemical solution is, for example, hydrofluoric acid. However, the chemical solution is not limited to hydrofluoric acid, and may also contain at least one of the following: sulfuric acid, acetic acid, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, phosphoric acid, ammonia water, hydrogen peroxide, organic acids (e.g., citric acid, oxalic acid, etc.), organic alkalis (e.g., TMAH: tetramethylammonium hydroxide, etc.), surfactants, and corrosion inhibitors.

[0047] The rinse liquid nozzle 43b discharges rinse liquid toward the upper surface of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 41. The rinse liquid nozzle 43b is connected to the rinse liquid supply source 433b via a rinse liquid pipe 432b through which a rinse liquid valve 431b is inserted. When the rinse liquid valve 431b is opened, rinse liquid is supplied to the rinse liquid nozzle 43b through the rinse liquid pipe 432b, and the rinse liquid is discharged from the rinse liquid nozzle 43b. The rinse liquid valve 431b is opened and closed according to instructions from the control unit 6. That is, the timing of the discharge of rinse liquid from the rinse liquid nozzle 43b is controlled by the control unit 6. The rinse liquid is, for example, pure water (deionized water). However, the rinse liquid is not limited to pure water, and may be any of the following: carbonated water, electrolyzed ionized water, hydrogen water, ozonated water, and hydrochloric acid water at a diluted concentration (for example, about 10 to 100 ppm).

[0048] The IPA nozzle 43c discharges IPA (i.e., a liquid mainly composed of IPA) toward the upper surface of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 41. The IPA nozzle 43c is connected to the organic solvent recovery unit 5 via IPA piping 432c, through which an IPA valve 431c is inserted. When the IPA valve 431c is opened, IPA is supplied to the IPA nozzle 43c through the IPA piping 432c, and IPA is discharged from the IPA nozzle 43c. The IPA valve 431c is opened and closed according to instructions from the control unit 6. In other words, the timing of IPA discharge from the IPA nozzle 43c is controlled by the control unit 6.

[0049] Furthermore, a nozzle movement mechanism may be connected to at least one of the chemical nozzle 43a, rinse nozzle 43b, and IPA nozzle 43c to move it between a processing position and a retracted position. The "processing position" is the position where the processing liquid discharged from nozzles 43a, 43b, and 43c is supplied to the substrate W held in the spin chuck 41. The "retracted position" is the position where, when viewed from above, the nozzles 43a, 43b, and 43c are outside (radially outward) the periphery of the substrate W held in the spin chuck 41. In this case, the nozzle movement mechanism moves the nozzles 43a, 43b, and 43c in response to instructions from the control unit 6. That is, the positions of the nozzles 43a, 43b, and 43c are controlled by the control unit 6.

[0050] <2-2. Operation of the Processing Unit> An example of the operation of the processing unit 4 will be described. The operations performed by the processing unit 4 are carried out under the control of the control unit 6 (that is, by the control unit 6 controlling the chuck pin 412, spin motor 414, cup lifting mechanism 425, chemical valve 431a, rinse valve 431b, IPA valve 431c, etc.).

[0051] When the substrate W is brought into the processing chamber 44 by the main transport robot 3, the spin chuck 41 holds the substrate W. Subsequently, the spin chuck 41 starts rotating.

[0052] In this state, the chemical valve 431a is opened. Then, the chemical solution is discharged from the chemical nozzle 43a toward the upper surface of the substrate W, which is held and rotated by the spin chuck 41. As a result, the chemical solution is supplied to the entire upper surface of the substrate W, and the substrate W is treated with the chemical solution (chemical solution treatment process). For example, if hydrofluoric acid is used as the chemical solution, foreign matter such as particles is removed from the substrate W. While the chemical solution treatment process is being performed, the cup 42 is positioned in the upper position. Therefore, any chemical solution that splashes around the substrate W is caught in the cup 42. That is, the chemical solution that splashes around the substrate W is caught in the inclined section 422, guided downward by the guide section 421, and collected in the liquid receiving section 423. The chemical solution caught in the cup 42 (i.e., the chemical solution collected in the liquid receiving section 423) is recovered through a cup-side recovery pipe for the chemical solution (not shown).

[0053] A predetermined time has elapsed since the start of chemical dispensing, and the chemical valve 431a is closed. This stops the dispensing of the chemical from the chemical nozzle 43a. Next, the rinse liquid valve 431b is opened. Rinse liquid is then dispensed from the rinse liquid nozzle 43b toward the upper surface of the substrate W, which is held and rotated by the spin chuck 41. This supplies the rinse liquid to the entire upper surface of the substrate W, and any chemical adhering to the substrate W is washed away by the rinse liquid (rinsing process). The cup 42 remains in the upper position throughout the rinsing process. Therefore, any chemical and rinse liquid scattered around the substrate W is caught in the cup 42. The chemical and rinse liquid caught in the cup 42 are recovered through a cup-side recovery pipe for the chemical (not shown).

[0054] A predetermined time has elapsed since the start of rinse liquid discharge, and the rinse liquid valve 431b is closed. This stops the discharge of rinse liquid from the rinse liquid nozzle 43b. Next, the IPA valve 431c is opened. IPA is then discharged from the IPA nozzle 43c toward the upper surface of the substrate W, which is held and rotated by the spin chuck 41. This supplies IPA to the entire upper surface of the substrate W, replacing the rinse liquid adhering to the substrate W with IPA (IPA supply process). The cup 42 remains in the upper position throughout the IPA supply process. Therefore, any rinse liquid and IPA scattered around the substrate W are caught in the cup 42. The rinse liquid and IPA caught in the cup 42 are recovered through the cup-side recovery pipe 424 for IPA.

[0055] After a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of IPA supply, the IPA valve 431c is closed. This stops the discharge of IPA from the IPA nozzle 43c. At this stage, the rinse liquid on the substrate W is completely replaced with IPA, and a liquid film of IPA is formed covering the entire upper surface of the substrate W. Next, the spin chuck 41 starts rotating at high speed. As a result, the substrate W rotates at high speed, and the IPA on the substrate W is thrown around the substrate W by centrifugal force (spin-drying process). The cup 42 remains in the upper position even while the substrate W is rotating at high speed. Therefore, the IPA scattered around the substrate W is caught in the cup 42. The IPA caught in the cup 42 is recovered through the cup-side recovery tube 424 for IPA.

[0056] After a predetermined time has elapsed since the high-speed rotation of the spin chuck 41 began, the rotation of the spin chuck 41 is stopped. At this stage, the IPA is removed from the substrate W, and the substrate W is dried. The dried substrate W is then removed from the processing chamber 44 by the main transport robot 3.

[0057] This completes the series of operations for one substrate W. In the processing unit 4, the above series of operations is repeated so that multiple substrates W are processed one after another.

[0058] <3. Overview of Organic Solvent Recovery Unit 5 (Organic Solvent Recovery System)> The configuration of the organic solvent recovery unit 5 will be explained with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing a first example of the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment. Below, the overview of the organic solvent recovery unit 5 will be explained first, and then each component of the organic solvent recovery unit 5 will be described in detail.

[0059] The organic solvent recovery unit 5 includes a switching unit 50 and a first dewaterer 60. The switching unit 50 shown in Figure 3 switches the supply destination of the mixed liquid of organic solvent and water discharged from each processing unit 4 between the first dewaterer 60 and the outside. The organic solvent is, for example, an organic solvent that is more volatile than water or an organic solvent with low surface tension, and a specific example is IPA (isopropyl alcohol). The outside is, for example, a wastewater treatment unit of factory equipment.

[0060] The first dewatering unit 60 has a first membrane separator 62. The mixed liquid discharged from the processing unit 4 can flow into the first membrane separator 62. The first membrane separator 62 separates water from the mixed liquid and increases the concentration of the organic solvent in the mixed liquid (hereinafter referred to as the solvent concentration).

[0061] As shown in Figure 3, the first membrane separator 62 includes a first mixing path 62a, a first water path 62b, and a first separation membrane 62c. The mixed liquid flows into the first mixing path 62a. The first separation membrane 62c separates the first mixing path 62a and the first water path 62b. The first separation membrane 62c is a membrane that allows water from the mixed liquid to pass through while almost completely blocking the organic solvent. Some of the water from the mixed liquid that flows into the first mixing path 62a passes through the first separation membrane 62c and flows into the first water path 62b. As a result, the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid that has passed through the first mixing path 62a is higher than the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid immediately before it entered the first mixing path 62a. The first dewaterer 60 uses the first membrane separator 62 to raise the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid to a predetermined reuse standard value or higher. The reuse standard value is the solvent concentration that can be used in the processing unit 4, and is set in advance, for example. In the following, a mixed solution in which the solvent concentration has been raised above the reuse standard value will also be referred to as the reused solution. It can also be said that the first dewaterer 60 separates water from the mixed solution to produce the reused solution.

[0062] The first dewaterer 60 is connected to the upstream end of the liquid supply pipe 85, and the downstream end of the liquid supply pipe 85 is connected to the supply tank Tk3 for supplying to the processing unit 4. The first dewaterer 60 supplies the recycled liquid to the supply tank Tk3 through the liquid supply pipe 85. The mixed liquid in the supply tank Tk3 is then supplied again to the processing unit 4.

[0063] Incidentally, the first separation membrane 62c has an applicable range for solvent concentration. That is, the first separation membrane 62c can properly separate water from a mixture having a solvent concentration within the applicable range. On the other hand, if a mixture with a solvent concentration below the lower limit of the applicable range flows into the first membrane separator 62, a malfunction may occur in the first separation membrane 62c. For example, the first membrane separator 62 may not be able to sufficiently separate water from the mixture. Alternatively, if the proportion of water molecules passing through the first separation membrane 62c exceeds the permissible value, the crystalline structure constituting the first separation membrane 62c may partially dissolve, resulting in a significantly shortened service life of the first separation membrane 62c. Hereafter, the lower limit of the applicable range for solvent concentration will be referred to as the lower concentration limit. As an example, the lower concentration limit for the first separation membrane 62c is 50 wt%.

[0064] Therefore, the control unit 6 controls the switching unit 50 based on the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid discharged from the processing unit 4. The method for obtaining the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid will be described in detail later. When the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid is a first value, which is equal to or greater than the lower limit of the concentration of the first separation membrane 62c, the control unit 6 causes the switching unit 50 to supply the mixed liquid to the first dewaterer 60. The first dewaterer 60 separates water from the mixed liquid, increasing the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid. On the other hand, when the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid is a second value, which is less than the lower limit of the concentration of the first separation membrane 62c, the control unit 6 causes the switching unit 50 to supply the mixed liquid to another unit (in this case, an external location such as a wastewater processing unit of factory equipment).

[0065] As described above, when the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid discharged from the processing unit 4 is equal to or greater than the lower limit of the concentration of the first separation membrane 62c, the organic solvent recovery unit 5 uses the first dewaterer 60 to increase the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid and generate a reusable liquid. This reusable liquid is supplied back to the processing unit 4. In other words, the substrate processing apparatus 100 reuses the organic solvent in the mixed liquid discharged from the processing unit 4. This reduces the amount of organic solvent to be discarded and allows for more effective use of the organic solvent. In short, the organic solvent recovery unit 5 contributes to liquid conservation.

[0066] Furthermore, the first dehydrator 60 separates water from the mixture using the first membrane separator 62. Since the energy efficiency of membrane separation is higher than that of separation methods such as distillation, the efficiency of the first dehydrator 60 is high. In other words, the first dehydrator 60 can increase the solvent concentration of the mixture with higher efficiency.

[0067] Conversely, if the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid from the processing unit 4 is below the lower limit of the concentration of the first separation membrane 62c, the mixed liquid is not supplied to the first dewaterer 60. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of malfunctions of the first separation membrane 62c caused by a mixed liquid with a low solvent concentration passing through the first separation membrane 62c. In other words, the reliability of the organic solvent recovery unit 5 can be improved.

[0068] As described above, the organic solvent recovery unit 5 can separate water from the mixture with high reliability and efficiency, thereby increasing the organic solvent concentration of the mixture.

[0069] It can also be said that the switching unit 50 switches between the first state and the second state, which will be described below. The first state is a state in which the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid discharged from the processing unit 4 is increased in the first dewaterer 60. Here, the first state is a state in which the switching unit 50 supplies the mixed liquid from the processing unit 4 to the first dewaterer 60. The second state is a state in which the mixed liquid discharged from the processing unit 4 is supplied to a separate part different from the first dewaterer 60. In the example above, the separate part can be said to be an external part (for example, a drainage processing unit), or it can be said to be a discharge pipe through which the mixed liquid flows to the outside.

[0070] <3-1. Specific Examples of Organic Solvent Recovery Unit 5> <3-1-1. Switching section 50> In the example in Figure 3, the switching section 50 includes a recovery pipe 51 and a switching valve section 520. In the example in Figure 3, the recovery pipe 51 includes a first dewatering pipe 511, a separate pipe 512, and a common recovery pipe 510. In the example in Figure 3, multiple common recovery pipes 510 are provided corresponding to multiple processing units 4. In the example in Figure 3, multiple common recovery pipes 510 are provided one-to-one for multiple processing units 4. The upstream end of each common recovery pipe 510 is connected to the corresponding processing unit 4 (specifically, the cup 42). The common recovery pipe 510 corresponds to the cup-side recovery pipe 424 described above. The mixed liquid from the processing unit 4 flows through the common recovery pipe 510.

[0071] The downstream end of each common recovery pipe 510 is connected to the upstream end of the first dewatering pipe 511 and the upstream end of the separate pipe 512. The downstream end of the first dewatering pipe 511 is connected to the first dewaterer 60, and the downstream end of the separate pipe 512 is connected to the outside. In the example in Figure 3, the first dewatering pipe 511 includes the first common pipe 513 and a plurality of first branch pipes 514. The plurality of first branch pipes 514 are provided one-to-one with the plurality of common recovery pipes 510. The upstream end of the first branch pipe 514 is connected to the downstream end of the corresponding common recovery pipe 510, and the downstream end of the first branch pipe 514 is connected to the first common pipe 513. The downstream end of the first common pipe 513 corresponds to the downstream end of the first dewatering pipe 511.

[0072] The separate piping 512 is connected to the downstream end of each common recovery piping 510. In the example in Figure 3, the separate piping 512 includes a separate common piping 515 and a plurality of separate branch pipings 516. The plurality of separate branch pipings 516 are provided one-to-one with the plurality of common recovery pipings 510. The upstream end of the separate branch piping 516 is connected to the downstream end of the corresponding common recovery piping 510, and the downstream end of the separate branch piping 516 is connected to the separate common piping 515. The downstream end of the separate common piping 515 corresponds to the downstream end of the separate piping 512.

[0073] In the example shown in Figure 3, the switching valve section 520 includes a switching valve 521 and a switching valve 522. The switching valve section 520 switches between a state in which the common recovery piping 510 is in communication with the first dewaterer 60 (i.e., the first state) and a state in which the common recovery piping 510 is in communication with the outside (i.e., the second state). In the example shown in Figure 3, multiple switching valve sections 520 are provided one-to-one for multiple processing units 4. That is, in the example shown in Figure 3, multiple switching valves 521 are provided one-to-one for multiple processing units 4, and multiple switching valves 522 are provided one-to-one for multiple processing units 4. Each switching valve 521 is inserted into the corresponding first branch piping 514, and each switching valve 522 is inserted into the corresponding separate branch piping 516.

[0074] The operation of the switching valve unit 520 corresponding to one processing unit 4 will be described below. When the control unit 6 closes the switching valve 521 and opens the switching valve 522, the mixed liquid from the processing unit 4 flows through the common recovery pipe 510 and the separate pipe 512 in that order and is supplied to the outside. In other words, the switching valve unit 520 selects the second state. When the control unit 6 opens the switching valve 521 and closes the switching valve 522, the mixed liquid from the processing unit 4 flows through the common recovery pipe 510 and the first dewatering pipe 511 in that order and is supplied to the first dewaterer 60. In other words, the switching valve unit 520 selects the first state.

[0075] <3-1-2. 1st dehydrator 60> Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing a specific example of the configuration of the first dewaterer 60 of the organic solvent recovery unit 5. The first dewaterer 60 of the organic solvent recovery unit 5 may be housed in a first containment box 50a (see Figure 1). For example, the first containment box 50a is located outside the outer wall 100a of the substrate processing apparatus 100 (for example, below the cleanroom where the substrate processing apparatus 100 is installed (for example, on the floor below)).

[0076] In the example shown in Figure 4, the first dewaterer 60 includes a first circulation unit 61. In Figure 4, the downstream end of the first dewatering pipe 511 is connected to the concentration tank Tk1.

[0077] (a) Concentration tank Tk1 The concentrated tank Tk1 is supplied with the mixed liquid from the processing unit 4 through the first dewatering pipe 511. The concentrated tank Tk1 stores the mixed liquid. As described above, the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid is above the lower limit of the concentration of the first separation membrane 62c.

[0078] (b) First circulation section 61 The first circulation unit 61 includes a first membrane separator 62 and a first circulation pipe 63. The first circulation pipe 63 is connected to the concentration tank Tk1. The first circulation pipe 63 is the pipe that returns the mixed liquid from the concentration tank Tk1 back to the concentration tank Tk1. In other words, the first circulation pipe 63 forms a first circulation path through which the mixed liquid stored in the concentration tank Tk1 circulates, flows out of the concentration tank Tk1, and returns back to the concentration tank Tk1. In the example in Figure 4, the upstream end of the first circulation pipe 63 is connected to the bottom of the concentration tank Tk1, and the downstream end of the first circulation pipe 63 is connected to the top of the concentration tank Tk1.

[0079] The first membrane separator 62 is installed in the first circulation piping 63. Specifically, the first mixing path 62a of the first membrane separator 62 is interposed in the first circulation piping 63 and constitutes part of the first circulation path of the first circulation unit 61. Therefore, the mixed liquid passes through the first mixing path 62a. A portion of the water from the mixed liquid that flows into the first mixing path 62a passes through the first separation membrane 62c and flows into the first water path 62b. Due to this dewatering, the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid immediately after the first membrane separator 62 in the first circulation piping 63 becomes higher than the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid immediately before the first membrane separator 62. Since the first circulation unit 61 circulates the mixed liquid through the first circulation piping 63, the mixed liquid continues to flow into the first membrane separator 62. Therefore, the first membrane separator 62 continues to separate water from the mixed liquid. As a result, the solvent concentration of the circulating mixed liquid increases over time. In the following, the liquid separated from the mixture by the first membrane separator 62 will also be referred to as the separated liquid. The separated liquid is almost entirely water.

[0080] The first separation membrane 62c may be a zeolite membrane, an organic separation membrane, or a CNT (carbon nanotube) separation membrane. The zeolite membrane may be, for example, a tetrahedral (SiO4) membrane. 4- and (AlO4) 5-The molecules have a crystalline structure in which they are interconnected. Organic separation membranes are, for example, organic membranes such as polyvinyl alcohol, chitosan, and polyimide. CNT separation membranes are, for example, membranes obtained by adding carbon nanotubes to a membrane such as polyamide. Alternatively, a two-dimensional material may be used as the material for the first separation membrane 62c. The two-dimensional material is a material composed of one atomic layer, and may be, for example, molybdenum sulfide (MoS2), or a composite atomic layer compound of a pre-periodic transition metal (such as titanium or vanadium) and a light element (carbon or nitrogen). Alternatively, a MOF (Metal Organic Frameworks) material or a carbon material (for example, graphene or graphene oxide) may be applied as the material for the first separation membrane 62c. Here, a zeolite membrane is applied as the first separation membrane 62c.

[0081] The upstream end of the separation and discharge piping 66 is connected to the first water path 62b. The separated liquid is discharged to the outside (for example, to a wastewater treatment section of factory equipment) through the separation and discharge piping 66. The separation and discharge piping 66 may be equipped with a pressure reducing pump to reduce the pressure in the first water path 62b. As shown in Figure 4, a discharge valve 67 is interposed in the separation and discharge piping 66.

[0082] In the example shown in Figure 4, the first circulation unit 61 includes the first membrane separator 62 and the first circulation piping 63, as well as a pump 64, a first switching valve 651, and a second switching valve 652, which are examples of a liquid delivery unit.

[0083] Pump 64 is interposed in the first circulation piping 63. For example, pump 64 is located upstream of the first membrane separator 62. The first switching valve 651 and the second switching valve 652 are interposed in the first circulation piping 63. The first switching valve 651 is located downstream of the first membrane separator 62. The second switching valve 652 is located upstream of pump 64.

[0084] Various sensors can be inserted into the first circulation piping 63. For example, the first circulation piping 63 may have a concentration sensor Sn63 for measuring the concentration of an organic solvent (in this case, IPA) in the fluid flowing through it, a flow sensor (flow meter) Sn64 for measuring the flow rate of the fluid flowing through it, and a pressure sensor Sn61 for measuring the pressure of the fluid flowing through it. The concentration sensor Sn63 is inserted, for example, downstream of the first membrane separator 62. The flow sensor Sn64 is inserted, for example, upstream of the pump 64. The pressure sensor Sn61 is inserted, for example, downstream of the pump 64 and upstream of the first membrane separator 62.

[0085] <3-1-3.Recycled liquid supply section 89> In the example shown in Figure 4, the first dewaterer 60 also includes a reuse liquid supply unit 89. The reuse liquid supply unit 89 supplies reuse liquid to the supply tank Tk3. The reuse liquid supply unit 89 includes a liquid supply pipe 85, a liquid supply valve 86, and a pump 64, which is an example of a liquid supply unit.

[0086] In the examples shown in Figures 3 and 4, the supply tank Tk3 is connected to the first circulation pipe 63 via the liquid delivery pipe 85. That is, the downstream end of the liquid delivery pipe 85 is connected to the supply tank Tk3, and the upstream end of the liquid delivery pipe 85 is connected to the first circulation pipe 63. Specifically, the upstream end of the liquid delivery pipe 85 is connected to the first circulation pipe 63 at a position between the pump 64 and the first switching valve 651. As an example, the upstream end of the liquid delivery pipe 85 is connected to the first circulation pipe 63 at a position between the pump 64 and the first membrane separator 62. A liquid delivery valve 86 is interposed in the liquid delivery pipe 85. Note that the upstream end of the liquid delivery pipe 85 does not necessarily have to be connected to the first circulation pipe 63, but may be connected to the concentration tank Tk1. In this case, a pump other than pump 64 is provided in the liquid delivery pipe 85.

[0087] <New liquid supply> As shown in Figure 3, the supply tank Tk3 is connected to the new liquid supply source 403 via the new liquid piping 401. That is, the downstream end of the new liquid piping 401 is connected to the supply tank Tk3, and the upstream end of the new liquid piping 401 is connected to the new liquid supply source 403. The new liquid supply source 403 is a source of unused organic solvent (for example, IPA with a concentration of 99.8 wt% or higher) that has never been supplied to the substrate W. A new liquid valve 402 is inserted into the new liquid piping 401.

[0088] The supply tank Tk3 is connected to the IPA nozzle 43c via the third liquid delivery pipe 404. That is, the supply tank Tk3 is connected to one end of the third liquid delivery pipe 404, and the IPA nozzle 43c (specifically, the IPA pipe 432c connected to the IPA nozzle 43c) is connected to the other end of the third liquid delivery pipe 404. Here, for example, the third liquid delivery pipe 404 is connected to the IPA nozzle 43c provided by each of the multiple processing units 4 belonging to the same tower.

[0089] A pump (supply-side liquid delivery pump) 405 is inserted into the third liquid delivery pipe 404. A filter 407 is inserted into the third liquid delivery pipe 404 at a position downstream of the supply-side liquid delivery pump 405. A temperature controller 406 is inserted into the third liquid delivery pipe 404 at a position upstream of the filter 407 and downstream of the supply-side liquid delivery pump 405.

[0090] Various sensors are inserted into the third liquid supply pipe 404. For example, a temperature sensor Sn41, which measures the temperature of the fluid flowing through the third liquid supply pipe 404, is inserted into the third liquid supply pipe 404. The temperature sensor Sn41 is inserted, for example, upstream of the filter 407 and downstream of the temperature controller 406. The temperature controller 406 adjusts the temperature of the recycled liquid supplied to the processing unit 4 to a predetermined temperature range corresponding to the processing of the substrate W.

[0091] <3-2. An example of the operation of the organic solvent recovery unit 5> Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the organic solvent recovery unit 5 according to the first embodiment. First, the control unit 6 acquires the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid discharged from the processing unit 4 (Step S1: Concentration acquisition step). A specific example of the method for acquiring the solvent concentration will be described in detail later.

[0092] Next, the control unit 6 determines whether the solvent concentration is above a predetermined switching reference value (Step S2: Concentration determination step). The switching reference value is set in advance to a value above the lower limit of the concentration of the first separation membrane 62c (e.g., 50 wt%). The switching reference value may be a value closer to the lower limit of the concentration of the first separation membrane 62c (e.g., 60 wt%) than the reuse reference value (e.g., 99 wt%).

[0093] When the solvent concentration of the mixture is above the switching threshold, the first dewaterer 60 separates water from the mixture discharged from the processing unit 4, increasing the solvent concentration of the mixture (Step S3: First Dewaterer Process). Specifically, the control unit 6 causes the switching unit 50 to select the first state. For example, the control unit 6 opens the switching valve 521 and closes the switching valve 522. In other words, if the solvent concentration of the mixture is above the switching threshold, the highly efficient first membrane separator 62 can be used, so the switching unit 50 supplies the mixture from the processing unit 4 to the first dewaterer 60. This mixture is stored in the concentration tank Tk1. If a buffer tank is provided, the mixture from the processing unit 4 is temporarily stored in the buffer tank, and then supplied from the buffer tank to the concentration tank Tk1.

[0094] The first circulation unit 61 circulates the mixture through the first circulation piping 63. For example, the control unit 6 opens the first switching valve 651, the second switching valve 652, and the discharge valve 67, and operates the pump 64. As a result, the mixture circulates through the first circulation path, which includes the concentration tank Tk1 and the first circulation piping 63. This circulation causes the mixture to continuously pass through the first membrane separator 62. Therefore, the first membrane separator 62 continues to separate the separated liquid from the mixture, and the separated liquid is continuously discharged to the outside through the separation discharge piping 66. Consequently, the solvent concentration of the circulating mixture increases over time.

[0095] The control unit 6 circulates the mixed liquid in the first circulation unit 61 until the solvent concentration of the circulating mixed liquid exceeds a predetermined reuse standard value. The reuse standard value may be, for example, 60 wt% or more, 70 wt% or more, 80 wt% or more, 90 wt% or more, 95 wt% or more, or 99 wt% or more. For example, the control unit 6 may compare the solvent concentration measured by the concentration sensor Sn 63 with the reuse standard value and stop circulation in the first circulation unit 61 when the solvent concentration exceeds the reuse standard value. Specifically, the control unit 6 closes the first switching valve 651, the second switching valve 652 and the discharge valve 67 and stops the pump 64.

[0096] This circulation process causes the concentrated tank Tk1 to store a mixed liquid with a higher solvent concentration (i.e., a reusable liquid). The control unit 6 may also stop circulation in the first circulation unit 61 when a predetermined first dewatering time has elapsed. The first dewatering time is set in advance, for example, to be longer than the time required for the solvent concentration to reach or exceed the reuse standard value. The first dewatering time may be set to several tens of minutes or several hours or longer.

[0097] Next, the recycled liquid supply unit 89 supplies the recycled liquid to the supply tank Tk3 (Step S4: Supply process). Specifically, the control unit 6 opens the liquid supply valve 86 and operates the pump 64. As a result, the recycled liquid in the concentration tank Tk1 is supplied to the supply tank Tk3 at least through the liquid supply piping 85.

[0098] On the other hand, in step S2, if the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid is below the switching reference value, the mixed liquid is supplied to another part (in this case, an external location such as the wastewater processing unit of the factory equipment) (step S5: external part process). Specifically, the control unit 6 causes the switching unit 50 to select the second state. As an example, the control unit 6 closes the switching valve 521 and opens the switching valve 522. As a result, the mixed liquid from the processing unit 4 is supplied to the outside through the external part piping 512.

[0099] As described above, if the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid from the processing unit 4 is equal to or greater than the switching threshold value, the first dewaterer 60 increases the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid (step S3). Therefore, the first dewaterer 60 can appropriately increase the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid using the highly efficient first membrane separator 62.

[0100] On the other hand, when the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid from the processing unit 4 is below the switching threshold, the organic solvent recovery unit 5 supplies the mixed liquid from the processing unit 4 to another unit (step S5). In other words, if the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid is below the switching threshold, the first membrane separator 62 may not be usable, so the organic solvent recovery unit 5 discharges the mixed liquid to the outside. This protects the first membrane separator 62. In other words, the reliability of the organic solvent recovery unit 5 can be improved.

[0101] Furthermore, in the example described above, the first dewaterer 60 repeatedly flows the mixed liquid into the first membrane separator 62 through circulation by the first circulation unit 61, thereby increasing the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid. However, the amount of increase in solvent concentration by the first membrane separator 62 is greater the larger the size of the first membrane separator 62 (i.e., the size of the first separation membrane 62c). Therefore, if the first dewaterer 60 does not circulate the mixed liquid, the size of the first membrane separator 62 would need to be increased to ensure the desired increase in solvent concentration. In contrast, in the specific example described above, the first dewaterer 60 increases the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid through circulation by the first circulation unit 61. Therefore, the size of the first membrane separator 62 (i.e., the size of the first separation membrane 62c) required to raise the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid to the reuse standard value can be reduced.

[0102] <3-2-1. Method for obtaining solvent concentration> <3-2-1-1. Calculation of solvent concentration based on recipe information> Next, an example of a method for obtaining the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid discharged from the processing unit 4 will be described. The solvent concentration of the mixed liquid discharged from the processing unit 4 depends on the processing performed on the substrate W by the processing unit 4. For example, the processing unit 4 supplies pure water to the substrate W, and then supplies an organic solvent to the substrate W. In this process, if the processing unit 4 supplies pure water to the substrate W at a large flow rate and for a long period of time, the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid discharged from the processing unit 4 will be relatively low. Conversely, if the processing unit 4 supplies the organic solvent to the substrate W at a large flow rate and for a long period of time, the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid discharged from the processing unit 4 will be relatively high. Thus, the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid discharged from the processing unit 4 depends on the processing performed.

[0103] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a processing unit 4 according to the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 6, the control unit 6 is connected to the storage unit 603. The storage unit 603 is, for example, a non-volatile storage unit, and a specific example is a memory or a hard disk. The storage unit 603 stores recipe information D1 that defines the processing content for the substrate W. The recipe information D1 includes, for example, information such as the nozzle to be used, the flow rate of the processing liquid, the discharge time of the processing liquid, and the rotation speed of the substrate W for each process.

[0104] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, the processing unit 4 may include multiple cups 42. In the example in Figure 6, the multiple cups 42 are shown as cup 42A, cup 42B, and cup 42C. Cups 42A, cup 42B, and cup 42C are arranged concentrically. In the example in Figure 6, cup 42A is located on the outermost side, cup 42C is located on the innermost side, and cup 42B is located between cups 42A and 42C.

[0105] The cup lifting mechanism 425 raises and lowers each cup 42. For example, the cup lifting mechanism 425 raises cup 42A to the upper position and lowers cups 42B and 42C to the lower position. In this state, the processing liquid splashed from the periphery of the substrate W is caught by cup 42A. Alternatively, the cup lifting mechanism 425 raises cups 42A and 42B to the upper position and lowers cup 42C to the lower position. In this state, the processing liquid splashed from the periphery of the substrate W is caught by cup 42B. Alternatively, the cup lifting mechanism 425 raises cups 42A, 42B, and 42C to the upper position. In this state, the processing liquid splashed from the periphery of the substrate W is caught by cup 42C.

[0106] In the example shown in Figure 6, the processed liquid collected in cup 42C flows into the recovery pipe 51. The processed liquid collected in cup 42A flows into another recovery pipe (not shown), and the processed liquid collected in cup 42B flows into another recovery pipe (not shown).

[0107] Such a processing unit 4 can change the cup 42 that receives the processing liquid according to the type of processing liquid. For example, when supplying pure water to the substrate W, the cup lifting mechanism 425 positions only cup 42A in the upper position. In this case, the pure water is received in cup 42A. When supplying an organic solvent to the substrate W, the cup lifting mechanism 425 positions cup 42C in the upper position from cup 42A. In this case, the organic solvent is received in cup 42C and flows into the recovery pipe 51. In other words, in this example, cup 42C is the cup for the organic solvent, and the recovery pipe 51 is the recovery pipe for the organic solvent. In this way, the processing unit 4 can switch the cup used between cup 42A and cup 42C depending on the type of processing liquid. Information indicating the position of cup 42 in each of these processes is also included in the recipe information D1.

[0108] As shown in Figure 6, the control unit 6 includes a concentration estimation unit 601. The concentration estimation unit 601 reads recipe information D1 from the storage unit 603. The concentration estimation unit 601 calculates the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid discharged from the processing unit 4 (i.e., the mixed liquid flowing into the recovery pipe 51) based on the recipe information D1. Table 1 is a schematic table showing a first example of recipe information D1.

[0109] [Table 1]

[0110] Table 1 shows some of the processes involved in the treatment of substrate W. In Table 1, recipe information D1 includes the number of each process, the rotation speed of substrate W in each process, the time required for each process, the flow rate of the treatment solution in each process, the type of treatment solution in each process, and the cup used in each process. The cup used can be said to indicate the position of cup 42.

[0111] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the processing unit 4 in each step of Table 1. Figures 7(a) to 7(f) show examples of the processing unit 4 in steps 30 to 35 of Table 1, respectively.

[0112] In step 30 of Table 1, the spin chuck 41 rotates the substrate W at 100 rpm for 2 seconds while the rinse solution nozzle 43b discharges pure water towards the substrate W at a rate of 2000 mL (milliliters) / min. In step 30, the cup 42A is also used. That is, as shown in Figure 7(a), in step 30, the pure water scattered from the periphery of the substrate W is collected by the cup 42A.

[0113] In step 31, the spin chuck 41 rotates the substrate W at 10 rpm for 1 second. No processing liquid is supplied to the substrate W in step 31. In step 31, because the rotation speed of the substrate W is low, the pure water is maintained on the main surface of the substrate W, as shown in Figure 7(b). This type of process is also called paddle processing. Although not shown in Table 1, in practice, between step 30 and step 31, a process may be performed in which the rinsing liquid nozzle 43b discharges pure water at 2000 mL / min while the rotation speed of the spin chuck 41 is gradually reduced to 10 rpm. The liquid film of pure water on the main surface of the substrate W in paddle processing becomes thicker the lower the rotation speed of the substrate W is after the discharge of pure water stops.

[0114] In step 32, the spin chuck 41 rotates the substrate W at 10 rpm for 1 second, while the cup lifting mechanism 425 switches the cup being used from cup 42A to cup 42C (see Figure 7(c)).

[0115] In step 33, the spin chuck 41 rotates the substrate W at 10 rpm for 4 seconds while the IPA nozzle 43c discharges an organic solvent at 100 mL / min toward the main surface of the substrate W. The organic solvent is, for example, IPA. As shown in Figure 7(d), in step 33, the processing liquid (pure water and organic solvent) may flow down from the periphery of the substrate W. In this case, the processing liquid is received by the cup 42C and flows into the upstream end of the recovery pipe 51.

[0116] In step 34, the spin chuck 41 rotates the substrate W at 1000 rpm for 3 seconds while the IPA nozzle 43c discharges the organic solvent at 100 mL / min toward the main surface of the substrate W. As shown in Figure 7(e), the organic solvent that has landed on the main surface of the substrate W flows radially outward and is scattered outward from the periphery of the substrate W along with the pure water. The mixture of organic solvent and pure water is collected in cup 42C and then flows into the upstream end of the recovery pipe 51. Steps 33 and 34 replace the pure water on the main surface of the substrate W with the organic solvent.

[0117] In step 35, the spin chuck 41 rotates the substrate W at 1000 rpm for 2 seconds. No processing liquid is supplied to the substrate W in step 35. As shown in Figure 7(f), in step 35, some of the organic solvent on the main surface of the substrate W is scattered from the periphery of the substrate W. Also, some of the remaining organic solvent evaporates. As a result, the main surface of the substrate W dries out.

[0118] As described above, cup 42C rises to the upper position in step 31 (see also Figure 7(c)). Therefore, cup 42C can receive the processing liquid (pure water and organic solvent, i.e., a mixture) from step 31 to step 35. This processing liquid flows into the upstream end of the recovery pipe 51. Hereafter, the period from step 31 to step 35 will also be referred to as the discharge period. The discharge period is the period during which cup 42C can receive the processing liquid.

[0119] The solvent concentration (average value) of the mixed liquid flowing into the recovery pipe 51 during the discharge period can be calculated based on the pure water discharge and solvent discharge amounts described below. The pure water discharge amount is the total amount of pure water flowing into the recovery pipe 51 during the discharge period, that is, the total amount of pure water collected in cup 42C during the discharge period. The solvent discharge amount is the total amount of organic solvent flowing into the recovery pipe 51 during the discharge period, that is, the total amount of organic solvent collected in cup 42C during the discharge period.

[0120] First, let's explain the amount of pure water discharged. In the example in Table 1, pure water is not supplied during the discharge period (from the 31st to the 35th step). Therefore, the amount of pure water discharged is the amount of pure water present on the main surface of the substrate W at the start of the 31st step (see also Figure 7(c)). Hereafter, this amount of pure water will be referred to as the pure water film amount. The thickness of the liquid film of pure water present on the main surface of the substrate W depends on the rotation speed of the substrate W at the start of the 31st step, so the pure water film amount depends on this rotation speed. It should also be said that the start of the 31st step is the start of the switch from cup 42A to cup 42C.

[0121] Figure 8 is a graph showing an example of the distance from the center of the substrate W at various locations on the substrate W, and the thickness of the pure water film at each location. In other words, each graph shows the contour of the pure water surface. Figure 8 shows graphs G1 through G4 for different rotation speeds of the substrate W. The lowest rotation speed corresponding to graph G1 is 10 rpm. The next highest rotation speed corresponding to graph G2 is 50 rpm. The next highest rotation speed corresponding to graph G3 is 100 rpm. The highest rotation speed corresponding to graph G4 is 200 rpm. These graphs G1 through G4 can be obtained by simulation or experiment.

[0122] The amount of pure water present on the main surface of the substrate W (amount of pure water film) can be determined by integrating the thickness of the liquid film in each graph. Therefore, the relationship between the rotation speed of the substrate W and the amount of pure water film can be determined in advance. Correspondence information D2 showing this relationship is stored in the storage unit 603 (see also Figure 6). Since the rotation speed at the start of the 31st step is included in the recipe information D1, the amount of pure water film can be determined based on this rotation speed and the correspondence information D2.

[0123] Furthermore, the graph may also depend on the flow rate of pure water in the 30th step prior to the paddle treatment. Therefore, it is possible to obtain graphs for each flow rate through simulation or experimentation beforehand, and then determine the amount of pure water film from these graphs. In this case, the correspondence information D2 will include the correspondence between the combination of rotation speed and pure water flow rate and the amount of pure water film.

[0124] Next, we will explain solvent discharge. For simplicity, we can consider the solvent discharge to be equal to the discharge rate of the organic solvent supplied to the substrate W during the discharge period. The discharge rate of the organic solvent during the discharge period can be determined by the time integral of the solvent flow rate of the organic solvent. In other words, the solvent discharge can be determined by the sum of the products of the solvent flow rate and the required time (discharge time) of the organic solvent in each process. In the example in Table 1, the solvent discharge is expressed as 100 × (4 + 3) / 60. Note that since the organic solvent can evaporate, the time integral may be reduced by a predetermined percentage to account for evaporation when calculating the solvent discharge.

[0125] Table 2 schematically shows the second example of recipe information D1.

[0126] [Table 2]

[0127] Table 2 also shows some of the processes involved in the treatment of the substrate W. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the processing unit 4 in each of the processes in Table 2. Figures 9(a) to 9(e) show examples of the processing unit 4 in processes 30 to 34 of Table 2, respectively.

[0128] In step 30 of Table 2, the spin chuck 41 rotates the substrate W at 1500 rpm for 4 seconds while the rinse solution nozzle 43b discharges pure water towards the substrate W at 2000 mL / min. In step 30, the cup 42A is also used. That is, as shown in Figure 9(a), in step 30, the pure water splashed from the periphery of the substrate W is caught in the cup 42A.

[0129] In step 31, the spin chuck 41 rotates the substrate W at 1500 rpm for 2 seconds, while the rinse liquid nozzle 43b discharges pure water towards the substrate W at 2000 mL / min. Also in step 31, the cup lifting mechanism 425 switches the cup being used from cup 42C to cup 42A (see Figure 9(b)). As a result, the pure water is received in cup 42C and flows into the upstream end of the recovery pipe 51.

[0130] In step 32, for 0.2 seconds, the spin chuck 41 rotates the substrate W at 1500 rpm while the rinse solution nozzle 43b discharges pure water towards the substrate W at 2000 mL / min, and the IPA nozzle 43c discharges organic solvent towards the substrate W at 250 mL / min. As shown in Figure 9(c), in step 32 as well, the processing liquid scattered from the periphery of the substrate W is collected in the cup 42C.

[0131] In step 33, the spin chuck 41 rotates the substrate W at 1500 rpm for 30 seconds while the IPA nozzle 43c discharges the organic solvent at 250 mL / min toward the main surface of the substrate W. As shown in Figure 9(d), in step 33 as well, the processing liquid scattered from the periphery of the substrate W is caught in the cup 42C. Steps 32 and 33 replace the pure water on the main surface of the substrate W with the organic solvent.

[0132] In step 34, the spin chuck 41 rotates the substrate W at 1500 rpm for 30 seconds. No processing liquid is supplied to the substrate W in step 34. As shown in Figure 9(e), in step 34 as well, any organic solvent scattered from the periphery of the substrate W is caught in the cup 42C. In step 34, the substrate W dries.

[0133] As described above, cup 42C receives the processing liquid (pure water and organic solvent) that splashes from the periphery of the substrate W during steps 31 to 34. This processing liquid flows into the upstream end of the recovery pipe 51. Hereafter, the period from step 31 to step 34 in Table 2 will be referred to as the discharge period.

[0134] Table 2 shows that in steps 31 and 32, the rinse liquid nozzle 43b discharges pure water toward the substrate W. Therefore, the amount of pure water discharged is the sum of the amount of pure water present on the main surface of the substrate W at the start of step 31 (i.e., the amount of pure water film) and the total amount of pure water discharged from the rinse liquid nozzle 43b during the discharge period (hereinafter referred to as the pure water discharge amount). It should also be noted that the start of step 31 is the start of the switch from cup 42A to cup 42C.

[0135] As mentioned above, the amount of pure water film depends on the rotation speed of the substrate W. Figure 10 is a graph showing an example of the distance from the center of the substrate W at each position on the substrate W and the thickness of the liquid film at each position. In Figure 10, graph G5 is shown. The rotation speed of the substrate W corresponding to graph G5 is 1500 rpm. The information on the amount of pure water film when the rotation speed of the substrate W is 1500 rpm is included in the correspondence information D2.

[0136] Furthermore, the graph may also depend on the pure water flow rate in the 30th step prior to the cup switching process. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a graph for each flow rate in advance and determine the amount of pure water film from that graph. In this case, the correspondence information D2 will include the correspondence between the combination of rotation speed and pure water flow rate and the amount of pure water film.

[0137] The pure water discharge rate is the total amount of pure water discharged onto the substrate W during the discharge period. The pure water discharge rate can be determined by the time integral of the pure water flow rate. In other words, the pure water discharge rate can be determined by the sum of the products of the pure water flow rate and the required time (discharge time) for each process. In the example in Table 2, the pure water discharge rate is expressed as 2000 × (2 + 0.2) / 60.

[0138] The amount of solvent discharged can be considered equal to the amount of organic solvent discharged to the substrate W during the discharge period. The amount of organic solvent discharged during the discharge period can be determined by the time integral of the solvent flow rate. In the example in Table 2, the amount of solvent discharged is expressed as 250 × (0.2 + 30) / 60. Alternatively, the amount of solvent discharged may be calculated by reducing the time integral by a predetermined percentage.

[0139] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the concentration estimation unit 601. First, the concentration estimation unit 601 reads recipe information D1 from the storage unit 603 (step S11: reading step).

[0140] Next, the concentration estimation unit 601 determines the amount of pure water film based on the recipe information D1 (step S12: pure water film amount calculation step). Specifically, the concentration estimation unit 601 identifies the step in which the use of cup 42C is initiated (for example, step 31 in Table 1 or Table 2) from the recipe information D1, and identifies the rotation speed of the substrate W at the start of that step from the recipe information D1. The concentration estimation unit 601 may identify the rotation speed of the substrate W in that step as the rotation speed of the substrate W at the start of that step, or it may identify the rotation speed of the substrate W in the step immediately preceding that step. Next, the concentration estimation unit 601 reads the correspondence information D2 from the storage unit 603. Then, the concentration estimation unit 601 determines the amount of pure water film (see Figure 7(c) or Figure 9(b)) based on the identified rotation speed and the correspondence information D2.

[0141] Furthermore, if the correspondence information D2 includes a correspondence between the combination of the rotation speed of the substrate W and the pure water flow rate, and the amount of pure water film, the concentration estimation unit 601 may identify the pure water flow rate immediately before the process of starting to use the cup 42C from the recipe information D1, and then determine the amount of pure water film based on the identified rotation speed and pure water flow rate and the correspondence information D2.

[0142] Furthermore, the concentration estimation unit 601 determines the total amount of pure water discharged during the discharge period (pure water discharge amount) based on the recipe information D1 (step S13: pure water discharge amount calculation step). Specifically, the concentration estimation unit 601 identifies the process in which cup 42C is used and pure water is discharged from the recipe information D1, and calculates the amount of pure water discharged in that process as the product of the pure water flow rate and the required time. The concentration estimation unit 601 then calculates the sum of the discharge amounts in each process as the pure water discharge amount.

[0143] Furthermore, the concentration estimation unit 601 determines the total amount of organic solvent discharged during the discharge period (solvent discharge amount) based on the recipe information D1 (step S14: solvent discharge amount calculation step). Specifically, the concentration estimation unit 601 identifies the steps in which cup 42C is used and organic solvent is discharged from the recipe information D1, and calculates the amount of organic solvent discharged in each step as the product of the solvent flow rate and the required time. The concentration estimation unit 601 then calculates the total amount of discharged amounts in each step as the solvent discharge amount. The concentration estimation unit 601 may also calculate the solvent discharge amount as a value obtained by subtracting a predetermined percentage from the sum.

[0144] Next, the concentration estimation unit 601 calculates the solvent concentration by dividing the solvent discharge amount by the sum of the pure water film volume, the pure water discharge volume, and the solvent discharge amount (Step S15: Solvent concentration calculation step).

[0145] As described above, the concentration estimation unit 601 calculates the solvent concentration based on the recipe information D1. Therefore, a concentration sensor for measuring the solvent concentration is unnecessary, and the manufacturing cost of the substrate processing apparatus 100 can be reduced.

[0146] Furthermore, in the above example, the concentration estimation unit 601 determines the amount of pure water film based on the rotation speed of the substrate W, and calculates the solvent concentration based on the amount of pure water film, the time integral of the pure water flow rate, and the time integral of the organic solvent flow rate. Therefore, the concentration estimation unit 601 can determine the solvent concentration with higher accuracy. If the concentration estimation unit 601 determines the amount of pure water film based on the pure water flow rate and the rotation speed of the substrate W, the solvent concentration can be determined with even higher accuracy.

[0147] In some cases, the recovery piping connected to cup 42C may be branched into multiple lines depending on the type of processing liquid. For example, when cup 42C is used for an organic solvent and another first processing liquid, cup 42C is connected to a recovery piping 51 for the organic solvent and a recovery piping for the first processing liquid. A switching valve is also provided. When the first processing liquid is supplied to the substrate W, the switching valve connects the piping for the first processing liquid to cup 42C, and when the organic solvent is supplied to the substrate W, it connects the recovery piping 51 to cup 42C. In this case, cup 42C has multiple discharge ports. In this case, the discharge ports may be set in recipe information D1. The concentration estimation unit 601 may then identify the process in which the discharge port for the organic solvent (i.e., the recovery piping 51) is set, and determine the amount of pure water film, the amount of pure water discharged, and the amount of solvent discharged in the same manner as described above.

[0148] <3-2-1-2. Measurement of solvent concentration based on concentration sensor> In the example described above, the control unit 6 calculated the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid discharged from the processing unit 4 based on the recipe information D1. However, this is not necessarily the only option. The solvent concentration of the mixed liquid discharged from the processing unit 4 may also be measured using a concentration sensor.

[0149] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram showing a second example of the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment. In the second example, a concentration sensor Sn5 is provided in each common recovery pipe 510. The concentration sensor Sn5 measures the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid flowing through the common recovery pipe 510 and outputs the measurement result to the control unit 6. The concentration sensor Sn5 may be a conductivity type concentration sensor, an optical type concentration sensor, or an ultrasonic type concentration sensor.

[0150] The control unit 6 controls the switching unit 50 based on the solvent concentration measured by the concentration sensor Sn5. Specifically, the control unit 6 compares the solvent concentration measured by the concentration sensor Sn5 with the switching reference value, and when the solvent concentration is less than the switching reference value, it causes the switching unit 50 to select the second state, and when the solvent concentration is equal to or greater than the switching reference value, it causes the switching unit 50 to select the first state.

[0151] In the second example, since the concentration sensor Sn5 measures the solvent concentration, the control unit 6 can obtain the solvent concentration of the mixture with higher accuracy. As a result, the control unit 6 can control the switching unit 50 more appropriately and switch the supply destination of the mixture between the first dewaterer 60 and another unit (e.g., externally) more appropriately.

[0152] <Second Embodiment> Figure 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment differs from the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment in terms of the configuration of the switching unit 50.

[0153] In the second embodiment as well, the switching unit 50 switches between the first state and the second state. However, in the second embodiment, the first state is a state in which the mixed liquid obtained by combining the mixed liquids from the multiple processing units 4 is supplied to the first dewaterer 60, and the second state is a state in which the mixed liquid obtained by combining the mixed liquids from the multiple processing units 4 is supplied to another part (in this case, an external part such as the wastewater processing unit of the factory equipment).

[0154] As shown in Figure 13, the switching section 50 includes a recovery pipe 51 and a switching valve section 520. The recovery pipe 51 includes a common recovery pipe 517, a first dewatering pipe 518, and a separate section pipe 519. The common recovery pipe 517 is connected to each processing unit 4 (cup 42) through each cup-side recovery pipe 424. Mixed liquids from multiple processing units 4 can merge in the common recovery pipe 517. The downstream end of the common recovery pipe 517 is connected to the upstream end of the first dewatering pipe 518 and the upstream end of the separate section pipe 519. The downstream end of the first dewatering pipe 518 is connected to the first dewaterer 60. The downstream end of the separate section pipe 519 is connected to a separate section (in this case, the outside).

[0155] In the example shown in Figure 13, the switching valve section 520 includes a switching valve 523 and a switching valve 524. The switching valve section 520 switches between a state in which the common recovery piping 517 is in communication with the first dewaterer 60 (i.e., the first state) and a state in which the common recovery piping 517 is in communication with another part (in this case, the outside) (i.e., the second state). In the example shown in Figure 13, the switching valve 523 is inserted into the first dewatering piping 518, and the switching valve 524 is inserted into the other part piping 519.

[0156] When the control unit 6 closes the switching valve 523 and opens the switching valve 524, the mixed liquid from the processing unit 4 flows through the common recovery pipe 517 and the separate pipe 519 in that order and is supplied to the outside. When the control unit 6 opens the switching valve 523 and closes the switching valve 524, the mixed liquid from the processing unit 4 flows through the common recovery pipe 517 and the first dewatering pipe 518 in that order and is supplied to the first dewaterer 60.

[0157] The control unit 6 controls the switching unit 50 based on the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid flowing through the common recovery pipe 517. In the example shown in Figure 13, a concentration sensor Sn 51 is provided in the common recovery pipe 517. The concentration sensor Sn 51 measures the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid flowing through the common recovery pipe 517 and outputs the measurement result to the control unit 6. An example of the configuration of the concentration sensor Sn 51 is the same as that of the concentration sensor Sn 5. When the solvent concentration measured by the concentration sensor Sn 51 is a second value, which is less than the lower limit of the concentration of the first separation membrane 62c, the control unit 6 causes the switching unit 50 to select the second state, and when the solvent concentration is a first value, which is greater than or equal to the lower limit of the concentration of the first separation membrane 62c, the control unit 6 causes the switching unit 50 to select the first state. As a more specific example, the control unit 6 may compare the solvent concentration measured by the concentration sensor Sn 51 with the switching reference value. The control unit 6 causes the switching unit 50 to select the second state when the solvent concentration is below the switching reference value, and causes the switching unit 50 to select the first state when the solvent concentration is equal to or greater than the switching reference value.

[0158] As described above, according to the second embodiment, the organic solvent recovery unit 5 switches the supply destination of the mixed liquid based on the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid obtained by combining the mixed liquids from the multiple processing units 4. In other words, in the second embodiment, a single switching unit 50 is provided corresponding to the multiple processing units 4. Therefore, compared to the first embodiment in which multiple switching units 50 are provided one-to-one for the multiple processing units 4, the manufacturing cost of the organic solvent recovery unit 5 can be reduced.

[0159] Furthermore, in the above example, since the concentration sensor Sn51 measures the solvent concentration, the control unit 6 can obtain the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid with higher accuracy. As a result, the control unit 6 can control the switching unit 50 more appropriately and switch the supply destination of the mixed liquid between the first dewaterer 60 and the outside more appropriately. Moreover, according to the second embodiment, a single concentration sensor Sn51 is provided corresponding to multiple processing units 4. As a result, compared to the first embodiment in which multiple concentration sensors Sn51 are provided one-to-one for multiple processing units 4, the manufacturing cost of the organic solvent recovery unit 5 can be reduced.

[0160] <Third Embodiment> Figure 14 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an organic solvent recovery unit 5 according to the third embodiment. The organic solvent recovery unit 5 according to the third embodiment differs from the organic solvent recovery unit 5 according to the first or second embodiment in that it has a second dewaterer 70 and a supply source switching unit 80.

[0161] In the third embodiment, a second dewaterer 70 is applied as a separate part as in the first or second embodiment. That is, the switching unit 50 supplies the mixed liquid to the second dewaterer 70 when the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid flowing through the common recovery pipe 517 (or common recovery pipe 510) is a second value which is less than the lower limit of the concentration of the first separation membrane 62c.

[0162] The second dewaterer 70 separates water from the mixture and raises the solvent concentration of the mixture to above the reuse standard value. Although a detailed example of the configuration of the second dewaterer 70 will be described in detail later, the lower limit of the concentration in the second dewaterer 70 is lower than the lower limit of the concentration in the first separation membrane 62c. For example, the lower limit of the concentration in the second dewaterer 70 is almost zero. On the other hand, for example, the energy efficiency of the second dewaterer 70 is lower than the energy efficiency of the first dewaterer 60. Energy efficiency here refers to, for example, the ratio of the increase in solvent concentration to the power consumption.

[0163] In the example shown in Figure 14, the switching valve section 860 includes a switching valve 861 and a switching valve 862. The supply source switching section 80 switches the supply source for supplying recycled liquid to the supply tank Tk3 between the first dewaterer 60 and the second dewaterer 70. The supply source switching section 80 includes a liquid supply piping 85 and the switching valve section 860. The liquid supply piping 85 includes a first dewatering pipe 851, a second dewatering pipe 852, and a common liquid supply piping 850. The upstream end of the first dewatering pipe 851 is connected to the first dewaterer 60, the upstream end of the second dewatering pipe 852 is connected to the second dewaterer 70, and the downstream ends of the first dewatering pipe 851 and the second dewatering pipe 852 are connected to the upstream end of the common liquid supply piping 850. The downstream end of the common liquid supply piping 850 corresponds to the downstream end of the liquid supply piping 85 and is connected to the supply tank Tk3.

[0164] The switching valve unit 860 switches between the first supply source state and the second supply source state, which will be described below. The first supply source state is a state in which the first dewaterer 60 is connected to the common liquid supply pipe 850 through the first dewatering pipe 851. The second supply source state is a state in which the second dewaterer 70 is connected to the common liquid supply pipe 850 through the second dewatering pipe 852. The switching valve 861 is inserted into the first dewatering pipe 851, and the switching valve 862 is inserted into the second dewatering pipe 852.

[0165] The control unit 6 controls the supply source switching unit 80 based on the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid from the processing unit 4. For example, when the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid is equal to or greater than the switching reference value, the control unit 6 causes the switching valve unit 860 to select the first supply source state, and when the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid is less than the switching reference value, the control unit 6 causes the switching valve unit 860 to select the second supply source state.

[0166] As described above, in the third embodiment, when the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid is below the switching reference value, the switching unit 50 selects the second state, and the supply source switching unit 80 selects the second supply source state. Therefore, the mixed liquid is supplied to the second dewaterer 70, which has a lower concentration limit, and the second dewaterer 70 increases the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid to generate a reusable liquid, which is then supplied to the supply tank Tk3 through the second dewatering pipe 852 and the common liquid supply pipe 850. Therefore, even when the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid is low, the organic solvent recovery unit 5 can generate a reusable liquid from the mixed liquid and supply the reusable liquid to the supply tank Tk3. Thus, the amount of mixed liquid to be discarded can be further reduced.

[0167] On the other hand, when the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid from the processing unit 4 is equal to or greater than the switching reference value, the switching unit 50 selects the first state, and the supply source switching unit 80 selects the first supply source state. As a result, the mixed liquid is supplied to the first dewaterer 60, and the highly efficient first dewaterer 60 increases the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid to generate a reusable liquid, which is then supplied to the supply tank Tk3 through the first dewatering pipe 851 and the common liquid supply pipe 850. As a result, the organic solvent recovery unit 5 can generate a reusable liquid with high efficiency, similar to the first embodiment, and supply the reusable liquid to the supply tank Tk3.

[0168] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a second dewatering unit 70. In the example in Figure 15, the second dewatering unit 70 includes a distillation column 701 and a condenser 702. The downstream end of a separate piping 512 (or separate piping 519) is connected to the distillation column 701, and the upstream end of a steam piping 731 is connected to, for example, the upper part of the distillation column 701. The downstream end of the steam piping 731 is connected to the condenser 702.

[0169] The distillation column 701 includes a heating section (not shown) for heating the mixture. The distillation column 701 separates water from the mixture by distillation, utilizing the difference between the boiling point of the organic solvent and the boiling point of water. Here, as an example, the boiling point of the organic solvent is lower than that of water, and the volatility of the organic solvent is higher than that of water. The organic solvent is, for example, IPA. The distillation column 701 vaporizes the mixture and supplies vapor containing a large amount of organic solvent to the upstream end of the steam pipe 731. The vapor flowing into the upstream end of the steam pipe 731 may contain not only organic solvent but also water, but its solvent concentration will be higher than the solvent concentration before it entered the distillation column 701. This vapor flows into the cooler 702 through the steam pipe 731.

[0170] The upstream end of the liquid piping 732 is also connected to the cooler 702. The cooler 702 cools and condenses the vapor. The cooler 702 may have, for example, a heat exchanger. The vapor passes through the inside of the heat exchanger. The cooler 702 may have a heat pump type cooling source to cool the heat exchanger, or it may have a cooling source with a Peltier element. The vapor loses heat through the heat exchanger and changes into a liquid (i.e., a mixture). This mixture flows into the upstream end of the liquid piping 732. The solvent concentration of this mixture is higher than the solvent concentration of the mixture immediately before the distillation column 701.

[0171] As shown in Figure 15, the second dewatering unit 70 may include a plurality of distillation columns 701 and a plurality of condensers 702. In the example in Figure 15, the pairs of distillation columns 701 and condensers 702 are connected in series. In the example in Figure 15, distillation columns 701a and 701b are shown as distillation columns 701, and condensers 702a and 702b are shown as condensers 702. The downstream end of the recovery piping 51 is connected to distillation column 701a, steam piping 731 connects distillation column 701a and condenser 702a, and liquid piping 732 connects condenser 702a and distillation column 701b. The steam from distillation column 701a condenses in condenser 702a to form a mixture, and the mixture from condenser 702a is supplied to distillation column 701b. For example, the upper part of the distillation column 701b is connected to the upstream end of a steam pipe 733, and the downstream end of the steam pipe 733 is connected to a condenser 702b. The vapor of the mixture from the distillation column 701b is cooled and condensed by the condenser 702b, changing into a mixture. The upstream end of a liquid transfer pipe 85 (specifically, the second dewatering pipe 852) is connected to the condenser 702b, and the mixture from the condenser 702b is supplied to the supply tank Tk3 through the liquid transfer pipe 85.

[0172] The second dewatering unit 70 may include a pump and valves not shown. For example, a liquid supply valve may be inserted into the second dewatering pipe 852, and a pump may be inserted into the liquid pipe 732.

[0173] Figure 16 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the organic solvent recovery unit 5 according to the third embodiment. First, the control unit 6 acquires the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid flowing through the common recovery pipe 510 or common recovery pipe 517, similar to the first or second embodiment (step S21). Next, the control unit 6 compares the solvent concentration with a switching reference value, similar to step S2 (step S22).

[0174] When the solvent concentration is above the switching threshold, the first dewaterer 60 separates water from the mixture to produce a reusable liquid, similar to step S3 (step S23). Next, similar to step S4, the first dewaterer 60 supplies the reusable liquid to the supply tank Tk3 (step S24). Specifically, the control unit 6 causes the supply source switching unit 80 to select the first supply source state, and then causes the first dewaterer 60 to supply the reusable liquid to the supply tank Tk3.

[0175] On the other hand, in step S22, if the solvent concentration is below the switching reference value, the second dewaterer 70 separates water from the mixture to produce a reusable liquid (step S25). Specifically, the control unit 6 causes the switching unit 50 to select the second state. For example, the control unit 6 closes the switching valve 521 (or switching valve 523) and opens the switching valve 522 (or switching valve 524). As a result, the mixture from the processing unit 4 is supplied to the second dewaterer 70. The control unit 6 controls the distillation column 701 and the condenser 702 to raise the solvent concentration of the mixture in the second dewaterer 70 to above the reusable reference value. In other words, the second dewaterer 70 produces a reusable liquid.

[0176] Next, the second dewaterer 70 supplies the recycled liquid to the supply tank Tk3 (step S26). Specifically, the control unit 6 causes the supply source switching unit 80 to select the second supply source state, and then causes the second dewaterer 70 to supply the recycled liquid to the supply tank Tk3.

[0177] As described above, in the third embodiment, the second dewaterer 70 operates when the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid from the processing unit 4 is below the lower limit of the concentration of the first separation membrane 62c. Since the lower limit of the concentration of the second dewaterer 70 is low, the second dewaterer 70 can separate water from the mixed liquid and increase the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid. As a result, the amount of organic solvent waste can be further reduced.

[0178] Furthermore, in the example described above, the second dewaterer 70 separates water from the mixture using the distillation column 701 and the condenser 702, thereby increasing the solvent concentration of the mixture. The lower limit of the concentration in the distillation column 701 is very low, for example, almost zero. Therefore, even if the solvent concentration of the mixture discharged from the processing unit 4 is very low, the second dewaterer 70 can appropriately increase the solvent concentration of the mixture.

[0179] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 15, the second dehydrator 70 includes multiple distillation columns 701 and multiple condensers 702. With this configuration, the solvent concentration of the mixture increases each time it passes through a set of distillation columns 701 and condensers 702. Therefore, the second dehydrator 70 can increase the solvent concentration of the mixture by a greater amount compared to using a single distillation column 701 and a single condenser 702. The amount of increase in solvent concentration in the second dehydrator 70 is predetermined so that the increased solvent concentration is equal to or greater than the lower limit of the concentration of the first separation membrane 62c. Therefore, the number of distillation columns 701 and condensers 702 is predetermined according to this increase.

[0180] On the other hand, the power consumption of the distillation column 701 and the condenser 702 is relatively high, and their energy efficiency is low. Energy efficiency here may refer to, for example, the ratio of the increase in solvent concentration to the power consumption. Also, the size of the distillation column 701 is larger than that of the first membrane separator 62. In the third embodiment, when the solvent concentration of the mixture from the processing unit 4 is high, the first dewaterer 60 separates water from the mixture using the highly efficient first membrane separator 62, rather than the second dewaterer 70. Therefore, the organic solvent recovery unit 5 can increase the solvent concentration of the mixture with higher efficiency compared to the case where only the second dewaterer 70 increases the solvent concentration of the mixture.

[0181] <Fourth Embodiment> The substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the fourth embodiment differs from the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the third embodiment in terms of the configuration of the second dewatering unit 70. Figure 17 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the second dewatering unit 70 according to the fourth embodiment. In the example of Figure 17, the second dewatering unit 70 includes an ultrasonic atomizing separator 704. The ultrasonic atomizing separator 704 is connected to the downstream end of the recovery pipe 51, the upstream end of the liquid supply pipe 85 (specifically the first dewatering pipe 851), and the upstream end of the separation discharge pipe 705.

[0182] The mixed liquid flows into the ultrasonic atomizing separator 704 through the recovery pipe 51. The ultrasonic atomizing separator 704 atomizes the mixed liquid using ultrasonic vibrations. This mist contains mist of an organic solvent and mist of water. The mass distribution of these mists differs from that of the others. For example, mist of the organic solvent tends to be lighter than mist of water. The ultrasonic atomizing separator 704 separates water from the mixed liquid by moving the lighter mist of the organic solvent mainly upwards and the heavier mist mainly downwards.

[0183] For example, the ultrasonic atomizing separator 704 includes an atomizing tank, an ultrasonic transducer, a separation container, and a gas supply unit, all of which are not shown. The mixed liquid from the recovery pipe 51 flows into the atomizing tank. The ultrasonic transducer atomizes the mixed liquid in the tank. The mist from the atomizing tank flows into the separation container. This mist contains organic solvent mist and water mist. The gas supply unit supplies gas from the bottom of the separation container, moving the lighter organic solvent mist mainly upwards and the heavier water mist mainly downwards. The upstream end of the separation discharge pipe 705 is connected to the bottom of the separation container. Therefore, the water mist from the separation container mainly flows into the separation discharge pipe 705. The upstream end of the first dewatering pipe 851 is connected to the top of the separation container. The organic solvent mist is supplied to the supply tank Tk3 through the first dewatering pipe 851 and the common liquid transfer pipe 850. Furthermore, a tank for consolidating the mist of the organic solvent may be provided between the separation container and the first dewatering pipe 851.

[0184] The lower limit of the ultrasonic atomizing separator 704 is also very low. For example, this lower limit is almost zero. Therefore, even if the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid discharged from the processing unit 4 is very low, the second dewaterer 70 can appropriately increase the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid.

[0185] On the other hand, the ultrasonic atomizing separator 704 requires power to vibrate the ultrasonic transducer and power to supply the gas. Furthermore, if a gas other than air (for example, nitrogen gas or a noble gas) is used, the cost of the gas is also required, which increases the running cost.

[0186] In the fourth embodiment, the second dewaterer 70 operates when the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid from the processing unit 4 is below the lower limit of the concentration of the first separation membrane 62c. Therefore, even if the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid discharged from the processing unit 4 is very low, the second dewaterer 70 can appropriately increase the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid.

[0187] Furthermore, when the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid from the processing unit 4 is high, the first dewaterer 60 separates water from the mixed liquid using the highly efficient first membrane separator 62, rather than the second dewaterer 70. Therefore, the organic solvent recovery unit 5 can increase the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid with higher efficiency compared to the case where only the second dewaterer 70 increases the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid.

[0188] <Fifth Embodiment> Figure 18 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an organic solvent recovery unit 5 according to the fifth embodiment. In the example shown in Figure 18, the organic solvent recovery unit 5 includes a concentration tank Tk1, a first dewaterer 60, a second dewaterer 70, and a switching unit 50.

[0189] The mixed liquid flows into the concentration tank Tk1 from the recovery pipe 51. The concentration tank Tk1 stores the mixed liquid.

[0190] The first dewaterer 60 includes a first circulation unit 61, and the second dewaterer 70 includes a second circulation unit 71. The first circulation unit 61 includes a first membrane separator 62 and a first circulation piping 63, and the second circulation unit 71 includes a second membrane separator 72 and a second circulation piping 73. In the example shown in Figure 18, a portion of the first circulation piping 63 and a portion of the second circulation piping 73 are used for both purposes.

[0191] In the example shown in Figure 18, the first circulation piping 63 includes the downstream common piping 671, the first individual piping 630, and the upstream common piping 672, which is an example of common circulation piping, while the second circulation piping 73 includes the downstream common piping 671, the second individual piping 730, and the upstream common piping 672. In other words, the downstream common piping 671 and the upstream common piping 672 are shared by the first circulation piping 63 and the second circulation piping 73. The upstream end of the upstream common piping 672 is connected to, for example, the bottom of the concentration tank Tk1, and the downstream end of the downstream common piping 671 is connected to, for example, the top of the concentration tank Tk1. The upstream ends of the first individual piping 630 and the second individual piping 730 are connected to the downstream end of the upstream common piping 672, and the downstream ends of the first individual piping 630 and the second individual piping 730 are connected to the upstream end of the downstream common piping 671. The concentrated tank Tk1 and the first circulation piping 63 form a first circulation path, and the concentrated tank Tk1 and the second circulation piping 73 form a second circulation path.

[0192] A first membrane separator 62 is provided in the first individual piping 630, and a second membrane separator 72 is provided in the second individual piping 730. The first membrane separator 62 separates water from the mixture, increasing the solvent concentration of the mixture. The second membrane separator 72 includes a second mixing path 72a, a second water path 72b, and a second separation membrane 72c. The second mixing path 72a, the second water path 72b, and the second separation membrane 72c are the same as those of the first mixing path 62a, the first water path 62b, and the first separation membrane 62c, respectively.

[0193] Of the mixed liquid that flows into the second mixing path 72a, some of the water passes through the second separation membrane 72c and flows into the second water path 72b. The separated liquid that flows into the second water path 72b is discharged to the outside (for example, to a wastewater treatment section of factory equipment) through the separation discharge pipe 76.

[0194] The solvent concentration of the mixture that has passed through the second mixing path 72a is higher than the solvent concentration of the mixture immediately before it entered the second mixing path 72a. The second dewaterer 70 uses the second membrane separator 72 to raise the solvent concentration of the mixture to above the reuse standard value.

[0195] The lower limit of concentration of the second separation membrane 72c is lower than the lower limit of concentration of the first separation membrane 62c, and is also below the solvent concentration of the mixed solution from the processing unit 4. Here, we will explain the case where the first separation membrane 62c and the second separation membrane 72c are zeolite membranes. The lower limit of concentration of the zeolite membrane is due to differences in the lattice structure of the zeolite membrane. Differences in the lattice structure of the zeolite membrane can be indicated by a type (which may also be called a structural code). For example, there are LTA type, CHA type and DDR type zeolite membranes. The lower limit of concentration of an LTA type zeolite membrane is, for example, about 50 wt%, the lower limit of concentration of a CHA type zeolite membrane is, for example, about 70 wt%, and the lower limit of concentration of a DDR type zeolite membrane is, for example, about 90 wt%.

[0196] For example, the second separation membrane 72c is an LTA-type zeolite membrane, and the first separation membrane 62c is a CHA-type or DDR-type zeolite membrane. Another example is that the second separation membrane 72c is a CHA-type zeolite membrane, and the first separation membrane 62c is a DDR-type zeolite membrane. More generally, the first separation membrane 62c is a type 1 zeolite membrane, and the second separation membrane 72c is a type 2 zeolite membrane with a lower concentration limit than the type 1 zeolite membrane.

[0197] In the example shown in Figure 18, the pump 74 and the second switching valve 752 are interposed in the upstream common piping 672. Therefore, the pump 74 and the second switching valve 752 are used in both the first circulation section 61 and the second circulation section 71.

[0198] Furthermore, the separation constant of the first separation membrane 62c is higher than that of the second separation membrane 72c. The separation constant, as used here, is an index that indicates the solvent concentration of the mixture after it has been circulated under predetermined constant conditions in a circulation path equipped with a membrane separator. These conditions include, for example, the initial value of the solvent concentration of the mixture, the flow rate and temperature of the mixture during circulation, and the circulation time. The higher the solvent concentration of the mixture after circulation, the larger the separation constant. Conversely, the higher the separation constant, the greater the rate at which the membrane separator can increase the solvent concentration of the organic solvent.

[0199] In the example shown in Figure 18, the switching unit 50 includes a first three-way valve 791 and a second three-way valve 792. The switching unit 50 switches the circulation path between a first circulation path and a second circulation path. Specifically, the switching unit 50 switches between the first circulation state and the second circulation state, which will be described below. The first circulation state is a state in which the downstream common piping 671 and the upstream common piping 672 are in communication with each other through the first individual piping 630. In the first circulation state, the mixed liquid circulates through the first circulation path, which includes the concentration tank Tk1 and the first circulation piping 63. Therefore, the mixed liquid is separated by the first membrane separator 62 on the first circulation path. In other words, the first circulation state corresponds to the first state in which the mixed liquid is supplied to the first dewaterer 60. The second circulation state is a state in which the downstream common piping 671 and the upstream common piping 672 are in communication with each other through the second individual piping 730. In the second circulation state, the mixture circulates through a second circulation path that includes the concentration tank Tk1 and the second circulation piping 73. Therefore, the mixture is separated by the second membrane separator 72. In other words, the second circulation state corresponds to a second state in which the mixture is supplied to the second dewaterer 70.

[0200] In the example shown in Figure 18, the first three-way valve 791 is connected to the upstream end of the downstream common pipe 671, the downstream end of the first individual pipe 630, and the downstream end of the second individual pipe 730. The first three-way valve 791 switches between a first downstream circulation state in which the downstream common pipe 671 is connected to the first individual pipe 630, and a second downstream circulation state in which the downstream common pipe 671 is connected to the second individual pipe 730. The second three-way valve 792 is connected to the downstream end of the upstream common pipe 672, the upstream end of the first individual pipe 630, and the upstream end of the second individual pipe 730. The second three-way valve 792 switches between a first upstream circulation state in which the upstream common pipe 672 is connected to the first individual pipe 630, and a second upstream circulation state in which the upstream common pipe 672 is connected to the second individual pipe 730.

[0201] When the control unit 6 causes the first three-way valve 791 to select the first downstream circulation state and the second three-way valve 792 to select the first upstream circulation state, the mixed liquid circulates through the first circulation path. In other words, the switching unit 50 selects the first circulation state. When the control unit 6 causes the first three-way valve 791 to select the second downstream circulation state and the second three-way valve 792 to select the second upstream circulation state, the mixed liquid circulates through the second circulation path. In other words, the switching unit 50 selects the second circulation state.

[0202] In the fifth embodiment, the control unit 6 controls the switching unit 50 based on the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid from the processing unit 4. In the example shown in Figure 18, a concentration sensor Sn 51 is provided in the recovery piping 51. The control unit 6 may also control the switching unit 50 based on the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid measured by the concentration sensor Sn 51. Specifically, the control unit 6 causes the switching unit 50 to select a first circulation state when the solvent concentration is equal to or greater than a switching reference value. As an example, the control unit 6 causes the first three-way valve 791 to select a first downstream circulation state and the second three-way valve 792 to select a first upstream circulation state. Then, the control unit 6 circulates the mixed liquid in the first circulation unit 61. As an example, the control unit 6 opens the second switching valve 752 and the discharge valve 67 and operates the pump 74. As the mixed liquid continues to flow into the first membrane separator 62 of the first circulation path, the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid increases over time. The control unit 6 circulates the mixed liquid to the first circulation unit 61 until the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid exceeds the reuse standard value. As a result, the reuse liquid is stored in the concentration tank Tk1.

[0203] Meanwhile, the control unit 6 causes the switching unit 50 to select the second circulation state when the solvent concentration measured by the concentration sensor Sn 51 is above the lower limit of the concentration of the second separation membrane 72c and below the switching reference value. For example, the control unit 6 causes the first three-way valve 791 to select the second downstream circulation state and the second three-way valve 792 to select the second upstream circulation state. Then, the control unit 6 circulates the mixed liquid in the second circulation unit 71. For example, the control unit 6 opens the second switching valve 752 and the discharge valve 77 and operates the pump 74. Since the mixed liquid continues to flow into the second membrane separator 72 of the second circulation path, the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid increases over time. The control unit 6 circulates the mixed liquid in the second circulation unit 71 until the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid is above the reuse reference value. As a result, the reuse liquid is stored in the concentration tank Tk1.

[0204] Here, it is conceivable that the solvent concentration of the mixture from the processing unit 4 may fall below the lower concentration limit of the second separation membrane 72c. In this case, a third dewaterer (not shown) having a lower concentration limit than the lower concentration limit of the second separation membrane 72c may be provided. The third dewaterer separates water from the mixture from the processing unit 4, thereby increasing the solvent concentration of the mixture. As an example, the third dewaterer may include a distillation column 701 and a condenser 702, or it may include an ultrasonic atomizing separator 704. The switching unit 50 switches the dewaterer that separates water from the mixture between the first dewaterer 60, the second dewaterer 70, and the third dewaterer, based on the solvent concentration of the mixture from the processing unit 4.

[0205] As described above, in the fifth embodiment, even if the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid from the processing unit 4 is below the lower limit of the concentration of the first separation membrane 62c, if it is above the lower limit of the concentration of the second separation membrane 72c, the second dewaterer 70 separates water from the mixed liquid using the highly efficient second membrane separator 72. Furthermore, if the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid from the processing unit 4 is above the lower limit of the concentration of the first separation membrane 62c, the first dewaterer 60 separates water from the mixed liquid using the first separation membrane 62c, which has a higher separation constant than the separation constant of the second separation membrane 72c. Therefore, the organic solvent recovery unit 5 can increase the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid with even greater efficiency.

[0206] If a third dewatering unit is provided, the third dewatering unit will separate water from the mixture even if the solvent concentration of the mixture from the processing unit 4 is below the lower limit of the second separation membrane 72c. This further reduces the amount of organic solvent waste.

[0207] <Sixth Embodiment> Figure 19 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an organic solvent recovery unit 5 according to the sixth embodiment. The organic solvent recovery unit 5 according to the sixth embodiment differs from the organic solvent recovery unit 5 according to the fifth embodiment in that it is the destination of the mixed liquid supplied by the second dewaterer 70. The second dewaterer 70 supplies the separated mixed liquid to the first dewaterer 60 through the liquid supply pipe 78. That is, the upstream end of the liquid supply pipe 78 is connected to the second dewaterer 70, and the downstream end of the liquid supply pipe 78 is connected to the first dewaterer 60. The second dewaterer 70 raises the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid to above the lower limit of the concentration of the first separation membrane 62c.

[0208] The second dewatering unit 70 may be fitted with a distillation column 701 and a condenser 702, as in the second embodiment, or with an ultrasonic atomizing separator 704, as in the third embodiment.

[0209] Figure 20 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the organic solvent recovery unit 5 according to the sixth embodiment. First, the control unit 6 acquires the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid flowing through the common recovery pipe 510 (or common recovery pipe 517), similar to step S21 (step S31: concentration acquisition step). Next, the control unit 6 determines whether the solvent concentration is above a predetermined switching reference value, similar to step S22 (step S32: concentration determination step).

[0210] When the solvent concentration of the mixture is below the switching reference value, the second dewaterer 70 separates water from the mixture to increase the solvent concentration of the mixture (step S33: second dewaterer step). Specifically, first, the control unit 6 causes the switching unit 50 to select the second state. For example, the control unit 6 closes the switching valve 521 (or switching valve 523) and opens the switching valve 522 (or switching valve 524). As a result, the mixture from the processing unit 4 is supplied to the second dewaterer 70. In other words, if the solvent concentration of the mixture is below the switching reference value, the first membrane separator 62 may not be usable, so the organic solvent recovery unit 5 supplies the mixture to the second dewaterer 70.

[0211] When the second dewaterer 70 raises the solvent concentration of the mixture to a predetermined concentration reference value or higher, the first dewaterer 60 separates water from the mixture to further increase the solvent concentration of the mixture (Step S34: First dewaterer step). The concentration reference value is set in advance to a value that is greater than or equal to the lower concentration limit of the first separation membrane 62c and less than the reuse reference value. The concentration reference value may be greater than or equal to the switching reference value. For example, the concentration reference value is set to a value that is closer to the lower concentration limit of the first separation membrane 62c than to the reuse reference value.

[0212] The first dewaterer 60 raises the solvent concentration of the mixture from the second dewaterer 70 to above the reuse standard value, similar to step S24 (step S34: first dewaterer process). In other words, the first dewaterer 60 generates reusable liquid. Next, the first dewaterer 60 supplies the reusable liquid to the supply tank Tk3 (step S35: supply process).

[0213] On the other hand, in step S32, if the solvent concentration of the mixture is equal to or greater than the switching reference value, the first dewaterer 60 separates water from the mixture to increase the solvent concentration of the mixture (step S34). Specifically, the control unit 6 first causes the switching unit 50 to select the first state. For example, the control unit 6 opens the switching valve 521 (or switching valve 523) and closes the switching valve 522 (or switching valve 524). In other words, if the solvent concentration of the mixture is equal to or greater than the switching reference value, the highly efficient first membrane separator 62 can be used, so the organic solvent recovery unit 5 supplies the mixture from the processing unit 4 to the first dewaterer 60, bypassing the second dewaterer 70.

[0214] The first dewaterer 60 raises the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid to above the reuse standard value (step S34) and supplies the reuse liquid to the supply tank Tk3 (step S35).

[0215] As described above, when the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid from the processing unit 4 is high, the second dewaterer 70 does not operate, and the highly efficient first dewaterer 60 increases the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid. Therefore, power consumption by the second dewaterer 70 can be avoided. On the other hand, when the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid from the processing unit 4 is low, the second dewaterer 70 first increases the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid to above the lower limit of the concentration of the first separation membrane 62c. Therefore, the second dewaterer 70 can supply the first dewaterer 60 with a mixed liquid having a solvent concentration above the lower limit of the concentration of the first separation membrane 62c. Then, the highly efficient first dewaterer 60 increases the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid. Consequently, the organic solvent recovery unit 5 can increase the mixed liquid to above the reuse standard value with even higher efficiency.

[0216] The second dewaterer 70 may also be fitted with a second circulation unit 71 including a second membrane separator 72, similar to the fifth embodiment (see Figure 18). In this case, in step S33, the control unit 6 causes the switching unit 50 to select the second circulation state. The control unit 6 then opens the second switching valve 752 and the discharge valve 67 and operates the pump 74. As a result, the second circulation unit 71 circulates the mixture through the second circulation path, which includes the concentration tank Tk1 and the second circulation piping 73. In other words, the second membrane separator 72, which has a low concentration reference value, continues to separate water from the mixture. Therefore, the solvent concentration of the mixture increases over time.

[0217] Then, when the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid exceeds the concentration standard value, the control unit 6, in step S34, causes the switching unit 50 to select the first circulation state and opens the discharge valve 67. As a result, the first circulation unit 61 circulates the mixed liquid through the first circulation path, which includes the concentration tank Tk1 and the first circulation piping 63. In other words, the first membrane separator 62, which has a high separation constant, continues to separate water from the mixed liquid. Consequently, the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid increases over time.

[0218] As described above, when the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid from the processing unit 4 is low, the second membrane separator 72, which has a low lower concentration limit, first raises the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid to above the lower concentration limit of the first separation membrane 62c. Then, when the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid exceeds the lower concentration limit of the first separation membrane 62c, the first membrane separator 62, which has a high separation constant, rather than the second membrane separator 72, which has a low separation constant, further increases the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid. As a result, the organic solvent recovery unit 5 can increase the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid with higher reliability and higher efficiency.

[0219] As described above, the organic solvent recovery apparatus (organic solvent recovery unit 5), the substrate processing apparatus 100, and the organic solvent recovery method have been described in detail. However, the above description is illustrative in all respects, and this disclosure is not limited thereto. Furthermore, the various modifications described above can be applied in combination as long as they do not contradict each other. It is understood that numerous modifications not illustrated can be conceivable without falling outside the scope of this disclosure.

[0220] For example, the organic solvent recovery unit 5 may include a filter for capturing impurities in the recycled liquid. For example, the organic solvent recovery unit 5 may include a purification tank, a purification circulation pipe connected to the purification tank, and a switching valve, pump, and filter inserted in the purification circulation pipe. This allows the organic solvent recovery unit 5 to supply recycled liquid with a low impurity concentration to the supply tank Tk3. [Explanation of symbols]

[0221] 100 Substrate Processing Equipment 4 Processing Units 41. Substrate holding section (spin chuck) 42 cups 430 Discharge part 50 Switching section 51 Recovery piping 510, 517 Recovery piping (common recovery piping) 6 Control Unit 60 1st dehydrator 62 1st membrane separator 62c 1st separation membrane 63 1st circulation piping 630 First Individual Piping 64,74 Fluid delivery unit (pump) 672 Common circulation piping (upstream common piping) 70 Second dehydrator 701 Distillation Column 704 Ultrasonic Atomization Separator 72 Second membrane separator 72c 2nd separation membrane 73 2nd circulation piping 730 Second Individual Piping D1 Recipe Information D2 Compatibility Information Sn5, Sn51 concentration sensors Tk1 Concentration Tank Tk3 Supply Tank W board

Claims

1. A recovery pipe through which a mixture of organic solvent and water discharged from a processing unit that processes substrates flows, A first dehydrator includes a first membrane separator that includes a first separation membrane having an applicable range of solvent concentrations, and separates water from the mixture to increase the solvent concentration of the mixture, A switching unit that switches between a first state in which the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid discharged from the processing unit is increased in the first dewaterer, and a second state in which the mixed liquid discharged from the processing unit is supplied to a separate unit different from the first dewaterer, A control unit which causes the switching unit to select the first state when the solvent concentration of the mixture is a first value equal to or greater than the lower limit of the concentration, which is the lower limit of the applicable range, and causes the switching unit to select the second state when the solvent concentration of the mixture is a second value equal to or less than the lower limit of the concentration, Equipped with, The aforementioned separate unit includes a second dehydrator that separates water from the mixture and increases the solvent concentration of the mixture. The second dehydrator includes a second membrane separator having a second separation membrane, The lower limit of the applicable range of solvent concentration for the second separation membrane is less than the lower limit of concentration for the first separation membrane. An organic solvent recovery apparatus wherein the separation constant of the first separation membrane is higher than the separation constant of the second separation membrane.

2. An organic solvent recovery apparatus according to claim 1, The system includes a storage unit that stores recipe information indicating the processing content of the substrate by the processing unit, The control unit calculates the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid discharged from the processing unit based on the recipe information; this is an organic solvent recovery device.

3. The organic solvent recovery apparatus according to claim 2, The aforementioned processing unit is A substrate holding unit that rotates the substrate while holding it, A discharge unit that sequentially discharges pure water and an organic solvent onto the main surface of the substrate held in the substrate holding unit, A cylindrical cup surrounding the substrate holding portion, which catches liquid splashed from the periphery of the substrate, Includes, The upstream end of the recovery piping is connected to the cup, The recipe information includes the flow rate and discharge time of the pure water discharged onto the substrate, the solvent flow rate and discharge time of the organic solvent discharged onto the substrate, and the rotation speed of the substrate. The memory unit stores correspondence information that shows the correspondence between the rotation speed and the amount of pure water film, which is the amount of pure water on the main surface of the substrate. The control unit determines the amount of pure water film based on the rotation speed of the substrate identified based on the recipe information and the correspondence information, and calculates the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid discharged from the processing unit based on the amount of pure water film, the time integral value of the pure water flow rate, and the time integral value of the solvent flow rate, in an organic solvent recovery device.

4. The organic solvent recovery apparatus according to claim 2, The mixture is equipped with a concentration sensor that is smaller than the solvent concentration of the aforementioned mixture. The control unit controls the switching unit based on the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid measured by the concentration sensor, in an organic solvent recovery device.

5. An organic solvent recovery apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, An organic solvent recovery apparatus through which the mixed liquid from multiple processing units flows in the recovery piping.

6. An organic solvent recovery apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The first dewaterer has a first circulation pipe on which the first membrane separator is provided, and the organic solvent recovery apparatus includes a first circulation section that circulates the mixed liquid through the first circulation pipe.

7. An organic solvent recovery apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The second dewaterer increases the solvent concentration of the mixed liquid to above the lower limit of the concentration of the first separation membrane, and supplies the mixed liquid having a solvent concentration above the lower limit to the first dewaterer, thereby providing an organic solvent recovery device.

8. An organic solvent recovery apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The second dehydrator is, The second circulation piping, in which the second membrane separator is provided, The liquid supply section provided in the second circulation piping and Organic solvent recovery equipment, including

9. An organic solvent recovery apparatus according to claim 8, The system includes a concentration tank for storing the mixed liquid from the recovery piping, The first dewaterer includes a first circulation pipe connected to the concentration tank and equipped with the first membrane separator, The first circulation piping is, The common circulation piping on which the liquid supply section is provided, The first individual piping on which the first membrane separator is provided and Includes, The aforementioned second circulation piping is The aforementioned common circulation piping, The second individual piping, on which the second membrane separator is provided, Includes, The switching unit switches between a first state in which the mixed liquid circulates through the concentration tank and the first circulation pipe, and a second state in which the mixed liquid circulates through the concentration tank and the second circulation pipe, in an organic solvent recovery device.

10. An organic solvent recovery apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The processing unit and A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

11. A concentration acquisition process to obtain the solvent concentration of a mixture of organic solvent and water discharged from a processing unit that processes substrates, When the solvent concentration is at a first value, a dehydrator step is performed in which water is separated from the mixture using a first membrane separator containing a first separation membrane to increase the solvent concentration of the mixture. Equipped with, The first value is greater than or equal to the lower limit of the applicable range of solvent concentration for the first separation membrane. In the dewatering step, when the solvent concentration is a second value less than the lower limit of the concentration, water is separated from the mixture using a second membrane separator including a second separation membrane to increase the solvent concentration of the mixture. The lower limit of the applicable range of solvent concentration for the second separation membrane is less than the lower limit of concentration for the first separation membrane. An organic solvent recovery method wherein the separation constant of the first separation membrane is higher than the separation constant of the second separation membrane.

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