Substrate drying apparatus and substrate drying method

Abstract

The present application provides a substrate drying device and a substrate drying method capable of suppressing generation of defects of a minute size (e.g., defects of a defect size of 20 nm or less). A substrate drying device (1) includes: a substrate holding section (11) that holds a substrate (W); a gas generator (60) that generates a drying gas (G) containing at least IPA vapor and used for drying the substrate (W); and a drying gas nozzle (30) that supplies the drying gas (G) to a surface (WA) of the substrate (W). The gas generator (60) is provided with a filter (67) for filtering the drying gas (G), a defect size D allowed in defect inspection after drying of the substrate (W) is set to 20 nm or less, and a ratio D / F of the defect size D to a filter size F of the filter (67) is set to 4 or more.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a substrate drying apparatus and a substrate drying method. More specifically, it relates to a substrate drying apparatus and a substrate drying method that uses centrifugal force and Marangoni force to move the rinsing liquid to the outer periphery, thereby gradually expanding the drying area on the substrate from the center to the outer periphery, and ultimately drying the entire surface of the substrate. Background Technology

[0002] With the miniaturization of semiconductor devices in recent years, the ongoing process involves forming and processing films of various materials with different properties on substrates. Particularly in the damascene wiring process, wiring trenches formed on the substrate are filled with metal. However, after damascene wiring formation, excess metal is removed using a substrate polishing (CMP) apparatus, resulting in films with different water wettability, such as metal films, barrier films, and insulating films, on the substrate surface. For example, a low-k film with a low k-value is used for the insulating film embedded with copper. However, low-k films are hydrophobic, making it easy for the water film on the substrate to break apart. When drying is performed with the water film broken apart, defects such as watermarks (water spots) are easily generated. Furthermore, these substrate surfaces contain slurry residues used in CMP polishing, such as Cu polishing shavings, and other foreign matter. Even on substrate surfaces with complex film shapes and difficult-to-clean surface properties, if not thoroughly cleaned, leakage or poor adhesion due to residues can become a reliability issue.

[0003] Therefore, as an effective drying apparatus and method for preventing defects, the following technique has been proposed: a cleaning rinsing liquid is supplied from a rinsing liquid nozzle to a substrate rotating in a single-piece manner to form a liquid film covering the entire surface of the substrate; furthermore, the substrate is dried by supplying a drying gas stream containing IPA (isopropyl alcohol), which reduces the surface tension of the rinsing liquid, to the substrate from a drying gas nozzle. As a priori example, a substrate drying apparatus has been proposed that can suppress defect formation even if the rinsing liquid evaporates in the central region of the substrate where centrifugal force is relatively low and rinsing liquid is prone to remain (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-192967

[0007] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0008] In recent years, with the advancement of high-performance defect inspection devices accompanying the development of micro-devices, the ability to detect minute-sized defects and previously undetected defects has become a necessity. Further improved technologies are needed to address the challenges and risks that have become apparent.

[0009] Furthermore, due to technological innovations in semiconductor manufacturing processes, the linewidth of patterns formed on substrates has been continuously miniaturized in recent years. Particles on the substrate, previously considered non-critical, are now becoming a factor affecting yield. Moreover, when patterns are stacked into many layers using techniques such as 3D wiring, there are concerns that surface deviations caused by minor particles on the substrate surface after grinding are amplified, demanding further improvements in technology. Thus, with advancements in technology, the quality requirements for reducing residual particles on the substrate after grinding and drying—for example, after cleaning—are becoming increasingly stringent.

[0010] However, conventional substrate drying apparatus and methods have struggled to adequately suppress the generation of minute defects (e.g., defects smaller than 20 nm) that are now required to meet higher standards due to the latest technological innovations, necessitating further improvements. Summary of the Invention

[0011] The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide a further improved substrate drying apparatus and substrate drying method that can suppress the generation of small-sized defects (e.g., defects with a defect size of less than 20 nm).

[0012] Technical means for solving the problem

[0013] The substrate drying apparatus of the present invention comprises: a substrate holding section that holds a substrate; a gas generator that generates a drying gas containing at least IPA vapor and dries the substrate; and a drying gas nozzle that supplies the drying gas to the surface of the substrate. The gas generator is provided with a filter for filtering the drying gas. In a defect inspection of the substrate after drying, the permissible defect size D is set to 20 nm or less, and the ratio D / F of the defect size D to the filter size F is set to 4 or more.

[0014] According to this structure, even when the permissible defect size D in defect inspection after substrate drying is 20 nm or less, the generation of defects (defects with a defect size D of 20 nm or less) can be suppressed by setting the ratio of defect size D to the filter size F of the filter (the filter that filters the drying gas used to dry the substrate) to 4 or more. Therefore, it is possible to provide a further improved substrate drying apparatus that suppresses the generation of minute defects throughout the substrate.

[0015] Furthermore, the substrate drying apparatus of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a substrate holding portion that holds a substrate; a substrate rotating portion that rotates the substrate holding portion; a rinsing liquid supply mechanism including a rinsing liquid nozzle that supplies rinsing liquid to the surface of the substrate; a gas generator that generates drying gas containing at least IPA vapor and dries the substrate; a drying gas supply mechanism including a drying gas nozzle that supplies drying gas to the surface of the substrate; and a nozzle moving mechanism for discharging drying gas from the substrate according to the substrate drying process. The drying gas nozzle supply position and the rinsing liquid move from the rinsing liquid nozzle supply position; and a control device that controls the operation of the substrate rotation unit, the nozzle moving mechanism, the rinsing liquid supply mechanism, the gas generator, and the drying gas supply mechanism, wherein, when the surface of the substrate is divided into a central region having a rotation center of the substrate, an inner peripheral region existing outside the central region, an outer peripheral region existing outside the inner peripheral region, and a peripheral region located at the outermost periphery of the substrate by concentrically dividing the surface of the substrate, the control device operates the substrate drying device in the following manner: while rotating the substrate... The substrate is rotated while performing any one of the following controls (1), (2), and (3): (1) the rinsing fluid supply mechanism is controlled to supply rinsing fluid from the rinsing fluid nozzle to the surface of the substrate when the rinsing fluid nozzle is located in the central region, the inner peripheral region, or the outer peripheral region where the rotation center of the substrate is located, and to stop supplying rinsing fluid from the rinsing fluid nozzle to the surface of the substrate when the rinsing fluid nozzle is located in the peripheral region; (2) the gas generator is controlled to increase the flow rate from the rinsing fluid nozzle when the drying gas nozzle is located in the inner peripheral region or the outer peripheral region, compared to when the drying gas nozzle is located in the central region. The concentration of the drying component contained in the drying gas supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate is zero when the drying gas nozzle is located in the peripheral region; (3) The drying gas supply mechanism is controlled to supply the drying gas from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate when the drying gas nozzle is located in the central region, the inner peripheral region, or the outer peripheral region, and to reduce the flow rate of the drying gas supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate when the drying gas nozzle is located in the peripheral region.

[0016] According to this structure, when the drying gas nozzle reaches the peripheral region of the substrate, the supply of rinsing liquid from the rinsing liquid nozzle to the surface of the substrate is stopped, so that the concentration of the drying component (IPA) contained in the drying gas supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate is zero and the flow rate of the drying gas is reduced. This suppresses the generation of defects (defects with a defect size D of 20 nm or less) in the peripheral region (edge ​​portion) of the substrate, where defect generation is prone to occur. Therefore, a further improved substrate drying apparatus can be provided to suppress the generation of small-sized defects throughout the substrate.

[0017] Furthermore, the substrate drying apparatus of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a substrate holding portion that holds a substrate; a substrate rotating portion that rotates the substrate; a rinsing liquid nozzle that supplies rinsing liquid to the surface of the substrate for covering the substrate with a liquid film; a drying gas nozzle that supplies drying gas containing at least IPA vapor to the surface of the substrate; a nozzle moving mechanism for moving the drying gas from a supply position of the drying gas nozzle and the rinsing liquid from a supply position of the rinsing liquid nozzle; a gas generator that generates drying gas for drying the substrate; and a control device that controls the supply amount of rinsing liquid supplied from the rinsing liquid nozzle to the surface of the substrate, the concentration of drying components contained in the drying gas supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate, and the flow rate of the drying gas supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate, wherein the substrate has: a central region having a rotation center of the substrate, an inner peripheral region existing outside the central region, an outer peripheral region existing outside the inner peripheral region, and a region existing outside the outer peripheral region. In the peripheral region, the control device controls the supply of rinsing fluid from the rinsing fluid nozzle to the surface of the substrate when the rinsing fluid nozzle is located in the central region, the inner peripheral region, or the outer peripheral region; and stops the supply of rinsing fluid from the rinsing fluid nozzle to the surface of the substrate when the rinsing fluid nozzle is located in the peripheral region. Furthermore, the control device controls the supply of rinsing fluid from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate to be increased when the drying gas nozzle is located in the inner peripheral region or the outer peripheral region, compared to when the drying gas nozzle is located in the central region. The concentration of the drying component contained in the drying gas is such that when the drying gas nozzle is located in the peripheral region, the concentration of the drying component contained in the drying gas supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate is zero. Furthermore, the control device controls the supply of the drying gas from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate when the drying gas nozzle is located in the central region, the inner peripheral region, or the outer peripheral region, and prevents the flow rate of the drying gas supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate from changing when the drying gas nozzle is located in the peripheral region.

[0018] According to this structure, when the drying gas nozzle reaches the peripheral region of the substrate, the supply of rinsing liquid from the rinsing liquid nozzle to the surface of the substrate is stopped, ensuring that the concentration of the drying component (IPA) in the drying gas supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate is zero and that the flow rate of the drying gas remains unchanged. This suppresses the generation of defects (defects with a defect size D of 20 nm or less) in the peripheral region (edge ​​portion) of the substrate, where defect generation is prone to occur. Therefore, a further improved substrate drying apparatus can be provided to suppress the generation of small-sized defects throughout the entire substrate.

[0019] Alternatively, the substrate drying apparatus of the present invention may include a rotation speed control unit that controls the rotation speed of the substrate based on the substrate rotation unit. When the supply of the rinsing liquid stops, the rotation speed control unit increases the rotation speed of the substrate to a predetermined target rotation speed by a rotation acceleration greater than or equal to a predetermined rotation acceleration.

[0020] According to this structure, when the supply of rinsing liquid is stopped, the rotational speed of the substrate is increased to a predetermined target rotational speed by a rotational acceleration greater than a predetermined rotational acceleration. This suppresses the generation of defects (defects with a defect size D of 20 nm or less) in the peripheral region (edge ​​portion) of the substrate, where defect generation is prone to become a problem. Therefore, it is possible to provide a further improved substrate drying apparatus that suppresses the generation of small-sized defects throughout the entire substrate.

[0021] The substrate drying method of the present invention is a method for drying a substrate using a substrate drying apparatus, wherein the substrate drying apparatus comprises: a substrate rotating part that rotates a substrate held in a substrate holding part; a rinsing liquid nozzle that supplies rinsing liquid to the surface of the substrate for covering the substrate with a liquid film; and a drying gas nozzle that supplies drying gas to the surface of the substrate, the drying gas containing at least IPA vapor and used to dry the substrate, the substrate having: a central region having a rotation center of the substrate, an inner peripheral region existing outside the central region, an outer peripheral region existing outside the inner peripheral region, and a peripheral region existing outside the outer peripheral region, the method comprising: supplying rinsing liquid from the rinsing liquid nozzle to the surface of the substrate when the rinsing liquid nozzle is located in the central region, the inner peripheral region, or the outer peripheral region. When the rinsing fluid nozzle is located in the peripheral region, the supply of rinsing fluid from the rinsing fluid nozzle to the surface of the substrate is stopped; compared to when the drying gas nozzle is located in the central region, when the drying gas nozzle is located in the inner peripheral region or the outer peripheral region, the concentration of the drying component contained in the drying gas supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate is increased; when the drying gas nozzle is located in the peripheral region, the concentration of the drying component contained in the drying gas supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate is zero; when the drying gas nozzle is located in the central region, the inner peripheral region, or the outer peripheral region, the supply of the drying gas from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate is carried out; and when the drying gas nozzle is located in the peripheral region, the flow rate of the drying gas supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate is reduced.

[0022] Similar to the apparatus described above, this method stops supplying rinsing liquid from the rinsing liquid nozzle to the substrate surface when the drying gas nozzle reaches the peripheral region of the substrate. This reduces the concentration of the drying component (IPA) in the drying gas supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the substrate surface to zero and decreases the flow rate of the drying gas. This suppresses the generation of defects (defects with a defect size D of 20 nm or less) in the peripheral region (edge ​​portion) of the substrate, where defect generation is prone to occur. Therefore, a further improved substrate drying method can be provided to suppress the generation of small-sized defects throughout the entire substrate.

[0023] The substrate drying method of the present invention is a method for drying a substrate using a substrate drying apparatus, wherein the substrate drying apparatus comprises: a substrate rotating part that rotates a substrate held in a substrate holding part; a rinsing liquid nozzle that supplies rinsing liquid to the surface of the substrate for covering the substrate with a liquid film; and a drying gas nozzle that supplies drying gas to the surface of the substrate, the drying gas containing at least IPA vapor and used to dry the substrate, the substrate having: a central region having a rotation center of the substrate, an inner peripheral region existing outside the central region, an outer peripheral region existing outside the inner peripheral region, and a peripheral region existing outside the outer peripheral region, the method comprising: supplying rinsing liquid from the rinsing liquid nozzle to the surface of the substrate when the rinsing liquid nozzle is located in the central region, the inner peripheral region, or the outer peripheral region. When the rinsing fluid nozzle is located in the peripheral region, the supply of rinsing fluid from the rinsing fluid nozzle to the surface of the substrate is stopped; compared to when the drying gas nozzle is located in the central region, when the drying gas nozzle is located in the inner peripheral region and the outer peripheral region, the concentration of the drying component contained in the drying gas supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate is increased; when the drying gas nozzle is located in the peripheral region, the concentration of the drying component contained in the drying gas supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate is made zero; when the drying gas nozzle is located in the central region, the inner peripheral region, and the outer peripheral region, the supply of the drying gas from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate is carried out; and when the drying gas nozzle is located in the peripheral region, the flow rate of the drying gas supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate is not changed.

[0024] This method, similar to the apparatus described above, stops the supply of rinsing liquid from the rinsing liquid nozzle to the substrate surface when the drying gas nozzle reaches the peripheral region of the substrate. This ensures that the concentration of the drying component (IPA) in the drying gas supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the substrate surface is zero and that the flow rate of the drying gas remains unchanged. As a result, the generation of defects (defects with a defect size D of 20 nm or less) in the peripheral region (edge ​​portion) of the substrate, where defect generation is prone to occur, can be suppressed. Therefore, a further improved substrate drying method can be provided to suppress the generation of small-sized defects throughout the entire substrate surface.

[0025] Invention Effects

[0026] According to the present invention, a further improved substrate drying apparatus and method can be provided to suppress the generation of small-sized defects (e.g., defects with a size of less than 20 nm) on the surface of a substrate. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing an example of a substrate drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 2 This is an explanatory diagram of the structure of the dry gas generating device in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 3 This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a region on the surface of a substrate.

[0030] Figure 4 This is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the changes in rinsing liquid, IPA concentration, gas volume, and substrate rotation speed in the substrate drying method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 5 This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the effect of suppressing defects in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 6 This is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of changes in rinsing liquid, IPA concentration, gas volume, and substrate rotation speed (other examples) in a substrate drying method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 7 This is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of changes in rinsing liquid, IPA concentration, gas volume, and substrate rotation speed (other examples) in a substrate drying method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 8 This is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of changes in rinsing liquid, IPA concentration, gas volume, and substrate rotation speed (other examples) in a substrate drying method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 9 This is a schematic top view of a substrate processing apparatus using a substrate drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Symbol Explanation

[0037] 1. Substrate drying apparatus

[0038] 10 Rotary Mechanism

[0039] 11 Chuck claws (substrate holding section)

[0040] 12 Rotary drive shafts (substrate rotation section)

[0041] 20 Rinse Water Nozzle (Rinse Fluid Nozzle)

[0042] 30 Dry Gas Nozzle

[0043] 40 mobile units

[0044] 50 control devices

[0045] 60 Gas generator (gas generating device including dry gas)

[0046] 67 Filter

[0047] W substrate

[0048] Surface of WA substrate

[0049] W1 Central Area

[0050] WO outer area

[0051] W2 inner peripheral area

[0052] W3 peripheral area

[0053] W4 perimeter area

[0054] R Rinse water

[0055] G dry gas Detailed Implementation

[0056] Hereinafter, a substrate drying apparatus and method according to embodiments of the present invention will be described using the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, a substrate drying apparatus and method used for drying substrates such as semiconductor wafers will be illustrated.

[0057] The structure of the substrate drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the substrate drying apparatus according to this embodiment. The substrate drying apparatus 1 includes: a rotation mechanism 10 that rotates the substrate W to be processed while supporting (or holding); a rinsing water nozzle 20 as a rinsing liquid nozzle; a drying gas nozzle 30 that supplies the substrate W with a drying gas G (gas G for drying the object) containing at least IPA vapor; a moving mechanism 40 that moves the rinsing water nozzle 20 and the drying gas nozzle 30 parallel to the surface of the substrate W; and a control device 50 that controls the operation of the substrate drying apparatus 1 including the rotation mechanism 10 and the moving mechanism 40.

[0058] Furthermore, the substrate drying apparatus 1 includes a processing container 70, which houses a rotating mechanism 10 for supporting the substrate, a rinsing water nozzle 20, a drying gas nozzle 30, and a moving mechanism 40. A loading / unloading outlet 71 for loading or unloading the substrate W is formed on the side wall of the processing container 70. An annular exhaust pipe 72 is provided at the upper part of the processing container 70. An exhaust port 73 is provided at the lower part of the processing container 70. Gas for ventilation is supplied from the exhaust pipe 72 and discharged from the exhaust port 73, thereby forming a downward flow within the processing container 70. In one embodiment, a control device 50, a component of the substrate drying apparatus 1, and a drying gas generating device 60 (described later) are provided outside the processing container 70.

[0059] The rinsing water nozzle 20 is a device for supplying rinsing water R, which serves as a rinsing fluid, to the substrate W. In this embodiment, the moving mechanism 40 serves as both a rinsing fluid nozzle moving mechanism and a drying gas nozzle moving mechanism. The substrate W being processed is typically a semiconductor substrate (typically 200 mm or 300 mm in size) made of a material used to manufacture semiconductor elements, and is formed in a disk shape. A circuit is formed on one side of the substrate W (this side is referred to as "surface WA"), while no circuit is formed on the other side (back side) of the substrate W. Furthermore, as in other embodiments, the semiconductor substrate used as the substrate W can be a substrate without a circuit surface, such as a silicon wafer, or a compound semiconductor such as GaAs, SiC, or GaN can be used.

[0060] The rotation mechanism 10 includes chuck jaws 11 and a rotation drive shaft 12. Multiple chuck jaws 11 are provided to hold the substrate W by gripping its outer peripheral end (edge ​​portion). Each chuck jaw 11 is connected to the rotation drive shaft 12 in a manner that allows the surface of the substrate W to be held horizontally. In this embodiment, the substrate W is held in the chuck jaws 11 with its surface WA facing upwards. The rotation drive shaft 12 is rotatable about an axis extending perpendicularly to the surface of the substrate W, and is configured such that the substrate W can be rotated in the horizontal plane along the substrate rotation direction Dr by rotating about the axis of the rotation drive shaft 12. Alternatively, as another embodiment of the present invention, the rotation mechanism 10 can be provided with a circular plate and a motor mechanism connected to the rotation axis of the circular plate, holding and supporting the substrate W on the circular plate for free rotation. In this case, the circular plate is a circular plate of a size corresponding to the substrate, and has multiple holes communicating with a vacuum source on a mounting surface near the center of the substrate for vacuum adsorption of the substrate.

[0061] The rinsing water nozzle 20 is a nozzle (a cylindrical device that ejects fluid from a fine orifice at the top) that supplies rinsing water R to the substrate W in a flowing (rinsing water flow) manner to prevent defects such as watermarks caused by the drying of liquid on the surface WA of the substrate W from a droplet state. This rinsing water R is typically pure water, but deionized water, carbon dioxide dissolved water, or functional water such as ozone water, hydrogen water, or electrolyzed water can also be used. From the viewpoint of eliminating dissolved salts and dissolved organic matter, which are causes of watermark formation, deionized water is preferred. Furthermore, although the generation of static electricity associated with the movement of the rinsing water R on the substrate W due to the rotation of the substrate W may attract foreign matter, from the viewpoint of increasing the conductivity of the rinsing water R and suppressing charging, carbon dioxide dissolved water is preferable. In one embodiment, when the substrate contains a specific metal component, the use of carbon dioxide dissolved in water may actually promote corrosion of the substrate, which could become a major cause of defects. Therefore, in case of such a situation, it may be configured such that carbon dioxide dissolved in water is used as the initial rinsing water R1, and deionized water (DIW) is used as the subsequent rinsing water R2.

[0062] The drying gas nozzle 30 supplies isopropyl alcohol (hereinafter referred to as IPA) to the membrane of rinsing water R covering the surface WA of the substrate W, and supplies drying gas G to the substrate W in the form of a gas flow (drying gas flow) to push away the membrane of rinsing water R. The drying gas G is typically a gas formed by mixing IPA vapor with inactive gases such as nitrogen or argon that function as a carrier gas, but it can also be IPA vapor itself, or at least contain IPA vapor.

[0063] The substrate drying apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes a device for generating drying gas G. In the device for generating drying gas G, liquid IPA is stored in a sealed cylindrical container (not shown) made of a metal such as stainless steel. An inlet pipe (not shown) and an outlet pipe (not shown) are passed through the upper end of the cylindrical container. The inlet pipe allows inert gas to flow into the container, and the outlet pipe guides inert gas containing IPA vapor from the container to the drying gas nozzle 30. The end of the inlet pipe located inside the container is submerged in the liquid IPA. On the other hand, the end of the outlet pipe located inside the container, which is above the liquid IPA and filled with gas, is not submerged in the liquid IPA. Furthermore, a contact-type liquid level sensor is provided inside the container to maintain the liquid level of the IPA in the container within a predetermined range. The liquid level sensor detects the high and low levels of the liquid IPA in the container. When a low level is detected, a pump (not shown) is started to supply liquid IPA into the container; when a high level is detected, the pump is stopped to stop the supply of liquid IPA into the container. To include IPA vapor in the dry gas stream blown from the dry gas nozzle 30, an inert gas is blown into the IPA liquid through an inlet pipe to create foam. The IPA vapor is then saturated with the inert gas and accumulates in a container above the IPA liquid. This IPA vapor is discharged from the container through an outlet pipe and guided to the dry gas nozzle 30. To adjust the IPA vapor content in the inert gas blown from the dry gas nozzle 30, typically, this is achieved by diluting the inert gas saturated with IPA vapor by mixing it with another inert gas from a separate line.

[0064] Here, refer to Figure 2 A specific example of an apparatus for generating dry gas G will be described. Figure 2This is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of a dry gas generating apparatus 60. The dry gas generating apparatus 60 has an airtight container 61 storing liquid IPA, an inlet pipe 62 allowing nitrogen (N2) to flow into the container 61, and an outlet pipe 63 allowing nitrogen (N2) containing IPA vapor to exit the container 61, extending through the upper end face of the container 61. Inside the container 61, the end of the inlet pipe 62 is submerged in the liquid IPA, while the end of the outlet pipe 63 is not submerged. A mass flow controller (hereinafter referred to as "MFC") 62c is inserted into the inlet pipe 62, and an MFC 63c is inserted into the outlet pipe 63. The MFCs 62c and 63c are devices for regulating the flow rate of the fluid, exhibiting excellent responsiveness and stability, and are configured to instantaneously control the flow rate to a specified value. A valve 63v is inserted into the outlet pipe 63 upstream of the MFC 63c. The inlet pipe 62 upstream of the MFC 62c and the outlet pipe 63 upstream of the valve 63v are connected via a bypass pipe 64. An MFC 64c is inserted into the bypass pipe 64. MFCs 62c, 63c, and 64c are connected to the IPA concentration detection unit 69 via signal cables, enabling adjustment of the fluid flow rate through the inflow pipe 62, the outlet pipe 63, and the bypass pipe 64, so that the flow rate and IPA concentration of the dry gas G supplied to the dry gas nozzle 30 are at desired values. Furthermore, in this device, the nitrogen N2 inflow pipe 62 branches to form a bypass pipe 64-1. This bypass pipe 64-1 is connected to the flushing water nozzle 20 via an MFC 64-1c.

[0065] A liquid level sensor 68 is installed inside container 61 to maintain the liquid level of IPA within a specified range. Additionally, an IPA supply pipe 65 for introducing IPA into container 61 and an exhaust pipe 66 for discharging gas from the upper part of container 61 are connected through the upper surface of container 61. Both the IPA supply pipe 65 and the exhaust pipe 66 have their ends positioned above the IPA liquid level within container 61. An IPA supply valve 65v is inserted into the IPA supply pipe 65, and an exhaust valve 66v is inserted into the exhaust pipe 66. The IPA supply valve 65v and the exhaust valve 66v are connected to the liquid level sensor 68 via signal cables. The configuration is such that when the liquid level sensor 68 detects a low liquid level, the IPA supply valve 65v opens to supply IPA into container 61; when the liquid level sensor 68 detects a high liquid level, the IPA supply valve 65v closes to stop the supply of IPA into container 61. The configuration is such that, in conjunction with the opening and closing of the IPA supply valve 65v, the exhaust valve 66v is also opened or closed, so as to smoothly supply IPA liquid into the container 61.

[0066] In the dry gas generating apparatus 60 configured as described above, when generating dry gas G, with the IPA supply valve 65v and exhaust valve 66v closed, nitrogen N2 is introduced into the inlet pipe 62 and / or bypass pipe 64. The nitrogen N2 introduced into the container 61 via the inlet pipe 62 is blown into the IPA liquid within the container 61, causing the IPA liquid to foam and vaporize, generating a mixture of IPA vapor and nitrogen N2 above the IPA liquid surface. This mixture flows toward the dry gas nozzle 30 in the outlet pipe 63. Midway, as needed, nitrogen N2 is combined from the bypass pipe 64, becoming dry gas G with an adjusted IPA concentration, which is then supplied to the dry gas nozzle 30. In this way, the IPA concentration in the dry gas G is responsively adjusted to the desired concentration.

[0067] Furthermore, the drying gas generating apparatus 60 in this embodiment is provided with a filter 67 for filtering the drying gas. Also, the allowable defect size D in the defect inspection after substrate drying is set to 20 nm or less, and the ratio D / F of the defect size D to the filter size F of the filter 67 is set to a value of 4 or more. For example, the ratio D / F of the defect size D to the filter size F of the filter 67 is set to values ​​such as 4, 6, 13, 20, and 67 (see reference). Figure 5 Returning to Figure 1 The structure of the substrate drying apparatus 1 will be further explained.

[0068] The moving mechanism 40 is configured to include a movable arm 41, a movable shaft 42, and a drive source 43. The movable arm 41 is a component with a length greater than the radius of the substrate W and is equipped with a rinsing water nozzle 20 and a drying gas nozzle 30. The movable shaft 42 is a rod-shaped component that transmits power from the drive source 43 to the movable arm 41. One end of the movable shaft 42 is connected to one end of the movable arm 41 in a manner where the length direction of the movable shaft 42 is orthogonal to the length direction of the movable arm 41, and the other end of the movable shaft 42 is connected to the drive source 43. The drive source 43 is a device that rotates the movable shaft 42 about its axis. The movable shaft 42 is provided on the outer side of the substrate W in a vertical direction. The movable arm 41 is configured such that the drying airflow ejected from the drying gas nozzle 30, mounted on the side opposite to the connection end with the movable shaft 42, can collide with the center of rotation of the substrate W. The moving mechanism 40 is configured such that when the drive source 43 is operated, the movable arm 41 moves in the radial direction of the substrate W via the movable shaft 42, and the rinsing water nozzle 20 and the drying gas nozzle 30 also move in the radial direction of the substrate W as the movable arm 41 moves.

[0069] The control device 50 includes a process controller equipped with a microprocessor (computer), a user interface, and a storage unit. The process controller is electrically connected to each component constituting the substrate drying apparatus, thereby enabling control of each component. The storage unit is electrically connected to the process controller. The storage unit stores control programs for implementing various processes performed by the substrate drying apparatus under the control of the process controller, schemes for implementing prescribed processes according to processing conditions, and various other databases. Corresponding to the time from the start to the end of the production cycle of the substrate drying process, the storage unit stores, according to each scheme, the rotational speed of the substrate W, the flow rate of the rinsing water jet from the rinsing water nozzle 20, the flow rate (gas volume) of the drying gas jet from the drying gas nozzle 30, and the concentration of IPA at each execution time. The storage unit accommodates a computer-readable recording medium such as a hard disk, floppy disk, DVD, CD-ROM, or memory card, on which the scheme is recorded. Alternatively, it may be pre-configured to allow the scheme to be read as data from a cloud server or similar source. The user interface is connected to the process controller and consists of an input tablet that allows the operator to input commands to manage the various components of the substrate drying apparatus, a display screen, and the like.

[0070] Furthermore, the control device 50 is connected to the rotation drive shaft 12 of the rotating mechanism 10 via a signal cable, and is configured to adjust the rotation speed of the substrate W by adjusting the rotation speed of the rotation drive shaft 12. Additionally, the control device 50 is configured to adjust the flow rate of the rinsing water stream ejected from the rinsing water nozzle 20. Furthermore, the control device 50 is configured to adjust the flow rate (gas volume) of the drying gas stream ejected from the drying gas nozzle 30, and to adjust the concentration of IPA that can be contained in the drying gas G. Furthermore, the control device 50 is connected to the drive source 43 of the moving mechanism 40 via a signal cable, and is configured to adjust the movement speed of the movable arm 41 by adjusting the rotation speed of the movable shaft 42 based on the drive source 43.

[0071] Continue to refer to Figure 1The operation of the substrate drying apparatus 1 will be explained. The operation of the substrate drying apparatus 1 is one aspect of the substrate drying method according to the embodiments of the present invention, but the substrate drying method according to the embodiments of the present invention can also be configured to be performed outside the substrate drying apparatus 1. The operation of each component described below is controlled by the control device 50. In the previous process, a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process is performed, in which wet cleaning is performed using a chemical solution or the like. The substrate W, in a state where liquid components such as the cleaning solution remain on the surface (the state before drying), is held by the chuck jaws 11 of the rotating mechanism 10. The wet cleaning process before the drying process can also be performed on the same rotating mechanism 10 used in the subsequent drying process. When the substrate W to be dried is held on the rotating mechanism 10, the movable arm 41 is moved until the spray outlet of the rinsing water nozzle 20 reaches a position opposite to a portion slightly offset from the rotation center Wc of the surface WA of the substrate W. At this time, the drying gas nozzle 30 has a rotation center Wc of the surface WA within the collision range, which is the range of the drying gas flow colliding with the surface WA, and the centroid of the collision range is located upstream of the nozzle moving direction Dn, which is the rotation center Wc of the surface WA. Furthermore, the "collision range" is the range within which the drying gas flow collides with the surface WA, assuming there is no rinsing water R on the surface WA (the outer edge of the cross-section of the drying gas flow projected onto the surface WA in the axial direction). Additionally, the nozzle moving direction Dn is the direction in which the drying gas flow moves from the rotation center Wc side of the substrate W towards the outer periphery when drying the surface WA.

[0072] If the movable arm 41 moves to the aforementioned position, a stream of rinsing water is sprayed from the rinsing water nozzle 20 in such a way that rinsing water R is supplied to the surface WA of the substrate W. After the supply of rinsing water to the surface WA begins, the rotary drive shaft 12 is rotated, thereby causing the substrate W to rotate in the horizontal plane. At this time, the rotational speed of the substrate W is gradually increased; however, from the viewpoint that even if the surface WA is hydrophobic, the rinsing water R can be covered with a film of rinsing water R without scattering, it is preferable to set the acceleration to 300 rpm or less per second. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of improving production capacity, it is preferable to set the acceleration to the maximum possible within the range that allows the surface WA to be covered with a film of rinsing water R.

[0073] If surface WA is covered by rinsing water R and the rotational speed of substrate W increases to a predetermined value, a dry gas flow is supplied to surface WA from dry gas nozzle 30. The IPA contained in the dry gas flow is generally bipolar; therefore, even if surface WA is hydrophobic, IPA is uniformly wetted (expanded wetting). Furthermore, since the solubility of IPA relative to water is infinitely large, IPA vapor rapidly dissolves in the water adhering to surface WA, and if it is a water droplet, IPA becomes a droplet mixed with the water droplet. Even after the supply of dry gas to surface WA begins, the supply of rinsing water to surface WA continues. By supplying dry gas to surface WA, near the rotation center Wc where the centrifugal force of the rinsing water R acting on surface WA is small, a portion of the rinsing water R supplied with dry gas G is also removed, resulting in a dry area on surface WA. After the supply of dry gas to surface WA begins, movable arm 41 is moved in the nozzle movement direction Dn, and consequently, the positions where the rinsing water flow collides with surface WA and the positions where the dry gas flow collides with surface WA move in the nozzle movement direction Dn. Before the movable arm 41 starts working, the center of gravity of the collision range of the dry gas flow of the dry gas nozzle 30 is located upstream of the nozzle moving direction Dn, which is the rotation center Wc of the surface WA. Therefore, due to the movement of the movable arm 41, the center of gravity of the collision range crosses the rotation center Wc.

[0074] While supplying a stream of rinsing water and a stream of drying gas to surface WA, the movable arm 41 is moved from the rotation center Wc to the outer periphery of the substrate W. This causes the boundary between the rinsing water R and the drying gas G to gradually expand concentrically, and the dried area on surface WA to gradually increase. At this time, at the boundary between the rinsing water R and the drying gas G, the IPA in the drying gas G dissolves in the rinsing water R by blowing the drying gas G into the rinsing water R, resulting in a decrease in the surface tension of the rinsing water R. The concentration of IPA dissolved in the rinsing water R decreases further away from the contact point with the drying gas flow. Therefore, the surface tension of the rinsing water R exhibits a gradient that decreases upstream of the nozzle movement direction Dn and increases downstream. Due to this surface tension gradient, a Marangoni force acts, attracting the rinsing water R from the side with lower surface tension to the side with higher surface tension. In addition, due to the rotation of the substrate W, a centrifugal force is applied, attracting the rinsing water R from the rotation center Wc side towards the outer periphery of the substrate W. Through the interaction of these forces, the rinsing water R is appropriately removed from surface WA. That is, centrifugal force and Marangoni force are used to move the cleaning solution to the outer periphery, causing the drying area on the substrate to gradually expand from the center to the outer periphery, thereby eventually drying the entire surface of the substrate. According to the above-described single-sheet IPA drying method, even for hydrophobic surfaces (WA), the formation of defects such as watermarks can be suppressed, and the drying process can be effectively performed. Furthermore, the above-described single-sheet IPA drying method can also be applied to the surfaces of hydrophilic substrates.

[0075] After the movable arm 41 reaches the outer periphery of the substrate W, the supply of rinsing water to the surface WA is stopped, and the supply of drying gas is reduced. At this time, the supply of rinsing water to the surface WA is stopped first, followed by the reduction of the supply of drying gas. Then, the rotational speed of the substrate W is increased (in this embodiment, it is increased to approximately 800–2000 rpm), and centrifugal force is used to remove droplets remaining on the outer periphery (edge ​​portion) and back surface of the substrate W. At this point, the drying process is complete, and after the rotation of the substrate W stops, the substrate W is removed from the rotating mechanism 10.

[0076] Figure 3 This is a top view showing the defined areas of the surface WA of the substrate W. The surface WA is first divided into a central region W1 and an outer region WO. The central region W1 is the area within the collision range (the range where the dry gas flow collides with the surface WA) where the rotation center Wc of the substrate W exists. Typically, the central region W1 is the area inside an imaginary circle drawn with the rotation center Wc as its center and the length of the diameter of the collision range as its radius. The outer region WO is the area outside the central region W1. The outer region WO is further divided sequentially from the rotation center Wc side of the substrate W towards the outer peripheral end side into an inner peripheral region W2, an outer peripheral region W3, and a peripheral region W4. The inner peripheral region W2 is the area inside an imaginary circle drawn with the rotation center Wc as its center and the length of approximately half the radius of the substrate W as its radius, and outside the central region W1. The outer peripheral region W3 is the area outside the inner peripheral region W2 and inside the peripheral region W4. The peripheral region W4 is the area within the rinsing water flow (see reference). Figure 1 ) and dry gas stream (refer to Figure 1 When the dry gas flow reaches the position where the supply of rinsing water to the surface WA stops while moving along the radial direction of the substrate W (the nozzle moving direction Dn) (typically when it reaches the outer peripheral end), the position of the dry gas flow is outside the trajectory when it rotates around the rotation center Wc.

[0077] The substrate drying apparatus 1 of this embodiment can be applied to a substrate processing apparatus. Figure 9 This is a schematic top view of the substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus is a device that processes various substrates in the manufacturing process of image sensors such as semiconductor wafers, flat panels, CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) or CCD (Charge Coupled Device), and magnetic films in MRAM (Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory), which have a diameter of 300mm or 450mm.

[0078] The substrate processing apparatus includes: a generally rectangular housing 100, a loading port 200 for holding a substrate cassette containing multiple substrates, and one or more (in) Figure 1 The method shown includes four) substrate polishing apparatuses 300, one or more (in Figure 1 The illustrated configuration includes two components: a substrate cleaning apparatus 400, a substrate drying apparatus 500, a conveying mechanism 600a-600d, and a control unit 700. The substrate drying apparatus 1 of this embodiment can be used as the substrate drying apparatus 500. In this case, the control device 50 of the substrate drying apparatus 1 can be configured as the control unit 700.

[0079] The loading port 200 is disposed adjacent to the housing 100. An open-type cassette, an SMIF (Standard Mechanical Interface) cassette, or a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) can be mounted at the loading port 200. SMIF cassettes and FOUPs are sealed containers that internally house substrate cassettes and are covered by partitions, thereby maintaining an environment independent of the external space. Examples of substrates include semiconductor wafers.

[0080] A substrate polishing apparatus 300 for polishing a substrate, a substrate cleaning apparatus 400 for cleaning the polished substrate, and a substrate drying apparatus 500 for drying the cleaned substrate are housed within a housing 100. The substrate polishing apparatus 300 is arranged along the length of the substrate processing apparatus, as are the substrate cleaning apparatus 400 and the substrate drying apparatus 500.

[0081] A conveying mechanism 600a is disposed in the area surrounded by the loading port 200, the substrate polishing apparatus 300 located on the side of the loading port 200, and the substrate drying apparatus 500. Additionally, a conveying mechanism 600b is disposed parallel to the substrate polishing apparatus 300, the substrate cleaning apparatus 400, and the substrate drying apparatus 500. The conveying mechanism 600a receives the substrate before polishing from the loading port 200 and transfers it to the conveying mechanism 600b, or receives the dried substrate removed from the substrate drying apparatus 500 from the conveying mechanism 600b.

[0082] A conveying mechanism 600c is provided between two substrate cleaning devices 400 for transferring substrates between these substrate cleaning devices 400, and a conveying mechanism 600d is provided between a substrate cleaning device 400 and a substrate drying device 500 for transferring substrates between these substrate cleaning devices 400 and the substrate drying device 500.

[0083] Furthermore, a control unit 700 for controlling the operation of each device of the substrate processing apparatus is disposed inside the housing 100. Here, the description uses the method of disposing of the control unit 700 inside the housing 100, but it is not limited to this, and the control unit 700 may also be disposed outside the housing 100.

[0084] Next, refer to Figure 4 The substrate cleaning method in this embodiment will be described. Figure 4 This is a time graph showing the supply / stop of the rinsing water R, the change in IPA concentration in the drying gas stream, the change in the flow rate (gas volume) of the drying gas stream, and the change in the rotation speed of the substrate W in this embodiment. Furthermore, the symbols W1 to W4 on the horizontal axis indicate areas of surface WA that are distinguished for convenience. Figure 4 In order to make it easier to understand, W1~W4 are divided equally, but this does not mean that the drying time required for each area is equal.

[0085] First, the control of the supply / stop of the flushing water R will be explained. For example... Figure 4 As shown, in this embodiment, when the central region W1, the inner peripheral region W2, and the outer peripheral region W3 are dried, rinsing water R is supplied to the surface WA of the substrate W. When the peripheral region W4 is dried, the supply of rinsing water R to the surface WA of the substrate W is stopped.

[0086] Next, the control of IPA concentration in the dry gas stream will be explained. For example... Figure 4 As shown, in this embodiment, when drying the central region W1, the IPA concentration in the drying gas stream is maintained at a low concentration (e.g., less than 2 mol%), and when drying the inner peripheral region W2 and the outer peripheral region W3, the IPA concentration in the drying gas stream is maintained at a high concentration (e.g., 2 mol% to 20 mol%). Moreover, when drying the peripheral region W4, the IPA concentration in the drying gas stream is set to zero (0 mol%).

[0087] Next, the control of the flow rate (gas volume) of the drying gas stream will be explained. For example... Figure 4As shown, in this embodiment, when drying the central region W1, the inner peripheral region W2, and the outer peripheral region W3, the flow rate (gas volume) of the drying gas stream is maintained at a high flow rate (e.g., 0.5 L / min to 20 L / min), while when drying the peripheral region W4, the flow rate (gas volume) of the drying gas stream is maintained at a low flow rate (e.g., half the high flow rate, 0.25 L / min to 10 L / min). Here, the flow rate (gas volume) of the drying gas stream refers to the total gas volume of IPA gas and nitrogen (N2). Therefore, for example, when drying the inner peripheral region W2, if the IPA concentration increases (if the gas volume of IPA gas increases), the gas volume of nitrogen (N2) is correspondingly reduced, thereby maintaining the flow rate (total gas volume) of the drying gas stream at a constant level.

[0088] Finally, the control of the rotational speed of substrate W is explained. For example... Figure 4 As shown, in this embodiment, when drying the central region W1, the inner peripheral region W2, and the outer peripheral region W3, the rotational speed of the substrate W is maintained at a predetermined low rotational speed (e.g., 100 rpm to 500 rpm). Furthermore, when drying the peripheral region W4, the rotational speed of the substrate W increases to a predetermined high rotational speed (e.g., 800 rpm to 2000 rpm) with a rotational acceleration of at least 500 rpm / s (e.g., 1000 rpm / s). This high rotational speed can be referred to as the target rotational speed.

[0089] According to the substrate drying apparatus 1 of this embodiment, even when the permissible defect size D in the defect inspection of the substrate W after drying is 20 nm or less, Figure 5 As shown, by setting the pore distribution and pore size of the filter 67 such that the ratio of the defect size D to the filter size F of the filter 67 (the filter 67 that filters the drying gas that dries the substrate) is 4 or more, the generation of defects (defects with a defect size D of less than 20 nm) can also be suppressed.

[0090] In one embodiment of this implementation, such as Figure 4 As shown, when the drying gas nozzle 30 reaches the peripheral region W4 of the substrate W, the supply of rinsing water R from the rinsing water nozzle 20 to the surface WA of the substrate W is stopped, so that the IPA concentration in the drying gas supplied from the drying gas nozzle 30 to the surface WA of the substrate W is zero and the flow rate (gas quantity) of the drying gas is reduced. This suppresses the generation of defects (defects with a defect size D of 20 nm or less) in the peripheral region W4 (edge ​​portion) of the substrate W, where defect generation is particularly problematic. Therefore, a further improved substrate drying process can be achieved, suppressing the generation of small-sized defects throughout the entire substrate.

[0091] Furthermore, in one embodiment of this practice, such as Figure 4 As shown, when the supply of rinsing water R is stopped, the rotational speed of the substrate is increased to a predetermined target rotational speed (e.g., 800 rpm to 2000 rpm) by a rotational acceleration of more than a specified rotational acceleration (more than 500 rpm / s, for example 1000 rpm / s), thereby suppressing the generation of defects (defects with a defect size D of less than 20 nm) in the peripheral region W4 (edge ​​portion) of the substrate W.

[0092] The embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated above, but the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and modifications and variations can be made according to the purpose within the scope of the claimed protection.

[0093] For example, in Figure 4 In the example, when drying the inner peripheral region W2 and the outer peripheral region W3, the IPA concentration in the drying gas stream is maintained at a high concentration (e.g., 2 mol% to 20 mol%), but it can also be, for example... Figure 6 As shown, when drying the inner peripheral region W2 and the outer peripheral region W3, a method is used to gradually increase the IPA concentration in the drying gas stream. Additionally, in Figure 4 In the example, when drying the central region W1, the inner peripheral region W2, and the outer peripheral region W3, the flow rate (gas volume) of the drying gas stream is maintained at a high flow rate (e.g., 0.5 liters / minute to 20 liters / minute), but it can also be, as... Figure 6 As shown, when drying the central region W1, the inner peripheral region W2, and the outer peripheral region W3, a method is used to gradually increase the flow rate (gas volume) of the drying gas stream.

[0094] In addition, Figure 4 In the example, when drying the surrounding area W4, the flow rate (gas volume) of the drying gas stream is reduced to a small flow rate (e.g., half the flow rate of a large flow rate, 0.25 L / min to 10 L / min), but it can also be, as... Figure 7 As shown, even when the drying gas nozzle 30 is located in the peripheral region W4, the flow rate of the drying gas supplied from the drying gas nozzle 30 to the surface WA of the substrate W remains unchanged. In this case, the IPA concentration decreases (the amount of IPA gas decreases), and therefore the amount of nitrogen N2 gas increases accordingly, thereby maintaining the flow rate of the drying gas stream (total gas volume) at a constant level. In this way, the generation of defects (defects with a defect size D of 20 nm or less) in the peripheral region W4 (edge ​​portion) of the substrate W can also be suppressed.

[0095] In addition, Figure 7In the example, when drying the inner peripheral region W2 and the outer peripheral region W3, the IPA concentration in the drying gas stream is maintained at a high concentration (e.g., 2 mol% to 20 mol%), but it can also be, for example... Figure 8 As shown, during the drying of the inner peripheral region W2 and the outer peripheral region W3, the IPA concentration in the drying gas stream is gradually increased. Additionally, in... Figure 7 In the example, when drying the central region W1, the inner peripheral region W2, and the outer peripheral region W3, the flow rate (gas volume) of the drying gas stream is maintained at a high flow rate (e.g., 0.5 liters / minute to 20 liters / minute), but it can also be, as... Figure 8 As shown, when drying the central region W1, the inner peripheral region W2, and the outer peripheral region W3, the flow rate (gas volume) of the drying gas stream is gradually increased.

[0096] According to the above embodiments, in the substrate drying apparatus for drying substrates, multiple substrates can be continuously processed in a series, which can improve production capacity while suppressing the generation of defects on the substrates during continuous substrate drying process.

[0097] As described above, the substrate drying apparatus according to the present invention has the effect of suppressing the generation of small-sized defects (e.g., defects with a defect size of 20 nm or less), and is useful as a substrate drying apparatus for semiconductor wafers and the like.

Claims

1. A substrate drying apparatus, characterized in that, have: A substrate holding section that holds a substrate; A substrate rotating part that causes the substrate holding part to rotate; A rinsing fluid supply mechanism, comprising a rinsing fluid nozzle that supplies rinsing fluid to the surface of the substrate; A gas generator that generates a drying gas containing at least IPA vapor and dries the substrate. A drying gas supply mechanism, comprising a drying gas nozzle, which supplies drying gas to the surface of the substrate; A nozzle moving mechanism is used to move the drying gas from the supply position of the drying gas nozzle and the rinsing liquid from the supply position of the rinsing liquid nozzle according to the drying process of the substrate. as well as A control device controls the operation of the substrate rotating part, the nozzle moving mechanism, the rinsing liquid supply mechanism, the gas generator, and the drying gas supply mechanism. When the surface of the substrate is divided into a central region containing the center of rotation of the substrate, an inner peripheral region outside the central region, an outer peripheral region outside the inner peripheral region, and a peripheral region located at the outermost periphery of the substrate by concentrically dividing the surface of the substrate, the control device operates the substrate drying apparatus in the following manner: while rotating the substrate by the substrate rotating part, it performs any one of the following controls (1), (2), and (3): (1) The flushing fluid supply mechanism is controlled as follows: When the rinsing fluid nozzle is located in the central region, the inner peripheral region, or the outer peripheral region where the rotation center of the substrate is located, the rinsing fluid is supplied from the rinsing fluid nozzle to the surface of the substrate. When the rinsing fluid nozzle is located in the peripheral region, the supply of rinsing fluid from the rinsing fluid nozzle to the surface of the substrate is stopped; (2) The gas generator is controlled to be such that, Compared to when the drying gas nozzle is located in the central region, when the drying gas nozzle is located in the inner peripheral region or the outer peripheral region, the concentration of the drying component contained in the drying gas supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate is increased. When the drying gas nozzle is located in the peripheral region, the concentration of the drying component contained in the drying gas supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate is zero; (3) The drying gas supply mechanism is controlled as follows: When the drying gas nozzle is located in the central region, the inner peripheral region, or the outer peripheral region, the drying gas is supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate. When the drying gas nozzle is located in the peripheral region, the flow rate of the drying gas supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate is reduced.

2. A substrate drying apparatus, characterized in that, have: A substrate holding section that holds a substrate; A substrate rotating part that rotates the substrate. A rinsing fluid nozzle supplies rinsing fluid to the surface of the substrate for covering the substrate with a liquid film; A drying gas nozzle supplies a drying gas containing at least IPA vapor to the surface of the substrate; A nozzle moving mechanism for moving the drying gas from the supply position of the drying gas nozzle and the flushing liquid from the supply position of the flushing liquid nozzle; A gas generator that generates a drying gas to dry the substrate; as well as A control device controls the supply amount of rinsing liquid supplied from the rinsing liquid nozzle to the surface of the substrate, the concentration of the drying component contained in the drying gas supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate, and the flow rate of the drying gas supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate, wherein... The substrate has: a central region having a rotation center of the substrate, an inner peripheral region outside the central region, an outer peripheral region outside the inner peripheral region, and a peripheral edge region outside the outer peripheral region. The control device controls it to be as follows: When the rinsing fluid nozzle is located in the central region, the inner peripheral region, or the outer peripheral region, the rinsing fluid is supplied from the rinsing fluid nozzle to the surface of the substrate. When the rinsing fluid nozzle is located in the peripheral region, the supply of rinsing fluid from the rinsing fluid nozzle to the surface of the substrate is stopped. Moreover, the control device controls it to be such that, Compared to when the drying gas nozzle is located in the central region, when the drying gas nozzle is located in the inner peripheral region or the outer peripheral region, the concentration of the drying component contained in the drying gas supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate is increased. When the drying gas nozzle is located in the peripheral region, the concentration of the drying component in the drying gas supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate is zero. Moreover, the control device controls it to be such that, When the drying gas nozzle is located in the central region, the inner peripheral region, or the outer peripheral region, the drying gas is supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate. When the drying gas nozzle is located in the peripheral region, the flow rate of the drying gas supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate is not changed.

3. The substrate drying apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, It includes a rotation speed control unit that controls the rotation speed of the substrate based on the substrate rotation unit. When the supply of the rinsing fluid stops, the rotation speed control unit increases the rotation speed of the substrate to a predetermined target rotation speed by a rotation acceleration greater than or equal to a predetermined rotation acceleration.

4. A substrate drying method, comprising drying a substrate using a substrate drying apparatus, characterized in that, The substrate drying apparatus includes: A substrate rotating part that rotates the substrate held in the substrate holding part. A rinsing fluid nozzle supplies rinsing fluid to the surface of the substrate for covering the substrate with a liquid film; as well as A drying gas nozzle supplies drying gas, which contains at least IPA vapor and is used to dry the substrate, to the surface of the substrate. The substrate has: a central region having a rotation center of the substrate, an inner peripheral region outside the central region, an outer peripheral region outside the inner peripheral region, and a peripheral edge region outside the outer peripheral region. The method includes: When the rinsing fluid nozzle is located in the central region, the inner peripheral region, or the outer peripheral region, the rinsing fluid is supplied from the rinsing fluid nozzle to the surface of the substrate. When the rinsing fluid nozzle is located in the peripheral region, the supply of rinsing fluid from the rinsing fluid nozzle to the surface of the substrate is stopped; Compared to when the drying gas nozzle is located in the central region, when the drying gas nozzle is located in the inner peripheral region or the outer peripheral region, the concentration of the drying component contained in the drying gas supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate is increased. When the drying gas nozzle is located in the peripheral region, the concentration of the drying component contained in the drying gas supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate is zero; When the drying gas nozzle is located in the central region, the inner peripheral region, or the outer peripheral region, the drying gas is supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate. as well as When the drying gas nozzle is located in the peripheral region, the flow rate of the drying gas supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate is reduced.

5. A substrate drying method, comprising drying a substrate using a substrate drying apparatus, characterized in that, The substrate drying apparatus includes: A substrate rotating part that rotates the substrate held in the substrate holding part. A rinsing fluid nozzle supplies rinsing fluid to the surface of the substrate for covering the substrate with a liquid film; as well as A drying gas nozzle supplies drying gas, which contains at least IPA vapor and is used to dry the substrate, to the surface of the substrate. The substrate has: a central region having a rotation center of the substrate, an inner peripheral region outside the central region, an outer peripheral region outside the inner peripheral region, and a peripheral edge region outside the outer peripheral region. The method includes: When the rinsing fluid nozzle is located in the central region, the inner peripheral region, or the outer peripheral region, the rinsing fluid is supplied from the rinsing fluid nozzle to the surface of the substrate. When the rinsing fluid nozzle is located in the peripheral region, the supply of rinsing fluid from the rinsing fluid nozzle to the surface of the substrate is stopped; Compared to when the drying gas nozzle is located in the central region, when the drying gas nozzle is located in the inner peripheral region or the outer peripheral region, the concentration of the drying component contained in the drying gas supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate is increased. When the drying gas nozzle is located in the peripheral region, the concentration of the drying component contained in the drying gas supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate is zero; When the drying gas nozzle is located in the central region, the inner peripheral region, or the outer peripheral region, the drying gas is supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate. as well as When the drying gas nozzle is located in the peripheral region, the flow rate of the drying gas supplied from the drying gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate is not changed.

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