Liquid processing apparatus and temperature adjustment method for processing liquid

Abstract

This invention relates to a liquid processing apparatus and a method for adjusting the temperature of a processing liquid. The method prevents moisture from contaminating the processing liquid when adjusting its temperature to a spray nozzle. The liquid processing apparatus includes: a substrate holding section for holding a substrate; a spray nozzle for spraying processing liquid onto the substrate held in the substrate holding section; a liquid supply pipe for supplying processing liquid from a storage source to the spray nozzle; a gas pipe enclosing the liquid supply pipe, through which an inactive gas for adjusting the temperature of the processing liquid flows; a processing container internally comprising the substrate holding section, the spray nozzle, the liquid supply pipe, and the gas pipe; and an atmosphere gas supply section for supplying atmosphere gas into the processing container, wherein the portion of the gas pipe between its upstream end within the processing container and the enclosing portion containing the liquid supply pipe, i.e., its extension, is arranged in a folded-back manner within the processing container from a top view.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a liquid processing apparatus and a method for adjusting the temperature of the processed liquid. Background Technology

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a film coating apparatus comprising: a coating container for introducing a substrate into the interior and coating the substrate with a film; a coating liquid container for holding the coating liquid; and a liquid delivery system for conveying the coating liquid from the coating liquid container to the coating container. The film coating apparatus includes a unit for suppressing moisture content in the coated film. Furthermore, Patent Document 1 discloses that the suppression unit includes a dual resin piping, allowing a gas containing inactive gas to exist in the space between the inner and outer pipes of the dual resin piping, and that the dual resin piping is used in the liquid delivery system. Additionally, regarding the resist coating apparatus in Patent Document 1, the resist spraying device and the resist line as the liquid delivery system are composed of a resist supply container (which serves as the coating liquid container) and piping connecting these components. The resist spraying device has a triple-structured resist temperature adjustment piping and nozzle. In addition, the triple-structured corrosion inhibitor temperature adjustment piping includes a temperature-regulating cooling water inlet piping made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe for supplying cooling water for temperature adjustment, and a temperature-regulating cooling water outlet piping made of tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer (PFA) pipe for supplying cooling water for temperature adjustment.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-85263 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem the invention aims to solve

[0007] The technology disclosed herein prevents unnecessary moisture from mixing into the treatment fluid when adjusting the temperature of the treatment fluid supplied to the ejection nozzle.

[0008] Solution for solving the problem

[0009] One technical solution disclosed herein is a liquid processing apparatus, comprising: a substrate holding portion for holding a substrate; an ejection nozzle for ejecting a processing liquid onto the substrate held in the substrate holding portion; a liquid supply pipe for supplying processing liquid from a storage source of processing liquid to the ejection nozzle; a gas pipe enclosing the liquid supply pipe, wherein an inactive gas for adjusting the temperature of the processing liquid flows through the space between the gas pipe and the liquid supply pipe; a processing container having the substrate holding portion, the ejection nozzle, the liquid supply pipe, and the gas pipe disposed therein; and an atmosphere gas supply portion for supplying atmosphere gas into the processing container, wherein the portion of the gas pipe between its upstream end in the processing container and the enclosing portion enclosing the liquid supply pipe, i.e., the extension portion, is arranged in a folded-back manner in plan view within the processing container.

[0010] Alternatively, the liquid processing device described above may also have a moving mechanism that moves the ejection nozzle in a predetermined direction when viewed from above.

[0011] Alternatively, in the above-mentioned liquid processing device, the gas pipe may be configured such that the extension is deflected back in the direction of movement of the ejection nozzle by the moving mechanism.

[0012] Alternatively, in the above-mentioned liquid processing device, the gas pipe may be configured such that the extension is folded back in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the ejection nozzle is moved by the moving mechanism.

[0013] Alternatively, the gas pipe may be configured such that the extension surrounds the processing container.

[0014] Alternatively, the liquid processing device described above may include a fixture for fixing the gas pipe within the processing container, the fixture being formed of a metallic material with a higher thermal conductivity than the gas pipe.

[0015] Alternatively, the outer periphery of the gas pipe can be formed in a corrugated shape.

[0016] Alternatively, the liquid processing device described above may have a connector within the processing container that connects an inlet pipe to the gas pipe. The inlet pipe introduces inactive gas from a storage source of inactive gas into the processing container. The connector is formed of a metallic material with a higher thermal conductivity than the gas pipe.

[0017] For the liquid processing device described above, the outer diameter of the gas pipe may also be larger than the outer diameter of the inlet pipe that introduces the inactive gas from the storage source of the inactive gas into the processing container.

[0018] One disclosed technical solution is a method for adjusting the temperature of a processing liquid, which is a method for adjusting the temperature of a processing liquid in a liquid processing apparatus. The liquid processing apparatus includes: a substrate holding section for holding a substrate; an ejection nozzle for ejecting processing liquid onto the substrate held in the substrate holding section; a liquid supply pipe for supplying processing liquid from a storage source of processing liquid to the ejection nozzle; a gas pipe enclosing the liquid supply pipe, wherein an inactive gas for adjusting the temperature of the processing liquid flows through the space between the gas pipe and the liquid supply pipe; a processing container having the substrate holding section, the ejection nozzle, the liquid supply pipe, and the gas pipe inside; and an atmospheric gas supply section for supplying atmospheric gas into the processing container. The portion of the gas pipe between its upstream end in the processing container and the enclosing portion containing the liquid supply pipe, i.e., its extension portion, is arranged in a top-view folded-back manner within the processing container. The temperature adjustment method includes the following steps: adjusting the temperature of the inactive gas flowing in the gas pipe using the atmospheric gas from the atmospheric gas supply section; and adjusting the temperature of the processing liquid flowing in the liquid supply pipe using the temperature-adjusted inactive gas.

[0019] The effects of the invention

[0020] Using this disclosure, it is possible to prevent unnecessary water from mixing into the treatment fluid when adjusting the temperature of the treatment fluid supplied to the opposing ejection nozzle. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of the resist coating apparatus of the liquid treatment apparatus in this embodiment.

[0022] Figure 2 It means Figure 1 A three-dimensional view of the interior of the processing container of the resist coating device.

[0023] Figure 3 It is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the gas pipe.

[0024] Figure 4 This is an enlarged top view showing a specific example of a gas tube.

[0025] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view used to illustrate another example of a liquid supply pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0026] In the photolithography process of manufacturing semiconductor devices, etc., in order to form a desired resist pattern on a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a wafer), a resist film formation process is performed, in which a resist solution is applied to the wafer to form a resist film.

[0027] The resist coating apparatus for performing the above-mentioned resist film formation process is equipped with a nozzle for spraying resist onto the wafer and a liquid supply pipe for supplying resist to the nozzle. The liquid supply pipe is mostly made of resin such as PFA.

[0028] In addition, the resist coating apparatus is equipped with a temperature adjustment mechanism to adjust the temperature of the resist solution, so as to ensure uniform film thickness within the wafer surface and between wafers. In Patent Document 1, cooling water for temperature adjustment is used to adjust the temperature of the resist solution.

[0029] Incidentally, if excess water is mixed into the resist solution, problems such as not obtaining the desired resist pattern shape may occur.

[0030] Patent Document 1 discloses the following: For a film coating apparatus, a unit for suppressing moisture content within the coated film includes a dual resin piping system, in which a gas containing inactive gas exists in the space between the inner and outer pipes of the dual resin piping system, and the dual resin piping system is used in a liquid delivery system. In Patent Document 1, the liquid delivery system refers to a system that delivers coating liquid from a coating liquid container holding the coating liquid to a coating container used to introduce a substrate into the container and perform film coating on the substrate.

[0031] However, in the resist coating apparatus of Patent Document 1, which is a film coating device, the resist pipeline in the liquid delivery system, which has a unit for suppressing moisture, is a pipeline connecting a resist spraying device with a resist temperature adjustment pipe and a nozzle, and a resist supply container that serves as a coating liquid container. Furthermore, the resist temperature pipe near the nozzle is equipped with temperature-regulating cooling water for the resist liquid. In this case, when water is used for resist temperature adjustment, if a resin such as PFA is used for the pipe separating the temperature-regulating water from the resist liquid, the temperature-regulating water may sometimes mix into the resist liquid.

[0032] The same applies to processing solutions that require temperature adjustment, other than resists, used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices and the like.

[0033] Here, the technology disclosed herein prevents moisture from mixing into the treatment fluid when adjusting the temperature of the treatment fluid supplied to the ejection nozzle.

[0034] Hereinafter, the liquid processing apparatus and the method for adjusting the temperature of the processing liquid according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, in this specification, elements having substantially the same functional structure are omitted from repeated descriptions by using the same reference numerals.

[0035] Figure 1 This is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of the coating apparatus as a liquid treatment device in this embodiment. Figure 2 It means Figure 1 A perspective view of the interior of the processing container of the resist coating device, described later. Figure 3 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the gas tube described later.

[0036] like Figure 1 As shown, the resist coating apparatus 1 has a processing container 10 capable of sealing the interior. A wafer W feed outlet (not shown) is formed on the side of the processing container 10, and an opening and closing gate (not shown) is provided at the feed outlet.

[0037] Two processing units P1 and P2 are provided inside the processing container 10. The processing units P1 and P2 are arranged in a manner that runs along the width direction of the device (±X direction in the figure).

[0038] The processing unit P1 has a rotary chuck 11 that serves as a substrate holding unit. This rotary chuck 11 holds the wafer W horizontally by vacuum suction of the central portion of its back side. The rotary chuck 11 is connected to a rotation mechanism 12, which rotates the wafer W about a vertical axis. Additionally, a cup 13 is provided to prevent processing liquid from splashing from the wafer W, surrounding it in the rotary chuck 11. A drain port 14 opens at the bottom of the cup 13. Furthermore, an exhaust pipe 15 is provided at the bottom of the cup 13, and during wafer W processing, venting is performed inside the cup 13 using an exhaust device (not shown) connected to the exhaust pipe 15.

[0039] A lifting pin 21 is arranged around the rotary chuck 11. The lifting pin 21 can be vertically raised and lowered by the lifting mechanism 22, and supports the wafer W to raise and lower it. The lifting pin 21 can be used to transfer the wafer W between the rotary chuck 11 and the wafer transport mechanism (not shown).

[0040] The structure of processing unit P2 is the same as that of processing unit P1, so its description is omitted.

[0041] like Figure 2 As shown, a guide groove 30 extending along the width direction (±X direction in the figure) is formed on one side of the processing sections P1 and P2 in the device depth direction (the negative Y direction side in the figure) at the bottom wall 10a of the processing container 10. The guide groove 30 is formed, for example, from the outside of the cup 13 of the processing section P1 in the device width direction (the negative X direction side in the figure) to the outside of the other side in the device width direction (the positive X direction side in the figure). The arm 31 is mounted on the guide groove 30 by means of a drive mechanism 32, which serves as a moving mechanism.

[0042] Arm 31 extends from drive mechanism 32 in a device depth direction orthogonal to the extension direction of guide groove 30, and a nozzle head 33 is connected to its top end. For example... Figure 1As shown, the ejector nozzle 33a is supported on the lower surface of the nozzle head 33, and the ejector nozzle 33a ejects the resist liquid as a processing liquid relative to the wafer W held in the rotating chuck 11.

[0043] The resist sprayed from the nozzle 33a is, for example, a metal-containing resist used for EUV exposure.

[0044] Figure 2 The drive mechanism 32 moves along the guide groove 30 in the device width direction (±X direction in the figure). Driven by this drive mechanism 32, the ejection nozzle 33a can be moved from the standby part 34 outside the cup 13 in the device width direction (negative X direction side in the figure) of the processing unit P1 to above the center of the wafer W inside the cup 13. In addition, the arm 31 can be raised and lowered freely by the drive mechanism 32, and the height of the ejection nozzle 33a can be adjusted.

[0045] Furthermore, such as Figure 1 As shown, the resist coating apparatus 1 includes a fan filter unit (FFU) 16, which serves as an atmosphere gas supply unit for supplying atmosphere gas into the processing container 10. The fan filter unit 16 is configured to supply temperature-adjusted clean air as atmosphere gas to the wafer W held in the rotating chuck 11. The air from the fan filter unit 16 is temperature-adjusted to, for example, approximately 23°C.

[0046] Furthermore, for the resist coating device 1, a gas pipe 40 is also connected to the nozzle head 33. For example... Figure 3 As shown, a liquid supply pipe 41 is enclosed within the gas pipe 40. The liquid supply pipe 41 supplies resist from a storage source (not shown) to the ejection nozzle 33a of the nozzle head 33. Additionally, an inactive gas from a storage source (not shown) of an inactive gas such as N2 gas flows through the space between the inner wall of the gas pipe 40 and the liquid supply pipe 41. The inactive gas flowing through the gas pipe 40 undergoes temperature adjustment by exchanging heat with air from the fan filter unit 16. This temperature-adjusted inactive gas is then used to adjust the temperature of the resist. In other words, the inactive gas flowing through the gas pipe 40 is used for temperature adjustment of the resist.

[0047] For the gas pipe 40, a high-barrier pipe, such as a PFA pipe, is used, which is a resin pipe formed of PFA or the like with a hydrophobic treatment applied to its surface. Additionally, for the portion of the gas pipe 40 that does not deform when the ejection nozzle 33a is moved by the drive mechanism 32, a pipe made of a metal material with high thermal conductivity, such as SUS, can also be used. The same pipe as the gas pipe 40 can also be used for the liquid supply pipe 41.

[0048] Furthermore, the gas pipe 40 does not contain the liquid supply pipe 41 throughout its entire area, but only in its downstream portion. In this example, the gas pipe 40 contains the liquid supply pipe 41 only in the downstream portion near the fixture 71 described later. The inner portion 40a of the gas pipe 40 containing the liquid supply pipe 41 is connected to the nozzle head 33 by means of a limiting member 35. The limiting member 35 is a member used to limit the movement of the gas pipe 40 relative to the nozzle head 33, etc. To ensure the airtightness of the gas pipe 40, a sealing member (not shown) is provided around the liquid supply pipe 41 for the through portion of the gas pipe 40 through which the liquid supply pipe 41 passes.

[0049] Furthermore, the portion of the gas pipe 40 within the processing container 10 between its upstream end and the inner enclosure 40a containing the liquid supply pipe 41, i.e., the extension 40b, is arranged in a top-down, folded-back manner within the processing container 10. In this embodiment, within the processing container 10, the upstream end of the gas pipe 40 is connected to a connector 60, which is opposite to an inlet pipe 50 that introduces inactive gas from a storage source into the processing container 10. Therefore, in this embodiment, the extension 40b extends from the portion of the gas pipe 40 connected to the connector 60 to the inner enclosure 40a.

[0050] Within the processing container 10, the gas pipe 40 is configured as the aforementioned extension 40b, which is folded back when viewed from above. Specifically, the gas pipe 40 is configured such that the extension 40b moves towards the ejection nozzle 33a when viewed from above using the drive mechanism 32, i.e., in the direction of the device width (…). Figure 2 The device folds back in the ±X direction and in the direction orthogonal to the width direction of the device as viewed from above, i.e., the depth direction of the device. Figure 2 (in the ±Y direction) folds back. More specifically, the extension 40b travels along the bottom wall 10a in a manner that surrounds the sidewalls within the processing container 10. Therefore, the extension 40b has bends near the four corners within the processing container 10.

[0051] Furthermore, the processing container 10 includes an L-shaped fixing device 70 (viewed from above) and a straight fixing device 71 (viewed from above) for securing the gas pipe 40 within the processing container 10. The fixing device 70 secures the bends of the gas pipe 40 extension 40b near its four corners within the processing container 10 to the bottom wall 10a of the processing container 10. The fixing device 71 secures the portion of the gas pipe 40 downstream of the aforementioned bends in the extension 40b to the bottom wall 10a of the processing container 10. The fixing devices 70 and 71 can be made of a metal material such as stainless steel, which has a higher thermal conductivity than the gas pipe 40. Additionally, the fixing devices 70 and 71 can be made of components with through holes, referred to as through joints. However, the through joints used as fixing devices 70 and 71 are not used for connecting gas pipes to each other, but for stabilizing the position of gas pipe 40 by fixing the through joint when gas pipe 40 passes through the through hole of the through joint.

[0052] Not only the fixtures 70 and 71, but also the connector 60 can be made of a metal material with a higher thermal conductivity than the gas pipe 40.

[0053] Next, an example of wafer processing in the etchant coating apparatus 1 will be described.

[0054] First, the wafer W is conveyed into the processing container 10 and is attracted and placed on the rotary chuck 11 of either the processing unit P1 or P2. Here, the wafer W is attracted and placed on the rotary chuck 11 of the processing unit P1.

[0055] Next, the ejector nozzle 33a moves above the center of the wafer W held in the rotary chuck 11 of the processing unit P1 by the drive mechanism 32.

[0056] Furthermore, the wafer W held in the rotating chuck 11 is rotated by the rotation mechanism 12, and the ejector nozzle 33a ejects a temperature-adjusted resist onto the rotating wafer W.

[0057] To adjust the temperature of the resist, in the resist coating apparatus 1, temperature-adjusted air from the fan filter unit 16 is first used to adjust the temperature of the inactive gas flowing through the extension 40b of the gas pipe 40 to, for example, approximately 23°C. Then, in the inner enclosure 40a downstream of the extension 40b, temperature-adjusted inactive gas is used to adjust the temperature of the resist flowing through the liquid supply pipe 41 to, for example, approximately 23°C.

[0058] After the resist is sprayed out and a resist film is formed on the wafer W, the spray nozzle 33a retracts to the standby section 34, and the wafer W is discharged from the processing container 10.

[0059] This completes the wafer processing.

[0060] As described above, in this embodiment, the resist coating apparatus 1 includes a rotating chuck 11 for holding the wafer W and an ejection nozzle 33a for ejecting resist onto the wafer W held in the rotating chuck 11. Furthermore, the resist coating apparatus 1 includes: a liquid supply pipe 41 that supplies resist from a storage source to the ejection nozzle 33a; and a gas pipe 40 that encloses the liquid supply pipe 41, through which an inactive gas for temperature adjustment of the resist flows. Additionally, the resist coating apparatus 1 includes: a processing container 10 that houses the rotating chuck 11, the ejection nozzle 33a, the liquid supply pipe 41, and the gas pipe 40; and a fan filter unit 16 that supplies atmospheric gas into the processing container 10. Furthermore, the gas pipe 40 has an extension 40b between its upstream end within the processing container 10 and the enclosing portion 40a containing the liquid supply pipe 41. Therefore, the inactive gas that has undergone heat exchange between the extension 40b and the atmospheric gas from the fan filter unit 16 can be supplied to the inner portion 40a containing the liquid supply pipe 41. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the gas pipe 40 is arranged in a folded-back configuration within the processing container 10 with its extension 40b being relatively long, thus facilitating the aforementioned heat exchange. Consequently, the temperature of the resist liquid can be made approximately equal to the temperature of the atmospheric gas from the fan filter unit 16 more reliably. In other words, the temperature of the resist liquid can be adjusted more reliably and appropriately. Additionally, in this embodiment, inactive gas is used instead of temperature-adjusting water for adjusting the temperature of the resist liquid near the ejection nozzle 33a, thus preventing unnecessary moisture from mixing into the resist liquid. When using a metal-containing resist liquid, the introduction of unnecessary moisture can sometimes cause variations in the linewidth of the resist pattern; however, this embodiment prevents such variations.

[0061] Unlike the technique of this embodiment, a method can also be considered that uses an inactive gas with temperature-adjusted properties outside the resist coating apparatus 1 to adjust the temperature of the resist. However, in this method, the temperature adjustment mechanism for the inactive gas needs to be configured independently from the resist coating apparatus 1. Furthermore, to ensure that the temperature of the inactive gas is not affected by external factors until it reaches the resist coating apparatus 1, the temperature adjustment mechanism needs to be positioned near the resist coating apparatus 1. Therefore, in the above method, which differs from the technique of this embodiment, there is a problem with the space required to house the resist coating apparatus, including the temperature adjustment mechanism for the inactive gas. In contrast, in this embodiment, it is not necessary to configure the temperature adjustment mechanism for the inactive gas independently from the resist coating apparatus 1, thus reducing the space associated with the resist coating apparatus 1 and avoiding the aforementioned space problem.

[0062] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the materials used to fix the gas pipe 40 within the processing container 10, such as the fixtures 71 and 72, can be metallic materials with higher thermal conductivity than the gas pipe 40. Therefore, the fixtures 71 and 72 can be easily heated and cooled using the atmospheric gas from the fan filter unit 16. Consequently, heat exchange between the atmospheric gas from the fan filter unit 16 and the inactive gas flowing through the gas pipe 40 can be further promoted at the location where the fixtures 71 and 72 are installed.

[0063] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the material of the connector 60 can be a metallic material with a higher thermal conductivity than that of the gas pipe 40. Therefore, the connector 60 can be easily heated and cooled using the atmospheric gas from the fan filter unit 16. Thus, the heat exchange between the atmospheric gas from the fan filter unit 16 and the inactive gas flowing through the gas pipe 40 can be further facilitated at the location of the connector 60.

[0064] Furthermore, when the gas pipe 40 is divided into multiple parts and the parts are connected to each other by a joint, the joint can also be made of a metal material with a higher thermal conductivity than the gas pipe 40.

[0065] Figure 4 This is an enlarged top view showing a specific example of gas tube 40.

[0066] As shown in the figure, the outer periphery of the gas pipe 40 can also be formed in a corrugated shape. By forming it in a corrugated shape, the surface area of ​​the outer periphery of the gas pipe 40 can be increased, which in turn can further promote heat exchange between the atmospheric gas from the fan filter unit 16 and the inactive gas flowing in the gas pipe 40.

[0067] Furthermore, the outer diameter R1 of the gas pipe 40 can be set to be larger than the outer diameter R2 of the inlet pipe 50, which introduces the inactive gas from the storage source into the processing container 10. This increases the surface area of ​​the outer wall of the gas pipe 40. As a result, heat exchange between the atmospheric gas from the fan filter unit 16 and the inactive gas flowing through the gas pipe 40 can be further promoted. Alternatively, the inner diameter of the gas pipe 40 can be set to be larger than the inner diameter of the inlet pipe 50. This reduces the flow rate of the inactive gas within the gas pipe 40, thus further promoting the aforementioned heat exchange.

[0068] Furthermore, in the above example, a liquid supply tube 41 is enclosed inside the gas tube 40, but the number of liquid supply tubes 41 enclosed inside the gas tube 40 can also be multiple.

[0069] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view used to illustrate another example of the liquid supply pipe 41.

[0070] As shown in the figure, the liquid supply pipe can also be a double-pipe structure comprising an inner pipe 41a and an outer pipe 41b. The metal-containing resist, acting as the resist solution, flows within the inner pipe 41a, while the acidic solvent flows between the inner pipe 41a and the outer pipe 41b. If water is added to the metal-containing resist solution, which was originally adjusted to be acidic, making it neutral, the proportion of the latter reaction (hydrolysis / polymerization) increases, sometimes resulting in an increase in particle number and linewidth. In contrast, as described in this example, by allowing the acidic solvent to flow outside the inner pipe 41a through which the resist solution flows, even assuming water is added to the resist solution, the acidic solvent can be intentionally introduced, maintaining the resist solution at an acidic level. Therefore, an increase in particle number and linewidth can be prevented.

[0071] Furthermore, as an acidic solvent, an acidic solvent, such as one made by mixing carboxylic acids like formic acid and acetic acid with an organic solvent, can be used.

[0072] Furthermore, the thickness of the liquid supply pipe 41 is preferably greater than that of conventional liquid supply pipes. By making the liquid supply pipe thicker, the amount of water mixed into the anti-corrosion liquid flowing in the liquid supply pipe 41 and being sprayed out by the spray nozzle 33a can be further suppressed.

[0073] In addition, the internal pressure of the liquid supply pipe 41 during the flow of the corrosion resist is higher than that of the past. By increasing the internal pressure, the amount of water mixed into the corrosion resist flowing in the liquid supply pipe 41 and being sprayed out by the spray nozzle 33a can be further suppressed.

[0074] Furthermore, in the above example, the gas pipe 40 is configured such that the extension 40b surrounds the processing container 10. In other words, the gas pipe 40 is configured such that the extension 40b bends back in both the width and depth directions of the device. Not limited to this example, the gas pipe 40 may also be configured such that the extension 40b bends back only in the width direction of the device, or it may be configured such that the extension 40b bends back only in the depth direction of the device.

[0075] Furthermore, in the examples above, a photoresist was used as the processing fluid supplied to the ejection nozzle, but the processing fluid is not limited to this. For example, the processing fluid may also be a coating fluid used to form a coating film by spin coating or other methods, other than a photoresist containing metal. More specifically, it may also be a coating fluid containing both organic and inorganic substances, other than a photoresist containing metal (e.g., a coating fluid used to form SiARC films or Spin On metal films).

[0076] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive in all respects. The embodiments described above may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the claims.

[0077] In addition, the following structures also fall within the technical scope of this disclosure.

[0078] The first technical solution is a liquid processing device.

[0079] The liquid handling device has:

[0080] A substrate holding section for holding a substrate;

[0081] The nozzle sprays a processing liquid onto the substrate held in the substrate holding portion.

[0082] A liquid supply pipe supplies the treatment liquid from a storage source to the ejection nozzle;

[0083] A gas tube, which encloses the liquid supply tube, and an inactive gas for adjusting the temperature of the treatment liquid flows in the space between the gas tube and the liquid supply tube.

[0084] A processing container, which internally comprises the substrate holding portion, the ejection nozzle, the liquid supply pipe, and the gas pipe; and

[0085] An atmosphere gas supply unit supplies atmosphere gas into the processing container.

[0086] The portion of the gas pipe within the processing container, between its upstream end and the inner portion containing the liquid supply pipe, i.e., the extension, is arranged in a top-down, folded-back manner within the processing container.

[0087] By employing the first technical solution, moisture can be prevented from mixing into the treatment liquid when the temperature of the treatment liquid supplied by the opposing ejection nozzle is adjusted. Furthermore, for the temperature adjustment of the inactive gas used in adjusting the temperature of the treatment liquid, an atmospheric gas from the atmospheric gas supply unit that has been temperature-adjusted is used. By providing a gas pipe as in the first technical solution, heat exchange between the inactive gas and the atmospheric gas can be further promoted.

[0088] The second technical solution, based on the liquid processing device described in the first technical solution, further includes a moving mechanism that moves the ejection nozzle in a predetermined direction as viewed from above.

[0089] The third technical solution is based on the liquid processing device described in the second technical solution, wherein the gas pipe is configured such that the extension is folded back in the direction of movement of the ejection nozzle by the moving mechanism.

[0090] The fourth technical solution is based on the liquid processing device described in the second or third technical solution, wherein the gas pipe is configured such that the extension is folded back in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the ejection nozzle is moved by the moving mechanism.

[0091] The fifth technical solution is a liquid processing apparatus according to any one of the second to fourth technical solutions above, wherein the gas pipe is configured such that the extension surrounds the processing container.

[0092] The sixth technical solution is a liquid processing apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth technical solutions above, wherein the liquid processing apparatus has a fixing device for fixing the gas pipe in the processing container, and the fixing device is formed of a metal material with a higher thermal conductivity than the gas pipe.

[0093] By adopting the sixth technical solution, heat exchange between the aforementioned inactive gas and the aforementioned atmospheric gas can be further promoted.

[0094] The seventh technical solution is a liquid processing device according to any one of the first to sixth technical solutions, wherein the outer periphery of the gas pipe is formed in a corrugated shape.

[0095] By adopting the seventh technical solution, heat exchange between the aforementioned inactive gas and the aforementioned atmospheric gas can be further promoted.

[0096] The eighth technical solution is a liquid processing apparatus according to any one of the first to seventh technical solutions, wherein the processing container has a connector connecting an inlet pipe and a gas pipe, the inlet pipe introducing inactive gas from an inactive gas storage source into the processing container, and the connector is formed of a metal material with a higher thermal conductivity than the gas pipe.

[0097] The eighth technical solution described above can further promote heat exchange between the aforementioned inactive gas and the aforementioned atmospheric gas.

[0098] The ninth technical solution is a liquid processing apparatus according to any one of the first to eighth technical solutions, wherein the outer diameter of the gas pipe is larger than the outer diameter of the inlet pipe that introduces the inactive gas from the storage source of the inactive gas into the processing container.

[0099] The ninth technical solution described above can further promote heat exchange between the aforementioned inactive gas and the aforementioned atmospheric gas.

[0100] The tenth technical solution is a method for adjusting the temperature of a processed liquid, which is a method for adjusting the temperature of the processed liquid in a liquid processing device.

[0101] The liquid processing device has:

[0102] A substrate holding section for holding a substrate;

[0103] The nozzle sprays a processing liquid onto the substrate held in the substrate holding portion.

[0104] A liquid supply pipe supplies the treatment liquid from a storage source to the ejection nozzle;

[0105] A gas tube, which encloses the liquid supply tube, and an inactive gas for adjusting the temperature of the treatment liquid flows in the space between the gas tube and the liquid supply tube.

[0106] A processing container, which internally comprises the substrate holding portion, the ejection nozzle, the liquid supply pipe, and the gas pipe; and

[0107] An atmosphere gas supply unit supplies atmosphere gas into the processing container.

[0108] The portion of the gas pipe within the processing container, between its upstream end and the inner portion containing the liquid supply pipe—that is, the extension—is arranged in a folded-back manner within the processing container from a top-down perspective.

[0109] This temperature adjustment method includes the following steps:

[0110] The temperature of the inactive gas flowing in the gas pipe is adjusted using the atmospheric gas from the atmospheric gas supply unit; and

[0111] The temperature of the processing liquid flowing in the liquid supply pipe is adjusted using an inactive gas whose temperature has been adjusted.

Claims

1. A liquid processing device, characterized in that, The liquid handling device has: A substrate holding section for holding a substrate; The nozzle sprays a processing liquid onto the substrate held in the substrate holding portion. A liquid supply pipe supplies the treatment liquid from a storage source to the ejection nozzle; The gas pipe contains the inactive gas used to adjust the temperature of the treatment liquid. The processing container has the substrate holding part, the ejection nozzle, the liquid supply pipe and the gas pipe inside; as well as An atmosphere gas supply unit supplies atmosphere gas into the processing container. The gas tube includes: An inner enclosure, wherein the liquid supply pipe is enclosed within the inner enclosure, and the inactive gas flows through the space between the inner enclosure and the liquid supply pipe; and An extension, which does not enclose the liquid supply pipe, is disposed within the processing container between its upstream end and the inner portion. The inactive gas flows within the extension, which is arranged in a folded-back configuration from a top view within the processing container. The outer diameter of the gas pipe is larger than the outer diameter of the inlet pipe that introduces the inactive gas from the storage source into the processing container. The inactive gas flowing within the extension is temperature-adjusted by heat exchange with the atmospheric gas, and the temperature-adjusted inactive gas is used to adjust the temperature of the processing liquid flowing within the liquid supply pipe in the inner packaging section.

2. The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The liquid handling device also has a moving mechanism that moves the ejection nozzle in a predetermined direction when viewed from above.

3. The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The gas pipe is configured such that the extension is folded back in the direction of movement of the ejection nozzle by the moving mechanism.

4. The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The gas pipe is configured such that the extension is folded back in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the ejection nozzle moves using the moving mechanism.

5. The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The gas pipe is configured such that the extension surrounds the processing container.

6. The liquid handling apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The liquid processing device has a fixture for securing the gas pipe inside the processing container. The fixing device is formed of a metallic material with a higher thermal conductivity than the gas tube.

7. The liquid handling apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer periphery of the gas tube is formed into a corrugated shape.

8. A method for adjusting the temperature of a processing liquid, which is a method for adjusting the temperature of a processing liquid in a liquid processing device, characterized in that, The liquid processing device has: A substrate holding section for holding a substrate; The nozzle sprays a processing liquid onto the substrate held in the substrate holding portion. A liquid supply pipe supplies the treatment liquid from a storage source to the ejection nozzle; The gas pipe contains the inactive gas used to adjust the temperature of the treatment liquid. The processing container has the substrate holding part, the ejection nozzle, the liquid supply pipe and the gas pipe inside; as well as An atmosphere gas supply unit supplies atmosphere gas into the processing container. The gas tube includes: An inner enclosure, wherein the liquid supply pipe is enclosed within the inner enclosure, and the inactive gas flows through the space between the inner enclosure and the liquid supply pipe; and An extension, which does not enclose the liquid supply pipe, is disposed within the processing container between its upstream end and the inner portion. The inactive gas flows within the extension, which is arranged in a folded-back configuration from a top view within the processing container. The outer diameter of the gas pipe is larger than the outer diameter of the inlet pipe that introduces the inactive gas from the storage source into the processing container. This temperature adjustment method includes the following steps: The temperature of the inactive gas flowing in the gas pipe is adjusted using the atmospheric gas from the atmospheric gas supply unit; and The temperature of the processing liquid flowing in the liquid supply pipe is adjusted using a temperature-adjusted inactive gas. The inactive gas flowing within the extension is temperature-adjusted by heat exchange with the atmospheric gas, and the temperature-adjusted inactive gas is used to adjust the temperature of the processing liquid flowing within the liquid supply pipe in the inner packaging section.

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