Method for adjusting etching width in substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of adjusting an etching width at lower cost and safely without using an expensive substrate with a metal thin film and strong acidic chemicals, etc.SOLUTION: In a method for adjusting an etching width and a substrate processing device according to the present invention, following steps are performed: a first step of holding and rotating a test substrate that has a water-soluble thin film formed on one main surface thereof by a rotation mechanism such that the peripheral part of the one main surface faces a chemical nozzle; a second step of discharging a liquid containing water as a main component from the chemical nozzle and dissolving and removing the water-soluble thin film formed on the peripheral part of the one main surface; a third step of measuring the width of an area where the water-soluble thin film is removed on the one main surface; and a fourth step of, based on measurement results of the width, moving the chemical nozzle in a radial direction of the substrate to adjust the position of the chemical nozzle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus that supplies an etching liquid to a peripheral portion of a circular substrate to perform an etching process on the peripheral portion.

Background Art

[0002] As a process for a circular or substantially circular substrate such as a semiconductor wafer, there is a process of removing only the thin film on the peripheral portion of the substrate among the thin films formed on at least one main surface of the substrate. For example, a technique is known in which an etching liquid is supplied to the peripheral portion while rotating the substrate to remove only the thin film outside the supply position of the etching liquid. The process of removing the thin film in this way is sometimes referred to as a bevel etching process. In this process, it is necessary to adjust the width (etching width) of the region to be removed among the thin films to a predetermined target value.

[0003] For example, in the substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the processing liquid nozzle is held in a cantilever state by a nozzle fixing portion. And, a position detection unit monitors the position of the peripheral portion of the substrate, and the nozzle fixing portion moves the processing liquid nozzle in the radial direction of the substrate according to the position detection result. Thereby, regardless of the eccentricity of the substrate or the like, the processing width at the peripheral portion of the substrate is kept constant.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Such substrate processing equipment requires adjustment work to achieve a predetermined etching width before use after assembly or component replacement. Furthermore, the etching width required for processing is not always constant and may be changed depending on the purpose. In the conventional technology described above, it is possible to increase or decrease the etching width by adjusting the mounting position of the processing liquid nozzle to the nozzle fixing part. However, in order to accurately adjust the etching width to the target value, it is necessary to repeatedly change the nozzle position and then perform the etching process in that state and measure the etching width.

[0006] The substrates to be processed include those with thin films of metals or metal compounds such as titanium nitride or tungsten, and such substrates are significantly more expensive than bare substrates without a thin film. Therefore, consuming a large number of substrates to adjust the etching width presents a major cost problem. Furthermore, since the etching is performed using etching solutions containing corrosive chemicals such as strong acids, the consumption of such chemicals is high, increasing the environmental burden. Moreover, the adjustment work must be carried out in an acidic atmosphere, requiring operators to wear chemical-resistant gloves and taking other precautions, which means the work efficiency is not good.

[0007] Therefore, it would be convenient if etching width could be adjusted without using expensive metal thin-film substrates or strong acidic chemicals. However, such technology has not yet been put into practical use.

[0008] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a technology that can adjust the etching width at a lower cost and more safely without using expensive metal thin-film substrates or strong acidic chemicals. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] One aspect of the present invention relates to a method for adjusting the etching width in a substrate processing apparatus having a rotation mechanism for holding a circular substrate in a horizontal position and rotating the substrate around a vertical axis passing through the center of the substrate, and a chemical nozzle for discharging an etching solution toward the peripheral edge of the substrate, comprising: a first step of holding a test substrate on which a water-soluble thin film has been formed on one main surface of the substrate using the rotation mechanism so that the peripheral edge of the one main surface faces the chemical nozzle and rotating it; a second step of dissolving and removing the water-soluble thin film formed on the peripheral edge of the one main surface by discharging a liquid mainly composed of water from the chemical nozzle; a third step of measuring the width of the area on the one main surface from which the water-soluble thin film has been removed; and a fourth step of adjusting the position of the chemical nozzle by moving it in the radial direction of the substrate based on the measurement result of the width.

[0010] In this invention, instead of a substrate with a metal thin film, which is the original target of processing, a substrate with a water-soluble thin film formed on at least one main surface is used as the test substrate. Then, a liquid mainly composed of water is discharged from a chemical nozzle, which is normally used to discharge an etching solution, and a portion of the water-soluble thin film is dissolved and removed. The width of the removal at this time is determined by the relative position of the chemical nozzle to the test substrate, and this is the same even when processing with an etching solution.

[0011] In other words, in this invention, instead of treating a thin metal film with an etching solution, the same removal width as etching is achieved by treating the test substrate with a liquid mainly composed of water. By measuring this removal width and adjusting the position of the chemical nozzle based on the result, the etching width can be appropriately adjusted.

[0012] Thus, since the etching width can be adjusted without using a substrate with a metal thin film or an etching solution, this invention makes it possible to adjust the etching width at a lower cost and more safely than conventional methods. In particular, the substrate with the water-soluble thin film can be manufactured by a relatively simple method, for example, by applying a liquid containing a water-soluble polymer to a bare substrate and drying it, and the substrate can be reused. Therefore, the cost reduction effect is very significant.

[0013] Another aspect of this invention is a substrate processing apparatus comprising: a rotation mechanism that holds a circular substrate in a horizontal position and rotates the substrate about a vertical axis passing through the center of the substrate; a nozzle that discharges an etching solution toward the peripheral edge of the substrate; an imaging unit that images the peripheral edge of the substrate; and an image processing unit that performs image processing on the image captured by the imaging unit and evaluates the etching width based on the results.

[0014] In this invention, the rotating mechanism holds a test substrate on which a water-soluble thin film is formed on one main surface of the substrate, such that the one main surface faces the nozzle, and rotates it, discharging a liquid mainly composed of water from the nozzle to dissolve and remove the water-soluble thin film formed on the peripheral edge of the one main surface, and the image processing unit performs an image processing to derive the width of the region on the one main surface from which the water-soluble thin film has been removed, and considers the derived width to be the etching width.

[0015] In this configuration, the etching width can be accurately determined without using expensive substrates with thin metal films or strong acidic chemicals. Therefore, the etching width can be adjusted at a lower cost and more safely compared to methods using these materials.

[0016] In the above invention, the term "circular substrate" refers not only to a substrate whose main surface is strictly circular in a plan view, but also to a "substrate that is approximately circular" in that its envelope outline is circular, but a portion of its outer periphery has parts that differ from the circumference, such as orientation flats or notches. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to this invention, a substrate on which a water-soluble thin film is formed is used as a test substrate, and a liquid mainly composed of water is ejected from a chemical solution nozzle to remove the thin film at the peripheral portion, and the removal width at this time is regarded as an etching width. Therefore, the etching width can be adjusted at low cost and safely.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing system equipped with an embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. This is not a view showing the appearance of the substrate processing system 100, but a schematic view showing the internal structure of the substrate processing system 100 in an easy-to-understand manner by excluding the outer wall panel and some other components of the substrate processing system 100. This substrate processing system 100 is, for example, a single-wafer type apparatus installed in a clean room and processes the substrates S one by one. The main configuration of the substrate processing system 100 shown here is similar to that described in Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-134816 filed by the applicant of the present application. [Figure 2] FIG. is a view showing the configuration of the main part of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. is a view showing the configuration of the main part of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. is a view showing a state where the upper cup is raised. [Figure 5] FIG. is a view showing the structure and arrangement of the processing mechanism. [Figure 6] FIG. is a view showing a cross-sectional structure of one processing liquid ejection nozzle. [Figure 7] FIG. is a view showing the configuration of the substrate observation mechanism. [Figure 8] FIG. is a flowchart showing the etching width adjustment process.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing system equipped with an embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. This is not a view showing the appearance of the substrate processing system 100, but a schematic view showing the internal structure of the substrate processing system 100 in an easy-to-understand manner by excluding the outer wall panel and some other components of the substrate processing system 100. This substrate processing system 100 is, for example, a single-wafer type apparatus installed in a clean room and processes the substrates S one by one. The main configuration of the substrate processing system 100 shown here is similar to that described in Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-134816 filed by the applicant of the present application.

[0020] The substrate processing system 100 includes a plurality of processing units (substrate processing apparatuses) 1 each of which is a processing entity for the substrate S. In FIG. 1, a state where four processing units 1 are arranged in the horizontal direction is shown, but each processing unit 1 can also be stacked in multiple stages in the vertical direction. For example, when the processing units 1 are stacked in six layers, the substrate processing system 100 will include a total of 24 processing units 1.

[0021] In each of the plurality of processing units 1 equipped in the substrate processing system 100, substrate processing with a processing liquid is performed. In this specification, the surface facing downward among the two main surfaces of the substrate is referred to as the "lower surface" and is denoted by the symbol Sb. Also, the surface facing upward is referred to as the "upper surface" and is denoted by the symbol St.

[0022] Here, as the "substrate" in this embodiment, various substrates such as semiconductor wafers, glass substrates for photomasks, glass substrates for liquid crystal displays, glass substrates for plasma displays, substrates for FED (Field Emission Display), substrates for optical disks, substrates for magnetic disks, and substrates for magneto-optical disks can be applied. In the following, a substrate processing apparatus mainly used for processing semiconductor wafers will be taken as an example and described with reference to the drawings, but it can also be similarly applied to the processing of various substrates exemplified above.

[0023] As will be described later, the processing unit 1 of this embodiment receives a substrate S having a thin film of metal or metal compound formed on one main surface, and executes a process of removing only the peripheral portion of the thin film formed on the substrate S by etching. Such an etching process is sometimes called a "bevel etching process" or simply a "bevel process". Note that all of the plurality of processing units 1 included in the substrate processing system 100 may be in a mode of executing such a bevel etching process, or a plurality of types of processing units executing different processes may be combined.

[0024] As shown in Figure 1, the substrate processing system 100 has a substrate processing area 110 for processing substrates S. An indexer unit 120 is provided adjacent to this substrate processing area 110. The indexer unit 120 has a container holding unit 121 that can hold multiple containers C for housing substrates S (such as FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod), SMIF (Standard Mechanical Interface) pod, OC (Open Cassette), etc., which house multiple substrates S in a sealed state). The indexer unit 120 also includes an indexer robot 122 for accessing the containers C held by the container holding unit 121 to remove unprocessed substrates S from the containers C and store processed substrates S in the containers C. Each container C contains multiple substrates S in a nearly horizontal position.

[0025] The indexer robot 122 comprises a base portion 122a fixed to the device housing, a multi-joint arm 122b rotatably mounted on the base portion 122a around a vertical axis, and a hand 122c attached to the tip of the multi-joint arm 122b. The hand 122c is structured to hold a substrate S placed on its upper surface. Since indexer robots having such a multi-joint arm and a hand for holding a substrate are well known, a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0026] In the substrate processing area 110, a loading platform 112 is provided to allow loading of substrates S from the indexer robot 122. In a plan view, a substrate transfer robot 111 is positioned approximately in the center of the substrate processing area 110. Furthermore, multiple processing units 1 are arranged to surround this substrate transfer robot 111. Specifically, multiple processing units 1 are positioned facing the space where the substrate transfer robot 111 is located. The substrate transfer robot 111 randomly accesses the loading platform 112 for these processing units 1 and transfers substrates S between them. Meanwhile, each processing unit 1 performs predetermined processing on the substrates S and corresponds to the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. In this embodiment, these processing units (substrate processing apparatus) 1 have the same function. Therefore, parallel processing of multiple substrates S is possible. Note that if the substrate transfer robot 111 can directly receive substrates S from the indexer robot 122, the loading platform 112 is not necessarily required.

[0027] Figures 2 and 3 show the configuration of the main parts of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. More specifically, Figure 2 is a side view showing the internal structure of processing unit 1, which is one embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus, and Figure 3 is a plan view thereof. In Figures 2, 3, and the figures referred to below, the dimensions and number of parts may be exaggerated or simplified for ease of understanding. The substrate processing apparatus (processing unit) 1 has a structure in which a substrate processing unit SP is arranged in an internal space 12 within a chamber 11.

[0028] Base support members 16, 16 are fixed to the upper surface of the bottom plate 11a of the chamber 11 by fasteners such as bolts, spaced apart from each other. In other words, the base support members 16 are erected from the bottom plate 11a. A base member 17 is fixed to the upper ends of these base support members 16, 16 by fasteners such as bolts. This base member 17 has a smaller planar size than the bottom plate 11a and is made of a metal plate that is thicker and has higher rigidity than the bottom plate 11a. As shown in Figure 2, the base member 17 is lifted vertically upward from the bottom plate 11a by the base support members 16, 16. In other words, a so-called raised floor structure is formed at the bottom of the internal space 12 of the chamber 11. A substrate processing unit SP for performing substrate processing on a substrate S is installed on the upper surface of this base member 17. Each part constituting this substrate processing unit SP is electrically connected to a control unit 10 that controls the entire device and operates in accordance with instructions from the control unit 10.

[0029] As shown in Figure 2, a fan filter unit (FFU) 13 is mounted on the ceiling surface 11f of the chamber 11. This fan filter unit 13 further purifies the air in the cleanroom where the processing unit 1 is installed and supplies it to the internal space 12 of the chamber 11. The fan filter unit 13 is equipped with a fan and filter (e.g., a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter) for taking in air from the cleanroom and sending it into the chamber 11, and it sends clean air through an opening 11f1 provided on the ceiling surface 11f. This creates a downflow of clean air into the internal space 12 of the chamber 11. In addition, a perforated plate 14 with numerous outlet holes is provided directly below the ceiling surface 11f in order to uniformly disperse the clean air supplied from the fan filter unit 13.

[0030] As shown in Figure 3, in the processing unit 1, a transport opening 11b1 is provided in the side wall 11b facing the substrate transport robot 111, one of the four side walls 11b to 11e, thereby connecting the internal space 12 with the outside of the chamber 11. As a result, the hand (not shown) of the substrate transport robot 111 can access the substrate processing unit SP through the transport opening 11b1. In other words, substrates S can be loaded into and out of the internal space 12 through the transport opening 11b1. A shutter 15 for opening and closing this transport opening 11b1 is also attached to the side wall 11b.

[0031] A shutter opening / closing mechanism (not shown) is connected to the shutter 15, which opens and closes the shutter 15 in response to an opening / closing command from the control unit 10. More specifically, in the processing unit 1, when an unprocessed substrate S is brought into the chamber 11, the shutter opening / closing mechanism opens the shutter 15, and the unprocessed substrate S is brought into the substrate processing unit SP by the handle of the substrate transport robot 111. After the substrate is brought in, when the handle of the substrate transport robot 111 moves out of the chamber 11, the shutter opening / closing mechanism closes the shutter 15. Then, processing of the substrate S is performed by the substrate processing unit SP within the internal space 12 of the chamber 11. After the processing is completed, the shutter opening / closing mechanism opens the shutter 15 again, and the handle of the substrate transport robot 111 removes the processed substrate S from the substrate processing unit SP.

[0032] As shown in Figure 3, the side wall 11d is located on the opposite side of the side wall 11b, with the substrate processing unit SP (Figure 2) installed on the base member 17 in between. A maintenance opening 11d1 is provided in this side wall 11d. During maintenance, the maintenance opening 11d1 is opened, as shown in the figure. This allows the operator to access the substrate processing unit SP from outside the device through the maintenance opening 11d1. On the other hand, during substrate processing, a cover member 19 is attached to close the maintenance opening 11d1. Thus, in this embodiment, the cover member 19 is detachably attached to the side wall 11d.

[0033] Furthermore, a heating gas supply unit 47 is attached to the outer surface of the side wall 11e for supplying heated inert gas (nitrogen gas in this embodiment) to the substrate processing unit SP. This heating gas supply unit 47 incorporates a heater 471.

[0034] As described above, the shutter 15, lid member 19, and heating gas supply unit 47 are arranged on the outer wall side of the chamber 11. In contrast, the substrate processing unit SP is installed on the upper surface of the raised base member 17 inside the chamber 11, i.e., the internal space 12. The configuration of the substrate processing unit SP arranged on the base member 17 will be described below.

[0035] In the following, a coordinate system is used where appropriate, with the Z direction as the vertical direction and the XY plane as the horizontal plane, in order to clarify the arrangement and operation of each part of the device. In the coordinate system in Figure 3, the horizontal direction corresponding to the vertical direction of the paper is called the "X direction," and the horizontal direction perpendicular to it is called the "Y direction." More specifically, the directions from the internal space 12 of the chamber 11 toward the transport opening 11b1 and the maintenance opening 11d1 are called the "+X direction" and the "-X direction," respectively; the directions from the internal space 12 of the chamber 11 toward the side walls 11c and 11e are called the "-Y direction" and the "+Y direction," respectively; and the directions toward the vertically upward and vertically downward are called the "+Z direction" and the "-Z direction," respectively.

[0036] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the substrate processing unit SP includes a holding and rotating mechanism 2, a scattering prevention mechanism 3, an upper surface protection heating mechanism 4, a processing mechanism 5, an atmosphere separation mechanism 6, a lifting mechanism 7, a centering mechanism 8, and a substrate observation mechanism 9. These mechanisms are mounted on a base member 17. In other words, the holding and rotating mechanism 2, the scattering prevention mechanism 3, the upper surface protection heating mechanism 4, the processing mechanism 5, the atmosphere separation mechanism 6, the lifting mechanism 7, the centering mechanism 8, and the substrate observation mechanism 9 are arranged relative to each other in predetermined positions, with the base member 17 having higher rigidity than the chamber 11 as the reference point.

[0037] The holding and rotating mechanism 2 includes a substrate holding section 2A that holds the substrate S in a substantially horizontal position with the film-forming surface of the substrate S facing downward, and a rotating mechanism 2B that synchronously rotates the substrate holding section 2A holding the substrate S and a part of the anti-scattering mechanism 3. Therefore, when the rotating mechanism 2B is activated in response to a rotation command from the control unit 10, the substrate S and the rotating cup section 31 of the anti-scattering mechanism 3 are rotated around a rotation axis AX that extends parallel to the vertical direction Z.

[0038] The substrate holder 2A is equipped with a spin chuck 21, which is a disc-shaped member smaller than the substrate S. The spin chuck 21 is positioned so that its upper surface is approximately horizontal and its central axis coincides with the rotation axis AX. A cylindrical rotation shaft portion 22 is connected to the lower surface of the spin chuck 21. The rotation shaft portion 22 extends vertically in the Z direction with its axis coincided with the rotation axis AX. A rotation mechanism 2B is also connected to the rotation shaft portion 22.

[0039] The rotating mechanism 2B includes a motor 23 that generates rotational driving force to rotate the substrate holding part 2A and the rotating cup part 31 of the anti-scattering mechanism 3, and a power transmission part 24 for transmitting the rotational driving force. The motor 23 has a rotating shaft 231 that rotates in conjunction with the generation of rotational driving force, and is attached to the base member 17 in a position where the rotating shaft 231 extends vertically downward.

[0040] A first pulley 241 is attached to the tip of a rotating shaft 231 that protrudes downward from the base member 17. A second pulley 242 is attached to the lower end of the rotating shaft portion 22 of the substrate holding portion 2A. More specifically, the lower end of the rotating shaft portion 22 is inserted through a through hole provided in the base member 17 and protrudes downward from the base member 17. The second pulley 242 is provided on this protruding portion. An endless belt 243 is stretched between the first pulley 241 and the second pulley 242. Thus, in this embodiment, the power transmission portion 24 is composed of the first pulley 241, the second pulley 242, and the endless belt 243.

[0041] When a power transmission unit 24 having such a configuration is used, a long timing belt can be selected as an endless belt 243, thereby extending the lifespan of the endless belt 243. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment, the motor 23 is positioned in the chamber 11 facing the maintenance opening 11d1. Therefore, when the cover member 19 is removed from the chamber 11 and the maintenance opening 11d1 is opened, the power transmission unit 24 and the motor 23 are exposed to the outside through the maintenance opening 11d1. As a result, maintenance work by the operator becomes easier, and the efficiency of maintenance work can be improved.

[0042] Furthermore, while the other mechanisms described below are positioned above the base member 17, the power transmission unit 24 is positioned below the base member 17. By adopting this arrangement, maintenance work by the operator can be performed more efficiently without considering interference with other mechanisms.

[0043] A suction hole 211 is provided on the upper surface of the spin chuck 21, and a pump 26 is connected to the internal space of the suction hole 211 via a pipe 25 with a valve (not shown) interposed therein. The pump 26 and valve are electrically connected to the control unit 10 and operate in response to commands from the control unit 10. This allows negative pressure and positive pressure to be selectively applied to the spin chuck 21. For example, when the substrate S is placed on the upper surface of the spin chuck 21 in a substantially horizontal position, and the pump 26 applies negative pressure to the suction hole 211 of the spin chuck 21, the spin chuck 21 will hold the substrate S from below. On the other hand, when the pump 26 applies positive pressure to the suction hole 211, the substrate S becomes removable from the upper surface of the spin chuck 21. Also, when the suction of the pump 26 is stopped, the substrate S becomes able to move horizontally on the upper surface of the spin chuck 21.

[0044] A nitrogen gas supply unit 29 is connected to the spin chuck 21 via a pipe 28 located in the center of the rotating shaft portion 22. The nitrogen gas supply unit 29 supplies ambient temperature nitrogen gas, supplied from a utility in the factory where the substrate processing system 100 is installed, to the spin chuck 21 at a flow rate and timing corresponding to the gas supply command from the control unit 10, causing the nitrogen gas to circulate radially outward from the center on the lower surface Sb side of the substrate S. In this embodiment, nitrogen gas is used, but other inert gases may also be used.

[0045] The rotating mechanism 2B not only rotates the spin chuck 21 integrally with the substrate S, but also has a power transmission unit 27 to rotate the rotating cup portion 31 in synchronization with the rotation. The power transmission unit 27 has a disc member 27a made of a non-magnetic material or resin, a spin chuck-side magnet 27b embedded in the peripheral edge of the disc member 27a, and a cup-side magnet 27c embedded in the lower cup 32, which is a component of the rotating cup portion 31. The disc member 27a is mounted coaxially with the rotating shaft portion 22 and is rotatable together with the rotating shaft portion 22 around the rotating shaft AX.

[0046] On the outer edge of the disc member 27a, multiple spin chuck-side magnets 27b are arranged radially around the rotation axis AX and at equal angular intervals. In this embodiment, of two adjacent spin chuck-side magnets 27b, one is arranged so that the outer and inner sides are the north pole and south pole, respectively, while the other is arranged so that the outer and inner sides are the south pole and north pole, respectively.

[0047] Similar to the spin chuck-side magnets 27b, multiple cup-side magnets 27c are arranged radially around the rotation axis AX at equal angular intervals. These cup-side magnets 27c are housed in the lower cup 32. The lower cup 32 is a component of the splash prevention mechanism 3, which will be described next, and has an annular shape. That is, the lower cup 32 has an inner circumferential surface that can face the outer circumferential surface of the disc member 27a. The inner diameter of this inner circumferential surface is larger than the outer diameter of the disc member 27a. The lower cup 32 is positioned concentrically with the rotation axis portion 22 and the disc member 27a with the inner circumferential surface facing the outer circumferential surface of the disc member 27a at a predetermined distance apart. Engagement pins and connecting magnets (not shown) are provided on the upper surface of the outer circumferential edge of the lower cup 32, and these connect the upper cup 33 to the lower cup 32, and this connected body functions as the rotating cup portion 31.

[0048] The lower cup 32 is supported on the upper surface of the base member 17 by bearings (not shown in the drawing) so that it can rotate around the rotation axis AX in the above-described configuration. On the inner peripheral edge of the lower cup 32, the cup-side magnets 27c are arranged radially around the rotation axis AX and at equal angular intervals, as described above. The arrangement of two adjacent cup-side magnets 27c is the same as that of the spin chuck-side magnets 27b. That is, on one side, the outer and inner sides are arranged to be the north pole and south pole, respectively, and on the other side, the outer and inner sides are arranged to be the south pole and north pole, respectively.

[0049] In the power transmission unit 27 configured in this way, when the disc member 27a rotates together with the rotating shaft 22 by the motor 23, the lower cup 32 rotates in the same direction as the disc member 27a while maintaining an air gap (the gap between the disc member 27a and the lower cup 32) due to the magnetic force between the spin chuck-side magnet 27b and the cup-side magnet 27c. In this way, the power transmission unit 27 has a so-called magnetic coupling between the spin chuck-side magnet 27b and the cup-side magnet 27c, and the rotational driving force for the spin chuck 21 is transmitted to the rotating cup unit 31 via the magnetic coupling. As a result, the rotating cup unit 31 rotates around the rotation axis AX. When the substrate S rotates due to the rotation of the spin chuck 21, the rotating cup unit 31 rotates synchronously with the substrate S in the same direction.

[0050] The splash prevention mechanism 3 includes a rotating cup portion 31 that can rotate around the rotation axis AX while surrounding the outer circumference of the substrate S held by the spin chuck 21, and a fixed cup portion 34 that is fixedly provided to surround the rotating cup portion 31. The rotating cup portion 31 is provided so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis AX while surrounding the outer circumference of the rotating substrate S, by connecting the upper cup 33 to the lower cup 32.

[0051] The lower cup 32 has an annular shape. As shown in Figure 2, its outer diameter is larger than the outer diameter of the substrate S, and in a plan view from vertically above, the lower cup 32 is rotatable around the rotation axis AX, protruding radially from the substrate S held by the spin chuck 21. In this protruding region, that is, the upper peripheral edge of the lower cup 32, engaging pins (not shown) and flat lower magnets (not shown) are alternately attached vertically upward along the circumferential direction.

[0052] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 2, the upper cup 33 has a lower annular portion 331, an upper annular portion 332, and an inclined portion 333 connecting them. The outer diameter of the lower annular portion 331 is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the lower cup 32, and the lower annular portion 331 is located vertically above the peripheral edge 321 of the lower cup 32. The inner circumferential surface of the upper annular portion 332 and the inner circumferential surface of the lower annular portion 331 are connected by the inclined portion 333 around the entire circumference of the upper cup 33. Therefore, the inner circumferential surface of the inclined portion 333, that is, the surface surrounding the substrate S, is an inclined surface 334. Thus, the inclined portion 333 surrounds the outer circumference of the rotating substrate S and can collect droplets scattered from the substrate S, and the space enclosed by the upper cup 33 and the lower cup 32 functions as a collection space.

[0053] The inclined portion 333 is inclined upward from the lower annular portion 331 toward the periphery of the substrate S. Therefore, droplets collected in the inclined portion 333 flow along the inclined surface 334 toward the lower end of the upper cup 33, i.e., the lower annular portion 331, and are then discharged to the outside of the rotating cup portion 31 through the gap with the lower cup 32.

[0054] The fixed cup portion 34 is provided so as to surround the rotating cup portion 31. The fixed cup portion 34 has a liquid receiving portion 341 and an exhaust portion 342 provided inside the liquid receiving portion 341. The liquid receiving portion 341 has a cup structure that opens from the outside to surround the gap between the upper cup 33 and the lower cup 32. In other words, the internal space of the liquid receiving portion 341 functions as an exhaust space. Therefore, the droplets collected by the rotating cup portion 31 are guided to the liquid receiving portion 341 along with the gaseous components. The droplets then collect at the bottom of the liquid receiving portion 341 and are discharged from the fixed cup portion 34.

[0055] Meanwhile, the gaseous components are collected in the exhaust section 342. This exhaust section 342 is separated from the liquid receiving section 341 via a partition wall 343. A gas guide section 344 is positioned above the partition wall 343. The gas guide section 344 extends approximately horizontally from directly above the partition wall 343, covering the partition wall 343 from above and forming a labyrinthine flow path for the gaseous components. Therefore, the gaseous components of the fluid flowing into the liquid receiving section 341 are collected in the exhaust section 342 via the above flow path. This exhaust section 342 is connected to an exhaust unit 38. As a result, the exhaust unit 38 is activated in response to a command from the control unit 10, adjusting the pressure in the fixed cup section 34, and efficiently exhausting the gaseous components in the exhaust section 342.

[0056] The top surface protection heating mechanism 4 has a shut-off plate 41 positioned above the top surface St of the substrate S held by the spin chuck 21. This shut-off plate 41 has a disc portion 42 held in a horizontal position. The disc portion 42 incorporates a heater 421 that is driven and controlled by a heater drive unit 422. This disc portion 42 has a diameter slightly shorter than that of the substrate S. The disc portion 42 is supported by a support member 43 such that its lower surface covers the surface area of ​​the top surface St of the substrate S, excluding the peripheral edge Ss, from above.

[0057] The lower end of the support member 43 is attached to the center of the disc portion 42. A cylindrical through-hole is formed so as to penetrate vertically through the support member 43 and the disc portion 42. A central nozzle 45 is inserted vertically through this through-hole. As shown in Figure 2, this central nozzle 45 is connected to a heating gas supply unit 47 via piping 46. The heating gas supply unit 47 heats ambient temperature nitrogen gas supplied from the factory where the substrate processing system 100 is installed using a heater 471 and supplies it to the substrate processing unit SP at a flow rate and timing corresponding to the heating gas supply command from the control unit 10.

[0058] If the heater 471 is placed in the internal space 12 of the chamber 11, the heat radiated from the heater 471 may adversely affect the substrate processing unit SP, particularly the processing mechanism 5 and the substrate observation mechanism 9, as will be described later. Therefore, in this embodiment, the heating gas supply unit 47 having the heater 471 is placed outside the chamber 11, as shown in Figure 3. In addition, in this embodiment, a ribbon heater 48 is attached to a part of the piping 46. The ribbon heater 48 generates heat in response to a heating command from the control unit 10 to heat the nitrogen gas flowing through the piping 46.

[0059] The heated nitrogen gas (hereinafter referred to as "heated gas") is then pumped towards the central nozzle 45 and discharged from the central nozzle 45. For example, when the heated gas is supplied with the disc portion 42 positioned in a processing position close to the substrate S held by the spin chuck 21, the heated gas flows from the center to the periphery of the space sandwiched between the upper surface St of the substrate S and the disc portion 42 with the heater built in. This prevents the surrounding atmosphere from entering the upper surface St of the substrate S. As a result, it is possible to effectively prevent droplets contained in the atmosphere from being trapped in the space sandwiched between the substrate S and the disc portion 42. In addition, the upper surface St is heated overall by the heating by the heater 421 and the heated gas, making the in-plane temperature of the substrate S uniform. This prevents the substrate S from warping.

[0060] As shown in Figure 2, the upper end of the support member 43 is fixed to a beam member 49 that extends horizontally. This beam member 49 is connected to a lifting mechanism 7 attached to the upper surface of the base member 17, and is raised and lowered by the lifting mechanism 7 in response to a command from the control unit 10. For example, in Figure 2, when the beam member 49 is positioned downward, the disc portion 42 connected to the beam member 49 via the support member 43 is in the processing position. On the other hand, when the lifting mechanism 7 raises the beam member 49 in response to a lifting command from the control unit 10, the beam member 49, support member 43, and disc portion 42 rise together, and the upper cup 33 also rises in conjunction, separating from the lower cup 32. This widens the space between the spin chuck 21 and the upper cup 33 and disc portion 42, making it possible to load and unload the substrate S into and out of the spin chuck 21.

[0061] The atmosphere separation mechanism 6 includes a lower sealed cup member 61 and an upper sealed cup member 62. Both the lower sealed cup member 61 and the upper sealed cup member 62 have a cylindrical shape with openings at the top and bottom. Their inner diameters are larger than the outer diameter of the rotating cup portion 31. The atmosphere separation mechanism 6 is positioned to completely surround the spin chuck 21, the substrate S held by the spin chuck 21, the rotating cup portion 31, and the upper surface protection heating mechanism 4 from above. More specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the upper sealed cup member 62 is fixedly positioned directly below the punching plate 14 such that its upper opening covers the opening 11f1 of the ceiling surface 11f from below. Therefore, the downflow of clean air introduced into the chamber 11 is divided into air that passes inside the upper sealed cup member 62 and air that passes outside the upper sealed cup member 62.

[0062] Furthermore, the lower end of the upper sealing cup member 62 has a flange portion 621 that is folded inward into an annular shape. An O-ring 63 is attached to the upper surface of this flange portion 621. Inside the upper sealing cup member 62, the lower sealing cup member 61 is arranged to be movable in the vertical direction.

[0063] The upper end of the lower sealing cup member 61 has a flange portion 611 that is folded outward and has an annular shape. When viewed from above in a plan view, this flange portion 611 overlaps with the flange portion 621. Therefore, when the lower sealing cup member 61 descends, the flange portion 611 of the lower sealing cup member 61 is locked to the flange portion 621 of the upper sealing cup member 62 via the O-ring 63. This positions the lower sealing cup member 61 at its lower limit. At this lower limit, the upper sealing cup member 62 and the lower sealing cup member 61 are connected in the vertical direction, and the downflow introduced into the upper sealing cup member 62 is guided toward the substrate S held by the spin chuck 21.

[0064] The lower end of the lower sealing cup member 61 has a flange portion 612 that is an annular shape with an outwardly enlarged diameter. When viewed from above in a plan view, this flange portion 612 overlaps with the upper end of the fixed cup portion 34 (the upper end of the liquid receiving portion 341). Therefore, at the lower limit position, the flange portion 612 of the lower sealing cup member 61 is locked to the fixed cup portion 34 via the O-ring 64. As a result, the lower sealing cup member 61 and the fixed cup portion 34 are connected in the vertical direction, and a sealed space 12a is formed by the upper sealing cup member 62, the lower sealing cup member 61, and the fixed cup portion 34. Beveling of the substrate S can be performed within this sealed space 12a.

[0065] In other words, by positioning the lower sealing cup member 61 at its lower limit, the sealed space 12a is separated from the outer space 12b (atmosphere separation). Therefore, beveling can be performed stably without being affected by the outside atmosphere. In addition, although a processing liquid is used for beveling, leakage of the processing liquid from the sealed space 12a to the outer space 12b can be reliably prevented. Thus, the degree of freedom in selecting and designing the components to be placed in the outer space 12b is increased.

[0066] The lower sealing cup member 61 is configured to be movable vertically upward. Also, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the upper surface protection heating mechanism 4 is fixed to the middle part of the lower sealing cup member 61 via the beam member 49. In other words, as shown in Figure 4, the lower sealing cup member 61 is connected to one end and the other end of the beam member 49 at two different points in the circumferential direction. Then, as the lifting mechanism 7 raises and lowers one end and the other end of the beam member 49, the lower sealing cup member 61 also moves up and down accordingly.

[0067] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, multiple (four) projections 613 are provided on the inner circumferential surface of the lower sealing cup member 61, facing inward as engaging portions that can engage with the upper cup 33. Each projection 613 extends to the space below the upper annular portion 332 of the upper cup 33. Furthermore, each projection 613 is attached so as to move downward away from the upper annular portion 332 of the upper cup 33 when the lower sealing cup member 61 is positioned at its lower limit. Then, as the lower sealing cup member 61 rises, each projection 613 can engage with the upper annular portion 332 from below. Even after this engagement, the upper cup 33 can be separated from the lower cup 32 by further rising of the lower sealing cup member 61.

[0068] Figure 4 shows the upper cup in a raised position. More specifically, Figure 4 shows the lower sealing cup member 61 raising the upper cup 33 due to the operation of the lifting mechanism 7, and in that sense, it is a counterpart to Figure 2, which shows the upper cup 33 in a lowered position. Note that only some positional relationships differ between Figure 2 and Figure 4, and the components themselves are basically the same. Therefore, in Figure 4, some of the components shown in Figure 2 that are not directly related to the explanation here have been omitted.

[0069] In this embodiment, after the lower sealing cup member 61 begins to rise together with the upper surface protection heating mechanism 4 by the lifting mechanism 7, the upper cup 33 also rises together with it as the projection 613 of the lower sealing cup member 61 engages, as shown in Figure 4. This causes the upper cup 33 and the upper surface protection heating mechanism 4 to move upward away from the spin chuck 21. The movement of the lower sealing cup member 61 to the retracted position creates a transport space for the hand of the substrate transport robot 111 to access the spin chuck 21. Then, loading of the substrate S into the spin chuck 21 and unloading of the substrate S from the spin chuck 21 can be performed through this transport space. Thus, in this embodiment, it is possible to access the substrate S to the spin chuck 21 with minimal upward movement of the lower sealing cup member 61 by the lifting mechanism 7.

[0070] The lifting mechanism 7 has two lifting drive units, namely a first lifting drive unit 71 and a second lifting drive unit 72. In the lifting drive unit 71, a first lifting motor (not shown) is attached to the base member 17. The first lifting motor operates in response to a drive command from the control unit 10 and generates rotational force. A lifting unit 712 is connected to this first lifting motor. The lifting unit 712 is connected to one end of the beam member 49 via the side surface of the lower sealed cup member 61, and when it receives the rotational force from the first lifting motor, it raises one end of the beam member 49 vertically in the Z direction according to the amount of rotation of the first lifting motor.

[0071] In the lifting drive unit 72, a second lifting motor (not shown) is attached to the base member 17. The lifting unit 722 is connected to the second lifting motor. The second lifting motor operates in response to a drive command from the control unit 10, generating rotational force which is supplied to the lifting unit 722. The lifting unit 722 is connected to the other end of the beam member 49 via the side surface of the lower sealed cup member 61, and raises and lowers the other end of the beam member 49 vertically according to the amount of rotation of the second lifting motor.

[0072] The lifting and lowering drive units 71 and 72 move vertically along the side surface of the lower sealing cup member 61, synchronizing two different points in its circumferential direction. Therefore, the upper surface protection heating mechanism 4 and the lower sealing cup member 61 can be raised and lowered stably. In addition, the upper cup 33 can be raised and lowered stably in conjunction with the raising and lowering of the lower sealing cup member 61.

[0073] Next, the centering mechanism 8 will be briefly explained as it is basically publicly known. The centering mechanism 8 performs the centering process while the suction by the pump 26 is stopped (i.e., while the substrate S is able to move horizontally on the upper surface of the spin chuck 21). This centering process eliminates the eccentricity of the substrate S, and the center of the substrate S coincides with the rotation axis AX. As shown in Figure 3, the centering mechanism 8 has a single contact portion 81 and a multi-contact portion 82 that are arranged on opposite sides of the rotation axis AX of the spin chuck 21, and a centering drive unit 83 that moves the single contact portion 81 and the multi-contact portion 82 in the contact movement direction.

[0074] The centering drive unit 83 moves toward the substrate S on the spin chuck 21 while coordinating the single contact portion 81 and the multi-contact portion 82, adjusting the position of the substrate S so that one contact portion of the single contact portion 81 and both contact portions of the multi-contact portion 82 are in contact with the end face of the substrate S. In this way, the eccentricity of the substrate S on the spin chuck 21 is eliminated and centering is achieved.

[0075] Next, the processing mechanism 5 will be described. As shown in Figure 3, the processing mechanism 5 has a nozzle block 50 positioned on the lower surface Sb side of the substrate S, and a processing liquid supply unit 59 that supplies processing liquid to the nozzle block 50. The nozzle block 50 has three sets of processing liquid discharge nozzles 51A, 51B, and 51C (Figure 5), each of which discharges processing liquid, and a support mechanism 54 that supports them. As will be described later, the support mechanism 54 is configured to adjust the position of each processing liquid discharge nozzle 51A to 51C relative to the substrate S in the circumferential direction of the substrate S.

[0076] A processing liquid supply unit 59 is connected to three sets of processing liquid discharge nozzles 51A to 51C. The processing liquid supply unit 59 is configured to supply chemical solutions such as SC1 liquid and DHF (dilute hydrofluoric acid), as well as functional water (such as CO2 water), as processing liquids, and SC1 liquid, DHF, and functional water can be discharged independently from the three sets of processing liquid discharge nozzles 51A to 51C.

[0077] As shown in Figure 2, in this embodiment, a nozzle support portion 57 that supports the nozzle block 50 is provided below the substrate S held by the spin chuck 21 in order to discharge the processing liquid toward the peripheral edge of the lower surface Sb of the substrate S. The nozzle support portion 57 has a thin-walled cylindrical portion 571 that extends vertically and a flange portion 572 that has an annular shape and is folded radially outward at the upper end of the cylindrical portion 571. The cylindrical portion 571 has a shape that allows it to be freely inserted into the air gap formed between the disc member 27a and the lower cup 32. As shown in Figure 2, the nozzle support portion 57 is fixedly positioned such that the cylindrical portion 571 is freely inserted into the air gap and the flange portion 572 is positioned between the substrate S held by the spin chuck 21 and the lower cup 32. The nozzle block 50 is attached to a part of the upper peripheral edge of the flange portion 572.

[0078] Figure 5 shows the structure and arrangement of the processing mechanism. Figure 6 shows the cross-sectional structure of one processing liquid discharge nozzle. In the following, the direction horizontally and outward from the rotation axis AX of the spin chuck 21 may be referred to as the radial direction R. This radial direction R corresponds to the radial direction of the substrate S held by the spin chuck 21, particularly the direction outward from the center of the substrate S.

[0079] As shown in Figure 5, the nozzle block 50 is attached to a substantially annular flange portion 572 provided on the upper part of the nozzle support portion 57. The support mechanism 54 of the nozzle block 50 has a base member 541 and a retaining member 542. The base member 541 supports three sets of processing liquid discharge nozzles 51A to 51C together.

[0080] Elongated holes 541a and 541b are provided at both ends of the base member 541. Fixing members 551, 551, such as screws, are inserted through these holes and screwed into threaded holes in the flange portion 572, thereby fixing the base member 541 to the flange portion 572. Therefore, the mounting position of the base member 541 relative to the flange portion 572 can be changed within a predetermined range. This allows the positions of the three processing liquid discharge nozzles 51A to 51C to be adjusted as a single unit.

[0081] Each processing liquid discharge nozzle 51A to 51C has the same shape. Here, we will take one processing liquid discharge nozzle 51A as an example and explain its structure with reference to Figure 6. In the following, when it is not necessary to distinguish between each processing liquid discharge nozzle 51A to 51C, they will simply be referred to as "processing liquid discharge nozzle 51". Figure 6(a) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the processing liquid discharge nozzle 51. As shown in the figure, the processing liquid discharge nozzle 51 has an elongated shape along the radial direction R, and along the (-R) direction, it has a nozzle head portion 51a, a large diameter shaft portion 51b, a small diameter shaft portion 51c, and a male screw portion 51d in this order.

[0082] A nozzle head portion 51a, located on the (+R) side of the processing liquid discharge nozzle 51, has a discharge port 511 at its tip for discharging the processing liquid. The discharge port 511 discharges the processing liquid supplied from the processing liquid supply unit 59 via the internal manifold portion 512 at an upward angle of 45 degrees and outward when viewed from the rotation axis AX. The processing liquid is discharged toward the lower peripheral edge Ss of the substrate S.

[0083] If a thin metal film or a thin metal compound film is formed on the lower surface Sb of a substrate S, and the discharged processing solution is soluble in the thin film, the thin film in the area of ​​the lower surface Sb of the substrate where the processing solution lands will be etched away. If the substrate S is rotating, due to the action of centrifugal force, the processing solution will spread outward from the point of contact, and as a result, the thin film outside the point of contact will be removed.

[0084] Furthermore, a reflective member 513 is attached to the lower part of the nozzle head portion 51a, with a flat reflective surface on its (+R) side end face. The reflective member 513 is used, for example, when measuring the nozzle position with a laser displacement meter, and by reflecting the laser light emitted from the laser displacement meter, it enables accurate and stable position measurement.

[0085] The large-diameter shaft portion 51b engages with a groove provided in the base member 541. As shown in Figure 6(b) or Figure 6(c), the cross-section of the large-diameter shaft portion 51b is a non-circular, constant shape, and a groove corresponding to this cross-sectional shape is formed in the base member 541. Therefore, the processing liquid discharge nozzle 51 can move along the radial direction R within a certain range relative to the base member 541, but rotation in the direction indicated by the thick arrows in Figures 6(b) and 6(c) is suppressed. This prevents fluctuations in the discharge direction of the processing liquid.

[0086] The cross-sectional shape of the large-diameter shaft portion 51b is not limited to these and can be any non-circular shape. It is preferable that the shape not only prevents rotation within the groove of the base portion but also prevents play. The shapes shown in Figures 6(b) and 6(c) are examples of preferred shapes in that they have the effect of restricting the displacement of the large-diameter shaft portion 51b in the lateral direction of the paper when the retaining member 542 is attached.

[0087] The upper part of the large-diameter shaft portion 51b is held down by a retaining member 542, which is fixed to the base member 541 by a fixing member 552 such as a screw. This prevents the large-diameter shaft portion 51b from being displaced upward and falling off the base member 541. A fixing screw 553 is also attached to the retaining member 542, and when the fixing screw 553 is tightened after position adjustment, the fixing screw 553 presses against the large-diameter shaft portion 51b via an appropriate cushioning member 554. This prevents the processing liquid discharge nozzle 51 from being displaced in the R direction.

[0088] A small-diameter shaft portion 51c is attached to the (-R) side of the large-diameter shaft portion 51b, and a male threaded portion 51d is attached to the (-R) side of the small-diameter shaft portion 51c. A coil spring 514 is provided on the small-diameter shaft portion 51c, and the male threaded portion 51d extends further to (-R) through a through hole provided at the (-R) side end of the base member 541. An adjustment nut 515 is screwed onto the male threaded portion 51d.

[0089] Therefore, the processing liquid discharge nozzle 51 is biased in the (+R) direction by the coil spring 514, while the displacement due to this biasing force is restricted by the adjustment nut 515. As a result, when the operator rotates the adjustment nut 515 in either direction, the position of the discharge port 511 will be displaced in the (+R) or (-R) direction according to that rotation. This allows for adjustment of the position of the discharge port 511 in the radial direction of the substrate S.

[0090] Since the adjustment nut 515 is configured to define the nozzle position by suppressing displacement against the biasing force of the coil spring 514, it is possible to achieve nozzle position adjustment that is less affected by backlash and looseness.

[0091] The processing liquid discharge nozzles 51 (51A to 51C) and the support mechanism 54 are made of a material with excellent chemical resistance, such as a resin material. For example, polyethylene resin, PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) resin, PEEK (polyetheretherketone) resin, etc., can be appropriately selected and used depending on the purpose. Of these, PEEK resin is particularly suitable for the coil spring 514 because it requires a moderate elasticity.

[0092] Returning to Figure 5, let's continue the explanation. Each of the processing liquid discharge nozzles 51A to 51C has the structure described above, and the nozzle support portion 54 supports the nozzles 51A to 51C at equal angular intervals such that the longitudinal direction of each nozzle 51A to 51C coincides with the radial direction R. Therefore, in this nozzle block 50, by adjusting the position of the base member 541 relative to the nozzle support portion 57 (flange portion 572), it is possible to realize a coarse adjustment mode in which the three processing liquid discharge nozzles 51A to 51C are moved integrally and with a large stroke, and a fine adjustment mode in which the three processing liquid discharge nozzles 51A to 51C are moved individually and precisely relative to the base member 541. By combining these adjustment modes, in this embodiment, it is possible to adjust the position of each processing liquid discharge nozzle 51A to 51C with a large stroke and with precision.

[0093] The piping 56 for supplying the processing liquid to the processing liquid discharge nozzles 51A to 51C is arranged as follows. Specifically, the pipes 561, 562, and 563 that transport the processing liquid from the processing liquid supply unit 59 to each nozzle 51A to 51C are made of flexible tubing, and each of the pipes 561, 562, and 563 is divided into an upstream pipe and a downstream pipe by a relay block 591 attached to the flange portion 572 of the nozzle support unit 57.

[0094] Specifically, the piping 561 that supplies the SC1 liquid to the processing liquid discharge nozzle 51A is divided into an upstream piping 561a upstream of the relay block 591 and a downstream piping 561b downstream of the relay block 591. The upstream piping 561a and the relay block 591 are connected by a joint 561c. The downstream piping 561b and the relay block 591 are connected by a joint 561d. The upstream piping 561a extends from below the chamber 11, through the air gap between the disc member 27a and the lower cup 32 to the upper part of the flange portion 572, and the SC1 liquid sent from the processing liquid supply unit 59 is transported through it. The SC1 liquid is then transported through the downstream piping 561b and finally discharged from the processing liquid discharge nozzle 51A.

[0095] Similarly, the piping 562 that supplies DHF to the processing liquid discharge nozzle 51B is divided into an upstream piping 562a upstream of the relay block 591 and a downstream piping 562b downstream of the relay block 591. The upstream piping 562a and the relay block 591 are connected by a joint 562c. The downstream piping 562b and the relay block 591 are connected by a joint 562d. The upstream piping 562a extends from below the chamber 11 through the air gap between the disc member 27a and the lower cup 32 to the top of the flange portion 572, through which the DHF sent from the processing liquid supply unit 59 is passed, and the DHF passed through the downstream piping 562b is finally discharged from the processing liquid discharge nozzle 51B.

[0096] Furthermore, the piping 563 that supplies functional water (CO2 water) to the processing liquid discharge nozzle 51C is divided into an upstream piping 563a upstream of the relay block 591 and a downstream piping 563b downstream of the relay block 591. The upstream piping 563a and the relay block 591 are connected by a joint 563c. The downstream piping 563b and the relay block 591 are connected by a joint 563d. The upstream piping 563a extends from below the chamber 11, through the air gap between the disc member 27a and the lower cup 32, to the upper part of the flange portion 572, through which the functional water sent from the processing liquid supply unit 59 is delivered, and the functional water delivered via the downstream piping 563b is finally discharged from the processing liquid discharge nozzle 51C.

[0097] By dividing the piping into upstream and downstream sections using the relay block 591, it is possible to independently configure the routing of each section of piping. Therefore, the piping can be accommodated even in the narrow space around the spin chuck 21. Furthermore, the piping can be routed without affecting the transmission of rotational force via the magnetic coupling.

[0098] Next, the substrate observation mechanism 9 will be described. The substrate observation mechanism 9 is a mechanism for optically observing the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S being processed, for the purpose of confirming whether the processing is being carried out properly.

[0099] Figure 7 shows the configuration of the substrate observation mechanism. More specifically, Figure 7(a) is a schematic diagram showing the operation of the substrate observation mechanism 9, and Figure 7(b) is a perspective view showing the observation head 93 of the substrate observation mechanism 9. The substrate observation mechanism 9 comprises a light source unit 91, an imaging unit 92, an observation head 93, and an observation head drive unit 94. The light source unit 91 and the imaging unit 92 are arranged side by side on the base member 17. The light source unit 91 irradiates illumination light toward the observation position in response to illumination commands from the control unit 10. This observation position corresponds to the peripheral edge Ss of the substrate S, and corresponds to the position where the observation head 93 is shown by a solid line in Figure 7(a).

[0100] The observation head 93 is capable of reciprocating between an observation position and a retracted position (dotted line) located radially outward from the observation position relative to the substrate S. An observation head drive unit 94 is connected to the observation head 93. The observation head drive unit 94 is mounted on a base member 17. In response to a head movement command from the control unit 10, the observation head drive unit 94 reciprocates the observation head 93. More specifically, when the substrate S is not being observed, the observation head drive unit 94 moves the observation head 93 to the retracted position for positioning. This keeps the observation head 93 away from the transport path of the substrate S, effectively preventing interference between the observation head 93 and the substrate S being transported into and out of the chamber 11. On the other hand, when the substrate S is being observed, the observation head drive unit 94 moves the observation head 93 to the observation position in response to a substrate observation command from the control unit 10.

[0101] As shown in Figure 7(b), the observation head 93 includes a diffuse illumination section 931 having a diffuse surface 931a, a guide section 932 composed of three mirror members 932a to 932c, and a holding section 933.

[0102] The diffuse illumination section 931 is made of, for example, PTFE. The diffuse illumination section 931 has a plate shape that extends horizontally, and a notch 9311 is formed at the end on the substrate S side. The vertical size of the notch 9311 is larger than the thickness of the substrate S, and when the observation head 93 is positioned at the observation position, the notch 9311 extends into the peripheral edge Ss of the substrate S and the area further radially inward from the peripheral edge Ss. This notch 9311 has an inverted C shape when viewed from the circumferential direction of the substrate S. In addition, the diffuse illumination section 931 is provided with an inclined surface along the notch 9311. The inclined surface is a tapered surface that is finished so that it slopes in the direction in which the illumination light travels as it approaches the notch 9311.

[0103] The holding portion 933 is made of, for example, PEEK, and has a notch at its end on the substrate S side, similar to that of the diffuse illumination portion 931. Furthermore, the holding portion 933 is shaped to be mutually compatible with the diffuse illumination portion 931.

[0104] When the observation head 93 configured in this way is positioned at the observation position, the diffusion surface 931a is positioned in the illumination area of ​​the light source unit 91. When the light source unit 91 is turned on in response to an illumination command from the control unit 10 in this positioning state, illumination light is shone onto the illumination area. At this time, the diffusion surface 931a diffusely reflects the illumination light, illuminating the peripheral edge Ss of the substrate S and its adjacent areas from various directions. As shown by the dotted arrows in Figure 7(b), a portion of the light reflected from the upper surface near the peripheral edge Ss of the substrate S is reflected by the mirror member 932a. In addition, a portion of the light reflected from the end face of the substrate S is reflected by the mirror member 932b. Furthermore, a portion of the light reflected from the lower surface of the substrate S is reflected by the mirror member 932c. These reflected lights are guided to the imaging unit 92.

[0105] The imaging unit 92 has an observation lens system composed of an object-side telecentric lens and a CMOS camera. Therefore, of the reflected light guided from the observation head 93, only the light rays parallel to the optical axis of the observation lens system are incident on the sensor surface of the CMOS camera, and an image of the peripheral Ss and adjacent regions of the substrate S is formed on the sensor surface. In this way, the imaging unit 92 images the peripheral Ss and adjacent regions of the substrate S and acquires top, side, and bottom images of the substrate S. The imaging unit 92 then transmits the image data showing these images to the control unit 10.

[0106] The observation head 93 is positioned close to the periphery of the substrate S as needed, but the light source unit 91 and the imaging unit 92 are positioned farther away from the substrate S than the observation head 93. Therefore, even if liquid adheres to the substrate S, the risk of it adhering to the light source unit 91 and the imaging unit 92 and interfering with imaging is extremely low.

[0107] The control unit 10 includes an arithmetic processing unit 10A, a storage unit 10B, a reading unit 10C, an image processing unit 10D, a drive control unit 10E, a communication unit 10F, and an exhaust control unit 10G. The storage unit 10B is composed of a hard disk drive or the like and stores a program for executing bevel processing by the substrate processing device 1. This program is stored, for example, on a computer-readable recording medium RM (e.g., an optical disk, magnetic disk, magneto-optical disk, etc.), read from the recording medium RM by the reading unit 10C, and stored in the storage unit 10B. Furthermore, the provision of this program is not limited to the recording medium RM; for example, the program may be provided via a telecommunications line. The image processing unit 10D performs various processing on the image captured by the substrate observation mechanism 9. The drive control unit 10E controls each drive unit of the substrate processing device 1. The communication unit 10F communicates with a control unit that integrates and controls each part of the substrate processing system 100. The exhaust control unit 10G controls the exhaust unit 38.

[0108] Furthermore, the control unit 10 is connected to a display unit 10H (for example, a display) that shows various information and an input unit 10J (for example, a keyboard and mouse) that receives input from the operator.

[0109] The arithmetic processing unit 10A uses a CPU (= Central Processing Unit) and RAM (= Random The system consists of a computer with Access Memory, etc., and achieves predetermined operations by controlling each part of the substrate processing device 1 according to a program stored in the memory unit 10B. For example, it can perform the beveling process described above.

[0110] Next, we will explain the nozzle position adjustment procedure in the processing unit 1 configured as described above. In the beveling process, which removes a thin film from the peripheral edge Ss of the substrate S, it is necessary to adjust the nozzle position in advance in order to make the etching width the target size. This is because, as mentioned above, the etching width is determined by the point where the processing solution is deposited from the nozzle, and the point of deposit is affected by the nozzle position.

[0111] To adjust the etching width to the target value, it is necessary to perform bevel etching on the substrate S to be processed, measure the etching width, and adjust the nozzle position based on the results. However, if the substrate S to be processed has a thin metal film or a thin metal compound film, it is generally much more expensive than a bare substrate. Furthermore, since the process involves using corrosive chemicals, operators must wear chemical-resistant protective equipment during the adjustment work, which does not necessarily make the work efficient.

[0112] In light of this problem, the inventors of this application propose the following method, which does not use expensive substrates or corrosive chemicals, and is therefore low-cost, highly safe, and allows for accurate evaluation of the etching width and appropriate adjustment of the nozzle position.

[0113] As mentioned above, substrates with a metallic thin film formed on them are expensive. On the other hand, bare substrates without a thin film are cheaper, and the process of forming a water-soluble thin film on a bare substrate can also be achieved at a relatively low cost. For example, to form an anti-reflective coating (TARC; Top Anti-Reflective Coating) on ​​one side of a substrate, it is common practice to apply a coating solution containing a water-soluble polymer material to the substrate and then dry it.

[0114] Therefore, instead of using a substrate with a metal-based thin film, which is the original target of the treatment, we consider using a substrate with a water-soluble polymer thin film (TARC substrate) as the test substrate. In this case, the thin film can be removed using a treatment solution mainly composed of water. Therefore, there is no need to use corrosive chemicals.

[0115] However, in order to correctly evaluate the etching width, it is necessary to discharge a treatment solution for removing the water-soluble thin film from the treatment solution discharge nozzle that is normally used to discharge the etching chemical, instead of the etching chemical. In other words, in order to implement this method in treatment unit 1 that has been introduced into the manufacturing site and used for processing, it is necessary to remove all the chemical in the piping line first. For this reason, it can be said that this method is more suitable for implementation during the adjustment stage after the equipment has been manufactured but before it is introduced into the field.

[0116] Here, it is assumed that the substrate processing equipment is pre-adjusted at the manufacturer before being delivered to the process site, where the etching width is then finalized.

[0117] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the etching width adjustment process. Of these, steps S101 to S107 are performed by the manufacturer before the equipment is delivered. First, a TARC substrate is prepared as a test substrate (step S101). For example, a test substrate can be made by applying a coating solution containing a water-soluble polymer to a bare substrate using an appropriate coating apparatus and drying it. The test substrate may be made in advance, or it may be made anew when necessary.

[0118] Furthermore, a liquid primarily composed of water, such as DIW, is introduced into the piping that would normally supply etching chemicals to the processing unit 1 under evaluation (step S102). The liquid used here only needs to be able to dissolve water-soluble thin films; high reactivity is not required.

[0119] Next, the initial position of the nozzle for discharging the processing liquid (for example, nozzle 51B for DHF) connected to the above piping is provisionally set as appropriate (step S103). Then, the test substrate is brought into the processing unit 1 and set in the spin chuck 21 (step S104). At this time, the test substrate is set so that the side on which the thin film has been formed faces downward. Then, liquid is supplied to the underside of the test substrate under the same processing conditions (rotation speed, discharge volume) as the etching process, and a pseudo-etching process is performed (step S105).

[0120] Next, the width of the removed thin film is measured (step S106). That is, as shown in Figure 4, with the upper cup 33 raised by the lifting mechanism 7, the observation unit 93 of the substrate observation mechanism 9 moves to an observation position close to the edge of the substrate and images the edge of the test substrate. The image processing unit 10D of the control unit 10 performs image processing, making it possible to measure the width of the removed thin film. The above process is repeated while changing the nozzle position until the measured removal width falls within a predetermined appropriate range (step S107), thereby bringing the etching width closer to the target value. The nozzle position change at this time is achieved by the operator turning the adjustment nut 515 by an amount of rotation according to the measurement result.

[0121] For example, if the measured removal width is smaller than the target value, the nozzle position can be moved toward the rotation center AX of the substrate S, allowing etching to be performed from a more inward direction. This increases the etching width. On the other hand, if the measured removal width is larger than the target value, the etching width can be reduced by moving the nozzle position outward from the rotation center AX of the substrate S.

[0122] In the processing unit 1 of this embodiment, a mechanism for fine-tuning the nozzle position is provided, and the effects of backlash and play are also reduced. Therefore, a good correlation should be obtained between the amount of nozzle position adjustment and the amount of change in etching width. Consequently, it is thought that the number of trials required to achieve the target etching width will not be very large.

[0123] Subsequent processing is performed at the product delivery site after installation, for example, as an acceptance inspection. First, the actual chemical solution is introduced into the piping where a liquid mainly composed of water was previously supplied (step S108), and the substrate to be processed, on which a metallic thin film has been formed, is set into processing unit 1 (step S109). Then, the chemical solution is supplied to the underside of the substrate under predetermined processing conditions (rotation speed, discharge volume), and etching is performed (step S110).

[0124] Next, the removal width is measured in the same manner as described above (step S111). At this point, since all adjustments have already been made, the measured removal width (etching width) should be as targeted. The measured value is checked, and if it falls within the appropriate range (YES in step S112), the process is terminated, and thereafter, bevel etching can be performed with the target etching width.

[0125] On the other hand, for some reason the adjusted conditions may change, and the measured value may fall outside the appropriate range (NO in step S112). In such a case, it is necessary to return to step S101 and perform the adjustment again using the test board. If a high correlation is obtained between the amount of rotation of the adjustment nut 515 and the amount of change in etching width, it may be possible to correct the deviation and achieve the target etching width by rotating the adjustment nut 515 by an amount corresponding to the deviation of the measured value from the target value.

[0126] As described above, the processing unit 1 in this embodiment corresponds to one embodiment of the "substrate processing apparatus" of the present invention, and is also the main unit for executing the "etching width adjustment method" according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the processing liquid supply nozzles 51A to 51C, and in particular the processing liquid supply nozzle 51B that discharges DHF as an etching chemical, correspond to the "chemical nozzle" of the present invention. The holding and rotating mechanism 2 functions as the "rotating mechanism" of the present invention. The image processing unit 10D implemented in the control unit 10 functions as the "image processing unit" of the present invention.

[0127] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the observation head 93 corresponds to the "measuring jig" of the present invention, and the imaging unit 92 functions as the "imaging unit" of the present invention. In addition, the mirror members 932a to 932c perform the function of the "reflection mirror" of the present invention. Furthermore, the nozzle block 50 has the function of the "support mechanism" of the present invention.

[0128] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made to those described above without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the processing unit 1 in the above embodiment is a device that supplies a processing solution to the lower surface Sb side of the peripheral edge Ss of the substrate S and performs bevel etching. However, the present invention can also be applied to a device that performs bevel etching on the upper surface side of the substrate S, either as an alternative or in addition to the above.

[0129] Furthermore, in the nozzle block 50 of the above embodiment, the position of the processing liquid nozzle 51A, etc., is adjusted by the operator rotating the adjustment nut 515. Alternatively, a mechanism that supports the processing liquid nozzle via an appropriate actuator may be provided, and the nozzle position may be automatically adjusted by the operation of the actuator. Even in such a case, it is possible to achieve the desired etching width by optimizing the nozzle position by applying the etching width adjustment method according to the present invention.

[0130] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a substrate on which a TARC thin film is formed (TARC substrate) is used as an example of a test substrate, but the thin film formed on the test substrate only needs to be water-soluble and is not limited to a TARC thin film.

[0131] Furthermore, the processing unit 1 of the above embodiment is provided with three sets of processing liquid discharge nozzles 51A to 51C on the nozzle block 50, each discharging a different processing liquid. However, the number of nozzles is not limited to this, and regardless of the number, the present invention can be applied to appropriately adjust the etching width.

[0132] As described above with specific embodiments as examples, in the etching width adjustment method according to the present invention, for example, in the third step, the width may be measured while the test substrate after the second step is held in the rotating mechanism. With such a configuration, the test substrate from which the thin film at the periphery has been removed in the second step can be immediately used for measurement.

[0133] In this case, in the third step, a measuring jig for measuring the width can be placed close to the periphery of the test substrate, and the width can be measured using the measuring jig. Furthermore, in the second step, the measuring jig may be positioned in a retracted position further away from the substrate than the position of the measuring jig in the third step. By moving the measuring jig, which is retracted away from the substrate, close to the test substrate only when measuring, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of the processing liquid to the measuring jig when the processing liquid is applied.

[0134] Alternatively, for example, the measuring jig may have a reflective mirror that reflects light emitted from one main surface, and an imaging unit positioned on the optical path of the reflected light receives the reflected light to acquire an image of the one main surface, and an image processing unit performs image processing on the acquired image to derive the width. In this case, the imaging unit does not necessarily need to be positioned close to the substrate; for example, it can be positioned further away from the test substrate than the measuring jig. This makes it possible to suppress the adhesion of processing liquid to the imaging unit.

[0135] Furthermore, in the etching width adjustment method according to the present invention, if the measured width is greater than a predetermined target value, the chemical nozzle can be moved radially outward, while if the measured width is smaller than the target value, the chemical nozzle can be moved radially inward. With such a configuration, if the etching width is large, moving the chemical nozzle outward can move the starting position of etching radially outward, thereby reducing the etching width. Conversely, if the etching width is small, moving the chemical nozzle inward can cause etching radially to start from further inward, thereby increasing the etching width.

[0136] For example, if the position of the chemical nozzle is changed in the fourth step, the first, second, and third steps may be re-executed in that order. With such a configuration, the correlation between the change in nozzle position and the change in etching width can be clarified by removing the water-soluble thin film again at the changed position of the chemical nozzle and measuring the removal width. Using these results, it becomes possible to perform the adjustment work to obtain the target etching width more efficiently.

[0137] Furthermore, for example, a step may be provided before the first step in which a coating solution containing a water-soluble polymer material is applied to a bare substrate to prepare a test substrate. This process for manufacturing a test substrate is relatively low-cost and simple, and the present invention can be easily implemented even without preparing a test substrate in advance.

[0138] Furthermore, in the substrate processing apparatus according to this invention, for example, the chemical nozzle may be positioned below the substrate held by the rotating mechanism and discharge the etching solution toward the lower surface of the substrate. With such a configuration, it becomes possible to remove the thin film on the lower peripheral edge of the substrate with a desired etching width.

[0139] Furthermore, for example, a nozzle position adjustment mechanism may be provided that supports the chemical nozzle so that it can move in the radial direction of the substrate. By adjusting the nozzle position using the measurement results, rather than simply measuring the etching width, it becomes possible to achieve the desired etching width. [Industrial applicability]

[0140] This invention can be applied to all substrate processing apparatuses that supply a processing solution to the peripheral edge of a substrate to process the peripheral edge, and is particularly suitable for the purpose of adjusting the width of thin film removal at the peripheral edge by etching to a target value. [Explanation of symbols]

[0141] 1 Processing Unit 2. Holding and rotating mechanism (rotating mechanism) 2A Board holding part 2B Rotation Mechanism 4 Top protection heating mechanism 5 Processing mechanism 10D Image Processing Unit 11 Chambers 21 Spin Chuck 50 Nozzle block (support mechanism) 51A, 51B, 51C Processing liquid discharge nozzle (chemical solution nozzle) 92 Imaging Department 93 Observation head (measuring jig) 932a~932c Mirror component (reflective mirror) AX rotation axis SP board processing unit S substrate Ss (Peripheral edge of the substrate)

Claims

1. A method for adjusting the etching width in a substrate processing apparatus having a rotation mechanism that holds a circular substrate in a horizontal position and rotates the substrate around a vertical axis passing through its center, and a chemical nozzle that discharges an etching solution toward the peripheral edge of the substrate, The first step involves holding and rotating a test substrate, on which a water-soluble thin film is formed on one main surface of the substrate, using the rotation mechanism so that the peripheral edge of the one main surface faces the chemical nozzle. A second step involves discharging a liquid mainly composed of water from the chemical nozzle to dissolve and remove the water-soluble thin film formed on the peripheral edge of the one main surface, A third step involves measuring the width of the region on the one main surface from which the water-soluble thin film has been removed, A fourth step involves adjusting the position of the chemical nozzle by moving it in the radial direction of the substrate based on the measurement results of the width. A method for adjusting the etching width in a substrate processing apparatus, comprising the above.

2. The method for adjusting the etching width in a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the third step, the width is measured while the test substrate after the second step is held in the rotating mechanism.

3. The third step involves positioning a measuring jig for measuring the width close to the peripheral edge of the test substrate, and measuring the width using the measuring jig, in the method for adjusting the etching width in a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2.

4. The method for adjusting the etching width in a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein in the second step, the measuring jig is positioned in a retracted position that is further away from the substrate than the position of the measuring jig in the third step.

5. The etching width adjustment method in a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the measuring jig has a reflective mirror that reflects light emitted from the one main surface, an imaging unit positioned on the optical path of the reflected light receives the reflected light and acquires an image of the one main surface, and an image processing unit performs image processing on the acquired image to derive the width.

6. The method for adjusting the etching width in a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein in the third step, the imaging unit is positioned further away from the test substrate than the measuring jig.

7. A method for adjusting the etching width in a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if the measurement result of the width is greater than a predetermined target value, the chemical nozzle is moved outward in the radial direction, and if the measurement result of the width is less than the target value, the chemical nozzle is moved inward in the radial direction.

8. A method for adjusting the etching width in a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the position of the chemical solution nozzle is changed in the fourth step, the first step, the second step and the third step are re-executed in that order.

9. The method for adjusting the etching width according to claim 1, further comprising the step of preparing the test substrate by applying a coating solution containing a water-soluble polymer material to a bare substrate before the first step.

10. A rotation mechanism that holds a circular substrate in a horizontal position and rotates it around a vertical axis passing through the center of the substrate, A chemical nozzle for discharging etching solution toward the peripheral edge of the substrate, An imaging unit for imaging the peripheral edge portion of the substrate, The image processing unit performs image processing on the image captured by the imaging unit and evaluates the etching width based on the results. Equipped with, The rotating mechanism holds the test substrate, on which a water-soluble thin film is formed on one main surface of the substrate, so that the one main surface faces the chemical nozzle, and rotates it. A liquid mainly composed of water is discharged from the chemical nozzle to dissolve and remove the water-soluble thin film formed on the peripheral edge of the one main surface. The image processing unit performs a process to derive the width of the region on the one main surface from which the water-soluble thin film has been removed, and considers the derived width to be the etching width, in a substrate processing apparatus.

11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the chemical solution nozzle is positioned below the substrate held by the rotating mechanism and discharges the etching solution toward the lower surface of the substrate.

12. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10 or 11, further comprising a nozzle position adjustment mechanism that supports the chemical solution nozzle so as to be movable in the radial direction of the substrate.

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