Substrate processing device

Abstract

The object of this invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus that can stably perform substrate processing while avoiding adverse effects caused by leakage of the processing liquid. In the substrate processing apparatus of the invention, the chamber is constructed such that its internal space is covered by a bottom wall, side walls erected around the bottom wall, and a top wall covering the upper ends of the side walls. A plurality of base support members are erected vertically upward from the bottom wall, and base members are supported by the upper ends of the base support members. In this way, a so-called high base plate structure is formed within the internal space of the chamber. Furthermore, a substrate processing section is provided on the upper surface of the base members. By adopting this high base plate structure, even if leakage of the processing liquid occurs and it accumulates on the bottom wall of the chamber, it is possible to reliably prevent the processing liquid from coming into contact with the substrate processing section.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus that processes a substrate by supplying a processing liquid to the substrate within the interior space of a chamber.

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

[0003] Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-134815 (filed on August 26, 2022). Background Technology

[0004] As a substrate processing apparatus, for example, the apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-52835 is known. In this apparatus, a substrate processing section is provided on the lower wall of the chamber (corresponding to the "bottom wall" of this invention). Furthermore, a side wall is erected to surround the substrate processing section from the lower wall, and an upper wall is disposed above the substrate processing section. In the substrate processing section, a rotating chuck is disposed in the internal space surrounded by the lower wall, side wall, and upper wall. The rotating chuck holds a generally circular substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer, horizontally while rotating about a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction by receiving a rotational driving force from a motor fixed to the lower wall of the chamber. Thus, the substrate and the rotating chuck rotate together about the rotation axis. A processing liquid is then supplied to the periphery of the rotating substrate. Therefore, as an example of substrate processing, a bevel treatment is performed on the periphery of the upper surface of the substrate using the processing liquid. Summary of the Invention

[0005] [The problem the invention aims to solve]

[0006] In the substrate processing apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-52835, solutions such as SCl and DHF are used as processing solutions. Therefore, there is a possibility that leakage could cause the processing solution to accumulate on the lower wall of the chamber, adversely affecting a part of the substrate processing section, such as the electric motor. Therefore, although not described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-52835, it is necessary to install covers on the substrate processing section, especially on the electrical components.

[0007] Furthermore, to ensure resistance to the chemical solution, resin materials are often used as the constituent materials of the chamber. In particular, resin material is used as the lower wall, on which the various parts of the substrate processing section are arranged. The resin lower wall deteriorates in strength and sometimes flexes. Therefore, it is difficult to assemble the various parts of the substrate processing section using the lower wall as a reference base, and the vertical height of each part needs to be adjusted individually.

[0008] Therefore, in the past, in order to avoid the impact of leakage of the treatment fluid, the cost of the equipment would increase and the maintenance work would deteriorate.

[0009] The invention was made in view of the aforementioned problems, and its purpose is to avoid adverse effects caused by leakage of the treatment liquid in a substrate processing apparatus in which a substrate processing section for treating the substrate using a chemical solution as a treatment liquid is arranged in the internal space of a chamber, and to perform substrate processing on the substrate with low cost and good maintainability.

[0010] [Technical means to solve the problem]

[0011] The present invention is a substrate processing apparatus, characterized by comprising: a chamber, wherein the internal space is covered by a bottom wall, side walls erected around the bottom wall, and a top wall covering the upper ends of the side walls; a substrate processing unit, wherein a substrate in a horizontal position is rotated about a rotation axis extending in a vertical direction within the internal space while a chemical solution is supplied to the substrate as a processing solution, thereby performing a predetermined substrate processing on the substrate; a plurality of base support members erected from the bottom wall toward the vertical; and base members having higher rigidity than the bottom wall, such that the mounting surface of the substrate processing unit is machined to face the vertical, and is supported by the upper ends of the plurality of base support members at spaced positions spaced apart from the bottom wall toward the vertical.

[0012] In this invention, the base component is positioned at a spaced-out location, separated from the bottom wall of the chamber upwards, and a so-called high-base plate structure is formed within the internal space of the chamber. Furthermore, a substrate treatment section is provided on the upper surface of the base component. By employing this high-base plate structure, even if leakage of the treatment liquid occurs and it accumulates on the bottom wall of the chamber, contact between the treatment liquid and the substrate treatment section can be reliably prevented. Therefore, the base component does not necessarily need to be made of resin material; by using a material with higher rigidity than the bottom wall, the substrate treatment section can be provided on the mounting surface of the base component as a reference base. Therefore, the substrate treatment section can be provided with superior maintainability compared to conventional devices. Additionally, by positioning the substrate treatment section higher than the bottom wall in the vertical direction, it is unnecessary to install additional components such as a cover on the substrate treatment section to prevent adverse effects caused by the treatment liquid.

[0013] [The effects of the invention]

[0014] According to the invention, although the substrate treatment unit that uses a chemical solution as a treatment liquid to treat the substrate is arranged in the internal space of the chamber, the adverse effects caused by leakage of the treatment liquid can be avoided, and the substrate can be treated with low cost and good maintainability.

[0015] Not all of the constituent elements of the various aspects of the present invention are essential. To solve part or all of the problems, or to achieve part or all of the effects described in this specification, some of the constituent elements can be appropriately modified, deleted, replaced with new constituent elements, or have a portion of the limiting content deleted. Furthermore, to solve part or all of the problems, or to achieve part or all of the effects described in this specification, some or all of the technical features included in one aspect of the present invention can be combined with some or all of the technical features included in other aspects of the present invention to form an independent aspect of the present invention. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a top view showing the schematic configuration of a substrate processing system equipped with the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention according to a first embodiment.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a first embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the chamber and the components installed in the chamber.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a top view schematically showing the configuration of the substrate processing section provided on the base component.

[0020] Figure 5 It is a three-dimensional diagram showing the structure of the rotating mechanism.

[0021] Figure 6 It is a diagram showing the dimensional relationship between the substrate held in the rotating chuck and the rotating cup.

[0022] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing a portion of the rotating cup and a portion of the fixed cup.

[0023] Figure 8 This is a perspective view showing the structure of the upper surface protection heating mechanism.

[0024] Figure 9 yes Figure 8 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the upper surface protection heating mechanism.

[0025] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the nozzle moving part.

[0026] Figure 11 It is a diagram that schematically illustrates the structure and operation of a centering mechanism.

[0027] Figure 12This is a three-dimensional view showing the observation head of the substrate observation mechanism.

[0028] Figure 13 yes Figure 12 The diagram shows the disassembled and assembled three-dimensional view of the observation head.

[0029] Figure 14 It means through Figure 2 The flowchart shown illustrates a slope processing procedure performed by the substrate processing apparatus as an example of a substrate processing operation.

[0030] Figure 15 This is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a second embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0031] Figure 1 This is a top view showing the schematic configuration of a substrate processing system equipped with the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention according to a first embodiment. Figure 1 This is not a diagram showing the appearance of the substrate processing system 100, but a schematic diagram illustrating its internal structure in a way that is easily understood by excluding the outer wall panel or other components of the substrate processing system 100. The substrate processing system 100 is, for example, a monolithic device installed in a cleanroom that processes substrates W on a wafer basis, on which a circuit pattern or the like (hereinafter referred to as a "pattern") is formed only on one main surface. Then, in the processing unit 1 equipped with the substrate processing system 100, substrate processing with a processing liquid is performed. In this specification, the pattern-forming surface (one main surface) on which the pattern is formed among the two main surfaces of the substrate is called the "front surface," and the other main surface on its opposite side, where no pattern is formed, is called the "back surface." Furthermore, the surface facing downwards is called the "lower surface," and the surface facing upwards is called the "upper surface." Also, in this specification, "pattern-forming surface" means a surface on the substrate where a raised or recessed pattern is formed in any area.

[0032] Here, the term "substrate" in this embodiment can be applied to various substrates, such as semiconductor wafers, photomask glass substrates, liquid crystal display glass substrates, plasma display glass substrates, FED (Field Emission Display) substrates, optical disc substrates, magnetic disk substrates, and magneto-optical disk substrates. Hereinafter, a substrate processing apparatus for processing semiconductor wafers will be used as an example for explanation with reference to the accompanying drawings; however, the apparatus can also be applied to the processing of the various substrates illustrated above.

[0033] like Figure 1As shown, the substrate processing system 100 has a substrate processing region 110 for processing substrate W. A transfer unit 120 is disposed adjacent to the substrate processing region 110. The transfer unit 120 has a container holding section 121 capable of holding multiple containers C (such as FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod), SMIF (Standard Mechanical Interface), OC (Open Cassette), etc.) for storing substrate W in a sealed state. Furthermore, the transfer unit 120 includes a transfer robot 122, which is used to pick up the containers C held in the container holding section 121, remove unprocessed substrate W from the containers C, or store processed substrate W in the containers C. Multiple substrates W are stored in each container C in a generally horizontal position.

[0034] The transfer robot 122 includes a base 122a fixed to the device housing, a multi-joint arm 122b configured to rotate about a vertical axis relative to the base 122a, and a hand 122c mounted on the front end of the multi-joint arm 122b. The hand 122c is configured to place and hold the substrate W on its upper surface. Since transfer robots with such a multi-joint arm and substrate-holding hand are well known, detailed description is omitted.

[0035] In the substrate processing area 110, a stage 112 is configured to hold a substrate W from the transfer robot 122. Furthermore, in top view, a substrate transfer robot 111 is positioned approximately at the center of the substrate processing area 110. Additionally, multiple processing units 1 are arranged to surround the substrate transfer robot 111. Specifically, multiple processing units 1 are arranged facing the space where the substrate transfer robot 111 is positioned. For each processing unit 1, the substrate transfer robot 111 randomly picks up a substrate W from the stage 112 and transfers it between itself and the stage 112. On the other hand, each processing unit 1 performs a prescribed process on the substrate W, equivalent to the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention. In this embodiment, the processing units (substrate processing apparatus) 1 have the same function. Therefore, parallel processing of multiple substrates W is possible. Furthermore, if the substrate transfer robot 111 can directly transfer the substrate W from the transfer robot 122, then the stage 112 may not be necessary.

[0036] Figure 2 This diagram illustrates the configuration of a first embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention. Additionally, Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of the chamber and the components installed within it. Figure 2 , Figure 3In the figures and references below, for ease of understanding, the dimensions or quantities of various parts may be exaggerated or simplified. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the chamber 11 used in the substrate processing apparatus (processing unit) 1 has a rectangular bottom wall 11a when viewed from above, four side walls 11b to 11e standing around the bottom wall 11a, and a top wall 11f covering the upper ends of the side walls 11b to 11e. By combining the bottom wall 11a, the side walls 11b to 11e, and the top wall 11f, an internal space 12 with a generally cuboid shape is formed.

[0037] On the upper surface of the bottom wall 11a, base support members 16, 16 are spaced apart on one side and fixed by fasteners such as bolts on the other. That is, the base support members 16 are erected from the bottom wall 11a. At the upper end of the base support members 16, 16, a base member 17 is fixed by fasteners such as bolts. The base member 17 is constructed of a metal plate having a smaller planar dimension than the bottom wall 11a, a thicker thickness than the bottom wall 11a, and high rigidity. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the base component 17 is raised vertically upward from the bottom wall 11a via base support components 16, 16. That is, a so-called high base plate structure is formed at the bottom of the internal space 12 of the chamber 11. As will be detailed later, the upper surface of the base component 17 is machined to accommodate a substrate processing section SP for performing substrate processing on the substrate W, and the substrate processing section SP is provided on the upper surface. Each component constituting the substrate processing section SP is electrically connected to the control unit 10 that controls the entire device and operates according to instructions from the control unit 10. Furthermore, the shape of the base component 17, the configuration of the substrate processing section SP, and its operation will be detailed later.

[0038] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, a fan filter unit (FFU) 13 is installed on the top wall 11f of the chamber 11. The fan filter unit 13 further purifies the air in the cleanroom where the substrate processing apparatus 1 is located and supplies it to the internal space 12 within the chamber 11. The fan filter unit 13 includes a fan and a filter (e.g., a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter) for drawing air from the cleanroom and sending it into the chamber 11, and clean air is introduced through an opening 11f1 provided in the top wall 11f. Thus, a downflow of clean air is formed in the internal space 12 within the chamber 11. In addition, in order to evenly distribute the clean air supplied from the fan filter unit 13, a perforated plate 14 with multiple blowout holes is provided directly below the top wall 11f.

[0039] like Figure 3As shown, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, a transfer opening 11b1 is provided on one of the four sidewalls 11b-11e facing the substrate transfer robot 111, connecting the internal space 12 to the outside of the chamber 11. Therefore, the hand (not shown) of the substrate transfer robot 111 can pick up the substrate processing unit SP through the transfer opening 11b1. In other words, by providing the transfer opening 11b1, the substrate W can be moved in and out of the internal space 12. Furthermore, a baffle 15 for opening and closing the transfer opening 11b1 is installed on the sidewall 11b.

[0040] A baffle opening and closing mechanism (not shown) is connected to the baffle 15, which opens and closes according to opening and closing commands from the control unit 10. More specifically, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, when an unprocessed substrate W is moved into the chamber 11, the baffle opening and closing mechanism opens the baffle 15, and the unprocessed substrate W is moved into the substrate processing section SP with its face upward by the hand of the substrate transfer robot 111. That is, the substrate W is placed on the rotating chuck of the substrate processing section SP with its upper surface Wf facing upward. Figure 5 The symbol 21 is used in this embodiment. Furthermore, when the substrate transport robot 111's hand retracts from the chamber 11 after the substrate is placed inside, the baffle opening and closing mechanism closes the baffle 15. Moreover, within the processing space of the chamber 11 (corresponding to the enclosed space 12a described later), the substrate processing unit SP performs a bevel treatment on the peripheral portion Ws of the substrate W, an example of the "substrate processing" of this invention. After the bevel treatment is completed, the baffle opening and closing mechanism reopens the baffle 15, and the substrate transport robot 111's hand removes the processed substrate W from the substrate processing unit SP. Thus, in this embodiment, the internal space 12 of the chamber 11 is maintained at room temperature. In this specification, "room temperature" means a temperature range of 5°C to 35°C.

[0041] like Figure 3 As shown, the sidewall 11d is separated from the substrate processing section SP provided on the base component 17. Figure 2 The sidewall 11d is located on the opposite side of the sidewall 11b. A maintenance opening 11d1 is provided on the sidewall 11d. During maintenance, as shown in the figure, the maintenance opening 11d1 is opened. Therefore, the operator can access the substrate processing section SP from outside the device via the maintenance opening 11d1. On the other hand, during substrate processing, the cover member 19 is installed with the maintenance opening 11d1 closed. Thus, in this embodiment, the cover member 19 can be easily attached to and detached from the sidewall 11d.

[0042] Additionally, a heating gas supply unit 47 is installed on the outer surface of the sidewall 11e to supply heated inert gas (nitrogen in this embodiment) to the substrate processing section SP. The heating gas supply unit 47 has a built-in heater 471.

[0043] Thus, a baffle 15, a cover member 19, and a heating gas supply unit 47 are disposed on the outer wall side of the chamber 11. Conversely, a substrate processing unit SP is disposed on the upper surface of a base member 17 with a high base plate structure inside the chamber 11, i.e., the internal space 12. Referring hereafter... Figure 2 , Figures 4 to 12 Furthermore, the structure of the substrate processing section SP will be explained.

[0044] Figure 4 This is a schematic top view showing the configuration of the substrate processing section mounted on the base component. Hereinafter, to clarify the arrangement and operation of the various parts of the device, a coordinate system with the Z-direction as the vertical direction and the XY plane as the horizontal plane will be appropriately indicated. Figure 4 In the coordinate system, the horizontal direction parallel to the transport path TP of the substrate W is defined as the "X direction", and the horizontal direction orthogonal to it is defined as the "Y direction". More specifically, the direction from the internal space 12 of the chamber 11 toward the transport opening 11b1 and the maintenance opening 11d1 are respectively referred to as the "+X direction" and the "-X direction", the direction from the internal space 12 of the chamber 11 toward the side walls 11c and 11e are respectively referred to as the "-Y direction" and the "+Y direction", and the direction toward the vertically upward and vertically downward are respectively referred to as the "+Z direction" and the "-Z direction".

[0045] The substrate processing unit SP includes a rotation holding mechanism 2, an anti-scattering mechanism 3, an upper surface protection heating mechanism 4, a processing mechanism 5, an atmosphere separation mechanism 6, a lifting mechanism 7, a centering mechanism 8, and a substrate observation mechanism 9. These mechanisms are mounted on the base component 17. Specifically, the rotation holding mechanism 2, the anti-scattering mechanism 3, the upper surface protection heating mechanism 4, the processing mechanism 5, the atmosphere separation mechanism 6, the lifting mechanism 7, the centering mechanism 8, and the substrate observation mechanism 9 are arranged in mutually predetermined positions, based on the base component 17, which has higher rigidity than the chamber 11.

[0046] Figure 5 This is a perspective view showing the configuration of the holding and rotating mechanism. The holding and rotating mechanism 2 includes: a substrate holding part 2A, which holds the substrate W in a generally horizontal position with the front side of the substrate W facing upward; and a rotating mechanism 2B, which rotates the substrate holding part 2A holding the substrate W and a part of the anti-scattering mechanism 3 synchronously. Therefore, when the rotating mechanism 2B is activated according to the rotation command from the control unit 10, the substrate W and the rotating cup part 31 of the anti-scattering mechanism 3 rotate about a rotation axis AX that extends parallel to the vertical direction Z.

[0047] The substrate holding section 2A includes a circular plate-shaped component, namely a rotating chuck 21, which is smaller than the substrate W. The rotating chuck 21 is configured such that its upper surface is approximately horizontal, and its central axis coincides with the rotation axis AX. In particular, in this embodiment, as... Figure 4 As shown, the center of the substrate holding section 2A (corresponding to the central axis of the rotating chuck 21) is offset in the (+X) direction from the center 11g of the chamber 11. In other words, the substrate holding section 2A is configured such that, when viewed from above the chamber 11, the central axis (rotation axis AX) of the rotating chuck 21 is located at a processing position offset by a distance Lof from the center 11g of the internal space 12 towards the transfer opening 11b1. Furthermore, to clarify the arrangement of the various parts of the device described later, in this specification, an imaginary line passing through the offset center (rotation axis AX) of the substrate holding section 2A and orthogonal to the transfer path TP, and an imaginary line parallel to the transfer path TP, are respectively referred to as the "first imaginary horizontal line VL1" and the "second imaginary horizontal line VL2".

[0048] like Figure 5 As shown, a cylindrical rotating shaft portion 22 is connected to the lower surface of the rotating chuck 21. The rotating shaft portion 22 extends in the vertical direction Z with its axis aligned with the rotating shaft AX. Furthermore, a rotating mechanism 2B is connected to the rotating shaft portion 22.

[0049] The rotating mechanism 2B includes a motor 23 that generates a rotational driving force to rotate the substrate holding part 2A and the rotating cup part 31 of the anti-scattering mechanism 3, and a power transmission part 24 for transmitting the rotational driving force. The motor 23 has a rotating shaft 231 that rotates in conjunction with the generation of the rotational driving force. The rotating shaft 231 is provided at the motor mounting portion 171 of the base member 17 in a vertically downward orientation. More specifically, as... Figure 3 As shown, the motor mounting portion 171 is a portion cut off along the (+X) direction, with one side facing the maintenance opening 11d1. The cut-off width (Y-direction dimension) of the motor mounting portion 171 is approximately the same as the Y-direction width of the motor 23. Therefore, the motor 23 can move freely along the X-direction while its side engages with the motor mounting portion 171.

[0050] At the motor mounting location 171, in order to position the motor 23 in the X direction while fixing it to the base component 17, the motor mounting metal part 232 is connected to the base component 17 by fastening components 233 such as bolts or screws. Figure 5 As shown, the motor mounting metal part 232 has a horizontal portion 2321 and a vertical portion 2322, and has a roughly L-shaped form when viewed from the (+Y) direction. (Although details omitted...) Figure 5The diagram shows that a through hole for the insertion of a rotating shaft 231 is provided at the center of the horizontal portion 2321 of the motor mounting metal part 232. With the rotating shaft 231 inserted vertically downwards into the through hole, the horizontal portion 2321 supports the motor 23. Furthermore, the vertical portion 2322 is configured to engage with the motor 23 supported from below by the horizontal portion 2321. In the vertical portion 2322, two fastening components 234, such as bolts or screws, are installed spaced apart in the Y direction. The front end of each fastening component 234 extends through the vertical portion 2322 in the (+X) direction and is screwed into the motor mounting portion 171. Therefore, by rotating the fastening components 234 clockwise or counterclockwise by the operator, the motor mounting metal part 232 moves in the X direction while supporting the motor 23. This allows the motor 23 to be positioned in the X direction. In addition, after positioning, the operator rotates the fastening component 233 clockwise, and the motor 23 and the motor mounting part 171 are firmly fixed to the base component 17 as a whole.

[0051] A first pulley 241 is mounted on the front end of a rotating shaft 231 that protrudes downward from the base member 17. A second pulley 242 is mounted on the lower end of the substrate holding portion 2A. More specifically, the lower end of the substrate holding portion 2A is inserted into a through hole in a rotating chuck mounting portion 172 of the base member 17 and protrudes downward from the base member 17. The second pulley 242 is provided in this protruding portion. Furthermore, an annular belt 243 is strung between the first pulley 241 and the second pulley 242. Thus, in this embodiment, the power transmission section 24 is constituted by the first pulley 241, the second pulley 242, and the annular belt 243.

[0052] When using a power transmission unit 24 with this configuration, a long timing belt can be selected as the annular belt 243, thus extending the lifespan of the annular belt 243. However, due to the movement of the motor 23 in the X direction, maintenance work such as adjusting the spacing of the first pulley 241 and the second pulley 242 or replacing the annular belt 243 is required. Therefore, in this embodiment, as... Figure 4 As shown, when viewed from above the chamber 11, the transfer opening 11b1, the substrate holding part 2A, the power transmission part 24, the motor 23, and the maintenance opening 11d1 are arranged sequentially and linearly along the second imaginary horizontal line VL2. That is, the power transmission part 24 and the motor 23 are arranged facing the maintenance opening 11d1. Therefore, when the cover part 19 is removed from the chamber 11 and the maintenance opening 11d1 is opened, the power transmission part 24 and the motor 23 are exposed to the outside through the maintenance opening 11d1. As a result, maintenance operations can be easily performed by the operator, improving the efficiency of maintenance work.

[0053] Furthermore, the other mechanisms described below are positioned above the base component 17, while the power transmission unit 24 is positioned below the base component 17. This configuration allows for more efficient maintenance operations by the operator without the need to consider interference with other mechanisms.

[0054] like Figure 5 As shown, a through hole 211 is provided in the center of the rotating chuck 21, communicating with the internal space of the rotating shaft 22. Inside the internal space, a pump 26 is connected via a pipe 25 containing a valve (not shown). The pump 26 and the valve are electrically connected to the control unit 10 and operate according to commands from the control unit 10. Thus, negative and positive pressures are selectively applied to the rotating chuck 21. For example, when the substrate W is placed on the upper surface of the rotating chuck 21 in a generally horizontal position, and the pump 26 applies negative pressure to the rotating chuck 21, the rotating chuck 21 holds the substrate W from below. On the other hand, when the pump 26 applies positive pressure to the rotating chuck 21, the substrate W can be removed from the upper surface of the rotating chuck 21. Furthermore, when the pump 26 stops drawing fluid, the substrate W can move horizontally on the upper surface of the rotating chuck 21.

[0055] In the rotating chuck 21, a nitrogen supply unit 29 is connected via a pipe 28 located at the center of the rotating shaft section 22. The nitrogen supply unit 29 delivers ambient temperature nitrogen from facilities such as the factory where the substrate processing system 100 is installed to the rotating chuck 21 at a flow rate and timing corresponding to the gas supply command from the control unit 10, allowing the nitrogen to flow radially outward from the center on the lower surface Wb side of the substrate W. While nitrogen is used in this embodiment, other inert gases may also be used. The same applies to the heating gas ejected from the central nozzle, which will be described later. Furthermore, "flow rate" refers to the amount of fluid, such as nitrogen, that moves per unit time.

[0056] The rotating mechanism 2B not only rotates the rotating chuck 21 and the substrate W together, but also has a power transmission unit 27 to rotate the rotating cup 31 in sync with the rotation. Figure 2 The power transmission unit 27 has a ring component 27a made of non-magnetic material or resin. Figure 5 The annular component 27a includes a rotating clamp side magnet (not shown) built into the annular component, and a cup side magnet (not shown) built into the rotating cup portion 31, which is the lower cup 32. Figure 5 As shown, it is mounted on the rotating shaft portion 22 and can rotate together with the rotating shaft portion 22 about the rotating axis AX. More specifically, the rotating shaft portion 22 is as follows: Figure 2 and Figure 5 As shown, a flange portion protruding radially outward is located directly below the rotating chuck 21. Furthermore, the annular component 27a is arranged concentrically relative to the flange portion and is connected and fixed by bolts or the like (not shown in the figure).

[0057] On the outer periphery of the annular component 27a, a plurality of rotating chuck-side magnets are arranged radially around the rotation axis AX and at equal angular intervals. In this embodiment, one of two adjacent rotating chuck-side magnets is arranged such that the outer side and inner side are N poles and S poles, respectively, while the other is arranged such that the outer side and inner side are S poles and N poles, respectively.

[0058] Similar to the rotating chuck side magnet, multiple cup-side magnets are arranged radially around the rotation axis AX and at equal angular intervals. These cup-side magnets are built into the lower cup 32. The lower cup 32, a component of the anti-scattering mechanism 3 described below, has a ring shape. That is, the lower cup 32 has an inner circumferential surface that faces the outer circumferential surface of the ring component 27a. The inner diameter of this inner circumferential surface is larger than the outer diameter of the ring component 27a. Furthermore, the lower cup 32 is concentrically arranged with the rotating shaft portion 22 and the ring component 27a while facing the outer circumferential surface of the ring component 27a at a predetermined interval (=(inner diameter - outer diameter) / 2). A locking pin and a connecting magnet are provided on the upper surface of the outer periphery of the lower cup 32, through which the upper cup 33 and the lower cup 32 are connected, and this connecting body functions as the rotating cup portion 31.

[0059] The lower cup 32 is supported on the upper surface of the base component 17 by bearings (not shown in the attached drawings) so that it can rotate about the rotation axis AX while maintaining the aforementioned configuration. As described above, cup-side magnets are arranged radially around the rotation axis AX and at equal angular intervals at their inner periphery of the lower cup 32. Furthermore, the arrangement of two adjacent cup-side magnets is the same as that of the rotating chuck-side magnets. That is, in one case, they are arranged with the outer and inner sides serving as N and S poles respectively, and in the other case, the outer and inner sides serve as S and N poles respectively.

[0060] In the power transmission section 27 configured as described above, when the annular component 27a rotates together with the rotating shaft section 22 via the motor 23, the magnetic force between the rotating chuck-side magnet and the cup-side magnet causes the lower cup 32 to maintain the air gap (the gap between the annular component 27a and the lower cup 32) and rotate in the same direction as the annular component 27a. As a result, the rotating cup section 31 rotates around the rotating axis AX. In other words, the rotating cup section 31 and the substrate W rotate in the same direction and synchronously.

[0061] The anti-scattering mechanism 3 has a rotating cup portion 31 that can rotate around the rotation axis AX while surrounding the outer periphery of the substrate W held in the rotating chuck 21, and a fixed cup portion 34 that is fixedly provided in a manner surrounding the rotating cup portion 31. The rotating cup portion 31 is configured to rotate around the rotation axis AX while surrounding the outer periphery of the rotating substrate W by connecting the upper cup 33 to the lower cup 32.

[0062] Figure 6 It is a diagram showing the dimensional relationship between the substrate held in the rotating chuck and the rotating cup. Figure 7 This diagram shows a portion of the rotating cup section and the fixed cup section. The lower cup 32 has an annular shape. Its outer diameter is larger than that of the substrate W. When viewed from above, the lower cup 32 is configured to rotate freely about the rotation axis AX, extending radially from the substrate W held by the rotating chuck 21. In the extended area, that is, the periphery of the upper surface of the lower cup 32, a locking pin (not shown) and a flat lower magnet (not shown) erected vertically upward in the circumferential direction are alternately mounted.

[0063] On the other hand, such as Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 6 As shown, the upper cup 33 has a lower ring portion 331, an upper ring portion 332, and an inclined portion 333 connecting them. The outer diameter D331 of the lower ring portion 331 is the same as the outer diameter D32 of the lower cup 32, and the lower ring portion 331 is located vertically above the periphery 321 of the lower cup 32. On the lower surface of the lower ring portion 331, in the region corresponding to the vertically above the locking pin, a downwardly opening recess is provided to engage with the front end of the locking pin. In addition, an upper magnet is installed in the region corresponding to the vertically above the lower magnet. Therefore, with the recess and the upper magnet facing the locking pin and the lower magnet respectively, the upper cup 33 can engage and disengage relative to the lower cup 32.

[0064] The upper cup 33 can move up and down in the vertical direction via the lifting mechanism 7. When the upper cup 33 moves upward via the lifting mechanism 7, a conveying space for moving the substrate W in and out is formed between the upper cup 33 and the lower cup 32 in the vertical direction. On the other hand, when the upper cup 33 moves downward via the lifting mechanism 7, the recess engages by covering the front end of the locking pin, thereby positioning the upper cup 33 relative to the lower cup 32 in the horizontal direction. In addition, the upper magnet approaches the lower magnet, and the upper cup 33 and the lower cup 32 are coupled together by the attraction generated between them. Thus, as Figure 4 Enlarged view of the part and Figure 7 As shown, with the gap GPc extending horizontally formed, the upper cup 33 and the lower cup 32 are integrated in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the rotating cup portion 31 can rotate freely about the rotation axis AX while maintaining the gap GPc.

[0065] In the rotating cup section 31, as Figure 6As shown, the outer diameter D332 of the upper annular portion 332 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter D331 of the lower annular portion 331. Furthermore, comparing the inner circumferential diameters d331 and d332 of the lower annular portion 331 and the upper annular portion 332, the lower annular portion 331 is larger than the upper annular portion 332. When viewed from a vertical top, the inner circumferential surface of the upper annular portion 332 is located inside the inner circumferential surface of the lower annular portion 331. Moreover, the inner circumferential surfaces of the upper annular portion 332 and the lower annular portion 331 are connected by the inclined portion 333, covering the entire circumference of the upper cup 33. Therefore, the inner circumferential surface of the inclined portion 333, that is, the surface surrounding the substrate W, is called the inclined surface 334. In other words, as... Figure 7 As shown, the inclined portion 333 can surround the outer periphery of the rotating substrate W and capture droplets flying off from the substrate W. The space surrounded by the upper cup 33 and the lower cup 32 functions as the capture space SPc.

[0066] Furthermore, the inclined portion 333 facing the trapping space SPc slopes upwards from the lower annular portion 331 toward the periphery of the substrate W. Therefore, as Figure 7 As shown, the droplets captured at the inclined portion 333 can flow along the inclined surface 334 to the lower end of the upper cup 33, that is, the lower annular portion 331, and further discharge to the outside of the rotating cup portion 31 through the gap GPc.

[0067] The fixed cup portion 34 is arranged to surround the rotating cup portion 31, forming a discharge space SPe. The fixed cup portion 34 has a liquid receiving portion 341 and an exhaust portion 342 disposed inside the liquid receiving portion 341. The liquid receiving portion 341 has an opening on the substrate side facing the gap GPc. Figure 7 The cup structure has an opening on the left side. That is, the internal space of the liquid receiving portion 341 functions as a discharge space SPe, and is connected to the collection space SPc via the gap GPc. Therefore, the droplets collected by the rotating cup portion 31, along with the gas components, are guided to the discharge space SPe via the gap GPc. Then, the droplets gather at the bottom of the liquid receiving portion 341 and are discharged from the fixed cup portion 34.

[0068] On the other hand, the gas components converge at the exhaust section 342. The exhaust section 342 is separated from the liquid receiving section 341 by a dividing wall 343. Furthermore, a gas guide section 344 is disposed above the dividing wall 343. The gas guide section 344 extends from directly above the dividing wall 343 into both the discharge space SPe and the interior of the exhaust section 342, thereby covering the dividing wall 343 from above and forming a labyrinthine flow path for the gas components. Therefore, the gas components in the fluid flowing into the liquid receiving section 341 converge at the exhaust section 342 via this flow path. The exhaust section 342 is connected to an exhaust section 38. Therefore, by actuating the exhaust section 38 according to instructions from the control unit 10, the pressure of the fixed cup section 34 is adjusted, effectively discharging the gas components within the exhaust section 342. Additionally, by precisely controlling the exhaust section 38, the pressure or flow rate of the discharge space SPe is adjusted. For example, the pressure of the discharge space SPe is lower than the pressure of the collection space SPc. As a result, droplets in the capture space SPc can be effectively introduced into the discharge space SPe, promoting the movement of droplets from the capture space SPc.

[0069] Figure 8 This is a perspective view showing the structure of the upper surface protection heating mechanism. Figure 9 yes Figure 8 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the upper surface protection heating mechanism 4. The upper surface protection heating mechanism 4 has a blocking plate 41 disposed above the upper surface Wf of the substrate W held in the rotating chuck 21. The blocking plate 41 has a circular plate portion 42 held in a horizontal position. The circular plate portion 42 houses a heater 421 driven and controlled by a heater drive unit 422. The circular plate portion 42 has a diameter slightly shorter than that of the substrate W. Furthermore, the circular plate portion 42 is supported by a support member 43 such that its lower surface covers the surface area of ​​the upper surface Wf of the substrate W, excluding the peripheral portion Ws. Additionally, Figure 8 The symbol 44 in the figure is a cutout provided on the periphery of the circular plate portion 42. This is provided to prevent interference with the treatment fluid ejection nozzle included in the treatment mechanism 5. The cutout portion 44 opens radially outward.

[0070] The lower end of the support member 43 is mounted in the center of the circular plate portion 42. A cylindrical through hole is formed by extending vertically through the support member 43 and the circular plate portion 42. Furthermore, the central nozzle 45 is inserted vertically into the through hole. Figure 2 As shown, the central nozzle 45 is connected to the heating gas supply unit 47 via a pipe 46. The heating gas supply unit 47 heats ambient temperature nitrogen gas supplied from equipment such as those in the factory where the substrate processing system 100 is installed via a heater 471, and supplies it to the substrate processing unit SP at a flow rate and timing corresponding to the heating gas supply command from the control unit 10.

[0071] Here, if the heater 471 is disposed within the internal space 12 of the chamber 11, the heat radiated from the heater 471 may adversely affect the substrate processing section SP, especially the processing mechanism 5 or the substrate observation mechanism 9 as described later. Therefore, in this embodiment, as Figure 4 As shown, a heating gas supply unit 47 with a heater 471 is disposed on the outside of the chamber 11. Additionally, in this embodiment, a strip heater 48 is installed on a portion of the piping 46. The strip heater 48 generates heat according to a heating command from the control unit 10, heating the nitrogen gas flowing within the piping 46.

[0072] The heated nitrogen gas (hereinafter referred to as "heated gas") is pressurized towards and ejected from the central nozzle 45. For example, as Figure 9 As shown, heating gas is supplied while the circular plate portion 42 is positioned close to the processing position of the substrate W held in the rotating chuck 21. The heating gas flows from the center of the space SPa held by the upper surface Wf of the substrate W and the circular plate portion 42 with the built-in heater towards the periphery. This suppresses the entry of the surrounding atmosphere into the upper surface Wf of the substrate W. As a result, droplets contained in the atmosphere are effectively prevented from being drawn into the space SPa held by the substrate W and the circular plate portion 42. In addition, the heating of the upper surface Wf by the heater 421 and the heating gas can uniformize the in-plane temperature of the substrate W. This suppresses substrate W warping and stabilizes the contact position of the processing liquid.

[0073] like Figure 2 As shown, the upper end of the support member 43 is fixed to a beam member 49 extending along the first imaginary horizontal line VL1. The beam member 49 is connected to a lifting mechanism 7 mounted on the upper surface of the base member 17, and is raised and lowered via the lifting mechanism 7 according to instructions from the control unit 10. For example, in Figure 2 In this configuration, the beam member 49 is positioned below, and the circular plate portion 42, connected to the beam member 49 via the support member 43, is in a processing position. On the other hand, when the lifting mechanism 7 receives a lifting command from the control unit 10 and raises the beam member 49, the beam member 49, the support member 43, and the circular plate portion 42 rise together, and the upper cup 33 also moves in conjunction, separating from the lower cup 32 and rising as well. This results in a larger distance between the rotating chuck 21 and the upper cup 33 and circular plate portion 42, allowing for the loading and unloading of the substrate W onto the rotating chuck 21.

[0074] The processing unit 5 has a processing liquid ejection nozzle 51F disposed on the upper surface side of the substrate W. Figure 4 ), and the processing liquid ejection nozzle 51B disposed on the lower surface side of the substrate W ( Figure 2The processing liquid supply section 52 supplies processing liquid to the processing liquid ejection nozzles 51F and 51B. Hereinafter, to distinguish between the processing liquid ejection nozzle 51F on the upper surface and the processing liquid ejection nozzle 51B on the lower surface, they will be referred to as "upper surface nozzle 51F" and "lower surface nozzle 51B," respectively. Furthermore, in Figure 2 The diagram shows two processing fluid supply units 52, but they are identical.

[0075] In this embodiment, three upper surface nozzles 51F are provided and connected to a treatment liquid supply unit 52. Furthermore, the treatment liquid supply unit 52 is configured to supply SC1, DHF, or functional water (such as CO2 water) as treatment liquid, and to independently spray SC1, DHF, and functional water from each of the three upper surface nozzles 51F.

[0076] Each upper surface nozzle 51F is provided with a spray outlet (not shown) for spraying treatment liquid onto the lower front surface. Furthermore, as... Figure 4 As shown in the enlarged view, the lower portions of a plurality of (three in this embodiment) upper surface nozzles 51F are arranged in the cutout portion 44 of the circular plate portion 42 with each nozzle outlet facing the periphery of the upper surface Wf of the substrate W (see reference). Figure 6 The nozzle 51F on the upper surface is mounted relative to the nozzle seat 53 in a radial direction D1 (relative to the first imaginary horizontal line VL1, with the nozzle ejection elevation angle tilted at approximately 45° and the rotation angle tilted at approximately 65°). The nozzle seat 53 is connected to the nozzle moving part 54.

[0077] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of the nozzle moving part. (Example) Figure 10 As shown, the nozzle moving part 54 is mounted on the upper end of the lifting member 713a of the lifting part 713 (described later) while holding the nozzle head 56 (= upper surface nozzle 51F + nozzle seat 53). Therefore, when the lifting member 713a extends or retracts in the vertical direction according to the lifting command from the control unit 10, the nozzle moving part 54 and the nozzle head 56 move in the vertical direction Z accordingly.

[0078] Furthermore, in the nozzle moving part 54, the base component 541 is fixed to the upper end of the lifting member 713a. A linear actuator 542 is mounted in the base component 541. The linear actuator 542 includes: an electric motor (hereinafter referred to as a "nozzle drive motor") 543, which functions as a drive source for nozzle movement in the radial direction X; and a motion conversion mechanism 545, which converts the rotational motion of a rotating body such as a ball screw connected to the rotating shaft of the nozzle drive motor 543 into linear motion, causing the slider 544 to reciprocate along the radial direction D1. In addition, in the motion conversion mechanism 545, to stabilize the movement of the slider 544 in the radial direction D1, a guide rail such as an LM (Linear Motion) guide rail (registered trademark) is used, for example.

[0079] In the slider 544, which reciprocates radially X, a head support member 547 is connected via a connecting member 546. The head support member 547 has a rod shape extending radially X. The (+D1) end of the head support member 547 is fixed to the slider 544. On the other hand, the (-D1) end of the head support member 547 extends horizontally toward the rotating chuck 21, and a nozzle head 56 is mounted at its front end. Therefore, when the nozzle drive motor 543 rotates according to a nozzle movement command from the control unit 10, the slider 544, the head support member 547, and the nozzle head 56 move together in the (+D1) or (-D1) direction by a distance corresponding to the rotation amount, corresponding to the rotation direction. As a result, the nozzle 51F mounted on the upper surface of the nozzle head 56 is positioned radially D1. For example, as... Figure 10 As shown, when the upper surface nozzle 51F is positioned at a preset starting position, the spring member 548 provided in the motion conversion mechanism 545 is compressed by the slider 544, applying a spring force to the slider 544 in the (-X) direction. This allows control of the backlash contained in the motion conversion mechanism 545. In other words, since the motion conversion mechanism 545 has mechanical parts such as guide rails, it is practically difficult to make the backlash along the radial direction D1 zero. If this situation is not fully considered, the positioning accuracy of the upper surface nozzle 51F in the radial direction D1 will decrease. Therefore, in this embodiment, by providing the spring member 548, the backlash is always biased towards the (-D1) direction when the upper surface nozzle 51F is stationary in the starting position. This achieves the following effect: According to the nozzle movement command from the control unit 10, the nozzle movement unit 54 drives all three upper surface nozzles 51F together in the direction D1. The nozzle movement command contains information related to the nozzle movement distance. When the upper surface nozzle 51F moves a specified nozzle movement distance in the radial direction D1 based on the information, the upper surface nozzle 51F is correctly positioned at the inclined surface treatment position.

[0080] The nozzle 511 of the upper surface nozzle 51F, positioned at the inclined surface processing position, faces the periphery of the upper surface Wf of the substrate W. Furthermore, when the processing liquid supply unit 52 supplies the processing liquid corresponding to the supply command from the three types of processing liquids to the upper surface nozzle 51F for processing liquid according to the supply command from the control unit 10, the processing liquid is supplied from the end face of the substrate W to a preset position from the upper surface nozzle 51F.

[0081] Furthermore, the lower sealing cup component 61 of the atmosphere separation mechanism 6 is detachably fixed to a component of the nozzle moving part 54. That is, during the inclined surface treatment, the upper surface nozzle 51F and nozzle seat 53 are integrated with the lower sealing cup component 61 via the nozzle moving part 54, and move up and down together with the lower sealing cup component 61 in the vertical direction Z via the lifting mechanism 7. On the other hand, during the calibration treatment, the lower sealing cup component 61 is removed, and the upper surface nozzle 51F and nozzle seat 53 reciprocate in the radial direction D1 via the nozzle moving part 54, and move up and down in the vertical direction Z via the lifting mechanism 7.

[0082] In this embodiment, in order to spray the processing liquid onto the periphery of the lower surface Wb of the substrate W, a lower surface nozzle 51B and a nozzle support 57 are disposed below the substrate W held in the rotating chuck 21. The nozzle support 57 has a thin-walled cylindrical portion 571 extending in the vertical direction, and an annular flange portion 572 that bends radially outward at the upper end of the cylindrical portion 571. The cylindrical portion 571 has a shape that can freely slide into the air gap formed between the annular member 27a and the lower cup 32. Moreover, as Figure 2 As shown, a nozzle support 57 is fixedly arranged such that the cylindrical portion 571 is inserted into the air gap and the flange portion 572 is located between the substrate W held in the rotating chuck 21 and the lower cup 32. Three lower surface nozzles 51B are mounted on the periphery of the upper surface of the flange portion 572. Each lower surface nozzle 51B has an outlet (not shown) that opens toward the periphery of the lower surface Wb of the substrate W, and can spray processing liquid supplied from the processing liquid supply unit 52 via piping 58.

[0083] The peripheral portion of the substrate W is beveled by the processing liquid ejected from the upper surface nozzle 51F and the lower surface nozzle 51B. Furthermore, a flange portion 572 extends to the vicinity of the peripheral portion Ws on the lower surface side of the substrate W. Therefore, nitrogen gas supplied to the lower surface side via pipe 28 flows along the flange portion 572 into the trapping space SPc. As a result, backflow of droplets from the trapping space SPc into the substrate W is effectively suppressed.

[0084] The atmosphere separation mechanism 6 has a lower sealed cup component 61 and an upper sealed cup component 62. Both the lower sealed cup component 61 and the upper sealed cup component 62 have a cylindrical shape with openings at the top and bottom. Furthermore, their inner diameters are larger than the outer diameter of the rotating cup portion 31. The atmosphere separation mechanism 6 is configured to completely surround the rotating chuck 21 from above, holding the substrate W, rotating cup portion 31, and upper surface protection heating mechanism 4. More specifically, as shown... Figure 2 As shown, the upper sealing cup component 62 is fixedly positioned directly below the perforated plate 14 with its upper opening covering the opening 11f1 of the top wall 11f from below. Therefore, the downward flow of clean air introduced into the chamber 11 is divided into a downward flow through the inside of the upper sealing cup component 62 and a downward flow through the outside of the upper sealing cup component 62.

[0085] Furthermore, the lower end of the upper sealing cup component 62 has an inwardly folded-in, annular flange 621. An O-ring 63 is mounted on the upper surface of the flange 621. Inside the upper sealing cup component 62, the lower sealing cup component 61 is freely movable in the vertical direction.

[0086] The upper end of the lower sealing cup component 61 has an outwardly bent and extended annular flange 611. When viewed from a vertically upward position, the flange 611 overlaps with the flange 621. Therefore, when the lower sealing cup component 61 descends, as... Figure 4 As shown in the enlarged view, the flange 611 of the lower sealing cup component 61 is engaged by the flange 621 of the upper sealing cup component 62 via the O-ring 63. Thus, the lower sealing cup component 61 is positioned at its lower limit position. At this lower limit position, in the vertical direction, the upper sealing cup component 62 is connected to the lower sealing cup component 61, guiding the downflow introduced into the interior of the upper sealing cup component 62 to the substrate W held in the rotating chuck 21.

[0087] The lower end of the lower sealing cup component 61 has an outwardly folded-in, annular flange 612. When viewed from above, the flange 612 overlaps with the upper end of the fixed cup portion 34 (the upper end of the liquid-receiving portion 341). Therefore, in the lower limit position, as... Figure 3As shown in the enlarged view, the flange 612 of the lower sealing cup component 61 is engaged by the fixed cup portion 34 via the O-ring 64. Thus, in the vertical direction, the lower sealing cup component 61 is connected to the fixed cup portion 34, and the upper sealing cup component 62, the lower sealing cup component 61, and the fixed cup portion 34 form a sealed space 12a. Within this sealed space 12a, a beveling process can be performed on the substrate W. That is, by positioning the lower sealing cup component 61 at its lower limit position, the sealed space 12a is separated from its outer space 12b (atmosphere separation). Therefore, the beveling process can be performed stably without being affected by the outer atmosphere. Furthermore, while a processing liquid is used for the beveling process, leakage of the processing liquid from the sealed space 12a to the outer space 12b is reliably prevented. Therefore, the selection and design freedom of components placed in the outer space 12b is increased.

[0088] The lower sealing cup component 61 is configured to also move vertically upwards. Furthermore, at the middle portion of the lower sealing cup component 61 in the vertical direction, as described above, the nozzle head 56 (= upper surface nozzle 51F + nozzle seat 53) is fixed via the head support component 547 of the nozzle moving part 54. Additionally, as... Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the upper surface protection heating mechanism 4 is also fixed to the middle part of the lower sealing cup component 61 via the beam component 49. That is to say, as Figure 4 As shown, the lower sealing cup component 61 is connected to one end of the beam component 49, the other end of the beam component 49, and the head support component 547 at three different locations in the circumferential direction. Moreover, the lower sealing cup component 61 also rises and falls accordingly when one end of the beam component 49, the other end of the beam component 49, and the head support component 547 are raised and lowered by the lifting mechanism 7.

[0089] In the inner circumferential surface of the lower sealing cup component 61, such as Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, multiple (four) protrusions 613 protrude inwards, serving as engaging portions that can engage with the upper cup 33. Each protrusion 613 extends into the space below the upper annular portion 332 of the upper cup 33. Furthermore, each protrusion 613 is installed such that it moves downwards from the upper annular portion 332 of the upper cup 33 when the lower sealing cup member 61 is positioned at its lower limit. Moreover, by raising the lower sealing cup member 61, each protrusion 613 can engage with the upper annular portion 332 from below. After engagement, the upper cup 33 can be disengaged from the lower cup 32 by further raising the lower sealing cup member 61.

[0090] In this embodiment, after the lower sealed cup component 61 rises together with the upper surface protection heating mechanism 4 and the nozzle head 56 via the lifting mechanism 7, the upper cup 33 also rises together. Thus, the upper cup 33, the upper surface protection heating mechanism 4, and the nozzle head 56 move upwards from the rotating chuck 21. By moving the lower sealed cup component 61 to a retracted position, a transport space is formed for the substrate transport robot 111's hand to receive the rotating chuck 21. Furthermore, loading and unloading of the substrate W from the rotating chuck 21 can be performed via this transport space. Thus, in this embodiment, the substrate W can be received from the rotating chuck 21 with minimal lifting of the lower sealed cup component 61 via the lifting mechanism 7.

[0091] The lifting mechanism 7 has two lifting drive units 71 and 72. In the lifting drive unit 71, a first lifting motor (not shown) is mounted on the first lifting mounting portion 173 of the base component 17. Figure 3 The first lifting motor operates according to a drive command from the control unit 10, generating a rotational force. Two lifting units 712 and 713 are connected to the first lifting motor. The lifting units 712 and 713 simultaneously receive the aforementioned rotational force from the first lifting motor. Then, the lifting unit 712, according to the rotation amount of the first lifting motor, causes the support member 491 at one end of the support beam member 49 to move up and down in the vertical direction Z. In addition, the lifting unit 713, according to the rotation amount of the first lifting motor, causes the head support member 547 of the support nozzle head 56 to move up and down in the vertical direction Z.

[0092] In the lifting drive unit 72, the second lifting motor (not shown) is installed at the second lifting mounting position 174 of the base component 17. Figure 3 The lifting unit 722 is connected to the second lifting motor. The second lifting motor operates according to the drive command from the control unit 10, generating a rotational force, which is applied to the lifting unit 722. The lifting unit 722 moves the support member 492 at the other end of the support beam member 49 in the vertical direction according to the rotation amount of the second lifting motor.

[0093] The lifting drive units 71 and 72, relative to the side of the lower sealed cup component 61, cause the support members 491, 492, and 54, which are fixed at three different locations in the circumferential direction, to move synchronously in the vertical direction. Therefore, the lifting and lowering of the upper surface protection heating mechanism 4, the nozzle head 56, and the lower sealed cup component 61 can be performed stably. Furthermore, the upper cup 33 can also be lifted and lowered stably along with the lower sealed cup component 61.

[0094] Figure 11This diagram schematically illustrates the structure and operation of the centering mechanism. During the period when the suction of the pump 26 is stopped (i.e., during which the substrate W can move horizontally on the upper surface of the rotating base 21), the centering mechanism 8 performs a centering process. This centering process eliminates the eccentricity, and the center of the substrate W is aligned with the rotation axis AX. Figure 4 and Figure 11 As shown, the centering mechanism 8 has a single abutment portion 81, which is arranged on the side of the conveying opening 11b1 relative to the rotation axis AX in an abutment movement direction D2 that is inclined at about 40° relative to the first imaginary horizontal line VL1. Figure 11 (Right side); Multiple contact part 82, disposed on the maintenance opening 11d1 side ( Figure 11 (on the left side); and centering drive 83, causing the single contact part 81 and the multiple contact parts 82 to move in the contact movement direction D2.

[0095] The single abutment portion 81 has a shape extending parallel to the abutment movement direction D2, and is manufactured such that its front end on the rotating chuck 21 side abuts against the end face of the substrate W on the rotating chuck 21. On the other hand, the multiple abutment portions 82 have a generally Y-shaped shape when viewed from a vertical top, and are manufactured such that the front ends of each of the two portions on the rotating chuck 21 side abut against the end face of the substrate W on the rotating chuck 21. Both the single abutment portion 81 and the multiple abutment portions 82 are freely movable in the abutment movement direction D2.

[0096] The centering drive unit 83 includes a single moving part 831 for moving the single abutting part 81 in the abutting movement direction D2, and a multi-moving part 832 for moving the multiple abutting parts 82 in the abutting movement direction D2. The single moving part 831 is mounted on the single moving mounting portion 175 of the base member 17. Figure 3 The multiple movable part 832 is installed on the multiple movable mounting part 176 of the base component 17. Figure 3 During the period when the centering process of the substrate W is not performed, the centering drive unit 83, as... Figure 4 and Figure 11 As shown in column (a), the single abutment portion 81 and the multiple abutment portions 82 are positioned separately from the rotating chuck 21. Therefore, the single abutment portion 81 and the multiple abutment portions 82 are separated from the transport path TP, which can effectively prevent the single abutment portion 81 and the multiple abutment portions 82 from interfering with the substrate W that is transported into and out of the chamber 11.

[0097] On the other hand, during the centering process of the substrate W, according to the centering command from the control unit 10, the single moving part 831 moves the single abutting part 81 toward the rotation axis AX, and the multiple moving part 832 moves the multiple abutting parts 82 toward the rotation axis AX. Thus, as... Figure 11 As shown in column (b), the center of the substrate W is aligned with the rotation axis AX.

[0098] Figure 12This is a three-dimensional view showing the observation head of the substrate observation mechanism. Figure 13 yes Figure 12 The diagram shows an exploded and assembled perspective view of the observation head. The substrate observation mechanism 9 includes a light source unit 91, an imaging unit 92, an observation head 93, and an observation head drive unit 94. The light source unit 91 and the imaging unit 92 are located at the optical component mounting position 177 of the base component 17. Figure 3 The light source unit 91 illuminates the observation position according to the illumination command from the control unit 10. The observation position is the position corresponding to the peripheral portion Ws of the substrate W. Figure 12 The middle position corresponds to the location where the observation head 93 is positioned.

[0099] The observation head 93 is reciprocating between an observation position and a spaced position radially outward from the observation position toward the substrate W. An observation head drive unit 94 is connected to the observation head 93. The observation head drive unit 94 is in the head drive position 178 of the base component 17. Figure 3 The observation head 93 is mounted on the base component 17. Furthermore, the observation head drive unit 94, based on a head movement command from the control unit 10, reciprocates the observation head 93 along a head movement direction D3 that is tilted approximately 10° relative to the first imaginary horizontal line VL1. More specifically, during periods when the observation process of the substrate W is not being performed, the observation head drive unit 94 moves the observation head 93 to a retracted position for positioning. Therefore, the observation head 93 leaves the transport path TP, effectively preventing interference between the observation head 93 and the substrate W being transported into or out of the chamber 11. On the other hand, during the observation process of the substrate W, the observation head drive unit 94 moves the observation head 93 to the observation position based on a substrate observation command from the control unit 10.

[0100] like Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown, the observation head 93 includes a diffused illumination section 931 with five diffused surfaces 931a to 931d, a guide section 932 composed of three mirror components 932a to 932c, and a holding section 933.

[0101] The retaining part 933 is, for example, composed of PEEK (polyetheretherketone), such as... Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown, a notch 9331 is provided at the end on the substrate W side. The vertical dimension of the notch 9331 is wider than the thickness of the substrate W, such as... Figure 12As shown, when the observation head 93 is positioned in the observation position, the cutout portion 9331 enters the peripheral portion Ws of the substrate W and the area further radially inward from the peripheral portion Ws. Furthermore, the holding portion 933 is machined to a shape that can be fitted into the diffused illumination portion 931. Moreover, the holding portion 933 has mirror support portions 933a-933c that respectively support the mirror components 932a-932c from the back side. Therefore, the diffused illumination portion 931 and the holding portion 933 are integrated while holding the mirror components 932a-932c through mutual fitting.

[0102] The diffused illumination section 931 is, for example, made of PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene). Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown, the diffused illumination section 931 has a plate shape extending in the horizontal direction, and like the holding section 933, a cutout 9311 is formed at the end on the substrate W side. The cutout 9311 is as follows... Figure 12 As shown, the substrate W has an inverted C-shape when viewed circumferentially. Furthermore, in the diffused illumination section 931, an inclined surface is provided along the cutout 9311. The inclined surface is a tapered surface machined such that it slopes towards the direction of illumination light travel (a horizontal direction orthogonal to direction D3) as it approaches the cutout 9311. In particular, the vertically upper region, the side region, and the vertically lower region of the cutout 9311 in the tapered surface function as diffuser surfaces 931a to 931c, respectively. Additionally, in the cutout 9311, the regions located on the rotation axis AX side of the mirror components 932a and 932c function as diffuser surfaces 931d and 931e, respectively.

[0103] When the observation head 93 configured in this way is positioned in the observation position, the diffusion surfaces 931a to 931e are located in the illumination area of ​​the light source unit 91. Figure 12(The area indicated by the thick dashed line). When the light source unit 91 is illuminated in the positioning state according to the illumination command from the control unit 10, the illumination light shines on the illumination area. At this time, the diffusion surfaces 931a to 931e diffuse and reflect the illumination light, illuminating the peripheral portion Ws of the substrate W and its adjacent area from various directions. Here, a portion of the upper surface diffused light of the illumination light toward the upper surface of the substrate W containing the peripheral portion Ws is reflected on the upper surface of the peripheral portion Ws and its adjacent area (the upper surface area adjacent to the peripheral portion Ws in the radially inward direction). The reflected light is then guided to the imaging unit 92 after being reflected by the reflective surface of the mirror member 932a. In addition, a portion of the lower surface diffused light of the illumination light toward the lower surface of the substrate W containing the peripheral portion Ws is reflected on the lower surface of the peripheral portion Ws and its adjacent area (the lower surface area adjacent to the peripheral portion Ws in the radially inward direction). The reflected light, after being reflected by the reflective surface of the mirror member 932c, is guided to the imaging unit 92. A portion of the side diffused light in the illumination light toward the side (end face) Wse of the substrate W is reflected at the side Wse of the substrate W. The reflected light, after being reflected by the reflective surface of the mirror member 62b, is guided to the imaging unit 92.

[0104] The imaging unit 92 includes an observation lens system consisting of an object-side telecentric lens and a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) camera. Therefore, only light rays parallel to the optical axis of the observation lens system from the reflected light from the observation head 93 are incident on the sensor surface of the CMOS camera, imaging the peripheral portion Ws of the substrate W and adjacent areas onto the sensor surface. In this way, the imaging unit 92 captures images of the peripheral portion Ws of the substrate W and adjacent areas, obtaining images of the upper surface, side surface, and lower surface of the substrate W. Then, the imaging unit 92 sends image data representing these images to the control unit 10.

[0105] The control unit 10 includes an arithmetic processing unit 10A, a storage unit 10B, a reading unit 10C, an image processing unit 10D, a drive control unit 10E, a communication unit 10F, and an exhaust control unit 10G. The storage unit 10B, such as a hard disk drive, stores a program for performing the bevel processing via the substrate processing apparatus 1. This program is stored, for example, on a computer-readable recording medium RM (e.g., optical disc, magnetic disk, magneto-optical disc, etc.), and is read from the recording medium RM by the reading unit 10C and stored in the storage unit 10B. Furthermore, the program is not limited to the recording medium RM; for example, it can be provided via an electrical communication line. The image processing unit 10D performs various processing operations on the images captured by the substrate observation mechanism 9. The drive control unit 10E controls each drive unit of the substrate processing apparatus 1. The communication unit 10F communicates with the control units of each part of the integrated control substrate processing system 100. The exhaust control unit 10G controls the exhaust unit 38.

[0106] In addition, the control unit 10 is connected to a display unit 10H (e.g., a monitor) that displays various information or an input unit 10J (e.g., a keyboard and mouse) that receives input from the operator.

[0107] The arithmetic processing unit 10A is configured as a computer equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or RAM (Random Access Memory), and controls each part of the substrate processing apparatus 1 to perform the bevel processing according to the program stored in the storage unit 10B. Hereinafter, reference will be made to... Figure 14 The bevel treatment of substrate processing apparatus 1 will also be explained.

[0108] Figure 14 It means through Figure 2 The flowchart shown illustrates a slope treatment process performed by the substrate processing apparatus as an example of a substrate processing operation. When the substrate W is sloped by the substrate processing apparatus 1, the arithmetic processing unit 10A, via lifting drive units 71 and 72, causes the lower sealed cup component 61, nozzle head 56, beam component 49, support component 43, and circular plate portion 42 to rise as a whole. During the rise of the lower sealed cup component 61, the protrusion 613 engages with the upper ring portion 332 of the upper cup 33. Afterward, the upper cup 33, along with the lower sealed cup component 61, nozzle head 56, beam component 49, support component 43, and circular plate portion 42, rises together and is positioned in a retracted position. This creates a transport space above the rotating chuck 21 large enough for the hand (not shown) of the substrate transport robot 111 to enter. Furthermore, the arithmetic processing unit 10A moves the single moving part 831 and the multiple abutting parts 82 to a retracted position away from the rotating chuck 21 via the centering drive unit 83, and moves the observation head 93 to a standby position away from the rotating chuck 21 via the observation head drive unit 94. Thus, as Figure 4 As shown, the nozzle head 56, light source 91, camera 92, motor 23, and multiple contact parts 82, which are components arranged around the rotating chuck 21, are located on the side closer to the maintenance opening 11d1 than the first imaginary horizontal line VL1 (the lower side of the figure). Additionally, the single moving part 831 and the observation head 93 are located on the side closer to the transport opening 11b1 than the first imaginary horizontal line VL1, but offset from the movement area of ​​the substrate W along the transport path TP. In this embodiment, due to this layout, interference between the components arranged around the rotating chuck 21 and the substrate W can be effectively prevented when the substrate W is moved into or out of the chamber 11.

[0109] Thus, after confirming the completion of the transport space formation and the prevention of interference with the substrate W, the processing unit 10A sends a loading request for the substrate W to the substrate transport robot 111 via the communication unit 10F, waiting along... Figure 4 The conveying path TP shown transports the untreated substrate W into the substrate processing apparatus 1 and places it on the upper surface of the rotating chuck 21. Then, the substrate W is placed on the rotating chuck 21 (step S1). At this point, the pump 26 stops, and the substrate W can move horizontally on the upper surface of the rotating chuck 21.

[0110] After the substrate W is loaded, the substrate transfer robot 111 retreats from the substrate processing apparatus 1 along the transfer path TP. Then, the processing unit 10A controls the centering drive unit 83 to bring the single moving part 831 and the multiple contact parts 82 close to the substrate W on the rotating chuck 21. This eliminates the eccentricity of the substrate W relative to the rotating chuck 21, aligning the center of the substrate W with the center of the rotating chuck 21 (step S2). After the centering process is complete, the processing unit 10A controls the centering drive unit 83 to keep the single moving part 831 and the multiple contact parts 82 separated from the substrate W, and actuates the pump 26 to apply negative pressure to the rotating chuck 21. This causes the rotating chuck 21 to hold the substrate W from below.

[0111] Next, the processing unit 10A issues a descent command to the lifting drive units 71 and 72. Correspondingly, the lifting drive units 71 and 72 cause the lower sealing cup component 61, nozzle head 56, beam component 49, support component 43, and circular plate component 42 to descend as a whole. During this descent, the upper cup 33, supported from below by the protrusion 613 of the lower sealing cup component 61, connects to the lower cup 32. This forms a rotating cup component 31 (the connection between the upper cup 33 and the lower cup 32).

[0112] After the rotating cup portion 31 is formed, the lower sealing cup component 61, nozzle head 56, beam component 49, support component 43, and circular plate portion 42 are further lowered as a whole, and the flange portions 611 and 612 of the lower sealing cup component 61 are respectively engaged by the flange portion 621 of the upper sealing cup component 62 and the fixed cup portion 34. Thus, the lower sealing cup component 61 is positioned at the lower limit position. Figure 2 (Position) (Step S3). After the stop is reached, as Figure 4 As shown in the enlarged view, the flange 621 of the upper sealing cup component 62 and the flange 611 of the lower sealing cup component 61 are tightly connected through an O-ring 63, and the flange 612 of the lower sealing cup component 61 and the fixed cup portion 34 are tightly connected through an O-ring 63. As a result, as... Figure 2 As shown, the upper and lower sealing cup components 61 are connected to the fixed cup portion 34 in the vertical direction. The upper sealing cup component 62, the lower sealing cup component 61 and the fixed cup portion 34 form a sealed space 12a, which is separated from the outside atmosphere (outer space 12b) (atmosphere separation).

[0113] In the atmosphere separation state, the lower surface of the circular plate portion 42 covers the surface area of ​​the upper surface Wf of the substrate W, excluding the peripheral portion Ws, from above. Furthermore, the upper surface nozzle 51F is positioned within the cutout 44 of the circular plate portion 42 in a posture that directs the nozzle outlet 511 toward the peripheral portion of the upper surface Wf of the substrate W. Thus, after preparation for supplying the processing liquid to the substrate W is completed, the processing unit 10A applies a rotation command to the motor 23, initiating the rotation of the rotating chuck 21 and rotating cup portion 31 of the substrate W (step S4). The rotation speed of the substrate W and rotating cup portion 31 is set, for example, to 1800 rpm. Additionally, the processing unit 10A drives and controls the heater drive unit 422, causing the heater 421 to heat to a desired temperature, for example, 185°C.

[0114] Next, the processing unit 10A issues a heating gas supply command to the heating gas supply unit 47. As a result, nitrogen gas heated by the heater 471, i.e., the heating gas, is pressurized from the heating gas supply unit 47 to the central nozzle 45 (step S5). The heating gas is heated by the strip heater 48 while passing through the piping 46. This prevents the temperature of the heating gas from decreasing during the gas supply via the piping 46, while ensuring that the temperature is controlled within the space SPa (space between the substrate W and the circular plate portion 42) held by the central nozzle 45. Figure 9 The material is ejected, thereby heating the entire upper surface Wf of the substrate W. Additionally, heating of the substrate W is also performed via heater 421. Therefore, over time, the temperature of the peripheral portion Ws of the substrate W rises to a temperature suitable for bevel processing, such as 90°C. Furthermore, the temperature outside the peripheral portion Ws also rises to approximately the same level. In other words, in this embodiment, the in-plane temperature of the upper surface Wf of the substrate W is approximately uniform. Therefore, warping of the substrate W can be effectively suppressed.

[0115] Next, the processing unit 10A controls the processing liquid supply unit 52 to supply processing liquid to the upper surface nozzle 51F and the lower surface nozzle 51B. That is, the processing liquid is sprayed from the upper surface nozzle 51F to the peripheral area of ​​the upper surface of the substrate W, and the processing liquid is sprayed from the lower surface nozzle 51B to the peripheral area of ​​the lower surface of the substrate W. As a result, the bevel treatment of the peripheral area Ws of the substrate W is performed (step S6). Then, when the processing unit 10A detects the processing time required for the bevel treatment of the substrate W, it issues a supply stop command to the processing liquid supply unit 52 to stop the spraying of the processing liquid.

[0116] Subsequently, the processing unit 10A issues a supply stop command to the heating gas supply unit 47, stopping the supply of nitrogen gas from the heating gas supply unit 47 to the central nozzle 45 (step S7). In addition, the processing unit 10A issues a rotation stop command to the motor 23, causing the rotating chuck 21 and the rotating cup 31 to stop rotating (step S8).

[0117] In the next step S9, the processing unit 10A observes the peripheral portion Ws of the substrate W and checks the result of the bevel processing. More specifically, the processing unit 10A positions the upper cup 33 in a retracted position, similar to when loading the substrate W, to form a transport space. Then, the processing unit 10A controls the observation head drive unit 94 to bring the observation head 93 closer to the substrate W. Then, the processing unit 10A illuminates the peripheral portion Ws of the substrate W via the observation head 93 by illuminating the light source unit 91. In addition, the imaging unit 92 receives the reflected light reflected from the peripheral portion Ws and adjacent areas, and takes a picture of the peripheral portion Ws and adjacent areas. That is, from the multiple images of the peripheral portion Ws acquired by the imaging unit 92 during the rotation of the substrate W around the rotation axis AX, an image of the peripheral portion Ws along the rotation direction of the substrate W is obtained. Then, the processing unit 10A controls the observation head drive unit 94 to retract the observation head 93 from the substrate W. In parallel, the arithmetic processing unit 10A checks whether the bevel processing has been performed well based on the captured images of the peripheral portion Ws and adjacent areas, i.e., the peripheral portion image. Furthermore, in this embodiment, as an example of the check, the processing width (post-processing check) is checked from the peripheral portion image, from the end face of the substrate W towards the center of the substrate W after processing with the processing liquid.

[0118] After inspection, the processing unit 10A sends an unloading request to the substrate transfer robot 111 via the communication unit 10F, and removes the processed substrate W from the substrate processing apparatus 1 (step S10). The series of steps described above is then repeated.

[0119] In the described embodiment, the motor mounting portion 171 and the rotating chuck mounting portion 172 are respectively examples of the "first holding portion" and "second holding portion" of the present invention.

[0120] As described above, in this embodiment, since the various parts of the device are arranged as described above, the following effects can be achieved.

[0121] (A) In conventional substrate processing apparatuses, in order to receive the substrate W held in a rotating chuck 21 that functions as a substrate holding section and to perform substrate processing, the rotating chuck 21 is typically positioned at or near the center 11g of the chamber 11. In contrast, in this embodiment, as... Figure 4 As shown, within the internal space 12 of the chamber 11, the substrate holding portion 2A is positioned at a processing position offset from the center 11g of the internal space 12 towards the transfer opening side. This offset (distance Lof) reduces the transfer distance and time of the substrate W along the transfer path TP, thereby saving power.

[0122] (B) Even without enlarging the internal space 12 of chamber 11, the area on the opposite side of the rotating chuck 21 for conveying, that is, the area on the opposite side of the conveying opening 11b1 across the first imaginary horizontal line VL1, also increases the offset, thus increasing the design freedom for the configuration of the processing mechanism 5. However, as Figure 10 As shown, in a substrate processing apparatus configured such that the processing liquid ejection nozzle 51B moves radially D1 toward the substrate W via the nozzle moving part 54, the nozzle moving part 54 requires a certain stroke in the moving direction of the processing liquid ejection nozzle 51B. Therefore, for example, if the moving direction of the processing liquid ejection nozzle 51B is set to the same direction as the transport path TP, it may result in a situation where, despite the expansion of the area on the reverse transport opening side, the processing mechanism, especially the nozzle moving part 54, does not fall within the internal space 12. However, in this embodiment, as described above, the nozzle moving part 54 is configured to move the processing liquid ejection nozzle 51F radially D1 toward the substrate W at an inclination relative to the first imaginary horizontal line VL1. As a result, the arrangement of the rotating chuck 21, the nozzle head, and the nozzle moving part 54 within the chamber 11 can be optimized, and the inclined surface processing can be performed well without wasting the large internal space 11. As a result, the exhaust volume of the exhaust part 38 into the internal space 12 can be suppressed, and environmental impact and power consumption can be reduced.

[0123] (C) In the described embodiment, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, a heater 471 for obtaining heating gas used to heat the substrate W is mounted on the outer wall (side wall 11e) of the chamber 11. That is, the heater 471 is located outside the chamber 11. Therefore, heat waves generated by the heater 471 and various mechanisms arranged in the internal space 12 of the chamber 11 can be prevented. In particular, since the light source unit 91 and the imaging unit 92 are easily affected by heat, in this embodiment, the light source unit 91 and the imaging unit 92 are arranged at a distance from the mounting location of the heater 471. Therefore, by adopting this layout, the light source unit 91 and the imaging unit 92 are less susceptible to the heat generated in the heater 471. As a result, the reduction in observation accuracy caused by temperature changes can be prevented, and the periphery of the substrate can be observed with high precision. Furthermore, regarding the heat effect from the heater 471, the processing liquid ejection nozzles 51F and 51B are also similarly affected, so the processing liquid ejection nozzles 51F and 51B are arranged at a distance from the mounting location of the heater 471. More specifically, as... Figure 4 As shown, the light source 91, the camera 92, and the processing liquid ejection nozzles 51F and 51B are positioned on the opposite side of the heater 471, separated by a second imaginary horizontal line VL2, when viewed from above the chamber 11. This configuration increases the distance from the heater 471 to the light source 91, the camera 92, and the processing liquid ejection nozzles 51F and 51B, effectively suppressing the thermal effects from the heater 471.

[0124] (D) Additionally, although fewer than heater 471, heat is also released from the piping 46 used to deliver heated gas (inert gas heated by heater 471) into the central nozzle 45 and the strip heater 48 disposed around the piping 46. Therefore, in this embodiment, when viewed from above the chamber 11, the piping 46 and the strip heater 48 are disposed on the opposite side of the components (light source unit 91, camera unit 92, and processing liquid ejection nozzles 51F and 51B) that are easily affected by heat from heater 471, separated by a second imaginary horizontal line VL2, and on the opposite side of the transport opening 11b1, separated by a first imaginary horizontal line VL1. Therefore, the influence of heat released from the piping 46, etc., on the aforementioned components is suppressed.

[0125] (E) In the described embodiment, the power transmission section 24 is composed of two pulleys 241 and 242 and an annular belt 243, and the substrate holding section 2A and the motor 23 are connected through the power transmission section 24. Therefore, the power transmission section 24 transmits the driving force generated by the motor to the substrate holding section 2A. Therefore, when a malfunction occurs in the motor 23 or the power transmission section 24 during the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1, such as stretching or breakage of the annular belt 243, maintenance work such as adjusting the power transmission section 24 or replacing the parts constituting the power transmission section 24 is required. In this case, the operator can remove the cover member 19 from the chamber 11 and open the maintenance opening 11d1, exposing the power transmission section 24 and the motor 23 to the outside through the maintenance opening 11d1. Furthermore, the operator can perform maintenance work through the maintenance opening 11d1. As a result, the efficiency of maintenance work can be improved.

[0126] (F) By positioning the substrate holding portion 2A at a processing position offset from the center 11g of the internal space 12 towards the transport opening, as described above, the area opposite to the transport opening 11b1, i.e., the area facing the maintenance opening 11d1, is expanded across the first imaginary horizontal line VL1. Therefore, maintenance operations via the maintenance opening 11d1 are easier than in the case without the offset. The same applies to the subsequent maintenance operations of the light source portion 91 and the imaging portion 92.

[0127] (G) such as Figure 4 As shown, the light source unit 91 and the camera unit 92 of the substrate observation mechanism 9 are also arranged facing the maintenance opening 11d1, so the operator can also access the light source unit 91 and the camera unit 92 through the maintenance opening 11d1. Therefore, maintenance work on the light source unit 91 and the camera unit 92 can also be easily performed.

[0128] (H) such as Figure 5 As shown, the motor 23 is positioned such that its rotational shaft 231 is spaced upward from and towards the bottom wall 11a of the chamber 11. Figure 3 From the motor mounting portion 171 of the base component 17 ( Figure 3 The substrate holding portion 2A is held in a position where it hangs down from the lower surface of the base member 17. Additionally, the lower end of the substrate holding portion 2A extends from the bottom wall 11a ( Figure 3 The rotating chuck mounting portion 172 of the base component 17 is separated upwards and faces the bottom wall 11a. Figure 3The lower surface of the belt 241 is held in a downward position on the base member 17. Furthermore, the power transmission unit 24 (i.e., first pulley 241 + second pulley 242 + annular belt 243) is positioned below the base member 17. This configuration allows for efficient maintenance without interference with other mechanisms. Additionally, the annular belt 243 can be replaced using the gap formed between the lower end of the substrate holding part 2A and the rotating shaft 231 of the motor 23 and the bottom wall 11a. In other words, the annular belt 243 can be replaced without removing the first pulley 241 and the second pulley 242.

[0129] (I) Furthermore, based on the fact that a port for connecting pipes 25, 28, etc., is provided in the central part of the substrate holding portion 2A (not shown), the lower end of the substrate holding portion 2A sometimes extends vertically downward. In this case, the gap SPx formed between the lower end of the substrate holding portion 2A and the bottom wall 11a becomes narrower. Therefore, for example, as Figure 15 As shown, it can also be configured such that a drilled portion 11a1 is provided in the region facing the lower end of the substrate holding portion 2A in the bottom wall 11a of the chamber 11 to enlarge the gap SPx.

[0130] (J) The base component 17 is positioned at a spaced-apart location, extending upwards from the bottom wall 11a of the chamber 11, and forms a so-called high-base plate structure within the internal space 12 of the chamber 11. Furthermore, the upper surface of the base component 17 is machined as a mounting surface for the substrate processing section SP. By employing this high-base structure, even if leakage of the processing liquid occurs and it accumulates on the bottom wall 11a of the chamber 11, contact between the processing liquid and the substrate processing section SP can be reliably prevented. Therefore, the base component 17 does not necessarily need to be made of resin material; it can be made of a material with higher rigidity than the bottom wall 11a, and the substrate processing section SP can be mounted on the mounting surface of the base component 17 as a reference base. Therefore, considering the chemical resistance of the processing section, the substrate processing section SP can be mounted with superior maintainability compared to conventional devices with a bottom wall made of resin material. Furthermore, by positioning the substrate treatment section SP higher than the bottom wall 11a in the vertical direction Z, it is unnecessary to install additional components such as a cover on the substrate treatment section SP to prevent adverse effects caused by the treatment solution. As a result, even though the substrate treatment section SP, which uses a chemical solution as the treatment solution to treat the substrate W, is located inside the chamber 11, adverse effects caused by leakage of the treatment solution can be avoided, and the substrate can be treated at low cost and with good maintainability.

[0131] Here, for example, a disc-shaped container can be disposed on the upper surface of the bottom wall 11a as a recovery component for the treatment fluid flowing towards the bottom wall 11a, i.e., a leakage recovery component. This allows for reliable recovery of the treatment fluid and its removal from the chamber 11. Furthermore, the recovered treatment fluid can be reused as needed, thereby reducing the consumption of treatment fluid and minimizing environmental impact.

[0132] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments, and various modifications can be made to the content without departing from its spirit. For example, in the described embodiment, the present invention is applied to a substrate processing apparatus 1 having a rotating cup portion 31. Additionally, in the described embodiment, the present invention is applied to a substrate processing apparatus 1 having an upper surface protection heating mechanism 4, an atmosphere separation mechanism 6, a centering mechanism 8, and a substrate observation mechanism 9. However, as described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-52835, the present invention can be applied to a substrate processing apparatus that does not have the aforementioned configuration, that is, a substrate processing apparatus that processes the peripheral portion of the substrate W by supplying processing liquid to the periphery within the internal space 12 of the chamber 11.

[0133] In addition, while this invention is applied to a substrate processing apparatus that performs inclined surface processing as an example of "substrate processing", it can also be applied to all substrate processing apparatuses that perform substrate processing by supplying processing liquid to a rotating substrate.

[0134] The invention has been described above with reference to specific embodiments; however, this description is not intended to be interpreted in a limiting sense. Various variations of the disclosed embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art, as with other embodiments of the invention. Therefore, the appended claims are considered to encompass the variations or embodiments without departing from the true scope of the invention.

[0135] The invention can be applied to any substrate processing apparatus that processes a substrate by supplying a processing solution to the substrate within the interior space of a chamber.

[0136] [Symbol Explanation]

[0137] 1 Substrate processing apparatus

[0138] 2A Substrate Holding Section

[0139] 2B Rotary Mechanism

[0140] 5 processing facilities

[0141] 11 chambers

[0142] 11a bottom wall

[0143] 11b~11e sidewalls

[0144] 11F Top Wall

[0145] 12 interior spaces

[0146] 21 Rotary Clamping Plate

[0147] 23 electric motors

[0148] 24 Power Transmission Section

[0149] 171 Motor mounting position (first retaining position)

[0150] 172 Rotary chuck mounting position (second retaining position)

[0151] 231 Rotary Axis

[0152] 241 First pulley

[0153] 242 Second pulley

[0154] 243 Circular Belt

[0155] AX Rotary Axis

[0156] SP Substrate Processing Section

[0157] Z is the vertical direction.

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising: The chamber is constructed such that its interior space is covered by a bottom wall, side walls erected around the bottom wall, and a top wall covering the upper ends of the side walls; The substrate processing unit supplies a chemical solution as a processing solution to the substrate while rotating a horizontally oriented substrate about a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction within the internal space, thereby performing a prescribed substrate processing on the substrate. Multiple base support components are erected vertically upward from the bottom wall; and The base component has higher rigidity than the bottom wall, so as to be machined in a position where the mounting surface of the substrate processing section faces vertically upward, and is supported by the upper ends of the plurality of base support components at spaced positions spaced upward from the bottom wall, wherein The substrate processing unit has: An anti-spillage mechanism for collecting droplets of the processing liquid spilling from the substrate, comprising a rotatable rotating cup portion having an upper cup and a lower cup; and A lifting mechanism is installed on the upper surface of the base component and is configured to lift the upper cup in the anti-scattering mechanism in the vertical direction.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The anti-scattering mechanism has the following features: The fixed cup portion is arranged to surround the rotating cup portion.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The base component is a metal plate.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein The substrate processing unit has: The substrate holding portion is mounted on the base member in a position where the lower end is spaced apart from the bottom wall and facing upwards, and can rotate about a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction while holding the substrate approximately horizontally in the upper end. A rotating mechanism includes a motor mounted on the base component in an upwardly spaced-apart position from the bottom wall, and a power transmission unit that transmits the rotational driving force generated by the motor to the lower end of the substrate holding portion, and causes the substrate holding portion to rotate about the rotation axis by the rotational driving force; and The processing mechanism supplies the processing liquid to the substrate, which is being held at the upper end of the substrate holding portion and rotating about the rotation axis.

5. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: The chamber is constructed such that its interior space is covered by a bottom wall, side walls erected around the bottom wall, and a top wall covering the upper ends of the side walls; The substrate processing unit supplies a chemical solution as a processing solution to the substrate while rotating a horizontally oriented substrate about a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction within the internal space, thereby performing a prescribed substrate processing on the substrate. Multiple base support components are erected vertically upward from the bottom wall; and The base component has higher rigidity than the bottom wall, so as to be machined in a position where the mounting surface of the substrate processing section faces vertically upward, and is supported by the upper ends of the plurality of base support components at spaced positions spaced upward from the bottom wall, wherein The substrate processing unit has: The substrate holding portion is mounted on the base member in a position where the lower end is spaced apart from the bottom wall and facing upwards, and can be rotated about a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction while holding the substrate approximately horizontally from the upper end. The rotating mechanism includes an electric motor mounted on the base component in an upwardly spaced position from the bottom wall, and a power transmission unit that transmits the rotational driving force generated by the electric motor to the lower end of the substrate holding portion, and causes the substrate holding portion to rotate about the rotation axis by the rotational driving force. and The processing mechanism supplies the processing liquid to the substrate, which is being held by the upper end of the substrate holding portion and rotating about the rotation axis. The base component has: a first holding portion for holding the motor in a position where the rotation axis of the motor hangs down from the lower surface of the base component toward the bottom wall; and a second holding portion for holding the substrate holding portion in a position where the lower end of the substrate holding portion hangs down from the lower surface of the base component toward the bottom wall. The power transmission unit includes: a first pulley mounted on the lower end of the rotating shaft; a second pulley mounted on the lower end of the substrate holding part; and an annular belt mounted below the base member between the first pulley and the second pulley.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein The bottom wall is made of a resin material that is resistant to the treatment solution.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: A recovery unit is disposed vertically between the bottom wall and the base component to recover the treatment liquid flowing down toward the bottom wall.

Images