Substrate processing method and substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

To suppress a scratch of a substrate surface at polishing process time.SOLUTION: A substrate processing method comprises: a step of forming a protection film on a periphery of a substrate, including applying a liquid protection film material on the periphery of the substrate and curing of the applied protection film material, the step of forming the protection film on the periphery including a bevel part of the substrate before a step of polishing the substrate; and the step of polishing the substrate in which the protection film is formed on the periphery.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] As described in Japanese Patent No. 3949941 (Patent Document 1), in a semiconductor manufacturing process, the outer periphery (edge ​​and bevel) of a substrate (e.g., a wafer) may be eroded during etching. This may cause damage to the outer periphery of the substrate during substrate transportation or substrate processing. In addition, particles may be trapped in the eroded portion, which may adversely affect the substrate processing in the subsequent steps, resulting in a decrease in yield.

[0003] On the other hand, in the film formation process, it is known that in film formation such as plasma CVD commonly used in semiconductor manufacturing processes, uneven and unnecessary films are formed on the outer periphery (edge ​​and bevel) of the substrate, which may adversely affect the substrate process in subsequent steps and, as a result, cause a decrease in yield. In such a manufacturing process, even if a protective film such as that described in Japanese Patent No. 5982383 (Patent Document 2) and Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-021931 (Patent Document 3) is formed, an uneven and unnecessary film is formed on the protective film on the outer periphery of the substrate. Therefore, it is necessary to remove such uneven and unnecessary films. For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-305201 (Patent Document 4) describes a method in which only the evaporated film on the semiconductor element portion (device formation region) is covered with a resist and the evaporated film on the outer periphery of the substrate is removed by wet etching. Furthermore, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2007-281191 (Patent Document 5) describes a method in which, since conventional wet etching methods are insufficient, a sacrificial film is lifted off to remove only the metal film on the outer periphery of the substrate.

[0004] The methods described in Patent Documents 4 and 5 have the disadvantage that in a manufacturing process using various conductive films, non-conductive films, resin films, etc., such as a semiconductor manufacturing process, multiple chemical solutions must be prepared and used according to the type of film to be removed. In addition, the removal process is complicated. In addition, when removing unnecessary films, the protective film on the outer periphery of the substrate may be damaged, or the shape of the protective film may change, causing a change in the shape of the substrate.

[0005] It is considered effective to physically polish and remove the eroded areas on the outer periphery of the substrate or the unnecessary film on the protective film using the polishing method of Patent Document 1, but this method causes the shape and outer diameter of the outer periphery (edge ​​and bevel) of the substrate to continue to change throughout the semiconductor manufacturing process. This may lead to errors during substrate transportation due to changes in the outer diameter of the substrate, for example. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3949941 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5982383 [Patent Document 3] JP 2020-021931 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2002-305201 A [Patent Document 5] JP 2007-281191 A [Patent Document 6] JP 2015-188955 A [Patent Document 7] JP 2009-050943 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Such erosion on the outer periphery (edge ​​and bevel) of the substrate and incomplete and unnecessary film adhesion also cause inconvenience in the substrate polishing process. A retainer ring is used in the top ring of a substrate polishing device, one of the purposes of which is to prevent the substrate from falling off during polishing. According to JP 2015-188955 A (Patent Document 6), it is also described that during top ring stabilization (an operation to stabilize the pressure of the air bag (pressure chamber) of the top ring by adding a polishing step before starting the actual process polishing), the substrate comes into contact with the inner wall surface of the retainer ring, causing chipping (chipping), and the chipped fragments cause scratches on the substrate surface. As a solution to this problem, a method of detecting foreign matter on the inner surface of the retainer ring has been proposed, but since it is not possible to detect it during polishing, scratches cannot be completely prevented.

[0008] Also, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2009-050943 (Patent Document 7) describes that when the outer edge of the substrate comes into contact with the retainer ring, and the retainer ring is usually made of engineering plastic material, the retainer ring wears and chipped pieces cause micro-scratches on the substrate surface. As a solution to this problem, it has been proposed to provide a chamfered portion on the retainer ring, but this does not prevent wear of the retainer ring, and therefore cannot completely prevent scratches.

[0009] In such a substrate polishing process, it is easy to imagine that erosion of the outer periphery of the substrate and incomplete and unnecessary film adhesion cause chipping of the substrate and incomplete film detachment, resulting in more scratches on the substrate surface. In addition, it is easy to imagine that the contact of sharpened parts caused by erosion of the substrate with the retaining ring accelerates wear of the retaining ring and is also likely to induce chipping (fragments), resulting in more scratches.

[0010] An object of the present invention is to solve at least some of the above problems. One object of the present invention is to suppress scratches on the substrate surface during the polishing process. Another object of the present invention is to suppress wear of a retainer ring that holds the substrate during the polishing process. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate processing method including: a step of forming a protective film on an outer periphery including a bevel portion of the substrate prior to a step of polishing the substrate, the step including applying a liquid protective film material to the outer periphery of the substrate and hardening the applied protective film material; and a step of polishing the substrate with the protective film formed on the outer periphery. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view showing an overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] 1A to 1C are explanatory diagrams illustrating the principle of protection of the outer periphery of a substrate according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a substrate held by a top ring of a polishing unit. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the outer periphery of the substrate on which a protective film is formed. [Diagram 5] 1 is a flowchart of a polishing process. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an application unit in a coating section according to one embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an application unit in a coating section according to one embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an application unit in a coating section according to one embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an application unit in a coating section according to one embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a nozzle in which fine tubes are arranged at a narrow pitch. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a nozzle in which fine tubes are arranged at a narrow pitch. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an application unit in a coating section according to one embodiment. [Figure 13]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an application unit in a coating section according to one embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the sponge in contact with the substrate and its surroundings. [Figure 15] 1 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a coating principle of a coating unit according to an embodiment. FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an application unit in a coating section according to one embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an application unit in a coating section according to one embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a curing unit. [Figure 19] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of an integrated coating / curing unit according to one embodiment. [Figure 20] 1 is a flowchart of a protective film forming process according to an embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a stripping unit according to one embodiment. [Figure 22] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a stripping unit according to one embodiment. [Diagram 23] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of an integrated coating / curing / peeling unit according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each of the following embodiments, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted. In addition, expressions such as "upper", "lower", "left", and "right" are used in this specification, but these indicate positions and directions on the paper surface of the exemplary drawings for convenience of explanation, and may differ in the actual arrangement when the device is used, etc. In addition, in this specification, "suppress / prevent" is used to mean "suppress or prevent".

[0014] (Overall configuration of substrate processing apparatus) FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment. In this embodiment, a wafer is taken as an example of a substrate to be processed, but the present invention can be applied to any substrate other than a wafer (glass substrate, printed wiring board, etc.). The substrate to be processed may be a substrate having a circular shape, a polygonal shape such as a square, or any other shape. The substrate is, for example, a wafer on which a semiconductor device, an optical element, an MEMS, etc. are formed. The substrate may also be a substrate on which other types of devices are formed. The substrate may be a silicon substrate (including a substrate made of silicon and a composite substrate such as an SOI substrate whose surface is silicon), a compound semiconductor substrate, or a substrate made of any other material.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 100 includes a substantially rectangular housing 1, and a load / unload section 2, a polishing section 3, a cleaning section 4, and a coating section 8 are provided inside the housing 1. The load / unload section 2, the polishing section 3, the cleaning section 4, and the coating section 8 are assembled independently and exhausted independently. The substrate processing apparatus 100 also includes a control device 5 that controls each device in the apparatus to control the substrate processing operation. The control device 5 includes a CPU, and the CPU is configured to be able to communicate with a storage device (volatile memory, non-volatile memory, etc.) inside or outside the control device. The storage device stores various programs, parameters, etc. related to the control of the substrate processing operation.

[0016] The load / unload section 2 includes two or more (four in this embodiment) front load sections 20 on which wafer cassettes for stocking a large number of wafers (substrates) are placed. These front load sections 20 are disposed adjacent to the housing 1 and are arranged along the width direction (direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction) of the substrate processing apparatus 100. The front load sections 20 are capable of mounting an open cassette, a Standard Manufacturing Interface (SMIF) pod, or a Front Opening Unified Pod (FOUP). Here, the SMIF and FOUP are airtight containers that can store wafer cassettes therein and maintain an environment independent of the external space by covering them with a partition wall.

[0017] In the load / unload section 2, a traveling mechanism (not shown) is installed along the arrangement of the front load section 20, and a movable member is mounted on the traveling mechanism along the arrangement direction of the wafer cassettes. A transfer robot (loader) 22 capable of rotating a substrate is installed on the front load section 20. The transfer robot 22 can access a wafer cassette mounted on the front load section 20 by moving on a traveling mechanism. The transfer robot 22 has two hands, one on the top and one on the bottom, and the upper hand is used to return a processed substrate to the wafer cassette, and the lower hand is used to remove an unprocessed substrate from the wafer cassette, so that the upper and lower hands can be used separately. Furthermore, the lower hand of the transfer robot 22 is configured to be able to rotate around its axis to invert the substrate.

[0018] Since the load / unload section 2 is the area that needs to be kept the cleanest, the inside of the load / unload section 2 is always maintained at a higher pressure than the outside of the substrate processing apparatus 100, the polishing section 3, the cleaning section 4, and the coating section 8. The polishing section 3 is the dirtiest area because it uses slurry as the polishing liquid. Therefore, a negative pressure is generated inside the polishing section 3, and the pressure is maintained lower than the internal pressure of the cleaning section 4. The load / unload section 2 is provided with a filter fan unit (not shown) having a clean air filter such as a HEPA filter, a ULPA filter, or a chemical filter, and this filter fan unit always blows out clean air from which particles, toxic vapors, and toxic gases have been removed.

[0019] The polishing section 3 is an area where polishing (planarization) of a substrate is performed, and includes polishing units 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D. Some or all of polishing units 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D are polishing units that perform the same or different types of polishing (planarization) processing.

[0020] 1, the polishing unit 3A includes a polishing table 30 to which a polishing pad 10 having a polishing surface is attached, and a top ring (substrate holding member) 31 attached to a top ring head 110 for holding a substrate W and polishing the substrate W while pressing it against the polishing pad 10 on the polishing table 30. The polishing unit 3A may also include a polishing liquid supply nozzle for supplying a polishing liquid or a dressing liquid (e.g., pure water such as DIW) to the polishing pad 10, a dresser for dressing the polishing surface of the polishing pad 10, and an atomizer for spraying a mixed fluid of a liquid (e.g., pure water such as DIW) and a gas (e.g., nitrogen gas) or a liquid (e.g., pure water such as DIW) in a mist form onto the polishing surface. The polishing units 3B, 3C, and 3D are also configured in a similar manner.

[0021] In the illustrated example, the cleaning section 4 includes a cleaning unit 41, a cleaning unit 42, a cleaning unit 43, a cleaning unit 44, and a drying unit 45. Some or all of the cleaning units 41, 42, 43, and 44 are units that perform the same or different types of cleaning treatment. The drying unit 45 is a unit that performs a drying treatment on the substrate W.

[0022] The coating unit 8 is a unit that forms a protective film 90 (see FIG. 2) on the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W before polishing the substrate, and includes a coating unit 81 (FIGS. 6 to 17, 19, 23), a curing unit 82 (FIGS. 18, 19, 23), and a peeling unit 83 (FIGS. 21 to 23), which will be described later. Some or all of the coating unit 81, the curing unit 82, and the peeling unit 83 may be provided as a single integrated unit, or each of the coating unit 81, the curing unit 82, and the peeling unit 83 may be provided as a separate unit. In other embodiments, some or all of the coating unit 81, the curing unit 82, and the peeling unit 83 may be provided as separate units outside the substrate processing apparatus 100.

[0023] The coating material (protective film material 91) of the protective film 90 is a hard material of the substrate W. A material having a hardness lower (softer) than that of the substrate W is used. The hardness of the protective film material 91 refers to the hardness of the protective film material 91 (protective film 90) when applied to the substrate in a liquid state (also referred to as liquid-like) (including gel-like) and then cured / dried. In other words, the hardness of the protective film 90 is made lower (softer) than that of the substrate W. In this way, wear and damage to the retainer ring that holds the substrate W can be suppressed or prevented. As the material of the protective film 90 / protective film material 91, for example, a resin (polyimide, water-soluble PVA, SOG (Spin on Glass) material or resist material commonly used in semiconductor manufacturing) can be used.

[0024] A linear transporter 6 is disposed adjacent to the polishing unit 3A and the polishing unit 3B. The linear transporter 6 is a mechanism for transporting the substrate W between a plurality of transport positions (three transport positions in the illustrated example) along the direction in which the polishing unit 3A and the polishing unit 3B are arranged. The linear transporter 6 receives the substrate W from the transport robot 22 and transports the substrate W between the plurality of transport positions. The substrate W is transferred between the linear transporter 6 and the polishing unit 3A and the polishing unit 3B. The top ring 31 of the polishing unit 3A receives the substrate W placed at a predetermined transport position of the linear transporter 6 by the swinging motion of the top ring head 110, moves it to a polishing position, and returns the substrate W after polishing to the same or a different transport position from the predetermined transport position of the linear transporter 6. The same applies to the transfer of the substrate W between the polishing unit 3B and the linear transporter 6.

[0025] A swing transporter 12 is disposed between the linear transporter 6, the linear transporter 7, the cleaning unit 4, and the coating unit 8. The swing transporter 12 has a hand that can move between the transport position of the linear transporter 6 and the transport position of the linear transporter 7, and the transfer of the substrate from the linear transporter 6 to the linear transporter 7 is performed by the swing transporter 12.

[0026] A linear transporter 7 is disposed adjacent to the polishing unit 3C and the polishing unit 3D. The linear transporter 7 is a mechanism for transporting the substrate W between a plurality of transport positions (three transport positions in the illustrated example) along the direction in which the polishing unit 3C and the polishing unit 3D are arranged. The linear transporter 7 receives the substrate W from the swing transporter 12 and transports the substrate W between the plurality of transport positions. The substrate W is transferred between the linear transporter 7 and the polishing unit 3C and the polishing unit 3D. The top ring 31 of the polishing unit 3C receives the substrate W placed at a predetermined transport position of the linear transporter 7 by the swing action of the top ring head 110, moves it to a polishing position, and returns the substrate W after polishing to the same or a different transport position from the predetermined transport position of the linear transporter 7. The same applies to the transfer of the substrate W between the polishing unit 3D and the linear transporter 6.

[0027] In this embodiment, the substrate W is carried into the coating section 8 from the transfer robot 22 of the load / unload section 2 via the linear transporter 6 and the swing transporter 12. In the coating section 8, a protective film material 91 is applied to the outer peripheral portion 200 of the substrate W and cured to form a protective film 90 prior to the polishing process of the substrate (FIGS. 4, 6, etc.). Thereafter, the substrate W with the protective film 90 formed on the outer peripheral portion 200 is transported to the polishing unit 3A and / or the polishing unit 3B via the swing transporter 12 and the linear transporter 6, and undergoes a polishing process. After the polishing process in the polishing unit 3A and / or the polishing unit 3B, the substrate W is transported again to the coating section 8 via the swing transporter 12, either via polishing in the polishing unit 3C and / or the polishing unit 3D, or without polishing in the polishing unit 3C and / or the polishing unit 3D. In the coating section 8, a process of peeling off the protective film 90 from the substrate W is performed. The substrate W from which the protective film 90 has been peeled off is sequentially subjected to cleaning processing in the cleaning units 41 to 44, dried in the drying unit 45, and then transported. It is then handed over to the robot 22 and returned to the cassette in the front loading section 20 .

[0028] The above-mentioned configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 100 is just an example, and other configurations may be adopted.

[0029] (Principle of protecting the outer periphery of the board) Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the principle of protection of the outer periphery of a substrate according to one embodiment. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a substrate held by a top ring 31 of a polishing unit. The top ring 31 includes a top ring body 31 in which a pressure chamber and the like are provided, and a retainer ring 32 which is an annular member disposed around the substrate W on the polishing pad 10 and surrounds the outer periphery of the substrate W to prevent the substrate W from jumping out. The retainer ring 32 is formed of a resin material such as engineering plastic (PEEK, PPS, etc.).

[0030] As shown in FIG. 2(a), the film 150 formed on the outer periphery 200 (edge, bevel) of the substrate W during the semiconductor manufacturing process is likely to be incomplete. For example, as shown in the figure, the film 150 on the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W may have a needle-like surface (a portion sharpened by erosion of the substrate). When such a substrate W is held by the top ring 31, the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W may come into contact with the retainer ring 32 (see FIG. 3) of the top ring 31, which may cause chipping, in which a part of the substrate W is chipped. Such chipping (fragments) of the substrate W may cause scratches on the substrate surface during polishing of the substrate W. In addition, the outer periphery of the substrate W may come into contact with the retainer ring 32, causing the retainer ring 32 to wear, and the chipped fragments may cause scratches on the substrate surface.

[0031] Therefore, in this embodiment, before the polishing process of the substrate W, a protective film 90 is formed on the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W, and the substrate W with the protective film 90 formed on the outer periphery 200 is held by the top ring 31. In this way, the protective film 90 serves as a buffer material, and chipping of the substrate W and wear of the retainer ring 32 that occur when the substrate W contacts the retainer ring 32 can be suppressed or prevented. In addition, by covering the incomplete film 150 on the outer periphery of the substrate with the protective film 90, peeling of the film 150 that occurs when the substrate W contacts the retainer ring 32 can be suppressed or prevented. In addition, by using the protective film 90 that is lower in hardness than silicon that is generally used as the material of the substrate W, wear and chipping of the retainer ring 32 can be suppressed or prevented. If the protective film 90 is peeled off and removed from the substrate W after the polishing process of the substrate W, it is possible to suppress or prevent the influence of the protective film 90 on the semiconductor manufacturing process performed on the substrate W thereafter.

[0032] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the outer peripheral portion 200 of the substrate on which the protective film 90 is formed. In this specification, as shown in FIG. 4, the outer peripheral portion 200 of the substrate W includes an edge portion 201 and a bevel portion 202. The bevel portion 202 is a chamfered side portion of the substrate W, and the edge portion 201 is a flat portion inside the bevel portion 202 in the outer peripheral portion 200 of the substrate W. In this embodiment, the region / range inside the outer peripheral portion 200 of the substrate W is referred to as a central portion 300. In this embodiment, the central portion 300 of the front surface of the front surface and the back surface of the substrate W (the upper surface and the lower surface in FIG. 4) is the device formation region. In other embodiments, the substrate W may have device formation regions on both the front surface and the back surface. The outer peripheral portion 200 can be defined as a region outside the device formation region. For example, when a device formation region exists on the front surface of the substrate W, the regions of the front and back surfaces of the substrate W corresponding to the device formation region can be the central portion 300, and the outside of the central portion 300 on the front and back surfaces of the substrate W can be the peripheral portion 200. In one example, the peripheral portion 200 of the substrate W has a width of more than 0 mm and not more than 10 mm from the outermost edge of the substrate W along the radial direction of the substrate W.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 4, the protective film 90 is formed on the peripheral portion 200 of the substrate W in the following locations: the edge portion 201 and the bevel portion 202 (FIG. 4(a)), only the bevel portion 202 (FIG. 4(b)), only the outermost edge surface (FIG. 4(c)), or only the bevel portion 202 on one surface (the polished surface side) (FIG. 4(d)). In addition to the illustrated example, the protective film 90 may be formed on any part of the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W. The protective film 90 may be formed on a portion of the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W that requires protection or that is sufficient to be protected, depending on the specifications of the apparatus and the substrate. From the viewpoint of protecting the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W, it is preferable that the protective film 90 is provided around the entire periphery of the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W.

[0034] (Overall flow of substrate processing) 5 is a flowchart of the substrate processing in the substrate processing apparatus 100. This processing is carried out by the control device 5.

[0035] In step S11, the substrate W is taken out of the wafer cassette, and is transported to the coating unit 8 along the transport path described above in the substrate processing apparatus 100, and inserted therein.

[0036] In step S12, a protective film material 91 is applied to the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W in the coating unit 8.

[0037] In step S13, in the coating unit 8, a hardening process is performed on the protective film material 91 to harden the protective film material 91, thereby forming the protective film 90 on the outer circumferential portion 200 of the substrate W. Note that the application of the protective film material 91 (S12) and the hardening process of the protective film material 91 (S13) may be repeatedly performed to stack the protective film materials 91 to form the protective film 90.

[0038] In step S14, the substrate W having the protective film 90 formed on the outer circumferential portion 200 is transported to the polishing unit 3A, 3B, 3C, and / or 3D, and polished while being held by the top ring 31.

[0039] In step S15, the substrate W is cleaned in the cleaning units 41 to 44, and dried in the drying unit 45 as necessary.

[0040] In step S16, a peeling process is performed on the substrate W in the coating unit 8, and the protective film 90 is peeled off from the substrate W. Note that the peeling process may be performed before the cleaning step (S15).

[0041] In step S17, the substrate W after the protective film has been peeled off is appropriately cleaned and dried, and then the substrate W is carried out.

[0042] (Coating section configuration) FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a coating unit 81 in the coating section 8 according to an embodiment. In the illustrated embodiment, the coating unit 81 includes a stage 210 on which the substrate W can be mounted and rotated, a nozzle 220A configured to spray a liquid protective film material 91, which is a material of the protective film 90, onto the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W, and a pump (not shown) for supplying the protective film material 91 to the nozzle 220A. In this specification, any nozzle for discharging the protective film material may be referred to as the nozzle 220, including the nozzle according to the following embodiments. The coating unit 81 may include a nozzle 240 for flowing clean air (air, nitrogen, etc.) above the substrate W so that the protective film material 91 does not scatter on the surface of the substrate W (inside the outer periphery 200). The nozzle 240 may be disposed, for example, above the center or near the center of the substrate W. In addition, the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W may include a duct 230 for sucking in the protective film material 91 that has not been applied to the substrate W and has scattered.

[0043] 7 is a cross-sectional view of a coating unit 81 in a coating section 8 according to another embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, in a state where the jet direction of the nozzle 220A faces the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W, Alternatively, the nozzle 220A may be configured to move in the vertical direction. In this way, it may be easier to form the protective film 90 uniformly along the shape of the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W. Note that a plurality of nozzles 220A may be provided in the coating unit 81. For example, the nozzles 220A may be provided at a plurality of positions (three positions in the illustrated example) in the vertical direction of the nozzle 220A illustrated in FIG. 7. The nozzles 220A may be provided in four or more positions.

[0044] 8 and 9 are cross-sectional views of the coating unit 81 in the coating section 8 according to an embodiment. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a nozzle in which fine tubes are arranged at a narrow pitch. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of a nozzle in which fine tubes are arranged at a narrow pitch. In an embodiment, the nozzle 220B may be a nozzle in which a plurality of fine tubes 252 are arranged at a narrow pitch, as shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11. For example, the nozzle 220B may be an inkjet nozzle. The width of the nozzle 220B shown in FIG. 10 is a width suitable for applying the protective film material 91 on the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the protective film material 91 is circulated between the nozzle 220B and a supply source 255 of the protective film material 91 via a supply line 256 and a return line 257, so that the liquid protective film material 91 is supplied to the plurality of fine tubes 252. The liquid protective film material 91 supplied to the plurality of fine tubes 252 is sprayed from the plurality of discharge ports 253 in a spraying manner similar to that of a general inkjet nozzle. The nozzle 220B is capable of varying the number and positions of the fine tubes 252 that spray the protective film material 91 under the control of the control device 5, thereby making it possible to adjust the application range of the protective film material 91 on the substrate W.

[0045] In the configuration of FIG. 8, the nozzle 220B is disposed diagonally above the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W, and the protective film material 91 is applied to the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W from a plurality of fine tubes 252 of the nozzle 220B while the substrate W is being rotated.

[0046] The protective film material 91 may be applied by moving the nozzle 220B. A plurality of nozzles 220B may be used. For example, as shown in FIG. 9(a), the nozzles 220B may be arranged above, to the side, and below the outer periphery of the substrate W, and the protective film material 91 may be applied to the outer periphery of the substrate W from these nozzles 220B. This configuration is suitable for forming a uniform protective film 91 on the entire outer periphery of the substrate. As shown in FIG. 9(b), the nozzles 220B may be arranged on the side of the substrate W, and the protective film material 91 may be applied to the outer periphery of the substrate W from these nozzles 220B. This configuration is suitable for applying the protective film material 91 only to a part or the entirety of the bevel portion 202 of the substrate W. As shown in FIG. 9(C), one nozzle 220B may be moved above, to the side, and below the outer periphery of the substrate W, and the protective film material 91 may be applied to the outer periphery of the substrate W from one nozzle 220B. In this configuration, the protective film material 91 can be applied to a wide area including the edge portion 201 of the substrate W with a small number of nozzles 220B. Also, as shown in FIG. 9(d), the nozzle 220B may be arranged above the substrate W, and the protective film material 91 may be discharged only from a part of the fine tubes 252 of the nozzle 220B. This configuration is suitable for applying the protective film material only to one side of the substrate W and to a narrow area (only the bevel portion in the figure). Also, as shown in FIG. 9(e), the nozzle 220B may be arranged diagonally above the outer side of the substrate W, and the protective film material 91 may be discharged only from a part of the fine tubes 252 of the nozzle 220B, and the protective film material 91 may be applied only to the bevel portion of the upper surface of the substrate W. This configuration is suitable for supplying the protective film material 91 of a more uniform thickness onto the substrate W (the bevel portion of the upper surface of the substrate W in the illustrated example) since the discharge direction of the nozzle 220B becomes nearly perpendicular to the curvature of the substrate bevel portion. 9(f), the protective film material 91 may be discharged from the side of the substrate W and only from some of the fine tubes 252 of the nozzle 220B toward the outermost edge surface of the substrate W. This configuration is suitable for applying the protective film material 91 to a narrow area only on the outermost edge surface of the substrate W.

[0047] 12 is a cross-sectional view of a coating unit 81 in a coating section 8 according to an embodiment. In the illustrated embodiment, a liquid protective film material 91 is ejected from the tip of a nozzle 220C by surface tension. The protective film material 91 is caused to protrude from the nozzle 220C, and the protruding protective film material 91 is brought into contact with the outer periphery 200 (e.g., bevel portion) of the substrate W. As shown in FIG. 12, the tip of the nozzle 220C from which the protective film material 91 protrudes is brought close to the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W (FIG. 12(a)), and the protective film material 91 at the tip of the nozzle 220C is brought into contact with the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W, and then the tip of the nozzle 220C is moved away from the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W, so that the protective film material 91 is interposed between the tip of the nozzle 220C and the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W. The protective film material 91 is supplied to the tip of the nozzle 220C while rotating the substrate W, and a protective film is formed around the entire circumference of the outer periphery 200 (e.g., bevel portion) of the substrate W. This configuration is suitable for controlling the film formation area in a minute area of ​​the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W. Furthermore, since only the protective film material 91 required for forming the protective film 90 is supplied from the nozzle 220C, the amount of protective film material 91 used can be reduced.

[0048] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the coating unit 81 in the coating section 8 according to an embodiment. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of an enlarged view of the porous member 260 in contact with the substrate W and its vicinity. In this embodiment, instead of the nozzle 220, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, a porous member 260 (e.g., a sponge) sufficiently saturated with a liquid protective film material 91 is held by a moving mechanism (not shown), and the porous member 260 is pressed against the outer peripheral portion 200 of the substrate W to apply the protective film material 91 to the outer peripheral portion 200 of the substrate W. The application range of the protective film material 91 can be controlled by the degree to which the porous member 260 is pressed against the outer peripheral portion 200 of the substrate W. The porous member 260 can be pressed, for example, in the direction indicated by the arrow 261 in FIG. 13. The moving mechanism can employ, for example, a configuration similar to that of the air cylinder 471 illustrated in FIG. 23. When the porous member 260 is pressed against the outer peripheral portion 200 of the substrate W, the substrate W is rotated by rotating the stage 210 in the same manner as described above. The protective film material 91 may be supplied to the porous member 260 while the porous member 260 is pressed against the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W. The porous member 260 may be, for example, a PVA sponge.

[0049] According to this configuration, by applying the protective film material 91 by bringing the porous member 260 into contact with the substrate W, it is possible to accurately control a minute film formation region / area, which is suitable for controlling the film formation range in a minute area of ​​the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W. In addition, since it is only necessary to supply the liquid (protective film material 91) necessary for forming the protective film from the porous member 260, the amount of protective film material 91 used can be reduced.

[0050] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the coating principle of the coating unit according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 15, the liquid protective film material 91 inside the porous member 260 may be exposed to the surface of the porous member 260 by pressing the porous member 260 into which the liquid protective film material 91 has been sufficiently soaked with the pressing member 270. Here, exposing the liquid protective film material 91 to the surface of the porous member 260 means forming droplets or a liquid layer of the protective film material 91 on the surface of the porous member 260 to such an extent that the surface of the porous member 260 does not directly contact the substrate W. The liquid (protective film material 91) exposed on the surface of the porous member 260 is brought into contact with the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W (the outermost edge surface in the illustrated example), and the substrate W is rotated, whereby the protective film material 91 is applied to the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W to form the protective film 90. Note that the moving mechanism for moving the porous member 260 toward and away from the substrate W may adopt a configuration similar to that of the air cylinder 471 illustrated in FIG. 23, for example.

[0051] According to this configuration, the protective film material 91 exposed on the surface of the porous member 260 is brought into contact with the substrate W to apply the protective film material 91, thereby enabling precise control of a minute film formation region / area. Only the protective film material 91 (liquid) required for forming the protective film needs to be supplied from the porous member 260, making it possible to reduce the amount of protective film material 91 used. In addition, since the porous member 260 and the substrate W do not come into contact (non-contact), dust generation from the substrate W and / or the porous member 260 can be suppressed or prevented.

[0052] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the coating unit 81 in the coating section 8 according to an embodiment. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 16, the porous member 260 is accommodated inside the cylinder 271, more specifically, on the front side of the internal space of the cylinder 271. A pressing member 270 having an opening 270A in the center is arranged on the front end surface of the cylinder 271. The pressing member 270 presses the porous member 260 by pressing the porous member 260 against the pressing member 270. A protective film material 91 is accommodated in the space behind the porous member 260 in the cylinder 271. The liquid protective film material 91, which is pumped by a pump (not shown), is supplied to the space behind the porous member 260 in the cylinder 271 through the supply port 272 of the cylinder 271. As a result, the protective film material 91 is supplied to the porous member 260, and the porous member 260 is pressurized forward by the protective film material 91 and pressed against the pressing member 270. By pressurizing the porous member 260, the liquid protective film material 91 soaked into the porous member 260 is exposed from the opening 270A. The protective film material 91 exposed on the surface of the porous member 260 is brought into contact with the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W, and the substrate W is rotated, whereby the protective film material 91 is applied to the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W to form a protective film 90. Note that the moving mechanism for moving the porous member 260 (cylinder 271) toward and away from the substrate W can employ, for example, a configuration similar to that of an air cylinder 471 illustrated in FIG. 23.

[0053] According to this configuration, the protective film material 91 in liquid form behind the porous member 260 is supplied to the porous member 260, and the porous member 260 can be pressed against the pressing member 270 to apply pressure. Therefore, with a simple configuration, the above-mentioned effects regarding the configuration of FIG. 15 can be achieved.

[0054] Fig. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the coating unit 81 in the coating section 8 according to one embodiment. In the configuration of Fig. 17, instead of pumping the protective film material 91 to the rear of the porous member 260, the protective film material 91 accommodated behind the porous member 260 is pressurized forward by a piston 273. The protective film material 91 is supplied from a supply port (not shown) to the space in the cylinder 271 that accommodates the protective film material 91 behind the porous member 260 (indicated by arrow C in Fig. 18).

[0055] 17, a piston rod 274 of a piston 273 is connected to a motor M via a ball screw 275, and a rotational motion output from the motor M is converted into a linear motion by the ball screw 275, so that the piston 273 reciprocates in the front-rear direction. The protective film material 91 is pressurized by the piston 273, so that the protective film material 91 is supplied to the porous member 260, and the porous member 260 is pressurized forward by the protective film material 91 and pressed against the pressing member 270. The porous member 260 is pressurized, so that the liquid protective film material 91 that has soaked into the porous member 260 is exposed from the opening 270A. The protective film material 91 exposed on the surface of the porous member 260 is brought into contact with the outer peripheral portion 200 of the substrate W, and the substrate W is rotated, so that the protective film material 91 is applied to the outer peripheral portion 200 of the substrate W to form a protective film 90. The moving mechanism for moving the porous member 260 (cylinder 271) toward and away from the substrate W may have a configuration similar to that of the air cylinder 471 shown in FIG.

[0056] This configuration can achieve the effects described above with respect to the configuration of Fig. 15. In addition, by controlling the feed rate of the ball screw 275, the amount of protective film material applied to the substrate W can be controlled, so that the thickness of the protective film material can be controlled with high precision.

[0057] FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of the curing unit 82 in the coating section 8. In order to cure the liquid protective film material 91 after it has been applied to the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W, a method of heating the protective film material 91 to vaporize the solvent contained therein is used. The illustrated curing unit 82 comprises a heater chamber 310, a heater source 320 provided in the heater chamber 310, and a heater power supply 340 for supplying power to the heater source 320. The heater source 320 is formed of, for example, an electric heating wire. The heater chamber 310 is provided with a shutter that is opened and closed when the substrate W is inserted and removed. In the case where the coating unit 81 and the curing unit 82 are separate units, after the protective film material 91 is applied to the substrate W in the coating section 8, the substrate W is transported to the curing unit 82 to cure the protective film material 91. After the protective film material 91 is cured, the substrate W is taken out of the curing unit 82 and is polished in the polishing units 3A, 3B, 3C, and / or 3D.

[0058] The curing unit 82 is not limited to the above configuration, and may include a dryer that supplies heated or unheated dry air, a light source that outputs light for photocuring the protective film material, or a laser that outputs laser light for curing the protective film material. The curing unit 82 may be a combination of two or more of the above types of curing units.

[0059] FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a coating / curing integrated unit 8A according to an embodiment. This coating / curing integrated unit 8A includes a stage 210 (not shown in FIG. 19) on which a substrate W can be mounted and rotated, a camera 280 that photographs the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W, a nozzle 220, a curing mechanism 350, and a film thickness measuring device 290. The camera 280 photographs the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W. The nozzle 220 is an example of a coater, and may be any of the nozzles 220A, 220B, and 220C described above. In FIG. 19, the nozzle 220B is illustrated. Also, instead of the nozzle 200, the protective film material 91 may be applied by a porous member 260. The curing mechanism 350 is a mechanism for drying and / or curing the protective film material 91, and may include a heater for heating the protective film material 91, a dryer for supplying heated or unheated dry air, a light source for outputting light for photo-curing the protective film material, and / or a laser for outputting laser light for curing the protective film material. The film thickness measuring device 290 is, for example, an optical type sensor for measuring the film thickness of the protective film material 91 (protective film 90) on the substrate W based on reflected light from the substrate W. The film thickness measuring device 290 may be any sensor capable of measuring the film thickness of the protective film material 91 (protective film 90), and may be an ultrasonic sensor or any other type of sensor.

[0060] In the illustrated embodiment, the protective film material 91 is applied to the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W while rotating the substrate W multiple times to achieve a predetermined coating amount (coating film thickness). Prior to coating the protective film material 91, the outer edge of the substrate is measured by the camera 280 while rotating the substrate W. Then, based on the measurement result, the ejection position of the fine tube 252 of the nozzle 220B is calculated so as to be within a predetermined coating range (set by the distance from the outer edge of the substrate W), and is stored in the program of the control device 5. By doing so, even if the center of the substrate W and the center of rotation of the stage 210 do not coincide, the protective film material 91 can be applied at a constant distance (within a desired range) from the outer edge of the substrate W. After calculating the ejection position of the fine tube 252 of the nozzle 220B, the protective film material 91 is ejected from the fine tube 252 at the position stored in the program while rotating the substrate W.

[0061] In addition to measuring the outer edge of the substrate W before coating, the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W (the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W including the protective film material 91) may be measured in real time while spraying the protective film material 91 from the nozzle 220, and the spraying position of the fine tube 252 of the nozzle 220B may be feedback-controlled.

[0062] Note that the injection can be controlled in the same manner as described above for other types of nozzles 220A. For the nozzle 220C and the porous member 260, the movement positions of the nozzle 220C and the porous member 260 relative to the substrate outer peripheral portion 200 may be controlled based on the measurement results of the outer edge of the substrate.

[0063] The protective film material 91 is cured (dried) by heating, hot air, light, and / or laser. The protective film material 91 may be either a light curing type or a heat curing type. The appropriate curing method is used for each.

[0064] Furthermore, a film thickness measuring device 290 is used to measure the film thickness of the applied protective film material 91. The measured film thickness may be used to detect the end point of application of the protective film material.

[0065] 20 is a flowchart of a protective film forming process according to an embodiment of the present invention. This process is performed by the control device 5.

[0066] In step S21, the entire outer edge of the substrate W is measured.

[0067] In step S22, the ejection positions of the nozzle 220B at each outer edge position in the circumferential direction of the substrate W are set and stored in the program of the control device 5.

[0068] In step S23, the liquid protective film material 91 is sprayed onto the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W from the nozzle 220B.

[0069] In step S24, the curing mechanism 350 cures the protective film material 91 on the substrate.

[0070] In step S25, the film thickness of the protective film material 91 on the substrate W is measured by the film thickness measuring device 290. The processes of steps S23 to S25 are repeated, and when the film thickness of the protective film material 91 measured by the film thickness measuring device 290 reaches the set film thickness value, the protective film formation process is terminated.

[0071] FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view of a peeling unit 83 in a coating section 8 according to an embodiment. After the substrate is polished, the substrate W is transported to the peeling unit 83, where the protective film 90 is peeled off. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 21, a porous member 460 sufficiently soaked in a peeling liquid is pressed against the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W to peel off the protective film 90. The porous member 460 may be, for example, a PVA sponge. The peeling liquid used is one that is suitable for the protective film 90 (protective film material 91). When a water-soluble protective film material 91 is used, pure water is used as the peeling agent.

[0072] FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view of a peeling unit 83 in the coating section 8 according to another embodiment. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 22, a peeling liquid is discharged from a nozzle 420 to peel off the protective film 90. A peeling liquid suitable for the protective film 90 (protective film material 91) is used as the peeling liquid. When a water-soluble protective film material 91 is used, pure water is used as the peeling agent. The peeling liquid may be discharged from the nozzle 420 while moving the nozzle 420. For example, as shown in FIG. 22, the peeling liquid can be sprayed from the nozzle 420 to the outer peripheral portion 20 of the substrate W while moving the nozzle 91 up and down. Also, the peeling liquid may be sprayed from a plurality of nozzles 420 to the outer peripheral portion 200 of the substrate W. For example, the nozzles 420 may be provided at three positions as illustrated in FIG. 22. Also, the nozzles 420 may be provided at four or more positions. The protective film 90 may be peeled off either immediately after polishing or after the substrate is cleaned after polishing. Also, the substrate may be cleaned after the protective film 90 is peeled off.

[0073] When a water-soluble material (e.g., water-soluble resin) is used as the protective film material 91, the protective film 90 may be peeled off by cleaning the substrate in a cleaning unit instead of providing the peeling unit 83. The polishing liquid (slurry) used for polishing in the polishing unit contains moisture, and therefore the moisture in the polishing liquid also contributes to the peeling of the protective film 90 during polishing. Therefore, if the thickness of the protective film 90 is set so that the protective film 90 remains at the end of polishing and the peeling of the protective film 90 is completed at the end of cleaning, the peeling of the protective film 90 can be completed during cleaning without providing a separate peeling unit or peeling step. In this case, the peeling step (S16) in FIG. 5 can be omitted.

[0074] FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a coating / curing / peeling integrated unit 8B according to an embodiment. The coating / curing / peeling integrated unit 8B is configured by integrating a coating unit 81, a curing unit 82, and a peeling unit 83 into one unit. In the illustrated embodiment, a peeling mechanism 830 (corresponding to the peeling unit 83) is added to the configuration of the embodiment of FIG. 19. The peeling mechanism 830 includes a porous member 460 soaked with a stripping agent, and an air cylinder 471 having a piston rod 474 to which the porous member 460 is attached. The air cylinder 471 reciprocates the porous member 460 in the direction of the arrow AB to bring the porous member 460 into contact with and away from the substrate W. In the illustrated embodiment, when forming a protective film, a protective film 90 is formed on the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W as described above with reference to FIG. 19 and FIG. 20, with the porous member 460 soaked with the stripping agent being retracted from the substrate W. When the polished substrate is carried into the unit 8B, the porous member 460 is advanced by the air cylinder 471 and pressed against the outer circumferential portion 200 of the substrate W, and the protective film 90 is peeled off from the substrate W by the peeling liquid in the porous member 460. The peeling mechanism 830 may be configured similarly to the peeling mechanism of the peeling unit 83 shown in FIG. 22, or may be a peeling mechanism of any other configuration.

[0075] At least the following technical ideas can be understood from the above embodiment. [1] According to one embodiment, a substrate processing method is provided, which includes: forming a protective film on an outer periphery of the substrate, including a bevel portion, before polishing the substrate, the protective film including applying a liquid protective film material to the outer periphery of the substrate and curing the applied protective film material; and polishing the substrate with the protective film formed on the outer periphery. The curing of the protective film material includes drying by air flow, drying by heating, photocuring by light (laser or other light source), and / or natural drying. The outer periphery of the substrate includes an edge portion and a bevel portion. The protective film may be formed on all or part of the outer periphery of both sides or one side of the substrate. The part of the outer periphery of the substrate may be, for example, a part or all of the edge portion, a part or all of the bevel portion, or any other part of the outer periphery. The protective film is, for example, a protective film intended to prevent chipping by absorbing impact due to physical contact and to prevent the attached film from coming off.

[0076] According to this embodiment, since the protective film is coated on the outer periphery of the substrate before the polishing step, the protective film acts as a buffer material to suppress or prevent chipping of the substrate that occurs when the substrate comes into contact with the retaining ring, and to suppress or prevent scratches on the substrate surface caused by chipped pieces of the substrate or the retaining ring during the polishing step. Note that the protective film may be formed in a location on the outer periphery of the substrate where chipping upon contact with the retaining ring becomes a problem depending on the individual semiconductor manufacturing process, and the protective film may be formed on a part of the outer periphery of the substrate, or on the entire outer periphery of the substrate. Furthermore, since the protective film is formed by applying a liquid protective film material to the outer periphery of the substrate and then curing it, the protective film can be formed with high precision in a desired range on the outer periphery of the substrate. Furthermore, by covering the incomplete film on the outer periphery of the substrate with the protective film, peeling of the film from the substrate that occurs when the substrate comes into contact with the retainer ring can be suppressed or prevented. Furthermore, by using a protective film that is less hard than silicon, which is commonly used as a material for substrates, wear and damage to the retainer ring can be suppressed or prevented. Furthermore, by peeling the protective film off the substrate after the polishing step, it is possible to prevent the protective film from affecting the semiconductor manufacturing process that follows the polishing step.

[0077] [2] According to one embodiment, the protective film material is applied to the substrate by ejecting the protective film material from a nozzle onto the outer periphery of the substrate.

[0078] According to this aspect, a protective film can be formed on the outer periphery of the substrate by a simple method.

[0079] [3] According to one embodiment, the nozzle is a nozzle in which fine tubes are arranged at a narrow pitch. do.

[0080] According to this aspect, it is possible to vary the number and positions of the fine tubes that spray the protective film material, and this makes it possible to precisely adjust the application range of the protective film material on the outer periphery of the substrate.

[0081] [4] According to one embodiment, the process of forming the protective film includes a process of measuring an outer edge of the substrate, and a process of determining a discharge position of the protective film material from the nozzle relative to the substrate based on a result of the measurement.

[0082] According to this embodiment, the protective film can be formed on the outer periphery of the substrate with high accuracy according to the shape of the outer edge of the substrate. It is also possible to accommodate the shape of the outer edge of the substrate caused by individual differences in the substrate. Even if the center of the substrate and the center of rotation of the stage do not coincide with each other, the protective film material can be applied at a certain distance from the outer edge of the substrate (in a desired range).

[0083] [5] According to one embodiment, the process of forming the protective film includes a process of adjusting a discharge position of the protective film material from the nozzle on the substrate based on a result of the measurement while the protective film material is being discharged from the nozzle.

[0084] According to this aspect, by adjusting the discharge position from the nozzle on the substrate during application of the protective film, a protective film of a desired thickness can be formed with high accuracy on the outer periphery of the substrate.

[0085] [6] According to one embodiment, the protective film material in a liquid state is protruded from the tip of a nozzle by surface tension, and the protruding protective film material is brought into contact with the outer periphery of the substrate, thereby applying the protective film material to the substrate.

[0086] According to this embodiment, the protective film material is applied by contacting the protective film material at the tip of the nozzle with the outer periphery of the substrate, so that the film formation area can be controlled with high precision in a small area on the outer periphery of the substrate. Also, since only the protective film material required for forming the protective film is supplied from the nozzle, the amount of protective film material used can be reduced.

[0087] [7] According to one embodiment, the step of forming the protective film includes the steps of: measuring an outer edge of the substrate; and determining a position of the nozzle relative to the substrate based on a result of the measurement.

[0088] According to this aspect, the protective film can be formed with high accuracy on the outer periphery of the substrate in accordance with the shape of the outer edge of the substrate, and the shape of the outer edge of the substrate caused by individual differences in the substrate can be accommodated.

[0089] [8] According to one embodiment, the step of forming the protective film includes a step of adjusting a position of the nozzle with respect to the substrate based on a result of the measurement while applying the protective film material.

[0090] According to this aspect, by adjusting the position of the nozzle during application of the protective film, a protective film of a desired thickness can be formed with high accuracy on the outer periphery of the substrate.

[0091] [9] According to one embodiment, the protective film material is applied to the substrate by contacting a porous member impregnated with the protective film material in a liquid state with an outer periphery of the substrate.

[0092] According to this embodiment, the porous member (e.g., sponge) is brought into contact with the outer periphery of the substrate to form a protective film. Since the material is applied to the substrate, it is possible to precisely control the film formation area in a minute region on the periphery of the substrate. In addition, since only the liquid (protective film material) required for forming the protective film needs to be supplied from the porous member, the amount of protective film material used can be reduced.

[0093]

[10] According to one embodiment, a porous member impregnated with the protective film material in a liquid state is pressurized with a pressing member to expose the protective film material on a surface of the porous member, and the protective film material exposed on the surface of the porous member is brought into contact with the outer periphery of the substrate, thereby applying the protective film material to the substrate.

[0094] According to this embodiment, the protective film material on the surface of the porous member (e.g., sponge) is applied by contacting it with the outer periphery of the substrate, so that the protective film formation area can be controlled in a minute peripheral region of the substrate. Also, since only the liquid (protective film material) required for forming the protective film needs to be supplied from the porous member, the amount of protective film material used can be reduced. Also, since the porous member and the substrate do not come into direct contact with each other, dust generation from the substrate and / or the porous member can be suppressed or prevented.

[0095]

[11] According to one embodiment, the step of forming the protective film includes the steps of: measuring an outer edge of the substrate; and determining a position of the porous member based on a result of the measurement.

[0096] According to this aspect, the protective film can be formed with high accuracy on the outer periphery of the substrate in accordance with the shape of the outer edge of the substrate, and the shape of the outer edge of the substrate caused by individual differences in the substrate can be accommodated.

[0097]

[12] According to one embodiment, the step of forming the protective film includes a step of adjusting a position of the porous member based on a result of the measurement while the porous member is in contact with the substrate.

[0098] According to this aspect, by adjusting the position of the porous member during application of the protective film, a protective film of a desired thickness can be formed with high accuracy on the outer periphery of the substrate.

[0099]

[13] According to one embodiment, in the step of forming the protective film, the protective film material is repeatedly applied to the substrate and cured, so that the protective film material is laminated on the substrate to form the protective film.

[0100] According to this embodiment, since the protective film is formed by repeatedly applying and curing the protective film material, it is possible to form a protective film of a desired thickness with higher accuracy, and it is also possible to improve the reproducibility of forming a protective film of a certain quality.

[0101]

[14] According to one embodiment, a thickness of the protective film material on the substrate is measured during application of the protective film material, and application of the protective film material is controlled based on a result of the measurement. The control of coating includes the position, direction, and / or supply amount of the coater (nozzle, porous member). For example, the control of coating includes the position, direction, and / or supply amount of the nozzle (amount of protective film material discharged per unit time, total amount discharged). For example, the control of coating includes the position, direction, and / or supply amount of the porous member (amount of protective film material exposed to the surface of the porous member).

[0102] According to this aspect, application of the protective film material is controlled based on the measurement results of the thickness of the protective film, so that a protective film of a desired thickness can be formed with higher accuracy.

[0103]

[15] According to one embodiment, an end point of the application is detected based on a result of the measurement, The application is terminated.

[0104] According to this aspect, since the end point of the application of the protective film is detected based on the measurement result of the thickness of the protective film, it is possible to form a protective film of a desired thickness with higher accuracy.

[0105]

[16] According to one embodiment, the protective film is made of a material having a lower hardness than the substrate.

[0106] According to this aspect, by making the protective film softer and lower in hardness than the substrate, damage to the retainer ring can be suppressed or prevented while the retainer ring holds the substrate.

[0107]

[17] According to one embodiment, a resin is used as a material for the protective film.

[0108] According to this aspect, by using a resin as the material of the protective film, it is easy to select a material for the protective film that is lower in hardness than the material of the substrate.

[0109]

[18] According to one embodiment, the method further includes removing the protective film after polishing the substrate.

[0110] According to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the protective film from affecting the semiconductor manufacturing process after the polishing process.

[0111]

[19] According to one embodiment, a water-soluble resin is used as a material for the protective film.

[0112] According to this embodiment, the protective film can be peeled off easily and at low cost by peeling off the protective film with water. In addition, since a cleaning step for cleaning the substrate is usually performed after the polishing step, the protective film can be peeled off during the cleaning step, and there is no need to provide a separate peeling step.

[0113]

[20] According to one embodiment, the method further includes a step of cleaning the substrate after the step of polishing the substrate, and the thickness of the protective film at the completion of the step of forming the protective film is set to a thickness at which the protective film remains at the completion of the step of polishing the substrate and at which peeling of the protective film is completed at the completion of the step of cleaning the substrate.

[0114] According to this embodiment, a water-soluble resin is used for the protective film, and the protective film is peeled off by the moisture in the polishing liquid (e.g., a slurry) normally included in the polishing process and the water used in the cleaning process, so that the protective film can be peeled off without extending the cleaning time and without providing a separate peeling process.

[0115]

[21] According to one embodiment, the step of forming a protective film on the outer periphery of the substrate is performed in a polishing apparatus.

[0116] According to this embodiment, since the protective film is formed on the substrate near the polishing section, the transfer between the processing sections can be made more efficient, which is advantageous for improving throughput. In addition, since the protective film is formed and the substrate is polished inside the housing of the polishing apparatus, contamination of the substrate can be suppressed or prevented.

[0117]

[22] According to one embodiment, the insulating layer is formed on all or part of the outer periphery of one or both sides of the substrate.

[0118] According to this embodiment, the parts that need protection or the parts that need protection can be protected depending on the device and the substrate. By forming a protective film only where it is necessary, it may be possible to reduce the amount of protective film material used in some cases.

[0119]

[23] According to one embodiment, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus for forming a protective film on an outer periphery including a bevel portion of a substrate, the substrate processing apparatus comprising: an application unit having a nozzle or a porous member for applying a liquid protective film material to the outer periphery of the substrate to form a protective film before a step of polishing the substrate, and a polishing unit for polishing the substrate having the protective film formed on the outer periphery. For example, a sponge can be used as the porous member.

[0120] According to this embodiment, at least the effect and advantages described above in [1] are achieved.

[0121]

[24] According to one embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus is a polishing apparatus incorporating the coating unit and the polishing unit.

[0122] According to this embodiment, since the protective film is formed on the substrate near the polishing section, the transfer between the processing sections can be made more efficient, which is advantageous for improving throughput. In addition, since the protective film is formed and the substrate is polished inside the housing of the polishing apparatus, contamination of the substrate can be suppressed or prevented.

[0123]

[25] According to one embodiment, the application unit further has a cylinder that accommodates the porous member and the protective film material, and the protective film material in the cylinder is pressurized by the protective film material that is pumped into the cylinder by a piston or a pump, thereby pressurizing the porous member with the protective film material in the cylinder.

[0124] According to this embodiment, the amount of the protective film material exposed on the surface of the porous member can be easily and accurately controlled.

[0125] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above based on several examples, the above-mentioned embodiments of the present invention are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and do not limit the present invention. The present invention may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and the present invention naturally includes its equivalents. Furthermore, any combination or omission of each component described in the claims and specification is possible within the scope of solving at least a part of the above-mentioned problems or achieving at least a part of the effects. [Explanation of symbols]

[0126] 1. Housing 2 Load / unload section 3 Polishing section 3A~3D Polishing Unit 4. Cleaning section 8 Coating Department 10 Polishing Pad 31 Top Ring 32 Top ring body 33 Retainer ring 41~44 Cleaning unit 45 Drying Unit 8 Coating Department 8A Integrated coating and curing unit 8B Coating, curing and peeling integrated unit 81 Coating unit 82 Hardening Unit 83 Peeling Unit 90 Protective film 91 Protective film material 100 Substrate processing apparatus 200 Outer periphery 201 Edge section 202 Bevel 210 Stage 220 Nozzle 220A Nozzle 230 Duct 250 nozzle 260 Porous Materials 270 Pressing member 270A opening 271 Cylinder 272 Supply Inlet 273 Piston 274 Piston rod 275 Ball Screw 280 Camera 310 Heater Room 320 Heater Source 330 Shutter 340 Heater power supply 350 Curing mechanism 290 Film Thickness Measuring Instrument 300 central part 410 Stage 420 Nozzle 460 Porous Materials 471 Cylinder 474 Piston rod W substrate

Claims

1. a step of forming a protective film on an outer periphery of the substrate including a bevel portion, prior to a step of polishing the substrate, the step including applying a liquid protective film material to the outer periphery of the substrate and curing the applied protective film material; polishing the substrate having the protective film formed on the outer periphery; A substrate processing method comprising:

2. 2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, The method of processing a substrate further comprises applying the protective film material to an outer periphery of the substrate by discharging the protective film material from a nozzle.

3. 3. The substrate processing method according to claim 2, A substrate processing method, wherein a nozzle in which fine tubes are arranged at a narrow pitch is used as the nozzle.

4. 4. The substrate processing method according to claim 2, further comprising: The step of forming the protective film includes: measuring an outer edge of the substrate; determining a discharge position of the protective film material from the nozzle relative to the substrate based on a result of the measurement; A substrate processing method comprising:

5. 5. The substrate processing method according to claim 4, A substrate processing method, wherein the process of forming the protective film includes a process of adjusting a discharge position of the protective film material from the nozzle on the substrate based on a result of the measurement while the protective film material is being discharged from the nozzle.

6. 2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, A substrate processing method comprising: projecting the protective film material in a liquid state from the tip of a nozzle by surface tension; and applying the protective film material to the substrate by bringing the projected protective film material into contact with the outer periphery of the substrate.

7. 7. The substrate processing method according to claim 6, The step of forming the protective film includes: measuring an outer edge of the substrate; determining a position of the nozzle relative to the substrate based on results of the measurements; A substrate processing method comprising:

8. 8. The substrate processing method according to claim 7, The substrate processing method, wherein the step of forming the protective film includes a step of adjusting a position of the nozzle with respect to the substrate based on a result of the measurement while the protective film material is being applied.

9. 2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, A substrate processing method comprising: applying the protective film material to the substrate by bringing a porous member impregnated with the protective film material in a liquid state into contact with an outer periphery of the substrate.

10. 2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, a porous member impregnated with the protective film material in a liquid state is pressed by a pressing member to expose the protective film material on a surface of the porous member, and the protective film material exposed on the surface of the porous member is brought into contact with the outer periphery of the substrate, thereby applying the protective film material to the substrate. 。

11. 11. The substrate processing method according to claim 9, The step of forming the protective film includes: measuring an outer edge of the substrate; determining a position of the porous member based on a result of the measurement; A substrate processing method comprising:

12. 12. The substrate processing method according to claim 11, wherein the step of forming the protective film includes a step of adjusting the position of the porous member based on the result of the measurement while the porous member is in contact with the substrate.

13. 2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, In the step of forming the protective film, the protective film is formed by repeatedly applying and curing the protective film material to the substrate, thereby laminating the protective film material on the substrate.

14. 2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, A substrate processing method comprising: measuring a thickness of the protective film material on the substrate while the protective film material is being applied; and controlling the application of the protective film material based on a result of the measurement.

15. 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising: an end point of the coating is detected based on a result of the measurement, and the coating is terminated.

16. 2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, A substrate processing method, comprising using a material for the protective film that is lower in hardness than a material for the substrate.

17. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising: A substrate processing method, wherein a resin is used as a material for the protective film.

18. 2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, The substrate processing method further comprises the step of removing the protective film after the step of polishing the substrate.

19. 2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, A substrate processing method, wherein a water-soluble resin is used as a material for the protective film.

20. 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising: The method further comprises cleaning the substrate after polishing the substrate; A substrate processing method, comprising: a step of forming a protective film having a thickness such that the protective film remains when a step of polishing the substrate is completed, and a step of cleaning the substrate is completed, the protective film having a thickness such that the protective film is peeled off when a step of cleaning the substrate is completed.

21. 2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, The substrate processing method, wherein the step of forming a protective film on the outer periphery of the substrate is carried out in a polishing apparatus.

22. 2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, The substrate processing method, wherein the protective film is formed on all or part of the outer periphery of one or both sides of the substrate.

23. A substrate processing apparatus that forms a protective film on an outer periphery of a substrate, the outer periphery including a bevel portion, a coating unit having a nozzle or a porous member for coating a liquid protective film material on an outer periphery of the substrate to form a protective film before the step of polishing the substrate; a polishing unit configured to polish the substrate having the protective film formed on the outer periphery thereof; The substrate processing apparatus includes:

24. 24. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 23, The substrate processing apparatus is a polishing apparatus incorporating the coating unit and the polishing unit.

25. 25. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 23, The application unit includes: The method further includes a cylinder that contains the porous member and the protective film material, and the protective film material in the cylinder is pressurized by the protective film material that is pumped into the cylinder by a piston or a pump, thereby pressurizing the porous member with the protective film material in the cylinder. Substrate processing equipment.

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