Slit nozzle, substrate processing device and substrate processing method

Abstract

The present invention provides a slit nozzle, a substrate processing device and a substrate processing method, which can suppress the generation or amount of treatment liquid marks on the front end portion when the scraper is brought into contact with the front end portion of the slit nozzle to which the treatment liquid is attached and moves relative to each other. The present invention satisfies the contact angle condition. That is, it satisfies the condition that the contact angle (θn) of the treatment liquid relative to the nozzle side contact area in contact with the scraper in the surface of the front end portion is greater than the contact angle (θs) of the treatment liquid relative to the scraper side contact area in contact with the front end portion. Therefore, as the scraper moves relative to each other, the movement destination of the treatment liquid between the scraper and the front end portion of the slit nozzle is mainly the scraper. No treatment liquid remains on the contact track, or even if it remains, the remaining amount of treatment liquid is significantly reduced compared to the past.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a slit nozzle, a substrate processing device and a substrate processing method, and more particularly to a slit nozzle for ejecting a processing liquid from a slit-shaped ejection port, and a technology for scraping the processing liquid from the front end of the slit nozzle. Background Art

[0002] In order to supply a processing liquid such as a resist liquid to a substrate, a slit nozzle having a slit-shaped discharge port is generally used, for example, as described in Patent Document 1. Here, the substrate includes a substrate for semiconductor packaging manufactured in a manufacturing form such as wafer-level packaging (WLP) or panel-level packaging (PLP), a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device or a substrate for a flat panel display (FPD) such as an organic electroluminescence (EL) display device, a substrate for an optical disc, a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, a glass substrate for a photomask, a substrate for a solar cell, and the like.

[0003] In a slit nozzle, processing liquid sometimes adheres to the tip of the slit nozzle. If the adhered material dries and hardens and falls onto the substrate, it can contaminate the substrate. Therefore, in the device described in Patent Document 1, a scraper is used to scrape off the processing liquid adhering to the side of the tip of the slit nozzle before supplying the processing liquid from the slit nozzle to the substrate.

[0004] The scraping process performed using the scraper is a process in which the scraper is moved relative to the slit nozzle while the scraper is in contact with the front end of the slit nozzle from the bottom side. After the scraping process is performed, a treatment liquid trace remains in the scraper's trajectory at the front end of the slit nozzle. For example, when an anti-etching liquid is used as the treatment liquid, an anti-etching trace remains. Each time the scraper is used for scraping, the anti-etching trace accumulates. In the substrate processing device described in Patent Document 1, the anti-etching trace is removed by applying ultrasonic vibration to the front end while the front end of the slit nozzle is periodically immersed in a cleaning liquid (ultrasonic cleaning process).

[0005] [Prior art literature]

[0006] [Patent Document]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-37092 Summary of the Invention

[0008] [Problems to be solved by the invention]

[0009] Here, the frequency of ultrasonic cleaning can be reduced by suppressing the generation of resist marks due to the scraping action. However, conventionally, no effective means for reducing the generation or amount of resist marks has been provided, and there is room for improvement.

[0010] The present invention is made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a slit nozzle, a substrate processing device and a substrate processing method, which can suppress the generation or amount of processing liquid marks on the front end portion when the scraper is brought into contact with the front end portion of the slit nozzle to which the processing liquid is attached and moves relative to the front end portion.

[0011] [Technical means to solve the problem]

[0012] The first form of the present invention is a slit nozzle, which has a front end portion with a slit-shaped nozzle extended for spraying a processing liquid. After the processing liquid is sprayed from the nozzle, a scraper is used to scrape the processing liquid from the front end portion while abutting against the front end portion and moving relatively along the extension direction of the nozzle. The slit nozzle is characterized in that the contact angle of the processing liquid with respect to the nozzle side abutting area on the surface of the front end portion that abuts against the scraper is greater than the contact angle of the processing liquid with respect to the scraper side abutting area on the surface of the scraper that abuts against the front end portion.

[0013] In addition, the second form of the present invention is a substrate processing device, characterized in that it includes: a slit nozzle having a front end portion with a slit-shaped nozzle extended to discharge a processing liquid; a scraper having a contact portion abutting the front end portion of the slit nozzle; and a moving mechanism for causing the scraper to move relative to the slit nozzle along the extension direction of the nozzle while causing the abutment portion to abut the front end portion, wherein a contact angle of the processing liquid with respect to the nozzle side abutting area abutting the scraper on the surface of the front end portion is greater than a contact angle of the processing liquid with respect to the scraper side abutting area abutting the front end portion on the surface of the abutment portion.

[0014] Furthermore, the third form of the present invention is a substrate processing method, characterized in that it includes a scraping process, wherein the scraping process causes the abutment portion of the scraper to abut the front end portion of the slit nozzle that sprays the processing liquid from a slit-shaped nozzle extending from the front end portion of the slit nozzle, and at the same time causes the scraper to move relative to the slit nozzle along the extension direction of the nozzle to scrape the processing liquid from the front end portion. The scraping process is performed under the condition that the contact angle of the processing liquid with respect to the surface of the front end portion in the nozzle side abutting area abutting the scraper is greater than the contact angle of the processing liquid with respect to the surface of the abutment portion in the scraper side abutting area abutting the front end portion.

[0015] In this invention, the contact angle of the treatment liquid relative to the nozzle-side contact area of ​​the front end portion contacting the scraper is greater than the contact angle of the treatment liquid relative to the scraper-side contact area of ​​the front end portion contacting the scraper. Therefore, as the scraper moves relative to the front end portion of the slit nozzle, the treatment liquid located between the scraper and the front end portion of the slit nozzle primarily moves toward the scraper. No treatment liquid remains on the contact path, or even if any, the amount is significantly reduced compared to conventional methods.

[0016] [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] As described above, according to the present invention, when the scraper is relatively moved while being brought into contact with the tip of the slit nozzle to which the processing liquid is attached, the generation and amount of processing liquid marks on the tip can be suppressed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 This is a perspective view schematically showing a substrate processing apparatus equipped with a slit nozzle according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 It is schematically represented Figure 1 A side view of the substrate processing apparatus shown.

[0020] Figure 3 It roughly indicates Figure 1 A plan view showing the arrangement of various components of a substrate processing apparatus is shown.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a diagram schematically showing the structure of a cleaning unit that performs nozzle cleaning by a scraping action.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the slit nozzle of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 6 It is a schematic representation of the use of a scraper to Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of scraping operation performed by a slit nozzle.

[0024] Figure 7 This is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the slit nozzle of the present invention.

[0025] [Explanation of Symbols]

[0026] 1: Substrate processing equipment (coating equipment)

[0027] 2: Slit nozzle

[0028] 3: Substrate

[0029] 4: Carrier

[0030] 5: Coating processing department

[0031] 6: Nozzle maintenance unit

[0032] 7: Cleaning unit

[0033] 8: Cleaning unit (cleaning part)

[0034] 21: Front end (of the slit nozzle)

[0035] 22: Nozzle body

[0036] 23: Spout

[0037] 31: Surface

[0038] 41: Keep the face

[0039] 51: Nozzle support

[0040] 51a: Supporting member

[0041] 51b: Lifting mechanism

[0042] 52: Guide rail

[0043] 53: Slit nozzle moving part

[0044] 54: Linear motor

[0045] 54a: stator

[0046] 54b: Movable

[0047] 55: Linear encoder

[0048] 55a: Ruler

[0049] 55b: Detection Department

[0050] 71: Attachment removal department

[0051] 72: Nozzle cleaning moving part (moving mechanism)

[0052] 73: Recycling Department

[0053] 74: Discharge unit

[0054] 81: Cleaning tank

[0055] 100: Control Department

[0056] 211: Front face

[0057] 212, 212a, 212b: lateral surface of the lip

[0058] 510: Installation location

[0059] 711: Applicator

[0060] 712: Scraper

[0061] 712a: V-groove

[0062] 712b, 712c: inner side surface (contact portion)

[0063] 712d, 712e: upper end

[0064] 713: Supporting member

[0065] 741: Receive component

[0066] 742: Piping

[0067] BA: Lower exposed area

[0068] CAn: Nozzle side abutment area

[0069] CAs: Blade side abutment area

[0070] CT: contact trajectory

[0071] DE: Lower end (of the surface treatment area)

[0072] L: Treatment liquid

[0073] MR: Movement Range

[0074] P0, P1, P2: Position

[0075] Pa: Height position (position)

[0076] RA: Nozzle Adjustment Area

[0077] RT: coating area

[0078] SA: Surface treatment area

[0079] UA: Upper lip area

[0080] X: Direction

[0081] Y: Extension setting direction (movement direction, arrow direction, direction)

[0082] Z: Up and down direction (direction)

[0083] θn, θs: contact angle DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0084] Figure 1 : is a perspective view schematically showing a substrate processing apparatus equipped with a first embodiment of the slit nozzle of the present invention. Figure 2 It is schematically represented Figure 1 The side view of the substrate processing device shown. Figure 3It roughly indicates Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a top view of the configuration of each part of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. Figure 1 、 Figure 2 、 Figure 3 In the following figures, in order to make their directional relationships clear, it is appropriate to mark the XYZ orthogonal coordinate system with the Z direction as the vertical direction and the XY plane as the horizontal plane, and to exaggerate or simplify the size or quantity of each part as needed. Figure 2 and Figure 3 In the figure, a part of the structure such as the nozzle support body is omitted.

[0085] The substrate processing apparatus 1 is a coating device called a slit coater, for example, that uses a slit nozzle 2 to apply a processing liquid to the surface 31 of the substrate 3. The processing liquid is, for example, a color resist liquid containing a pigment. Furthermore, the substrate 3 is a glass substrate having a rectangular shape when viewed from above. In this specification, the term "surface 31 of the substrate 3" refers to the main surface of the substrate 3 on which the processing liquid is applied, of the two main surfaces of the substrate 3.

[0086] The substrate processing device 1 includes: a carrier 4, which can adsorb and hold the substrate 3 in a horizontal posture; a coating processing unit 5, which uses a slit nozzle 2 to perform coating processing on the substrate 3 held on the carrier 4 as an example of substrate processing; a nozzle maintenance unit 6, which performs maintenance processing on the nozzle 2; and a control unit 100, which controls these parts.

[0087] The carrier 4 is made of a stone material such as granite having a roughly rectangular shape, and has a holding surface 41 on the (+X) direction side of its upper surface (+Z side) that is processed into a roughly horizontal flat surface to hold the substrate 3. A plurality of vacuum adsorption ports, not shown in the figure, are dispersedly formed on the holding surface 41. The substrate 3 is adsorbed by these vacuum adsorption ports, so that the substrate 3 is held horizontally in a specified position during the coating process. In addition, the holding form of the substrate 3 is not limited to this, and for example, it can also be constructed so that the substrate 3 is held mechanically. In addition, in the carrier 4, a nozzle adjustment area RA is provided on the (-X) direction side closer to the area occupied by the holding surface 41, and a nozzle maintenance unit 6 is arranged in the nozzle adjustment area RA.

[0088] The slit nozzle 2 extends in the Y direction. In an XZ cross-section, the front end 21 (sometimes also referred to as the lip) has a shape that tapers downward. Furthermore, a slit-shaped discharge port 23 is provided at the front end 21, extending in the Y direction. The treatment liquid, which is pressure-fed from a treatment liquid supply mechanism (not shown), is discharged downward from the discharge port 23. This supplies the treatment liquid to the surface 31 of the substrate 3, coating the surface 31 of the substrate 3 with the treatment liquid.

[0089] The coating processing unit 5 has a nozzle support body 51 that supports the slit nozzle 2. The nozzle support body 51 includes: a support member 51a that extends parallel to the Y direction above the carrier 4; and two lifting mechanisms 51b that support the support member 51a from both sides in the Y direction to raise and lower the support member 51a. The support member 51a is a rod member containing carbon fiber reinforced resin, etc. and having a rectangular cross-section. The lower surface of the support member 51a becomes the mounting portion 510 of the slit nozzle 2, and the support member 51a supports the slit nozzle 2 at the mounting portion 510 in a manner that allows it to be loaded and unloaded. In addition, as a mechanism for loading and unloading the slit nozzle 2 relative to the mounting portion 510 of the support member 51a, various fastening mechanisms such as latches or screws can be appropriately used.

[0090] Two lifting mechanisms 51b are connected to the two ends of the support member 51a in the longitudinal direction, and each has an alternating current (AC) servo motor and a ball screw. Through these lifting mechanisms 51b, the support member 51a and the slit nozzle 2 fixed to the support member 51a are raised and lowered in the vertical direction (Z direction), and the distance between the ejection port 23 opened at the lower end of the slit nozzle 2 and the substrate 3, that is, the relative height of the ejection port 23 relative to the substrate 3 is adjusted. In addition, the vertical position of the support member 51a can be detected, for example, by a linear encoder. Although the linear encoder is not shown in the figure, it includes: a scale portion provided on the side of the lifting mechanism 51b; and a detection sensor provided on the side of the slit nozzle 2 facing the scale portion.

[0091] like Figure 1 As shown, the nozzle support body 51 thus constructed has a bridge structure that is provided along the Y direction at the left and right end portions of the stage 4 and spans the holding surface 41. The coating processing unit 5 has a slit nozzle moving unit 53 that moves the nozzle support body 51 along the X direction. The slit nozzle moving unit 53 functions as a relative moving component that moves the nozzle support body 51 as a bridge structure and the slit nozzle 2 supported by the nozzle support body 51 relative to the substrate 3 held on the stage 4 along the X direction. Specifically, the slit nozzle moving unit 53 has a guide rail 52 on the ±Y side that guides the movement of the slit nozzle 2 along the X direction, a linear motor 54 that serves as a drive source, and a linear encoder 55 for detecting the position of the ejection port 23 of the slit nozzle 2.

[0092] The two guide rails 52 are respectively arranged at the two end portions in the Y direction of the carrier 4, and are extended in the X direction in a manner including the nozzle adjustment area RA and the interval provided with the holding surface 41. Moreover, the two guide rails 52 guide the movement of the two lifting mechanisms 51b in the X direction respectively. In addition, the two linear motors 54 are respectively arranged on both sides of the carrier 4, and are AC coreless linear motors (coreless linear motors) having a stator 54a and a mover 54b. The stator 54a is arranged along the X direction on the side surface in the Y direction of the carrier 4. On the other hand, the mover 54b is fixedly arranged on the outside of the lifting mechanism 51b. The two linear motors 54 respectively drive the two lifting mechanisms 51b in the X direction by the magnetic force generated between these stators 54a and movers 54b.

[0093] Each linear encoder 55 includes a scale portion 55a and a detection portion 55b. The scale portion 55a is located below the stator 54a of the linear motor 54 fixed to the stage 4, extending along the X direction. Meanwhile, the detection portion 55b is located outside the mover 54b of the linear motor 54 fixed to the lifting mechanism 51b, and faces the scale portion 55a. The linear encoder 55 detects the position of the discharge port 23 of the slit nozzle 2 in the X direction based on the relative positional relationship between the scale portion 55a and the detection portion 55b.

[0094] The slit nozzle moving portion 53 constructed in this way drives the nozzle support body 51 in the X direction, so that the slit nozzle 2 can be moved between above the nozzle adjustment area RA and above the substrate 3 held on the stage 4. Moreover, the substrate processing device 1 moves the slit nozzle 2 relative to the substrate 3 while ejecting the processing liquid from the nozzle outlet 23 of the slit nozzle 2, thereby forming a coating layer on the surface 31 of the substrate 3. In addition, the area of ​​a predetermined width from the end of each side of the substrate 3 (the frame-shaped area) is a non-coating area that is not the object of coating with the processing liquid. Therefore, the rectangular area in the substrate 3 excluding the non-coating area becomes the coating area RT ( Figure 3 ) Therefore, the processing liquid is ejected from the ejection port 23 that moves in the upper section of the coating region RT of the substrate 3 in the movement section of the slit nozzle 2.

[0095] In addition, during the period when the substrate 3 is not being coated on the stage 4, such as during the transfer of the substrate 3 between the substrate processing apparatus 1 and the external transport mechanism (during the loading / unloading of the substrate 3), the slit nozzle 2 is moved away to the nozzle adjustment area RA ( Figure 1 Also, the nozzle maintenance unit 6 performs various maintenance on the slit nozzle 2 located in the nozzle adjustment area RA.

[0096] like Figure 2 As shown, the nozzle maintenance unit 6 is disposed in the nozzle adjustment area RA on the (-X) direction side (the right-hand side in the figure) relative to the area occupied by the holding surface 41. It has the function of cleaning the slit nozzle 2 to remove debris attached to the slit nozzle 2. Here, examples of debris that may be removed include various substances that may be attached to the slit nozzle 2. For example, the debris includes the process liquid itself and solidified materials after the solute in the process liquid has dried or solidified.

[0097] The nozzle maintenance unit 6 includes two cleaning units 7 and 8. In the cleaning unit 7, a scraper moves along the outer surface of the tip 21 (lip) of the slit nozzle 2 in the Y direction while in contact with the outer surface. This scraper scrapes and removes the process liquid and the like adhering to the tip 21 of the slit nozzle 2 (scraping action). The removed process liquid is recovered along with the rinse liquid in a recovery unit provided in the cleaning unit 7.

[0098] Figure 4 Schematically shows the structure of a cleaning unit that performs nozzle cleaning by scraping. The cleaning unit 7 includes a deposit removing section 71 , a nozzle cleaning moving section 72 , and a collecting section 73 .

[0099] As shown in this figure, the attachment removal unit 71 includes two nozzle cleaning components: an applicator 711 and a scraper 712, and a support member 713 that supports the applicator 711 and scraper 712 in a state facing the front end portion 21 of the slit nozzle 2. The applicator 711 is responsible for spreading the treatment liquid that has been ejected from the slit nozzle 2 in small quantities and adhered to the front end portion 21 of the slit nozzle 2, along the front end portion 21 of the slit nozzle 2. The scraper 712 is responsible for draining the treatment liquid from the front end portion 21 of the slit nozzle 2 on the downstream side of the movement direction Y of the applicator 711. This allows attachments (treatment liquid) to be removed from the front end portion 21 of the slit nozzle 2. Specifically, if attachments such as dried and solidified treatment liquid adhere to the inclined surface of the front end portion 21, the treatment liquid spread by the applicator 711 dissolves the attachments to a certain extent, and the treatment liquid containing the dissolved matter (attachments) is removed by the scraper 712. As described above, in the present embodiment, the scraper 712 has a function of removing the processing liquid adhering to the tip portion 21 of the slit nozzle 2 .

[0100] The nozzle cleaning moving part 72 is connected to the support member 713. The nozzle cleaning moving part 72 reciprocates the support member 713 along the extending direction Y of the ejection port 23 according to the movement instruction from the control unit 100. Figure 4The slit nozzle 2 moves back and forth in the X direction within the moving range MR shown. The moving range MR is below the front end portion 21 of the slit nozzle 2 and has a dimension slightly wider than the Y direction dimension of the front end portion 21. When the attachment removal portion 71 moves from the (+Y) direction side to the (-Y) direction side through the nozzle cleaning moving portion 72, the slit nozzle 2 is located at the cleaning position of the cleaning unit 7 as shown by the dotted line in this figure. That is, when the scraper 712 is in contact with the front end portion 21 of the slit nozzle 2, the attachment removal portion 71 moves from the (+Y) direction side to the (-Y) direction side. The cleaning process of the front end portion 21 of the slit nozzle 2 is thereby performed. On the other hand, when the cleaning process is completed and the slit nozzle 2 has moved away from the cleaning position of the cleaning unit 7, the attachment removal portion 71 moves from the (-Y) direction side to the (+Y) direction side. In this way, the nozzle cleaning moving portion 72 functions as the "moving mechanism" of the present invention.

[0101] The treatment liquid or rinse liquid removed from the front end portion 21 of the slit nozzle 2 during the cleaning process (hereinafter, these are collectively referred to as "removed treatment liquid") flows downward through the attached matter removal unit 71. In order to recover the treatment liquid, a recovery unit 73 is provided in this embodiment. The recovery unit 73 includes a box-shaped structure with an upward opening. Thus, the removed treatment liquid falling through the attached matter removal unit 71 is recovered by the recovery unit 73.

[0102] The discharge portion 74 is arranged vertically below the (-Y) direction portion of the recovery portion 73 and on the (+X) direction side of the moving range MR. Figure 4 As shown, the discharge section 74 includes a box-shaped receiving member 741 that opens toward the recovery section 73 in the cleaning standby state, and a pipe 742 that extends from the bottom surface of the receiving member 741 to the outside of the substrate processing apparatus 1. In the discharge section 74, the receiving member 741 receives the coating liquid discharged from the recovery section 73 and discharges it to a liquid discharge processing device (not shown) provided outside the apparatus via the pipe 742.

[0103] In this manner, the processing liquid is removed from the front end portion 21 of the slit nozzle 2 using the scraper 712. However, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, the coating process is performed after the pre-coating process including the scraping operation described above is performed. Furthermore, when a new substrate 3 is placed on the stage 4 in place of a coated substrate 3, the pre-coating process and coating process are performed in response to commands from the control unit 100. This scraping operation is repeated, accumulating traces of the processing liquid. For this purpose, a separate cleaning unit 8 is provided.

[0104] Another cleaning unit 8 is used to remove residual deposits that cannot be completely removed by the cleaning unit 7, namely, accumulated treatment liquid marks, from the slit nozzle 2 using cleaning liquid and ultrasonic vibrations. In the cleaning unit 8, the cleaning liquid used to clean the tip 21 of the slit nozzle 2 is stored in a cleaning tank 81. Furthermore, when the cumulative number of scraping operations reaches a certain value, the repeated operation is temporarily interrupted and ultrasonic cleaning is performed on the slit nozzle 2. Specifically, while the tip 21 of the slit nozzle 2 is immersed in the cleaning tank 81, ultrasonic vibrations are applied to the tip 21 via the cleaning liquid, thereby removing the treatment liquid marks.

[0105] The ultrasonic cleaning process becomes one of the main reasons for the degradation of the takt of the substrate processing device 1. Therefore, it is expected to reduce the frequency of the ultrasonic cleaning process. The frequency varies according to the accumulation of the treatment liquid marks. Therefore, suppressing the generation or amount of treatment liquid marks generated by the scraping action performed by the scraper 712 is effective in reducing the frequency. Therefore, the inventors of the present application verified the residual behavior of the treatment liquid in the slit nozzle 2 of the scraping action and found that satisfying the following contact angle condition between the front end 21 of the slit nozzle 2 and the scraper 712 is beneficial to the suppression of treatment liquid marks. The so-called contact angle condition refers to the contact angle of the treatment liquid relative to the scraper abutting area on the surface of the front end 21 that abuts the scraper 712 is greater than the contact angle of the treatment liquid relative to the nozzle abutting area on the surface of the scraper 712 that abuts the front end 21. Below, refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 The contents of verification conducted by the inventors of the present application and the surface treatment of the slit nozzle 2 based on the verification will be described in detail.

[0106] Figure 5 This is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the slit nozzle of the present invention. Figure 6 It is a schematic representation of the use of a scraper to Figure 5 The slit nozzle 2 of this embodiment is different from the conventional nozzle in that the contact angle condition is satisfied by performing a liquid-repellent treatment on a portion of the front end portion 21, and the other structures are basically the same. Figure 5 and Figure 6 In order to clearly show the contact between the surface treated area subjected to the liquid repellent treatment and the scraper 712, the dimensions of the slit nozzle 2 and the scraper 712 are shown differently from the actual dimensions. Figure 5 The area is marked with points for reference.

[0107] The slit nozzle 2 is formed by combining a pair of nozzle base materials processed from stainless steel. In each nozzle base material, a front end portion 21 and a nozzle body portion 22 extending upward from the front end portion 21, that is, in the (+Z) direction, are formed integrally. Figure 6 As shown, the front end portion 21 has a convex shape that tapers at the front end when viewed from the side in the Y direction, which is its longitudinal direction, and has a front end surface 211 provided at its front end (lower end), a lip side surface 212a formed on the (+X) side of the front end surface 211, and a lip side surface 212b formed on the (-X) side. In the following description, when the lip side surface 212a and the lip side surface 212b are not distinguished, they are simply referred to as the lip side surface 212.

[0108] like Figure 5 As shown, the nozzle 23 as a long slit-shaped opening extending in the Y direction is provided on the front end surface 211. The nozzle body 22 is supported by the nozzle support body 51 ( Figure 1 ) is fixedly supported. Therefore, when the processing liquid L is pressure-fed to the slit nozzle 2 from the processing liquid supply mechanism outside the figure, the liquid is fed to the ejection port 23 through the internal flow path formed inside the nozzle body 22, and ejected from the ejection port 23 in the (-Z) direction. Figure 2 As shown, the slit nozzle 2 is moved in the X direction to supply the substrate 3. Thus, the processing liquid L is applied to the surface 31 of the substrate 3. At this time, the processing liquid L may adhere to the area surrounding the discharge port 23 of the slit nozzle 2, that is, the tip 21. The adhered processing liquid L dries and forms residue, which, if left standing, can hinder proper discharge or contaminate the film of processing liquid L formed on the substrate 3.

[0109] Therefore, a scraper 712 is provided as described above. The scraper 712 includes an elastic body such as fluorine-containing rubber. A V-shaped groove 712a is formed at the upper end of the scraper 712 as a roughly V-shaped groove. The V-shaped groove 712a has a shape corresponding to the front end 21 of the slit nozzle 2, and includes an inner side surface 712b having an inclination corresponding to the lip side surface 212a, and an inner side surface 712c having an inclination corresponding to the lip side surface 212b. The scraper 712 thus constructed is configured so that its upper end surface is located at a height position Pa in the up-down direction Z. Moreover, when the slit nozzle 2 is lowered from above, as shown Figure 6 As shown, the front end portion 21 of the slit nozzle 2 enters the V-shaped groove 712a of the scraper 712. Moreover, a portion of the lip side surface 212a and the lip side surface 212b respectively abuts against the inner side surface 712b and the inner side surface 712c. At this time, the height position of each part of the slit nozzle 2 is as shown in FIG. Figure 5That is, in the vertical direction Z, the front end surface 211 is located at position P0, the contact portion with the upper end of the scraper 712 is located at position Pa, and the lower end and upper end of the liquid-repellent treated area (the surface treatment area SA described in detail below) are located at positions P1 and P2, respectively. These positions P0, Pa, P1, and P2 have the following inequality in the vertical direction Z:

[0110] P0<P1<Pa<P2

[0111] The relationship represented.

[0112] While the front end 21 of the slit nozzle 2 is in contact with the scraper 712, the scraper 712 is moved in the Y direction to scrape the attached matter from the front end 21 of the slit nozzle 2 (scraping action). At this time, the upper end 712d and the upper end 712e of the scraper 712 each draw a contact trajectory extending in the Y direction. Figure 5 , only the contact track CT on the (+X) direction side, that is, the track of the upper end 712d, is shown, but the same contact track also exists on the (-X) direction side. In the prior art, a treatment liquid trace is generated along the contact track CT at the front end portion 21 of the slit nozzle 2.

[0113] Therefore, in this embodiment, if Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the surface of the front end portion 21 of the slit nozzle 2 is subjected to a liquid-repellent treatment as a surface treatment corresponding to the contact track CT, so that the surface of the front end portion 21 can be made liquid-repellent to the processing liquid L. In this embodiment, the slit nozzle 2 is formed of stainless steel, but the following three areas on the surface of the slit nozzle 2 are subjected to a surface treatment using a silicon-based organic compound. That is, these three areas are Figure 5 The dotted

[0114] The nozzle side contact area CAn of the lip side surface 212a and the lip side surface 212b of the front end portion 21 that contacts the scraper 712,

[0115] The lip side surface 212a of the front end portion 21 and the lip upper area UA above the nozzle side contact area CAn in the lip side surface 212b, and

[0116] The area BA is exposed below the nozzle body 22 .

[0117] On the other hand, no special surface treatment is performed on the surface of the fluorine-containing rubber scraper 712. Figure 6As shown in the partially enlarged view of the , the contact angle θn of the processing liquid L with respect to the nozzle-side contact area CAn is greater than the contact angle θs of the processing liquid L with respect to the blade-side contact area CAs of the surface of the scraper 712 that contacts the tip portion 21. For example, the contact angles θn and θs were measured when a color resist liquid containing a black pigment was used as the processing liquid L. The results showed that the contact angles θn and θs were 42.8° and 29.4°, respectively. Furthermore, when the surface treatment using a fluorine-silicon compound instead of a silicon-based organic compound was used to achieve liquid repellency, the contact angle θn was measured when a color resist liquid containing a black pigment was used as the processing liquid L. The result showed that the contact angle θn was 63.9°. Furthermore, for reference, the contact angle of the color resist liquid with respect to the stainless steel constituting the slit nozzle 2 was measured and found to be 6.4°.

[0118] As described above, according to this embodiment, by satisfying the contact angle condition, most of the processing liquid L moves toward the scraper 712. More specifically, when the processing liquid L attached to the front end portion 21 is scraped by the scraper 712, as shown in FIG. Figure 6 As shown in the partially enlarged view of FIG, as the scraper 712 moves in the direction indicated by arrow Y, the processing liquid L located between the scraper 712 and the front end portion 21 is directed to the scraper 712 and the front end portion 21. At this time, the contact angle θs on the scraper side is small, and the processing liquid wets the scraper 712 well. As a result, more processing liquid flows toward the scraper 712 side, leaving no processing liquid on the contact trajectory CT, or even if any, the remaining processing liquid is significantly less than before.

[0119] In addition, the processing liquid remaining on the slit nozzle 2 side is located in the area treated with liquid repellency, so it is difficult to stay at the height position Pa, and as described below, it is easy to move along the inclined surface due to the influence of gravity. Figure 5 As shown, the lower end DE of the surface treatment area SA (= nozzle side abutment area CAn + lip upper area UA) to which the front end portion 21 is subjected to a liquid-repellent treatment is located below the abutment track CT. Therefore, in most cases, the treatment liquid remaining on the abutment track CT on the side of the slit nozzle 2 after the scraping treatment tends to move downward along the surface of the front end portion 21 with a tapered front end and adhere to a position below the abutment track CT. Therefore, by the subsequent scraping treatment, the treatment liquid is scraped by the scraper 712 and reliably removed from the front end portion 21 of the slit nozzle 2. Therefore, in the substrate processing device 1 that repeatedly performs a pre-coating treatment and a coating treatment including a scraping treatment between the previous ultrasonic cleaning treatment and the subsequent ultrasonic cleaning treatment, by performing the liquid-repellent treatment, the treatment liquid that was not scraped by the first scraping treatment can be removed by the subsequent scraping treatment.

[0120] This can suppress the generation or amount of process liquid marks (resist marks when a color resist liquid is used as the process liquid) caused by the scraping action. As a result, the frequency of ultrasonic cleaning processing performed by the cleaning unit 8 can be reduced, and the tact time of the substrate processing apparatus 1 can be improved.

[0121] In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, although the lower end DE of the surface treatment area SA is located below the contact track CT, Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the nozzle 23 and its vicinity are not reached. That is, the liquid-repellent treatment is not performed on the nozzle 23 and its vicinity, and the surface of the stainless steel, which is the constituent material of the slit nozzle 2, is exposed. In other words, the nozzle 23 and its vicinity are maintained in a surface state suitable for the coating process. The surface state is suitable for forming liquid beads of the treatment liquid at the beginning of the coating process, for example. As a result, the coating process can be carried out smoothly. In order to achieve this effect, the distance from the front end face 211 to the lower end DE is ideally set to about several millimeters, but the distance is ideally determined according to the type of treatment liquid.

[0122] Furthermore, since the lower exposed area BA of the nozzle body 22 is also subjected to the liquid repellent treatment, it is possible to suppress the process liquid from being splashed from the substrate 3 and adhering to the lower exposed area BA during the coating process.

[0123] In the above embodiment, the inner side surfaces 712b and 712c correspond to an example of the "contact portion that contacts the front end portion" of the present invention. Furthermore, the cleaning unit 8 corresponds to an example of the "cleaning portion" of the present invention. Furthermore, the scraping operation corresponds to an example of the "scraping step" of the present invention.

[0124] In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications other than the above-described embodiment are possible without departing from the main purpose. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the surface treatment area SA is provided in such a manner that the upper end is connected to the lower exposed area BA and the lower end DE is located below the contact track CT. The shape or range of the surface treatment area SA is not limited thereto, for example, Figure 7 As shown, the lower end DE may also coincide with the contact trajectory CT (second embodiment). Although not shown, the upper end may be located midway between the positions P1 and P2 in the vertical direction Z.

[0125] In addition, in this embodiment, the lower exposed area BA is subjected to a liquid repellent treatment, but this has no direct relationship with the generation and reduction of the amount of treatment liquid marks. Therefore, the liquid repellent treatment may be omitted.

[0126] In the above embodiment, a small amount of treatment liquid ejected from the slit nozzle 2 is spread across the tip 21 using the applicator 711. However, this spraying of the treatment liquid is not always necessary. For example, the tip 21 of the slit nozzle 2 may be moistened with a cleaning liquid or rinse solution, for example, by a rinse solution supply, ultrasonic cleaning, or a nozzle cleaner. In this case, the cleaning liquid or the like applied by the applicator 711 dissolves the attached matter to a certain extent without the treatment liquid being sprayed, and the treatment liquid containing the dissolved matter (attached matter) is removed by the scraper 712.

[0127] In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to the substrate processing apparatus 1 that performs nozzle cleaning using the deposit removal unit 71 including the applicator 711 and the scraper 712 . However, the present invention can also be applied to a substrate processing apparatus including only the scraper 712 .

[0128] In addition, in the embodiment, the present invention is applied to a substrate processing device 1 that supplies a processing liquid from a slit nozzle 2 while holding a substrate 3 using a carrier 4. The present invention can also be applied to a floating and transporting type substrate processing device that supplies a processing liquid from a slit nozzle to the substrate while floating and transporting the substrate.

[0129] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the deposit removal unit 71 including the scraper 712 moves in the Y direction relative to the slit nozzle 2. However, the scraping operation can also be performed by moving the slit nozzle 2 in the Y direction. That is, the present invention can be applied to a substrate processing apparatus in which the scraper 712 moves relative to the slit nozzle 2 in the direction Y in which the ejection outlet 23 extends.

[0130] [Industrial Applicability]

[0131] The present invention is applicable to the entire substrate processing technology including a slit nozzle for discharging a processing liquid from a slit-shaped discharge port and scraping the processing liquid from the front end of the slit nozzle.

Claims

1. A slit nozzle having a front end portion having a slit-shaped outlet extending therefrom for discharging a treatment liquid, wherein after the treatment liquid is discharged from the outlet, a scraper is used to scrape the treatment liquid from the front end portion while being in contact with the front end portion and moving relative to the extension direction of the outlet, wherein the slit nozzle is characterized in that: The front end portion has a surface treated area subjected to a liquid-repellent treatment, The contact angle of the treatment liquid with respect to the nozzle-side contact area in the surface treatment area that contacts the scraper is greater than the contact angle of the treatment liquid with respect to the scraper-side contact area in the surface of the scraper that contacts the surface treatment area. The lower end of the surface treatment area is aligned with or below the contact track drawn by the upper end of the scraper when the scraper moves relative to the slit nozzle. And the upper end of the surface treatment area is located above the abutting track.

2. The slit nozzle according to claim 1, comprising: a nozzle substrate having the front end portion; The surface treatment area performs surface treatment on the surface of the nozzle base using a silicon-based organic compound or a fluorine-based silicon compound.

3. A substrate processing device, characterized in that: include: a slit nozzle having a front end portion having a slit-shaped discharge port extending therefrom for discharging the treatment liquid; a scraper having an abutting portion that abuts against the front end portion of the slit nozzle; as well as a moving mechanism for moving the scraper relative to the slit nozzle in the extending direction of the ejection port while causing the abutting portion to abut against the front end portion; The front end portion has a surface treated area subjected to a liquid-repellent treatment, The contact angle of the treatment liquid with respect to the nozzle-side abutting area in the surface treatment area that abuts the scraper is greater than the contact angle of the treatment liquid with respect to the scraper-side abutting area in the surface of the abutting portion that abuts the surface treatment area. The lower end of the surface treatment area is aligned with or below the contact track drawn by the upper end of the scraper when the scraper moves relative to the slit nozzle. And the upper end of the surface treatment area is located above the abutting track.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein: The scraper as a whole comprises fluorine-containing rubber, The slit nozzle includes: a nozzle base having the front end portion; and the surface treatment region is configured to perform surface treatment on the surface of the nozzle base using a silicon-based organic compound or a fluorine-based silicon compound.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, comprising: a processing liquid supply mechanism for supplying the processing liquid to the slit nozzle so that the processing liquid is ejected from the ejection port; as well as The control unit controls the processing liquid supply mechanism and the moving mechanism to repeatedly perform scraping processing, wherein the scraping processing scrapes the processing liquid from the front end portion through the relative movement of the scraper while making the scraper abut against the front end portion of the slit nozzle that sprays the processing liquid from the nozzle.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, comprising a cleaning portion for cleaning the front end portion, The control unit controls the cleaning unit to clean the front end portion after repeatedly performing the scraping process a plurality of times.

7. A substrate processing method, characterized in that: Including scraping process, The scraping step causes the abutting portion of the scraper to abut against the front end portion of the slit nozzle that ejects the processing liquid from a slit-shaped ejection port extending from the front end portion of the slit nozzle, and simultaneously causes the scraper to move relative to the slit nozzle in the extending direction of the ejection port to scrape the processing liquid from the front end portion. The front end portion has a surface treated area subjected to a liquid-repellent treatment, The scraping process is a condition in which the contact angle of the treatment liquid relative to the nozzle side contact area abutting the scraper in the surface treatment area is greater than the contact angle of the treatment liquid relative to the scraper side contact area abutting the front end portion in the surface treatment area, and The lower end of the surface treatment area is consistent with the abutment trajectory described by the upper end of the scraper when the scraper moves relative to the slit nozzle, or is located below the abutment trajectory, and the upper end of the surface treatment area is located above the abutment trajectory.

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