Substrate processing device and substrate processing method

Abstract

To provide a substrate processing device capable of prolonging a lifetime of a flow rate adjustment mechanism.SOLUTION: A substrate processing device comprises piping, a process liquid supply section, a flowmeter, a smoothing section, and a flow rate adjustment mechanism. A process liquid is circulated in the piping. The process liquid supply section supplies the process liquid to a substrate via the piping. The flowmeter measures a flow rate in the piping. The smoothing section executes smoothing with respect to the flow rate that is measured by the flowmeter. The flow rate adjustment mechanism adjusts the flow rate on the basis of a target value of the flow rate and a result of smoothing. In a case where the flow rate measured by the flowmeter is within a first range, the smoothing section executes smoothing on the basis of a first time constant. In a case where the flow rate measured by the flowmeter is within a second range which is closer to the target value than the first range, the smoothing section executes smoothing on the basis of a second time constant that is longer than the first time constant.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] A substrate processing apparatus according to the background art includes a plurality of processing units that perform liquid processing on substrates and a processing fluid supply source that supplies processing liquid to the processing units. The processing liquid from the processing fluid supply source flows through a supply line. The flow rate of the processing liquid in the supply line is adjusted to a set flow rate by a flow rate adjustment mechanism. More specifically, the flow rate adjustment mechanism adjusts the flow rate to the set flow rate by repeatedly opening and closing a valve seat of a valve body. The processing liquid is discharged at the set flow rate onto the substrate through the supply line (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-213145 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the substrate processing apparatus, the valve body repeatedly comes into contact with the valve seat, which causes the flow rate adjusting mechanism to deteriorate relatively quickly.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method that can extend the life of a flow rate adjustment mechanism. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a substrate processing apparatus includes a pipe, a processing liquid supply unit, a flow meter, a smoothing unit, and a flow rate adjustment mechanism. A processing liquid flows through the pipe. The processing liquid supply unit supplies the processing liquid to a substrate through the pipe. The flow meter measures a flow rate in the pipe. The smoothing unit performs a smoothing process on the flow rate measured by the flow meter. The flow rate adjustment mechanism adjusts the flow rate based on a target value of the flow rate and a result of the smoothing process. When the flow rate measured by the flow meter is within a first range, the smoothing unit performs the smoothing process based on a first time constant. When the flow rate measured by the flow meter is within a second range closer to the target value than the first range, the smoothing unit performs the smoothing process based on a second time constant longer than the first time constant.

[0007] In one embodiment, in response to a change in the flow rate measured by the flow meter from the first range to the second range, the smoothing processing unit terminates the smoothing processing based on the first time constant and starts the smoothing processing based on the second time constant.

[0008] In one embodiment, in response to a change in the flow rate measured by the flow meter from the second range to the first range, the smoothing processing unit terminates the smoothing processing based on the second time constant and starts the smoothing processing based on the first time constant.

[0009] In one embodiment, the flow rate adjusting mechanism includes a motor needle valve that adjusts the flow rate of the processing liquid in the pipe.

[0010] In one embodiment, the smoothing section divides the amount of change in the flow rate by the first time constant or the second time constant in the smoothing process.

[0011] In one embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus further includes a storage unit and a setting processing unit. The storage unit stores recipe data defining a procedure for processing by the substrate processing apparatus. The setting processing unit sets the first time constant and the second time constant for the smoothing processing unit based on the recipe data stored in the storage unit.

[0012] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a substrate processing method includes the steps of supplying a processing liquid to a substrate through a pipe; measuring a flow rate in the pipe with a flow meter; performing a first smoothing process on the flow rate based on a first time constant when the flow rate measured by the flow meter is within a first range; performing a second smoothing process on the flow rate based on a second time constant longer than the first time constant when the flow rate measured by the flow meter is within a second range closer to a target value of the flow rate than the first range; and adjusting the flow rate based on the target value of the flow rate and a result of the first smoothing process or the second smoothing process. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method that can extend the life of a flow rate adjusting mechanism. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a processing unit shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the adjusting valve. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the peripheral configuration of the processing unit shown in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a diagram illustrating a first time constant τ1 and a second time constant τ2 used in the smoothing processing unit shown in FIG. 5. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the processing of the detector shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing a process for adjusting the opening degree of an adjustment valve. [Figure 9] 1 is a graph showing flow rate and needle position over time. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Note that duplicated explanations may be omitted where appropriate. In addition, identical or equivalent parts in the drawings will be designated by the same reference symbols and will not be described again. In this specification, to facilitate understanding of the invention, mutually orthogonal X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis may be described. In this embodiment, the X-axis and Y-axis are parallel to the horizontal direction, and the Z-axis is parallel to the vertical direction.

[0016] (First embodiment) A substrate processing apparatus 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 17. Figure 1 is a diagram showing the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0017] 1, the substrate processing apparatus 100 processes a substrate W. The substrate processing apparatus 100 processes the substrate W by performing at least one of etching, surface treatment, property imparting, treatment film formation, removal of at least a portion of a film, and cleaning on the substrate W.

[0018] The substrate W is used as a semiconductor substrate. The substrate W includes a semiconductor wafer. For example, the substrate W has a substantially circular disk shape. Here, the substrate processing apparatus 100 processes the substrates W one by one.

[0019] The substrate processing apparatus 100 includes a plurality of processing units 10, a fluid cabinet 110, a plurality of fluid boxes 120, a plurality of load ports LP, an indexer robot IR, a center robot CR, and a controller 101.

[0020] Each load port LP accommodates a plurality of stacked substrates W. The indexer robot IR transports the substrates W between the load port LP and the center robot CR. The center robot CR transports the substrates W between the indexer robot IR and the processing units 10. Each processing unit 10 supplies a processing liquid to the substrate W to process the substrate W. The fluid cabinet 110 accommodates a processing liquid. The processing liquid includes, for example, a chemical liquid, a rinse liquid, a removal liquid, and / or a water repellent agent. The fluid cabinet 110 accommodates a processing liquid. The fluid cabinet 110 may also accommodate a gas.

[0021] The multiple processing units 10 form multiple towers TW (four towers TW in FIG. 1) arranged to surround the center robot CR in a plan view. Each tower TW includes multiple processing units 10 stacked one above the other (three processing units 10 in FIG. 1). Each fluid box 120 corresponds to one of the multiple towers TW. The processing liquid in the fluid cabinet 110 is supplied to all of the processing units 10 included in the tower TW corresponding to the fluid box 120 via one of the fluid boxes 120.

[0022] The controller 101 controls the operation of each part of the substrate processing apparatus 100. For example, the controller 101 controls the load port LP, the indexer robot IR, and the center robot CR.

[0023] The control device 101 includes a control unit 102 and a storage unit 104. The control unit 102 has a processor. The control unit 102 has, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Alternatively, the control unit 102 may have a general-purpose computing device.

[0024] The storage unit 104 stores data and computer programs. The data includes recipe data 1041 (see FIG. 5). The recipe data 1041 includes information indicating a plurality of recipes. Each of the plurality of recipes defines the processing content and processing procedure for the substrate W.

[0025] The storage unit 104 includes a main storage device and an auxiliary storage device. The main storage device is, for example, a semiconductor memory. The auxiliary storage device is, for example, a semiconductor memory and / or a hard disk drive. The storage unit 104 may include removable media. The control unit 102 executes computer programs stored in the storage unit 104 to perform substrate processing operations.

[0026] Next, the processing unit 10 in the substrate processing apparatus 100 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the processing unit 10 shown in Fig. 1.

[0027] The processing unit 10 includes a chamber 12 and a substrate holder 20. The chamber 12 accommodates a substrate W. The substrate holder 20 holds the substrate W.

[0028] The chamber 12 is generally box-shaped and has an internal space. The chamber 12 accommodates the substrates W. Here, the substrate processing apparatus 100 is a single-wafer type that processes the substrates W one by one, and the chamber 12 accommodates the substrates W one by one. The substrates W are accommodated in the chamber 12 and processed within the chamber 12. The chamber 12 accommodates at least a part of the substrate holder 20 and at least a part of the processing liquid supply unit 30, which will be described later.

[0029] The substrate holding unit 20 holds the substrate W. The substrate holding unit 20 holds the substrate W horizontally so that the upper surface (front surface) Wa of the substrate W faces upward and the lower surface (back surface) Wb of the substrate W faces vertically downward. The substrate holding unit 20 also rotates the substrate W while holding it. The substrate holding unit 20 rotates the substrate W while holding it.

[0030] For example, the substrate holding unit 20 may be of a clamping type that clamps the edge of the substrate W. Alternatively, the substrate holding unit 20 may have any mechanism that holds the substrate W from the lower surface Wb. For example, the substrate holding unit 20 may be of a vacuum type.

[0031] For example, the substrate holder 20 includes a spin base 21, a chuck member 22, a shaft 23, an electric motor 24, and a housing 25. The chuck member 22 is provided on the spin base 21. The chuck member 22 chucks the substrate W. Typically, the spin base 21 is provided with a plurality of chuck members 22.

[0032] The shaft 23 is a hollow shaft. The shaft 23 extends vertically along the rotation axis Ax. The spin base 21 is coupled to the upper end of the shaft 23. The substrate W is placed above the spin base 21.

[0033] The spin base 21 is disk-shaped and supports the substrate W horizontally. The shaft 23 extends downward from the center of the spin base 21. The electric motor 24 applies a rotational force to the shaft 23. The electric motor 24 rotates the shaft 23 in a rotational direction, thereby rotating the substrate W and the spin base 21 around the rotation axis Ax. The housing 25 surrounds the shaft 23 and the electric motor 24.

[0034] The substrate processing apparatus 100 further includes a processing liquid supply unit 30. The processing liquid supply unit 30 supplies the processing liquid supplied through a pipe 31 (described later) to the substrate W. Typically, the processing liquid supply unit 30 supplies the processing liquid to the upper surface Wa of the substrate W.

[0035] The processing liquid may include a so-called chemical liquid. The chemical liquid may include, for example, hydrofluoric acid. For example, the hydrofluoric acid may be heated to 40°C or higher and 70°C or lower, or may be heated to 50°C or higher and 60°C or lower. However, the hydrofluoric acid does not have to be heated. The chemical liquid may also include water or phosphoric acid.

[0036] The chemical solution may also include hydrogen peroxide, SC1 (ammonia-hydrogen peroxide mixture), SC2 (hydrochloric acid-hydrogen peroxide mixture), or aqua regia (a mixture of concentrated hydrochloric acid and concentrated nitric acid).

[0037] The processing liquid supply unit 30 includes a pipe 31, a nozzle 32, an opening / closing valve 33, an adjustment valve 34, and a flow meter 35. The nozzle 32 discharges the processing liquid onto the upper surface Wa of the substrate W. For example, the nozzle 32 may discharge the processing liquid onto the central portion of the substrate W, or onto a region between the central portion and the peripheral edge portion of the substrate W. The nozzle 32 has a discharge port and discharges the processing liquid from the discharge port.

[0038] The nozzle 32 is preferably configured to be movable relative to the substrate W. The nozzle 32 can move horizontally and / or vertically in accordance with a movement mechanism controlled by the control unit 102. Note that in this specification, the movement mechanism is omitted to avoid overly complicating the drawings. The nozzle 32 is connected to a pipe 31. A processing liquid is supplied to the pipe 31 from a supply source. The supplied processing liquid flows within the pipe 31 and is supplied from the nozzle 32 to the substrate W.

[0039] The on-off valve 33 is provided in the pipe 31 and opens and closes the flow path in the pipe 31. Specifically, the on-off valve 33 includes a valve body (not shown) having a valve seat provided therein, a valve element that opens and closes the valve seat, and an actuator (not shown) that moves the valve element between an open position and a closed position.

[0040] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the adjusting valve 34. The adjusting valve 34 is provided in the pipe 31 and adjusts the flow rate of the processing liquid passing through the flow path of the pipe 31. The adjusting valve 34 is an electrically operated adjusting valve. In this embodiment, the adjusting valve 34 is a motor needle valve. A motor needle valve is also called an electric needle valve. By using a motor needle valve, the flow rate in the pipe 31 can be accurately adjusted.

[0041] 3, specifically, the adjustment valve 34 includes a needle 341, a stepping motor 342, a valve body 343, a case 344, a connecting member 345, and a sealing member 346. The adjustment valve 34 corresponds to a part of the "flow rate adjustment mechanism" of the present invention. The valve body 343 is formed with an internal flow path 343a through which the processing liquid passes. The valve body 343 also has an inlet 343b and an outlet 343c formed at one end and the other end of the internal flow path 343a, respectively. The inlet 343b and the outlet 343c are connected to the pipe 31.

[0042] The needle 341 adjusts the opening degree of the internal flow path 343a. In other words, the needle 341 adjusts the flow rate of the treatment liquid passing through the internal flow path 343a. The stepping motor 342 moves the needle 341 relative to the valve body 343. Specifically, the stepping motor 342 moves the needle 341 in the axial direction of the motor shaft 342a.

[0043] The case 344 is fixed to the valve body 343 and houses the stepping motor 342 and a connecting member 345. The connecting member 345 connects the motor shaft 342a of the stepping motor 342 to the needle 341. The sealing member 346 seals the gap between the case 344 and the needle 341. The sealing member 346 is, for example, an O-ring. The sealing member 346 prevents the processing liquid from the internal flow path 343a from leaking into the case 344.

[0044] The adjusting valve 34 also has an origin sensor 347. The origin sensor 347 is a sensor for positioning the needle 341 at an origin position (reference position). Specifically, the origin sensor 347 has a light-emitting unit 347a having a light-emitting element and a light-receiving unit 347b having a light-receiving element. The light-emitting unit 347a and the light-receiving unit 347b are arranged on the opposite side of the motor shaft 342a from the needle 341. Note that the light-emitting unit 347a and the light-receiving unit 347b may also be arranged on the same side of the motor shaft 342a as the needle 341. The motor shaft 342a moves in the axial direction when the stepping motor 342 is driven, and the position at which the motor shaft 342a blocks light from the light-emitting unit 347a toward the light-receiving unit 347b is the origin position (reference position) of the motor shaft 342a and the needle 341.

[0045] The stepping motor 342 moves the needle 341 between a fully open position and a fully closed position. The stepping motor 342 moves the needle 341 in the axial direction, thereby changing the degree of opening of the internal flow path 343a in the valve body 343. The degree of opening of the internal flow path 343a is adjusted by the number of pulses included in the drive current input to the stepping motor 342 after the needle 341 is positioned at the origin position.

[0046] 2, the flow meter 35 measures the flow rate in the pipe 31. In other words, the flow meter 35 detects the flow rate of the treatment liquid passing through the pipe 31. The flow meter 35 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, an ultrasonic flow meter. In this embodiment, the measurement result Va of the flow meter 35 is an analog signal that indicates the change over time in the flow rate in the pipe 31 (see FIG. 6), and is used to control the adjustment valve 34.

[0047] The substrate processing apparatus 100 further includes a cup 80. The cup 80 collects the processing liquid splashed from the substrate W. The cup 80 moves up and down. For example, the cup 80 moves up vertically to the side of the substrate W during the period in which the processing liquid supply unit 30 supplies the processing liquid to the substrate W. In this case, the cup 80 collects the processing liquid splashed from the substrate W due to the rotation of the substrate W. Furthermore, when the period in which the processing liquid supply unit 30 supplies the processing liquid to the substrate W ends, the cup 80 moves down vertically from the side of the substrate W.

[0048] As described above, the control device 101 includes the control unit 102 and the memory unit 104. The control unit 102 controls the substrate holder 20, the processing liquid supply unit 30, and / or the cup 80. In one example, the control unit 102 controls the electric motor 24, the opening / closing valve 33, and the adjusting valve 34.

[0049] 2, the processing liquid supply part 30 is capable of supplying one type of processing liquid to the substrate W, but the processing liquid supply part 30 may be capable of supplying multiple types of processing liquid to the substrate W. For example, the processing liquid supply part 30 may include multiple pipes 31, nozzles 32, on-off valves 33, and adjustment valves 34.

[0050] Next, the processing unit 10 of the first embodiment will be further described with reference to Fig. 4 to Fig. 6. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the peripheral configuration of the processing unit 10 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a block diagram of the substrate processing apparatus 100 of the first embodiment. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the first time constant τ1 and the second time constant τ2 used in the smoothing processor 412 shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the processing of the detector 41 shown in Fig. 5.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 4, the substrate processing apparatus 100 includes a detector 41, a controller 42, and a controller 43.

[0052] 5, the detector 41 includes an A / D converter 411 and a smoothing processor 412. The detector 41 can be realized by a semiconductor element such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), an IC (Integrated Circuit), or an LSI (Large Scale Integration).

[0053] 5, the A / D converter 411 converts the measurement result (i.e., analog value) Va (see FIG. 6) of the flow meter 35 at a predetermined sampling frequency into a digital value Vd (see FIG. 6) indicating the measurement result of the flow meter 35. The digital value Vd is indicated by a hollow circle in FIG. 6.

[0054] The smoothing processor 412 performs smoothing on the digital value Vd obtained from the A / D converter 411 with a time constant τ set by the control unit 102, and outputs the smoothing result Vs to the controller 42. The time constant τ represents the responsiveness of the smoothing result Vs to the measurement result Va of the flow meter 35. In other words, the time constant τ represents the response speed of the detector 41. The time constant τ is measured in seconds, milliseconds, microseconds, etc. The smoothing result Vs is indicated by a hollow triangle in FIG. 6.

[0055] The smoothing process is typically a process for removing abnormal values ​​or noise from the digital value Vd included in the time indicated by the time constant τ. The smoothing process unit 412 typically divides the amount of change ΔVd in the digital value Vd during the time constant τ by the time indicated by the time constant τ, and outputs the smoothing process result Vs to the controller 42.

[0056] The upper part of FIG. 6 shows the smoothing result Vs1 when the time constant τ is the first time constant τ1. The lower part of FIG. 6 shows the smoothing result Vs2 when the time constant τ is the second time constant τ2. The measurement result Va is the same in the upper and lower parts of FIG. 6. Therefore, the digital value Vd is also the same in the upper and lower parts of FIG. 6. The first time constant τ1 is shorter than the second time constant τ2. Therefore, the smoothing processing unit 412 outputs the smoothing result Vs1 earlier than the smoothing result Vs2. In other words, the responsiveness of the smoothing processing unit 412 is faster when the time constant τ is shorter. On the other hand, when the time constant τ is longer, abnormal values ​​or noise are removed from the smoothing result Vs.

[0057] When the measurement result Va of the flow meter 35 is within the first range R1 (see FIG. 7), a first time constant τ1 is set in the smoothing processing unit 412 by the control unit 102. In this case, the smoothing processing unit 412 performs smoothing processing based on the first time constant τ1. In detail, each time the time indicated by the first time constant τ1 (see FIG. 7) elapses, the smoothing processing unit 412 divides the amount of change ΔVd1 (see FIG. 5) in the digital value Vd1 during the first time constant τ1, and sequentially outputs the result of the smoothing processing as Vs1.

[0058] In response to a change in the measurement result Va of the flowmeter 35 from the first range R1 to the second range R2 (see FIG. 7), the smoothing processing unit 412 ends the smoothing processing based on the first time constant τ1 and starts the smoothing processing based on the second time constant τ2 (see FIG. 7). The second range R2 is closer to the target value Vtg (see FIG. 7) of the flow rate in the pipe 31 than the first range R1. The boundary value Vth between the first range R1 and the second range R2 is a value obtained by multiplying the target value Vtg by the following predetermined ratio: The target value Vtg is described in advance in the recipe data 1041 (see FIG. 5) stored in the storage unit 104. The predetermined ratio is, for example, 0.63.

[0059] When the measurement result Va of the flow meter 35 is within the second range R2, the control unit 102 sets a second time constant τ2 longer than the first time constant τ1 in the smoothing processing unit 412. In this case, the smoothing processing unit 412 performs smoothing processing based on the second time constant τ2. In detail, each time the time indicated by the second time constant τ2 elapses, the smoothing processing unit 412 divides the amount of change ΔVd2 in the digital value Vd2 during the time constant τ2, and sequentially outputs the result of the smoothing processing as Vs2.

[0060] In response to the change of the measurement result Va of the flow meter 35 from the second range R2 to the first range R1, the smoothing processor 412 switches from smoothing processing based on the second time constant τ2 to smoothing processing based on the first time constant τ1.

[0061] 4 and 5, the controller 42 may be mounted on the same semiconductor element as the detector 41. However, this is not limiting, and the controller 42 may be realized by a semiconductor element different from the detector 41. This also applies to the controller 43.

[0062] 5, controller 42 drives stepping motor 342 of adjustment valve 34 based on a target value Vtg (see FIG. 7) of the flow rate set by control unit 102 and the result Vs of the smoothing process, to control the opening degree of the flow path of pipe 31. In this way, controller 42 adjusts the flow rate in pipe 31. In other words, the combination of controller 42 and adjustment valve 34 is an example of the "flow rate adjustment mechanism" of the present invention.

[0063] Specifically, the controller 42 includes an arithmetic circuit and a driver circuit. The arithmetic circuit performs PID control based on the result Vs of the smoothing process that indicates the flow rate in the pipe 31. The driver circuit generates a drive current that drives the stepping motor 342 of the adjustment valve 34.

[0064] Specifically, the controller 42 derives the current position (i.e., opening) of the needle 341 (see FIG. 3) of the regulating valve 34 by PID control based on the deviation between the target value Vtg (see FIG. 7) of the flow rate set by the control unit 102 and the result Vs of the smoothing process. The controller 42 further generates a drive current with a number of pulses corresponding to the derived current position and inputs it to the stepping motor 342 of the regulating valve 34. This causes the stepping motor 342 of the regulating valve 34 to rotate based on the drive current. As a result, the needle 341 moves, and the opening of the regulating valve 34 is adjusted so that the flow rate of the processing liquid passing through the pipe 31 approaches the target value Vtg. The target value Vtg of the flow rate is set in the controller 42 by the control unit 102.

[0065] The controller 43 drives the on-off valve 33 to open or close the pipe 31. Specifically, the controller 43 includes a driver circuit. The driver circuit generates a drive current for driving the on-off valve 33.

[0066] More specifically, the controller 43 generates a drive current (pulse signal) for driving the on-off valve 33 based on the on-off signal input from the control unit 102, and inputs the drive current to the on-off valve 33. As a result, the on-off valve 33 opens and closes the pipe 31.

[0067] 5, the storage unit 104 stores recipe data 1041 that defines processing in the substrate processing apparatus 100. The recipe data 1041 includes at least one recipe step 1042. The recipe step 1042 includes information indicating a target value Vtg of a flow rate in the pipe 31, a first time constant τ1, and a second time constant τ2.

[0068] The control unit 102 executes a computer program stored in the storage unit 104 to control each unit of the substrate processing apparatus 100 .

[0069] The control unit 102 controls the indexer robot IR to transfer the substrate W by the indexer robot IR.

[0070] The control unit 102 controls the center robot CR to transfer the substrate W by the center robot CR. For example, the center robot CR receives an unprocessed substrate W and carries the substrate W into one of the processing units 10. The center robot CR also receives a processed substrate W from the processing unit 10 and carries the substrate W out.

[0071] The control unit 102 controls the substrate holding unit 20 to start rotation of the substrate W, change the rotation speed, and stop rotation of the substrate W. For example, the control unit 102 can control the substrate holding unit 20 to change the rotation speed of the substrate holding unit 20. Specifically, the control unit 102 can change the rotation speed of the substrate W by changing the rotation speed of the electric motor 24 of the substrate holding unit 20.

[0072] The control unit 102 controls the on-off valve 33 to switch the state of the on-off valve 33 between an open state and a closed state. Specifically, the control unit 102 switches the on-off valve 33 to an open state or a closed state by sending a control signal (on-off signal) to the controller 43. This allows the processing liquid in the pipe 31 to pass or not to pass.

[0073] Furthermore, the control unit 102 can control the controller 42 to adjust the opening degree of the adjustment valve 34 .

[0074] Next, the substrate processing apparatus 100 of the first embodiment will be further described with reference to Figures 5 to 8. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the opening adjustment process of the adjustment valve 34. The opening adjustment process includes steps S101 to S110.

[0075] In step S101, the control unit 102 reads out recipe data 1041 from the storage unit 104. The control unit 102 reads out information indicating the target value Vtg, the first time constant τ1, and the second time constant τ2 from the recipe step 1042, and transfers the information to the smoothing unit 412 of the detector 41. The smoothing unit 412 writes the transferred information into its internal memory. The smoothing unit 412 further derives a boundary value Vth by multiplying the target value Vtg by a predetermined ratio, and writes the result into its internal memory.

[0076] In other words, in step S101, the control unit 102 functions as a setting processing unit 1021 that sets the first time constant τ1 and the second time constant τ2 in the smoothing processing unit 412 based on the recipe data 1041 stored in the storage unit 104.

[0077] In step S102, the controller 43 opens the on-off valve 33 based on the on-off signal input from the control unit 102.

[0078] In step S103, the control unit 102 sets an initial position of the needle 341 of the adjusting valve 34 in the controller 42. The initial position may be a predetermined position. The controller 42 applies a drive current to the stepping motor 342 so that the needle 341 is positioned at the set initial position.

[0079] By steps S101 to S103, the substrate processing apparatus 100 starts supplying the processing liquid supplied through the pipe 31 onto the substrate.

[0080] In step S104, the substrate processing apparatus 100 measures the flow rate in the pipe 31 with the flow meter 35. As a result, the measurement result Va of the flow meter 35 is output to the detector 41.

[0081] In step S105, the A / D converter 411 in the detector 41 converts the input measurement result Va into a digital value Vd and outputs it to the smoothing processing unit 412.

[0082] In step S106, smoothing processing unit 412 determines whether digital value Vd has reached boundary value Vth. If digital value Vd has not reached boundary value Vth (No in step S106), the process proceeds to step S107. If digital value Vd has reached boundary value Vth (Yes in step S106), the process proceeds to step S107.

[0083] In step S107, assuming that the flow rate in the pipe 31 is in the transient region, the smoothing processing unit 412 executes the first smoothing processing. Specifically, the smoothing processing unit 412 holds the digital value Vd for the first time constant τ1 from the start of input of the digital value Vd. After the first time constant τ1 has elapsed, the smoothing processing unit 412 divides the digital value Vd by the amount of change ΔVd1 during the first time constant τ1 to derive the result Vs1 of the first smoothing processing. The smoothing processing unit 412 outputs the result Vs1 of the first smoothing processing to the controller 42.

[0084] In step S108, the controller 42 derives the current position (i.e., the opening) of the needle 341 (see FIG. 3) of the regulating valve 34 by PID control based on the deviation between the target value Vtg of the flow rate and the result Vs1 of the first smoothing process. The controller 42 further generates a drive current with a number of pulses corresponding to the derived current position, and inputs it to the stepping motor 342 of the regulating valve 34. This adjusts the opening of the regulating valve 34 so that the flow rate of the processing liquid passing through the pipe 31 approaches the target value Vtg.

[0085] After step S108 is completed, the process returns to step S106.

[0086] In step S109, assuming that the flow rate in the pipe 31 has transitioned to a stable region (also referred to as a steady state), the smoothing processor 412 executes the second smoothing process. Specifically, the smoothing processor 412 holds the digital value Vd for the second time constant τ2 from the start of input of the digital value Vd. After the second time constant τ2 has elapsed, the smoothing processor 412 divides the amount of change ΔVd2 in the digital value Vd during the second time constant τ2 to derive the result Vs2 of the second smoothing process. The smoothing processor 412 outputs the result Vs2 of the second smoothing process to the controller 42.

[0087] In step S110, the controller 42 derives the current position (i.e., the opening) of the needle 341 (see FIG. 3) of the regulating valve 34 by PID control based on the deviation between the target value Vtg of the flow rate and the result Vs2 of the second smoothing process. The controller 42 further applies a drive current of a number of pulses corresponding to the derived current position to the stepping motor 342. This adjusts the opening of the regulating valve 34 so that the flow rate of the treatment liquid passing through the pipe 31 fluctuates around the target value Vtg.

[0088] After step S110 is completed, the process returns to step S106.

[0089] According to the opening adjustment of the adjustment valve 34 shown in FIG. 8, a first smoothing process is performed in the transient region until the digital value Vd (i.e., the flow rate in the pipe 31) reaches the boundary value Vth. As shown in FIG. 6, the result Vs1 of the first smoothing process tracks the actual flow rate in the pipe 31 more closely than the result Vs2 of the second smoothing process. In PID control, the result Vs1 of the first smoothing process is used, so the deviation between the target value Vtg of the flow rate and the result Vs1 of the first smoothing process quickly decreases. As a result, as shown in the upper part of FIG. 9, the position P1 of the needle 341 does not overshoot as indicated by the arrow A1 until the flow rate in the pipe 31 approaches the target value Vtg. In other words, the total movement of the needle 341 in the transient region is small.

[0090] If the result Vs2 of the second smoothing process were used in PID control, the deviation between the target value Vtg of the flow rate and the result Vs2 of the second smoothing process would not decrease quickly. As a result, as shown in the lower part of Figure 9, the position P2 of the needle 341 significantly overshoots as indicated by arrow A2 until the flow rate in the pipe 31 approaches the target value Vtg.

[0091] On the other hand, in the stable region after the digital value Vd (i.e., the flow rate in the pipe 31) reaches the boundary value Vth, a second smoothing process is performed. As shown in FIG. 6, the result Vs2 of the second smoothing process is less affected by singular values ​​or noise than the result Vs1 of the first smoothing process. In the stable region, the result Vs2 of the second smoothing process is used in PID control, so the deviation between the target value Vtg of the flow rate and the result Vs2 of the second smoothing process is reduced. As a result, the needle 341 needs to be moved a smaller distance during the stable region.

[0092] As a result, the life of the regulation valve 34 (that is, the flow rate regulation mechanism) can be extended.

[0093] After the supply of the treatment liquid is completed, the target value Vtg can be set to zero in step S101 of Fig. 8. Therefore, a description of the opening adjustment process after the supply of the treatment liquid is completed will be omitted.

[0094] (Second embodiment) Next, a substrate processing apparatus 100 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a schematic plan view of the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, an example will be described in which the substrate processing apparatus 100 includes a common pipe 600 that supplies a processing liquid to a plurality of processing units 10, and a pressure gauge 730 that detects the pressure inside the common pipe 600. For convenience, Fig. 10 depicts only two of the processing units 10 included in the substrate processing apparatus 100.

[0095] 10 , the substrate processing apparatus 100 includes a plurality of processing units 10 and a common pipe 600. The processing units 10 have the same configuration. A pipe 31, an on-off valve 33, an adjustment valve 34, and a flow meter 35 are provided for each processing unit 10. In this embodiment, the pipe 31, the on-off valve 33, the controller 43, the adjustment valve 34, the controller 42, the flow meter 35, and the detector 41 are provided for each processing unit 10.

[0096] The common pipe 600 is connected to a supply source and receives the processing liquid from the supply source. The common pipe 600 supplies the processing liquid to the pipes 31 of the multiple processing units 10. The common pipe 600 has an upstream pipe 600a, a midstream pipe 600b, and a downstream pipe 600c. The upstream pipe 600a is connected to the supply source. The midstream pipe 600b is located downstream of the upstream pipe 600a and is connected to the pipes 31 of the multiple processing units 10. For ease of understanding, the processing unit 10 connected most upstream of the midstream pipe 600b may be referred to as processing unit 10a, and the processing unit 10 connected most downstream of the midstream pipe 600b may be referred to as processing unit 10b. The downstream pipe 600c is located downstream of the midstream pipe 600b. The downstream pipe 600c is connected to the supply source and returns the processing liquid to the supply source.

[0097] The substrate processing apparatus 100 includes an on-off valve 610 and a pressure adjustment valve 620. The on-off valve 610 is provided in the upstream pipe 600a and opens and closes a flow path in the upstream pipe 600a. Specifically, the on-off valve 610 includes, for example, a valve body (not shown) having a valve seat provided therein, a valve element that opens and closes the valve seat, and an actuator (not shown) that moves the valve element between an open position and a closed position.

[0098] The pressure regulating valve 620 is provided in the downstream pipe 600 c and regulates the pressure of the processing liquid in the downstream pipe 600 c. Specifically, the pressure regulating valve 620 includes, for example, a valve body (not shown) with a valve seat provided therein, a valve element that opens and closes the valve seat, and an adjustment spring (not shown) that adjusts the position of the valve element.

[0099] The substrate processing apparatus 100 includes a pipe 710 and a regulator 720. The pipe 710 connects a gas (e.g., air) supply source to the pressure adjustment valve 620. In this embodiment, the regulator 720 is an electropneumatic regulator. The regulator 720 is provided on the pipe 710 and adjusts the air pressure supplied to the pressure adjustment valve 620. The air supplied from the regulator 720 to the pressure adjustment valve 620 acts on an adjustment spring of the pressure adjustment valve 620, thereby adjusting the position of the valve element.

[0100] The substrate processing apparatus 100 includes a pressure gauge 730, a pressure adjustment valve controller 740, and a thermometer 750. The pressure gauge 730 is provided in the upstream pipe 600a and detects the pressure of the processing liquid in the upstream pipe 600a. The pressure detection result (pressure detection signal) of the pressure gauge 730 is sent to the pressure adjustment valve controller 740.

[0101] The pressure regulating valve controller 740 drives the regulator 720 to control the air pressure supplied to the pressure regulating valve 620. Specifically, the pressure regulating valve controller 740 includes an arithmetic circuit. The arithmetic circuit performs PID control according to a predetermined sampling period. The pressure regulating valve controller 740 PID controls the pressure detection signal based on a pressure detection signal input from the pressure gauge 730 and a preset target pressure value. The pressure regulating valve controller 740 then generates a control signal based on the PID-controlled pressure detection signal and inputs it to the regulator 720.

[0102] The thermometer 750 detects the temperature of the processing liquid in the upstream pipe 600a and the temperature of the processing liquid in the downstream pipe 600c. The temperature detection result of the thermometer 750 is sent to the control unit .

[0103] In the second embodiment, the same opening adjustment process (see FIG. 8) as in the first embodiment is executed in each processing unit 10. Therefore, even if a flow rate fluctuation in the pipe 31 of one processing unit 10 causes a flow rate fluctuation in the pipe 31 of another processing unit 10, the opening of the adjustment valve 34 is appropriately adjusted.

[0104] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the components disclosed in the above embodiments can be modified as appropriate. For example, some of the components shown in one embodiment may be added to the components of another embodiment, or some of the components shown in one embodiment may be deleted from the embodiment.

[0105] The drawings mainly show each component in a schematic manner to facilitate understanding of the invention, and the thickness, length, number, spacing, etc. of each component shown in the drawings may differ from the actual ones due to the convenience of creating the drawings. Furthermore, the configuration of each component shown in the above embodiment is merely an example and is not particularly limited, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible within a range that does not substantially deviate from the effects of the present invention.

[0106] In each embodiment, an example has been described in which the processing liquid from the supply source is supplied directly to the substrate W, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a first processing liquid from a first supply source and a second processing liquid from a second supply source may be mixed to generate a mixed processing liquid, and the mixed processing liquid may be supplied to the substrate W.

[0107] In each embodiment, in the substrate processing apparatus 100, each processing unit 10 is a so-called single-wafer type unit that processes substrates one by one. However, this is not limited thereto, and at least one unit among the plurality of processing units 10 may be a so-called batch type unit that is configured to process a plurality of substrates at once.

[0108] In each embodiment, the target value Vtg in recipe step 1042 is a fixed value that does not change with time. However, this is not limited to this, and the target value Vtg may be a value that changes with time. Furthermore, the target value Vtg, the first time constant τ1, and the second time constant τ2 may be determined depending on the type of processing liquid.

[0109] In each embodiment, the smoothing processing unit 412 derives the smoothing processing result Vs by dividing the change amount ΔVd in the digital value Vd during the time constant τ by the time indicated by the time constant τ through smoothing processing. However, this is not limiting, and the smoothing processing unit 412 may use the average value of the digital values ​​Vd during the time constant τ as the smoothing processing result Vs. Alternatively, the smoothing processing unit 412 may use the median value of the digital values ​​Vd during the time constant τ as the smoothing processing result Vs. [Industrial Applicability]

[0110] The substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method according to the present invention have industrial applicability. [Explanation of symbols]

[0111] 100 Substrate processing apparatus 31 Piping 30 Processing liquid supply unit 34 Adjustment valve (flow adjustment mechanism, motor needle valve) 35 Flow meter 41 Detector 412 smoothing processing section 42 Controller (flow rate adjustment mechanism) 102 Control section 1021 Setting processing unit 104 Storage section

Claims

1. a pipe through which the treatment liquid flows; a processing liquid supply unit that supplies the processing liquid to the substrate through the piping; a flow meter for measuring a flow rate in the piping; a smoothing processing unit that performs smoothing processing on the flow rate measured by the flow meter; a flow rate adjusting mechanism that adjusts the flow rate based on the target value of the flow rate and the result of the smoothing process; Equipped with When the flow rate measured by the flow meter is within a first range, the smoothing processing unit performs the smoothing processing based on a first time constant; When the flow rate measured by the flow meter is within a second range that is closer to the target value than the first range, the smoothing processing unit performs the smoothing processing based on a second time constant that is longer than the first time constant.

2. 2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the smoothing processing unit terminates the smoothing processing based on the first time constant and starts the smoothing processing based on the second time constant in response to a change in the flow rate measured by the flow meter from the first range to the second range.

3. 3. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the smoothing processing unit terminates the smoothing processing based on the second time constant and starts the smoothing processing based on the first time constant in response to a change in the flow rate measured by the flow meter from the second range to the first range.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the flow rate adjusting mechanism includes a motor needle valve that adjusts the flow rate of the processing liquid in the piping.

5. 3 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the smoothing unit divides the amount of change in the flow rate by the first time constant or the second time constant in the smoothing process.

6. a storage unit that stores recipe data that defines a processing procedure; 3 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a setting processing unit that sets the first time constant and the second time constant in the smoothing processing unit based on the recipe data stored in the storage unit.

7. supplying a processing solution to the substrate through a pipe; measuring the flow rate in the piping with a flow meter; When the flow rate measured by the flow meter is within a first range, performing a first smoothing process on the flow rate based on a first time constant; When the flow rate measured by the flow meter is within a second range that is closer to the target value of the flow rate than the first range, performing a second smoothing process based on a second time constant that is longer than the first time constant; adjusting the flow rate based on the target value of the flow rate and the result of the first smoothing process or the second smoothing process; A substrate processing method comprising:

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