Substrate processing device and substrate processing method

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of reducing re-adhesion of particle elements to a substrate while suppressing reduction in throughput of processing.SOLUTION: A substrate holder 2 rotates a substrate W while holding the substrate W. A processing liquid nozzle 4 discharges a processing liquid along a first discharge direction obliquely downward. A rinse liquid nozzle 5 discharges a rinse liquid along a second discharge direction obliquely downward. A splash guard 6 receives the processing liquid and the rinse liquid splashing from a peripheral edge of the substrate W. An angle θ1 between the first discharge direction and a horizontal plane is smaller than an angle θ2 between the second discharge direction and the horizontal plane. An angle between the first discharge direction and the second discharge direction is 30 degrees or less in a plan view. A second liquid landing position of the rinse liquid on an upper surface of the substrate W is in front of a first liquid landing position of the processing liquid in the first discharge direction. The rinse liquid nozzle 5 is provided at a position higher than the processing liquid nozzle 4.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Substrate processing apparatuses for processing substrates have been proposed in the past (for example, Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, the substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate holder, a nozzle, and a scrub brush. The substrate holder holds the substrate in a horizontal position and rotates the substrate. The nozzle is provided vertically above the substrate and ejects processing liquid obliquely downward to supply the processing liquid to the center of the upper surface of the substrate. The processing liquid includes a chemical liquid and a rinse liquid, and the nozzle selectively ejects the chemical liquid and the rinse liquid. The scrub brush rotates while in contact with the upper surface of the substrate, thereby physically cleaning the substrate.

[0003] In Patent Document 1, the substrate processing apparatus performs a rinsing process after a cleaning process. In the cleaning process, a scrub brush rotates in contact with the upper surface of the substrate while a cleaning chemical solution is discharged from a nozzle onto the upper surface of the rotating substrate. In the rinsing process, a rinse solution is discharged from the nozzle onto the upper surface of the rotating substrate, and the rinse solution washes away the chemical solution on the upper surface of the substrate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-278956 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The substrate processing apparatus is provided with a splash guard, which has a cylindrical shape that surrounds the substrate and catches processing liquid that splashes from the substrate.

[0006] During chemical processing, the chemical splashed from the substrate is received by the inner peripheral surface of the splash guard. This chemical contains impurities removed from the upper surface of the substrate and chemical crystals originating from the chemical, so particle elements such as impurities and chemical crystals may adhere to the inner peripheral surface of the splash guard.

[0007] The rinse liquid splashed from the substrate during the rinse process is also received by the inner peripheral surface of the splash guard. When the rinse liquid collides with particle elements on the inner peripheral surface of the splash guard and bounces off, the particle elements may adhere to the substrate together with the rinse liquid. These particle elements become particles on the substrate.

[0008] Furthermore, the amount of particle elements remaining on the splash guard tends to increase with each substrate processing, so the possibility of particle elements re-adhering to the substrate increases as the number of processed substrates increases. Therefore, for example, after processing a predetermined number of substrates, the substrate processing is interrupted and a process for cleaning the splash guard is performed. This reduces the amount of particle elements on the splash guard.

[0009] However, such cleaning interrupts the processing of the substrate, resulting in a decrease in processing throughput.

[0010] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a technique that can reduce the re-adhesion of particle elements to a substrate while suppressing a decrease in processing throughput. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] a processing liquid nozzle that discharges a processing liquid along a first discharge direction diagonally downward to supply the processing liquid to an upper surface of the substrate; a rinse liquid nozzle that discharges a rinse liquid along a second discharge direction diagonally downward to supply the rinse liquid to the upper surface of the substrate; and a cylindrical splash guard that surrounds the substrate holding part and catches the processing liquid and the rinse liquid splashed from an edge of the substrate, wherein an angle between the first discharge direction and a horizontal plane is smaller than an angle between the second discharge direction and the horizontal plane, and an angle between the first discharge direction and the second discharge direction in a plan view is 30 degrees or less, a second landing position of the rinse liquid on the upper surface of the substrate is forward of a first landing position of the processing liquid in the first discharge direction, and the rinse liquid nozzle is provided at a higher position than the processing liquid nozzle.

[0012] A second aspect is the substrate processing apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein an area of ​​the outlet of the rinse liquid nozzle is smaller than an area of ​​the outlet of the processing liquid nozzle.

[0013] A third aspect is a substrate processing apparatus according to the first or second aspect, wherein the flow rate of the rinse liquid supplied to the rinse liquid nozzle through the rinse liquid supply pipe is greater than the flow rate of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle through the processing liquid supply pipe.

[0014] A fourth aspect is a substrate processing method using a substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, comprising: a processing step in which the processing liquid nozzle ejects the processing liquid to supply the processing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate while the substrate holding unit rotates the substrate at a first rotation speed; and a rinsing step after the processing step in which the rinse liquid nozzle ejects the rinse liquid to supply the rinse liquid to the upper surface of the substrate while the substrate holding unit rotates the substrate at a second rotation speed higher than the first rotation speed.

[0015] A fifth aspect is a substrate processing method using a substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, comprising: a processing step in which the processing liquid nozzle ejects the processing liquid to supply the processing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate while the substrate holding unit rotates the substrate over a processing time; and a rinsing step after the processing step in which the rinse liquid nozzle ejects the rinse liquid to supply the rinse liquid to the upper surface of the substrate while the substrate holding unit rotates the substrate over a rinsing time that is longer than the processing time.

[0016] A sixth aspect is a substrate processing method using a substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, comprising: a processing step in which the processing liquid nozzle ejects the processing liquid to supply the processing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate while the substrate holding unit rotates the substrate; an idle rotation step in which the substrate holding unit rotates the substrate without supplying the processing liquid and the rinse liquid to the substrate; and a rinsing step in which the rinse liquid nozzle ejects the rinse liquid to supply the rinse liquid to the upper surface of the substrate while the substrate holding unit rotates the substrate after the idle rotation step.

[0017] A seventh aspect is the substrate processing method according to the sixth aspect, wherein the rotation speed of the substrate in the idling step is higher than the rotation speed of the substrate in the processing step. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the first aspect, droplets of the processing liquid that bounce off the upper surface of the substrate collide with the inner peripheral surface of the splash guard at a lower position. The processing liquid contains particle elements such as impurities on the upper surface of the substrate and chemical crystals derived from the processing liquid, and the particle elements also adhere to the inner peripheral surface of the splash guard at a lower position. Droplets of the rinsing liquid that bounce off the upper surface of the substrate collide with the inner peripheral surface of the splash guard at a higher position. Therefore, during the rinsing process, droplets of the rinsing liquid are less likely to collide with particle elements on the inner peripheral surface of the splash guard. This reduces the amount of particle elements that re-adhere to the substrate.

[0019] Furthermore, since the number of particle elements that re-adhere to the substrate can be reduced, there is less need to perform a cleaning process for the splash guard, which would require an interruption of substrate processing, which means that a decrease in throughput can be suppressed.

[0020] Furthermore, since the rinse liquid bounces off the upper surface of the substrate to a higher position, the droplets of the rinse liquid can be more reliably scattered above the droplets of the processing liquid.

[0021] Furthermore, during the period when both the processing liquid and the rinse liquid are being discharged, the rinse liquid lands on the upper surface of the substrate so as to cover droplets of the processing liquid immediately after they have rebounded from the upper surface of the substrate, thereby allowing the droplets of the processing liquid to collide with the inner circumferential surface of the splash guard at an even lower position.

[0022] According to the second and third aspects, the flow velocity of the rinse liquid discharged from the rinse liquid nozzle can be increased, which causes the rinse liquid to bounce higher, thereby more reliably scattering the droplets of the rinse liquid above the droplets of the processing liquid.

[0023] According to the fourth aspect, in the rinsing step, the substrate is rotated at a higher second rotation speed, which causes the rinsing liquid to bounce higher on the upper surface of the substrate, thereby more reliably scattering droplets of the rinsing liquid above droplets of the processing liquid.

[0024] According to the fifth aspect, the rinsing step is performed for a longer rinsing time, which improves the rinsing effect in the rinsing step and reduces the amount of particles on the substrate.

[0025] According to the sixth aspect, the amount of processing liquid on the substrate can be reduced by the idle rotation step. Therefore, the rinsing step is started with a small amount of processing liquid on the substrate. Therefore, when the rinsing liquid lands on the upper surface of the substrate, splashing of the processing liquid due to collision between the rinsing liquid and the processing liquid can be suppressed.

[0026] According to the seventh aspect, the amount of processing liquid on the substrate can be further reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view schematically illustrating an example of a configuration of a substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating an example of a configuration of a substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a control unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a plan view schematically illustrating an example of the positional relationship between a processing liquid nozzle and a rinse liquid nozzle. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a plan view schematically illustrating an example of the positional relationship between a processing liquid nozzle and a rinse liquid nozzle. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation of the substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically illustrating an example of a flow of a treatment liquid. [Figure 8] 10 is a side view schematically illustrating an example of how the processing liquid and the rinse liquid splash on the upper surface of the substrate. FIG. [Figure 9] 10 is a bar graph showing the number of particles for each of the embodiment and the comparative example. [Figure 10] 3A and 3B are diagrams schematically illustrating an example of the configuration of a processing liquid nozzle and a rinse liquid nozzle. [Figure 11] 10 is a graph schematically showing an example of a change in the rotation speed of a substrate over time. [Figure 12] 10 is a bar graph showing the number of particles for each rotation speed of the substrate during rinsing processing. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing time for a chemical liquid processing and a rinsing time for a rinsing processing. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart showing another example of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 15]10 is a graph schematically showing an example of a change in the rotation speed of a substrate over time. [Figure 16] 10 is a bar graph showing the number of particles with and without idle rotation processing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the components described in the embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In the drawings, the dimensions or number of each part may be exaggerated or simplified as necessary for ease of understanding.

[0029] When expressions indicating relative or absolute positional relationships (e.g., "in one direction," "along one direction," "parallel," "orthogonal," "center," "concentric," "coaxial," etc.) are used, unless otherwise specified, the expressions not only strictly represent the positional relationship but also represent a state in which there is a relative displacement in terms of angle or distance within a range in which tolerance or equivalent functionality is obtained. When expressions indicating an equal state (e.g., "identical," "equal," "homogeneous," etc.) are used, the expressions not only represent a state in which there is strict quantitative equality but also represent a state in which there is a difference within which tolerance or equivalent functionality is obtained, unless otherwise specified. When expressions indicating a shape (e.g., "rectangular shape" or "cylindrical shape," etc.) are used, the expressions not only represent a geometrically strict shape but also represent a shape with, for example, irregularities or chamfers within a range in which equivalent effects are obtained, unless otherwise specified. When the expressions "comprise," "include," "have," "includes," "includes," or "have" are used to describe one component, the expressions are not exclusive expressions that exclude the presence of other components. When the phrase "at least one of A, B, and C" is used, the phrase includes A only, B only, C only, any two of A, B, and C, and all of A, B, and C.

[0030] <Substrate processing equipment> FIG. 1 is a side view that schematically shows an example of the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 1, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view that schematically shows an example of the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 1. The substrate processing apparatus 1 performs processing (e.g., cleaning processing) on ​​a substrate W. The substrate W is, for example, a semiconductor substrate and has a disk shape. Although there are no particular restrictions on the size of the substrate W, the diameter of the substrate W is, for example, approximately 200 mm to 300 mm. Note that the substrate W is not necessarily limited to a semiconductor substrate, and may be another substrate.

[0031] The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a substrate holder 2, a processing liquid nozzle 4, a rinse liquid nozzle 5, and a splash guard 6. Note that the splash guard 6 is not shown in Fig. 2. Below, each component will be outlined, and then an example of each component will be described in detail.

[0032] The substrate holder 2 holds the substrate W in a horizontal position and rotates the substrate W around a rotation axis Q1. The horizontal position here means that the thickness direction of the substrate W is aligned with the vertical direction. The rotation axis Q1 is an axis that passes through the center of the substrate W and is aligned with the vertical direction. Such a substrate holder 2 is also called a spin chuck.

[0033] The processing liquid nozzle 4 is provided at a position higher than the upper surface of the substrate W held by the substrate holding part 2. The processing liquid nozzle 4 ejects the processing liquid obliquely downward to supply the processing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate W held by the substrate holding part 2. In the example of FIG. 1, the processing liquid nozzle 4 ejects the processing liquid from a first processing position radially spaced from the rotation axis Q1 toward the center of the substrate W. In FIG. 1, the processing liquid ejected from the processing liquid nozzle 4 is schematically indicated by a dashed arrow.

[0034] The processing liquid includes, for example, a chemical liquid capable of chemically removing the target to be removed present on the upper surface of the substrate W. Although there are no particular limitations on the chemical liquid, for example, an alkaline liquid such as ammonia water or ammonia-hydrogen peroxide water can be used.

[0035] When the processing liquid nozzle 4 discharges the processing liquid while the substrate holder 2 rotates the substrate W, the processing liquid lands on the center of the upper surface of the rotating substrate W. Part of the processing liquid bounces off the upper surface of the substrate W and splashes above the substrate W, while another part is subjected to centrifugal force and spreads along the upper surface of the substrate W and splashes outward from the periphery of the substrate W. At this time, the processing liquid acts on the upper surface of the substrate W, and a process (e.g., a cleaning process) appropriate to the processing liquid is performed on the upper surface of the substrate W.

[0036] The rinse liquid nozzle 5 is provided at a position higher than the upper surface of the substrate W held by the substrate holder 2. The rinse liquid nozzle 5 ejects the rinse liquid obliquely downward to supply the rinse liquid to the upper surface of the substrate W held by the substrate holder 2. In the example of FIG. 1, the rinse liquid nozzle 5 ejects the processing liquid toward the center of the substrate W from a second processing position radially spaced from the rotation axis Q1. In FIG. 1, the rinse liquid ejected from the rinse liquid nozzle 5 is also schematically indicated by dashed arrows. The rinse liquid includes, for example, pure water (deionized water).

[0037] When the rinse liquid nozzle 5 discharges the rinse liquid while the substrate holder 2 rotates the substrate W, the rinse liquid lands on the center of the upper surface of the rotating substrate W. Part of the rinse liquid bounces off the upper surface of the substrate W and splashes above the substrate W, while another part is subjected to centrifugal force and spreads along the upper surface of the substrate W and splashes outward from the periphery of the substrate W. The rinse liquid can, for example, push a chemical liquid on the substrate W outward from the substrate W.

[0038] The splash guard 6 surrounds the substrate holder 2 and catches the liquid splashed from the periphery of the substrate W. The liquid caught by the splash guard 6 flows vertically downward and is discharged from the drain portion 8.

[0039] The substrate processing apparatus 1 is also provided with a control unit 9. The control unit 9 outputs control signals to various components of the substrate processing apparatus 1 to control them. FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the control unit 9. The control unit 9 is an electronic circuit and includes, for example, a data processing unit 901 and a storage unit 902. In the specific example of FIG. 3, the data processing unit 901 and the storage unit 902 are connected to each other via a bus 90. The data processing unit 901 may be an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU (Central Processor Unit). The storage unit 902 may include a non-transitory storage unit (e.g., a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a hard disk) 903 and a temporary storage unit (e.g., a RAM (Random Access Memory)) 904. The non-transitory storage unit 903 may store, for example, a program that defines the processing to be performed by the control unit 9. The data processing unit 901 executes this program, allowing the control unit 9 to perform the processing defined in the program. Of course, some or all of the processing performed by the control unit 9 may be performed by hardware such as a dedicated logic circuit.

[0040] <Substrate holding part> In the example of FIG. 1 , the substrate holder 2 includes a base 21, a plurality of chuck pins 22, and a rotation mechanism 23. The base 21 has, for example, a disk shape centered on a rotation axis Q1, and a plurality of chuck pins 22 are provided upright on its upper surface. The plurality of chuck pins 22 are provided at equal intervals along the periphery of the substrate W. The chuck pins 22 are displaceable between a chuck position in contact with the periphery of the substrate W and a release position spaced apart from the periphery of the substrate W. When the plurality of chuck pins 22 are stopped at their respective chuck positions, the plurality of chuck pins 22 hold the periphery of the substrate W. When the plurality of chuck pins 22 are stopped at their respective release positions, the substrate W is released from its holding. A chuck drive unit (not shown) that drives the plurality of chuck pins 22 is configured, for example, with a link mechanism, a magnet, etc., and is controlled by the control unit 9.

[0041] The rotation mechanism 23 includes a motor 231. The motor 231 is connected to the lower surface of the base 21 via a shaft 232 and is controlled by the control unit 9. When the motor 231 rotates the shaft 232 and the base 21 around the rotation axis Q1, the substrate W held by the multiple chuck pins 22 also rotates around the rotation axis Q1.

[0042] It should be noted that the substrate holder 2 does not necessarily have to include the chuck pins 22. The substrate holder 2 may hold the substrate W by, for example, suction force or electrostatic force.

[0043] <Processing liquid nozzle> The processing liquid nozzle 4 has, for example, a cylindrical shape. The processing liquid nozzle 4 has a discharge port 4a on its lower end surface. The internal flow path 4b of the processing liquid nozzle 4 extends obliquely downward, and its lower end opening corresponds to the discharge port 4a. The discharge port 4a has, for example, a circular shape, and the processing liquid nozzle 4 discharges the processing liquid in the form of a liquid column from the discharge port 4a.

[0044] The processing liquid nozzle 4 may be immovable, or may be movable by a nozzle moving mechanism (not shown). When a nozzle moving mechanism is provided, the processing liquid nozzle 4 is moved between a first processing position and a first standby position by the nozzle moving mechanism. The first processing position is a position from which the processing liquid nozzle 4 ejects the processing liquid. Although different from FIG. 1 , the first processing position may be, for example, a position vertically facing the substrate W. The first standby position is, for example, a position radially outward from the periphery of the substrate W. The nozzle moving mechanism has, for example, an arm pivoting mechanism similar to the brush driving mechanism 70 described below.

[0045] One end of a processing liquid supply pipe 41 is connected to the processing liquid nozzle 4. The other end of the processing liquid supply pipe 41 is connected to a processing liquid supply source 44. The processing liquid supply source 44 includes, for example, a tank that stores the processing liquid. A valve 42 and a flow rate adjuster 43 are provided in the processing liquid supply pipe 41.

[0046] The valve 42 is controlled by the control unit 9, and when the valve 42 is opened, the processing liquid flows from the processing liquid supply source 44 through the processing liquid supply pipe 41 and is supplied to the processing liquid nozzle 4. This processing liquid is discharged from the discharge port 4a of the processing liquid nozzle 4 toward the upper surface of the substrate W. When the valve 42 is closed, the discharge of the processing liquid from the discharge port 4a of the processing liquid nozzle 4 stops.

[0047] The flow rate adjusting unit 43 is controlled by the control unit 9 and adjusts the flow rate of the processing liquid flowing through the processing liquid supply pipe 41. The flow rate adjusting unit 43 is, for example, a valve, and a specific example thereof includes a mass flow controller.

[0048] <Rinse liquid nozzle> The rinse liquid nozzle 5 has, for example, a cylindrical shape. The rinse liquid nozzle 5 has a discharge port 5a on its lower end surface. The internal flow path 5b of the rinse liquid nozzle 5 extends obliquely downward, and its lower end opening corresponds to the discharge port 5a. The discharge port 5a has, for example, a circular shape, and the rinse liquid nozzle 5 discharges the rinse liquid in the form of a liquid column from the discharge port 5a.

[0049] The rinse liquid nozzle 5 may be immovable, or may be movable by a nozzle movement mechanism (not shown). When a nozzle movement mechanism is provided, the rinse liquid nozzle 5 is moved between a second processing position and a second standby position by the nozzle movement mechanism. The second processing position is a position where the rinse liquid nozzle 5 discharges the rinse liquid. Although different from FIG. 1, the second processing position may be, for example, a position vertically opposite the substrate W. The second standby position is, for example, a position radially outward from the periphery of the substrate W. The nozzle movement mechanism has, for example, an arm pivoting mechanism similar to the brush drive mechanism 70 described below.

[0050] One end of a rinse liquid supply pipe 51 is connected to the rinse liquid nozzle 5. The other end of the rinse liquid supply pipe 51 is connected to a rinse liquid supply source 54. The rinse liquid supply source 54 includes, for example, a tank that stores the rinse liquid. A valve 52 and a flow rate adjuster 53 are provided in the rinse liquid supply pipe 51.

[0051] The valve 52 is controlled by the control unit 9, and when the valve 52 is opened, the rinse liquid flows from the rinse liquid supply source 54 through the rinse liquid supply pipe 51 and is supplied to the rinse liquid nozzle 5. This rinse liquid is discharged from the discharge port 5a of the rinse liquid nozzle 5 toward the upper surface of the substrate W. When the valve 52 is closed, the discharge of the processing liquid from the discharge port 5a of the rinse liquid nozzle 5 stops.

[0052] The flow rate adjusting unit 53 is controlled by the control unit 9 and adjusts the flow rate of the rinse liquid flowing through the rinse liquid supply pipe 51. The flow rate adjusting unit 53 is, for example, a valve, and a more specific example includes a mass flow controller.

[0053] <Splash guard> The splash guard 6 surrounds the substrate holder 2 and the substrate W, and catches liquid splashed from the substrate W. The splash guard 6 has, for example, a cylindrical shape centered on the rotation axis Q1. The upper end 6a of the splash guard 6 is located vertically above the upper surface of the substrate W held by the substrate holder 2. Liquid splashed from the periphery of the substrate W collides with the inner circumferential surface of the splash guard 6. The liquid flows vertically downward along the inner circumferential surface of the splash guard 6 and is discharged from the drainage section 8.

[0054] 1, the splash guard 6 may have a single-layer cylindrical shape. In this case, the splash guard 6 does not have multiple cylindrical members, and therefore, liquid splashed from the substrate W is received by the common inner peripheral surface of the splash guard 6 regardless of the type of liquid.

[0055] <Scrub brush> 1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is provided with a scrub brush 7. The scrub brush 7 is a sponge-like scrubbing member made of, for example, PVA (polyvinyl alcohol).

[0056] The scrub brush 7 is driven by a brush drive mechanism 70. The brush drive mechanism 70 is controlled by the control unit 9 and includes a horizontal movement mechanism 71, an elevation mechanism 72, and a brush rotation mechanism 73. The horizontal movement mechanism 71 moves the scrub brush 7 horizontally between the center and peripheral edge of the substrate W. In the example of FIG. 2, the horizontal movement mechanism 71 has an arm rotation mechanism, specifically, includes an arm 711, a support shaft 712, and a swing mechanism 713. The scrub brush 7 is attached to the tip of the arm 711, and the support shaft 712 is attached to the base end of the arm 711. The swing mechanism 713 includes, for example, a motor, and rotates the support shaft 712 about its central axis Q2. This causes the arm 711 to swing in a horizontal plane, and the scrub brush 7 to move horizontally.

[0057] The lifting mechanism 72 raises and lowers the scrub brush 7 in the vertical direction. In the example of Fig. 2, the lifting mechanism 72 raises and lowers the scrub brush 7 by raising and lowering the support shaft 712. The lifting mechanism 72 includes, for example, a ball screw mechanism and a motor. The brush rotation mechanism 73 includes, for example, a motor, and rotates the scrub brush 7 around a rotation axis that runs along the vertical direction.

[0058] The lifting mechanism 72 lowers the scrub brush 7 so that the lower end of the scrub brush 7 comes into contact with the upper surface of the substrate W. In this state, the brush rotation mechanism 73 rotates the scrub brush 7, while the horizontal movement mechanism 71 moves the scrub brush 7 back and forth between the center and peripheral edge of the rotating substrate W. This allows the scrub brush 7 to scrub the upper surface of the substrate W and physically clean it.

[0059] <Positional relationship between processing liquid nozzle and rinse liquid nozzle> Next, an example of the positional relationship between the processing liquid nozzle 4 and the rinse liquid nozzle 5 will be described in detail. Here, angles θ1 and θ2 are introduced (see also FIG. 1). The angle θ1 is the angle that the first discharge direction of the processing liquid nozzle 4 forms with respect to the horizontal plane. The first discharge direction of the processing liquid nozzle 4 is the extension direction of the internal flow path 4b near the discharge port 4a, that is, a direction parallel to the opening axis of the discharge port 4a. The angle θ2 is the angle that the second discharge direction of the rinse liquid nozzle 5 forms with respect to the horizontal plane. The second discharge direction of the rinse liquid nozzle 5 is the extension direction of the internal flow path 5b near the discharge port 5a, that is, a direction parallel to the opening axis of the discharge port 5a.

[0060] In this embodiment, the processing liquid nozzle 4 and the rinse liquid nozzle 5 are provided so that the angle θ2 is larger than the angle θ1. The angle θ1 is, for example, about 25 to 35 degrees, and the difference between the angle θ1 and the angle θ2 is, for example, 20 degrees or less.

[0061] 1, the rinse liquid nozzle 5 is positioned higher than the processing liquid nozzle 4. Specifically, the outlet 5a of the rinse liquid nozzle 5 is positioned higher than the outlet 4a of the processing liquid nozzle 4. The height position of each outlet is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, the height position of the center of the outlet. The difference in height between the outlets 4a and 5a may be set to, for example, several millimeters to several tens of millimeters.

[0062] 4 and 5 are plan views schematically showing an example of the positional relationship of the processing liquid nozzle 4 and the rinsing liquid nozzle 5 with respect to the substrate W. FIG.

[0063] Here, angle φ0 is introduced. Angle φ0 is the angle between the first discharge direction of the processing liquid nozzle 4 and the second discharge direction of the rinse liquid nozzle 5 in a plan view. The processing liquid nozzle 4 and the rinse liquid nozzle 5 are provided so that the angle φ0 is, for example, 30 degrees or less. The angle φ0 is more preferably 20 degrees or less, and even more preferably 15 degrees or less. The technical significance of this numerical range of angle φ0 will be described later. Note that, when the processing liquid nozzle 4 and the rinse liquid nozzle 5 are provided movably, angle φ0 is the angle between the first discharge direction and the second discharge direction when the processing liquid nozzle 4 and the rinse liquid nozzle 5 are stopped at the first processing position and the second processing position, respectively.

[0064] 5 shows a liquid landing position P1 (corresponding to a first liquid landing position) where the processing liquid lands on the upper surface of the substrate W, and a liquid landing position P2 (corresponding to a second liquid landing position) where the rinse liquid lands on the upper surface of the substrate W. The liquid landing positions are not particularly limited, but may be, for example, the center of gravity of the range where the liquid column lands on the upper surface of the substrate W. In this embodiment, the positions of the processing liquid nozzle 4 and the rinse liquid nozzle 5 and the flow rates of the processing liquid and the rinse liquid are set so that the distance Δp between the liquid landing positions P1 and P2 is 50 mm or less. The distance Δp between the liquid landing positions P1 and P2 is more preferably 30 mm or less. The technical significance of the numerical range of this distance Δp will be described later.

[0065] In the above example, the positions of the processing liquid nozzle 4 and the rinse liquid nozzle 5 are described using the liquid landing position P1 and the liquid landing position P2. However, they can also be described using the first and second positions described below. The first position is the position where an imaginary line extending along the first discharge direction of the processing liquid nozzle 4 intersects with the upper surface of the substrate W, and the second position is the position where an imaginary line extending along the second discharge direction of the rinse liquid nozzle 5 intersects with the upper surface of the substrate W. The first and second positions correspond to the liquid landing position P1 and the liquid landing position P2, respectively, when it is assumed that the processing liquid and the rinse liquid are discharged linearly. The processing liquid nozzle 4 and the rinse liquid nozzle 5 are disposed so that the distance between the first and second positions is 50 mm or less, more preferably 30 mm or less.

[0066] <Example of operation of the substrate processing apparatus> 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1. First, the substrate holding unit 2 holds the substrate W (step S1: holding step). Specifically, an external transfer robot (not shown) delivers the substrate W to the substrate holding unit 2, and the substrate holding unit 2 holds the substrate W.

[0067] Next, the substrate holder 2 starts rotating the substrate W around the rotation axis Q1 (step S2: rotation start step). In each step described below, the substrate holder 2 may stop the rotation of the substrate W as necessary, but here, as an example, the rotation of the substrate W is continued until the drying process for the substrate W is completed.

[0068] Next, the substrate W is subjected to chemical liquid processing (step S3: processing step). Specifically, the control unit 9 outputs a control signal to the valve 42 to open the valve 42. As a result, the processing liquid (e.g., chemical liquid) is discharged from the discharge port 4a of the processing liquid nozzle 4 and supplied to the upper surface of the substrate W. When the processing liquid lands on the upper surface of the substrate W, a part of it (hereinafter, the first part) bounces off the upper surface of the substrate W and splashes, and the remaining part (hereinafter, the second part) is subjected to centrifugal force and flows radially outward along the upper surface of the substrate W.

[0069] 7 is a plan view schematically showing an example of the flow of the processing liquid. The second portion of the processing liquid that has landed on the upper surface of the substrate W flows in an arc from the landing position P1 in accordance with the rotation of the substrate W, and splashes outward from the periphery of the substrate W. The processing liquid that splashes from the periphery of the substrate W is received by the inner surface of the splash guard 6. As the processing liquid flows along the upper surface of the substrate W in this manner, the processing liquid acts on the upper surface of the substrate W, and processing (e.g., cleaning processing) appropriate to the processing liquid is performed on the substrate W.

[0070] Meanwhile, a first portion of the processing liquid that has landed on the upper surface of the substrate W bounces off the upper surface of the substrate W at landing position P1. The droplets of the processing liquid that have bounced off the upper surface of the substrate W scatter while spreading in the space above the substrate W. More specifically, the scattering region R1 of the droplets is roughly fan-shaped in a planar view. The spreading angle φ1 (corresponding to the central angle) of the scattering region R1 is approximately 30 degrees. Since the droplets scatter independently of the rotation of the substrate W, the bisector of the spreading angle φ1 of the scattering region R1 is roughly aligned with the first discharge direction of the processing liquid nozzle 4 in a planar view. In other words, in a planar view, the droplets scatter while spreading with the first discharge direction as their central direction.

[0071] 7, droplets are shown schematically as hatched circles, but in reality, the droplet group includes very fine droplets. Some of the droplet group may fall onto the upper surface of the substrate W, while others move in the space above the substrate W and are received by the inner peripheral surface of the splash guard 6. The processing liquid contains substances to be removed from the upper surface of the substrate W and crystals of the chemical components of the processing liquid itself, so particle elements such as substances to be removed and crystals adhere to the inner peripheral surface of the splash guard 6.

[0072] As described above, while the upper surface of the substrate W can be processed (here, cleaned) by chemical processing, particle elements may adhere to the inner circumferential surface of the splash guard 6.

[0073] Incidentally, as an example of chemical liquid processing, not only the processing liquid but also a rinse liquid may be supplied to the upper surface of the substrate W. Specifically, the control unit 9 also outputs a control signal to the valve 52 to open the valve 52. As a result, the rinse liquid (pure water in this case) is supplied to the upper surface of the substrate W from the discharge port 5a of the rinse liquid nozzle 5. When the rinse liquid lands on the upper surface of the substrate W, part of it bounces off the upper surface and splashes, and the remaining part is subjected to centrifugal force and flows radially outward along the upper surface of the substrate W.

[0074] The flow of this rinse liquid is similar to that of the processing liquid. That is, part of the rinse liquid that lands on the upper surface of the substrate W bounces off the upper surface of the substrate W at landing position P2, while the other part flows in an arc along the upper surface of the substrate W from landing position P2 and splashes outward from the periphery of the substrate W. At this time, the rinse liquid and processing liquid flow while mixing together on the upper surface of the substrate W. The processing liquid mainly removes objects to be removed from the upper surface of the substrate W, and the rinse liquid mainly washes away the processing liquid on the upper surface of the substrate W and the objects to be removed that have been removed from the upper surface of the substrate W.

[0075] Fig. 8 is a side view schematically showing an example of how the processing liquid and the rinse liquid splash off the upper surface of the substrate W. In the example of Fig. 8, to facilitate understanding of the embodiment, the splashing of the processing liquid and the rinse liquid is exaggerated, and accordingly, the height of the splash guard 6 is also exaggerated.

[0076] As shown in Figure 8, the angle θ1 for the processing liquid nozzle 4 is smaller than the angle θ2 for the rinse liquid nozzle 5. Therefore, the processing liquid lands on the upper surface of the substrate W at a relatively small collision angle, and the rinse liquid lands on the upper surface of the substrate W at a relatively large collision angle. Note that the collision angle here refers to the angle between the upper surface of the substrate W and the direction of movement of the liquid when it lands on the upper surface of the substrate W. Because the collision angle for the rinse liquid is large, droplets of the rinse liquid that bounce off the upper surface of the substrate W scatter in space at a relatively high position. On the other hand, because the collision angle for the processing liquid is small, droplets of the processing liquid that bounce off the upper surface of the substrate W scatter in space at a relatively low position.

[0077] As described above, the angle φ0 between the first discharge direction of the processing liquid nozzle 4 and the second discharge direction of the rinse liquid nozzle 5 is 30 degrees or less (see also FIG. 4). Since the spread angle φ1 of the droplet group is about 30 degrees, it can also be said that the angle φ0 is less than the spread angle φ1. Furthermore, the distance Δp between the landing position P1 of the processing liquid and the landing position P2 of the rinse liquid is 50 mm or less (see also FIG. 5).

[0078] With this configuration, at least a portion of the droplets of the processing liquid and the rinse liquid that bounce off the upper surface of the substrate W overlap in a planar view (see, for example, FIG. 4). Specifically, in an overlapping region R12 between the scattering region R1 where the droplets of the processing liquid splash and the scattering region R2 where the droplets of the rinse liquid splash, the droplets of the processing liquid and the rinse liquid overlap in a planar view. In this overlapping region R12, droplets of the rinse liquid exist directly above the droplets of the processing liquid (see FIG. 8), so the droplets of the rinse liquid can suppress the droplets of the processing liquid from rising. This allows the droplets of the processing liquid to collide with the inner circumferential surface of the splash guard 6 at a lower position. Therefore, particle elements contained in the processing liquid adhere to the inner circumferential surface of the splash guard 6 at a lower position.

[0079] On the other hand, in the overlap region R12, the droplets of the rinse liquid move vertically upward compared to the droplets of the processing liquid, and are therefore received by the inner circumferential surface of the splash guard 6 at a position higher than the particle elements. Then, as the droplets of the rinse liquid flow down the inner circumferential surface of the splash guard 6, they can sweep the processing liquid and particle elements vertically downward and discharge them from the drainage section 8. Therefore, the positions of the particle elements adhering to the inner circumferential surface of the splash guard 6 can be moved further vertically downward, and the amount of particle elements adhering to the inner circumferential surface of the splash guard 6 can be reduced.

[0080] In the above example, physical cleaning by the scrub brush 7 is not performed in the chemical liquid treatment, but physical cleaning by the scrub brush 7 may be performed as necessary. This can improve the cleaning efficiency for the substrate W.

[0081] When the chemical liquid processing on the substrate W is sufficiently completed, a rinse process is performed on the substrate W (step S4: rinse process). For example, the control unit 9 measures the elapsed time from the start of the chemical liquid processing, and performs the rinse process when the elapsed time reaches or exceeds a predetermined processing time. In the above specific example, since both the processing liquid and the rinse liquid are supplied to the substrate W during the chemical liquid processing, the control unit 9 closes the valve 42 while leaving the valve 52 open. This stops the supply of the processing liquid while maintaining the supply of the rinse liquid. Note that when physical cleaning using the scrub brush 7 is performed during the chemical liquid processing, the brush drive mechanism 70 moves the scrub brush 7 to the brush standby position.

[0082] This rinsing process causes the processing liquid on the upper surface of the substrate W to be swept outward from the substrate W by the rinsing liquid. The rinsing liquid splashed from the substrate W is then received by the inner peripheral surface of the splash guard 6. When the rinsing liquid bounces off the inner peripheral surface of the splash guard 6, some of the droplets may re-collide with the substrate W. At this time, particle elements adhering to the inner peripheral surface of the splash guard 6 may be scattered toward the substrate W due to the collision of the rinsing liquid. It is undesirable for these particle elements to re-adhere to the substrate W. In this embodiment, as will be described in detail later, the amount of particle elements re-adhering to the substrate W can be reduced.

[0083] When the rinsing process for the substrate W is sufficiently completed, the drying process for the substrate W is performed (step S5). For example, the control unit 9 measures the elapsed time from the start of the rinsing process, and when the elapsed time reaches or exceeds a predetermined rinsing time, the drying process is performed. As a specific example, the substrate holder 2 increases the rotation speed of the substrate W to dry the substrate W (so-called spin drying).

[0084] Next, the substrate holder 2 stops rotating the substrate W, and an external transfer robot removes the processed substrate W from the substrate holder 2. The substrate processing apparatus 1 can process the substrate W in the above manner.

[0085] <Effects of the embodiment> According to this embodiment, the angle θ1 for the processing liquid nozzle 4 is smaller than the angle θ2 for the rinse liquid nozzle 5. Therefore, as described above, in the chemical liquid processing (step S3), particle elements in the processing liquid adhere to the inner peripheral surface of the splash guard 6 at a relatively low position. Even if the particle elements that have adhered to the inner peripheral surface of the splash guard 6 at a low position are scattered toward the substrate W due to collision with the rinse liquid, they are unlikely to re-adhere to the substrate W. Therefore, in the subsequent rinse processing (step S4), even if the particle elements are scattered toward the substrate W due to collision with the rinse liquid, they are unlikely to re-adhere to the substrate W. In other words, re-adhesion of particle elements to the substrate W during the rinse processing can be suppressed.

[0086] In the above-described specific example, during chemical liquid processing, not only the processing liquid but also the rinse liquid is supplied to the upper surface of the substrate W. Moreover, the angle φ0 between the processing liquid nozzle 4 and the rinse liquid nozzle 5 is 30 degrees or less, the angle θ2 of the rinse liquid nozzle 5 is larger than the angle θ2 of the processing liquid nozzle 4, and the rinse liquid lands at a landing position P2 near the landing position P1. Therefore, droplets of the rinse liquid that have bounced off the upper surface of the substrate W are positioned directly above droplets of the processing liquid that have bounced off the upper surface of the substrate W in the overlap region R12 (see FIG. 4) (see FIG. 8), thereby suppressing the upward movement of the droplets of the processing liquid.

[0087] In the above example, the rinse liquid nozzle 5 is provided at a higher position than the processing liquid nozzle 4, so that the droplets of the rinse liquid can be more reliably scattered at a higher position than the droplets of the processing liquid.

[0088] In this way, the droplets of the processing liquid are received at a lower position on the inner peripheral surface of the splash guard 6, and the particle elements also adhere to the inner peripheral surface of the splash guard 6 at a lower position. This makes it possible to further reduce the amount of particle elements that re-adhere to the substrate W in the subsequent rinsing process.

[0089] On the other hand, during chemical processing, droplets of the rinse liquid splashing within the overlap region R12 collide with the inner circumferential surface of the splash guard 6 directly above the particle elements. When the rinse liquid flows down the inner circumferential surface of the splash guard 6, it can sweep the particle elements downward, further lowering the position of the particle elements. It can also reduce the amount of particle elements adhering to the inner circumferential surface of the splash guard 6. This also reduces the amount of particle elements that re-adhere to the substrate W during the subsequent rinse process.

[0090] 9 is a bar graph for explaining the effect of the embodiment, showing experimental results (here, particle counts) for each embodiment and comparative example. The difference between the embodiment and comparative example is the positional relationship between the processing liquid nozzle 4 and the rinse liquid nozzle 5. In the comparative example, the processing liquid nozzle 4 is positioned higher than the rinse liquid nozzle 5, and the angle θ1 is set larger than the angle θ2.

[0091] To make the effect easier to understand, a spray rinse process was performed using a spray nozzle (not shown). Specifically, the spray nozzle was scanned above the substrate W, and a mist of rinse liquid was supplied from the spray nozzle to the upper surface of the rotating substrate W (spray rinse process). Because the mist of rinse liquid tends to scatter to the surrounding area, many droplets of the rinse liquid also collide with the inner peripheral surface of the splash guard 6, causing many particle elements to redeposit on the substrate W. In other words, the particle elements adhering to the inner peripheral surface of the splash guard 6 were scattered by the mist of rinse liquid, causing them to redeposit on the substrate W, and the number of particles on the upper surface of the substrate W was counted. It can be said that this particle number indicates the ease with which the particle elements adhering to the splash guard 6 will redeposit on the substrate W.

[0092] 9, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to reduce the amount of particle elements that re-adhere to the substrate W, as compared with the comparative example. In the specific example of FIG. 9, the number of particles in the present embodiment is approximately half of the number of particles in the comparative example.

[0093] As described above, in this embodiment, attention is focused on the droplet groups of the processing liquid that bounce off the upper surface of the substrate W, and by devising the positional relationship between the processing liquid nozzle 4 and the rinse liquid nozzle 5, the re-adhesion of particle elements to the substrate W caused by these droplet groups is suppressed.

[0094] According to the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent particle elements from re-adhering to the substrate W, and therefore there is little need to perform cleaning of the splash guard 6 after interrupting the processing of the substrate W. In other words, it is possible to reduce the frequency of cleaning processes that require interruption of the processing of the substrate W, and also to prevent a decrease in processing throughput.

[0095] <Angle φ0> Next, the angle φ0 will be described. As can be seen from FIG. 4, the smaller the angle φ0, the wider the overlap region R12, in which the scattering region R1 where the droplets of the processing liquid are scattered and the scattering region R2 where the droplets of the rinse liquid are scattered, overlap in a planar view. As described above, in the overlap region R12, the rise of the droplets of the processing liquid can be suppressed by the droplets of the rinse liquid, so the smaller the angle φ0, the more effectively the amount of particle elements that re-adhere to the substrate W can be reduced. The angle φ0 is more preferably 20 degrees or less, and even more preferably 15 degrees or less.

[0096] <Liquid landing position> Next, a more specific example of the positional relationship between the landing position P1 of the processing liquid and the landing position P2 of the rinse liquid will be described. Referring to FIG. 5, the landing position P2 of the rinse liquid is preferably located forward of the landing position P1 of the processing liquid in the first discharge direction. As a more specific example, the landing position P2 is preferably located within a region where a circular region R0 and a scattering region R1 (described later) overlap in a plan view. The circular region R0 is a circular region centered on the landing position P1, and its radius is 50 mm or less, more preferably 30 mm or less. The scattering region R1 is a region where droplets of the processing liquid that bounce off the landing position P1 spread and move, and can be defined, for example, as follows: The scattering region R1 is, for example, a fan-shaped region with the landing position P1 as its apex, where the central angle of the fan-shaped shape is a spreading angle φ1 (e.g., approximately 30 degrees), and where a virtual line along the first discharge direction of the processing liquid is the bisector of the central angle.

[0097] With this, at least a portion of the rinsing liquid lands on the upper surface of the substrate W so as to cover the droplets of the processing liquid immediately after bouncing off the landing position P1. This makes it possible to more effectively suppress the droplets of the processing liquid from rising, thereby further reducing the amount of particle elements that re-adhere to the substrate W during the rinsing process.

[0098] <Modification of the Operation of the Substrate Processing Apparatus> In the above example, both the processing liquid and the rinse liquid are supplied to the substrate W in the chemical liquid processing (step S3). However, this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, in the chemical liquid processing, the processing liquid nozzle 4 may discharge the processing liquid without the rinse liquid nozzle 5 discharging the rinse liquid. In other words, the control unit 9 may open the valve 42 while keeping the valve 52 closed.

[0099] According to this embodiment, since the angle θ1 of the processing liquid nozzle 4 is relatively small, even if no rinse liquid is supplied during chemical processing, droplets of the processing liquid that bounce off the liquid landing position P1 collide with the inner peripheral surface of the splash guard 6 at a relatively low position. Therefore, particle elements also adhere to the inner peripheral surface of the splash guard 6 at a lower position. This makes it possible to suppress re-adhesion of particle elements to the substrate W during the subsequent rinse processing (step S4).

[0100] Furthermore, during the rinsing process, the rinsing liquid is discharged from the rinsing liquid nozzle 5 at a large angle θ2, so that droplets of the rinsing liquid that bounce off the landing position P2 collide with the inner circumferential surface of the splash guard 6 at a relatively high position. In other words, the droplets of the rinsing liquid are likely to collide with areas where particle elements are not attached (areas above the particle elements), making it difficult for the particle elements to scatter. Moreover, the rinsing liquid flows down the inner circumferential surface of the splash guard 6, thereby washing away the particle elements. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of particle elements that re-adhere to the substrate W during the rinsing process.

[0101] Alternatively, both the processing liquid and the rinse liquid may be discharged only during the transition from the chemical liquid processing (step S3) to the rinse processing (step S4). That is, the control unit 9 may open the valve 42 and close the valve 52 during the chemical liquid processing, and then open the valve 52 before closing the valve 42 during the transition, and then close the valve 42 during the rinse liquid. This operation example also reduces the amount of particle elements that re-adhere to the substrate W during the rinse processing.

[0102] <Flow rate> The discharge flow velocity of the rinsing liquid discharged from the rinsing liquid nozzle 5 may be set to be higher than the discharge flow velocity of the processing liquid discharged from the processing liquid nozzle 4. This is because the higher the flow velocity, the higher the position to which the liquid rebounds from the upper surface of the substrate W. In other words, if the discharge flow velocity of the rinsing liquid is set to be higher than the discharge flow velocity of the processing liquid, the droplets of the rinsing liquid can be more reliably scattered higher than the droplets of the processing liquid.

[0103] Therefore, when both the processing liquid and the rinse liquid are supplied in chemical processing, the droplets of the rinse liquid can be more reliably prevented from rising, and the position of particle elements adhering to the splash guard 6 can be more reliably kept low.

[0104] Even when a rinse liquid is not supplied during chemical processing, the discharge flow velocity of the processing liquid is low, so droplets of the processing liquid can be caused to collide at a low position against the inner circumferential surface of the splash guard 6. On the other hand, during rinsing processing, the discharge flow velocity of the rinse liquid is high, so droplets of the rinse liquid can be caused to collide more reliably at a high position against the inner circumferential surface of the splash guard 6. Therefore, during rinsing processing, more droplets of the rinse liquid can be caused to collide with the inner circumferential surface of the splash guard 6 in areas where particle elements are not attached.

[0105] Incidentally, the discharge flow velocity of the liquid discharged from the nozzle increases as the flow rate of the liquid supplied to the nozzle increases. Therefore, the flow rate of the rinse liquid may be set to be greater than the flow rate of the processing liquid so that the discharge flow velocity of the rinse liquid is higher than the discharge flow velocity of the processing liquid. That is, the control unit 9 controls the flow rate adjusters 43 and 53 so that the flow rate of the rinse liquid is greater than the flow rate of the processing liquid. If the area of ​​the discharge port 4a of the processing liquid nozzle 4 is approximately the same as the area of ​​the discharge port 5a of the rinse liquid nozzle 5, when the flow rate of the rinse liquid is greater than the flow rate of the processing liquid, the discharge flow velocity of the rinse liquid will be higher than the discharge flow velocity of the processing liquid.

[0106] Furthermore, the smaller the area of ​​the nozzle outlet, the higher the discharge flow rate. Therefore, the area of ​​the outlet 5a of the rinse liquid nozzle 5 may be smaller than the area of ​​the outlet 4a of the processing liquid nozzle 4. FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of the configuration of the processing liquid nozzle 4 and the rinse liquid nozzle 5. In the example of FIG. 10, the area of ​​the outlet 5a of the rinse liquid nozzle 5 is smaller than the area of ​​the outlet 4a of the processing liquid nozzle 4. When the outlet 4a and the outlet 5a have a circular shape, the diameter of the outlet 5a is smaller than the diameter of the outlet 4a. Here, the internal flow path 4b of the processing liquid nozzle 4 and the internal flow path 5b of the rinse liquid nozzle 5 have a cylindrical shape, and in the example of FIG. 10, the diameter of the internal flow path 5b is smaller than the diameter of the internal flow path 4b.

[0107] With this structure, when the flow rates of the processing liquid and the rinse liquid are approximately the same, the rinse liquid can be discharged at a higher flow rate from the rinse liquid nozzle 5 than from the processing liquid nozzle 4 .

[0108] <Rotation speed> Next, we will discuss the rotation speed of the substrate W. The rotation speed of the substrate W in the rinsing process (step S4) may be set to be equal to or higher than the rotation speed in the chemical liquid process (step S3). In other words, the substrate holder 2 may rotate the substrate W in the rinsing process (step S4) at a rotation speed equal to or higher than the rotation speed in the chemical liquid process (step S3).

[0109] 11 is a graph schematically showing an example of temporal changes in the rotation speed of the substrate W. In the example of FIG. 11, the substrate holder 2 rotates the substrate W at a first rotation speed ω1 during chemical processing and at a second rotation speed ω2 during rinsing processing. In the example of FIG. 11, the second rotation speed ω2 is higher than the first rotation speed ω1. The first rotation speed ω1 here may be an average value or a steady-state value of the rotation speed of the substrate W during chemical processing, or may be a target value of the rotation speed of the substrate W during chemical processing. The same applies to the second rotation speed ω2. The first rotation speed ω1 is set, for example, to be equal to or greater than 100 rpm and equal to or less than 1000 rpm, and the second rotation speed ω2 is set, for example, to be equal to or greater than 2400 rpm and equal to or less than 3000 rpm.

[0110] 11, the rotation speed of the substrate W during the drying process is indicated by a third rotation speed ω3. In the example of Fig. 11, the second rotation speed ω2 is lower than the third rotation speed ω3. The third rotation speed ω3 here may be an average value or a steady value of the rotation speed of the substrate W during the drying process, or may be a target value of the rotation speed of the substrate W during the drying process.

[0111] Now, the higher the rotation speed of the substrate W, the higher the position to which the liquid rebounds from the upper surface of the substrate W. In the example of Fig. 11, the second rotation speed ω2 is higher than the first rotation speed ω1, so that droplets of the rinsing liquid can rebound to a higher position from the upper surface of the substrate W during the rinsing process. In other words, droplets of the rinsing liquid can be made to collide with the inner circumferential surface of the splash guard 6 at a position higher than particle elements more reliably.

[0112] Furthermore, it is believed that the higher the rotation speed, the greater the rinsing effect (also called the water washing effect) on the substrate W, and therefore the amount of particles on the substrate W can also be reduced by the rinsing effect.

[0113] Fig. 12 is a bar graph showing the number of particles for each rotation speed of the substrate W during the rinsing process. As can be seen from Fig. 12, the number of particles on the upper surface of the substrate W decreases as the second rotation speed ω2 during the rinsing process increases.

[0114] <Rinse time> The rinse time of the rinse process may be set to be equal to or longer than the process time of the chemical process. Fig. 13 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of the process time T1 of the chemical process and the rinse time T2 of the rinse process. In the example of Fig. 13, the rinse time T2 is set in advance to a value longer than the process time T1. For example, when the elapsed time from the start of the chemical process is equal to or longer than the process time T1, the control unit 9 closes the valve 42 to terminate the chemical process, and when the elapsed time from the start of the rinse process is equal to or longer than the rinse time T2, the control unit 9 closes the valve 52 to terminate the rinse process.

[0115] Because the rinsing time T2 is long, the rinsing liquid continues to be supplied to the upper surface of the substrate W for a longer period of time, thereby improving the possibility that the rinsing liquid will sweep away particles on the upper surface of the substrate W to the outside of the substrate W. In other words, by lengthening the rinsing time T2, the rinsing effect of the rinsing liquid can be improved, and particles on the upper surface of the substrate W can be reduced.

[0116] <Idle rotation process> Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing another example of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1. Compared to Fig. 6, an idle rotation process (step S10: idle rotation step) is performed between the chemical liquid process (step S3) and the rinsing process (step S4).

[0117] The idle rotation process is a process in which the substrate W is rotated while the supply of liquid to the upper surface of the substrate W is stopped. That is, when the control unit 9 determines that the chemical liquid process in step S3 has been sufficiently completed, it closes the valve 42 to end the chemical liquid process and causes the substrate holder 2 to continue rotating the substrate W. Note that if a rinse liquid was supplied during the chemical liquid process, the control unit 9 also closes the valve 52. This completes the idle rotation process.

[0118] During this idle rotation process, the processing liquid (and rinse liquid) on the upper surface of the substrate W is subjected to centrifugal force accompanying the rotation and is scattered outside the substrate W, so the amount of processing liquid (and rinse liquid) on the substrate W decreases over time.

[0119] Once the idle rotation process has been completed sufficiently, a rinse process is performed (step S4). For example, the control unit 9 measures the time elapsed since the start of the idle rotation process, and when the elapsed time reaches or exceeds a predetermined idle rotation time, it outputs a control signal to the valve 52 to open the valve 52. This ends the idle rotation process, and the rinse liquid is discharged from the discharge port 5a of the rinse liquid nozzle 5 toward the top surface of the substrate W. The idle rotation time is set in advance, for example, and is set to about 10 seconds as a specific example.

[0120] The fourth rotation speed ω4 of the substrate W during the idle rotation process may be set to be equal to or greater than the first rotation speed ω1 of the substrate W during the chemical liquid process. Fig. 15 is a graph schematically showing an example of the change over time in the rotation speed of the substrate W. In the example of Fig. 15, the substrate holder 2 rotates the substrate W at the first rotation speed ω1 during the chemical liquid process, rotates the substrate W at the fourth rotation speed ω4 during the idle rotation process, and rotates the substrate W at the second rotation speed ω2 during the rinsing process. The fourth rotation speed ω4 may be an average value or a steady value of the rotation speed of the substrate W during the idle rotation process, or may be a target value for the rotation speed of the substrate W during the idle rotation process.

[0121] In the example of FIG. 15, the fourth rotation speed ω4 is higher than the first rotation speed ω1 and is set to, for example, about 1000 rpm.

[0122] By setting the fourth rotation speed ω4 higher than the first rotation speed ω1, a larger amount of processing liquid can be scattered from the periphery of the substrate W during the idle rotation process, thereby further reducing the amount of processing liquid on the substrate W.

[0123] As described above, the amount of processing liquid on the substrate W can be reduced by the idle rotation process, so that the rinse process can be started with a small amount of processing liquid on the substrate W. Therefore, even if the rinse liquid collides with the processing liquid at the liquid landing position P2 at the start of the rinse process, the amount of processing liquid that splashes up from the upper surface of the substrate W is also small.

[0124] Some of the droplets of the processing liquid that splash up at landing position P2 may adhere at a relatively high position to the inner circumferential surface of splash guard 6. However, because the amount of processing liquid on the substrate W is reduced by the idling process, the amount of processing liquid that splashes up at landing position P2 can also be reduced, and ultimately, the particle elements that adhere to the inner circumferential surface of splash guard 6 at a relatively high position can be reduced.

[0125] Therefore, even if the rinse liquid collides with the inner circumferential surface of the splash guard 6 and bounces back towards the substrate W, the possibility of particle elements adhering to the substrate W can be reduced.

[0126] 16 is a bar graph showing the number of particles with and without idle rotation processing. Without idle rotation processing, the rotation speed of the substrate W during chemical processing was 100 rpm, and the rotation speed of the substrate W during rinsing processing was 3000 rpm. With idle rotation processing, the rotation speed of the substrate W during chemical processing was 100 rpm, the rotation speed of the substrate W during idle rotation processing was 1000 rpm, and the rotation speed of the substrate W during rinsing processing was 3000 rpm. The idle rotation time for the idle rotation processing was set to 10 seconds.

[0127] As can be seen from FIG. 16, the number of particles on the upper surface of the substrate W can be reduced by the idling process.

[0128] In the above example, the fourth rotation speed ω4 is set to be lower than the second rotation speed ω2, so that droplets of the processing liquid that have bounced off the upper surface of the substrate W can be more reliably scattered at a higher position during the rinsing process.

[0129] As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1 and the substrate processing method have been described in detail, but the above description is merely an example in all respects and is not intended to be limiting. It is understood that countless variations not illustrated can be envisioned without departing from the scope of this disclosure. The configurations described in the above embodiments and variations can be combined or omitted as appropriate as long as they are not mutually inconsistent. [Explanation of symbols]

[0130] 1. Substrate processing equipment 2 Board holding part 4 Processing liquid nozzle 41 Processing liquid supply pipe 4a,5a Discharge port 5 Rinse liquid nozzle 51 Rinse liquid supply pipe 6 Splash Guard 9 Control Unit P1 1st liquid landing position (liquid landing position) P2 2nd liquid landing position (liquid landing position) S10 Idle process (step) S3 Processing step S4 Rinse process (step) W substrate Δp interval θ1,θ2,φ0 angle

Claims

1. a substrate holder that holds a substrate and rotates the substrate; a processing liquid nozzle that discharges the processing liquid along a first discharge direction that is obliquely downward to supply the processing liquid to an upper surface of the substrate; a rinse liquid nozzle that discharges the rinse liquid along a second discharge direction that is obliquely downward to supply the rinse liquid to the upper surface of the substrate; a splash guard having a cylindrical shape surrounding the substrate holding part and configured to receive the processing liquid and the rinse liquid splashed from the periphery of the substrate; Equipped with an angle between the first ejection direction and a horizontal plane is smaller than an angle between the second ejection direction and a horizontal plane; an angle between the first ejection direction and the second ejection direction in a plan view is 30 degrees or less; a second landing position of the rinse liquid on the upper surface of the substrate is located forward of a first landing position of the processing liquid in the first discharge direction; The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the rinse liquid nozzle is provided at a higher position than the processing liquid nozzle.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , The substrate processing apparatus, wherein an area of ​​the discharge port of the rinse liquid nozzle is smaller than an area of ​​the discharge port of the processing liquid nozzle.

3. 3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, In the substrate processing apparatus, a flow rate of the rinsing liquid supplied to the rinsing liquid nozzle through a rinsing liquid supply pipe is greater than a flow rate of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid nozzle through a processing liquid supply pipe.

4. A substrate processing method using the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising: a processing step in which the processing liquid nozzle ejects the processing liquid to supply the processing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate while the substrate holder rotates the substrate at a first rotation speed; a rinsing step in which, after the processing step, the rinse liquid nozzle ejects the rinse liquid to supply the rinse liquid to the upper surface of the substrate while the substrate holder rotates the substrate at a second rotation speed higher than the first rotation speed; A substrate processing method comprising:

5. A substrate processing method using the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising: a processing step in which the processing liquid nozzle ejects the processing liquid to supply the processing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate while the substrate holder rotates the substrate over a processing time; a rinsing step in which, after the processing step, the rinsing liquid nozzle ejects the rinsing liquid to supply the rinsing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate while the substrate holder rotates the substrate for a rinsing time longer than the processing time; A substrate processing method comprising:

6. A substrate processing method using the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising: a processing step in which the processing liquid nozzle ejects the processing liquid to supply the processing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate while the substrate holder rotates the substrate; an idle rotation step of rotating the substrate by the substrate holder without supplying the processing liquid and the rinse liquid to the substrate after the processing step; a rinsing step in which, after the idle rotation step, the rinse liquid nozzle ejects the rinse liquid to supply the rinse liquid to the upper surface of the substrate while the substrate holder rotates the substrate; A substrate processing method comprising:

7. 7. The substrate processing method according to claim 6, A substrate processing method, wherein the rotation speed of the substrate in the idle rotation step is higher than the rotation speed of the substrate in the processing step.

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