Substrate processing method and substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

A substrate processing method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a liquid processing step, a transfer step, and a supercritical step. In the liquid treatment step, the substrate is subjected to liquid treatment in the liquid treatment unit to wet the upper surface of the substrate. In the conveyance step, the substrate, the upper surface of which has been wetted, is conveyed from the liquid processing unit to the supercritical processing unit. In the supercritical step, the substrate, the upper surface of which has been wetted, is treated with a supercritical fluid in a supercritical treatment unit. Furthermore, in the liquid processing step, if it is determined that the substrate cannot be conveyed to the supercritical processing unit, the supply of the processing liquid to the substrate is continued.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The disclosed embodiments relate to a substrate processing method and a substrate processing apparatus. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a substrate processing apparatus that forms a liquid film for preventing drying on the upper surface of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a wafer) and brings the substrate formed with the liquid film into contact with a processing fluid in a supercritical state to perform a drying process (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-12538 Summary of the invention

[0006] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] The present disclosure provides a technology capable of improving the yield of substrates.

[0008] Solutions for solving problems

[0009] A substrate processing method based on one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a liquid processing step, a transport step, and a supercritical process. In the liquid processing step, the substrate is subjected to liquid processing in a liquid processing unit to wet the upper surface of the substrate. In the transport step, the substrate whose upper surface is wetted is transported from the liquid processing unit to a supercritical processing unit. In the supercritical process, the substrate whose upper surface is wetted is processed using a supercritical fluid in the supercritical processing unit. In addition, in the liquid processing step, when it is determined that the substrate cannot be transported to the supercritical processing unit, the processing liquid continues to be supplied to the substrate.

[0010] Effects of the Invention

[0011] According to the present disclosure, the yield of substrates can be improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the substrate processing system according to the embodiment when viewed from above.

[0013] Figure 2 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a substrate processing system according to an embodiment when viewed from the side.

[0014] Figure 3 It is a diagram showing a configuration example of a liquid processing unit.

[0015] Figure 4It is a schematic perspective view showing a structural example of a drying unit.

[0016] Figure 5 The flowchart shows a series of substrate processing procedures executed in the substrate processing system according to the embodiment.

[0017] Figure 6 1 is a flowchart showing a procedure of liquid processing performed in the substrate processing system according to the embodiment.

[0018] Figure 7 It is a diagram for explaining another example of substrate processing executed in the substrate processing system according to the embodiment.

[0019] Figure 8 It is a diagram for explaining another example of substrate processing executed in the substrate processing system according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] Below, the embodiments of the substrate processing method and substrate processing device disclosed in the present application are described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. In addition, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments shown below. In addition, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic diagrams, and the relationship between the dimensions of the elements, the ratio of the elements, etc. are sometimes different from the actual ones. In addition, the drawings sometimes contain parts with different relationship and ratio of each other's dimensions.

[0021] Conventionally, there is known a substrate processing apparatus that forms a liquid film for preventing drying on the upper surface of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a wafer) and performs a drying process by bringing the substrate having the liquid film formed thereon into contact with a processing fluid in a supercritical state.

[0022] However, if a failure occurs in the transport unit when the substrate having the liquid film formed on the upper surface is transported to the drying unit, it is necessary to maintain a standby state until the failure is repaired.

[0023] Furthermore, if the state of the liquid film on the substrate surface changes due to drying of the liquid film during the standby period, the substrate yield may decrease due to failures such as collapse of the pattern formed on the substrate during the subsequent drying process.

[0024] Therefore, it is desired to realize a technology that can overcome the above-mentioned problems and improve the yield of substrates.

[0025] <Structure of substrate processing system>

[0026] First, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 A configuration of a substrate processing system 1 (an example of a substrate processing apparatus) according to the embodiment will be described. Figure 1This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the substrate processing system 1 according to the embodiment when viewed from above. Figure 2 It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the substrate processing system 1 according to the embodiment as viewed from the side. In the following, in order to clarify the positional relationship, mutually orthogonal X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are defined, and the positive direction of the Z-axis is defined as the vertical upward direction.

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, the substrate processing system 1 includes a loading / unloading station 2 and a processing station 3. The loading / unloading station 2 and the processing station 3 are provided adjacent to each other.

[0028] The loading / unloading station 2 includes a carrier placement unit 11 and a conveying unit 12. A plurality of carriers C that accommodate a plurality of semiconductor wafers W (hereinafter also referred to as "wafers W") in a horizontal state are placed on the carrier placement unit 11. The wafer W is an example of a substrate.

[0029] The conveying section 12 is provided adjacent to the carrier placement section 11. Inside the conveying section 12, a conveying device 13 and a delivery section 14 are arranged.

[0030] The transport device 13 includes a wafer holding mechanism for holding the wafer W. The transport device 13 can move in the horizontal and vertical directions and rotate about the vertical axis, and uses the wafer holding mechanism to transport the wafer W between the carrier C and the delivery unit 14 .

[0031] The processing station 3 is provided adjacent to the conveying unit 12. The processing station 3 includes a conveying block 4 and a plurality of processing blocks 5.

[0032] The transport block 4 includes a transport area 15 and a transport device 16. The transport area 15 is, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped region extending in the arrangement direction (X-axis direction) of the loading / unloading stations 2 and the processing stations 3. The transport device 16 is disposed in the transport area 15.

[0033] The transport device 16 is an example of a transport unit, and includes a wafer holding mechanism for holding the wafer W. The transport device 16 can move in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, and can rotate around the vertical axis, and the transport device 16 uses the wafer holding mechanism to transport the wafer W between the delivery unit 14 and the plurality of processing blocks 5.

[0034] The plurality of processing blocks 5 are arranged adjacent to the conveying area 15 on one side of the conveying area 15. Specifically, the plurality of processing blocks 5 are arranged on one side of the conveying area 15 in a direction (Y-axis direction) orthogonal to the arrangement direction (X-axis direction) of the loading and unloading stations 2 and the processing stations 3 (Y-axis negative direction side in the figure).

[0035] In addition, if Figure 2As shown, the plurality of processing blocks 5 are arranged in multiple layers in the vertical direction. In the embodiment, the number of layers of the plurality of processing blocks 5 is three, but the number of layers of the plurality of processing blocks 5 is not limited to three.

[0036] As described above, in the substrate processing system 1 according to the embodiment, the plurality of processing blocks 5 are arranged in multiple layers on one side of the transfer block 4. The wafer W is transferred between the processing blocks 5 arranged in each layer and the interface 14 by the common transfer device 16 arranged in the transfer block 4.

[0037] Each processing block 5 includes a liquid processing unit 17 and a drying unit 18. The liquid processing unit 17 is an example of a liquid processing section, and the drying unit 18 is an example of a supercritical processing section.

[0038] The liquid processing unit 17 performs a process of cleaning the upper surface of the wafer W as the pattern forming surface. Furthermore, the liquid processing unit 17 performs a process of forming a liquid film on the upper surface of the wafer W after the chemical liquid treatment. The structure of the liquid processing unit 17 will be described later.

[0039] The drying unit 18 performs supercritical drying on the wafer W after the liquid film forming process. Specifically, the drying unit 18 dries the wafer W after the liquid film forming process by bringing the wafer W into contact with a process fluid in a supercritical state (hereinafter also referred to as “supercritical fluid”).

[0040] In the embodiment described below, as the process performed by the drying unit 18, an example of supercritical drying is shown, but the process performed by the drying unit 18 is not limited to supercritical drying, and may be a process of modifying the wafer W using a supercritical fluid. The structure of the drying unit 18 will be described later.

[0041] In addition, the substrate processing system 1 has a supply unit that supplies the processing fluid to the drying unit 18, but in Figure 1 and Figure 2 Specifically, the supply unit includes a supply device group including a flow meter, a flow regulator, a back pressure valve, a heater, etc., and a housing for accommodating the supply device group. In the embodiment, the supply unit supplies CO 2 as a processing fluid to the drying unit 18 .

[0042] The liquid processing unit 17 and the drying unit 18 are arranged along the conveying area 15 (i.e., along the X-axis direction). The liquid processing unit 17 is arranged near the loading / unloading station 2, and the drying unit 18 is arranged far from the loading / unloading station 2.

[0043] As described above, each processing block 5 includes one liquid processing unit 17 and one drying unit 18. That is, the substrate processing system 1 is provided with the same number of liquid processing units 17 and drying units 18.

[0044] like Figure 1 As shown, the substrate processing system 1 includes a control device 6. The control device 6 is, for example, a computer, and includes a control unit 61 and a storage unit 62.

[0045] The control unit 61 includes a microcomputer and various circuits including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), an input / output port, etc. The CPU of the microcomputer controls the conveying devices 13 and 16, the liquid processing unit 17, the drying unit 18, etc. by reading and executing the program stored in the ROM.

[0046] In addition, the program may be a program stored in a computer-readable storage medium and installed from the storage medium to the storage unit 62 of the control device 6. Examples of the computer-readable storage medium include a hard disk (HD), a floppy disk (FD), a compact disk (CD), a magneto-optical disk (MO), a memory card, and the like.

[0047] The storage unit 62 is implemented by, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a RAM or a flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or an optical disk.

[0048] <Structure of Liquid Processing Unit>

[0049] Next, refer to Figure 3 Next, the structure of the liquid processing unit 17 will be described. Figure 3 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the liquid processing unit 17. The liquid processing unit 17 is configured as, for example, a single-wafer cleaning device that cleans the wafers W one by one by spin cleaning.

[0050] like Figure 3 As shown, liquid processing unit 17 holds wafer W substantially horizontally by wafer holding mechanism 25 disposed in outer chamber 23 forming a processing space, and rotates wafer W by rotating wafer holding mechanism 25 around a vertical axis.

[0051] In the liquid processing unit 17 , the nozzle arm 26 is moved above the rotating wafer W, and a chemical liquid and a rinse liquid are supplied from a chemical liquid nozzle 26 a provided at the front end of the nozzle arm 26 in a predetermined order, thereby performing a cleaning process on the upper surface of the wafer W.

[0052] In addition, a chemical liquid supply path 25a is also formed in the liquid processing unit 17 and inside the wafer holding mechanism 25. The lower surface of the wafer W is also cleaned by the chemical liquid and the rinse liquid supplied from the chemical liquid supply path 25a.

[0053] In the cleaning process, for example, SC1 solution (a mixture of ammonia and hydrogen peroxide solution) as an alkaline solution is first used to remove particles and organic pollutants, and then deionized water (hereinafter also referred to as "DIW") is used as a rinse solution for rinse cleaning.

[0054] Next, the natural oxide film is removed using a diluted hydrofluoric acid solution (hereinafter also referred to as "DHF") as an acidic chemical solution, and then rinsed and cleaned using DIW.

[0055] The various chemical solutions are received by the outer chamber 23 and the inner cup 24 disposed in the outer chamber 23, and are discharged from the drain port 23a provided at the bottom of the outer chamber 23 and the drain port 24a provided at the bottom of the inner cup 24. In addition, the atmosphere in the outer chamber 23 is exhausted from the exhaust port 23b provided at the bottom of the outer chamber 23.

[0056] The liquid film forming process is performed after the rinsing process in the cleaning process. Specifically, the liquid processing unit 17 rotates the wafer holding mechanism 25 while supplying liquid IPA (hereinafter also referred to as "IPA liquid") to the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer W. As a result, the DIW remaining on both sides of the wafer W is replaced with IPA. After that, the liquid processing unit 17 slowly stops the rotation of the wafer holding mechanism 25.

[0057] The wafer W after the liquid film forming process is delivered to the transfer device 16 by a delivery mechanism (not shown) provided in the wafer holding mechanism 25 with the IPA liquid film formed on the upper surface, and is unloaded from the liquid processing unit 17 .

[0058] The liquid film formed on the wafer W during the transfer of the wafer W from the liquid processing unit 17 to the drying unit 18 or during the loading operation into the drying unit 18 prevents pattern collapse due to evaporation (gasification) of the liquid on the upper surface of the wafer W.

[0059] <Overview of Drying Unit>

[0060] Next, refer to Figure 4 Next, the structure of the drying unit 18 will be described. Figure 4 It is a schematic perspective view showing a structural example of the drying unit 18 .

[0061] The drying unit 18 includes a main body 31, a holding plate 32, and a cover member 33. The main body 31, which is in the form of a shell, is provided with an opening 34 for carrying in and out the wafer W. The holding plate 32 holds the wafer W to be processed in a horizontal direction. The cover member 33 supports the holding plate 32 and seals the opening 34 when the wafer W is carried into the main body 31.

[0062] The main body 31 is a container having a processing space formed therein that can accommodate a wafer W having a diameter of 300 (mm), for example, and supply ports 35, 36 and an exhaust port 37 are provided on the wall of the main body 31. The supply ports 35, 36 are connected to a supply flow path for circulating the supercritical fluid to the drying unit 18, and the exhaust port 37 is connected to the exhaust flow path.

[0063] The supply port 35 is connected to the side surface of the shell-shaped main body 31 on the opposite side to the opening 34. In addition, the supply port 36 is connected to the bottom surface of the main body 31. And the discharge port 37 is connected to the lower side of the opening 34. Figure 4 Although two supply ports 35 and 36 and one discharge port 37 are shown in the figure, the number of the supply ports 35 and 36 and the discharge port 37 is not particularly limited.

[0064] In addition, fluid supply heads 38 and 39 and a fluid discharge head 40 are provided inside the main body 31. The fluid supply heads 38 and 39 are provided with a plurality of supply ports arranged along the longitudinal direction of the fluid supply heads 38 and 39, and the fluid discharge head 40 is provided with a plurality of discharge ports arranged along the longitudinal direction of the fluid discharge head 40.

[0065] The fluid supply head 38 is connected to the supply port 35 and is provided adjacent to the side surface opposite to the opening 34 inside the shell-shaped main body 31. The plurality of supply ports arranged in the fluid supply head 38 face the opening 34 side.

[0066] The fluid supply head 39 is connected to the supply port 36 and is provided at the center of the bottom surface of the housing-shaped main body 31. The plurality of supply ports arranged in a row in the fluid supply head 39 face upward.

[0067] The fluid discharge head 40 is connected to the discharge port 37 and is provided adjacent to the side surface of the opening 34 in the shell-shaped main body 31 and below the opening 34. The plurality of discharge ports arranged in the fluid discharge head 40 face upward.

[0068] The fluid supply heads 38 and 39 supply the supercritical fluid into the main body 31. In addition, the fluid discharge head 40 guides the supercritical fluid in the main body 31 and discharges it to the outside of the main body 31. In addition, the supercritical fluid discharged to the outside of the main body 31 via the fluid discharge head 40 includes IPA liquid in which the supercritical fluid in a supercritical state is dissolved from the upper surface of the wafer W.

[0069] In the drying unit 18, the IPA liquid between the patterns formed on the wafer W gradually dissolves in the supercritical fluid by contacting with the supercritical fluid in a high pressure state (e.g., 16 (MPa)), and the space between the patterns is gradually replaced by the supercritical fluid. Then, finally, the space between the patterns is filled only with the supercritical fluid.

[0070] After the IPA liquid is removed from between the patterns, the pressure inside the main body 31 is reduced from the high pressure state to the atmospheric pressure, so that CO2 changes from the supercritical state to the gas state, so that only the gas occupies the space between the patterns. In this way, the IPA liquid between the patterns is removed, and the drying process of the wafer W is completed.

[0071] Here, the supercritical fluid has a lower viscosity than a liquid (e.g., IPA liquid) and a higher ability to dissolve liquids. In addition, there is no boundary between the supercritical fluid and the liquid or gas in equilibrium. Thus, in a drying process using a supercritical fluid, the liquid can be dried without being affected by surface tension. Thus, according to an embodiment, pattern collapse can be suppressed during the drying process.

[0072] In addition, in the embodiment, an example is shown in which IPA liquid is used as a liquid to prevent drying and CO2 in a supercritical state is used as a processing fluid, but a liquid other than IPA can also be used as a liquid to prevent drying, and a fluid other than CO2 in a supercritical state can also be used as a processing fluid.

[0073] <Substrate Processing Flow>

[0074] Next, refer to Figures 5 to 8 The processing flow of the wafer W in the above-mentioned substrate processing system 1 will be described. Figure 5 The flowchart shows a series of substrate processing procedures performed in the substrate processing system 1 according to the embodiment. Figures 5 to 8 A series of substrate processing is shown.

[0075] In addition, as an example, a series of substrate processing processes performed on a wafer W are shown here. In the substrate processing system 1, Figure 5 to Figure 7 The illustrated series of substrate processes is performed on a plurality of wafers W in parallel.

[0076] In the substrate processing system 1 , first, the transport device 13 takes out the wafer W from the carrier C and places it on the delivery unit 14 (step S101 ). Specifically, the transport device 13 takes out the wafer W from the carrier C using a wafer holding mechanism and places the taken out wafer W on the delivery unit 14 .

[0077] Next, in the substrate processing system 1 , a first transfer process is performed (step S102 ). The first transfer process is a process in which the transfer device 16 takes out the wafer W from the delivery unit 14 and transfers the wafer W to the liquid processing unit 17 .

[0078] Specifically, the transfer device 16 takes out the wafer W from the delivery portion 14 using a wafer holding mechanism, and transfers the taken-out wafer W to the liquid processing unit 17 of the processing block 5 .

[0079] Next, in the substrate processing system 1, liquid processing is performed in the liquid processing unit 17 (step S103). Specifically, the liquid processing unit 17 removes particles, natural oxide films, etc. from the upper surface of the wafer W by supplying various chemical solutions and rinse liquids to the upper surface of the wafer W as the pattern forming surface.

[0080] Next, the liquid processing unit 17 supplies IPA liquid to the upper surface of the cleaned wafer W to form an IPA liquid film on the upper surface of the wafer W (ie, wets the upper surface of the wafer W with the IPA liquid). Details of this liquid processing will be described later.

[0081] Next, in the substrate processing system 1 , a second transfer process is performed (step S104 ). The second transfer process is a process in which the transfer device 16 takes out the wafer W having the liquid film formed on the upper surface from the liquid processing unit 17 and transfers it to the drying unit 18 .

[0082] Specifically, the transport device 16 takes out the wafer W from the liquid processing unit 17 using the wafer holding mechanism, and transports the taken-out wafer W to the corresponding drying unit 18 of the processing block 5 .

[0083] Next, in the substrate processing system 1, a drying process is performed in the drying unit 18 (step S105). In this drying process, the drying unit 18 dries the wafer W by bringing the wafer W having the liquid film formed on the upper surface into contact with the supercritical fluid.

[0084] Next, in the substrate processing system 1 , a third transfer process is performed (step S106 ). The third transfer process is a process in which the transfer device 16 takes out the wafer W after the drying process from the drying unit 18 and transfers it to the delivery unit 14 .

[0085] Specifically, the transfer device 16 takes out the wafer W from the drying unit 18 using the wafer holding mechanism, and places the taken-out wafer W on the delivery unit 14 .

[0086] Next, in the substrate processing system 1, the transport device 13 takes out the wafer W from the interface 14 and carries it out to the carrier C (step S107). Specifically, the transport device 13 uses the wafer holding mechanism to take out the wafer W from the interface 14 and places the taken-out wafer W on the carrier C. When the carrying-out process is completed, a series of substrate processes for one wafer W are completed.

[0087] Figure 6 1 is a flowchart showing the process of liquid processing (step S103) performed in the substrate processing system 1 according to the embodiment. Figure 6 As shown, in the liquid processing according to the embodiment, first, the control unit 61 causes the liquid processing unit 17 to perform a liquid processing of supplying a chemical liquid from the chemical liquid nozzle 26 a and the chemical liquid supply path 25 a to the wafer W (step S201 ).

[0088] In the process of step S201 , for example, SC1 liquid is supplied to the upper surface and the lower surface of the wafer W, thereby removing particles and organic contaminants from the wafer W.

[0089] Next, the control unit 61 causes the liquid processing unit 17 to perform a rinsing process (step S202) by supplying a rinsing liquid from the liquid nozzle 26a and the liquid supply path 25a to the wafer W. In the process of step S202, for example, DIW is supplied to the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer W to rinse off the SC1 liquid or the like attached to the wafer W.

[0090] Next, the control unit 61 causes the liquid processing unit 17 to perform liquid processing to supply liquid from the liquid nozzle 26a and the liquid supply path 25a to the wafer W (step S203). In the processing of step S203, for example, DHF is supplied to the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer W to remove the natural oxide film of the wafer W.

[0091] Next, the control unit 61 causes the liquid processing unit 17 to perform a rinsing process (step S204) by supplying a rinsing liquid from the liquid nozzle 26a and the liquid supply path 25a to the wafer W. In the process of step S204, for example, DIW is supplied to the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer W to rinse off DHF and the like attached to the wafer W.

[0092] Next, control unit 61 determines whether wafer W subjected to liquid processing by liquid processing unit 17 can be transferred to a corresponding drying unit 18 (eg, drying unit 18 located in the same processing block 5 as liquid processing unit 17 that processes wafer W) (step S205 ).

[0093] Furthermore, when the wafer W can be transferred to the corresponding drying unit 18 (step S205: Yes), the control unit 61 performs a liquid filling process (step S206) in which the IPA liquid is supplied from the chemical liquid nozzle 26a to the wafer W to form a liquid film of the IPA liquid on the upper surface of the wafer W. As a result, the upper surface of the wafer W becomes wetted with the IPA liquid.

[0094] Next, control unit 61 determines whether wafer W subjected to liquid processing in liquid processing unit 17 can be transferred to corresponding drying unit 18 (step S207 ).

[0095] Then, when the wafer W can be transferred to the corresponding drying unit 18 (step S207: Yes), the control unit 61 ends the series of liquid processing and proceeds to step S208. Figure 5 The second transport process (step S104) is shown.

[0096] On the other hand, when the wafer W cannot be transferred to the corresponding drying unit 18 in the process of the above-mentioned step S205 (step S205: No), for example, when the corresponding drying unit 18 cannot operate due to a malfunction, the control unit 61 performs liquid supply processing (step S208).

[0097] Likewise, when the wafer W cannot be transferred to the corresponding drying unit 18 in the process of step S207 described above (step S207 : No), the control unit 61 performs a liquid supply process (step S208 ).

[0098] The liquid supply process is a process of continuously supplying the processing liquid to the wafer W in the liquid processing unit 17 . This can prevent the upper surface of the wafer W that cannot be transferred to the corresponding drying unit 18 and is in a standby state in the liquid processing unit 17 from drying.

[0099] Therefore, according to the embodiment, it is possible to suppress failures such as collapse of patterns formed on the wafer W, and thus it is possible to improve the yield of the wafer W.

[0100] In the liquid supply process, the processing liquid supplied to the wafer W may be, for example, any one of DIW, IPA, and diluted IPA (i.e., a mixture of DIW and IPA). Thus, the drying of the upper surface of the wafer W can be suppressed without changing the state of the upper surface of the wafer W. Therefore, according to the embodiment, the yield of the wafer W can be further improved.

[0101] In addition, by using DIW, which is inexpensive and difficult to dry, as the processing liquid supplied to the wafer W in the liquid supply process, the amount of processing liquid used can be reduced, thereby reducing the cost of the liquid supply process.

[0102] In the present disclosure, the processing liquid supplied to the wafer W in the liquid supply process is not limited to DIW, IPA, and diluted IPA, and may be any processing liquid as long as it does not change the state of the upper surface of the wafer W.

[0103] In the liquid supply process, the processing liquid may be continuously or intermittently supplied to the upper surface of the wafer W. For example, by continuously supplying the processing liquid in the liquid supply process, the upper surface of the wafer W can be more reliably prevented from drying.

[0104] Furthermore, by intermittently supplying the processing liquid during the liquid supply process, the amount of processing liquid used can be reduced, thereby reducing the cost of the liquid supply process.

[0105] Furthermore, when the processing liquid continues to be intermittently supplied to the upper surface of the wafer W, the time for interrupting the supply of the processing liquid to the wafer W may be a time when the amount volatilized from the upper surface of the wafer W becomes smaller than the amount of the liquid film on the upper surface of the wafer W. Thus, the upper surface of the wafer W can be more reliably prevented from drying.

[0106] Back to Figure 6 After the process of step S208, the control unit 61 determines whether the wafer W to which the process liquid is continuously supplied in the liquid processing unit 17 can be transported to the corresponding drying unit 18 (step S209).

[0107] Then, when the wafer W can be transferred to the corresponding drying unit 18 (step S209 : Yes), the process proceeds to step S206 .

[0108] On the other hand, when the wafer W cannot be transferred to the corresponding drying unit 18 (step S209 : No), the control unit 61 determines whether the supply of the processing liquid to the wafer W has continued for a predetermined time (step S210 ).

[0109] When the supply of the processing liquid to wafer W continues for a predetermined period of time (step S210: No), the process returns to step S208.

[0110] On the other hand, when the supply of the processing liquid to the wafer W continues for a predetermined time (step S210: Yes), the control unit 61 regards that there is no hope of repairing the drying unit 18, and forcibly removes the waiting wafer W from the substrate processing system 1 (step S211). Thus, wasteful use of the processing liquid can be suppressed.

[0111] Then, the waiting wafer W is forcibly unloaded from the substrate processing system 1, and a series of liquid processing is completed. In this case, the wafer W may not be dried (step S105).

[0112] In the embodiment, when wafer W cannot be transferred to the corresponding drying unit 18 in the process of step S209 , it may be determined whether wafer W can be transferred to drying unit 18 corresponding to liquid processing unit 17 not waiting for wafer W.

[0113] For example, a plurality of (for example, 25) wafers W accommodated in one carrier C are associated with each of the plurality of processing blocks 5 , and are processed sequentially in each of the processing blocks 5 .

[0114] Furthermore, in the embodiment, after all wafers W have been processed in a processing block 5 without any failure, wafers W waiting in liquid processing unit 17 of a processing block 5 with any failure may be transferred to drying unit 18 of another processing block 5 .

[0115] Thus, even when the drying unit 18 of a certain processing block 5 cannot be repaired, the wafers W waiting in the liquid processing unit 17 can be dried without any problem. Therefore, according to the embodiment, the yield of the wafers W can be further improved.

[0116] Reference Figure 7 and Figure 8 The details of the substrate processing process will be described below. Figure 7 It is a diagram for explaining another example of substrate processing executed in the substrate processing system 1 according to the embodiment.

[0117] like Figure 7 As shown, in the liquid processing according to another example, first, the control unit 61 causes the liquid processing unit 17 to perform a liquid processing of supplying a chemical liquid from the chemical liquid nozzle 26 a and the chemical liquid supply path 25 a to the wafer W (step S301 ).

[0118] Next, the control unit 61 causes the liquid processing unit 17 to perform a rinsing process in which the rinsing liquid is supplied from the chemical liquid nozzle 26 a and the chemical liquid supply path 25 a to the wafer W (step S302 ).

[0119] Next, the control unit 61 causes the liquid processing unit 17 to perform a liquid treatment process in which the liquid chemical is supplied from the liquid chemical nozzle 26 a and the liquid chemical supply path 25 a to the wafer W (step S303 ).

[0120] Next, the control unit 61 causes the liquid processing unit 17 to perform a rinsing process in which the rinsing liquid is supplied from the chemical liquid nozzle 26 a and the chemical liquid supply path 25 a to the wafer W (step S304 ).

[0121] Next, control unit 61 determines whether wafer W subjected to liquid processing by liquid processing unit 17 can be transferred to a corresponding drying unit 18 (eg, drying unit 18 located in the same processing block 5 as liquid processing unit 17 that processes wafer W) (step S305 ).

[0122] When the wafer W can be transferred to the corresponding drying unit 18 (step S305 : Yes), the control unit 61 supplies IPA liquid from the chemical nozzle 26 a to the wafer W to perform a liquid filling process to form an IPA liquid film on the upper surface of the wafer W (step S306 ).

[0123] Next, control unit 61 determines whether wafer W subjected to liquid processing in liquid processing unit 17 can be transferred to corresponding drying unit 18 (step S307 ).

[0124] Then, when the wafer W can be transferred to the corresponding drying unit 18 (step S307: Yes), the control unit 61 ends the series of liquid processing and goes to step S308. Figure 5 The second transport process (step S104) is shown.

[0125] On the other hand, when the wafer W cannot be transferred to the corresponding drying unit 18 in the process of the above-mentioned step S305 (step S305: No), for example, when the corresponding drying unit 18 cannot operate due to a malfunction, the control unit 61 performs liquid supply processing (step S308).

[0126] Likewise, when the wafer W cannot be transferred to the corresponding drying unit 18 in the process of step S307 described above (step S307 : No), the control unit 61 performs a liquid supply process (step S308 ).

[0127] The processing of steps S301 to S308 described so far is the same as the processing of steps S201 to S208 described above, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0128] Following the process of step S308 , control unit 61 determines whether wafer W to which processing liquid is continuously supplied by liquid processing unit 17 can be transported to corresponding drying unit 18 (step S309 ).

[0129] Then, when the wafer W can be transferred to the corresponding drying unit 18 (step S309 : Yes), the process proceeds to step S306 .

[0130] On the other hand, when the wafer W cannot be transferred to the corresponding drying unit 18 (step S309 : No), the control unit 61 determines whether the project to which the wafer W belongs has been completed (step S310 ).

[0131] Here, also refer to Figure 8 An example of a flow when a plurality of wafers W are processed in the substrate processing system 1 including the concept of the items to which the wafers W belong will be described. Figure 8 It is a diagram for explaining another example of substrate processing executed in the substrate processing system 1 according to the embodiment.

[0132] In addition, Figure 8 In the example, three liquid processing units 17 and three drying units 18 are provided in one substrate processing system 1, which are referred to as liquid processing units A to C and drying units A to C, respectively.

[0133] Moreover, if Figure 8 As shown, the "liquid processing unit A" corresponds to the "drying unit A", the "liquid processing unit B" corresponds to the "drying unit B", and the "liquid processing unit C" corresponds to the "drying unit C". The corresponding liquid processing unit 17 and the drying unit 18 are, for example, located in the same processing block 5 (refer to Figure 2 ).

[0134] In addition, Figure 8 In the example of FIG. 1 , for ease of understanding, the number of wafers W accommodated in one carrier C is set to nine (represented as wafers A1 to A9 in the figure). Figure 1 ) For example, a project is set for each carrier C, and nine wafers W accommodated in the corresponding carrier C are processed together in the project.

[0135] exist Figure 8 In the example of Figure 1 ) Control the conveying device 16 (refer to Figure 1 ) to transport the wafer A1 to the liquid processing unit A (step S102). Then, the control unit 61 performs liquid processing on the wafer A1 through the liquid processing unit A (step S103).

[0136] Next, the control unit 61 controls the transport device 16 to transport the wafer A2 to the liquid processing unit B (step S102 ). Then, the control unit 61 performs liquid processing on the wafer A2 in the liquid processing unit B (step S103 ).

[0137] Next, the control unit 61 controls the transport device 16 to transport the wafer A3 to the liquid processing unit C (step S102 ). Then, the control unit 61 performs liquid processing on the wafer A3 in the liquid processing unit C (step S103 ).

[0138] Next, the control unit 61 controls the transport device 16 to transport the wafer A1 that has undergone a predetermined liquid treatment from the liquid treatment unit A to the drying unit A (step S104 ). Then, the control unit 61 performs a drying treatment on the wafer A1 in the drying unit A (step S105 ).

[0139] Next, the control unit 61 controls the transport device 16 to transport the wafer A2 that has undergone a predetermined liquid treatment from the liquid treatment unit B to the drying unit B (step S104 ). Then, the control unit 61 performs a drying treatment on the wafer A2 in the drying unit B (step S105 ).

[0140] Next, the control unit 61 controls the transport device 16 to transport the wafer A3 that has undergone a predetermined liquid treatment from the liquid treatment unit C to the drying unit C (step S104 ). Then, the control unit 61 performs a drying treatment on the wafer A3 in the drying unit C (step S105 ).

[0141] As described above, in the embodiment, the control unit 61 transfers the wafer W that has been subjected to the liquid treatment in the liquid treatment unit 17 to the corresponding drying unit 18 , and the wafer W is subjected to the drying treatment in the drying unit 18 .

[0142] This can reduce unevenness in the transport time from the liquid processing unit 17 to the drying unit 18 among the plurality of wafers W. Therefore, according to the embodiment, the liquid film state at the start of the drying process can be made uniform among the plurality of wafers W, thereby improving the substrate processing yield in the substrate processing system 1.

[0143] Back to Figure 8 Next, the control unit 61 controls the transport device 16 to transport the wafer A4 to the liquid processing unit A (step S102). Then, the control unit 61 performs liquid processing on the wafer A4 in the liquid processing unit A (step S103).

[0144] Next, the control unit 61 controls the transport device 16 to transport the wafer A5 to the liquid processing unit B (step S102 ). Then, the control unit 61 performs liquid processing on the wafer A5 in the liquid processing unit B (step S103 ).

[0145] Next, the control unit 61 controls the transport device 16 to transport the wafer A6 to the liquid processing unit C (step S102 ). Then, the control unit 61 performs liquid processing on the wafer A6 in the liquid processing unit C (step S103 ).

[0146] Next, the control unit 61 controls the transport device 16 to transport the wafer A4 that has undergone a predetermined liquid treatment from the liquid treatment unit A to the drying unit A (step S104 ). Then, the control unit 61 performs a drying treatment on the wafer A4 in the drying unit A (step S105 ).

[0147] Next, the control unit 61 controls the transport device 16 to transport the wafer A7 to the liquid processing unit A (step S102 ). Then, the control unit 61 performs liquid processing on the wafer A7 in the liquid processing unit A (step S103 ).

[0148] Here, in Figure 8 In the example, it is assumed that a failure occurs in drying unit A that is drying wafer A4. In this case, control unit 61 determines that wafer A7 that is being liquid-processed by liquid processing unit A corresponding to drying unit A cannot be transported to drying unit A (step S305: No).

[0149] Therefore, the control unit 61 performs a predetermined liquid supply process on the wafer A7 in the liquid processing unit A (step S308). Figure 8 In the example of FIG. 1 , DIW is supplied to the wafer A7 on which the predetermined liquid processing (steps S301 to S304 ) has been completed as the liquid supply processing.

[0150] In addition, the control unit 61 controls the transport device 16 to transport the wafer A5 that has completed a given liquid treatment from the liquid treatment unit B to the drying unit B in parallel with the various treatments performed on the wafer A7 (step S104). Then, the control unit 61 performs a drying treatment on the wafer A5 in the drying unit B (step S105).

[0151] Next, the control unit 61 controls the transport device 16 to transport the wafer A6 that has undergone a predetermined liquid treatment from the liquid treatment unit C to the drying unit C (step S104 ). Then, the control unit 61 performs a drying treatment on the wafer A6 in the drying unit C (step S105 ).

[0152] Next, the control unit 61 controls the transport device 16 to transport the wafer A8 to the liquid processing unit B (step S102 ). Then, the control unit 61 performs liquid processing on the wafer A8 in the liquid processing unit B (step S103 ).

[0153] Next, the control unit 61 controls the transport device 16 to transport the wafer A9 to the liquid processing unit C (step S102 ). Then, the control unit 61 performs liquid processing on the wafer A9 in the liquid processing unit C (step S103 ).

[0154] Next, the control unit 61 controls the transport device 16 to transport the wafer A8 that has undergone a predetermined liquid treatment from the liquid treatment unit B to the drying unit B (step S104 ). Then, the control unit 61 performs a drying treatment on the wafer A8 in the drying unit B (step S105 ).

[0155] Next, the control unit 61 controls the transport device 16 to transport the wafer A9 that has undergone a predetermined liquid treatment from the liquid treatment unit C to the drying unit C (step S104 ). Then, the control unit 61 performs a drying treatment on the wafer A9 in the drying unit C (step S105 ).

[0156] Then, when the wafer A9 that has completed the drying process is unloaded from the drying unit C by the transport device 16 , one project for the wafers A1 to A9 is completed.

[0157] Here, in Figure 8 In the example above, at the end of the project, the failure of drying unit A was still ongoing. Figure 7 As shown, control unit 61 determines that wafer A7 in liquid processing unit A cannot be transferred to the corresponding drying unit A (step S309: No), and determines that the project to which wafer A7 belongs is completed (step S310: Yes).

[0158] Next, control unit 61 determines whether wafer A7 in liquid processing unit A can be transferred to drying unit B or drying unit C different from corresponding drying unit A (step S311 ).

[0159] Furthermore, when it is determined that the wafer A7 can be transported to a different drying unit B or drying unit C (step S311: Yes), the control unit 61 performs a liquid filling process to form a liquid film of IPA liquid on the upper surface of the wafer A7 (step S312). Then, the control unit 61 ends a series of liquid processing and goes to step S313. Figure 5 The second transport process (step S104) is shown.

[0160] exist Figure 8 In the example of , it is determined that wafer A7 can be transferred to a different drying unit B in the process of step S311 , and therefore the control unit 61 performs liquid filling processing on wafer A7 from the time point when the project ends.

[0161] Then, the control unit 61 controls the transport device 16 to transport the wafer A7 that has completed the liquid filling process to the drying unit B (step S104 ), and the drying unit B performs a drying process on the wafer A7 (step S105 ).

[0162] Thus, even if one of the drying units 18 fails to operate, the wafers W to be processed by the drying unit 18 can be salvaged. Therefore, according to the embodiment, the yield of the wafers W can be further improved.

[0163] In addition, in the embodiment, wafers A8 and A9 different from wafer A7 waiting in liquid processing unit A1 are processed before wafer A7, thereby preventing the processing time of wafers A8 and A9 from being disrupted due to wafer A7 being processed first by different drying units B. Therefore, according to the embodiment, the yield of wafers W can be further improved.

[0164] In the embodiment, wafer A7 dried by drying units B and C different from corresponding drying unit A as described above may be processed as a warning substrate. Thus, the warning substrate can be processed differently from other wafers W, thereby further improving the yield of wafers W.

[0165] Back to Figure 7 In the case where it is determined in the process of step S311 that the wafer A7 cannot be transported to different drying units B and C (step S311: "No"), the control unit 61 considers that there is no hope of repairing all drying units A to C. Then, the control unit 61 forcibly moves the wafer A7 waiting in the liquid processing unit A out of the substrate processing system 1 (step S313). In this way, the waste of the processing liquid can be suppressed.

[0166] In addition, in the embodiment, the user may visually perform the processing of step S209 and step S311, and manually perform the processing of step S211 and step S313. On the other hand, by automatically performing the processing of step S209, the processing of step S211, and step S313 by the control unit 61, even when the user is away from the substrate processing system 1, the waste of the processing liquid can be suppressed.

[0167] In an implementation manner, it may also be that Figure 5 If it is determined that the wafer W cannot be transferred to the drying unit 18 to be transferred during the second transfer process shown, the wafer W being transferred is returned to the liquid processing unit 17 and the liquid supply process is performed on the wafer W (steps S208 and S308 ).

[0168] This can suppress drying of the upper surface of the wafer W, and thus the yield of the wafer W can be improved.

[0169] The substrate processing method involved in the embodiment includes a liquid processing step (step S103), a conveying step (step S104) and a supercritical process (step S105). In the liquid processing step (step S103), the substrate (wafer W) is subjected to liquid processing in the liquid processing section (liquid processing unit 17) to wet the upper surface of the substrate (wafer W). In the conveying step (step S104), the substrate (wafer W) whose upper surface is wetted is conveyed from the liquid processing section (liquid processing unit 17) to the supercritical processing section (drying unit 18). In the supercritical process (step S105), the substrate (wafer W) whose upper surface is wetted is processed using a supercritical fluid in the supercritical processing section (drying unit 18). In addition, in the liquid processing step (step S103), when it is determined that the substrate (wafer W) cannot be conveyed to the supercritical processing section (drying unit 18), the processing liquid continues to be supplied to the substrate (wafer W). Thus, the yield of the wafers W can be improved.

[0170] In addition, in the substrate processing method involved in the embodiment, the liquid processing process (step S103) is performed by multiple liquid processing parts (liquid processing units 17), and the supercritical process (step S105) is performed by multiple supercritical processing parts (drying units 18). In addition, in the liquid processing process (step S103), when it is determined that the substrate (wafer W) cannot be transported to the supercritical processing part (drying unit 18), the processing liquid is continuously supplied to the substrate (wafer W) until the project to which the substrate (wafer W) belongs is completed. In this way, the yield of wafer W can be improved.

[0171] In addition, in the substrate processing method according to the embodiment, in the transporting step (step S104), when the project is finished, if it is determined that the substrate can be transported to a supercritical processing unit different from the supercritical processing unit determined to be unable to be transported, the substrate is transported to the different supercritical processing unit. Thus, the yield of the wafer W can be improved.

[0172] In the substrate processing method according to the embodiment, a substrate (wafer W) transferred to a different supercritical processing section (drying unit 18) is treated as a warning substrate in the subsequent processing. Thus, the yield of the wafer W can be improved.

[0173] In addition, in the substrate processing method according to the embodiment, in the liquid processing step (step S103), if it is determined that the substrate cannot be transported to the supercritical processing unit (drying unit 18) during the period from the start of supplying the processing liquid to the stop of supplying the processing liquid, the processing liquid is continuously supplied to the substrate. Thus, the yield of the wafer W can be improved.

[0174] In addition, in the substrate processing method according to the embodiment, in the liquid processing step (step S103), if it is determined that the substrate (wafer W) cannot be transported to the supercritical processing unit (drying unit 18) after the supply of the processing liquid is stopped, the supply of the processing liquid to the substrate (wafer W) is restarted. Thus, the yield of the wafer W can be improved.

[0175] In addition, in the substrate processing method involved in the embodiment, when it is determined that the substrate can be transported to the supercritical processing unit, a process (step S206) of wetting the upper surface of the substrate in the liquid processing process (step S103) is performed, and then the transport process (step S105) is performed. Thus, wasteful use of the processing liquid can be suppressed.

[0176] In addition, in the substrate processing method involved in the embodiment, in the liquid processing step (step S103), when it is determined that the substrate (wafer W) cannot be transported to the supercritical processing unit (drying unit 18), the supply of the processing liquid to the substrate (wafer W) is continued for a given time. And, when the time exceeds the given time, the supply of the processing liquid to the substrate (wafer W) is stopped. In this way, the waste of the use of the processing liquid can be suppressed.

[0177] In addition, in the substrate processing method according to the embodiment, in the liquid processing step (step S103), when it is determined that the substrate (wafer W) cannot be transported to the supercritical processing unit (drying unit 18), the processing liquid is intermittently continued to be supplied to the substrate (wafer W). Thus, the cost of the liquid supply process can be reduced.

[0178] In addition, in the substrate processing method involved in the embodiment, when the processing liquid is intermittently continuously supplied to the substrate (wafer W), the time for interrupting the supply of the processing liquid to the substrate (wafer W) is the time when the amount volatilized from the upper surface of the substrate becomes less than the amount of the liquid film on the upper surface of the substrate. Thus, it is possible to more reliably prevent the upper surface of the wafer W from drying.

[0179] In the substrate processing method according to the embodiment, the supercritical processing unit (drying unit 18) determined to be capable of transfer is selected to perform the transfer process (step S105). This can further improve the yield of the wafer W.

[0180] In addition, the substrate processing device (substrate processing system 1) involved in the embodiment includes a liquid processing part (liquid processing unit 17), a supercritical processing part (drying unit 18), a conveying part (conveying device 16), and a control part 61. The liquid processing part (liquid processing unit 17) performs liquid processing on the substrate (wafer W). The supercritical processing part (drying unit 18) processes the substrate (wafer W) using a supercritical fluid. The conveying part (conveying device 16) conveys the substrate (wafer W) from the liquid processing part (liquid processing unit 17) to the supercritical processing part (drying unit 18). The control part 61 controls each part. In addition, the control part 61 performs the following processing: the upper surface of the substrate (wafer W) is wetted in the liquid processing part (liquid processing unit 17), and the substrate (wafer W) whose upper surface is wetted is conveyed from the liquid processing part (liquid processing unit 17) to the supercritical processing part (drying unit 18) by the conveying part (conveying device 16). In addition, the control unit 61 processes the substrate (wafer W) whose upper surface is wetted by the supercritical fluid in the supercritical processing unit (drying unit 18). In addition, when the control unit 61 determines that the substrate (wafer W) cannot be transported to the supercritical processing unit (drying unit 18), the control unit 61 continues to supply the processing liquid to the substrate (wafer W) in the liquid processing unit (liquid processing unit 17). As a result, the yield of the wafer W can be improved.

[0181] The embodiments of the present disclosure are described above, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes can be made as long as they do not deviate from the main purpose. For example, in the above embodiments, a substrate processing system 1 is shown to be provided with one conveying device 16, but the number of conveying devices 16 is not limited to one. For example, if a common conveying device 16 is provided for each of a plurality of pairs of liquid processing units 17 and drying units 18, the number of conveying devices 16 may also be multiple.

[0182] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, an example is shown in which one item is set for each carrier C and multiple wafers W are processed in units of the item, but the present disclosure is not limited to this example. For example, one item may be set for multiple carriers C, or multiple items may be set for one carrier C.

[0183] The embodiments disclosed herein are to be considered as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. In fact, the above embodiments can be implemented in a variety of ways. In addition, the above embodiments can also be omitted, replaced, and changed in various ways without departing from the attached claims and their gist.

[0184] Description of Reference Numerals

[0185] W: wafer (an example of a substrate); 1: substrate processing system (an example of a substrate processing device); 16: conveying device (an example of a conveying unit); 17: liquid processing unit (an example of a liquid processing unit); 18: drying unit (an example of a supercritical processing unit); 61: control unit.

Claims

1. A substrate processing method, comprising: a liquid treatment step of performing liquid treatment on the substrate in a liquid treatment unit to wet the upper surface of the substrate; A conveying step of conveying the substrate whose upper surface is wetted from the liquid processing section to the supercritical processing section; as well as a supercritical process, in which the substrate whose upper surface is wetted is treated with a supercritical fluid in the supercritical treatment section; Here, in the liquid processing step, when it is determined that the substrate cannot be transferred to the supercritical processing unit, the processing liquid is continuously supplied to the substrate.

2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein: The liquid processing step is performed by a plurality of the liquid processing units. The supercritical process is performed by using a plurality of supercritical treatment units. In the liquid processing step, when it is determined that the substrate cannot be transferred to the supercritical processing unit, the processing liquid is continuously supplied to the substrate until the project to which the substrate belongs is completed.

3. The substrate processing method according to claim 2, wherein: In the transport step, when the project is completed, if it is determined that the substrate can be transported to a supercritical processing unit different from the supercritical processing unit determined to be unavailable for transport, the substrate is transported to the different supercritical processing unit.

4. The substrate processing method according to claim 3, wherein: The substrate transported to the different supercritical processing section is processed as a warning substrate in the subsequent processing.

5. The substrate processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: In the liquid processing step, when it is determined that the substrate cannot be transferred to the supercritical processing unit during the period from when the supply of the processing liquid is started to when the supply is stopped, the processing liquid is continuously supplied to the substrate.

6. The substrate processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: In the liquid processing step, when it is determined that the substrate cannot be transferred to the supercritical processing unit after the supply of the processing liquid is stopped, the supply of the processing liquid to the substrate is restarted.

7. The substrate processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: When it is determined that the substrate can be transported to the supercritical processing unit, a step of wetting the upper surface of the substrate in the liquid processing step is performed, and then the transport step is performed.

8. The substrate processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: In the liquid processing step, when it is determined that the substrate cannot be transported to the supercritical processing unit, the supply of the processing liquid to the substrate is continued for a given time, and when a time exceeding the given time has elapsed, the supply of the processing liquid to the substrate is stopped.

9. The substrate processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: In the liquid processing step, when it is determined that the substrate cannot be transferred to the supercritical processing unit, the processing liquid is intermittently continuously supplied to the substrate.

10. The substrate processing method according to claim 9, wherein: When the processing liquid is intermittently continuously supplied to the substrate, the supply of the processing liquid to the substrate is interrupted for a time when the amount volatilized from the upper surface of the substrate becomes smaller than the amount of the liquid film on the upper surface of the substrate.

11. The substrate processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The supercritical processing unit determined to be capable of being transported is selected from among the plurality of supercritical processing units to perform the transport step.

12. A substrate processing device comprising: a liquid processing unit for performing liquid processing on the substrate; A supercritical processing unit, which uses a supercritical fluid to process the substrate; a transporting section that transports the substrate from the liquid processing section to the supercritical processing section; as well as A control unit that controls each unit, The control unit performs the following processing: wetting the upper surface of the substrate in the liquid processing section; transporting the substrate whose upper surface is wetted from the liquid processing section to the supercritical processing section by the transporting section; Processing the substrate whose upper surface is wetted by using a supercritical fluid in the supercritical processing section; and When it is determined that the substrate cannot be transferred to the supercritical processing section, the processing liquid is continuously supplied to the substrate in the liquid processing section.

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