Substrate treatment system and substrate treatment method

Abstract

To provide a substrate treatment system capable of supplying a treatment liquid including highly concentrated microbubbles to a substrate to be treated without generating large bubbles on the way to a supply line of the treatment liquid.SOLUTION: A substrate treatment system 50 includes a gas dissolved water generating tank 51, a chemical dilution module 52, and a substrate treatment module. The substrate treatment module includes a treatment liquid supply nozzle through which a treatment liquid is supplied to a substrate W. The treatment liquid supply nozzle has a decompression relief part that generates gas microbubbles from a diluted chemical solution. The treatment liquid supply nozzle supplies the diluted chemical solution including microbubbles in a step for scrubbing the substrate W.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing system and a substrate processing method, and particularly to a substrate processing apparatus for polishing or cleaning a substrate.

Background Art

[0002] In the manufacture of semiconductor devices, in a CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) apparatus for planarizing the surface of a substrate, after polishing the surface of the substrate using a suspension (slurry) containing abrasive grains and a polishing aid, a cleaning process is performed to remove the slurry adhering to the front and back surfaces of the substrate using a cleaning liquid, and a drying process is performed to remove the droplets adhering to the front and back surfaces of the substrate by the cleaning process.

[0003] If the cleaning process is not appropriate, defects occur in the structure of the device, resulting in poor device characteristics. Therefore, it is necessary to select a cleaning method that can surely remove the slurry in a short time without causing device destruction or corrosion.

[0004] For example, as shown in the substrate cleaning method described in Patent Document 1, scrub cleaning using a roll-shaped or pencil-shaped sponge member is applied, and a cleaning liquid composed of various chemical solutions is supplied during the scrub cleaning process.

[0005] The substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 2 is configured to supply a cleaning liquid containing highly effective nano-bubbles to the inside of a cleaning member (sponge member) when scrub cleaning a substrate, so that the cleaning liquid reaches the substrate from the surface of the cleaning member. The supply unit of the cleaning liquid containing nano-bubbles includes a cleaning liquid supply source, a gas dissolution unit, a filter, and a supply line. The cleaning liquid supply source adjusts the cleaning liquid that has been degassed in a predetermined concentration in advance and is connected to the supply line. The gas dissolution unit dissolves gas in the cleaning liquid flowing through the supply line by pressurizing the gas, for example, through a membrane. At this time, by including gas in the cleaning liquid up to a supersaturated state, it is possible to generate nano-bubbles in the cleaning liquid. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5866227 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-174081 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] However, in the substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 2, the gas dissolution section dissolves the gas to a supersaturated state by pressurizing the gas through the membrane, resulting in the generation of excess gas components as large bubbles in the cleaning solution. These large bubbles accumulate at bends in the supply line, significantly obstructing the flow of the cleaning solution. To address this, it is necessary to add a mechanism to remove these large bubbles, such as installing a filter in the supply line. Furthermore, in the dissolution method via a membrane, it is necessary to reduce the pressure of the cleaning solution to below a certain value. However, since the saturation dissolution concentration of the gas also depends on the pressure of the liquid, there is a problem in that it is difficult to dissolve high concentrations of gas and generate high concentrations of bubbles.

[0008] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a substrate processing system and a substrate processing method that can supply a processing solution containing a high concentration of fine bubbles to a substrate to be processed without generating large bubbles in the supply line of the processing solution. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In one embodiment, a substrate processing system is provided, comprising: a gas-dissolved water generation tank for dissolving gas in pure water at a first pressure; a chemical solution dilution module for mixing a chemical solution and the gas-dissolved water generated in the gas-dissolved water generation tank in a predetermined volume ratio; and a substrate processing module for processing a substrate. The substrate processing module comprises: a substrate holding mechanism for holding the substrate; a scrubbing member for scrubbing the substrate in contact with it; and a processing liquid supply nozzle for supplying a processing liquid to the substrate. The processing liquid supply nozzle has a pressure-reducing vent that reduces the pressure of the diluted chemical solution mixed in the chemical solution dilution module from a first pressure to a second pressure, thereby generating fine bubbles of the gas from the diluted chemical solution. The processing liquid supply nozzle supplies the diluted chemical solution containing the fine bubbles during the process of scrubbing the substrate.

[0010] In one embodiment, the pressure reduction opening is composed of at least one orifice plate located in the internal flow path of the processing liquid supply nozzle or in the flow path immediately preceding it, and the orifice plate reduces the pressure of the dilution liquid to the second pressure and generates the fine bubbles at the same time by its own pressure loss effect. In one embodiment, the substrate processing system comprises a gas supply source, a pure water supply source, and a water pump, all of which are located in a flow path upstream of the gas-dissolved water generation tank. The water pump transfers pure water to the gas-dissolved water generation tank such that the pressure inside the tank becomes the first pressure. In one embodiment, the gas is composed of at least one component of nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, ozone, carbon dioxide, neon, argon, xenon, and krypton.

[0011] In one embodiment, the substrate processing system includes a liquid transfer pump located in the flow path upstream of the chemical dilution module, and the liquid transfer pump transfers the chemical to the chemical dilution module to the first pressure. In one embodiment, the substrate processing module includes a cleaning module, the chemical solution is a concentrated cleaning solution, and the scrubbing member includes at least one of a sponge cleaning member and a buff cleaning member. In one embodiment, the processing liquid supply nozzle is positioned on a rocking arm in the cleaning module that swings with respect to the radial direction of the rotating substrate, and supplies the cleaning liquid containing the fine bubbles uniformly from the center to the periphery of the substrate. In one embodiment, the processing liquid supply nozzle is positioned in the cleaning module at a self-cleaning position spaced apart from the substrate, and supplies the cleaning liquid containing the microbubbles or the gas-dissolved water containing the microbubbles to the scrubbing member waiting at the self-cleaning position.

[0012] In one embodiment, the substrate processing module includes a polishing module, the chemical solution is a slurry concentrate, and the scrubbing member includes a polishing pad. In one embodiment, the processing liquid supply nozzle is positioned above the rotating polishing pad in the polishing module and supplies the slurry containing the microbubbles so as to penetrate the contact interface between the rotating substrate and the polishing pad. In one embodiment, the substrate processing system includes a pure water supply nozzle that extends radially to the polishing pad and has a reduced pressure opening for generating the fine bubbles from the gas-dissolved water, and the pure water supply nozzle supplies the gas-dissolved water containing the fine bubbles while the polishing pad is being dressed after the polishing of the substrate is completed. In one embodiment, the substrate processing system includes one or more gas-dissolved water nozzles arranged on a nozzle arm that can swing radially over the polishing pad, which supply the gas-dissolved water containing microbubbles onto the polishing pad, and after the polishing of the substrate is completed, the gas-dissolved water nozzles supply the gas-dissolved water containing microbubbles onto the polishing pad while the substrate is in contact with the polishing pad.

[0013] In one embodiment, a substrate processing method for processing a substrate is provided. The substrate processing method involves dissolving gas in pure water at a first pressure in a gas-dissolved water generation tank, mixing a chemical solution and the gas-dissolved water generated in the gas-dissolved water generation tank in a predetermined volume ratio in a chemical solution dilution module, and supplying the diluted chemical solution mixed in the chemical solution dilution module to a reduced pressure opening located in the internal flow path of a processing liquid supply nozzle or in the flow path immediately preceding it, thereby reducing the pressure from the first pressure to a second pressure, thereby generating fine bubbles of the gas from the diluted chemical solution, and scrubbing the substrate, in which the diluted chemical solution containing the fine bubbles is supplied.

[0014] In one embodiment, the gas is composed of at least one component of nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, ozone, carbon dioxide, neon, argon, xenon, and krypton. In one embodiment, the chemical solution is a concentrated cleaning solution, and the diluted chemical solution containing the fine bubbles is supplied while a scrubbing member, which includes at least one of a sponge cleaning member and a buff cleaning member, is brought into contact with the substrate. In one embodiment, the chemical solution is the undiluted slurry, and the diluted chemical solution containing the fine bubbles is supplied while a scrubbing member equipped with an abrasive pad is brought into contact with the substrate.

[0015] In one embodiment, after the polishing of the substrate is completed, the gas-dissolved water containing the fine bubbles is supplied from a pure water supply nozzle having a reduced pressure opening for generating the fine bubbles from the gas-dissolved water while the polishing pad is being dressed. In one embodiment, after the polishing of the substrate is completed, with the substrate in contact with the polishing pad, the gas-dissolved water containing the fine bubbles is supplied onto the polishing pad from one or more gas-dissolved water nozzles arranged on a nozzle arm that can swing radially over the polishing pad. In one aspect, after scrubbing the substrate, the scrubbing member is transported to a self-cleaning position spaced apart from the position of the substrate, and the cleaning liquid containing the fine bubbles or the gas-dissolved water containing the fine bubbles is supplied toward the scrubbing member waiting at the self-cleaning position.

Advantages of the Invention

[0016] The processing liquid supply nozzle has a decompression release portion for generating fine bubbles of gas. Therefore, large-sized bubbles do not generate in the middle of the supply line, and fine bubbles generate near the use point where the substrate is processed. Thereby, a chemical solution containing a high concentration of fine bubbles can be supplied to the substrate to be processed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] [Figure 1] It is a plan view showing the overall configuration of the substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing a substrate processing system. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing a first cleaning module. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing a second cleaning module. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing an embodiment of a mechanism for supplying a diluted chemical solution containing fine bubbles in the first cleaning module. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing an embodiment of a mechanism for supplying a diluted chemical solution containing fine bubbles in the second cleaning module. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing another embodiment of the substrate processing system. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing a polishing module. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing an embodiment of a mechanism for supplying a slurry containing fine bubbles in the polishing module. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing the cleaning process of the front and back surfaces of the substrate by the first cleaning module. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing the cleaning process of the front and back surfaces of the substrate by the second cleaning module. [Figure 12] This diagram shows the process of polishing a substrate using a polishing module. [Figure 13] This figure shows the effect of cleaning a substrate with a cleaning solution containing microbubbles. [Figure 14] This figure shows the effect of polishing a substrate with a slurry containing microbubbles. [Figure 15] This is a diagram showing a liquid supply mechanism. [Figure 16] This diagram shows the processing flow of the circuit board by the control device. [Figure 17] This figure shows another embodiment of the polishing apparatus. [Figure 18] This figure shows another embodiment of the substrate processing flow by the control device. [Figure 19] This is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the first cleaning module. [Figure 20] This is a cross-sectional view showing the first cleaning module shown in Figure 19. [Figure 21] This is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the second cleaning module. [Figure 22] This is a cross-sectional view showing the second cleaning module, as shown in Figure 21. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0018] Figure 1 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of the substrate processing apparatus. As shown in Figure 1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 comprises a housing 10 and a load port 12 on which a substrate cassette for stocking a large number of substrates such as semiconductor wafers is placed. The load port 12 is located adjacent to the housing 10.

[0019] The substrate processing apparatus 1 comprises a polishing unit 2 and a cleaning unit 4 located inside the housing 10. The polishing unit 2 comprises a plurality (four in this embodiment) of polishing modules 14a to 14d. The cleaning unit 4 comprises a first cleaning module 16 and a second cleaning module 18 for cleaning the polished substrate, and a drying module 20 for drying the cleaned substrate.

[0020] Polishing modules 14a to 14d are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the substrate processing apparatus 1. Similarly, the first cleaning module 16, the second cleaning module 18, and the drying module 20 are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the substrate processing apparatus 1.

[0021] The substrate processing apparatus 1 comprises a first transport robot 22 positioned adjacent to the load port 12 and a transport module 24 positioned adjacent to the polishing modules 14a to 14d. The first transport robot 22 receives substrates before polishing from the load port 12 and transfers them to the transport module 24, and also receives dried substrates from the drying module 20 and returns them to the load port 12. The transport module 24 transports the substrates received from the first transport robot 22 and transfers substrates between each of the polishing modules 14a to 14d.

[0022] The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a second transfer robot 26 positioned between the first cleaning module 16 and the second cleaning module 18, and a third transfer robot 28 positioned between the second cleaning module 18 and the drying module 20. The second transfer robot 26 transfers substrates between the transfer module 24 and each cleaning module 16, 18. The third transfer robot 28 transfers substrates between each module 18, 20.

[0023] The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a control device 30 located inside the housing 10. The control device 30 is configured to control the movement of each component of the substrate processing apparatus 1. In this embodiment, the control device 30 is configured to control the operation of the substrate processing system 50, which will be described later.

[0024] Figure 2 shows a substrate processing system. The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a substrate processing system 50. The substrate processing system 50 includes a gas-dissolved water generation tank 51 that dissolves gas in pure water at a first pressure, a chemical solution dilution module 52 that mixes a chemical solution and the gas-dissolved water in a predetermined volume ratio, and a substrate processing module that processes the substrate. In one embodiment, the chemical solution may be a heated chemical solution.

[0025] In this embodiment, the substrate processing system 50 includes a first cleaning module 16 and a second cleaning module 18 as substrate processing modules for cleaning substrates. However, in one embodiment, the substrate processing system 50 may include either the first cleaning module 16 or the second cleaning module 18.

[0026] Figure 3 shows the first cleaning module. As shown in Figure 3, the first cleaning module 16 includes a substrate holding mechanism 60 that holds and rotates the substrate W, scrubbing members (cleaning members in this embodiment) 61, 62 that contact the substrate W and scrub it, processing liquid supply nozzles (chemical supply nozzles in this embodiment) 65, 66 that supply processing liquid (diluting chemical solution in this embodiment) toward the front and back surfaces of the substrate W, and processing liquid supply nozzles (pure water supply nozzles in this embodiment) 67, 68 that supply processing liquid (pure water in this embodiment) toward the front and back surfaces of the substrate W.

[0027] Each cleaning member 61, 62 is a sponge member having a cylindrical shape and a longitudinal length longer than the diameter of the substrate W. A material with high hydrophilicity is preferred for the sponge member, such as PU (polyurethane) or PVAc (polyvinyl acetal). In one embodiment, each cleaning member 61, 62 may be a buff cleaning member.

[0028] Each cleaning member 61, 62 is positioned such that the direction of its central axis is parallel to the surface of the substrate W (i.e., the front and back surfaces). Hereinafter, cleaning member 61 may be referred to as the upper roll cleaning member 61, and cleaning member 62 may be referred to as the lower roll cleaning member 62.

[0029] The substrate holding mechanism 60 includes four rollers 60a to 60d that hold the substrate W horizontally with its surface facing upward and rotate the substrate W. The rollers 60a to 60d are configured to move toward and away from each other by a drive mechanism (e.g., an air cylinder) not shown. In this embodiment, the substrate holding mechanism 60 includes rollers 60a to 60d as its components, but the substrate holding mechanism 60 is not limited to rollers and can hold the side surface of the substrate W. Instead of rollers, for example, a plurality of clamps (not shown) may be provided. The clamps are configured to move between a position that holds the peripheral edge of the substrate W and a position that is spaced away from the substrate W.

[0030] In one embodiment, the substrate holding mechanism 60 may be configured to hold the substrate W in a vertical direction. In this case, the rollers 60a to 60d (or clamps) are arranged vertically. The first cleaning module 16 includes rotating mechanisms 63a and 63b for rotating the upper roll cleaning member 61 and the lower roll cleaning member 62.

[0031] The upper roll cleaning member 61 and the lower roll cleaning member 62 are each supported by lifting mechanisms 64a and 64b, respectively, and are movable vertically by the lifting mechanisms 64a and 64b. Examples of the lifting mechanisms 64a and 64b include a motor-driven mechanism using a ball screw or an air cylinder.

[0032] During loading and unloading of the substrate W, the upper roll cleaning member 61 and the lower roll cleaning member 62 are spaced apart from each other. When cleaning the substrate W, the upper roll cleaning member 61 and the lower roll cleaning member 62 move toward each other and come into contact with the front and back surfaces of the substrate W. Subsequently, the upper roll cleaning member 61 and the lower roll cleaning member 62 are rotated by the rotation mechanisms 63a and 63b to scrub the substrate W (scrub cleaning).

[0033] Figure 4 shows the second cleaning module. As shown in Figure 4, the second cleaning module 18 includes a substrate holding mechanism 70 that holds and rotates the substrate W, a scrubbing member (cleaning member in this embodiment) 71 that contacts the substrate W and scrubs the substrate W, an arm (more specifically, a swinging arm) 73 connected to the cleaning member 71, an arm swinging mechanism 79 that swings the arm 73 horizontally, a processing liquid supply nozzle (chemical supply nozzle in this embodiment) 75, 76 that supplies a processing liquid (diluting chemical solution in this embodiment) toward the front and back surfaces of the substrate W, and a processing liquid supply nozzle (pure water supply nozzle in this embodiment) 77, 78 that supplies a processing liquid (pure water in this embodiment) toward the front and back surfaces of the substrate W.

[0034] The substrate holding mechanism 70 includes chucks 70a to 70d that hold the peripheral edge of the substrate W, and a motor 70e connected to the chucks 70a to 70d. The chucks 70a to 70d hold the substrate W, and by driving the motor 70e, the substrate W is rotated around its axis.

[0035] The cleaning member 71 is a sponge member that has a pencil shape and rotates around its central axis while contacting the surface of the substrate W and scrubbing the substrate W. Hereinafter, the cleaning member 71 may be referred to as the pencil cleaning member 71.

[0036] The arm 73 is positioned above the substrate W and is connected to an arm swing mechanism 79. The arm swing mechanism 79 comprises a pivot axis 79a and a rotation mechanism 79b. One end of the arm 73 is connected to the pivot axis 79a, and the other end of the arm 73 is connected to a pencil cleaning member 71. The direction of the central axis of the pencil cleaning member 71 is perpendicular to the surface (or back) of the substrate W.

[0037] A rotation mechanism 79b that rotates the arm 73 is connected to the pivot axis 79a. The rotation mechanism 79b is configured to rotate the arm 73 in a plane parallel to the substrate W by rotating the pivot axis 79a by a predetermined angle. The pencil cleaning member 71 moves radially to the substrate W as the arm 73 rotates. The pivot axis 79a is movable vertically by a lifting mechanism (not shown), and the pencil cleaning member 71 is pressed against the surface of the substrate W with a predetermined pressure to scrub the substrate W (scrub cleaning). An example of a lifting mechanism is a motor drive mechanism using a ball screw or an air cylinder.

[0038] As described above, the first cleaning module 16 supplies a chemical solution to the front and back surfaces of the substrate W through chemical solution supply nozzles 65 and 66 when the roll cleaning member 61 and the lower roll cleaning member 62 are scrubbing the substrate W. Similarly, the second cleaning module 18 supplies a chemical solution to the front and back surfaces of the substrate W through chemical solution supply nozzles 75 and 76 when the pencil cleaning member 71 is scrubbing the substrate W.

[0039] As shown in Figure 2, the substrate processing system 50 includes a gas supply source GS and a pure water supply source PS located in the upstream flow path of the gas-dissolved water generation tank 51, and a water pump 53. The water pump 53 is configured to transfer pure water to the gas-dissolved water generation tank 51 so that the pressure inside the tank becomes a predetermined pressure (i.e., a first pressure). In other words, the discharge pressure of the water pump 53 corresponds to the first pressure. The gas consists of at least one component of nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, ozone, carbon dioxide, and noble gases (neon, argon, xenon, krypton).

[0040] The substrate processing system 50 includes a gas line GL connecting a gas supply source GS and a gas-dissolved water generation tank 51, and a pure water line PL connecting a pure water supply source PS and the gas-dissolved water generation tank 51. A water supply pump 53 is connected to the pure water line PL.

[0041] When gas and pure water are supplied to the gas-dissolved water generation tank 51 through the gas line GL and the pure water line PL, respectively, the gas and pure water are mixed in the gas-dissolved water generation tank 51 at a first pressure. The gas-dissolved water, as a mixture of gas and pure water, is stored in the gas-dissolved water generation tank 51.

[0042] A gas discharge line DL for discharging excess gas is connected to the top of the gas-dissolved water generation tank 51. A valve DVL is connected to the gas discharge line DL. When valve DVL is opened, the excess gas in the gas-dissolved water generation tank 51 is discharged to the outside through the gas discharge line DL.

[0043] The substrate processing system 50 includes a circulation line CL for circulating gas-dissolved water in a gas-dissolved water generation tank 51, a gas-dissolved water supply line SL1 for supplying gas-dissolved water flowing through circulation line CL to pure water supply nozzles 67 and 68, and a gas-dissolved water supply line SL2 for supplying gas-dissolved water flowing through circulation line CL to pure water supply nozzles 77 and 78. A pressure gauge P1 is connected to circulation line CL.

[0044] Valve VL1 is connected to gas-dissolved water supply line SL1, and valve VL2 is connected to gas-dissolved water supply line SL2. Valve VL1 corresponds to valves 67b and 68b (see Figure 5), which will be described later, and valve VL2 corresponds to valves 77b and 78b (see Figure 6), which will be described later.

[0045] The gas-dissolved water in the gas-dissolved water generation tank 51 circulates through the circulation line CL. As the gas-dissolved water circulates through the circulation line CL, the concentration of gas bubbles contained in the gas-dissolved water and / or the flow rate of the gas-dissolved water stabilize.

[0046] As shown in Figure 2, the substrate processing system 50 includes a valve Va located downstream of the connection point between the supply line SL2 and the circulation line CL, a bypass line BL connecting the circulation line CL downstream of valve Va to the supply line SL1, and a valve Vb connected to the bypass line BL. Valve Va is connected to the circulation line CL.

[0047] When the control device 30 closes valves Va and Vb and opens valves VL1 and VL2, the gas-dissolved water flowing through the circulation line CL is supplied to the substrate W through the pure water supply nozzles 67, 68, 77, and 78, respectively.

[0048] In one embodiment, the substrate processing system 50 may include a bubble concentration meter and / or a flow meter connected to a circulation line CL. With such a configuration, the control device 30 can control the opening and closing operations of valves VL1 and VL2 based on signals detected by the bubble concentration meter and / or flow meter.

[0049] Bypass line BL is positioned to shorten the circulation path of circulation line CL. By closing valves VL1, VL2, and Va and opening valve Vb, the gas-dissolved water circulates between a portion of circulation line CL and bypass line BL.

[0050] The substrate processing system 50 includes connection lines L1 and L2 for transferring gas-dissolved water flowing through the circulation line CL to the chemical dilution module 52, and valves V1 and V2 connected to the connection lines L1 and L2.

[0051] Connection line L1 is a pipe that transfers the gas-dissolved water to the chemical dilution module 52. Connection line L1 connects the circulation line CL and the chemical dilution module 52 and is located upstream of connection line L2 in the direction of gas-dissolved water flow through circulation line CL. Connection line L2 is connected to circulation line CL and connection line L1. Connection line L2 is a pipe that returns the gas-dissolved water to the gas-dissolved water generation tank 51 via circulation line CL when the gas-dissolved water is not transferred to the chemical dilution module 52.

[0052] When valve V1 is opened and valve V2 is closed, the gas-dissolved water flowing through circulation line CL is transferred to the chemical dilution module 52 via connection line L1. When valve V1 is closed and valve V2 is opened, the gas-dissolved water flowing through circulation line CL is returned to the gas-dissolved water generation tank 51 via connection line L2 (and connection line L1).

[0053] The substrate processing system 50 includes a chemical supply source MS located in the upstream flow path of the chemical dilution module 52, a chemical line CML connecting the chemical dilution module 52 and the chemical supply source MS, and a liquid transfer pump 54 connected to the chemical line CML. The liquid transfer pump 54 is located in the upstream flow path of the chemical dilution module 52 and is configured to transfer the chemical to the chemical dilution module 52 to a predetermined pressure (i.e., a first pressure). In this embodiment, the chemical is the stock solution of the cleaning solution.

[0054] As shown in Figure 2, the substrate processing system 50 includes a flow controller 55 connected to the chemical solution line CML and a flow controller 57 connected to the connection line L1. Based on signals detected by the flow controllers 55 and 57, the control device 30 measures the flow rate of the chemical solution flowing through the chemical solution line CML and the flow rate of the gas-dissolved water flowing through the connection line L1, and controls the flow rate of the chemical solution and the gas-dissolved water supplied to the chemical solution dilution module 52. In this way, the control device 30 can mix the chemical solution and the gas-dissolved water in a predetermined volume ratio in the chemical solution dilution module 52.

[0055] The substrate processing system 50 includes a chemical supply line SLa that supplies the diluted chemical solution mixed in the chemical dilution module 52 to chemical nozzles 65, 66 and 75, 76, a pressure gauge 56 connected to the chemical supply line SLa, and valves VLa and VLb connected to the chemical supply line SLa. Valve VLa corresponds to valves 65b and 66b (see Figure 5), which will be described later, and valve VLb corresponds to valves 75b and 76b (see Figure 6), which will be described later. The mechanism for supplying the chemical solution containing fine bubbles to the substrate W will be described below.

[0056] Figure 5 shows one embodiment of a mechanism for supplying a dilution solution containing microbubbles in the first cleaning module. The first cleaning module 16 is equipped with chemical supply nozzles 65 and 66 that supply the dilution solution toward the front surface W1 and back surface W2 of the substrate W. Each of the chemical supply nozzles 65 and 66 is connected to a chemical supply line SLa.

[0057] As shown in Figure 5, each of the chemical supply nozzles 65 and 66 has a pressure-reducing opening 65a and 66a, respectively, located in its internal flow path, which reduces the pressure of the diluted chemical supplied from the chemical dilution module 52.

[0058] The pressure-reducing openings 65a and 66a are mechanisms that provide high pressure loss, and an orifice plate is one example. Each of the pressure-reducing openings 65a and 66a is configured to generate fine gas bubbles from the diluted chemical solution mixed in the chemical solution dilution module 52 by reducing the pressure from a first pressure (e.g., 0.4 to 0.5 MPa) to a second pressure (e.g., hydrostatic pressure (approximately 0.1 MPa)). The second pressure is lower than the first pressure. Fine bubbles are a broader concept that includes ultrafine bubbles (i.e., nanobubbles) and microbubbles.

[0059] More specifically, the reduced pressure openings 65a and 66a each generate fine gas bubbles from the diluted chemical solution by rapidly reducing the pressure of the gas-dissolved water (i.e., saturated solution) that has been mixed to a saturated state in the gas-dissolved water generation tank 51, thereby generating fine bubbles. Any excess gas that is not dissolved in the gas-dissolved water generation tank 51 is discharged to the outside through the gas discharge line DL.

[0060] As the diluting solution passes through the reduced pressure vents 65a and 66a, the pressure of the diluting solution drops sharply, causing the high-concentration gas that had been dissolved in the solution under high pressure to be generated as fine bubbles. As a result, the diluting solution containing high-concentration fine bubbles is supplied to the substrate during the cleaning process (i.e., during the process of scrubbing the substrate).

[0061] In this embodiment, the pressure relief openings 65a and 66a are located inside the chemical supply nozzles 65 and 66. However, in one embodiment, the pressure relief openings 65a and 66a may be located in the flow path immediately before the chemical supply nozzles 65 and 66 (i.e., in the chemical supply line SLa that is closer to the chemical supply nozzles 65 and 66 than the valves 65b and 66b). Similarly in this embodiment, a diluted chemical solution containing high concentrations of fine bubbles can be produced.

[0062] The pressure-reducing openings 65a and 66a are part of the components of the chemical supply nozzles 65 and 66, and even when the pressure-reducing openings 65a and 66a are located in the chemical supply line SLa, the chemical supply nozzles 65 and 66 still have the pressure-reducing openings 65a and 66a.

[0063] As shown in Figure 5, the pure water supply nozzles 67 and 68 may have pressure-reducing openings 67a and 68a located in their internal flow paths or in the flow path immediately preceding the pure water supply nozzles 67 and 68 (i.e., the chemical supply line SL1 that is closer to the chemical supply nozzles 67 and 68 than the valves 67b and 68b). With this configuration, pure water containing a high concentration of fine bubbles can be supplied to the substrate during the cleaning process.

[0064] Figure 6 shows one embodiment of a mechanism for supplying a diluent solution containing fine bubbles in the second cleaning module. The second cleaning module 18 includes chemical supply nozzles 75 and 76 that supply the diluent solution from a fixed position toward the front surface W1 and back surface W2 of the substrate W, and a movable chemical supply nozzle 72 that supplies the diluent solution from the lower surface of the arm 73 toward the front surface W1 of the substrate W.

[0065] The movable chemical supply nozzle 72 moves radially to the rotating substrate W by the rotation of the arm 73, similar to the pencil cleaning member 71. The movable chemical supply nozzle 72 is positioned in front of the pencil cleaning member 71 as the pencil cleaning member 71 moves from the center to the periphery of the substrate W. In other words, the movable chemical supply nozzle 72 is positioned in front of the pencil cleaning member 71 in the rotational direction of the substrate W.

[0066] Each of the chemical supply nozzles 72, 75, and 76 has a pressure-reducing vent 72a, 75a, and 76a, respectively, located in its internal flow path, which reduces the pressure of the diluted chemical supplied from the chemical dilution module 52. When the diluted chemical passes through the pressure-reducing vent 72a, 75a, and 76a, the high-concentration gas dissolved in the diluted chemical is generated as fine bubbles. In one embodiment, the pressure-reducing vent 72a, 75a, and 76a may be located in the flow path immediately preceding the chemical supply nozzles 72, 75, and 76.

[0067] Each of the pure water supply nozzles 77 and 78 may have a pressure-reducing vent 77a or 78a located in its internal flow path or in the flow path immediately preceding each of the pure water supply nozzles 77 and 78. The configuration of the pressure-reducing vents 72a, 75a, 76a, 77a, and 78a is the same as that of the pressure-reducing vents 65a, 66a, 67a, and 68a, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0068] According to this embodiment, a high-concentration gas is dissolved at high pressure in the gas-dissolved water generation tank 51, and the diluted chemical solution is prepared in the chemical solution dilution module 52 while maintaining that high pressure. Furthermore, fine bubbles are generated in the reduced pressure opening near the processing liquid supply mechanism provided in the substrate processing module. Therefore, large bubbles are not generated along the supply lines SLa and SL1, and fine bubbles are generated near the use point where the substrate is processed. As a result, the substrate processing system 50 can supply a chemical solution (and gas-dissolved water) containing a high concentration of fine bubbles to the substrate to be processed.

[0069] Figure 7 shows another embodiment of the substrate processing system. In this embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for structures identical to those in the embodiments described above, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0070] As shown in Figure 7, the substrate processing system 50 includes a gas-dissolved water generation tank 51 that dissolves gas in pure water at a first pressure, a chemical solution dilution module 52 that mixes a chemical solution (in this embodiment, the slurry stock) and the gas-dissolved water in a predetermined volume ratio, and polishing modules 14a to 14d that polish the substrate as a substrate processing module. In this embodiment, the substrate processing system 50 is equipped with four polishing modules 14a to 14d, but in one embodiment, the substrate processing system 50 may be equipped with at least one polishing module 14.

[0071] In this embodiment, the substrate processing system 50 is equipped with a number of valves 82b corresponding to the number of polishing modules 14a to 14d (i.e., VLa, VLb, VLc, VLd shown in Figure 7) (see Figure 8, described later). The valves 82b are connected to the chemical supply line SLa.

[0072] Similarly, the substrate processing system 50 is equipped with gas-dissolved water supply lines SL1, SL2, SL3, SL4 and valves 85b (i.e., VL1, VL2, VL3, VL4 shown in Figure 7) having a number corresponding to the number of polishing modules 14a to 14d (see Figure 8 below). Valves 85b are connected to each of the gas-dissolved water supply lines SL1 to SL4. Bypass lines BL are connected to each of the gas-dissolved water supply lines SL1 to SL3.

[0073] Figure 8 shows a polishing module. In the embodiments shown below, polishing modules 14a to 14d may be collectively referred to as polishing module 14, and gas-dissolved water supply lines SL1 to SL4 may be collectively referred to as gas-dissolved water supply line SL.

[0074] The polishing module 14 is configured to polish the substrate W using a polishing pad 84 having a polishing surface 84a as a scrubbing member. As shown in Figure 8, the polishing module 14 includes a polishing table 80 that supports the polishing pad 84, a substrate holding mechanism (top ring) 81 that holds the substrate W and presses it against the polishing surface 84a, a processing liquid supply nozzle (slurry supply nozzle in this embodiment) 82 that supplies slurry to the surface of the polishing surface 84a, and a processing liquid supply nozzle (pure water supply nozzle in this embodiment) 85 that supplies pure water (i.e., gas-dissolved water) to remove the slurry adhering to the surface of the polishing surface 84a. The pure water supply nozzle 85 is, in other words, an atomizer. Therefore, the pure water supply nozzle 85 may be referred to as the atomizer 85 below.

[0075] The polishing module 14 further comprises a dressing device 110 for dressing the polishing pad 84. The dressing device 110 includes a dresser 115 that slides against the polishing surface 84a of the polishing pad 84, a dresser arm 111 that supports the dresser 115, and a dresser pivot shaft 112 that rotates the dresser arm 111. The dresser pivot shaft 112 is located on the outside of the polishing pad 84.

[0076] As the dresser arm 111 rotates, the dresser 115 oscillates over the polishing surface 84a. The lower surface of the dresser 115 forms a dressing surface consisting of numerous abrasive particles such as diamond particles. The dresser 115 rotates while oscillating over the polishing surface, dressing the polishing surface by slightly scraping off the polishing pad 84.

[0077] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the slurry supply nozzle 82 is connected to the chemical supply line SLa, and the atomizer 85 (i.e., the pure water supply nozzle) is connected to the gas-dissolved water supply line SL. Therefore, the slurry supply nozzle 82 supplies a diluted slurry containing microbubbles onto the polishing pad 84 through the chemical supply line SLa, and the atomizer 85 supplies gas-dissolved water containing microbubbles onto the polishing pad 84 through the gas-dissolved water supply line SL. In one embodiment, the atomizer 85 may supply gas-dissolved water (megasonic water) excited by ultrasonic vibration.

[0078] The polishing table 80 is formed in a disc shape and is configured to rotate around its central axis as the axis of rotation. A polishing pad 84 is attached to the upper surface of the polishing table 80. The polishing pad 84 rotates together with the polishing table 80 as the polishing table 80 rotates due to a motor (not shown).

[0079] The top ring 81 holds the substrate W on its underside by vacuum suction or the like. The top ring 81 is configured to rotate together with the substrate W using power from a motor (not shown). The upper part of the top ring 81 is connected to the support arm 81b via a shaft 81a. The top ring 81 is movable vertically by an air cylinder (not shown), and its distance from the polishing table 80 is adjusted. This allows the top ring 81 to press the held substrate W against the polishing surface 84a of the polishing pad 84.

[0080] The support arm 81b is configured to swing using a motor (not shown), and moves the top ring 81 in a direction parallel to the polishing surface 84a. In this embodiment, the top ring 81 is configured to move between a receiving position for a substrate W (not shown) and a position above the polishing pad 84, and is configured to allow changing the position in which the substrate W is pressed against the polishing pad 84.

[0081] The slurry supply nozzle 82 is located above the polishing table 80 and supplies a slurry containing microbubbles onto a polishing pad 84 supported by the polishing table 80. The slurry supply nozzle 82 is supported by a shaft 83. The shaft 83 is configured to be movable by a motor (not shown), and the slurry supply nozzle 82 can change the slurry dispensing position during the polishing process. In this way, the slurry supply nozzle 82 supplies a slurry containing microbubbles so as to penetrate the contact interface between the rotating substrate W and the polishing pad 84.

[0082] The atomizer 85 is located above the polishing table 80 and is positioned to extend along the radial direction of the polishing table 80. Immediately after the polishing process of the substrate W with slurry, the atomizer 85 sprays gas-dissolved water containing fine bubbles toward the polishing pad 84 at a predetermined flow rate to wash away some of the slurry adhering to the polishing surface 84a and the substrate W.

[0083] The control device 30 is configured to control the overall operation of the polishing module 14. The control device 30 includes components such as a CPU and memory, and may be configured as a microcomputer that realizes desired functions using software, or as a hardware circuit that performs dedicated arithmetic processing.

[0084] The control device 30 may be configured to pre-program the correlation between the slurry model number, the polishing pad 84 model number, various sensor output values, the polishing recipe, and the actual polishing speed in past polishing processes using machine learning, and then use artificial intelligence to estimate the polishing speed during the polishing process.

[0085] Figure 9 shows one embodiment of a mechanism for supplying a slurry containing microbubbles in a polishing module. The polishing module 14 is equipped with a slurry supply nozzle 82 that supplies slurry toward the polishing surface 84a of the polishing pad 84. The slurry supply nozzle 82 has a pressure-reducing vent 82a located in its internal flow path that reduces the pressure of the slurry supplied from the chemical dilution module 52. When the slurry passes through the pressure-reducing vent 82a, the slurry pressure drops sharply, and the high-concentration gas dissolved in the slurry is generated as microbubbles. As a result, slurry containing a high concentration of microbubbles is supplied to the interface between the polishing surface 84a and the substrate W during the polishing process.

[0086] The pressure relief opening 82a may be provided in the flow path immediately before the slurry supply nozzle 82 (i.e., in the chemical supply line SLa that is closer to the slurry supply nozzle 82 than the valve 82b). Similarly in this embodiment, a diluted chemical solution containing high concentrations of fine bubbles can be produced. The pressure relief opening 82a is part of the slurry supply nozzle 82, and even if the pressure relief opening 82a is located in the chemical supply line SLa, the slurry supply nozzle 82 still has the pressure relief opening 82a.

[0087] As shown in Figure 9, the atomizer 85 may have a vacuum release section 85a located in its internal flow path or in the flow path immediately preceding the atomizer 85 (i.e., in the gas-dissolved water supply line SL that is closer to the atomizer 85 than the valve 85b). With this configuration, pure water containing a high concentration of fine bubbles (i.e., gas-dissolved water) can be supplied to the interface between the polished surface 84a and the substrate W immediately after the slurry polishing process. The vacuum release section 85a is part of the atomizer 85's components, and even if the vacuum release section 85a is located in the gas-dissolved water supply line SL, the atomizer 85 still has the vacuum release section 85a.

[0088] Figure 10 shows the cleaning process of the front and back surfaces of the substrate by the first cleaning module. First, the substrate W, which is waiting in the transport module 24 (see Figure 1), is transported to the first cleaning module 16. The following steps will be explained with reference to Figure 5.

[0089] The substrate holding mechanism 60 holds the substrate W that has been transported to the first cleaning module 16, and in this state, the rotation of the substrate W is started (see step S101). Subsequently, the control device 30 opens valves 65b and 66b and starts supplying a diluent solution containing a high concentration of fine bubbles to the front surface W1 and back surface W2 of the substrate W (see step S102). After the supply of the diluent solution containing a high concentration of fine bubbles is started, the control device 30 moves the cleaning members 61 and 62 from a predetermined standby position to a predetermined processing position, bringing the cleaning members 61 and 62 into contact with both sides of the substrate W (see step S103).

[0090] Subsequently, the control device 30 starts scrubbing the substrate W with the cleaning members 61 and 62 (see step S104) and performs scrubbing cleaning of the substrate W. After the scrubbing cleaning of the substrate W is completed, the cleaning members 61 and 62 are separated from the substrate W (see step S105) and moved to a standby position (see step S106).

[0091] Subsequently, the control device 30 closes valves 65b and 66b, stopping the supply of the dilution solution containing high-concentration fine bubbles (see step S107). Then, the control device 30 opens valves 67b and 68b, starting the supply of pure water containing high-concentration fine bubbles (see step S108), and performs rinsing of the substrate W. After a certain period of time has elapsed, the control device 30 closes valves 67b and 68b, stopping the supply of pure water containing high-concentration fine bubbles (see step S109).

[0092] Steps S106, S107, and S108 may be performed sequentially or simultaneously. When these steps are performed simultaneously, the substrate processing system 50 can shorten the time required for the series of cleaning sequences.

[0093] In steps S102 to S107, pure water may be used instead of the diluent. In this case, the substrate W is scrubbed while pure water containing a high concentration of fine bubbles is supplied to the surface W1 and back surface W2 of the substrate W. Therefore, step S108, which is used to remove the diluent remaining on the surface W1 and back surface W2 of the substrate W, can be omitted, and the substrate processing system 50 can shorten the time of the series of cleaning sequences. In addition, the substrate processing system 50 can reduce the amount of chemicals used in the series of cleaning sequences, thereby reducing the environmental impact.

[0094] Figure 11 shows the cleaning process of the front and back surfaces of the substrate by the second cleaning module. First, the substrate W, which has been cleaned in the first cleaning module 16 (see Figure 1), is transported to the second cleaning module 18. The following steps will be explained with reference to Figure 6.

[0095] The substrate holding mechanism 70 holds the substrate W that has been transported to the first cleaning module 18, and in this state, the rotation of the substrate W is started (see step S201). Subsequently, the control device 30 opens valves 75b and 76b and starts supplying a dilution solution containing a high concentration of fine bubbles to the surface W1 and back surface W2 of the substrate W (see step S202). After the supply of the dilution solution containing a high concentration of fine bubbles is started, the pencil cleaning member 71 moves from the standby position to the processing position by the rotation of the arm 73 and comes into contact with the surface 1 of the substrate W (see step S203).

[0096] Subsequently, the control device 30 closes valve 75b and opens valve 72b of the chemical supply nozzle 72 (see Figure 6) (see step S204), switching the supply nozzle to supply a diluted chemical solution containing high-concentration fine bubbles. Then, the control device 30 rotates arm 73 to move radially over the substrate W, thereby initiating scrubbing of the surface W1 of the rotating substrate W with the cleaning member 71 (see step S205), and performing scrubbing cleaning of the substrate W.

[0097] After the scrubbing of the substrate W is completed, the control device 30 separates the cleaning member 71 from the substrate W (see step S206), closes valve 72b of the chemical supply nozzle 72, opens valve 75b (see step S207), and switches the supply nozzle again to supply the diluted chemical solution containing a high concentration of fine bubbles.

[0098] Subsequently, the pencil cleaning member 71 moves to a standby position by the rotation of the arm 73 (see step S208). Then, the control device 30 closes valves 75b and 76b and stops the supply of the diluted chemical solution containing high-concentration fine bubbles (see step S209). Then, the control device 30 opens valves 77b and 78b and starts supplying pure water containing high-concentration fine bubbles (see step S210) to perform rinsing of the substrate W. After a certain period of time has elapsed, the control device 30 closes valves 77b and 78b and stops the supply of pure water containing high-concentration fine bubbles (see step S211).

[0099] Steps S208, S209, and S210 may be performed sequentially or simultaneously. When these steps are performed simultaneously, the substrate processing system 50 can shorten the time of the series of cleaning sequences.

[0100] In steps S202 to S209, pure water may be used instead of the diluent. In this case, the surface W1 of the substrate W is scrubbed while pure water containing a high concentration of fine bubbles is supplied to the surface W1 and back surface W2 of the substrate W. Therefore, step S210, which is required to remove the diluent remaining on the surface W1 and back surface W2 of the substrate W, can be omitted, and the substrate processing system 50 can shorten the time of the series of cleaning sequences. In addition, the substrate processing system 50 can reduce the amount of chemicals used in the series of cleaning sequences, thereby reducing the environmental impact.

[0101] Figure 12 shows the substrate polishing process using a polishing module. First, the substrate before polishing, which is housed in the load port 12, is transported to the polishing module 14 by the first transport robot 22 and the transport module 24. The following steps will be explained with reference to Figure 9.

[0102] The polishing table 80 begins to rotate (see step S301), and the top ring 81 holding the substrate W begins to rotate the substrate W (see step S302). Subsequently, the control device 30 opens the valve 82b and begins supplying the slurry containing fine bubbles (see step S303).

[0103] After step S303, the control device 30 lowers the top ring 81 to bring the substrate W into contact with the polishing surface 84a of the polishing pad 84 (see step S304), and increases the pressing force applied to the substrate W from the top ring 81 to start slurry polishing (see step S305).

[0104] After a predetermined time has elapsed, the control device 30 closes the valve 82b and terminates the supply of slurry (see step S306). Subsequently, the control device 30 reduces the pressing force applied to the substrate W from the top ring 81 and terminates the slurry polishing of the substrate W (see step S307).

[0105] Subsequently, with the substrate W in contact with the polishing pad 84 (more specifically, with the substrate W pressed against the polishing pad 84 with positive pressure, or with the substrate W in contact with the polishing pad 84 with zero pressure), the control device 30 opens the valve 85b and supplies gas-dissolved water containing fine bubbles to start water polishing of the substrate W and cleaning of the polishing pad 84 (see step S308). After that, the control device 30 raises the top ring 81 to separate the substrate W from the polishing pad 84 and ends the water polishing of the substrate W (see step S309).

[0106] After step S309, the control device 30 terminates the rotation of the substrate W by the top ring 81 (see step S310), closes the valve 85b, and terminates the cleaning of the polishing pad 84 (see step S311). After step S311, the control device 30 terminates the rotation of the polishing table 80 (see step S312).

[0107] As shown in Figure 8, the polishing module 14 is equipped with a dressing device 110. Therefore, after the water polishing of the substrate W is completed, the control device 30 may open the valve 85b while moving the dresser 115 onto the polishing pad 84, supplying gas-dissolved water containing fine bubbles onto the polishing pad 84. In this way, the atomizer 85 may supply gas-dissolved water containing fine bubbles onto the polishing pad 84 during the dressing of the polishing pad 84 after the polishing of the substrate W is completed.

[0108] Figure 13 shows the effect of cleaning a substrate with a cleaning solution containing microbubbles. As is clear from Figure 13, the number of defects when cleaning the substrate W with a cleaning solution containing microbubbles is significantly less than the number of defects when cleaning the substrate W with a conventional cleaning solution (i.e., a cleaning solution without microbubbles). According to this embodiment, in the cleaning module, the substrate is subjected to a scrubbing cleaning process while a cleaning solution containing a high concentration of microbubbles is supplied. Therefore, the substrate processing system can obtain high particle removal performance.

[0109] Figure 14 shows the effect of polishing a substrate with a slurry containing fine bubbles. As is clear from Figure 14, the polishing rate when polishing the substrate W with a slurry containing fine bubbles is significantly higher than the polishing rate when polishing the substrate W with a conventional slurry (i.e., a slurry without fine bubbles). According to this embodiment, the substrate W is polished in the polishing module with a slurry containing a high concentration of fine bubbles supplied. Therefore, the substrate processing system 50 can obtain a high polishing rate.

[0110] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a chemical solution (cleaning solution, slurry) containing fine bubbles of high-concentration nitrogen gas or hydrogen gas is supplied to the substrate W. The chemical solution containing fine bubbles can suppress the dissolution of atmospheric components during the processing of the substrate W. Therefore, since the polishing and cleaning processes are performed with a chemical solution with a low dissolved oxygen concentration, corrosion of the metal film formed on the substrate W can be suppressed.

[0111] Figure 15 shows a liquid supply mechanism. Below, an embodiment for controlling the bubble size distribution will be described. As shown in Figure 15, the substrate processing system 50 may include a liquid supply mechanism 104. The liquid supply mechanism 104 includes a nozzle arm 130 that is radially movable on the polishing table 80, a slurry supply nozzle 82 positioned at the tip portion 130a of the nozzle arm 130, and a pure water nozzle 132 and gas-dissolved water nozzles 133A, 133B, 133C, 133D, 133E positioned at the arm portion 130b of the nozzle arm 130.

[0112] The nozzle arm 130 is connected to a nozzle pivot axis (not shown) that rotates the nozzle arm 130. The nozzle pivot axis is located outside the polishing pad 84. The nozzle arm 130 is configured to move between a retracted position outside the polishing pad 84 and a processing position above the polishing pad 84 by driving the nozzle pivot axis (more specifically, by a motor connected to the nozzle pivot axis).

[0113] As shown in Figure 15, when the nozzle arm 130 is in the processing position, the tip portion 130a of the nozzle arm 130 is positioned above the center of the polishing pad 84. Therefore, the slurry supply nozzle 82, which is located on the tip portion 130a of the nozzle arm 130, is positioned above the center of the polishing pad 84 such that its nozzle faces the center of the polishing pad 84.

[0114] When the nozzle arm 130 is in the processing position, each of the gas-dissolved water nozzles 133A to 133E is positioned above the region between the center of the polishing pad 84 and the outer circumference of the polishing pad 84, such that its nozzle faces this region. The pure water nozzle 132 is positioned adjacent to the slurry supply nozzle 82, and the gas-dissolved water nozzle 133A is positioned adjacent to the pure water nozzle 132.

[0115] The gas-dissolved water nozzles 133A to 133E are arranged in this order from the tip side (i.e., the tip portion 130a) of the nozzle arm 130 toward the base end. Each of the gas-dissolved water nozzles 133A to 133E may have a single-pipe shape or a spray nozzle shape.

[0116] In the embodiment shown in Figure 15, the liquid supply mechanism 104 is equipped with a plurality (more specifically, five) gas-dissolved water nozzles, but the number of gas-dissolved water nozzles is not limited to this embodiment. In one embodiment, the liquid supply mechanism 104 may be equipped with one gas-dissolved water nozzle, or it may be equipped with two or more gas-dissolved water nozzles.

[0117] The liquid supply mechanism 104 includes a slurry line 142 connected to a slurry supply nozzle 82, an on-off valve 143 for opening and closing the slurry line 142, and a slurry supply source 141 that supplies slurry to the slurry supply nozzle 82 through the slurry line 142. Similarly, the liquid supply mechanism 104 includes a pure water line 145 connected to a pure water nozzle 132, an on-off valve 146 for opening and closing the pure water line 145, and a pure water supply source 144 that supplies pure water to the pure water nozzle 132 through the pure water line 145.

[0118] The on-off valves 143 and 146 are electrically connected to the control device 30. When the control device 30 opens on-off valve 143, slurry is supplied from the slurry supply source 141 to the slurry supply nozzle 82 through the slurry line 142. Similarly, when the control device 30 opens on-off valve 146, pure water is supplied from the pure water supply source 144 to the pure water nozzle 132 through the pure water line 145.

[0119] The substrate processing system 50 includes a gas-dissolved water supply line 152 connected to a circulation line CL and a gas-dissolved water nozzle 133A, a bypass line 157 connected to the gas-dissolved water supply line 152, a microbubble filter 159 connected to the gas-dissolved water supply line 152, and an ultrafine bubble filter 158 connected to the bypass line 157.

[0120] The substrate processing system 50 is equipped with a processing liquid supply nozzle 151 connected to a fine bubble liquid supply line 152. The processing liquid supply nozzle 151 has a pressure reduction opening section 151a that generates fine gas bubbles from the gas-dissolved water by reducing the pressure of the gas-dissolved water flowing through the circulation line CL from a first pressure to a second pressure.

[0121] The substrate processing system 50 is equipped with three-way valves 156A and 156B that connect the bypass line 157 to the gas-dissolved water supply line 152. Each of the three-way valves 156A and 156B is electrically connected to the control device 30. By operating each of the three-way valves 156A and 156B, the control device 30 can switch the flow of the gas-dissolved water between a flow that passes through the microbubble filter 159 and a flow that passes through the ultrafine bubble filter 158.

[0122] The microbubble filter 159 allows microbubbles with a diameter of 1 to 100 micrometers to pass through, while capturing (removing) bubbles larger than microbubbles. Therefore, when gas-dissolved water passes through the microbubble filter 159, gas-dissolved water containing microbubbles with a diameter of 1 to 100 micrometers is supplied.

[0123] The ultrafine bubble filter 158 allows the passage of ultrafine bubbles (i.e., nanobubbles) with a bubble diameter of 1 micrometer or less, while capturing (removing) bubbles larger than ultrafine bubbles. Therefore, when the gas-dissolved water passes through the ultrafine bubble filter 158, gas-dissolved water containing ultrafine bubbles with a bubble diameter of 1 micrometer or less is supplied. In this way, the substrate processing system 50 can supply gas-dissolved water containing microbubbles and gas-dissolved water containing ultrafine bubbles.

[0124] The substrate processing system 50 may further include a particle counter 160 positioned downstream of the three-way valve 156A in the flow direction of the gas-dissolved water. The particle counter 160 is configured to measure the number of bubbles contained in the gas-dissolved water. Therefore, based on the number of bubbles measured by the particle counter 160, the substrate processing system 50 may supply the gas-dissolved water from each of the gas-dissolved water nozzles 133A to 133E after the number of bubbles in the gas-dissolved water reaches a predetermined reference number. Gas-dissolved water having a predetermined reference number of bubbles can fully exhibit its properties. In one embodiment, the particle counter 160 may be a laser diffraction / scattering type bubble concentration meter.

[0125] The substrate processing system 50 according to the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 14 may also include the particle counter 160 described above. In this case as well, the particle counter 160 is located downstream of the pressure relief opening.

[0126] As shown in Figure 15, the ultrafine bubble filter 158 and the microbubble filter 159 are positioned adjacent to the nozzle arm 130 (more specifically, the gas-dissolved water nozzles 133A to 133E). If the distance between the filters 158, 159 and the gas-dissolved water nozzles 133A to 133E is large, there is a risk that the bubbles contained in the gas-dissolved water will disappear while the gas-dissolved water is moving to the nozzles 133A to 133E. In this embodiment, this arrangement reliably prevents the disappearance of bubbles contained in the gas-dissolved water.

[0127] The substrate processing system 50 includes branch lines 153A, 153B, 153C, 153D, and 153E connected to gas-dissolved water nozzles 133A to 133E. The substrate processing system 50 also includes on-off valves 154A, 154B, 154C, 154D, and 154E connected to branch lines 153A, 153B, 153C, 153D, and 153E, and an on-off valve 155 connected to the gas-dissolved water supply line 152. The on-off valves 154A, 154B, 154C, 154D, and 154E, and the on-off valve 155 are electrically connected to the control device 30. The control device 30 can control the operation of each of the on-off valves 154A, 154B, 154C, 154D, and 154E, as well as the operation of the on-off valve 155.

[0128] When supplying gas-dissolved water from gas-dissolved water nozzles 133A to 133E, the control device 30 opens the on-off valves 154A to 154E and closes the on-off valve 155. This operation ensures that the gas-dissolved water flowing through the gas-dissolved water supply line 152 is supplied from the gas-dissolved water nozzles 133A to 133E.

[0129] The on-off valves 154A to 154E correspond to the gas-dissolved water nozzles 133A to 133E. Therefore, the control device 30 can arbitrarily select which gas-dissolved water nozzles 133A to 133E should be supplied with gas-dissolved water by controlling each of the on-off valves 154A to 154E.

[0130] For example, by the control device 30 opening valve 154A and closing valves 154B, 154C, 154D, 154E and valve 155, the gas-dissolved water is supplied only from the gas-dissolved water nozzle 133A. By the control device 30 opening valve 155 and closing valves 154A, 154B, 154C, 154D, and 154E, the gas-dissolved water is not supplied from any of the gas-dissolved water nozzles 133A to 133E and is discharged into the circulation line CL via the gas-dissolved water supply line 152.

[0131] Figure 16 shows the processing flow of the substrate by the control device. The control device 30 operates the nozzle arm 130 to position the tip portion 130a of the nozzle arm 130 above the center of the polishing pad 84. The control device 30 rotates the polishing table 80 and opens the on / off valve 143 to supply slurry onto the polishing pad 84 (see step S401 in Figure 16).

[0132] In one embodiment, as described in the above-described embodiment, a slurry containing fine bubbles may be supplied. The configuration for supplying the slurry containing fine bubbles may be the configuration according to the embodiment shown in Figure 7, or the liquid supply mechanism 104 according to the embodiment shown in Figure 15 may have a configuration for supplying the slurry containing fine bubbles.

[0133] In this state, the control device 30 rotates the substrate W held by the top ring 81 and presses it against the polishing pad 84 to slurry polish the substrate W (see step S402). In step S402, the control device 30 rotates the polishing pad 84 and the top ring 81 in the same direction to polish the substrate W.

[0134] At this time, the control device 30 prepares to stably supply the gas-dissolved water in parallel with the polishing operation of the substrate W (i.e., step S402) (see step S403). More specifically, the control device 30 operates the three-way valves 156A and 156B to open the bypass line 157 in order to supply the gas-dissolved water. As a result, the gas-dissolved water passes through the ultrafine bubble filter 158 without passing through the microbubble filter 159, and consequently, the substrate processing system 50 is supplied with gas-dissolved water containing ultrafine bubbles.

[0135] When the control device 30 closes the on-off valves 154A to 154E and opens the on-off valve 155, the gas-dissolved water is not supplied from the gas-dissolved water nozzles 133A to 133E, but is returned to the circulation line CL through the gas-dissolved water supply line 152. The control device 30 determines whether the number of bubbles in the gas-dissolved water is stable based on the number of bubbles measured by the particle counter 160.

[0136] Subsequently, the control device 30 closes the on-off valve 143 to end the slurry polishing of the substrate W. After the slurry polishing of the substrate W is completed, the control device 30 starts water polishing of the substrate W (in this embodiment, gas-dissolved water polishing) (see step S404). More specifically, the control device 30 opens at least one of the on-off valves 154A to 154E and closes the on-off valve 155, and with the substrate W in contact with the polishing pad 84, supplies gas-dissolved water onto the polishing pad 84 from at least one of the gas-dissolved water nozzles 133A to 133E.

[0137] When the gas-dissolved water is supplied onto the polishing pad 84, the bubbles contained in the gas-dissolved water burst. The impact of the bursting bubbles releases energy locally (luminescence, high temperature and pressure, shock waves, etc.), and this energy removes polishing debris and abrasive particles from the polishing liquid that are attached to the surface of the substrate W. In addition, because the gas-liquid interface of the gas-dissolved water becomes negatively charged, the gas-dissolved water adsorbs and removes positively charged electrolyte ions and dirt.

[0138] The magnitude of the bubble impact depends on the bubble diameter. Therefore, if the gas-dissolved water supplied onto the polishing pad 84 is gas-dissolved water, the impact caused by the bursting of bubbles contained in the gas-dissolved water is greater than the impact caused by the bursting of bubbles contained in the gas-dissolved water.

[0139] In this embodiment, the substrate W is polished with gas-dissolved water. Therefore, the impact on the substrate W due to bubble bursting is small. Since the substrate W may have a fine structure, polishing the substrate W with gas-dissolved water can reduce the damage the substrate W receives. As a result, it is possible to prevent defects from occurring in the substrate W. Furthermore, with this configuration, it is not necessary to increase the processing time of the substrate W, and the throughput of the substrate W can be improved.

[0140] After the gas-dissolved water polishing of the substrate W is completed, the control device 30 closes the on-off valves 154A to 154E while opening the on-off valve 146 to supply pure water onto the polishing pad 84. Then, the control device 30 rotates the polishing table 80 and the top ring 81 to attract the substrate W to the top ring 81 (see step S405). In this state, the control device 30 raises the top ring 81 to position it above the polishing pad 84.

[0141] The control device 30 prepares for the stable supply of gas-dissolved water in parallel with the transport operation of the substrate W (i.e., step S405 and step S407 described later) (see step S406). More specifically, in order to supply the gas-dissolved water, the control device 30 operates the three-way valves 156A and 156B to close the bypass line 157 while opening a portion of the gas-dissolved water supply line 152 (more specifically, the upstream side of the three-way valve 156A and the downstream side of the three-way valve 156B). The gas-dissolved water then passes through the microbubble filter 159, and as a result, the substrate processing system 50 is supplied with gas-dissolved water containing microbubbles.

[0142] When the control device 30 closes the on-off valves 154A to 154E and opens the on-off valve 155, the gas-dissolved water is not supplied from the gas-dissolved water nozzles 133A to 133E, but is returned to the circulation line CL through the gas-dissolved water supply line 152. The control device 30 determines whether the number of bubbles in the gas-dissolved water is stable based on the number of bubbles measured by the particle counter 160.

[0143] After step S405, the control device 30 moves the top ring 81, which has the substrate W attached, to the outside of the polishing pad 84 and transports the substrate W to the next process (see step S407). After step S407, the control device 30 moves the dresser 115 onto the polishing pad 84 and supplies gas-dissolved water onto the polishing pad 84 to dress the polishing pad 84 (see step S408).

[0144] During the dressing of the polishing pad 84, the control device 30 may spray a large flow rate of cleaning solution onto the surface of the polishing pad 84 from an atomizer 85 positioned above the polishing pad 84. In one embodiment, the flow rate of the gas-dissolved water supplied from the nozzle arm 130 is 1 L / min, and the flow rate of the gas-dissolved water supplied from the atomizer 85 is 10 L / min.

[0145] In this embodiment, the substrate processing system 50 is configured to supply gas-dissolved water through the nozzle arm 130. In one embodiment, the substrate processing system 50 may be configured to supply gas-dissolved water through the atomizer 85. With this configuration, the substrate processing system 50 can not only supply gas-dissolved water through the nozzle arm 130, but also supply a large flow rate of gas-dissolved water onto the polishing pad 84 through the atomizer 85. The structure for supplying gas-dissolved water from the atomizer 85 is the same as the structure for supplying gas-dissolved water from the nozzle arm 130 (or the structure according to the above-described embodiment (Figures 1 to 14)), so a description is omitted.

[0146] During the dressing of the polishing pad 84, the substrate processing system 50 supplies gas-dissolved water onto the polishing pad 84. More specifically, the control device 30 opens at least one of the on-off valves 154A to 154E and closes the on-off valve 155 to supply gas-dissolved water containing microbubbles onto the polishing pad 84 from at least one of the gas-dissolved water nozzles 133A to 133E.

[0147] As described above, the impact caused by the bursting of bubbles in the gas-dissolved water is greater than the impact caused by the bursting of bubbles in the gas-dissolved water. Therefore, the substrate processing system 50 can impart a large impact to the surface (polishing surface) of the polishing pad 84 due to the bursting of bubbles.

[0148] This configuration allows for more reliable removal of clogging of the polishing pad 84. Therefore, the amount of material removed from the polishing pad 84 during dressing can be reduced. As a result, the lifespan of the polishing pad 84 can be extended without adversely affecting the polishing rate or the profile of the substrate W. Furthermore, dressing time can be shortened, improving throughput.

[0149] According to this embodiment, the substrate processing system 50 can stabilize the substrate polishing process by supplying gas-dissolved water (i.e., gas-dissolved water, gas-dissolved water) with high cleaning power onto the polishing pad 84 after the polishing of the substrate W is completed.

[0150] Figure 17 shows another embodiment of the polishing apparatus. As shown in Figure 17, the substrate processing system 50 may also include a gas-dissolved water distributor 170 that distributes gas-dissolved water to the components of the polishing module 14 (in this embodiment, the top ring 81, the liquid supply mechanism 104, and the dressing device 110).

[0151] The gas-dissolved water distribution device 170 includes a distribution line 171A connected to the gas-dissolved water supply line 152, a cleaning nozzle 172A connected to the distribution line 171A, and an on / off valve 173A connected to the distribution line 171A.

[0152] The cleaning nozzle 172A is positioned adjacent to the top ring 81, which is in a retracted position, and the substrate processing system 50 sprays gas-dissolved water from below the top ring 81 toward the top ring 81. The spraying of gas-dissolved water, which has high cleaning power, allows the top ring 81 to be cleaned more effectively.

[0153] As shown in step S409 of Figure 16, after transporting the substrate W, the control device 30 moves the top ring 81 to a retracted position located outside the polishing pad 84, and supplies gas-dissolved water to the top ring 81 in the retracted position to clean the top ring 81. Since the substrate processing system 50 cleans the top ring 81 while it is in the retracted position, it is possible to prevent the gas-dissolved water used to clean the top ring 81 from falling onto the polishing pad 84.

[0154] The on-off valve 173A is electrically connected to the control device 30. The control device 30 closes the on-off valves 154A to 154E while opening the on-off valve 155 (see Figure 15) and the on-off valve 173A to supply the gas-dissolved water to the top ring 81. In step S408, the substrate processing system 50 supplies the gas-dissolved water, and in step S409, the substrate processing system 50 also supplies the gas-dissolved water to the top ring 81.

[0155] As shown in Figure 17, the gas-dissolved water distribution device 170 may include a distribution line 171B connected to the gas-dissolved water supply line 152, and cleaning nozzles 172B and 172D connected to the distribution line 171B.

[0156] The cleaning nozzle 172B is positioned adjacent to the nozzle arm 130, which is in a retracted position. The cleaning nozzle 172B is connected to a branch line 171Ba that branches off from the distribution line 171B, and the on / off valve 173B is connected to the branch line 171Ba.

[0157] The cleaning nozzle 172D is positioned adjacent to the dresser 115, which is in a retracted position. Adjacent to the cleaning nozzle 172D is the on / off valve 1173D, which is connected to the distribution line 171B.

[0158] The control device 30 can supply gas-dissolved water to the nozzle arm 130 and the dresser 115 by closing the on-off valves 154A to 154E while opening the on-off valves 155 and 173B and 173D. For example, in step S409 of Figure 16, the control device 30 may clean not only the top ring 81 but also at least one of the nozzle arm 130 and the dresser 115.

[0159] Figure 18 shows another embodiment of the substrate processing flow by the control device. As shown in Figure 18, the control device 30 supplies slurry onto the polishing pad 84 and slurry polishes the substrate W (see steps S501, S502). The control device 30 may prepare for the stable supply of gas-dissolved water in parallel with the polishing operation of the substrate W (i.e., step S502) (see step S503), and supply the gas-dissolved water to the dresser 115 through the gas-dissolved water distributor 170 (see step S504). In one embodiment, the control device 30 may clean not only the dresser 115 but also the atomizer 85.

[0160] Subsequently, the control device 30 starts gas-dissolved water polishing of the substrate W (see step S505), and after step S505 is completed, the control device 30 adsorbs the substrate W onto the top ring 81 (see step S506).

[0161] As shown in step S507, the control device 30 prepares to stably supply the gas-dissolved water in parallel with the transport operation of the substrate W (i.e., in step S506 and step S508 described later), and after transporting the substrate W to the next process (see step S508), it supplies the gas-dissolved water onto the polishing pad 84 to dress the polishing pad 84 (see step S509).

[0162] After transporting the substrate W, the control device 30 supplies gas-dissolved water to the top ring 81, which is positioned in a retracted position, to clean the top ring 81 (see step S510). In the embodiment shown in Figure 18, the substrate processing system 50 cleans the dresser 115 in step S504, so it is not necessary to clean the dresser 115 in step S510.

[0163] Although not shown in the figures, the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 14 and the embodiments shown in Figures 15 to 18 may be combined as appropriate.

[0164] Figure 19 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the first cleaning module. As shown in Figure 19, the first cleaning module 16 includes a spin chuck 120 for holding and rotating a substrate W, a cleaning roller 121 longer than the diameter of the substrate W, a cleaning member 122 wrapped around the cleaning roller 121, a cleaning liquid nozzle 123 for supplying cleaning liquid toward the surface of the substrate W, and a support column 128 for movably supporting the cleaning roller 121.

[0165] In the embodiment shown in Figure 19, the cleaning roller 121 and cleaning member 122 have configurations corresponding to the cleaning members 61 and 62 described above (see Figure 3). The spin chuck 120 includes a piece 127 that holds the peripheral edge of the substrate W, and a spindle 126 that rotatably holds the piece 127.

[0166] In this embodiment, the spin chuck 120 comprises a plurality of spindles 126 and a number of pieces 127 corresponding to the number of spindles 126. When the pieces 127 held at the upper end of the spindles 126 rotate, the rotational force of the pieces 127 is transmitted to the substrate W, and the substrate W rotates together with the pieces 127.

[0167] The first cleaning module 16 includes a self-cleaning unit 124 positioned at a self-cleaning position (standby position for the cleaning roller 121 and cleaning member 122) spaced apart from the position of the cleaned substrate W, and a processing liquid supply nozzle (self-cleaning liquid nozzle) 180 positioned in the self-cleaning unit 124.

[0168] The self-cleaning unit 124 is positioned adjacent to the spin chuck 120. The support column 128 is movable in the X, Y, and Z directions of Figure 19. Therefore, the support column 128 is configured to move the cleaning roller 121 between the substrate cleaning position where the spin chuck 120 is located and the self-cleaning position where the self-cleaning unit 124 is located.

[0169] The cleaning solution nozzle 123 supplies cleaning solution to the surface of the substrate W held in the spin chuck 120, and the cleaning member 122 (and cleaning roller 121) positioned on the substrate W scrubs the surface of the rotating substrate W (see, for example, step S104 in Figure 10). As the substrate W is scrubbed, particles contained in the cleaning solution supplied from the cleaning solution nozzle 123 adhere to the cleaning member 122.

[0170] After the scrubbing of the substrate W is completed, the support column 128 moves the cleaning roller 121 from the substrate cleaning position to the self-cleaning position (see arrow in Figure 19). The cleaning roller 121 (and cleaning member 122) moved to the self-cleaning position is cleaned in the self-cleaning section 124 by cleaning fluid supplied from the self-cleaning fluid nozzle 180.

[0171] Figure 20 is a cross-sectional view showing the first cleaning module shown in Figure 19. As shown in Figure 20, the self-cleaning unit 124 includes a self-cleaning tank 140 that receives cleaning fluid supplied from a self-cleaning fluid nozzle 180, a drain pipe 181 that discharges the cleaning fluid supplied to the self-cleaning tank 140, and a quartz plate 129 placed in the self-cleaning tank 140.

[0172] The self-cleaning liquid nozzle 180 has a pressure-reducing vent 180a that reduces the pressure of the cleaning liquid supplied from the chemical dilution module 52. The pressure-reducing vent 180a has the same configuration as the pressure-reducing vents described above (for example, pressure-reducing vents 65a, 66a, 67a, 68a).

[0173] The self-cleaning liquid nozzle (i.e., processing liquid supply nozzle) 180 supplies a cleaning liquid containing microbubbles or gas-dissolved water containing microbubbles to the cleaning member 122 (i.e., scrubbing processing member) waiting in the self-cleaning position. The microbubbles are generated by the reduced pressure release section 180a. In this way, the self-cleaning liquid nozzle 180 removes particles adhering to the cleaning member 122. During the cleaning of the cleaning member 122, the cleaning member 122 may be pressed against the quartz plate 129 to facilitate the removal of particles from the cleaning member 122.

[0174] Figure 21 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the second cleaning module. As shown in Figure 21, the second cleaning module 18 includes a spin chuck 202 for holding and rotating the substrate W, a cleaning member 203 (i.e., a scrubbing member) for scrubbing the substrate W, a rotating shaft 210 for rotatably supporting the cleaning member 203, a swing arm 207 for swinging the cleaning member 203 via the rotating shaft 210, and a cleaning liquid nozzle 208 for supplying cleaning liquid to the surface of the substrate W.

[0175] With the substrate W held in the spin chuck 202, when the spin chuck 202 rotates, the substrate W rotates together with the spin chuck 202. The cleaning liquid nozzle 208 supplies cleaning liquid to the surface of the substrate W held in the spin chuck 202, and the cleaning member 203 placed on the substrate W scrubs the surface of the substrate W (see, for example, step S104 in Figure 10). Due to the scrubbing of the substrate W, particles contained in the cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning liquid nozzle 208 adhere to the cleaning member 203.

[0176] The second cleaning module 18 includes a self-cleaning unit 209 positioned at a self-cleaning position (standby position of the cleaning member 203) spaced apart from the position of the cleaned substrate W, and a processing liquid supply nozzle (self-cleaning liquid nozzle) 216 positioned in the self-cleaning unit 209.

[0177] The self-cleaning unit 209 is positioned adjacent to the spin chuck 202. The oscillating arm 207 is configured to move the cleaning member 203 between the substrate cleaning position where the spin chuck 202 is located and the self-cleaning position where the self-cleaning unit 209 is located.

[0178] After the scrubbing of the substrate W is completed, the oscillating arm 207 moves the cleaning member 203 from the substrate cleaning position to the self-cleaning position. The cleaning member 203, once moved to the self-cleaning position, is cleaned by the self-cleaning unit 209.

[0179] Figure 22 is a cross-sectional view showing the second cleaning module shown in Figure 21. As shown in Figure 22, the self-cleaning liquid nozzle 216 has a pressure-reducing vent 216a that reduces the pressure of the cleaning liquid supplied from the chemical dilution module 52. The pressure-reducing vent 216a has the same configuration as the pressure-reducing vents described above (for example, pressure-reducing vents 65a, 66a, 67a, 68a).

[0180] As shown in Figure 22, the self-cleaning unit 209 includes a self-cleaning tank 220 that receives cleaning fluid supplied from a self-cleaning fluid nozzle 216, a drain pipe 221 that discharges the cleaning fluid supplied to the self-cleaning tank 220, a quartz plate 215 placed in the self-cleaning tank 220, and a support plate 214 that supports the quartz plate 215. The support plate 214 is fixed to a support shaft (not shown).

[0181] The self-cleaning liquid nozzle 216 (i.e., the processing liquid supply nozzle) supplies a cleaning liquid containing microbubbles or gas-dissolved water containing microbubbles to the cleaning member 203 (i.e., the scrubbing processing member) which is waiting in the self-cleaning position. The microbubbles are generated by the reduced pressure release section 216a. In this way, the self-cleaning liquid nozzle 216 removes particles adhering to the cleaning member 203 by scrubbing the substrate W. During the cleaning of the cleaning member 203, the cleaning member 203 may be pressed against the quartz plate 215.

[0182] Although not shown, Figures 19 to 22 may be applied to Figures 1 to 18 as appropriate. For example, the self-cleaning unit 124 and the processing liquid supply nozzle 180 described with reference to Figures 19 and 20 may be applied to the first cleaning module 16 described with reference to Figure 3. Similarly, the self-cleaning unit 209 and the processing liquid supply nozzle 216 described with reference to Figures 21 and 22 may be applied to the second cleaning module 18 described with reference to Figure 4.

[0183] The embodiments described above are intended to enable persons with ordinary skill in the art to implement the present invention. Various modifications of the above embodiments can be made naturally by those skilled in the art, and the technical idea of ​​the present invention can be applied to other embodiments as well. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described, but should be in the broadest scope according to the technical idea defined by the claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0184] 1. Substrate processing apparatus 2 Polishing section 4. Cleaning section 10 Housing 12 Load Ports 14a~14d Polishing Module 16. First cleaning module 18. Second cleaning module 20 Drying Modules 22. First Transport Robot 24 transport modules 26. Second Transport Robot 28. Third Transport Robot 30 Control device 50 Substrate Processing Systems 51 Gas-dissolved water generation tank 52 Chemical Dilution Module 53 Water supply pump 54. Liquid transfer pump 55 Flow Controller 56 Pressure gauge 57 Flow Controller 60 Board holding mechanism 61, 62 Scrub processing member (cleaning member) 63a, 63b Rotation mechanism 64a, 64b Lifting mechanism 65, 66 Processing liquid supply nozzle (chemical solution supply nozzle) 65a, 66a Pressure release section 65b, 66b valves 67, 68 Processing liquid supply nozzle (pure water supply nozzle) 67a, 68a Pressure release section 67b, 68b valves 70 Board holding mechanism 70a~70d Chuck 70e motor 71 Scrub treatment member (cleaning member) 72 Portable chemical solution supply nozzle 72a Pressure relief opening 72b valve 73 Arm 75, 76 Processing liquid supply nozzle (chemical solution supply nozzle) 75a, 76a Pressure release section 75b, 75b valve 77,78 Processing liquid supply nozzle (pure water supply nozzle) 77a, 78a Pressure release section 77b, 78b valve 79. Arm swing mechanism 79a Swivel axis 79b Rotation mechanism 80 Polishing Table 81. Substrate holding mechanism (top ring) 81a shaft 81b Support arm 82 Processing liquid supply nozzle (slurry supply nozzle) 82a Pressure release section 82b valve 83 Shaft 84 polishing pads 84a Polished surface 85. Processing liquid supply nozzle (pure water supply nozzle) 85a Pressure release section 85b valve 104 Liquid supply mechanism 110 Dressing device 111 Dresser Arm 112 Dresser swivel axis 115 Dresser 120 Spin Chuck 121 Cleaning Roller 122 Cleaning member 123 Cleaning solution nozzle 124 Self-cleaning section 126 spindles 127 pieces 128 Support column 129 Quartz plate 130 Nozzle Arm 130a Tip part 130b Arm section 132 Pure water nozzle 133A~133E Gas dissolution water supply nozzle 140 Self-cleaning tank 141 Slurry Source 142 Slurry Line 143 Shut-off valve 144 Pure water source 145 Pure water line 146 Shut-off valve 151 Processing liquid supply nozzle 151a Pressure release section 152 Gas-dissolved water supply line 153A~153E Branch Line 154A~154E Shut-off valves 155 Shut-off valve 156A, 156B Three-way valve 157 Bypass Line 158 Ultrafine Bubble Filter 159 Microbubble Filter 160 Particle Counter 170 Gas-dissolved water distribution line 171A, 171B distribution line 171Ba Branch Line 172A, 172B, 172D Cleaning Nozzles 180 Self-cleaning fluid nozzle (processing fluid supply nozzle) 180a Pressure release section 202 Spin Chuck 203 Cleaning component (scrubbing component) 207 Swivel Arm 208 Cleaning solution nozzle 209 Self-Cleaning Section 210 Rotation axis 214 Support plate 215 Quartz plate 216 Self-cleaning fluid nozzle (processing fluid supply nozzle) 216a Pressure release section 220 Self-cleaning tank 221 Drainage piping GS gas supply source GL Gas Line PS pure water source PL Pure Water Line DL gas discharge line DVL Valve MS drug supply source CML chemical solution line CL circulation line SL1~SL4 Gas-dissolved water supply line SLa chemical supply line P1 pressure gauge VL1 (67b, 68b) valve VL2 (77b, 78b) valve VLa~VLd Valve Va, Vb valve V1, V2 valves BL Bypass Line L1, L2 connection lines

Claims

1. a gas-dissolved water generating tank for dissolving a gas in pure water at a first pressure; a chemical dilution module that mixes the chemical with the gas-dissolved water generated in the gas-dissolved water generation tank at a predetermined volume ratio; a substrate processing module for processing a substrate, The substrate processing module includes: a substrate holding mechanism for holding the substrate; a scrubbing member that contacts the substrate and scrubs the substrate; a processing liquid supply nozzle for supplying a processing liquid toward the substrate, the processing liquid supply nozzle has a pressure reduction release part that reduces the pressure of the diluted chemical mixed in the chemical dilution module from the first pressure to a second pressure, thereby generating fine bubbles of the gas from the diluted chemical; The processing liquid supply nozzle supplies the diluted chemical liquid containing the microscopic bubbles in a step of scrubbing the substrate.

2. the pressure reduction release unit is composed of at least one orifice plate disposed in an internal flow path of the processing liquid supply nozzle or in a flow path immediately prior to the internal flow path, 2. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein the orifice plate reduces the pressure of the diluted chemical solution to the second pressure by its own pressure loss effect, and simultaneously generates the fine bubbles.

3. the substrate processing system includes a gas supply source, a pure water supply source, and a water pump, which are arranged in a flow path upstream of the gas-dissolved water generating tank; 3. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein the water pump transfers the deionized water to the dissolved-gas water generating tank so that the pressure in the dissolved-gas water generating tank becomes the first pressure.

4. 3. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein the gas is composed of at least one component selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, ozone, carbon dioxide, neon, argon, xenon, and krypton.

5. the substrate processing system includes a liquid feed pump disposed in a flow path upstream of the chemical solution dilution module; 3. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein the liquid feed pump transfers the chemical to the chemical dilution module so as to achieve the first pressure.

6. the substrate processing module includes a cleaning module; The chemical solution is a stock solution of a cleaning solution, 3. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein the scrubbing member comprises at least one of a sponge cleaning member and a buff cleaning member.

7. 7. The substrate processing system according to claim 6, wherein the processing liquid supply nozzle is disposed on a swing arm that swings in a radial direction of the rotating substrate in the cleaning module, and supplies the cleaning liquid containing the micro-bubbles uniformly from the center to the peripheral edge of the substrate.

8. 7. The substrate processing system of claim 6, wherein the processing liquid supply nozzle is disposed in a self-cleaning position in the cleaning module that is spaced apart from the position of the substrate, and supplies the cleaning liquid containing the micro-bubbles or the gas-dissolved water containing the micro-bubbles toward the scrubbing processing member waiting at the self-cleaning position.

9. the substrate processing module comprises a polishing module; The chemical solution is a slurry stock solution, The substrate processing system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the scrubbing member comprises a polishing pad.

10. 10. The substrate processing system of claim 9, wherein the processing liquid supply nozzle is positioned above the rotating polishing pad in the polishing module and supplies the slurry containing the micro-bubbles so that it penetrates into the contact interface between the rotating substrate and the polishing pad.

11. the substrate processing system includes a pure water supply nozzle extending in a radial direction of the polishing pad and having a pressure reduction release portion for generating the fine bubbles from the gas-dissolved water; 10. The substrate processing system according to claim 9, wherein the pure water supply nozzle supplies the gas-dissolved water containing the fine bubbles during dressing of the polishing pad after polishing of the substrate is completed.

12. the substrate processing system includes one or more gas-dissolved water nozzles arranged on a nozzle arm that can swing in a radial direction of the polishing pad and that supply the gas-dissolved water containing the microbubbles onto the polishing pad; 10. The substrate processing system according to claim 9, wherein the gas-dissolved water nozzle supplies the gas-dissolved water containing the microscopic bubbles onto the polishing pad after polishing of the substrate is completed, while the substrate is in contact with the polishing pad.

13. A substrate processing method for processing a substrate, comprising: In a gas-dissolved water generating tank, a gas is dissolved in pure water at a first pressure; In the chemical dilution module, the chemical and the gas-dissolved water generated in the gas-dissolved water generation tank are mixed at a predetermined volume ratio; the diluted chemical mixed in the chemical dilution module is passed through a pressure reduction release part disposed in an internal flow path of the processing liquid supply nozzle or in a flow path immediately before the internal flow path, and the pressure is reduced from the first pressure to a second pressure, thereby generating fine bubbles of the gas from the diluted chemical; a dilute chemical solution containing the microbubbles being supplied in the step of scrubbing the substrate;

14. 14. The substrate processing method according to claim 13, wherein the gas is composed of at least one component selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, ozone, carbon dioxide, neon, argon, xenon, and krypton.

15. The chemical solution is a stock solution of a cleaning solution, 15. The substrate processing method according to claim 13, wherein the diluted chemical solution containing the microbubbles is supplied while a scrubbing member including at least one of a sponge cleaning member and a buff cleaning member is brought into contact with the substrate.

16. The chemical solution is a slurry stock solution, 15. The substrate processing method according to claim 13, wherein the diluted chemical solution containing the microbubbles is supplied while a scrubbing member including a polishing pad is brought into contact with the substrate.

17. 17. The substrate processing method of claim 16, wherein, after polishing of the substrate is completed, during dressing of the polishing pad, the gas-dissolved water containing the micro-bubbles is supplied from a pure water supply nozzle having a reduced pressure release section that generates the micro-bubbles from the gas-dissolved water.

18. 17. The substrate processing method of claim 16, wherein, after polishing of the substrate is completed, the gas-dissolved water containing the micro-bubbles is supplied onto the polishing pad from one or more gas-dissolved water nozzles arranged on a nozzle arm that can swing in the radial direction of the polishing pad while the substrate is in contact with the polishing pad.

19. After scrubbing the substrate, transporting the scrubbing member to a self-cleaning position spaced from the substrate; The substrate processing method according to claim 15 , wherein the cleaning liquid containing the microscopic bubbles or the water containing the microscopic bubbles and dissolved gas is supplied toward the scrubbing member waiting at the self-cleaning position.

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