Substrate processing system and decompression structure

Abstract

To provide a substrate processing system capable of supplying a gas-dissolved liquid having a supersaturated amount of dissolved gas without generating large bubbles in a middle of a supply line.SOLUTION: A substrate processing system SP includes a control device 30 configured to control an operation of a bubble generation device BG. The control device 30 is configured to control at least one of a pressure regulator PR and a boost pump BP so that a pressure GP of a gas supplied to a gas-dissolved liquid generation device MB is smaller than a pressure Lp of a liquid supplied to the gas-dissolved liquid generation device MB.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing system and a reduced pressure structure. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, with the miniaturization of semiconductor devices, various material films with different physical properties are formed on a substrate and then processed. In particular, in the damascene wiring formation process in which wiring grooves formed in a substrate are filled with metal, after the damascene wiring is formed, excess metal is polished away using a polishing device (CMP device).

[0003] After removing excess metal, films with different wettability to water, such as metal films, barrier films, and insulating films, are present on the substrate surface. Residues of the polishing fluid (slurry) used in CMP polishing and polishing debris adhere to the surfaces of such films. When the surface of a film has a complex shape that is difficult to clean, if it is not cleaned sufficiently, the adhesion may cause leaks or poor adhesion, which may lead to reliability problems. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-174081 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] One method for effectively cleaning the surface of a substrate is to supply a liquid containing bubbles to the surface of the substrate (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Such a liquid is produced by dissolving a gas in the liquid until the liquid becomes supersaturated.

[0006] However, due to pressure loss occurring in the supply line within the device, the pressure of the liquid drops, making it difficult to supply liquid with a supersaturated amount of dissolved gas. Because the amount of dissolved gas in the liquid is small, the amount of bubbles that affect the cleaning effect is small and the size of the bubbles is large. As a result, there is a risk that the surface of the substrate cannot be effectively cleaned.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing system capable of supplying a gas solution having a supersaturated amount of dissolved gas without generating large bubbles in the supply line.

[0008] A supply line for supplying a gas solution is easily charged. In particular, a pressure reducing structure that generates bubbles may be attached to the supply line. In this case, discharge is likely to occur in the narrow liquid flow path of the pressure reducing structure, and the discharge may damage the pressure reducing structure. As a result, particles may be generated due to fragments of the pressure reducing structure, and the efficiency of bubble generation may decrease.

[0009] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a pressure reducing structure capable of preventing damage caused by electric discharge. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In one aspect, a substrate processing system is provided, the system comprising: a substrate processing module for processing a substrate; a bubble generator for generating bubbles from a gas solution supplied to the substrate processing module; and a control device for controlling the operation of the bubble generator. The substrate processing module comprises a supply nozzle for supplying the gas solution, the bubble generator comprising a supply line connected to the supply nozzle, a boost pump for boosting the pressure of the liquid flowing through the supply line, a gas solution generator for dissolving gas in the liquid flowing through the supply line to a supersaturated state, a pressure regulator for adjusting the pressure of the gas supplied to the gas solution generator, and a pressure reducing structure for generating ultra-fine bubbles from the gas solution generated by the gas solution generator, the control device controlling at least one of the pressure regulator and the boost pump so that the pressure of the gas supplied to the gas solution generator is lower than the pressure of the liquid supplied to the gas solution generator.

[0011] In one aspect, the pressure reduction structure has a liquid inlet surface through which the gas-dissolved liquid flows in, a liquid outlet surface through which the gas-dissolved liquid flows out, and a liquid throttle surface disposed between the liquid inlet surface and the liquid outlet surface, and the cross-sectional areas of the liquid inlet surface and the liquid outlet surface are larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid throttle surface. In one embodiment, the pressure reducing structure is made of a grounded conductive resin. In one embodiment, the pressure reducing structure includes a pressure reducing membrane that reduces the pressure of the gas solution.

[0012] In one embodiment, the supply line has an upstream portion arranged upstream of the pressure reduction structure in the flow direction of the gas solution, and a downstream portion arranged downstream of the pressure reduction structure, and at least one of the upstream portion and the downstream portion is made of a grounded conductive resin. In one embodiment, when the pressure reduction structure is defined as a first pressure reduction structure, the bubble generating device is provided with a second pressure reduction structure that generates microbubbles from the gas solution generated by the gas solution generating device. In one embodiment, the supply line has a first bypass line and a second bypass line disposed therethrough, the first pressure reduction structure being connected to the first bypass line, and the second pressure reduction structure being connected to the second bypass line.

[0013] In one embodiment, when the supply nozzle is defined as a first supply nozzle, the substrate processing module includes the first supply nozzle and a second supply nozzle that supplies the gas solution, the supply line has a first branch line connected to the first supply nozzle and a second branch line connected to the second supply nozzle, the first pressure reduction structure is connected to the first branch line, and the second pressure reduction structure is connected to the second branch line.

[0014] In one aspect, there is provided a pressure reducing structure applicable to a bubble generating device for generating bubbles from a gas solution supplied to a substrate processing module, the pressure reducing structure having a main body connected to a supply line through which the gas solution flows, and a wall attached to the main body and having an opening, the wall being made of a grounded conductive resin.

[0015] In one embodiment, the main body is made of a conductive resin and is an integrally molded member with the wall. In one aspect, the opening is formed in a central portion of the wall. In one embodiment, the opening is formed at a connection portion of the wall portion with the body portion.

[0016] In one aspect, the wall has a protrusion formed in a central portion thereof, the protrusion extending parallel to the body portion. In one embodiment, the protrusion has a cylindrical shape. In one embodiment, the protrusion has a conical shape. Effect of the Invention

[0017] The control device is configured to make the pressure of the gas supplied to the gas solution generating device smaller than the pressure of the liquid supplied to the gas solution generating device. With this configuration, the substrate processing system can supply a gas solution having a supersaturated amount of dissolved gas without generating large bubbles in the supply line.

[0018] The pressure reducing structure has a wall made of a grounded conductive resin. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the wall of the pressure reducing structure from being charged. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the pressure reducing structure from being damaged due to discharge. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates a substrate processing system. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic diagram of a substrate processing system. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 shows a polishing module. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 shows a first cleaning module. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 shows a second cleaning module. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 illustrates a bubble generating device. [Figure 7] 7(a) and 7(b) are diagrams showing one embodiment of a pressure reducing structure. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another embodiment of a pressure reducing structure. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 illustrates a gas solution supplied to a substrate processing module. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 shows another embodiment of the bubble generating device. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 shows another embodiment of the bubble generating device. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another embodiment of a pressure reducing structure. [Figure 13] 13(a) and 13(b) are diagrams showing another embodiment of the pressure reducing structure. [Figure 14]14(a) and 14(b) are diagrams showing the arrangement of openings in the wall. [Figure 15] FIG. 15(a) is a diagram showing another embodiment of the pressure reduction structure, FIG. 15(b) is a diagram showing the arrangement of openings in the wall portion, and FIG. 15(c) is a diagram showing another embodiment of the pressure reduction structure. [Figure 16] 1 is a graph showing the cleaning effect of ultra-fine bubbles. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 shows a cleaning module equipped with a buffing member. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 shows a drying module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings described below, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted. In the multiple embodiments described below, the configuration of one embodiment that is not particularly described is the same as the other embodiments, so duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

[0021] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a substrate processing system. As shown in Fig. 1, the substrate processing system SP includes a substrate processing apparatus 1 and a supply line SL that supplies a liquid to the substrate processing apparatus 1. The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a housing 10 and a load port 12 on which a substrate cassette that stocks a large number of wafers is placed. The load port 12 is disposed adjacent to the housing 10. The wafers are, for example, semiconductor wafers, and are an example of a substrate.

[0022] The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a polishing unit 2 and a cleaning unit 4 disposed inside a housing 10. The polishing unit 2 includes a plurality of (four in this embodiment) polishing modules 14a to 14d. The cleaning unit 4 includes a first cleaning module 16 and a second cleaning module 18 that clean the polished substrate, and a drying module 20 that dries the cleaned substrate.

[0023] The polishing modules 14a to 14d are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the substrate processing apparatus 1. Similarly, the first cleaning module 16, the second cleaning module 18, and the drying module 20 are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the substrate processing apparatus 1.

[0024] In this specification, the polishing modules 14a to 14d, the first cleaning module 16, the second cleaning module 18, and the drying module 20 are collectively referred to as substrate processing modules that process substrates.

[0025] The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a first transfer robot 22 disposed adjacent to the load port 12, and a transfer module 24 disposed adjacent to the polishing modules 14a to 14d. The first transfer robot 22 receives unpolished substrates from the load port 12 and delivers them to the transfer module 24, and receives dried substrates from the drying module 20 and returns them to the load port 12. The transfer module 24 transports the substrates received from the first transfer robot 22, and delivers the substrates between the polishing modules 14a to 14d.

[0026] The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a second transfer robot 26 disposed between the first cleaning module 16 and the second cleaning module 18, and a third transfer robot 28 disposed between the second cleaning module 18 and the drying module 20. The second transfer robot 26 transfers substrates between the transfer module 24 and each of the cleaning modules 16 and 18. The third transfer robot 28 transfers substrates between each of the modules 18 and 20.

[0027] The substrate processing system SP includes a control device 30 disposed inside the housing 10. The control device 30 is configured to control the operation of each device of the substrate processing system SP.

[0028] 2 is a schematic diagram of a substrate processing system. The substrate processing system SP includes a supply line SL that supplies a liquid (more specifically, a processing liquid) to a substrate processing module. The supply line SL is connected to a main line ML that supplies the liquid to equipment in a factory. The main line ML is a utility line installed in the factory.

[0029] The supply line SL has a plurality of distribution supply lines SLa, which are connected to the substrate processing modules (more specifically, the polishing modules 14a to 14d, the first cleaning module 16, the second cleaning module 18, the drying module 20, and the transfer module 24), and the liquid flowing through the main line ML is supplied to each of the substrate processing modules via the supply line SL and the distribution supply lines SLa.

[0030] Pressure sensors PLa and PLb are connected to the supply line SL to detect the pressure of the liquid flowing through the supply line SL. The pressure sensor PLa is disposed outside the substrate processing apparatus 1, and the pressure sensor PLb is disposed inside the substrate processing apparatus 1. A pressure sensor PLb1 is connected to the distributed supply line SLa to detect the pressure of the liquid flowing through the distributed supply line SLa. A pressure sensor PLbn is connected to a line branching off from the distributed supply line SLa.

[0031] 3 is a diagram showing the polishing modules. In the embodiment described below, the polishing modules 14a to 14d may be collectively referred to as the polishing module 14. The polishing module 14 includes a polishing table 80 supporting a polishing pad 84 having a polishing surface 84a, a substrate holding mechanism (top ring) 81 holding a wafer W and pressing it against the polishing surface 84a, and a supply nozzle (slurry supply nozzle in this embodiment) 82A supplying a slurry (polishing liquid) to the polishing surface 84a.

[0032] The polishing module 14 includes a supply nozzle (in this embodiment, a pure water supply nozzle) 82B for supplying pure water to the polishing surface 84a, a supply nozzle (in this embodiment, a chemical supply nozzle) 82C for supplying a chemical to the polishing surface 84a, and a supply nozzle (in this embodiment, a pure water supply nozzle) 85 for supplying pure water for removing slurry adhering to the polishing surface 84a. In other words, the pure water supply nozzle 85 is an atomizer. Therefore, hereinafter, the pure water supply nozzle 85 may be referred to as the atomizer 85.

[0033] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the polishing module 14 is provided with multiple supply nozzles 82A, 82B, and 82C, but in one embodiment, the polishing module 14 may be provided with a single supply nozzle that selectively supplies any one of the liquids, slurry, pure water, and chemical liquid, instead of the multiple supply nozzles 82A, 82B, and 82C.

[0034] The polishing module 14 includes a dressing device 110 for dressing the polishing pad 84. The dressing device 110 includes a dresser 115 that is in sliding contact with the polishing surface 84a of the polishing pad 84, a dresser arm 111 that supports the dresser 115, and a dresser pivot shaft 112 that pivots the dresser arm 111. The dresser pivot shaft 112 is disposed outside the polishing pad 84.

[0035] As the dresser arm 111 rotates, the dresser 115 oscillates on the polishing surface 84a. The lower surface of the dresser 115 constitutes a dressing surface made of a large number of abrasive grains such as diamond particles. The dresser 115 rotates while oscillating on the polishing surface, and dresses the polishing surface by slightly scraping off the polishing pad 84.

[0036] The polishing table 80 is formed in a disk shape and is configured to be rotatable about its central axis as the axis of rotation. A polishing pad 84 is attached to the upper surface of the polishing table 80. When the polishing table 80 is rotated by a motor (not shown), the polishing pad 84 rotates integrally with the polishing table 80.

[0037] The top ring 81 holds the wafer W on its lower surface by vacuum suction or the like. The top ring 81 is configured to be rotatable together with the wafer W by power from a motor (not shown). An upper portion of the top ring 81 is connected to a support arm 81b via a shaft 81a.

[0038] The top ring 81 can be moved up and down by an air cylinder (not shown) to adjust the distance between the top ring 81 and the polishing table 80. With this configuration, the top ring 81 presses the held wafer W against the polishing surface 84a of the polishing pad 84.

[0039] The support arm 81b is configured to be swingable by a motor (not shown), and moves the top ring 81 in a direction parallel to the polishing surface 84a. In this embodiment, the top ring 81 is configured to be movable between a receiving position for the wafer W (not shown) and a position above the polishing pad 84, and the position at which the wafer W is pressed against the polishing pad 84 can be changed.

[0040] The slurry supply nozzle 82A is provided above the polishing table 80, and supplies slurry onto the polishing pad 84. The slurry supply nozzle 82A is supported by a shaft 83A. The shaft 83A is configured to be movable by a motor (not shown). Therefore, the slurry supply nozzle 82A can change the position at which the slurry is dropped during the polishing process of the wafer W, centering on the shaft 83A. In this way, the slurry supply nozzle 82A supplies the slurry so that it penetrates into the contact interface between the rotating wafer W and the polishing pad 84.

[0041] The pure water supply nozzle 82B is provided above the polishing table 80 and supplies pure water onto the polishing pad 84. The pure water supply nozzle 82B is supported by a shaft 83B. Similarly, the chemical liquid supply nozzle 82C is provided above the polishing table 80 and supplies chemical liquid onto the polishing pad 84. The chemical liquid supply nozzle 82C is supported by a shaft 83C. These shafts 83B and 83C are configured to be movable by a motor (not shown).

[0042] The atomizer 85 is provided above the polishing table 80 and extends along the radial direction of the polishing table 80. Immediately after the polishing process of the wafer W with the slurry, the atomizer 85 sprays a cleaning fluid at a predetermined flow rate toward the polishing pad 84 to wash away a part of the slurry adhering to the polishing surface 84a and the wafer W. The cleaning fluid is composed of a mixed fluid of a liquid (usually pure water) and a gas (for example, an inert gas such as nitrogen gas).

[0043] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the first cleaning module. As shown in Fig. 4, the first cleaning module 16 includes a substrate holding mechanism 60 that holds and rotates the wafer W, cleaning members 61 and 62 that come into contact with the wafer W to scrub the wafer W, supply nozzles (chemical solution supply nozzles in this embodiment) 65 and 66 that supply a processing solution (diluted chemical solution in this embodiment) toward the front and back surfaces of the wafer W, and supply nozzles (pure water supply nozzles in this embodiment) 67 and 68 that supply a processing solution (pure water in this embodiment) toward the front and back surfaces of the wafer W.

[0044] Each of the cleaning members 61, 62 is a sponge member having a cylindrical shape and a longitudinal length longer than the diameter of the wafer W. The sponge member is preferably made of a highly hydrophilic material, such as PU (polyurethane) or PVAc (polyvinyl acetal).

[0045] Each of the cleaning members 61, 62 is disposed such that the direction of its central axis is parallel to the surface (i.e., the front and back surfaces) of the wafer W. Hereinafter, the cleaning member 61 may be referred to as the upper roll cleaning member 61, and the cleaning member 62 may be referred to as the lower roll cleaning member 62.

[0046] The substrate holding mechanism 60 includes four rollers 60a to 60d that horizontally hold and rotate the wafer W with the surface of the wafer W facing upward. The rollers 60a to 60d are configured to be movable in directions approaching and separating from each other by a drive mechanism (e.g., an air cylinder) not shown.

[0047] In this embodiment, the substrate holding mechanism 60 includes rollers 60a to 60d as its components, but the substrate holding mechanism 60 is not limited to rollers as long as it can hold the side surface of the wafer W. Instead of the rollers, for example, a plurality of clamps (not shown) may be included. The clamps are configured to be movable between a position for holding the peripheral portion of the wafer W and a position spaced apart from the wafer W.

[0048] The upper roll cleaning member 61 and the lower roll cleaning member 62 are supported by lifting mechanisms 64a and 64b, respectively, and can be moved up and down by the lifting mechanisms 64a and 64b. Examples of the lifting mechanisms 64a and 64b include a motor drive mechanism using a ball screw or an air cylinder.

[0049] When loading and unloading the wafer W, the upper roll cleaning member 61 and the lower roll cleaning member 62 are spaced apart from each other. When cleaning the wafer W, the upper roll cleaning member 61 and the lower roll cleaning member 62 move in directions approaching each other to come into contact with the front and back surfaces of the wafer W. Thereafter, the upper roll cleaning member 61 and the lower roll cleaning member 62 are rotated by rotation mechanisms 63a and 63b, respectively, to scrub the wafer W (scrub cleaning).

[0050] In this manner, the first cleaning module 16 supplies the chemical solution to the front and back surfaces of the wafer W through the chemical solution supply nozzles 65, 66 while the upper roll cleaning member 61 and the lower roll cleaning member 62 are scrubbing the wafer W.

[0051] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the second cleaning module. As shown in Fig. 5, the second cleaning module 18 includes a substrate holding mechanism 70 that holds and rotates the wafer W, a cleaning member 71 that comes into contact with the wafer W to scrub the wafer W, an arm 73 connected to the cleaning member 71, an arm swinging mechanism 79 that swings the arm 73 in a horizontal direction, supply nozzles (chemical supply nozzles in this embodiment) 75 and 76 that supply a processing liquid (diluted chemical liquid in this embodiment) toward the front and back surfaces of the wafer W, and supply nozzles (pure water supply nozzles in this embodiment) 77 and 78 that supply a processing liquid (pure water in this embodiment) toward the front and back surfaces of the wafer W.

[0052] The substrate holding mechanism 70 includes chucks 70a to 70d for holding the peripheral portion of the wafer W, and a motor 70e connected to the chucks 70a to 70d. The chucks 70a to 70d hold the wafer W, and the motor 70e is driven to rotate the wafer W about its axis.

[0053] The cleaning member 71 is a sponge member that has a pencil shape and rotates around the central axis of the cleaning member 71 to come into contact with the surface of the wafer W and scrub the wafer W. Hereinafter, the cleaning member 71 may be referred to as a pencil cleaning member 71.

[0054] The arm 73 is disposed above the wafer W, and is connected to an arm swinging mechanism 79. The arm swinging mechanism 79 includes a pivot shaft 79a and a rotation mechanism 79b. One end of the arm 73 is connected to the pivot shaft 79a, and the pencil cleaning member 71 is connected to the other end of the arm 73. The direction of the central axis of the pencil cleaning member 71 is perpendicular to the front surface (or back surface) of the wafer W.

[0055] A rotation mechanism 79b that rotates the arm 73 is connected to the rotation shaft 79a. The rotation mechanism 79b is configured to rotate the arm 73 within a plane parallel to the wafer W by rotating the rotation shaft 79a.

[0056] The pencil cleaning member 71 moves in the radial direction of the wafer W by the rotation of the arm 73. The pivot shaft 79a can be moved up and down by an elevator mechanism (not shown), and the pencil cleaning member 71 is pressed against the surface of the wafer W with a predetermined pressure to scrub the wafer W (scrub cleaning). An example of the elevator mechanism is a motor drive mechanism using a ball screw or an air cylinder.

[0057] In this manner, the second cleaning module 18 supplies the chemical solution to the front and back surfaces of the wafer W through the chemical solution supply nozzles 75, 76 while the pencil cleaning member 71 is scrubbing the wafer W.

[0058] Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, in this specification, supply nozzles 82A-82C, 85, 65, 66, 67, 68, 75, 76, 77, and 78 may be collectively referred to as supply nozzle 300. Supply nozzle 300 is a nozzle for supplying liquid, and is not necessarily limited to supply nozzles 82A-82C, 85, 65, 66, 67, 68, 75, 76, 77, and 78 described above.

[0059] In order to efficiently process the surface (i.e., the front and back surfaces) of the wafer W, it is desirable to supply a gas solution containing a high concentration of bubbles (more specifically, ultra-fine bubbles) from a supply nozzle onto the surface of the wafer W. Note that ultra-fine bubbles are minute bubbles having a bubble diameter of 1 micrometer or less.

[0060] In order to generate a gas-dissolved liquid containing a high concentration of ultra-fine bubbles, it is necessary to make the liquid contain gas to a supersaturated state, thereby generating a gas-dissolved liquid having a supersaturated amount of dissolved gas. However, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the liquid supplied from the main line ML is supplied to the substrate processing module through the supply line SL and the distribution supply line SLa.

[0061] Therefore, the pressure loss occurring in these lines ML, SL, and SLa may reduce the pressure of the gaseous solution, and the amount of dissolved gas in the gaseous solution may decrease. Therefore, the substrate processing system SP has a configuration capable of supplying a gaseous solution having a supersaturated amount of dissolved gas.

[0062] 6 is a diagram showing a bubble generating device. The substrate processing system SP includes a bubble generating device BG that produces a gas solution and generates bubbles (more specifically, ultrafine bubbles) from the gas solution to be supplied to the substrate processing module. The bubble generating device BG that supplies the gas solution to the substrate processing module is, in other words, a gas solution bubble generating liquid supply device. The bubble generating device BG is disposed inside the substrate processing apparatus 1 (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0063] As shown in FIG. 6, the bubble generator BG includes a supply line SL (more specifically, a distribution supply line SLa) connected to a supply nozzle 300, a boost pump BP for pressurizing the liquid flowing through the distribution supply line SLa, a gas solution generation device MB for dissolving gas in the liquid flowing through the distribution supply line SLa to a supersaturated state, a pressure regulator PR for adjusting the pressure of the gas supplied to the gas solution generation device MB, and a pressure reducing structure 200 for generating ultra-fine bubbles from the gas solution generated by the gas solution generation device MB.

[0064] In the flow direction of the liquid flowing through the distribution supply line SLa, the boost pump BP is disposed upstream of the gas solution production device MB, and the gas solution production device MB is disposed upstream of the pressure reducing structure 200.

[0065] The bubble generating device BG is equipped with a pressure sensor PLc arranged upstream of the boost pump BP, pressure sensors PLd1 and PLd2 arranged between the boost pump BP and the gas solution generation device MB, and a pressure sensor PLe arranged downstream of the gas solution generation device MB.

[0066] The pressure sensor PLd1 is disposed near the boost pump BP, and the pressure sensor PLd2 is disposed near the gas solution generating device MB. In one embodiment, the bubble generating device BG may include either the pressure sensor PLd1 or the pressure sensor PLd2.

[0067] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 6, the gas solution generator MB is a membrane for dissolving gas in liquid. The gas solution generator MB includes a generator MBa arranged on the liquid flow path of the distribution supply line SLa, and a gas line 240 connected to the generator MBa. The pressure regulator PR is connected to the gas line 240.

[0068] The bubble generator BG includes a pressure sensor PGa disposed downstream of the pressure regulator PR in the gas flow direction. The pressure sensor PGa is configured to detect the pressure of the gas flowing through the gas line 240. In one embodiment, the pressure regulator PR may have the same function as the pressure sensor PGa. In this case, the pressure sensor PGa may be omitted.

[0069] The gas supplied to the generator MBa may be, for example, an inert gas (nitrogen gas, argon gas, etc.), but is not limited to an inert gas. In one embodiment, the gas supplied to the generator MBa may be an active gas (for example, carbon dioxide, oxygen, hydrogen).

[0070] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the control device 30 is electrically connected to the bubble generator BG and is configured to control the operation of the bubble generator BG. The control device 30 is composed of a dedicated computer or a general-purpose computer. The control device 30 includes a storage unit 30a for storing programs, data, etc., and an arithmetic unit 30b such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) that performs arithmetic operations according to the programs stored in the storage unit 30a.

[0071] The pressure signals detected by the pressure sensors PLc, PLd1 (and / or the pressure sensor PLd2), PLe, PGa are sent to the control device 30. The pressure signals sent to the control device 30 are stored in the storage unit 30a. The arithmetic unit 30b controls the operation of the booster pump BP and the operation of the pressure regulator PR based on the pressure signals stored in the storage unit 30a.

[0072] In this embodiment, the control device 30 is configured to control at least one of the pressure regulator PR and the booster pump BP so that the pressure Gp of the gas supplied to the gas dissolution liquid generator MB is smaller than the pressure Lp of the liquid supplied to the gas dissolution liquid generator MB (i.e., Gp < Lp).

[0073] More specifically, the control device 30 monitors the pressure signal detected by the pressure sensor PLd1 (and / or the pressure sensor PLd2) and the pressure signal detected by the pressure sensor PGa. The storage unit 30a stores data indicating a pressure relationship in which the gas pressure Gp is smaller than the liquid pressure Lp (i.e., Gp < Lp).

[0074] Therefore, the arithmetic unit 30b operates the pressure regulator PR and / or the booster pump BP so as to satisfy a predetermined pressure relationship. Under the condition of satisfying such a pressure relationship, the gas dissolution liquid generator MB generates a gas dissolution liquid having a supersaturated amount of dissolved gas.

[0075] As for the pressure relationship, it is preferable that the gas pressure Gp is as close as possible to the liquid pressure Lp. Therefore, the storage unit 30a may store data indicating a pressure relationship in which the gas pressure Gp is equal to or higher than the atmospheric pressure and lower than the liquid pressure Lp (that is, atmospheric pressure ≦ Gp < Lp).

[0076] According to the present embodiment, the control device 30 is configured to make the gas pressure Gp supplied to the gas dissolution liquid generation device MB lower than the liquid pressure Lp supplied to the gas dissolution liquid generation device MB. With such a configuration, the substrate processing system SP can supply a gas dissolution liquid having a supersaturated dissolved gas amount without generating large-sized bubbles in the middle of the distribution supply line SLa. If the gas pressure Gp is made higher than the liquid pressure Lp, the gas may not be dissolved in the liquid, and bubbles may be generated in the liquid.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 6, the bubble generator BG disposed inside the substrate processing apparatus 1 is disposed immediately before the supply nozzle 300 (that is, near the use point). Therefore, even if the pressure of the gas dissolution liquid decreases due to the pressure loss occurring in the lines ML, SL, and SLa, the gas dissolution liquid can be boosted to a predetermined pressure by the booster pump BP in the distribution supply line SLa immediately before the supply nozzle 300, and a gas dissolution liquid having a supersaturated dissolved gas amount can be generated.

[0078] As shown in FIG. 6, the bubble generator BG may include a dissolved gas amount measuring device DM and a filter FL disposed on the downstream side of the gas dissolution liquid generation device MB. The dissolved gas amount measuring device DM is configured to measure the amount of gas contained in the gas dissolution liquid generated by the gas dissolution liquid generation device MB, and for example, a device manufactured by Hack Ultral may be employed.

[0079] The dissolved gas amount measuring device DM is electrically connected to the control device 30, and the control device 30 acquires the amount of dissolved gas measured by the dissolved gas amount measuring device DM. Therefore, the control device 30 may control the pressure regulator PR and / or the boost pump BP based on the amount of dissolved gas in the gas-dissolved liquid until the amount of dissolved gas reaches a predetermined amount.

[0080] The filter FL is disposed downstream of the dissolved gas amount measuring device DM, in other words, upstream of the pressure reduction structure 200. The filter FL is configured to capture bubbles and particles contained in the gas solution supplied to the pressure reduction structure 200. With this configuration, the filter FL can remove bubbles and particles contained in the gas solution supplied to the pressure reduction structure 200.

[0081] 7(a) and 7(b) are diagrams showing an embodiment of a pressure reducing structure. As shown in Fig. 7(a), the pressure reducing structure 200 has a main body 206 connected to the distribution supply line SLa and an inner surface 203 formed on the main body 206. The inner surface 203 is in communication with the distribution supply line SLa and has a structure that allows the liquid flowing through the distribution supply line SLa to pass therethrough.

[0082] The pressure reduction structure 200 has a liquid inlet surface 203a through which the gas-dissolved liquid flows in, a liquid outlet surface 203c through which the gas-dissolved liquid flows out, and a liquid throttle surface 203b arranged between the liquid inlet surface 203a and the liquid outlet surface 203c.

[0083] 7(a), the cross-sectional area Da of the liquid inlet surface 203a is larger than the cross-sectional area Db of the liquid throttle surface 203b (Da>Db). Similarly, the cross-sectional area Dc of the liquid outlet surface 203c is larger than the cross-sectional area Db of the liquid throttle surface 203b (Dc>Db). The relationship between the cross-sectional areas Da and Dc is not particularly limited, but preferably the cross-sectional area Da is larger than the cross-sectional area Dc (Da>Dc).

[0084] The pressure reducing structure 200 having such a structure can rapidly reduce the pressure of the gas solution, and generate ultra-fine bubbles from the gas solution. More specifically, by making the cross-sectional area Db smaller than the cross-sectional area Da, the flow rate of the gas solution that flows into the liquid throttle surface 203b increases rapidly, and the gas solution is depressurized. As a result, the high concentration gas that has been dissolved in the gas solution due to the high pressure is generated as ultra-fine bubbles from the depressurized gas solution.

[0085] When the pressure reduction structure 200 is made of resin (e.g., fluororesin (PTFE, PFA, PVDF, etc.)), the pressure reduction structure 200 is likely to become charged when the gas-dissolved liquid passes through the pressure reduction structure 200. In particular, when the gas-dissolved liquid is a liquid with a high specific resistance such as pure water, the pressure reduction structure 200 is very likely to become charged.

[0086] The pressure reduction structure 200 has a very narrow liquid flow path (particularly, the liquid throttle surface 203b). Therefore, if the pressure reduction structure 200 is charged, discharge may occur on the inner surface 203 (particularly, the liquid throttle surface 203b) of the pressure reduction structure 200, which may damage the pressure reduction structure 200. As a result, particles may be generated due to fragments of the pressure reduction structure 200, ultra-fine bubbles may not be generated appropriately, and the bubble generation efficiency may decrease.

[0087] Therefore, the pressure reduction structure 200 is made of a conductive resin that is grounded by the earth E. For example, the pressure reduction structure 200 may be made of a resin containing carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The pressure reduction structure 200 made of the conductive resin can prevent charging by the earth E attached to the pressure reduction structure 200 itself. As a result, damage to the pressure reduction structure 200 caused by discharge can be prevented.

[0088] In one embodiment, the control device 30 may be configured to supply an electric current to the pressure reduction structure 200 through the earth E. With such a configuration, the control device 30 can control the properties of the gas solution containing ultra-fine bubbles to generate functional ultra-fine bubbles. For example, the control device 30 can impart a positive charge to the ultra-fine bubbles by supplying an electric current to the pressure reduction structure 200. In this way, the positively charged ultra-fine bubbles can exhibit high cleaning ability.

[0089] As shown in Fig. 7(b), the distribution supply line SLa has an upstream portion SLa(U) arranged on the upstream side of the pressure reducing structure 200, and a downstream portion SLa(D) arranged on the downstream side of the pressure reducing structure 200. At least one of the upstream portion SLa(U) and the downstream portion SLa(D) is made of a conductive resin grounded by an earth E. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 7(b), both the upstream portion SLa(U) and the downstream portion SLa(D) are made of a conductive resin.

[0090] If the distribution supply line SLa is positively charged and the ultra-fine bubbles are negatively charged, the ultra-fine bubbles contained in the gas solution flowing through the downstream part SLa(D) may adhere to the downstream part SLa(D).

[0091] Therefore, when the downstream portion SLa(D) is made of a grounded conductive resin, charging of the downstream portion SLa(D) can be prevented, thereby suppressing adhesion of ultra-fine bubbles generated in the pressure reduction structure 200 to the downstream portion SLa(D).

[0092] Furthermore, this configuration allows the ultra-fine bubbles and the downstream portion SLa (D) to be given the same type (same sign) of electric charge. Therefore, the ultra-fine bubbles can flow along the center of the distribution supply line SLa together with the gas solution due to the repulsive force acting on the downstream portion SLa (D). Since the flow of the gas solution flowing along the center of the distribution supply line SLa is relatively fast, the ultra-fine bubbles can be supplied quickly.

[0093] By configuring the upstream portion SLa(U) from a conductive resin, the risk of the gas-dissolved liquid being charged can be reduced. Therefore, the pressure reduction structure 200 can be prevented from being charged due to the charge of the gas-dissolved liquid, and as a result, damage to the pressure reduction structure 200 can be prevented.

[0094] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the pressure reduction structure. As shown in Fig. 8, the pressure reduction structure 200 may include a pressure reduction membrane that sucks gas from the gas solution to reduce the pressure of the gas solution. The pressure reduction structure 200 as the pressure reduction membrane has a suction line 250. The gas solution can be depressurized by sucking gas through the suction line 250.

[0095] Although not shown, the embodiment shown in Fig. 8 may be combined with the embodiment shown in Fig. 7(b). More specifically, at least one of the upstream side portion SLa(U) and the downstream side portion SLa(D) arranged on both sides of the pressure reduction structure 200 as the pressure reduction membrane may be made of a conductive resin.

[0096] 9 is a diagram showing the gas solution supplied to the substrate processing modules. As shown in FIG 9, the gas solution containing ultra-fine bubbles that has passed through the pressure reducing structure 200 is supplied to the substrate processing modules (more specifically, the polishing modules 14a to 14d, the first cleaning module 16, the second cleaning module 18, and the drying module 20).

[0097] For example, when the substrate processing module is the polishing module 14, the slurry supply nozzle 82A may supply a slurry containing ultra-fine bubbles onto the polishing pad 84. In one embodiment, the slurry supply nozzle 82A may supply water (e.g., pure water) containing ultra-fine bubbles instead of a slurry to water-polish the wafer W.

[0098] The bubble generator BG does not need to be installed in all of the substrate processing modules constituting the substrate processing apparatus 1. Therefore, in one embodiment, from the viewpoint of cost reduction, a user can arbitrarily decide to install the bubble generator BG.

[0099] When a bubble generator BG is connected to the distribution supply line SLa, the atomizer 85 may supply a gas solution containing ultra-fine bubbles onto the polishing pad 84 through the distribution supply line SLa. In one embodiment, the atomizer 85 may supply a gas solution excited by ultrasonic vibration (megasonic liquid).

[0100] By supplying a gas solution containing ultra-fine bubbles through the atomizer 85, slurry and polishing debris can be efficiently removed, and the downtime of the polishing module 14 can be reduced.

[0101] For example, when the substrate processing module is the first cleaning module 16, at least one of the chemical liquid supply nozzles 65, 66 and the pure water supply nozzles 67, 68 may supply a cleaning liquid (i.e., pure water, chemical liquid) containing ultra-fine bubbles onto the wafer W undergoing cleaning processing.

[0102] Similarly, when the substrate processing module is the second cleaning module 18, at least one of the chemical liquid supply nozzles 75, 76 and the pure water supply nozzles 77, 78 may supply a cleaning liquid (i.e., pure water, chemical liquid) containing ultra-fine bubbles onto the wafer W undergoing cleaning processing.

[0103] When the ultra-fine bubbles contained in the gas solution burst, the impact of the burst bubbles locally releases energy (light emission, high temperature and pressure, shock waves, etc.). This energy can remove the slurry and polishing debris adhering to the surface of the wafer W and the surface of the polishing pad 84. In addition, since the gas-liquid interface of the gas solution is negatively charged, the gas solution adsorbs and removes positively charged electrolyte ions and dirt.

[0104] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing another embodiment of a bubble generator. As shown in Fig. 10, the bubble generator BG may include a plurality of pressure reduction structures 200. More specifically, when the pressure reduction structure 200 described with reference to the above-mentioned embodiment is defined as the first pressure reduction structure 200A, the bubble generator BG may include the first pressure reduction structure 200A and the second pressure reduction structure 200B.

[0105] The first pressure reducing structure 200A has a structure for generating ultra-fine bubbles from the gas solution generated by the gas solution generating device MB, while the second pressure reducing structure 200B has a structure for generating microbubbles from the gas solution generated by the gas solution generating device MB. The microbubbles are fine bubbles with a bubble diameter of 1 micrometer to 100 micrometers or less.

[0106] The second pressure reduction structure 200B may have a structure similar to that of the pressure reduction structure 200 described with reference to Fig. 7(a), or may have a structure similar to that of the pressure reduction structure 200 described with reference to Fig. 8. The second pressure reduction structure 200B generates microbubbles by, for example, adjusting the diameter or the size of the opening.

[0107] 10, the distribution supply line SLa has a first bypass line VLa and a second bypass line VLb arranged thereon. The first pressure reduction structure 200A is connected to the first bypass line VLa, and the second pressure reduction structure 200B is connected to the second bypass line VLb.

[0108] The gas solution containing ultrafine bubbles generated by the first pressure reducing structure 200A passes through the first bypass line VLa and is returned to the distribution supply line SLa. Similarly, the gas solution containing microbubbles generated by the second pressure reducing structure 200B passes through the second bypass line VLb and is returned to the distribution supply line SLa.

[0109] In this manner, the gas solution containing ultra-fine bubbles and the gas solution containing microbubbles are mixed in the distribution supply line SLa, and are supplied in this state to the substrate processing module.

[0110] Fig. 11 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the bubble generator. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 11, the substrate processing module includes a first supply nozzle 300A and a second supply nozzle 300B. The distributed supply line SLa has a first branch line SLa1 connected to the first supply nozzle 300A and a second branch line SLa2 connected to the second supply nozzle 300B.

[0111] The first pressure reduction structure 200A is connected to the first branch line SLa1, and the second pressure reduction structure 200B is connected to the second branch line SLa2. With this configuration, it is possible to achieve the same effects as those of the embodiment described with reference to FIG.

[0112] Fig. 12 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the pressure reduction structure. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 12, the pressure reduction structure 200 further includes a wall portion 204 attached to the main body portion 206. The wall portion 204 is arranged to block the flow of the gas solution passing through the main body portion 206 of the pressure reduction structure 200, and includes an opening OP. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 12, the wall portion 204 includes multiple openings OP, but may include a single opening OP.

[0113] In this embodiment, the water passage area Sa at the liquid inlet through which the gas-dissolved liquid flows in is larger than the water passage area Sb of the opening OP (Sa>Sb). Similarly, the water passage area Sc at the liquid outlet through which the gas-dissolved liquid flows out is larger than the water passage area Sb (Sc>Sb).

[0114] In this embodiment, the pressure reducing structure 200 as a whole has a conductive resin that is grounded by the earth E. In other words, the main body 206 is made of a conductive resin and is an integrally molded member with the wall 204.

[0115] In this embodiment, as in the embodiment described with reference to Fig. 7(b), at least one of the upstream portion SLa(U) and the downstream portion SLa(D) may be made of a conductive resin. Such a combination is also applicable to the embodiments described below.

[0116] 13(a) and 13(b) are diagrams showing another embodiment of the pressure reduction structure. In the above-mentioned embodiment, the pressure reduction structure 200 is entirely made of conductive resin, but as shown in FIG. 13(a) and FIG. 13(b), the pressure reduction structure 200 may have a wall portion 204 made of conductive resin grounded to earth E.

[0117] Discharge due to electrostatic charge is likely to occur in the narrow liquid flow path of the pressure reduction structure 200. By making the entire pressure reduction structure 200 from a conductive resin, damage due to discharge can be prevented, but the cost of the pressure reduction structure 200 increases. Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to prevent damage due to discharge while reducing the cost of the pressure reduction structure 200, the wall portion 204 of the pressure reduction structure 200, which is the most likely to cause discharge among its components, is made of a conductive resin.

[0118] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 13(a), the main body 206 has two divided bodies 206a, and the wall 204 is sandwiched between the two divided bodies 206a. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 13(b), the wall 204 is incorporated into the main body 206. In the embodiments shown in Figs. 13(a) and 13(b), the control device 30 may also be configured to supply current to the pressure reduction structure 200 through the earth E.

[0119] 14(a) and 14(b) are diagrams showing the arrangement of openings in the wall portion. The pressure reduction structure 200 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 14(a) has the same structure as the pressure reduction structure 200 according to the embodiment described with reference to FIG.

[0120] 14(b), when the wall portion 204 is viewed from the flow direction of the gas solution, the opening OP is formed in the central portion of the wall portion 204. More specifically, the opening OP is disposed in an area AR1 of 1 / 3R with respect to the radius R of the wall portion 204 (AR1<1 / 3R). The wall portion 204 may have a plurality of openings OP in the area AR1.

[0121] Fig. 15(a) is a diagram showing another embodiment of the pressure reducing structure, Fig. 15(b) is a diagram showing the arrangement of the openings in the wall portion, and Fig. 15(c) is a diagram showing another embodiment of the pressure reducing structure. In the above-mentioned embodiment, the opening OP is formed in the central portion of the wall portion 204, but in the embodiment shown in Fig. 15(a), the opening OP is formed in the connection portion 204a of the wall portion 204 with the main body portion 206.

[0122] More specifically, the wall portion 204 has a protrusion 207 formed in the center portion thereof. The protrusion 207 has a cylindrical shape and extends parallel to the main body portion 206 (i.e., in the flow direction of the gas solution).

[0123] As shown in FIG. 15(b), when the wall portion 204 is viewed from the flow direction of the gas dissolution liquid, the opening OP is outside the region of 1 / 3R with respect to the radius R of the wall portion 204 and is disposed in the region AR2 inside the inner surface 203 of the main body portion 206 (1 / 3R ≦ AR2 < R). The wall portion 204 may have a plurality of openings OP in the region AR2.

[0124] As shown in FIG. 15(c), the wall portion 204 may have a protrusion 208 formed in its central portion. The protrusion 208 has a conical shape and extends parallel to the main body portion 206.

[0125] FIG. 16 is a graph showing the cleaning effect of ultra-fine bubbles. In FIG. 16, the graph Gr1 shows the cleaning effect when cleaning with pure water that hardly contains ultra-fine bubbles of 200 nanometers or less. The graph Gr1' shows the cleaning effect when cleaning with a chemical solution (more specifically, a diluted chemical solution obtained by diluting the chemical solution with pure water) that hardly contains ultra-fine bubbles of 200 nanometers or less.

[0126] The amount of ultra-fine bubbles in the graphs Gr1 and Gr1' is represented by a relative reference value 1. In the graph Gr1, the number of defects of the silicon nitride (SiN) film when cleaning with pure water is represented by the relative reference value 1. In the graph Gr1', the number of defects when cleaning with the chemical solution can be relatively reduced to 0.5 compared with Gr1.

[0127] In FIG. 16, the graph Gr2 shows the cleaning effect when cleaning with pure water containing ultra-fine bubbles whose number of ultra-fine bubbles of 200 nanometers or less is 60 times that of Gr1. The graph Gr2' shows the cleaning effect when cleaning with a chemical solution containing ultra-fine bubbles whose number of ultra-fine bubbles of 200 nanometers or less is 60 times that of Gr1'.

[0128] As is clear from graph Gr2, by increasing the number of ultra-fine bubbles, a cleaning effect similar to that achieved by chemical cleaning (see graph Gr1') can be achieved. Furthermore, as shown in graph Gr2', by increasing the number of ultra-fine bubbles in chemical cleaning, the cleaning effect can be further improved.

[0129] According to this embodiment, the bubble generator BG generates a gas solution having a supersaturated amount of dissolved gas, and generates a large number of ultra-fine bubbles from the generated gas solution near the use point of the substrate processing module. Therefore, the substrate processing module can clean the wafer W (and the polishing pad 84) with the gas solution having a high cleaning ability (see graphs Gr2 and Gr2').

[0130] In the above-described embodiment, the first cleaning module 16 including the roll cleaning members 61, 62 and the second cleaning module 18 including the pencil cleaning member 71 are described, but the configurations of the cleaning modules 16, 18 are not limited to those in the above-described embodiment. In one embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 1 may include a buff cleaning module as the cleaning modules 16, 18.

[0131] Fig. 17 is a diagram showing a cleaning module equipped with a buff cleaning member. As shown in Fig. 17, the cleaning module 16 (and / or the cleaning module 18) includes a buff cleaning member 150 that cleans the wafer W while contacting the surface of the wafer W, and a rotating table 140 that supports the wafer W.

[0132] The buff cleaning member 150 includes a buff head 151 that buffs the wafer W, and a buff arm 152 that holds the buff head 151. The buff head 151 holds a buff pad (not shown) and is configured to bring the buff pad into contact with the wafer W while rotating the buff pad.

[0133] The buff arm 152 is configured to oscillate the buff head 151. When the buff arm 152 oscillates the buff head 151 while the rotary table 140 rotates the wafer W, the wafer W is cleaned as a whole.

[0134] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 17, cleaning module 16 (and / or cleaning module 18) includes a two-fluid nozzle 160 that supplies a mixture of gas and liquid onto the surface of wafer W, and ultrasonic cleaning nozzles 170A, 170B.

[0135] 17, the two-fluid nozzle 160 is connected to a gas supply line 161 and a distribution supply line SLa, and a bubble generator BG is connected to the distribution supply line SLa. With this configuration, a mixed fluid of a gas solution containing ultra-fine bubbles and a gas (e.g., nitrogen gas) is supplied from the two-fluid nozzle 160. By supplying such a mixed fluid, the two-fluid nozzle 160 can clean the wafer W with the mixed fluid having high cleaning ability.

[0136] Both of the ultrasonic cleaning nozzles 170A and 170B have a vibrator (not shown) and are configured to supply a cleaning liquid to which ultrasonic waves are applied (i.e., ultrasonic cleaning liquid). For example, the ultrasonic cleaning nozzle 170A is configured to supply a chemical liquid (or pure water) to which ultrasonic waves are applied as the ultrasonic cleaning liquid. Similarly, the ultrasonic cleaning nozzle 170B is configured to supply a chemical liquid (or pure water) to which ultrasonic waves are applied as the ultrasonic cleaning liquid.

[0137] As shown in Fig. 17, both of the ultrasonic cleaning nozzles 170A and 170B are connected to a distribution supply line SLa, and each of these distribution supply lines SLa is connected to a bubble generator BG. With this configuration, a gas solution containing ultra-fine bubbles is supplied as an ultrasonic cleaning liquid from each of the ultrasonic cleaning nozzles 170A and 170B. By supplying such an ultrasonic cleaning liquid, each of the ultrasonic cleaning nozzles 170A and 170B can clean the wafer W with a mixed fluid having high cleaning ability.

[0138] In the above embodiment, the gas solution is supplied to the polishing module 14 and the cleaning modules 16 and 18 as the substrate processing modules. However, the gas solution may be supplied to the drying module 20.

[0139] When a spin rinse dry method is adopted as the drying module 20, in which a wafer W supplied with a cleaning liquid (e.g., pure water) is rotated at high speed to dry it, a gas solution containing ultra-fine bubbles may be supplied to the drying module 20. Similarly, when an IPA gas drying method (i.e., Rotagoni drying) is adopted as the drying module 20, a gas solution containing ultra-fine bubbles may be supplied to the drying module 20.

[0140] Fig. 18 is a diagram showing a drying module. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 18, the drying module 20 is configured to perform Rotagoni drying. The drying module 20 includes a wafer supporter 190 that supports the wafer W, and supply nozzles 180A and 180B for performing Rotagoni drying.

[0141] In this embodiment, the supply nozzle 180A is a nozzle for supplying IPA vapor (a mixture of isopropyl alcohol and nitrogen gas) onto the surface of the wafer W supported by the wafer supporter 190. The supply nozzle 180B is a nozzle for supplying pure water onto the surface of the wafer W supported by the wafer supporter 190. The pure water supplied from the supply nozzle 180B is intended to prevent the surface of the wafer W from drying.

[0142] When drying the wafer W, the wafer supporter 190 rotates the wafer W, while the supply nozzles 180A, 180B supply IPA steam and pure water, respectively, toward the surface of the rotating wafer W. Both the supply nozzles 180A, 180B are connected to a distribution supply line SLa, and each of these distribution supply lines SLa is connected to a bubble generator BG. With this configuration, IPA steam containing ultra-fine bubbles and pure water containing ultra-fine bubbles are supplied from each of the supply nozzles 180A, 180B.

[0143] It should be noted that the two-fluid nozzle 160, the ultrasonic cleaning nozzles 170A and 170B, and the supply nozzles 180A and 180B in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 all constitute the supply nozzle 300 according to the above-described embodiment.

[0144] In the above-described embodiment, the polishing modules 14a to 14d, the first cleaning module 16, the second cleaning module 18, and the drying module 20 are exemplified as the substrate processing modules, but the substrate processing module may include the transfer module 24. Even in this case, the bubble generator BG can generate a large number of ultra-fine bubbles from the generated gas solution near the use point of the transfer module 24 serving as the substrate processing module (see FIG. 1).

[0145] The gas solution containing ultra-fine bubbles is supplied toward the transfer module 24 from a supply nozzle 300 disposed adjacent to the transfer module 24. With this configuration, the transfer module 24 can be cleaned with high cleaning performance.

[0146] The above-described embodiments have been described for the purpose of enabling a person having ordinary skill in the art to practice the present invention. Various modifications of the above-described embodiments are naturally possible for a person skilled in the art, and the technical idea of ​​the present invention can be applied to other embodiments. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments, but is to be interpreted in the broadest scope according to the technical idea defined by the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0147] 1. Substrate Processing Equipment 2 Polishing section 4. Cleaning section 10. Housing 12 Loading Port 14a~14d Polishing module 16 First Cleaning Module 18 Second Cleaning Module 20 Drying Module 22 First Transport Robot 24 Transport module 26 Second Transport Robot 28 Third Transport Robot 30 Control device 30a Storage section 30b Arithmetic unit 60 Board holding mechanism 60a~60d Roller 61,62 Cleaning materials 63a, 63b Rotation mechanism 64a, 64b Lifting mechanism 65,66 Supply nozzle (chemical supply nozzle) 67,68 Supply nozzle (pure water supply nozzle) 70 Board holding mechanism 70a~70d Chuck 70e motor 73 Arm 75,76 Supply nozzle (chemical supply nozzle) 77,78 Supply nozzle (pure water supply nozzle) 79 Arm swing mechanism 79a Swivel shaft 79b Rotation axis 80 Polishing Table 81 Substrate holding mechanism (top ring) 81a Shaft 81b Support arm 82A Supply Nozzle (Slurry Supply Nozzle) 82B Supply Nozzle (Pure Water Supply Nozzle) 82C Supply Nozzle (Chemical Liquid Supply Nozzle) 83A, 83B, 83C Shaft 84 Polishing Pad 84a Polished surface 85 Supply nozzle (pure water supply nozzle, atomizer) 110 Dressing device 111 Dresser arm 112 Dresser swivel axis 115 Dresser 140 Rotating Table 150 Buff cleaning materials 151 Buff Head 152 Buff Arm 160 Two-fluid nozzle 161 Gas supply line 170A, 170B Ultrasonic cleaning nozzle 180A, 180B Supply nozzle 190 Wafer Supporter 200 Pressure Reducing Structure 200A First Pressure Reducing Structure 200B Second pressure reducing structure 203 Inside 203a Liquid inlet surface 203b Liquid squeeze surface 203c Liquid outlet surface 204 Wall section 204a Connection part 206 Main body 206a,206b split field 207,208 protrusion 240 Gas Line 250 Suction Line 300 Supply Nozzle 300A 1st supply nozzle 300B Second supply nozzle SP Substrate Processing System SL Supply Line SLa distribution supply line SLa(U) upstream part SLa(D) downstream site SLa1 First branch line SLa2 Second branch line ML Main Line PLa, PLb, PLb1, PLbn, PLe pressure sensors PLc, PLd1, PLd2, PLe, PGa Pressure Sensor BG Bubble Generator BP boost pump MB Gas Dissolved Liquid Generator MBa generator PR Pressure Regulator DM Dissolved Gas Quantity Meter FL Filter Da,Db,Dc cross-sectional area Sa,Sb,Sc Water flow area E Earth VLa 1st Bypass Line VLb 2nd bypass line OP Opening AR1,AR2 area

Claims

1. a substrate processing module for processing a substrate; a bubble generator for generating bubbles from a gas solution supplied to the substrate processing module; A control device for controlling the operation of the bubble generating device, the substrate processing module includes a supply nozzle for supplying the gas solution; The bubble generating device is A supply line connected to the supply nozzle; a booster pump that boosts the pressure of the liquid flowing through the supply line; a gas-dissolved liquid generating device for dissolving gas in the liquid flowing through the supply line to a supersaturated state; a pressure regulator for adjusting the pressure of the gas supplied to the gas solution generating device; and a pressure reducing structure for generating ultra-fine bubbles from the gas solution generated by the gas solution generating device, A substrate processing system, wherein the control device controls at least one of the pressure regulator and the boost pump so that the pressure of the gas supplied to the gas dissolved liquid generation device is less than the pressure of the liquid supplied to the gas dissolved liquid generation device.

2. The pressure reducing structure includes: a liquid inlet surface through which the gas-dissolved liquid flows; a liquid outlet surface through which the gas-dissolved liquid flows; a liquid constriction surface disposed between the liquid inlet surface and the liquid outlet surface, The substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein a cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid inlet surface and a cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid outlet surface are greater than a cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid constriction surface.

3. The substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein the pressure reducing structure is made of a grounded conductive resin.

4. The substrate processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure reducing structure comprises a pressure reducing membrane for reducing the pressure of the gas solution.

5. The supply line is an upstream portion disposed upstream of the pressure reducing structure in a flow direction of the gas solution; a downstream portion disposed downstream of the pressure reducing structure, The substrate processing system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the upstream portion and the downstream portion is made of a grounded conductive resin.

6. 2. The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein when the pressure reduction structure is defined as a first pressure reduction structure, the bubble generating device is provided with a second pressure reduction structure that generates microbubbles from the gas solution generated by the gas solution generating device.

7. the supply line has a first bypass line and a second bypass line disposed therein; the first pressure reducing structure is connected to the first bypass line, The substrate processing system of claim 6 , wherein the second pressure reducing structure is connected to the second bypass line.

8. When the supply nozzle is defined as a first supply nozzle, the substrate processing module includes: The first supply nozzle; a second supply nozzle for supplying the gas solution, The supply line is a first branch line connected to the first supply nozzle; a second branch line connected to the second supply nozzle, the first pressure reducing structure is connected to the first branch line, The substrate processing system of claim 6 , wherein the second pressure reducing structure is connected to the second branch line.

9. A pressure reducing structure applicable to a bubble generating device for generating bubbles from a gas solution supplied to a substrate processing module, comprising: The pressure reducing structure includes: A main body connected to a supply line through which the gas solution flows; a wall portion attached to the body portion and having an opening; A pressure reducing structure, wherein the wall portion is made of a grounded conductive resin.

10. The pressure reducing structure according to claim 9 , wherein the main body portion is made of a conductive resin and is an integrally molded member with the wall portion.

11. The reduced pressure structure according to claim 9 , wherein the opening is formed in a central portion of the wall.

12. The pressure reducing structure according to claim 9 , wherein the opening is formed at a connection portion of the wall portion with the main body portion.

13. The wall portion has a protrusion formed in a central portion thereof, The reduced pressure structure according to claim 12 , wherein the projection extends parallel to the body portion.

14. The reduced pressure structure of claim 13 , wherein the protrusion has a cylindrical shape.

15. The reduced pressure structure of claim 13 , wherein the protrusion has a conical shape.

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