Liquid processing equipment

Abstract

To provide a liquid treatment device which can uniformly treat a surface of a workpiece with treatment liquid.SOLUTION: A liquid treatment device 1 for treating a surface of a workpiece W with treatment liquid EL includes: a treatment tank 2 which stores the treatment liquid EL; and a liquid supply unit 4 which supplies the treatment liquid EL to the treatment tank 2. The treatment tank 2 includes: a bottom wall part 2a; a peripheral wall part 2b which rises from the periphery of the bottom wall part 2a; and an upper opening 2c in which the upper part of the peripheral wall part 2b is open. The upper opening 2c has a shape that corresponds to the outer shape of the workpiece W in a plane parallel to the surface of the workpiece W. Treatment is performed while bringing the surface of the workpiece W into contact with a liquid level of the treatment liquid EL which rises above the upper opening 2c due to the surface tension of the treatment liquid EL.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid processing apparatus. Background Art

[0002] For example, there is a liquid processing apparatus that processes the surface of a workpiece such as a wafer with a processing liquid such as an etching liquid (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 below.)

[0003] Specifically, the following Patent Document 1 discloses an etching method in which a crystalline semiconductor substrate is brought into contact with an etching liquid for etching, wherein the crystalline semiconductor substrate is arranged near the liquid surface of the etching liquid such that only a portion other than the upper surface including the lower surface of the crystalline semiconductor substrate, or only the lower surface thereof, is in contact with the etching liquid, and only a portion other than the upper surface including the lower surface of the crystalline semiconductor substrate, or only the lower surface thereof, is etched. An etching method for a crystalline semiconductor substrate characterized by the above is described.

[0004] On the other hand, the following Patent Document 2 discloses a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, which comprises fixing a silicon-on-insulator wafer by a sheet having an adhesive layer on the main surface side of the wafer, exposing the surface opposite to the main surface of the wafer to an etchant from a blow-up guide, and sucking the etchant from the periphery of the wafer so as not to contact the adhesive layer. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device characterized by the above is described. Prior Art Documents Patent Documents

[0005] Patent Document 1 Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-286821 Patent Document 2 Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-260745 Summary of the Invention Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] By the way, in the invention described in Patent Document 1 mentioned above, the edges of the substrate are held, preventing them from being etched. Also, depending on the level of the etching solution, the surface of the substrate may not be etched, so it is necessary to control the level of the solution with high precision. Furthermore, since there is no replacement of the etching solution, the performance of the etching solution deteriorates as etching of the substrate progresses.

[0007] On the other hand, in the invention described in Patent Document 2, by exposing the wafer to etchant (etching solution) blown up from the center of the guide, etching progresses more in the center of the wafer than around the edges, making it difficult to etch the wafer uniformly across its entire surface.

[0008] Furthermore, in the inventions described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the edges of the wafer are held by a support, making it impossible to etch the edges. As a result, the edges of the wafer become inert, which can lead to problems such as affecting the growth rate and crystallinity of epitaxial growth.

[0009] This invention has been proposed in view of the above conventional circumstances, and aims to provide a liquid processing apparatus that enables uniform processing of the surface, including the edges of a workpiece, using a processing liquid. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides the following means. [1] A liquid processing apparatus for treating the surface of a workpiece with a processing liquid, A treatment tank containing the aforementioned treatment liquid, The system includes a liquid supply unit that supplies the processing liquid to the processing tank, The processing tank comprises a bottom wall, a peripheral wall rising from the periphery of the bottom wall, and an upper opening where the upper part of the peripheral wall is open. , a supply port provided in the bottom wall and It has, The upper opening has a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the workpiece in a plane parallel to the surface of the workpiece. The liquid supply unit is located below the processing tank and includes a storage tank for storing the processing liquid, A supply pipe, connected to the supply port, is suspended inside the storage tank, The storage tank has a pressurizing mechanism that pressurizes the inside of the storage tank, thereby pushing the processed liquid inside the storage tank towards the supply port through the supply pipe. The supply from the supply port to the processing tank A liquid processing apparatus, characterized in that processing is performed while bringing the surface of the workpiece into contact with a liquid surface of the processing liquid that bulges upward beyond the upper opening due to the surface tension of the processing liquid. [2] A liquid processing apparatus for processing the surface of a workpiece with a processing liquid, A treatment tank containing the aforementioned treatment liquid, A liquid supply unit that supplies the processing liquid to the processing tank, The system includes a recovery tank for recovering the processing liquid that overflows from the processing tank, The processing tank has a bottom wall, a peripheral wall rising from around the bottom wall, an upper opening where the upper part of the peripheral wall is open, and at least one groove that cuts out the outer surface of the peripheral wall downward from the upper outer end of the peripheral wall. The upper opening has a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the workpiece in a plane parallel to the surface of the workpiece. A liquid processing apparatus characterized by performing processing while bringing the surface of the workpiece into contact with the liquid surface of the processing liquid, which rises above the upper opening due to the surface tension of the processing liquid. [ 3 The liquid processing apparatus according to [1] above, characterized in that processing is performed while bringing the entire surface of the workpiece into contact with the liquid surface of the processing liquid to an extent that the processing liquid does not wrap around to the side opposite to the surface of the workpiece. or [2] described in [ 4 The liquid processing apparatus according to [1] above, characterized in that the processing tank has a corner portion at least at an upper end of the peripheral wall portion, and the corner portion is located at an uppermost part of the peripheral wall portion to form the upper opening. or [2] described in [5] The liquid processing apparatus according to [ 1 above described in 。 [ 6 The liquid processing apparatus according to [ 1 above described in 。 [ 7 comprising a workpiece holding mechanism that holds the workpiece, The liquid processing apparatus according to [1] above, characterized in that the workpiece holding mechanism holds the workpiece while suctioning the side opposite to the surface of the workpiece. or [2] described in [ 8The liquid processing apparatus according to the above 7 , wherein the work holding mechanism is operably movable in the vertical direction while holding the work. 9 The liquid processing apparatus according to the above 7 , wherein the work holding mechanism is operably rotatable around an axis while holding the work. 10 The liquid processing apparatus according to [1] above, wherein the treatment liquid is an etching liquid. or [2] 11 The liquid processing apparatus according to [1] above, wherein the treatment liquid is a rinsing liquid. or [2] 12 The liquid processing apparatus according to [1] above, wherein the work is a wafer. or [2] Effects of the Invention

[0011] As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a liquid processing apparatus capable of uniformly processing a surface including an edge portion of a work with a treatment liquid. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012] [Figure 1] It is a cross-sectional diagram showing a configuration of an etching apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a top plan view showing a processing tank and a recovery tank included in the etching apparatus shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] It is a cross-sectional diagram for explaining a contact state between a liquid surface of an etching liquid and a surface of a wafer. [Figure 4] It is a cross-sectional diagram showing another configuration example of a processing tank. [Figure 5] It is a cross-sectional diagram showing another configuration example of a processing tank. [Figure 6] It is a cross-sectional diagram showing a configuration of a rinsing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] ​​​​​​​This is a schematic diagram showing a semiconductor wafer manufacturing apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings used in the following explanation, the dimensions of each component may be shown on a different scale to make them easier to see, and the dimensional ratios of each component may not necessarily be the same as in reality.

[0014] (First Embodiment) As a first embodiment of the present invention, for example, the etching apparatus 1 shown in Figures 1 to 5 will be described.

[0015] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the etching apparatus 1. Figure 2 is a plan view of the processing tank 2 and recovery tank 3 of the etching apparatus 1, viewed from above. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the contact state between the surface of the etching solution EL and the surface of the wafer W. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of the configuration of the processing tank 2. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of the configuration of the processing tank 2.

[0016] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the etching apparatus 1 of this embodiment is a liquid processing apparatus that uses etching solution EL as the processing solution to etch the surface of a wafer W, including its edges, which is to be used as a workpiece.

[0017] Specifically, this etching apparatus 1 comprises a processing tank 2 containing etching solution EL, a recovery tank 3 for recovering the etching solution EL that overflows from the processing tank 2, a liquid supply unit 4 for supplying the etching solution EL to the processing tank 2, and a workpiece holding mechanism 5 for holding the wafer W.

[0018] The processing tank 2 has a circular bottom wall portion 2a in plan view, a cylindrical peripheral wall portion 2b rising from around the bottom wall portion 2a, and an upper opening 2c which is open at the top of the peripheral wall portion 2b.

[0019] The upper opening 2c has a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the wafer W in a plane parallel to the surface of the wafer W. That is, the upper opening 2c is circular in shape when viewed from above, matching the outer shape of the disc-shaped wafer W.

[0020] The etching solution EL is contained inside the processing tank 2 to such an extent that its surface tension causes the liquid level to rise above the upper opening 2c.

[0021] In the processing tank 2, the surface tension of the etching solution EL causes the liquid level of the etching solution EL to rise above the upper opening 2c. At least the upper end of the peripheral wall portion 2b has a corner portion 2d, and this corner portion 2d is located at the very top of the peripheral wall portion 2b, forming the upper opening 2c.

[0022] In this embodiment, the peripheral wall portion 2b has right-angle corners 2d at its outer upper end and inner upper end, and the upper end surface 2e of the peripheral wall portion 2b is made of a flat surface. This makes it easier for the surface of the etching solution EL to rise due to surface tension.

[0023] On the other hand, if chamfers are applied to the outer upper end and inner upper end of the peripheral wall portion 2b, the surface of the etching solution EL will be less likely to rise due to surface tension.

[0024] The bottom wall portion 2a is provided with a supply port 6 for supplying etching solution EL to the inside of the processing tank 2. The supply port 6 is provided by penetrating the center of the bottom wall portion 2a in a circular shape when viewed from above.

[0025] Furthermore, a baffle 7 is provided inside the processing tank 2, facing the supply port 6. The baffle 7 is a disc-shaped member (baffle plate) and is mounted in a position facing the supply port 6, supported by the bottom wall portion 2a.

[0026] In the etching apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the flow of etching solution EL supplied from the supply port 6 is spread out around the bottom wall portion 2a by the baffle 7, thereby suppressing fluctuations in the surface of the etching solution EL, such as undulation or a rise in the center of the liquid surface.

[0027] At least one groove 8 is provided on the outer surface of the peripheral wall portion 2b. The groove 8 is provided so as to cut out the outer surface of the peripheral wall portion 2b from the upper outer end of the peripheral wall portion 2b downwards.

[0028] In this embodiment, multiple grooves 8 are arranged in the circumferential direction of the peripheral wall 2b at intervals. The grooves 8 are formed with a width and depth of several micrometers. The width and depth of the grooves 8 may be in the range of 0.5 to 10 micrometers, and may be designed to be smaller or larger than this range, depending on the viscosity of the etching solution EL, as this may make it difficult to drop.

[0029] In the etching apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the capillary action occurring in the groove 8 makes it possible to quickly drip the etching solution EL that overflows from the processing tank 2 along the groove 8.

[0030] In this embodiment, multiple grooves 8 are arranged in a row with spacing in the circumferential direction of the peripheral wall portion 2b. However, since the amount of liquid dispensed can be controlled by the number of grooves 8, a configuration with at least one groove 8 is sufficient. Alternatively, a configuration with two grooves 8 spaced 180° apart or three grooves 8 spaced 120° apart around the peripheral wall portion 2b is also possible.

[0031] The recovery tank 3 has a bottom wall portion 3a that is continuous with the bottom wall portion 2a of the processing tank 2 and protrudes outward from the lower part of the peripheral wall portion 2b over its entire circumference, and a cylindrical peripheral wall portion 3b that rises from the bottom wall portion 3a and is higher than the peripheral wall portion 2b so as to concentrically surround the peripheral wall portion 2b of the processing tank 2.

[0032] The recovery tank 3 can collect and store the etching solution EL that overflows from the processing tank 2.

[0033] The liquid supply unit 4 is located below the processing tank 2 and includes a storage tank 9 for storing etching solution EL, a supply pipe 10 that is connected to the supply port 6 and hangs down into the inside of the storage tank 9, a pressurizing mechanism 11 that pressurizes the inside of the storage tank 9 to push the etching solution EL in the storage tank 9 towards the supply port 6 through the supply pipe 10, and a heater 12 for heating the etching solution EL in the storage tank 9.

[0034] The storage tank 9 has a circular bottom wall portion 9a in plan view, a cylindrical peripheral wall portion 9b rising from around the bottom wall portion 9a, an upper wall portion 9c closing the upper part of the peripheral wall portion 9b, a hole portion 9d penetrating the central part of the bottom wall portion 9a in a circular shape in plan view, and a flange portion 9e that is continuous with the upper wall portion 9c and protrudes outward from the upper part of the peripheral wall portion 9b over its entire circumference.

[0035] The storage tank 9 is integrally attached below the processing tank 2, with its upper wall portion 9c and flange portion 9e abutting against the bottom wall portions 2a and 3a of the processing tank 2 and the recovery tank 3, respectively. A ring-shaped sealing member 13 is positioned between the bottom wall portion 3a of the recovery tank 3 and the flange portion 9e of the storage tank 9 to provide an airtight seal.

[0036] The supply pipe 10 is a long cylindrical pipe, the upper end of which is connected to the supply port 6 via a joint 10a located inside the hole 9d, and the lower end of which hangs down to the vicinity of the bottom wall 9a of the storage tank 9.

[0037] The pressurizing mechanism 11 includes a gas introduction pipe 14a for introducing pressurized gas G into the storage tank 9, an inlet gas shut-off valve 15a for opening and closing the gas introduction pipe 14a, a gas outlet pipe 14b for discharging pressurized gas G from the storage tank 9, and an outlet gas shut-off valve 15b for opening and closing the gas outlet pipe 14b.

[0038] For example, nitrogen gas or air can be used as the pressurized gas G. The gas introduction pipe 14a and the gas outlet pipe 14b are installed penetrating the peripheral wall 9b of the storage tank 9 so as to be located above the liquid level of the etching solution EL stored in the storage tank 9.

[0039] The pressurizing mechanism 11 can pressurize the storage tank 9 by introducing pressurized gas G into the storage tank 9 via the gas introduction pipe 14a while controlling the opening and closing of the inlet gas on / off valve 15a and the outlet gas on / off valve 15b, and depressurize the storage tank 9 by releasing the pressurized gas G from the storage tank 9 via the gas outlet pipe 14b.

[0040] Therefore, the liquid supply unit 4 adjusts the pressure in the storage tank 9 using the pressurizing mechanism 11 and pushes the etching liquid EL in the storage tank 9 towards the supply port 6 through the supply pipe 10, thereby supplying the etching liquid EL to the inside of the processing tank 2 through the supply port 6.

[0041] For example, an electric heater can be used as the heater 12. The heater 12 is arranged to surround the bottom wall 9a and the peripheral wall 9b of the storage tank 9, and is capable of heating the etching solution EL in the storage tank 9 to, for example, room temperature to about 150°C.

[0042] The workpiece holding mechanism 5 holds the wafer W in a suspended state by adsorbing the side of the wafer W opposite to the surface to be processed (the back side) via multiple adsorption parts 5a. The workpiece holding mechanism 5 is operated to move freely in the vertical direction while holding the wafer W. In addition, the workpiece holding mechanism 5 is operated to rotate freely around its axis while holding the wafer W.

[0043] Furthermore, the etching apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes a liquid introduction pipe 16a for introducing etching solution EL into the storage tank 9, an inlet liquid shut-off valve 17a for opening and closing the liquid introduction pipe 16a, a liquid outlet pipe 16b for discharging the etching solution EL from the storage tank 9, an outlet liquid shut-off valve 17b for opening and closing the liquid outlet pipe 16b, a liquid return pipe 16c connecting the recovery tank 3 and the storage tank 9, a liquid return shut-off valve 17c for opening and closing the liquid return pipe 16c, a waste liquid pipe 16d for discharging the etching solution EL from the recovery tank 3, and a waste liquid shut-off valve 17d for opening and closing the waste liquid pipe 15d.

[0044] The liquid inlet pipe 16a and the liquid return pipe 16c are installed through the peripheral wall 9b of the storage tank 9 so as to be located below the gas inlet pipe 14a and the gas outlet pipe 14b, and above the liquid level of the etching solution EL stored in the storage tank 9. The liquid outlet pipe 16b is installed through the peripheral wall 9b near the bottom wall 9a of the storage tank 9. The liquid return pipe 16c and the waste liquid pipe 16d are installed through the peripheral wall 3b near the bottom wall 3a of the recovery tank 3.

[0045] In the etching apparatus 1 of this embodiment, etching liquid EL can be introduced into the storage tank 9 via the liquid introduction pipe 16a while controlling the opening and closing of the inlet liquid on / off valve 17a, and etching liquid EL can be discharged from the storage tank 9 via the liquid discharge pipe 16b while controlling the opening and closing of the outlet liquid on / off valve 17b.

[0046] Furthermore, in the etching apparatus 1 of this embodiment, it is possible to return the etching solution EL recovered in the recovery tank 3 to the storage tank 9 via the liquid return pipe 16c while controlling the opening and closing of the liquid return valve 17c.

[0047] Furthermore, in the etching apparatus 1 of this embodiment, it is possible to discharge the etching solution EL recovered in the recovery tank 3 to the outside of the recovery tank 3 via the waste liquid piping 16d while controlling the opening and closing of the waste liquid shut-off valve 17d.

[0048] In the etching apparatus 1 of this embodiment, which has the configuration described above, etching is performed in the processing tank 2 described above while bringing the surface of the wafer W, including the edge, into contact with the liquid surface of the etching solution EL, which rises above the upper opening 2c due to the surface tension of the etching solution EL.

[0049] At this time, the etching process is carried out while ensuring that the entire surface of the wafer W, including the edges, is in contact with the surface of the etching solution EL, so as not to cause the etching solution EL to spread to the side opposite the surface of the wafer W.

[0050] This prevents the etching solution EL from spreading to the opposite side of the wafer W's surface, while allowing the wafer W's surface, including its edges, to be uniformly etched with the etching solution EL.

[0051] Furthermore, in order to prevent the etching solution EL from flowing to the side opposite to the surface of the wafer W, it is preferable that the upper opening 2c has a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the wafer W in a plane parallel to the surface of the wafer W.

[0052] For example, as shown in Figure 3(A), if the upper opening 2c is too small compared to the outer shape of the wafer W, the upward surface tension decreases, making it easier for the etching solution EL to flow around to the side opposite the surface of the wafer W.

[0053] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 3(B), if the upper opening 2c is too large compared to the outer shape of the wafer W, the amount of liquid, especially on the edge e side of the wafer W, decreases, making it difficult to bring the entire surface of the wafer W, including the edge e, into contact with the surface of the etching solution EL.

[0054] In contrast, as shown in Figure 3(C), when the upper opening 2c is approximately the same shape as the outer shape of the wafer W, the etching solution EL can be brought into contact with the wafer W from the surface including the edge e to the edge f without the etching solution EL flowing to the opposite side of the wafer W's surface.

[0055] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3(D), even if the upper opening 2c is slightly larger (for example, by about 1 mm) than the outer shape of the wafer W, the etching solution EL does not flow to the side opposite the surface of the wafer W, and it is possible to bring the entire surface of the wafer W, including the edge e, into contact with the surface of the etching solution EL.

[0056] During the etching process, the workpiece holding mechanism 5 descends from above while holding the wafer W, and slowly stops at a height where the entire surface of the wafer W, including its edges, is in contact with the surface of the etching solution EL. After the etching process, it rises while still holding the wafer W, separating the wafer W from the surface of the etching solution EL.

[0057] In the etching apparatus 1 of this embodiment, during the etching process described above, the etching solution EL in the processing tank 2 is supplied slowly from a supply port 6 provided in the bottom wall 2a of the processing tank 2 so that the liquid level of the etching solution EL in the processing tank 2 does not change and no fluctuations such as undulation occur in the liquid level of the etching solution EL.

[0058] Specifically, in this embodiment, the flow rate of the etching solution EL supplied to the processing tank 2 is set to approximately 0.01 to 10 cc / min (more preferably 0.1 to 2 cc / min).

[0059] This makes it possible to uniformly etch the surface of the wafer W, including the edges, with the etching solution EL without causing fluctuations such as undulation in the liquid surface of the etching solution EL.

[0060] In the case of a blow-type etching system like the one described in Patent Document 2, the etching solution is sprayed over the entire surface of the wafer, resulting in a flow rate of approximately 1000 cc / min. In this case, etching progresses more rapidly in the center of the wafer than around the edges, making it difficult to etch the wafer uniformly across its entire surface. In particular, it becomes difficult to etch the edges of the wafer that are hidden by the support structure. Furthermore, the etching solution EL tends to spread to the side of the wafer W opposite to its surface.

[0061] In the liquid supply unit 4, in order to supply the etching solution EL to the processing tank 2 at the optimal flow rate described above, for example, nitrogen gas (N2 / DA) is used as the pressurizing gas G, and the storage tank 9 is pressurized to approximately 0.001 to 0.1 MPa by the pressurizing mechanism 11. The diameter of the supply port 6 is approximately 0.1 to 1.0 mm.

[0062] In the liquid supply unit 4, the pressurizing mechanism 11 described above pressurizes the inside of the storage tank 9, and pushes the etching solution EL in the storage tank 9 towards the supply port 6 through the supply pipe 10, thereby making it possible to control the flow rate of the etching solution EL supplied to the processing tank 2 to approximately 0.01 to 10 cc / min.

[0063] It should be noted that the present invention is not necessarily limited to the configuration of the etching apparatus 1 of the above embodiment, and its configuration can be modified as appropriate.

[0064] Specifically, the etching apparatus 1 described above may be configured to include a processing tank 2A, such as the one shown in Figure 4, instead of the processing tank 2. The processing tank 2A ​​shown in Figure 4 differs from the processing tank 2 in the shape of the upper end of the peripheral wall portion 2b.

[0065] In other words, in this processing tank 2A, the outer upper corner 2d of the peripheral wall 2b is located above the inner upper corner 2d (at the very top of the peripheral wall 2b), and the upper surface 2e of the peripheral wall 2b is formed by an inclined surface. This makes it possible to easily raise the surface of the etching solution EL due to surface tension.

[0066] Furthermore, the etching apparatus 1 may be configured to include a processing tank 2B, such as the one shown in Figure 5, instead of the processing tank 2. The processing tank 2B shown in Figure 5 has a different shape in the peripheral wall portion 2b compared to the processing tank 2.

[0067] In other words, in this processing tank 2B, the outer diameter from the middle of the peripheral wall 2b in the height direction to the bottom wall 2a is reduced compared to the outer diameter of the upper end of the peripheral wall 2b that forms the upper opening 2c. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of etching solution EL contained in processing tank 2B compared to processing tank 2.

[0068] (Second embodiment) Next, as a second embodiment of the present invention, a rinsing device 50 shown in Figure 6 will be described. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the rinsing device 50.

[0069] As shown in Figure 6, the rinsing apparatus 50 of this embodiment is a liquid processing apparatus that rinses the surface of the wafer W, including its edges, using rinsing liquid RL as the processing liquid. Pure water is used as the rinsing liquid RL.

[0070] Specifically, the rinsing apparatus 50 comprises a processing tank 51 containing rinsing liquid RL, a liquid supply unit 52 that supplies rinsing liquid RL to the processing tank 51, and a workpiece holding mechanism 53 that holds the wafer W. The workpiece holding mechanism 53 has basically the same configuration as the workpiece holding mechanism 5 described above.

[0071] The processing tank 51 has a circular bottom wall portion 51a in plan view, a cylindrical peripheral wall portion 51b rising from around the bottom wall portion 51a, and an upper opening 51c where the upper part of the peripheral wall portion 51b is open.

[0072] The upper opening 51c has a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the wafer W in a plane parallel to the surface of the wafer W. That is, the upper opening 51c is circular in shape when viewed from above, in accordance with the outer shape of the disc-shaped wafer W.

[0073] The rinse liquid RL is contained inside the treatment tank 51 to such an extent that its surface tension causes the liquid level to rise above the upper opening 51c.

[0074] In the treatment tank 51, the surface tension of the rinse liquid RL causes the liquid level of the rinse liquid RL to rise above the upper opening 51c. At least the upper end of the peripheral wall portion 51b has a corner portion 51d, and this corner portion 51d is located at the very top of the peripheral wall portion 51b, forming the upper opening 51c.

[0075] In this embodiment, the peripheral wall portion 51b has right-angle corners 51d at its outer upper end and inner upper end, and the upper end surface 51e of the peripheral wall portion 51b is made of a flat surface. This makes it easier for the surface of the rinse liquid RL to rise due to surface tension.

[0076] The liquid supply unit 52 includes a liquid supply pipe 52a for introducing rinse liquid RL into the treatment tank 51, and an on / off valve 52b for opening and closing the liquid supply pipe 52a. The liquid supply pipe 52a is provided penetrating the peripheral wall portion 51b near the bottom wall portion 51a of the treatment tank 51.

[0077] In the rinsing device 50 of this embodiment, it is possible to supply rinsing liquid RL to the treatment tank 51 via the liquid supply pipe 52a while controlling the opening and closing of the on-off valve 52b.

[0078] In the rinsing apparatus 50 of this embodiment, which has the above configuration, the rinsing process is performed in the processing tank 51 while bringing the surface of the wafer W, including the edge, into contact with the surface of the rinsing liquid RL, which rises above the upper opening 51c due to the surface tension of the rinsing liquid RL.

[0079] At this time, the rinsing process is performed while ensuring that the entire surface of the wafer W, including the edges, is in contact with the surface of the rinsing liquid RL, so as not to cause the rinsing liquid RL to flow to the side opposite the surface of the wafer W.

[0080] This prevents the rinsing solution RL from flowing to the side opposite the wafer W's surface, while allowing the wafer W's surface, including its edges, to be uniformly rinsed with the rinsing solution RL.

[0081] Furthermore, in order to prevent the rinsing liquid RL from flowing to the side opposite the surface of the wafer W, it is preferable that the upper opening 51c has a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the wafer W in a plane parallel to the surface of the wafer W.

[0082] During the rinsing process, the workpiece holding mechanism 5 descends from above while holding the wafer W, and slowly stops at a height where the entire surface of the wafer W, including its edges, is in contact with the surface of the rinsing liquid RL. After the rinsing process, it rises while still holding the wafer W, separating the wafer W from the surface of the rinsing liquid RL.

[0083] In the rinsing device 50 of this embodiment, during the rinsing process described above, the rinsing liquid RL in the processing tank 51 does not change in liquid level, and the rinsing liquid RL is supplied slowly from the liquid supply unit 52 so that fluctuations such as ripples do not occur in the liquid level of the rinsing liquid RL.

[0084] Specifically, in this embodiment, the flow rate of the rinse liquid RL supplied to the treatment tank 51 is set to approximately 0.01 to 10 cc / min (more preferably 0.1 to 2 cc / min).

[0085] This makes it possible to uniformly rinse the surface of the wafer W, including the edges, with the rinsing solution RL without causing fluctuations such as undulation in the liquid surface of the rinsing solution RL.

[0086] It should be noted that the present invention is not necessarily limited to the configuration of the rinsing device 50 in the above embodiment, and its configuration can be modified as appropriate.

[0087] Specifically, in the rinsing device 50 described above, it is possible to make the same modifications to the configuration of the treatment tank 51 as in the treatment tank 2A ​​shown in Figure 4 and the treatment tank 2B shown in Figure 5.

[0088] (Third embodiment) Next, as a third embodiment of the present invention, a semiconductor wafer manufacturing apparatus 100, as shown in Figure 7, will be described. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing a semiconductor wafer manufacturing apparatus 100.

[0089] As shown in Figure 7, the semiconductor wafer manufacturing apparatus 100 of this embodiment includes the etching apparatus 1 and the rinsing apparatus 50, and in the semiconductor wafer manufacturing process in which semiconductor elements are formed on the surface of the wafer W, etching and rinsing processes are performed on the wafer W between the front-end chamber 101 and the back-end chamber 102.

[0090] Positioning stages 103 and 104 for positioning the wafer W are provided between the front-end chamber 101 and the etching apparatus 1, and between the back-end chamber 102 and the rinsing apparatus 50, respectively.

[0091] Furthermore, a transport robot 105 for transporting wafers W is provided near the etching apparatus 1 and the rinsing apparatus 50. The transport robot 105 is equipped with the workpiece holding mechanism 5, and transports the wafers W between the various parts while holding the wafers W with this workpiece holding mechanism 5.

[0092] In the semiconductor wafer manufacturing apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the wafer W transported from the front-end chamber 101 is positioned on the positioning stage 103, and then the etching process of the wafer W is performed by the etching apparatus 1 described above.

[0093] Furthermore, after the etching process, the wafer W is rinsed using the rinsing apparatus 50 described above. After that, the wafer W is positioned on the positioning stage 104 and then transported to the post-processing chamber 102.

[0094] As described above, in the semiconductor wafer manufacturing apparatus 100 of this embodiment, it is possible to appropriately perform etching on the wafer W using the etching apparatus 1 described above, and to appropriately perform rinsing on the wafer W using the rinsing apparatus 50 described above.

[0095] It should be noted that the present invention is not necessarily limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0096] For example, in the above embodiment, the case in which the surface including the edge of a wafer W is treated with an etching solution EL and a rinsing solution RL is illustrated as an example, but the present invention can be broadly applied to cases in which the surface of a workpiece other than a wafer W is treated with a treatment solution.

[0097] Furthermore, the shapes of the upper openings 2c and 51c can also be appropriately modified to correspond to the outer shape of the workpiece.

[0098] Furthermore, when the workpiece holding mechanisms 5 and 53 rotate around the axis while holding the workpiece W, the outer shape of the workpiece W is preferably circular. This is because there is no gap between the upper openings 2c and 51c and the workpiece W, making it easier to maintain surface tension and preventing etching solution EL and rinsing solution RL from seeping in. Also, when the workpiece holding mechanisms 5 and 53 are stationary, the outer shape of the workpiece W does not have to be circular; for example, it may be semicircular, fan-shaped, polygonal, or irregularly shaped, and the upper openings 2c and 51c can be appropriately changed to a shape corresponding to the shape of the workpiece W.

[0099] The upper openings 2c and 51c described above have shapes corresponding to the outer shape of the wafer W, however, some disc-shaped wafers W have shapes where a part of the wafer W has been cut, such as an orientation flat (so-called orientation flat).

[0100] In this case, it is not necessarily required to change the shape of the upper openings 2c and 51c to correspond to the orientation flat. The upper openings 2c and 51c may remain circular in shape when viewed from above, as long as the processing liquid does not flow to the side opposite the surface of the wafer W. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0101] 1…Etching apparatus (liquid processing apparatus) 2,2A,2B…Processing tank 3…Recovery tank 4…Liquid supply unit 5…Workpiece holding mechanism 6…Supply port 7…Baffle 8…Groove 9…Storage tank 10…Supply pipe 11…Pressurization mechanism 12…Heater 50…Rinsing apparatus (liquid processing apparatus) 51…Processing tank 52…Liquid supply unit 53…Workpiece holding mechanism 100…Semiconductor wafer manufacturing apparatus 101…Front-end chamber 102…Back-end chamber 103,104…Positioning stage 105…Transfer robot W…Wafer (workpiece) EL…Etching solution (processing solution) RL…Rinsing solution (processing solution)

Claims

1. A liquid processing apparatus for treating the surface of a workpiece with a processing liquid, A treatment tank containing the aforementioned treatment liquid, The system includes a liquid supply unit that supplies the processing liquid to the processing tank, The processing tank has a bottom wall, a peripheral wall rising from around the bottom wall, an upper opening where the upper part of the peripheral wall is open, and a supply port provided in the bottom wall. The upper opening has a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the workpiece in a plane parallel to the surface of the workpiece. The liquid supply unit is located below the processing tank and includes a storage tank for storing the processing liquid, A supply pipe, connected to the supply port, is suspended inside the storage tank, The storage tank has a pressurizing mechanism that pressurizes the inside of the storage tank, thereby pushing the processed liquid inside the storage tank towards the supply port through the supply pipe. A liquid processing apparatus characterized by performing processing while bringing the surface of the workpiece into contact with the liquid surface of the processing liquid, which rises above the upper opening due to the surface tension of the processing liquid supplied from the supply port to the processing tank.

2. A liquid processing apparatus for treating the surface of a workpiece with a processing liquid, A treatment tank containing the aforementioned treatment liquid, A liquid supply unit that supplies the processing liquid to the processing tank, The system includes a recovery tank for recovering the processing liquid that overflows from the processing tank, The processing tank has a bottom wall, a peripheral wall rising from around the bottom wall, an upper opening where the upper part of the peripheral wall is open, and at least one groove that cuts out the outer surface of the peripheral wall downward from the upper outer end of the peripheral wall. The upper opening has a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the workpiece in a plane parallel to the surface of the workpiece. A liquid processing apparatus characterized by performing processing while bringing the surface of the workpiece into contact with the liquid surface of the processing liquid, which rises above the upper opening due to the surface tension of the processing liquid.

3. The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the processing is performed while the surface of the workpiece is in contact with the surface of the processing liquid over its entire surface, to the extent that the processing liquid does not flow to the side opposite to the surface of the workpiece.

4. The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the processing tank has at least a corner at the upper end of the peripheral wall, and the corner is located at the uppermost part of the peripheral wall, forming the upper opening.

5. The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that a baffle facing the supply port is provided inside the processing tank.

6. The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the liquid supply unit has a heater for heating the processing liquid in the storage tank.

7. The workpiece holding mechanism is provided for holding the aforementioned workpiece, The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the workpiece holding mechanism holds the workpiece while adsorbing the side opposite to the surface of the workpiece.

8. The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that the workpiece holding mechanism is operated to be movable in the vertical direction while holding the workpiece.

9. The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that the workpiece holding mechanism is operated to be rotatable around an axis while holding the workpiece.

10. The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the processing solution is an etching solution.

11. The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the processing liquid is a rinsing liquid.

12. The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the workpiece is a wafer.

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