Substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus capable of improving the quality of a substrate is provided. An embodiment is a substrate processing apparatus that processes a substrate having warping, and includes: a plurality of conveyance rollers that are provided in multiple groups along a conveyance direction, each group including two rollers provided apart in a width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction, that support a concave surface of the substrate and rotate around a shaft, thereby conveying the substrate; a first shaft that is provided in multiple groups along the conveyance direction, each group including two shafts provided apart in the width direction, that support the conveyance rollers; and a fluid supply portion that supplies a fluid to the concave surface of the substrate, the fluid supply portion supplying the fluid to the concave surface of the substrate from between the conveyance rollers of each group provided apart in the width direction.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Embodiments of the present application relate to a substrate processing apparatus. BACKGROUND

[0002] In a manufacturing process of a liquid crystal display device or a semiconductor element, a substrate processing apparatus that processes a substrate such as a glass substrate or a semiconductor substrate is used. As the substrate processing, for example, there are resist coating processing, resist peeling processing, etching processing, cleaning processing, and drying processing. The substrate processing apparatus processes a substrate by supplying a processing fluid such as a processing liquid or a drying gas to the substrate through a supply tool while conveying the substrate through a plurality of convey rollers.

[0003] [Patent Literature]

[0004] [Patent Literature]

[0005] [Patent Literature 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-10096 SUMMARY

[0006] [Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

[0007] A substrate as a convey target is generally a flat substrate, but there are substrates having warping. For example, when a substrate having a thickness of about 1 mm or less is used as a processing target substrate, and film formation is performed on one of the surfaces of the substrate, the substrate warps due to the stress of the film. Therefore, one of the surfaces of the substrate is sometimes a concave surface and the other surface is a convex surface. If a substrate having warping as described above is conveyed with the concave surface upward while maintaining the state of warping by a plurality of convey rollers, a processing fluid from a supply tool is retained in the central portion of the concave surface, and thus the processing of the substrate becomes insufficient or uneven. Therefore, for example, processing unevenness such as coating unevenness, peeling unevenness, etching unevenness, cleaning unevenness, and drying unevenness occurs, and thus the quality of the substrate deteriorates.

[0008] The present application has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present application is to provide a substrate processing apparatus that can improve the quality of a substrate.

[0009] [Means of Solving the Problems]

[0010] An embodiment of the present application is a substrate processing apparatus that processes a substrate having warping, and includes: a plurality of sets of conveyance rollers, each set of which includes two conveyance rollers provided at a distance in a width direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction of the substrate, the plurality of sets of conveyance rollers being provided along the conveyance direction of the substrate, the conveyance rollers supporting a concave side of the substrate to convey the substrate; a first shaft, each set of which includes two first shafts provided at a distance in the width direction, the plurality of sets of first shafts being provided along the conveyance direction of the substrate, the first shafts on which the conveyance rollers are mounted; and a fluid supply portion that supplies a fluid to the concave side of the substrate, the fluid supply portion supplying the fluid to the concave side of the substrate from between the conveyance rollers provided at a distance in the width direction.

[0011] [Effects of Invention]

[0012] According to the embodiment of the present application, the quality of the substrate can be improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1 is a side view showing the schematic structure of the substrate processing apparatus of the embodiment.

[0014] Figure 2 is a front view of Figure 1 .

[0015] Figure 3 is a plan view showing the schematic structure of the substrate processing apparatus of the embodiment of Figure 1 .

[0016] Figure 4 is a plan view showing the schematic structure of the substrate processing apparatus of another embodiment.

[0017] [Explanation of Symbols]

[0018] 10: Substrate processing apparatus

[0019] 21: Processing chamber

[0020] 30: Substrate conveyance apparatus

[0021] 31: Conveyance roller

[0022] 31a: Cylindrical portion

[0023] 31b: Flange-like portion

[0024] 31c: First shaft

[0025] 32: Press roller

[0026] 32a: Second shaft

[0027] 33: Guide roller

[0028] 40: Fluid supply portion

[0029] 41: liquid ejecting section

[0030] 42: gas blowing section

[0031] 42a: blowout port

[0032] 50: control section

[0033] 411, 411A, 411B, 411C: tube

[0034] 412, 412A, 412B, 412C: ejecting section

[0035] a: axis

[0036] ax, L, Lp: length

[0037] D, e, H: separation distance

[0038] d: separation distance (distance between facing surfaces)

[0039] P: pattern

[0040] S1: concave surface

[0041] S2: convex surface

[0042] T: conveyance path

[0043] Td: conveyance direction

[0044] W: substrate

[0045] X: width direction DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] Reference Signs Figures 1-4 A substrate processing apparatus 10 according to an embodiment will be described. Note that the dimensions and shapes of the drawings do not reflect the actual dimensions and shapes of the substrate and the apparatus, and exaggerated portions are included for easy understanding. In the following description, the direction in which gravity acts will be referred to as "downward", and the direction against gravity will be referred to as "upward", but these directions are not limited to the direction in which the apparatus is installed.

[0047] [Substrate]

[0048] As Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, in the present embodiment, the substrate W, which is a conveyance object and a processing object, has a warp. As the substrate W, a thin substrate of a rectangular shape such as a glass substrate is used, for example. In the present embodiment, the thickness of the substrate W is about 0.5 mm to 1.1 mm, and the amount of warp of the substrate W is about 7 mm to 10 mm. In the drawing, the short side direction of the substrate W is shown to follow the shape of the U, but the actual warp of the rectangular-shaped substrate W is present at the four corners of the substrate W. Due to the warp, one of the faces of the substrate W contracts, and the other face expands. The face that is recessed due to the contraction is set as a concave face S1, and the face that is raised due to the expansion is set as a convex face S2. The substrate W of the present embodiment uses the concave face S1 as a processing face. For example, a substrate W in which a pattern P of a circuit is formed on the processing face, like a multilayer substrate, is used. Further, in the vicinity of the outer edge of the processing face of the substrate W, there is a region in which the pattern P is not formed. The region of the processing face in which the pattern P is formed is set as a "pattern formation region", and the region outside the periphery of the pattern formation region in which the pattern P is not formed is set as a "non-pattern formation region".

[0049] [Basic structure]

[0050] The substrate processing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment is an apparatus that supports the substrate W on the concave face S1 side while conveying the substrate W and processes the concave face S1, which is a processing face. When conveying the substrate W with the concave face S1 as the lower side and the convex face S2 as the upper side as described above, basically, the substrate W can be stably conveyed only by support of the end portions of the substrate W. Further, the substrate processing apparatus 10 processes the concave face S1 on the lower side. The substrate processing apparatus 10 has a processing chamber 21, a substrate conveyance apparatus 30, a fluid supply portion 40, and a control portion 50. The processing chamber 21 is a frame that has a conveyance path T inside for conveying the substrate W, and is formed so that the substrate W can pass through the inside along the conveyance path T. The processing chamber 21 functions as a place for processing the substrate W that moves on the conveyance path T. The processing of the substrate W in the present embodiment is cleaning and drying. On the bottom surface of the processing chamber 21, a discharge port (not shown) for discharging a processing liquid is formed.

[0051] The substrate conveyance apparatus 30 has a plurality of conveyance rollers 31 and a plurality of press rollers 32. The substrate conveyance apparatus 30 is provided throughout the entire inside of the processing chamber 21, presses the convex face S2 of the substrate W with each of the press rollers 32, and conveys the substrate W while supporting the concave face S1 side with each of the conveyance rollers 31.

[0052] [Substrate conveyance apparatus]

[0053] (Dispositions of conveyance rollers and press rollers)

[0054] The substrate conveying device 30, as described above, conveys the substrate W with the concave surface S1 facing downwards. Each conveying roller 31 is arranged at predetermined intervals below the conveying path T along the conveying direction Td of the substrate W. Each pressing roller 32 is positioned above the conveying path T, spaced apart from the groups of conveying rollers 31, and arranged at predetermined intervals along the conveying direction Td, the same as the predetermined intervals of the conveying rollers 31. These conveying rollers 31 and pressing rollers 32 are located within the processing chamber 21 to... Figure 1 The conveying rollers 31 are arranged in a vertically opposing manner, each capable of rotation, and configured to rotate synchronously via a drive mechanism (not shown). Figure 1 Rotate clockwise in the middle and press roller 32 counterclockwise.

[0055] Within the processing chamber 21, multiple sets of conveying rollers 31 (two per set in this embodiment) and pressing rollers 32, arranged facing each other across the conveying path T, are provided. The spacing H between the conveying rollers 31 and pressing rollers 32 in each set within the processing chamber 21 is constant. In this embodiment, the spacing H is a distance perpendicular to the conveying path, for example, in the vertical direction. The phrase "the spacing H is constant" means, for example, a predetermined distance that allows the substrate to be conveyed at or below the warpage of the substrate W. The warpage is the maximum vertical distance between the plane on which the substrate W is placed and the upper surface of the substrate W placed on the plane.

[0056] (Specific structure of the conveying roller)

[0057] like Figure 2 As shown, the conveying roller 31 supports the concave S1 side of the substrate W and rotates about an axis a that is orthogonal to the conveying direction Td of the substrate W in the horizontal plane, thereby conveying the substrate W. The conveying roller 31 has a cylindrical portion 31a and a flange-like portion 31b located on the same axis a. The cylindrical portion 31a is connected to the end of the substrate W on the concave S1 side to support the substrate W. The cylindrical portion 31a is, for example, a roller using rubber or resin as raw material. The axis of the cylindrical portion 31a is the width direction X, which is orthogonal to the conveying direction Td. The conveying roller 31, including the cylindrical portion 31a, is arranged in multiple groups of two that are spaced apart in the width direction X, along the conveying direction Td. The two cylindrical portions 31a in each group have the same diameter.

[0058] Furthermore, the distance H between the conveying roller 31 and the pressing roller 32 is the distance between the portion in contact with the substrate W. In this embodiment, it is the distance between the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 31a and the outer peripheral surface of the pressing roller 32. That is, the distance H between the conveying roller 31 and the pressing roller 32 includes the case where a portion of the conveying roller 31 is the distance between the pressing roller 32 and the pressing roller 31. In addition, the conveying path T in this embodiment is located between the cylindrical portion 31a of the conveying roller 31 and the pressing roller 32.

[0059] The flange-like portion 31b is a portion provided at the opposite end portions of the cylindrical portion 31a in the two conveyance rollers 31 in a manner that the diameter is increased. The flange-like portion 31b is capable of abutting against the end portion of the substrate W along the conveyance direction Td.

[0060] Further, as shown in Figure 3 the distance D between the facing surfaces of the cylindrical portions 31a of the conveyance rollers 31 of each group is constant. If the length in the width direction X of the substrate W in plan view with warping is L, the distance D is preferably set to D≦L. In addition, if the distance (distance between facing surfaces) of the flange-like portions 31b of the conveyance rollers 31 of each group is d, it is preferably set to d≧L. Thereby, the end portion of the substrate W can be supported by the conveyance rollers 31. Further, as shown in Figure 2 if the length in the width direction X of the pattern formation region of the substrate W in plan view is Lp, it is preferably set to D>Lp. Thereby, the supply of the fluid to the pattern P by the fluid supply portion 40 described later can be prevented from being blocked by the conveyance rollers 31. Further, the length ax in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 31a is (d-D) / 2.

[0061] Further, the first shaft 31c is provided coaxially with the conveyance roller 31. The first shaft 31c is provided with a plurality of groups in which two are provided spaced apart in the width direction X, and the conveyance roller 31 is attached. That is, two first shafts 31c are provided coaxially with and spaced apart in the width direction X with respect to the two conveyance rollers 31 of each group. The diameter of the first shaft 31c is smaller than that of the cylindrical portion 31a, and is provided at the opposite end surfaces of the two cylindrical portions 31a of each group. The plurality of first shafts 31c are capable of being provided so as to be synchronously rotatable, for example, by a drive mechanism having a helical gear (bevel gear) not shown. The two conveyance rollers 31 of each group are each rotationally driven at the same circumferential speed.

[0062] When the first shaft 31c is rotated, each cylindrical portion 31a attached to the first shaft 31c is rotated with the first shaft 31c as the axis of rotation. The conveyance roller 31 supports the non-pattern formation region on the concave surface S1 side or the end portion of the substrate W along the conveyance direction Td and conveys it in the conveyance direction Td. As shown in Figure 2 in the lower portion of the pattern formation region in the width direction X in the conveyed substrate W, the state without the first shaft 31c is obtained.

[0063] (Detailed structure of the pressing roller)

[0064] The pressing roller 32 is a circular shape with the width direction X as the axis. As shown in Figure 2As shown, the pressing roller 32 is positioned above each conveying roller 31 and abuts against the center of the convex surface S2 of the substrate W, facing each other in the width direction X of the space between the two conveying rollers 31 in the group. A second shaft 32a is coaxially arranged on the pressing roller 32. The second shaft 32a is arranged parallel to the first shaft 31c. The diameter of the second shaft 32a is smaller than that of the pressing roller 32, and it extends beyond the length in the width direction X of the substrate W. It is arranged within the processing chamber 21, for example, by a drive mechanism with spur gears (not shown), capable of synchronous rotation.

[0065] When the second shaft 32a rotates, the pressing roller 32 mounted on the second shaft 32a contacts the convex surface S2 on one side, and rotates the second shaft 32a as a rotation axis. Both the conveying roller 31 and the pressing roller 32 are controlled to be driven to rotate at the same circumferential speed.

[0066] [Fluid Supply Department]

[0067] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a fluid supply unit 40 is provided in the processing chamber 21. The fluid supply unit 40 supplies fluid to the concave surface S1 of the substrate W from between groups of conveying rollers 31 spaced apart in the width direction X. The fluid supply unit 40 has a liquid injection unit 41 and a gas blowing unit 42.

[0068] (Liquid jet section)

[0069] The liquid jetting unit 41 sprays and supplies processing liquid onto the processing surface of the substrate W moving on the transport path T. The liquid jetting unit 41 is configured to face the substrate W, spaced apart from it by the transport path T, so as not to obstruct the transport of the substrate W by the substrate transport device 30. Furthermore, no shaft or roller is present between the liquid jetting unit 41 and the transport path T. When processing liquid is sprayed onto the transport path T through the liquid jetting unit 41, the processing liquid is supplied to the concave surface S1 of the substrate W moving on the transport path T. For each target processing, a cleaning solution, stripping solution, developing solution, or rinsing solution (pure water, etc.) is used.

[0070] More specifically, the liquid jetting section 41 can be, for example, a shower pipe with multiple through holes or a pipe including multiple nozzles. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the liquid injection unit 41 of this embodiment has a plurality of tubes 411 extending in the direction along the conveying direction Td, and is configured by arranging the plurality of tubes 411 in the width direction X. In this embodiment, as Figure 2As shown, one pipe 411A, one pipe 411C are respectively arranged in positions close to the two conveyance rollers 31 arranged apart in the width direction X, and one pipe 411B is arranged in the center of the width direction X between the two conveyance rollers 31. Hereinafter, the pipes 411A, 411B, 411C are not distinguished and are described as pipes 411. A supply source of the processing liquid including a pump and a tank, not shown, is connected to the pipes 411.

[0071] A plurality of spouting portions 412 are provided in the pipes 411 in the width direction X. In the present embodiment, the spouting portions 412 are nozzles that supply the processing liquid in a shower-like manner from the spouting outlets to the processing surface of the substrate W being conveyed. That is, the spouting portions 412 spout the processing liquid from below the substrate W to the lower surface of the substrate W. The spouting portions 412 can also be through-holes. The spouting portions 412 provided in the respective pipes 411A, 411B, 411C are denoted as 412A, 412B, 412C, and are described as spouting portions 412 without distinguishing them.

[0072] The plurality of spouting portions 412 arranged in the width direction X are set so that the spouting amount of the processing liquid per unit time (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as "spouting amount") is greater for the spouting portions 412 located on the side away from the two conveyance rollers 31 of each group, i.e., on the central side in the width direction X, than for the spouting portions 412 located on the side close to the two conveyance rollers 31 of each group, i.e., on the both end sides in the width direction X. In the present embodiment, the spouting amount of the spouting portions 412B is greater than that of the spouting portions 412A, 412C. In order to set such spouting amounts, the plurality of spouting portions 412 arranged in the width direction X are variably provided with the flow rate of the processing liquid to be spouted, respectively. More specifically, the control section 50 adjusts the amount of the processing liquid flowing in each pipe 411 by controlling a valve (not shown) provided in the piping connected to the pipe 411.

[0073] (Gas spouting portion)

[0074] The gas spouting portion 42 spouts and supplies, for example, air or nitrogen gas, which is a dry gas, to the substrate W moving on the conveyance path T. The gas spouting portion 42 is arranged so as to face the substrate W being conveyed across the conveyance path T, without interfering with the conveyance of the substrate W by the substrate conveyance device 30. Further, there is no shaft or roller or the like interposed between the gas spouting portion 42 and the conveyance path T. The gas spouting portion 42 spouts the gas at high pressure to the substrate W passing through the conveyance path T, and blows away the processing liquid such as cleaning liquid adhering to the substrate W to dry the processing surface of the substrate W.

[0075] For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the gas spouting portion 42 is arranged so as to face the substrate W being conveyed across the conveyance path T, without interfering with the conveyance of the substrate W by the substrate conveyance device 30. Further, there is no shaft or roller or the like interposed between the gas spouting portion 42 and the conveyance path T. The gas spouting portion 42 spouts the gas at high pressure to the substrate W passing through the conveyance path T, and blows away the processing liquid such as cleaning liquid adhering to the substrate W to dry the processing surface of the substrate W. Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the gas blowing section 42 is an air knife with a slit-shaped blowing port 42a that is longer than the width of the warped substrate W. The gas blowing section 42 is configured to blow gas from the blowing port 42a upstream in the transport direction Td to blow away the liquid adhering to the substrate W.

[0076] [Control Department]

[0077] like Figure 1 As shown, the control unit 50 is a computer that controls various parts of the substrate processing apparatus 10, such as the substrate conveying device 30 and the fluid supply unit 40. It has a storage unit for storing various information and programs related to substrate conveying and substrate processing, and a processor for executing various programs. As described above, in this embodiment, the control unit 50 adjusts the amount of processing fluid flowing in the pipe 411 by controlling the valve. Compared with the end sides of the two conveying rollers 31 near each group, that is, the two ends in the width direction X, the amount ejected is greater at and near the center side of the two conveying rollers 31 far from each group, that is, the center in the width direction X.

[0078] [action]

[0079] Next, the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 10 will be described. Furthermore, the following operation is an example of cleaning and drying the substrate W using a cleaning solution. As described above, in the substrate processing apparatus 10, each conveying roller 31 and each pressing roller 32 of the substrate conveying device 30 rotates synchronously. With its concave side S1 end supported on each conveying roller 31, the substrate W is conveyed along the conveying direction Td and moves along the conveying path T through the processing chamber 21.

[0080] In the processing chamber 21, a liquid supply state is maintained, in which cleaning fluid is pre-supplied from below the transport path T by the ejection portions 412 of each pipe 411. When the warped substrate W is transported through the area in the liquid supply state, the concave surface S1 of the substrate W is cleaned by the supplied cleaning fluid. On the concave surface S1 side of the substrate W, where the first axis 31c is absent, the cleaning fluid supplied to the concave surface S1 of the substrate W is not blocked by the first axis 31c and touches the pattern forming area. The cleaning fluid supplied to the substrate W flows toward the end of the substrate W and falls from the end, flowing over the bottom surface of the processing chamber 21 and being discharged from the outlet.

[0081] Furthermore, the concave surface S1 slopes downwards from the center to both ends. Therefore, the cleaning fluid supplied from the ejection portions 412A and 412C near the ends of the substrate W does not reach the center but flows down from the ends. On the other hand, in this embodiment, by supplying cleaning fluid from the ejection portion 412B to the center of the concave surface S1 of the substrate W, a flow that washes away contaminants from the center to the ends is formed. This removes contaminants present on the processed surface of the substrate W.

[0082] However, since the substrate W has a warp, when the distance from the ejection portions 412 is longer in the center of the concave surface S1 than at the ends, and the arrangement height position of the ejection portions 412 is constant, if the flow rate of the ejection portion 412B in the center is set to be the same as the flow rates of the ejection portions 412A and 412C at the ends, sometimes the cleaning liquid of sufficient flow rate cannot be supplied to the center of the concave surface S1. Then, the cleaning liquid stagnates or falls down before reaching the ends of the concave surface S1, and thus reattachment due to the stagnation of contaminants can occur. In the present embodiment, the flow rate of the ejection portion 412B in the center is made larger than the flow rates of the ejection portions 412A and 412C near the ends, and thus cleaning liquid of sufficient flow rate is supplied to the center of the concave surface S1, and a flow from the center to the ends can be formed, and thus contaminants can be removed.

[0083] In the processing chamber 21, a dry gas is supplied from below the conveyance path T by the gas ejection portion 42. When the substrate W passes through the area in which the gas is supplied, the cleaning liquid adhering to the concave surface S1 of the substrate W is blown away by the blow of the gas, and the substrate W becomes dry. The cleaning liquid blown away from the substrate W flows through the bottom surface of the processing chamber 21 and is discharged from the discharge port.

[0084] [Effects of the Embodiment]

[0085] (1) The present embodiment is a substrate processing apparatus 10 that processes a substrate W having a warp, and includes: a plurality of conveyance rollers 31, two of which arranged apart in a width direction X are grouped as one set, a plurality of sets of which are arranged along a conveyance direction Td, which supports the concave surface S1 side and rotates around a shaft, thereby conveying the substrate W; a first shaft 31c, two of which arranged apart in the width direction X are grouped as one set, a plurality of sets of which are arranged along the conveyance direction Td, which mounts the conveyance rollers 31; and a fluid supply portion 40, which supplies a fluid to the concave surface S1 of the substrate W.

[0086] Further, the fluid supply portion 40 supplies a fluid to the concave surface S1 of the substrate W from between the conveyance rollers 31 of each set arranged apart in the width direction X.

[0087] Suppose that the substrate W is conveyed in a manner in which the convex surface S2 is on the lower side, the inclined surface of the convex surface S2 side is supported, and thus the substrate W is supported unstably and easily slides, and a member or mechanism or the like that supports the substrate W needs to be added on the lower side. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, by supporting the concave surface S1 side, it is basically possible to support only the ends of the substrate W, and thus the substrate W can be conveyed stably.

[0088] Furthermore, assuming a shaft is provided throughout the width direction X of the substrate W, the fluid supplied from the fluid supply unit 40 may come into contact with the shaft or fail to reach the substrate W, resulting in uneven supply to the substrate W and hindering efficient processing of the substrate W. However, in this embodiment, the conveying roller 31 and the first shaft 31c are spaced apart in the width direction X on the concave surface S1 side, thus preventing the fluid supplied from the fluid supply unit 40 from being blocked by the conveying roller 31 or the first shaft 31c. Therefore, the fluid can be sprayed evenly onto the processing surface, thereby achieving uniform processing and suppressing the degradation of the substrate W's quality.

[0089] Furthermore, by supplying fluid to the concave surface S1 of the substrate W from between the conveying rollers 31 and the first shaft 31c of each group, a flow from the center to the end is formed due to the inclination of the concave surface S1, thus suppressing the insufficient processing of the concave surface S1, thereby improving the quality of the substrate W.

[0090] (2) This embodiment includes a pressing roller 32 that presses the convex surface S2 of the substrate W, and a second shaft 32a that is coaxially disposed with the pressing roller 32. Therefore, even if pressure is applied from the concave surface S1 side due to the supply of processing liquid, the pressing roller 32 can prevent it from floating, so the position of the substrate W is stable and uniform processing can be maintained.

[0091] (3) The fluid supply unit 40 has multiple ejection sections 412 in the width direction X. Compared with the ejection sections 412 located on one side near the two conveying rollers 31 of each group, the ejection section 412 located on the central side in the width direction X ejects more processing fluid. Therefore, more processing fluid is ejected from the ejection section located closer to the center side of the concave end side S1, which easily forms a flow from the center to the end, thereby making the overall processing uniform. For example, as Figure 2 As shown, when multiple ejector portions 412 are provided at the same height, the ejector outlet of the central ejector portion 412B is longer than that of the other ejector portions 412A and 412C because its distance from the substrate W is longer. Therefore, the ejected processing liquid is dispersed according to the ejector portions 412A, 412B, and 412C, or the pressure of the processing liquid colliding with the center of the concave surface S1 of the substrate W is weaker. In this embodiment, by making the ejection amount of the ejector portion 412B located below the center of the concave surface S1 greater than that of the other ejector portions 412A and 412C, the flow rate of the processing liquid in the center can be ensured, thus forming a flow from the center to the end. In addition, the pressure of the processing liquid colliding with the concave surface S1 can also be made uniform.

[0092] (4) The fluid supply section 40 has a plurality of ejection sections 412 in the width direction X, and the flow rate of the processing liquid to be ejected is variably set for each of the plurality of ejection sections 412. Therefore, the flow rate of each of the ejection sections 412 is adjusted in accordance with the difference in the distance from the concave surface S1 of the substrate W to each of the ejection sections 412 due to the warping of the substrate W, whereby uniform processing can be achieved.

[0093] (5) The fluid supply section 40 has a plurality of pipes 411 extending in the direction along the conveying direction Td, and the plurality of pipes 411 are arranged in the width direction X, and the ejection sections 412 are provided to the pipes 411. Therefore, the amount of ejection of the processing liquid from the plurality of ejection sections 412 arranged in the width direction X can be adjusted by adjusting the flow rate of the processing liquid of each of the pipes 411.

[0094] [Other Embodiments]

[0095] (1) The flange-like portion 31b does not necessarily need to be provided to the conveying roller 31. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, a guide roller 33 that guides the movement of the substrate W can be provided between a plurality of first shafts 31c arranged in the conveying direction Td of the substrate W. In this case, if the distance between a pair of facing guide rollers 33 is set to e, it is preferable that e be set to e > L. Figure 4

[0096] (2) In the embodiment described above, the pressing roller 32 is provided to be one in the width direction X orthogonal to the conveying direction Td, but the number thereof is not limited to one, and a plurality of pressing rollers 32 can be provided. For example, one pressing roller 32 can be provided at a position facing each of the conveying rollers 31. The belt can be wound around the pressing rollers 32, and the structure can be such that the rollers convey the substrate W as in a roller conveyor. By adopting such a structure, the area in contact with the substrate W with respect to the warping of the substrate W increases compared to the case where only the pressing roller 32 is used, and thus the substrate W can be conveyed more stably. In addition, the pressing rollers 32 can be provided as flat type rollers.

[0097] (3) A measurement section that measures the amount of warping of the substrate W can be provided, and the amount of ejection from the ejection sections 412 can be adjusted in accordance with the amount of warping of the substrate W measured by the measurement section. For example, in a case where the amount of warping of the substrate W measured by the measurement section is greater than a predetermined value, the amount of ejection from the ejection sections 412B in the center can be increased.

[0098] (4) A measurement section that measures the amount of warping of the substrate W, and a movement mechanism that raises and lowers each of the pressing rollers 32 can be provided, and the distance between the conveying roller 31 and the pressing roller 32 of each group can be adjusted in accordance with the amount of warping of the substrate W measured by the measurement section.

[0099] (5) In the embodiment described above, the cleaning process and the drying process are performed in the same chamber, but the processes are not limited to this. The cleaning process and the drying process can be performed in different chambers.

[0100] ​(6) In the embodiment, the plurality of discharge portions 412 are set to discharge a larger amount of the processing liquid per unit time on the side farther from the two convey rollers 31 of each group than on the side closer to the two convey rollers 31 of each group. At this time, in the case where the diameters of the discharge holes of the plurality of discharge portions 412 are equal, the discharge speed of the processing liquid in the discharge portion on the side farther from the two convey rollers 31 of each group can be made faster than on the side closer to the two convey rollers 31 of each group.

[0101] (7) In the embodiment, the pipe 411 is provided as three, the pipe 411A, the pipe 411B, and the pipe 411C, but is not limited to three, and more than three can be provided. At this time, only the one on the central side can be set to discharge a larger amount than the others, or the amount can be made larger stage by stage from the side closer to the convey rollers 31 to the center.

[0102] (8) As the fluid supply portion 40, in addition to the nozzles and the air knives that discharge the processing liquid in a shower-like manner, an aqua knife or the like can be used, and the tool used is not particularly limited as long as it is a tool that discharges a fluid. Furthermore, a plurality of tools can be used in combination. In addition, the fluid supply portion 40 can be provided above the convey path T of the substrate W to supply a fluid for processing to the convex surface S2 (a non-pattern formation surface on which the pattern P is not formed) of the substrate W, thereby processing both surfaces of the substrate W.

[0103] (9) In the embodiment, as the processing of the substrate processing apparatus 10, processing of cleaning and drying the substrate W is exemplified, but the processing is not limited thereto. In order to manufacture a liquid crystal substrate or a semiconductor substrate, a photomask, or the like, for example, a resist processing apparatus, an exposure processing apparatus, a development processing apparatus, an etching processing apparatus, a peeling processing apparatus can be used. Correspondingly, as the processing liquid, various chemicals can be used.

[0104] (10) In the embodiment, the case where the substrate W is conveyed in a horizontal state is exemplified, but is not limited thereto, and the substrate W can be inclined and conveyed in an inclined state, for example, the substrate W can be inclined with one end of the width direction X higher than the other end.

[0105] (11) In the embodiment, the case where the substrate W having warping on the four sides (the substrate W having warping on the four sides) is described as an object, but is not limited thereto, and the present application can be applied to a substrate having warping on any two sides or three sides of a rectangular shape, for example.

[0106] (12) The above describes several embodiments of the present application, but these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the application. These novel embodiments can be implemented in other various embodiments, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the application. These embodiments or modifications thereof are included in the scope or spirit of the application, and are included in the scope of the application as recited in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus for processing a warped substrate, wherein the substrate processing apparatus comprises: Multiple conveying rollers are arranged in groups of two that are spaced apart in a width direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the substrate, and multiple groups are arranged along the conveying direction of the substrate to support the concave side of the substrate and convey the substrate. The first shaft comprises multiple sets of two shafts spaced apart in the width direction, arranged along the conveying direction of the substrate, and equipped with the conveying rollers; and The fluid supply unit supplies processing liquid to the concave surface of the substrate. The fluid supply unit supplies processing liquid to the concave surface of the substrate from between the groups of conveying rollers spaced apart in the width direction. The fluid supply section has multiple ejection sections in the width direction, and the ejection section disposed on the central side in the width direction ejects more processing fluid than the ejection section disposed on one side near the two conveying rollers of each group.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The concave surface of the substrate has a patterned area and a non-patterned area located near the outer edge of the substrate. In the width direction, the spacing between the conveying rollers in each group is longer than the width of the pattern forming area.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, include: The pressure roller presses down on the convex surface of the substrate; as well as The second shaft is equipped with the pressing roller.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The pressing rollers are arranged facing each other from the set of conveying rollers, spaced apart from each other across the conveying path of the substrate. The distance between the conveying roller and the pressing roller in a direction perpendicular to the conveying path is constant between each group of conveying rollers.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The fluid supply section has a plurality of tubes extending in the direction along the conveying direction. The plurality of said tubes are arranged in a manner that is oriented in the width direction. The ejection section is disposed in the pipe.

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