Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Abstract

The invention discloses a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method. The apparatus includes: a processing container including a processing space for processing a substrate; a support unit provided in the processing space and configured to support the substrate; a liquid discharge unit including a processing solution nozzle for supplying a processing solution to the substrate supported on the support unit to process the substrate, a first nozzle, and a second nozzle; and a controller which controls the support unit and the liquid discharge unit such that: a substrate processing operation of supplying a processing solution to a substrate to process the substrate; a substrate unloading operation of unloading the substrate from the processing container after the substrate processing operation; and a container cleaning operation of cleaning the processing container after the substrate unloading operation, and in the container cleaning operation, primary cleaning is performed by discharging a cleaning solution from the first nozzle to the support unit, and then secondary cleaning is performed by discharging an antistatic liquid from the second nozzle to the support unit or the processing container.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0164457 filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on November 23, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to a substrate processing device and a substrate processing method for processing a substrate. Background Art

[0004] In order to manufacture semiconductor devices, various processes such as photography, deposition, ashing, etching, and ion implantation are performed. In addition, before and after performing these processes, a cleaning process is performed to clean particles remaining on the substrate.

[0005] On the other hand, in the above process, the wet etching process is performed by discharging the etching solution onto the substrate. Since the wet etching process is performed in a state where the substrate is supported on a supporting unit provided in a process container, the process container and the supporting unit are contaminated by the etching solution, and the process container and the supporting unit are periodically cleaned with a cleaning solution.

[0006] In this case, when cleaning the support unit and the process container, the cleaning solution is splashed in various directions, and the splashed cleaning solution is splashed to other nozzles together with particles, causing contamination of the nozzles.

[0007] Furthermore, the solution used to clean the process container is usually purified water, which may generate static electricity when cleaning the support unit and the process container, affecting the treatment process. Summary of the invention

[0008] The present invention is directed to providing a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method capable of removing a contamination source when other nozzles are contaminated by a cleaning solution sputtered when cleaning a processing container.

[0009] The present invention is also directed to providing a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method capable of facilitating removal of static charges when cleaning a supporting unit and a processing container.

[0010] Problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and unmentioned problems will be clearly understood from the following description by those skilled in the art.

[0011] An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus for processing a substrate, the apparatus comprising: a processing container including a processing space for processing a substrate; a supporting unit disposed in the processing space and used to support the substrate; and a liquid discharge unit. unit), the liquid discharge unit includes a treatment solution nozzle, a first nozzle and a second nozzle, the treatment solution nozzle is used to supply the treatment solution to a substrate supported on the support unit to process the substrate, the first nozzle is used to supply a cleaning solution, and the second nozzle is used to supply an antistatic liquid; and a controller, the controller is used to control the liquid discharge unit and the support unit, wherein the controller controls the support unit and the liquid discharge unit so as to sequentially perform: a substrate processing operation, in which the treatment solution is supplied to the substrate to process the substrate; a substrate unloading operation, in which the substrate is unloaded from a processing container after the substrate processing operation; and a container cleaning operation, in which the container cleaning operation is cleaned after the substrate unloading operation, and in which the processing container is cleaned, and in which the primary cleaning is performed by discharging the cleaning solution from the first nozzle to the support unit, and then the secondary cleaning is performed by discharging the antistatic liquid from the second nozzle to the support unit or the processing container.

[0012] According to an exemplary embodiment, the first nozzle and the second nozzle may be provided to be movable by the same arm.

[0013] According to an exemplary embodiment, the liquid discharge unit may further include a discharge head mounted on the arm, and the first nozzle and the second nozzle may be mounted on the discharge head.

[0014] According to an exemplary embodiment, the cleaning solution may be pure water, and the antistatic liquid may be carbon dioxide water.

[0015] According to exemplary embodiments, the antistatic fluid may have a lower specific resistivity than the cleaning solution.

[0016] According to an exemplary embodiment, during the primary cleaning, the top end of the process container may be located at a higher position than a position at which the substrate is supported.

[0017] According to an exemplary embodiment, in the primary cleaning, the support unit may be rotated, and the cleaning solution sprayed to the support unit may be splashed onto the inner surface of the process container by the rotation of the support unit.

[0018] According to an exemplary embodiment, during the secondary cleaning, the top end of the process container may be located at a position lower than a position at which the substrate is supported.

[0019] Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a method for processing a substrate, the method comprising: a substrate loading operation, in which the substrate is loaded into a processing space set in a processing container; a substrate processing operation, in which the substrate is processed by supplying a processing solution to the substrate while a rotating chuck supporting the substrate is rotated in the processing space; a substrate unloading operation, in which the substrate is unloaded from the processing space after the substrate processing operation; and a container cleaning operation, in which the processing container is cleaned after the substrate unloading operation, wherein the container cleaning operation comprises: a primary cleaning operation, in which a cleaning solution is supplied to the rotating chuck; and a secondary cleaning operation, in which an antistatic liquid is supplied to the rotating chuck or the processing container after the primary cleaning operation.

[0020] According to an exemplary embodiment, a substrate processing operation may include discharging an antistatic liquid onto a substrate.

[0021] According to the exemplary embodiment, the cleaning solution is supplied by the cleaning solution nozzle, and the antistatic liquid is supplied by the antistatic liquid nozzle, wherein the cleaning solution nozzle and the antistatic liquid nozzle move while being integrally coupled to the discharge head.

[0022] According to an exemplary embodiment, the cleaning solution may be pure water, and the antistatic liquid may be carbon dioxide water.

[0023] According to exemplary embodiments, the antistatic liquid may have a lower specific resistance than the cleaning solution.

[0024] According to an exemplary embodiment, in the primary cleaning operation, the top end of the process container is located at a position higher than a position where the substrate is supported.

[0025] According to an exemplary embodiment, during the primary cleaning, the cleaning solution may be splashed onto the inner surface of the process container by the rotation of the spin chuck, and the process container may be repeatedly raised and lowered.

[0026] According to an exemplary embodiment, in the secondary cleaning operation, the top end of the process container is located at a position lower than the position where the arm supports the substrate.

[0027] According to an exemplary embodiment, the secondary cleaning operation may further include a spin chuck cleaning operation in which an antistatic liquid is drained from the top of the spin chuck.

[0028] According to an exemplary embodiment, the secondary cleaning operation may further include a container top cleaning operation in which an antistatic liquid is discharged to the top of the process container.

[0029] According to an exemplary embodiment, the method may further include a drying operation in which an air flow is formed around the spin chuck and the process container by the rotation of the spin chuck.

[0030] Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a method for processing a substrate, the method comprising: transferring the substrate to a spin chuck in a processing container; liquid-processing the substrate by supplying the substrate with a processing solution; unloading the substrate from the processing container; and cleaning the processing container, wherein the liquid processing of the substrate comprises supplying an antistatic liquid to the substrate from a discharge head equipped with a cleaning solution nozzle and an antistatic liquid nozzle, the cleaning solution nozzle supplies pure water, and the antistatic liquid nozzle supplies carbon dioxide water, and the cleaning of the processing container comprises: a primary cleaning operation, in which the spin chuck and the processing container are cleaned with a cleaning solution; and a secondary cleaning operation, in which the spin chuck and the processing container are cleaned with an antistatic liquid, in which the primary cleaning operation, the cleaning solution is supplied to the top surface of the spin chuck in a state in which the top end of the processing container is located higher than the top surface of the spin chuck, and, in the secondary cleaning operation, the top end of the processing container is located lower than the top surface of the spin chuck, and the antistatic liquid is supplied from the antistatic liquid nozzle to the top surface of the spin chuck or the top end of the processing container.

[0031] The present invention has the effect of helping to remove the contamination source when another nozzle is contaminated by a cleaning solution splashed when cleaning a process container.

[0032] Furthermore, the present invention has the effect of facilitating the removal of electrostatic charges when cleaning the support unit and the process container.

[0033] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the present specification and the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Various features and advantages of the non-limiting embodiments of the present specification may become apparent upon reviewing the detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims. Unless explicitly stated, the drawings are not to be considered drawn to scale. Various dimensions in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity and understanding.

[0035] Figure 1 is a top plan view showing a substrate processing facility according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 2 To show Figure 1 Cross-sectional view of a substrate processing device.

[0037] Figure 3 is a flow chart of a substrate processing method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Figures 4 to 8 For use Figure 3 A process flow chart of each operation of the substrate processing method is shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Example embodiments are provided so that the disclosure is thorough and the scope is fully conveyed to those skilled in the art. Many specific details (such as examples of specific components, equipment, and methods) are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be adopted, and example embodiments can be embodied in many different forms, and specific details should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. In some example embodiments, known processes, known equipment structures, and known technologies are not described in detail.

[0040] The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific example embodiments and are not intended to be limiting. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" may be intended to include plural forms. The terms "comprises, comprising", "including" and "having" are inclusive and therefore specifically refer to the presence of the features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, 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 execution order, the method steps, processes and operations described herein should not be interpreted as having to be performed in the specific order discussed or illustrated. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be adopted.

[0041] 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, engaged to, connected to, or coupled to other elements or layers, or there may be intermediate elements or layers. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on another element or layer," "directly engaged to another element or layer," "directly connected to another element or layer," or "directly coupled to another element or layer," there may be no intermediate elements or layers. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a similar manner (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.

[0042] Although the terms first, second, third, etc. can be used to describe different elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections in this article, 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 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.

[0043] For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as "inside", "outside", "below", "beneath", "below", "above", "above" and the like may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element or feature to another element or elements or another feature or features, as shown in the figures. 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, the elements described as being "below" or "beneath" other elements or features will subsequently be oriented to be "above" other elements or features. Therefore, the example term "below" is able to 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.

[0044] When the terms "same" or "identical" are used in the description of example 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%).

[0045] 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 connection with geometric shapes, it should be understood that the precision of the geometric shape is not required, but the latitude of the shape is within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0046] 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 example embodiments belong. It should also be 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.

[0047] In the present exemplary embodiment, a wafer will be described as an example of an object to be processed. However, in addition to a wafer, the technical spirit of the present invention can also be applied to an apparatus for processing other types of substrates.

[0048] Figure 1 is a top plan view showing a substrate processing facility according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 To show Figure 1 Cross-sectional view of a substrate processing device.

[0049] refer to Figure 1 , the substrate processing facility 1 includes an index module 10 and a process processing module 20, and the index module 10 includes a load port 120 and a transfer frame 140. The load port 120, the transfer frame 140, and the process processing module 20 are sequentially arranged in a row. Hereinafter, the direction in which the load port 120, the transfer frame 140, and the process processing module 20 are arranged is referred to as a first direction 12, a direction perpendicular to the first direction 12 when viewed from above 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.

[0050] The carrier 18 accommodating the substrate W is positioned on the load port 120. A plurality of load ports 120 are provided, which are arranged in a row along the second direction 14. Figure 1 , four loading ports 120 are provided. However, the number of loading ports 120 may be increased or decreased according to conditions such as processing efficiency and floor space of the process module 20. A slot (not shown) provided to support an edge of the substrate W is formed in the carrier 18. The slots are provided in plural along the third direction 16, and the substrates W are stacked in the carrier while being spaced apart from each other along the third direction 16. A front opening unified pod (FOUP) may be used as the carrier 18.

[0051] The process module 20 may include a buffer unit 220, a transfer chamber 240, and process chambers 260 and 280. The transfer chamber 240 is arranged so that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the first direction 12. The process chambers 260 and 280 are arranged on opposite sides of the transfer chamber 240 along the second direction 14. The process chamber 260 may be arranged to be symmetrical with respect to the transfer chamber 240. Some of the process chambers 260 and 280 are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the transfer chamber 240. Additionally, some of the process chambers 260 and 280 are arranged to be stacked on each other. That is, the process chamber 260 may be arranged on opposite sides of the transfer chamber 240 in an A×B array (A and B are natural numbers of 1 or greater than 1). Here, "A" is the number of process chambers 260 and 280 arranged in a line along the first direction 12, and "B" is the number of process chambers 260 and 280 arranged in a line along the third direction 16. When four or six process chambers 260 and 280 are provided at opposite sides of the transfer chamber 240, the process chambers 260 and 280 may be arranged in a 2×2 or 3×2 array. The number of process chambers 260 and 280 may be increased or decreased. Unlike the foregoing, the process chamber 260 may be arranged only on one side of the transfer chamber 240. In addition, the process chambers 260 and 280 may be arranged on one side and the opposite side of the transfer chamber 240 in a single layer. In addition, the process chambers 260 and 280 may be arranged in various arrangements other than those described above.

[0052] The process chambers 260 and 280 of the present exemplary embodiment may be classified as including a cleaning chamber and a drying chamber. In this case, as described below, the cleaning chamber may be a substrate processing device for cleaning a substrate W, and the drying chamber may be a substrate processing device for drying a substrate W.

[0053] The buffer unit 220 is disposed between the transfer frame 140 and the transfer chamber 240. The buffer unit 220 provides a space where the substrate W stays before the substrate W is transferred between the transfer chamber 240 and the transfer frame 140. The buffer unit 220 is provided with a slot (not shown) in which the substrate W is placed, and the slots (not shown) are provided in plural to be spaced apart from each other along the third direction 16. In the buffer unit 220, a side facing the transfer frame 140 and a side facing the transfer chamber 240 are each opened.

[0054] The transfer frame 140 transfers the substrate W between the carrier 18 installed in the loading port 120 and the buffer unit 220. The transfer frame 140 is provided with an index rail 142 and an index robot 144. The index rail 142 is provided so that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the second direction 14. The index robot 144 is installed on the index rail 142 and moves linearly in the second direction 14 along the index rail 142. The index robot 144 includes a base 144a, a body 144b and an index arm 144c. The base 144a is installed to be movable along the index rail 142. The body 144b is coupled to the base 144a. The body 144b is provided to be movable on the base 144a in the third direction 16. In addition, the body 144b is provided to be rotatable on the base 144a. The index arm 144c is coupled to the body 144b and provided 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 20 to the carrier 18, some of the index arms 144c may be used, and when the substrate W is transferred from the carrier 130 to the process module 20, other of the plurality of index arms 144c may be used. Therefore, in the process of loading and unloading the substrate W by the index robot 144, particles generated from the substrate W before the process may be prevented from being attached to the substrate W after the process.

[0055] The transfer chamber 240 transfers the substrate W between the buffer unit 220 and the process chamber 260. A guide rail 242 and a main robot 244 are provided to 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 244b is coupled to the base 244a. The body 244b is provided to be movable along the third direction 16 on the base 244a. Further, the body 244b is provided to be rotatable on the base 244a. The main arm 244c is coupled to the body 244b and provided to be movable forward and backward relative to the body 244b.

[0056] Hereinafter, the substrate processing apparatus 300 disposed in the process chamber 260 will be described. The present exemplary embodiment is described based on an example in which the substrate processing apparatus 300 performs a liquid treatment process on the substrate W. The liquid treatment process also includes a process for cleaning the substrate W.

[0057] Figure 2 To show Figure 1 Cross-sectional view of a substrate processing device. Figure 2 The substrate processing apparatus 300 may further include a chamber 310, a processing container 320, a support unit 340, a lifting unit 360, a liquid discharge unit 400, a gas flow forming unit 500, and a controller 900. The chamber 310 provides a processing space 312 in which a process of processing a substrate W is performed.

[0058] The processing container 320 is positioned in the processing space 312 and is set in the shape of a cup with an open top. When viewed from above, the processing container 320 is positioned to overlap with an exhaust pipe. The processing container 320 includes an internal collection container 322 and an external collection container 326. Each of the collection containers 322 and 326 collects a different processing solution from the processing solution used in the process. The internal collection container 322 is set in an annular shape around the support unit 340, and the external collection container 326 is set in an annular shape around the internal collection container 322. The internal space 322a of the internal collection container 322 and the space 326a between the external collection container 326 and the internal collection container 322 serve as inlets for the processing solution to flow into the internal collection container 322 and the external collection container 326, respectively. The collection lines 322b and 326b are connected to the bottom surfaces of the collection containers 322 and 326, respectively, to extend vertically downward. Each of the collecting lines 322b and 326b serves as a discharge pipe to discharge the treatment solution that has been introduced through the respective collecting containers 322 and 326. The discharged treatment solution may be reused by an external treatment solution regeneration system (not shown).

[0059] The support unit 340 can support and rotate the substrate W. The support unit 340 is disposed in the processing container 320. The substrate support unit 340 supports the substrate W and rotates the substrate W during the process. The support unit 340 includes a spinchuck 342, a support pin 344, a chuck pin 346, and a rotating shaft 348. When viewed from the top, the spinchuck 342 has a substantially circular top surface. The rotating shaft 348, which can be rotated by a driver, is fixedly coupled to the bottom surface of the spinchuck 342. In one example, the driver can be formed by a motor 349. A plurality of support pins 344 are provided. The support pins 344 are spaced apart on the edge portion of the top surface of the spinchuck 342 and protrude upward from the spinchuck 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 rear surface of the substrate W so that the substrate W is spaced apart from the top surface of the spinchuck 342 by a predetermined distance. A plurality of chuck pins 346 are provided. The chuck pin 346 is arranged to be farther from the center of the rotating chuck 342 than the supporting pin 344. The chuck pin 346 is arranged to protrude upward from the rotating chuck 342. The chuck pin 346 supports the side of the substrate W to prevent the substrate W from laterally deviating from its static position when the supporting unit 340 rotates. The chuck pin 346 is arranged to be linearly movable between the standby position and the supporting position along the radial direction of the rotating chuck 342. The standby position is a position farther from the center of the rotating chuck 342 than the supporting position. When the substrate W is loaded onto the supporting unit 340 or unloaded from the supporting unit, the chuck pin 346 is positioned at the standby position, and when a process is performed on the substrate W, the chuck pin 346 is positioned at the supporting position. At the supporting position, the chuck pin 346 contacts the side of the substrate W.

[0060] The lifting unit 360 adjusts the relative height between the process container 320 and the support unit 340. The lifting unit 360 linearly moves the process container 320 in the up and down directions. When the process container 320 moves up and down, the relative height of the process container 320 relative to the support plate 340 changes. The lifting unit 360 includes a bracket 362, a moving shaft 364, and a driver 366. The bracket 362 is fixedly installed on the outer wall of the process container 320, and the moving shaft 364 moved in the vertical direction by the driver 366 is fixedly coupled to the bracket 462. When the substrate W is placed on the support unit 340 or lifted and lowered from the support unit 340, the process container 320 is lowered so that the support unit 340 protrudes beyond the process container 320. In addition, according to the type of the processing solution supplied to the substrate W, the height of the process container 320 is adjusted so that the processing solution flows into the corresponding collection container groups 322 and 326.

[0061] Different from the above description, the elevating unit 360 may move the supporting unit 340 in the up and down directions instead of the process container 320 .

[0062] The liquid discharge unit 400 supplies various types of liquids to the substrate W. The liquid discharge unit 400 also includes a plurality of nozzles 410 to 440. Each nozzle is moved to a process position and a standby position by a nozzle position driver 490. Here, the process position is defined as a position where the nozzles 410 to 440 can discharge a solution onto the substrate W positioned in the processing container 320, and the standby position is defined as a position where the nozzles 410 to 440 wait outside the process position. In one example, the process position may be a position where the nozzles 410 to 440 can supply a solution to the center of the substrate W. For example, when viewed from above, the nozzles 410 to 440 may be moved between the process position and the standby position by linear motion or axial motion. The processing solution discharged from the liquid discharge unit 400 to the substrate W may be a processing solution for processing the substrate W. In addition, in the standby position, the collection line 402 may be disposed downstream of the nozzles 410 to 440. When the nozzles 410 to 440 discharge a cleaning solution for cleaning, the collection line 402 may collect the cleaning solution.

[0063] Reference Figure 2 In the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the liquid discharge unit 400 may include a first nozzle 410 , a second nozzle 420 , a treatment solution nozzle 430 , a drying nozzle 440 , a rear nozzle 450 , a discharge head 460 , a first valve 470 , and a second valve 480 .

[0064] The first nozzle 410 may be a nozzle that discharges a first cleaning solution. The first cleaning solution may be a solution capable of cleaning chemicals remaining on the substrate W. For example, the first cleaning solution may be pure water. Further, after processing the substrate W with the first cleaning solution, the first nozzle 410 may clean the support unit 340, the processing container 320, and the collection line 402. The first nozzle 410 may be connected to a first pipeline 471 to receive a solution from a first solution supply source.

[0065] The second nozzle 420 may be a nozzle for discharging a second cleaning solution. The second cleaning solution may be an antistatic solution for removing the electrostatic charge on the substrate W when discharging the first cleaning solution. For example, the second cleaning solution may be carbon dioxide water mixed with pure water. In this case, the resistivity of the antistatic solution may be formed to be a resistivity lower than that of the cleaning solution to facilitate charge removal. In addition, the second nozzle 420 may be integrally coupled to the first nozzle 410 and the discharge head 460. Therefore, the first nozzle 410 and the second nozzle 420 may have the same discharge position controlled by a single nozzle position driver 490. In addition, the second nozzle 420 may be connected to a second pipeline 481 to receive a solution from a second solution supply source.

[0066] The treatment solution nozzle 430 may be a nozzle for discharging chemicals. For example, the chemicals may be liquids capable of etching a film formed on the substrate W or removing particles remaining on the substrate W. The chemicals may be liquids having strong acid or strong alkali properties. The chemicals may include sulfuric acid, hydrofluoric acid or ammonia. The discharge position of the treatment solution nozzle 430 may be changed by a driver (not shown) of the treatment solution nozzle 430.

[0067] The drying nozzle 440 may be a nozzle for discharging a drying fluid. The drying fluid may be provided as a solution capable of replacing the residual rinsing solution on the substrate W. The drying fluid may be a solution having a lower surface tension than the rinsing solution. The drying fluid may be an organic solvent. The drying fluid may be isopropyl alcohol (IPA). The discharge position of the drying nozzle 440 may be changed by a driver (not shown) of the drying nozzle 440.

[0068] The rear nozzle 450 may be a nozzle that discharges the first cleaning solution onto the back surface of the substrate W. The rear nozzle 450 may be disposed near the center of the support unit. The rear surface of the substrate W may be cleaned by the first cleaning solution discharged from the rear nozzle 450 .

[0069] The discharge head 460 is schematically formed in a shape in which a coupling hole is formed to couple the first and second nozzles 410 and 420. The discharge head 460 allows the first and second nozzles 410 and 420 to be integrally coupled so that a discharge position remains constant even when the first and second nozzles 410 and 420 move.

[0070] The first valve 470 is installed in the first pipeline 471. The first valve 470 may be a solenoid valve whose opening and closing operations are controlled by the controller 900. The first valve 470 may be controlled by the controller 900 to open and close. The first pipeline 471 is connected between the cleaning solution supply source 472 and the first nozzle 410 to supply the cleaning solution.

[0071] The second valve 480 is installed in the second pipeline 481. The second valve 480 may be a solenoid valve driven to be opened and closed by the controller 900. The second valve 480 may be controlled by the controller 900 to be opened and closed. The second pipeline 481 is connected between the antistatic solution supply source 482 and the second nozzle 420 to supply the antistatic solution.

[0072] The airflow forming unit 500 forms a downward airflow in the processing space 312. The airflow forming unit 500 supplies airflow from the top of the chamber 310 and discharges airflow from the lower part of the chamber 310. The airflow forming unit 500 further includes an airflow supply unit 520 and a discharge unit 540. The airflow supply unit 520 and the discharge unit 540 are positioned facing each other in the vertical direction.

[0073] The airflow supply unit 520 supplies gas in a downward direction. The gas supplied from the airflow supply unit 520 can be air from which impurities are removed. The airflow supply unit 520 also includes a fan 522, an airflow supply line 524, a supply valve 528 and a filter 526. The fan 522 is arranged on the surface of the ceiling of the chamber 310. When viewed from above, the fan 522 is positioned to face the processing container 320. The fan 522 can be positioned to provide air toward the substrate W located in the processing container 320. The airflow supply line 524 is connected to the fan 522 to supply air to the fan 522. The supply valve 528 is installed in the airflow supply line 524 to adjust the amount of air supplied. The filter 526 is installed in the airflow supply line 524 to filter the air. For example, the filter 526 can remove particles and moisture contained in the air.

[0074] The exhaust unit 540 exhausts the processing space 312. The exhaust unit 540 further includes an exhaust pipe 542, a decompression member 546, and an exhaust valve 548. The exhaust pipe 542 is installed on the bottom surface of the chamber 310, and is provided as a pipe for exhausting the processing space 312. The exhaust pipe 542 is positioned so that the exhaust port faces upward. The position of the exhaust pipe 542 is such that the exhaust port communicates with the inside of the processing container 320. That is, the top end of the exhaust pipe 542 is located in the processing container 320. Therefore, the downward airflow formed in the processing container 320 is discharged through the exhaust pipe 542.

[0075] The decompression member 546 reduces the pressure of the discharge pipe 542. Negative pressure is formed in the discharge pipe 542 by the decompression member 546 evacuating the process container 320. The discharge valve 548 is installed in the discharge pipe 542 and opens and closes the discharge port of the discharge pipe 542. The discharge valve 548 adjusts the discharge amount.

[0076] The controller 900 may control the process module 20 using a pre-stored process algorithm to process the substrate W. In this case, the controller 900 may control the process module 20 so that the treatment solution etches the substrate W, the cleaning solution cleans the substrate W, the drying fluid dries the substrate W, and the substrate W is transferred.

[0077] In addition, the controller 900 may perform primary cleaning and secondary cleaning of the support unit and the processing container 320 using a pre-stored cleaning algorithm. In this case, the controller 900 may control the nozzle position driver 490 to set the discharge position of each nozzle, and control the discharge drive of the nozzle by controlling the opening and closing drive of each valve of the nozzle. The primary cleaning of the controller 900 and the control operation regarding the primary cleaning will be described in more detail in the following substrate processing method.

[0078] Hereinafter, a substrate processing method of the substrate processing apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention as described above will be described.

[0079] Figure 3 is a flow chart of a substrate processing method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figures 4 to 8 For use Figure 3 A process flow chart of each operation of the substrate processing method is shown in FIG.

[0080] like Figure 3 As shown, the substrate processing method according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a substrate processing operation S11, a substrate unloading operation S12, a container cleaning operation S20, and a drying operation S30. Here, since the controller 900 drives the substrate processing facility 1 with a preset algorithm, the substrate processing operation S11, the substrate unloading operation S12, the container cleaning operation S20, and the drying operation S30 are not described in detail.

[0081] In the substrate processing operation S11, the substrate W may be processed by supplying a processing solution onto the substrate W. In this case, the substrate W may be processed by the processing solution supplied from the processing solution nozzle 430 while the substrate W is positioned on the rotation chuck 342 of the support unit 340 and rotated therein. Additionally, a drying fluid may be supplied from the drying nozzle 440 to the substrate W as required by the pre-drying process. Furthermore, the substrate W may be cleaned after being processed by the processing solution by the cleaning solution discharged from the first nozzle 410 and the antistatic solution discharged from the second nozzle 420.

[0082] In the substrate unloading operation S12, the substrate W may be unloaded from the process container 320 after the substrate processing operation S11. In this case, the substrate W may be transferred to another process chamber of the chamber 310 by the hand of the main robot 244 and be subsequently processed.

[0083] The container cleaning operation S20 may include a primary cleaning operation S21 and a secondary cleaning operation S22. Here, in the primary cleaning operation S21 and the secondary cleaning operation S22, the discharge position and discharge drive of the first nozzle 410 and the second nozzle 420 may be controlled by the controller 900, and the lifting and lowering drive of the processing container 320 may be controlled by the controller 900. In this case, the controller 900 may control the nozzle position driver 490 to control the discharge position of the first nozzle 410 and the second nozzle 420, control the first valve 470 and the second valve 480 to control the discharge drive of the first nozzle 410 and the second nozzle 420, and control the lifting unit 360 to control the position of the processing container 320. In the following description, the nozzle position driver 490, the first valve 470, the second valve 480, and the lifting unit 360 are controlled by the controller 900, so the description thereof will be omitted, and the control drive will be described emphatically.

[0084] The primary cleaning operation S21 is an operation of cleaning the support unit and the process container 320 by discharging a cleaning solution.

[0085] In one example, the primary cleaning operation S21 may include a rear nozzle cleaning operation S21a, a pin cleaning operation S21b, and a container inner surface cleaning operation S21c.

[0086] The rear nozzle cleaning operation S21a is the following operation: Figure 4 As shown in , the nozzle position driver 490 is driven to move the first nozzle 410 to the top of the rear nozzle 450 , and then the cleaning solution is discharged from the first nozzle 410 to the rear nozzle 450 .

[0087] The pin cleaning operation S21b is the following operation: Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 4 , the nozzle position driver 490 is driven to move the first nozzle 410 to the top of the support pin 344, and then the cleaning solution is discharged from the first nozzle 410 to the support pin 344. In the pin cleaning operation S21b, not only the support pin 344 but also the chuck pin 346 may be cleaned.

[0088] The container inner surface cleaning operation is as follows: Figure 6As shown in , the inner surface of the inner collection container 322 and the inner surface of the outer collection container 326 are cleaned by discharging the cleaning solution from the first nozzle 410 to the top of the rotating chuck, rotating the chuck 342 at a high speed, and sputtering the cleaning solution on the inner surface of the inner collection container 322 and the inner surface of the outer collection container 326. In this case, the inner collection container 322 and the outer collection container 326 can be cleaned by the cleaning solution by repeatedly performing lifting and lowering driving by the lifting unit 360. In this case, since the top end of the processing container 320 is located at a higher position (such as, at the position P1 supporting the substrate W), the cleaning solution containing particles may not be sputtered to the outside of the processing container 320.

[0089] On the other hand, when the container inner surface cleaning operation S21c is performed, the cleaning solution sputtered onto the inner surface of the inner collection container 322 and the inner surface of the outer collection container 326 may be deposited together with particles around the discharge port of the second nozzle 420, which may become a contamination source if left unattended and cause poor processing of the substrate W when other substrates W are subsequently processed. In order to solve this problem, the following secondary cleaning operation S22 is performed.

[0090] The secondary cleaning operation S22 is an operation of cleaning the supporting unit and the process container 320 by using an antistatic liquid.

[0091] In one example, the secondary cleaning operation S22 may include a spin chuck cleaning operation S22a and a container tip cleaning operation S22b.

[0092] The rotary chuck cleaning operation S22a is as follows: Figure 7 As shown in FIG. 2 , the nozzle position driver 490 moves the second nozzle 420 to the top of the spin chuck 342, and then the antistatic liquid is discharged from the second nozzle 420 to the top of the spin chuck 342. In this case, the cleaning solution and particles contaminated in the container inner surface cleaning operation S21c are discharged by discharging the antistatic liquid through the second nozzle 420, and are discharged to the lower part of the spin chuck 342. Therefore, during cleaning using only the cleaning solution, the contamination source formed around the second nozzle 420 can be easily removed. In addition, since the spin chuck cleaning operation S22a removes the electrostatic charge of the spin chuck 342 using the antistatic liquid, it can be ensured that the electrostatic force does not affect the processing of the substrate W.

[0093] The container top cleaning operation S22b is the following operation: Figure 8, the nozzle position driver 490 moves the second nozzle 420 to the top end of the process container 320, and then discharges the antistatic liquid from the second nozzle 420 to the top end of the process container 320. The container top end cleaning operation S22b may be performed in a state where the top end of the process container 320 is lowered to a position lower than the position P1 supporting the substrate W. Therefore, the antistatic liquid may be reintroduced to the spin chuck 342 side to remove electrostatic charges formed on the process container 320 without causing contamination.

[0094] The drying operation S30 may dry the spin chuck 342 and the process container 320 by rotating the spin chuck 342 at a high speed to form a high-speed airflow around the spin chuck 342 and the process container 320 .

[0095] As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to specific matters such as specific components, limited exemplary embodiments and drawings, but these are only provided to assist in a general understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the aforementioned exemplary embodiments, and those skilled in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications can be made from the description.

[0096] Therefore, the spirit of the present invention should not be limited to the described exemplary embodiments, and not only the claims described later but all modifications equivalent to the claims belong to the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A device for processing a substrate, the device comprising: a processing container, the processing container comprising a processing space for processing a substrate; a supporting unit, the supporting unit being disposed in the processing space and used for supporting the substrate; a liquid discharge unit, the liquid discharge unit comprising a treatment solution nozzle, a first nozzle and a second nozzle, the treatment solution nozzle being used to supply a treatment solution to a substrate supported on the support unit to process the substrate, the first nozzle being used to supply a cleaning solution, and the second nozzle being used to supply an antistatic liquid; as well as a controller for controlling the liquid discharge unit and the support unit, The controller controls the support unit and the liquid discharge unit to sequentially perform: a substrate processing operation in which the processing solution is supplied to a substrate to process the substrate; a substrate unloading operation in which the substrate is unloaded from the processing container after the substrate processing operation; and a container cleaning operation in which the processing container is cleaned after the substrate unloading operation, and In the container cleaning operation, primary cleaning is performed by discharging the cleaning solution from the first nozzle to the support unit, and then secondary cleaning is performed by discharging the antistatic liquid from the second nozzle to the support unit or the process container.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The first nozzle and the second nozzle are provided to be movable by the same arm.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein: The liquid discharge unit further includes a discharge head mounted on the arm, and The first nozzle and the second nozzle are mounted on the discharge head.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The cleaning solution is pure water, and The antistatic liquid is carbon dioxide water.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The antistatic liquid has a lower specific resistance than the cleaning solution.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein: During the primary cleaning, the top end of the process container is located at a position higher than a position supporting the substrate.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein: In the primary cleaning, the support unit is rotated, and the cleaning solution sprayed to the support unit is splashed onto the inner surface of the process container by the rotation of the support unit.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein: During the secondary cleaning, the top end of the process container is located at a position lower than a position supporting the substrate.

9. A method for processing a substrate, the method comprising: a substrate loading operation in which a substrate is loaded into a processing space provided in the processing container; a substrate processing operation in which the substrate is processed by supplying a processing solution to the substrate while a spin chuck supporting the substrate is rotated within the processing space; a substrate unloading operation, the substrate unloading operation being subsequent to the substrate processing operation, in which the substrate is unloaded from the processing space; and a container cleaning operation, the container cleaning operation being subsequent to the substrate unloading operation, in which the process container is cleaned, Wherein, the container cleaning operation includes: a primary cleaning operation in which a cleaning solution is supplied to the spin chuck; and A secondary cleaning operation is performed after the primary cleaning operation, in which an antistatic liquid is supplied to the spin chuck or the process container.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein: The substrate processing operation includes discharging the antistatic liquid onto the substrate.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein: The cleaning solution is supplied from a cleaning solution nozzle, and the antistatic liquid is supplied from an antistatic liquid nozzle, wherein the cleaning solution nozzle and the antistatic liquid nozzle move while being integrally coupled to a discharge head.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein: The cleaning solution is pure water, and The antistatic liquid is carbon dioxide water.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein: The antistatic liquid has a lower specific resistance than the cleaning solution.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein: In the primary cleaning operation, the top end of the process container is located at a position higher than a position supporting the substrate.

15. The method according to claim 9, wherein: During the primary cleaning, the cleaning solution is splashed onto the inner surface of the process container by the rotation of the spin chuck, and the process container is repeatedly raised and lowered.

16. The method according to claim 9, wherein: In the secondary cleaning operation, the top end of the process container is located at a position lower than a position supporting the substrate.

17. The method according to claim 9, wherein: The secondary cleaning operation also includes a spin chuck cleaning operation in which the antistatic liquid is drained from the top of the spin chuck.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein: The secondary cleaning operation also includes a container top cleaning operation in which the antistatic liquid is discharged to the top of the processing container.

19. The method according to claim 9, wherein: The method further comprises: A drying operation in which an air flow is formed around the spin chuck and the process container by the rotation of the spin chuck.

20. A method for processing a substrate, the method comprising: transferring the substrate onto a spin chuck in a process vessel; liquid treating the substrate by supplying the substrate with a treatment solution; unloading the substrate from the process container; as well as cleaning the process vessel, wherein the liquid treatment of the substrate includes supplying an antistatic liquid to the substrate from a discharge head mounted with a cleaning solution nozzle and an antistatic liquid nozzle, The cleaning solution nozzle supplies pure water, and the antistatic liquid nozzle supplies carbon dioxide water, The cleaning of the process vessel comprises: a primary cleaning operation in which the spin chuck and the process container are cleaned with the cleaning solution; and a secondary cleaning operation in which the spin chuck and the process container are cleaned with the antistatic liquid, In the primary cleaning operation, a cleaning solution is supplied to the top surface of the spin chuck in a state where the top end of the process container is located higher than the top surface of the spin chuck, and, In the secondary cleaning operation, the top end of the process container is located lower than the top surface of the spin chuck, and the antistatic liquid is supplied from the antistatic liquid nozzle to the top surface of the spin chuck or the top end of the process container.

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