Apparatus for processing substrate and method of processing substrate

Abstract

An apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising: a liquid supply line; a pressure tank configured to store a liquid; a circulation line including a first heating unit configured to heat the liquid, in which the liquid heated by the first heating unit circulates in the pressure tank in a liquid supply standby state before the liquid is supplied to the substrate in the processing chamber; a pressurized gas supply line configured to supply pressurized gas to the pressure tank in a liquid supply standby state and pressurize the gas; an exhaust line configured to exhaust gas in the pressure tank; and a control unit configured to, in a liquid supply standby state, control the pressure in the pressure tank to be increased to a predetermined pressure by opening the pressurized gas supply line in a state in which the pressure tank is closed before the liquid circulates in the pressure tank.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the priority of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0088439 filed on July 7, 2023 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus for processing a substrate and a method for processing a substrate.

[0004] In order to manufacture semiconductor devices or liquid crystal displays, various processes such as photolithography, etching, ashing, ion implantation, and thin film deposition processes are performed on the substrate. Before or after performing these processes, a cleaning process may be performed to clean the substrate to remove contaminants and particles generated in each process.

[0005] Typically, a cleaning process may include removing contaminants and particles attached to a substrate by supplying a chemical liquid to the substrate. Before the liquid is supplied to the substrate in the cleaning process, the chemical liquid waiting to be supplied may be continuously heated by circulating through the tank via a circulation line connected to the tank to maintain a predetermined temperature in the process of preparing the high-temperature chemical liquid. The heated chemical liquid may evaporate in the process of circulating in the tank, and may be vaporized into an exhaust line connected to the tank, so that the chemical liquid may be consumed even when the chemical liquid is not supplied, which may be problematic. Background Art

[0006] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an apparatus for processing a substrate and a method for processing a substrate, which can reduce liquid consumption. Summary of the invention

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an apparatus for processing a substrate includes: a liquid supply line configured to supply liquid; a pressure tank disposed on the liquid supply line and configured to store liquid; a circulation line including a first heating unit configured to heat the liquid disposed therein and connected to the pressure tank, wherein, in a liquid supply standby state, the liquid heated by the first heating unit circulates in the pressure tank before the liquid is supplied to a substrate in a processing chamber; a pressurized gas supply line connected to the pressure tank and configured to supply pressurized gas to the pressure tank and pressurize the gas in the liquid supply standby state; an exhaust line connected to the pressure tank and configured to exhaust the gas in the pressure tank; and a control unit configured to control the pressure in the pressure tank to increase to a predetermined pressure by opening the pressurized gas supply line in a state where the pressure tank is closed by closing the exhaust line in the liquid supply standby state before the liquid circulates in the pressure tank.

[0008] The liquid supply line may include a main supply line connected to one of the pressure tank and the circulation line and configured to supply liquid from the pressure tank to the substrate in the processing chamber, and the control unit controls the exhaust line to open before switching from a liquid supply standby state to a liquid supply state, in which the liquid is supplied to the substrate in the processing chamber through the main supply line.

[0009] An exhaust opening / closing valve and a pressure reducing valve may be provided in the exhaust line.

[0010] The main supply line may be connected to the pressure tank, and the apparatus may further include: a chamber supply line configured to supply liquid exhausted from the pressure tank to the substrate in the process chamber; and a recovery line configured to recover the liquid exhausted from the pressure tank back to the pressure tank.

[0011] The main supply line disposed at an upper side of the chamber supply line and the recovery line may include a second heating unit configured to heat the liquid.

[0012] The apparatus may further include a pressure measuring unit configured to measure the pressure in the pressure tank, wherein the control unit may control the output of the first heating unit according to the pressure value measured from the pressure measuring unit to maintain the pressure in the pressure tank at a predetermined pressure.

[0013] The pressure tank may include at least a first pressure tank and a second pressure tank, and when one of the first pressure tank and the second pressure tank is in a liquid supply state, the other may be controlled to be in a liquid supply standby state.

[0014] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for processing a substrate using a pressure tank, the pressure tank being disposed on a liquid supply line configured to supply liquid and connected to a circulation line and an exhaust line, wherein liquid stored in the circulation line circulates therein and is heated at the same time, the method comprising: a liquid supply standby operation, wherein pressurized gas is supplied to and pressurized the sealed pressure tank by closing the exhaust line, and the liquid in the pressure tank circulates in the pressure tank through the circulation line while being heated; and a liquid supply operation, wherein the liquid is supplied to the substrate in the processing chamber through the pressure tank.

[0015] The method may further include a liquid supply preparation operation which is after the liquid supply standby operation and before the liquid supply operation, and in which the exhaust line is gradually opened.

[0016] The exhaust opening / closing valve and the pressure reducing valve provided on the exhaust pipeline can be opened during the liquid supply preparation operation, the exhaust opening / closing valve and the pressure reducing valve can be maintained in an open state during the liquid supply operation, and the exhaust opening / closing valve and the pressure reducing valve can be closed during the liquid supply standby operation.

[0017] In the liquid supply standby operation, an output of a heating unit configured to heat liquid circulating in the pressure tank may be controlled so that the pressure in the pressure tank may be maintained at a predetermined pressure.

[0018] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for processing a substrate using a first pressure tank and a second pressure tank, the first pressure tank being arranged on a liquid supply line configured to supply liquid and connected to a first circulation line and a first exhaust line, wherein the liquid stored in the first circulation line circulates therein and is heated at the same time; the second pressure tank being arranged on the liquid supply line in parallel with the first pressure tank and connected to a second circulation line and a second exhaust line, wherein the liquid stored in the second circulation line circulates therein and is heated at the same time, the method comprising: a first liquid supply standby operation, wherein, by closing the first exhaust line, pressurized gas is supplied to the sealed first pressure tank and pressurized, and the first pressure tank The liquid in the processing chamber circulates in the first pressure tank through the first circulation line while being heated; and a second liquid supply standby operation, wherein, by closing the second exhaust line, pressurized gas is supplied to the sealed second pressure tank and the pressurized gas is pressurized, and the liquid in the second pressure tank circulates in the second pressure tank through the second circulation line while being heated; a first liquid supply operation, wherein the liquid is supplied to the substrate in the processing chamber via the first pressure tank; and a second liquid supply operation, wherein the liquid is supplied to the substrate in the processing chamber via the second pressure tank, wherein the first liquid supply operation and the second liquid supply standby operation can be performed simultaneously, and wherein the second liquid supply operation and the first liquid supply standby operation can be performed simultaneously.

[0019] The method may further include: a first liquid supply preparation operation which is after the first liquid supply standby operation and before the first liquid supply operation, and gradually opens the first exhaust line in the first liquid supply preparation operation.

[0020] The first exhaust opening / closing valve and the first pressure reducing valve provided on the first exhaust line may be opened in the first liquid supply preparation operation.

[0021] In the first liquid supply standby operation, an output of a heating unit configured to heat liquid circulating in the first pressure tank may be controlled so that the pressure in the first pressure tank may be maintained at a predetermined pressure.

[0022] The method may further include: a second liquid supply preparation operation, the second liquid supply preparation operation being after the second liquid supply standby operation and before the second liquid supply operation, and gradually opening the second exhaust line in the second liquid supply preparation operation.

[0023] The second exhaust opening / closing valve and the second pressure reducing valve provided on the second exhaust line may be opened in the second liquid supply preparation operation.

[0024] In the second liquid supply standby operation, an output of a heating unit configured to heat the liquid circulating in the second pressure tank may be controlled so that the pressure in the second pressure tank may be maintained at a predetermined pressure.

[0025] A portion of the first circulation line and a portion of the second circulation line may be configured as a shared line, and in the first liquid supply standby operation or the second liquid supply standby operation, the liquid circulating in the first circulation line or the second circulation line may be heated by a heating unit provided in the shared line.

[0026] The method may further include: a first liquid supply preparation operation, the first liquid supply preparation operation is performed after the first liquid supply standby operation and before the first liquid supply operation, and the first exhaust line is gradually opened in the first liquid supply preparation operation; the method also includes: a second liquid supply preparation operation, the second liquid supply preparation operation is performed after the second liquid supply standby operation and before the second liquid supply operation, and the second exhaust line is gradually opened in the second liquid supply preparation operation, the first exhaust opening / closing valve and the first pressure reducing valve arranged on the first exhaust line are opened in the first liquid supply preparation operation, the first exhaust opening / closing valve and the first pressure reducing valve are maintained in an open state in the first liquid supply operation, and the first exhaust opening / closing valve and the first pressure reducing valve are closed in the first liquid supply standby operation, and the second exhaust opening / closing valve and the second pressure reducing valve are opened in the second liquid supply preparation operation, the second exhaust opening / closing valve and the second pressure reducing valve are maintained in an open state in the second liquid supply operation, and the second exhaust opening / closing valve and the second pressure reducing valve are closed in the second liquid supply standby operation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0028] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an apparatus for processing a substrate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 2is a flowchart showing a method for processing a substrate of an apparatus for processing a substrate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 3 is a diagram showing an apparatus for processing a substrate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0031] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of processing a substrate by an apparatus for processing a substrate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Various embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this does not necessarily limit the scope of the embodiments to specific embodiment forms.

[0033] On the contrary, modifications, equivalents and substitutions included in the disclosed concept and its technical scope may be adopted.Throughout the specification, like reference numerals are used for like elements.

[0034] In the embodiments, the term "connection" may refer not only to "direct connection" but also to "indirect connection" through means such as an adhesive layer. In addition, the term "electrical connection" may include both the case where the elements are "physically connected" and the case where the elements are "non-physically connected". The terms "comprising", "including", "configured to", etc. in the description are used to indicate the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, parts, or combinations thereof, and do not exclude the possibility of combining or adding one or more features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0035] The terms used in the following description are provided to explain specific exemplary embodiments, and are not intended to be limited. Unless otherwise stated, singular terms may include plural forms. Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technology or scientific and technological terms) have the same meaning as those generally understood by those skilled in the art. The terms defined in the general dictionary should be understood to have the same meaning as the context of the relevant technology, and unless clearly defined in each embodiment, should not be understood as ideal or too formal meanings. In some cases, even the terms defined in the present disclosure should not be interpreted as excluding embodiments.

[0036] In the following description, an apparatus for processing a substrate according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0037] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an apparatus for processing a substrate according to an embodiment.

[0038] refer to Figure 1, the apparatus 1000 for treating a substrate according to an embodiment may include a liquid supply line 1100 , a pressure tank 1200 , a circulation line 1300 , a pressurized gas supply line 1400 , an exhaust line 1500 , and a control unit 1600 .

[0039] The liquid supply line 1100 can receive liquid from a liquid supply source and can supply various types of liquid to the substrate in the processing chamber so that the substrate can be processed. If necessary, the liquid supply line 1100 can supply liquid to the substrate in one or more processing chambers. Figure 1 In the embodiment, the liquid supply line 1100 may supply the liquid to the substrate in each process chamber through a plurality of chamber supply lines 1120 (to be described later) of a main supply line 1110, but embodiments thereof are not limited thereto.

[0040] Here, in the apparatus 1000 for processing a substrate according to an embodiment, the processing chamber may be configured to perform processing on a substrate disposed in the processing chamber using a processing liquid such as a chemical liquid, and may perform a cleaning process for cleaning contaminants on the substrate, or an etching process for etching a film formed on the substrate. However, in an embodiment, the processing performed in the processing chamber is not limited thereto, and in the case of performing processing on a substrate by supplying a liquid to the substrate, the embodiment may be applied to various processes other than the cleaning process and the etching process.

[0041] The pressure tank 1200 can be configured to be set on the liquid supply pipeline 1100 and store liquid, and if necessary, pressurized gas can be supplied to the pressure tank 1200 through the pressurized gas supply pipeline 1400 described later, so that the pressure tank 1200 can store liquid in a state where it is pressurized with pressurized gas.

[0042] The circulation line 1300 may be connected to the pressure tank 1200 so that the liquid in the pressure tank 1200 may circulate in the pressure tank 1200 through the circulation line 1300. In the circulation line 1300, a first heating unit H1 configured to heat the liquid may be provided. The circulation line 1300 may allow the liquid heated by the first heating unit H1 to circulate in the pressure tank 1200 in a liquid supply standby state. Here, the liquid supply standby state may refer to a state before the liquid is supplied to the substrate in the process chamber through the chamber supply line 1120 of the liquid supply line 1100.

[0043] Furthermore, a first pump P1 configured to pump the liquid in the pressure tank 1200 for circulating the liquid in the pressure tank 1200 via the circulation line 1300 may be provided in the circulation line 1300 .

[0044] The pressurized gas supply line 1400 may be connected to the pressure tank 1200 and may supply pressurized gas to the pressure tank 1200. The pressurized gas supply valve 1410 may be provided on the pressurized gas supply line 1400 and may adjust whether to supply pressurized gas from the pressurized gas supply line 1400 to the pressure tank 1200 via the pressurized gas supply valve 1410 and the supply flow rate thereof. 2 The gas is supplied to the pressure tank 1200 as a pressurized gas. By supplying N 2 The gas is supplied into the pressure tank 1200 , and the gas may be used as a purifier to prevent gas or contaminants other than the liquid from being contained in the pressure tank 1200 .

[0045] The pressurized gas supply line 1400 can supply pressurized gas to the pressure tank 1200 in the liquid supply standby state, and can pressurize the inside of the pressure tank 1200. Specifically, in the liquid supply standby state, when the pressure tank 1200 is in a sealed state, pressurized gas can be supplied to the pressure tank 1200 via the pressurized gas supply line 1400 in the sealed state, and the inside of the pressure tank 1200 can be pressurized.

[0046] An exhaust line 1500 configured to exhaust gas in the pressure tank 1200 may be connected to the pressure tank 1200. The exhaust line 1500 may be closed in the liquid supply standby state, so that the pressure tank 1200 may be in a closed state.

[0047] The control unit 1600 may control the operation of each component of the apparatus 1000 for processing a substrate. Specifically, before the liquid circulates in the pressure tank 1200, the control unit 1600 may close the exhaust line 1500 in a liquid supply standby state, may open the pressurized gas supply line 1400 in a sealed state of the pressure tank 1200, and may control so that the pressure in the pressure tank 1200 increases to a predetermined pressure.

[0048] In the apparatus 1000 for processing a substrate having the above configuration, in the liquid supply standby state, as the liquid is heated via the circulation line 1300, the control unit 1600 may control the exhaust line 1500 connected to the pressure tank 1200 to be closed before circulating in the pressure tank 1200, and may control the pressurized gas supply line 1400 to be opened, so that by supplying the pressurized gas into the pressure tank 1200, the pressure in the pressure tank 1200 may be increased, and as the pressure in the pressure tank 1200 increases, the boiling point of the liquid in the pressure tank 1200 may be increased, thereby preventing evaporation of the liquid, which may reduce vaporization of the liquid. In addition, since the exhaust line 1500 is in a closed state in the liquid supply standby state, the process gas from the liquid vaporized in the sealed pressure tank 1200 is not released to the exhaust line 1500, and may be maintained in the pressure tank 1200, thereby reducing consumption of the liquid.

[0049] Furthermore, in the liquid supply standby state, before the liquid circulates in the pressure tank 1200, the apparatus 1000 for processing a substrate may include a pressure measuring unit 1700 that measures the pressure in the pressure tank 1200 for the control unit 1600 to control the pressure in the pressure tank 1200 to increase to a predetermined pressure by closing the exhaust line 1500 and opening the pressurized gas supply line 1400. The pressure measuring unit 1700 may be provided in the pressure tank 1200, and may include a pressure sensor.

[0050] In this case, the control unit 1600 may control the output of the first heating unit H1 according to the pressure value measured from the pressure measuring unit 1700 so that the pressure in the pressure tank 1200 may be maintained at a predetermined pressure.

[0051] Specifically, in the liquid supply standby state, during the process of circulating the liquid through the pressure tank 1200 via the circulation line 1300, the pressure in the pressure tank 1200 can be maintained at a predetermined pressure by controlling the output of the first heating unit H1 of the circulation line 1300 according to the pressure value measured from the measuring unit 1700.

[0052] In addition, the liquid supply line 1100 may include a main supply line 1110 that is connected to one of the pressure tank 1200 and the circulation line 1300 and supplies the liquid from the pressure tank 1200 to the substrate in the process chamber. Figure 1As shown in FIG. 1 , a main supply line 1110 may be connected to a pressure tank 1200. A main supply valve 1111 that opens and closes or regulates the flow of liquid from the pressure tank 1200 may be provided on the main supply line 1110. The main supply line 1110 may include a chamber supply line 1120 and a recovery line 1130. The chamber supply line 1120 may supply liquid released from the pressure tank 1200 to a substrate in a process chamber. A plurality of chamber supply lines 1120 may be provided, and a chamber supply valve 1121 may be provided on each chamber supply line 1120. The recovery line 1130 may recover liquid released from the pressure tank 1200 to the pressure tank 1200. That is, when the pressure of the liquid in the main supply line 1110 is higher than a predetermined pressure, the recovery line 1130 may enable the liquid to be recovered to the pressure tank 1200 without being supplied to the chamber supply line 1120. The recovery valve 1131 may be provided in the recovery line 1130 , and whether to recover the liquid from the main supply line 1110 back to the pressure tank 1200 and adjusting the recovery flow rate may be regulated by the recovery valve 1131 of the recovery line 1130 .

[0053] In addition, a second heating unit H2 for heating the liquid and a second pump P2 for pumping the liquid in the flow direction of the liquid may be included in the main supply line 1110 on the upper side of the chamber supply line 1120 and the recovery line 1130. Accordingly, in the liquid supply standby state, the liquid heated by the first heating unit H1 while circulating in the pressure tank 1200 via the circulation line 1300 may be released from the pressure tank 1200 when the state is switched to the liquid supply state, may be supplied to the main supply line 1110, may be secondary heated by the second heating unit H2, and may be supplied to the substrate in the process chamber through the chamber supply line 1120. In this case, if necessary, the control unit 1600 may control the output of the second heating unit H2 of the main supply line 1110 according to the pressure value measured from the pressure measuring unit 1700 in the process of recovering the liquid back to the pressure tank 1200 through the recovery line 1130 of the main supply line 1110, so that the pressure in the pressure tank 1200 may be maintained at a predetermined pressure.

[0054] In addition, when switching from the liquid supply standby state to the liquid supply state, in order to reduce the risk of explosion due to the high pressure in the pressure tank 1200, the control unit 1600 may control the exhaust line 1500 to be opened before switching from the liquid supply standby state to the liquid supply state, wherein in the liquid supply state, the liquid is supplied to the substrate in the process chamber via the chamber supply line 1120 of the main supply line 1110. For example, before switching from the liquid supply standby state to the liquid supply state, the control unit 1600 may control the exhaust line 1500 to be gradually opened. To achieve this, as an example, an exhaust opening / closing valve 1510 and a pressure reducing valve 1520 may be provided on the exhaust line 1500. By including these components, before switching from the liquid supply standby state to the liquid supply state, the control unit 1600 may control the exhaust opening / closing valve 1510 and the pressure reducing valve 1520 to be opened, thereby gradually reducing the pressure in the pressure tank 1200 via the exhaust line 1500. Since the pressure can be released, when switching from the liquid supply standby state to the liquid supply state, an explosion caused by a sudden change in pressure can be effectively prevented.

[0055] According to an embodiment, a method of processing a substrate using the apparatus 1000 for processing a substrate may be provided.

[0056] Before describing the method for processing a substrate of the present embodiment, for a general method for processing a substrate, as a general method for processing a substrate, in a standby state before supplying liquid, an exhaust line connected to a tank storing liquid may be circulated while heating the liquid in an open state. In this case, when liquid is not supplied for a relatively long period of time, the liquid may be continuously circulated in the tank and may be continuously heated to maintain a predetermined temperature. Accordingly, the heated liquid may be vaporized and may evaporate into the exhaust line connected to the tank, so that the consumption of the liquid may increase.

[0057] In order to solve this problem, a method of processing a substrate according to an embodiment may be provided as follows.

[0058] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method of processing a substrate by an apparatus for processing a substrate according to an embodiment.

[0059] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2, by using the method of processing a substrate according to an embodiment, liquid may be supplied to a substrate in a processing chamber, and may be processed using a pressure tank 1200 provided on a liquid supply line 1100 configured to supply liquid. Specifically, the pressure tank 1200 may be connected to a circulation line 1300, in which the liquid stored in the pressure tank 1200 may be circulated while being heated, and an exhaust line 1500 configured to exhaust gas in the pressure tank 1200. In addition, as described above, a pressurized gas supply line 1400 that supplies pressurized gas to the pressure tank 1200 may be connected to the pressure tank 1200, and the main supply line 1110 of the liquid supply line 1100 may also be connected.

[0060] The method of processing a substrate of the apparatus 1000 for processing a substrate may include a liquid supply standby operation ( S100 ) and a liquid supply operation ( S300 ).

[0061] In the liquid supply standby operation (S100), pressurized gas may be supplied to the pressure tank 1200 sealed by closing the exhaust line 1500, and the pressurized gas may be pressurized, and the liquid in the pressure tank 1200 may circulate in the pressure tank 1200 while being heated through the circulation line 1300. In the liquid supply standby operation (S100), pressurized gas may be supplied to the pressure tank 1200 by opening the pressurized gas supply valve 1410 of the pressurized gas supply line 1400 connected to the pressure tank 1200. In addition, in the liquid supply standby operation (S100), the liquid may be heated by the first heating unit H1 of the circulation line 1300 while circulating in the pressure tank 1200 through the circulation line 1300.

[0062] In the liquid supply operation (S300), liquid may be supplied to the substrate in the process chamber through the pressure tank 1200. That is, the liquid discharged from the pressure tank 1200 in the liquid supply operation (S300) may be supplied to the substrate in the process chamber through the chamber supply line 1120 of the main supply line 1110 and allow the substrate to be processed.

[0063] According to the method of processing a substrate, in the liquid supply standby operation (S100) before the liquid supply operation (S300), the liquid may be heated through the circulation line 1300, and by closing the exhaust line 1500 connected to the pressure tank 1200 before circulating in the pressure tank 1200, the pressurized gas may be supplied to the sealed pressure tank 1200, so that the pressure in the pressure tank 1200 may be increased, and as the pressure in the pressure tank 1200 increases, the boiling point of the liquid in the pressure tank 1200 may be increased, so that the evaporation of the liquid may be prevented, which may reduce the vaporization of the liquid. In addition, since the exhaust line 1500 is in a closed state in the liquid supply standby operation (S100), the processing gas from the liquid vaporized in the sealed pressure tank 1200 may not be discharged to the exhaust line 1500, and may be maintained in the pressure tank 1200, thereby reducing the consumption of the liquid.

[0064] In addition, in the liquid supply standby operation (S100), the output of the heating unit for heating the liquid circulating in the pressure tank 1200 may be controlled so that the pressure in the pressure tank 1200 may be maintained at a predetermined pressure. Here, the heating unit may be the first heating unit H1 described above. Specifically, in the liquid supply standby operation (S100), the pressure value in the pressure tank 1200 may be measured, and the output of the first heating unit H1 may be controlled according to the measured pressure value so that the pressure in the pressure tank 1200 may be maintained at a predetermined pressure.

[0065] In addition, when switching from the liquid supply standby operation (S100) to the liquid supply operation (S300), there may be a risk of explosion due to the high pressure in the pressure tank 1200, and in order to prevent this, the method of processing a substrate may further include a liquid supply preparation operation (S200). The liquid supply preparation operation (S200) may be after the liquid supply standby operation (S100) and before the liquid supply operation (S300), gradually opening the exhaust line 1500.

[0066] The method of gradually opening the exhaust line 1500 in the liquid supply preparation operation (S200) may vary. For example, the exhaust opening / closing valve 1510 and the pressure reducing valve 1520 may be provided on the exhaust line 1500. Specifically, before switching from the liquid supply standby state to the liquid supply state, the liquid supply preparation operation (S200) may be performed to open the exhaust opening / closing valve 1510 and the pressure reducing valve 1520 provided on the exhaust line 1500, so that the pressure in the pressure tank 1200 may be gradually released through the exhaust line 1500, and therefore, when the liquid supply operation (S300) is performed, the explosion caused by the rapid pressure change in the pressure tank 1200 may be effectively prevented.

[0067] In addition, when the exhaust opening / closing valve 1510 and the pressure reducing valve 1520 are provided on the exhaust line 1500, the exhaust opening / closing valve 1510 and the pressure reducing valve 1520 may be maintained in an open state in the liquid supply operation (S300). In addition, in the liquid supply standby operation (S100), the exhaust opening / closing valve 1510 and the pressure reducing valve 1520 may be closed so that the pressure tank 1200 may be in a sealed state.

[0068] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the exhaust opening / closing valve 1510 and the pressure reducing valve 1520 may be provided as an embodiment for gradually opening the exhaust line, but the embodiment is not limited thereto, and any component for gradually opening the exhaust line may be applied. As another example, a control valve for adjusting the exhaust flow rate of the exhaust line may be provided.

[0069] Hereinabove, the apparatus for processing a substrate including a pressure tank and the method of processing a substrate using the same have been described in detail, but the embodiments are not limited thereto and an embodiment including a plurality of pressure tanks may also be implemented if necessary.

[0070] In the following description, reference will be made to Figure 3 and Figure 4 As another embodiment, an apparatus for processing a substrate including a first pressure tank and a second pressure tank and a method of processing a substrate are described.

[0071] Figure 3 is a diagram showing an apparatus for processing a substrate according to an embodiment. Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of processing a substrate by an apparatus for processing a substrate according to an embodiment.

[0072] refer to Figure 3 , an apparatus 2000 for treating a substrate according to another embodiment may include a liquid supply line 2100 , a pressure tank 2200 , a circulation line, a pressurized gas supply line, an exhaust line, and a control unit 2600 .

[0073] The liquid supply line 2100 may receive liquid from a liquid supply source and may supply various types of liquid to a substrate in a processing chamber so that the substrate may be processed. If necessary, the liquid supply line 2100 may supply liquid to a substrate in one or more processing chambers. Figure 3 In the embodiment, the liquid supply line 2100 may supply liquid to the substrate in each process chamber through a plurality of chamber supply lines 2120 (to be described later) of a main supply line 2110, but embodiments thereof are not limited thereto.

[0074] The pressure tank 2200 can be configured to be set on the liquid supply pipeline 2100 and store liquid, and if necessary, pressurized gas can be supplied to the pressure tank 2200 through the pressurized gas supply pipeline described later, so that the pressure tank 2200 can store liquid in a state where the inside of the pressure tank is pressurized by the pressurized gas.

[0075] Specifically, the pressure tank 2200 may include a first pressure tank 2200a and a second pressure tank 2200b. In addition, in addition to the first pressure tank 2200a and the second pressure tank 2200b, the pressure tank 2200 may also include other tanks, but in this embodiment, for ease of description, an embodiment including the first pressure tank 2200a and the second pressure tank 2200b may be described.

[0076] The circulation pipeline, pressurized gas supply pipeline and exhaust pipeline connected to the first pressure tank 2200a can be respectively referred to as the first circulation pipeline 2300a, the first pressurized gas supply pipeline 2400a and the first exhaust pipeline 2500a, and the circulation pipeline, pressurized gas supply pipeline and exhaust pipeline connected to the second pressure tank 2200a can be respectively referred to as the second circulation pipeline 2300b, the second pressurized gas supply pipeline 2400b and the second exhaust pipeline 2500b.

[0077] The first circulation line 2300a may be connected to the first pressure tank 2200a so that the liquid in the first pressure tank 2200a may circulate in the first pressure tank 2200a through the first circulation line 2300a.

[0078] The second circulation line 2300b may be connected to the second pressure tank 2200b so that the liquid in the second pressure tank 2200b may circulate in the second pressure tank 2200b through the second circulation line 2300b.

[0079] Here, a portion of the first circulation line 2300 a and a portion of the second circulation line 2300 b may be configured as a shared line 2310 .

[0080] The liquid flowing through the shared pipeline 2310 can flow back to the first pressure tank 2200a through the first circulation pipeline 2300a, or flow back to the second pressure tank 2200b through the second circulation pipeline 2300b. Accordingly, no matter whether the state is the liquid supply state or the liquid supply standby state, the liquid in the first pressure tank 2200a can circulate in the first pressure tank 2200a through the first circulation pipeline 2300a, or the liquid in the second pressure tank 2200b can circulate in the second pressure tank 2200b through the second circulation pipeline 2300b.

[0081] The shared pipeline 2310 may include a first heating unit H1 and a first pump P1, which can heat the liquid circulating in the first pressure tank 2200a and the first circulation pipeline 2300a in a first liquid supply standby state in which the liquid circulates in the first pressure tank 2200a and the first circulation pipeline 2300a; or can heat the liquid circulating in the second pressure tank 2200b and the second circulation pipeline 2300b in a second liquid supply standby state in which the liquid circulates in the second pressure tank 2200b and the second circulation pipeline 2300b.

[0082] In other words, in the case of a first liquid supply state in which the liquid is supplied to the substrate in the process chamber using the first pressure tank 2200a, the liquid heated by the first heating unit H1 provided on the shared pipeline 2310 in the second liquid supply standby state can circulate the second pressure tank 2200b by driving the first pump P1, wherein in the second liquid supply standby state, the liquid circulates in the second pressure tank 2200b and the second circulation pipeline 2300b. Similarly, in the case of a second liquid supply state in which the liquid is supplied to the substrate in the process chamber using the second pressure tank 2200b, the liquid heated by the first heating unit H1 provided on the shared pipeline 2310 in the first liquid supply standby state can circulate the first pressure tank 2200a by driving the first pump P1, wherein in the first liquid supply standby state, the liquid circulates in the first pressure tank 2200a and the first circulation pipeline 2300a.

[0083] Here, for the convenience of description, a liquid supply state in which liquid is supplied to a substrate in a process chamber using the first pressure tank 2200a may be referred to as a first liquid supply state, and a liquid supply state in which liquid is supplied to a substrate in a process chamber using the second pressure tank 2200b may be referred to as a second liquid supply state. Here, in the first liquid supply state of the first pressure tank 2200a, the second pressure tank 2200b may be in a liquid supply standby state before supplying liquid to the substrate in the process chamber, and in this case, an operation of circulating through the second pressure tank 2200b and the second circulation line 2300b may be performed. Similarly, in the second liquid supply state of the second pressure tank 2200b, the first pressure tank 2200a may be in a liquid supply standby state before supplying liquid to the substrate in the process chamber, and in this case, an operation of circulating through the first pressure tank 2200a and the first circulation line 2300a may be performed. The liquid supply standby state of the first pressure tank 2200a may be referred to as a first liquid supply standby state, and the liquid supply standby state of the second pressure tank 2200b may be referred to as a second liquid supply standby state.

[0084] The first pressurized gas supply line 2400a may be connected to the first pressure tank 2200a and may supply pressurized gas to the first pressure tank 2200a. The first pressurized gas supply valve 2410a may be provided on the first pressurized gas supply line 2400a and may control whether to supply pressurized gas from the first pressurized gas supply line 2400a to the first pressure tank 2200a through the first pressurized gas supply valve 2410a and control its supply flow rate. The first pressurized gas supply line 2400a may be connected to the first pressure tank 2200a and may supply pressurized gas to the first pressure tank 2200a. 2 The gas is supplied to the first pressure tank 2200a as pressurized gas. By supplying N 2 The gas is supplied into the first pressure tank 2200a, and the gas may be used as a purifier to prevent gas or contaminants other than liquid from being contained in the first pressure tank 2200a.

[0085] The first pressurized gas supply line 2400a can supply pressurized gas to the first pressure tank 2200a in the first liquid supply standby state, and can pressurize the interior of the first pressure tank 2200a. Specifically, in the first liquid supply standby state, the pressurized gas can be supplied to the first pressure tank 2200a through the first pressurized gas supply line 2400a while the first pressure tank 2200a is sealed, and can pressurize the interior of the first pressure tank 2200a.

[0086] Similarly, the second pressurized gas supply line 2400b may be connected to the second pressure tank 2200b and may supply pressurized gas to the second pressure tank 2200b. The second pressurized gas supply valve 2410b may be provided on the second pressurized gas supply line 2400b and may control whether to supply pressurized gas from the second pressurized gas supply line 2400b to the second pressure tank 2200b through the second pressurized gas supply valve 2410b and control its supply flow rate. As the pressurized gas, the second pressurized gas supply line 2400b may supply, for example, N 2 The gas is supplied to the second pressure tank 2200b. By supplying N 2 The gas is supplied into the second pressure tank 2200b, and the gas may be used as a purifier to prevent gas or contaminants other than the liquid from being contained in the second pressure tank 2200b.

[0087] The second pressurized gas supply line 2400b can supply pressurized gas to the second pressure tank 2200b in the second liquid supply standby state, and can pressurize the interior of the second pressure tank 2200b. Specifically, in the second liquid supply standby state, while the second pressure tank 2200b is sealed, pressurized gas can be supplied to the second pressure tank 2200b through the second pressurized gas supply line 2400b, and can pressurize the interior of the second pressure tank 2200b.

[0088] The first exhaust line 2500a may be connected to the first pressure tank 2200a and may exhaust the gas in the first pressure tank 2200a. That is, in the first liquid supply standby state, the first exhaust line 2500a may be closed so that the first pressure tank 2200a may be in a sealed state.

[0089] The second exhaust line 2500b may be connected to the second pressure tank 2200b and may exhaust the gas in the second pressure tank 2200b. In other words, the second exhaust line 2500b may be closed in the second liquid supply standby state so that the second pressure tank 2200b may be in a sealed state.

[0090] The control unit 2600 may control the operation of each component of the apparatus 2000 for processing a substrate.

[0091] When one of the first pressure tank 2200a and the second pressure tank 2200b is in the liquid supply state, the control unit 2600 may control the other to be in the liquid supply standby state.

[0092] In other words, when the first pressure tank 2200a is controlled to be in the first liquid supply state, the control unit 2600 can control the second pressure tank 2200b to be in the second liquid supply standby state. In addition, when the second pressure tank 2200b is controlled to be in the second liquid supply state, the control unit 2600 can control the first pressure tank 2200a to be in the first liquid supply standby state.

[0093] Specifically, the control unit 2600 can close the first exhaust line 2500a before the liquid circulates in the first pressure tank 2200a in the first liquid supply standby state, can open the first pressurized gas supply line 2400a when the first pressure tank 2200a is in a sealed state, and can control the pressure in the first pressure tank 2200a to increase to a predetermined pressure.

[0094] In addition, the control unit 2600 can close the second exhaust pipeline 2500b in the second liquid supply standby state before the liquid circulates in the second pressure tank 2200b, can open the second pressurized gas supply pipeline 2400b while the second pressure tank 2200b is in a sealed state, and can control the pressure in the second pressure tank 2200b to increase to a predetermined pressure.

[0095] In the apparatus 2000 for processing a substrate having the above-mentioned components, the liquid can be heated through the first circulation pipeline 2300a or the second circulation pipeline 2300b in the first liquid supply standby state or the second liquid supply standby state, so that before circulating through the first pressure tank 2200a or the second pressure tank 2200b, the first exhaust pipeline 2500a or the second exhaust pipeline 2500b connected to the first pressure tank 2200a or the second pressure tank 2200b is closed by the control unit 2600 and the first heating line 2300a or the second heating line 2300b is heated. The pressurized gas supply line 2400a or the second pressurized gas supply line 2400b is opened, so the pressure in the first pressure tank 2200a or the second pressure tank 2200b can be increased by supplying pressurized gas in the first pressure tank 2200a or the second pressure tank 2200b, and as the pressure in the first pressure tank 2200a or the second pressure tank 2200b increases, the boiling point of the liquid in the first pressure tank 2200a or the second pressure tank 2200b increases, so that evaporation of the liquid can be prevented and vaporization of the liquid can be reduced. In addition, since the first exhaust pipeline 2500a or the second exhaust pipeline 2500b is in a closed state in the first liquid supply standby state or the second liquid supply standby state, the processing gas from the liquid vaporized in the sealed first pressure tank 2200a or the second pressure tank 2200b cannot be discharged to the first exhaust pipeline 2500a or the second exhaust pipeline 2500b, and can be retained in the first pressure tank 2200a or the second pressure tank 2200b, thereby reducing the consumption of liquid.

[0096] In addition, the apparatus 2000 for processing a substrate may include a first pressure measuring unit 2700a disposed in the first pressure tank 2200a and measuring the pressure in the first pressure tank 2200a, and a second pressure measuring unit 2700b disposed in the second pressure tank 2200b and measuring the pressure in the second pressure tank 2200b. The first pressure measuring unit 2700a and the second pressure measuring unit 2700b may include pressure sensors.

[0097] In this case, the control unit 2600 can control the output of the first heating unit H1 according to the pressure value measured from the first pressure measuring unit 2700a, so that the pressure in the first pressure tank 2200a can be maintained at a predetermined pressure. In the first liquid supply standby state, while the liquid circulates the first pressure tank 2200a through the first circulation pipeline 2300a, the output of the first heating unit H1 of the shared pipeline 2310 can be controlled according to the pressure value measured from the first pressure measuring unit 2700a, so that the pressure in the first pressure tank 2200a can be maintained at a predetermined pressure.

[0098] Similarly, the control unit 2600 can control the output of the first heating unit H1 according to the pressure value measured from the second pressure measuring unit 2700b, so that the pressure in the second pressure tank 2200b can be maintained at a predetermined pressure. In the second liquid supply standby state, while the liquid circulates in the second pressure tank 2200b through the second circulation pipeline 2300b, the output of the first heating unit H1 of the shared pipeline 2310 can be controlled according to the pressure value measured from the second pressure measuring unit 2700b, so that the pressure in the second pressure tank 2200b can be maintained at a predetermined pressure.

[0099] In addition, the liquid supply line 2100 may include a main supply line 2110 connected to the first pressure tank 2200a and the second pressure tank 2200b, and selectively supplies the liquid from the first pressure tank 2200a or the second pressure tank 2200b to the substrate in the process chamber. As an example, the main supply line 2110 may include a first branch line 2112a connected to the first pressure tank 2200a, and a second branch line 2112b connected to the second pressure tank 2200b, and the lower ends of the first branch line 2112a and the second branch line 2112b may be connected to each other so that the first branch line 2112a and the second branch line 2112b may be joined to each other. A first supply valve 2111a that opens and closes or regulates the flow of the liquid from the first pressure tank 2200a may be provided on the first branch line 2112a. A second supply valve 2111b that opens and closes or regulates the flow of liquid from the second pressure tank 2200b may be provided on the second branch line 2112b.

[0100] In addition, the main supply line 2110 may further include a chamber supply line 2120 and a recovery line 2130 .

[0101] The chamber supply line 2120 may supply liquid discharged from the first pressure tank 2200a or the second pressure tank 2200b to the substrate in the process chamber. A plurality of chamber supply lines 2120 may be provided, and a chamber supply valve 2121 may be provided on each chamber supply line 2120.

[0102] The recovery line 2130 may include a first recovery line 2132a for recovering the liquid discharged from the first pressure tank 2200a back to the first pressure tank 2200a, and a second recovery line 2132b for recovering the liquid discharged from the second pressure tank 2200b back to the second pressure tank 2200b. When the pressure of the liquid in the main supply line 2110 is a predetermined pressure or higher, the first recovery line 2132a may not allow the liquid to be supplied to the chamber supply line 2120, and may allow the liquid to be recovered to the first pressure tank 2200a. The first recovery valve 2131a may be provided in the first recovery line 2132a, and may adjust whether the liquid recovered from the main supply line 2110 is recovered to the first pressure tank 2200a by the first recovery valve 2131a of the first recovery line 2132a, and adjust its recovery flow rate. When the pressure of the liquid in the main supply line 2110 is a predetermined pressure or higher, the second recovery line 2132b may not allow the liquid to be supplied to the chamber supply line 2120, and may allow the liquid to be recovered to the second pressure tank 2200b. The second recovery valve 2131b may be provided in the second recovery line 2132b, and may adjust whether to recover the liquid recovered from the main supply line 2110 to the second pressure tank 2200b through the second recovery valve 2131b of the second recovery line 2132b, and adjust its recovery flow rate.

[0103] In addition, in the flow direction of the liquid, the main supply line 2110 on the upper side of the chamber supply line 2120 and the recovery line 2130 may include a second heating unit H2 for heating the liquid and a second pump P2 for pumping the liquid. Accordingly, the liquid discharged from the first pressure tank 2200a or the second pressure tank 2200b may be supplied to the main supply line 2110, may be secondary heated by the second heating unit H2, and may be supplied to the substrate in the process chamber through the chamber supply line 2120.

[0104] In addition, when switching from the first liquid supply standby state to the first liquid supply state, in order to reduce the risk of explosion due to the high pressure in the first pressure tank 2200a, the control unit 2600 can control the first exhaust line 2500a to be gradually opened before switching from the first liquid supply standby state to the first liquid supply state. To achieve this, as an example, a first exhaust opening / closing valve 2510a and a first pressure reducing valve 2520a can be provided in the first exhaust line 2500a. By including these components, before switching from the first liquid supply standby state to the first liquid supply state, the control unit 2600 can control the first exhaust opening / closing valve 2510a and the first pressure reducing valve 2520a to be opened, so that the pressure in the first pressure tank 2200a can be gradually released through the first exhaust line 2500a, and accordingly, when switching from the first liquid supply standby state to the first liquid supply state, an explosion due to a sudden change in pressure can be effectively prevented.

[0105] Similarly, when switching from the second liquid supply standby state to the second liquid supply state, in order to reduce the risk of explosion due to the high pressure in the second pressure tank 2200b, the control unit 2600 can control the second exhaust line 2500b to be gradually opened before switching from the second liquid supply standby state to the second liquid supply state. To achieve this, as an example, a second exhaust opening / closing valve 2510b and a second pressure reducing valve 2520b can be provided in the second exhaust line 2500b. By including these components, before switching from the second liquid supply standby state to the second liquid supply state, the control unit 2600 can control the second exhaust opening / closing valve 2510b and the second pressure reducing valve 2520b to be opened, so that the pressure in the second pressure tank 2200b can be gradually released through the second exhaust line 2500b, and accordingly, when switching from the second liquid supply standby state to the second liquid supply state, an explosion due to a sudden change in pressure can be effectively prevented.

[0106] According to another embodiment, a method of processing a substrate using the apparatus 2000 for processing a substrate may be provided.

[0107] A method of treating a substrate of an apparatus 2000 for treating a substrate according to another embodiment may include treating a substrate in a process chamber using a first pressure tank 2200 a and a second pressure tank 2200 b provided in parallel with each other on a liquid supply line 2100 for supplying liquid.

[0108] A first circulation line 2300a for circulating the liquid stored therein while being heated and a first exhaust line 2500a for exhausting the gas in the first pressure tank 2200a may be connected to the first pressure tank 2200a. In addition, as described above, a first pressurized gas supply line 2400a for supplying pressurized gas to the first pressure tank 2200a may be connected to the first pressure tank 2200a, and a first branch line 2112a of a main supply line 2110 among the liquid supply lines 2100 may be connected to the first pressure tank 2200a.

[0109] A second circulation line 2300b for circulating the liquid stored therein while being heated and a second exhaust line 2500b for exhausting the gas in the second pressure tank 2200b may be connected to the second pressure tank 2200b. In addition, as described above, a second pressurized gas supply line 2400b for supplying pressurized gas into the second pressure tank 2200b may be connected to the second pressure tank 2200b, and a second branch line 2112b of the main supply line 2110 of the liquid supply line 2100 may be connected to the second pressure tank 2200b.

[0110] The method for processing a substrate of the apparatus 2000 for processing a substrate may include a first liquid supply standby operation (S1100), a first liquid supply preparation operation (S1200), a first liquid supply operation (S1300), a second liquid supply standby operation (S2100), a second liquid supply preparation operation (S2200), and a second liquid supply operation (S2300).

[0111] In the first liquid supply standby operation (S1100), pressurized gas may be supplied to the first pressure tank 2200a sealed by closing the first exhaust line 2500a, and the pressurized gas may be pressurized, and the liquid in the first pressure tank 2200a may circulate through the first pressure tank 2200a while being heated through the first circulation line 2300a. In the first liquid supply standby operation (S1100), pressurized gas may be supplied to the first pressure tank 2200a by opening the first pressurized gas supply valve 2410a of the first pressurized gas supply line 2400a connected to the first pressure tank 2200a. Here, as an example, N 2 The gas is supplied to the first pressure tank 2200a as pressurized gas and can be pressurized. In addition, in the first liquid supply standby operation (S1100), the liquid circulating in the first circulation line 2300a can be heated by the first heating unit H1 provided on the shared line 2310 including a part of the first circulation line 2300a and a part of the second circulation line 2300b.

[0112] In the second liquid supply standby operation (S2100), pressurized gas may be supplied to the second pressure tank 2200b sealed by closing the second exhaust line 2500b, and the pressurized gas may be pressurized, and the liquid in the second pressure tank 2200 may circulate in the second pressure tank 2200b while being heated through the second circulation line 2300b. In the second liquid supply standby operation (S2100), pressurized gas may be supplied to the second pressure tank 2200b by opening the second pressurized gas supply valve 2410b of the second pressurized gas supply line 2400b connected to the second pressure tank 2200b. Here, as an example, N 2 The gas is supplied to the second pressure tank 2200b as pressurized gas and can be pressurized. In addition, in the second liquid supply standby operation (S2100), the liquid circulating in the second circulation line 2300b can be heated by the first heating unit H1 provided on the shared line 2310 including a portion of the first circulation line 2300a and a portion of the second circulation line 2300b.

[0113] In the first liquid supply operation (S1300), liquid may be supplied to the substrate in the process chamber through the pressure tank 2200a. That is, the liquid discharged from the first pressure tank 2200a in the first liquid supply operation (S1300) may be supplied to the substrate in the process chamber through the chamber supply line 2120 of the main supply line 2110 to process the substrate.

[0114] In the second liquid supply operation (S2300), liquid may be supplied to the substrate in the process chamber through the second pressure tank 2200b. That is, the liquid discharged from the second pressure tank 2200b in the second liquid supply operation (S2300) may be supplied to the substrate in the process chamber through the chamber supply line 2120 of the main supply line 2110 to process the substrate.

[0115] The first liquid supply operation (S1300) and the second liquid supply standby operation (S2100) may be performed simultaneously. The second liquid supply operation (S2300) and the first liquid supply standby operation (S1100) may be performed simultaneously. In other words, when the first liquid supply operation (S1300) is performed to supply liquid to the substrate in the process chamber using the first pressure tank 2200a, the second liquid supply standby operation (S2100) may also be performed simultaneously, so that an operation in which the liquid in the second pressure tank 2200b circulates in the second pressure tank 2200b through the second circulation line 2300b may be performed. Similarly, when the second liquid supply operation (S2300) is performed to supply liquid to the substrate in the process chamber using the second pressure tank 2200b, the first liquid supply standby operation (S1100) may be performed, so that an operation in which the liquid in the first pressure tank 2200a circulates in the first pressure tank 2200a through the first circulation line 2300a may be performed.

[0116] In addition, in the first liquid supply standby operation (S1100), the output of the first heating unit H1 for heating the liquid circulating in the first pressure tank 2200a can be controlled to maintain the pressure in the first pressure tank 2200a at a predetermined pressure. Specifically, in the first liquid supply standby operation (S1100), by measuring the pressure value in the first pressure tank 2200a, the output of the first heating unit H1 can be controlled according to the measured pressure value, so that the pressure in the first pressure tank 2200a can be maintained at a predetermined pressure.

[0117] In the second liquid supply standby operation (S2100), the output of the first heating unit H1 for heating the liquid circulating in the second pressure tank 2200b can be controlled so that the pressure in the second pressure tank 2200b can be maintained at a predetermined pressure. Specifically, in the second liquid supply standby operation (S2100), by measuring the pressure value in the second pressure tank 2200b, the output of the first heating unit H1 can be controlled according to the measured pressure value so that the pressure in the second pressure tank 2200b can be maintained at a predetermined pressure.

[0118] In addition, when switching from the first liquid supply standby operation (S1100) to the first liquid supply operation (S1300), or switching from the second liquid supply standby operation (S2100) to the second liquid supply operation (S2300), there may be a risk of explosion due to the high pressure in the first pressure tank 2200a or the second pressure tank 2200b, and in order to prevent the explosion, the first liquid supply preparation operation (S1200) or the second liquid supply preparation operation (S2200) may be performed.

[0119] In the first liquid supply preparation operation (S1200), the first exhaust line 2500a may be gradually opened after the first liquid supply standby operation (S1100) and before the first liquid supply operation (S1300). In the first liquid supply preparation operation (S1200), the first exhaust opening / closing valve 2510a and the first pressure reducing valve 2520a provided on the first exhaust line 2500a may be opened, and accordingly, the pressure in the first pressure tank 2200a may be gradually released, so that when the first liquid supply operation (S1300) is performed, an explosion due to a sudden change in the pressure in the first pressure tank 2200a may be effectively prevented.

[0120] In addition, in the first liquid supply operation (S1300), the first exhaust opening / closing valve 2510a and the first pressure reducing valve 2520a can be maintained in an open state. In addition, in the first liquid supply standby operation (S1100), the first pressure tank 2200a can be in a sealed state by closing the first exhaust opening / closing valve 2510a and the first pressure reducing valve 2520a.

[0121] In the second liquid supply preparation operation (S2200), the second exhaust line 2500b may be gradually opened after the second liquid supply standby operation (S2100) and before the second liquid supply operation (S2300). In the second liquid supply preparation operation (S2200), the second exhaust opening / closing valve 2510b and the second pressure reducing valve 2520b provided on the second exhaust line 2500b may be opened, and accordingly, the pressure in the second pressure tank 2200b may be gradually released, so that when the second liquid supply operation (S2300) is performed, an explosion due to a sudden change in the pressure in the second pressure tank 2200b may be effectively prevented.

[0122] In addition, in the second liquid supply operation (S2300), the second exhaust opening / closing valve 2510b and the second pressure reducing valve 2520b can be maintained in an open state. In addition, in the second liquid supply standby operation (S2100), the second pressure tank 2200b can be in a sealed state by closing the second exhaust opening / closing valve 2510b and the second pressure reducing valve 2520b.

[0123] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the first exhaust opening / closing valve 2510a and the second exhaust opening / closing valve 2510b and the first pressure reducing valve 2520a and the second pressure reducing valve 2520b may be set as components for gradually opening the first exhaust pipeline 2500a and the second exhaust pipeline 2500b, but its embodiments are not limited thereto, and any components that can gradually open the first exhaust pipeline and the second exhaust pipeline may be applied, and as another example, a control valve for controlling the exhaust flow rate of the first exhaust pipeline and the second exhaust pipeline may be applied.

[0124] According to the method of processing a substrate, the liquid may be heated through the first circulation line 2300a or the second circulation line 2300b in the first liquid supply standby operation (S1100) or the second liquid supply standby operation (S2100) and before circulating in the first pressure tank 2200a or the second pressure tank 2200b, the control unit 2600 may close the first exhaust line 2500a or the second exhaust line 2500b connected to the first pressure tank 2200a or the second pressure tank 2200b, and the pressure in the first pressure tank 2200a or the second pressure tank 2200b may be increased by supplying pressurized gas in the sealed first pressure tank 2200a or the second pressure tank 2200b, and as the pressure in the first pressure tank 2200a or the second pressure tank 2200b increases, the boiling point of the liquid in the first pressure tank 2200a or the second pressure tank 2200b may be increased, so that vaporization of the liquid may be reduced. In addition, in the first liquid supply standby operation (S1100) or the second liquid supply standby operation (S2100), the first exhaust pipeline 2500a or the second exhaust pipeline 2500b can be in a closed state, so that the processing gas from the liquid vaporized in the sealed first pressure tank 2200a or the second pressure tank 2200b may not be discharged to the first exhaust pipeline 2500a or the second exhaust pipeline 2500b, and may be retained in the first pressure tank 2200a or the second pressure tank 2200b, thereby reducing the consumption of liquid.

[0125] According to the aforementioned embodiment, in the apparatus for processing a substrate and the method for processing a substrate, in the liquid supply standby state, since the liquid is heated through the circulation line, before circulating in the pressure tank, the control unit can control the exhaust line connected to the pressure tank to be closed, and can control the pressurized gas supply line to be opened in the state where the pressure tank is sealed, so that the pressurized gas can be supplied to the sealed pressure tank to increase the pressure in the pressure tank, and accordingly, as the pressure in the pressure tank increases, the boiling point of the liquid can be increased, so that the evaporation of the liquid can be prevented, thereby reducing the vaporization of the liquid. In addition, since the exhaust line is in a closed state, the processing gas from the liquid vaporized in the sealed pressure tank can not be discharged to the exhaust line, and can be kept in the pressure tank, thereby reducing the consumption of the liquid.

[0126] While embodiments have been shown and described above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing a substrate, the apparatus comprising: a liquid supply line configured to supply liquid; a pressure tank disposed on the liquid supply line and configured to store liquid; a circulation line, comprising a first heating unit, the first heating unit being configured to heat liquid disposed therein and connected to the pressure tank, wherein the liquid heated by the first heating unit circulates in the pressure tank in a liquid supply standby state, the liquid supply standby state being before the liquid is supplied to the substrate in the process chamber; a pressurized gas supply line connected to the pressure tank and configured to supply pressurized gas to the pressure tank and pressurize the gas in the liquid supply standby state; an exhaust line connected to the pressure tank and configured to exhaust gas in the pressure tank; and A control unit is configured to control the pressure in the pressure tank to increase to a predetermined pressure by opening the pressurized gas supply line in a state where the pressure tank is closed by closing the exhaust line before the liquid circulates in the pressure tank in the liquid supply standby state.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein: in, The liquid supply line includes a main supply line connected to one of the pressure tank and the circulation line and configured to supply liquid from the pressure tank to the substrate in the process chamber, and The control unit controls the exhaust line to be opened before switching from a liquid supply standby state to a liquid supply state in which liquid is supplied to the substrate in the process chamber through the main supply line.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein: An exhaust opening / closing valve and a pressure reducing valve are provided in the exhaust line.

4. The device according to claim 2, in, The main supply line is connected to the pressure tank, and Wherein, the device further comprises: a chamber supply line configured to supply liquid discharged from the pressure tank to the substrate in the process chamber; and The recovery line is configured to recover the liquid discharged from the pressure tank back to the pressure tank.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein: The main supply line disposed at an upper side of the chamber supply line and the recovery line includes a second heating unit configured to heat liquid.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a pressure measuring unit configured to measure the pressure in the pressure tank, The control unit controls the output of the first heating unit according to the pressure value measured from the pressure measuring unit to maintain the pressure in the pressure tank at a predetermined pressure.

7. The device according to claim 1, in, The pressure tank comprises at least a first pressure tank and a second pressure tank, and When one of the first pressure tank and the second pressure tank is in the liquid supply state, the other pressure tank is controlled to be in the liquid supply standby state.

8. A method for processing a substrate using a pressure tank, the pressure tank being provided on a liquid supply line configured to supply a liquid and being connected to a circulation line and an exhaust line, wherein a liquid stored therein is circulated while being heated in the circulation line, the method comprising: a liquid supply standby operation, wherein, by closing the exhaust line, pressurized gas is supplied to a sealed pressure tank and the pressurized gas is pressurized, and liquid in the pressure tank is circulated in the pressure tank while being heated through the circulation line; and A liquid supply operation is performed in which the liquid is supplied to the substrate in the process chamber through the pressure tank.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein: The method further includes a liquid supply preparation operation which is after the liquid supply standby operation and before the liquid supply operation, and in which the exhaust line is gradually opened.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein: The exhaust opening / closing valve and the pressure reducing valve provided on the exhaust pipeline are opened in the liquid supply preparation operation, the exhaust opening / closing valve and the pressure reducing valve are maintained in an open state in the liquid supply operation, and the exhaust opening / closing valve and the pressure reducing valve are closed in the liquid supply standby operation.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein: In the liquid supply standby operation, an output of a heating unit configured to heat the liquid circulating in the pressure tank is controlled so that the pressure in the pressure tank is maintained at a predetermined pressure.

12. A method for processing a substrate using a first pressure tank and a second pressure tank, the first pressure tank being provided on a liquid supply line configured to supply a liquid and being connected to a first circulation line and a first exhaust line, the liquid stored in the first circulation line being circulated while being heated, the second pressure tank being provided on the liquid supply line in parallel with the first pressure tank and being connected to a second circulation line and a second exhaust line, the liquid stored in the second circulation line being circulated while being heated, the method comprising: a first liquid supply standby operation, wherein, by closing the first exhaust line, pressurized gas is supplied to the sealed first pressure tank and the pressurized gas is pressurized, and the liquid in the first pressure tank circulates in the first pressure tank while being heated through the first circulation line; a second liquid supply standby operation, wherein, by closing the second exhaust line, pressurized gas is supplied to the sealed second pressure tank and the pressurized gas is pressurized, and liquid in the second pressure tank circulates in the second pressure tank while being heated through the second circulation line; a first liquid supply operation, in which liquid is supplied to the substrate in the process chamber through the first pressure tank; and a second liquid supply operation, wherein liquid is supplied to the substrate in the process chamber through the second pressure tank, wherein the first liquid supply operation and the second liquid supply standby operation are performed simultaneously, and Wherein, the second liquid supply operation and the first liquid supply standby operation are performed simultaneously.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein: The method further includes a first liquid supply preparation operation that is after the first liquid supply standby operation and before the first liquid supply operation, and in which the first exhaust line is gradually opened.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein: The first exhaust opening / closing valve and the first pressure reducing valve provided on the first exhaust line are opened in the first liquid supply preparation operation.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein: In the first liquid supply standby operation, an output of a heating unit configured to heat liquid circulating in the first pressure tank is controlled so that the pressure in the first pressure tank is maintained at a predetermined pressure.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein: The method further includes a second liquid supply preparation operation that is after the second liquid supply standby operation and before the second liquid supply operation, and gradually opens the second exhaust line in the second liquid supply preparation operation.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein: The second exhaust opening / closing valve and the second pressure reducing valve provided on the second exhaust line are opened in the second liquid supply preparation operation.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein: In the second liquid supply standby operation, an output of a heating unit configured to heat liquid circulating in the second pressure tank is controlled so that the pressure in the second pressure tank is maintained at a predetermined pressure.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein a portion of the first circulation pipeline and a portion of the second circulation pipeline are configured as a shared pipeline, and in the first liquid supply standby operation or the second liquid supply standby operation, the liquid circulating in the first circulation pipeline or the second circulation pipeline is heated by a heating unit provided in the shared pipeline.

20. The method according to claim 12, in, The method further includes: a first liquid supply preparation operation, the first liquid supply preparation operation being after the first liquid supply standby operation and before the first liquid supply operation, and gradually opening the first exhaust line in the first liquid supply preparation operation, The method further comprises: a second liquid supply preparation operation, the second liquid supply preparation operation being after the second liquid supply standby operation and before the second liquid supply operation, and gradually opening the second exhaust line in the second liquid supply preparation operation, wherein a first exhaust opening / closing valve and a first pressure reducing valve provided on the first exhaust line are opened in the first liquid supply preparation operation, the first exhaust opening / closing valve and the first pressure reducing valve are kept in an open state in the first liquid supply operation, and the first exhaust opening / closing valve and the first pressure reducing valve are closed in the first liquid supply standby operation, and wherein, in the second liquid supply preparation operation, the second exhaust opening / closing valve and the second pressure reducing valve provided on the second exhaust pipeline are opened, in the second liquid supply operation, the second exhaust opening / closing valve and the second pressure reducing valve are kept in an open state, and in the second liquid supply standby operation, the second exhaust opening / closing valve and the second pressure reducing valve are closed.

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