Substrate drying device and substrate processing device

Abstract

To provide a substrate drying device and a substrate processing device that can reduce the occurrence of pattern clogging.SOLUTION: In a substrate processing device 1, a drying device (substrate drying device) 300 includes a heating portion 32 that heats a substrate W, a drying chamber 31 into which the substrate W is loaded with a liquid film of processing liquid formed on the processing surface, a support portion 34 that receives the substrate W loaded into the drying chamber 31 at a waiting position D away from the heating portion 32, and a drive mechanism 35 that rotates the substrate W supported by the support portion 34 while moving it to a drying position U approaching the heating portion 32, and expels the liquid film that has formed an air layer between the substrate W heated by the heating portion 32 and the substrate W by centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the substrate W.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD An embodiment of the present invention relates to a substrate drying apparatus and a substrate processing apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] In manufacturing processes for semiconductors, liquid crystal panels, and the like, substrate processing equipment is used to supply a processing solution to a processing surface of a substrate, such as a wafer or liquid crystal substrate, to process the processing surface, and then clean and dry the processing surface after processing. During the drying process of this substrate processing equipment, patterns, for example, around memory cells or gates, can collapse and become blocked due to the spacing and structure of patterns, the surface tension of the processing solution, and other factors. This tendency has become more pronounced with the recent trend toward miniaturization due to higher integration and higher capacity of semiconductors.

[0003] To prevent the pattern from collapsing, a substrate drying method using IPA (2-propanol: isopropyl alcohol), which has a surface tension lower than that of ultrapure water, has been proposed. This method replaces the DIW (ultrapure water) on the substrate surface with a mixture of IPA and DIW, and then dries the substrate (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-034779 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, semiconductors are becoming increasingly miniaturized, and even when drying is performed using a highly volatile organic solvent such as IPA, the fine patterns on the wafer can collapse due to the surface tension of the liquid.

[0006] For example, if the drying speed of the substrate surface becomes uneven as the liquid dries and some liquid remains between patterns, the surface tension of the liquid in those areas will cause the patterns to collapse. Specifically, the patterns in the remaining liquid areas will collapse due to elastic deformation caused by the surface tension of the liquid, and the small amount of dissolved residue in the liquid will coagulate. Then, when the liquid completely evaporates, the collapsed patterns will stick together.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate drying apparatus and a substrate processing apparatus that can reduce the occurrence of pattern blockage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The substrate drying apparatus of the present invention comprises a heating section for heating a substrate, a drying chamber in which the heating section is housed and into which the substrate is transported with a liquid film of processing liquid formed on its surface to be processed, a support section for receiving the substrate transported into the drying chamber at a standby position spaced apart from the heating section, and a drive mechanism for rotating the substrate supported by the support section and moving it to a drying position close to the heating section, and for discharging the liquid film, which has formed an air layer between the substrate heated by the heating section and the substrate, by centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the substrate.

[0009] The substrate processing apparatus of the present invention includes a processing apparatus that processes a substrate by supplying a processing liquid while rotating the substrate, a cleaning apparatus that cleans the processed substrate by supplying a processing liquid while rotating the substrate, a substrate drying apparatus, and a transport apparatus that transports the substrate cleaned in the cleaning apparatus with a liquid film formed by the cleaning liquid and transports it into the substrate drying apparatus. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The present invention can provide a substrate drying apparatus and a substrate processing apparatus that can reduce the occurrence of pattern blockage. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a simplified configuration diagram showing a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] 2 is a configuration diagram showing a cleaning device and a drying device of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 1A is a diagram showing the internal configuration of the drying device when a substrate is carried in and when a film thickness is measured. [Figure 4] 1A is a diagram showing the internal configuration of the drying device when a cleaning liquid is being supplied, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the internal configuration of the drying device when a substrate is waiting. [Figure 5] 1C is a diagram showing the internal configuration of the drying device when drying a substrate, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the internal configuration of the drying device when the substrate is lowered. [Figure 6] 1 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a substrate drying process according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of a drying process utilizing the Leidenfrost phenomenon. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram showing a modified example in which a plurality of drying positions are provided. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [overview] The substrate processing apparatus of this embodiment is a single-wafer processing apparatus that has processing chambers that perform multiple processes, and processes substrates W that have been transported in a cassette (FOUP) in the previous process one by one in each processing chamber.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a processing apparatus S, a cleaning apparatus 100, a transport apparatus 200, a drying apparatus 300, and a control apparatus 400. The processing apparatus S is, for example, an etching apparatus that supplies a processing liquid to a rotating substrate W to remove an unnecessary film and leave a circuit pattern. The cleaning apparatus 100 cleans the substrate W that has been etched in the etching apparatus with a cleaning liquid. The transport apparatus 200 transports the substrate W between each processing chamber. The drying apparatus (substrate drying apparatus) 300 performs a drying process by heating the substrate W that has been cleaned with the cleaning liquid while rotating it. The control apparatus 400 controls each of the above-mentioned apparatuses.

[0014] The substrate W processed in this embodiment is, for example, a semiconductor wafer. The cleaning liquid used for the cleaning process is alkaline cleaning liquid (APM), DIW (ultrapure water), or IPA (2-propanol: isopropyl alcohol). IPA has a lower surface tension than ultrapure water and is highly volatile.

[0015] [Cleaning equipment] 2, the cleaning apparatus 100 includes a cleaning chamber 11 which is a container in which the cleaning process is performed, a support part 12 which supports the substrate W, a rotation mechanism 13 which rotates the support part 12, a cup 14 which receives the scattering cleaning liquid L from around the substrate W, and a supply part 15 which supplies the cleaning liquid L. The supply part 15 is provided with a nozzle 15a which drips the cleaning liquid L and a movement mechanism 15b which moves the nozzle 15a.

[0016] A cleaning process is performed by supplying a cleaning liquid L from a nozzle 15a to a processing surface of a substrate W supported by a support part 12 and rotated by a rotation mechanism 13. In the cleaning process, APM cleaning is performed first, followed by cleaning with DIW. Furthermore, IPA is supplied after cleaning with DIW. An opening 11a for loading and unloading the substrate W is provided in the cleaning chamber 11, and the opening 11a is configured to be openable and closable by a door 11b.

[0017] [Transportation equipment] The transport device 200 has a handling device 20. The handling device 20 has a robot hand 21 that grips a substrate W, and a moving mechanism 22. The robot hand 21 grips the substrate W. The moving mechanism 22 moves the robot hand 21 to unload the substrate W that has been etched from the processing device S and load it into the cleaning device 100 with a liquid film (DIW liquid film) formed on it. The moving mechanism 22 also moves the robot hand 21 to unload the substrate W that has been cleaned from the cleaning device 100 and load it into the drying device 300 with a liquid film (DIW liquid film or IPA liquid film) formed on it.

[0018] [Drying equipment] As shown in FIG. 1, the drying apparatus 300 has a drying chamber 31, a heating unit 32, a window unit 33, a support unit 34, a drive mechanism 35, a cup 36, a measurement unit 37, and a supply unit 38. The drying chamber 31 is a container for drying the substrate W therein. The drying chamber 31 has a box shape, such as a rectangular parallelepiped or cube. The inner wall of the drying chamber 31 is coated with silica to improve dust resistance. The drying chamber 31 has an opening 31a for carrying the substrate W in and out. The opening 31a is openable and closable by a door 31b.

[0019] The heating section 32 is a device for heating the substrate W. The heating section 32 is provided in the upper part of the drying chamber 31. The heating section 32 has lamps 32a such as halogen lamps or infrared lamps. In this embodiment, the lamps 32a are straight tube type, and a plurality of lamps 32a are arranged horizontally and parallel to each other, stacked in two tiers, with the orientations of the lamps 32a in the first and second tiers perpendicular to each other, forming a lattice pattern overall. This configuration ensures uniform heating. The heating section 32 uses electromagnetic waves (infrared rays) of a wavelength that heats the substrate W more easily than the cleaning liquid L itself, thereby promoting the generation of a gas layer due to the heat of the substrate W.

[0020] The window 33 is a member that transmits electromagnetic waves from the heating unit 32. For example, a plate-like body made of quartz or the like can be used as the window 33. The window 33 is provided directly below the heating unit 32 in the drying chamber 31, and separates the heating unit 32 from the support unit 34, thereby preventing particles generated by expansion and contraction of the connector members of the lamps 32a due to repeated lighting of the lamps 32a from adhering to the substrate W from above and causing metal contamination.

[0021] The support unit 34 supports the substrate W. The support unit 34 has a turntable 34a, multiple holding members 34b, and a rotation shaft 34c. The turntable 34a is cylindrical with a diameter larger than the substrate W and has a flat circular top surface. The multiple holding members 34b are arranged at equal intervals along the outer periphery of the substrate W and hold the substrate W in a horizontal position with a gap between them and the upper surface of the turntable 34a. The multiple holding members 34b are movable by an opening / closing mechanism (not shown) between a closed position in contact with the edge of the substrate W and an open position away from the edge of the substrate W. The rotation shaft 34c is a vertical axis that supports the turntable 34a from below and serves as the center of rotation.

[0022] The drive mechanism 35 is a mechanism for rotating and raising and lowering the substrate W supported by the support parts 34. The drive mechanism 35 has a rotation part 35a and a lifting part 35b. The rotation part 35a has a drive source such as a motor, and rotates the support parts 34 via a rotation shaft 34c. The lifting part 35b has a drive mechanism in which a slider is raised and lowered by a ball screw rotated by the motor, and together with the rotation part 35a, moves the support parts 34 up and down.

[0023] In this embodiment, the positions of the support unit 34, which are changed by the drive mechanism 35, are set to a standby position D and a drying position U. The standby position D is a position where the substrate W, which has been loaded into the drying chamber 31 with a film of cleaning liquid L formed thereon, is received, separated from the heating unit 32. More specifically, the standby position D is lower than the detector 37a and the nozzle 38a, which will be described later. The reason for receiving and supporting the substrate W at a position separated from the heating unit 32 is as follows. That is, even if the lamp 32a itself is turned on only during the drying process, heat is accumulated in the quartz window 33, which has poor thermal conductivity, and the temperature reaches a temperature at which the cleaning liquid L evaporates. In particular, repeated drying processes cause the heat accumulation in the window 33 to progress. If a substrate W on which a film of cleaning liquid L has been formed is loaded under such an environment, the liquid film on the substrate W will begin to evaporate due to radiant heat. However, the entire liquid film does not evaporate instantly; instead, a portion evaporates, resulting in an uneven drying state, and the surface tension of the remaining cleaning liquid L causes pattern clogging. Therefore, it is necessary to support the substrate W at a position away from the heating unit 32 to avoid the effects of such radiant heat. Therefore, the waiting position D is a position away from the window 33 until the processing liquid puddled on the processing surface of the substrate W (the processing liquid at the time of transport into the drying chamber) reaches a state where it is not likely to evaporate (is less affected by heat) due to the radiant heat of the window 33, which is repeatedly heated and stored by the heating unit 32. The drying position U is a position close to the heating unit 32, where the substrate W heated by the heating unit 32 generates an air layer between the substrate W and the liquid film. In this embodiment, the waiting position D is below the upper edge E of the opening 31a, and the drying position U is above the upper edge E of the opening 31a.

[0024] The cup 36 is formed in a cylindrical shape so as to surround the support part 34 (see FIG. 2). The upper part of the peripheral wall of the cup 36 is inclined radially inward and is open so as to expose the substrate W on the support part 34. The cup 36 receives the cleaning liquid L scattered from the rotating substrate W and allows it to flow downward. A discharge port (not shown) is formed in the bottom surface of the cup 36 for discharging the cleaning liquid L that flows down. The cup 36 is connected to the drive mechanism 35 and is arranged so as to be able to move up and down together with the support part 34.

[0025] The measuring unit 37 is loaded into the drying chamber 31 and measures the thickness of the liquid film on the substrate W at the standby position D. The measuring unit 37 has a detecting unit 37a, a swinging arm 37b, and a swinging mechanism 37c. The detecting unit 37a may be, for example, a laser displacement meter or a camera. The swinging arm 37b has the detecting unit 37a at its tip, and moves the detecting unit 37a to a measurement position where it faces the vicinity of the center between the center and the outer periphery of the surface to be processed of the substrate W on the support unit 34, and to a standby position where it is retracted from the measurement position and allows the substrate W to be loaded or unloaded. The swinging mechanism 37c is a mechanism that swings the swinging arm 37b.

[0026] For example, the principle of optical interference can be used as a film thickness measurement method by the measuring unit 37. As another example, a weight scale can be used inside the support unit 34. When using this weight scale, the weight of the liquid film on the substrate W (weight of the liquid film = weight of the substrate including the liquid film - weight of the substrate) is converted theoretically or experimentally into the thickness of the liquid film.

[0027] The supply unit 38 is carried into the drying chamber 31 and supplies the cleaning liquid L onto the substrate W which is in the standby position. The supply unit 38 has a nozzle 38a, a swing arm 38b, and a swing mechanism 38c. The nozzle 38a supplies the cleaning liquid L toward the center of the surface to be processed of the substrate W. The cleaning liquid L is supplied to the nozzle 38a from a reservoir outside the drying chamber 31 via piping (neither of which is shown) or the like.

[0028] The type of cleaning liquid L supplied by the supply unit 38 is determined by the type of liquid that is finally pooled on the substrate W in the rinse process after alkaline cleaning in the cleaning process in the cleaning apparatus 100. That is, when the rinse process is completed with DIW, the substrate W is transported from the cleaning apparatus 100 to the drying apparatus 300 in a pooled state of DIW. In the case of DIW, the supply unit 38 supplies DIW. When DIW is finally replaced with IPA, the substrate W is transported from the cleaning apparatus 100 to the drying apparatus 300 in a pooled state of IPA. In the case of IPA, the supply unit 38 supplies new IPA because IPA evaporates during transport or absorbs moisture from the atmosphere during transport.

[0029] The swing arm 38b has a nozzle 38a at its tip, and moves the nozzle 38a between a supply position facing the center of the surface to be processed of the substrate W on the support part 34 and a retracted position where the nozzle 38a is retracted from the supply position to enable loading and unloading of the substrate W. The swing mechanism 38c is a mechanism for swinging the swing arm 38b. The drying position U is located above the supply part 38 which is at the supply position where the cleaning liquid L is supplied to the substrate W.

[0030] [Control device] The control device 400 is a computer that controls each part of the substrate processing apparatus 1. The control device 400 has a processor that executes programs, a memory that stores various information such as the programs and operating conditions, and a drive circuit that drives each element. In other words, the control device 400 controls the processing apparatus S, the cleaning apparatus 100, the transport apparatus 200, and the drying apparatus 300. The control device 400 also has an input device for inputting information and a display device for displaying information.

[0031] The control device 400 includes a mechanism control unit 41, a film thickness analysis unit 42, and a heating control unit 43. The mechanism control unit 41 controls the mechanisms of each unit. For example, the mechanism control unit 41 controls the rotation speed of the support unit 34 and the timing of starting and stopping rotation by controlling the rotation unit 35a of the drive mechanism 35. The mechanism control unit 41 also controls the lifting unit 35b of the drive mechanism 35 to control the distance (gap) between the support unit 34 and the heating unit 32. More specifically, after holding the substrate W on the support unit 34 at the standby position D, the control device 400 adjusts the film thickness of the cleaning liquid L deposited on the processing surface of the substrate W, rotates the substrate W, raises it to the drying position U, and turns on the lamp 32a to dry it for a predetermined period of time. Thereafter, while maintaining the rotation of the substrate W, it lowers it to the standby position D. The control unit 41 also controls operations such as the oscillation of the nozzle 38a and the discharge of the cleaning liquid L, and the oscillation and measurement of the detection unit 37a.

[0032] The film thickness analysis unit 42 analyzes the thickness of the liquid film of the cleaning liquid L measured by the measurement unit 37. The film thickness analysis unit 42 determines whether the thickness of the liquid film of the cleaning liquid L measured by the measurement unit 37 (liquid film thickness value) is within a predetermined threshold range. If the film thickness analysis unit 42 determines that the measured liquid film thickness is within the predetermined threshold range, it determines that the liquid film thickness is appropriate and transmits an enabling signal to the mechanism control unit 41 to permit the rotation and lifting of the substrate W. Upon receiving the enabling signal, the mechanism control unit 41 transmits a signal to the drive mechanism 35 instructing the support unit 34 to rotate and lift. Note that an appropriate film thickness is, for example, 10 μm or less for DIW and, for example, 100 μm or less for IPA. These film thicknesses are sufficient to prevent evaporation from the substrate W when it approaches the heating unit 32 (when it approaches the window unit 33) and to allow satisfactory drying during drying processing using the Leidenfrost phenomenon. However, these numerical values ​​are merely examples, and in practice, an appropriate liquid film thickness can be determined in advance by experiment, etc. Furthermore, the rotation speed of the substrate W is, for example, about 200 to 300 rpm, and even if the liquid film is adjusted, the liquid film thickness can be maintained at a predetermined thickness within this range of rotation speed.

[0033] (heating control that starts after stopping at the drying position) The heating control unit 43 controls the heating unit 32 in response to commands from the mechanism control unit 41. When the support unit 34 reaches the drying position U and stops, the heating control unit 43 receives a command signal output from the mechanism control unit 41 and causes the heating unit 32 to heat the processing surface of the substrate W on the support unit 34. The heating by the heating unit 32 is controlled by emitting light from the lamp 32a for several seconds, thereby rapidly heating the processing surface of the substrate W to a temperature equal to or higher than the Leidenfrost temperature (the temperature at which the Leidenfrost phenomenon occurs) and turning the cleaning liquid L on the processing surface of the substrate W into droplets.

[0034] If the film thickness analysis unit 42 determines that the measured thickness of the liquid film of the cleaning liquid L is thinner than the lower limit of a predetermined threshold range, it determines that the liquid film is too thin, and outputs an instruction from the mechanism control unit 41 to the supply unit 38 to supply the processing liquid (cleaning liquid L). As a result, a predetermined amount (predetermined time) of cleaning liquid L is supplied from the nozzle 38a to the processing surface of the substrate W, and the thickness of the liquid film is adjusted to within the predetermined threshold range. Thereafter, the substrate W is rotated and raised to be dried, as described above. The substrate W may be stopped without rotating when the cleaning liquid L is replenished, or the substrate W may be rotated.

[0035] If the film thickness analysis unit 42 determines that the measured thickness of the liquid film of the cleaning liquid L is thicker than the upper limit of a predetermined threshold range, it determines that the liquid film is too thick and outputs an instruction to rotate the support unit 34 from the mechanism control unit 41 to the drive mechanism 35. As a result, the cleaning liquid L on the substrate W rotating together with the support unit 34 is scattered by centrifugal force, and the thickness of the liquid film is adjusted to within the predetermined threshold range. Thereafter, the substrate W is rotated and raised to be dried as described above.

[0036] [Operation] The operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to the explanatory diagrams of Figures 3 to 5, the flowchart of Figure 6, and the operation explanatory diagram of Figure 7, in addition to Figures 1 and 2. Note that a substrate processing method for processing a substrate according to the following procedure is also one aspect of this embodiment.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 1, a substrate W after etching in a processing apparatus S is carried into a cleaning apparatus 100 by a transport apparatus 200. In the cleaning apparatus 100, while a support unit 12 holding the substrate W rotates, a supply unit 15 supplies APM to the surface to be processed of the substrate W to perform alkaline cleaning, and then supplies DIW to perform pure water cleaning. After the pure water cleaning is completed, IPA is supplied to the surface to be processed of the substrate W. As a result, the DIW puddled on the surface to be processed of the substrate W is replaced with IPA. The transport apparatus 200 carries the cleaned substrate W out of the cleaning apparatus 100 and into a drying apparatus 300. Note that after the pure water cleaning is completed, the DIW puddled on the surface to be processed of the substrate W is not necessarily replaced with IPA. In other words, the cleaning process may be completed by pure water cleaning with DIW alone.

[0038] 3(A), with a liquid film (DIW or IPA) formed on the processing surface, the substrate W is carried in through the opening 31a of the drying chamber 31 of the drying apparatus 300 and is held by the holding member 34b of the support unit 34 at the standby position D (step S01). As shown in FIG. 3(B), the detection unit 37a of the measurement unit 37 measures the film thickness on the substrate W (step S02).

[0039] 4A, the supply unit 38 further supplies cleaning liquid L to the liquid film on the substrate W to adjust the film thickness (step S04). If the film thickness is thick (exceeding the predetermined range in step S03), the support unit 34 rotates to splash the cleaning liquid L from the rotating substrate W, thereby adjusting the film thickness (step S05).

[0040] If the film thickness is appropriate or if the film thickness becomes appropriate after adjustment (within the predetermined range in step S03), the support part 34 rotates the substrate W (step S06) as shown in Fig. 4(B), and then raises the substrate W to the drying position U as shown in Fig. 5(A), thereby bringing the substrate W closer to the heating part 32 (step S07). By rotating the substrate W before it is heated by the heating part 32, the liquid film of cleaning liquid L on the processing surface of the substrate W is rotated together with the substrate W, and even after the substrate W is heated by the heating part 32 and an air layer is generated between the substrate W and the processing surface of the substrate W, the liquid film of cleaning liquid L continues to rotate due to inertial force, and centrifugal force is applied.

[0041] By turning on the lamps 32a of the heating unit 32 for a predetermined time (within a range of several seconds to a dozen seconds), the substrate W is rapidly heated to a temperature at which the Leidenfrost phenomenon occurs (above the boiling point of the cleaning liquid L), and a gas layer generated at the interface between the liquid film of the cleaning liquid L on the processing surface of the substrate W and the processing surface of the substrate W causes the liquid film of the cleaning liquid L to float up into liquid droplets, and the cleaning liquid L is blown away and dried by centrifugal force (step S08). That is, as shown in Fig. 7(A), the cleaning liquid L in contact with the pattern P on the processing surface of the substrate W begins to evaporate at the interface between the processing surface of the substrate W and the cleaning liquid L earlier than the cleaning liquid L in other parts because only the substrate W is instantly heated by turning on the lamps 32a, as shown in Fig. 7(B). Therefore, a layer of gas of evaporated liquid (cleaning liquid L), i.e., a gas layer G, is generated around the pattern P.

[0042] For this reason, as shown in Figure 7(C), the liquid (cleaning liquid L) between adjacent patterns P is instantly lifted from between the patterns P by the gas layer G, and immediately turns into droplets as shown in Figure 7(D) (the Leidenfrost phenomenon). As shown by the black arrows in the figure, centrifugal force due to rotation is applied to the cleaning liquid L, and each droplet that is generated is blown off from the substrate W by the centrifugal force, so that the surface to be processed of the substrate W dries as shown in Figure 7(E).

[0043] In this way, by causing the cleaning liquid L present between the patterns P to float up from between the patterns P over the entire processing surface of the substrate W, it is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid L from remaining between some of the patterns P. This uniformizes the drying rate of the liquid on the processing surface of the substrate W, thereby preventing the patterns P from collapsing due to the collapse force (e.g., surface tension) of the remaining liquid. Furthermore, the liquid film thickness of the cleaning liquid L on the processing surface of the substrate W is adjusted to an appropriate thickness. If the liquid film thickness is thicker than the appropriate thickness, drying the substrate W in this state will result in streaky watermarks on the processing surface of the substrate W, resulting in insufficient drying. When the substrate W is rapidly heated to form droplets of the processing liquid on the substrate W, the thicker the film thickness of the processing liquid, the greater the number of droplets. As the number of droplets increases, the number of contact points with the processing surface of the substrate W increases before the droplets are expelled from the processing surface by the centrifugal force of the rotating substrate W. Because the processing surface of the substrate W is cooled by the heat of vaporization upon contact with the liquid droplets, if the number of liquid droplets becomes too large, even during rapid heating, some parts of the processing surface of the substrate W will be below the temperature at which the Leidenfrost phenomenon occurs, i.e., some parts will dry by normal drying rather than rapid drying. In this case, for example, traces will remain as the liquid droplets are expelled from the processing surface, causing liquid stains such as streaky watermarks. Furthermore, if the number of liquid droplets becomes too large, some of the liquid droplets of the cleaning liquid L will not be expelled from the substrate W and will remain between some of the patterns P on the processing surface of the substrate W, causing the patterns P to collapse in those areas. Therefore, by heating the substrate W while adjusting the liquid film thickness to an appropriate level that does not cause liquid stains, the number of liquid droplets on the processing surface of the substrate W can be adjusted, thereby preventing poor drying.

[0044] 5(B), the support parts 34 descend to the standby position D while maintaining the rotation of the substrate W (step S09). After the support parts 34 stop the rotation of the substrate W (step S10), the transfer device 200 transfers the substrate W out of the opening 31a (step S11).

[0045] [effect] (1) The drying apparatus (substrate drying apparatus) 300 of this embodiment as described above includes a heating section 32 that heats the substrate W, a drying chamber 31 into which the substrate W is loaded with a liquid film of processing liquid formed on its surface to be processed, a support section 34 that receives the substrate W loaded into the drying chamber 31 at a waiting position D spaced apart from the heating section 32, and a drive mechanism 35 that rotates the substrate W supported by the support section 34 while moving it to a drying position U approaching the heating section 32, and uses the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the substrate W to expel the liquid film that has formed an air layer between the substrate W heated by the heating section 32 and the liquid film.

[0046] The substrate processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes a processing apparatus S that supplies a processing liquid to a substrate W while rotating the substrate, a cleaning apparatus 100 that cleans the processed substrate by supplying a processing liquid to the substrate W while rotating the substrate, and a transport apparatus 200 that transports the substrate W cleaned in the cleaning apparatus 100 with a liquid film formed by the processing liquid thereon and transports the substrate W into a drying apparatus 300.

[0047] As a result, when the substrate W is carried into the drying chamber 31, it is supported at the waiting position D separated from the heating unit 32, and therefore drying can be suppressed without being heated by radiant heat from around the heating unit 32. In other words, when the substrate W in a puddled state is carried into the drying chamber 31, the support unit 34 positioned at the waiting position D separated from the heating unit 32 receives and supports the substrate W. This prevents the cleaning liquid L puddled on the processing surface of the substrate W from drying unevenly due to radiant heat (heat storage) from the window unit 33, etc., heated by the heating unit 32, and thus prevents the occurrence of watermarks or pattern collapse caused by this.

[0048] This radiant heat (the heat storage temperature of the transmission window) reaches a temperature (above the boiling point of the processing liquid) that dries out the processing liquid on the substrate W. In other words, the window 33, which is repeatedly heated by the heating unit 32, reaches a temperature higher than the temperature to which the heating unit 32 heats the substrate W. As described above, the standby position D is located away from the window 33, preventing normal drying (thermal evaporation) caused by the liquid film on the substrate W drying out due to radiant heat immediately after the substrate W is carried into the drying chamber 31. This also prevents pattern collapse, which occurs when drying begins only in a portion of the processing surface of the substrate W rather than drying uniformly over the entire surface. In other words, it is possible to prevent pattern collapse before the liquid film is adjusted by the supply unit 28, causing product defects just before the drying process by the heating unit 32.

[0049] During drying, the substrate W is rotated and moved to the drying position U, where it is heated by the heating unit 32, thereby expelling the liquid droplets that have risen due to the gas layer and instantly drying the substrate. This reduces pattern blockage due to uneven drying. Furthermore, since the substrate W is brought close to the heating unit 32 during drying, the output of the heating unit 32 can be reduced.

[0050] (2) The drying chamber 31 is provided with an opening 31a for carrying in and out the substrate W, and the waiting position D is below the upper edge of the opening 31a, while the drying position U is above the upper edge of the opening 31a. Therefore, when carrying in and out the substrate W, the distance from the heating unit 32 can be increased, and the effects of radiant heat can be suppressed.

[0051] (3) It has a measurement unit 37 that measures the thickness of the liquid film on the substrate W that has been transported into the drying chamber 31 and is at the standby position D, a supply unit 38 that supplies processing liquid onto the substrate W that has been transported into the drying chamber 31 and is at the standby position D, and a control device 400 that adjusts the thickness of the liquid film on the substrate W that is at the standby position D by controlling the drive mechanism 35 and the supply unit 38 in accordance with the measurement results by the measurement unit 37.

[0052] This allows the substrate W to be dried after adjusting the film thickness to an appropriate level at the waiting position D, where drying is suppressed by the influence of radiant heat. If the film thickness is thin, when the substrate W is raised from the waiting position D to the drying position U, the radiant heat from the window 33 will cause the liquid film on the processing surface of the substrate W to dry unevenly, resulting in pattern collapse in some patterns before the heating process is performed. In other words, a normal drying state occurs in which the liquid film evaporates and dries due to radiant heat. Furthermore, as described above, if the film thickness is thick, the number of liquid droplets increases, and therefore the number of contact points with the processing surface of the substrate W increases before the liquid droplets are expelled from the processing surface by the centrifugal force of the rotating substrate W. Because the processing surface of the substrate W is cooled by the heat of vaporization upon contact with the liquid droplets, if the number of liquid droplets becomes too large, some parts of the processing surface of the substrate W will remain below the temperature at which the Leidenfrost phenomenon occurs, even during rapid heating. In other words, parts will dry by normal drying rather than rapid drying. In this embodiment, the substrate W is dried after the film thickness is adjusted to an appropriate value, so that such a dry state caused by normal drying can be prevented.

[0053] (4) The drying position U is located above the supply unit 38, which is at the supply position where the processing liquid is supplied to the substrate W. Therefore, by raising the substrate W to the drying position U, which is above the supply position, while rotating the substrate W, centrifugal force can be applied to the liquid film in advance, and liquid droplets generated by the Leidenfrost phenomenon can be removed by centrifugal force. On the other hand, even if the substrate W is raised to the drying position U without rotation, centrifugal force is not applied to the liquid film itself. Furthermore, when the liquid film is lifted from the pattern due to the Leidenfrost phenomenon by heating with the heating unit 32, centrifugal force is not applied to the liquid film that has already lifted, even if rotation of the substrate W is initiated. In other words, the liquid droplets are in a floating state at the interface between the liquid droplets and the processing surface of the substrate W (the liquid droplets are surrounded by a gas layer of evaporated cleaning liquid), and the rotational force of the substrate W is not applied to the liquid droplets. Therefore, the liquid droplets cannot be removed from the processing surface of the substrate W. In this embodiment, the substrate W is raised to the drying position U, which is higher than the supply position, while being rotated, so that centrifugal force can be applied to the liquid film to discharge it.

[0054] (5) After drying the substrate W at the drying position U, the drive mechanism 35 moves the substrate W supported by the supports 34 to the waiting position D while rotating it. This prevents the liquid (mist atmosphere) floating around the substrate W immediately after being discharged from the substrate W from adhering again to the substrate W.

[0055] (Variation) (1) As shown in Figure 8, multiple drying positions U1, U2 may be set at positions with different distances from the heating unit 32 depending on the type of processing liquid. For example, if IPA is included, drying position U1 is set at a longer distance from the heating unit 32 because IPA is highly volatile. If pure water is used alone, pure water is less likely to evaporate than IPA, so drying position U2 is set at a shorter distance from the heating unit 32. This difference is, for example, about 10 mm. Note that drying positions U1, U2 can be set at optimal positions determined in advance by experiment or the like.

[0056] (2) The inner walls of the drying chamber 31 may be coated to prevent material changes due to the processing liquid. Inside the drying chamber 31, droplets of the processing liquid splash, and water vapor is generated by heating and spreads throughout. For example, if aluminum, which has high reflectivity, is used as the material for the drying chamber 31, it will be exposed to high temperatures and a steamy atmosphere for a long period of time, and will turn to aluminum oxide, causing whitening. Therefore, by applying a silica coating, primarily composed of silicon dioxide, to the inner walls of the drying chamber 31, material changes can be prevented. This makes it possible to prevent the generation of particles and metal contamination.

[0057] (3) The influence of radiant heat may be suppressed by providing a cooling device for cooling the window portion 33. For example, the quartz of the window portion 33 may be doubled and cooling gas may be circulated between them. However, even in this case, there is a limit to how much the temperature can be reduced, so it is necessary to set a standby position D away from the heating portion 32.

[0058] (4) The processing contents and processing liquids of the processing device S are not limited to those exemplified above as long as they ultimately require cleaning and drying. The substrates W to be processed and the processing liquids are also not limited to those exemplified above.

[0059] [Other embodiments] Although the embodiments of the present invention and modifications of each part have been described above, these embodiments and modifications of each part are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments described above can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1. Substrate processing equipment 11 Cleaning Room 11a opening 11b Door 12 Support part 13 Rotation mechanism 14 cups 15 Supply section 15a nozzle 15b Moving mechanism 20 Handling equipment 21 Robot Hand 22 Moving mechanism 31 Drying room 31a aperture 31b Door 32 Heating section 32a Lamp 33 Window 34 Support part 34a Rotary table 34b holding member 34c Rotation axis 35 Drive mechanism 35a Rotating part 35b Lifting section 36 cups 37 Measuring part 37a Detector 37b Swing arm 37c Oscillating mechanism 38 Supply section 38a nozzle 38b Swing arm 38c Oscillating mechanism 41 Mechanism control unit 42 Film Thickness Analysis Unit 43 Heating control unit 100 Cleaning equipment 200 Conveyor 300 Drying equipment 400 control device

Claims

1. a heating unit that heats the substrate; a drying chamber that houses the heating unit and into which the substrate having a liquid film of the processing liquid formed on its processing surface is carried; a support unit that receives the substrate carried into the drying chamber at a standby position separated from the heating unit; a driving mechanism that moves the substrate supported by the support unit to a drying position close to the heating unit while rotating the substrate, and discharges the liquid film, which has generated an air layer between the liquid film and the substrate heated by the heating unit, by centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the substrate; A substrate drying apparatus comprising:

2. an opening for carrying the substrate in and out is provided in the drying chamber; the standby position is below the upper edge of the opening, The drying position is above the upper edge of the opening.

2. The substrate drying apparatus according to claim 1.

3. a measuring unit for measuring a thickness of a liquid film on a processing surface of the substrate that is carried into the drying chamber and supported by the support unit at the standby position; a supply unit that supplies the processing liquid onto a processing surface of the substrate that is carried into the drying chamber and supported by the support unit at the standby position; a control device that adjusts the thickness of the liquid film on the processing surface of the substrate at the standby position by controlling the drive mechanism and the supply unit in accordance with the measurement result by the measurement unit; 3. The substrate drying apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

4. 4. The substrate drying apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the drying position is located above the supply unit at a supply position where the processing liquid is supplied to the substrate.

5. 5. The substrate drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the drying positions are set at positions with different distances from the heating unit depending on the type of the processing liquid.

6. 6. The substrate drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the driving mechanism moves the substrate supported by the support portion to the waiting position while rotating the substrate after drying the substrate at the drying position.

7. a processing device that processes the substrate by supplying a processing liquid while rotating the substrate; a cleaning device that cleans the processed substrate by supplying a processing liquid while rotating the processed substrate; The substrate drying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, a transport device that transports the substrate cleaned in the cleaning device with the liquid film of the processing liquid formed thereon out of the cleaning device and transports the substrate into the substrate drying device; A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

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