Fluid supply system, substrate processing apparatus, and fluid supply method

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a fluid supply system, a substrate processing apparatus, and a fluid supply method, which facilitate detection of fluid leakage in each of a plurality of on-off valves. The leakage determination unit closes each of the plurality of on-off valves so that the inflow path and the outflow path are cut off by the valve body, and in a state in which the inflow path is filled with the pressurized fluid and the pressure in the inflow path is higher than the pressure in the outflow path, the leakage determination unit determines the leakage of the on-off valves. Whether or not leakage of the fluid has occurred is determined on the basis of the temperature measured by the corresponding temperature measurement unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a fluid supply system, a substrate processing apparatus, and a fluid supply method. Background Art

[0002] A substrate processing apparatus is known that uses a fluid in a supercritical state to dry a substrate (e.g., see Patent Document 1). In such a substrate processing apparatus, a plurality of on-off valves are provided in piping for circulating the fluid, and the flow of the fluid in the piping is controlled by appropriately opening and closing the plurality of on-off valves.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-43882 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0007] The present disclosure provides a technology that is advantageous for detecting leakage of a fluid in each of a plurality of on-off valves.

[0008] Solutions for solving problems

[0009] One embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a fluid supply system comprising: a pipe; a fluid supply unit configured to supply fluid to the pipe so that the fluid flows from upstream to downstream in the pipe; a plurality of on-off valves provided in the pipe, each of the on-off valves having an inflow path, an outflow path, and a valve body for connecting and disconnecting the inflow path and the outflow path; a plurality of temperature measuring units provided so as to correspond to the plurality of on-off valves, respectively, and configured to measure at least one of a temperature of a component located downstream of the on-off valve corresponding to each temperature measuring unit and a temperature inside the component; and a leakage determination unit configured to determine whether fluid leakage has occurred in the plurality of on-off valves. The leakage determination unit determines whether fluid leakage has occurred based on the temperature measured by the corresponding temperature measuring unit for each of the plurality of on-off valves, when the on-off valve is closed so as to disconnect the inflow path from the outflow path by the valve body and the inflow path is filled with pressurized fluid so that the pressure in the inflow path is higher than the pressure in the outflow path.

[0010] Effects of the Invention

[0011] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to advantageously detect leakage of a fluid in each of a plurality of on-off valves. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1It is a diagram showing a configuration example of a substrate processing apparatus.

[0013] Figure 2 It is a diagram showing a configuration example of a liquid processing unit.

[0014] Figure 3 It is a schematic perspective view showing a structural example of a drying unit.

[0015] Figure 4 It is a diagram showing a configuration example of a drying unit.

[0016] Figure 5 It is a diagram showing a configuration example of a supply unit.

[0017] Figure 6 It is a diagram showing a configuration example of the third flow rate adjustment unit and its surroundings.

[0018] Figure 7 It shows that the drying unit (refer to Figure 4 ) and supply unit (refer to Figure 6 ) is a diagram of a structural example of a substrate drying processing system (including a fluid supply system).

[0019] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of an on-off valve (appearance) and a temperature measuring portion (cross section).

[0020] Figure 9 This is a graph (simulation graph) showing pressure examples in the inflow path of the on-off valve and temperature examples measured by the corresponding temperature measuring unit. The horizontal axis represents time (seconds), the vertical axis on the left represents temperature (°C), and the vertical axis on the right represents pressure (MPa). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The following illustrates non-limiting embodiments of the disclosed technology. In the following description, expressions such as "up," "down," "left," and "right" are used for convenience only, based on the state shown in the corresponding figure, and are not intended to limit the actual directionality of each element, unless otherwise specified.

[0022] [Substrate processing equipment]

[0023] Figure 1 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the substrate processing apparatus 1 . Figure 1 The X direction, Y direction, and Z direction shown are orthogonal to each other. The X direction and Y direction coincide with the horizontal direction, and the upward direction along the height direction coincides with the positive direction of the Z direction.

[0024] Figure 1 The substrate processing apparatus 1 shown includes a loading / unloading station 2, a processing station 3, and a control device 6. The loading / unloading station 2 and the processing station 3 are provided adjacent to each other.

[0025] The loading and unloading station 2 includes a carrier placement unit 11 and a conveying unit 12. A plurality of carriers ( Figure 1 There are four carriers C in the figure, which accommodate multiple substrates (such as semiconductor wafers) W in a horizontal state.

[0026] The conveying section 12 is provided adjacent to the carrier placement section 11. The conveying section 12 is provided with a conveying device 13 and a delivery section 14.

[0027] The transport device 13 includes a substrate holding mechanism for holding a substrate W, and uses the substrate holding mechanism to transport the substrate W between the carrier C and the delivery unit 14. The substrate holding mechanism of the transport device 13 can hold the substrate W while moving the substrate W horizontally and / or vertically, or rotating it about a vertical axis.

[0028] The processing station 3 is provided adjacent to the conveying section 12 , and includes a conveying block 4 , a plurality of processing blocks 5 , and a plurality of supply units 19 .

[0029] The transport block 4 includes a transport area 15 and a transport device 16 disposed in the transport area 15. The transport area 15 is a rectangular parallelepiped area extending along the arrangement direction (X direction) of the loading and unloading stations 2 and the processing stations 3. The transport device 16 includes a substrate holding mechanism for holding substrates W. The transport device 16 uses the substrate holding mechanism to transport substrates W between the interface 14 and the plurality of processing blocks 5. The substrate holding mechanism of the transport device 16 can hold the substrate W while moving it horizontally and / or vertically, or rotating it about a vertical axis.

[0030] The plurality of processing blocks 5 are arranged on both sides of the conveying area 15 (i.e., one side and the other side in the Y direction) in a manner adjacent to the conveying area 15. Two or more (for example, three) processing blocks 5 are arranged in a stacked manner in the Z direction, but Figure 1 Although not shown in the figure, the substrates W are transported between the stacked processing blocks 5 and the interface 14 by a transport device 16 .

[0031] There is no limitation on the structure of each processing block 5. Figure 1 Each of the illustrated processing blocks 5 includes one liquid processing unit 17 and one drying unit 18 arranged in the X direction along the conveying area 15. The liquid processing unit 17 is closer to the loading / unloading station 2 than the drying unit 18.

[0032] As an example, the liquid processing unit 17 of this embodiment performs a cleaning process for cleaning the upper surface of the substrate W, which is the pattern formation surface, and then performs a liquid film forming process for forming a liquid film on the upper surface of the substrate W.

[0033] The drying unit 18 performs a supercritical drying process on the substrate W after the liquid film forming process. That is, the drying unit 18 dries the substrate W by bringing a supercritical process fluid (also referred to as "supercritical fluid") into contact with the substrate W after the liquid film forming process. Figure 1 The drying unit 18 shown includes a processing area 181 and a delivery area 182 arranged in the X direction along the conveying area 15. The delivery area 182 is closer to the liquid processing unit 17 than the processing area 181. The supercritical drying process is performed in the processing area 181, and the delivery area 182 is an area for delivering substrates W between the conveying block 4 and the processing area 181.

[0034] In addition, a supply unit 19 is provided for supplying the process fluid to the drying unit 18. The supply unit 19 may be provided for each process block 5, or for each of a plurality of process blocks 5 (for example, for each two or more process blocks 5 stacked in the Z direction), or a common supply unit 19 may be allocated to two or more process blocks 5.

[0035] The supply unit 19 includes a supply device group including a flow meter, a flow regulator, a back pressure valve, a heater, etc., and a housing for accommodating the supply device group. The supply unit 19 of this embodiment supplies carbon dioxide (CO2) as a treatment fluid to one or more assigned treatment blocks 5.

[0036] The control device 6 includes a control unit 7 and a storage unit 8. The control device 6 can be implemented as a computer, for example. The control unit 7 can include various circuits and a microcomputer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), and input / output ports. The CPU of the microcomputer reads and executes programs stored in the ROM to control various components of the substrate processing apparatus 1 (e.g., the transport units 13 and 16, the liquid processing unit 17, the drying unit 18, and the supply unit 19).

[0037] The program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium and installed from the storage medium into the storage unit 8 of the control device 6. The computer-readable storage medium is not limited, and examples thereof include a hard disk (HD), a floppy disk (FD), a compact disk (CD), a magneto-optical disk (MO), or a memory card. The storage unit 8 is implemented, for example, by a semiconductor memory element such as RAM or flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or optical disk.

[0038] In the substrate processing apparatus 1 configured as described above, the transport device 13 of the loading / unloading station 2 first removes a substrate W from the carrier C placed on the carrier placement portion 11 and places the substrate W on the delivery interface 14. The substrate W placed on the delivery interface 14 is removed from the delivery interface 14 by the transport device 16 of the processing station 3 and transported to the liquid processing unit 17.

[0039] The substrate W carried into the liquid processing unit 17 is subjected to a cleaning process and a liquid film formation process in the liquid processing unit 17 and then carried out of the liquid processing unit 17 by the transport device 16. The substrate W carried out of the liquid processing unit 17 is carried into the drying unit 18 by the transport device 16 and subjected to a drying process in the drying unit 18.

[0040] The substrate W dried by the drying unit 18 is unloaded from the drying unit 18 by the transport device 16 and placed on the interface 14. The processed substrate W placed on the interface 14 is returned to the carrier C of the carrier placement unit 11 by the transport device 13.

[0041] [Liquid processing unit]

[0042] Figure 2 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the liquid processing unit 17 .

[0043] Figure 2 The illustrated liquid processing unit 17 is configured as a single-wafer cleaning device that performs spin cleaning on each substrate W. Specifically, the liquid processing unit 17 includes a substrate holding mechanism 25 that holds the substrate W substantially horizontally within the inner space (processing space) of the outer chamber 23 and rotates the substrate W about a vertical axis.

[0044] The upper surface of the substrate W is cleaned by supplying processing liquid (eg, chemical liquid and rinse liquid) from above to the upper surface of the rotating substrate W in a predetermined order from the chemical liquid nozzle 26 a provided at the front end of the nozzle arm 26 . Figure 2 The nozzle arm 26 shown is provided so as to be able to advance and retreat in the horizontal direction. By changing the advance and retreat position of the nozzle arm 26 , the radial position of the chemical liquid nozzle 26 a relative to the substrate W can be changed.

[0045] The substrate holding mechanism 25 includes a chemical liquid supply path 25a extending in the height direction (Z direction). One end (the upper end) of the chemical liquid supply path 25a faces the lower surface of the substrate W held by the substrate holding mechanism 25. The processing liquid supplied to the chemical liquid supply path 25a is ejected from the one end and adheres to the lower surface of the substrate W, thereby cleaning the lower surface of the substrate W.

[0046] During the cleaning process, for example, SC1 solution (a mixture of ammonia and hydrogen peroxide) as an alkaline chemical solution may first be supplied to the substrate W to remove particles and organic contaminants. Subsequently, deionized water (hereinafter also referred to as "DIW") as a rinse solution may be supplied to the substrate W for rinsing and cleaning.

[0047] Next, a diluted hydrofluoric acid solution (hereinafter also referred to as “DHF”) as an acidic chemical solution may be supplied to the substrate W to remove the natural oxide film, and then DIW may be supplied to the substrate W for rinsing and cleaning.

[0048] The various chemical liquids scattered from the substrate W are received by the outer chamber 23 and the inner cup 24 disposed in the outer chamber 23. The various chemical liquids received by the outer chamber 23 are discharged from the outer chamber 23 through a drain port 23a disposed in the bottom of the outer chamber 23. Furthermore, the various chemical liquids received by the inner cup 24 are discharged from the inner cup 24 through a drain port 24a disposed in the bottom of the inner cup 24. The atmospheric gas in the outer chamber 23 is discharged from the outer chamber 23 through an exhaust port 23b disposed in the bottom of the outer chamber 23.

[0049] After the rinsing process in the cleaning process, a liquid film formation process is performed. Specifically, the liquid processing unit 17 rotates the substrate W using the substrate holding mechanism 25 while supplying liquid IPA (isopropyl alcohol) (hereinafter referred to as "IPA liquid") to the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate W. This replaces the DIW remaining on both surfaces of the substrate W with IPA. The liquid processing unit 17 then slowly stops the rotation of the substrate W by the substrate holding mechanism 25.

[0050] After the liquid film formation process, the substrate W is delivered to the conveying device 16 in a state where a liquid film of IPA liquid is formed on its upper surface (i.e., in a state where the surface is wetted with IPA liquid) by a delivery mechanism (not shown) provided in the substrate holding mechanism 25, and is moved out of the liquid processing unit 17.

[0051] The liquid film on the substrate W is effective in suppressing pattern collapse caused by evaporation (gasification) of the liquid on the upper surface of the substrate W while the substrate W is being transported from the liquid processing unit 17 to the drying unit 18 (including loading into the drying unit 18 ).

[0052] [Structure of drying unit]

[0053] Figure 3 It is a schematic perspective view showing a structural example of the drying unit 18 .

[0054] Figure 3The drying unit 18 shown includes a main body 31, a holding plate 32, and a cover member 33. The shell-shaped main body 31 has an opening 34 formed therein. The holding plate 32 and the cover member 33 are moved relative to the main body 31 through the opening 34 to allow substrates W to be loaded and unloaded. The holding plate 32 holds the substrates W being processed horizontally. The cover member 33 functions as a support member for the holding plate 32, positioning the substrates W held by the holding plate 32 together with the holding plate 32 in the processing chamber within the main body 31 and airtightly sealing the opening 34.

[0055] The main body 31 is a container (processing container) having a processing space (processing chamber) formed therein that can accommodate a substrate W having a diameter of, for example, 300 mm. Supply ports 35, 36 and an exhaust port 37 are provided on the wall of the main body 31. The supply ports 35, 36 are connected to a supply flow path (supply piping) for supplying a supercritical fluid to the drying unit 18 (especially the processing chamber). The exhaust port 37 is connected to an exhaust flow path (exhaust piping) for receiving the supercritical fluid discharged from the drying unit 18 (especially the processing chamber). In this way, the supply piping (the second supply line 72 described later (see Figure 4 )), a discharge pipe (discharge line 76 described later (see Figure 4 )).

[0056] The supply port 35 is connected to the side surface of the main body 31 opposite to the opening 34. The supply port 36 is connected to the bottom surface of the main body 31. The discharge port 37 is connected to the lower side of the opening 34. Figure 3 Although two supply ports 35 and 36 and one discharge port 37 are shown in the figure, the number of the supply ports and the discharge ports is not limited.

[0057] Fluid supply heads 38, 39 and a fluid discharge head 40 are provided within the body 31. The fluid supply heads 38, 39 each have a plurality of supply ports arranged along the length of the fluid supply heads 38, 39. The fluid discharge head 40 has a plurality of discharge ports arranged along the length of the fluid discharge head 40.

[0058] The fluid supply head 38 is provided adjacent to the side surface opposite to the opening 34 inside the main body 31 and is connected to the supply port 35. The plurality of supply ports arranged in the fluid supply head 38 face the opening 34 side.

[0059] The fluid supply head 39 is provided in the center of the bottom surface of the main body 31 and is connected to the supply port 36. The plurality of supply ports formed in a row in the fluid supply head 39 face upward.

[0060] The fluid discharge head 40 is provided inside the body 31 adjacent to the side surface of the body 31 on the opening 34 side and below the opening 34, and is connected to the discharge port 37. The plurality of discharge ports arranged in the fluid discharge head 40 face upward.

[0061] The fluid supply heads 38 and 39 supply a supercritical fluid to the processing chamber in the main body 31. The fluid discharge head 40 guides the supercritical fluid in the processing chamber in the main body 31 and discharges it to the outside of the main body 31. The supercritical fluid discharged to the outside of the main body 31 via the fluid discharge head 40 contains IPA liquid dissolved in the supercritical fluid from the surface of the substrate W.

[0062] Figure 4 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the drying unit 18 .

[0063] exist Figure 4 The drying unit 18 shown is connected to the second supply line 72 of the supply unit 19. The second supply line 72 branches into two supply lines in the drying unit 18, one of which is connected to the supply port 35, and the other is connected to the supply port 36. In the second supply line 72 of the drying unit 18, a first flow rate adjustment unit 250, a pressure sensor 243, and a heater 68 are provided in this order from the upstream side (the supply unit 19 side).

[0064] The first flow rate adjustment unit 250 includes on-off valves 211 to 213 and orifices 221 to 223 , and is configured to adjust the flow rate of the treatment fluid supplied to the main body 31 .

[0065] The on-off valves 211 to 213 are connected in parallel to the second supply line 72. The on-off valves 211 to 213 regulate the flow of the treatment fluid. When the on-off valves 211 to 213 are open, the treatment fluid flows toward the orifices 221 to 223, and when they are closed, the treatment fluid does not flow toward the orifices 221 to 223.

[0066] Orifices 221 through 223 are connected in series with on-off valves 211 through 213, respectively, and function to reduce the flow rate and thereby adjust the pressure of the gaseous or liquid treatment fluid supplied from supply unit 19 via on-off valves 211 through 213. In this manner, orifices 221 through 223 allow the pressure-regulated treatment fluid to flow through downstream second supply line 72.

[0067] Pressure sensor 243 measures the pressure of the process fluid flowing in second supply line 72 between first flow regulator 250 and heater 68. Specifically, pressure sensor 243 measures the pressure on the secondary side (downstream side) of orifices 221 through 223. The output (measurement result) of pressure sensor 243 is transmitted to controller 6.

[0068] The heater 68 heats the gaseous or liquid treatment fluid flowing in the second supply line 72 to generate a supercritical treatment fluid. The heater 68 can be, for example, a spiral heater wound around the second supply line 72, but the specific structure of the heater 68 is not limited.

[0069] The discharge port 37 is connected to a discharge line 76. In the discharge line 76, a pressure sensor 242, an on-off valve 214, a flow meter 251, and a back pressure valve 231 are provided in this order from the upstream side, that is, the main body 31 side.

[0070] The pressure sensor 242 measures the pressure of the treatment fluid flowing in the portion of the exhaust line 76 immediately after the main body 31 and transmits the measurement result to the control device 6. In this embodiment, the pressure value of the treatment fluid measured by the pressure sensor 242 can be regarded as the pressure value of the treatment fluid in the main body 31 (i.e., the treatment chamber).

[0071] The on-off valve 214 regulates the flow of the treatment fluid and allows the treatment fluid to flow toward the downstream discharge line 76 in an open state, and prevents the treatment fluid from flowing toward the downstream discharge line 76 in a closed state.

[0072] The flow meter 251 measures the flow rate (discharge flow rate) of the treatment fluid flowing through the discharge line 76 . The output (measurement result) of the flow meter 251 is sent to the control device 6 .

[0073] When the pressure on the primary side (upstream side) of the discharge line 76 exceeds the set pressure, the back-pressure valve 231 adjusts its valve opening to allow fluid to flow to the secondary side (downstream side), thereby maintaining the primary side pressure at the set pressure. For example, the set pressure of the back-pressure valve 231 is adjusted by the control device 6 based on the output of the pressure sensor 242.

[0074] A temperature sensor 241 is provided to detect the temperature of the processing fluid in the main body 31 (processing chamber). The output (detection result) of the temperature sensor 241 is sent to the control device 6.

[0075] In the drying unit 18 (particularly the processing chamber of the main body 31), the IPA liquid formed between the patterns on the substrate W gradually dissolves in the supercritical fluid due to contact with the high-pressure (e.g., 16 MPa) supercritical fluid. The IPA liquid between the patterns is gradually replaced by the supercritical fluid. Ultimately, the pattern spaces are filled only with the supercritical fluid, and the IPA liquid is removed from the pattern spaces.

[0076] After the IPA liquid is removed from between the patterns, the pressure within the main body 31 (processing chamber) is reduced from a high pressure state to atmospheric pressure under the control of the control device 6. This causes the processing fluid (CO2) within the main body 31 to change from a supercritical state to a gaseous state, and the spaces between the patterns are filled only with gas. By removing the IPA liquid between the patterns in this manner, the drying process of the substrate W is completed.

[0077] Compared to liquids (e.g., IPA), supercritical fluids have lower viscosity and higher solubility. Furthermore, no interface exists between a supercritical fluid and a liquid or gas in equilibrium. Therefore, drying using supercritical fluids allows the pattern on the substrate W to be dried while suppressing the effects of surface tension, thereby preventing pattern collapse during drying.

[0078] In this embodiment, an example is shown in which IPA liquid is used as a liquid for preventing drying and supercritical CO2 is used as a processing fluid, but liquids other than IPA can also be used as liquids for preventing drying, and fluids other than supercritical CO2 can also be used as processing fluids.

[0079] [Structure of the supply unit]

[0080] Figure 5 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the supply unit 19 .

[0081] Figure 5 The supply unit 19 shown supplies the process fluid to the three drying units 18A, 18B and 18C. Figure 5 The drying units 18A to 18C shown are Figure 4 The drying unit 18 shown corresponds.

[0082] The supply unit 19 includes a first supply line 71 connected to a treatment fluid supply source (fluid supply portion) 90 and a plurality of (three) second supply lines 72A, 72B, and 72C connected to the first supply line 71 . Figure 5 The second supply lines 72A to 72C shown are Figure 4 The second supply line 72 shown corresponds to, Figure 5 The branch points 62A to 62C shown are Figure 4 The branch point 62 shown corresponds.

[0083] The treatment fluid supply source 90 supplies the treatment fluid to the pipes (such as the first supply line 71 and the second supply lines 72A to 72C) so that the treatment fluid flows from upstream to downstream.

[0084] Second supply lines 72A through 72C are connected to first supply line 71 at a plurality of branch points 77A, 77B, and 77C provided on first supply line 71. Specifically, second supply line 72A is connected to first supply line 71 at branch point 77A, and second supply lines 72B and 72C are connected to first supply line 71 at branch point 77B. Second supply line 72A is connected to drying unit 18A, second supply line 72B is connected to drying unit 18B, and second supply line 72C is connected to drying unit 18C.

[0085] In the first supply line 71, downstream of the branch points 77A to 77C, an on-off valve 220, a temperature measuring unit 171, an orifice 124, and an exhaust section 69 are sequentially provided. The outflow path of the on-off valve 220 is connected to the exhaust section 69 via the first supply line 71. Between the on-off valve 220 and the exhaust section 69 in the first supply line 71, a temperature measuring unit 171 and an orifice 124 for locally narrowing the flow path of the process fluid are provided. The exhaust section 69 can be configured, for example, as an exhaust pipe, to discharge gas delivered from upstream in the first supply line 71 through the orifice 124.

[0086] In addition, the temperature measuring unit 171 Figure 5 In the illustrated example, the temperature measuring unit 171 is provided between the on-off valve 220 and the orifice 124 (i.e., upstream of the orifice 124), but may also be provided downstream of the orifice 124. For example, the temperature measuring unit 171 may be provided to measure the temperature of the exhaust section 69 (e.g., the surface of the exhaust pipe).

[0087] In the first supply line 71 , a connection point 61 , a filter 64 , a condenser 65 , a tank 66 , and a pump 67 are provided in this order from the upstream side (the treatment fluid supply source 90 side).

[0088] The filter 64 filters the gaseous process fluid flowing through the first supply line 71 to remove foreign matter contained in the process fluid. By removing foreign matter from the process fluid using the filter 64, it is possible to suppress the generation of particles on the surface of the substrate W during the drying process of the substrate W using the supercritical fluid.

[0089] The condenser (cooling unit) 65 is connected to, for example, a cooling water supply unit (not shown), and performs heat exchange between the cooling water from the cooling water supply unit and the gaseous treatment fluid flowing in the first supply line 71. Thus, the condenser 65 cools the gaseous treatment fluid flowing in the first supply line 71 to generate a liquid treatment fluid.

[0090] The tank 66 stores the liquid treatment fluid generated by the condenser 65. The pump 67 sends the liquid treatment fluid stored in the tank 66 to the downstream side of the first supply line 71.

[0091] Second supply line 72A is provided with a branch point 62A, second supply line 72B is provided with a branch point 62B, and second supply line 72C is provided with a branch point 62C. Branch point 62A is provided between on-off valve 115A and drying unit 18A, branch point 62B is provided between on-off valve 115B and drying unit 18B, and branch point 62C is provided between on-off valve 115C and drying unit 18C. Supply unit 19 has a first branch line 73A connected to branch point 62A, a first branch line 73B connected to branch point 62B, and a first branch line 73C connected to branch point 62C.

[0092] In the first branch line 73A, an on-off valve 116A, a back-pressure valve 131A, and an on-off valve 114A are provided in order from the upstream side (the branch point 62A side). In the first branch line 73B, an on-off valve 116B, a back-pressure valve 131B, and an on-off valve 114B are provided in order from the upstream side (the branch point 62B side). In the first branch line 73C, an on-off valve 116C, a back-pressure valve 131C, and an on-off valve 114C are provided in order from the upstream side (the branch point 62C side).

[0093] On-off valve 116A regulates the flow of the treated fluid. When open, it allows the treated fluid to flow into the downstream first branch line 73A, and when closed, it prevents the treated fluid from flowing into the downstream first branch line 73A. On-off valves 116B and 116C have the same structure as on-off valve 116A.

[0094] When the pressure on the primary side of the first branch line 73A exceeds the set pressure, the back-pressure valve 131A adjusts its valve opening to allow fluid to flow to the secondary side, thereby maintaining the primary pressure at the set pressure. For example, the set pressure of the back-pressure valve 131A is adjusted by the controller 6 based on the outputs of the pressure sensor 142A and the pressure sensor 243. The back-pressure valves 131B and 131C have the same structure as the back-pressure valve 131A.

[0095] On-off valve 114A regulates the flow of the treated fluid. When open, it allows the treated fluid to flow into the downstream first branch line 73A, and when closed, it prevents the treated fluid from flowing into the downstream first branch line 73A. On-off valves 114B and 114C have the same structure as on-off valve 114A.

[0096] Supply unit 19 includes a second branch line 74 connected to first branch lines 73A through 73C. First branch lines 73A through 73C are connected to second branch line 74 at multiple connection points 75A and 75B provided on second branch line 74. Specifically, first branch line 73A is connected to second branch line 74 at connection point 75A, and first branch lines 73B and 73C are connected to second branch line 74 at connection point 75B. Second branch line 74 is connected to connection point 61. In other words, second branch line 74 connects first branch lines 73A through 73C to connection point 61. Alternatively, instead of providing second branch line 74, first branch lines 73A through 73C may be directly connected to first supply line 71 at independent connection points upstream of filter 64.

[0097] In the second supply line 72A, between the branch point 77A and the branch point 62A, a pressure sensor 141A, a third flow rate regulator 150A, a pressure sensor 142A, and an on-off valve 115A are provided, in order from the upstream side (on the branch point 77A side). In the second supply line 72B, between the branch point 77B and the branch point 62B, a pressure sensor 141B, a third flow rate regulator 150B, a pressure sensor 142B, and an on-off valve 115B are provided, in order from the upstream side (on the branch point 77B side). In the second supply line 72C, between the branch point 77B and the branch point 62C, a pressure sensor 141C, a third flow rate regulator 150C, a pressure sensor 142C, and an on-off valve 115C are provided, in order from the upstream side (on the branch point 77B side).

[0098] Pressure sensor 141A measures the pressure of the treatment fluid flowing in second supply line 72A upstream of third flow rate regulator 150A. The output (measurement result) of pressure sensor 141A is transmitted to controller 6. Pressure sensors 141B and 141C have the same structure as pressure sensor 141A.

[0099] The third flow rate adjustment unit 150A adjusts the flow rate of the treatment fluid flowing through the first branch line 73 A. The third flow rate adjustment unit 150B and the third flow rate adjustment unit 150C have the same structure as the third flow rate adjustment unit 150A.

[0100] Pressure sensor 142A measures the pressure of the process fluid flowing in second supply line 72A between third flow rate regulator 150A and on-off valve 115A. The output (measurement result) of pressure sensor 142A is transmitted to control device 6. Pressure sensor 142B and pressure sensor 142C have the same structure as pressure sensor 142A.

[0101] On-off valve 115A regulates the flow of the treatment fluid. When open, it allows the treatment fluid to flow into the downstream second supply line 72A, and when closed, it prevents the treatment fluid from flowing into the downstream second supply line 72A. On-off valves 115B and 115C have the same structure as on-off valve 115A.

[0102] Figure 6 150A and its surrounding structure. Figure 5 ) has the same structure as the third flow adjustment unit 150A.

[0103] Figure 6 The third flow control unit 150A shown includes on-off valves 111 through 113 and orifices 120 through 123. Orifices 121, 122, and 123 are connected in parallel with orifice 120 and are located downstream of on-off valves 111 through 113. On-off valve 111 is connected in series with orifice 121, on-off valve 112 is connected in series with orifice 122, and on-off valve 113 is connected in series with orifice 123.

[0104] The throttle holes 120 to 123 serve to reduce the flow rate of the treatment fluid flowing in the second supply line 72A to adjust the pressure of the treatment fluid. In particular, they enable the treatment fluid with adjusted pressure to flow in the downstream second supply line 72A.

[0105] The on-off valves 111 to 113 adjust the flow and interruption of the treatment fluid. When opened, the treatment fluid flows to the second supply line 72A on the downstream side. When closed, the treatment fluid does not flow to the second supply line 72A on the downstream side.

[0106] Figure 7 The figure shows a drying unit 18 (see Figure 4 ) and supply unit 19 (refer to Figure 6 ) is a diagram of a structural example of a substrate drying processing system (including a fluid supply system).

[0107] Generally speaking, even when an on-off valve is closed, fluid can leak from the valve, causing it to flow from the upstream flow path to the downstream flow path. Identifying the leaking valve is not always easy, especially when multiple valves are installed. Finding the leaking valve can be a significant effort. Therefore, in practice, concerns about a leak in a particular valve lead to the replacement of all potentially leaking valves.

[0108] In this embodiment, a plurality of temperature measuring units 161 to 171 are provided so as to correspond to the plurality of on-off valves. Figure 1 ) Based on the measurement results of the multiple temperature measuring units 161 to 171 (that is, the changes in the measured temperatures), it is determined whether leakage of the treatment fluid has occurred in the multiple opening and closing valves.

[0109] In addition, the control device 6 can perform arbitrary control processing based on the result of the leakage judgment. For example, in the case where there is an on-off valve that is judged to have leaked the processing fluid, the control device 6 can control various devices to issue an alarm to the operator or interrupt the processing in the substrate processing device 1. Through such an alarm, the operator can identify the specific on-off valve that is judged to have leaked abnormally and prompt the repair or replacement of the specific on-off valve. In addition, when an alarm is issued, it is not necessary to interrupt part or all of the processing in the substrate processing device 1. In addition, there is no limitation on the method and content of the alarm. For example, the control device 6 can also control the alarm device (omitted in the figure) to convey to the operator a message, such as prompting the repair or replacement of the on-off valve that is judged to have leaked abnormally, by means of a display and / or sound. In addition, after the alarm is issued, a confirmation message can be issued by means of an alarm device or other device to ask the operator whether the repair or replacement of the on-off valve that is judged to have leaked abnormally is completed.

[0110] exist Figure 7 In the example shown, all the on-off valves provided in the piping of the drying unit 18 and the supply unit 19 are assigned with unique temperature measuring units, but it is also possible to assign unique temperature measuring units to only a part of the on-off valves. Figures 4 to 7 The on-off valves indicated by reference numerals 111 to 113, reference numerals 114A to 114C, reference numerals 115A to 115C, reference numerals 116A to 116C, and reference numerals 211 to 214 are each assigned a temperature measuring unit. More specifically, temperature measuring units 161 to 163 are provided for on-off valves 111 to 113, and temperature measuring units 167 to 170 are provided for on-off valves 211 to 214. Figure 5 The shown opening and closing valves 114A to 114C are provided with temperature measuring parts 166A to 166C, the opening and closing valves 115A to 115C are provided with temperature measuring parts 164A to 164C, and the opening and closing valves 116A to 116C are provided with temperature measuring parts 165A to 165C.

[0111] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of the on-off valve 300 (appearance) and the temperature measuring unit 320 (cross section). Figure 8 The on-off valve 300 shown can be applied to Figures 4 to 7 One or more (eg, all) of the plurality of on-off valves shown. Figure 8 The temperature measuring unit 320 shown can be applied to Figures 4 to 7 One or more (eg, all) of the plurality of temperature measuring units shown.

[0112] The on-off valve 300 can be configured as any type of valve, such as a pneumatic valve, and includes an inflow path 311 connected to an upstream piping, an outflow path 312 connected to a downstream piping 330, and a valve body (not shown) for connecting and disconnecting the inflow path and the outflow path. The temperature measuring unit 320 measures at least one of the temperature of a component located downstream of the corresponding on-off valve 300 and the temperature inside the component, and transmits the measurement result to the control device 6 (leakage determination unit; see Figure 1 The “member located downstream of the on-off valve 300 ” mentioned here may be, for example, a portion of the piping 330 connected to the outflow path and a member connected to the outflow path via the piping 330 , but is not limited thereto.

[0113] exist Figures 4 to 7 In the example shown, each temperature measuring unit is arranged in a portion of the piping located downstream of the corresponding on-off valve, and measures the temperature of the piping portion at the installation location (e.g., the surface) and / or the inside of the piping portion at the installation location (e.g., the processing fluid).

[0114] Figure 8In the illustrated example, the temperature measuring unit 320 is installed in a pipe (downstream pipe) 330 located downstream of the corresponding on-off valve 300. It measures the temperature of the process fluid flowing within the downstream pipe 330. The temperature measuring unit 320 includes a temperature sensor 324, a measuring body 326 connected to the temperature sensor 324, and a sheath 322 covering one end of the temperature sensor 324. The temperature sensor 324 is positioned within the flow path of the downstream pipe 330, with one end covered by the sheath 322. The sheath 322 serves as a sensor cover and has water resistance and strength to effectively prevent contact between the process fluid within the downstream pipe 330 and the temperature sensor 324. It also has heat conductivity to effectively transmit the temperature of the process fluid to the temperature sensor 324.

[0115] according to Figure 8 The illustrated temperature measuring unit 320 can position the sensor portion of the temperature sensor 324 near the center of the cross section of the downstream piping 330 (particularly the inner flow path), thereby facilitating accurate measurement of the temperature of the process fluid flowing through the downstream piping 330. Furthermore, the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 324 (i.e., the measured temperature of the process fluid in the downstream piping 330) is transmitted from the measuring unit 326 to the control device 6 (leak determination unit).

[0116] The control device 6 of this embodiment (see Figure 1 ) determines whether leakage of the treatment fluid has occurred in a plurality of on-off valves provided in the piping. That is, in a state where the on-off valve is closed and the upstream piping connected to the inflow path of the on-off valve is filled with pressurized treatment fluid so that the pressure in the upstream piping is higher than the pressure in the downstream piping connected to the outflow path, temperature measurement is performed by a corresponding temperature measuring unit. Specifically, in a state where the on-off valve is closed in a manner that the inflow path and the outflow path are cut off by the valve body and the inflow path is filled with pressurized treatment fluid so that the pressure in the inflow path is higher than the pressure in the outflow path, temperature measurement is performed by a corresponding temperature measuring unit. The control device 6 determines whether leakage of the treatment fluid has occurred in each on-off valve based on the result of the temperature measurement thus performed (measured temperature).

[0117] If the on-off valve leaks the treated fluid, the treated fluid will leak from the inflow path into the outflow path even when the valve is closed. When such a leak occurs while the pressure in the inflow path is higher than the pressure in the outflow path, as described above, the treated fluid leaking into the outflow path undergoes adiabatic expansion, resulting in a decrease in the temperature of components downstream of the on-off valve and the interior of those components.

[0118] Figure 9 This is a graph (simulation graph) showing pressure examples in the inflow path of the on-off valve and temperature examples measured by the corresponding temperature measuring unit. The horizontal axis represents time (seconds), the vertical axis on the left represents temperature (°C), and the vertical axis on the right represents pressure (MPa).

[0119] exist Figure 9 , there are shown a measurement example (“temperature measurement example 1”) of the temperature measuring unit 170 corresponding to the on-off valve 214 on the downstream side of the heater 68, and a measurement example (“temperature measurement example 2”) of the temperature measuring unit 170 corresponding to the on-off valve (for example, the on-off valve 115A) on the upstream side of the heater 68. Figure 9 The “pressure example” shown is common to “measurement temperature example 1” and “measurement temperature example 2” and illustrates the pressure in the inflow path of the on-off valve corresponding to the temperature measuring unit 170 that acquired “measurement temperature example 1” and “measurement temperature example 2”.

[0120] pass Figure 9 The object of measurement (in the measurement temperature example 1) shown in FIG. Figures 4 to 7 In the example shown, the piping portion or the inner side of the piping portion) originally has a high temperature. On the other hand, the object measured by the temperature measurement example 2 (in Figures 4 to 7 In the example shown, the piping portion or the inner side of the piping portion) has a low temperature. Figure 9 In each of the temperature measurement examples 1 and 2 shown, leakage of the process fluid occurred in the corresponding on-off valve during the temperature measurement. In particular, the leakage occurrence time in the temperature measurement examples 1 and 2 was set to the same time (at 0 seconds) from the start of the measurement (0 seconds). Figure 9 In the example shown, this is approximately 70 seconds).

[0121] As according to Figure 9 As is clear, regardless of the original temperature of the measurement object, the temperature measured by the corresponding temperature measuring unit will drop due to leakage in the on-off valve.

[0122] The control device 6 determines whether a temperature drop due to such adiabatic expansion has occurred based on the measurement results of the temperature measuring unit. If it is determined that a temperature drop due to adiabatic expansion has occurred, it is determined that leakage of the process fluid has occurred in the corresponding on-off valve. Whether a temperature drop due to adiabatic expansion has occurred can be determined by any method. Typically, it can be determined by comparing the temperature measured by the temperature measuring unit with a predetermined threshold temperature. That is, if the temperature measured by the temperature measuring unit is lower than the threshold temperature, it can be determined that leakage of the process fluid has occurred in the corresponding on-off valve. If the temperature measured by the temperature measuring unit is higher than the threshold temperature, it can be determined that no leakage has occurred in the corresponding on-off valve.

[0123] Furthermore, for each on-off valve, the control device 6 may determine that no leakage of the process fluid has occurred if the temperature measured by the corresponding temperature measuring unit is within the determination temperature range, and may determine that a leakage of the process fluid has occurred if the temperature measured by the corresponding temperature measuring unit is outside the determination temperature range. Furthermore, the control device 6 may determine whether a leakage of the process fluid has occurred in the corresponding on-off valve based on multiple measured temperatures acquired multiple times by the temperature measuring unit. For example, the control device 6 may determine that a leakage of the process fluid has occurred in the corresponding on-off valve if all of the multiple measured temperatures acquired periodically by the temperature measuring unit over a certain period of time are below the aforementioned determination threshold temperature or outside the determination temperature range. Alternatively, the control device 6 may determine that no leakage of the process fluid has occurred in the corresponding on-off valve if at least one of the multiple measured temperatures is above the determination threshold temperature or within the determination temperature range. The "certain period of time" referred to herein is not limited and can be appropriately set based on the accuracy of the temperature measurements performed by the temperature measuring unit or other factors.

[0124] In addition, the normal temperature of the object measured by the temperature measuring unit during normal operation (during normal processing) varies between the measurement objects. For example, the normal temperature during normal operation of the portion heated by the heat dissipated from the heater 68, the heated processing fluid, and the portion through which the heated processing fluid circulates is relatively high. On the other hand, the normal temperature during normal operation of the portion not heated by the heat dissipated from the heater 68, the processing fluid below the ambient temperature (for example, room temperature (5°C to 35°C)), and the portion through which the processing fluid below the ambient temperature circulates is relatively low. Therefore, based on the normal temperature during normal operation of the measurement object, the above-mentioned judgment threshold temperature and judgment temperature range are determined for each measurement object.

[0125] Next, a basic operation example of the drying unit 18 and the supply unit 19 in the substrate processing method (substrate drying processing method) will be described.

[0126] The gaseous treatment fluid supplied from the treatment fluid supply source 90 to the first supply line 71 is supplied to the condenser 65 via the filter 64, where it is cooled and liquefied. The liquefied treatment fluid is stored in the tank 66. The liquid treatment fluid stored in the tank 66 is converted into a high-pressure fluid by the pump 67, a portion of which is supplied to the drying units 18A-18C. The remainder of the high-pressure fluid flows through the first branch lines 73A-73C and the second branch line 74 before returning to the first supply line 71 for circulation.

[0127] The high-pressure fluid supplied to the drying units 18A to 18C is brought to a supercritical state by the heater 68. The high-pressure processing fluid, thus brought to a supercritical state, is supplied to the processing chamber within the main body 31, where it is used to process (dry) the substrates W. The processing fluid, which has been used to process the substrates W and is then discharged from the processing chamber, is received by the discharge line 76 (fluid discharge unit) connected to the processing chamber of the main body 31 and is then delivered to the subsequent stage via the discharge line 76.

[0128] Next, an example of a method of detecting whether or not leakage of the treated fluid has occurred in the on-off valve will be described.

[0129] Furthermore, there is no specific time limit for executing the following leak detection process (leak detection method). It can be performed before, after, and / or during the aforementioned substrate processing process (substrate drying method). Therefore, the leak detection process can be performed in a fault detection sequence that is separate from the normal substrate processing sequence, or it can be performed during the normal substrate processing sequence. Furthermore, the leak detection process can be performed to continuously monitor the on-off valves for leaks.

[0130] As described above, to determine whether a process fluid leak has occurred in the on-off valve, the on-off valve is closed and the inflow path is filled with pressurized process fluid (pressurization step), and the temperature is measured using the corresponding temperature measuring unit (temperature measurement step). In this embodiment, these pressurization and temperature measurement steps are performed sequentially from the on-off valve on the upstream side toward the downstream side.

[0131] That is, in Figure 7In the example shown, first, a check is performed to determine whether there is leakage of the treatment fluid in the on-off valves 111 to 113, on-off valves 115A to 115C, and on-off valve 220 located on the upstream side and marked with the symbol "I." Specifically, the on-off valves 111 to 113, on-off valves 115A to 115C, and on-off valve 220 are closed, and the treatment fluid is supplied to the on-off valves by pump 67. Meanwhile, the on-off valves located downstream of the on-off valves are opened. As a result, high-pressure treatment fluid is filled into the inflow paths of the on-off valves 111 to 113, on-off valves 115A to 115C, and on-off valve 220, and the outflow path is adjusted to a pressure lower than the pressure in the inflow path (e.g., atmospheric pressure). In this state where a relatively large pressure difference exists between the inflow path and the outflow path, the corresponding temperature measuring units 161 to 163, temperature measuring units 164A to 164C, and temperature measuring unit 171 measure the temperature and transmit the measurement results to the control device 6. Based on the measured temperatures transmitted from the temperature measuring units 161 to 163, temperature measuring units 164A to 164C, and temperature measuring unit 171, the control device 6 detects and determines leakage of the process fluid in the on-off valves 111 to 113, on-off valves 115A to 115C, and on-off valve 220 located on the most upstream side.

[0132] Afterwards, proceed Figure 7 The detection and determination of leakage of the treated fluid in the on-off valves 116A to 116C and on-off valves 211 to 213 located on the upstream side of the next stage, which are marked with the symbol "II". Specifically, the on-off valves 116A to 116C and on-off valves 211 to 213 are closed, and the on-off valves upstream and downstream of the on-off valves (excluding on-off valve 220) are opened. The treated fluid is then supplied to the on-off valves by pump 67. As a result, high-pressure treated fluid is filled into the inflow paths of the on-off valves 116A to 116C and on-off valves 211 to 213, and the outflow path is adjusted to a pressure lower than the pressure in the inflow path (e.g., atmospheric pressure). In this manner, when a relatively large pressure difference exists between the inflow path and the outflow path, the corresponding temperature measuring units 165A to 165C and 167 to 169 measure the temperature and transmit the measurement results to the control device 6. The control device 6 detects and determines leakage of the process fluid in the on-off valves 116A to 116C and the on-off valves 211 to 213 based on the measured temperatures transmitted from the temperature measuring units 165A to 165C and 167 to 169.

[0133] Afterwards, proceed Figure 7 Detection and determination of leakage of the treated fluid in the on-off valves 114A to 114C located on the upstream side of the next stage, marked with the symbol "III". Specifically, the on-off valves 114A to 114C being the target are closed, and the on-off valves 111 to 113, 115A to 115C, and 116A to 116C (excluding on-off valve 220) located upstream of the target on-off valve are opened. In addition, the on-off valves 211 to 214 are closed. Furthermore, the treated fluid is supplied to the target on-off valves 114A to 114C by the pump 67. As a result, the high-pressure treated fluid is filled into the inflow path of the target on-off valves 114A to 114C, and the outflow path is adjusted to a pressure lower than the pressure in the inflow path (e.g., atmospheric pressure). In this state where a relatively large pressure difference exists between the inflow path and the outflow path, the corresponding temperature measuring units 166A to 166C measure the temperature and transmit the measurement results to the control device 6. The control device 6 detects and determines leakage of the process fluid in the on-off valves 114A to 114C based on the measured temperatures transmitted from the temperature measuring units 166A to 166C.

[0134] Afterwards, proceed Figure 7 Detection and determination of leakage of the treatment fluid in the on-off valve 214 on the upstream side of the next stage marked with the mark "IV". Specifically, the on-off valve 214 as the target is placed in a closed state, and the on-off valves 111 to 113, on-off valves 115A to 115C, and on-off valves 211 to 213 (excluding on-off valve 220) located upstream of the on-off valve as the target are placed in an open state. In addition, the on-off valves 114A to 114C and on-off valves 116A to 116C can be in either an open state or a closed state as long as they can fill the inflow path of the on-off valve 214 as the target with the treatment fluid in the desired high-pressure state. Moreover, the treatment fluid is transported to the on-off valve 214 as the target by the pump 67. As a result, high-pressure process fluid is filled into the inflow path of the target on-off valve 214, and the outflow path is adjusted to a pressure lower than the pressure in the inflow path (e.g., atmospheric pressure). In this manner, with a relatively large pressure difference between the inflow path and the outflow path, the corresponding temperature measuring unit 170 measures the temperature, and the measurement result is transmitted to the control device 6. Based on the measured temperature transmitted from the temperature measuring unit 170, the control device 6 detects and determines if there is leakage of the process fluid in the on-off valve 214.

[0135] By performing the above-described series of leakage occurrence detection processes, it is possible to detect and determine leakage of the process fluid for each of the opening and closing valves included in the drying unit 18 and the supply unit 19 .

[0136] In addition, in the above-mentioned leakage detection process, there is no limitation on the form of the fluid in the inflow path and outflow path of the on-off valve as the detection object, and it can be any state of gas, liquid and / or supercritical state.

[0137] Therefore, it is also possible that at least one of the multiple temperature measuring units measures the temperature when a processing fluid in a gaseous state exists in at least either one of the outflow path of the corresponding on-off valve and the portion of the piping located downstream of the valve body of the corresponding on-off valve.

[0138] Alternatively, at least one of the multiple temperature measuring units may measure the temperature when a liquid or supercritical fluid is present in the inflow path of the corresponding on-off valve. In the aforementioned leak detection process, the heater 68 also heats the gaseous or liquid treatment fluid flowing in the second supply line 72 to generate a supercritical treatment fluid, and then transports the supercritical fluid downstream. Therefore, when a liquid or supercritical fluid is present in the inflow path of the on-off valve 214 located downstream of the heater 68 and the main body 31, the temperature is measured by the corresponding temperature measuring unit 170.

[0139] When detecting and determining leakage of the processing fluid in the on-off valve 214 , the above-described pressurizing step and temperature measuring step are performed in a state where no substrate W exists in the processing chamber within the main body 31 .

[0140] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to simply and quickly detect and determine whether a process fluid has leaked from each on-off valve based on measured temperature. Consequently, the fluid supply system, substrate processing apparatus, and fluid supply method of this embodiment are useful for early detection of on-off valve anomalies, reducing the time and effort required to detect and determine whether a leak has occurred in each on-off valve, and preventing secondary damage such as product damage caused by an emergency shutdown of the apparatus.

[0141] [Modification]

[0142] In the above-mentioned embodiment, each temperature measuring unit measures the temperature of the piping portion (e.g., the surface) downstream of the corresponding on-off valve or the temperature inside the piping portion, but may also measure the temperature of any component located downstream of the corresponding on-off valve.

[0143] In addition, the installation position and the installation number of the on-off valve installed in the piping are not limited to the above-mentioned example (see Figures 4 to 7 ), any number of on-off valves can be installed at any location in the piping. Figure 7 An on-off valve may be provided between the heater 68 and the main body 31 , or a temperature measuring unit may be provided for measuring at least one of the temperature of a member located downstream of the on-off valve and the temperature inside the member.

[0144] It should be noted that the embodiments and modifications disclosed in this specification are merely illustrative in all respects and are not to be construed in a limiting sense. The above-mentioned embodiments and modifications can be omitted, replaced, and modified in various ways without departing from the appended claims and their subject matter. For example, the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications can be combined in whole or in part. In addition, embodiments other than those described above can also be combined with the above-mentioned embodiments or modifications. In addition, the effects of the present disclosure described in this specification are merely illustrative, and other effects may also be produced.

[0145] The technical field in which the above technical concept is specifically implemented is not limited. For example, the above technical concept can be implemented by a computer program for causing a computer to execute one or more processes (steps) included in the method of manufacturing the above-mentioned device or the method of using the above-mentioned device. In addition, the above technical concept can also be specifically implemented by a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium that records such a computer program.

[0146] Description of Reference Numerals

[0147] 6: Control device; 18, 18A~18C: Drying unit; 19: Supply unit; 71: First supply line; 72, 72A~72C: Second supply line; 73A~73C: First branch line; 74: Second branch line; 76: Discharge line; 90: Processing fluid supply source; 111~116C, 211~214: Opening and closing valves; 161~171: Temperature measuring unit.

Claims

1. A fluid supply system comprising: piping; a fluid supply unit that supplies the fluid to the pipe so that the fluid flows from upstream to downstream in the pipe; a plurality of on-off valves provided on the pipe, each of the on-off valves having an inflow path, an outflow path, and a valve body for connecting and disconnecting the inflow path and the outflow path; a plurality of temperature measuring units provided so as to correspond to the plurality of on-off valves, respectively, and configured to measure at least one of a temperature of a component located downstream of the on-off valve corresponding to each temperature measuring unit and a temperature inside the component; as well as a leakage determination unit for determining whether leakage of the fluid has occurred in the plurality of on-off valves; The leakage determination unit determines whether leakage of the fluid has occurred based on the temperature measured by the corresponding temperature measuring unit for each of the plurality of on-off valves, when the on-off valve is closed in a manner that the inflow path and the outflow path are cut off by the valve body and the inflow path is filled with the pressurized fluid so that the pressure in the inflow path is higher than the pressure in the outflow path.

2. The fluid supply system according to claim 1, wherein: At least one of the plurality of temperature measuring units measures the temperature when the fluid in a gaseous state exists in at least one of the outflow path of the corresponding on-off valve and a portion of the piping downstream of the valve body of the corresponding on-off valve.

3. The fluid supply system according to claim 1, wherein: At least one of the plurality of temperature measuring units measures the temperature when the fluid in a liquid state or a supercritical state exists in the inflow path of the corresponding on-off valve.

4. The fluid supply system according to claim 1, wherein: At least one of the plurality of temperature measuring units measures a temperature inside a portion of the pipe located downstream of a corresponding on-off valve.

5. The fluid supply system according to claim 1, wherein: At least one of the plurality of temperature measuring units measures a surface temperature of a portion of the pipe located downstream of a corresponding on-off valve.

6. The fluid supply system according to claim 1, wherein: The outflow path of at least one of the plurality of on-off valves is connected to the exhaust portion via the pipe provided with an orifice for locally narrowing the flow path through which the fluid flows.

7. The fluid supply system according to claim 1, wherein: When the temperature measured by the corresponding temperature measuring unit for each of the plurality of on-off valves is within a determination temperature range for a predetermined period of time, the leakage determining unit determines that no leakage of the fluid has occurred.

8. The fluid supply system according to claim 1, wherein: The operation of closing the on-off valve for the determination and filling the inflow path with the pressurized fluid and the operation of measuring the temperature by the corresponding temperature measuring unit are sequentially performed starting from the on-off valve on the upstream side.

9. The fluid supply system according to claim 1, wherein: The fluid includes carbon dioxide.

10. A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a processing chamber to which a fluid in a supercritical state is supplied and for processing a substrate using the fluid; a supply pipe connected to the processing chamber and configured to supply the fluid to the processing chamber; a discharge pipe connected to the processing chamber and configured to receive the fluid discharged from the processing chamber; a plurality of on-off valves, the plurality of on-off valves including at least one on-off valve provided in the supply pipe and at least one on-off valve provided in the discharge pipe; a plurality of temperature measuring parts, the plurality of temperature measuring parts being provided so as to correspond to the plurality of on-off valves, respectively; as well as a leakage determination unit for determining whether leakage of the fluid has occurred in the plurality of on-off valves; Each of the plurality of on-off valves has an inflow path, an outflow path, and a valve body for connecting and disconnecting the inflow path and the outflow path. Each of the plurality of temperature measuring units measures at least one of a temperature of a component located downstream of the corresponding on-off valve and a temperature inside the component. The leakage determination unit determines whether leakage of the fluid has occurred based on the temperature measured by the corresponding temperature measuring unit for each of the multiple on-off valves, when the on-off valve is closed in a manner that the inflow path and the outflow path are cut off by the valve body and the inflow path is filled with the pressurized fluid so that the pressure in the inflow path is higher than the pressure in the outflow path.

11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: The actions of closing the on-off valve and filling the inflow path with the pressurized fluid in order to make the judgment related to at least one on-off valve provided in the exhaust pipe, and measuring the temperature by the corresponding temperature measuring unit are performed in a state where the substrate is not present in the processing chamber.

12. A fluid supply method comprising the following steps: supplying the fluid to the pipe so that the fluid flows from upstream to downstream in the pipe; connecting or disconnecting the inflow path and the outflow path of the plurality of on-off valves provided on the pipes via the valve bodies; measuring at least one of a temperature of a component located downstream of the corresponding on-off valve and a temperature inside the component using a plurality of temperature measuring units corresponding to the plurality of on-off valves; as well as determining whether leakage of the fluid has occurred in the plurality of on-off valves based on the temperatures measured by the plurality of temperature measuring units; Among them, for each of the multiple on-off valves, when the on-off valve is closed in a manner that the inflow path and the outflow path are cut off by the valve body and the inflow path is filled with the pressurized fluid so that the pressure in the inflow path is higher than the pressure in the outflow path, it is determined based on the temperature measured by the corresponding temperature measuring unit whether leakage of the fluid has occurred.

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