Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Abstract

To provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method that are capable of removing processing liquid remaining on an opposing surface of a plate and maintaining the cleanliness of the plate.SOLUTION: A substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a rotor 10 that rotates a substrate W, a processing liquid supply unit 411 that supplies a phosphoric acid solution as a processing liquid to the substrate W, a plate 50 that faces a surface to be processed, a heating unit 60 that heats the processing liquid, and a cleaning unit 90 that cleans a facing surface 51 of the plate 50. The cleaning unit 90 includes a liquid supply unit 92 that supplies a cleaning liquid to the facing surface 51, a wiping unit 93 that contacts the facing surface 51 to wipe off the cleaning liquid, and a moving mechanism 95 that moves the wiping unit 93 along the facing surface 51.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] As a wet etching apparatus for etching a film laminated on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer using a processing solution, there is a batch-type substrate processing apparatus in which multiple substrates are immersed in the processing solution at the same time. Such a batch-type substrate processing apparatus has high productivity because it can process multiple substrates at the same time.

[0003] However, in a batch-type substrate processing apparatus, multiple substrates are immersed in a processing solution with the same conditions, making it difficult to finely adjust the etching depth for each substrate according to differences in the film thickness formed on each substrate, etc. Therefore, a single-wafer substrate processing apparatus is used, which processes substrates one by one by supplying an etching processing solution near the center of rotation of the substrate while rotating it, and spreading the processing solution over the surface of the substrate to be processed.

[0004] Acid liquids such as hydrofluoric acid, phosphoric acid, and sulfuric acid are used as etching treatment liquids. For example, when etching a nitride film on a substrate having an oxide film and a nitride film stacked thereon, some substrate treatment apparatuses use an aqueous solution of phosphoric acid (phosphoric acid solution) as the treatment liquid. The higher the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution, the higher its etching performance, and as the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution drops, its etching performance decreases. Therefore, to obtain a desired etching rate, the phosphoric acid solution must be maintained at a high temperature. For example, the nitride film is etched by heating the phosphoric acid solution to 150°C to 160°C and supplying it to the substrate.

[0005] However, substrates such as silicon wafers have high thermal conductivity. Therefore, the phosphoric acid solution supplied to the surface of the substrate to be treated loses heat through the substrate, causing the temperature to drop. In other words, the phosphoric acid solution supplied near the center of rotation maintains a high temperature, but as it moves toward the outer periphery of the substrate, the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution drops due to heat dissipation.

[0006] If the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution differs depending on the position on the substrate surface to be processed, the etching rate will differ depending on the position on the substrate, making it difficult to uniformly process the entire substrate surface to be processed. To address this issue, there is a substrate processing apparatus that performs etching while maintaining the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution on the substrate surface to be processed (see Patent Document 1).

[0007] This substrate processing apparatus has a plate with a built-in heater facing the substrate surface, and the plate is brought close to the substrate surface to supply high-temperature phosphoric acid solution to the substrate surface. The distance between the substrate and the plate is about a few millimeters, and the phosphoric acid solution flows over the substrate surface while being heated by the plate. This allows the etching performance of the phosphoric acid solution to be maintained. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2011 / 090141 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] As described above, in the treatment process, the treatment liquid is supplied to the surface of the substrate to be treated while the plate is in close proximity to the substrate, so the treatment liquid adheres to the surface of the plate facing the substrate. The treatment liquid remaining on the surface of the plate becomes a source of particle generation when it dries.

[0010] An embodiment of the present invention has been proposed to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method that can remove processing liquid remaining on the opposing surface of a plate and maintain the cleanliness of the plate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] A substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a rotating body that rotates a substrate held by a holding unit, a processing liquid supply unit that supplies processing liquid to the processing surface of the substrate, a plate positioned opposite the processing surface, a heating unit that is positioned on the plate and heats the processing liquid supplied to the processing surface of the substrate, and a cleaning unit that cleans an opposing surface of the plate that faces the processing surface, and the cleaning unit includes a liquid supply unit that supplies cleaning liquid to the opposing surface, a wiping unit that contacts the opposing surface and wipes off the cleaning liquid supplied by the liquid supply unit, and a moving mechanism that moves the wiping unit along the opposing surface.

[0012] In a substrate processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention, a rotating body rotates a substrate held by a holding unit, a processing liquid supply unit supplies a processing liquid to a processing surface of the substrate to process the processing surface, a heating unit provided on a plate facing the processing surface of the substrate heats the processing liquid, a wiping unit contacts an opposing surface of the plate facing the processing surface, and a liquid supply unit supplies a cleaning liquid to the opposing surface while a moving mechanism moves the wiping unit along the opposing surface to wipe off the processing liquid and the cleaning liquid. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the embodiment of the present invention, the processing liquid remaining on the opposing surface of the plate can be removed, and the cleanliness of the plate can be maintained. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing a state in which a plate of the substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment is in a standby position; [Figure 2]2 is an overall configuration diagram showing a substrate processing state of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is an overall configuration diagram showing a state in which a plate is cleaned by a cleaning unit of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is an overall configuration diagram showing a substrate cleaning state of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 5, showing the cleaning unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the plate showing a state in which a cleaning operation is being performed by the cleaning unit. [Figure 8] 1 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment.

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [overview] 1 and 2, the substrate processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment processes one surface (hereinafter referred to as the surface to be processed) of the substrate W by supplying a processing liquid Le heated in a supply unit 40 to the surface to be processed while rotating the substrate W together with a rotor 10. At this time, as shown in Fig. 2, a drive unit 80 brings a plate 50 having a heating unit 60 close to the surface to be processed of the substrate W, thereby narrowing the space between the plate 50 and the substrate W, thereby making it difficult for heat to escape and heating the processing liquid Le, thereby suppressing a decrease in the temperature of the processing liquid Le. The plate 50 does not come into contact with the substrate W and can be advanced and retreated relative to the substrate W.

[0016] 3, the substrate processing apparatus 1 raises the plate 50 to a position spaced apart from the substrate W, and uses the cleaning unit 90 to supply the cleaning liquid Lp to the facing surface 51 facing the substrate W while wiping off the cleaning liquid Lp together with the processing liquid Le from the facing surface 51, thereby suppressing a decrease in temperature of the plate 50. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, with the plate 50 spaced apart from the substrate W, the cleaning liquid Lw is supplied from the supply unit 40 to the processing surface of the rotating substrate W, thereby cleaning the processing surface of the substrate W.

[0017] The substrate W processed in this embodiment is, for example, a silicon wafer having a nitride film formed thereon, and the processing liquid Le for processing the substrate W is, for example, an aqueous solution containing phosphoric acid (H3PO4) for etching the nitride film (hereinafter referred to as phosphoric acid solution). Furthermore, deionized water (DIW) is used as the cleaning liquid Lw for cleaning the substrate W. Preheated warm deionized water may also be used as the cleaning liquid Lw. The cleaning liquid Lw is not limited to deionized water. For example, hydrofluoric acid (aqueous solution of hydrogen fluoride) may also be used.

[0018] [composition] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a rotating body 10, a rotation mechanism 20, a holding unit 30, a supply unit 40, a plate 50, a heating unit 60, a detection unit 70, a driving unit 80, a cleaning unit 90, and a control unit 100.

[0019] (rotating body) The rotating body 10 rotates the substrate W held by the holder 30. The rotating body 10 has a table 11 that faces the substrate W held by the holder 30 with a gap therebetween. The rotating body 10 has a cylindrical shape with one end closed by the table 11. The table 11 has a circular surface with a diameter larger than that of the substrate W.

[0020] The rotating body 10 is made of a material that is resistant to the treatment liquid Le. For example, the rotating body 10 is preferably made of a fluorine-based resin such as PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) or PCTFE (Polychlorotrifluoroethylene). Although not shown, the rotating body 10 is mounted on a fixed base that is fixed to an installation surface or a stand installed on the installation surface, and is rotatable by a rotation mechanism 20, which will be described later.

[0021] A cup 12 is provided around the rotator 10. The cup 12 is a cylindrical body that is bent so that the diameter narrows at the top. A drain port 12a is provided at the bottom of the cup 12 for draining the processing liquid Le and the cleaning liquid Lw. The cup 12 receives the various processing liquids Le and cleaning liquids Lw that are scattered from the rotating substrate W around the substrate W. The processing liquids Le and cleaning liquids Lw received by the cup 12 are discharged via the drain port 12a into a recovery path (not shown).

[0022] (Rotation mechanism) The rotation mechanism 20 is a mechanism that rotates the rotating body 10. The rotation mechanism 20 has a driving source 21. The driving source 21 is a hollow motor that is fixed to a fixed base and has a hollow rotor and a stator that rotates the rotor. The driving source 21 rotates the rotating body 10 together with the rotor by passing current through the coil of the stator.

[0023] (holding part) The holder 30 holds the substrate W parallel to and spaced from the table 11. The holder 30 has a holding pin 31. The holding pin 31 is rotated eccentrically around an axis parallel to the axis of the rotor 10 by a drive mechanism (not shown), thereby moving between a holding position where it contacts the edge of the substrate W to hold the substrate W, and a release position where it moves away from the edge of the substrate W to release the substrate W.

[0024] (Supply Department) 2, the supply unit 40 supplies the processing liquid Le or the cleaning liquid Lw to the processing surface of the substrate W, i.e., the surface of the substrate W held by the holder 30 opposite to the surface facing the table 11. The supply unit 40 includes a processing liquid supply unit 411 that supplies the processing liquid Le and a cleaning liquid supply unit 412 that supplies the cleaning liquid Lw.

[0025] The processing liquid supply unit 411 supplies a phosphoric acid solution as the processing liquid Le. The cleaning liquid supply unit 412 supplies pure water as the cleaning liquid Lw. The processing liquid supply unit 411 and the cleaning liquid supply unit 412 each have a liquid tank 41a that stores the processing liquid Le and the cleaning liquid Lw, respectively.

[0026] Each liquid tank 41a is connected to one end of a supply pipe 41b, the other end of which faces the substrate W held by the holder 30. As a result, the processing liquid Le and the cleaning liquid Lw from each liquid tank 41a are supplied to the surface to be processed of the substrate W via the supply pipe 41b.

[0027] Each supply pipe 41b is provided with a valve 41c and a flow meter 41d. The valve 41c has a flow rate adjustment function and an ON / OFF function. Each valve 41c adjusts the amount of the processing liquid Le and the cleaning liquid Lw flowing from the corresponding liquid tank 41a into the supply pipe 41b. In addition, a valve 41e is further provided in the supply pipe 41b, through which the cleaning liquid Lw flows from the liquid tank 41a of the cleaning liquid supply unit 412 to the substrate W. The valve 41e has a flow rate adjustment function and an ON / OFF function. The valve 41e adjusts the discharge rate of the cleaning liquid Lw before the discharge port 50a, which will be described later. The amount of the processing liquid Le and the cleaning liquid Lw flowing through each supply pipe 41b is detected by the corresponding flow meter 41d. Note that the equipment and method for generating the processing liquid Le and the cleaning liquid Lw stored in each liquid tank 41a are not limited to any particular ones.

[0028] (plate) The plate 50 is a member that is provided at a position facing the surface to be processed of the substrate W and can move forward and backward relative to the substrate W. The surface of the plate 50 that faces the substrate W and the table 11 is the facing surface 51. The plate 50 is a disk, and its bottom surface forms the circular, flat facing surface 51. The facing surface 51 is concentric with the center of rotation of the substrate W and has a larger diameter than the substrate W. In other words, the facing surface 51 is sized to cover the entire surface to be processed of the substrate W without contacting it. The plate 50 is made of quartz. A flange 50b that expands outward is formed on the upper periphery of the plate 50.

[0029] The plate 50 may have a double structure to achieve both heat resistance and liquid resistance. That is, the base may be formed of a heat-resistant material, and the periphery may be covered with a material that is resistant to the treatment liquid Le. For example, the plate 50 may be formed by using quartz as the base and forming a cover of a fluorine-based resin such as PTFE or PCTFE around the periphery.

[0030] The other ends of the two supply pipes 41b are inserted into the plate 50, forming two discharge ports 50a exposed on the side of the substrate W. The two discharge ports 50a are offset from the axis of rotation of the rotating body 10. This is because, as the substrate W rotates, the portions of the substrate W facing the discharge ports 50a change successively, which contributes to uniforming the temperature of the processing liquid Le.

[0031] (heating part) The heating unit 60 is provided on the plate 50 and heats the processing liquid Le supplied to the processing surface of the substrate W. In this embodiment, the heating unit 60 is a heater 61 that generates heat when energized. A plurality of heaters 61 are provided at different horizontal positions on the plate 50. For example, the heater 61 is composed of, for example, three heater elements whose heat generation amount can be individually controlled. That is, three annular heater elements with different diameters are concentrically arranged. With such a heater 61, by individually controlling the heat generation amount of the three concentrically arranged heater elements, the temperature of the heater 61 can be changed for each concentric portion, thereby changing the temperature distribution of the processing liquid Le. Note that the diameter of the heating unit 60 is preferably large enough to cover the substrate W, i.e., equal to or larger than the diameter of the substrate W, in order to suppress a temperature drop on the outer periphery of the substrate W. Note that "heating the processing liquid Le supplied to the processing surface of the substrate W" also includes a mode in which the substrate W is heated and the processing liquid Le is indirectly heated via the substrate W.

[0032] (Detection unit) The detection unit 70 detects the temperature of the plate 50. For example, a thermocouple, a resistance temperature detector, or the like can be used as the detection unit 70. The detection unit 70 is provided in the heating unit 60 built into the plate 50. A plurality of detection units 70 are provided at different positions in the radial direction of the plate 50. For example, the detection units 70 are provided in three locations corresponding to the three heater pieces of the heater 61.

[0033] (Drive unit) The drive unit 80 is a mechanism for moving the plate 50 forward and backward relative to the substrate W. The drive unit 80 has a support unit 81, an arm 82, and an advance / retract mechanism 83. The support unit 81 is a ring-shaped member into which the plate 50 is inserted and with a flange 50b abutting against the upper part, thereby supporting the plate 50 horizontally. The arm 82 is a member extending horizontally and one end of which is fixed to the support unit 81.

[0034] The advancing / retreating mechanism 83 is a mechanism that is erected on a stand and moves the plate 50 via the arm 82 in a direction toward and away from the substrate W. The advancing / retreating mechanism 83 of this embodiment has a movable part that moves in a direction parallel to the axis of the rotating body 10, and the other end of the arm 82 is attached to the movable part. The advancing / retreating mechanism 83 can be implemented by various mechanisms that move the movable part, such as a cylinder or a ball screw mechanism, but details will be omitted.

[0035] The advancing / retreating mechanism 83 moves the plate 50 to a standby position, a cleaning position, and a processing position. As shown in FIG. 1, the standby position is a position where the gap between the facing surface 51 and the rotating body 10 is wide enough to allow the substrate W to be loaded and unloaded. As shown in FIG. 3, the cleaning position is a position where the gap between the facing surface 51 and the rotating body 10 is wide enough to allow the cleaning part 90 to be inserted and to contact the contact part 93a. As shown in FIG. 4, the cleaning position is a position where the cleaning liquid Lw supplied to the substrate W does not adhere to the facing surface 51.

[0036] 2, the processing position is a position where the processing liquid Le is circulated between the opposing surface 51 and the processing surface, and the processing surface is processed while being heated by the heating unit 60. In this embodiment, the plate 50 is lowered to a position where a distance d is formed between the plate 50 and the processing surface of the substrate W. This distance d is, for example, 4 mm or less, but is maintained so that a gap of about 2 mm is formed between the plate 50 and the processing liquid Le.

[0037] The processing liquid Le is heated to a preset temperature by a heating device (not shown) in the supply unit 40, and is then supplied to the substrate W and heated by the heating unit 60. This allows the processing liquid Le supplied to the substrate W to be spread over the entire processing surface of the substrate W while maintaining the preset temperature. In particular, by setting the heater 61 on the outer periphery to a higher temperature than the heater 61 on the inner periphery, the temperature of the processing liquid Le on the outer periphery of the substrate W, which is prone to temperature drops, is increased, thereby achieving the effect of making the temperature distribution of the processing liquid Le on the substrate W uniform.

[0038] (Cleaning section) The cleaning unit 90 cleans the facing surface 51 that faces the surface to be processed of the plate 50. The cleaning unit 90 cleans the facing surface 51 between the plate 50 and the rotating body 10 on which the holder 30 holds the substrate W. That is, the cleaning unit 90 of this embodiment cleans the facing surface 51 of the plate 50 at a cleaning position where the position of the plate 50 is the same in the horizontal direction as the processing position where the substrate W is processed.

[0039] As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the cleaning unit 90 has a support 91, a liquid supply unit 92, a wiping unit 93, a liquid receiving unit 94, and a moving mechanism 95. The support 91 is a block-shaped member parallel to the opposing surface 51 of the plate 50. The support 91 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is longer than the diameter of the opposing surface 51. As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 6, the support 91 is provided with a backup unit 91a. The backup unit 91a is a rod-shaped member with an elliptical cross section that is fixed along the longitudinal direction of the support 91. The backup units 91a are provided in pairs at positions sandwiching the liquid supply unit 92, which will be described later. The support 91 and the backup unit 91a are made of a liquid-resistant material, for example, PEEK (Poly Ether Ether Ketone).

[0040] The liquid supply unit 92 supplies the cleaning liquid Lp to the opposing surface 51. As shown in FIG. 5, the liquid supply unit 92 has a plurality of supply ports 92a arranged in a direction parallel to the opposing surface 51. The supply ports 92a are nozzles that are provided between a pair of backup portions 91a of the support body 91 and arranged in parallel to the backup portions 91a, and spray pure water, which is the cleaning liquid Lp, toward the opposing surface 51. The plurality of supply ports 92a are arranged at equal intervals. Therefore, the liquid supply unit 92 can spray the cleaning liquid Lp evenly in a linear direction.

[0041] The supply port 92a is connected to the liquid tank 41a of the cleaning liquid supply unit 412, and is connected to the liquid tank 41a via a supply pipe 41b and a branch pipe 92b. A valve 92c is provided on the branch pipe 92b. The valve 92c has a flow rate adjustment function and an ON / OFF function. The valve 92c controls the supply and stop of the cleaning liquid Lp, and the spray height and spray amount of the cleaning liquid Lp. In this embodiment, pure water is used as the cleaning liquid Lp, as is the cleaning liquid Lw supplied to the processing surface of the substrate W. Note that the cleaning liquid Lp is not limited to pure water. For example, hydrofluoric acid (aqueous solution of hydrogen fluoride) or the like may be used. Furthermore, the cleaning liquid Lp may be different from the cleaning liquid Lw supplied by the supply unit 40. In this way, when the supplied cleaning liquid Lp is different from the cleaning liquid Lw, a cleaning liquid supply unit that supplies the cleaning liquid Lp is provided separately from the cleaning liquid supply unit 412 that supplies the cleaning liquid Lp to the substrate W.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 3 , the wiping unit 93 comes into contact with the opposing surface 51 to wipe away the cleaning liquid Lp supplied by the liquid supply unit 92. The wiping unit 93 also comes into contact with the opposing surface 51 to wipe away the cleaning liquid Lp along with the processing liquid Le. The wiping unit 93 extends in a direction parallel to the opposing surface 51 and has a length tangent to the entire length of the opposing surface 51. The entire length of the opposing surface 51 here is the diameter of the circular opposing surface 51. In other words, the longitudinal direction of the wiping unit 93 is equal to or longer than the diameter of the opposing surface 51. The wiping units 93 are movable by a movement mechanism 95, which will be described later, and are provided at the front and rear of the movement direction, sandwiching the liquid supply unit 92 therebetween. In other words, the pair of wiping units 93 are provided parallel to the longitudinal direction of the support body 91, in other words, the plurality of supply ports 92a aligned in the longitudinal direction of the backup unit 91a, sandwiching this longitudinal direction. In this embodiment, the wiping portion 93 reciprocates by swinging in one direction and swinging in the opposite direction, but the front and rear wiping portions 93 are reversed when swinging in one direction and swinging in the opposite direction.

[0043] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , each of the pair of wiping portions 93 has a contact portion 93a and a cover portion 93b. The contact portion 93a conforms to and deforms along the opposing surface 51 when it comes into contact with the surface. This allows the contact portion 93a in contact with the opposing surface 51 to conform to and make contact with the opposing surface 51 along its entire length, even when either or both of the opposing surface 51 and the cleaning portion 90 are slightly tilted or distorted and are not completely parallel. In this embodiment, the contact portion 93a is a mesh-like member. The contact portion 93a is formed from a fluororesin mesh. The cover portion 93b has a U-shaped cross section and is a member that covers the backup portion 91a and supports the contact portion 93a. The contact portion 93a is supported so as to cover the cover portion 93b. Therefore, the contact portion 93a faces the opposing surface 51 with a curved surface and comes into contact with the opposing surface 51 near the apex of the curved surface.

[0044] The mesh used in the contact portion 93a is a sheet-like member that can be easily replaced. If the mesh deteriorates or if particles wiped off from the opposing surface 51 accumulate after a predetermined number of uses, the mesh can be immediately replaced, thereby preventing the mesh from becoming a particle source.

[0045] The cover portion 93b is elastic and elastically deforms together with the contact portion 93a when the contact portion 93a is pressed against and comes into contact with the opposing surface 51. Because the contact portion 93a is a sheet-like member, there is a limit to the amount of deformation of the contact portion 93a alone. In contrast, in this embodiment, the contact portion 93a is supported by the backup portion 91a via the deformable cover portion 93b. Therefore, the amount of deformation of the contact portion 93a can be increased compared to when the contact portion 93a is directly supported by the backup portion 91a, and the contact portion 93a can be brought into close contact with the opposing surface 51.

[0046] The liquid receiving section 94 receives the cleaning liquid Lp from the liquid supply section 92 and the wiping section 93 and prevents it from falling onto the substrate W. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the liquid receiving section 94 is a box-shaped member that houses the support 91. The liquid receiving section 94 is a rectangular parallelepiped container that is open at the top, and the support 91 is arranged inside so that a gap is formed into which the cleaning liquid Lp dropping from the wiping section 93 flows. The liquid receiving section 94 is provided with a discharge section 94a that discharges the cleaning liquid Lp. The discharge section 94a is a pipe connected to a drain port provided at the bottom of the liquid receiving section 94 and is connected to a drain flow path (not shown). Note that it is preferable that the height of the upper end of the side surface of the liquid receiving section 94 is higher than the supply port 92a, as this reduces scattering and leakage of the cleaning liquid Lp.

[0047] The moving mechanism 95 moves the liquid supply unit 92, the wiping unit 93, and the liquid receiving unit 94 along the facing surface 51. The moving mechanism 95 has an arm 95a and a swinging unit 95b. The arm 95a is a member that extends in a direction parallel to the facing surface 51, and one end of the arm 95a is attached to one end of the liquid receiving unit 94.

[0048] The swinging unit 95b is provided at a position away from the opposing surface 51, and rotates the wiping unit 93 along a circular arc trajectory whose axis is the end portion to which the other end of the arm 95a is attached. More specifically, the swinging unit 95b moves the wiping unit 93 back and forth parallel to the opposing surface 51 from a retracted position away from the opposing surface 51 in a plan view, through a portion facing the outer periphery of the opposing surface 51, to a turning-back position outside the opposing surface 51, and then moves in the opposite direction to return to the retracted position.

[0049] The swinging unit 95b has a support shaft extending from the arm 95a in a direction perpendicular to the facing surface 51, and a motor (not shown) that is a drive source for swinging the arm 95a about the support shaft. The arm 95a is positioned in a retracted position when cleaning the facing surface 51 is not being performed. The moving mechanism 95 supports the wiping unit 93 at a height that makes contact with the facing surface 51 of the plate 50 in the cleaning position.

[0050] (Control unit) The control unit 100 controls each unit of the substrate processing apparatus 1. The control unit 100 has a processor that executes programs to realize various functions of the substrate processing apparatus 1, a memory that stores various information such as the programs and operating conditions, and a drive circuit that drives each element. In other words, the control unit 100 has a mechanism control unit 110 that controls the rotation mechanism 20, the holding unit 30, the supply unit 40, the heating unit 60, the drive unit 80, the cleaning unit 90, etc.

[0051] The control unit 100 of this embodiment also includes a heating control unit 120. The heating control unit 120 controls the temperature of the heating unit 60 in accordance with the temperature of the plate 50 detected by the detection unit 70. In other words, the heating control unit 120 performs feedback control to control the output of the heater 61 in accordance with the temperature of the plate 50. For example, if the average value of the temperatures detected by the multiple detection units 70 is lower than a predetermined temperature, the temperature of the heater 61 is increased. Note that if the temperature detected by each detection unit 70 is lower than the predetermined temperature, the temperature of the heater 61 corresponding to that detection unit 70 may be increased. In this case, for example, each detection unit 70 corresponds to a respective heater 61.

[0052] [Operation] The operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 8 in addition to Figs. 1 to 7. Note that a substrate processing method and a substrate manufacturing method for processing a substrate W according to the following procedure are also aspects of this embodiment.

[0053] First, as shown in Fig. 1, the plate 50 is in an upper standby position. At this time, a gap is provided between the plate 50 and the table 11 so that a substrate W supported by a hand of a transport robot (not shown) can be carried in.

[0054] Furthermore, by previously energizing the heater 61 of the heating unit 60, the opposing surface 51 of the plate 50 is heated and maintained at a predetermined temperature (for example, a temperature within a temperature range of 180°C to 225°C). Note that, for example, since the temperature of the outer peripheral region of the substrate W drops the most due to heat dissipation, the heater 61 in the outer peripheral region may be heated to a higher temperature than other regions.

[0055] In this state, a substrate W, which has been puddled with pure water on the surface to be processed in the previous step and is mounted on the hand of the transfer robot, is carried between the plate 50 and the rotating body 10, and its edges are supported by a plurality of holding pins 31, so that it is held on the table 11 of the rotating body 10 (step S01). At this time, the substrate W is positioned so that its center coincides with the axis of rotation of the rotating body 10.

[0056] The rotating body 10 rotates at a relatively slow predetermined speed (for example, about 50 rpm). As a result, the substrate W rotates together with the holder 30 at the predetermined speed (step S02). Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the plate 50 descends to a processing position where a predetermined distance d (for example, 4 mm or less) is formed between the plate 50 and the processing surface of the substrate W (step S03).

[0057] The processing liquid supply unit 411 supplies the processing liquid Le to the processing surface of the substrate W, and the detection unit 70 starts detecting the temperature of the plate 50 (step S04). Temperature detection is performed continuously while the processing liquid Le is being supplied. As described above, the processing liquid Le has been preheated in the supply unit 40. As the processing liquid Le moves sequentially toward the outer periphery of the rotating substrate W, the pure water on the processing surface of the substrate W is replaced with the phosphoric acid solution of the processing liquid Le, and the nitride film is removed by etching.

[0058] The processing liquid Le supplied near the center of the substrate W loses heat more easily as it moves toward the periphery of the substrate W, but in this embodiment, the plate 50 is positioned close to the substrate W by the distance d, so the processing liquid Le is heated by the heater 61, and a decrease in the processing rate due to a drop in temperature is suppressed. For example, the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution, which is the processing liquid Le, is preferably maintained at about 150 to 160°C.

[0059] The temperature of the plate 50 during processing is detected by the detection unit 70 as described above. The heating control unit 120 controls the temperature of the heaters 61 in accordance with the detected temperature. That is, if the average value of the temperature detected by the detection unit 70 is decreasing, the temperature of all heaters 61 is increased. Alternatively, the temperature of the heaters 61 in the area where the temperature detected by the detection unit 70 is decreasing is increased.

[0060] When the predetermined processing time has elapsed (YES in step S05), the processing liquid supply unit 411 stops supplying the processing liquid Le (step S06). Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the plate 50 is raised to a cleaning position above the processing position (step S07).

[0061] 7, the swinging unit 95b of the movement mechanism 95 swings the arm 95a, thereby causing the wiping unit 93 to reciprocate, thereby performing a cleaning process of wiping the opposing surface 51 (step S08). That is, the supply port 92a of the liquid supply unit 92 swings together with the wiping unit 93 in contact with the opposing surface 51 while discharging the cleaning liquid Lp. The wiping unit 93 moves from outside the opposing surface 51 to outside the opposing surface 51, wiping the entire opposing surface 51, thereby wiping off the cleaning liquid Lp along with the processing liquid Le from the opposing surface 51.

[0062] When a predetermined time has elapsed after the wiping unit 93 has repeatedly reciprocated (YES in step S09), the discharge of the cleaning liquid Lp from the supply port 92a is stopped, and the wiping unit 93 moves to the retracted position and stops there (step S10).

[0063] 4, the cleaning liquid supply unit 412 supplies the cleaning liquid Lw to the processing surface of the substrate W from the discharge ports 50a of the plate 50 which is in the cleaning position (step S11). When the cleaning liquid Lw is supplied to the processing surface of the rotating substrate W, the cleaning liquid Lw moves sequentially toward the outer periphery of the substrate W, thereby washing away the processing liquid Le from the processing surface of the substrate W. Then, when a predetermined cleaning time has elapsed (YES in step S12), the cleaning liquid supply unit 412 stops supplying the cleaning liquid Lw (step S13).

[0064] The substrate W stops rotating (step S14), and the plate 50 rises to the standby position (step S15). Then, the hand of the transport robot is inserted under the substrate W, the substrate W is released from the holder 30, and the substrate W is removed by the hand of the transport robot (step S16).

[0065] The cleaning position and the standby position do not necessarily have to be different. The position of the plate 50 may be in the standby position when the cleaning liquid Lw is supplied to the substrate W, and the position of the plate 50 may be in the cleaning position when the substrate W is loaded or unloaded. In other words, the two positions do not have to be clearly distinguished, and the loading and unloading of the substrate W, the supply of the cleaning liquid Lw, and the wiping of the facing surface 51 may be performed at the same position.

[0066] [effect] (1) The substrate processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment as described above includes a rotating body 10 that rotates the substrate W held by the holding unit 30, a processing liquid supply unit 411 that supplies the processing liquid Le to the processing surface of the substrate W, a plate 50 provided at a position opposite the processing surface, a heating unit 60 provided on the plate 50 that heats the processing liquid Le supplied to the processing surface of the substrate W, and a cleaning unit 90 that cleans the opposing surface 51 of the plate 50 that faces the processing surface.

[0067] The cleaning unit 90 has a liquid supply unit 92 that supplies cleaning liquid Lp to the opposing surface 51, a wiping unit 93 that contacts the opposing surface 51 and wipes off the cleaning liquid Lp supplied by the liquid supply unit 92, and a moving mechanism 95 that moves the wiping unit 93 along the opposing surface 51.

[0068] In the substrate processing method of this embodiment, the rotating body 10 rotates the substrate W held by the holding unit 30, the processing liquid supply unit 411 supplies the processing liquid Le to the processing surface of the substrate W to process the processing surface, the heating unit 60 provided on the plate 50 facing the processing surface of the substrate W heats the processing liquid Le, the wiping unit 93 contacts the opposing surface 51 facing the processing surface of the plate 50, and the liquid supply unit 92 supplies the cleaning liquid Lp to the opposing surface 51 while the moving mechanism 95 moves the wiping unit 93 along the opposing surface 51 to wipe off the processing liquid Le and the cleaning liquid Lp.

[0069] Therefore, after the substrate W is treated with the treatment liquid Le supplied from the treatment liquid supply unit 411, the liquid supply unit 92 supplies the cleaning liquid Lp to the facing surface 51, while the moving mechanism 95 brings the wiping unit 93 into contact with the facing surface 51 and moves it along the facing surface 51, thereby wiping away the cleaning liquid Lp along with the treatment liquid Le. Therefore, the treatment liquid Le remaining on the facing surface 51 of the plate 50 is removed, and the cleanliness of the plate 50 can be maintained. Furthermore, a decrease in the temperature of the facing surface 51 due to the remaining treatment liquid Le and cleaning liquid Lp is suppressed. This makes it possible to suppress a decrease in the treatment rate when treating the next substrate W after cleaning the plate 50. In this way, it is possible to suppress temperature changes in the plate 50 for each substrate W to be treated, and to suppress fluctuations in the treatment rate for each substrate W due to temperature changes in the plate 50.

[0070] Furthermore, instead of simply supplying the cleaning liquid Lp to the facing surface 51, the supplied cleaning liquid Lp is wiped off together with the processing liquid Le, which prevents the processing liquid Le and the cleaning liquid Lp from dropping onto the substrate W, thereby reducing the impact on the substrate W. Even if the processing liquid Le and the cleaning liquid Lp drop onto the substrate W, the substrate W can be cleaned by subsequent cleaning.

[0071] Furthermore, when a phosphoric acid solution is used as the processing liquid Le, silica dissolved to adjust the selectivity or silicon eluted from the silicon wafer that is the substrate W may adhere to the facing surface 51 and dry as such, resulting in deposits adhering to the facing surface 51. Instead of simply wiping off the processing liquid Le adhering to the facing surface 51 as in this embodiment, by supplying and wiping off the cleaning liquid Lp, it is possible to prevent dissolved materials precipitated when the processing liquid Le dries from remaining on the facing surface 51 as particles.

[0072] (2) The substrate processing apparatus 1 has a drive unit 80 that moves the plate 50 toward and away from the substrate W. Therefore, the plate 50 can move toward and away from the substrate W, the plate 50 approaches the substrate W without contacting it, the processing liquid supply unit 411 supplies the processing liquid Le to the processing surface of the substrate W to process the processing surface, the plate 50 moves to a position spaced apart from the substrate W to wipe off the processing liquid Le and the cleaning liquid Lp, and in a state where the plate 50 is spaced apart from the substrate W, the supply unit 40 supplies the cleaning liquid Lw to the processing surface of the substrate W to clean the processing surface.

[0073] Therefore, when the substrate W is cleaned with the cleaning liquid Lw, the plate 50 can be separated from the substrate W, so that it is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid Lw from adhering to the facing surface 51 and causing the temperature of the plate 50 to drop.

[0074] (3) The cleaning unit 90 cleans the facing surface 51 between the rotating body 10, on which the holder 30 holds the substrate W, and the plate 50. In this way, the position of the plate 50 is the same cleaning position in the horizontal direction as the processing position for processing the substrate W, and the facing surface 51 of the plate 50 is cleaned. Therefore, there is no need to provide a space for cleaning the plate 50 separate from the processing position for processing the substrate W, and there is no need to transport the plate 50 to the cleaning space and clean it.

[0075] (4) The moving mechanism 95 moves the liquid supply unit 92 along the facing surface 51, and the wiping units 93 are provided at the front and rear of the liquid supply unit 92 in the direction of movement of the moving mechanism 95. Therefore, regardless of the direction of reciprocal movement, the wiping unit 93 can wipe off and remove the cleaning liquid Lp together with the processing liquid Le immediately after the cleaning liquid Lp is supplied by the liquid supply unit 92. In this way, by being able to remove the cleaning liquid Lp immediately after supplying it, the time that the cleaning liquid Lp is in contact with the facing surface 51 can be shortened, and a decrease in temperature of the heating unit 60 can be prevented. Furthermore, when the cleaning liquid Lp is evaporated and dried, a temperature decrease occurs due to the heat of evaporation, but by wiping off the adhering cleaning liquid Lp, the temperature decrease can be suppressed.

[0076] (5) The wiping portion 93 extends in a direction parallel to the facing surface 51 and has a length equal to or greater than the entire length of the facing surface 51. Therefore, by moving the wiping portion 93 along the facing surface 51, the processing liquid Le and the cleaning liquid Lp can be wiped off from the entire facing surface 51.

[0077] (6) The movement mechanism 95 swings the wiping unit 93 in a direction parallel to the opposing surface 51. Therefore, the wiping unit 93 can be swung around one end of the wiping unit 93 as a fulcrum, which simplifies the configuration of the drive unit and saves space.

[0078] (7) The wiping portion 93 has a contact portion 93a that deforms to conform to the opposing surface 51 and contacts it. Therefore, even if either or both of the opposing surface 51 and the cleaning portion 90 are slightly tilted or distorted and are not completely parallel, the contact portion 93a contacts the opposing surface 51 and conforms to the opposing surface 51, thereby reducing leakage of the processing liquid Le and the cleaning liquid Lp when wiping them.

[0079] (8) The contact portion 93a is mesh-shaped, and therefore the processing liquid Le and the cleaning liquid Lp can be captured by the openings and gaps of the mesh, thereby reducing leakage during wiping.

[0080] (9) The cleaning liquid Lp is received by the liquid supply unit 92 and the wiping unit 93, and the liquid receiving unit 94 prevents the cleaning liquid Lp from falling onto the substrate W. This further reduces the possibility of the cleaning liquid Lp falling, and prevents the generation of particles due to the cleaning liquid Lp adhering to the substrate W.

[0081] (10) The opposing surface 51 of the plate 50 is provided with a detection unit 70 that detects the temperature of the opposing surface 51, and a control unit 100 that controls the heating unit 60 in accordance with the temperature detected by the detection unit 70.

[0082] If the cleaning liquid Lp remains at the detection unit 70, the temperature at that location will drop, but will deviate from the temperature of the opposing surface 51 to which the cleaning liquid Lp is not attached. As a result, even though the entire opposing surface 51 remains at a high temperature, the temperature detected by the detection unit 70 will drop, and the heating control unit 120 of the control unit 100 will attempt to further increase the output of the heater 61. This will result in an excessive temperature rise in the plate 50. In this embodiment, the remaining cleaning liquid Lp can be prevented, thereby minimizing the difference between the temperature detected by the detection unit 70 and the temperature of the plate 50. This allows for more accurate temperature control of the heater 61, stabilizing the processing rate of the next substrate W to be processed after the plate 50 has been cleaned.

[0083] [Variations] (1) When the moving mechanism 95 moves the liquid supply unit 92 along the opposing surface 51, the wiping unit 93 may be provided behind the liquid supply unit 92 in the direction of movement by the moving mechanism 95. For example, of the pair of wiping units 93 in the above embodiment, the wiping unit 93 in front of the liquid supply unit 92 in the direction of movement may be omitted. In this case, the wiping unit 93 can be moved from one outer peripheral edge of the opposing surface 51 to the other outer peripheral edge, then temporarily removed from the opposing surface 51 and returned to the one outer peripheral edge, and then the wiping unit 93 can be brought into contact with the opposing surface 51 again and moved from one outer peripheral edge to the other outer peripheral edge, thereby enabling repeated wiping.

[0084] It should be noted that the wiping by the wiping unit 93 in the above-described embodiment and modified examples may involve only one reciprocating motion (two wipings) per processing of one substrate W, or only one wiping in one direction without reciprocating motion. That is, for example, the Nth substrate may be swung clockwise for processing, and the N+1th substrate may be swung counterclockwise for processing, so that wiping is performed once for each processing of one substrate W. Furthermore, rather than completing wiping in one reciprocating motion (= two times), wiping may be performed an odd number of times, such as three times.

[0085] Furthermore, even when wiping units 93 are provided both in front and behind the liquid supply unit 92 as in the above embodiment, wiping may be performed in one direction rather than back and forth. In this way, the rear wiping unit 93 always comes into contact with the facing surface 51 after receiving the supply of cleaning liquid Lp. Since the cleaning operation can be completed by wiping using the rear wiping unit 93 in this way, it is possible to prevent the treatment liquid from re-adhering to the facing surface 51 from the wiping unit 93.

[0086] (2) In the above embodiment, the liquid supply unit 92 is illustrated as being arranged to move together with the wiping unit 93, but this is not limited to this. The liquid supply unit 92 may be arranged to be movable separately from the wiping unit 93. For example, the liquid supply unit 92 may be arranged outside the opposing surface 51 of the plate 50 in a plan view, and may be configured so that the liquid supply unit 92 discharges the cleaning liquid Lp further forward than the wiping unit 93 in the direction of movement of the wiping unit 93.

[0087] (3) In the above embodiment, the wiping unit 93 wipes the facing surface 51 of the plate 50 after the supply of the processing liquid Le and before the supply of the cleaning liquid Lw. However, the timing of wiping the facing surface 51 by the wiping unit 93 is not limited to this. The wiping unit 93 may wipe the facing surface 51 at any time after the supply of the processing liquid Lp and before the next substrate W is loaded.

[0088] (4) The wiping action of wiping portion 93 does not have to be a swinging motion. For example, both ends of liquid receiving portion 94 may be supported, and the liquid receiving portion may be moved from one outer peripheral edge of opposing surface 51 to the other outer peripheral edge by a moving mechanism that moves the liquid receiving portion 94 linearly parallel to opposing surface 51.

[0089] (5) A plurality of cleaning units 90 may be installed. For example, the entire opposing surface 51 may be cleaned by a plurality of cleaning units 90 that oscillate around different axes. In this case, the wiping unit 93 does not need to be long enough to contact the entire length of the opposing surface 51, as long as the plurality of wiping units 93 can wipe the entire opposing surface 51.

[0090] (6) The heating section 60 may have a structure in which each heater 61 includes a heat equalizer plate. Alternatively, the heating section 60 may use light from a halogen lamp, an LED, or the like to heat the substrate W or the processing liquid Le. The number of heaters 61 and the number of detectors 70 in the heating section 60 are not limited to the above embodiment, and may be one, two, or four or more. In the above embodiment, a detector 70 was provided for each of the multiple heating sections 60, so that the area where the temperature was detected matched with the area to be heated. However, the number of heating sections 60 and the number of detectors 70 do not necessarily have to correspond to each other.

[0091] (7) The processing of the substrate processing apparatus 1 is not limited to the above-mentioned examples, as long as the temperatures of the processing liquid Le and the substrate W affect the processing rate. The substrate W and film to be processed are not limited to those exemplified above.

[0092] [Other embodiments] Although the embodiments of the present invention and modifications of each part have been described above, these embodiments and modifications of each part are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments described above can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 1. Substrate processing equipment 10 Rotating Body 11 tables 12 cups 12a Drainage port 20 Rotation mechanism 21 Power Source 30 Holding part 31 Retaining pin 40 Supply section 41a Liquid tank 41b Supply pipe 41c valve 41d flow meter 41e Valve 50 plates 50a outlet 50b flange 51 Opposite surface 60 Heating section 61 Heater 70 Detector 80 Drive unit 81 Support part 82 Arm 83 Advancement / retraction mechanism 90 Cleaning section 91 Support 91a Backup Department 92 Liquid supply section 92a Supply port 92b Branch piping 92c valve 93 Wiping section 93a Contact part 93b Cover part 94 Liquid receiving part 94a Discharge section 95 Moving mechanism 95a Arm 95b Swinging part 100 control section 110 Mechanism control unit 120 Heating control unit 411 Processing liquid supply unit 412 Cleaning liquid supply unit

Claims

1. A rotator that rotates a substrate held by a holding unit, A processing liquid supply unit that supplies a processing liquid to a surface to be processed of the substrate, A plate provided at a position facing the surface to be processed, A heating unit provided on the plate for heating the processing liquid supplied to the surface to be processed of the substrate, A cleaning unit that cleans a facing surface of the plate facing the surface to be processed, and has: The cleaning unit includes: A liquid supply unit that supplies a cleaning liquid to the facing surface, A wiping unit that wipes off the cleaning liquid supplied by the liquid supply unit in contact with the facing surface, A moving mechanism that moves the wiping unit along the facing surface, A substrate processing apparatus, characterized by comprising the above.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a driving unit that moves the plate forward and backward with respect to the substrate.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning unit cleans the facing surface between the rotator on which the holding unit holds the substrate and the plate.

4. The moving mechanism moves the liquid supply unit along the facing surface, The wiping unit is provided before and after the liquid supply unit with the liquid supply unit interposed therebetween in the moving direction by the moving mechanism. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that

5. The moving mechanism moves the liquid supply unit along the facing surface, The wiping unit is provided behind the liquid supply unit in the moving direction by the moving mechanism. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that

6. The wiping unit extends in a direction parallel to the facing surface and has a length equal to or greater than the entire length of the facing surface. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving mechanism swings the wiping unit in a direction parallel to the facing surface.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wiping unit has a contact portion that deforms and contacts following the facing surface.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the contact portion is mesh-shaped.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a liquid receiving portion that receives the cleaning liquid from the liquid supply portion and the wiping unit and blocks the falling of the cleaning liquid onto the substrate.

11. A detection portion for detecting the temperature of the facing surface is provided on the facing surface of the plate, a control portion for controlling the heating portion according to the temperature detected by the detection portion, The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by comprising the above.

12. A rotating body rotates a substrate held by a holding portion, a processing liquid supply portion supplies a processing liquid to the surface to be processed of the substrate to process the surface to be processed, a heating portion provided on a plate facing the surface to be processed of the substrate heats the processing liquid, a wiping unit contacts a facing surface facing the surface to be processed of the plate, a liquid supply portion supplies a cleaning liquid to the facing surface, and a moving mechanism moves the wiping unit along the facing surface to wipe the cleaning liquid. This is a characteristic of the substrate processing method.

Images