Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method drying substrate by spraying gas

Abstract

A first gas nozzle and a second gas nozzle are fixedly provided in the vicinity of the forward end of a nozzle arm. The nozzle arm is rotated along a locus R while a substrate rinsed with deionized water is rotated, for discharging nitrogen gas from the first and second gas nozzles. Visible moisture is loosely expelled from the upper surface of the substrate by spraying the nitrogen gas from the first gas nozzle, and moisture slightly remaining on a fine pattern or the like can also be completely removed by spraying the nitrogen gas from the second gas nozzle to the same region of the substrate as that sprayed with the nitrogen gas by the first gas nozzle. Consequently, the surface of the substrate can be stably and reliably dried. Thus, a substrate processing apparatus capable of stably and reliably drying the surface of the substrate is provided.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus, particularly a single-substrate type substrate processing apparatus, and a substrate processing method spraying gas to a semiconductor substrate, a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display, a glass substrate for a photomask, a substrate for an optical disk or the like (hereinafter simply referred to as “substrate”) for drying the substrate. [0003] 2. Description of the Background Art [0004] A single-substrate type substrate processing apparatus supplying a chemical solution such as hydrofluoric acid to a substrate while rotating the same for etching or cleaning the substrate generally performs rinse processing with deionized water after the chemical solution processing, followed by drying processing for removing the deionized water adhering to the substrate. In general, such a substrate processing apparatus dries the substrate by a technique of r...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention is about a substrate processing apparatus and method that sprays gas to a substrate to dry it. The apparatus has two gas discharge elements that spray gas to the substrate surface, one in a different region than the other. This allows for complete removal of moisture from the substrate surface. The apparatus also has a nozzle arm that moves to spray gas to the same region as the first nozzle, or re-sprays gas to the same region as the first nozzle. This ensures stable and reliable drying of the substrate surface. The technical effect of this invention is to provide a reliable and effective method for drying substrates.

Problems solved by technology

In a drying step subsequent to the rinse processing with deionized water, however, imperfect drying may result in the form of water marks, which are readily caused particularly when the substrate processing apparatus etches silicon (Si) or polysilicon forming the surface of the substrate with hydrofluoric acid due to partial exposure of a hydrophobic surface.

In view of the process, the conditional range for replacing the residual moisture with IPA is so narrow that reproducibility for prevention of water marks is hard to attain.

When the organic IPA is supplied to the surface of the substrate in the final drying step, increasingly refined device characteristics may disadvantageously be deteriorated.

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