Substrate processing apparatus, substrate processing method and memory medium

Abstract

To provide a substrate processing apparatus, substrate processing method, and memory medium effective for reducing solvent consumption.SOLUTION: A substrate processing apparatus comprises a first processing module performing the first processing on a wafer W, a second processing module performing the second processing different from the first processing on the wafer W, a recovery section 6 for recovering solvent from exhaust gas GS1 discharged from the first processing module, and a pump section 7 for transferring recovered solvent to the second processing module.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate processing method, and a storage medium. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a substrate processing system including a group of heat treatment devices configured by arranging multiple heat treatment devices in multiple stages to heat treat substrates. The substrate processing system of Patent Document 1 includes an air supply duct communicating from a gas supply device to the housing of each heat treatment device in the group of heat treatment devices, and an exhaust duct communicating with each housing to exhaust gas from within the housing of each heat treatment device. In the substrate processing system of Patent Document 1, a predetermined gas supplied from the gas supply device is distributed and supplied into the housing of each heat treatment device through the air supply duct, and the gas within each housing is exhausted through the exhaust duct, thereby forming an airflow within each housing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-64242 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The substrate processing systems described above consume a large amount of solvent.

[0005] The present disclosure provides a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate processing method, and a storage medium that are effective in reducing solvent consumption. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In one exemplary embodiment, the solvent reuse system includes a first processing module that performs a first processing on a substrate, a second processing module that performs a second processing on the substrate that is different from the first processing, a recovery unit that recovers a solvent from exhaust gas discharged from the first processing module, and a liquid delivery unit that delivers the recovered solvent to the second processing module. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate processing method, and a storage medium are provided that are effective in reducing solvent consumption. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating a schematic configuration of a wafer processing system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating a schematic configuration of the wafer processing system. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a heat treatment module. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an exhaust system for exhausting exhaust gas from the heat treatment module. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a liquid processing module. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus including a solvent reuse system. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a cross section of the cooling chamber taken along line VII-VII in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a cross section taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a plan view showing an example of the second cooling section. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a cross section of a solvent recycling system that recovers solvent from multiple heat treatment modules. [Figure 11]FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a cross section of another solvent recycling system that recovers solvent from multiple thermal treatment modules. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the control device. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a substrate processing method. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the reuse process. [Figure 15] Fig. 15(a) is a plan view showing an example of a solvent reuse system according to Modification 1. Fig. 15(b) is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a cross section taken along line bb in Fig. 15(a). [Figure 16] Fig. 16(a) is a plan view showing an example of a solvent reuse system according to a second modified example, and Fig. 16(b) is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a cross section taken along line bb in Fig. 16(a). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, a substrate processing apparatus according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In this specification, elements having substantially the same functional configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0010] [Wafer processing system] First, the configuration of a wafer processing system according to this embodiment will be described. Figures 1 and 2 are a plan view and a front view, respectively, that schematically show the configuration of a wafer processing system 1. In this embodiment, the wafer processing system 1 will be described as an example of a photolithography processing system that performs a resist film forming process and a development process on a wafer W.

[0011] 1, the wafer processing system 1 includes a cassette station 2 into which a cassette C containing a plurality of wafers W is loaded and unloaded, and a processing station 3 equipped with a plurality of various processing devices that perform predetermined processing on the wafers W. The wafer processing system 1 has a configuration in which the cassette station 2, the processing station 3, and an interface station 4 that transfers the wafers W between them and an exposure device (not shown) adjacent to the opposite side of the processing station 3 are integrally connected. Note that, as shown in FIG. 1, two processing stations 3 are installed between the cassette station 2 and the interface station 4, but one, or three or more processing stations may be installed.

[0012] Cassette station 2 is provided with a plurality of cassette mounting tables 21 and wafer transfer devices 22 and 23. Cassette station 2 uses wafer transfer device 22 or 23 to transfer wafers W between cassettes C placed on cassette mounting tables 21 and processing station 3. To this end, wafer transfer devices 22 and 23 are each provided with drive mechanisms for directions such as the longitudinal direction, width direction, up / down direction, and around the vertical axis (θ direction) as needed, and may also be provided with drive mechanisms for all directions.

[0013] At least one of wafer transfer devices 22 and 23 is capable of transferring wafers W between cassettes C and processing station 3, and is also capable of transferring wafers W to and from processing station 3. The transfer of wafers W to and from processing station 3 refers to, for example, transferring wafers W to and from third block G3, which includes a transfer device accessible by wafer transfer device 33 in processing station 3, which will be described later. Third block G3 may include multiple transfer devices (not shown) arranged vertically.

[0014] The cassette station 2 may include an inspection device (not shown) that inspects the wafer W at a position accessible to either the wafer transfer devices 22 or 23.

[0015] The processing station 3 is provided with multiple blocks, such as a first block G1, a second block G2, and a fourth block G4. Also, as shown in FIG. 2, multiple layers 31 each including a first block G1 and a second block G2 are stacked vertically. For example, the first block G1 is provided on the front side of the processing station 3 (the negative X-direction side in FIG. 1), and the second block G2 is provided on the back side of the processing station 3 (the positive X-direction side in FIG. 1). The fourth block G4 is provided on the interface station 4 side of the processing station 3 (the positive Y-direction side in FIG. 1) or at a connection portion with another adjacent processing station 3. The fourth block G4 may be provided with multiple transfer devices arranged vertically. The aforementioned third block G3 may also be provided within the processing station 3.

[0016] The first block G1 is equipped with a plurality of processing devices, such as a patterning film forming device and a development processing device, both of which are not shown. The patterning film forming device may include, for example, a resist film forming device and an anti-reflection film forming device. For example, a plurality of processing devices are arranged horizontally. The number, arrangement, and type of these processing devices can be selected arbitrarily.

[0017] In these patterning film forming apparatuses and developing treatment apparatuses, for example, a predetermined processing liquid or a predetermined gas is supplied onto the wafer W. In this manner, the patterning film forming apparatus forms a resist film used as a mask when forming a pattern of an underlying film, or forms an anti-reflection film for efficiently performing a light irradiation process, such as an exposure process. Meanwhile, in the developing treatment apparatus, a portion of the exposed resist film is removed to form the uneven shape that serves as the mask.

[0018] For example, in the second block G2, heat treatment devices (not shown) that perform heat treatment such as heating and cooling of the wafer W are arranged in a vertical and horizontal direction. Also, in the second block G2, although neither is shown, a hydrophobization treatment device that performs a hydrophobization treatment to improve the adhesion of the resist liquid to the wafer W, and a peripheral exposure device that exposes the peripheral portion of the wafer W are arranged in a vertical and horizontal direction (Z direction in FIG. 2). The number and arrangement of these heat treatment devices, hydrophobization treatment devices, and peripheral exposure devices can also be selected as desired.

[0019] 1, a wafer transfer area 32 is formed in an area sandwiched between a first block G1 and a second block G2 in a plan view. In the wafer transfer area 32, for example, a wafer transfer device 33 is disposed.

[0020] The wafer transfer device 33 has a transfer arm that is movable in, for example, the X direction, Y direction, θ direction, and up and down direction. The wafer transfer device 33 moves within the wafer transfer area 32 and can transfer the wafer W to predetermined devices in the surrounding first block G1, second block G2, third block G3, and fourth block G4. When there are multiple processing stations 3 as shown in FIG. 1, the wafer transfer device 33 provided in the processing station 3 located on the interface station 4 side can transfer the wafer W to predetermined devices in the fifth block G5 (described below) in addition to the first block G1, second block G2, and fourth block G4.

[0021] A plurality of wafer transfer devices 33 are arranged, for example, one above the other. One wafer transfer device 33 can transfer wafers W to a predetermined device located at the height of the upper layers 31 among the multiple layers 31 stacked one above the other (see FIG. 2). Another wafer transfer device 33 can transfer wafers W to a predetermined device located at the height of the multiple layers 31 located below the layers 31. A plurality of wafer transfer areas 32 are provided to enable such transfer of wafers W. Note that the number of wafer transfer devices 33 and the number of layers 31 corresponding to one wafer transfer device 33 can be selected arbitrarily, such as by providing a wafer transfer device 33 for each layer 31.

[0022] The wafer transfer area 32, the first block G1, or the second block G2 may also include a shuttle transfer device (not shown). The shuttle transfer device linearly transfers the wafer W between a space adjacent to one side of the processing station 3 and another space adjacent to the opposite side.

[0023] The interface station 4 is provided with a fifth block G5 equipped with a plurality of transfer devices, and wafer transfer devices 41 and 42. The interface station 4 uses the wafer transfer device 41 or 42 to transfer the wafer W between the fifth block G5, where the wafer W is transferred by the wafer transfer device 33, and the exposure device. To this end, the wafer transfer devices 41 and 42 are each provided with drive mechanisms for directions such as the X direction, Y direction, up / down direction, and around the vertical axis (θ direction) as needed, and may also be provided with drive mechanisms for all directions. At least one of the wafer transfer devices 41 and 42 can support the wafer W and transfer the wafer W between the transfer device in the fifth block G5 and the exposure device.

[0024] A cleaning device for cleaning the surface of the wafer W and the aforementioned peripheral exposure device may be provided in the interface station 4 at a position accessible to either of the wafer transfer devices 41 and 42 .

[0025] The inspection device may be provided in cassette station 2 as described above, but it may also be provided in processing station 3 and interface station 4 at a position accessible to any of the transport arms (33, 41, 42 in Figure 1 or Figure 2) provided inside each station.

[0026] The wafer processing system 1 described above is provided with a control device 100. The control device 100 is, for example, a computer, and has a program storage unit (not shown). The program storage unit stores a program for controlling the processing of wafers W in the wafer processing system 1. The program storage unit also stores a program for controlling the operation of drive systems such as the various processing devices and transport devices described above to realize wafer processing in the wafer processing system 1. The program may be recorded on a computer-readable storage medium H and installed into the control device 100 from the storage medium H.

[0027] [Wafer Processing System Operation] The wafer processing system 1 is configured as described above. Next, an example of wafer processing performed using the wafer processing system 1 configured as described above will be described.

[0028] First, a cassette C containing a plurality of wafers W is carried into cassette station 2 of wafer processing system 1 and placed on cassette mounting table 21. Next, each wafer W in cassette C is sequentially removed by wafer transfer device 22 or 23 and transferred to a transfer device in third block G3.

[0029] The wafer W transferred to the transfer device in the third block G3 is supported by the wafer transfer device 33 and transferred to the hydrophobization treatment device provided in the second block G2, where hydrophobization treatment is performed. Next, the wafer W is transferred by the wafer transfer device 33 to the resist film forming device, where a resist film is formed on the wafer W. The wafer W is then transferred to the heat treatment device, where it is pre-baked, and then transferred to the transfer device in the fifth block G5. Note that, when there are multiple processing stations 3 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the wafer W is temporarily placed in the transfer device in the fourth block G4 before being transferred to the transfer device in the fifth block G5, and then transferred between the multiple wafer transfer devices 33. Furthermore, the wafer W may be transferred by the wafer transfer device 33 to the peripheral exposure device, where the peripheral portion of the wafer W is exposed to light, as necessary.

[0030] The wafer W transferred to the delivery device in the fifth block G5 is transferred to the exposure device by wafer transfer devices 41 and 42, and is subjected to exposure processing with a predetermined pattern. Note that the wafer W may be cleaned by a cleaning device before the exposure processing.

[0031] The exposed wafer W is transferred to a transfer device in the fifth block G5 by wafer transfer devices 41 and 42. Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to a heat treatment device by wafer transfer device 33, where it is subjected to post-exposure baking.

[0032] The wafer W that has been subjected to post-exposure baking is transferred by the wafer transfer device 33 to a developing treatment device and developed. After development is completed, the wafer W is transferred by the wafer transfer device 33 to a heat treatment device 40 and subjected to post-baking.

[0033] Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred by the wafer transfer device 33 to the delivery device in the third block G3, and then transferred by the wafer transfer device 22 or 23 in the cassette station 2 to the cassette C on the predetermined cassette mounting table 21. In this way, a series of photolithography steps is completed.

[0034] The wafer processing system of the present disclosure is not limited to the configuration and operation described above. For example, in the above embodiment, the wafer W is transferred between the interface station 4 and the exposure apparatus, but it does not need to be directly connected to the exposure apparatus. In that case, for example, the wafer W is transferred from the cassette station 2 to the processing station 3, subjected to the necessary processing, and then transferred back to the cassette station 2 for transport to the outside. Furthermore, unnecessary processing equipment listed as processing equipment may not be provided, or processing in that equipment may not be performed. The wafer W is not limited to a semiconductor wafer. For example, the wafer W may be a glass substrate. The processing content of the wafer processing system is not limited to film formation processing or development processing.

[0035] [Outline of the solvent reuse system] The wafer processing system 1 described above consumes a large amount of solvent. A solvent is a liquid that dissolves other substances (solutes) when creating a solution. The term "solvent" may also be used interchangeably with "dissolving agent." For example, in a patterning film forming apparatus arranged in the first block G1, a predetermined processing liquid is supplied onto the wafer W to form a resist film or an anti-reflective coating. In this case, the solvent may be consumed as part of the processing liquid. In another example, in a cleaning apparatus that cleans the surface of the wafer W, the solvent may be consumed as part of the cleaning liquid. Furthermore, the solvent may be consumed as part of the cleaning liquid of the apparatus itself.

[0036] As described above, since the wafer processing system 1 may consume a large amount of solvent, it may include a solvent recycling system that reuses the solvent generated within the wafer processing system 1. The solvent recycling system has a recovery unit and a liquid delivery unit. The recovery unit recovers the solvent from exhaust gas discharged from a first processing module that performs a first process on the wafer W. The liquid delivery unit delivers the recovered solvent to a second processing module that performs a second process on the wafer W that is different from the first process.

[0037] According to the above-described solvent reuse system, the solvent recovered from the exhaust gas of the first process can be reused in a second process different from the first process. In substrate processing, a process that generates a large amount of exhaust gas containing the solvent can be different from a process that consumes the solvent as a liquid. By using the solvent recovered from the exhaust gas of the first process in the second process different from the first process, a larger amount of solvent can be recovered and reused. This can reduce solvent consumption.

[0038] The first process may include heat-treating a wafer W coated with a processing liquid containing a solvent. That is, the first process module may be a heat-treating module (e.g., the heat treatment device described above) that performs heat treatment such as heating or cooling the wafer W. The second process may include applying a processing liquid to the wafer W. That is, the second process module may be a liquid treatment module that supplies a processing liquid to the wafer W to perform processing (e.g., the patterning film forming device, development treatment device, hydrophobization treatment device, etc. described above). Below, a heat-treating module as an example of a first process module, a liquid treatment module as an example of a second process module, and the configuration of a solvent reuse system for these will be described as examples.

[0039] [Heat treatment module] 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a thermal treatment module U1. The thermal treatment module performs, for example, a heating treatment (pre-bake) before an exposure process or a heating treatment (post-exposure bake) after an exposure process on a pattern formed on a wafer W. As shown in FIG. 3, the thermal treatment module U1 has a heating plate 101 and a chamber 102. The heating plate 101 includes a heater 103.

[0040] The hot plate 101 supports a wafer W to be heat-treated (a target for solvent removal) and heats the supported wafer W. The chamber 102 accommodates the hot plate 101 and the wafer W supported by the hot plate 101. In the chamber 102 (heat treatment space), gas containing the solvent vaporized by heating with the hot plate 101 may be generated. For example, when the wafer W on which a liquid film made of a processing liquid containing a solvent is formed is heated by the hot plate 101, the solvent in the liquid film vaporizes and a gas containing the vaporized solvent is generated in the chamber 102.

[0041] Gas generated in the chamber 102 is discharged to the outside of the wafer processing system 1 by an exhaust system. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an exhaust system. The exhaust system 20 includes an outlet pipe 56 and an exhaust flow path 50. The outlet pipe 56 opens into the chamber 102 of the heat treatment module U1 and discharges gas from the chamber 102. Hereinafter, the gas discharged by the outlet pipe 56 will be referred to as "exhaust gas GS1."

[0042] The exhaust flow path 50 guides the exhaust gas GS1 sent out from multiple modules including the heat treatment module U1 to an exhaust port 53 that opens to the outside of the wafer processing system 1. Here, guiding the exhaust gas GS1 to the exhaust port 53 means guiding the exhaust gas GS1 from upstream to downstream in at least a portion of the exhaust flow path 50 toward the exhaust port 53. Guiding the exhaust gas GS1 to the exhaust port 53 does not necessarily mean guiding the exhaust gas GS1 until it reaches the exhaust port 53. The exhaust flow path 50 is composed of multiple exhaust ducts that are connected to each other. As an example, FIG. 4 illustrates exhaust duct 51 and exhaust duct 52 out of the multiple exhaust ducts.

[0043] The exhaust duct 51 is connected to the outlet pipe 56 and extends horizontally. The exhaust duct 51 receives the exhaust gas GS1 guided from the chamber 102 by the outlet pipe 56 and sends it horizontally to the exhaust duct 52. The exhaust duct 52 is connected to an end of the exhaust duct 51 and extends vertically. The exhaust duct 52 receives the gas guided by the exhaust duct 51 and sends it downward. The exhaust ducts 51 and 52 are connected to each other, for example, by bolting, while being sealed with a gasket or the like. In the following description, for convenience of explanation, the horizontal direction in which the exhaust duct 51 extends toward the exhaust duct 52 may be referred to as the longitudinal direction. The vertical direction in which the exhaust duct 52 extends, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, may be referred to as the height direction. The direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the height direction may be referred to as the width direction.

[0044] [Liquid treatment module] 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a liquid processing module U2. The liquid processing module U2 includes a housing 201, a spin holder 202, a supply unit 203, a cup 204, a drainage unit 205, a nozzle transport device 206, and a liquid receiving unit 207.

[0045] The rotating holder 202 holds and rotates the horizontally placed wafer W from below. The supply unit 203 supplies a processing liquid to the wafer W held by the rotating holder 202. The supply unit 203 includes a nozzle 208 and a processing liquid supply source 209. The nozzle 208 ejects the processing liquid from above toward the wafer W held by the rotating holder 202. The processing liquid supply source 209 supplies the processing liquid to the nozzle 208 via a supply path 210. The cup 204 opens upward and accommodates the wafer W held by the rotating holder 202. The cup 204 receives the processing liquid that has been supplied to the wafer W from the nozzle 208 and then scattered around the outer periphery of the wafer W due to the rotation of the wafer W. The drainage unit 205 discharges the processing liquid received by the cup 204 from the cup 204.

[0046] The nozzle transport device 206 transports the nozzle 208 between a discharge position and a retracted position. The discharge position is a position for discharging the processing liquid toward the wafer W, and is above the wafer W held by the rotary holder 202 (for example, vertically above the center of rotation of the rotary holder 202). The retracted position is a position retracted from above the wafer W, for example, outside the cup 204. The liquid receiver 207 receives the processing liquid that drops from the nozzle 208 disposed at the retracted position or the processing liquid that is dummy discharged from the nozzle 208. Dummy discharge refers to discharging the processing liquid from the nozzle 208 without the purpose of supplying it to the surface of the wafer W.

[0047] [Configuration of the solvent reuse system] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an example of a wafer processing system 1 (substrate processing apparatus) including a solvent reuse system 10. The solvent reuse system 10 includes a recovery unit 6 that recovers solvent from exhaust gas GS1 discharged from a heat treatment module U1, and a liquid delivery unit 7 that delivers the recovered solvent to a liquid treatment module U2. The solvent reuse system 10 is connected to the exhaust duct 51 described above. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the exhaust duct 51 has an upper wall 51a, a bottom wall 51b, and multiple side walls 51c, and has, for example, a rectangular column shape extending in the longitudinal direction. An end 55 of the exhaust duct 51 is a connection portion with an exhaust duct 52.

[0048] The recovery unit 6 includes a cooling unit 61 and a storage unit 62. The cooling unit 61 cools the exhaust gas GS1 from the heat treatment module U1. The cooling unit 61 may liquefy solvent vapor contained in the exhaust gas GS1 by cooling the exhaust gas GS1. The storage unit 62 stores the cooled and liquefied solvent. The storage unit 62 can store a predetermined amount of solvent. The storage unit 62 is, for example, a tank.

[0049] The liquid delivery unit 7 delivers the solvent from the storage unit 62 to the liquid treatment module U2. The liquid delivery unit 7 is, for example, a pump. As will be described in detail later, the liquid delivery unit 7 is controlled by the control device 100 to deliver the solvent to the liquid treatment module U2 when the amount of solvent stored in the storage unit 62 exceeds a predetermined threshold. The liquid delivery unit 7 may supply the solvent to a portion of the liquid treatment module U2 that is not located above the wafer W. Examples of portions that are not located above the wafer W include the cup 204 and the drainage unit 205 illustrated in FIG. 5. Additionally, the liquid delivery unit 7 may supply the solvent to a portion of the liquid treatment module U2 that comes into contact with the treatment liquid. Examples of portions that come into contact with the treatment liquid include the liquid receiving unit 207 illustrated in FIG. 5. Residues of the treatment liquid are likely to remain in the cup 204, the drainage unit 205, and the liquid receiving unit 207. Therefore, the liquid treatment module U2 may use the solvent as a cleaning liquid to clean away the residual treatment liquid. On the other hand, it is preferable not to supply the solvent to the pattern to be formed on the wafer W, since the solvent may contain particles.

[0050] The cooling unit 61 cools the exhaust gas GS1 before it passes through the exhaust duct 51. This prevents condensation of the solvent downstream of the exhaust flow path 50 and leakage of the condensed solvent. For example, the recovery unit 6 further includes a cooling chamber 63 and an exhaust pipe 64. The cooling chamber 63 protrudes downward from the exhaust duct 51. The exhaust pipe 64 is connected to the heat treatment module U1 via the aforementioned outlet pipe 56, extends through the exhaust duct 51 to the cooling chamber 63, and guides the exhaust gas GS1 from the heat treatment module U1.

[0051] The cooling section 61 cools the cooling chamber 63. The storage section 62 stores the solvent liquefied in the cooling chamber 63. The exhaust gas GS1 discharged from the heat treatment module U1 is first sent to the cooling chamber 63 through an exhaust pipe 64, where it is cooled intensively. After passing through the cooling chamber 63, the exhaust gas GS1 is sent to the exhaust port 53 through multiple exhaust ducts including exhaust ducts 51 and 52.

[0052] The cooling chamber 63 is connected to the storage unit 62 by, for example, the piping 11. The cooled and liquefied solvent may be sent to the storage unit 62 via the piping 11. The cooling chamber 63 includes a peripheral wall 63a, an upper end 63c, and a bottom wall 63d, and has, for example, a cylindrical shape. The upper end 63c of the cooling chamber 63 opens to the bottom wall 51b of the exhaust duct 51. In the example of FIG. 6, the exhaust pipe 64 connects the heat treatment module U1 and the cooling chamber 63 so as to penetrate the exhaust duct 51 in the height direction.

[0053] The cooling unit 61 may be provided along a peripheral wall 63a of the cooling chamber 63. The cooling unit 61 may include, for example, a cooling pipe 12 through which a refrigerant flows. The cooling pipe 12 has an in-port 12a and an out-port 12b. The cooling pipe 12 guides the refrigerant received from the in-port 12a along the peripheral wall 63a to the out-port 12b. The refrigerant is, for example, a liquid refrigerant, and may be cooling water or oil.

[0054] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a cross section of the cooling chamber 63 taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 6. In the example of FIG. 7, the cooling pipe 12 extends along the peripheral wall 63a from the in-port 12a to the out-port 12b. The cooling pipe 12 may extend spirally from the in-port 12a to the out-port 12b, making multiple turns around the center of the peripheral wall 63a. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7, multiple fins 63b may be formed on the inner surface of the peripheral wall 63a of the cooling chamber 63. The multiple fins 63b are arranged around the center of the peripheral wall 63a and each protrudes from the inner surface of the peripheral wall 63a. Each of the multiple fins 63b may extend in the vertical direction.

[0055] 8 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a cross section taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 6. The lower end 64a of the exhaust pipe 64 may be located lower than the upper end 63c of the cooling chamber 63. The lower end 64a of the exhaust pipe 64 opens into the cooling chamber 63. This allows the exhaust gas GS1 from the heat treatment module U1 to be more reliably sent to the cooling chamber 63. Furthermore, the lower end 64a of the exhaust pipe 64 may be located on the bottom side of the cooling chamber 63, between the upper end 63c of the cooling chamber 63 and the bottom surface of the cooling chamber 63 (e.g., the upper surface of the bottom wall 63d). For example, in the height direction, the distance from the bottom surface to the lower end 64a may be shorter than the distance from the lower end 64a to the upper end 63c.

[0056] The bottom surface of exhaust duct 51 (e.g., the upper surface of bottom wall 51b) gradually becomes higher as it moves away from cooling chamber 63. For example, the bottom surface of exhaust duct 51 may have a slope that becomes higher as it moves away from cooling chamber 63. The bottom surface of exhaust duct 51 may gradually become higher as it moves away from cooling chamber 63 in both the longitudinal direction and width direction of exhaust duct 51. Solvent remaining in exhaust gas GS1 that has passed through cooling chamber 63 may be liquefied by natural air cooling before reaching end 55 of exhaust duct 51. The solvent liquefied in exhaust duct 51 is also collected in cooling chamber 63 by the bottom surface that gradually becomes higher as it moves away from cooling chamber 63.

[0057] The cooling unit 61 may further cool the exhaust duct 51. For example, the cooling unit 61 may have a first cooling unit 611 that cools the cooling chamber 63 and a second cooling unit 612 that cools the exhaust duct 51. The first cooling unit 611 may cool the cooling chamber 63 with a liquid refrigerant as described above, and the second cooling unit 612 may cool the exhaust duct 51 with a gaseous refrigerant. The cooling pipe 12 described above is included in the first cooling unit 611. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing an example of the second cooling unit 612. In the example of FIG. 9, the second cooling unit 612 includes a pair of refrigerant flow paths 612a that respectively correspond to the pair of side walls 51c of the exhaust duct 51. Each of the pair of refrigerant flow paths 612a is provided so as to be in contact with the outer surface of the corresponding side wall 51c.

[0058] Each of the pair of refrigerant flow paths 612a may have an outside air inlet 612b and an outside air outlet 612c. The outside air inlet 612b opens, for example, downward and receives gaseous refrigerant from outside the second cooling unit 612 into the refrigerant flow path 612a. The outside air outlet 612c opens, for example, upward and sends gaseous refrigerant from inside the refrigerant flow path 612a to outside the refrigerant flow path 612a. The outside air inlet 612b and the outside air outlet 612c are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the exhaust duct 51. This allows an airflow of the refrigerant GS2 to be formed in the refrigerant flow path 612a along the longitudinal direction of the exhaust duct 51, from the outside air inlet 612b to the outside air outlet 612c. An intake fan (not shown) may be provided near the outside air inlet 612b. An exhaust fan (not shown) may be provided near the outside air outlet 612c.

[0059] The solvent reuse system 10 may recover solvent from exhaust gas GS1 discharged from multiple heat treatment modules U1, including the heat treatment module U1. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a solvent reuse system 10A that recovers solvent from multiple heat treatment modules U1. The multiple heat treatment modules U1 are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the exhaust duct. The recovery unit 6 may have a cooling chamber 63 and an exhaust pipe 64 for each of the multiple heat treatment modules U1. For example, the recovery unit 6 may have multiple cooling chambers 63 corresponding to the multiple heat treatment modules U1, respectively, and multiple exhaust pipes 64 that guide exhaust gas from the multiple heat treatment modules U1 to the multiple cooling chambers 63, respectively. In this case, the exhaust gas GS1 generated in each of the multiple heat treatment modules U1 is sent to the corresponding cooling chamber 63 via the corresponding exhaust pipe 64.

[0060] The cooling unit 61 may cool the exhaust gas GS1 discharged from the multiple heat treatment modules U1. The storage unit 62 may store the solvent recovered from the exhaust gas GS1 discharged from the multiple heat treatment modules U1. For example, the cooling unit 61 includes multiple sub-cooling units 610 that cool multiple cooling chambers 63, respectively. The solvent liquefied in each of the multiple cooling chambers 63 is collected in the storage unit 62.

[0061] In the solvent reuse system 10A, the bottom surface inside the exhaust duct 51 gradually becomes higher as it gets farther away from each of the multiple cooling chambers 63. The bottom surface inside the exhaust duct 51 may have a slope that becomes higher for each cooling chamber 63 as it gets farther away from the cooling chamber 63.

[0062] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a cross section of another solvent reuse system 10B that recovers solvent from multiple heat treatment modules U10. The solvent reuse system 10B differs from the solvent reuse system 10A in that one cooling chamber 63 is provided for multiple heat treatment modules U10. The solvent reuse system 10B has multiple exhaust pipes 64 corresponding to the multiple heat treatment modules U1, respectively. The multiple exhaust pipes 64 are connected to the corresponding heat treatment modules U1 and extend to the cooling chamber 63 via exhaust ducts 51. In this case, exhaust gas GS1 generated in each of the multiple heat treatment modules U1 passes through the corresponding exhaust pipes 64 and is collected in one cooling chamber 63. The exhaust gas GS1 collected in the cooling chamber 63 is then cooled by a cooling unit 61, and the liquefied solvent in the cooling chamber 63 is stored in a storage unit 62.

[0063] The boiling point of the solvent recovered and delivered by the above-described solvent reuse systems 10, 10A, and 10B may be higher than the boiling point of water. For example, the boiling point of the solvent may be 200°C or higher and 300°C or lower. The solvent may be, for example, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone. The solvent may also be γ-butyrolactone (GBL). N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone is often used in substrate processing. For example, when a wafer W coated with polyimide is heat-treated in the heat treatment module U1, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone may evaporate. For this reason, the solvent reuse systems 10, 10A, and 10B efficiently reuse N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, which is used in large amounts.

[0064] The recovery unit 6 may further include a liquid amount sensor 620. The liquid amount sensor 620 may be provided, for example, in the storage unit 62 and may detect the amount of stored solvent. For example, when the amount of solvent recovered by the recovery unit 6 exceeds a predetermined threshold, the control device 100 may control the liquid delivery unit 7 to deliver the solvent to the liquid processing module U2.

[0065] The program storage unit of the control device 100 may store a program for controlling the processing of wafers W in the solvent reuse systems 10, 10A, and 10B. The control device 100 is configured with one or more control computers. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the control device 100. For example, the control device 100 has a circuit 150 shown in FIG. 12. The circuit 150 has one or more processors 151, a memory 152, a storage 153, and an input / output port 154. The storage 153 has a computer-readable storage medium such as a hard disk. The storage medium stores a program for causing the control device 100 to execute a solvent reuse method using the solvent reuse systems 10, 10A, and 10B. The storage medium may be a removable medium such as a nonvolatile semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk. The storage medium may store a program for causing the control device 100 to execute a substrate processing method including performing a first process on the wafer W, performing a second process on the wafer W that is different from the first process, recovering a solvent from exhaust gas GS1 generated during the first process, and delivering the recovered solvent for use in the second process. The storage medium may be a computer-readable storage medium.

[0066] The memory 152 temporarily stores the programs loaded from the storage medium of the storage 153 and the results of calculations by the processor 151. The processor 151 executes the programs in cooperation with the memory 152 to configure each of the functional modules described above. The input / output port 154 inputs and outputs electrical signals to and from each part of the processing station 3 in accordance with instructions from the processor 151. The control device 100 may be configured with multiple control computers. The hardware configuration of the control device 100 is not necessarily limited to configuring each functional module by a program. For example, each functional module of the control device 100 may be configured with a dedicated logic circuit or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) that integrates such logic circuits.

[0067] [Substrate processing procedure] As an example of a substrate processing method, a substrate processing procedure executed by the control device 100 is illustrated. The procedure includes performing a first process on the wafer W, performing a second process on the wafer W, recovering a solvent from exhaust gas GS1 generated as a result of the heat treatment, and sending the recovered solvent for use in the second process.

[0068] 13, the control device 100 executes steps ST1, ST2, ST3, and ST4. In step ST1, the control device 100 causes the liquid processing module U2 to execute a second process. For example, the control device 100 causes the liquid processing module U2 to execute a liquid process in which a processing liquid is applied to the wafer W.

[0069] In step ST2, the control device 100 causes the heat treatment module U1 to perform a first process. For example, the control device 100 causes the heat treatment module U1 to perform a heat treatment that heats the wafer W after the liquid treatment. As a result of the heat treatment, the solvent in the liquid film evaporates, and exhaust gas containing the evaporated solvent is generated in the chamber 102. The exhaust gas GS1 is recovered by the recovery unit 6 as described above. For example, the exhaust gas GS1 is cooled by the cooling unit 61, and the solvent liquefied by cooling is stored in the storage unit 62.

[0070] In step ST3, the control device 100 causes the liquid delivery unit 7 to execute a reuse process including delivery of the recovered solvent for use in the second process. An example of the process content in step ST3 will be described later.

[0071] In step ST4, for example, the control device 100 determines whether or not to terminate the substrate processing. When additional processing is to be performed on a wafer W that has already been subjected to a series of substrate processing, or when substrate processing is to be performed on another wafer W, the control device 100 does not terminate the substrate processing (step ST4: NO) but instead performs the liquid processing again on the target substrate. When the control device 100 terminates the substrate processing (step ST4: YES), the series of substrate processing ends.

[0072] 14 is a flowchart illustrating the process content in step ST3. As shown in FIG. 14, controller 100 determines whether liquid processing module U2 is in a standby state (step ST31). If liquid processing module U2 is in the process of applying a processing liquid to wafer W and is not in a standby state (step ST31: NO), liquid delivery unit 7 does not deliver liquid to liquid processing module U2, and the reuse process ends. If liquid processing module U2 is in a standby state (step ST31: YES), controller 100 determines whether the solvent stored in storage unit 62 has exceeded a predetermined upper threshold based on the detection result of the liquid volume sensor (step ST32). If the solvent is equal to or less than the upper threshold (step ST32: NO), liquid delivery unit 7 does not deliver liquid to liquid processing module U2, and the reuse process ends.

[0073] If the amount of solvent exceeds the upper threshold (step ST32: YES), the controller 100 controls the liquid delivery unit 7 to deliver the solvent to the liquid treatment module U2 (step ST33). Next, the controller 100 determines whether the amount of solvent stored in the storage unit 62 has fallen below a predetermined lower threshold based on the detection result of the liquid volume sensor (step ST34). If the amount of solvent is equal to or greater than the predetermined lower threshold (step ST34: NO), the controller 100 controls the liquid delivery unit 7 to continue delivering the solvent to the liquid treatment module U2. If the amount of solvent has fallen below the predetermined lower threshold (step ST34: YES), the controller 100 controls the liquid delivery unit 7 to stop delivering the solvent to the treatment liquid module (step ST35). This completes the reuse process.

[0074] According to the above-described substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method, the solvent recovered from the exhaust gas GS1 of the first process can be used in a second process different from the first process. In substrate processing, a process that generates a large amount of exhaust gas GS1 containing solvent can be different from a process that consumes the solvent as a liquid. According to a configuration in which the solvent recovered from the exhaust gas GS1 of the first process is used in the second process different from the first process, a larger amount of solvent can be recovered and reused. This can reduce solvent consumption.

[0075] The first process may include heat-treating a wafer W coated with a processing liquid containing a solvent, and the second process may include coating the processing liquid on the wafer W. In this case, a large amount of exhaust gas GS1 containing the solvent is exhausted in the first process, and a large amount of the solvent is consumed in the second process, so that a larger amount of the solvent can be recovered and reused.

[0076] The liquid delivery unit 7 may supply the solvent to a portion of the liquid processing module U2 that performs the second process, which is not located above the wafer W. The recovered solvent may contain particles. By not supplying the recovered solvent onto the wafer W, it is possible to prevent particles from being transferred onto the wafer W.

[0077] The liquid delivery unit 7 may supply the solvent to the portion in the liquid treatment module U2 that comes into contact with the treatment liquid. In this case, for example, the solvent can be used to clean the portion that is likely to leave residue due to contact with the treatment liquid.

[0078] The recovery unit 6 may include a cooling unit 61 that cools the exhaust gas GS1 and a storage unit 62 that stores the cooled and liquefied solvent, and the liquid delivery unit 7 may deliver the solvent from the storage unit 62. In this case, the cooling unit 61 cools the exhaust gas GS1, thereby improving the solvent recovery rate compared to natural air cooling. In addition, because the storage unit 62 stores the solvent, the solvent can be delivered more easily than by delivering dispersed droplets.

[0079] The heat treatment module U1 may further include an exhaust duct 51 that guides the exhaust gas GS1 exhausted from the heat treatment module U1 to an exhaust port 53, and the cooling unit 61 may cool the exhaust gas GS1 before the exhaust gas GS1 passes through the exhaust duct 51. In this case, condensation of the solvent downstream of the exhaust duct 51 and leakage of the condensed solvent can be suppressed.

[0080] The recovery unit 6 may further include a cooling chamber 63 protruding downward from the exhaust duct 51, and an exhaust pipe 64 connected to the heat treatment module U1, extending through the exhaust duct 51 to the cooling chamber 63, and guiding the exhaust gas GS1 from the heat treatment module U1. The cooling unit 61 cools the cooling chamber 63, the storage unit 62 stores the solvent liquefied in the cooling chamber 63, and the exhaust duct 51 guides the exhaust gas GS1 that has passed through the cooling chamber 63 to the exhaust port 53. In this case, the exhaust gas GS1 discharged from the heat treatment module U1 is first sent to the cooling chamber 63 through the exhaust pipe 64 and cooled intensively there. This promotes liquefaction of the solvent and enables the solvent to be recovered intensively, thereby improving the solvent recovery rate compared to, for example, a case in which the exhaust gas GS1 condenses over the entire exhaust duct 51.

[0081] The cooling section 61 may be provided along the peripheral wall 63a of the cooling chamber 63. In this case, the contact area between the exhaust gas GS1 and the cooling section 61 increases, and the recovery rate of the solvent can be improved.

[0082] Fins 63b may be formed on the inner surface of the peripheral wall 63a of the cooling chamber 63. In this case, the contact area between the peripheral wall 63a cooled by the cooling unit 61 and the exhaust gas GS1 increases, and the recovery rate of the solvent can be further improved.

[0083] The lower end 64a of the exhaust pipe 64 may be located lower than the upper end 63c of the cooling chamber 63. In this case, the exhaust gas GS1 is retained and cooled within the cooling chamber 63 from the lower end 64a of the exhaust pipe 64 to the upper end 63c of the cooling chamber 63, thereby improving the recovery rate of the solvent.

[0084] The lower end 64a of the exhaust pipe 64 may be located on the bottom side between the upper end 63c of the cooling chamber 63 and the bottom surface of the cooling chamber 63. In this case, the time that the exhaust gas GS1 emitted from the lower end 64a of the exhaust pipe 64 remains in the cooling chamber 63 can be secured longer, and the recovery rate of the solvent can be further improved.

[0085] The exhaust duct 51 extends horizontally, and the bottom surface of the exhaust duct 51 may gradually become higher as it gets farther away from the cooling chamber 63. In this case, the solvent that has condensed in the exhaust duct 51 after passing through the cooling chamber 63 can be more easily collected in the cooling chamber 63, making it easier to recover the solvent.

[0086] The cooling unit 61 may further cool the exhaust duct 51. In this case, the exhaust gas GS1 is actively cooled also in the exhaust duct 51, and the liquefaction of the solvent that was not liquefied in the cooling chamber 63 is promoted, thereby further improving the recovery rate of the solvent.

[0087] The cooling unit 61 may have a first cooling unit 611 that cools the cooling chamber 63 with a liquid refrigerant and a second cooling unit 612 that cools the exhaust duct 51 with a gaseous refrigerant. In this case, by cooling the cooling chamber 63 with a liquid in the first cooling unit 611, the exhaust gas can be rapidly liquefied due to the high thermal conductivity of the liquid. On the other hand, by cooling the exhaust duct 51 in the second cooling unit 612, a wide area can be cooled with a simple structure, and the exhaust gas GS1 can be dispersed and liquefied. By combining these cooling methods, the solvent recovery rate can be easily improved.

[0088] The substrate processing system may further include a plurality of heat treatment modules U10 including the heat treatment module U1. The recovery unit 6 may have a cooling chamber 63 and an exhaust pipe 64 for each of the plurality of heat treatment modules U10. The cooling unit 61 may cool the exhaust gas GS1 discharged from each of the plurality of heat treatment modules U10, and the storage unit 62 may store the solvent recovered from the exhaust gas GS1 discharged from each of the plurality of heat treatment modules U10. In this case, concentrated cooling can be performed for each heat treatment module U1 before the exhaust gas GS1 enters the exhaust duct 51, thereby improving the solvent recovery efficiency.

[0089] The boiling point of the solvent may be 200° C. or higher. In this case, liquefaction of the solvent can be promoted by cooling at a temperature that does not excessively liquefy water vapor, thereby suppressing water contamination and allowing the solvent to be recovered in a state that is easy to reuse.

[0090] The solvent may be N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, which is widely used in substrate processing steps and therefore has a significant effect in reducing the amount of solvent used.

[0091] The substrate processing system may further include a control device 100 that controls the liquid delivery unit 7 to deliver the solvent to the liquid processing module U2 when the amount of solvent recovered by the recovery unit 6 exceeds a predetermined threshold. In this case, by adjusting the timing of delivery to the storage status, the solvent can be continuously reused without overflowing the limited storage capacity.

[0092] [Variations] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0093] FIG. 15(a) is a plan view showing an example of a solvent reuse system 10C according to a first modification. FIG. 15(b) is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a cross section taken along line bb in FIG. 15(a). The solvent reuse system 10C differs from the solvent reuse system 10A in that the recovery section 6 does not have an exhaust pipe 64 and that the structures of the cooling chamber 63 and the first cooling section 611 are different from those of the solvent reuse system 10A. In the solvent reuse system 10C, the cooling chamber 63 may have a rectangular column shape extending in the longitudinal direction. In the longitudinal direction of the exhaust duct 51, the length of the cooling chamber 63 may be the same as the length of the exhaust duct 51. In the width direction of the exhaust duct 51, the width of the cooling chamber 63 may be smaller than the width of the exhaust duct 51. In the solvent reuse system 10C, the first cooling section 611 may include a cooling pipe 12A arranged in the cooling chamber 63 to guide the refrigerant along the longitudinal direction.

[0094] In the solvent reuse system 10C, the exhaust gas GS1 cooled by air flows downward into the cooling chamber 63, where it is further cooled by the refrigerant flowing in the cooling pipe 12A. The solvent cooled by the cooling pipe 12A and liquefied in the cooling chamber 63 may be sent to the storage section 62. The solvent liquefied in the exhaust duct 51 may also be collected in the cooling chamber 63 and sent to the storage section 62.

[0095] FIG. 16(a) is a plan view showing an example of a solvent reuse system 10D according to a second modification. FIG. 16(b) is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a cross section taken along line bb in FIG. 16(a). The solvent reuse system 10D differs from the solvent reuse system 10C in that the second cooling section 612 extends from the side wall 51c of the exhaust duct 51 to the peripheral wall 63a of the cooling chamber 63. Since the cooling chamber 63 is cooled by both the second cooling section 612 and the first cooling section 611, the exhaust gas GS1 is cooled by both air cooling and the refrigerant flowing through the cooling pipe 12A. The liquefied solvent may be collected in the cooling chamber 63 and sent to the storage section 62.

[0096] The above-described exemplary embodiment includes the following configurations. [1] A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a first processing module that performs a first processing on a substrate; a second processing module that performs a second processing on the substrate that is different from the first processing; a recovery unit that recovers a solvent from exhaust gas discharged from the first processing module; and a liquid delivery unit that delivers the recovered solvent to the second processing module. [2] The substrate processing apparatus according to [1], wherein the first process includes heat-treating the substrate to which a processing liquid containing the solvent has been applied, and the second process includes applying the processing liquid to the substrate. [3] The solvent reuse system according to [2], wherein the liquid delivery unit supplies the solvent to a portion not located above the substrate within the liquid processing module that performs the second processing. [4] The substrate processing apparatus according to [3], wherein the liquid delivery unit supplies the solvent to a portion in the liquid processing module that comes into contact with the processing liquid. [5] The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the recovery unit includes a cooling unit that cools the exhaust gas and a storage unit that stores the cooled and liquefied solvent, and the liquid delivery unit delivers the solvent from the storage unit. [6] The substrate processing apparatus described in [5], further comprising an exhaust duct that guides the exhaust gas exhausted from the first processing module to an exhaust port, and a cooling unit that cools the exhaust gas before it passes through the exhaust duct. [7] The substrate processing apparatus described in [6], wherein the recovery unit further includes a cooling chamber protruding downward from the exhaust duct, and an exhaust pipe connected to the first processing module, extending through the exhaust duct to the cooling chamber, and conducting the exhaust gas from the first processing module, wherein the cooling unit cools the cooling chamber, the storage unit stores the solvent liquefied in the cooling chamber, and the exhaust duct conducts the exhaust gas that has passed through the cooling chamber to an exhaust outlet. [8] The substrate processing apparatus according to [7], wherein the cooling unit is provided along the peripheral wall of the cooling chamber. [9] The substrate processing apparatus according to [8], wherein fins are formed on the inner surface of the peripheral wall of the cooling chamber.

[10] The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of [7] to [9], wherein a lower end of the exhaust pipe is located lower than an upper end of the cooling chamber.

[11] The solvent reuse system described in

[10] , wherein the lower end of the exhaust pipe is located on the bottom side between the upper end of the cooling chamber and the bottom surface of the cooling chamber.

[12] The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of [7] to

[11] , wherein the exhaust duct extends horizontally and the bottom surface of the exhaust duct becomes gradually higher as it goes away from the cooling chamber.

[13] The solvent reuse system according to any one of [7] to

[12] , wherein the cooling unit further cools the exhaust duct.

[14] The substrate processing apparatus according to

[13] , wherein the cooling unit has a first cooling unit that cools the cooling chamber with a liquid refrigerant and a second cooling unit that cools the exhaust duct with a gaseous refrigerant.

[15] A substrate processing apparatus according to any one of [7] to

[14] , further comprising a plurality of first processing modules including the first processing module, wherein the recovery unit has the cooling chamber and the exhaust pipe for each of the plurality of first processing modules, the cooling unit cools the exhaust gas discharged from each of the plurality of first processing modules, and the storage unit stores the solvent recovered from the exhaust gas discharged from each of the plurality of first processing modules.

[16] The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of [5] to

[15] , wherein the boiling point of the solvent is 200° C. or higher.

[17] The substrate processing apparatus according to

[16] , wherein the solvent is N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone.

[18] A substrate processing apparatus according to any one of [1] to

[17] , further comprising a control unit that controls the liquid delivery unit to deliver the solvent to the second processing module when the amount of the solvent recovered by the recovery unit exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[19] A substrate processing method comprising: performing a first process on a substrate; performing a second process on the substrate that is different from the first process; recovering a solvent from exhaust gas generated during the first process; and delivering the recovered solvent for use in the second process.

[20] A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing an apparatus to execute the substrate processing method described in

[19] . [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 1...wafer processing system (substrate processing apparatus), 10, 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D...solvent reuse system, 6...recovery section, 7...liquid delivery section, 51...exhaust duct, 53...exhaust port, 61...cooling section, 62...storage section, 63...cooling chamber, 63a...peripheral wall, 63b...fins, 63c...top end, 63d...bottom wall, 64...exhaust pipe, 611...first cooling section, 612...second cooling section, GS1...exhaust gas, H...storage medium.

Claims

1. a first processing module that performs a first processing on a substrate; a second processing module for performing a second processing on the substrate, the second processing being different from the first processing; a recovery unit that recovers a solvent from the exhaust gas discharged from the first treatment module; a liquid delivery unit that delivers the recovered solvent to the second processing module.

2. the first treatment includes heat-treating the substrate coated with the treatment liquid containing the solvent, The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second process includes applying the processing liquid to the substrate.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the liquid delivery unit supplies the solvent to a portion not positioned above the substrate in the liquid processing module where the second processing is performed.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the liquid delivery unit supplies the solvent to a portion in the liquid processing module that comes into contact with the processing liquid.

5. The recovery unit includes: a cooling unit that cools the exhaust gas; a storage section for storing the cooled and liquefied solvent, 5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid delivery unit delivers the solvent from the storage unit.

6. an exhaust duct that guides the exhaust gas exhausted from the first processing module to an exhaust port; The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the cooling unit cools the exhaust gas before the exhaust gas passes through the exhaust duct.

7. The recovery unit includes: a cooling chamber protruding downward from the exhaust duct; an exhaust pipe connected to the first processing module, extending through the exhaust duct to the cooling chamber, and guiding the exhaust gas from the first processing module; the cooling unit cools the cooling chamber, the storage section stores the solvent liquefied in the cooling chamber, The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the exhaust duct guides the exhaust gas that has passed through the cooling chamber to an exhaust port.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the cooling section is provided along a peripheral wall of the cooling chamber.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein fins are formed on an inner surface of the peripheral wall of the cooling chamber.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein a lower end of the exhaust pipe is located lower than an upper end of the cooling chamber.

11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein a lower end of the exhaust pipe is located between an upper end of the cooling chamber and a bottom surface of the cooling chamber, on the bottom surface side.

12. The exhaust duct extends horizontally, The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the bottom surface of the exhaust duct gradually becomes higher as it goes away from the cooling chamber.

13. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the cooling unit further cools the exhaust duct.

14. The cooling unit is a first cooling unit that cools the cooling chamber with a liquid refrigerant; a second cooling section that cools the exhaust duct with a gaseous refrigerant; The substrate processing apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising:

15. Further comprising a plurality of first processing modules including the first processing module, the recovery unit includes the cooling chamber and the exhaust pipe for each of the plurality of first processing modules, the cooling unit cools the exhaust gas discharged from each of the plurality of first processing modules; The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the storage unit stores the solvent recovered from exhaust gas discharged from each of the plurality of first processing modules.

16. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the solvent has a boiling point of 200° C. or higher.

17. 17. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the solvent is N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone.

18. A substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a control unit that controls the liquid delivery unit to deliver the solvent to the second processing module when the amount of the solvent recovered by the recovery unit exceeds a predetermined threshold.

19. subjecting the substrate to a first process; subjecting the substrate to a second treatment different from the first treatment; recovering a solvent from the exhaust gas generated in the first treatment; and sending the recovered solvent to be utilized in the second process.

20. 20. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing an apparatus to execute the substrate processing method according to claim 19.

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