Apparatus and method for processing substrate

Abstract

Disclosed are a substrate processing method and a substrate processing apparatus, and more particularly, a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate by controlling a flow of descending air supplied to a processing space. The substrate processing method includes: a substrate processing operation of processing a substrate by supplying a processing liquid from a processing liquid supply nozzle to the substrate located in an internal space of a housing; and a negative pressure holding operation for holding the internal space at a negative pressure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing method and a substrate processing apparatus, and more particularly, to a substrate processing apparatus that processes a substrate by adjusting the pressure of an internal space. Background Art

[0002] Semiconductor processes include processes for cleaning thin films, foreign matter, particles, etc. on substrates. These processes are performed by placing the substrate on a spin head so that the pattern side faces up or down, supplying a processing liquid to the substrate while the spin head rotates, and then drying the wafer.

[0003] In the process of processing the substrate, harmful substances that cause particles, such as smoke or toxic gases, may appear. These harmful substances can be removed by a fan unit that supplies a downward air flow to the chamber and an exhaust unit that exhausts the interior of the chamber. However, when the pressure inside the chamber is greater than or equal to the pressure outside the chamber, the harmful substances may leak to the outside during the process of loading and unloading the substrate. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present invention is directed to providing a substrate processing apparatus and method capable of maintaining a pressure inside a chamber lower than a pressure outside the chamber during substrate processing.

[0005] The present invention is also directed to providing a substrate processing apparatus and method capable of removing harmful substances such as smoke or toxic gas generated during substrate processing.

[0006] The present invention is also directed to providing a substrate processing apparatus and method capable of preventing harmful substances such as smoke or toxic gas from leaking to the outside.

[0007] 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.

[0008] An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a method for processing a substrate, the method comprising: a substrate processing operation of processing the substrate by supplying a processing liquid from a processing liquid supply nozzle to the substrate located in an internal space of a housing; and a negative pressure maintaining operation of maintaining the internal space at a negative pressure.

[0009] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the negative pressure maintaining operation may be performed during the substrate processing operation.

[0010] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the method may further include: after the substrate processing operation is completed, forming the pressure of the internal space and the pressure of the external space into the same negative pressure removal operation, the external space being the outside of the shell, wherein a baffle can be opened after the negative pressure removal operation, and the baffle is used to open and close the substrate loading path of the shell.

[0011] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in the negative pressure removing operation, the amount of the descending air flow supplied to the inner space may be reduced compared to that in the negative pressure maintaining operation.

[0012] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the method may further include an automatic dispensing operation of periodically discharging the processing liquid without performing the substrate processing operation while the processing liquid supply nozzle is waiting at the waiting port, wherein the negative pressure maintaining operation may be performed during the automatic dispensing operation.

[0013] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the method may further include a maintenance operation of opening the housing to maintain and repair the interior of the housing, wherein the negative pressure maintaining operation may be performed before performing the maintenance operation.

[0014] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the method may further include an abnormal response operation, wherein the abnormal response operation includes: when the pressure of the internal space may be higher than the pressure of the external space during the substrate processing operation, reducing the amount of the downward air flow supplied to the internal space or blocking the downward air flow.

[0015] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in the substrate processing operation, the processing liquid may include a toxic liquid.

[0016] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the method may further include that the abnormal response operation may include blocking a path for introducing the descending air flow.

[0017] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in the substrate processing operation, the substrate may be processed with a processing solution including hydrochloric acid (HCl).

[0018] An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus for processing a substrate, the apparatus comprising: a housing having an internal space; a fan unit including a fan that forms a descending air flow into the internal space; a baffle for opening and closing a substrate inlet port, the substrate inlet port being a passage for loading a substrate into the internal space; a cup body placed in the internal space and having a processing space with an open top portion; a support unit for supporting the substrate in the processing space; and a liquid supply unit including a processing liquid supply nozzle that supplies a processing liquid to the processing space. The substrate is supported by the support unit; an exhaust unit, the exhaust unit is used to exhaust the processing space or the internal space; and a controller, the controller is used to control the fan unit, the baffle and the exhaust unit, wherein the controller controls the support unit, the liquid supply unit and the exhaust unit to perform a substrate processing operation, and controls the fan unit to perform a negative pressure maintaining operation, in which the substrate is processed by supplying the processing liquid from the processing liquid supply nozzle to the substrate located in the processing space, and in which the internal space is maintained at a negative pressure during the substrate processing operation.

[0019] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the controller controls the fan unit to further perform a negative pressure removal operation to make the pressure of the internal space and the pressure of the external space the same after completing the substrate processing operation, the external space being the outside of the shell, and the controller controls the baffle to open after the negative pressure removal operation.

[0020] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the device may further include a waiting port, in which the processing liquid supply nozzle waits, wherein the controller controls the liquid supply unit and the waiting port to perform an automatic dispensing operation, and controls the fan unit to perform a negative pressure maintaining operation, in which the processing liquid is periodically discharged while the processing liquid supply nozzle is waiting at the waiting port without performing the substrate processing operation, and in which the negative pressure maintaining operation maintains the internal space at a negative pressure during the automatic dispensing operation.

[0021] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the device may also include a negative pressure sensor, which is used to measure the difference between the pressure of the internal space and the pressure of the external space, wherein the fan unit also includes: a frame, which has an external air introduction space; and a switching mechanism, which is used to open and close a channel for introducing external air into the external air introduction space, and when the negative pressure sensor detects that the pressure in the internal space is higher than the pressure in the external space when processing the substrate, the controller controls the switching mechanism to perform an abnormal response operation that can reduce the amount of the downward air flow or block the downward air flow.

[0022] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the method may further include: the controller controlling the fan unit to perform a negative pressure maintaining operation that can maintain the internal space at a negative pressure before performing a maintenance operation of opening the housing to maintain and repair the interior of the housing.

[0023] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the treatment liquid may include a toxic liquid.

[0024] An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a method for processing a substrate, the method comprising: a substrate processing operation of processing the substrate by supplying a processing liquid including a toxic liquid to the substrate located in an internal space of a shell; a negative pressure maintaining operation of maintaining the internal space at a negative pressure; and a negative pressure removing operation of forming the pressure of the internal space and the pressure of an external space to be the same, the external space being the outside of the shell, wherein the negative pressure maintaining operation can be performed simultaneously with the substrate processing operation.

[0025] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the method may further include: an automatic dispensing operation of discharging the treatment liquid from the treatment liquid supply nozzle while the treatment liquid supplying the treatment liquid is waiting at a waiting port, wherein the negative pressure maintaining operation is performed simultaneously with the automatic dispensing operation.

[0026] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the method may further include a maintenance operation of opening the housing to maintain the interior of the housing, wherein the negative pressure maintaining operation may be performed before performing the maintenance operation.

[0027] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the method may further include: an abnormal response operation of forming the pressure of the internal space to be lower than the pressure of the external space when the difference between the pressure of the internal space and the pressure of the external space during the substrate processing operation is greater than 0, wherein the abnormal response operation includes: forming the pressure of the internal space to be low by blocking the air flow path toward the internal space.

[0028] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to maintain the pressure inside the chamber lower than the pressure outside the chamber during substrate processing.

[0029] Furthermore, according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to remove harmful substances such as smoke or poisonous gas generated during substrate processing.

[0030] Furthermore, according to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to prevent harmful substances such as smoke or poisonous gas from leaking to the outside.

[0031] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and unmentioned effects can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the present specification and the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] 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 illustration 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.

[0033] Figure 1 is a top plan view schematically illustrating a substrate processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 2 It is schematically shown Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a liquid processing chamber.

[0035] Figure 3 is a flow chart showing a substrate processing method according to the present invention.

[0036] Figure 4 It is shown Figure 3 Flowchart of substrate processing operations.

[0037] Figure 5 : is a graph showing changes in the pressure difference between the pressure of the inner space and the pressure of the outer space according to an implementation of the substrate processing method of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Exemplary 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 exemplary embodiments may be embodied in many different forms, and that neither should be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. In some exemplary embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known techniques are not described in detail.

[0039] The terms used herein are only used to describe the purpose of specific exemplary embodiments, and are not restrictive. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form may also be intended to include the plural form. 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 specifically identified as an execution order, 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 may be adopted.

[0040] 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 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 associated listed items.

[0041] 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 exemplary embodiments, the first element, component, region, layer and / or section discussed below can be referred to as the second element, component, region, layer and / or section.

[0042] For ease of description of the relationship of one element or feature to another element or feature as shown in the figure, spatial relative terms such as "inside", "outside", "below", "below", "below", "above", and "above" may be used herein. In addition to the orientations described in the figures, spatial 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 spatial relative descriptors used herein are interpreted accordingly.

[0043] When the terms "same" or "equivalent" 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%).

[0044] 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 shape is not required, but the latitude of the shape is within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0045] 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 exemplary 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 in this article.

[0046] In the present exemplary embodiment, a wafer will be described as an example of an object to be processed. However, the technical spirit of the present invention can also be applied to an apparatus used for processing other types of substrates in addition to the wafer.

[0047] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0048] Figure 1 is a top plan view schematically illustrating a substrate processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] refer to Figure 1, the substrate processing apparatus includes an indexing module 10, a processing module 20, and a controller 30. According to an exemplary embodiment, the indexing module 10 and the processing module 20 are arranged along one direction. Hereinafter, the direction in which the indexing module 10 and the processing module 20 are arranged is referred to as a first direction 92, and when viewed from above, a direction perpendicular to the first direction 92 is referred to as a second direction 94, and a direction perpendicular to both the first direction 92 and the second direction 94 is referred to as a third direction 96.

[0050] The index module 10 transfers the substrate W from the container 80 containing the substrate W to the process module 20, and causes the substrate W that has been completely processed in the process module 20 to be contained in the container 80. The longitudinal direction of the index module 10 is set in the second direction 94. The index module 10 includes a loading port 12 and an index frame 14. Based on the index frame 14, the loading port 12 is located at the side opposite to the process module 20. The container 80 containing the substrate W is placed on the loading port 12. A plurality of loading ports 12 may be provided, and the plurality of loading ports 12 may be provided in the second direction 94.

[0051] As the container 80, an airtight container such as a front opening unified container (FOUP) may be used. The container 80 may be placed on the load port 12 by a transfer tool (not shown) such as an overhead transfer device, an overhead conveyor, or an automated guided vehicle or by an operator.

[0052] The indexing robot 120 is provided to the indexing frame 14. A guide rail 140 whose longitudinal direction is the second direction 94 is provided in the indexing frame 14, and the indexing robot 120 may be provided to be movable on the guide rail 140. The indexing robot 120 includes a hand 122 on which the substrate W is placed, and the hand 122 may be provided to be movable forward and backward, rotatable about the third direction 96, and movable along the third direction 96. A plurality of hands 122 are provided to be spaced apart in the vertical direction, and the hands 122 may be moved forward and backward independently of each other.

[0053] The process module 20 includes a buffer unit 200, a transfer chamber 300, and a processing chamber 400. The buffer unit 200 provides a space in which a substrate W loaded into the process module 20 and a substrate W unloaded from the process module 20 temporarily stay. The processing chamber 400 performs a process of liquid-treating the substrate W by supplying liquid onto the substrate W. The transfer chamber 300 transfers the substrate W between the buffer unit 200 and the liquid processing chamber 400.

[0054] The transfer chamber 300 may be arranged such that the longitudinal direction is the first direction 92. The buffer unit 200 may be arranged between the index module 10 and the transfer chamber 300. A plurality of liquid treatment chambers 400 are provided, and the plurality of liquid treatment chambers may be arranged on one side of the transfer chamber 300. The liquid treatment chambers 400 and the transfer chamber 300 may be arranged in the second direction 94. The buffer unit 200 may be located at one end of the transfer chamber 300.

[0055] According to an example, the liquid processing chambers 400 may be respectively disposed on both sides of the transfer chamber 300. At each of the two sides of the transfer chamber 300, the liquid processing apparatus 400 may be disposed in an array of A×B (each of A and B is a natural number of 1 or greater) in the first direction 92 and the third direction 96.

[0056] The transfer chamber 300 includes a transfer robot 320. A guide rail 340 having a longitudinal direction in a first direction 92 is provided in the transfer chamber 300, and the transfer robot 320 may be provided to be movable on the guide rail 340. The transfer robot 320 includes a hand 322 in which a substrate W is placed, and the hand 322 may be provided to be movable forward and backward, rotatable about a third direction 96, and movable along the third direction 96. A plurality of hands 322 are provided to be spaced apart in the vertical direction, and the hands 322 may be moved forward and backward independently of each other.

[0057] The buffer unit 200 includes a plurality of buffers 220 on which the substrate W is placed. The buffers 220 may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other in the third direction 96. The front and rear of the buffer unit 200 are open. The front is a surface facing the index module 10, and the rear is a surface facing the transfer chamber 300. The index robot 120 may approach the buffer unit 200 through the front, and the transfer robot 320 may approach the buffer unit 200 through the rear.

[0058] Figure 2 It is schematically shown Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a liquid processing chamber. Figure 2 , the liquid processing chamber 400 includes a housing 410, a cup 420, a support unit 430, a nozzle unit 440, a lifting unit 450, a waiting port 460, a sensor unit 470, an exhaust unit 480, a fan unit 490, and a controller.

[0059] The housing 410 is arranged in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The housing 410 provides an internal space 411. The outside of the housing 410 is defined as an external space 412. The external space 412 may be a conveying space in which the conveying robot 320 is located in the conveying chamber 300. The cup 420, the support unit 430, the nozzle unit 440, the lifting unit 450, the waiting port 460, the negative pressure sensor 470, the gas sensor 480 and the fan unit 490 are arranged in the internal space 411. An inlet port 413 is formed on the side wall of the housing 410, and the substrate W enters and leaves through the inlet port. The inlet port 413 may be kept in an open state. A baffle 414 may be arranged in the inlet 413 to open and close the inlet port 413.

[0060] The cup 420 has a processing space 421 with an open top, and processes the substrate W with liquid in the processing space 421. The processing space 421 may be included in the internal space 411. In addition, the processing space 421 may be a part of the internal space 411. The support unit 430 supports the substrate W in the processing space 421. The lifting unit 450 adjusts the relative height between the cup 420 and the support unit 430.

[0061] According to an example, the cup 420 includes a plurality of recovery containers 422, 424, and 426. Each of the recovery containers 422, 424, and 426 has a recovery space to recover the liquid used to process the substrate. Each of the recovery containers 422, 424, and 426 is set in an annular shape surrounding the support unit 430. When the liquid treatment process is in progress, the treatment liquid dispersed by the rotation of the substrate W is introduced into the recovery space through the inlets 422a, 424a, and 426a of the corresponding recovery containers 422, 424, and 426. According to an example, the cup 420 includes a first recovery container 422, a second recovery container 424, and a third recovery container 426. The first recovery container 422 is set to surround the support unit 430, the second recovery container 424 is set to surround the first recovery container 422, and the third recovery container 426 is set to surround the second recovery container 424. The second inlet 424a introducing liquid into the second recovery container 424 may be located above the first inlet 422a introducing liquid into the first recovery container 422, and the third inlet 426a introducing liquid into the third recovery container 426 may be located above the second inlet 424a.

[0062] The support unit 2640 has a support plate 2642 and a drive shaft 430. The upper surface of the support plate 432 may be set to a generally circular shape, and may have a larger diameter than the diameter of the substrate W. In the central portion of the support plate 432, a support pin 432a is provided to support the rear surface of the substrate W, and the support pin 432a is provided to protrude from the support plate 432 with its upper end, so that the substrate W is separated from the support plate 432 by a certain distance. A chuck pin 432b is provided to the edge of the support plate 432. The chuck pin 432b is provided to protrude upward from the support plate 432, and supports the lateral portion of the substrate W, so that when the substrate W rotates, the substrate W does not separate from the support unit 430. The drive shaft 434 is driven by a driver 436, connected to the center of the bottom surface of the substrate W, and rotates the support plate 432 relative to its central axis.

[0063] The nozzle unit 440 includes an arm 441 and a treatment liquid nozzle 442. The arm 441 supports the treatment liquid nozzle 442. The arm 441 moves the treatment liquid nozzle 442. The treatment liquid nozzle 442 supplies the treatment liquid onto the substrate W. According to the present embodiment, the treatment liquid may be a solution including a toxic liquid. In addition, the treatment liquid may be a solution including hydrochloric acid (HCl) as the toxic liquid.

[0064] Optionally, in addition to the treatment liquid nozzle 442, the nozzle unit 440 may also include one or more nozzles. Additional nozzles may supply different types of treatment liquids to the substrate. For example, other types of treatment liquids may be acid solutions or alkaline solutions for removing foreign matter on the substrate. In addition, another type of treatment liquid may be an alcohol having a surface tension lower than that of water. For example, the alcohol may be isopropanol. In addition, the added nozzles are supported by arms 441 different from the treatment liquid nozzles 442, respectively, and these arms 441 may move independently. Optionally, the treatment liquid nozzle 442 and the added nozzles may be mounted on the same arm and move simultaneously.

[0065] The lifting unit 450 moves the cup 420 in the up and down direction. By the up and down movement of the cup 420, the relative height between the cup 420 and the substrate W changes. Therefore, the recovery containers 422, 424 and 426 for recovering the processing liquid are changed according to the type of liquid supplied to the substrate W, and thus the liquid can be separated and recovered. Different from the description, the cup 420 may be fixedly installed, and the lifting unit 450 may move the support unit 430 in the vertical direction.

[0066] The treatment liquid nozzle 442 is prepared at the waiting port 460. The waiting port 460 includes a main body 461, a discharge unit 462 and an exhaust unit 463. The main body 461 provides a waiting space 460a, in which the treatment liquid nozzle 442 is prepared. The main body 461 may have a shape in which the upper part is open. Alternatively, an opening 461a may be formed in the upper part of the main body 461, in which the treatment liquid nozzle 442 is located. While waiting, the treatment liquid nozzle 442 may discharge the treatment liquid into the waiting space 460a. According to an embodiment, the treatment liquid nozzle 442 may discharge the treatment liquid every predetermined time, so that the treatment liquid may be prevented from solidifying in the treatment liquid nozzle 442. In addition, before the substrate W is treated with the treatment liquid, the treatment liquid may be stably discharged onto the substrate W. The discharge unit 462 discharges the discharged treatment liquid to the outside of the waiting port 460. The discharge unit 462 may include a discharge pipe (not shown), a valve (not shown) and a pump (not shown). The exhaust unit 463 may exhaust the waiting space 460a. The exhaust unit 463 may remove smoke or toxic gas generated from the process liquid exhausted into the waiting space 460a. The exhaust unit 463 may include an exhaust pipe (not shown), a valve (not shown), and a pump (not shown).

[0067] The sensor unit 470 includes a negative pressure sensor 471 and a gas sensor 472. The negative pressure sensor 471 detects whether the pressure of the internal space 411 of the housing 410 is lower than the pressure of the external space 412. Hereinafter, negative pressure refers to a state in which the pressure of the internal space 411 is lower than the pressure of the external space 412. The controller 500 can control the rotation speed of the fan 493 according to whether the negative pressure sensor 471 detects the negative pressure. The gas sensor 472 detects the generation of smoke or toxic gas in the internal space 411 of the housing 410. The gas sensor 472 can be installed in the internal space 411. The controller can control the rotation speed of the fan 493 according to whether the gas sensor 472 detects whether gas is generated.

[0068] The exhaust unit 480 exhausts the inner space 411. The exhaust unit 480 may be connected to an exhaust duct (not shown), etc. The exhaust unit 480 may exhaust the inner space 411 at a constant exhaust volume. The exhaust unit 480 includes a cup exhaust unit 481 and an ambient exhaust unit 483.

[0069] The cup exhaust unit 481 exhausts the processing space 421. The cup exhaust unit 481 exhausts the gas generated in the process of liquid processing of the substrate W. In addition, the cup exhaust unit 481 exhausts the gas generated from the processing liquid recovered in the recovery cups 422, 424, and 426. The cup exhaust unit 481 may be installed in an area of ​​the lower wall of the cup 420 that does not overlap with the recovery pipes 422b, 424b, and 426b. In addition, the cup exhaust unit 481 may be installed in a central area of ​​the lower wall of the cup 420 that does not overlap with the drive shaft 434 and the driver 436.

[0070] The ambient exhaust unit 483 may be installed in the lower wall of the housing 410. The ambient exhaust unit 483 exhausts the inner space 411 of the housing 410. In addition, the ambient exhaust unit 483 may exhaust gas that has not been exhausted by the cup exhaust unit 481.

[0071] The fan unit 490 may be mounted on the upper wall of the housing 410. The fan unit 490 introduces external air into the internal space 411. The fan unit 490 forms a descending air flow in the internal space 411 of the housing 410. The fan unit 490 includes a frame 491, a fan 493, and an opening / closing mechanism 495. The frame 491 is located in the central area of ​​the upper wall of the housing 410. The fan 493 is mounted on the upper portion of the frame 491. The frame 491 provides a channel 491a through which external air is introduced into the lower portion of the fan 493. In addition, the frame 491 provides an external air introduction space 491b in the lower portion of the channel 491a. The fan 493 rotates to introduce external air into the internal space 411. External air is introduced into the internal space 411 through the fan 493, the channel 491a, and the external air introduction space 491b. The pressure of the internal space 411 can be adjusted by controlling the rotation speed of the fan 491. Therefore, negative pressure can be formed in the internal space 411. The opening / closing mechanism 495 can be installed in the channel 491a. The opening / closing mechanism 495 opens / closes the channel 491a. The opening / closing mechanism 495 can be set as a baffle. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any form can be sufficient as long as the channel 491a can be blocked. The opening / closing mechanism 495 can control the descending air flow by opening / closing the channel 491a. The opening / closing mechanism 495 can quickly block the descending air flow by closing the channel 491a. According to an example, during the abnormal response operation S310 to be described later, the opening / closing mechanism 495 can block the channel, thereby reducing the pressure of the internal space 411.

[0072] The controller 500 may process the substrate W by controlling the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, a method of processing a substrate by using the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention by the controller will be described.

[0073] Figure 3 is a flow chart showing a substrate processing method according to the present invention. Figure 3 , the substrate processing method includes a negative pressure maintaining operation S100, an automatic dispensing operation S200, a substrate processing operation S300, and a negative pressure removing operation S400.

[0074] The negative pressure maintaining operation S100 is an operation of forming and maintaining the pressure of the inner space 411 lower than the pressure of the outer space 412. During the negative pressure maintaining operation, the rotation speed of the fan 493 may be reduced to reduce the pressure of the inner space 411. According to an example, the pressure of the inner space 411 may be formed to be 10Pa lower than the pressure of the outer space 412.

[0075] The negative pressure maintaining operation S100 may be performed simultaneously with the automatic dispensing operation S200 and the substrate processing operation S300 to be described later. During the negative pressure maintaining operation S100, the internal space 411 may be replaced by the external air introduced by the fan 493. Therefore, smoke and dust generated during the automatic dispensing operation S200 and the substrate processing operation S300 may be prevented from leaking to the outside.

[0076] The automatic dispensing operation S200 is an operation of not processing the substrate W in the liquid processing chamber 400. The automatic dispensing operation S200 is an operation of spraying the processing liquid from the processing liquid nozzle 442 waiting in the waiting port 460 every predetermined time without loading the substrate W into the processing space 412. By spraying the processing liquid at predetermined time intervals, it is possible to prevent the processing liquid from condensing in the processing liquid nozzle 442. As the waiting time increases, the automatic dispensing operation S200 may be performed multiple times.

[0077] Figure 4 It is shown Figure 3 Flow chart of a substrate processing operation of the present invention. The substrate processing operation S300 is an operation of processing a substrate by supplying a processing liquid to a substrate W located in the support unit 430. The processing liquid is discharged onto the substrate W from the processing liquid nozzle 442. The substrate W can be rotated by the support unit 430 when or after the processing liquid is discharged. Therefore, the processing liquid can be applied to the substrate W. The applied processing liquid can react with the substrate W or a film formed on the substrate W. During the substrate processing operation S300, the negative pressure maintaining operation S100 can be performed simultaneously. Therefore, while the substrate W is processed with the processing liquid, the pressure of the internal space 411 can be kept lower than the pressure of the external space 412.

[0078] The substrate processing operation S300 may include an abnormal response operation S310. In the abnormal response operation S310, when the pressure difference between the internal space 411 and the external space 412 is greater than or equal to 0 when processing the substrate W, the abnormal response operation S310 may be performed. In the abnormal response operation S310, the amount of the descending air flow supplied to the internal space 411 may be reduced or blocked. In one example, a problem may occur in the exhaust duct connected to the exhaust unit 480 or the facility or equipment that manages the exhaust duct, and therefore the pressure in the internal space 411 may not be properly controlled. During the abnormal response operation S310, the opening / closing mechanism 495 may block the air flow path toward the internal space 411. During the abnormal response operation S310, the opening / closing mechanism 495 may close the upper part of the fan unit 490. Therefore, the pressure in the internal space 411 may be quickly reduced.

[0079] The negative pressure removal operation S400 may be performed after the negative pressure holding operation S100. The negative pressure removal operation S400 is an operation to make the pressure of the inner space 411 and the pressure of the outer space 412 the same. According to an example, the negative pressure may be removed by increasing the rotation speed of the fan 493 to increase the pressure of the inner space 411. When the pressure of the inner space becomes the same as the pressure of the outer space, the shutter 414 may be opened to take out the substrate W. In addition, when the negative pressure holding operation S100 is performed simultaneously with the automatic dispensing operation S200, the negative pressure removal operation S400 may be performed to load the substrate W after the automatic dispensing operation S200.

[0080] The maintenance operation S500 is an operation of maintaining and repairing the liquid processing chamber 400. During the maintenance operation S500, the housing 410 may be opened. According to an example, a door (not shown) is installed in the housing 410, and the door is opened so that a worker can perform maintenance and repair work in the housing 410. The maintenance operation S500 may be performed before the negative pressure maintaining operation S100. Therefore, even when the housing 410 is opened, smoke or gas generated in the internal space 411 may be prevented from being discharged to the outside.

[0081] Figure 5 is a graph showing the pressure difference (ΔP=P1-P2) between the pressure P1 of the inner space and the pressure P2 of the outer space according to an implementation mode of the substrate processing method of the present invention. Figure 5 When the negative pressure maintaining operation S100 is performed during the automatic dispensing operation S200 in which the substrate W is not processed, a negative pressure of, for example, -10 Pa, may be provided to the inner space 411. Therefore, smoke and the like generated during the automatic dispensing operation S200 may be prevented from leaking to the outside. In addition, before the substrate W is processed, the automatic dispensing operation S200 may be repeated multiple times.

[0082] After the automatic dispensing operation S200, the negative pressure removal operation S400 is performed to load the substrate W into the processing space 412. Therefore, the pressure difference ΔP may become 0. When the pressure difference ΔP becomes 0, the shutter 414 is opened from the time point a, and the substrate W is loaded into the processing space 412. Thereafter, at the time point b, the shutter 414 is closed, and the substrate processing operation S300 may be performed.

[0083] In the substrate processing operation S300, the substrate W is processed with a processing liquid. The processing liquid may be a liquid including a toxic substance. During the substrate processing operation S300, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the pressure in the internal space 411 may increase instantaneously due to problems in the exhaust duct connected to the substrate processing equipment or the facilities managing the exhaust duct. When the pressure rises at time point c and the negative pressure disappears, the abnormal response operation S310 may be performed. When the abnormal response operation S310 is performed at time point d, the descending air flow is controlled by the opening / closing mechanism 495. The opening / closing mechanism 495 closes the channel 491a. Therefore, the opening / closing mechanism 495 can block the descending air flow supplied to the internal space 411. Closing the opening / closing mechanism 495 can quickly reduce the pressure of the internal space 411 compared to reducing the speed of the fan 493. Therefore, negative pressure can be re-formed in the internal space 411. When the abnormal response operation S310 is terminated, the negative pressure holding operation S100 is performed again and the negative pressure is maintained.

[0084] After the substrate processing operation S400 , the negative pressure removing operation S400 is performed to unload the substrate W. Therefore, the pressure difference ΔP may become 0. When the pressure difference ΔP becomes 0, the shutter 414 is opened from a time point f, and the substrate W is unloaded from the processing space 412 .

[0085] According to an embodiment of the present invention, by performing the negative pressure maintaining operation S100 before opening the damper 414 , the pressure of the inner space 411 is formed to be lower than the pressure of the outer space 412 , and harmful substances such as smoke or toxic gas can be prevented from leaking into the outer space 412 .

[0086] In addition, by exhausting harmful substances from the internal space 411 and replacing the atmosphere with external air, it is possible to prevent harmful substances such as smoke or poisonous gas from leaking into the external space 412.

[0087] In addition, even when the internal space 411 is not properly exhausted due to problems with the exhaust facilities connected to the liquid processing chamber 400 of the present invention, the pressure of the internal space 411 can be quickly reduced by the switching mechanism 495 to form and maintain the pressure of the internal space as a negative pressure.

[0088] In the above example, the negative pressure sensor 470 has been set as a negative pressure sensing member as an example. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and pressure sensors are respectively installed in the inner space 411 and the outer space 412, and the controller can check whether negative pressure is generated based on the pressure value measured from each pressure sensor.

[0089] In addition, in the above example, the present invention is described as an example based only on the case where the substrate W is processed during the substrate processing operation S200. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the substrate processing operation S200 may further include a pre-distribution operation. The pre-distribution operation is an operation of spraying the processing liquid from the waiting port 460 before discharging the processing liquid from the processing liquid nozzle 442 to the substrate W. The substrate W may be loaded into the processing space 412 and supported by the supporting unit 430. The processing liquid is not directly discharged to the substrate W, but is first discharged from the waiting port 460 to stably discharge the processing liquid, thereby preventing the processing liquid from scattering when the processing liquid is discharged onto the substrate W.

[0090] In addition, in the above example, the present invention is described based on the case where the fan unit 490 is provided as an example. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the fan unit 490 may be provided as a fan filter unit having a filter provided therein, and may further include a plurality of fans 491.

[0091] Furthermore, in the above example, the present invention is described based on the case where the damper 414 is opened only when the pressure difference ΔP is 0. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the damper 414 may be opened even when the pressure difference ΔP is a negative pressure of -2Pa to -5Pa.

[0092] In addition, in the above example, the present invention is described based only on the case where the abnormal response operation S310 is performed when the pressure difference ΔP is 0 or more. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and even if the pressure difference ΔP is less than 0, the abnormal response operation S310 may be performed when gas or the like may leak to the outside.

[0093] The foregoing detailed description illustrates the present invention. In addition, the above description illustrates and describes exemplary embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention can be used in various other combinations, modifications and environments. That is, within the scope of the concept of the present invention disclosed herein (this scope is equivalent to written disclosure) and / or within the scope of the technology or knowledge in the art, changes or modifications are possible. The foregoing exemplary embodiments describe the best state for realizing the technical spirit of the present invention, and various changes required for the specific application field and use of the present invention are possible. Therefore, the above detailed description of the present invention is not intended to limit the present invention to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. In addition, the attached claims should be interpreted as also including other exemplary embodiments.

Claims

1. A method for processing a substrate, the method comprising: a substrate processing operation of processing a substrate located in an inner space of the housing by supplying a processing liquid from a processing liquid supply nozzle to the substrate; as well as A negative pressure maintaining operation of maintaining the internal space at a negative pressure.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The negative pressure maintaining operation is performed during the substrate processing operation.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: After the substrate processing operation is completed, a negative pressure removal operation is performed to make the pressure of the inner space and the pressure of the outer space the same, wherein the outer space is the outside of the housing, Wherein, after the negative pressure removal operation, a baffle is opened, wherein the baffle is used to open and close a substrate loading path of the housing.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein: In the negative pressure removing operation, the amount of the descending air flow supplied to the internal space is reduced compared with that in the negative pressure maintaining operation.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: periodically discharging the processing liquid while the processing liquid supply nozzle is waiting at the waiting port without performing an automatic dispensing operation of the substrate processing operation, Wherein, the negative pressure maintaining operation is performed during the automatic dispensing operation.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: maintenance operations to open the housing to maintain and repair the interior of the housing, Wherein, the negative pressure maintaining operation is performed before performing the maintenance operation.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Exception response operations, Wherein, the abnormal response operation includes: when the pressure of the inner space is higher than the pressure of the outer space during the substrate processing operation, reducing the amount of the descending air flow supplied to the inner space or blocking the descending air flow.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein: In the substrate processing operation, the processing liquid includes a toxic liquid.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein: The abnormal response operation includes blocking a path for introducing the descending air flow.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein: In the substrate treating operation, the substrate is treated with a treating solution including hydrochloric acid (HCl).

11. An apparatus for processing a substrate, the apparatus comprising: a housing having an inner space; a fan unit including a fan that creates a downward air flow into the interior space; a baffle for opening and closing a substrate inlet port, the substrate inlet port being a passage for loading a substrate into the inner space; a cup body placed in the interior space and having a processing space with an open top portion; a supporting unit, the supporting unit being used to support a substrate in the processing space; a liquid supply unit including a treatment liquid supply nozzle that supplies a treatment liquid to the substrate supported by the support unit; an exhaust unit, the exhaust unit being used to exhaust the processing space or the internal space; as well as a controller, the controller being used to control the fan unit, the baffle and the exhaust unit, wherein the controller controls the support unit, the liquid supply unit and the exhaust unit to perform a substrate processing operation, and controls the fan unit to perform a negative pressure maintaining operation, in which the substrate is processed by supplying the processing liquid from the processing liquid supply nozzle to the substrate located in the processing space, and in which the internal space is maintained at a negative pressure during the substrate processing operation.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein The controller controls the fan unit to further perform a negative pressure removal operation to make the pressure of the internal space and the pressure of the external space the same after completing the substrate processing operation, the external space being the outside of the housing, and the controller controls the baffle to open after the negative pressure removal operation.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising: a waiting port in which the treatment liquid supply nozzle waits, wherein the controller controls the liquid supply unit and the waiting port to perform an automatic dispensing operation, and controls the fan unit to perform a negative pressure maintaining operation, in which the processing liquid is periodically discharged while the processing liquid supply nozzle is waiting at the waiting port without performing the substrate processing operation, and in which the negative pressure maintaining operation maintains the internal space at a negative pressure during the automatic dispensing operation.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising: a negative pressure sensor for measuring the difference between the pressure of the inner space and the pressure of the outer space, The fan unit further comprises: a frame having an external air introduction space; and a switch mechanism for opening and closing a passage for introducing external air into the external air introduction space, and When the negative pressure sensor detects that the pressure in the inner space is higher than the pressure in the outer space when processing the substrate, the controller controls the switch mechanism to perform an abnormal response operation of reducing the amount of the downward air flow or blocking the downward air flow.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein: The controller controls the fan unit to perform a negative pressure maintaining operation of maintaining the internal space at a negative pressure before performing a maintenance operation of opening the housing to maintain and repair the interior of the housing.

16. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein: The treatment fluid includes a toxic liquid.

17. A method for processing a substrate, the method comprising: a substrate processing operation of processing a substrate by supplying a processing liquid including a toxic liquid to the substrate located in the interior space of the housing; a negative pressure maintaining operation of maintaining the internal space at a negative pressure; and a negative pressure removal operation that makes the pressure of the inner space and the pressure of the outer space the same, the outer space being the outside of the housing, Wherein, the negative pressure maintaining operation is performed simultaneously with the substrate processing operation.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising: an automatic dispensing operation of discharging the treatment liquid from the treatment liquid supply nozzle while the treatment liquid supply nozzle supplying the treatment liquid is waiting at a waiting port, Wherein, the negative pressure maintaining operation is performed simultaneously with the automatic dispensing operation.

19. The method according to claim 17, further comprising: a maintenance operation of opening the housing to maintain the interior of the housing, Wherein, the negative pressure maintaining operation is performed before the maintenance operation.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising: an abnormal response operation of forming the pressure of the inner space to be lower than the pressure of the outer space when the difference between the pressure of the inner space and the pressure of the outer space during the substrate processing operation is greater than 0, The abnormal response operation includes forming a pressure of the internal space to be low by blocking an air flow path toward the internal space.

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