Substrate processing equipment

Abstract

The substrate processing device of the present invention comprises: a processing liquid discharge portion, which is arranged on the lower side of the substrate held by the substrate holding portion, and discharges the processing liquid to the storage space to form a flow of the processing liquid in the storage space; and a bubble supply portion, which has a pipe arranged on the lower side of the substrate held by the substrate holding portion in the storage space, and a hollow protruding portion protruding from the pipe in the flow direction of the processing liquid, and the gas sent to the protruding portion through the pipe is discharged from the bubble discharge port set at the front end of the protruding portion, so as to supply bubbles into the processing liquid stored in the storage space.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing device for immersing a substrate in a processing liquid such as a chemical liquid or pure water stored in a processing tank and supplying bubbles to the substrate in the processing liquid to process the substrate.

[0002] The disclosures of the following Japanese application specifications, drawings, and claims are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety:

[0003] Japan Special Application No. 2019-236758 (applied on December 26, 2019)

[0004] Japan Special Application No. 2020-130002 (applied on July 31, 2020). Background Art

[0005] In the field of semiconductor device manufacturing, in order to cope with the high density and large capacity of semiconductor devices, a technology for forming a concave portion with a high aspect ratio is desired. For example, the manufacturing process of a three-dimensional NAND type non-volatile semiconductor device (hereinafter referred to as "3D-NAND memory") includes the following steps: 2 After a concave portion is formed in the stacked body of a silicon nitride film (SiN film) and a silicon nitride film (SiN film) along the stacking direction, the SiN film is removed by wet etching through the concave portion. In order to perform this process, for example, the use of a substrate processing device described in Patent Document 1 has been studied.

[0006] When the above-mentioned wet etching is performed using a substrate processing device, an example of an etchant for a SiN film is a liquid containing phosphoric acid as a processing liquid. More specifically, in the substrate processing device, a spray pipe is arranged at the inner bottom of a storage space formed inside a processing tank, and the processing liquid is supplied to the storage space from the spray pipe. Therefore, in the processing tank, the processing liquid is stored in the processing tank in a certain amount while overflowing from the processing tank. And, the substrate having the above-mentioned recessed structure is immersed in the processing liquid stored in the processing tank. In addition, in the substrate processing device, like the spray pipe, a bubble supply pipe is arranged at the inner bottom of the storage space, and bubbles are supplied from the inner bottom of the storage space to the overflow surface. These bubbles rise in the processing liquid and are supplied to the substrate. By supplying bubbles to the substrate in this way, fresh processing liquid can be quickly and continuously supplied to the recess.

[0007] Prior art literature

[0008] Patent Literature

[0009] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2016-200821

[0010] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-40649

[0011] Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-98270 Summary of the invention

[0012] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0013] Although the detailed structure of the bubble supply tube is not described in Patent Document 1, in substrate processing devices, porous materials are processed into a tubular shape (Patent Document 2), and a cylindrical member is provided with a plurality of through holes in a row at a certain interval (Patent Document 3), etc. are often used as bubble supply tubes. If a gas such as nitrogen is transported to these bubble supply tubes from a gas supply source, the gas is discharged from a plurality of openings (porous holes, through holes) provided on the surface of the bubble supply tube, thereby supplying bubbles to the processing liquid. The size of the bubbles supplied in this way is larger than the opening size. The reason for this is that the bubbles are supplied as follows. That is, after the bubbles are generated, the bubbles are immediately in close contact with the openings in the surface of the bubble supply tube. Moreover, as time passes, after the close contact area expands radially with the opening as the center, the bubbles detach from the opening and the close contact area of ​​the bubble supply tube and are supplied to the processing liquid.

[0014] Thus, in the prior art, the bubble size is larger than the size of the opening that functions as the bubble outlet, and there is a problem that it is difficult to effectively supply fresh processing liquid to the substrate surface by using the bubble supply. In addition, in the substrate processing apparatuses described in Patent Documents 1 and 3, since a plurality of substrates are separated at a certain interval and processed together, it is difficult for bubbles to enter between the substrates. Therefore, in the prior art substrate processing apparatuses, there is a certain limit to improving the substrate processing quality.

[0015] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to reduce the size of bubbles and improve the processing quality in a substrate processing apparatus that immerses a substrate in a processing liquid stored in a processing tank and supplies bubbles to the substrate in the processing liquid to process the substrate.

[0016] Methods for solving problems

[0017] The present invention is a substrate processing device, characterized in that it comprises: a processing tank, which has a storage space for storing a processing liquid, and processes the substrate by immersing the substrate in the processing liquid stored in the storage space; a substrate holding part, which holds the substrate in an upright position in the storage space; a processing liquid discharge part, which is arranged on the lower side of the substrate held by the substrate holding part, and discharges the processing liquid to the storage space to form a flow of the processing liquid in the storage space; and a bubble supply part, which has a pipe arranged on the lower side of the substrate held by the substrate holding part in the storage space, and a hollow protruding part protruding from the pipe in the flow direction of the processing liquid, and discharges the gas sent to the protruding part through the pipe from the bubble discharge port arranged at the front end of the protruding part, so as to supply bubbles into the processing liquid stored in the storage space.

[0018] Effects of the Invention

[0019] As described above, according to the present invention, the bubble outlet of the bubble supply unit is provided at the front end of the protruding portion protruding from the pipe, rather than being provided in the pipe. Therefore, the close contact area where the bubbles in the bubble supply unit are separated from the bubble outlet and are in close contact just before being supplied to the treatment liquid can be limited to the front end surface of the protruding portion, and can be narrower than when the bubble outlet is provided on the side wall of the pipe. As a result, the bubble size can be reduced and the treatment quality can be improved.

[0020] The multiple components of each mode of the present invention described above are not all required. In order to solve part or all of the above problems, or to achieve part or all of the effects described in this specification, some of the multiple components described above may be appropriately changed, deleted or replaced with other new components, and some of the limited contents may be deleted. In addition, in order to solve part or all of the above problems, or to achieve part or all of the effects described in this specification, part or all of the technical features contained in one mode of the present invention described above may be combined with part or all of the technical features contained in other modes of the present invention described above as an independent mode of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 It is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing system including a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram showing a schematic structure of a first embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3 For schematic display Figure 2 An exploded perspective view of the main components of the substrate processing apparatus shown.

[0024] Figure 4 for Figure 2 Partial cross-sectional view.

[0025] Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing the arrangement relationship between a plurality of substrates held by a lifter and bubble exhaust ports.

[0026] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram showing a comparative example of the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment.

[0027] Figure 7 It is a figure which shows the structure of the bubble supply part used for the 2nd Embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of this invention.

[0028] Figure 8It is a figure which shows another structure of a bubble supply part. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] Figure 1 The following is a top view showing the schematic structure of a substrate processing system equipped with a first embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus of the present invention. The substrate processing system 1 includes a storage container loading unit 2, a shutter driving mechanism 3, a substrate transfer robot 4, a posture changing mechanism 5, a push rod 6, a substrate transport mechanism 7, a processing unit 8, and a control unit 9. In order to unify the directions of the following figures, as shown in FIG. Figure 1 The XYZ orthogonal coordinate axes are set as shown. Here, the XY plane represents a horizontal plane. In addition, the Z axis represents a vertical axis, and more specifically, the Z direction is a vertical direction.

[0030] In the storage container loading section 2, a storage container storing substrates W is placed. In the present embodiment, as an example of a storage container, an endless belt F is used which can store multiple (e.g., 25) substrates W in a horizontal position in a stacked state along the Z direction. The endless belt F is placed in the storage container loading section 2 in a state where unprocessed substrates W are stored, or is placed in the storage container loading section 2 in an empty state in order to store processed substrates W. In the present embodiment, the substrates W stored in the endless belt F are semiconductor wafers for forming 3D-NAND memory, and have a concave portion with a high aspect ratio.

[0031] A baffle driving mechanism 3, a substrate transfer robot 4, a posture changing mechanism 5, a push rod 6, a substrate conveying mechanism 7 and a processing unit 8 are arranged in the process space adjacent to the storage container loading part 2 on the (+Y) direction side. The storage container loading part 2 and the process space are divided by a wall (not shown) equipped with a baffle 31 that can be opened and closed freely. The baffle 31 is connected to the baffle driving mechanism 3. The baffle driving mechanism 3 closes the baffle 31 according to the closing command from the control part 9, and spatially separates the storage container loading part 2 from the process space. Conversely, the baffle driving mechanism 3 opens the baffle 31 according to the opening command from the control part 9, so that the storage container loading part 2 is connected to the process space. In this way, unprocessed substrates W can be moved into the process space from the endless belt F and processed substrates W can be moved out of the endless belt F.

[0032] The substrate W is carried in and out by the substrate transfer robot 4. The substrate transfer robot 4 is configured to be able to turn freely in a horizontal plane. The substrate transfer robot 4 transfers a plurality of substrates W between the posture change mechanism 5 and the endless belt F with the baffle 31 open. In addition, the posture change mechanism 5 changes the posture of the plurality of substrates W between an upright posture and a horizontal posture after the substrate transfer robot 4 receives the substrates W from the endless belt F and before transferring the substrates W to the endless belt F.

[0033] A push rod 6 is arranged on the substrate conveying mechanism 7 side (+X direction side in the figure) of the posture changing mechanism 5, and a plurality of substrates W in an upright posture are transferred between the posture changing mechanism 5 and the substrate conveying mechanism 7. In addition, as shown in the figure, the substrate conveying mechanism 7 moves in the horizontal direction along the arrangement direction (Y direction in the figure) of the processing parts 81 to 85 constituting the processing unit 8 from a position opposite to the push rod 6 (hereinafter referred to as the "standby position").

[0034] The substrate transport mechanism 7 includes a pair of suspension arms 71. The pair of suspension arms 71 can be swung to switch between holding and releasing a plurality of substrates W. More specifically, the lower edge of each arm 71 swings around a horizontal axis in a direction away from each other, releasing the plurality of substrates W, and the lower edge of each arm 71 swings around a horizontal axis in a direction approaching each other, thereby clamping and holding the plurality of substrates W. Figure 1 , the substrate transport mechanism 7 includes an arm moving unit and an arm swinging unit. The arm moving unit has a function of horizontally moving the pair of suspension arms 71 along the arrangement direction Y in which the processing units 81 to 85 are arranged. Therefore, through this horizontal movement, the pair of suspension arms 71 are positioned at positions (hereinafter referred to as "processing positions") facing the respective processing units 81 to 85 and at a standby position.

[0035] On the other hand, the arm swinging section has a function of performing the above-mentioned arm swinging action, and switches between a holding state in which the substrate W is clamped and held and a releasing state in which the substrate W is released from the clamping. Therefore, by the switching action and the up-and-down movement of the lifter 810a functioning as the substrate holding section of the processing sections 81 and 82 and the lifter 810b functioning as the substrate holding section of the processing sections 83 and 84, the substrate W can be delivered between the lifter 810 and the cantilever arm 71. In addition, at the processing position opposite to the processing section 85, the substrate W can be delivered between the processing section 85 and the cantilever arm 71. Furthermore, at the standby position, the substrate W can be delivered between the posture changing mechanism 5 and the cantilever arm 71 via the push rod 6.

[0036] As described above, the processing unit 8 is provided with five processing sections 81 to 85, which function as the first liquid processing section 81, the first cleaning processing section 82, the second liquid processing section 83, the second cleaning processing section 84, and the drying processing section 85, respectively. Among them, the first liquid processing section 81 and the second liquid processing section 83 respectively store the same or different liquids in the processing tank 821, immerse a plurality of substrates W in the liquid together, and perform liquid processing. The first cleaning processing section 82 and the second cleaning processing section 84 respectively store the cleaning liquid (for example, pure water) in the processing tank 821, immerse a plurality of substrates W in the cleaning liquid together, and perform cleaning processing on the surface. These first liquid processing section 81, the first cleaning processing section 82, the second liquid processing section 83, and the second cleaning processing section 84 are equivalent to the first embodiment of the substrate processing device of the present invention. Although the types of processing liquids are different, the basic structure of the device is the same. It should be noted that with respect to the device structure and operation, the following description will refer to Figures 2 to 5 While detailing.

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown in the figure, the first chemical liquid processing section 81 and the first cleaning processing section 82 adjacent thereto form a pair, and the second chemical liquid processing section 83 and the second cleaning processing section 84 adjacent thereto form a pair. In addition, the elevator 810a not only functions as the "substrate holding section" of the present invention in the first chemical liquid processing section 81 and the first cleaning processing section 82, but also functions as a dedicated transport mechanism for moving the substrate W after the chemical liquid processing in the first chemical liquid processing section 81 to the first cleaning processing section 82. In addition, the elevator 810b not only functions as the "substrate holding section" of the present invention in the second chemical liquid processing section 83 and the second cleaning processing section 84, but also functions as a dedicated transport mechanism for moving the substrate W after the chemical liquid processing in the second chemical liquid processing section 83 to the second cleaning processing section 84.

[0038] In the processing unit 8 thus constructed, the three supporting members ( Figure 2 Symbol 812 in the figure receives a plurality of substrates W together from a pair of cantilever arms 71 of the substrate transport mechanism 7. In addition, in the processing unit 8, as described in detail below, in parallel with executing an overflow process of causing the processing liquid to overflow from the processing tank and a bubble supply process of supplying bubbles to the processing liquid stored in the processing tank, the elevator 810a lowers the plurality of substrates W together into the processing tank of the first liquid processing section 81 and immerses them in the liquid medicine (immersion process). Furthermore, after waiting for a predetermined liquid medicine treatment time, the elevator 810a lifts the supporting member holding the plurality of substrates W from the liquid medicine. In addition, the elevator 810a causes the supporting member to move horizontally toward the first cleaning processing section 82, and then causes the supporting member to move toward the processing tank ( Figure 2After waiting for a predetermined cleaning time, the lifter 810a raises the support member while holding the cleaned substrate W, and lifts the substrate W from the cleaning liquid. Thereafter, the plurality of substrates W are transferred from the support member of the lifter 810a to a pair of suspension arms 71 of the substrate transport mechanism 7.

[0039] Similarly, the lifter 810b receives a plurality of substrates W from a pair of cantilever arms 71 of the substrate conveying mechanism 7, lowers the plurality of substrates W into the processing tank 821 of the second liquid processing section 83, and immerses them in the liquid. Furthermore, after waiting for a predetermined liquid processing time, the lifter 810b raises the support member and lifts the plurality of substrates W that have been treated with the liquid from the liquid. Furthermore, the lifter 810b moves the support member horizontally toward the processing tank of the second cleaning processing section 84, and then lowers the support member into the processing tank 821 of the second cleaning processing section 84 and immerses it in the cleaning liquid. After waiting for a predetermined cleaning processing time, the second lifter 810b raises the support member and lifts the substrates W from the cleaning liquid. Thereafter, the plurality of substrates W are handed over from the second lifter 810b to the substrate conveying mechanism 7. It should be noted that the structure can also be such that an elevator that functions as the "substrate holding part" of the present invention is provided in each of the first liquid processing section 81, the first cleaning processing section 82, the second liquid processing section 83 and the second cleaning processing section 84. On the other hand, the substrate W is moved in and out of the processing sections 81 to 84 by using the substrate conveying mechanism 7 or a dedicated conveying mechanism.

[0040] The drying processing section 85 is as follows: it has a substrate holding member (not shown) that can hold a plurality of (e.g., 52) substrates W arranged in a vertical posture, and dries the substrates W by supplying an organic solvent (isopropyl alcohol, etc.) to the substrates W in a reduced pressure atmosphere, or by removing the liquid component on the surface of the substrates W by centrifugal force. The drying processing section 85 is configured to transfer the substrates W between a pair of cantilever arms 71 of the substrate conveying mechanism 7. In addition, the plurality of substrates W that have been cleaned are received from the substrate conveying mechanism 7 together, and the plurality of substrates W are subjected to drying. In addition, after the drying process, the plurality of substrates W are transferred from the substrate holding member to the substrate conveying mechanism 7 together.

[0041] Next, the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention will be described. Figure 1 The first chemical liquid processing unit 81, the first cleaning processing unit 82, the second chemical liquid processing unit 83, and the second cleaning processing unit 84 of the substrate processing system shown in the figure use different processing liquids, but the device configuration and operation are basically the same. Therefore, the following description is made of the configuration and operation of the first chemical liquid processing unit 81 corresponding to the first embodiment of the substrate processing device of the present invention, and the description of the first cleaning processing unit 82, the second chemical liquid processing unit 83, and the second cleaning processing unit 84 is omitted.

[0042] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram showing a schematic structure of a first embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. Figure 3 For schematic display Figure 2 An exploded perspective view of the main components of the substrate processing apparatus shown. Figure 4 for Figure 2 Partial cross-sectional view. Figure 5 Schematic diagram showing the arrangement relationship between the plurality of substrates held in the lift and the bubble exhaust port. The first liquid treatment unit 81 is a device that uses a liquid containing phosphoric acid as a treatment liquid to etch away the silicon nitride film through the concave portion formed on the surface of the substrate W. The first liquid treatment unit 81 is as shown in FIG. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , a processing tank 821 for performing a first chemical liquid treatment on a substrate W is provided. The processing tank 821 has a box structure with an upper opening, and is composed of a bottom wall 821a that is rectangular in a plan view, and four side walls 821b to 821e that stand up from the bottom wall 821a. Therefore, the processing tank 821 can store the processing liquid in a storage space 821f surrounded by the bottom wall 821a and the side walls 821b to 821e, and immerse a plurality of substrates W held by the lifter 810a. In addition, the processing tank 821 has an upper opening 821g that opens in the (+Z) direction, and the processing liquid can overflow from the storage space 821f.

[0043] An overflow tank 822 is provided around the processing tank 821, and a recovery space 822a for recovering overflowed processing liquid is formed by the overflow tank 822 and the side walls 821b to 821e of the processing tank 821. In addition, an outer container 823 is provided to surround the processing tank 821 and the overflow tank 822 below and on the sides.

[0044] A flow piping system 839 is disposed in a part of the recovery space 822a of the overflow tank 822, more specifically, in the space on the (-X) direction side of the side wall 821d. The inlet of the flow piping system 839 is connected to the treatment liquid supply unit 832, and the outlet is connected to the flow pipe 831 of the treatment liquid discharge port 830. Therefore, if the treatment liquid supply unit 832 is operated according to the treatment liquid supply instruction from the control unit 9, the treatment liquid will be simultaneously supplied to the plurality of flow pipes 831 via the flow piping system 839. As a result, the treatment liquid is discharged from the flow pipe 831 and stored in the storage space 821f. It should be noted that the detailed structure of the flow pipe 831 will be described in detail below.

[0045] In addition, the treatment liquid overflowing from the treatment tank 821 is recovered to the overflow tank 822. The treatment liquid recovery unit 833 is connected to the overflow tank 822. If the treatment liquid recovery unit 833 is operated according to the treatment liquid recovery instruction from the control unit 9, the treatment liquid recovered to the overflow tank 822 will be sent to the treatment liquid supply unit 832 for reuse via the treatment liquid recovery unit 833. In this way, in this embodiment, the treatment liquid can be circulated and supplied to the treatment tank 821 while the treatment liquid is stored in the storage space 821f.

[0046] In order to hold a plurality of substrates W together and immerse them in the storage space 821f containing the processing liquid, Figure 2 As shown, a lift 810a is provided. The lift 810a is configured to be able to move a plurality of substrates W between the substrate transport mechanism 7 ( Figure 1 ) for handing over between the two sides, and the storage space 821f. The elevator 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 tank 821 toward the bottom wall 821a. The support member 812 extends from the side surface of the lower end portion of the back plate 811 in the (-X) direction. In the present embodiment, three support members 812 are provided. In each support member 812, a plurality of V-shaped grooves 812a are arranged in the X direction at a certain interval. In each groove 812a, a V-shaped groove 812a whose width is slightly wider than the thickness of the substrate W is formed to open in the (+Z) direction, and can engage the substrate W. Therefore, a plurality of substrates W transported by the substrate transport mechanism 7 can be transported at a certain substrate pitch PT (PT) by means of three support members 812. Figure 5 ) are held together. In addition, the extension member 813 extends from the back of the upper end of the back plate 811 in the (+X) direction. Figure 2 As shown, the entire structure is L-shaped. It should be noted that the highest position of the lift 810a is set to a height that allows the lift 810a to pass above the support member 812 even when the substrate transfer mechanism 7 holds a plurality of substrates W.

[0047] On the (+X) direction side of the processing tank 821, there is a lift drive mechanism 814. The lift drive mechanism 814 includes a lift motor 815, a ball screw 816, a lift base 817, a lift column 818, and a motor drive unit 819. The lift motor 815 is mounted on a frame (not shown) of the substrate processing system 1 in a state where the rotation axis is longitudinally arranged. The ball screw 816 is connected to the rotation axis of the lift motor 815. One side of the lift base 817 is screwed with the ball screw 816. The base end side of the lift column 818 is mounted on the central part of the lift base 817, and the other end side is mounted on the lower surface of the extension member 813. If the motor drive unit 819 drives the lift motor 815 according to the rising instruction from the control unit 9, the ball screw 816 rotates, and the lift column 818 rises together with the lift base 817. Thereby, the support member 812 is positioned at the handover position. In addition, when the motor driving unit 819 drives the lifting motor 815 in the reverse direction according to the descending instruction from the control unit 9, the ball screw 816 rotates in the reverse direction, and the lifting support 818 descends together with the lifting base 817. Thus, the plurality of substrates W held by the supporting member 812 are immersed in the processing liquid stored in the storage space 821f.

[0048] In the storage space 821f, a processing liquid discharge unit 830 and a bubble supply unit 840 are provided on the lower side of the plurality of substrates W held by the support member 812, that is, on the (-Z) direction side. The processing liquid discharge unit 830 discharges the processing liquid supplied from the processing liquid supply unit 832 via the flow pipe system 839 to the storage space 821f, and the bubble supply unit 840 supplies bubbles V (V) of nitrogen gas into the processing liquid stored in the storage space 821f. Figure 5 ), are respectively composed as follows.

[0049] The processing liquid discharge part 830 is as follows Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, there is a flow tube 831 extending in the X direction. In this embodiment, the four flow tubes 831 are spaced apart from each other in the Y direction. The (-X) direction end of each flow tube 831 is connected to the outlet of the flow distribution system 839, and the (+X) direction end is sealed. In addition, a plurality of treatment liquid discharge ports 834 are arranged in the X direction at a certain interval through the side wall of each flow tube 831. In this embodiment, as Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 1 , each of the treatment liquid outlets 834 is arranged toward the (-Z) direction. Therefore, the treatment liquid supplied to the flow tube 831 flows in the (+X) direction inside the pipe and is discharged from each of the treatment liquid outlets 834 toward the bottom wall 821a, i.e., the inner bottom surface 821h of the storage space 821f. Figure 4As shown by the solid arrow in , the liquid flows upward through the inner bottom surface 821h of the storage space 821f, forming a flow F of the processing liquid from the bottom wall 821a of the processing tank 821 toward the upper opening 821g, i.e., the overflow surface. In this way, an upward flow of the processing liquid is formed on the lower side of the substrate W. It should be noted that, in order to facilitate the understanding of the invention, the one of the four flow tubes 831 arranged on the most (-Y) direction side is referred to as "flow tube 831a", and the ones arranged in sequence on the (+Y) direction side are referred to as "flow tube 831b", "flow tube 831c", and "flow tube 831d", respectively. In addition, when these are not distinguished, as described above, they are simply referred to as "flow tube 831".

[0050] The bubble supply unit 840 is as follows Figures 3 to 5 As shown, there are a plurality of (four in this embodiment) bubblers 841. Each bubbler 841 has a bubble pipe 842 extending in the X direction, and a plurality of protruding portions 843 protruding upward from the bubble pipe 842, i.e., in the (+Z) direction. One end of each bubble pipe 842 is connected to a gas supply unit 844 for supplying nitrogen gas, and the other end is sealed. The plurality of protruding portions 843 are provided on the upper side wall of the bubble pipe 842 at a pitch PT that is the same as a certain substrate pitch PT. Each protruding portion 843 has a hollow shape, for example, Figure 3 As shown, it has a hollow cylindrical shape, and a bubble discharge port 845 is provided in the center of the upper end surface. In this embodiment, the surface of a long resin tube made of a resin material, especially at least one selected from the group consisting of polyetheretherketone (PEEK), perfluoroalkoxyalkane (PFA) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), is subjected to cutting and drilling, thereby integrally forming a bubble pipe 842 and a plurality of protruding portions 843. Here, of course, the bubble pipe 842 and the plurality of protruding portions 843 may be prepared separately, and the plurality of protruding portions 843 may be installed on the bubble pipe 842 to make it integrated.

[0051] In the bubble supply unit 840 thus constructed, if the gas supply unit 844 supplies nitrogen gas to the bubble supply unit 840 according to the bubble supply instruction from the control unit 9, the nitrogen gas flowing in the bubble pipe 842 is discharged upward from the bubble discharge port 845. As a result, bubbles V of nitrogen gas are supplied to the processing liquid stored in the storage space 821f, and the bubbles V are supplied in the vertical direction Z from a position higher than the processing liquid discharge port 834 in the direction toward the overflow surface, that is, the (+Z) direction. These bubbles V rise in the processing liquid, promoting the replacement of the processing liquid on the surface of the substrate W with fresh processing liquid. It should be noted that, as the gas supply unit 844, for example, a configuration in which nitrogen gas is supplied from a gas cylinder filled with nitrogen gas, or a device installed in a factory where the substrate processing system 1 is installed can be used.

[0052] In addition, if Figure 4As shown, the four bubblers 841 are supported from below by the three bubbler plates 851, and are fixedly arranged below the substrate W held by the lifter 810a and above the processing liquid discharge port 834. Here, in order to facilitate understanding of the content of the invention, the one arranged on the most (-Y) direction side among the four bubblers 841 is referred to as "bubbler 841a", and the ones arranged in sequence on the (+Y) direction side are referred to as "bubbler 841b", "bubbler 841c", and "bubbler 841d", respectively. In addition, when these are not distinguished, as described above, they are simply referred to as "bubbler 841". On the other hand, the same is true for the bubbler plate 851. The one arranged on the most (-Y) direction side among the bubbler plates 851 is referred to as "bubble plate 851a", and the ones arranged in sequence on the (+Y) direction side are referred to as "bubble plate 851b" and "bubble plate 851c", respectively. In addition, when these are not distinguished, as described above, they are simply referred to as "bubbler plate 851".

[0053] The bubbler plates 851a to 851c are all in the shape of plates extending in the X direction. Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 8 , the bubbler 841a is disposed between the flow tube 831a and the flow tube 831b at a position higher than the treatment liquid discharge port 834 in the vertical direction Z, and is fixed to the treatment tank 821 by a fixing member (not shown). In addition, the bubbler 841a is fixed to the upper surface of the bubbler plate 851a in a manner satisfying the following configuration relationship. Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 1 , the protruding portion 843 installed on the bubbler 841a faces upward, and the substrates W and the bubble outlets 845 are alternately arranged in the X direction. With such an arrangement, the bubbles V supplied from the bubble outlets 845 are discharged between adjacent substrates W in the X direction, and efficient liquid treatment is performed. It should be noted that this arrangement relationship is also the same for the other bubblers 841b to 841d.

[0054] The bubbler plate 851b is located at a position higher than the processing liquid discharge port 834 in the vertical direction Z, is disposed between the flow tube 831b and the flow tube 831c, and is fixed to the processing tank 821 by a fixing member (not shown in the figure). In addition, bubblers 841b and 841c are fixed to the upper surface of the bubbler plate 851b in a manner spaced apart in the Y direction. Furthermore, the bubbler plate 851c is located at a position higher than the processing liquid discharge port 834 in the vertical direction Z, is disposed between the flow tube 831c and the flow tube 831d, and is fixed to the processing tank 821 by a fixing member (not shown in the figure). In addition, a bubbler 841d is fixed to the upper surface of the bubbler plate 851c. In this way, the bubbler plates 851a to 851c have the function of supporting the bubble supply unit 840 from below.

[0055] In addition, since the bubbler plates 851a to 851c are arranged between the flow tubes 831a to 831d at a position higher than the treatment liquid discharge port 834 in the vertical direction Z, in addition to the above-mentioned support function, they also have a function of limiting the flow F of the treatment liquid flowing upward through the inner bottom surface 821h of the storage space 821f. The bubbler plates 851a to 851c are separated from each other to form through-portions 852a and 852b that serve as flow paths for the treatment liquid. In addition, the lower ends of the flow tubes 831b and 831c are arranged in a manner of entering the through-portions 852a and 852b. In addition, at the same height position as the flow tubes 831b and 831c, the flow tube 831a is arranged on the (-Y) direction side of the bubbler plate 851a, and the flow tube 831d is arranged on the (+Y) direction side of the bubbler plate 851a. Furthermore, gaps 86 are formed between the bubbler plates 851a to 851c and the flow tubes 831a to 831d adjacent to each other. Therefore, the flow F of the treatment liquid (hereinafter referred to as "diverted liquid") flowing toward the lower surface of the bubbler plate 851 in the upward flow of the treatment liquid is restricted on the lower surface and is thrown away in the horizontal plane. For example, Figure 4 In the partially enlarged view of FIG. 851 , the flow F of the diverted liquid toward the lower surface of the bubbler plate 851c is diverted into a flow F5 of the processing liquid flowing in the gap 86 between the bubbler plate 851c and the flow tube 831c, and a flow F6 of the processing liquid flowing in the gap 86 between the bubbler plate 851c and the flow tube 831d. In addition, in the other bubbler plates 851a and 851b, the flow F of the diverted liquid is restricted similarly to the bubbler plate 851c, and is diverted into a plurality of flows F1 to F4 of the processing liquid.

[0056] Thus, in this embodiment, the flow F of a portion of the processing liquid (divided flow target liquid) flowing upward through the inner bottom surface 821h of the storage space 821f is diverted into a plurality of flows F1 to F6, and rises toward the overflow surface. Thus, in this embodiment, the bubbler plates 851a to 851c use at least a portion of the processing liquid flowing upward through the inner bottom surface 821h of the storage space 821f as the diverted flow target liquid, divert the flow F of the diverted flow target liquid into a plurality of rising flows, and guide them to the substrate W held by the elevator 810a, as the diverting portion 850 ( Figure 3 ) to perform its function.

[0057] It should be noted that while referring to Figures 2 to 5, while the configuration of the first chemical liquid processing unit 81 corresponding to the first embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention is described, the second chemical liquid processing unit 83 has the same configuration as the first chemical liquid processing unit 81 except that the type of the processing liquid is the same or different, and also corresponds to the first embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention. In addition, the first cleaning processing unit 82 and the second cleaning processing unit 84 have the same configuration as the first chemical liquid processing unit 81 except that the processing liquid is a cleaning liquid such as pure water or DIW (deionized water), and correspond to the first embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention.

[0058] As described above, in this embodiment, a plurality of hollow protruding portions 843 are protruded upward from the bubble pipe 842, and nitrogen is discharged from the bubble discharge port 845 provided at the front end of each protruding portion 843 to supply bubbles V into the processing liquid. Therefore, the size of the bubbles V can be reduced. Figure 6 The comparative example shown and the present embodiment ( Figure 5 ) for comparison, while explaining the detailed reasons.

[0059] Figure 6 Schematic diagram showing a comparative example of the substrate processing apparatus of the first embodiment. In this comparative example, a bubble outlet 845 is provided on the side wall of the bubble pipe 842, nitrogen is discharged from the bubble outlet 845, and bubbles V are supplied into the processing liquid. In this case, immediately after the bubble V is generated, the bubble V is closely attached to the bubble outlet 845 on the side wall surface of the bubble pipe 842. In this way, the area where the bubble V is in close contact with the bubbler 841 (hereinafter referred to as the "close contact area") will expand along the surface of the bubbler 841 over time, for example, Figure 6 As shown in the partially enlarged view of , the bubble V grows into a relatively large dome shape. Thereafter, the bubble V separates from the bubble discharge port 845 and the close contact area and is supplied into the processing liquid.

[0060] In contrast, in this embodiment, the place where the bubble V is in close contact immediately after it is generated is the front end surface of the protruding portion 843. Therefore, as time passes, the close contact area radially expands with the bubble discharge port 845 as the center, but when it reaches the periphery of the front end surface (the front step difference portion of the protruding portion 843), for example, Figure 5 As shown in the partially enlarged view of , the expansion of the close contact area is limited. As a result, the growth of the bubble V stops, and at this moment, the bubble V separates from the bubble discharge port 845 and the close contact area and is supplied to the processing liquid. In this way, in the first embodiment, the close contact area of ​​the bubble V is limited to the front end surface of the protruding setting portion 843 before it is supplied to the processing liquid. As a result, in the first embodiment, the size of the bubble V is different from that of the comparative example ( Figure 6) is relatively small, which can improve the processing quality.

[0061] In particular, it is important for the manufacture of 3D-NAND memory to apply the present invention to the first liquid processing unit 81 in order to make the first liquid processing unit 81 wet-etch the SiN film through the high aspect ratio recess. That is, in order to improve the wet etching performance, it is necessary to well replace the processing liquid between the inside and the outside of the recess. In addition, although silicon precipitation accompanying the etching reaction will occur near the bottom of the recess, the above silicon can be discharged from the recess by replacing the processing liquid. In order to stably and continuously perform this liquid replacement, it is necessary to increase the concentration difference between the inside and the outside of the recess, that is, the concentration gradient. Furthermore, in order to meet the requirements, it becomes an important technical matter to efficiently supply fresh processing liquid to the surface of the substrate W by reducing the bubble size. In this regard, according to the first liquid processing unit 81 that can effectively reduce the size of the bubble V, the supply of fresh processing liquid can be promoted through the bubble V, and the wet etching of the SiN film can be well performed.

[0062] In addition, if Figure 5 As shown in the partially enlarged view of FIG. 8 , since the substrates W and the bubble outlets 845 are arranged in the bubbler 841 d in a manner that they are alternately located in the X direction, small-sized bubbles V can be efficiently supplied between adjacent substrates W. As a result, substrate processing (chemical solution processing, cleaning processing) can be performed with high quality.

[0063] Thus, in the first embodiment, the (+Z) direction corresponds to an example of the "flow direction of the processing liquid" of the present invention. In addition, the bubble pipe 842 corresponds to an example of the "pipe" of the present invention. In addition, the X direction corresponds to the "horizontal direction" of the present invention.

[0064] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modifications other than the above-mentioned can be made without departing from the main purpose. For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the bubbler 841 having the hollow cylindrical protruding portion 843 is used to supply the bubbles V from the bubble pipe 842, but the structure of the bubbler 841 is not limited to this. Figure 7 As shown in the figure, a hollow truncated cone-shaped protruding portion 846 may be provided protruding from the bubble pipe 842 (second embodiment). According to the second embodiment, the surface area of ​​the front end surface of the protruding portion 846 is narrower than the hollow cylindrical protruding portion 843 used in the first embodiment, and a smaller bubble V can be supplied. As a result, substrate processing can be performed with higher quality.

[0065] In the first and second embodiments, the front end surfaces of the protruding portions 843 and 846 are circular, but the shape is not limited thereto and is arbitrary. Figure 8As shown, the protruding parts 847 and 848 having an elliptical front end surface may also be used. In short, it is preferable to use a protruding part having a columnar shape or a tapered shape in which the outer diameter decreases toward the front end.

[0066] Alternatively, the tip of the protruding portions 843, 846 to 848 may be subjected to plasma treatment. The plasma treatment hydrophilizes the tip, i.e., the area around the bubble discharge port 845, and promotes the detachment of the bubble V. As a result, the size of the bubble V can be further reduced.

[0067] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the processing liquid discharge part 830 includes four flow tubes 831, but the number of the flow tubes 831 is not limited thereto, and is preferably set according to the storage space 821f, the size of the substrate W, etc. In addition, the number of bubblers 841 included in the bubble supply part 840 is four, but the number of the bubblers 841 is not limited thereto, and is preferably set according to the storage space 821f, the size of the substrate W, etc. In addition, the number of bubbler plates 851 included in the flow distribution part 850 is three, but the number of the bubblers 841 is not limited thereto, and is preferably set according to the storage space 821f, the size of the substrate W, etc.

[0068] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the bubbler 841 is supported by the bubbler plate 851 of the flow dividing section 850 and is fixedly arranged in the processing liquid stored in the storage space 821f, and the flow F of the processing liquid flowing upward through the inner bottom surface 821h is divided into a plurality of flows by the bubbler plate 851. Here, for example, the present invention can also be applied to a substrate processing apparatus in which the bubbler plate 851 is directly fixed to the processing tank 821, that is, the flow dividing section 850 is not provided.

[0069] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, nitrogen gas is fed into the bubbler 841 and nitrogen bubbles V are supplied into the treatment liquid. However, a gas other than nitrogen gas may be used as the "gas" of the present invention.

[0070] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the present invention is applied to a substrate processing device that discharges the processing liquid from the flow tube 831 to the inner bottom surface 821h of the storage space 821f, but the supply method of the processing liquid of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can also be applied to a substrate processing device that discharges the processing liquid from the lower side of the substrate to the upper side, obliquely upward, or discharges the processing liquid along the inner bottom surface of the storage space as in Patent Document 1.

[0071] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the present invention is applied to a substrate processing apparatus that performs liquid treatment using a liquid containing phosphoric acid and a substrate processing apparatus that performs cleaning treatment, but the application scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. The present invention can also be applied to all substrate processing technologies that perform substrate treatment by immersing a substrate in a processing liquid other than the above-mentioned liquid and cleaning liquid and supplying bubbles to the above-mentioned substrate in the processing liquid.

[0072] The invention has been described above according to specific embodiments, but the description is not intended to be interpreted in a limiting sense. If reference is made to the description of the invention, various modifications of the disclosed embodiments are obvious to those skilled in the art, as are other embodiments of the invention. It is therefore considered that the appended claims include such modifications or embodiments within the scope of the invention without departing from the true scope of the invention.

[0073] Industrial Applicability

[0074] The present invention can be applied to all substrate processing apparatuses that immerse a substrate in a processing liquid such as a chemical solution or pure water stored in a processing tank and supply bubbles to the substrate in the processing liquid to process the substrate.

[0075] Explanation of symbols

[0076] 81: First chemical liquid processing unit (substrate processing device)

[0077] 82: First cleaning processing unit (substrate processing device)

[0078] 83: Second chemical liquid processing unit (substrate processing device)

[0079] 84: Second cleaning processing unit (substrate processing device)

[0080] 810, 810a, 810b: lift (substrate holding part)

[0081] 821: Processing tank

[0082] 821f: Storage space

[0083] 821g: Opening on top

[0084] 830: Processing liquid discharge unit

[0085] 840: Bubble supply unit

[0086] 841, 841a~841d: Bubbler

[0087] 842: Bubble Pipe

[0088] 843, 846~848: Protruding setting area

[0089] 845: Bubble exhaust port

[0090] V: Bubble

[0091] W: substrate.

Claims

1. A substrate processing device, characterized in that: have: a processing tank having a storage space for storing a processing liquid, wherein the substrate is processed by immersing the substrate in the processing liquid stored in the storage space; a substrate holding portion for holding the substrate in an upright position within the storage space; a processing liquid discharge portion, which is disposed on the lower side of the substrate held by the substrate holding portion and discharges the processing liquid into the storage space to form a flow of the processing liquid in the storage space; as well as A bubble supply portion comprises a pipe arranged in the storage space on the lower side of the substrate held by the substrate holding portion, and a hollow protruding portion protruding from the pipe in the flow direction of the processing liquid and having a columnar shape, and the gas sent to the protruding portion via the pipe is discharged from a bubble discharge port provided in the center portion of the front end of the protruding portion, thereby supplying bubbles to the processing liquid stored in the storage space.

2. A substrate processing device, characterized in that: have: a processing tank having a storage space for storing a processing liquid, wherein the substrate is processed by immersing the substrate in the processing liquid stored in the storage space; a substrate holding portion for holding the substrate in an upright position within the storage space; a processing liquid discharge portion, which is disposed on the lower side of the substrate held by the substrate holding portion and discharges the processing liquid into the storage space to form a flow of the processing liquid in the storage space; as well as A bubble supply portion comprises a pipe arranged in the storage space at the lower side of the substrate held by the substrate holding portion, and a hollow protruding portion protruding from the pipe in the flow direction of the processing liquid and having a tapering shape with an outer diameter that decreases toward the front end, and gas delivered to the protruding portion via the pipe is discharged from a bubble discharge port provided at the front end of the protruding portion, thereby supplying bubbles to the processing liquid stored in the storage space. 3 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the protruding portion is made of a resin material. 4 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the protruding portion is formed of at least one selected from the group consisting of polyetheretherketone (PEEK), perfluoroalkoxyalkane (PFA), and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein a front end of the protruding portion is subjected to plasma treatment.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the substrate holding portion holds the plurality of substrates spaced apart from each other in a horizontal direction. The bubble supply unit includes a plurality of protruding portions arranged in a row along the horizontal direction on a side wall of the pipe extending in the horizontal direction. The substrate and the protruding portions are alternately located in the horizontal direction. Each of the protruding portions supplies the bubbles from the bubble discharge port toward between the substrates adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction. 7 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing tank causes the processing liquid supplied from the processing liquid discharge portion to overflow from the upper opening of the storage space during processing of the substrate.

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