Substrate processing method, substrate manufacturing method, and substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

The invention discloses a substrate processing method, a substrate manufacturing method, and a substrate processing apparatus. Specifically disclosed is a method of processing a substrate, the method including: a first pre-wetting operation of supplying a first pre-wetting liquid to a rotating substrate; a second pre-wetting operation of supplying a second pre-wetting liquid having a different temperature from the first pre-wetting liquid to the rotating substrate, the second pre-wetting operation being performed after the first pre-wetting operation; and a chemical treatment operation of supplying a chemical of a different type from the first pre-wetting liquid and the second pre-wetting liquid to the rotating substrate, the chemical treatment operation being performed after the second pre-wetting operation.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0101343 filed on August 3, 2023 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to a substrate processing method, a substrate manufacturing method, and a substrate processing apparatus, and more particularly, to a substrate processing method, a substrate manufacturing method, and a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate by supplying a solution into the substrate. Background Art

[0004] In order to manufacture semiconductor devices, a desired pattern is formed on a substrate (such as a wafer) through various processes such as photography, etching, ashing, ion implantation, and thin film deposition. Each process involves the use of various processing solutions, processing gases, and particles and process byproducts generated during the process. Cleaning processes are performed before and after each process to remove these particles and process byproducts from the substrate.

[0005] The cleaning process is a process of supplying liquid chemicals to a rotating substrate to remove impurities attached to the substrate. The cleaning process may involve supplying a pre-wetting liquid before supplying the chemicals, thereby helping the chemicals to be uniformly diffused into the substrate and uniformly treated by the chemicals. Typically, deionized water is used as the pre-wetting liquid.

[0006] A pattern is formed on a substrate, and the pattern is a microstructure. The prewetting liquid penetrates into the space between the patterns and generates microvascular forces. The microvascular forces pull the pattern in a direction close to the prewetting liquid. Therefore, a pattern collapse phenomenon may be generated by the prewetting liquid. Since the surface tension of the prewetting liquid is large, the pattern collapse phenomenon may occur more easily. Therefore, in order to prevent the pattern collapse phenomenon, isopropyl alcohol having a smaller surface tension than deionized water may be used as the prewetting liquid.

[0007] However, as processes have become increasingly complex in recent years, patterns formed on substrates have become highly refined. As patterns become finer, pattern collapse may occur due to isopropyl alcohol, even when isopropyl alcohol having a low surface tension is used as a pre-wetting liquid. Summary of the invention

[0008] The present invention aims to provide a substrate processing method, a substrate manufacturing method and a substrate processing device capable of effectively processing a substrate.

[0009] The present invention also aims to provide a substrate processing method, a substrate manufacturing method, and a substrate processing apparatus capable of minimizing collapse of a pattern formed on a substrate during a process of cleaning the substrate.

[0010] The present invention also aims to provide a substrate processing method, a substrate manufacturing method and a substrate processing device that can effectively allow a pre-wetting liquid to penetrate into a gap space of a pattern with a high aspect ratio while minimizing watermarks generated on the substrate due to evaporation of the pre-wetting liquid.

[0011] The objects of the present invention are not limited thereto, and other objects not mentioned will be clearly understood from the following description by those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0012] An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a method for processing a substrate, the method comprising: a first pre-wetting operation, the first pre-wetting operation supplying a first pre-wetting liquid to a rotating substrate; a second pre-wetting operation, the second pre-wetting operation supplying a second pre-wetting liquid to the rotating substrate, the second pre-wetting liquid having a temperature different from that of the first pre-wetting liquid, the second pre-wetting operation being performed after the first pre-wetting operation; and a chemical treatment operation, the chemical treatment operation supplying a chemical to the rotating substrate, the chemical being a liquid of a different type from the first pre-wetting liquid and the second pre-wetting liquid, the chemical treatment operation being performed after the second pre-wetting operation.

[0013] According to an exemplary embodiment, the temperature of the first pre-wet liquid may be higher than the temperature of the second pre-wet liquid.

[0014] According to an exemplary embodiment, the first pre-wetting liquid may be an organic solvent provided at a temperature higher than room temperature.

[0015] According to an exemplary embodiment, the first pre-wet liquid may be isopropyl alcohol provided at a temperature above room temperature.

[0016] According to an exemplary embodiment, the first pre-wet liquid may be isopropyl alcohol provided at a temperature of 30°C to 80°C.

[0017] According to an exemplary embodiment, the second pre-wet liquid may be isopropyl alcohol or deionized water.

[0018] According to an exemplary embodiment, the second pre-wet liquid may be provided at a temperature of 10°C to 25°C.

[0019] According to an exemplary embodiment, the temperature of the second pre-wet liquid may be lower than the temperature of the first pre-wet liquid and higher than the temperature of the chemical.

[0020] According to an exemplary embodiment, the method may further include a third pre-wetting operation of supplying a third pre-wetting liquid different from the second pre-wetting liquid to the rotating substrate, the third pre-wetting operation being performed between the second pre-wetting operation and the chemical treatment operation.

[0021] According to an exemplary embodiment, the second pre-wet liquid may be isopropyl alcohol and the third pre-wet liquid may be deionized water.

[0022] According to an exemplary embodiment, the temperature of the third pre-wet liquid may be closer to the temperature of the second pre-wet liquid than the temperature of the first pre-wet liquid.

[0023] According to an exemplary embodiment, the temperature of the second pre-wetting liquid supplied in the second pre-wetting operation may be higher than the temperature of the chemical and lower than the temperature of the first pre-wetting liquid.

[0024] According to an exemplary embodiment, the second prewetting operation may include supplying the second prewetting liquid at a first temperature to the top surface of the rotating substrate and supplying the second prewetting liquid at a second temperature different from the first temperature to the bottom surface of the rotating substrate.

[0025] According to example embodiments, in the second pre-wetting operation, a first temperature of the second pre-wetting liquid supplied to the top surface of the substrate may be the same as a temperature of the first pre-wetting liquid.

[0026] According to an exemplary embodiment, the method may further include: a liquid film forming operation, which supplies a wetting liquid to a rotating substrate to form a liquid film, the liquid film forming operation being performed after the chemical treatment operation; and a drying operation, which supplies a supercritical fluid to the substrate on which the liquid film is formed to dry the substrate, the drying operation being performed after the liquid film forming operation.

[0027] Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a manufacturing method, the manufacturing method including: a first pre-wetting operation of supplying heated isopropyl alcohol to a patterned wafer to pre-wet the wafer; a second pre-wetting operation of supplying isopropyl alcohol or deionized water at room temperature to the wafer after the first pre-wetting operation; a chemical treatment operation of supplying chemicals to the wafer after the second pre-wetting operation; and a drying operation of drying the wafer by supplying a supercritical fluid to the wafer on which the chemical treatment operation has been performed.

[0028] According to an exemplary embodiment, the chemical may be selected from the following: a substance containing a sulfuric acid component, a substance containing aqueous ammonia, a substance containing a hydrofluoric acid component, or a substance containing a phosphoric acid component.

[0029] Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus for processing a substrate, the apparatus comprising: a supporting unit for supporting the substrate; at least one supply unit for supplying a heated first prewet liquid, a second prewet liquid, and a chemical to the substrate supported on the supporting unit, the second prewet liquid having a lower temperature than the first prewet liquid, and the chemical having a lower temperature than the first prewet liquid; and a controller for controlling the supporting unit and the supply units, wherein the controller controls the supporting unit and the supply units so that any one of the supply units supplies the first prewet liquid to the substrate supported on the supporting unit, any one of the supply units supplies the second prewet liquid to the substrate supported on the supporting unit, and any one of the supply units supplies the chemical to the substrate supported on the supporting unit.

[0030] According to an exemplary embodiment, the first pre-wetting liquid and the second pre-wetting liquid may be configured to be supplied by a single nozzle.

[0031] According to an exemplary embodiment, the first pre-wetting liquid and the second pre-wetting liquid may be configured to be supplied by different nozzles.

[0032] According to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a substrate can be efficiently processed.

[0033] According to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to minimize the collapse of a pattern formed on a substrate during a process of cleaning the substrate.

[0034] According to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to effectively infiltrate the pre-wetting liquid into the gap space of the pattern having a high aspect ratio while minimizing water marks generated on the substrate due to evaporation of the pre-wetting liquid.

[0035] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and those skilled in the art will clearly understand the effects not mentioned from the specification and the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] Figure 1 is a top plan view of a substrate processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the liquid processing chamber.

[0038] Figure 3 is a diagram showing the supply of pre-wetting liquid to Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the pipeline of the first upper nozzle.

[0039] Figure 4 It shows Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the drying chamber.

[0040] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a substrate processing method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 6 The liquid processing chamber is shown to perform Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the first pre-wetting operation.

[0042] Figure 7 The liquid processing chamber is shown to perform Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the second pre-wetting operation.

[0043] Figure 8 The liquid processing chamber is shown to perform Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the third pre-wetting operation.

[0044] Fig. 9 The liquid processing chamber is shown to perform Figure 5 Schematic diagram of chemical handling operations.

[0045] Fig.10 The liquid processing chamber is shown to perform Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the liquid film formation operation.

[0046] Fig.11 is a diagram showing the drying chamber performing Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the drying operation.

[0047] Fig.12 is a graph showing the variation of the surface tension of the pre-wet liquid with the variation of temperature.

[0048] Fig.13 is a schematic diagram used to illustrate the variation of capillary force with the surface tension of the pre-wetting liquid.

[0049] Fig.14 is a flowchart illustrating a substrate processing method according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] Fig.15 is a schematic diagram illustrating a liquid supply processing chamber according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] Fig.16 is a schematic diagram showing a pipeline for supplying a pre-wetting liquid to a first upper nozzle according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] Fig.17 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a liquid processing chamber performing a second pre-wetting operation according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0053] Fig.18is a schematic diagram showing a liquid processing chamber according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] The various features and advantages of the non-limiting exemplary embodiments of the present specification may become apparent after reading the detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims. Unless expressly stated, the drawings should not be considered to be drawn to scale. For clarity, the various dimensions in the drawings may be exaggerated.

[0055] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. The example embodiments provided will make the present disclosure thorough and fully convey the scope to those skilled in the art. Many specific details (such as examples of specific components, equipment and methods) are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details do not need to be adopted, and example embodiments can be embodied in many different forms, and specific details should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. In some example embodiments, known processes, known equipment structures and known technologies are not described in detail.

[0056] The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific example embodiments and are not intended to be restrictive. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a / an" and "the" may be intended to include plural forms. The terms "comprises / comprising", "including" and "having" are inclusive, and therefore specifically refer to the presence of the feature, integer, step, operation, element and / or component, but do not exclude the presence or increase of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or combinations thereof. Unless explicitly identified as an execution order, the method steps, processes and operations described herein should not be interpreted as having to be performed in the specific order discussed or illustrated. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be adopted.

[0057] When an element or layer is referred to as being "on another element or layer," "engaged to another element or layer," "connected to another element or layer," or "coupled to another element or layer," the element or layer may be directly on another element or layer, directly engaged to another element or layer, directly connected to another element or layer, or directly coupled to another element or layer, or there may be intermediate elements or layers. Conversely, when an element is referred to as being "directly on another element or layer," "directly engaged to another element or layer," "directly connected to another element or layer," or "directly coupled to another element or layer," there may be no intermediate elements or layers. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted similarly (e.g., "between" versus "directly between," "adjacent" versus "directly adjacent," etc.). As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the relevant listed items.

[0058] Although the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. can be used to describe different elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections in this article, unless otherwise specified, these elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms can only be used to distinguish an element, component, region, layer and / or section from another region, layer and / or section. When used in this article, unless the context clearly indicates, terms such as "first", "second" and other numerical items do not imply order or sequence. Therefore, without departing from the teaching of the example embodiment, the first element, the first component, the first area, the first layer or the first section discussed below can be referred to as the second element, the second component, the second area, the second layer or the second section.

[0059] For ease of description, spatially relative terms (e.g., "inside," "outside," "below," "below," "below," "above," and "above," etc.) may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element or feature shown in the drawings to another (or other) element or feature. Spatially relative terms may be intended to cover different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientations described in the drawings. For example, if the device in the figure is turned over, an element described as being "below" or "beneath" other elements or features will subsequently be oriented to be "above" the other elements or features. Thus, the example term "below" may cover both above and below orientations. The device may be oriented in other ways (rotated 90 degrees or oriented in other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptors used herein are interpreted accordingly.

[0060] When the terms "same" or "same" are used in the description of the exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that some imprecision may exist. Therefore, when an element or value is referred to as being the same as another element or value, it should be understood that the element or value is the same as the other element or value within a manufacturing or operating tolerance range (e.g., ±10%).

[0061] When the term "about" or "substantially" is used with a numerical value, it should be understood that the associated numerical value includes a manufacturing or operating tolerance (e.g., ±10%) around the numerical value. In addition, when the words "generally" and "substantially" are used in conjunction with geometric shapes, it should be understood that the exactness of the geometric shape is not required, but the latitude of the shape is within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0062] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the exemplary embodiments belong. It should be further understood that terms (including those defined in commonly used dictionaries) should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined herein.

[0063] Hereinafter, the substrate W to be processed is described as a wafer. For example, a microstructure (such as a pattern) may be formed on the substrate W to be processed. The substrate W to be processed may be a silicon wafer, and the pattern formed on the substrate W may be formed by a process such as photography, etching, or ion implantation.

[0064] The substrate processing method described below may be a manufacturing method for manufacturing a semiconductor device.

[0065] Figure 1 is a top plan view of a substrate processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0066] Reference Figure 1 , the substrate processing apparatus includes an index module 10, a processing module 20, and a controller 30. When viewed from above, the index module 10 and the processing module 20 are arranged in one direction. Hereinafter, the direction in which the index module 10 and the processing module 20 are arranged is referred to as a first direction X, and when viewed from above, a direction perpendicular to the first direction X is defined as a second direction Y, and a direction perpendicular to both the first direction X and the second direction Y is referred to as a third direction Z.

[0067] The index module 10 transfers the substrate W from the container C containing the substrate W therein to the process module 20, and contains the substrate W completely processed in the process module 20 into the container C. The longitudinal direction of the index module 10 is set in the second direction Y. The index module 10 includes a loading port 12 and an index frame 14. The loading port 12 is located at an opposite side of the process module 20 based on the index frame 14. The container C containing the substrate W therein is placed in the loading port 12. A plurality of loading ports 12 may be provided, and the plurality of loading ports 12 may be provided along the second direction Y.

[0068] An airtight container such as a front open unified pod (FOUP) may be used as the container C. The container C may be placed on the load port 12 by a transfer device (not shown) such as an overhead conveyor, an overhead conveyor, or an automated guided vehicle, or by an operator.

[0069] The index robot 120 is provided to the index frame 14. A guide rail 124 whose longitudinal direction is provided in the second direction Y is provided in the index frame 14, and the index robot 120 may be provided to be movable on the guide rail 124. The index robot 120 includes a hand 122 on which the substrate W is placed, and the hand 122 may be provided to be movable in the forward and backward directions, rotatable about the third direction Z, and movable along the third direction Z. A plurality of hands 122 may be provided at intervals in the vertical direction, and the hands 122 may be moved forward and backward independently of each other.

[0070] The processing module 20 includes a buffer unit 200, a transfer chamber 300, a liquid processing chamber 400, and a drying chamber 500. The buffer unit 200 provides a space in which the substrate W loaded into the processing module 20 and the substrate W unloaded from the processing module 20 temporarily stay. The liquid processing chamber 400 performs a liquid processing process of processing the substrate W with liquid by supplying liquid onto the substrate W. The drying chamber 500 performs a drying process of removing liquid remaining on the substrate W. The transfer chamber 300 transfers the substrate W between the buffer unit 200, the liquid processing chamber 400, and the drying chamber 500.

[0071] The buffer unit 200 includes a plurality of buffers 220 on which the substrate W is placed. The buffers 220 may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other along the third direction Z. The buffers 220 may be substrate holders supporting the bottom surface of the substrate W. The buffers 220 may be provided in the form of a support frame supporting the bottom surface of the substrate W.

[0072] The front and rear of the buffer unit 200 are open. The front is a face facing the index module 10, and the rear is a face facing the transfer chamber 300. The index robot 120 can approach the buffer unit 200 through the front, and the transfer robot 320 can approach the buffer unit 200 through the rear.

[0073] The longitudinal direction of the transfer chamber 300 may be disposed in the first direction X. The buffer unit 200 may be disposed between the index module 10 and the transfer chamber 300. The liquid processing chamber 400 and the drying chamber 500 may be disposed on a side of the transfer chamber 300. The liquid processing chamber 400 and the transfer chamber 300 may be disposed along the second direction Y. The drying chamber 500 and the transfer chamber 300 may be disposed along the second direction Y. The buffer unit 200 may be located at one end of the transfer chamber 300.

[0074] According to an example, the liquid processing chamber 400 is disposed on both sides of the transfer chamber 300, and the drying chamber 500 is disposed on both sides of the transfer chamber 300, and the liquid processing chamber 400 may be disposed closer to the buffer unit 200 than the drying chamber 500. At one side of the transfer chamber 300, the liquid processing chamber 400 may be disposed in the number of an A×B array (each of A and B is a natural number of 1 or greater than 1) in the first direction X and the third direction Z. Further, at one side of the transfer chamber 300, the drying chamber 500 may be disposed in the number of a C×D array (each of C and D is a natural number of 1 or greater than 1) in the first direction 92 and the third direction 96. Different from the above, only the liquid processing chamber 400 may be disposed on one side of the transfer chamber 300, and only the drying chamber 500 may be disposed on the other side of the transfer chamber 300.

[0075] The transfer chamber 300 includes a transfer robot 320. A guide rail 324 whose longitudinal direction is set in the first direction X may be provided in the transfer chamber 300, and the transfer robot 320 may be provided to be movable on the guide rail 324. The transfer robot 320 includes a hand 322 on which the substrate W is placed, and the hand 322 may be provided to be movable in the forward and backward directions, rotatable about the third direction Z, and movable along the third direction Z. A plurality of hands 322 may be provided to be spaced apart in the vertical direction, and the plurality of hands 322 may be moved forward and backward independently of each other.

[0076] The controller 30 may control the substrate processing device. The controller 30 may include: a process controller, which is composed of a microprocessor (computer) that performs control of the substrate processing device; a user interface, which is composed of a keyboard in which an operator performs command input operations, etc., in order to manage the substrate processing device; a display, which is used to visualize and display the operating status of the substrate processing device, etc.; and a storage unit, which stores a control program for executing a process performed in the substrate processing device under the control of the process controller, or stores a program (i.e., a processing scheme) for executing a process in each component according to various data and processing conditions. Further, the user interface and the storage unit may be connected to the process controller. The processing scheme may be stored in a storage medium in the storage unit, and the storage medium may be a hard disk, a portable disk (such as a CD-ROM or a DVD), or a semiconductor memory (such as a flash memory).

[0077] The controller 30 may control the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus to perform the substrate processing method described below. For example, the controller 30 may control the liquid processing chamber 400, the drying chamber 500, and the transfer chamber 300 described below. For example, the controller 30 may be configured to control the configuration of the liquid processing chamber 400, the configuration of the drying chamber 500, and the configuration of the transfer chamber 300.

[0078] Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the liquid processing chamber.

[0079] Reference Figure 2 , the liquid processing chamber 400 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention can process a substrate W. The liquid processing chamber 400 can process a substrate W by supplying a processing solution to the substrate W. The liquid processing chamber 400 may be a single wafer type processing chamber that processes a substrate W by supplying a processing solution to a rotating single wafer substrate W. The processing solution supplied by the liquid processing chamber 400 may be a pre-wetting liquid, a chemical, and a wetting liquid. The processing solution supplied by the liquid processing chamber 400 may be a cleaning solution to remove impurities (e.g., particles) attached to the substrate W.

[0080] The liquid processing chamber 400 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a support unit 410 , a lower supply unit 420 , a processing container 430 , an elevating unit 440 , a first upper supply unit 450 , a second upper supply unit 460 , and a third supply unit 470 .

[0081] The support unit 410 may support the substrate W. The support unit 410 may be configured to rotate the substrate W. The support unit 410 may support the substrate W in a horizontal position such that a top surface of the substrate W faces an upward direction and a bottom surface of the substrate W faces a downward direction.

[0082] The supporting unit 410 may include a rotating plate 411 , a supporting pin 412 , a chuck pin 413 , a rotating shaft 414 , a rotating driver 415 , and a bearing 416 .

[0083] The rotating plate 411 may support and rotate the substrate W. The rotating plate 411 may have a plate shape with a wide top surface and a narrow bottom surface. When viewed from above, a central area of ​​the rotating plate 411 may be formed with an opening into which a lower supply unit 420 to be described later may be inserted.

[0084] The supporting pin 412 and the chuck pin 413 may be installed on the rotating plate 411 .

[0085] The support pins 412 may be provided to support the bottom surface of the substrate W. The support pins 412 may be installed with their positions fixed. A plurality of support pins 412 may be provided. The support pins 412 may each be configured to support the bottom surface of the substrate W at a different position. When viewed from above, the support pins 412 may be installed on the edge of the rotating plate 411.

[0086] The chuck pins 413 may be provided to support the bottom surface and the side of the substrate W. The chuck pins 413 may be configured to have a stepped shape at their ends so that the stepped horizontal surfaces of the chuck pins 413 support the bottom surface of the substrate W and the stepped vertical surfaces of the chuck pins 413 support the side surface of the substrate W. The chuck pins 413 may be installed to be positionally movable in the lateral direction.

[0087] A plurality of chuck pins 413 may be provided. When viewed from above, the chuck pins 413 may be installed on the rotating plate 411 from the outer side farther than the supporting pins 412. When the substrate W is loaded into the liquid processing chamber 400, the chuck pins 413 may be spaced apart in a direction away from the center of the rotating plate 411, and then the chuck pins 413 may move in a direction close to the center of the rotating plate 411 to clamp the substrate W when the substrate W is placed on the supporting unit 410.

[0088] The rotating plate 411 may be coupled to a rotating shaft 414. The rotating shaft 414 may be coupled to the lower portion of the rotating plate 411. The rotating shaft 414 may be a hollow shaft. The rotating shaft 414 may be coupled to the lower center area of ​​the rotating plate 411. The rotating shaft 414 may be coupled to a rotating driver 415, which may be a hollow motor. The rotating driver 415 may rotate the rotating shaft 414. The rotating driver 415 may rotate the rotating shaft 414, the rotating shaft 414 may rotate the rotating plate 411, and the rotating plate 411 may rotate the placed substrate W.

[0089] The bearing 416 may be disposed in an opening formed in the rotating plate 411. The bearing 416 may be disposed between a fixed shaft 429 of a lower supply unit 420 described later and the rotating plate 411. The bearing 416 may be installed between the fixed shaft 429 and the rotating plate 411 and inserted into an opening formed in the rotating plate 411. The bearing 416 may be an annular bearing. Even when the rotating plate 411 is rotated by the bearing 416, the lower supply unit 420 including the fixed shaft 429 may not rotate. The lower supply unit 420 may be rotated by the bearing 416 independently of the rotating plate 411.

[0090] The lower supply unit 420 may be configured to supply the processing solution and the processing gas to the bottom surface of the substrate W. The lower supply unit 420 may be configured to supply the pre-wetting liquid, the chemicals, the wetting liquid, and the drying gas to the bottom surface of the substrate W.

[0091] The pre-wetting liquid and the wetting liquid supplied by the lower supply unit 420 may be isopropyl alcohol and deionized water. The chemicals supplied by the lower supply unit 420 may be selected from the following: substances containing sulfuric acid components (e.g., SPM containing sulfuric acid components and hydrogen peroxide components), substances containing ammonia components (e.g., SC-1 (H 2 O 2 +NH 4 OH)), a substance containing a hydrofluoric acid component (eg, diluted hydrogen fluoride (DHF)), a substance containing a phosphoric acid component, etc. The drying gas supplied by the lower supply unit 420 may be an inert gas, such as nitrogen.

[0092] In addition, the lower supply unit 420 may supply a purge gas to a space between the fixed shaft 429 and the rotating plate 411 and a space between the cover 425 and the rotating plate 411, which will be described later. The purge gas may be an inert gas. For example, the purge gas may be nitrogen.

[0093] The lower supply unit 420 may include a first lower liquid supply nozzle 421 , a second lower liquid supply nozzle 422 , a third lower liquid supply nozzle 423 , a lower gas supply nozzle 424 , a cover 425 , a fixing shaft 429 , and pipelines and supply sources for supplying a processing solution and a gas.

[0094] The cover 425 may be disposed above the top surface of the rotating plate 411. The cover 425 may be positioned to be spaced apart from the top surface of the rotating plate 411. When viewed from above, the cover 425 may be configured to cover an opening formed in a central area of ​​the rotating plate 411. The cover 425 may be coupled to the fixing shaft 429.

[0095] The fixed shaft 429 may be a hollow shaft having an empty interior and a hollow shape. The fixed shaft 429 may be installed to be inserted into the rotating shaft 414. The fixed shaft 429 may be installed to be inserted into an opening formed in the rotating plate 411. The fixed shaft 429 may be configured to have a smaller diameter than the rotating shaft 414 and the opening formed in the rotating plate 411. The fixed shaft 429 may be installed to be spaced apart from the rotating shaft 414 and the rotating plate 411. Since the bearing 416 is installed between the fixed shaft 429 and the rotating shaft 414, the fixed shaft 429 may be arranged to rotate independently of the rotating shaft 414 and the rotating plate 411. Since the fixed shaft 429 rotates independently of the rotating shaft 414 and the rotating plate 411, the cover 425 coupled to the fixed shaft 429 may also be arranged to rotate independently of the rotating shaft 414 and the rotating plate 411.

[0096] The first lower liquid supply nozzle 421, the second lower liquid supply nozzle 422, the third lower liquid supply nozzle 423, and the lower gas supply nozzle 424 may be installed on the cover 425. The first lower liquid supply nozzle 421, the second lower liquid supply nozzle 422, the third lower liquid supply nozzle 423, and the lower gas supply nozzle 424 may be configured to supply the pre-wetting liquid, the wetting liquid, and the drying gas to the bottom surface of the substrate W.

[0097] The discharge end of the first lower liquid supply nozzle 421 may face the bottom surface of the substrate W. The first lower liquid supply nozzle 421 may supply a pre-wetting liquid or a wetting liquid. For example, the first lower liquid supply nozzle 421 may supply an organic solvent. The first lower liquid supply nozzle 421 may supply isopropyl alcohol. The first lower liquid supply nozzle 421 may supply isopropyl alcohol that has been heated to a temperature higher than room temperature, for example, a temperature of 30° C. to 80° C. The first lower liquid supply nozzle 421 may also supply isopropyl alcohol at a temperature of room temperature, for example, a temperature of 10° C. to 25° C.

[0098] The first lower liquid supply nozzle 421 may be connected to a first lower fluid supply line 421a. At least a portion of the first lower fluid supply line 421a may be located inside the fixed shaft 429. The first lower fluid supply line 421a may be connected to a first lower high temperature liquid supply source 421b and a first lower low temperature liquid supply source 421c. The first lower high temperature liquid supply source 421a may heat isopropyl alcohol to a temperature of 30°C to 80°C and supply the heated isopropyl alcohol to the first lower liquid supply nozzle 421. The first lower low temperature liquid supply source 421c may supply isopropyl alcohol at room temperature (e.g., 10°C to 25°C) to the first lower liquid supply nozzle 421.

[0099] The second lower liquid supply nozzle 422 may supply pre-wetting liquid or wetting liquid. For example, the first lower liquid supply nozzle 421 may supply deionized water. The first lower liquid supply nozzle 421 may supply deionized water at room temperature, for example, 10°C to 25°C.

[0100] The second lower liquid supply nozzle 422 may be connected to a second lower liquid supply line 422a. At least a portion of the second lower liquid supply line 422a may be located inside the fixed shaft 429. The second lower liquid supply line 422a may be connected to a second lower liquid supply source 422b. The second lower liquid supply source 422b may supply deionized water at room temperature (e.g., 10° C. to 25° C.) to the first lower liquid supply nozzle 421.

[0101] The third lower liquid supply nozzle 423 may supply chemicals for cleaning the substrate W. For example, the third lower liquid supply nozzle 423 may supply chemicals selected from the following: a substance containing a sulfuric acid component (e.g., SPM containing a sulfuric acid component and a hydrogen peroxide component), a substance containing an ammonia component (e.g., SC-1 (H 2 O 2 +NH 4 OH)), substances containing hydrofluoric acid components (such as diluted hydrogen fluoride (DHF)), substances containing phosphoric acid components, etc. The third lower liquid supply nozzle 423 can supply chemicals at room temperature, for example, 10°C to 25°C.

[0102] The third lower liquid supply nozzle 423 may be connected to a third lower liquid supply line 423a. At least a portion of the third lower liquid supply line 423a may be located inside the fixed shaft 429. The third lower liquid supply line 423a may be connected to a third lower liquid supply source 423b. The third lower liquid supply source 423b may supply chemicals at room temperature (e.g., 10°C to 25°C) to the third lower liquid supply nozzle 423.

[0103] The lower gas supply nozzle 424 may supply a dry gas. For example, the lower gas supply nozzle 424 may supply an inert gas such as a dry gas.

[0104] The lower gas supply nozzle 424 may be connected to a lower gas supply line 424a. At least a portion of the lower gas supply line 424a may be located inside the fixed shaft 429. The lower gas supply line 424a may be connected to a lower gas supply source 424b. The lower gas supply source 424b may supply an inert gas (e.g., nitrogen) to the lower gas supply nozzle 42.

[0105] The purge gas supply line 426 may supply the purge gas into the space between the fixed shaft 429 and the rotating shaft 414. As described above, the fixed shaft 429 and the cover 425 are independently provided with respect to the rotation of the rotating shaft 414 and the rotating plate 411. For this purpose, the fixed shaft 429 needs to be provided to be spaced apart from the rotating plate 411 and the rotating shaft 414, and the cover 425 needs to be provided to be spaced apart from the rotating plate 411.

[0106] In this case, a processing solution supplied in a process of processing the substrate W may enter a space between the cover 425 and the rotating plate 411 , a space between the fixed shaft 429 and the rotating plate 411 , and a space between the fixed shaft 429 and the rotating shaft 414 .

[0107] In order to avoid this, the purge gas supply line 426 always supplies the purge gas to the space between the fixed shaft 429 and the rotating shaft 414 when the substrate processing apparatus is driven. The purge gas forms a gas flow that flows from the space between the fixed shaft 429 and the rotating shaft 414 into the space between the cover 425 and the rotating plate 411. This gas flow can prevent the processing solution supplied in the process of processing the substrate W from entering the space between the cover 425 and the rotating plate 411, the space between the fixed shaft 429 and the rotating plate 411, and the space between the fixed shaft 429 and the rotating shaft 414.

[0108] The processing container 430 may provide a processing space. The processing container 430 may have a cylindrical shape with an open top. The processing container 430 may also be referred to as a bucket or a cup, etc. The processing container 430 may be configured to collect a processing solution supplied by the lower supply unit 420 and the first upper supply unit 450, the second upper supply unit 460, and the third upper supply unit 470 to be described later. The support unit 410 may support and rotate the substrate W in the processing space provided by the processing container 430.

[0109] The processing container 430 may include an upper portion 431, a side portion 432, and a lower portion 433. The lower portion 433 may have a substantially flat disk shape. The side portion 432 may be formed by extending upward from the outer circumference of the lower portion 433. The upper portion 431 may be formed by extending while being inclined upward from the side portion 432 in a direction toward the center of the support unit 410. The lower portion 433 may be formed with a collection hole 434 for collecting the processing solution.

[0110] exist Figure 2 In the present invention, the present invention has been described based on the case where the processing container 430 has a single cup shape as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the processing container 430 may have a plurality of cup shapes, such as an inner cup and an outer cup disposed outside the inner cup, in which case the processing solution may be collected through different collection holes according to the type of the processing solution to be collected.

[0111] The lifting unit 440 may lift the processing container 430. The lifting unit 440 may include a lifting shaft 441, a fixed bracket 442, and a lifting driver 443. The lifting shaft 441 may be coupled to the fixed bracket 442, and the fixed bracket 442 may be coupled to the processing container 430. The lifting shaft 441 may be configured to be movable in an up and down direction by a lifting driver 443, which may be a cylinder / hydraulic cylinder or a motor. The up and down movement of the lifting shaft 441 may realize lifting the processing container 430.

[0112] The first upper supply unit 450 may supply the pre-wetting liquid or the wetting liquid to the substrate W supported on the supporting unit 410. The first upper supply unit 450 may supply the substrate W with an organic solvent (eg, isopropyl alcohol).

[0113] The first upper supply unit 450 may include a first upper nozzle 451, a first arm 452, a first moving shaft 453, and a first rotating device 454. The first upper nozzle 451 may be coupled to the first arm 452. The first arm 452 may be coupled to the first moving shaft 453 having a rotation axis in a direction perpendicular to the ground. The first rotating device 454 may rotate the first moving shaft 453. The first rotating device 454 may be a motor. The first upper nozzle 451 may change its position between a standby position and a process position by rotating the first arm 452.

[0114] The standby position may refer to a position where the first upper nozzle 451 is away from the substrate W when viewed from above, and the process position may refer to a position where the first upper nozzle 451 overlaps with the substrate W when viewed from above, for example, a position where the first upper nozzle 451 is aligned with the center of the substrate W.

[0115] Figure 3is a diagram showing the supply of pre-wetting liquid to Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the pipeline of the first upper nozzle.

[0116] Reference Figure 3 The first upper nozzle 451 of the present invention may supply isopropyl alcohol to the substrate W. The first upper nozzle 451 may supply isopropyl alcohol that has been heated to a temperature above room temperature, for example, 30° C. to 80° C. The first upper nozzle 451 may supply isopropyl alcohol at room temperature, for example, 10° C. to 25° C.

[0117] The first upper nozzle 451 may be connected to a first upper high temperature liquid supply line 456 and a first upper low temperature liquid supply line 457. At least a portion of the first upper high temperature liquid supply line 456 and at least a portion of the first upper low temperature liquid supply line 457 may be located within the first arm 452. The first upper high temperature liquid supply line 456 may be connected to a first upper high temperature liquid supply source 456a. The first upper high temperature liquid supply source 456a may supply isopropyl alcohol heated to a temperature higher than room temperature, for example, a temperature of 30°C to 80°C, to the first upper nozzle 451. The first upper low temperature liquid supply line 457 may be connected to a first upper low temperature liquid supply source 457a. The first upper low temperature liquid supply source 457a may supply isopropyl alcohol at room temperature, for example, 10°C to 25°C, to the first upper nozzle 451. This configuration allows high temperature isopropyl alcohol and low temperature isopropyl alcohol to be discharged from a single first upper nozzle 451. This has the advantage of minimizing the time required to process the substrate W because changing from the first pre-wetting operation S10 to the second pre-wetting operation S20 does not require repositioning of the nozzle, which will be described later.

[0118] Refer again Figure 2 The second upper supply unit 460 may supply chemicals to the substrate W supported on the support unit 410. The second upper supply unit 460 may supply the substrate W with chemicals selected from the following: a substance containing a sulfuric acid component (e.g., SPM containing a sulfuric acid component and a hydrogen peroxide component), a substance containing an ammonia component (e.g., SC-1 (H 2 O 2 +NH 4 OH)), a substance containing a hydrofluoric acid component (eg, diluted hydrogen fluoride (DHF)), a substance containing a phosphoric acid component. The second upper supply unit 460 may supply chemicals at room temperature, for example, 10°C to 25°C.

[0119] The second upper supply unit 460 may include a second upper nozzle 461, a second arm 462, a second moving shaft 463, and a second rotating device 464. The second upper nozzle 461, the second arm 462, the second moving shaft 463, and the second rotating device 464 have the same or similar structures / functions as the above-mentioned first upper nozzle 451, the first arm 452, the first moving shaft 453, and the first rotating device 454, and thus redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0120] The third upper supply unit 470 may include a third upper nozzle 471 and a fixing rod 472. The third upper supply unit 471 may supply the pre-wetting liquid or the wetting liquid to the substrate W supported on the supporting unit 410. The third upper nozzle 471 may supply deionized water to the substrate W. The third upper nozzle 471 may supply deionized water of room temperature, for example, 10° C. to 25° C., to the substrate W.

[0121] The third upper nozzle 471 may be fixed in position. The fixing rod 472 may fix the position of the third upper nozzle 471. The discharge end of the third upper nozzle 471 may be configured to face the central area of ​​the substrate W. Unlike the first upper nozzle 451 and the second upper nozzle 461, during the liquid processing operation S10, the deionized water discharged through the third upper nozzle 471 can be supplied at any time as needed, so that the third upper nozzle 471 can be configured to discharge the deionized water into the central area of ​​the substrate W at any time.

[0122] Figure 4 It shows Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the drying chamber.

[0123] Reference Figure 4 , a drying chamber 500 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a body 510 , a support member 520 , a fluid supply unit 530 , and a fluid discharge unit 540 .

[0124] The body 510 may be provided with a processing space 513 for processing a substrate. The body 510 may include a first body 511 and a second body 512. At least one of the first body 511 and the second body 512 may have a shape that is recessed in a direction away from the other of the first body 511 and the second body 512. The first body 511 and the second body 512 may be combined with each other to define the processing space 513. The first body 511 and the second body 512 may be formed of a material that can withstand the high pressure conditions of the processing space 513. For example, the first body 511 and the second body 512 may be formed of a material such as a metal such as aluminum. The first body 511 may be an upper body positioned at the top, and the second body 512 may be a lower body positioned at the bottom.

[0125] The position of at least one of the first body 511 and the second body 512 may be changed by a driver (not shown). For example, the position of the first body 511 may be fixed, and the second body 512 may be configured to be movable along the third direction Z. The driver may be any one of a cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, a motor, and a magnetic suspension actuator.

[0126] The driver may move the second body 512 between an open position and a closed position. When the second body 512 is in the open position, the processing space 513 may be opened to the outside. When the second body 512 is in the closed position, the first body 511 and the second body 512 may be combined with each other to provide a sealed processing space 513.

[0127] The first body 511 may be provided with a first supply port 514. The first supply port 514 may be connected to a first fluid supply line 533 to be described later to supply a processing fluid to the processing space 513. An outlet of the first supply port 514 faces an upper area of ​​the processing space 513 and may face an upper surface of the substrate W resting on the support member 520. The first supply port 514 may be formed on the first body 511 itself, or may be provided as a separate supply conduit inserted into the first body 511.

[0128] The second body 512 may be provided with a second supply port 515. The second supply port 515 may be connected to a second fluid supply line 534 to be described later to supply a processing fluid to the processing space 513. An outlet of the second supply port 515 may face a lower area of ​​the processing space 513. Similar to the first supply port 514, the second supply port 515 may be formed on the second body 512 itself, or may be provided as a separate supply conduit inserted into the second body 512.

[0129] Additionally, the second body 512 may be provided with an exhaust port 516. The exhaust port 516 may be connected to an exhaust line 541 to be described later to exhaust the atmosphere of the processing space 513. The exhaust port 516 may exhaust a processing fluid (such as carbon dioxide) supplied to the processing space 513 to the outside of the processing space 513 to reduce the pressure in the processing space 513. The exhaust port 516 may be provided in parallel with the second supply port 515. Similar to the first supply port 514 and the second supply port 515, the exhaust port 516 may be formed in the second body 512 itself, or may be provided as a separate exhaust pipe inserted into the second body 512.

[0130] In the above example, the present invention is described based on the case where the first supply port 514 is provided on the first body 511, and the second supply port 515 and the exhaust port 516 are provided on the second body 512 as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the first supply port 514, the second supply port 515, and the exhaust port 516 may all be provided on the first body 511, or may all be provided on the second body 512.

[0131] The body 510 may be provided with a heater 517, which may be installed while being buried inside the first body 511 and / or the second body 512. The heater 517 may be a resistance heater. Alternatively, the heater 517 may be modified variously to any known heat generating device. The heater 517 may maintain the temperature of the processing space 513 at a set temperature. The heater 517 may maintain the temperature of the processing space 513 at a set temperature. Here, the set temperature may be set to a temperature higher than a critical temperature that allows the processing fluid to maintain a supercritical state.

[0132] The support member 520 may support the substrate W. The support member 520 may be configured to support the substrate W in the processing space 513 provided by the body 510 .

[0133] The support member 520 may be configured to support the bottom surface of the substrate W. The support member 520 may be configured to support the bottom edge region of the substrate W. The support member 520 may be fixedly mounted on the lower side of the first body 511. The support members 520 may be provided in pairs. Each support member 520 may extend in a downward direction from the first body 511 toward the second body 512, and may have a laterally curved shape at an end portion to support the bottom surface of the substrate W.

[0134] When the contact area between the substrate W and the support member 520 is larger, the risk of damage (e.g., scratches) to the bottom surface of the substrate W increases; however, the support member 520 can be configured to support only the edge area of ​​the bottom surface of the substrate W, thereby minimizing the contact area with the bottom surface of the substrate W.

[0135] The fluid supply unit 530 may supply a treatment fluid to the treatment space 513. The treatment fluid may be a dry gas that removes any residual treatment solution on the substrate W. For example, the treatment fluid may be a carbon dioxide gas. The treatment fluid may also be converted into a supercritical state and supplied to the treatment space 513. Alternatively, the treatment fluid may be supplied to the treatment space 513 in a gaseous state and phase-converted into a supercritical state in the treatment space 513.

[0136] The fluid supply unit 530 may include a fluid supply source 531 , a main supply line 532 , a first fluid supply line 533 , a second fluid supply line 534 , a first supply valve 535 , and a second supply valve 536 .

[0137] The supply lines 532 , 533 , and 534 may be equipped with line heaters (not shown) to heat the process fluid flowing in the supply lines 532 , 533 , and 534 .

[0138] The fluid supply source 531 may store and supply a treatment fluid. The fluid supply source 531 may be a fluid storage tank capable of storing and supplying a treatment solution. The fluid supply source 531 may be configured to store and supply carbon dioxide.

[0139] The fluid supply source 531 may be connected to one end of a main supply line 532. The other end of the main supply line 532 may be branched into a first fluid supply line 533 and a second fluid supply line 534. The first fluid supply line 533 may be connected to the above-mentioned first supply port 514. The second fluid supply line 534 is connected to the second supply port 515. The first fluid supply line 533 may be configured to supply the treatment fluid to the upper area of ​​the treatment space 513, and the second fluid supply line 534 may be configured to supply the treatment fluid to the lower area of ​​the treatment space 513.

[0140] The first supply valve 535 may be installed in the first fluid supply line 533. The first supply valve 535 may be provided as an automatic valve that receives a control signal from the controller 30 to allow or block the flow of the treatment fluid in the first fluid supply line 533.

[0141] Similarly, the second fluid supply line 534 may be provided with a second supply valve 536. The second supply valve 536 may be provided as an automatic valve that receives a control signal from the controller 30 to allow or block the flow of the treatment fluid in the second fluid supply line 534.

[0142] The fluid discharge unit 540 may control the atmosphere of the processing space 513. The fluid discharge unit 540 may discharge the processing fluid supplied to the processing space 513 to the outside of the drying chamber 500. The fluid discharge unit 540 may include a fluid discharge line 541, a discharge device 542, and a discharge valve 543.

[0143] The fluid discharge line 541 may be connected to the discharge port 516. A discharge valve 543 may be installed in the fluid discharge line 541, and the discharge valve 543 may be provided as an automatic valve that receives a control signal from the controller 30 to allow or block the flow of the process fluid in the discharge line 541.

[0144] The exhaust device 542 may be connected to the exhaust line 541. The exhaust device 542 may be a decompression device that decompresses the processing space 513. For example, the exhaust device may be a pump. However, without limitation, the exhaust device 542 may be modified variously to any known device that can decompress the processing space 513 through the exhaust line 541 and the exhaust port 516.

[0145] Hereinafter, a substrate processing method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described. The controller 30 may control the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus so that the substrate processing apparatus can perform the substrate processing method described herein. For example, the controller 30 may control the liquid processing chamber 400, the drying chamber 500, and the transfer chamber 300.

[0146] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a substrate processing method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0147] The substrate processing method according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a liquid processing operation S10 and a drying operation S20. The liquid processing operation S10 may be performed in the liquid processing chamber 400, and the drying processing operation S20 may be performed in the drying chamber 500. The substrate W on which the liquid processing operation S10 has been performed may be loaded into the drying chamber 500 via the transfer chamber 300. A pattern may be formed on the substrate W to be processed, and the pattern may be a microstructure. The pattern may have a very high aspect ratio.

[0148] The liquid processing operation S10 may include a first pre-wetting operation S11 , a second pre-wetting operation S12 , a third pre-wetting operation S13 , a chemical processing operation S14 , and a liquid film forming operation S15 , which may be sequentially performed.

[0149] Hereinafter, the first prewetting liquid is defined as the processing solution supplied in the first prewetting operation S11, the second prewetting liquid is defined as the processing solution supplied in the second prewetting operation S12, the chemical is defined as the processing solution supplied in the chemical processing operation S14, and the wetting liquid is defined as the processing solution supplied in the liquid film forming operation S15.

[0150] The first pre-wetting operation S11 may include supplying a first pre-wetting liquid to the top surface and / or the bottom surface of the rotating substrate W (see Figure 6). In the first pre-wetting operation S11, the first upper nozzle 451 and / or the first lower liquid supply nozzle 421 may supply the first pre-wetting liquid. The first pre-wetting liquid supplied in the first pre-wetting operation S11 may be an organic solvent, such as isopropyl alcohol. The first pre-wetting liquid supplied to the first pre-wetting operation S11 may be isopropyl alcohol (HIPA) heated to a temperature of 30° C. to 80° C., which is higher than room temperature. For example, the first pre-wetting liquid may be isopropyl alcohol heated to 79° C. and having a surface tension of 16 dyn / cm. In addition, in the first pre-wetting operation S11, a purge gas (PG) may be continuously supplied via a purge gas supply line 426.

[0151] The second pre-wetting operation S12 may include supplying the second pre-wetting liquid to the top surface and / or the bottom surface of the rotating substrate W (see Figure 7 ). The second pre-wetting operation S11 may include supplying a second pre-wetting liquid through the first upper nozzle 451 and / or the first lower liquid supply nozzle 421. The second pre-wetting liquid supplied in the second pre-wetting operation S12 may be an organic solvent, such as isopropyl alcohol. The second pre-wetting liquid supplied in the second pre-wetting operation S12 may be isopropyl alcohol (CIPA) having a temperature of 10°C to 25°C, which is approximately room temperature. For example, the second pre-wetting liquid may be isopropyl alcohol having a temperature of 15°C and having a surface tension of 23 dyn / cm. In addition, in the second pre-wetting operation S12, a purge gas (PG) may be continuously supplied via the purge gas supply line 426.

[0152] The third pre-wetting operation S13 may include supplying a third pre-wetting liquid to the top surface and / or the bottom surface of the rotating substrate W (see Figure 8 ). The third pre-wetting operation S13 may include supplying a third pre-wetting liquid through the third upper nozzle 471 and / or the second lower liquid supply nozzle 422. The third pre-wetting liquid supplied in the third pre-wetting operation S13 may be deionized water. The third pre-wetting liquid supplied in the third pre-wetting operation S13 may be deionized water (CDIW) having a temperature of 10° C. to 25° C. (which is approximately room temperature) and having a surface tension of 72 dyn / cm. In addition, in the third pre-wetting operation S13, a purge gas (PG) may be continuously supplied via the purge gas supply line 426.

[0153] The chemical treatment operation S14 may include supplying chemicals to the top surface and / or the bottom surface of the rotating substrate W (see Fig. 9). The chemical treatment operation S14 may include supplying the chemical CH by the second top nozzle 461 and / or the third lower liquid supply nozzle 423. The chemical supplied in the chemical treatment operation S14 may be selected from the following items: a substance containing a sulfuric acid component (e.g., SPM containing a sulfuric acid component and a hydrogen peroxide component), a substance containing an ammonia component (e.g., SC-1 (H 2 O 2 +NH 4 OH)), a substance containing a hydrofluoric acid component (e.g., diluted hydrogen fluoride (DHF)), and a substance containing a phosphoric acid component, etc. The chemical supplied in the chemical processing operation S14 may be a chemical having a temperature of 10° C. to 25° C., which is a temperature of approximately room temperature. In addition, in the chemical processing operation S14, a purge gas (PG) may be continuously supplied through the purge gas supply line 426.

[0154] In the liquid film forming operation S15, the wetting liquid may be supplied to the top surface of the rotating substrate W, and the drying gas DG may be supplied to the bottom surface of the substrate W (see Fig.10 ). The wetting liquid supplied to the top surface of the substrate W in the liquid film forming operation S15 may be an organic solvent, for example, isopropyl alcohol at room temperature. The drying gas DG supplied to the bottom surface of the substrate W in the liquid film forming operation S15 may be an inert gas, for example, nitrogen. The wetting liquid may be supplied through the first upper nozzle 451. The drying gas DG may be supplied through the lower gas supply nozzle 424. In the liquid film forming operation S15, the wetting liquid is supplied to the top surface of the substrate W to form a liquid film, and the bottom surface of the substrate W may be dried.

[0155] The substrate having the top surface on which the liquid film has been formed and the bottom surface that has been dried can be unloaded from the liquid processing chamber 400 and loaded into the drying chamber 500 via the transfer chamber 300. The substrate W on which the liquid film has been formed is transferred to avoid the substrate W from being naturally dried and causing defects such as water marks on the substrate W.

[0156] In the drying operation S20, a substrate having a top surface on which a liquid film has been formed and a bottom surface that has been dried is placed on the support member 520, and the fluid supply unit 530 supplies a processing fluid SG (for example, carbon dioxide as a supercritical fluid) to the processing space 513 to remove the liquid film remaining on the substrate W, so that the substrate W can be dried.

[0157] Fig.12 is a graph showing the variation of the surface tension of the pre-wet liquid with temperature.

[0158] Now refer to Fig.12 , Fig.12is a graph showing the change in surface tension of isopropyl alcohol with temperature, and isopropyl alcohol may be supplied as the pre-wetting liquid in the first pre-wetting operation S10 and the second pre-wetting operation S20. Fig.12 As shown, it can be seen that as the temperature of isopropanol increases, the surface tension decreases.

[0159] Fig.13 is a schematic diagram for illustrating the variation of capillary force with the surface tension of the pre-wetting liquid.

[0160] In the present invention, the substrate W to be processed has a microstructured pattern PA formed on the surface of the silicon S. When a processing solution such as a pre-wetting liquid penetrates between the patterns PA, a capillary force σ is applied to the patterns PA by the surface tension of the pre-wetting liquid. The capillary force σ acts in the direction in which the patterns PA are brought closer together. When the capillary force σ increases, the pattern PA is prone to collapse.

[0161] The capillary force σ has the following formula.

[0162] σ=2γcosθ / d

[0163] σ is a capillary force, γ is the surface tension of a treatment solution infiltrated between the patterns PA, θ is a contact angle between the patterns PA and the treatment solution, and d may be an interval between the patterns PA.

[0164] In recent years, as the structure of the pattern PA has become very fine, the interval d between the patterns PA has become very small. In addition, the line width of the pattern PA has also become very small, so even a small increase in the surface tension of the processing solution can easily cause the pattern collapse phenomenon due to the capillary force σ.

[0165] In addition, when the amount of the processing solution infiltrated between the patterns PA is different, the capillary force σ generated by different regions of the substrate W may be different. When the capillary force σ generated in different regions of the substrate W is different, a pattern collapse phenomenon can occur due to the imbalance of the force. That is, when the processing solution does not fully infiltrate between the patterns PA, the pattern collapse phenomenon can occur more easily due to the imbalance of the capillary force σ generated in different regions of the substrate W.

[0166] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in the liquid processing operation S10, the first pre-wetting operation S11 first performed on the substrate W uses isopropyl alcohol having low surface tension as the first pre-wetting liquid. Specifically, isopropyl alcohol heated to a temperature higher than room temperature is used as the first pre-wetting liquid.

[0167] Isopropyl alcohol heated to a temperature higher than room temperature has a very low surface tension. The surface tension of isopropyl alcohol at 79° C. is about 16 dynes / cm, which is about 72% of the surface tension of isopropyl alcohol at room temperature (22 dynes / cm). Therefore, when heated isopropyl alcohol having a low surface tension is used as the first pre-wetting liquid, the pattern collapse phenomenon caused by the first pre-wetting liquid can be minimized. In addition, since heated isopropyl alcohol has a very low surface tension, isopropyl alcohol has a good penetration force between patterns PA, and thus can be relatively uniformly infiltrated between patterns PA formed on substrate W. This minimizes the occurrence of pattern collapse caused by the imbalance of capillary forces in different regions of substrate W.

[0168] Furthermore, according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, after the isopropyl alcohol heated to a temperature higher than the room temperature is supplied, the second pre-wetting operation S12 in which the isopropyl alcohol at the room temperature is supplied is performed.

[0169] Isopropyl alcohol has high volatility in nature, and heated isopropyl alcohol has higher volatility. Therefore, the heated isopropyl alcohol supplied in the first pre-wetting operation S11 can evaporate quickly from the substrate W. Specifically, this evaporation can be more significant in the edge area of ​​the substrate W. In this case, the wettability of the substrate W is not enough because the wettability of the substrate W may vary depending on the area of ​​the substrate W.

[0170] Therefore, in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the second pre-wetting operation S12 is performed immediately after the first pre-wetting operation S11. In other words, in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, when the high-temperature isopropyl alcohol penetrates between the patterns formed on the substrate W, the space between the patterns is filled with the high-temperature isopropyl alcohol, and then the room-temperature isopropyl alcohol is supplied above the high-temperature isopropyl alcohol. Since the space between the patterns has been filled with the high-temperature isopropyl alcohol having a low surface tension, the above-mentioned pattern collapse phenomenon can be prevented from occurring, and since the room-temperature isopropyl alcohol is supplied on the high-temperature isopropyl alcohol, the evaporation phenomenon of the isopropyl alcohol can be prevented.

[0171] In addition, since both the nozzle supplying the first prewetting liquid and the nozzle supplying the second prewetting liquid are the same first upper nozzle 451, the switching from the first prewetting operation S11 to the second prewetting operation S12 can be performed uninterruptedly. In other words, the first prewetting operation S11 and the second prewetting operation S12 can be performed continuously. Since the first prewetting operation S11 and the second prewetting operation S12 are performed continuously, the room temperature isopropyl alcohol can be supplied in the second prewetting operation S12 before the high temperature isopropyl alcohol supplied in the first prewetting operation S11 evaporates.

[0172] In addition, in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, after the second pre-wetting operation S12, a third pre-wetting operation S13 is further performed. In the third pre-wetting operation S13, deionized water may be supplied to the substrate W. This is to improve the efficiency of cleaning the substrate W in the chemical treatment operation S14 performed subsequently. When the chemical supplied in the chemical treatment operation S14 is an aqueous chemical such as an aqueous solution, deionized water may be supplied to the substrate W in advance in the third pre-wetting operation S13 to further improve the efficiency of cleaning the substrate W in the chemical treatment operation S14.

[0173] However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the third pre-wetting operation S13 may be omitted. Fig.14 As shown. In addition, as needed, the second pre-wetting operation S12 can be omitted instead of the third pre-wetting operation S13. Even when the second pre-wetting operation S12 is omitted instead of the third pre-wetting operation S13, the effect of minimizing the above-mentioned pattern collapse phenomenon can be achieved identically or similarly due to the first supply of high-temperature isopropyl alcohol and the subsequent supply of room-temperature deionized water.

[0174] In the above example, the present invention has been described based on the case where the first prewet operation S11 includes supplying a first prewet liquid heated to a temperature higher than room temperature, and the second prewet operation S12 and the third prewet operation S13 include supplying a second prewet liquid at room temperature and supplying a third prewet liquid at room temperature as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0175] When the first prewet liquid heated to a temperature higher than room temperature is supplied, the substrate W can be heated to a relatively high temperature. When the second prewet liquid or the third prewet liquid at room temperature having a large temperature difference from the first prewet liquid is supplied, the substrate W may be warped due to a sudden change in its temperature.

[0176] Therefore, in another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the substrate W can be processed by supplying a first prewetting liquid heated to a temperature higher than room temperature and supplying a chemical at room temperature, but by controlling the temperature of the second prewetting liquid or the third prewetting liquid to a temperature lower than the temperature of the first prewetting liquid and higher than room temperature (for example, higher than the temperature of the chemical), the warping phenomenon caused by the above-mentioned sudden temperature change can be suppressed.

[0177] For this purpose, Fig.15 As shown, a first lower medium-temperature liquid supply source 421d may be further installed in the first lower liquid supply line 421a. The first lower medium-temperature liquid supply source 421d may be configured to supply medium-temperature pre-wetting liquid or medium-temperature wetting liquid. The first lower medium-temperature liquid supply source 421d may be configured to supply isopropyl alcohol at a temperature lower than that of the first lower high-temperature liquid supply source 421b and higher than that of the first lower low-temperature liquid supply source 421c.

[0178] Furthermore, if Fig.16 As shown, the first upper nozzle 451 can be further connected to a first upper medium temperature liquid supply line 458 and a first upper medium temperature liquid supply source 458a. The first upper medium temperature liquid supply source 458a can be configured to supply medium temperature pre-wetting liquid or medium temperature wetting liquid. The first upper medium temperature liquid supply source 458a can be configured to supply isopropyl alcohol at a temperature lower than the first upper high temperature liquid supply source 456a and higher than the first upper low temperature liquid supply source 457a.

[0179] In some cases, it is also possible to consider reducing the temperature of the substrate W from high temperature to medium temperature without adding the first lower medium temperature liquid supply source 421d, the first upper medium temperature liquid supply line 458 and the first upper medium temperature liquid supply source 458a.

[0180] For example, Fig.17 As shown, in the first pre-wetting operation S11, high-temperature isopropyl alcohol is supplied to the top surface of the substrate W and the high-temperature isopropyl alcohol is supplied to the bottom surface, and in the second pre-wetting operation S12 or the third pre-wetting operation S13, high-temperature isopropyl alcohol of the same temperature as that of the first pre-wetting operation S11 is supplied to the top surface of the substrate W, and deionized water as a low-temperature pre-wetting liquid is supplied to the bottom surface of the substrate W.

[0181] The high temperature isopropyl alcohol supplied to the top surface of the substrate W has low surface tension, so the high temperature isopropyl alcohol directly penetrates into the space between the patterns formed on the top surface of the substrate W, and the low temperature deionized water supplied to the bottom surface of the substrate W lowers the temperature of the substrate W, which indirectly lowers the temperature of the high temperature isopropyl alcohol supplied to the top surface of the substrate W.

[0182] In this case, the high-temperature isopropyl alcohol directly supplied to the top surface of the substrate W is indirectly cooled by the low-temperature deionized water supplied to the bottom surface of the substrate W after penetrating into the space between the patterns formed on the top surface of the substrate W, thereby obtaining the advantage of the excellent penetration ability of the isopropyl alcohol and avoiding the evaporation phenomenon of the high-temperature isopropyl alcohol. In addition, by changing the temperature of the substrate W to a medium temperature, the occurrence of the warping phenomenon of the substrate W caused by the subsequent supply of room temperature chemicals can be minimized. It is also advantageous that, while maintaining the supply of high-temperature isopropyl alcohol to the top surface of the substrate W, the change from the first pre-wetting operation S11 to the second pre-wetting operation S12 or the third pre-wetting operation S13 can be continuously performed by only changing the pre-wetting liquid supplied to the bottom surface of the substrate W.

[0183] In the above example, the present invention has been described based on the case where the first upper nozzle 451, the second upper nozzle 461, and the third upper nozzle 471 are all coupled to the separate arms 452 and 462, or the fixing rod 472 as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Fig.18 As shown, the liquid processing chamber 400 may include an upper liquid supply unit 480, and the upper liquid supply unit 480 may include a first upper nozzle 483, a second upper nozzle 484, and a third upper nozzle 485. The first upper nozzle 483, the second upper nozzle 484, and the third upper nozzle 485 may perform the same or similar functions as the first upper nozzle 451, the second upper nozzle 461, and the third upper nozzle 471 described above.

[0184] Further, the upper liquid supply unit 480 includes a guide rail 481 extending in a horizontal direction and mounted on the top side of the support unit 410 and a movable body 482 connected to the guide rail 481 and configured to be laterally movable, and the first upper nozzle 483, the second upper nozzle 484 and the third upper nozzle 485 can all be set while being connected to the movable body 482.

[0185] In the above example, the present invention has been described based on the case where the prewet liquid and the chemical are supplied to the top and bottom surfaces of the substrate W in the first prewet operation S11, the second prewet operation S12, and the chemical treatment operation S13 as an example, but is not limited thereto. For example, in the first prewet operation S11, the second prewet operation S12, and the chemical treatment operation S13, the prewet liquid and the chemical may be supplied only to the top surface of the substrate W.

[0186] In the above example, the present invention has been described based on the case where the same type of pre-wetting liquid and chemical are supplied to the top and bottom surfaces of the substrate W in the first pre-wetting operation S11, the second pre-wetting operation S12, and the chemical treatment operation S13 as an example, but is not limited thereto. For example, in the first pre-wetting operation S11, the second pre-wetting operation S12, and the chemical treatment operation S13, different types of pre-wetting liquids and chemicals may be supplied to the top and bottom surfaces of the substrate W. For example, in the first pre-wetting operation S11, the first pre-wetting liquid (which is high-temperature isopropyl alcohol) may be supplied to the top surface of the substrate W, and the first pre-wetting liquid (which is high-temperature deionized water) may be supplied to the bottom surface of the substrate W.

[0187] In the above example, the present invention has been described as an example based on the case where the first upper nozzle 451 is configured to provide both high temperature isopropyl alcohol and low temperature isopropyl alcohol, but is not limited thereto. For example, the first upper supply unit 450 may have a first nozzle for supplying high temperature isopropyl alcohol and a second nozzle for supplying low temperature isopropyl alcohol. In this case, the first pre-wetting operation S11 in which the first nozzle supplies high temperature isopropyl alcohol and the second pre-wetting operation S12 in which the second nozzle supplies low temperature isopropyl alcohol may partially overlap so as to provide an uninterrupted transition from the first pre-wetting operation S11 to the second pre-wetting operation S12. During the overlap, the first nozzle may move in a direction away from the center of the substrate W, and the second nozzle may move in a direction from the periphery of the substrate W toward the center of the substrate W.

[0188] It should be understood that what is disclosed herein is an exemplary embodiment, and other variations are possible. The individual elements or features of a particular exemplary embodiment are generally not limited to that particular exemplary embodiment, but are interchangeable, and even if not specifically illustrated or described, may be used for a selected exemplary embodiment where applicable. These modifications should not be considered as departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and all modifications obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for processing a substrate, the method comprising: a first pre-wetting operation of supplying a first pre-wetting liquid to the rotating substrate; a second pre-wetting operation, the second pre-wetting operation supplying a second pre-wetting liquid to the rotating substrate, the second pre-wetting liquid having a temperature different from that of the first pre-wetting liquid, the second pre-wetting operation being performed after the first pre-wetting operation; as well as A chemical treatment operation of supplying a chemical to the rotating substrate, the chemical being a liquid of a different type from the first pre-wet liquid and the second pre-wet liquid, the chemical treatment operation being performed after the second pre-wet operation.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The temperature of the first pre-wetting liquid is higher than the temperature of the second pre-wetting liquid.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The first pre-wetting liquid is an organic solvent provided at a temperature higher than room temperature.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein: The first pre-wet liquid is isopropyl alcohol provided at a temperature above room temperature.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein: The first pre-wetting liquid is isopropyl alcohol provided at a temperature of 30°C to 80°C.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The second pre-wetting liquid is isopropyl alcohol or deionized water.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The second pre-wet liquid is provided at a temperature of 10°C to 25°C.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The temperature of the second pre-wet liquid is lower than the temperature of the first pre-wet liquid and higher than the temperature of the chemical.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: A third pre-wetting operation of supplying a third pre-wetting liquid to the rotating substrate, the third pre-wetting liquid being different from the second pre-wetting liquid, the third pre-wetting operation being performed between the second pre-wetting operation and the chemical treatment operation.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein: The second pre-wetting liquid is isopropyl alcohol, and The third pre-wetting liquid is deionized water.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The temperature of the third pre-wetting liquid is closer to the temperature of the second pre-wetting liquid than to the temperature of the first pre-wetting liquid.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The temperature of the second prewetting liquid supplied in the second prewetting operation is higher than a temperature of the chemical and lower than the temperature of the first prewetting liquid.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The second prewetting operation includes supplying the second prewetting liquid at a first temperature to a top surface of the rotating substrate and supplying the second prewetting liquid at a second temperature to a bottom surface of the rotating substrate, the second temperature being different from the first temperature.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein: In the second prewetting operation, the first temperature of the second prewetting liquid supplied to the top surface of the substrate is the same as the temperature of the first prewetting liquid.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: a liquid film forming operation of supplying a wetting liquid to the rotating substrate to form a liquid film, the liquid film forming operation being performed after the chemical processing operation; as well as A drying operation of supplying a supercritical fluid to the substrate on which the liquid film has been formed to dry the substrate is performed after the liquid film forming operation.

16. A manufacturing method, the method comprising: a first pre-wetting operation of supplying heated isopropyl alcohol to the patterned wafer to pre-wet the wafer; a second pre-wetting operation, the second pre-wetting operation being after the first pre-wetting operation, supplying isopropyl alcohol or deionized water at room temperature to the wafer; a chemical treatment operation, the chemical treatment operation supplying chemicals to the wafer after the second pre-wetting operation; as well as A drying operation is performed to dry the wafer by supplying a supercritical fluid to the wafer on which the chemical processing operation has been performed.

17. The manufacturing method according to claim 16, wherein: The chemical is selected from the following: a substance containing sulfuric acid, a substance containing ammonia water, a substance containing hydrofluoric acid or a substance containing phosphoric acid.

18. An apparatus for processing a substrate, the apparatus comprising: A supporting unit, the supporting unit being used to support the substrate; at least one supply unit for supplying a heated first pre-wetting liquid, a second pre-wetting liquid having a lower temperature than the first pre-wetting liquid, and a chemical having a lower temperature than the first pre-wetting liquid to the substrate supported on the supporting unit; as well as a controller, the controller being used to control the supporting unit and the supplying unit, Wherein, the controller controls the supporting unit and the supply unit so that Any one of the supply units supplies the first pre-wetting liquid to the substrate supported on the support unit, Any one of the supply units supplies the second pre-wetting liquid to the substrate supported on the support unit, and Any one of the supply units supplies the chemical to the substrate supported on the support unit.

19. The device according to claim 18, wherein: The first pre-wetting liquid and the second pre-wetting liquid are configured to be supplied from a single nozzle.

20. The device according to claim 18, wherein The first pre-wetting liquid and the second pre-wetting liquid are configured to be supplied from different nozzles.

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