Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus for processing a substrate, the apparatus comprising: a chamber having a processing space for processing a substrate; a support unit provided in the processing space and configured to support the substrate; a nozzle for discharging the processing solution onto the substrate when the substrate is processed; and a liquid supply unit for supplying the processing solution to the nozzle, in which the liquid supply unit comprises: a liquid supply source for supplying the processing solution; a supply line connected between the liquid supply source and the nozzle; a supply valve installed on the supply line and opening and closing a passage of the supply line; a discharge line connected to the supply line downstream of the supply valve and discharging the treatment solution from the supply line; and a bleed valve installed on the discharge line and opening and closing a passage of the discharge line.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method for processing a substrate. Background Art

[0002] In order to manufacture semiconductor devices, various processes such as photography, deposition, ashing, etching and ion implantation are performed. In addition, before and after these processes, a cleaning process for cleaning particles remaining on the substrate is performed.

[0003] Among the above-mentioned processes, there is a wet etching process which processes a substrate by discharging a processing solution onto the substrate.

[0004] In the wet etching process, when the processing solution is supplied to the substrate, the valve is set to an open state, and when the supply of the processing solution is stopped, the valve is set to a closed state.

[0005] In this case, when the valve is switched from an open state to a closed state, strong bubbles are generated around the disc of the valve due to the pressure difference between the input end and the output end of the valve, and the disc is finely worn together with the bubbles, thereby generating particles.

[0006] Therefore, bubbles and particles are discharged together with the processing solution through the nozzle to the substrate, thereby causing process failure. Summary of the invention

[0007] The present invention is made in an effort to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method which prevent a process failure from occurring by preventing bubbles generated by a valve from being discharged through a nozzle when a processing solution is discharged through the nozzle.

[0008] Problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and unmentioned problems will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art through the following description.

[0009] An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus for processing a substrate, the apparatus comprising: a chamber having a processing space for processing a substrate; a support unit disposed in the processing space and for supporting the substrate; a nozzle for discharging a processing solution onto the substrate when processing the substrate; and a liquid supply unit for supplying the processing solution to the nozzle, wherein the liquid supply unit comprises: a liquid supply source for supplying the processing solution; a supply pipeline connected between the liquid supply source and the nozzle; a supply valve installed on the supply pipeline and opening and closing a channel of the supply pipeline; a discharge pipeline connected to the supply pipeline downstream of the supply valve and discharging the processing solution from the supply pipeline; and a drain valve installed on the drain pipeline and opening and closing a channel of the drain pipeline.

[0010] According to an exemplary embodiment, the discharge line may be connected to the supply line so as to extend downwardly from the supply line.

[0011] According to an exemplary embodiment, the discharge valve may be disposed at a position lower than the supply valve.

[0012] According to an exemplary embodiment, the liquid supply unit may further include an intermediate valve installed in the supply line but downstream of the supply valve.

[0013] According to an exemplary embodiment, the apparatus may further include: a controller for controlling the supply valve, the discharge valve and the intermediate valve, wherein the controller may control the intermediate valve and the supply valve so that the intermediate valve is set to a closed state before the supply valve is set from an open state to a closed state.

[0014] According to an exemplary embodiment, the intermediate valve may be disposed at a position lower than the supply valve.

[0015] According to an exemplary embodiment, the intermediate valve may be a diaphragm valve that controls the opening and closing of the disk by a solenoid.

[0016] According to an exemplary embodiment, the supply line may include a first line in which the supply valve is installed, and a second line extending from the first line and positioned lower than the first line, and the discharge line may be connected to the second line.

[0017] According to an exemplary embodiment, the supply line may further include a third line connected upward from the second line and connected to the nozzle, and a top end of the third line may be higher than top ends of the first line and the second line.

[0018] According to an exemplary embodiment, the apparatus may further include: a controller for controlling the supply valve and the discharge valve, wherein when the supply line is in a closed state and the discharge valve is in an open state in the supply line by the controller, an upstream side of the supply valve may be sealed and a downstream side of the supply valve may be exposed to atmospheric pressure so that the treatment solution is discharged by free fall.

[0019] According to an exemplary embodiment, the supply valve and the drain valve may be diaphragm valves that control opening and closing of a disk by a solenoid.

[0020] Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a method for processing a substrate by a substrate processing device, the substrate processing device including: a nozzle for discharging a processing solution to a substrate; a liquid supply source for supplying the processing solution; a supply pipeline connected between the liquid supply source and the nozzle; a supply valve installed on the supply pipeline and opening and closing a passage of the supply pipeline; an intermediate valve installed in the supply pipeline but installed downstream of the supply valve; a discharge pipeline connected to the supply pipeline downstream of the supply valve and discharging the processing solution from the supply pipeline; and a drain valve installed on the drain pipeline and opening and closing a passage of the drain pipeline, the method including: a liquid discharge operation, wherein the supply valve is set to an open state to allow the processing solution to be supplied from the supply pipeline to the nozzle; and a processing solution discharge operation, wherein the intermediate valve is set to a closed state to allow bubbles to form, and the drain valve is set to an open state to discharge the bubbles and the processing solution around the bubbles through the discharge pipeline.

[0021] According to an exemplary embodiment, the processing solution discharge operation may include a discharge stop operation in which the intermediate valve installed in the supply line is set from an open state to a closed state to generate bubbles around the intermediate valve, and the supply valve installed upstream of the intermediate valve is set to an open state.

[0022] According to an exemplary embodiment, the treatment solution discharge operation may further include a drain preparation operation of setting the supply valve to a closed state.

[0023] According to an exemplary embodiment, the treatment solution discharge operation may further include a discharge operation of setting the intermediate valve to an open state and setting the discharge valve to an open state to discharge the bubbles and the treatment solution around the bubbles through the discharge line.

[0024] According to an exemplary embodiment, the treatment solution discharge operation may further include a waiting operation of setting the discharge valve to a closed state after the air bubble and the treatment solution around the air bubble are discharged through the discharge line.

[0025] According to an exemplary embodiment, when the supply valve is in the closed state and the discharge valve is in the open state, the upstream side of the supply valve can be formed in a sealed state and the downstream side of the supply valve can be formed in a state exposed to atmospheric pressure, so that the treatment solution is discharged by free fall.

[0026] According to an exemplary embodiment, in the treatment solution discharging operation, the discharge line may be connected downward from the supply line so that the bubbles freely fall into the discharge line.

[0027] According to an exemplary embodiment, the intermediate valve may be provided by a diaphragm valve that controls the opening and closing of the disk by a solenoid.

[0028] Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus for processing a substrate, the apparatus comprising: a chamber having a processing space for processing a substrate; a support unit disposed in the processing space and for supporting the substrate; a nozzle for discharging a processing solution onto the substrate when processing the substrate; and a liquid supply unit for supplying the processing solution to the nozzle, wherein the liquid supply unit comprises: a liquid supply source for supplying the processing solution; a supply line connected between the liquid supply source and the nozzle; a supply valve installed on the supply line and opening and closing a channel of the supply line; a first discharge line connected to the supply line but connected downstream of the supply valve and connected to a drain port for discharging the processing solution and connected downward from the supply line; a second discharge line, the second discharge line a pipeline connected to the discharge port to be connected with the first discharge pipeline, and to discharge the treatment solution through the first discharge pipeline, and connected downwardly from the first discharge pipeline; a discharge valve, which is installed in the first discharge pipeline, opens and closes the passage of the first discharge pipeline, and is set at a position lower than the supply valve; and an intermediate valve, which is installed in the supply pipeline but installed downstream of the supply valve, and is set to a closed state before the supply valve is set from an open state to a closed state, and is set at a position lower than the supply valve, and the supply pipeline includes: a first pipeline, the supply valve is installed in the first pipeline; a second pipeline, which extends from the first pipeline and is positioned lower than the first pipeline, and is connected to the first discharge pipeline; and a third pipeline, which extends upwardly from the second pipeline and is connected to the nozzle, and has a top end higher than the top end of the first pipeline and the top end of the second pipeline.

[0029] The present invention has an effect of preventing process troubles caused by bubbles and particles because bubbles generated by the intermediate valve are discharged through the first discharge line when the processing solution is discharged through the nozzle.

[0030] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and those skilled in the art can clearly understand unmentioned effects from the present specification and the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The various features and advantages of the non-limiting exemplary embodiments of the present specification will become apparent upon reading the detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims. Unless expressly stated otherwise, the drawings are not to be considered drawn to scale. Various dimensions in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity.

[0032] Figure 1 is a top plan view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a substrate processing apparatus.

[0034] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional view of a liquid supply unit is shown.

[0035] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A system diagram of a modified example of the liquid supply unit shown.

[0036] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A system diagram of a modified example of the liquid supply unit shown.

[0037] Figure 6 is a flow chart of a substrate processing method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Figures 7 to 11 It is shown Figure 6 Cross-sectional views of the open and closed states of the liquid supply unit for each operation are shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Example embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and will 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 need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms, and that neither should be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known techniques are not described in detail.

[0040] The terms used herein are only used to describe the purpose of specific example embodiments, and are not restrictive. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the situation where the number is not specified may be intended to include singular and plural forms. The terms "include", "comprise" and "have" are inclusive, and therefore specify the presence of the features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or their groups. Unless the execution order is specifically identified, the method steps, processes and operations described herein should not be interpreted as necessarily requiring them to be performed in the specific order discussed or described. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps can be adopted.

[0041] When an element or layer is referred to as being "on", "engaged", "connected" or "coupled" to another element or layer, it may be directly "on", "engaged", "connected" or "coupled" to the other element or layer, or there may be intermediate elements or layers. Conversely, when an element is referred to as being "directly on", "directly engaged to", "directly connected to" 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 (e.g., "between" versus "directly between", "adjacent" versus "directly adjacent", etc.) should be interpreted in a similar manner. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0042] Although the term first, second, third, etc. can be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections, 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. Unless the context clearly indicates, the terms such as "first", "second" and other numerical terms used herein do not imply sequence or order. Therefore, without departing from the teaching of the example embodiments, the first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below can be referred to as the second element, component, region, layer or section.

[0043] For ease of description, spatially relative terms may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element or feature to another element or feature as shown in the figures, such as "inside", "outside", "below", "below", "below", "above", and "above", etc. In addition to the orientations described in the figures, spatially relative terms may be intended to cover different orientations of the device in use or operation. For example, if the device in the accompanying drawings is flipped, the elements described as "below" or "below" other elements or features will be oriented "above" the other elements or features. Therefore, the exemplary term "below" can cover both above and below orientations. The device can be oriented in other ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptors used in this article are interpreted accordingly.

[0044] When the terms "same" or "equal" are used in the description of example embodiments, it should be understood that some imprecision may exist. Therefore, when one 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 in conjunction with a numerical value, it should be understood that the relevant 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 accuracy of the geometric shapes is not required, but rather a certain degree of freedom in the shapes is allowed 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 those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present 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 as such in this article.

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

[0048] Figure 1 is a top plan view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a substrate processing apparatus.

[0049] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes an indexing module 10 and a process processing module 20, and the indexing module 10 includes a loading port 120 and a transfer frame 140. The loading port 120, the transfer frame 140, and the process processing module 20 are arranged in a row in sequence. Hereinafter, the arrangement direction of the loading port 120, the transfer frame 140, and the process processing module 20 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 containing the substrate W is placed 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 In the figure, it is shown that four load ports 120 are provided. However, the number of the load ports 120 may be increased or decreased according to conditions such as the processing efficiency and the occupied area of ​​the process processing module 20. A slot (not shown) for supporting the edge of the substrate is formed in the carrier 18. A plurality of slots are provided in the third direction 16, and the substrates are positioned in the carrier to be stacked while being spaced apart from each other along the third direction 16. As the carrier 18, a front-opening unified wafer box (FOUP) may be used.

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

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

[0053] 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. The buffer unit 220 is provided with a slot (not shown) on which the substrate W is placed, and the slot (not shown) is 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 and the buffer unit 220 disposed at the loading port 120. The transfer frame 140 is provided with an indexing track 142 and an indexing robot 144. The indexing track 142 is arranged so that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the second direction 14. The indexing robot 144 is installed on the indexing track 142 and moves linearly in the second direction 14 along the indexing track 142. The indexing robot 144 includes a base 144a, a main body 144b and an indexing arm 144c. The base 144a is installed to be movable along the indexing track 142. The main body 144b is coupled to the base 144a. The main body 144b is arranged to be movable on the base 144a in the third direction 16. In addition, the main body 144b is arranged to be rotatable on the base 144a. The indexing arm 144c is coupled to the main body 144b and is arranged to be movable forward and backward relative to the main body 144b. The plurality of indexing arms 144c are configured to be driven individually. The indexing arms 144c are configured to be stacked in a state where they are spaced apart from each other in the third direction 16. When transferring the substrate W from the process treatment module 20 to the carrier 18, some of the indexing arms 144c may be used, and when transferring the substrate W from the carrier 130 to the process treatment module 20, other ones of the plurality of indexing arms 144c may be used. This can prevent particles generated from the substrate W before the process treatment from being attached to the substrate W after the process treatment during the process of loading and unloading the substrate W by the indexing robot 144.

[0055] The transfer chamber 240 transfers the substrate W between the buffer unit 220 and the processing 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 along the first direction 12 on the guide rail 242. The main robot 244 includes a base 244a, a main body 244b and a main arm 244c. The base 244a is installed to be movable along the guide rail 242. The main body 244b is coupled to the base 244a. The main body 244b is provided to be movable along the third direction 16 on the base 244a. In addition, the main body 244b is provided to be rotatable on the base 244a. The main arm 244c is coupled to the main body 244b and is provided to be movable forward and backward relative to the main body 244b.

[0056] Hereinafter, the substrate processing apparatus 300 provided in the processing chamber 260 will be described. In the present exemplary embodiment, a case in which the substrate processing apparatus 300 performs a liquid processing process on a substrate will be described as an example. The liquid processing process also includes a process of cleaning the substrate.

[0057] Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a substrate processing apparatus. Figure 2 The substrate processing apparatus 300 further includes 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, a liquid supply unit 600, 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 located in the processing space 312 and is arranged in the shape of a cup with an open top. When viewed from above, the processing container 320 is positioned to overlap with the exhaust pipe. The processing container 320 includes an internal recovery container 322 and an external recovery container 326. Each of the recovery containers 322 and 326 recovers different processing solutions from the processing solutions used in the process. The internal recovery container 322 is arranged in an annular ring shape around the support unit 340, and the external recovery container 326 is arranged in an annular ring shape around the internal recovery container 322. The internal space 322a of the internal recovery container 322 and the space 326a between the external recovery container 326 and the internal recovery container 322 are used as the inlet of the processing solution flowing into the internal recovery container 322 and the external recovery container 326, respectively. Recovery lines 322b and 326b are connected to the bottom surfaces of the recovery containers 322 and 326, respectively, to extend vertically in the downward direction. Each of the recovery lines 322b and 326b serves as a drain pipe to drain the treatment solution that has been introduced through the corresponding recovery containers 322 and 326. The drained treatment solution may be reused by an external treatment solution regeneration system (not shown).

[0059] The support unit 340 is provided as a substrate support unit 340 for supporting and rotating the substrate W. The support unit 340 is provided 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 rotating chuck 342, a support pin 344, a chuck pin 346 and a rotating shaft 348. When viewed from the top, the rotating chuck 342 has a substantially circular top surface. The rotating shaft 348 that can be rotated by a driver is fixedly coupled to the bottom surface of the rotating chuck 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 rotating chuck 342 and protrude upward from the rotating chuck 342. The support pins 334 are arranged in combination with each other to have an overall annular ring 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 rotating chuck 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 support pin 344. The chuck pin 346 is arranged to protrude upward from the rotating chuck 342. The chuck pin 346 supports the side portion of the substrate W to prevent the substrate W from laterally deviating from its fixed position when the support unit 340 rotates. The chuck pin 346 is arranged to be linearly movable between the standby position and the support 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 relative to the support position. When the substrate W is loaded into the support unit 340 or unloaded therefrom, 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 support position. At the support position, the chuck pin 346 contacts the side portion of the substrate W.

[0060] The lifting unit 360 adjusts the relative height between the processing container 320 and the support unit 340. The lifting unit 360 linearly moves the processing container 320 in the up-down direction. As the processing container 320 moves up and down, the relative height of the processing container 320 relative to the support unit 340 changes. The lifting unit 360 includes a bracket 360, a moving shaft 362, and a driver 364. The bracket 362 is fixedly mounted on the outer wall of the processing container 320, and the moving shaft 364 that moves in the vertical direction by the driver 366 is fixedly coupled to the bracket 364. When the substrate W is placed on the support unit 340 or is lifted from the support unit 340, the processing container 320 descends so that the support unit 340 protrudes above the processing container 320. In addition, when the process is being performed, the height of the processing container 320 is adjusted so that the processing solution can flow into the preset recovery containers 322 and 326 according to the type of the processing solution that has been supplied to the substrate W.

[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 processing 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 430. Each nozzle is moved to a processing position and a standby position by a nozzle position driver 440. The processing position is defined herein as a position where the nozzles 410 to 430 are able to discharge liquid onto the substrate W located within the processing container 320, and the standby position is defined as a position where the nozzles 410 to 430 wait outside the processing position. According to an example, the processing position may be a position where the nozzles 410 to 430 can supply liquid to the center of the substrate W. For example, when viewed from above, the nozzles 410 to 430 may be linearly or axially movable to move between the processing position and the standby position. The processing solution discharged from the liquid discharge unit 400 to the substrate W may be a processing solution for processing the substrate W. Additionally, in the standby position, a recovery pipe 450 may be disposed below the third nozzle 430. When the third nozzle 430 discharges a processing solution for cleaning, the recovery pipe 450 recycles the processing solution.

[0063] The plurality of nozzles 410 to 430 discharge different types of liquids. The processing solution discharged from the nozzles 410 to 430 may include at least one of chemicals, a rinsing solution, a cleaning solution, and a drying fluid. Figure 2 In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the first nozzle 410 may be a nozzle for discharging chemicals. For example, the chemical may be a liquid capable of etching a film formed on the substrate W or removing particles remaining on the substrate W. The chemical may be a liquid having a strong acid or strong base property. The chemical may include sulfuric acid, hydrofluoric acid, or ammonia. In addition, the second nozzle 420 may be a nozzle for discharging a rinsing solution. The rinsing solution may be a solution capable of rinsing the chemicals remaining on the substrate W. For example, the rinsing solution may be pure water. In addition, the second nozzle 420 may be a nozzle for discharging a cleaning solution. The cleaning solution may be a solution for processing the support unit 340, the processing container 320, and the recovery pipe 450 after processing the substrate W. In addition, the third nozzle 430 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 third nozzle 430 may be connected to the liquid supply unit 600 to receive a supply of the drying fluid.

[0064] The airflow forming unit 500 forms a downward airflow in the processing space 312. The airflow forming unit 500 supplies the airflow from the top portion of the chamber 310 and exhausts the airflow from the lower portion of the chamber 310. The airflow forming unit 500 further includes an airflow supply unit 520 and an exhaust unit 540. The airflow supply unit 520 and the exhaust unit 540 are positioned to face each other in the vertical direction.

[0065] The air flow supply unit 520 supplies gas in a downward direction. The gas supplied from the air flow supply unit 520 can be air from which impurities have been removed. The air flow supply unit 520 also includes a fan 522, an air flow supply line 524, a supply valve 528 and a filter 526. The fan 522 is installed on the top plate surface of the chamber 310. When viewed from above, the fan 522 is positioned to face the processing container. The fan 522 can be positioned to provide air to the substrate W located in the processing container. The air flow supply line 524 is connected to the fan 522 to supply air to the fan 522. The supply valve 528 is installed in the air flow supply line 524 to adjust the amount of air supplied. The filter 526 is installed in the air flow supply line 524 to filter the air. For example, the filter 526 can remove particles and moisture contained in the air.

[0066] The exhaust unit 540 exhausts the processing space 312. The exhaust unit 540 also 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 pipeline for exhausting the processing space 312. The exhaust pipe 542 is positioned so that the exhaust port faces upward. The exhaust pipe 542 is positioned so that the exhaust port is communicated with the inside of the processing container. That is, the top of the exhaust pipe 542 is located in the processing container. Therefore, the downward airflow formed in the processing container is discharged through the exhaust pipe 542.

[0067] The decompression member 546 reduces the pressure of the exhaust pipe 542. The decompression member 546 forms a negative pressure in the exhaust pipe 542, which exhausts the processing container. The exhaust valve 548 is installed in the exhaust pipe 542 and opens and closes the exhaust port of the exhaust pipe 542. The exhaust valve 548 adjusts the exhaust amount.

[0068] The liquid supply unit 600 may supply liquid to each of the plurality of nozzles 410 to 430 .

[0069] The controller 900 controls driving of the processing container 320 , the supporting unit 340 , the lifting unit 360 , the liquid discharging unit 400 , the gas flow forming unit 500 , and the liquid supply unit 600 to process the substrate W using a preset process algorithm.

[0070] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional view of a liquid supply unit is shown.

[0071] like Figure 3 As shown, the liquid supply unit 600 may include a body 610 , a supply valve 620 , an intermediate valve 630 , and a discharge valve 640 .

[0072] The body 610 forms a flow path through which a treatment solution flows. The body 610 is provided with an inlet port 611, an outlet port 612, and a drain port 613. The inlet port 611 is connected to an inlet line 611a that supplies a treatment solution to the flow path. The inlet line 611a receives a treatment fluid from a liquid supply source 611b. The outlet port 612 is connected to an outlet line 612a that receives a treatment fluid from the flow path. The outlet line 612a connects the outlet port 612 to the first nozzle 410. The drain port 613 is connected to a second discharge line 661 that receives a treatment fluid from the flow path. The second discharge line 661 may be connected to a treatment solution disposal source 613b, such as a drain tank that discharges the treatment solution, or may be connected to a recovery line (not shown) for reuse.

[0073] The body 610 may be provided with a supply line 650 and a first discharge line 660 of the discharge lines. Each of the supply line 650 and the first discharge line 660 may be provided as a flow path through which the treatment solution flows inside the body 610, or may be provided as a separate line.

[0074] The supply line 650 includes a first line 651 , a second line 652 , and a third line 653 .

[0075] The first pipeline 651 is connected to the inlet port 611 , and is installed with a supply valve 620 .

[0076] The second pipeline 652 extends downstream of the first pipeline 651 and is installed with an intermediate valve 630. The second pipeline 652 may include a second-1 pipeline 652a extending downstream from the first pipeline 651 and a second-2 pipeline 652b extending laterally from the second-1 pipeline 652a. The second pipeline 652 may be positioned lower than the first pipeline 651.

[0077] The third pipeline 653 extends upward from the downstream of the second pipeline 652, and is connected to the outlet port 612. The top end of the third pipeline 653 may be positioned higher than the top end of the second pipeline 652. In addition, the top end of the third pipeline 653 may be positioned higher than the top end of the first pipeline 651. Therefore, the third pipeline 653 may ensure that the pressurized processing solution is supplied only to the first nozzle 410 side.

[0078] The first discharge line 660 extends downstream of the second line 652 and is connected to the discharge port 613. The first discharge line 660 may be connected downward from the second line 652. Therefore, the lower end of the first discharge line 660 may be positioned lower than the second line 652 so as to discharge the treatment solution in free fall. In another aspect, the discharge line may include the first discharge line 660 and a second discharge line 661 extending from the first discharge line 660. Here, when provided to the main body 610, the second discharge line 661 may be provided in a form of being externally connected to the main body 610.

[0079] The supply valve 620 opens and closes a passage in the flow path through which the treatment solution flows from the inlet port 611 to the outlet port 612. The supply valve 620 may be installed in the first pipeline 651 of the flow path. The supply valve 620 is controlled to open and close by the controller 900. In one example, the supply valve 620 may be a diaphragm valve that controls the opening and closing of a disk by a solenoid.

[0080] The intermediate valve 630 opens and closes a passage in the flow path through which the process fluid flows from the inlet port 611 to the outlet port 612. The intermediate valve 630 is installed in the second pipeline 652. The intermediate valve 630 is installed downstream of the supply valve 620. In one example, the intermediate valve 630 may be a diaphragm valve that controls the opening and closing of a disk by a solenoid. The intermediate valve 630 is disposed at a position lower than the supply valve 620.

[0081] The discharge valve 640 opens and closes a passage in a flow path through which the process fluid flows from the inlet port 611 to the discharge port 613. The discharge valve 640 is installed in the first discharge line 660 of the flow path. The discharge valve 640 is controlled to open and close by the controller 900. In one example, the discharge valve 640 may be a diaphragm valve that controls the opening and closing of a disk by a solenoid. The discharge valve 640 is disposed at a position lower than the supply valve 620.

[0082] In addition to the above-described forms, the liquid supply unit 600 may be modified into and implemented in various other forms, as described below.

[0083] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A system diagram of a modified example of the liquid supply unit shown.

[0084] like Figure 4 As shown, the liquid supply unit 600 may also be modified to configure the shape of the pipelines by using separate pipes instead of including the first pipeline 651 , the second pipeline 652 , the third pipeline 653 , and the first discharge pipeline 660 on the body 610 .

[0085] Figure 5 yes Figure 4A system diagram of a modified example of the liquid supply unit shown.

[0086] like Figure 5 As shown, the liquid supply unit 600 may further include a three-way valve 670. The three-way valve 670 may have three ports, and the open and closed states of each of the three ports may be individually controlled by the controller 900. Therefore, the three-way valve 670 implements Figure 4 Of course, it should be understood that the intermediate valve 630 and the discharge valve 640 can be implemented not only as the three-way valve 670, but also as various other valves as needed, such as a four-way valve (not shown) or a three-way four-position valve (not shown).

[0087] Hereinafter, a substrate processing method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0088] Figure 6 is a flow chart of a substrate processing method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figures 7 to 11 It is shown Figure 6 Cross-sectional views of an open state and a closed state of the liquid supply unit in each of the operations shown.

[0089] like Figure 6 As shown, the substrate processing method according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a liquid discharging operation S10 and a processing solution discharging operation S20.

[0090] The liquid discharging operation S10 is an operation of treating the substrate by setting the channel of the supply line 650 to an open state to supply the treating solution to the first nozzle 410. In one example, in the liquid discharging operation S10, the supply valve 620 and the intermediate valve 630 are set to an open state by the controller 900, such as Figure 7 As shown. The discharge valve 640 may be set to a closed state. Therefore, the processing solution is discharged through the outlet port 612 by sequentially passing through the first pipeline 651, the second pipeline 652, and the third pipeline 653 of the supply pipeline 650, and the processing solution discharged through the outlet port 612 is supplied to the first nozzle 410 side, and the processing solution supplied to the first nozzle 410 side processes the substrate.

[0091] The treatment solution discharge operation S20 is an operation in which the bubbles B1 generated when the passage of the supply line 650 is switched from the open state to the closed state and the treatment solution around the bubbles B1 are discharged through the first discharge line 660 .

[0092] In one example, in the treatment solution discharge operation S20, when the first point P1 of the supply line 650 and the second point P2 located upstream of the first point P1 are set to an open state and the treatment solution is supplied to the first nozzle 410, the first point P1 is set to a closed state to allow the bubble B1 to be generated at the first point P1, and then the second point P2 is set to a closed state, and then the first point P1 and the first discharge line 660 are set to an open state to allow the bubble B1 and the treatment solution around the bubble B1 to be discharged through the first discharge line 660.

[0093] More specifically, the processing solution discharge operation S20 may include a discharge stop operation S21, a discharge preparation operation S22, a discharge operation S23, and a waiting operation S24.

[0094] The discharge stop operation S21 is an operation of setting the first point P1 of the supply line 650 from an open state to a closed state. In one example, in the discharge stop operation S21, the supply valve 620 is set to remain open, the discharge valve 640 is set to remain closed, and the intermediate valve 630 is set to a closed state by the controller 900, as shown in FIG. Figure 8 In this case, the intermediate valve 630 is set to the closed state before the supply valve 620 is set from the open state to the closed state. Therefore, by the rapid closing drive of the intermediate valve 630, a sharp pressure difference between the outlet port 612 and the inlet port 611 is generated near the intermediate valve 630.

[0095] This air pressure difference may form a bubble B1 around the vicinity of the intermediate valve 630. Here, the bubble B1 generated during the closing drive of the intermediate valve 630 is formed on the intermediate valve 630 side, not on the supply valve 620 side. On the other hand, since the bubble B1 is generated by the sharp air pressure difference, it may have a strong impact on the components around the bubble B1, which may wear the components around the bubble B1. Therefore, particles may be generated around the bubble B1 due to wear. For example, the area around the disk of the intermediate valve 630 may be affected by particles of the disk worn together with the bubble B1. When the bubble B1 and the particles are generated as described above, the bubble B1 and the particles are discharged onto the substrate through the first nozzle 410 and cause process failure, so that the bubble B1 and the particles need to be removed.

[0096] The discharge preparation operation S22 is an operation of setting the second point P2 located upstream of the first point P1 in the supply pipeline 650 to a closed state. In one example, the discharge preparation operation S22 may include setting the supply valve 620 to a closed state while the intermediate valve 630 and the discharge valve 640 are kept closed by the controller 900, such as Fig. 9 shown.

[0097] The discharge operation S23 is an operation of setting the first point P1 of the supply line 650 to an open state and setting the passage of the first discharge line 660 to an open state to discharge the bubble B1 and the treatment solution around the bubble B1 through the first discharge line 660. In one example, in the discharge operation S23, the supply valve 620 is set to a closed state and the intermediate valve 630 and the discharge valve 640 are set to an open state by the controller 900, as shown in FIG. Fig.10 The supply line 650 is in a state where the upstream side is sealed and pressurized relative to the second point P2 and the downstream side is exposed to atmospheric pressure. Therefore, the air bubble B1 is discharged to the discharge port 613 along the first discharge line 660 of the flow path.

[0098] The waiting operation S24 is an operation in which the bubble B1 of the supply line 650 and the processing solution around the bubble B1 are discharged through the first discharge line 660, and then the channel of the first discharge line 660 is set to a closed state. In one example, in the waiting operation S24, the supply valve 620 is set to a closed state, the intermediate valve 630 is set to an open state, and the discharge valve 640 is set to a closed state by the controller 900, as shown in FIG. Fig.11 The waiting operation S24 is performed in a state where the processing solution has been completely discharged through the drain port 613. After the waiting operation S24, the above-mentioned liquid discharging operation S10 and subsequent operations may be performed again in sequence to process the substrate with the processing solution.

[0099] As described above, the substrate processing apparatus and the substrate processing method according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention can prevent process failure caused by the bubbles B1 because the bubbles B1 generated at the intermediate valve 630 when the processing solution is discharged through the first nozzle 410 are discharged through the first discharge line 660 .

[0100] As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to specific aspects, 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 understand that various changes and modifications can be made from the description.

[0101] Therefore, the spirit of the present invention should not be limited to the described exemplary embodiments, and not only the claims, but all modifications equivalent to the claims belong to the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing a substrate, the apparatus comprising: a chamber having 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 nozzle for discharging a processing solution onto the substrate when processing the substrate; as well as a liquid supply unit for supplying the treatment solution to the nozzle, Wherein the liquid supply unit comprises: a liquid supply source, the liquid supply source being used to supply the treatment solution; a supply line connected between the liquid supply source and the nozzle; a supply valve installed on the supply line and opening and closing a passage of the supply line; a discharge line connected to the supply line downstream of the supply valve and discharging the treatment solution from the supply line; and A discharge valve is installed on the discharge line and opens and closes a passage of the discharge line. 2 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the discharge line is connected to the supply line so as to extend downwardly from the supply line. 3 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the discharge valve is disposed at a position lower than the supply valve. 4 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid supply unit further comprises an intermediate valve installed in the supply line but downstream of the supply valve.

5. The device according to claim 4, further comprising: a controller for controlling the supply valve, the discharge valve and the intermediate valve, The controller controls the intermediate valve and the supply valve so that the intermediate valve is set to the closed state before the supply valve is set from the open state to the closed state.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the intermediate valve is provided at a position lower than the supply valve.

7. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the intermediate valve is a diaphragm valve that controls the opening and closing of the disk by a solenoid.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the supply line comprises: a first pipeline in which the supply valve is installed; as well as a second pipeline extending from the first pipeline and positioned lower than the first pipeline, and The discharge line is connected to the second line.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the supply line further comprises a third line connected upward from the second line and connected to the nozzle, and The top end of the third pipeline is higher than the top end of the first pipeline and the top end of the second pipeline.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a controller for controlling the supply valve and the discharge valve, When the supply line is in a closed state by the controller and the discharge valve is in an open state in the supply line, the upstream side of the supply valve is sealed and the downstream side of the supply valve is exposed to atmospheric pressure to discharge the treatment solution by free fall.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the supply valve and the drain valve are diaphragm valves that control the opening and closing of a disk by a solenoid.

12. A method for processing a substrate by a substrate processing device, the substrate processing device comprising: a nozzle for discharging a processing solution to a substrate; a liquid supply source for supplying the processing solution; a supply line connected between the liquid supply source and the nozzle; a supply valve installed on the supply line and opening and closing a passage of the supply line; an intermediate valve installed in the supply line but downstream of the supply valve; a discharge line connected to the supply line downstream of the supply valve and discharging the treatment solution from the supply line; and a discharge valve installed on the discharge line and opening and closing a passage of the discharge line, the method comprising: a liquid discharging operation in which the supply valve is set to an open state to allow the treatment solution to be supplied from the supply line to the nozzle; as well as A treatment solution discharge operation in which the intermediate valve is set to a closed state to allow bubbles to form, and the drain valve is set to an open state to discharge the bubbles and the treatment solution around the bubbles through the discharge line.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the processing solution discharge operation includes a discharge stop operation, wherein the intermediate valve installed in the supply pipeline is set from an open state to a closed state to generate bubbles around the intermediate valve, and the supply valve installed upstream of the intermediate valve is set to an open state.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the processing solution discharging operation further comprises a draining preparation operation of setting the supply valve to a closed state.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the processing solution discharging operation further comprises a discharging operation of setting the intermediate valve to an open state and setting the discharge valve to an open state to discharge the air bubble and the processing solution around the air bubble through the discharge line. 16 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein the treatment solution discharge operation further comprises a waiting operation of setting the discharge valve to a closed state after the air bubble and the treatment solution around the air bubble are discharged through the discharge line.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein when the supply valve is in the closed state and the discharge valve is in the open state, the upstream side of the supply valve is formed in a sealed state and the downstream side of the supply valve is formed in a state exposed to atmospheric pressure, so that the treatment solution is discharged by free fall.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein in the processing solution discharging operation, the discharge line is connected downward from the supply line so that the bubbles freely fall into the discharge line.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the intermediate valve is provided by a diaphragm valve that is opened and closed by a solenoid controlled disk.

20. An apparatus for processing a substrate, the apparatus comprising: a chamber having 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 nozzle for discharging a processing solution onto the substrate when processing the substrate; as well as a liquid supply unit for supplying the treatment solution to the nozzle, Wherein, the liquid supply unit comprises: a liquid supply source, the liquid supply source being used to supply the treatment solution; a supply line connected between the liquid supply source and the nozzle; a supply valve installed on the supply line and opening and closing a passage of the supply line; a first discharge line connected to the supply line but connected downstream of the supply valve and connected to a drain port for discharging the treatment solution and connected downward from the supply line; and a second discharge line connected to the discharge port to be connected with the first discharge line and to discharge the treatment solution through the first discharge line, and connected downwardly from the first discharge line; a discharge valve installed in the first discharge line, opening and closing a passage of the first discharge line, and disposed at a position lower than the supply valve; and an intermediate valve installed in the supply line but installed downstream of the supply valve and set to a closed state before the supply valve is set from an open state to a closed state and set at a position lower than the supply valve, and The supply line comprises: a first pipeline in which the supply valve is installed; a second pipeline extending from the first pipeline and positioned lower than the first pipeline and connected to the first discharge pipeline; and a third pipeline extending upward from the second pipeline and connected to the nozzle, And has a top end higher than a top end of the first pipeline and a top end of the second pipeline.

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