Substrate processing method and substrate processing system

Abstract

The present invention provides a substrate processing method and a substrate processing system, which transports a substrate in a state where an organic solvent is stacked on a surface of the substrate subjected to wet processing from a wet processing device to a supercritical processing device, and dries the substrate using a processing fluid in a supercritical state, thereby reducing the consumption of the processing fluid and reducing environmental burden while providing throughput. The substrate processing method of the present invention performs at least one of a first vibration additional process of applying vibration to the substrate after the formation of the liquid stacking state in the wet processing device, a second vibration additional process of applying vibration to the substrate in the substrate transport device, and a third vibration additional process of applying vibration to the substrate before the substrate is brought into contact with the processing fluid in the supercritical state in the supercritical processing device. Thereby, the liquid remaining on the pattern is mixed with the organic solvent until the substrate comes into contact with the processing fluid in the supercritical state, and becomes a non-residual liquid.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to a technique of drying a substrate in a processing chamber, and particularly to a process of processing a substrate covered with a liquid film using a processing fluid in a supercritical state.

[0002] The disclosure in the specification, drawings, and claims of Japanese Patent Application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety:

[0003] JP Application No. 2023-138193 (filed on August 28, 2023). BACKGROUND

[0004] A processing procedure of various substrates such as semiconductor substrates, glass substrates for display devices, and the like includes a procedure of processing a surface of a substrate using various processing fluids. Since the past, wet processing using a liquid such as a chemical liquid or a rinse liquid as a processing fluid has been widely performed. In recent years, processing using a processing fluid in a supercritical state has also been put into practical use in order to dry a substrate after the wet processing. This is particularly advantageous in drying processing of a substrate having a patterned surface on which a fine pattern is formed. This is because a processing fluid in a supercritical state has a property of having a low surface tension and entering a deep gap of a pattern compared to a liquid. By using the processing fluid, drying processing can be efficiently performed. In addition, it is also possible to reduce the risk of occurrence of pattern collapse due to surface tension at the time of drying.

[0005] For example, in a substrate processing system described in JP Publication No. 2013-201302, a substrate developing device is provided as an example of the "wet processing device" of the present application. In the substrate developing device, as a final processing in the device, IPA (isopropyl alcohol) liquid as an example of the "organic solvent" of the present application is supplied to a substrate wetted with a rinse liquid. Thereby, IPA replacement is performed, and the rinse liquid is removed from the surface of the substrate. In addition, a liquid-accumulation (liquid accumulation) state in which the IPA liquid is stacked on the surface of the substrate is formed. That is, a liquid film containing the IPA liquid is formed in a paddle shape. As a result, the surface of the substrate is maintained in a state wetted with the IPA liquid. Then, the substrate is carried to a substrate drying device as an example of the "supercritical processing device" of the present application by a substrate carrying device while maintaining the liquid-accumulation state, and drying processing based on a processing fluid in a supercritical state is performed on the substrate. SUMMARY

[0006] In a wet processing apparatus such as a substrate developing apparatus or a substrate cleaning apparatus, it is desirable to completely discharge a liquid such as a rinse liquid from the inside of a pattern by IPA displacement. However, sometimes the liquid remains on the inner bottom surface of the pattern. If the substrate is carried into a substrate drying apparatus (supercritical processing apparatus) in a state where the liquid remains as described above (hereinafter referred to as "residual liquid") and supercritical drying processing is performed, sometimes the following problem occurs. That is, displacement of the liquid component constituting the liquid film from the processing fluid in a supercritical state is not easily complete. Therefore, in order to cope with this problem, a countermeasure is considered in which the amount of use of the processing fluid is increased. However, this results in an increase in the running cost, and a large environmental burden is placed on society.

[0007] In addition, sometimes even if the amount of use of the processing fluid is increased, the residual liquid remains directly on the inner bottom surface of the pattern, which becomes a factor of pattern collapse. For this reason, the presence of the residual liquid becomes one of the main causes of a decrease in product yield.

[0008] The present application has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a technology in which, in a substrate processing system in which a substrate in a state where an organic solvent is stacked on the surface of a substrate subjected to wet processing is carried from a wet processing apparatus to a supercritical processing apparatus and the substrate is dried using a processing fluid in a supercritical state, it is possible to improve the yield while reducing the consumption amount of the processing fluid and reducing the environmental burden.

[0009] One aspect of the present application is a substrate processing method of drying a substrate having a pattern formation surface on which a pattern is formed, and a liquid substrate attached to the pattern formation surface, the substrate processing method including: (a) a step of forming a liquid-stacked state in which an organic solvent is stacked on the pattern formation surface after the liquid is displaced to the organic solvent by supplying the organic solvent to the pattern formation surface in a wet processing apparatus; (b) a step of carrying the substrate in the liquid-stacked state from the wet processing apparatus to a supercritical processing apparatus; (c) a step of drying the substrate by bringing the pattern formation surface in the liquid-stacked state into contact with a processing fluid in a supercritical state in the supercritical processing apparatus; and (d) a step of mixing the liquid remaining in the pattern with the organic solvent by applying vibration to the substrate while maintaining the liquid-stacked state before the pattern formation surface is brought into contact with the processing fluid in the supercritical state.

[0010] Further, another aspect of the present application is a substrate processing system for drying a substrate having a patterned surface on which a pattern is formed, and on which a liquid is attached, the substrate processing system comprising: a wet processing device which forms a liquid-heap state in which the organic solvent is stacked on the patterned surface by supplying an organic solvent to the patterned surface after replacing the liquid with the organic solvent; a supercritical processing device which dries the substrate by bringing the patterned surface in the liquid-heap state into contact with a processing fluid in a supercritical state; a substrate transfer device which transfers the substrate in the liquid-heap state from the wet processing device to the supercritical processing device; and a control device which controls the wet processing device, the transfer device, and the supercritical processing device in such a manner that at least one of a first vibration addition process of applying vibration to the substrate after forming the liquid-heap state in the wet processing device, a second vibration addition process of applying vibration to the substrate in the substrate transfer device, and a third vibration addition process of applying vibration to the substrate before bringing the patterned surface into contact with the processing fluid in the supercritical state in the supercritical processing device is executed.

[0011] In the application thus configured, after the liquid attached to the patterned surface of the substrate is replaced with the organic solvent, a liquid film of the organic solvent is formed in the liquid-heap state (paddle state). Here, if the liquid remains on the inner bottom surface of the pattern, the remaining liquid becomes a factor that causes an increase in consumption of the processing fluid or a decrease in yield of the product. Therefore, in the present application, vibration is added to the substrate in the liquid-heap state before the patterned surface of the substrate is brought into contact with the processing fluid in the supercritical state. Thus, the liquid remaining on the pattern is moved and diffused to mix with the organic solvent. As a result, the drying process based on the processing fluid in the supercritical state is executed in a state in which no liquid remains on the inner bottom surface of the pattern, that is, so-called no-remaining liquid.

[0012] Effects of the Invention

[0013] As described above, according to the present application, the supercritical drying process can be executed with no remaining liquid. As a result, the consumption amount of the processing fluid can be reduced and the yield can be improved.

[0014] The plurality of components of each aspect of the present application described above are not all necessary, and in order to solve part or all of the problems described above or to achieve part or all of the effects described in the present specification, it is possible to change, delete, replace with a new other component, or delete part of the limitation of part of the plurality of components. In addition, in order to solve part or all of the problems described above or to achieve part or all of the effects described in the present specification, it is also possible to combine part or all of the technical features included in one aspect of the present application described above with part or all of the technical features included in another aspect of the present application described above as an independent one aspect of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline configuration of a substrate processing system according to a first embodiment of the present application.

[0016] Figure 2A FIG. 2 is a side view showing an overall configuration of a wet processing apparatus.

[0017] Figure 2B FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an operation of the wet processing apparatus.

[0018] Figure 3 FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration and an operation of a chuck pin.

[0019] Figure 4 FIG. 5 is a side view showing a configuration of a supercritical processing apparatus.

[0020] Figure 5 FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a support tray.

[0021] Figure 6 FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an outline of a process performed by the substrate processing system according to the first embodiment.

[0022] Figure 7 FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a change in pressure in a processing chamber.

[0023] Figure 8 FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an outline of a process performed by a substrate processing system according to a fifth embodiment.

[0024] Figure 9 FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an outline of a process performed by a substrate processing system according to a sixth embodiment.

[0025] In the drawings, the following reference numerals are used:

[0026] 1 substrate processing system

[0027] 2 wet processing apparatus

[0028] 3 substrate conveyance apparatus

[0029] 4 supercritical processing apparatus

[0030] 9 control apparatus

[0031] 412 processing chamber (of the supercritical processing apparatus)

[0032] 21 substrate holding portion

[0033] 30 conveyance robot

[0034] 31 hand

[0035] 95 wet processing control portion

[0036] 96. Transport Control Department

[0037] 97 Supercritical Processing Control Unit

[0038] 212 Chuck pin

[0039] 415 Support tray

[0040] AX axis of rotation

[0041] D radial

[0042] LF liquid film

[0043] PT pattern

[0044] S substrate

[0045] Sa upper surface (pattern forming surface)

[0046] Z vertical direction Detailed Implementation

[0047] Figure 1 This diagram illustrates a schematic configuration of a first embodiment of the substrate processing system of the present invention. This substrate processing system 1 is, for example, a processing system for supplying a processing liquid to the upper surface of various substrates such as semiconductor wafers to perform wet processing on the substrate, and subsequently drying the substrate, having a system configuration preferred for implementing the substrate processing method of the present invention. The main components of the substrate processing system 1 include a wet processing apparatus 2, a substrate conveying apparatus 3, a supercritical processing apparatus 4, and a control device 9.

[0048] The wet processing apparatus 2 accepts the substrate to be processed and performs a prescribed wet processing. The content of the processing is not particularly limited. The wet processing includes developing a substrate using a developing process or cleaning a substrate with a chemical solution, as described above, forming a liquid layer on the patterned surface of the substrate containing organic solvents such as IPA solution. The substrate transport device 3 maintains the liquid layer state while transporting the substrate from the wet processing apparatus 2 and then into the supercritical processing apparatus 4. The supercritical processing apparatus 4 performs a drying process using a supercritical fluid (supercritical drying process) on the transported substrate. All of these processes are performed within a cleanroom. Therefore, the substrate transport device 3 transports the substrate S under ambient gas and atmospheric pressure.

[0049] The control device 9 controls the operation of each of these devices to achieve a prescribed process. For this purpose, the control device 9 has a CPU 91, a memory 92, a storage 93, an interface 94, and the like. The CPU 91 executes various control programs. The memory 92 temporarily stores process data. The storage 93 stores control programs executed by the CPU 91. The interface 94 exchanges information with a user or an external device. The operation of the devices described later is achieved by the CPU 91 executing control programs written in advance to the storage 93, causing each part of the devices to perform prescribed operations.

[0050] The control device 9 is caused to function as a wet process control section 95 that controls the operation of the wet process device 2, a conveyance control section 96 that controls the operation of the substrate conveyance device 3, a supercritical process control section 97 that controls the operation of the supercritical process device 4, and the like by the CPU 91 executing prescribed control programs. In addition, at least a part of each of these functional blocks can also be configured using dedicated hardware.

[0051] As the "substrate" in the present embodiment, various substrates such as semiconductor wafers, glass substrates for photomasks, glass substrates for liquid crystal displays, glass substrates for plasma displays, substrates for FEDs (Field Emission Displays), substrates for optical disks, substrates for magnetic disks, and substrates for optical magnetic disks can be applied. Hereinafter, a substrate processing device used for processing of a disc-shaped semiconductor wafer will be mainly described with reference to the drawings. However, the processing of the various substrates exemplified above can also be applied. In addition, various shapes of substrates can also be applied.

[0052] In addition, in the following description, a substrate having a pattern formed on only one main surface will be exemplified. Here, the side of the main surface on which the pattern and the like are formed will be referred to as the "front surface", and the side of the main surface on which no pattern is formed will be referred to as the "back surface". In addition, the main surface of the substrate facing downward will be referred to as the "lower surface", and the main surface of the substrate facing upward will be referred to as the "upper surface". Hereinafter, the upper surface will be described as the front surface.

[0053] Figure 2A and Figure 2B is a view showing a configuration example of the wet process device. More specifically, Figure 2A is a side view showing the overall configuration of the wet process device, Figure 2B is a view for explaining the operation of the wet process device. The wet process device 2 is a device that supplies a process liquid to the upper surface of a substrate S to process the substrate. The operation of the wet process device 2 is controlled by the wet process control section 95 of the control device 9.

[0054] The wet processing apparatus 2 supplies a processing liquid to the surface (pattern formation surface) Sa of the substrate S to perform wet processing such as surface processing, cleaning, and the like of the substrate S. For this purpose, the wet processing apparatus 2 has a substrate holding portion 21, a splash guard 22, and processing liquid supply portions 23, 24 in the inside of the processing chamber 200. These operations are controlled by a wet processing control portion 95 provided in the control apparatus 9. The substrate holding portion 21 is provided with a rotary chuck 211 having a circular plate shape with substantially the same diameter as the substrate S, and a plurality of chuck pins 212 are provided at the peripheral edge portion of the rotary chuck 211.

[0055] Figure 3 is a view schematically showing the configuration and operation of the chuck pin, and (a) in the same figure shows the chuck pin in the engaged state (clamped state), and (b) in the same figure shows the chuck pin in the disengaged state (released state). Although not shown in the drawing, in the present embodiment, 12 chuck pins 212 are provided radially about the rotational axis AX of the rotary chuck 211. Each of the chuck pins 212 is disposed movably in the radial direction D on the upper surface of the peripheral edge portion of the rotary chuck 211. The "radial direction D" referred to herein means the longitudinal direction of the imaginary line connecting the rotational axis AX and the chuck pin 212.

[0056] The plurality of chuck pins 212 have the same configuration. Therefore, hereinafter, the configuration of one chuck pin 212 will be described, and the same reference numerals will be assigned to the respective portions of the other chuck pins 212, and the description thereof will be omitted. The chuck pin 212 has a chuck abutment surface 212a as shown in Figure 3 The chuck abutment surface 212a is movable in the radial direction D on the upper surface of the peripheral edge portion of the rotary chuck 211. Above the chuck abutment surface 212a, the chuck pin 212 has a lower abutment surface 212b. The lower abutment surface 212b is inclined downward as it approaches the direction (+D) toward the rotational axis AX. A curved abutment surface 212c is provided upward from the end portion on the (-D) direction side of the lower abutment surface 212b. The curved abutment surface 212c is finally formed as a curved surface toward the rotational axis AX. Further, an upper abutment surface 212d is provided extending upward from the upper end of the curved abutment surface 212c. The upper abutment surface 212d is inclined upward as it approaches the direction (+D) toward the rotational axis AX. In more detail, as shown in Figure 3As shown, the curved abutment surface 212c is directly continuous with the upper abutment surface 212d and the lower abutment surface 212b in a state disposed between the upper abutment surface 212d and the lower abutment surface 212b. Therefore, if the substrate abutment site 212e, at which the upper abutment surface 212d, the curved abutment surface 212c, and the lower abutment surface 212b are continuous and abut against the substrate S, is viewed from a horizontal direction orthogonal to the radial direction D, the substrate abutment site 212e has a substantially C-shaped shape. That is, the chuck pin 212 is capable of reciprocating along the radial direction D in a state in which the substrate abutment site 212e is directed toward the rotational axis AX.

[0057] The chuck pin 212 is connected to a chuck drive section 215. The chuck drive section 215 moves the chuck pin 212 in the radial direction D in accordance with an instruction from the wet processing control section 95. For example, at the time of handover of the substrate S between the substrate transfer device 3 and the like, as shown in (b) of FIG. 8, the chuck drive section 215 moves the chuck pin 212 in the direction (-D) to position the chuck pin 212 in a non-engagement position (an example of the "release position" of the present application). At this time, the curved abutment surface 212c and the upper abutment surface 212d are separated from the rotational axis AX by a distance slightly greater than the radius of the substrate S. On the other hand, the lower abutment surface 212b is positioned below the substrate S. Therefore, the substrate S is supported only by the lower abutment surface 212b as shown in (b) of FIG. 8, and is supported at a position in the lower abutment surface 212b separated from the curved abutment surface 212c in the direction (+D). Figure 3

[0058] On the other hand, at the time of engagement of the substrate S, as shown in (a) of FIG. 8, the chuck drive section 215 moves the chuck pin 212 in the direction (+D) to position the chuck pin 212 in an engagement position (an example of the "clamping position" of the present application). By moving the chuck pin 212 from the non-engagement position to the engagement position in this way, the support position of the substrate S on the lower abutment surface 212b is displaced in the direction (-D). If the movement of the chuck pin 212 to the engagement position is completed, the substrate S is supported by the lower abutment surface 212b, the curved abutment surface 212c, and the upper abutment surface 212d. That is, the engagement of the substrate S is completed. Figure 3

[0059] At the time of release of the engagement of the substrate S, the chuck pin 212 is moved in the reverse order to the above, and the support position of the substrate S on the lower abutment surface 212b is displaced in the direction (+D).

[0060] ​​Furthermore, by moving the support position of the substrate S on the lower contact surface 212b radially D, the height position of the substrate S in the vertical direction Z is displaced by only a distance dz. Therefore, if the wet processing control unit 95 gives the chuck drive unit 215 a reciprocating movement command, the chuck pin 212 reciprocates radially D and synchronously and repeatedly raises and lowers the substrate S. In other words, it is possible to provide vibration in the vertical direction relative to the substrate S. In this embodiment, the object of the present invention is achieved by utilizing this vibration. This will be explained in detail later along with the description of the operation of the substrate processing system 1.

[0061] Return to Figure 2A as well as Figure 2B The configuration of the wet processing apparatus 2 will continue to be described. The rotary chuck 211 is supported by a rotary spindle 213 extending downwards from the center of its lower surface, ensuring its upper surface is horizontal. The rotary spindle 213 is supported by a rotary mechanism 214 mounted at the bottom of the processing chamber 200. The rotary mechanism 214 contains a rotary motor (not shown), which rotates according to control commands from the control device 9, causing the rotary chuck 211, directly connected to the rotary spindle 213, to rotate about the rotation axis AX, indicated by a dashed line. In Figure 2, the vertical direction is indicated by the up-down direction. Thus, the substrate S maintains a horizontal orientation while rotating about the rotation axis AX.

[0062] A splash guard 22 is provided to surround the substrate holding portion 21 from the side. The splash guard 22 has a generally cylindrical cup portion 221 that covers the periphery of the rotating chuck 211, and a liquid receiving portion 222 located below the outer periphery of the cup portion 221. The cup portion 221 moves up and down according to control commands from the control device 9. The cup portion 221 moves up and down between a lower position and an upper position, such as the lower position... Figure 2A The upper end of the cup portion 221 is lowered to a position below the periphery of the substrate S held in the rotating chuck 211, as shown in the figure. Figure 2B The upper end of the cup portion 221 is located above the periphery of the substrate S.

[0063] When the cup portion 221 is in the lower position, such as Figure 2A As shown, the substrate S held by the rotary chuck 211 is in a state where it protrudes outward toward the cup portion 221. For this purpose, for example, it is to prevent the cup portion 221 from causing an obstruction when the substrate S is being moved into and out of the rotary chuck 211.

[0064] Additionally, when the cup portion 221 is in the upper position, such as Figure 2BAs shown, the peripheral portion of the substrate S, held by the rotating chuck 211, is surrounded. This prevents the processing liquid ejected from the peripheral portion of the substrate S during the liquid supply process (described later) from splashing into the chamber 200, allowing for reliable recovery of the processing liquid. Specifically, droplets of processing liquid ejected from the peripheral portion of the substrate S by rotating the substrate S adhere to the inner wall of the cup portion 221 and flow downwards, where they are collected and recovered by the liquid receiving portion 222 located below the cup portion 221. Multiple cup portions are provided concentrically for the independent recovery of various processing liquids.

[0065] The processing fluid supply unit 23 has a structure in which a nozzle 234 is mounted at the front end of an arm 233 that extends horizontally from a rotating main shaft 232 rotatably mounted relative to a base 231 fixed to the processing chamber 200. By rotating the rotating main shaft 232 according to a control command from the control device 9, the arm 233 is rocked, and the nozzle 234 at the front end of the arm 233... Figure 2A The retraction position shown is the one that retracts laterally from the top of the substrate S, and as shown in the figure. Figure 2B The processing position above the substrate S shown moves between different locations.

[0066] Nozzle 234 is connected to processing liquid supply source 238. When appropriate processing liquid is supplied from processing liquid supply source 238, processing liquid is sprayed from nozzle 234 toward substrate S. Figure 2B As shown, while rotating the rotating chuck 211 at a relatively low speed to rotate the substrate S, a processing liquid L1 is supplied from a nozzle 234 positioned above the center of rotation of the substrate S, thereby treating the surface Sa of the substrate S with the processing liquid L1. The processing liquid L1 can be any liquid with various functions such as developing solution, etching solution, cleaning solution, and rinsing solution, and its composition is arbitrary. Furthermore, multiple processing liquids can be combined to perform the processing.

[0067] Another set of processing liquid supply units 24 also has a configuration corresponding to the first processing liquid supply unit 23 described above. That is, the second processing liquid supply unit 24 has a base 241, a rotating spindle 242, an arm 243, a nozzle 244, etc., which are the same as the configuration corresponding to the first processing liquid supply unit 23. The rotating spindle 242 rotates according to the control command from the control device 9, thereby causing the arm 243 to rock. The nozzle 244 at the front end of the arm 243 supplies processing liquid relative to the surface Sa of the substrate S.

[0068] In this embodiment, the second processing liquid supply unit 24 is used for the purpose of forming a liquid film to prevent drying relative to the substrate S after wet processing. That is, the substrate S after wet processing is transported to the supercritical processing apparatus 4 to undergo supercritical drying processing, but in order to prevent the surface of the substrate S from being exposed and oxidized during transport, or the collapse of the fine patterns formed on the surface, the substrate S is transported with its surface covered by a paddle-shaped liquid film.

[0069] As the liquid constituting the liquid film, a substance having a smaller surface tension than the main component of the processing liquid used for the cleaning processing, i.e., water, such as an organic solvent such as isopropyl alcohol (IPA) or acetone, is used. These organic solvents are supplied from an organic solvent supply source 248.

[0070] Here, two sets of processing liquid supply portions are provided in the wet processing apparatus 2, but the number of processing liquid supply portions to be provided, the configuration thereof, and the function thereof are not limited thereto. For example, the processing liquid supply portions can be only one set, and three or more sets can also be provided. Further, one processing liquid supply portion can have a plurality of nozzles. For example, a plurality of nozzles can be provided at the tip of one arm portion. Further, not only a configuration in which the nozzles spray the processing liquid in a state of being positioned at a prescribed position can be included, but also a configuration in which the nozzles spray the processing liquid while moving in scanning along the surface Sa of the substrate S can be included.

[0071] Returning Figure 1 , the description will be continued. The substrate transfer apparatus 3 is provided with a transfer robot 30 having a hand portion 31 at the tip of an arm portion that is freely stretchable and rotatable. The hand portion 31 is capable of supporting the substrate by partially abutting against the lower surface of the substrate, as shown in FIG. 2, for example. Figure 1 As shown by the broken line, the hand portion 31 is freely movable in and out with respect to both the wet processing apparatus 2 and the supercritical processing apparatus 4. Thus, the substrate can be carried in and out with respect to the wet processing apparatus 2 and the supercritical processing apparatus 4, respectively. The operation of the transfer robot 30 is controlled by a transfer control portion 96 of the control apparatus 9. Such a transfer robot has many known technologies, and in the present embodiment, it can be appropriately selected and used, and thus, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0072] Figure 4 is a side view showing the configuration of the supercritical processing apparatus. The supercritical processing apparatus 4 is an apparatus that performs a drying process using a processing fluid in a supercritical state with respect to the substrate S after the wet processing. More specifically, the supercritical processing apparatus 4 is an apparatus for receiving the substrate S after the wet processing, discharging the processing fluid after the processing fluid in a supercritical state has replaced the liquid remaining on the substrate S, and thereby finally bringing the substrate S to a dry state.

[0073] The supercritical processing apparatus 4 has a processing unit 41, a transfer unit 43, and a supply unit 45. The processing unit 41 becomes the main body of execution of the supercritical drying process. The transfer unit 43 receives the substrate S after the wet processing carried by the substrate transfer apparatus 3 and carries it into the processing unit 41, and then delivers the processed substrate S from the processing unit 41 to an external transfer apparatus. The supply unit 45 supplies chemicals, power, energy, and the like required for the processing to the processing unit 41 and the transfer unit 43. These operations are controlled by the control apparatus 9, particularly by a supercritical processing control portion 97.

[0074] The processing unit 41 has a configuration in which the processing chamber 412 is mounted above the pedestal 411. The processing chamber 412 is composed of a combination of several metal blocks, the inside of which is hollow, constituting a processing space SP. A substrate S as a processing object is carried into the processing space SP and subjected to processing. An opening 421 in the form of a slit extending long in the X direction is formed in the (-Y) side surface of the processing chamber 412. The processing space SP is communicated with the outside space via the opening 421. The processing space SP has a cross-sectional shape substantially the same as the opening shape of the opening 421. That is, the processing space SP has a cross-sectional shape long in the X direction and short in the Z direction, and is a hollow extending in the Y direction.

[0075] In the (-Y) side surface of the processing chamber 412, a cover member 413 is provided in a manner to close the opening 421. The cover member 413 closes the opening 421 of the processing chamber 412, thereby constituting a gas-tight processing vessel. Thus, processing under high pressure can be performed with respect to the substrate S in the processing space SP inside. In the (+Y) side surface of the cover member 413, a flat plate-shaped support tray 415 is mounted in a horizontal posture. The upper surface of the support tray 415 becomes a support surface on which the substrate S can be placed. The cover member 413 is supported so as to be freely movable horizontally in the Y direction by a support mechanism not shown.

[0076] The cover member 413 is movable in and out with respect to the processing chamber 412 by a movement mechanism 453 provided in the supply unit 45. Specifically, the movement mechanism 453 has, for example, a linear motor, a direct-acting guide rail, a ball screw mechanism, a solenoid valve, a pneumatic cylinder, or the like. Such a direct-acting mechanism moves the cover member 413 in the Y direction. The movement mechanism 453 is actuated in accordance with a control command from the control device 9.

[0077] The cover member 413 is separated from the processing chamber 412 by moving in the (-Y) direction, and as shown by a broken line, if the support tray 415 is pulled out to the outside from the processing space SP via the opening 421, the support tray 415 can be contacted. That is, the substrate S can be placed on the support tray 415, and the substrate S placed on the support tray 415 can be taken out. On the other hand, by moving the cover member 413 in the (+Y) direction, the support tray 415 is housed in the processing space SP. In the case where the substrate S is placed on the support tray 415, the substrate S is carried into the processing space SP together with the support tray 415.

[0078] Figure 5is a perspective view showing the configuration of the support tray. The support tray 415 has a tray member 416, and a plurality of support pins 417. The tray member 416 has, for example, a configuration in which a recessed portion 418 having a diameter corresponding to the planar dimension of the substrate S, more specifically, a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the circular substrate S, is provided on the horizontal and flat upper surface of a flat-plate-like configuration body.

[0079] The recessed portion 418 extends locally to the side surface of the tray member 416. That is, the side wall surface of the recessed portion 418 is not circular, but is partially cut away. Therefore, in this cut-away portion, a part of the bottom surface 418a of the recessed portion 418 is directly connected to the side surface. In this example, such cut-away portions are provided at both ends in the X side and the (+Y) side end portions of the support tray 415, and in these portions, the bottom surface 418a is directly connected to the side surface.

[0080] Further, a through-hole 419 for the lift pin 437 of the transfer unit 43 to be inserted therethrough is provided at a position in the bottom surface 418a corresponding to the lift pin 437. By passing the lift pin 437 through the through-hole 419 and lifting, a state in which the substrate S is housed in the recessed portion 418, and a state in which it is lifted upward in this state are realized.

[0081] A plurality of support pins 417 are arranged at the peripheral portion of the recessed portion 418. The number of support pins 417 is arbitrary, but from the viewpoint of stably supporting the substrate S, it is preferable to provide three or more. In the present embodiment, three support pins 417 are installed to the tray member 416 in a manner of surrounding the bottom surface 418a when viewed from above. Figure 5 As shown in the partial enlarged view in FIG. 17, the support pin 417 has a height limiting portion 417a and a horizontal position limiting portion 417b.

[0082] The upper surface of the height limiting portion 417a is flat, and by abutting against the peripheral portion of the lower surface of the substrate S, the substrate S is supported and its position in the vertical direction Z (hereinafter referred to as "height position") is shown. On the other hand, the horizontal position limiting portion 417b extends upward from the upper end of the height limiting portion 417a, and abuts against the side surface of the substrate S, thereby limiting the position of the substrate S in the horizontal direction (XY direction). With this support pin 417, the substrate S is supported in a horizontal posture in which it is separated upward from the bottom surface 418a while opposing the bottom surface 418a of the recessed portion 418.

[0083] The lid member 413 closes the opening 421 by moving in the (+Y) direction, and the processing space SP is sealed. A seal member 422 is provided between the (+Y) side surface of the lid member 413 and the (-Y) side surface of the processing chamber 412, and the airtight state of the processing space SP is maintained. The seal member 422 is made of rubber, for example. In addition, the lid member 413 is fixed with respect to the processing chamber 412 by a lock mechanism not shown. In this way, in the present embodiment, the lid member 413 is switched between a closed state (solid line) in which the opening 421 is closed and the processing space SP is sealed, and a separated state (dotted line) in which the opening 421 is largely separated and the substrate S can be taken in and out.

[0084] In a state in which the airtight state of the processing space SP is ensured, processing on the substrate S is performed in the processing space SP. In the present embodiment, the fluid supply unit 45 is provided with a fluid supply section 457 that sends out a processing fluid, such as carbon dioxide, which is a substance that can be used for supercritical processing, as a processing fluid, and further pressurizes the processing fluid in the processing chamber 412, thereby achieving a supercritical state. The processing fluid is supplied to the processing unit 41 in a gaseous or liquid state. Carbon dioxide is a chemical substance that is preferable for supercritical dry processing because it becomes a supercritical state at a relatively low temperature and low pressure, and has a property of dissolving an organic solvent that is commonly used for substrate processing. The critical point at which carbon dioxide becomes a supercritical state is a gas pressure (critical pressure) of 7.38 MPa and a temperature (critical temperature) of 31.1°C.

[0085] The processing fluid is filled into the processing space SP, and when the processing space SP reaches an appropriate temperature and pressure, the processing space SP is filled with the processing fluid in a supercritical state. Thus, the substrate S is processed in the processing chamber 412 using the processing fluid in a supercritical state. The fluid supply section 457 and the fluid recovery section 455 are controlled by the supercritical processing control section 97.

[0086] The processing space SP has a shape and a volume that can accommodate the support tray 415 and the substrate S supported by the support tray 415. That is, the processing space SP has a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape that is larger than the width of the support tray 415 in the horizontal direction and larger than the height of the support tray 415 and the substrate S in the vertical direction, and a depth that can accommodate the support tray 415. In this way, the processing space SP has a shape and a volume that can only accommodate the support tray 415 and the substrate S. However, the gap between the support tray 415 and the substrate S and the inner wall surface of the processing space SP is small. Therefore, the amount of processing fluid required to fill the processing space SP is relatively small.

[0087] The fluid supply section 457 supplies the processing fluid to the processing space SP on the (+Y) side relative to the (+Y) side end portion of the substrate S. On the other hand, the fluid recovery section 455 discharges the processing fluid flowing in the space above the substrate S and the space below the support tray 415 in the processing space SP on the (-Y) side relative to the (-Y) side end portion of the substrate S. Thus, in the processing space SP, the laminar flow of the processing fluid from the (+Y) side toward the (-Y) side is formed above the substrate S and below the support tray 415, respectively.

[0088] The supercritical processing control section 97 of the control device 9 determines the pressure and the temperature in the processing space SP based on the detection results of a detection section not shown, and controls the fluid supply section 457 and the fluid recovery section 455 based on the results thereof. Thus, the supply of the processing fluid to the processing space SP and the discharge of the processing fluid from the processing space SP are appropriately managed, and are adjusted according to the processing procedure for achieving the prescribed pressure and the temperature in the processing space SP.

[0089] The transfer unit 43 is responsible for the handover of the substrate S between the substrate conveyance device 3 and the support tray 415. To achieve this, the transfer unit 43 has a main body 431, a lifting member 433, a base member 435, and a plurality of lifting pins 437. The lifting member 433 is a columnar member extending in the Z direction, and is movably supported in the Z direction relative to the main body 431 by a support mechanism not shown. The base member 435 having a substantially horizontal upper surface is installed on the upper portion of the lifting member 433. The plurality of lifting pins 437 are vertically erected from the upper surface of the base member 435. The lifting pins 437 respectively support the substrate S in a horizontal attitude from below by abutting the upper end portions thereof against the lower surface of the substrate S. In order to stably support the substrate S in a horizontal attitude, it is preferable to provide three or more lifting pins 437 having equal heights of the upper end portions.

[0090] The lifting member 433 is capable of being lifted by a lifting mechanism 451 provided to the supply unit 45. Specifically, the lifting mechanism 451 has, for example, a linear motor, a direct drive guide rail, a ball screw mechanism, a solenoid valve, an air cylinder, or the like, and such a direct drive mechanism moves the lifting member 433 in the Z direction. The lifting mechanism 451 operates in accordance with a control command from the control device 9.

[0091] The base member 435 is moved up and down by the lifting of the lifting member 433, and the plurality of lifting pins 437 are integrally moved up and down therewith. Thus, the handover of the substrate S between the transfer unit 43 and the support tray 415 is achieved. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the substrate S is supported in a horizontal attitude by the plurality of lifting pins 437 of the transfer unit 43, and the substrate S is moved to the support tray 415. Then, the substrate S is supported in a horizontal attitude by the plurality of lifting pins 437 of the support tray 415, and the substrate S is moved to the substrate conveyance device 3. Figure 5As shown by a dotted line, the substrate S is handed over in a state where the support tray 415 is pulled out to the outside of the chamber. To achieve this, the support tray 415 is provided with a through-hole 419 for the insertion of the lift pin 437. When the base member 435 is raised, the upper end of the lift pin 437 passes through the through-hole 419 to above the upper surface of the support tray 415. In this state, the substrate S carried by the transfer robot 30 is handed over from the hand 31 of the transfer robot 30 with respect to the lift pin 437. By lowering the lift pin 437, the substrate S is handed over from the lift pin 437 to the support tray 415. The carrying-out of the substrate S can be performed in the reverse order of the above.

[0092] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an outline of processing performed by the substrate processing system of the first embodiment. The substrate processing system 1 receives a substrate S as a processing target, and sequentially performs a wet processing using a processing liquid and a supercritical drying processing using a supercritical processing fluid. Specifically, the following steps S101 to S111 are performed. The substrate S as the processing target is housed in the wet processing apparatus 2 that constitutes the substrate processing system 1 (step S101). The carrying-in of the substrate S can be performed directly by an external carrying apparatus, or can be performed by the carrying-in of the substrate S by the transfer robot 30 from the external carrying apparatus.

[0093] The wet processing apparatus 2 performs the wet processing on the substrate S using a prescribed processing liquid (step S102). In this wet processing, after a prescribed processing is performed by supplying a developer, a cleaning liquid, or the like, a rinsing liquid such as DIW (De-ionized water) is supplied to the surface Sa of the substrate S. Therefore, immediately after the wet processing is completed, the rinsing liquid is attached to the surface Sa of the substrate S as an example of the "liquid" of the present application. Then, after the wet processing, an organic solvent such as IPA is supplied to the substrate S, whereby the rinsing liquid attached to the surface Sa of the substrate S is replaced with the organic solvent, and a liquid-heap state in which the organic solvent is stacked is formed. That is, a liquid film LF is formed on the surface Sa of the substrate S (step S103: liquid film formation processing).

[0094] The technical significance of the liquid film formation process is as follows. When a DIW (distilled water) is present inside a pattern PT formed, for example, on the surface Sa of a substrate S, there is a concern that the surface tension of the DIW may cause the pattern PT to collapse. Furthermore, watermarks may sometimes remain on the surface Sa of the substrate S due to incomplete drying. Moreover, the surface Sa of the substrate S may sometimes undergo oxidation or other deterioration due to contact with external air. To prevent these problems, an organic solvent is used to cover the surface Sa of the substrate S. As the organic solvent, a liquid with lower surface tension than the DIW and lower corrosivity to the substrate S is preferred, such as IPA, acetone, or other solvents that are compatible with the DIW. The following describes the case where DIW is used as the rinsing solution and IPA is used as the organic solvent.

[0095] Here, when the displacement to IPA is well performed, the liquid film LF is constructed using only IPA, or a mixture of IPA and DIW. In this case, no DIW remains on the inner bottom surface of the pattern PT. However, in reality, as... Figure 6 As shown in the upper right image, sometimes residual liquid (DIW) remains on the inner bottom surface of the pattern PT.

[0096] Therefore, in this embodiment, after a liquid buildup state is formed in the wet processing apparatus 2, the wet processing control unit 95 assigns a reciprocating movement command to the chuck drive unit 215. Figure 3 The engagement state shown in (a) is similar to... Figure 3 (b) shows the alternating non-engaged state. That is, the substrate S is repeatedly raised and lowered along with the reciprocating movement of the chuck pin 212 on the radial D. Thus, as Figure 6 As shown in the lower right figure, a vertical vibration Z is applied relative to the substrate S, causing the residual liquid to migrate and diffuse to the IPA (step S104). Thus, assuming that at the end of step S103, DIW remains on the inner bottom surface of the pattern PT, the residual liquid is also removed (residual liquid removal process).

[0097] After the residual liquid removal process, a liquid film LF with and without residual liquid is formed on the surface Sa of the substrate S. The substrate is then transported from the wet processing unit 2 to the supercritical processing unit 4 using the substrate transport device 3 while maintaining the liquid stack state (step S105).

[0098] The substrate S, transported to the supercritical processing apparatus 4, is contained within the processing chamber 412 while maintaining a liquid-packed state. Specifically, the substrate S is transported with its patterned surface (surface Sa) as its upper surface, and this patterned surface is covered by a very thin liquid film LF. Figure 4As shown by a dotted line, in a state where the lid member 413 is moved to the (-Y) side and the support tray 415 is pulled out, the lift pins 437 are raised. The conveyance device hands over the substrate S to the lift pins 437. When the lift pins 437 are lowered, the substrate S is loaded in the support tray 415. When the support tray 415 and the lid member 413 are integrally moved in the (+Y) direction, the support tray 415 supporting the substrate S is housed in the processing space SP in the processing chamber 412, and the opening 421 is closed by the lid member 413.

[0099] In this state, carbon dioxide as a processing fluid is introduced into the processing space SP in a gaseous phase (step S106). When the substrate S is carried in, outside air intrudes into the processing space SP, but this is replaced by the introduction of the processing fluid in a gaseous phase. Further, the pressure in the processing chamber 412 is raised by the injection of the processing fluid in a gaseous phase.

[0100] Further, during the introduction of the processing fluid, the discharge of the processing fluid from the processing space SP is continued. That is, during the introduction of the processing fluid by the fluid supply section 457, the discharge of the processing fluid from the processing space SP by the fluid recovery section 455 is also performed. Thus, the processing fluid supplied to the processing is not left in the processing space SP but is discharged, preventing impurities such as residues in the processing fluid from adhering to the substrate S again.

[0101] If the amount of the supply of the processing fluid is larger than the amount of the discharge, the density of the processing fluid in the processing space SP rises, and the pressure in the chamber rises. Conversely, if the amount of the supply of the processing fluid is smaller than the amount of the discharge, the density of the processing fluid in the processing space SP falls, and the pressure in the chamber is reduced. As for the supply and discharge of the processing fluid to / from the processing chamber 412, the supply and discharge process created in advance is followed. That is, the control device 9 controls the fluid supply section 457 and the fluid recovery section 455 based on the supply and discharge process, whereby the timing of the supply / discharge of the processing fluid and the flow rate thereof are adjusted.

[0102] Figure 7 is a graph showing the change in the pressure in the processing chamber. In the case of carbon dioxide as the processing fluid, this critical temperature does not change much from the room temperature, and thus the temperature change during processing is not large. Here, the phenomenon is explained with focus on the pressure in the chamber so that the change is more noticeable. From a state where the atmosphere is opened to the processing space SP to make the internal pressure atmospheric pressure Pa, the introduction of the processing fluid is started at a time Tl after the processing space SP is closed, and the internal pressure starts to rise.

[0103] The pressurization is continued until the pressure of the processing fluid in the processing space SP rises and exceeds the critical pressure Pc (step S107). At the time T2 when the critical pressure Pc is reached in the chamber, the processing fluid becomes a supercritical state in the chamber. That is, the processing fluid is changed from a gas phase to a supercritical state due to the phase change in the processing space SP. By filling the processing space SP with the processing fluid in the supercritical state, the IPA (or the mixed fluid of IPA and DIW) covering the substrate S is replaced by the processing fluid in the supercritical state. The IPA or the like that is desorbed from the surface of the substrate S is removed from the substrate S in a state of being dissolved in the processing fluid, together with the processing fluid, and is discharged from the processing chamber 412. That is, the processing fluid in the supercritical state has a function of replacing the IPA (or the mixed fluid of IPA and DIW) adhering to the substrate S as a replacement target liquid and discharging it to the outside of the processing chamber 412.

[0104] After the time T3 when the processing fluid is reliably changed to the supercritical state, the state in which the processing space SP is filled with the processing fluid in the supercritical state is continued for a prescribed time (steps S108 and S109), and it is possible to completely replace and discharge the replacement target liquid adhering to the substrate S to the outside of the chamber. Further, in the case where the processing fluid is not changed to the supercritical state, the processing fluid in the supercritical state is continuously supplied to the processing space SP, and the processing fluid in the supercritical state is continuously filled in the processing chamber 412. Figure 7 In the above description, the pressure Pm in the chamber in the supercritical state is constant, but the pressure can be changed in a range that does not become the critical pressure Pc or less.

[0105] At the time T4, if the replacement of the replacement target liquid based on the processing fluid in the supercritical state in the processing chamber 412 is completed (step S109), the processing fluid in the processing space SP is discharged to dry the substrate S. Specifically, the processing chamber 412 filled with the processing fluid in the supercritical state is depressurized by increasing the amount of discharge of the fluid from the processing space SP (step S110).

[0106] In the depressurization process, the supply of the processing fluid can be stopped, or a form in which a small amount of the processing fluid is continuously supplied can be adopted. By depressurizing the processing space SP from the state in which it is filled with the processing fluid in the supercritical state, the processing fluid is changed in phase from the supercritical state to a gas phase. By discharging the gaseous processing fluid to the outside, the substrate S becomes in a dry state. At this time, the depressurization speed is adjusted so that solid and liquid phases are not generated due to a rapid temperature drop. That is, after the depressurization is started at the time T4, the depressurization is performed at a relatively low depressurization speed until the time T5 when the pressure is reliably decreased to the critical pressure Pc. Thus, the processing fluid in the processing space SP is directly gaseousized from the supercritical state and is discharged to the outside.

[0107] The pressure reduction speed is increased after the time T5 when the processing fluid is completely vaporized, whereby the processing chamber can be depressurized to the atmospheric pressure Pa in a short time. In this way, during all the period from the time T4 when the pressure reduction is started to the time T6 when the pressure in the processing chamber is reduced to the atmospheric pressure Pa, the processing fluid does not liquefy, and the substrate S whose surface is exposed after drying is prevented from forming a gas-liquid interface.

[0108] In this way, in the supercritical drying process of the present embodiment, after the processing space SP is filled with the processing fluid in the supercritical state, the gas phase is changed and discharged, whereby the liquid adhering to the substrate S can be efficiently replaced, and the substrate S can be dried without problems such as contamination of the substrate S due to the adhesion of impurities, pattern collapse, and the like, and the formation of a gas-liquid interface.

[0109] The processed substrate S is carried out to the subsequent process (step Slll). That is, by moving the cover member 413 in the (-Y) direction, the support tray 415 is pulled out from the processing chamber 412 to the outside, and the substrate S is handed over to the conveyance device outside via the transfer unit 43. At this time, the substrate S is in a dried state. The contents of the subsequent process are arbitrary. The processing of one substrate S is completed in this way. In the case where there is a substrate to be processed next, the process returns to step S101 to accept a new substrate S, and the above-described processing is repeated.

[0110] As described above, according to the first embodiment, the residual liquid removal process (step S104) is performed immediately after the liquid film formation process (step S103). Therefore, assuming that DIW is left on the inner bottom surface of the pattern PT, the left DIW is diffused to IPA, which is the main component of the liquid film LF, by the vibration of the substrate S in the vertical direction Z. That is, the left DIW is removed from the pattern PT, and the substrate S becomes a no-left-liquid state. Therefore, the processing fluid in the supercritical state is not excessively used, and the supercritical drying process can be performed with high quality. As a result, the consumption amount of the processing fluid can be reduced while the yield is improved.

[0111] In addition, in the first embodiment, in order to impart vibration to the substrate S, the reciprocating movement of the chuck pin 212 in the radial direction D is utilized. That is, in addition to the function of the chuck pin 212 to sandwich the side end portion of the substrate S to hold the substrate S, the chuck pin 212 also functions to impart vibration. Therefore, it is not necessary to additionally provide a configuration dedicated to the function of imparting vibration, and thus the device cost can be reduced.

[0112] As described above, in the first embodiment, the DIW and the IPA each correspond to an example of the "liquid" and the "organic solvent" of the present application. In addition, the surface Sa of the substrate S corresponds to an example of the "pattern formation surface" of the present application. Further, the liquid film formation process (step S103) corresponds to an example of the "process (a)", the residual liquid removal process (step S104) corresponds to an example of the "process (d)" and the "first vibration addition process", the substrate conveyance process (step S105) corresponds to an example of the "process (b)", and the supercritical drying process (steps S108 to S110) corresponds to an example of the "process (c)" of the present application.

[0113] Further, in the first embodiment, the substrate S is vibrated in the vertical direction Z in order to perform the residual liquid removal process, but the addition mode of the vibration is not limited thereto. For example, the wet process control section 95 can impart a positive and negative rotation command to the rotation mechanism 214 in a state where the substrate S is held by the chuck pin 212. In this case, the rotation mechanism 214 that has received the positive and negative rotation command repeatedly performs an operation of positively and negatively rotating the substrate S by a predetermined angle around the rotation axis AX, that is, repeatedly performs a turning operation. In this way, the substrate S can be vibrated by adding a turning operation to the substrate S (second embodiment).

[0114] In addition, the vibration addition of the chuck pin 212 in the vertical direction Z (hereinafter referred to as "added up-down vibration") or the vibration addition of the rotation mechanism 214 in the circumferential direction (hereinafter referred to as "added turning vibration") can not be performed, but the substrate S can be vibrated by another additional configuration. For example, the wet process control section 95 can make an ultrasonic transducer provided at a position separate from the substrate holding section 21 operate after the liquid film formation process (step S103), and the substrate S can be vibrated by ultrasonic waves generated by the ultrasonic transducer (third embodiment). In addition, a vibrator can be installed to the substrate holding section 21 in advance, and the wet process control section 95 can make the vibrator operate after the liquid film formation process (step S103) (fourth embodiment). In these embodiments, the vibration direction of the substrate S can be controlled depending on the setting mode of the vibrator. Further, as for the vibrator and the ultrasonic transducer, a conventionally known device can be used. Therefore, detailed configuration explanations are omitted in the present specification.

[0115] Further, in the first embodiment to the fourth embodiment described above, the substrate S in the stacked liquid state is vibrated in the wet process apparatus 2, but the substrate S can be vibrated in the substrate conveyance apparatus 3 or the supercritical process apparatus 4. Hereinafter, a fifth embodiment in which the substrate S is vibrated in the substrate conveyance apparatus 3 and a sixth embodiment in which the substrate S is vibrated in the supercritical process apparatus 4 will be described in order.

[0116] Figure 8is a flowchart showing an outline of processing performed by the substrate processing system of the fifth embodiment. The fifth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the residual liquid removal processing is performed by the substrate transfer device 3. Therefore, hereinafter, the description will be made focusing on the difference, the same components will be labeled with the same reference numerals and the description will be omitted.

[0117] The substrate S as the processing target is housed in the wet processing device 2 constituting the substrate processing system 1 (step S101). In the wet processing device 2, the wet processing is performed with respect to the substrate S (step S102) and the liquid film formation processing is performed (step S103). Then, the execution of the residual liquid removal processing by the wet processing device 2, the substrate S in the liquid stacking state of IPA as an example of the organic solvent is transferred from the wet processing device 2 to the supercritical processing device 4 by the substrate transfer device 3 (step S105).

[0118] In the fifth embodiment, the residual liquid removal processing is performed in the above-described transfer. The transfer robot 30 is movable in and out with respect to both the wet processing device 2 and the supercritical processing device 4 while supporting the substrate S in the liquid stacking state from the lower surface side. Therefore, the transfer robot 30 not only has the function of transferring the substrate S in and out with respect to the wet processing device 2 and the supercritical processing device 4, respectively, but also can move the hand 31 supporting the substrate S back and forth in the horizontal direction or rotate. Thus, in the fifth embodiment, by repeating the back-and-forth movement or the rotation of the hand 31, the vibration in the horizontal direction can be added to the substrate S. For example Figure 8 The transfer process from the wet processing device 2 to the supercritical processing device 4 (step S105) is configured to have the following three sub-processes (steps S105a to S105c). Then, in order to perform these sub-processes, the operation of the transfer robot 30 is controlled by the transfer control section 96 of the control device 9.

[0119] In step S105a, the transfer control section 96 controls the transfer robot 30 so that the hand 31 enters the wet processing device 2 and receives the substrate S in the liquid stacking state. At this point, as shown in the upper right of FIG. 10, Figure 8 At this point, in order to remove the residual liquid (DIW), the transfer control section 96 gives a vibration instruction to the transfer robot 30. The transfer robot 30 receiving the instruction moves the hand 31 back and forth in the horizontal plane by a predetermined distance while holding the substrate S in the liquid stacking state, or rotates in the forward and reverse directions to add vibration to the substrate S. Thus, as in the first embodiment, the residual liquid moves and spreads to IPA (step S105b). As such, assuming that the DIW remains on the inner bottom surface of the pattern PT at the point in time when the substrate S is received by the transfer robot 30, as shown in the upper right of FIG. 10, Figure 8As shown in the lower right of FIG. 1, the residual liquid can also be removed (residual liquid removal processing). After the residual liquid removal processing ends, the robot 30 conveys the substrate S in the liquid-heap state to the processing unit 41 of the supercritical processing apparatus 4 (step S 105a).

[0120] The substrate S conveyed to the supercritical processing apparatus 4 is housed in the processing chamber 412 while being kept in the liquid-heap state. Thereafter, the supercritical drying processing is performed in the same order as in the first embodiment (steps S106-S110). Then, the processed substrate S is carried out to the subsequent step (step S111).

[0121] As described above, according to the fifth embodiment, the residual liquid removal processing is performed in the substrate conveying apparatus 3 (step S105b). Therefore, assuming that the DIW remains on the inner bottom surface of the pattern PT, the vibration of the substrate S in the horizontal direction or the vibration of the substrate S due to the rotation in the horizontal plane also diffuses the remaining DIW to the IPA constituting the liquid film LF. That is, the remaining DIW is removed from the pattern PT, becoming no residual liquid. Therefore, as in the first embodiment, the supercritical drying processing can be performed with high quality without excessively using the processing fluid in the supercritical state. As a result, the consumption amount of the processing fluid can be reduced while the yield is improved.

[0122] In addition, in the fifth embodiment, it is not necessary to add a constitution exclusively responsible for the additional vibration function to the substrate conveying apparatus 3 in order to add the vibration to the substrate S by the basic operation of the robot 30. Therefore, the device cost reduction can be achieved.

[0123] As described above, in the fifth embodiment, the residual liquid removal processing (step S105b) corresponds to an example of the "process (d)" and the "second vibration addition processing" of the present application.

[0124] Further, in the fifth embodiment, the residual liquid removal processing is performed at the time point when the hand 31 enters the wet processing apparatus 2 and receives the substrate S in the liquid-heap state, but the timing of the execution of the residual liquid removal processing is not limited thereto. For example, the residual liquid removal processing can be performed during the period in which the hand 31 stops and waits in the vicinity of the supercritical processing apparatus 4 during the movement of the hand 31 to the supercritical processing apparatus 4.

[0125] Further, in order to wait for the substrate S to be carried to the supercritical processing apparatus 4 in accordance with the operation state of the supercritical processing apparatus 4, in addition to setting the vicinity of the supercritical processing apparatus 4 as the waiting position as such, there is a case where another waiting position is provided. For example, in a case where the substrate carrying apparatus 3 has a stage which temporarily places the substrate S in the liquid-piled state to wait, the stage functions as the waiting position. Therefore, a vibrator can also be installed at the stage, and the substrate S which is waiting at the stage can be additionally vibrated. That is, the residual liquid removal processing can also be performed at the waiting position where the stage is provided.

[0126] Further, in the above-described 5th embodiment, in order to perform the residual liquid removal processing, the hand 31 is vibrated in the horizontal direction or rotated in the horizontal plane, but the constitution of the carrying robot hand 30 can also be utilized to additionally vibrate in other modes. For example, sometimes the carrying robot hand 30 is constituted so as to be able to move the hand 31 in the vertical direction Z. In this case, the substrate S which is held in the liquid-piled state is caused to vibrate by causing the hand 31 to be raised and lowered in the vertical direction Z. Further, the hand 31 can also be vibrated similarly to the above-described 3rd embodiment and 4th embodiment.

[0127] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an outline of processing performed by the substrate processing system of the 6th embodiment. The 6th embodiment differs greatly from the 1st embodiment in that the residual liquid removal processing is performed by the supercritical processing apparatus 4. Therefore, hereinafter, the same constitutions will be labeled with the same reference numerals with the different points as the center, and the explanation will be omitted.

[0128] The substrate S which is the processing target is housed in the wet processing apparatus 2 which constitutes the substrate processing system 1 (step S101). In the wet processing apparatus 2, the wet processing is performed with respect to the substrate S (step S102) and the liquid film formation processing is performed (step S103). Then, the execution of the residual liquid removal processing of the substrate S which is piled with IPA as an example of an organic solvent in the liquid-piled state is carried out by the substrate carrying apparatus 3 from the wet processing apparatus 2 to the supercritical processing apparatus 4 (step S105).

[0129] In the 6th embodiment, the substrate S which is carried to the supercritical processing apparatus 4 is housed in the processing chamber 412 in the liquid-piled state. Specifically, the substrate S is carried in a state where the pattern formation surface is the upper surface and the upper surface is covered with the very thin liquid film LF. As Figure 4 As shown by a broken line, in a state where the cover member 413 is moved to the (-Y) side and the support tray 415 is pulled out, the lift pin 437 is raised. The carrying apparatus hands over the substrate S to the lift pin 437. By causing the lift pin 437 to be lowered, the substrate S is placed on the support tray 415. As such, the reception of the substrate S is completed (step S106a).

[0130] At this point, as shown in the upper right of FIG. 10, sometimes DIW remains on the inner bottom surface of the pattern PT. Then, in order to remove the remaining liquid (DIW), the conveyance control section 96 gives a vibration instruction to the supercritical processing control section 97. The supercritical processing control section 97 that has received the instruction moves the support tray 415 and the cover member 413 to and fro along the Y direction while holding the substrate S in a liquid state. By adding vibration to the substrate S by the to and fro movement, the remaining liquid is diffused to IPA, as with the first embodiment (step S106b). In this way, even if DIW remains on the inner bottom surface of the pattern PT at the point when the substrate S is received by the support tray 415, the remaining liquid can be removed (remaining liquid removal processing), as shown in the lower right of FIG. 10. After the remaining liquid removal processing ends, as with the first embodiment, by moving the support tray 415 and the cover member 413 integrally in the (+Y) direction, the support tray 415 that supports the substrate S is housed in the processing space SP inside the processing chamber 412, and the opening 421 is closed by the cover member 413. Then, in this state, carbon dioxide as a processing fluid is introduced into the processing space SP in a gaseous state (step S106c). Ambient air can intrude into the processing space SP when the substrate S is carried in, but by introducing the processing fluid in a gaseous state, it is possible to replace it. Also, by injecting the processing fluid in a gaseous state, the pressure inside the processing chamber 412 is raised. Figure 9 Figure 9

[0131] As described above, according to the sixth embodiment, before the processing fluid in a supercritical state contacts the substrate S, the remaining liquid removal processing is performed in the supercritical processing apparatus 4 (step S106b). Therefore, even if DIW remains on the inner bottom surface of the pattern PT, the remaining DIW is diffused to IPA that constitutes the liquid film LF by vibration of the substrate S along the Y direction. That is, the remaining DIW is removed from the pattern PT, and becomes free of remaining liquid. Therefore, as with the first embodiment, it is possible to perform supercritical drying processing with high quality without excessively using the processing fluid in a supercritical state. As a result, it is possible to reduce the amount of consumption of the processing fluid while increasing the yield.

[0132]

[0133] In addition, in the sixth embodiment, it is not necessary to add a function of adding vibration to the substrate S by the basic operation of the support tray 415 and the cover member 413 with respect to the supercritical processing apparatus 4, and it is not necessary to add a constitution that is exclusively responsible for the function of adding vibration. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the cost of the apparatus.​​​

[0134] As described above, in the 6th embodiment, the residual liquid removal processing (step S106b) corresponds to "process (d)" and an example of "3rd vibration addition processing" of the present application.

[0135] In the 6th embodiment, in order to perform the residual liquid removal processing, the support tray 415 and the cover member 413 are vibrated in the Y direction, but a vibrator can be installed in the support tray 415 or the cover member 413. That is, the vibrator can be operated to vibrate the substrate S according to the vibration instruction from the supercritical processing control section 97.

[0136] Further, in the 6th embodiment, the residual liquid removal processing is performed before the pressure in the processing chamber 412 is increased, but the residual liquid removal processing can be performed in the pressure increase as long as it is before reaching the supercritical condition. For example, the residual liquid removal processing can be performed in a subcritical state. In particular, considering the elapsed time from the start of the residual liquid removal processing to the start of the contact with the processing fluid in the supercritical state, it is preferable to perform the residual liquid removal processing at a timing close to the subcritical state. That is, for the reason that the specific gravity of DIW is larger than that of IPA, and the like, as the above elapsed time becomes longer, a part of DIW diffused into IPA can be precipitated to the inner bottom surface of the pattern PT, resulting in an increase in the DIW concentration. In view of this, it is also preferable to set the execution timing of the residual liquid removal processing.

[0137] Further, the present application is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications other than the above can be made within the scope of the gist thereof. The residual liquid removal processing is performed only once each time the wet processing and the supercritical drying processing are performed with respect to one substrate S, but the residual liquid removal processing can be performed a plurality of times. That is, at least one or more of the 1st to 3rd vibration addition processing can be performed.

[0138] Further, the various chemicals used in the processing of the above-described embodiments show only a part of examples, and various chemicals can be used instead as long as they conform to the technical idea of the present application.

[0139] The above describes the application along with specific embodiments, but these descriptions are not intended to be interpreted in a limiting sense. As long as the description of the application is referred to, various modifications of the disclosed embodiments are apparent to those skilled in the art as well as other embodiments of the present application. Therefore, the appended claims can be considered to include such modifications or embodiments within the scope of the gist of the application.

[0140] The present application can be applied to all technologies in which a substrate is dried using a processing fluid in a supercritical state in a chamber.

Claims

1. A substrate processing method comprising drying a substrate having a patterned surface and having a liquid adhered to the patterned surface, the substrate processing method being characterized by comprising: (a) In a wet processing apparatus, after the liquid is replaced with the organic solvent by supplying the pattern forming surface with the organic solvent, a liquid-pile state is formed on the pattern forming surface with the organic solvent piled up. (b) The process of transferring the substrate in the liquid-filled state from the wet processing apparatus to the supercritical processing apparatus; (c) In the supercritical processing apparatus, the substrate is dried by contacting the patterned surface in the liquid-pile state with the processing fluid in the supercritical state. as well as (d) In the process of contacting the patterned surface with the supercritical processing fluid, vibration is applied to the substrate while maintaining the liquid-packed state, thereby mixing the liquid remaining in the pattern with the organic solvent. The process (d) is performed in the wet processing apparatus after the process (a). In step (c), the mixed fluid based on step (d) is dissolved into the supercritical processing fluid.

2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The process (a) is performed while the periphery of the substrate is supported from below by a plurality of chuck pins and the substrate is clamped and held in the horizontal direction by the plurality of chuck pins. Step (b) is performed while the periphery of the substrate is supported from below using the plurality of chuck pins and the clamping of the plurality of chuck pins on the substrate is released. In step (d), the vibration is applied to the substrate by reciprocating between a clamping position that clamps the substrate and a release position that is separated from the clamping position.

3. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (a), the organic solvent is supplied to the patterning surface while the substrate is rotated about a predetermined axis of rotation. In step (d), the vibration is applied to the substrate by rotating the substrate about the rotation axis.

4. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (a), the organic solvent is supplied to the substrate while the substrate is held by the substrate holding part. In step (d), the vibration is applied to the substrate by activating the vibrator mounted on the substrate holding part.

5. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (a), the organic solvent is supplied to the substrate while the substrate is held by the substrate holding part. In step (d), the vibration is applied to the substrate by activating an ultrasonic transducer located away from the substrate holding portion and the substrate.

6. A substrate processing method comprising drying a substrate having a patterned surface and having a liquid adhered to the patterned surface, the substrate processing method being characterized by comprising: (a) In a wet processing apparatus, after the liquid is replaced with the organic solvent by supplying the pattern forming surface with the organic solvent, a liquid-pile state is formed on the pattern forming surface with the organic solvent piled up. (b) The process of transferring the substrate in the liquid-filled state from the wet processing apparatus to the supercritical processing apparatus; (c) In the supercritical processing apparatus, the substrate is dried by contacting the patterned surface in the liquid-pile state with the processing fluid in the supercritical state. as well as (d) In the process of contacting the patterned surface with the supercritical processing fluid, vibration is applied to the substrate while maintaining the liquid-packed state, thereby mixing the liquid remaining in the pattern with the organic solvent. The step (d) is performed in the supercritical treatment apparatus before the patterned surface in the liquid-pile state comes into contact with the supercritical treatment fluid. In step (c), the mixed fluid based on step (d) is dissolved into the supercritical processing fluid.

7. The substrate processing method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The process (c) has the following characteristics: (c-1) Step: The substrate is placed on a support tray; (c-2) Step: The substrate is received into the supercritical processing chamber by moving the support tray horizontally while the substrate is being loaded. (c-3) Step, which increases the pressure inside the processing chamber housing the substrate; and (c-4) In the process chamber, the supercritical processing fluid is brought into contact with the substrate to perform supercritical drying. In step (d), prior to step (c-4), the vibration is applied to the substrate by moving the support tray back and forth in the horizontal direction.

8. The substrate processing method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The process (c) has the following characteristics: (c-1) Step: The substrate is placed on a support tray; (c-2) In the process of moving the support tray horizontally while the substrate is loaded, the substrate is housed in the supercritical processing chamber. (c-3) Step, which increases the pressure inside the processing chamber housing the substrate; and (c-4) In the process chamber, the supercritical processing fluid is brought into contact with the substrate to perform supercritical drying. In step (d), before performing step (c-4), the vibration is applied to the substrate by activating the vibrator mounted on the support tray.

9. A substrate processing system for drying a substrate having a patterned surface and a liquid adhering to the patterned surface, the substrate processing system being characterized by comprising: A wet processing apparatus that, after replacing the liquid with the organic solvent by supplying the pattern forming surface with the organic solvent, forms a liquid-pile state in which the organic solvent is piled on the pattern forming surface. A supercritical processing apparatus that dries the substrate by contacting the patterned surface in the liquid-filled state with a supercritical processing fluid. A substrate conveying device that conveys the substrate in the liquid-packed state from the wet processing device to the supercritical processing device; as well as A control device controls the wet processing apparatus, the substrate conveying device, and the supercritical processing apparatus such that, by applying vibration to the substrate in the wet processing apparatus after the formation of the liquid-pack state, the liquid remaining in the pattern is mixed with the organic solvent, and the mixed fluid is dissolved into the processing fluid in the supercritical state.

10. A substrate processing system for drying a substrate having a patterned surface and a liquid adhering to the patterned surface, the substrate processing system being characterized by comprising: A wet processing apparatus that, after replacing the liquid with the organic solvent by supplying the pattern forming surface with the organic solvent, forms a liquid-pile state in which the organic solvent is piled on the pattern forming surface. A supercritical processing apparatus that dries the substrate by contacting the patterned surface in the liquid-filled state with a supercritical processing fluid. A substrate conveying device that conveys the substrate in the liquid-packed state from the wet processing device to the supercritical processing device; as well as A control device that controls the wet processing apparatus, the substrate conveying apparatus, and the supercritical processing apparatus such that the liquid remaining in the pattern is mixed with the organic solvent by applying vibration to the substrate in the supercritical processing apparatus before the pattern forming surface comes into contact with the supercritical processing fluid, thereby dissolving the mixed fluid into the supercritical processing fluid.

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