Substrate processing method, manufacturing method, and substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

The invention discloses a substrate processing method, a manufacturing method and a substrate processing device. Specifically disclosed is a method of processing a substrate, the method comprising: a coating operation of supplying a coating liquid containing a volatile component to a top surface of a substrate to form a cleaning film; and a cleaning film processing operation of processing the cleaning film, in which the cleaning film processing operation includes: a crack forming operation of generating a crack in the cleaning film formed on the substrate to form a film split; and a delamination operation of delaminating the film splints from the top surface of the substrate by volatilizing volatile components contained in the film splints.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0145866 filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on October 27, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to a substrate processing method, a manufacturing method, and a substrate processing apparatus, and more particularly, to a substrate processing method, a substrate processing apparatus, and a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device for manufacturing a semiconductor device. Background Art

[0004] In order to manufacture semiconductor devices, various processes such as photography, deposition, ashing, etching, and ion implantation are performed on the wafer. Before and after these processes, a cleaning process is performed to clean particles remaining on the wafer. The cleaning process is completed by supplying a cleaning solution to a substrate supported on a spin head.

[0005] In recent years, as the cleaning requirements for particles attached to wafers have increased, various methods have been considered to further improve the removal efficiency of particles attached to wafers. As the line width of patterns formed on wafers gradually becomes smaller, it may be difficult to remove particles existing between patterns from the wafer by simply supplying a cleaning solution to the wafer. In addition, depending on the particle, the particle may be strongly attached to the wafer and difficult to remove from the wafer.

[0006] Recently, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a method of cleaning a wafer by supplying a coating liquid containing a polymer onto a wafer, curing or solidifying the coating liquid to form a cleaning film, and removing the formed cleaning film has been considered.

[0007] In the case of removing particles by forming a cleaning film, the process of curing or solidifying the coating liquid causes the processing solution to phase-change into a cleaning film with captured particles. Then, in order to delaminate the formed cleaning film from the wafer, a delamination liquid such as deionized water is supplied to the rotating wafer. The delamination liquid splits the cleaning film to form film flakes, penetrates between the formed film flakes, and delaminates the film flakes from the wafer. Then, in order to rinse the wafer, a rinsing liquid such as IPA is supplied to the rotating wafer. The wafer is then dried as needed.

[0008] The most important operation is to delaminate the cleaning film from the wafer by supplying deionized water. However, it is time-consuming to supply deionized water to the rotating wafer to delaminate the cleaning film.

[0009] When the cleaning film is a component that is easily soluble in deionized water, the deionized water dissolves the cleaning film without forming film splits, so the cleaning film is set to have a component that is soluble in deionized water but will not be dissolved too quickly by the deionized water. Therefore, it may take a long time for the deionized water to form film splits.

[0010] In addition, the surface of the wafer may be hydrophobic or hydrophilic as desired. In the case of a hydrophobic wafer, even if a film split can be formed from a clean film when deionized water is supplied, the deionized water may have difficulty penetrating between the film split and the top surface of the substrate, making it difficult to properly delaminate the film.

[0011] pass Figure 1 The experimental data in illustrate these issues. Figure 1 , 1 and 2 represent the experimental runs on the X-axis and PRE represents the particle removal efficiency. When the wafer is cleaned by using the cleaning film as described above, it can be seen that the particle removal efficiency for the hydrophobic wafer is significantly lower than that for the hydrophilic wafer or the untreated wafer. Summary of the invention

[0012] The present invention is directed to providing a substrate processing method, a manufacturing method and a substrate processing device capable of effectively cleaning a substrate.

[0013] The present invention is also directed to providing a substrate processing method, a manufacturing method, and a substrate processing apparatus capable of forming a film break from a cleaning film formed on a substrate and effectively delaminating the film break from a top surface of the substrate.

[0014] The present invention is also directed to providing a substrate processing method, a manufacturing method, and a substrate processing apparatus capable of processing a cleaning film formed on a substrate by using a gas phase fluid instead of a liquid phase fluid.

[0015] The present invention is also directed to providing a substrate processing method, a manufacturing method and a substrate processing device that can effectively shorten the time required for processing a cleaning film.

[0016] The objects of the present invention are not limited thereto, and other objects not mentioned will be clearly understood from the following description by those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0017] An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a method for processing a substrate, the method comprising: a coating operation, the coating operation supplying a coating liquid containing a volatile component to a top surface of the substrate to form a cleaning film; and a cleaning film processing operation, the cleaning film processing operation processing the cleaning film, wherein the cleaning film processing operation comprises: a crack forming operation, the crack forming operation generating cracks in the cleaning film formed on the substrate to form film cracks; and a delamination operation, the delamination operation delaminating the film cracks from the top surface of the substrate by volatilizing the volatile components contained in the film cracks.

[0018] According to an exemplary embodiment, the crack forming operation may include spraying humidified air to increase the humidity of the space above the substrate.

[0019] According to an exemplary embodiment, in the coating operation and the crack forming operation, the humidity of the space above the substrate may be maintained the same, the coating operation may include rotating the substrate, and the crack forming operation may include stopping the rotation of the substrate.

[0020] According to an exemplary embodiment, the delamination operation may include heating the substrate to volatilize volatile components contained in the film fragments.

[0021] According to an exemplary embodiment, the heating of the substrate may be accomplished by a heater disposed in a chuck supporting the substrate.

[0022] According to an exemplary embodiment, the heating of the substrate may be accomplished by supplying heated pure water to the bottom surface of the substrate.

[0023] According to an exemplary embodiment, the delamination operation may include spraying dry air to reduce humidity in a space above the substrate to volatilize volatile components contained in the film fragments.

[0024] According to an exemplary embodiment, the spraying of the dry air may be performed by supplying the dry gas from an upper side of the substrate through a drying nozzle.

[0025] According to an exemplary embodiment, the spraying of the dry gas may be accomplished by forming a dry downflow flow in the inner space by a downflow flow unit coupled to a housing providing the inner space in which the substrate is processed.

[0026] According to the exemplary embodiment, in the coating operation, the substrate may be in a rotating state in which the substrate is rotated, and in the cleaning film processing operation, the substrate may be in a non-rotating state in which the substrate is not rotated.

[0027] According to an exemplary embodiment, the method may further include a rinsing operation of supplying a rinsing liquid to the rotating substrate after the cleaning film processing operation while dissolving the film fragments.

[0028] According to an exemplary embodiment, in the rinsing operation, the substrate may be rotated at a speed of 500 to 1000 RPM.

[0029] According to an exemplary embodiment, the flushing liquid may be isopropyl alcohol.

[0030] According to the exemplary embodiment, the cleaning film processing operation may be performed in a state where the space above the substrate may be covered by a cover disposed on the upper side of the substrate.

[0031] Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a manufacturing method, which includes: a coating operation, which supplies a coating liquid containing a volatile component, a first component, and a second component to the top surface of a rotating substrate to form a cleaning film; and a crack forming operation, which adjusts the humidity around a non-rotating substrate to generate cracks in the cleaning film and form film cracks.

[0032] According to an exemplary embodiment, the crack forming operation may include adjusting the humidity in the space above the substrate to be greater than the humidity in the coating operation.

[0033] According to an exemplary embodiment, the first component may be a component that is more soluble in moisture around the substrate than the second component.

[0034] According to an exemplary embodiment, the first component may be an organic acid and the second component may be a polymer.

[0035] According to example embodiments, the manufacturing method may further include a delamination operation of delaminating the film fragments from the top surface of the substrate by volatilizing volatile components included in the film fragments.

[0036] Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus for processing a substrate, the apparatus comprising: a housing providing an internal space; a substrate supporting unit for supporting and rotating the substrate in the internal space; a supply unit for supplying a fluid for processing the substrate supported by the substrate supporting unit; a humidity regulating unit for regulating the humidity in the internal space; and a controller, wherein the supply unit comprises: a first nozzle for supplying a coating liquid containing a volatile component to the substrate supported on the substrate supporting unit; a second nozzle for supplying a rinsing liquid to the substrate supported on the substrate supporting unit; and a drying unit. A nozzle, the drying nozzle is used to spray drying gas to a substrate placed on a substrate supporting unit, and the controller is configured to control the substrate supporting unit and the supply unit so that the substrate supporting unit rotates the substrate and the first nozzle supplies the coating liquid to the rotating substrate to form a cleaning film; the controller is configured to control the humidity regulating unit and the substrate supporting unit so that the substrate supporting unit forms film cracks by generating cracks in the cleaning film when the substrate supporting unit stops rotating the supported substrate and sprays humidified air into the internal space to generate cracks in the cleaning film; and the controller is configured to control the supply unit to spray drying gas to volatilize volatile components contained in the film cracks so that the film cracks are layered from the substrate.

[0037] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a substrate can be effectively cleaned.

[0038] Further, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a film break may be formed from a cleaning film formed on a substrate, and the film break may be effectively delaminated from a top surface of the substrate.

[0039] Furthermore, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a cleaning film formed on a substrate may be processed by using a gas phase fluid instead of a liquid phase fluid.

[0040] Furthermore, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the time required to process a cleaning film can be effectively reduced.

[0041] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and unmentioned effects will be clearly understood from the specification and the accompanying drawings by those skilled in the art. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0042] Figure 1 is a graph showing the particle removal efficiency of cleaning a wafer using a cleaning film depending on whether the surface of the wafer has been processed.

[0043] Figure 2 is a top plan view of a substrate processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 3 is shown in the settings Figure 2 Schematic diagram of a substrate processing device in a process chamber.

[0045] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating a substrate processing method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 5 It shows the execution Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the substrate processing apparatus for the coating operation.

[0047] Figure 6 When executing Figure 4 An enlarged view of a portion of the top surface of a substrate during a coating operation.

[0048] Figure 7 It shows the execution Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the substrate processing apparatus for the crack formation operation.

[0049] Figure 8 When executing Figure 4 An enlarged view of a portion of the top surface of the substrate during the crack formation operation.

[0050] Fig. 9 It shows the execution Figure 4 Schematic diagram of a substrate processing apparatus for a layered operation.

[0051] Fig.10 When executing Figure 4 An enlarged view of a portion of the top surface of the substrate during the delamination operation.

[0052] Fig.11 It shows the execution Figure 4 Schematic diagram of a substrate processing apparatus for a rinsing operation.

[0053] Fig.12 When executing Figure 4 An enlarged view of a portion of the top surface of the substrate during the flushing operation.

[0054] Fig.13 It shows the execution Figure 4 A schematic diagram of another view of a substrate processing apparatus for a layered operation.

[0055] Fig.14 It shows the execution Figure 4 A schematic diagram of another view of a substrate processing apparatus for a layered operation.

[0056] Fig.15 is a schematic diagram illustrating a substrate processing apparatus according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0057] Fig.16 It shows Fig.15 Schematic diagram of a substrate processing apparatus performing a crack forming operation.

[0058] Fig.17 It shows Fig.15 Schematic diagram of a substrate processing apparatus performing a delamination operation.

[0059] The various features and advantages of the non-limiting exemplary embodiments of the present specification will become more apparent after detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings are for reference only and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the claims. Unless explicitly stated, the drawings should not be considered to be drawn to scale. For the sake of clarity, the various dimensions in the drawings may be exaggerated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Example embodiments are provided to make the disclosure thorough and to fully convey the scope to those skilled in the art. Many specific details (such as examples of specific components, devices and methods) are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details do not need to be adopted, and example embodiments can be embodied in many different forms, and specific details should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures and well-known technologies are not described in detail.

[0061] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific example embodiments only and are not intended to be limiting. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a, an" and "the" may be intended to include plural forms. The terms "comprises, comprising", "including" and "having" are inclusive, and therefore specifically refer to the presence of the feature, integer, step, operation, element and / or component, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or combinations thereof. Unless explicitly identified as an order of execution, the method steps, processes and operations described herein should not be interpreted as having to be performed in the specific order discussed or illustrated. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be adopted.

[0062] When an element or layer is referred to as being "on another element or layer," "engaged to another element or layer," "connected to another element or layer," or "coupled to another element or layer," the element or layer may be directly on, directly engaged to, connected to, or coupled to another element or layer, or there may be intermediate elements or layers. Conversely, when an element is referred to as being "directly on another element or layer," "directly engaged to," "directly connected to," or "directly coupled to," there may be no intermediate elements or layers. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted similarly (e.g., "between" versus "directly between," "adjacent" versus "directly adjacent," etc.). As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the relevant listed items.

[0063] Although the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. can be used to describe different elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections in this article, unless otherwise specified, these elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms can only be used to distinguish an element, component, region, layer and / or section from another region, layer and / or section. When used in this article, unless the context clearly indicates, terms such as "first", "second" and other numerical items do not imply order or sequence. Therefore, without departing from the teaching of the example embodiment, the first element, the first component, the first area, the first layer or the first section discussed below can be referred to as the second element, the second component, the second area, the second layer or the second section.

[0064] For ease of description, spatially relative terms (e.g., "inside," "outside," "below," "below," "below," "above," and "above," etc.) may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element or feature shown in the drawings to another (or other) element or feature. Spatially relative terms may be intended to cover different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientations described in the drawings. For example, if the device in the figure is turned over, an element described as being "below" or "beneath" other elements or features will subsequently be oriented to be "above" the other elements or features. Thus, the example term "below" may cover both above and below orientations. The device may be oriented in other ways (rotated 90 degrees or oriented in other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptors used herein are interpreted accordingly.

[0065] When the terms "same" or "identical" are used in the description of the exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that some imprecision may exist. Therefore, when an element or value is referred to as being the same as another element or value, it should be understood that the element or value is the same as the other element or value within a manufacturing or operating tolerance range (e.g., ±10%).

[0066] When the term "about" or "substantially" is used with a numerical value, it should be understood that the associated numerical value includes a manufacturing or operating tolerance (e.g., ±10%) around the numerical value. In addition, when the words "generally" and "substantially" are used in conjunction with geometric shapes, it should be understood that the exactness of the geometric shape is not required, but the latitude of the shape is within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0067] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the exemplary embodiments belong. It should be further understood that terms, including those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined herein.

[0068] The substrate W described herein may be a wafer. For example, the substrate W described herein is a patterned wafer. However, without limitation, the substrate W may be configured to be in various shapes that require a cleaning process.

[0069] Further, the substrate processing method described herein may be a method for processing a wafer for manufacturing a semiconductor device. Further, the substrate processing method described herein may be a substrate cleaning method for cleaning a substrate W performed for manufacturing a semiconductor device. Further, the substrate processing apparatus described herein may be an apparatus for processing a wafer for manufacturing a semiconductor device.

[0070] In the following, reference will be made to Figures 2 to 17 Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described in detail.

[0071] Figure 2 is a top plan view of a substrate processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0072] Reference Figure 2, the substrate processing device 10 includes an index module 100, a process module 200 and a controller 900. The index module 100 includes a loading port 120 and a transfer frame 140. The loading port 120, the transfer frame 140 and the process module 200 are arranged in a row in sequence. Hereinafter, the direction in which the loading port 120, the transfer frame 140 and the process module 200 are arranged is referred to as a first direction 12, when viewed from above, a direction perpendicular to the first direction 12 is referred to as a second direction 14, and a direction perpendicular to a plane including the first direction 12 and the second direction 14 is referred to as a third direction 16.

[0073] The carrier 130 in which the substrate W is placed is seated on the loading port 120. A plurality of loading ports 120 are provided and the plurality of loading ports 120 are arranged in a line along the second direction 14. The number of loading ports 120 can be increased or decreased according to the process efficiency and floor space requirements of the process processing module 200. The carrier 130 is formed with a plurality of slots (not shown) for receiving the substrate W in a horizontal position relative to the ground. A front opening unified pod (FOUP) can be used as the carrier 130.

[0074] The process processing module 200 includes a buffer unit 220, a transfer chamber 240, and a process chamber 260. The transfer chamber 240 may be arranged so that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the first direction. The process chamber 260 may be arranged at opposite sides of the transfer chamber 240. On one side of the transfer chamber 240 and on the other side of the transfer chamber 240, the process chamber 260 is symmetrically arranged relative to the transfer chamber 240. On one side of the transfer chamber 240, a plurality of process chambers 260 are arranged. Some of the process chambers 260 may be arranged along the longitudinal direction of the transfer chamber 240. Further, some of the plurality of process chambers 260 may be arranged to be stacked on top of each other. That is, the plurality of process chambers 260 may be arranged at one side of the transfer chamber 240 in an A×B arrangement. Here, A is the number of process chambers 260 arranged in a line along the first direction 12, and B is the number of process chambers 260 arranged in a line along the third direction 16. When four or six process chambers 260 are provided at one side of the transfer chamber 240, the process chambers 260 may be provided in a 2×2 or 3×2 arrangement. The number of process chambers 260 may be increased or decreased. Unlike the foregoing, the process chamber 260 may be provided only at one side of the transfer chamber 240. In addition, the process chamber 260 may be provided as a single layer on one side and on both sides of the transfer chamber 240.

[0075] The buffer unit 220 is disposed between the transfer frame 140 and the transfer chamber 240. The buffer unit 220 may provide a space in which the substrate W stays before being transferred between the transfer chamber 240 and the transfer frame 140. A slot (not shown) in which the substrate W is placed is provided inside the buffer unit 220. A plurality of slots (not shown) may be provided so as to be spaced apart from each other along the third direction 16. A surface of the buffer unit 220 facing the transfer frame 140 and a surface of the buffer unit 220 facing the transfer chamber 240 may be open.

[0076] The transfer frame 140 transfers the substrate W between the carrier 130 located at the loading port 120 and the buffer unit 220. The index guide rail 142 and the index robot 144 are provided on the transfer frame 140. The longitudinal direction of the index guide rail 142 is provided in parallel with the second direction 14. The index robot 144 is mounted on the index guide rail 142 and moves linearly in the second direction 14 along the index guide rail 142. The index robot 144 has a base 144a, a body 144b and an index arm 144c. The base 144a is installed to be movable along the index guide rail 142. The body 144b is coupled to the base 144a. The body 144b is arranged to be movable on the base 144a in the third direction 16. Further, the body 144b is arranged to be rotatable on the base 144a. The index arm 144c is coupled to the body 144b and is arranged to be movable forward and backward relative to the body 144b. The plurality of index arms 144c are configured to be driven individually. The index arms 144c are configured to be stacked in a state of being spaced apart from each other in the third direction 16. When the substrate W is transferred from the process module 200 to the carrier 130, some of the index arms 144c may be used, and when the substrate W is transferred from the carrier 130 to the process module 200, other of the plurality of index arms 144c may be used. This can prevent particles generated from the substrate W before the process from being attached to the substrate W after the process during loading and unloading of the substrate W by the index robot 144.

[0077] The transfer chamber 240 transfers the substrate W between the buffer unit 220 and the process chamber 260, and between the process chambers 260. A guide rail 242 and a main robot 244 are provided in the transfer chamber 240. The guide rail 242 is provided so that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the first direction 12. The main robot 244 is mounted on the guide rail 242 and moves linearly on the guide rail 242 along the first direction 12. The main robot 244 includes a base 244a, a body 244b, and a main arm 244c. The base 244a is installed to be movable along the guide rail 242. The body 144b is coupled to the base 244a. The body 244b is provided to be movable on the base 244a along the third direction 16. Further, the body 244b is provided to be rotatable on the base 244a. The main arm 244c is coupled to the body 244b, and is provided to be movable forward and backward relative to the body 244b. The plurality of main arms 244 c are configured to be individually driven. The main arms 244 c are configured to be stacked in a state of being spaced apart from each other in the third direction 16 .

[0078] The process chamber 260 performs a liquid treatment process on the substrate W. The liquid treatment process may be a cleaning process for cleaning the substrate W. The process chamber 260 may have different structures depending on the type of cleaning process performed. Alternatively, each of the process chambers 260 may have the same structure. Optionally, the process chambers 260 may be divided into a plurality of groups, so that the process chambers 260 belonging to the same group may be set to have the same structure, and the process chambers 260 belonging to different groups may be set to have different structures.

[0079] The controller 900 may control the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 10. The controller 900 may control the index module 100 and the process module 200. In addition, the controller 900 may be configured to control the apparatus 300 provided in the process chamber 260.

[0080] Further, the controller 900 may include: a process controller, which is composed of a microprocessor (computer) that performs control of the substrate processing device 10; a user interface, which is composed of a keyboard in which an operator performs command input operations, etc. to manage the substrate processing device 10; a display, which is used to visualize and display the operating status of the substrate processing device 10, etc.; and a storage unit, which stores a control program for executing a process performed in the substrate processing device 10 under the control of the process controller, or stores a program (i.e., a processing scheme) for executing a process in each component according to various data and processing conditions. Further, the user interface and the storage unit may be connected to the process controller. The processing scheme may be stored in a storage medium in the storage unit, and the storage medium may be a hard disk, a portable disk (such as a CD-ROM or a DVD), or a semiconductor memory (such as a flash memory).

[0081] The device 300 disposed in the process chamber 260 may process the substrate W. The device 300 disposed in the process chamber 260 may process the substrate W with a processing solution or a processing gas. In the present exemplary embodiment, the present invention is described based on a case where the processing performed by the device 300 is a cleaning process for removing particles attached to the substrate W. Such a processing process is not limited to the cleaning process, but may be applied to various processes including photography, ashing, and etching.

[0082] Figure 3 It shows the settings in Figure 2 Schematic diagram of a substrate processing device in a process chamber.

[0083] Reference Figure 3 The device 300 disposed in the process chamber 260 may include a shell 310, a process container 320, a downflow unit 330, a substrate supporting unit 340, a lower supply unit 350, a lifting unit 360, a humidity adjustment unit 370 and an upper supply unit 380.

[0084] The housing 310 may provide an inner space 312 in which the substrate W can be processed. The housing 310 may have a barrel shape to provide the inner space 312. The inner space 312 provided by the housing 310 may be a space hermetically sealed from the outside, or may be in some fluid communication with the outside.

[0085] The atmosphere of the inner space 312 and the atmosphere outside the inner space 310 may be adjusted differently by the housing 310. For example, the humidity of the inner space 312 may be adjusted to increase or decrease by the housing 310. The housing 310 may also be connected to an exhaust line (not shown) for exhausting the atmosphere of the inner space 312.

[0086] Further, the housing 310 may have an entrance and an exit (not shown) through which the substrate W is loaded or unloaded. The main robot 244 of the transfer chamber 240 may load the substrate W into the inner space 312 or unload the substrate W from the inner space 312 through the entrance and the exit formed in the housing 310 .

[0087] The processing container 320 provides a processing space in which a substrate is processed. The processing container 320 has a cylindrical shape with an open top. The processing container 320 includes an inner collection container 322 and an outer collection container 326. The collection containers 322 and 326 collect different processing solutions among the processing solutions used for the process. The inner collection container 322 and the outer collection container 326 may each be configured as a cup-shaped member. The inner collection container 322 may be configured in a shape surrounding the substrate support unit 340, and the outer collection container 326 may be configured in a shape surrounding the inner collection container 322.

[0088] The inner collection container 322 may form a first inlet 322a. Further, the inner collection container 322 and the outer collection container 326 may form a second inlet 326a. According to an example, each of the inlets 322a and 326a may be located at a different height. The first inlet 322a and the second inlet 326a may collect different types of processing solutions.

[0089] Collecting lines 322b and 326b are respectively connected below the bottoms of the collecting containers 322 and 326. The processing solution introduced into each of the collecting containers 322 and 326 may be provided to an external processing solution regeneration system (not shown) through the collecting lines 322b and 326b and reused.

[0090] The downflow unit 330 may form a downflow (DF, an example of a process gas) in the inner space 312. By forming the downflow DF in the inner space 312, the downflow unit 330 may help a cleaning film CF described later to be uniformly formed on the substrate W.

[0091] In addition, the downflow flow unit 330 can form a downflow flow DF by supplying a dry gas to the internal space 312. The dry gas can be nitrogen with extremely low humidity, or air with extremely low humidity. Therefore, the humidity of the atmosphere in the internal space 312 can be adjusted by supplying the downflow flow DF. When the downflow flow DF is supplied, the humidity in the internal space 312 can be reduced. In other words, the downflow flow unit 330 can be used as a humidity adjustment unit.

[0092] The substrate supporting unit 340 supports the substrate W in the processing space. During a process, the substrate supporting unit 340 supports and rotates the substrate W. The substrate supporting unit 340 may include a rotation chuck 342 , a heater 343 , supporting pins 344 , chuck pins 346 , a rotation shaft 348 , and a rotation driver 349 .

[0093] The rotating chuck 342 may be configured in the shape of a substantially circular plate. The rotating chuck 342 may rotate the substrate W. The bottom portion of the rotating chuck 342 may be coupled to a rotating shaft 348. The rotating shaft 348 may be a hollow shaft. The rotating shaft 348 may be coupled to a rotating driver 349, which may be a hollow motor. The rotating driver 349 (which may be a hollow motor) may rotate the rotating shaft 348, and the rotating shaft 348 may rotate the rotating chuck 342. The rotating chuck 342 may have a substrate W to be processed that is fixedly supported by a supporting pin 344 and a chuck pin 346. The substrate W may be rotated by the rotation of the rotating chuck 342.

[0094] Further, the rotating chuck 342 has a top surface and a bottom surface. The diameter of the bottom surface is smaller than the diameter of the top surface. The top surface and the bottom surface can be positioned so that their centers overlap each other.

[0095] In the spin chuck 342, a heater 343 for heating the substrate W may be provided. By providing the heater 343, the spin chuck 342 may be used as a heating plate capable of heating the substrate W. The heater 343 may be a resistance heater that is heated by receiving power.

[0096] Alternatively, the heater 343 may be provided as a lamp that heats the substrate W by irradiating light onto the substrate W. The lamp may be provided as a lamp that irradiates infrared light, visible light, or ultraviolet light. When the heater 343 is provided as a lamp, at least a portion of the spin chuck 342 (more specifically, a portion of the bottom surface of the spin chuck 342 facing the substrate W) may be provided with a material through which light can be transmitted.

[0097] A plurality of support pins 344 are provided. The support pins 344 are spaced apart at a predetermined interval on the edge of the top surface of the spin chuck 342 and protrude upward from the spin chuck 342. The support pins 344 are arranged in combination with each other to form an overall annular shape. The support pins 344 support the edge of the back surface of the substrate W so that the substrate W is spaced a certain distance from the top surface of the spin chuck 342.

[0098] A plurality of chuck pins 346 are provided. The chuck pins 346 are provided farther from the center of the rotary chuck 342 than the support pins 344. The chuck pins 346 are provided to protrude upward from the top surface of the rotary chuck 342. The chuck pins 346 support the lateral portion of the substrate W to prevent the substrate W from laterally deviating from its normal position when the rotary chuck 342 rotates.

[0099] The chuck pin 346 is provided to be linearly movable between an outer position and an inner position in a radial direction of the rotary chuck 342. The outer position is a position farther from the center of the rotary chuck 342 relative to the inner position. When the substrate W is loaded into the rotary chuck 342 or unloaded from the support unit, the chuck pin 346 is positioned at the outer position, and when a process is performed on the substrate W, the chuck pin 346 is positioned at the inner position. The inner position is a position where the chuck pin 346 and the lateral portion of the substrate W contact each other, and the outer position is a position where the chuck pin 346 and the substrate W are spaced apart from each other.

[0100] The lower supply unit 350 may supply a fluid for processing the substrate W to the bottom side of the substrate W. The lower supply unit 350 may supply a heating fluid for heating the substrate W. For example, the lower supply unit 350 may supply a high-temperature processing solution or a high-temperature gas (one example of a processing gas) to heat the substrate W. For example, the lower supply unit 350 may supply high-temperature deionized water or high-temperature nitrogen.

[0101] The lower supply unit 350 may be provided independently of the rotation of the spin chuck 342. In other words, the lower supply unit 350 may be configured such that the lower supply unit 350 does not rotate even when the spin chuck 342 rotates.

[0102] The lower supply unit 350 may include a cap 352, a lower nozzle 354, and a hollow tube 356. The hollow tube 356 may be disposed in the rotating shaft 348, which may be a hollow shaft. The outer surface of the hollow tube 356 and the inner surface of the rotating shaft 348 may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other. A bearing (not shown) may be disposed between the outer surface of the hollow tube 356 and the inner surface of the rotating shaft 348 so that the hollow tube 356 does not rotate even when the rotating shaft 348 rotates.

[0103] The cap 352 may be disposed at the top of the hollow tube 356. The cap 352 may prevent a fluid for processing the substrate W from entering the inside of the hollow tube 356. The lower nozzle 354 may be mounted on the cap 352. A lower supply line (not shown) may be connected to the lower nozzle 354. The lower supply line may be configured to supply high-temperature deionized water or high-temperature nitrogen to the lower nozzle 354. The lower supply line may be disposed inside the hollow tube 356.

[0104] The lifting unit 360 linearly moves the process container 320 in the up-down direction. When the process container 320 moves up-down, the relative height of the process container 320 with respect to the spin chuck 342 changes. The lifting unit 360 lowers the process container 320 so that the spin chuck 342 protrudes beyond the top of the process container 320 when the substrate W is loaded onto or unloaded from the spin chuck 342.

[0105] In addition, when the process is performed, the height of the processing container 320 is adjusted so that the processing solution can flow into the preset collection containers 322 and 326 according to the type of the processing solution supplied to the substrate W. The lifting unit 360 includes a bracket 362, a lifting shaft 364, and a lifting driver 366. The bracket 362 is fixedly mounted to the outer wall of the processing container 320, and the lifting shaft 364 is fixedly coupled to the bracket 362 moved up and down by the lifting driver 366. Optionally, the lifting unit 360 can move the rotation chuck 342 in the up and down directions.

[0106] The humidity adjusting unit 370 may adjust the humidity of the internal space 312. The humidity adjusting unit 370 may supply humidified air (WA (water vapor), an example of a process gas) into the internal space 312 to adjust the atmosphere of the internal space 312. The humidified air WA may be water vapor. When the humidified air WA is supplied to the internal space 312, the humidity of the internal space 312 may increase. The humidity adjusting unit 370 may be used as a humidity adjusting device to adjust the humidity of the internal space 312. The humidity adjusting unit 370 may be attached to the inner wall of the housing 310. A plurality of humidity adjusting units 370 may be provided as needed.

[0107] The upper supply unit 380 may supply a fluid for processing the substrate W. The upper supply unit 380 may supply a coating liquid CL (coating liquid), a rinse liquid RL (rinse liquid), and a dry gas DG (dry gas) to the substrate W.

[0108] The upper supply unit 380 may include a first upper nozzle 381 , a first arm 382 , a second upper nozzle 383 , a second arm 384 , a drying nozzle 385 , and a third arm 386 .

[0109] The first upper nozzle 381 is coupled to the first arm 382 and can move between a position facing the center of the substrate W and a position away from the top side of the substrate W. The second upper nozzle 383 is coupled to the second arm 384 and can move between a position facing the center of the substrate W and a position away from the top side of the substrate W. The drying nozzle 385 is coupled to the third arm 386 and can move between a position facing the center of the substrate W and a position away from the top side of the substrate W.

[0110] In the above example, the present invention has been described based on the case where the first upper nozzle 381, the second upper nozzle 383, and the drying nozzle 385 are each coupled to a separate arm as an example, but is not limited thereto. For example, the first upper nozzle 381, the second upper nozzle 383, and the drying nozzle 385 may all be coupled to the same arm, or some of the first upper nozzle 381, the second upper nozzle 383, and the drying nozzle 385 may be coupled to the same arm, while others are connected to separate arms.

[0111] The first upper nozzle 381 can supply a coating liquid CL. The coating liquid CL can be a liquid containing a first component, a second component, and a volatile component. The coating liquid CL can solidify or solidify as described below, and change into a cleaning film CF described herein in a phase change. The volatile component contained in the coating liquid CL can include ethanol. The volatile component can be an alcohol-based solvent. For example, the volatile component can be an alcohol-based solvent such as a mixture of butanol and methylisobutylcarbinol. The first component can be an organic acid. The second component can be a polymer. For example, the second component can be styrene. Compared with the second component, the first component can have a higher solubility in moisture around the substrate W.

[0112] The second upper nozzle 383 may supply a rinse liquid RL. The rinse liquid RL may be set as a liquid capable of dissolving the cleaning film CF. The rinse liquid RL may be isopropyl alcohol. The rinse liquid RL may also be referred to as a dissolving liquid that dissolves the cleaning film CF, or a removing liquid that removes the cleaning film CF from the substrate W.

[0113] The drying nozzle 385 may supply a drying gas DG. The drying gas DG may be a dry inert gas. For example, the drying gas DG may be nitrogen gas with extremely low humidity, or air with extremely low humidity.

[0114] Hereinafter, a substrate processing method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. The controller 900 may control the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 300 so that the substrate processing apparatus 300 can perform the substrate processing method described herein.

[0115] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating a substrate processing method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0116] Reference Figure 4 , a substrate processing method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a coating operation S10, a cleaning film processing operation S20, and a rinsing operation S30. Although not shown, a drying operation of drying the substrate W may be optionally performed after the rinsing operation S30. The coating operation S10, the cleaning film processing operation S20, and the rinsing operation S30 may be performed sequentially. Further, the cleaning film processing operation S20 may include a crack forming operation S21 and a delamination operation S22. The cleaning film processing operation S20 may cause the cleaning film CF to break to form a film flake CFSL (film flake), volatilize volatile components contained in the film flake CFSL, and delaminate the film flake CFSL from the top surface of the substrate W.

[0117] The crack forming operation S21 and the delamination operation S22 may be performed sequentially. Alternatively, the crack forming operation S21 and the delamination operation S22 may be performed simultaneously. In addition, the cleaning film processing operation S20 may be performed in the order of the crack forming operation S21 starting, the delamination operation S22 starting, the crack forming operation S21 ending, and the delamination operation S22 ending.

[0118] Figure 5 It shows the execution Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a substrate processing apparatus for a coating operation, and Figure 6 When executing Figure 4 An enlarged view of a portion of the top surface of a substrate during a coating operation.

[0119] Reference Figure 5 and Figure 6 In the coating operation S10, the coating liquid CL may be supplied to the top surface of the rotating substrate W. In the coating operation S10, the coating liquid CL may be supplied to the center of the top surface of the rotating substrate W, and the supplied coating liquid CL may spread over the entire top surface of the substrate W while spreading to an edge region while the substrate W rotates.

[0120] After the coating liquid CL spreads across the entire surface of the substrate W, the first upper nozzle 381 may stop supplying the coating liquid CL. Then, the substrate W is rotated at a relatively high speed (e.g., a speed exceeding 1000 RPM), which may volatilize the volatile components contained in the coating liquid CL. When the volatile components in the coating liquid CL volatilize, the coating liquid CL may solidify or solidify and undergo a phase change. More specifically, due to the volatilization of at least some of the volatile components contained in the coating liquid CL, the first component (organic acid) and the second component (polymer) contained in the solvent of the coating liquid CL may form a first solid CP1 and a second solid CP2, respectively. That is, due to the volatilization of at least some of the volatile components contained in the coating liquid CL, the coating liquid CL undergoes a phase change, and the phase-changed coating liquid CL may form a cleaning film CF comprising a first solid CP1 and a second solid CP2.

[0121] The coating operation S10 may include volatilizing volatile components of the coating liquid CL, but may not volatilize all volatile components of the coating liquid CL. For example, after the coating operation S10 is completed, the cleaning film CF may include about 20% of volatile components.

[0122] Further, when the coating operation S10 is performed, the humidity of the internal space 312 may be adjusted to about 40%. The humidity of the internal space 312 may be adjusted by the downflow flow unit 330 and / or the humidity adjustment unit 370.

[0123] After performing the coating operation S10, the coating liquid CL may solidify or cure in the form of a cleaning film CF. During the solidification or curing process, the cleaning film CF may capture particles P attached to the upper surface of the substrate W and / or particles P attached to a pattern PA formed on the substrate W.

[0124] Figure 7 It shows the execution Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a substrate processing apparatus for crack formation operation, and Figure 8 When executing Figure 4 An enlarged view of a portion of the top surface of the substrate during the crack formation operation.

[0125] Reference Figure 7 and Figure 8 , the crack forming operation S21 may include forming (generating) cracks CR in the cleaning film CF formed on the substrate W. During the crack forming operation S21, the substrate W may not rotate. During the crack forming operation S21, the humidity adjusting unit 370 may supply humidified air WA to the internal space 312 to increase the humidity of the internal space 312. In the crack forming operation S21, by increasing the humidity of the internal space 312, the humidity of the space above the substrate W may be increased. In the crack forming operation S21, the humidity of the internal space 312 may be increased to about 50%. Since the cleaning film CF is very sensitive to moisture, the increase in humidity of the internal space 312 may be sufficient to cause the formation of cracks.

[0126] More specifically, the first solid CP1 formed by the first component of the cleaning film CF is very sensitive to moisture around the substrate W, and since the first solid CP1 is mostly dissolved by moisture, cracks CR may be generated. In addition, the second solid CP2 formed by the second component is less soluble or almost soluble in moisture, so that the second solid CP2 can maintain a particle capture state.

[0127] When the crack CR is generated in the cleaning film CF, the cleaning film CF may be split, and when the cleaning film CF is split, a film split CFSL may be formed.

[0128] In addition, since the crack CR is generated by a gas phase fluid rather than a liquid fluid, the cleaning film CF can be formed of a material that is more sensitive to moisture. When the generation of the crack CR is achieved by a liquid fluid, there is a high risk that the cleaning film CF is completely dissolved by the liquid fluid, but since the present invention achieves the generation of the crack CR by a gas phase fluid, the cleaning film CF can be configured by a material that is more sensitive to moisture. For example, the proportion of the first component contained in the coating liquid CL can be increased. In this case, the time spent on generating the crack CR can be effectively reduced.

[0129] Furthermore, in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, since the humidity increased in the inner space 312 may be sufficient to cause crack formation, the substrate W may not be rotated in the crack forming operation S21. When the substrate W is rotated in the crack forming operation S21, the film break CFSL may be laterally moved by the centrifugal force of the substrate W, and in this case, the film break CFSL may be reattached.

[0130] When the film cracks CFSL are reattached, the dry gas DG supplied in the delamination operation S22 described later may have difficulty in penetrating into the space between the film cracks CFSL. In addition, the portion where the film cracks CFSL are delaminated from the substrate W may become smaller. Therefore, in the crack forming operation S21 of the present invention, the film cracks CFSL may be formed by the gas phase fluid without rotating the substrate W.

[0131] Fig. 9 It shows the execution Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a substrate processing apparatus for a layered operation, and Fig.10 When executing Figure 4 An enlarged view of a portion of the top surface of the substrate during the delamination operation.

[0132] Reference Fig. 9 and 10 The delamination operation S22 may include reducing the humidity of the space above the substrate W. In addition, the substrate W may be heated in the delamination operation S22. In the delamination operation S22, the lower portion of the film split sheet CFSL may be delaminated from the upper surface of the substrate W by volatilizing volatile components that the film split sheet CFSL may contain.

[0133] As described above, when the coating operation S10 ends, the clean film CF contains about 20% of volatile components. In the delamination operation S22, the remaining volatile components in the film split CFSL may be volatilized by reducing the humidity of the space above the substrate W or heating the substrate W. In this case, further solidification or curing of the film split CFSL may cause warping of the film split CFSL, which may cause the lower portion of the film split CFSL to be delaminated from the upper surface of the substrate W.

[0134] The delamination operation S22 may be performed by supplying a drying gas DG to the top surface of the substrate W through the drying nozzle 385 or by generating heat through the heater 343 to heat the substrate W. Also, the delamination operation S22 may not involve rotating the substrate W, like the crack forming operation S21 .

[0135] As described above, since the cleaning film processing operation S20 processes the cleaning film CF without rotating the substrate W, damage to the pattern PA formed on the substrate W can be minimized. In addition, since the cleaning film processing operation S20 does not use deionized water to delaminate the film break CFSL from the top surface of the substrate W, the film break CFSL can be effectively delaminated from the top surface of the substrate W regardless of whether the surface of the substrate W is hydrophilic or hydrophobic.

[0136] In addition, since the film split CFSL is not formed using a liquid fluid, the cleaning film CF formed on the substrate W can be formed of a material that is more sensitive to moisture. Therefore, the time required to form the film split CFSL from the cleaning film CF and to delaminate the formed film split CFSL from the top surface of the substrate W can be minimized.

[0137] Fig.11 It shows the execution Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a substrate processing apparatus for a rinsing operation, and Fig.12 When executing Figure 4 An enlarged view of a portion of the top surface of the substrate during the flushing operation.

[0138] Reference Fig.11 and Fig.12 , the rinsing operation S30 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include supplying the rotating substrate W with a rinsing liquid RL. The rinsing liquid RL may be a liquid capable of dissolving or removing the film crack CFSL. The rinsing liquid RL may be isopropyl alcohol (IPA). Before performing the rinsing operation S30, the film crack CFSL may be in a state where its lower end is separated from the upper surface of the substrate W by the cleaning film processing operation S20. Therefore, the rinsing liquid RL penetrates between the film cracks CFSL, and when the substrate W is rotated, the film crack CFSL may be subjected to a large torque due to the centrifugal force of the rinsing liquid RL. Therefore, even when the substrate W is rotated at a relatively low speed (e.g., a speed of about 500 to 1000 RPM) in the rinsing operation S30, the film crack CFSL can be effectively removed. Since the film crack CFSL can be effectively removed even when the substrate W is rotated at a relatively low speed, damage to the pattern PA formed on the substrate W can be minimized.

[0139] In addition, in the case of processing the cleaning film CF using liquid deionized water, it takes a certain amount of time for the deionized water on the substrate W to be replaced by the isopropyl alcohol supplied in the rinsing operation S30, but in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the rinsing operation S30 is performed by immediately supplying isopropyl alcohol, and no time is needed to replace the deionized water, which has the advantage of further reducing the time required to process the substrate W.

[0140] In the above example, the present invention has been described based on the case where the humidity adjustment unit 370 is attached to the inner wall of the housing 310 as an example, but is not limited thereto. For example, the humidity adjustment unit 370 may be provided in the form of a nozzle and may be provided in the form of spraying humidified air WA onto the top surface of the substrate W from the upper portion of the substrate W.

[0141] In the above example, the present invention has been described based on the case where the humidity of the internal space 312 rises to about 50% in the crack forming operation S21, but this is not limited to this example. For example, in the crack forming operation S21, the humidity of the internal space 312 may rise to about 100%.

[0142] In the above examples, the present invention has been described based on the case where the coating liquid CL includes the first component, the second component and the volatile component as an example, but is not limited thereto. For example, the coating liquid CL can be converted into various liquids including a solute and a solvent as a volatile component. The solute can be variously modified with known polymers, which solidify or solidify when the volatile component evaporates, but may be somewhat cracked due to moisture.

[0143] In the above example, the present invention has been described based on the case where the humidity of the internal space 312 is adjusted differently in the coating operation S10 and the crack forming operation S21, but is not limited thereto. For example, in the coating operation S10 and the crack forming operation S20, the humidity of the internal space 312, more specifically, the humidity of the space above the substrate W may be kept the same, such as about 50%. In this case, in the coating operation S10, the substrate W rotates so that the volatile components of the coating liquid CL may volatilize even at a humidity of 50%, and in the crack forming operation S21, the substrate W does not rotate so that the volatile components no longer volatilize, and the crack CR may be formed in the cleaning film CF by a humidity of 50%. The humidity of about 50% may be the humidity in a normal space environment.

[0144] In the above example, the present invention has been described based on the case where the drying nozzle 385 supplies the drying gas DG in the delamination operation S22 to reduce the humidity of the space above the substrate W as an example, but is not limited thereto. Fig.13 As shown, the downflow flow unit 330 may supply a dry gas to form a downflow flow DF to reduce the humidity of the upper space of the substrate W.

[0145] In the above example, the present invention has been described based on the case where the substrate W is heated by the heater 343 when the delamination operation S22 is performed as an example, but is not limited thereto. For example, the lower supply unit 350 may also heat the substrate W by supplying high-temperature deionized water HDIW (high-temperature deionized water) to the bottom surface of the substrate W, such as Fig.14 shown.

[0146] Fig.15 is a schematic diagram illustrating a substrate processing apparatus according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0147] Reference Fig.15 , the substrate processing apparatus 300 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may further include a cleaning film processing unit 390. The cleaning film processing unit 390 may be a unit for performing the above-described cleaning film processing operation S20.

[0148] The cleaning film processing unit 390 may include a cover 391, a humidified air outlet 392, a humidified air supply line 393, a dry gas outlet 394, a dry gas supply line 395, and a cover arm 396. The humidified air outlet 392 and the humidified air supply line 393 may be other examples of the humidity regulating unit 370 described above.

[0149] The cover 391 may have a shape of a cover having an open bottom. The cover 391 may be reset in the up-down direction and the left-right direction by the cover arm 396. When the cleaning film processing operation S20 starts, the cover 391 may cover the space above the substrate W. The cover 391 may cover the upper space 391a of the substrate W.

[0150] Then, if Fig.16 As shown, the humidified air outlet 392 may receive the humidified air WA from the humidified air supply line 393 and discharge the humidified air WA into the upper space 391a. Therefore, the humidity in the upper space 391a may be increased, which may cause cracks to be formed in the cleaning film CF.

[0151] Then, if Fig.17 As shown, the dry gas outlet 394 may receive the dry gas DG from the dry gas supply line 395 to supply the dry gas DG to the upper space 391a. Therefore, the humidity in the upper space 391a may be reduced to allow the film split CFSL to be delaminated from the top surface of the substrate W.

[0152] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the volume of the upper space 391a of the substrate W is reduced by the cover 391, so that the supply of humidified air WA and dry gas DG can be provided. Therefore, the humidity transition in the upper space 391a can be completed very quickly. Therefore, the substrate processing device 300 according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention can effectively shorten the time required to perform the cleaning film processing operation S20.

[0153] In the above examples, the present invention has been described based on the case where the rinsing liquid RL is isopropyl alcohol as an example, but is not limited thereto, and the rinsing liquid RL may be ammonia water, an aqueous solution of ammonium hydroxide such as tetramethylammonium hydroxide, an aqueous solution of choline, an alkaline developer, and the like.

[0154] It should be understood that what is disclosed herein is an exemplary embodiment, and other variations are possible. The individual elements or features of a particular exemplary embodiment are generally not limited to that particular exemplary embodiment, but are interchangeable, and even if not specifically illustrated or described, may be used for a selected exemplary embodiment where applicable. These modifications should not be considered as departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and all modifications obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for processing a substrate, the method comprising: a coating operation of supplying a coating liquid containing a volatile component to a top surface of the substrate to form a cleaning film; as well as a cleaning film processing operation, wherein the cleaning film processing operation processes the cleaning film, Wherein, the cleaning film processing operation includes: a crack forming operation of generating cracks in the cleaning film formed on the substrate to form film cracks; and A delamination operation is performed to delaminate the film fragment from the top surface of the substrate by volatilizing the volatile components contained in the film fragment.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The crack forming operation includes spraying humidified air to increase the humidity of a space above the substrate.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein: In the coating operation and the crack forming operation, the humidity of the space above the substrate is kept the same, The coating operation includes rotating the substrate, and The crack forming operation includes stopping the rotation of the substrate.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The delamination operation includes heating the substrate to volatilize the volatile components contained in the film fragments.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein: The heating of the substrate is performed by a heater provided in a chuck supporting the substrate.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein: The heating of the substrate is accomplished by supplying heated pure water to a bottom surface of the substrate.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The delamination operation includes spraying dry air to reduce humidity in a space above the substrate to volatilize the volatile components contained in the film fragments.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein: The spraying of the dry air is performed by supplying dry gas from an upper side of the substrate through a drying nozzle.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein: The spraying of the drying gas is accomplished by forming a dry downflow flow in an inner space by a downflow flow unit coupled to a housing providing the inner space in which the substrate is processed.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein: In the coating operation, the substrate is in a rotating state of rotating the substrate, and In the cleaning film processing operation, the substrate is in a non-rotating state in which the substrate is not rotated.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The method further comprises: A rinsing operation of supplying a rinsing liquid to the rotating substrate after the cleaning film processing operation while dissolving the film fragments.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein: During the rinsing operation, the substrate is rotated at a speed of 500 to 1000 RPM.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The flushing liquid is isopropyl alcohol.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The cleaning film processing operation is performed in a state where a space above the substrate is covered by a cover member provided on an upper side of the substrate.

15. A manufacturing method, comprising: a coating operation of supplying a coating liquid containing a volatile component, a first component, and a second component to a top surface of the rotating substrate to form a cleaning film; as well as A crack forming operation of adjusting humidity around the non-rotating substrate to generate cracks in the cleaning film and form film cracks.

16. The manufacturing method according to claim 15, wherein: The crack forming operation includes adjusting the humidity in the space above the substrate to be greater than the humidity in the coating operation.

17. The manufacturing method according to claim 15, wherein: The first component is a component that is more soluble in moisture around the substrate than the second component.

18. The manufacturing method according to claim 17, wherein: The first component is an organic acid and the second component is a polymer.

19. The manufacturing method according to claim 15, wherein: The manufacturing method further comprises: A delamination operation is performed to delaminate the film fragment from the top surface of the substrate by volatilizing the volatile components contained in the film fragment.

20. An apparatus for processing a substrate, the apparatus comprising: a housing providing an interior space; a substrate supporting unit, the substrate supporting unit being used to support and rotate a substrate in the internal space; a supply unit configured to supply a fluid for processing the substrate supported by the substrate support unit; a humidity regulating unit, the humidity regulating unit being used to regulate the humidity in the internal space; as well as Controller, Wherein, the supply unit comprises: a first nozzle for supplying a coating liquid containing a volatile component to a substrate supported on the substrate supporting unit; a second nozzle for supplying a rinsing liquid to the substrate supported on the substrate supporting unit; and a drying nozzle for spraying a drying gas onto the substrate placed on the substrate supporting unit; and the controller being configured to control the substrate supporting unit and the supplying unit so that the substrate supporting unit rotates the substrate and the first nozzle supplies the coating liquid to the rotating substrate to form a cleaning film; the controller being configured to control the humidity adjusting unit and the substrate supporting unit so that the substrate supporting unit forms film cracks by generating cracks in the cleaning film when the substrate supporting unit stops rotating the supported substrate and sprays humidified air into the inner space to generate cracks in the cleaning film; and The controller is configured to control the supply unit to spray the drying gas to volatilize the volatile components contained in the film fragments so that the film fragments are delaminated from the substrate.

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