Nozzle module and substrate processing apparatus including the same

Abstract

The invention provides a nozzle module and a substrate processing apparatus including the same. The nozzle module includes: a base portion; a nozzle unit disposed on the base portion and including a first body and a nozzle portion reciprocating in a first movement direction; and a container unit provided to face the nozzle portion, and including a second body reciprocating in the second movement direction, and a receiving portion formed recessed inward from an upper surface of the second body.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0122449 filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on September 14, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to a nozzle module and a substrate processing apparatus including the nozzle module. Background Art

[0004] In order to manufacture a semiconductor device, various processes may be performed, such as a cleaning process, a deposition process, a photolithography process, an etching process, an ion implantation process, etc. Among these processes, the photolithography process may include: a coating process in which a photosensitive liquid such as a photoresist is applied to a surface of a substrate to form a film; an exposure process in which a circuit pattern is transferred to the film formed on the substrate; and a development process in which the film formed on the substrate in an exposure region or a region opposite thereto is selectively removed.

[0005] In a liquid treatment process, a treatment liquid can be supplied at a position where the nozzle faces the substrate while the process is in progress, and the nozzle can wait in a standby port before and after the treatment. The standby port can include a common body having a receiving space, and a plurality of nozzles can be accommodated in the receiving space of the common body. When the plurality of nozzles accommodated in the receiving space wait, a cleaning liquid can be discharged toward a discharge end of the nozzle, and the discharge end and its surroundings can be cleaned together.

[0006] Generally, a plurality of nozzles may be used to perform the liquid treatment process, and these nozzles may be mounted on a nozzle arm and may move integrally as the nozzle arm moves in the left-right direction and in the up-down direction. The PR may be periodically discharged and cleaned by the nozzles, and even during nozzle cleaning, a plurality of nozzles may be moved and cleaned together to the home pot. In this case, there may be a problem of production loss and increased chemical consumption because all nozzles (including nozzles that do not need to be cleaned) are moved to the home pot and cleaned. Summary of the invention

[0007] An aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a nozzle module and a substrate processing apparatus, which can reduce the amount of chemical liquid consumed in a semiconductor substrate processing process and can reduce production loss of semiconductor devices.

[0008] According to aspects of the present disclosure, the nozzle module includes: a base portion; a nozzle unit, which is arranged on the base portion and includes a first body, and a nozzle portion that reciprocates in a first moving direction; and a container unit, which is arranged to face the nozzle unit and includes a second body that reciprocates in a second moving direction, and a accommodating portion that is recessed inwardly from an upper surface of the second body.

[0009] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a substrate processing device includes: a processing chamber; at least two processing units, which are arranged in the processing chamber and include a processing container for accommodating a substrate, and a supporting part arranged in the processing container and supporting the substrate; and a nozzle module, which is arranged in the processing chamber and includes: a base part; a nozzle unit, which is arranged on the base part and includes a first body and a nozzle part that reciprocates in a first moving direction; a container unit, which is arranged to face the nozzle part and includes a second body that reciprocates in a second moving direction, and a accommodating part formed concavely inwardly from an upper surface of the second body; and a supporting unit, including: a supporting member, which is arranged on the base part; a guide part, which is arranged on the supporting member; a connecting part, which is connected to the guide part to reciprocate in a third moving direction; and a supporting plate, which connects the connecting part and the nozzle unit.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a substrate processing apparatus includes: a processing chamber; at least two processing units, which are arranged in the processing chamber and include a processing container for accommodating a substrate, and a supporting part which is arranged in the processing container and supports the substrate; and a nozzle module, which is arranged in the processing chamber and includes: a base part; a nozzle unit, which is arranged on the base part and includes: a first body; a nozzle part, which reciprocates in a first moving direction; a first driver, which is arranged on an upper surface of the first body to generate a driving force required to move the nozzle part; and a conversion member, which is arranged between the first driver and the nozzle part to convert the direction of the driving force into the first moving direction; a container unit, which is arranged to face the nozzle unit, and includes: a second body, which reciprocates in a second moving direction, and a accommodating part, which is formed concavely inwardly from an upper surface of the second body and is arranged to face the nozzle part, and a supporting unit, which includes: a supporting part; A bearing member is arranged on the base part; a guide part is arranged on the support member; a connecting part is connected to the guiding part to reciprocate in a third moving direction; and a supporting plate connects the connecting part and the nozzle unit; wherein the nozzle part is arranged above the second body and extends toward the accommodating part in a downward direction and rises and falls between the first driver and the accommodating part, one end of the first body has an inclined surface part, the inclined surface part is arranged below the conversion member and is formed by connecting a plurality of inclined surfaces with different inclination angles, the nozzle part is arranged in plurality, the plurality of nozzle parts are arranged to be spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the first body, and at least part of the plurality of nozzle parts are independently raised and lowered, and the container unit is arranged in plurality, the plurality of container units are arranged to face the plurality of nozzle parts one by one, and at least part of the second body reciprocates independently. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0012] Figure 1 This is a view of the substrate processing apparatus as viewed from above.

[0013] Figure 2 Observed in the AA direction Figure 1 A view of a substrate processing apparatus.

[0014] Figure 3 Observed in the BB direction Figure 1 A view of a substrate processing apparatus.

[0015] Figure 4is a perspective view showing a nozzle module and its peripheral portion according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 An enlarged perspective view of a portion of a nozzle module.

[0017] Figure 6 Observed from one side Figure 4 Side view of the nozzle module.

[0018] Figure 7 It is shown Figure 4 A side view of a nozzle module in one state.

[0019] Figure 8 It is shown Figure 4 A side view of another state of the nozzle module.

[0020] Fig. 9 It is shown Figure 4 Side view of other states of the nozzle module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily practice the present disclosure. However, when the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail, and when it is determined that the detailed description of the relevant known functions or configurations may unnecessarily obscure the main points of the present disclosure, the detailed description will be omitted. In addition, for components that perform similar functions and actions, the same symbols may be used throughout the accompanying drawings. In addition, in this specification, terms such as "upper", "upper part", "upper end", "below", "lower part", "lower end" and the like may be based on the accompanying drawings, and terms such as "in", "inside", "interior", "exterior" and the like may also be based on the outer edges of the components corresponding thereto, and may actually vary according to the direction in which the elements or components are arranged.

[0022] Furthermore, throughout the specification, “comprising” a certain component means that other elements may be further included, rather than excluding another component, unless specifically stated otherwise.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a view of the substrate processing apparatus as viewed from above. Figure 2 Observed in the AA direction Figure 1 A view of a substrate processing apparatus. Figure 3 Observed in the BB direction Figure 1 A view of a substrate processing apparatus.

[0024] refer to Figures 1 to 3, the substrate processing device 1 may include a loading port 100, an index module 200, a buffer module 300, an applying / developing module 400, an interface module 600, and a cleaning module 700. The loading port 100, the index module 200, the buffer module 300, the applying / developing module 400, and the interface module 600 may be sequentially arranged in one direction. The cleaning module 700 may be provided in the interface module 600. The cleaning module 700 may be provided in various positions, such as at a rear end of the exposure device 800 connected to the interface module 600, a side of the interface module 600, and the like. Hereinafter, the direction in which the loading port 100, the index module 200, the buffer module 300, the applying / developing module 400, and the interface module 600 are arranged may be referred to as a first direction Y, when viewed from above, a direction perpendicular to the first direction Y may be referred to as a second direction X, and a direction perpendicular to the first direction Y and the second direction X may be referred to as a third direction Z.

[0025] The substrate W can be moved in a state of being accommodated in the cassette 20. The cassette 20 may have a structure that can be sealed from the outside. For example, a front opening unified pod (FOUP) having a door in a front direction may be used as the cassette 20.

[0026] Hereinafter, the load port 100 , the index module 200 , the buffer module 300 , the coating / developing module 400 , the interface module 600 , and the cleaning module 700 will be described in detail.

[0027] The load port 100 may have a placement stage 120 on which the cassette 20 containing the substrate W is placed. The placement stage 120 may be provided in plural, and the plurality of placement stages 120 may be arranged in the second direction X in a row. Figure 1 An example is shown in which four placement tables 120 are provided, but the number thereof may be changed.

[0028] The index module 200 may transfer the substrate W between the cassette 20 disposed on the placement stage 120 of the load port 100 and the buffer module 300 . The index module 200 may include a frame 210 , an index robot 220 , and a guide rail 230 .

[0029] The frame 210 may be generally provided in a rectangular hexahedral shape having a hollow interior, and may be provided between the load port 100 and the buffer module 300. The frame 210 of the index module 200 may be provided at a lower height than the frame 310 of the buffer module 300.

[0030] The indexing robot 220 and the guide rail 230 may be arranged in the frame 210. The indexing robot 220 may be provided so that the gripper 221 directly processing the substrate W may be moved and rotated in the first direction Y, the second direction X, and the third direction Z. The indexing robot 220 may include a gripper 221, an arm 222, a support 223, and a base 224. The gripper 221 may be fixedly mounted on the arm 222. The arm 222 may be provided as a stretchable structure or a rotatable structure. The longitudinal direction of the support 223 may be set in the third direction Z. The arm 222 may be coupled to the support 223 to move along the support 223. The support 223 may be fixedly coupled to the base 224. The guide rail 230 may be arranged so that its longitudinal direction is arranged in the second direction X. The base 224 may be coupled to the guide rail 230 to move linearly along the guide rail 230. Furthermore, although not shown, the frame 210 may be further provided with a door opener for opening and closing the door of the box 20 .

[0031] The buffer module 300 may include a frame 310, a first buffer 320, a second buffer 330, and a cooling chamber 340. The frame 310 may be configured to have a rectangular hexahedron shape with an empty interior, and may be disposed between the indexing module 200 and the coating / developing module 400. The first buffer 320, the second buffer 330, and the cooling chamber 340 may be located in the frame 310. The cooling chamber 340, the second buffer 330, and the first buffer 320 may be sequentially arranged in a third direction Z from below. The first buffer 320 may be located at a height corresponding to the coating (application) module 401 of the coating / developing module 400, and the second buffer 330 and the cooling chamber 340 may be located at a height corresponding to the developing module 402 of the coating / developing module 400.

[0032] The first buffer 320 and the second buffer 330 may temporarily store a plurality of substrates W, respectively. The first buffer 320 may have a housing 321 and a plurality of supports 322. In the first buffer 320, the supports 322 may be disposed in the housing 321 and may be spaced apart from each other in the third direction Z. The second buffer 330 may have a housing 331 and a plurality of supports 332. In the second buffer 330, the supports 332 may be disposed in the housing 331 and may be spaced apart from each other in the third direction Z. One substrate W may be disposed on each of the supports 322 of the first buffer 320 and each of the supports 332 of the second buffer 330. The housing 331 may have an opening in a direction in which the indexing robot 220 is provided so that the indexing robot 220 may load or unload the substrate W into or from the supports 332 in the housing 331.

[0033] The first buffer 320 may have a substantially similar structure to the second buffer 330. The housing 321 of the first buffer 320 may have an opening in a direction in which the indexing robot 220 is provided and in a direction in which the coating robot 421 located in the coating module 401 is provided. The number of the supports 322 provided in the first buffer 320 may be the same as or different from the number of the supports 332 provided in the second buffer 330. According to one example, the number of the supports 332 provided in the second buffer 330 may be greater than the number of the supports 322 provided in the first buffer 320.

[0034] The cooling chamber 340 may cool the substrate W separately. The cooling chamber 340 may include a housing 341 and a cooling plate 342. The cooling plate 342 may have an upper surface on which the substrate W is disposed, and a cooling device 343 for cooling the substrate W. As the cooling device 343, various methods may be used, such as cooling using a coolant, cooling using a thermoelectric element, etc. In addition, the cooling chamber 340 may be provided with a lifting pin assembly for positioning the substrate W on the cooling plate 342. The housing 341 may have an opening in a direction in which the indexing robot 220 is disposed and in a direction in which the developing robot disposed in the developing module 402 is disposed, so that the indexing robot 220 and the developing robot disposed in the developing module 402 load the substrate W onto the cooling plate 342 or unload the substrate W from the cooling plate 342. In addition, the cooling chamber 340 may be provided with a door for opening and closing the above-mentioned opening.

[0035] In the above, the buffer module 300 has been described as an embodiment including the configuration of the cooling chamber 340 , but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the configuration of the cooling chamber 340 may be omitted as needed.

[0036] The coating module 401 may include a process of coating a photosensitive liquid such as a photoresist to the substrate W, and a thermal treatment process such as heating and cooling the substrate W before and after the resist coating process. The coating module 401 may have a coating chamber 410, a thermal treatment chamber unit 500, and a transfer chamber 420. The coating chamber 410, the transfer chamber 420, and the thermal treatment chamber unit 500 may be sequentially arranged in the second direction X. For example, based on the transfer chamber 420, the coating chamber 410 may be disposed on one side of the transfer chamber 420, and the thermal treatment chamber unit 500 may be disposed on the other side of the transfer chamber 420.

[0037] The heat treatment chamber unit 500 may include a baking chamber 510 and a cooling chamber 520, and the baking chamber 510 and the cooling chamber 520 may be respectively provided in a plurality in the third direction Z. The transfer chamber 420 may be positioned parallel to the first buffer 320 of the buffer module 300 in the first direction Y. The coating robot 421 and the guide rail 422 may be located in the transfer chamber 420. The transfer chamber 420 may have a substantially rectangular shape. The coating robot 421 may transfer the substrate W between the baking chamber 510, the cooling chamber 520, the coating chamber 410, and the first buffer 320 of the buffer module 300.

[0038] The guide rail 422 may be arranged so that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the first direction Y. The guide rail 422 may guide the coating robot 421 to move linearly in the first direction Y. The coating robot 421 may have a gripper 423, an arm 424, a support 425, and a base 426. The gripper 423 may be fixedly mounted on the arm 424. The arm 424 may be arranged as a stretchable structure so that the gripper 423 may move in a horizontal direction. The support 425 may be arranged so that its longitudinal direction is arranged in a third direction Z. The arm 424 may be connected to the support 425 to move linearly in the third direction Z along the support 425. The support 425 may be fixedly connected to the base 426, and the base 426 may be connected to the guide rail 422 to be movable along the guide rail 422.

[0039] The coating chamber 410 may be provided in plurality, and may be provided in plurality in the third direction Z. Figure 1 As shown, the coating chamber 410 may be provided in plurality in the first direction Y, or one coating chamber 410 may be provided in the first direction Y. When the coating chamber 410 is provided in plurality, the coating chamber 410 may have the same structure. The type of the processing liquid used in each coating chamber 410 may be the same or different. As the processing liquid, for example, a processing liquid for forming a photoresist film or an anti-reflection film may be used.

[0040] The process liquid may be coated on the substrate W in the coating chamber 410. The coating chamber 410 may have a process unit including a process container 411 and a support portion 412 therein. In addition, a nozzle module 900 including a nozzle portion 922 may be provided in the coating chamber 410.

[0041] The processing container 411 may have a shape that is open in an upward direction. The support portion 412 may be located in the processing container 411, and may support the substrate W. The support portion 412 may be provided to be rotatable. As an example, one processing unit may be provided in the coating chamber 410. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and two or more processing units may be provided in the coating chamber 410. In this case, each processing unit may have the same structure. The type of processing liquid used in each processing unit may be different from each other.

[0042] The nozzle portion 922 of the nozzle module 900 may supply a process liquid to the substrate W disposed on the support portion 412. The process liquid may be applied to the substrate W using a spin coating method. The nozzle portion 922 and the nozzle module 900 including the nozzle portion 922 will be described in detail below.

[0043] A nozzle (not shown) for supplying a cleaning liquid such as deionized water (DIW) to clean the surface of the substrate W to which the processing liquid is applied and a backwash nozzle (not shown) for cleaning the lower surface of the substrate W may optionally be further provided in the coating chamber 410 .

[0044] In the baking chamber 510, the substrate W may be heat-treated while being placed by the coating robot 421. In the baking chamber 510, a pre-baking process for removing organic matter or moisture from the surface of the substrate W by heating the substrate W to a predetermined temperature before applying a treatment liquid may be performed, a soft-baking process performed after applying the treatment liquid to the substrate W may be performed, and a cooling process for cooling the substrate W after each heating process may be performed.

[0045] The baking chamber 510 may be equipped with a heating plate 511 and a cooling plate 512. The cooling plate 512 may be provided with a cooling device, such as a coolant or a thermoelectric element.

[0046] In the cooling chamber 520, a cooling process may be performed to cool the substrate W before applying the process liquid. The cooling chamber 520 may be provided with a cooling plate. The cooling plate may include a cooling device that may be used to cool the substrate W in various ways, such as cooling with a coolant, cooling with a thermoelectric element, etc.

[0047] The interface module 600 may externally connect the coating / developing module 400 to the exposure device 800. The interface module 600 may include an interface frame 610, a first interface buffer 620, a second interface buffer 630, and a transfer robot 640, and after completing the operation of the coating / developing module 400, the transfer robot 640 may transfer the substrate returned to the first interface buffer 620 and the second interface buffer 630 to the exposure device 800. The first interface buffer 620 may include a housing 621 and a support 622, and the transfer robot 640 may load / unload the substrate W to / from the support 622.

[0048] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a nozzle module and its peripheral portion according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5 yes Figure 4 An enlarged perspective view of a portion of a nozzle module. Figure 6 It's viewed from one side. Figure 4 Side view of the nozzle module.

[0049] refer to Figures 4 to 6 , the nozzle module 900 may be disposed in the processing chamber of the substrate processing apparatus 1, and may include a base portion 910, a nozzle unit 920, and a container unit 930. In addition, the nozzle module 900 may further include a support unit 940. In this case, as described above, the processing chamber may be the coating chamber 410 included in the coating module 401, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0050] The nozzle unit 920 and the container unit 930 may be supported on the base portion 910. As an example, the base portion 910 may be the bottom surface of the coating chamber 410. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the base portion 910 may be a support member (not shown) separately provided in the coating chamber 410.

[0051] The nozzle unit 920 may apply the process liquid to the substrate W supported on the support portion 412 in the process container 411. In this case, the nozzle unit 920 may include a first body 921 and a nozzle portion 922. In addition, the nozzle unit 920 may further include a first driver 923 and a conversion member 924.

[0052] Other components of the nozzle module 900 may be connected and supported on the first body 921. The first body 921 may have, for example, a rectangular hexahedron shape or a shape similar thereto, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In this case, the first body 921 may be provided with an inclined surface portion 921a.

[0053] The inclined surface portion 921a may be provided on one side end of the first body 921. More specifically, the inclined surface portion 921a may be provided between the upper surface and the lower surface of the first body 921 based on the height direction (third direction) Z of the first body 921. In this case, one side end of the first body 921 in which the inclined surface portion 921a is formed may be adjacent to the nozzle portion 922, and may be an end portion of the first body 921 facing the nozzle portion 922. The inclined surface portion 921a may be formed to be inclined relative to the third direction Z. More specifically, the inclined surface portion 921a may be inclined from the upper surface of the first body 921 toward the lower surface of the first body 921.

[0054] like Figure 6 As shown in the left-hand enlarged view of , the inclined surface portion 921a can be formed by connecting a plurality of inclined surfaces having different inclinations.

[0055] As an example, the inclined surface portion 921a may have a shape of three connected inclined surfaces. Hereinafter, the three inclined surfaces will be referred to as a first inclined surface 921aa, a second inclined surface 921ab, and a third inclined surface 921ac. In this case, the inclined surface portion 921a may be formed by continuously connecting the first inclined surface 921aa, the second inclined surface 921ab, and the third inclined surface 921ac.

[0056] More specifically, one end of the first inclined surface 921aa may be connected to the upper surface of the first body 921, and the other end of the first inclined surface 921aa may be connected to one end of the second inclined surface 921ab. The other end of the second inclined surface 921ab may be connected to one end of the third inclined surface 921ac, and the other end of the third inclined surface 921ac may be connected to the lower surface of the first body 921.

[0057] The first inclined surface 921aa, the second inclined surface 921ab, and the third inclined surface 921ac may have different inclination angles. For example, based on the width direction (first direction) X of the first body 921, the inclination angle may increase from the first inclined surface 921aa to the second inclined surface 921ab and the third inclined surface 921ac. For example, the inclination angle of the third inclined surface 921ac may be greater than the inclination angle of the first inclined surface 921aa, and the inclination angle of the second inclined surface 921ab may be between the inclination angle of the first inclined surface 921aa and the inclination angle of the third inclined surface 921ac.

[0058] As another embodiment, Figure 6As shown in the right enlarged view of , a curved portion 921b (instead of the inclined surface portion 921a) may be provided on one side end of the first body 921. In this case, the curved portion 921b may be provided between the upper and lower surfaces of the first body 921 and may have a curved shape having a predetermined radius of curvature.

[0059] The nozzle portion 922 may apply the treatment liquid onto the surface of the substrate W. In this case, the nozzle portion 922 may be provided with a suck-back portion (not shown). The suck-back portion may suck back a portion of the treatment liquid held in the lower end portion (tip end) of the nozzle portion 922 to the upper end portion of the nozzle portion 922 even after the application is completed. As a result, contamination of the lower end portion of the nozzle portion 922 and the accommodating portion 932 to be described later may be prevented due to the remaining portion of the treatment liquid.

[0060] The nozzle portion 922 may reciprocate in a first moving direction D1. In this case, the first moving direction D1 may be parallel to a height direction Z of the first body 921. Therefore, the nozzle portion 922 may be raised and lowered in the height direction Z of the first body 921. In this case, the first body 921 may be provided with a first guide rail G1 extending in a third direction Z. In addition, the nozzle portion 922 may include a first guide member 922a. The first guide member 922a may be slidably connected to the first guide rail G1, and may guide the nozzle portion 922 to reciprocate in the first moving direction D1.

[0061] The nozzle portion 922 may be disposed on one side of the first body 921 to face the inclined surface portion 921a. In addition, the nozzle portion 922 may be disposed above the container unit 930, which will be described later. More specifically, the nozzle portion 922 may be disposed between the first driver 923 and the receiving portion 932.

[0062] The nozzle portion 922 may have a shape extending from the upper side of the accommodation portion 932 toward the lower side of the accommodation portion 932. In this case, the nozzle portion 922 may be raised in the first moving direction D1 and may be moved away from the accommodation portion 932, or may be lowered in the first moving direction D1 so that the lower end portion of the nozzle portion 922 may be accommodated in the accommodation portion 932.

[0063] The first driver 923 may generate a driving force (hereinafter referred to as a first driving force) required for the movement of the nozzle portion 922. The first driver 923 may be formed by, for example, an actuator using pneumatic pressure or hydraulic pressure, a linear motor operated by electromagnetic interaction, etc. In this case, the first driver 923 may be provided in the upper end portion of the first body 921.

[0064] More specifically, the first driver 923 may be fixedly coupled to the upper surface of the first body 921. In this case, the first driver 923 may include a first connecting member 923a. The first connecting member 923a may transmit the first driving force to the conversion member 924, which will be described later. Through the first driving force, the first connecting member 923a may reciprocate linearly in the second moving direction D2. In this case, the second moving direction D2 may be different from the first moving direction D1. For example, the second moving direction D2 may be perpendicular to the first moving direction D1 and may be parallel to the width direction (first direction) X of the first body 921.

[0065] The conversion member 924 may be provided between the first driver 923 and the nozzle portion 922 to connect the first driver 923 and the nozzle portion 922. In this case, one end of the conversion member 924 may be connected to the first connection member 923a, and the other end of the conversion member 924 may be connected to the upper end portion of the nozzle portion 922. The conversion member 924 may transfer the first driving force received from the first connection member 923a to the nozzle portion 922.

[0066] The conversion member 924 can convert the linear motion of the first connecting member 923a from the second moving direction D2 to a direction different from the second moving direction D2. As an example, the conversion member 924 can be provided with a ball joint at both ends, and can be connected to the first connecting member 923a and the nozzle part 922 by the ball joint to convert from the second moving direction D2 to the first moving direction D1. As another example, the conversion member 924 can be formed by rotatably combining several connecting rod parts so that the second moving direction D2 can be converted to the first moving direction D1. In this case, when the moving direction is converted by the conversion member 924, the nozzle part 922 is slidably connected to the first guide rail G1 to be guided in the first moving direction D1.

[0067] As described above, the inclined surface portion 921a (or the curved portion 921b) may be provided on one side end of the first body 921 facing the nozzle portion 922 to form a space between the first body 921 and the conversion member 924. As a result, when the conversion member 924 is rotated by the first driving force, the first body 921 may not interfere with the rotation of the conversion member 924.

[0068] The remaining treatment liquid after being applied to the substrate W from the nozzle portion 922 may flow into the container unit 930 and may be contained therein. In addition, after the application of the treatment liquid is completed or when the nozzle portion 922 is cleaned, the cleaning liquid used therein may flow into the container unit 930 and may be contained therein. In this case, the container unit 930 may be disposed to face the nozzle unit 920, and may include a second body 931 and a containing portion 932. In addition, the container unit 930 may further include a second driver 933.

[0069] The second body 931 may be disposed on one side of the first body 921. In an embodiment, the second body 931 may be disposed on a second guide rail G2 below the first body 921. In this case, the upper surface of the second body 931 may be spaced a predetermined distance from the lower surface of the first body 921. In this arrangement state, the second body 931 may be configured to reciprocate in a second moving direction D2, which will be described later.

[0070] The second body 931 may include a protrusion 931a. The protrusion 931a may be provided on one end of two end portions of the second body 931 provided in the longitudinal direction (second direction) X of the second body 931. The protrusion 931a may be formed to protrude from one end of the second body 931 in a downward direction. In this case, one end of the second body 931 (hereinafter referred to as a protruding end) may be an end portion facing the nozzle portion 922 located above the container unit 930.

[0071] The accommodating portion 932 may be a groove in which the lower end portion of the nozzle portion 922 is accommodated when the nozzle portion 922 is lowered in the first moving direction D1. The treatment liquid discharged from the nozzle portion 922 may be accommodated in the accommodating portion 932. In addition, the accommodating portion 932 may be provided with a cleaning liquid spraying portion (not shown) for cleaning the nozzle portion 922, and the cleaning liquid sprayed therefrom may be accommodated in the accommodating portion 932.

[0072] The accommodation portion 932 may be provided in the second body 931. More specifically, the accommodation portion 932 may be provided on the protruding end portion of the second body 931. In this case, the accommodation portion 932 may be formed as a groove that is concavely formed inwardly on the upper surface of the protruding end portion of the second body 931 (in the downward direction of the drawing).

[0073] The accommodating portion 932 may be connected to the discharge fluid channel 932a. The discharge fluid channel 932a may be a channel for discharging the processing liquid and the cleaning liquid flowing into and accommodated in the accommodating portion 932. As an example, the discharge fluid channel 932a may be formed in the second body 931. In this case, one end of the discharge fluid channel 932a may be connected to the accommodating portion 932, and the other end of the discharge fluid channel 932a may extend through the inside of the second body 931. An external discharge line (not shown) may be connected to the other end of the discharge fluid channel 932a so that the processing liquid and the cleaning liquid passing through the discharge fluid channel 932a may be discharged to the outside of the substrate processing device 1. In this case, the external discharge line may be formed of a flexible material so that the external discharge line does not interfere with the movement of the nozzle unit 920 and the movement of the container unit 930. In addition, a liquid discharge device (not shown) such as an ejector may be installed in the external discharge line to provide suction for discharging the processing liquid and the cleaning liquid.

[0074] As another example, although not shown in the drawings, the discharge fluid channel 932a may be connected to the accommodating portion 932 and extend to the outside of the second body 931. In this case, one end of the discharge fluid channel 932a may be communicated with the lower end portion of the accommodating portion 932, and the other end of the discharge fluid channel 932a may extend to the outside of the second body 931. The used processing liquid and the cleaning liquid may be discharged to the outside of the substrate processing apparatus 1 through the discharge fluid channel 932a. In a similar manner to the above-described embodiment, the discharge fluid channel 932a may be formed of a flexible material, and of course, a liquid discharge device (not shown) such as an ejector or the like may be installed in the discharge fluid channel 932a.

[0075] The second driver 933 may generate a driving force (hereinafter referred to as a second driving force) for reciprocating the second body 931. The second driver 933 may be formed of, for example, an actuator using pneumatic or hydraulic pressure, a linear motor operated by electromagnetic interaction, or the like.

[0076] The second driver 933 may be disposed on the first body 921. For example, the second driver 933 may be fixedly coupled to the lower surface of the first body 921. In this case, the second driver 933 may include a second connecting member 933a. The second connecting member 933a may be disposed between the second body 931 and the second driver 933. In this case, the second connecting member 933a may connect the second body 931 and the second driver 933 to transmit the second driving force to the second body 931. More specifically, by the second driving force, the second connecting member 933a may linearly reciprocate in the second moving direction D2, and the second body 931 connected thereto may linearly reciprocate integrally with the second connecting member 933a in the same second moving direction D2.

[0077] The support unit 940 may be disposed on the base portion 910, such as Figure 4 The nozzle unit 920 and the container unit 930 may be supported by the support unit 940. In this case, a support member 941, a guide portion 942, a connection portion 943, and a support plate 944 may be provided.

[0078] The support member 941 may be fixedly connected to the base portion 910. The support member 941 may have a shape extending in one direction. In this case, the direction in which the support member 941 extends may be parallel to the third moving direction D3, which may be the moving direction of the connecting portion 943. In this case, the third moving direction D3 may be the direction in which a plurality of processing containers 411 disposed in the coating chamber 410 are arranged. The third moving direction D3 may be different from the first moving direction D1 and the second moving direction D2. For example, the third moving direction D3 may be the longitudinal direction of the first body 921, such as a direction parallel to the first direction Y.

[0079] The guide portion 942 may be provided on the support 941. As an example, the guide portion 942 may be provided on an upper surface of the support 941 and may extend in a third moving direction D3, which may be a longitudinal direction of the support 941. The guide portion 942 may be formed as, for example, a guide rail.

[0080] The connection portion 943 may be disposed between the nozzle unit 920 and the support member 941. In this case, one end of the connection portion 943 may be movably connected to the guide portion 942 on the support member 941, and the other end of the connection portion 943 may be connected to the support plate 944. The connection portion 943 may be configured to linearly reciprocate in the third moving direction D3 along the guide portion 942. In this case, the connection portion 943 may move integrally with the support plate 944 connected to the connection portion 943.

[0081] The support plate 944 may support the nozzle unit 920. The support plate 944 may be a plate having various shapes. In the drawings, the support plate 944 may have the smallest area in a portion connected to the connection portion 943, and only a configuration in which the area gradually increases as the distance from the connection portion 943 increases is shown, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0082] The nozzle unit 920 may be connected to the support plate 944. For example, the first body 921 of the nozzle unit 920 may be fixedly coupled to one side surface of the support plate 944. As another example, the first body 921 of the nozzle unit 920 may be fixedly coupled to the upper surface of the support plate 944, and in this case, the second driver 933 of the container unit 930 may be fixedly coupled to the lower surface of the support plate 944. Therefore, when the connection portion 943 moves along the guide portion 942, the support plate 944 and the nozzle unit 920 and the container unit 930 connected thereto may move together in the third moving direction D3.

[0083] The nozzle unit 920 and the container unit 930 described above may each be provided in plurality. The plurality of nozzle units 920 may have a plurality of nozzle portions 922, a first driver 923, and a conversion member 924 mounted on one first body 921. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the nozzle units 920 may each be configured to have a first body 921, respectively, and may have a configuration arranged in a row on a support plate 944 in a third moving direction D3. In this case, the plurality of container units 930 may be arranged to face the nozzle portion 922 one by one. Therefore, when the nozzle portion 922 is raised and lowered, the lower end portion of each of the nozzle portions 922 may be accommodated in the accommodation portion 932 of the container unit 930, and each of the nozzle portions 922 faces the accommodation portion 932 of the container unit 930.

[0084] As described above, when multiple nozzle units 920 and multiple container units 930 are provided, each nozzle portion 922 can be configured to be independently raised and lowered in the first moving direction D1. In addition, the second body 931 can also be configured to independently reciprocate linearly in the second moving direction D2, which will be described in detail below.

[0085] Figure 7 It is shown Figure 4 A side view of a nozzle module in one state. Figure 8 It is shown Figure 4 A side view of another state of the nozzle module. Fig. 9 It is shown Figure 4 Side view of other states of the nozzle module.

[0086] Reference Figures 7 to 9, operations of the nozzle unit 920 and the container unit 930 included in the nozzle module 900 according to the present disclosure may be as follows.

[0087] The nozzle module 900 may apply the treatment liquid to the substrates W in the plurality of treatment containers 411 disposed in the coating chamber 410. In this case, the support unit 940 may linearly reciprocate the nozzle unit 920 in the third moving direction D3. Thus, the nozzle unit 920 may apply the treatment liquid to the surface of the substrate W in one treatment container 411 among the plurality of treatment containers 411, and then may move in the third moving direction D3 to apply the treatment liquid to the substrate W in another treatment container 411.

[0088] In this manner, when the nozzle unit 920 and the container unit 930 are moved by the support unit 940, as shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown, the nozzle portion 922 may be disposed at a higher level than the container unit 930, and the second body 931 of the container unit 930 may be in a state (hereinafter referred to as a first state) of moving inwardly in the second moving direction D2 (in the right direction in the figure). By moving while maintaining the first state, the protrusion 931a of the second body 931 may be prevented from being caught by the side wall of the processing container 411 or the like to interrupt the movement of the nozzle unit 920.

[0089] When the nozzle unit 920 moves to the upper side of the processing container 411 and applies the processing liquid to the substrate W, due to the first driving force, only the nozzle part 922 can be lowered in the first moving direction D1, and the second body 931 of the container unit 930 maintains the same state as the first state. Therefore, the nozzle part 922 can move to a position adjacent to the upper surface of the substrate W and is in a state (hereinafter referred to as the second state) directly facing the substrate W. In the second state, the nozzle part 922 can apply the processing liquid to the substrate W, so that the application of the processing liquid can not be interrupted by the second body 931 of the container unit 930.

[0090] After the treatment liquid is applied to one of the treatment containers 411, or when it is necessary to clean the nozzle portion 922, the support unit 940 can move the nozzle unit 920 in the area between the treatment containers 411 (hereinafter referred to as the nozzle cleaning area). When reaching the nozzle cleaning area, the second body 931 can be moved outward (left direction in the figure) by the second driving force. Therefore, the second body 931 moves under the nozzle portion 922, so that the nozzle portion 922 and the accommodating portion 932 can be arranged to face each other. Then, by the first driving force transmitted via the conversion member 924, the nozzle portion 922 can be lowered in the first moving direction D1, so that the lower end portion of the nozzle portion 922 can be in a contained state in the accommodating portion 932 (hereinafter referred to as the third state).

[0091] When the third state in the nozzle cleaning area is set, the nozzle portion 922 can be cleaned by spraying the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid spraying portion (not shown) in the accommodating portion 932 toward the nozzle portion 922. The cleaning liquid for cleaning can be discharged through the discharge fluid channel 932a. In this case, the treatment liquid held at the lower end of the nozzle portion 922 or the treatment liquid on the outer surface of the lower end portion of the nozzle portion 922 can be cleaned and discharged together with the cleaning liquid.

[0092] As described above, when the nozzle portion 922 and the container unit 930 are provided in plural, the nozzle portion 922 can be operated independently. More specifically, only one of the nozzle portions 922 may be lowered, or only a portion of the nozzle portion 922 may be lowered. In this case, only the lowered nozzle portion 922 may apply the processing liquid to the substrate W. In addition, when cleaning the nozzle portion 922, only the second body 931 corresponding to the lowered nozzle portion 922 may be moved to a position facing the nozzle portion 922 for applying the cleaning liquid, or only the nozzle portion 922 that needs to be cleaned may be cleaned.

[0093] Then, when cleaning of the nozzle portion 922 is completed, the nozzle unit 920 and the container unit 930 may be moved from the nozzle cleaning area to the next processing container 411 by the support unit 940. Thereafter, the process of applying the processing liquid to the substrate W and the process of cleaning the nozzle may be repeatedly performed.

[0094] As described above, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the nozzle module 900 and the substrate processing device 1 including the nozzle module 900 may include a plurality of nozzle parts 922 that can be raised and lowered, and a plurality of container units 930 that can reciprocate horizontally. The nozzle parts 922 may be configured to operate independently, so that when a processing liquid is applied or cleaning is required, only the nozzle parts 922 corresponding thereto may be lowered and processed. As a result, waste of liquids (e.g., processing liquids, cleaning liquids, etc.) used in a substrate processing process may be prevented, and unnecessary cleaning work may be avoided to improve substrate processing efficiency and semiconductor device productivity.

[0095] In the above-mentioned embodiments, the substrate processing apparatus of the present disclosure has been described as an embodiment applied to light processing, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. As long as the substrate processing apparatus is used as a device for using a processing liquid in a substrate processing process and a device for cleaning the device, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure can be applied to various processes, such as etching processes, testing processes, packaging processes, etc., and these applications will also fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0096] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a nozzle module and a substrate processing device including the nozzle module may include a plurality of nozzle parts that can be raised and lowered and a plurality of container units that can be moved horizontally and reciprocatingly, and each of the nozzle parts may be configured to be independently operable to apply a processing liquid or need to be cleaned, and only the nozzle part associated therewith may be lowered for processing. Therefore, waste of liquid (e.g., processing liquid, cleaning liquid, etc.) used in the processing process of the substrate can be prevented, and unnecessary cleaning work can be avoided to improve substrate processing efficiency and semiconductor device productivity.

[0097] While exemplary embodiments have been illustrated and described above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A nozzle module, comprising: base part; a nozzle unit disposed on the base portion and comprising a first body, and a nozzle portion reciprocating in a first moving direction; as well as The container unit is disposed to face the nozzle unit and includes a second body that reciprocates in a second moving direction, and a receiving portion that is concavely formed inwardly from an upper surface of the second body.

2. The nozzle module according to claim 1, further comprising a supporting unit, the supporting unit comprising: a support member disposed on the base portion; A guide portion, disposed on the support member; a connecting portion connected to the guide portion to reciprocate in a third moving direction; as well as A support plate connects the connection portion and the nozzle unit.

3. The nozzle module according to claim 1, wherein: The nozzle portion is disposed above the second body and extends in a downward direction toward the accommodating portion.

4. The nozzle module according to claim 1, wherein: The nozzle unit further comprises: a first driver disposed on an upper surface of the first body to generate a driving force required to move the nozzle portion; and A conversion member is provided between the first driver and the nozzle portion to convert a direction of the driving force into the first moving direction.

5. The nozzle module according to claim 4, wherein: The nozzle portion is raised and lowered between the first driver and the receiving portion.

6. The nozzle module according to claim 4, wherein: The container unit further includes a second driver coupled to a lower surface of the first body and generating a driving force required for movement of the second body.

7. The nozzle module according to claim 6, wherein: One end of the second body is connected to the second driver and extends in the second moving direction, and the other end of the second body is bent downward in the first moving direction.

8. The nozzle module according to claim 4, wherein: The inclined surface portion is provided on one end of the first body.

9. The nozzle module according to claim 1, wherein: The nozzle portion and the container unit are respectively provided in plural numbers, and The plurality of nozzle parts and the plurality of container units are arranged to face each other one by one, and each of the plurality of nozzle parts can be independently operated.

10. A substrate processing device, comprising: a processing chamber; at least two processing units disposed in the processing chamber, including a processing container for accommodating a substrate, and a supporting portion disposed in the processing container and supporting the substrate; as well as A nozzle module is disposed in the processing chamber and comprises: base part; a nozzle unit disposed on the base portion and comprising a first body, and a nozzle portion reciprocating in a first moving direction; a container unit disposed to face the nozzle unit and including a second body that reciprocates in a second moving direction, and a receiving portion that is concavely formed inwardly from an upper surface of the second body; and The supporting unit comprises: a support member disposed on the base portion; A guide portion, disposed on the support member; a connecting portion connected to the guide portion to reciprocate in a third moving direction; and A support plate connects the connection portion and the nozzle unit.

11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: The support unit reciprocates in the third moving direction to move the nozzle unit from one of the at least two processing units to a different processing unit.

12. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: The nozzle portion is disposed above the second body and extends in a downward direction toward the accommodating portion.

13. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the nozzle unit further comprises: a first driver, disposed on an upper surface of the first body, to generate a driving force required to move the nozzle portion; as well as A conversion member is provided between the first driver and the nozzle portion to convert a direction of the driving force into the first moving direction.

14. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein: The nozzle portion is raised and lowered between the first driver and the receiving portion.

15. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein: The container unit further includes a second driver coupled to a lower surface of the first body and generating a driving force required for movement of the second body.

16. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein: One end of the second body is connected to the second driver and extends in the second moving direction, and the other end of the second body is bent downward in the first moving direction.

17. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein: The inclined surface portion is provided on one end of the first body.

18. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: The nozzle part is provided in plural, and The plurality of nozzle portions are spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of the first body, and at least some of the plurality of nozzle portions are independently operated.

19. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein: The container unit is provided in plurality, and The plurality of container units are arranged to face the plurality of nozzle parts one by one, and the second body independently reciprocates.

20. A substrate processing device, comprising: a processing chamber; at least two processing units disposed in the processing chamber, including a processing container for accommodating a substrate, and a supporting portion disposed in the processing container and supporting the substrate; as well as A nozzle module is disposed in the processing chamber and comprises: base part; a nozzle unit, disposed on the base portion, and comprising: first ontology; The nozzle portion reciprocates in a first moving direction; a first driver disposed on an upper surface of the first body to generate a driving force required to move the nozzle portion; and a conversion member disposed between the first driver and the nozzle portion to convert a direction of the driving force into the first moving direction; The container unit is arranged to face the nozzle unit, comprising: a second body reciprocating in a second moving direction, and an accommodating portion formed concavely inwardly from an upper surface of the second body and disposed to face the nozzle portion, and The supporting unit comprises: a support member disposed on the base portion; A guide portion, disposed on the support member; a connecting portion connected to the guide portion to reciprocate in a third moving direction; and a support plate connecting the connection portion and the nozzle unit; wherein the nozzle portion is disposed above the second body and extends in a downward direction toward the receiving portion and is raised and lowered between the first driver and the receiving portion, One end of the first body has an inclined surface portion, The inclined surface portion is disposed below the conversion member and is formed by connecting a plurality of inclined surfaces having different inclination angles, The nozzle portion is provided in plural, the plurality of nozzle portions are arranged to be spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the first body, and at least part of the plurality of nozzle portions are independently raised and lowered, and The container unit is provided in plural, the plurality of container units are arranged to face the plurality of nozzle portions one by one, and at least a portion of the second body independently reciprocates.

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