Substrate processing device

Abstract

The objective of this invention is to reduce the size of the bubbles (V) and improve the processing quality of the substrate in a substrate processing system (1) where a substrate (W) is immersed in a processing liquid stored in a processing tank (821) and treated by supplying bubbles to the substrate (W) in the processing liquid. This invention is a substrate processing apparatus comprising: a processing liquid ejection section (830) forming a liquid flow (L) of the processing liquid flowing upward along the substrate (W) from below it, held in a substrate holding section (810); and a bubble supply section (840) disposed between the processing liquid ejection section (830) and the substrate holding section (810) for supplying bubbles (V) to the processing liquid stored in the processing tank (821); and the bubble supply section (840) having: a gas supply pipe (842) for supplying gas internally; and a bubble ejection outlet (845) provided in the gas supply pipe (842) for ejecting bubbles (V) in the substrate alignment direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus, which immerses a substrate in a processing tank containing a processing solution such as a pharmaceutical solution or pure water, and processes the substrate by supplying air bubbles into the processing solution. Furthermore, the substrate includes semiconductor wafers, glass substrates for liquid crystal displays, glass substrates for plasma displays, glass or ceramic substrates for magnetic disks or optical disks, glass substrates for organic EL (electroluminescence) devices, glass substrates for solar cells, or silicon substrates, etc. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of semiconductor device manufacturing, the technology of forming high aspect ratio recesses is highly anticipated to address the increasing density and capacity of semiconductor devices. For example, in the manufacturing process of three-dimensional NAND (Not And) type non-volatile semiconductor devices (hereinafter referred to as "3D-NAND memory"), the following steps are included: forming recesses along the stacking direction on a multilayer body formed by stacking multiple layers of silicon oxide film (SiO2 film) and silicon nitride film (SiN film); supplying a processing solution to the recesses; and removing the SiN film by wet etching. To perform this step, methods such as those using the substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 have been explored.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a substrate processing apparatus comprising: a processing tank for storing a processing liquid for processing a substrate; a substrate holding section for holding the substrate within the processing liquid in the processing tank; a fluid supply section for supplying fluid to the processing tank; and a control section for controlling the fluid supply section. The control section controls the fluid supply section by changing the fluid supply method during the period from the start of fluid supply to the processing tank containing the processing liquid impregnating the substrate until the end of fluid supply. In this substrate processing apparatus, a first fluid supply pipe and a second fluid supply pipe, which supply gas or liquid parallel to the normal direction of the substrate's main surface, extend at the bottom of the processing tank as fluid supply sections. Furthermore, efforts are being made to suppress deviations occurring during substrate processing within the processing tank by switching the period of gas or liquid supply from the first and second fluid supply pipes using the control section.

[0004] Here, when gas is supplied from the fluid supply pipe, the supplied gas rises in the processing liquid in the form of bubbles. Predictably, the upward flow velocity of the processing liquid is increased by the buoyancy of the bubbles, and as the bubbles pass through the front side of the substrate, they come into contact with the front side, thus agitating the high-concentration silicon layer (high-concentration layer) of the processing liquid present on the front side of the substrate. This promotes the replacement of the processing liquid on the front side of the substrate with fresh processing liquid after the bubbles pass through. As a result, the silicon concentration near the top of the pattern formed by wet etching using the processing liquid becomes lower, allowing for rapid, uniform, and even deep substrate processing, reaching even the narrow and deep trenches of the pattern. It is assumed that the smaller the diameter (bubble diameter) of the bubbles passing through the front side of the substrate, the greater the agitation of the processing liquid by the bubbles.

[0005] [Background Technical Documents]

[0006] [Patent Literature]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-47885 Summary of the Invention

[0008] [The problem the invention aims to solve]

[0009] In Patent Document 1, the diameter of the fluid supply pipe is, for example, about 8.0 mm, the diameter of the nozzle is about 0.3 mm, and the diameter of the bubbles ejected from the nozzle is in the range of about 2.0 mm to about 3.5 mm. However, it is still desirable to further reduce the bubble diameter. After the bubbles are generated from the nozzle, they immediately form a tight seal with the area around the nozzle. As the ejection time progresses, the tight seal area diffuses radially from the nozzle. Afterward, the bubbles detach from the tight seal area and are supplied into the treatment fluid. Since there are limits to the reduction of the nozzle size, it has been difficult to further reduce the bubble diameter previously.

[0010] The present invention was developed in view of the aforementioned problems, and its object is to improve the processing quality of the substrate by reducing the diameter of the bubbles supplied to the front side of the substrate in a substrate processing apparatus that immerses the substrate in a processing liquid stored in a processing tank and supplies bubbles to the front side of the substrate.

[0011] [Technical means to solve the problem]

[0012] The first aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus, characterized by comprising: a processing tank for storing a processing liquid for immersing and processing a substrate; a substrate holding section for holding the substrates in an upright position by arranging the substrates horizontally spaced apart from each other within the processing tank; a processing liquid ejection section for forming a flow of the processing liquid, the flow of which flows upward along the substrate from below the substrate held in the substrate holding section; and a bubble supply section disposed between the processing liquid ejection section and the substrate holding section for supplying bubbles into the processing liquid stored in the processing tank; and the bubble supply section having: a gas supply pipe for supplying gas to the interior; and a bubble ejection outlet disposed in the gas supply pipe for ejecting bubbles in the arrangement direction of the substrates.

[0013] According to the first embodiment of the present invention, the bubble outlet of the bubble supply unit is provided between the processing liquid ejection unit and the front side of the substrate held in the substrate holding unit, and bubbles are ejected in the substrate alignment direction, so the bubbles can be detached from the bubble outlet by the flow of the processing liquid. Therefore, compared to the case where the bubbles are not detached from the bubble outlet of the gas supply pipe by the flow of the processing liquid, bubbles with smaller diameters can be supplied to the front side of the substrate. Furthermore, by utilizing the rising of the processing liquid to supply bubbles to the front side of the substrate, the rising speed of the bubbles can be increased, thereby enabling the processing liquid on the front side of the substrate to be rapidly and continuously replaced with fresh processing liquid.

[0014] The second embodiment of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention, characterized in that: the gas supply pipe extends along the main surface of the substrate when viewed from above, and has a plurality of bubble ejection outlets on the sidewall, the positions of which are capable of supplying bubbles to the gaps between the substrates held in the substrate holding portion and adjacent to each other.

[0015] According to the second embodiment of the present invention, the bubble ejection outlet is located below the gap in the substrate, so that small-diameter bubbles can be supplied to the front side of the substrate by utilizing the liquid flow of the processing liquid.

[0016] The third embodiment of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention, characterized in that: the processing liquid ejection section has a plurality of processing liquid supply pipes for supplying processing liquid to the interior, and a plurality of processing liquid ejection outlets are provided on the sidewall of the processing liquid supply pipes, the processing liquid ejection outlets being located below the gaps between adjacent substrates.

[0017] According to the third embodiment of the invention, the processing liquid outlet is located below the gap between the substrates, thus enabling the supply of small-diameter bubbles to the gap between the multiple substrates arranged together.

[0018] The fourth embodiment of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus according to the second or third embodiment of the present invention, characterized in that: the bubble supply section has a plurality of gas supply pipes, the gas supply pipes are adjacent to other gas supply pipes in the horizontal direction, and the bubble outlet is opened in the substantially horizontal direction below the gap of the substrate.

[0019] According to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, bubbles with smaller diameters can be supplied to the front side of the arranged multiple substrates.

[0020] The fifth aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, characterized in that: the bubble outlet is located at the front end of the hollow protrusion portion protruding from the gas supply pipe.

[0021] According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, bubbles with smaller diameters can be supplied to the front side of the arranged multiple substrates.

[0022] The sixth aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, characterized in that: the protruding portion is columnar or conical in shape.

[0023] According to the sixth embodiment of the present invention, bubbles with smaller diameters can be supplied to the front side of the arranged multiple substrates.

[0024] The seventh state of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus according to the fourth to sixth states of the present invention, characterized in that: the bubble ejection outlet is circular or elliptical in shape.

[0025] According to the seventh embodiment of the present invention, bubbles with smaller diameters can be supplied to the front side of the arranged multiple substrates.

[0026] The eighth aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus according to the second to seventh aspects of the present invention, characterized in that: the substrate is held in the substrate holding portion in a state in which the front side or the back side of an adjacent substrate faces each other.

[0027] According to the eighth embodiment of the present invention, the footprint of the substrate processing apparatus can be reduced, and substrate processing can be performed efficiently.

[0028] The ninth aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus according to the eighth aspect of the present invention, characterized in that: the substrate is in a state facing the back side of an adjacent substrate, and a spacer is provided between the back side of the substrate and the back side of the adjacent substrate.

[0029] According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, more bubbles with smaller diameters can be supplied to the front side of the substrate than when no spacer is provided.

[0030] The tenth aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus according to the first to ninth aspects of the present invention, characterized in that: the bubble supply section is made of a resin material, wherein the resin material is made of at least one material selected from the group consisting of polyether ether ketone (PEEK), perfluoroalkoxyalkane (PFA) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

[0031] According to the tenth embodiment of the present invention, bubbles with smaller diameters can be supplied to the front side of the arranged multiple substrates.

[0032] The 11th state sample of the present invention is the substrate processing apparatus according to the 10th state sample of the present invention, characterized in that: the bubble ejection outlet is hydrophilicated.

[0033] According to the 11th aspect of the present invention, bubbles with smaller diameters can be supplied to the front side of the arranged multiple substrates.

[0034] The 12th state sample of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus according to the 1st to 11th state samples of the present invention, characterized in that: a rectifier plate is provided below the gas supply pipe.

[0035] According to the 12th embodiment of the present invention, bubbles with smaller diameters can be supplied to the front side of the arranged multiple substrates.

[0036] [The effects of the invention]

[0037] According to the present invention, small-diameter bubbles can be supplied to the front side of the substrate, thereby replacing the high silicon concentration processing solution near the top of the pattern with fresh processing solution and reducing the silicon concentration. Furthermore, even the processing solution deep within the narrow and deep trenches of the pattern on the front side of the substrate can be replaced with fresh processing solution according to the silicon concentration gradient. As a result, substrate processing can be performed rapidly and uniformly, thereby improving the substrate processing quality. Attached Figure Description

[0038] Figure 1 This is a top view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing system equipped with the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention according to a first embodiment.

[0039] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the general configuration of a first embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 3 It is a schematic representation Figure 2 The exploded and assembled perspective view of the main components of the substrate processing device shown.

[0041] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A partial sectional view.

[0042] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration relationship of the multiple substrates, bubble ejection outlet, and processing liquid ejection outlet held in the elevator.

[0043] Figure 6 yes Figure 2 A top view of the main components of the substrate processing apparatus shown.

[0044] Figure 7 This indicates observation from the (-X) direction. Figure 5 A partial enlarged view of a portion of the gas supply pipe 842 shown.

[0045] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a comparative example of the substrate processing apparatus of the first embodiment.

[0046] Figure 9 This is a partial cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention.

[0047] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration relationship of multiple substrates, bubble ejection outlet, processing liquid ejection outlet, and spacer plate held in the elevator.

[0048] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration relationship of multiple substrates, bubble ejection outlet, processing liquid ejection outlet, and spacer plate held in the elevator.

[0049] Figure 12 This is a magnified view of a bubble ejection outlet in another form.

[0050] Figure 13 This is a partially enlarged view showing another type of gas supply pipe.

[0051] Figure 14 This is a partially enlarged view showing another type of gas supply pipe.

[0052] Figure 15 This is a partially enlarged view showing another type of gas supply pipe.

[0053] Figure 16 This is a partially enlarged view showing another type of gas supply pipe.

[0054] Figure 17 This is a partially enlarged view showing another type of gas supply pipe.

[0055] Figure 18 This is a partially enlarged view showing another type of gas supply pipe.

[0056] Figure 19 This is a partially enlarged view showing another type of gas supply pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0057] Figure 1 This is a top view showing a schematic configuration of the substrate processing system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The substrate processing system 1 includes a receiving unit 2, a gate drive mechanism 3, a substrate transfer robot 4, a posture transformation mechanism 5, a thruster 6, a substrate conveying mechanism 7, a processing unit 8, and a control unit 9. To ensure consistent orientation in the following figures, as shown... Figure 1 As shown, an orthogonal XYZ coordinate axis is defined. Here, the XY plane represents the horizontal plane. Additionally, the Z-axis represents the vertical axis; more specifically, the Z-direction is the vertical direction.

[0058] The receiving unit 2 is used to hold a receiving unit containing a substrate W. In this embodiment, as an example of a receiving unit, a wafer transfer cassette F is used. This wafer transfer cassette F is configured to hold multiple (e.g., 25) substrates W in a horizontally oriented stacked state along the Z direction. The wafer transfer cassette F is placed in the receiving unit 2 either with unprocessed substrates W or empty to hold processed substrates W. In this embodiment, the substrate W stored in the wafer transfer cassette F is a semiconductor wafer for forming a 3D-NAND memory and has a high aspect ratio recess. In this embodiment, the substrate W is a disc-shaped substrate.

[0059] Within the processing space adjacent to the receiving unit 2 in the (+Y) direction, a gate drive mechanism 3, a substrate transfer robot 4, a posture transformation mechanism 5, a thruster 6, a substrate transport mechanism 7, and a processing unit 8 are arranged. The receiving unit 2 and the processing space are separated by a partition wall (not shown) with a freely switchable gate 31. The gate 31 is connected to the gate drive mechanism 3. In response to a closing command from the control unit 9, the gate drive mechanism 3 closes the gate 31, spatially separating the receiving unit 2 from the processing space. Conversely, in response to an opening command from the control unit 9, the gate drive mechanism 3 opens the gate 31, connecting the receiving unit 2 to the processing space. Thus, unprocessed substrates W can be transported from the wafer transport cassette F into the processing space, and processed substrates W can be transported out of the wafer transport cassette F.

[0060] The loading and unloading of substrates W is performed by substrate transfer robot 4. Substrate transfer robot 4 is configured to rotate freely in a horizontal plane. With the gate 31 open, substrate transfer robot 4 transfers multiple substrates W between posture changing mechanism 5 and wafer transfer cassette F. Furthermore, after receiving substrates W from wafer transfer cassette F via substrate transfer robot 4 or before delivering substrates W to wafer transfer cassette F, posture changing mechanism 5 changes the posture of multiple substrates W between an upright position and a horizontal position.

[0061] On the substrate conveying mechanism 7 side of the posture transformation mechanism 5 ( Figure 1A pusher 6 is arranged on the +X direction side. It transfers multiple substrates W in an upright position between the posture changing mechanism 5 and the substrate conveying mechanism 7, and inserts multiple substrates W in other upright positions. Adjacent pairs of substrates W can be batched in a state where their front faces are separated from each other or their back faces are spaced a fixed distance apart (i.e., face-to-face or back-to-back). Alternatively, adjacent pairs of substrates W can also be batched in a state where their front faces and back faces are opposite each other (i.e., face-to-back). In this embodiment, 50 substrates W are arranged in a face-to-face state in the X direction. The front face of a substrate W is, for example, the main surface for forming circuit patterns, and the back face of a substrate W is the side opposite to the front face. Furthermore, circuit patterns can also be formed on the back face of the substrate W.

[0062] Substrate transfer mechanism 7 from such Figure 1 The position shown opposite to the thruster 6 (hereinafter referred to as the "standby position") is along the arrangement direction of the processing units 81 to 85 constituting the processing unit 8. Figure 1 The substrate conveying mechanism 7 moves horizontally (in the Y direction). It has a pair of cantilever arms 71. By swinging these cantilever arms 71, it can switch between two states: holding and releasing multiple substrates W at once. More specifically, it releases the multiple substrates W by swinging about a horizontal axis in a direction that moves the lower edges of the arms 71 away from each other, and holds the multiple substrates W by swinging about a horizontal axis in a direction that moves the lower edges of the arms 71 closer together. Furthermore, although... Figure 1 Although the illustration is omitted, the substrate conveying mechanism 7 actually has an arm moving part and an arm swinging part. The arm moving part has the function of moving a pair of hanging arms 71 horizontally along the Y direction of the arrangement of the processing units 81 to 85. Therefore, through this horizontal movement, the pair of hanging arms 71 will be positioned at a position opposite to each of the processing units 81 to 85 (hereinafter referred to as the "processing position") and a standby position.

[0063] The arm swinging unit has the function of performing the arm swinging action, switching between a holding state where the substrate W is held and a releasing state where the substrate W is released. Therefore, through this switching action and the up-and-down movement of the first lifter 810a, which functions as the substrate holding part of processing units 81 and 82, or the second lifter 810b, which functions as the substrate holding part of processing units 83 and 84, the substrate W can be transferred between the first lifter 810a and the hanging arm 71, or between the second lifter 810b and the hanging arm 71. In addition, in the processing position opposite to the processing unit 85, the substrate W can be transferred between the holding part of the processing unit 85 and the hanging arm 71. Furthermore, in the standby position, the substrate W can be transferred between the posture changing mechanism 5 and the hanging arm 71 via the pusher 6.

[0064] In the processing unit 8, as described above, five processing units 81 to 85 are provided, each functioning as a first chemical solution processing unit 81, a first rinsing processing unit 82, a second chemical solution processing unit 83, a second rinsing processing unit 84, and a drying processing unit 85. Specifically, the first chemical solution processing unit 81 and the second chemical solution processing unit 83 store the same or different chemical solutions in the processing tank 821, and immerse multiple substrates W in the chemical solution at one time to perform chemical solution treatment. The first rinsing processing unit 82 and the second rinsing processing unit 84 store rinsing solution (e.g., pure water) in the processing tank 821, and immerse multiple substrates W in the rinsing solution at one time to perform rinsing treatment on their front surfaces. The first chemical solution processing unit 81, the first rinsing processing unit 82, the second chemical solution processing unit 83, and the second rinsing processing unit 84 correspond to the first embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention; although the types of processing solutions differ, the basic structure is the same. Furthermore, the apparatus structure and operation will be described later. Figures 2 to 7 To elaborate further.

[0065] like Figure 1 As shown, the first solution treatment unit 81 and the adjacent first rinsing unit 82 are a pair, and the second solution treatment unit 83 and the adjacent second rinsing unit 84 are a pair. Furthermore, the first lifter 810a functions not only as a "substrate holding unit" in the first solution treatment unit 81 and the first rinsing unit 82, but also as a dedicated transport mechanism for moving the substrate W that has been treated by the first solution treatment unit 81 to the first rinsing unit 82. Similarly, the second lifter 810b functions not only as a "substrate holding unit" in the second solution treatment unit 83 and the second rinsing unit 84, but also as a dedicated transport mechanism for moving the substrate W that has been treated by the second solution treatment unit 83 to the second rinsing unit 84.

[0066] In the processing unit 8 configured as described above, the three support members 812 of the first lifter 810a receive multiple substrates W at once from a pair of cantilever arms 71 of the substrate transport mechanism 7. As detailed later, while performing an overflow step to allow the processing liquid to overflow from the processing tank 821 and a bubble supply step to supply bubbles V into the processing liquid stored in the processing tank 821, the lifter 810a lowers itself into the processing tank of the first chemical treatment section 81 and immerses it in the chemical liquid (immersion step). Then, after a designated chemical treatment time, the first lifter 810a lifts the support members 812 holding the multiple substrates W from the chemical liquid, moves them horizontally toward the first rinsing treatment section 82, and then lowers the support members 812, holding the substrates W that have completed chemical treatment, into the processing tank 821 of the first rinsing treatment section 82 and immerses them in the rinsing liquid. After the designated rinsing time has elapsed, the first lifter 810a raises the support member 812, which holds the rinsed substrate W, and lifts the substrate W out of the rinsing solution. Then, multiple substrates W are transferred at once from the support member of the first lifter 810a to a pair of cantilever arms 71 of the substrate transport mechanism 7.

[0067] Similarly, the second lifter 810b receives multiple substrates W at once from the pair of cantilever arms 71 of the substrate transport mechanism 7, lowers the multiple substrates W into the treatment tank 821 of the second chemical treatment section 83, and immerses them in the chemical solution. Then, after a designated chemical treatment time, the second lifter 810b raises the support member 812, lifting the multiple substrates W that have completed chemical treatment from the chemical solution, and moves the support member 812 laterally into the treatment tank 821 of the second rinsing treatment section 84. Then, the support member 812 is lowered into the treatment tank 821 of the second rinsing treatment section 84 and immersed in the rinsing solution. After a designated rinsing treatment time, the second lifter 810b raises the support member 812, lifting the substrates W from the rinsing solution. Afterwards, the multiple substrates W are transferred at once from the support member of the second lifter 810b to the pair of cantilever arms 71 of the substrate transport mechanism 7. Alternatively, the first liquid treatment unit 81, the first rinsing treatment unit 82, the second liquid treatment unit 83, and the second rinsing treatment unit 84 may be configured to provide lifters that function as the "substrate holding unit" of the present invention, and the substrate W may be moved in and out of the treatment units 81 to 84 by means of the substrate transport mechanism 7 or a dedicated transport mechanism.

[0068] The drying unit 85 has a substrate holding member (not shown) capable of holding multiple (e.g., 50) substrates W in an upright arrangement. The substrates W are dried by supplying an organic solvent (such as isopropanol) to them under reduced pressure or by using centrifugal force to remove liquid components from the front side of the substrates W. The drying unit 85 has a processing tank 824 that is deeper than the processing tank 821 of the processing unit 84, etc., and the upper part of the processing tank 824 has a cover that can slide in the (-X) direction, thereby forming a sealed state (not shown). A water layer is present on the lower side of the processing tank 824, allowing drying using the vapor of the organic solvent on its upper side. The lifting device of the drying unit 85 is located lower than the cover that can slide in the (-X) direction, and is configured to transfer substrates W between a pair of cantilever arms 71 of the substrate transport mechanism 7. Furthermore, multiple substrates W that have undergone rinsing are received from the substrate transport mechanism 7 at once, and the multiple substrates W are subjected to drying treatment. In addition, after the drying process, multiple substrates W are delivered at once from the substrate holding component to the substrate conveying mechanism 7.

[0069] Next, the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention will be described. Figure 1 Although the processing solutions used in the substrate processing system 1 shown are chemical solutions and rinsing solutions, and there are some differences, the device configuration and operation are basically the same. Therefore, the configuration and operation of the first chemical solution processing unit 81, which corresponds to the first embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention, will be described below, while the descriptions of the first rinsing unit 82, the second chemical solution processing unit 83, and the second rinsing unit 84 will be omitted.

[0070] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the general configuration of a first embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention. Figure 3 It is a schematic representation Figure 2 The exploded and assembled perspective view of the main components of the substrate processing device shown. Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A partial sectional view. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration relationship of the multiple substrates W held in the elevator, the bubble ejection outlet 845, and the processing liquid ejection outlet 834. Figure 6 yes Figure 2 A top view of the main components of the substrate processing apparatus shown. Figure 7 This indicates observation from the (-X) direction. Figure 5 A partial enlarged view of a portion of the gas supply pipe 842 shown.

[0071] The first chemical solution processing unit 81 is an apparatus that uses, for example, a chemical solution containing phosphoric acid as a processing solution to etch away the silicon nitride film formed on the front side of the substrate W. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the first chemical treatment unit 81 includes a treatment tank 821 for treating the substrate W with the first chemical solution. The treatment tank 821 has a box-shaped structure with an opening at the top, consisting of a rectangular bottom wall 821a (viewed from above) and four side walls 821b-821e rising from the periphery of the bottom wall 821a. Therefore, the treatment tank 821 can store the treatment solution within a storage space 821f enclosed by the bottom wall 821a and the side walls 821b-821e, allowing multiple substrates W to be immersed and held in the first lifter 810a at a single time. Furthermore, the treatment tank 821 has an opening at the top 821g that opens in the (+Z) direction, allowing the treatment solution to overflow from the storage space 821f.

[0072] An overflow tank 822 is provided around the processing tank 821. The overflow tank 822 and the side walls 821b to 821e of the processing tank 821 form a recovery space 822a for recovering the overflowed processing liquid. In addition, an outer container 823 is provided below and to the side of the processing tank 821 and the overflow tank 822.

[0073] A flow distribution system 839 is disposed in a portion of the recovery space 822a of the overflow tank 822, more specifically in the space on the (-X) direction side of the sidewall 821d. The inlet of the flow distribution system 839 is connected to the processing liquid supply unit 832, and the outlet is connected to the processing liquid supply pipe 831 of the processing liquid ejection unit 830. Therefore, if the processing liquid supply unit 832 operates in response to a processing liquid supply command from the control unit 9, the processing liquid is simultaneously supplied to multiple processing liquid supply pipes 831 via the flow distribution system 839. As a result, the processing liquid is ejected from the processing liquid supply pipes 831 and stored in the storage space 821f. Furthermore, the detailed configuration of the processing liquid supply pipe 831 will be described in detail later.

[0074] Furthermore, the processing fluid overflowing from the processing tank 821 is recycled to the overflow tank 822. A processing fluid recovery unit 833 is connected to the overflow tank 822. If the processing fluid recovery unit 833 operates in response to a processing fluid recovery command from the control unit 9, the processing fluid recovered in the overflow tank 822 is transported via the processing fluid recovery unit 833 to the processing fluid supply unit 832 for reuse. Thus, in this embodiment, processing fluid can be circulated to the processing tank 821 while being stored in the storage space 821f.

[0075] To hold multiple substrates W at once and immerse them in the storage space 821f containing the processing solution, such as Figure 2 As shown, a first lifter 810a is provided. This first lifter 810a is configured to move up and down between a "transfer position" and a storage space 821f. The "transfer position" is the position between the substrate transport mechanism 7 and the storage space 821f. Figure 1 The first lifter 810a includes a back plate 811, three support members 812, and an extension member 813. The back plate 811 extends along the side wall 821b of the processing groove 821 toward the bottom wall 821a. The support members 812 extend from the lower end side of the back plate 811 in the (-X) direction. In this embodiment, three support members 812 are provided. On the upper surface of each support member 812, a plurality of V-shaped grooves 812a are provided in the X direction at fixed intervals. The grooves 812a are V-shaped grooves 812a that are slightly wider than the thickness of the substrate W and open in the (+Z) direction, which can hold the substrate W. Therefore, by means of the three support members 812, a fixed substrate spacing PT can be used to lift the substrate W. Figure 5 Multiple substrates W transported by the substrate transport mechanism 7 are held in place at once. Additionally, the extended member 813 extends from the upper rear side of the back plate 811 in the (+X) direction. The first lifter 810a is as follows... Figure 2 As shown, the overall shape is L-shaped. In addition, the extreme rising position of the first lifter 810a is set at a height that allows the substrate conveying mechanism 7 to pass over the support member 812 even when it is in a state of holding multiple substrates W. This height is the height at which multiple substrates W can be transferred between the substrate conveying mechanism 7 and the support member 812.

[0076] A lifting drive mechanism 814 is provided on the (+X) direction side of the processing tank 821. The lifting drive mechanism 814 includes a lifting motor 815, a ball screw 816, a lifting base 817, a lifting support column 818, and a motor drive unit 819. The lifting motor 815 is mounted on the frame of the substrate processing system 1 (not shown) with its rotation axis longitudinally positioned. The ball screw 816 is connected to the rotation axis of the lifting motor 815. One side of the lifting base 817 is screwed onto the ball screw 816. The lower end of the lifting support column 818 is mounted on the lifting base 817, and the upper end is mounted on the lower surface of the extension member 813. When the motor drive unit 819 responds to a lifting command from the control unit 9 and drives the lifting motor 815, the ball screw 816 rotates, and the lifting support column 818 rises together with the lifting base 817. As a result, the support member 812 is positioned at the junction. Furthermore, if the motor drive unit 819 responds to the descent command from the control unit 9 and reverses the drive of the lifting motor 815, the ball screw 816 reverses, and the lifting column 818 descends along with the lifting base 817. As a result, the multiple substrates W held in the support member 812 are immersed in the processing liquid stored in the storage space 821f in one go.

[0077] Within the storage space 821f, on the side below the multiple substrates W held in the support member 812, i.e., on the (-Z) direction side, a processing liquid ejection section 830 and a bubble supply section 840 are provided. The processing liquid ejection section 830 ejects the processing liquid supplied from the processing liquid supply section 832 via the flow piping system 839 into the storage space 821f. The bubble supply section 840 supplies nitrogen bubbles V into the processing liquid stored in the storage space 821f. Figure 5 Each of them is constituted as described below.

[0078] like Figures 3 to 6 As shown, the processing liquid ejection section 830 has a processing liquid supply pipe 831 extending along the X direction. In this embodiment, four processing liquid supply pipes 831 are arranged spaced apart from each other in the Y direction. The (-X) direction end of each processing liquid supply pipe 831 is connected to the outlet of the flow piping system 839, and the (+X) direction end is sealed. In addition, each processing liquid supply pipe 831 has a plurality of processing liquid ejection outlets 834 (50 in this embodiment) penetrating the sidewall in the (+Z) direction. The plurality of processing liquid ejection outlets 834 are arranged at fixed intervals (substrate spacing PT in this embodiment) on the sidewall in the X direction. In this embodiment, as Figure 4 As shown, each processing liquid outlet 834 is oriented towards the (+Z) direction. Therefore, the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid supply pipe 831 forms a processing liquid flow L, which flows in the (+X) direction inside the pipe and then flows upward from each processing liquid outlet 834 to the upper opening 821g of the processing tank 821, i.e., the overflow surface. Thus, a processing liquid flow L in the (+Z) direction is formed on the lower side of the substrate W. Furthermore, for ease of understanding, the four processing liquid supply pipes 831 arranged closest to the (-Y) direction side are referred to as "processing liquid supply pipe 831a," and those arranged sequentially towards the (+Y) direction side are referred to as "processing liquid supply pipe 831b," "processing liquid supply pipe 831c," and "processing liquid supply pipe 831d," respectively. Alternatively, without distinction, they are simply referred to as "processing liquid supply pipe 831" as described above.

[0079] The treatment fluid supply pipe 831 is made of corrosion-resistant resin materials such as quartz, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), perfluoroalkoxyalkane (PFA), and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). By machining and inserting the surface of the treatment fluid supply pipe 831, the treatment fluid outlet 834 is integrated with the treatment fluid supply pipe 831.

[0080] like Figures 3 to 6As shown, the bubble supply unit 840 has bubblers 841 extending along the Y direction. In this embodiment, 25 bubblers 841 are arranged spaced apart from each other in the X direction. Each bubbler 841 has: a gas supply pipe 842 for gas to flow through its interior extending along the Y direction in the longitudinal direction; and a plurality of bubble outlets 845 (20 in this embodiment) passing through the sidewall of the gas supply pipe 842 in the (-X) direction. One end of each gas supply pipe 842 is connected to a gas supply unit 844 for supplying nitrogen (see reference). Figure 2 The gas inlet pipe 846 is connected to the gas inlet pipe 842, with the other end sealed. The gas inlet pipe 846 is provided along the side walls 821c and 821e of the processing tank 821. The gas supply pipe 842 extends alternately in the (+Y) direction or the (-Y) direction and is connected to the gas inlet pipe 846 provided along the side walls 821c or 821e. Figure 5 As shown, multiple bubble ejection outlets 845 are disposed on the sidewall of the gas supply pipe 842 in the X direction at a fixed spacing of twice the substrate spacing PT, i.e., a spacing of 2PT. Each bubble ejection outlet 845 is as follows: Figure 7 As shown, it is arranged in a circular shape.

[0081] The gas supply pipe 842 is a cylindrical component with a circular cross-section orthogonal to the gas flow direction. A bubble ejection outlet 845 is formed on the sidewall of the gas supply pipe 842 such that the center of the opening of the bubble ejection outlet 845 is located on a horizontal line passing through the center of this circle. Viewed from above, the gas supply pipe 842 extends along the main surface of the substrate W and is positioned below the substrate W. The bubble ejection outlets 845 of the gas supply pipe 842 are located between two adjacent substrates W in the horizontal direction. Thus, the bubbles V ejected from the bubble ejection outlets 845 supply the liquid flow L of the processing liquid rising from between the gas supply pipe 842 and the adjacent gas supply pipes 842. Furthermore, the diameter of the gas supply pipe 842 is, for example, approximately 8.0 mm, and the diameter of the bubble ejection outlet 845 is approximately 0.3 mm.

[0082] The gas supply pipe 842 is made of corrosion-resistant resin materials such as quartz, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), perfluoroalkoxyalkane (PFA), and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). By machining and inserting the gas supply pipe 842, the bubble outlet 845 is integrated with the gas supply pipe 842.

[0083] Regarding the placement of the bubble outlet 845, it is described above as being placed through the sidewall in the (-X) direction, but it can also be placed through the sidewall in the (+X) direction. The bubble outlets 845 of the plurality of bubblers 841 are preferably placed in a fixed direction, but in practice, for example, the bubble outlets 845 of adjacent bubblers 841 can be arranged opposite each other. Furthermore, it is described above as placing the bubble outlets 845 of the bubbler 841 in one direction of the bubbler 841, but in practice, for example, the bubble outlets 845 can be placed in both the (+X) and (-X) directions of the bubbler 841, and bubbles V can be supplied from both the (+X) and (-X) directions of the bubbler 841. Additionally, the bubble outlet 845 only needs to be able to supply bubbles V to the front side of the substrate, and it can also be placed through a sidewall in a generally horizontal direction that is inclined from the (+Z) or (-Z) direction towards the (-X) or (+X) direction.

[0084] In the bubble supply unit 840 configured as described above, if the gas supply unit 844 supplies nitrogen gas to the bubble supply unit 840 in response to a bubble supply command from the control unit 9, the nitrogen gas flowing through the gas supply pipe 842 is ejected from the bubble outlet 845 provided on the side wall of the gas supply pipe 842 toward the liquid flow L of the processing liquid, which rises between each pair of the multiple gas supply pipes 842. As a result, nitrogen gas bubbles V are supplied to the processing liquid stored in the storage space 821f along the overflow surface from the side wall of the gas supply pipe 842 in the (+Z) direction.

[0085] These bubbles V easily detach from the bubble ejection outlet 845 in a small state through the liquid flow L of the liquid flowing from the liquid ejection outlet 834 to the upper opening 821g of the liquid, and then rise from the liquid. The bubbles V rising through the liquid flow L of the liquid promote the replacement of the liquid on the front side of the substrate W with fresh liquid. In addition, the gas supply unit 844 can be configured to supply nitrogen from a nitrogen-filled gas storage tank, or a utility facility installed in the factory where the substrate processing system 1 is installed can be used.

[0086] Referenced Figures 2 to 6 The configuration of the first solution treatment unit 81, which corresponds to the first embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention, has been described. The second solution treatment unit 83 has the same configuration as the first solution treatment unit 81, except that the type of treatment solution may be the same or different, and is also corresponding to the first embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention. In addition, the first rinsing treatment unit 82 and the second rinsing treatment unit 84 have the same configuration as the first solution treatment unit 81, except that the treatment solution is a rinsing solution such as DIW (deionized water), and are also corresponding to the first embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention.

[0087] In summary, in the first embodiment of the present invention, the gas supply pipe 842 is provided with a plurality of bubble ejection outlets 845 inclined horizontally from the (+Z) direction towards the (-X) or (+X) direction. Therefore, nitrogen gas ejected from each bubble ejection outlet 845 can be supplied into the treatment liquid by the upward flow of the treatment liquid supplied from the treatment liquid outlet 834, causing bubbles V to detach from the bubble ejection outlet 845 and reducing the size of the bubbles V, thus supplying them into the treatment liquid. A detailed explanation will be provided in the comparison... Figure 8 The comparative example shown is different from this embodiment. Figure 5 (This is to be explained.)

[0088] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a comparative example of the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. In this comparative example, a gas supply pipe 842 is provided above the processing liquid outlet 834 of the processing liquid supply pipe 831, i.e., in the (+Z) direction, and a bubble outlet 845 is provided on the upper side, i.e., in the (+Z) direction. Processing liquid is ejected from the processing liquid outlet 834 in the (+Z) direction, and nitrogen gas is ejected from the bubble outlet 845 in the (+Z) direction, thereby supplying processing liquid and bubbles V to the storage space 821f of the processing tank 821. In this case, the processing liquid cannot impact the gas supply pipe 842, and directly causes the bubbles V to detach from the bubble outlet 845. In addition, the processing liquid does not impact the gas supply pipe 842, but directly assists the rise of the bubbles V. As a result, the bubbles V are in close contact with the area around the bubble outlet 845 on the surface of the gas supply pipe 842, and do not detach from the surface of the gas supply pipe 842, and grow in a spherical shape with the opening of the bubble outlet 845 as time goes by. Once the buoyancy of the enlarged bubble V exceeds the contact force and reaches a size sufficient to detach, it will detach from the bubble ejection outlet 845 and the contact area and be supplied into the processing liquid. Sometimes the diameter of the enlarged bubble V becomes larger than the substrate spacing PT, thus preventing it from entering the substrate W space and failing to adequately promote the replacement of the processing liquid on the front side of the substrate W with fresh processing liquid.

[0089] In contrast, in the first embodiment, the bubbles V ejected from the bubble ejection outlet 845 immediately fly away from the bubble ejection outlet 845 through the rising treatment liquid after generation. The flying bubbles V rise together with the treatment liquid, and their rising speed is faster due to the combination of the buoyancy of the bubbles V and the rising speed of the treatment liquid. As a result, in the first embodiment, the size of the bubbles V is larger than that of the comparative example (…). Figure 8 It is small and can supply smaller bubbles to the front side of the substrate between substrates, thereby rapidly and fully promoting the replacement of the processing solution on the front side of the substrate with fresh processing solution.

[0090] In particular, the first solution processing unit 81 performs wet etching of the SiN film via a high aspect ratio recess, therefore, applying the present invention to the first solution processing unit 81 is important for the manufacture of 3D-NAND memory. That is, to improve wet etching performance, the replacement of the processing solution between the inside and outside of the recess must be well achieved. Furthermore, near the bottom of the recess, silicon precipitates during the etching reaction, but this silicon can be removed from the recess through the replacement of the processing solution. To ensure stable and continuous liquid replacement, the concentration difference between the inside and outside of the recess, i.e., the concentration gradient, must be increased. Furthermore, to meet these requirements, reducing the bubble diameter becomes an important technical matter for efficiently supplying fresh processing solution to the front side of the substrate W. In this regard, according to the first solution processing unit 81, which can reduce the size of the bubble V, the supply of fresh processing solution can be promoted through the bubble V, thereby enabling better wet etching of the SiN film.

[0091] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the first embodiment described above, and various modifications can be made in addition to the embodiments described above, as long as they do not depart from its spirit. For example, in the first embodiment, a bubbler 841 with a hollow cylindrical bubble outlet 845 provided from the gas supply pipe 842 is used to supply the bubble V, but the configuration of the bubbler 841 is not limited to this.

[0092] Secondly, use Figure 9 and Figure 10 The second embodiment will be described below. Furthermore, descriptions of configurations identical to those in the first embodiment will be omitted. Figure 9 and Figure 10 In this configuration, substrates W are arranged face-to-face in the X direction. A spacer 851 is provided above the gas supply pipe 842 and between the back surface of substrate W and the back surface of adjacent substrate W. The spacer 851 is, for example, a quadrangular prism shape. By providing the spacer 851, the generation of processing liquid that tends to rise from between the back surface of substrate W and the back surface of adjacent substrate W around the gas supply pipe 842 can be suppressed. This reduces the influence of the processing liquid flow in the X direction, allowing bubbles V ejected from the bubble ejection port 845 to be supplied between the front surface of substrate W and the front surface of adjacent substrate W. As a result, bubbles V can be concentrated on the front surface of the face-to-face substrates, thereby increasing the rate of replacement with fresh processing liquid and enabling substrate processing to be performed with higher quality. Furthermore, while the spacer 851 was described separately from the gas supply pipe 842 above, it can actually be integrated with the gas supply pipe 842.

[0093] Secondly, use Figure 11The third embodiment will be described below. Furthermore, configurations identical to those in the first and second embodiments will be omitted from the description. In the second embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, 50 processing liquid nozzles 834 are arranged along the X direction at intervals of substrate pitch PT. However, in the third embodiment, as... Figure 11 As shown, they are arranged on the sidewall of the processing liquid supply pipe 831 in the (+Z) direction with a fixed substrate spacing PT, i.e., a spacing of 2PT (25 in this embodiment). In this case, even with the same flow rate as in the first or second embodiment, the flow rate of the processing liquid supplied from one processing liquid nozzle 834 will increase, and the bubbles V ejected from the multiple bubble nozzles 845, which are located more laterally than above the gas supply pipe 842 and extend in the (-X) direction, will detach from the gas supply pipe 842 and rise in a smaller state.

[0094] In the first to third embodiments, the gas supply pipe 842 and multiple bubble ejection outlets 845 are integrated by cutting and inserting the surface of the long resin tube made of resin material.

[0095] Additionally, while the bubble ejection outlet 845 is circular, its shape is arbitrary and not limited to this. For example, other shapes could also be used... Figure 12 The front end shown has an elliptical bubble outlet 845 to supply bubble V.

[0096] Furthermore, while the bubble ejection outlet 845 is through-hole, its shape is arbitrary and not limited to any particular type, as long as it is located between adjacent substrates W in the horizontal direction. For example, the bubble ejection outlet 845 may be positioned as follows: Figure 13 The portion shown is a hollow cylindrical protrusion 843a, or as shown in the figure. Figure 14 The front end of the hollow frustum-shaped protrusion 843b is shown as a pointed (conical) shape that becomes smaller as it gets closer to the front end.

[0097] The bubble outlet 845a or bubble outlet 845b is respectively located at the front end of the protrusion portion 843a or protrusion portion 843b protruding from the gas supply pipe 842. Therefore, the contact area in the bubble supply section 840 that remains in close contact with the bubble V until it is about to detach from the bubble outlets 845a and 845b and be supplied to the treatment liquid is limited to the front end face of the protrusion portions 843a and 843b, thus narrowing it compared to when the bubble outlet 845 is located on the side wall of the piping. As a result, the bubble diameter can be reduced, improving the treatment quality.

[0098] Regarding the protruding parts 843a or 843b, they are formed by machining and inserting the gas supply pipe 842 onto its surface, thus integrating the gas supply pipe 842 with the multiple protruding parts 843a or 843b. Alternatively, the gas supply pipe 842 and the multiple protruding parts 843a and 843b can be prepared separately, and the gas supply pipe 842 can be integrated by installing the multiple protruding parts 843a and 843b.

[0099] Furthermore, while the gas supply pipe 842 has a circular cross-section, its shape is arbitrary and not limited to any particular shape, as long as the bubble outlet 845 is located between adjacent substrates W in the horizontal direction. For example, it could also be as follows: Figures 15-17 As shown, gas supply pipe 842b is a type of corner prism component, such as a quadrilateral. For example, in... Figure 15 In the middle, the bubble ejector outlet 845c is installed through the gas supply pipe 842b. Figure 16 In the middle, the bubble ejection outlet 845d passes through the front end of the hollow cylindrical protrusion 843d, which is cylindrical in shape. Figure 17 In this configuration, the bubble outlet 845e passes through the front end of a hollow, truncated cone-shaped protrusion 843e, which has a pointed shape and a smaller outer dimension as it approaches the front end. Like bubble outlets 845a, 845b, 845d, and 845e, when the bubble outlet 845 is located at the front end of a hollow cylinder, the upward flow of the processing liquid supplied from the processing liquid outlet 834 promotes the detachment of bubbles V from the bubble outlet. As a result, the size of the bubbles V can be further reduced.

[0100] In addition, such as Figure 18As shown, gas supply pipes 842 are connected to gas supply units 844 via flow regulators 847. The flow regulator 847 can be an on / off valve or a flow adjustment valve. The flow regulator 847 is connected to a control unit 9, which controls the on / off operation and flow rate of the flow regulator 847, thereby controlling the flow rate of the gas flowing through the gas supply pipes 842. This allows for individual adjustment of the flow rate of the gas flowing to each of the multiple gas supply pipes 842, thereby adjusting the amount of bubbles V ejected from the bubble ejection outlet 845. By having the flow regulator 847 as described above, for example, when there is a difference in etching amount between multiple substrates arranged along the X direction relative to the target etching amount, the supply amount of bubbles V can be adjusted at each position in the X direction. As a result, the uniformity of the etching amount corresponding to each substrate in all substrates processed in a batch at once can be improved. Furthermore, when it is desired to change the etching amount between substrates, the amount of bubbles V supplied to the front side of the substrate with the desired changed etching amount can be adjusted appropriately by increasing or decreasing the amount supplied. In addition, by adjusting the flow rate of the gas flowing through the multiple gas supply pipes 842 one by one, the amount of bubble V supplied to the treatment tank 821 can be adjusted, and the speed of the upward flow of the treatment liquid can also be locally adjusted according to the position in the treatment tank 821.

[0101] Alternatively, the inner surface of the bubble ejection outlet 845 can be hydrophilized. Hydrophilization treatment, for example, is plasma treatment. Through this plasma treatment, the inner surface of the relevant tip, i.e., the bubble ejection outlet 845, is hydrophilized, thereby promoting the detachment of bubble V. As a result, the size of bubble V can be further reduced.

[0102] Alternatively, it can be like Figure 19 As shown, a rectifier plate 861 is provided below the gas supply pipe 842. For example, a rectifier plate 861 with a width larger than the diameter of the gas supply pipe 842 can be used. By employing such a rectifier plate, an upward flow of the processing liquid ejected from the processing liquid ejection section 830 can be supplied to the front surface of the substrate W, which is arranged along the X direction, from a rectifier plate spacing narrower than the spacing between adjacent gas supply pipes 842. In this case, the velocity of the upward flow of the processing liquid is increased, which promotes the detachment of bubbles V from the bubble ejection outlet 845, and the detached bubbles V can be properly supplied to the front surface of the substrate W. Furthermore, the rectifier plate 861, like the gas supply pipe 842, can be provided extending along the main surface of the substrate when viewed from above. Furthermore, the treatment liquid outlet 834 of the treatment liquid supply pipe 831 opens toward the bottom wall 821a or side wall 821c of the treatment tank 821 to spray out treatment liquid, and the sprayed treatment liquid can form an upward flow sprayed from the interval between the rectifier plates.

[0103] In addition, in the above embodiment, the processing liquid ejection section 830 includes four processing liquid supply pipes 831, but the number of processing liquid supply pipes 831 is not limited to this, and can be set according to the size of the storage space 821f or the substrate W. Furthermore, the bubble supply section 840 includes 25 bubblers 841, but the number of bubblers 841 is not limited to this, and can be set according to the orientation of the storage space 821f or the front side of the substrate W, the number of substrates W, etc.

[0104] In addition, in the above embodiment, nitrogen gas is introduced into the bubbler 841 to supply nitrogen gas bubbles V into the treatment liquid, but in fact, gases other than nitrogen can be used as "gas" in this invention.

[0105] Furthermore, in the described embodiment, the present invention is applied to a substrate processing apparatus in which processing liquid is sprayed from the processing liquid supply pipe 831 toward the storage space 821f. However, the supply state of the processing liquid is not limited to this. For example, the processing liquid can also be sprayed from the lower side of the substrate W toward the bottom wall 821a of the processing tank 821.

[0106] Furthermore, in the aforementioned embodiments, the present invention is applied to a substrate processing apparatus that performs drug treatment with a solution containing phosphoric acid or a substrate processing apparatus that performs rinsing treatment. However, the scope of application of the present invention is not limited to these. The present invention can be applied to all substrate processing technologies that involve immersing the substrate in a processing liquid other than the drug solution and rinsing liquid, and supplying air bubbles V to the substrate in the processing liquid for substrate processing.

[0107] [Industry availability]

[0108] This invention can be applied to the entire substrate processing apparatus that immerses a substrate in a processing tank containing a pharmaceutical solution or pure water, and supplies air bubbles to the substrate in the processing solution to process it.

[0109] [Explanation of Symbols]

[0110] 81. First Chemical Solution Processing Unit (Substrate Processing Apparatus)

[0111] 82 First Washing Processing Unit (Substrate Processing Apparatus)

[0112] 83. Second Chemical Solution Processing Unit (Substrate Processing Apparatus)

[0113] 84. Second Washing Processing Unit (Substrate Processing Apparatus)

[0114] 810 Elevator (Substrate Holding Section)

[0115] 810a First Elevator (Substrate Holding Section)

[0116] 810b Second elevator (substrate holding section)

[0117] 821 processing tank

[0118] 821f storage space

[0119] 821g, opening at the top

[0120] 830 Treatment Fluid Spraying Section

[0121] 831 Processing fluid supply pipe

[0122] 832 Processing Fluid Supply Department

[0123] 834 treatment fluid spray outlet

[0124] 840 Bubble Supply Department

[0125] 841, 841a~841d Bubblers

[0126] 842,842b Gas supply pipe

[0127] 843, 843a, 843b, 843d, 843e Penetration Locations

[0128] 845, 845a~845e Bubble ejection outlet

[0129] V-shaped bubbles

[0130] W substrate.

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus, characterized in that... Comprising: a processing tank that stores a processing liquid with which a substrate is dipped to be processed; a substrate holding section that arranges the substrates apart from each other in a horizontal direction within the processing tank, and holds the substrates in an upright posture; a processing liquid ejecting section that forms a flow of the processing liquid that flows from below the substrates held in the substrate holding section to above along the substrates; and a bubble supplying section that is arranged between the processing liquid ejecting section and the substrate holding section, and supplies bubbles into the processing liquid stored in the processing tank. The bubble supplying section has a gas supplying pipe that supplies gas inside, and a bubble ejecting port that is provided to the gas supplying pipe, and ejects bubbles in the direction in which the substrates are arranged.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the gas supplying pipe is extended along a main surface of the substrate as viewed from above, and has a plurality of bubble ejecting ports in a side wall, the bubble ejecting ports are positioned to supply bubbles to a gap between the substrates held in the substrate holding section and adjacent to each other.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: the processing liquid ejecting section has a plurality of processing liquid supplying pipes that supply processing liquid inside, and has a plurality of processing liquid ejecting ports in a side wall of the processing liquid supplying pipe, the processing liquid ejecting ports are positioned below the gap between the substrates adjacent to each other.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: the bubble supplying section has a plurality of the gas supplying pipes, the gas supplying pipes are adjacent to each other in a horizontal direction, and the bubble ejecting ports are opened below the gap between the substrates in a substantially horizontal direction.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein: the bubble ejecting ports are positioned at a front end of a hollow protruding site protruding from the gas supplying pipe.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein: the protruding site is a columnar shape or a conical shape.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein: the bubble ejecting ports are a circular shape or an elliptical shape.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: the substrates are held in the substrate holding section in a state in which front surfaces of adjacent substrates face each other or back surfaces of adjacent substrates face each other.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein: the substrates are held in a state in which back surfaces of adjacent substrates face each other, and a spacer is provided between the back surface of the substrate and the back surface of the adjacent substrate.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: the bubble supplying section is composed of a resin material, the resin material is composed of at least one material selected from the group consisting of polyether ether ketone, perfluoroalkoxy alkane, and polytetrafluoroethylene.

11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: the bubble ejecting ports are subjected to hydrophilization treatment.

12. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: a flow straightening plate is provided below the gas supplying pipe. ​

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