Process liquid supply device and process liquid supply method

Abstract

To provide a process liquid supply device capable of supplying a process liquid of which the temperature is appropriately adjusted to a substrate processing device, and a process liquid supply method.SOLUTION: A storage section 110 stores a process liquid. A supply pipe 20 connects a feed-out part 112 of the storage section 110 and a substrate processing device 200. A circulation pipe 30 connects the substrate processing device 200 and a feed-in part 113 of the storage section 110. A pump 120 feeds out the process liquid which is stored in the storage section 110 from the feed-out part 112 to the supply pipe 20. A liquid discharge section 50 is provided in the circulation pipe 30 and capable of discharging the process liquid flowing through the circulation pipe 30. A supplementation section 60 is capable of supplementing the process liquid into the storage section 110. A control device 160 makes a temperature of the process liquid close to a changed preset value by controlling the liquid discharge section 50 and the supplementation section 60 based on a temperature of the process liquid in an entire circulation path for the process liquid including a temperature of the process liquid flowing through the circulation pipe 30 in a case where the preset value of the temperature is changed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Substrate processing apparatuses are used to perform various processes on substrates such as semiconductor substrates, substrates for FPDs (Flat Panel Displays) such as liquid crystal displays or organic EL (Electro Luminescence) displays, substrates for optical disks, substrates for magnetic disks, substrates for magneto-optical disks, substrates for photomasks, ceramic substrates, and substrates for solar cells. A processing liquid supplying apparatus adjusts the temperature of a processing liquid used in liquid processing of the substrate to a desired value and supplies the temperature-adjusted processing liquid to the substrate processing apparatus. In recent years, in order to reduce energy and processing liquid consumption, circulating processing liquid supplying apparatuses have been used in which the processing liquid supplied to the substrate processing apparatus is returned to the processing liquid supplying apparatus.

[0003] For example, in the pure water heating apparatus described in Patent Document 1, pure water stored in a tank is supplied to a substrate processing apparatus through a pipe equipped with a heater. The pure water supplied to the substrate processing apparatus is circulated within the tank through a return pipe. The tank is connected to a fluid supply valve that supplies unheated pure water and a fluid discharge valve that discharges heated pure water. Furthermore, each part of the pure water heating apparatus is provided with a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the pure water. The operation of the fluid supply valve, fluid discharge valve, and heater is controlled so that the detected value of the temperature sensor becomes a set temperature. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-119756 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The processing liquid supply device may be installed relatively far from the substrate processing apparatus. In this case, the piping connecting the substrate processing apparatus and the pure water heating device becomes long and the volume of the piping increases, so the volume of the pure water flowing through the piping cannot be ignored. Therefore, in the pure water heating device described in Patent Document 1, when the processing liquid supply device and the substrate processing apparatus are installed relatively far from each other, it is difficult to supply the substrate processing apparatus with pure water of an appropriately adjusted temperature because the temperature of the pure water in the piping connecting the substrate processing apparatus and the pure water heating device is not detected.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a processing liquid supplying apparatus and a processing liquid supplying method that are capable of supplying a processing liquid whose temperature has been appropriately adjusted to a substrate processing apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A processing liquid supply device according to one aspect of the present invention is a processing liquid supply device that supplies a processing liquid to a substrate processing apparatus, and includes: a storage section that stores the processing liquid and has an outlet section that discharges the stored processing liquid and an inlet section into which the discharged processing liquid is fed; a supply pipe that connects the outlet section of the storage section to the substrate processing apparatus; a circulation pipe that connects the substrate processing apparatus to the inlet section of the storage section; a pump that discharges the processing liquid stored in the storage section from the outlet section to the supply pipe; a drain section that is provided in the circulation pipe and configured to discharge the processing liquid flowing through the circulation pipe; a replenishment section that is configured to replenish the processing liquid to the storage section; and a control section that, when the temperature setting value is changed, controls the drain section and the replenishment section based on the temperature of the processing liquid throughout the processing liquid circulation path, including the temperature of the processing liquid flowing through the circulation pipe, to bring the temperature of the processing liquid closer to the changed set value.

[0008] A processing liquid supply method according to another aspect of the present invention is a processing liquid supply method for supplying processing liquid at a set temperature to a substrate processing apparatus by a processing liquid supply device, the method including: pumping the processing liquid stored in a storage section to a supply pipe connecting an outlet of the storage section and the substrate processing apparatus; feeding the processing liquid to the storage section through a circulation pipe connecting the substrate processing apparatus and an inlet of the storage section; and, when the set temperature value is changed, draining the processing liquid flowing through the circulation pipe through a drain section provided in the circulation pipe based on the temperature of the processing liquid throughout the processing liquid circulation path, including the temperature of the processing liquid flowing through the circulation pipe, and replenishing the processing liquid in the storage section to bring the temperature of the processing liquid closer to the changed set value. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, a processing liquid whose temperature has been appropriately adjusted can be supplied to a substrate processing apparatus. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a substrate processing system including a processing liquid supply apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a control device in FIG. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart showing an algorithm of a processing liquid supply process performed by a processing liquid supply program. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing an algorithm of a processing liquid supply process in a second embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a control device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing an algorithm for a processing liquid supply process in the third embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing an algorithm for a processing liquid supply process in the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] A treatment liquid supplying device and a treatment liquid supplying method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the term "substrate" refers to a substrate for an FPD (Flat Panel Display) used in a liquid crystal display device or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display device, a semiconductor substrate, an optical disk substrate, a magnetic disk substrate, a magneto-optical disk substrate, a photomask substrate, a ceramic substrate, a solar cell substrate, or the like.

[0012] 1. First embodiment (1) Configuration of the substrate processing system FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a substrate processing system including a processing liquid supply apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a substrate processing system 300 includes a processing liquid supply apparatus 100 and a substrate processing apparatus 200, and is installed in, for example, a factory. The processing liquid supply apparatus 100 supplies a processing liquid at a set temperature to the substrate processing apparatus 200. In this example, the processing liquid is pure water, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The processing liquid may be other liquids such as chemical liquids. The substrate processing apparatus 200 performs processing such as cleaning on substrates using the processing liquid supplied by the processing liquid supply apparatus 100.

[0013] The processing liquid supplying apparatus 100 includes a storage section 110, a pump 120, heating sections 130 and 140, a storage device 150, and a control device 160, as well as various elements such as a temperature sensor, a flow rate sensor, a filter, and an on-off valve. The processing liquid supplying apparatus 100 also includes a plurality of pipes such as a drainage pipe 10, a supply pipe 20, a circulation pipe 30, and a branch pipe 40. In the following description, the direction in which the processing liquid flows in each pipe is defined as the downstream direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the upstream direction.

[0014] The storage unit 110 is, for example, a tank, and stores the processing liquid. The storage unit 110 has delivery units 111 and 112 and inlet units 113, 114, and 115. The processing liquid stored in the storage unit 110 is delivered from each of the delivery units 111 and 112. The processing liquid is delivered to the storage unit 110 from each of the inlet units 113 to 115. The processing liquid delivered from the delivery unit 112 is mainly delivered to the storage unit 110 from the inlet unit 113 or the inlet unit 114. The processing liquid supplied from the replenishment unit 60, which will be described later, is delivered to the storage unit 110 from the inlet unit 115.

[0015] The storage unit 110 is provided with liquid level sensors 116 and 117 and a temperature sensor 118. The liquid level sensor 116 is disposed below the storage unit 110 and detects the liquid level of the processing liquid when the volume of the processing liquid stored in the storage unit 110 is at a predetermined lower limit volume. The liquid level sensor 117 is disposed above the liquid level sensor 116 and detects the liquid level of the processing liquid when the volume of the processing liquid stored in the storage unit 110 is at a predetermined upper limit volume. The temperature sensor 118 detects the temperature of the processing liquid stored in the storage unit 110. The detection results by the liquid level sensors 116 and 117 and the temperature sensor 118 are provided to the control device 160.

[0016] The drainage pipe 10 connects the delivery part 111 of the storage part 110 to a drainage device (not shown) provided as factory equipment. The drainage pipe 10 is provided with an open / close valve 11. The open / close valve 11 is switched between an open state and a closed state by a control device 160. When the open / close valve 11 is set to the open state, the treatment liquid stored in the storage part 110 is delivered through the delivery part 111 and drained through the drainage pipe 10 to the drainage device.

[0017] The supply pipe 20 connects the delivery unit 112 of the storage unit 110 and the substrate processing apparatus 200. The supply pipe 20 is provided with a pump 120 and a heating unit 130, as well as a flow rate sensor 21, a temperature sensor 22, a filter 23, and an on-off valve 24. In this example, the pump 120, the flow rate sensor 21, the heating unit 130, the temperature sensor 22, the filter 23, and the on-off valve 24 are arranged in this order from upstream to downstream, but the order in which the pump 120, the heating unit 130, the flow rate sensor 21, the temperature sensor 22, and the filter 23 are arranged is not limited. The pump 120 delivers the processing liquid stored in the storage unit 110 from the delivery unit 112 to the supply pipe 20. The heating unit 130 heats the processing liquid flowing through the supply pipe 20.

[0018] The flow rate sensor 21 detects the flow rate of the processing liquid flowing through the supply pipe 20. The temperature sensor 22 detects the temperature of the processing liquid flowing through the supply pipe 20. The detection results by the flow rate sensor 21 and the temperature sensor 22 are provided to the control device 160. The filter 23 removes foreign matter from the processing liquid flowing through the supply pipe 20. The open / close valve 24 is switched between an open state and a closed state by the control device 160. When the open / close valve 24 is set to the open state, the processing liquid stored in the storage unit 110 is sent out through the delivery unit 112 and supplied to the substrate processing apparatus 200 through the supply pipe 20.

[0019] The circulation pipe 30 connects the substrate processing apparatus 200 and the feed section 113 of the storage section 110. A flow rate sensor 31 and a temperature sensor 32 are provided in the circulation pipe 30. In this example, the flow rate sensor 31 and the temperature sensor 32 are arranged in this order from upstream to downstream, but the order in which the flow rate sensor 31 and the temperature sensor 32 are arranged is not limited. The flow rate sensor 31 detects the flow rate of the processing liquid flowing through the circulation pipe 30. The temperature sensor 32 detects the temperature of the processing liquid flowing through the circulation pipe 30. The detection results by the flow rate sensor 31 and the temperature sensor 32 are provided to the control device 160. The processing liquid not used in the substrate processing apparatus 200 is sent to the storage section 110 through the circulation pipe 30 and the feed section 113.

[0020] According to the above-described connection, the storage unit 110, the supply pipe 20, and the circulation pipe 30 constitute a circulation path 101 for circulating the processing liquid through the substrate processing apparatus 200. In this embodiment, the processing liquid supply apparatus 100 and the substrate processing apparatus 200 are provided at a relatively large distance from each other. Therefore, the supply pipe 20 and the circulation pipe 30 are relatively long. Furthermore, in order to reduce pressure loss, the cross-sectional areas of the supply pipe 20 and the circulation pipe 30 are relatively large. Therefore, the volumes of each of the supply pipe 20 and the circulation pipe 30 are significantly larger than the volume of the storage unit 110. In this example, the sum of the volumes of the supply pipe 20 and the circulation pipe 30 is larger than the volume of the storage unit 110.

[0021] The branch pipe 40 connects a portion of the supply pipe 20 upstream of the on-off valve 24 to the inlet 114 of the storage unit 110. The branch pipe 40 is provided with an on-off valve 41. The on-off valve 41 is switched between an open state and a closed state by the control device 160. When the on-off valve 41 is set to the open state, the processing liquid flowing through the supply pipe 20 is sent to the storage unit 110 through the branch pipe 40 and the inlet 114. In this way, by using the branch pipe 40 branching off from the supply pipe 20, it is also possible to circulate the processing liquid without passing through the substrate processing apparatus 200.

[0022] The processing liquid supplying apparatus 100 further includes a drainage unit 50 and a replenishment unit 60. The drainage unit 50 is configured to be able to discharge the processing liquid flowing through the circulation pipe 30, and includes a drainage pipe 51, an open / close valve 52, and a temperature sensor 53. The drainage pipe 51 connects the circulation pipe 30 to a drainage device (not shown). In this example, the upstream end of the drainage pipe 51 is connected to the vicinity of the downstream end of the circulation pipe 30 (for example, a portion located a predetermined length upstream from the downstream end of the circulation pipe 30). In other words, the drainage pipe 51 is provided so as to branch off from the vicinity of the downstream end of the circulation pipe 30.

[0023] The on-off valve 52 and the temperature sensor 53 are provided in the drainage pipe 51. In this example, the on-off valve 52 and the temperature sensor 53 are arranged in this order from upstream to downstream, but the order in which the on-off valve 52 and the temperature sensor 53 are arranged is not limited. The on-off valve 52 is switched between an open state and a closed state by the control device 160. When the on-off valve 52 is set to the open state, the processing liquid flowing through the circulation pipe 30 is drained to the drainage device through the drainage pipe 51. The temperature sensor 53 detects the temperature of the processing liquid flowing through the drainage pipe 51. The detection result by the temperature sensor 53 is provided to the control device 160.

[0024] The replenishment section 60 is configured to be able to replenish the processing liquid to the storage section 110, and includes replenishment units 61, 62, and 63, a replenishment pipe 64, and a temperature sensor 65. The replenishment unit 61 includes a replenishment pipe 61A, a pure water supply section 61B, a temperature sensor 61C, a filter 61D, a flow rate adjustment section 61E, and an opening / closing valve 61F. The upstream end of the replenishment pipe 61A is connected to the pure water supply section 61B. The pure water supply section 61B supplies pure water as the processing liquid.

[0025] Temperature sensor 61C, filter 61D, flow rate adjuster 61E, and on-off valve 61F are provided in refill pipe 61A. In this example, temperature sensor 61C, filter 61D, flow rate adjuster 61E, and on-off valve 61F are arranged in this order from upstream to downstream, but the order in which temperature sensor 61C, filter 61D, flow rate adjuster 61E, and on-off valve 61F are arranged is not limited.

[0026] The temperature sensor 61C detects the temperature of the processing liquid flowing through the replenishment pipe 61A. The filter 61D removes foreign matter from the processing liquid flowing through the replenishment pipe 61A. The flow rate adjuster 61E detects the flow rate of the processing liquid flowing through the replenishment pipe 61A and adjusts the flow rate of the processing liquid flowing through the replenishment pipe 61A. The on-off valve 61F is switched between an open state and a closed state by the control device 160. When the on-off valve 61F is opened, the processing liquid supplied by the pure water supply unit 61B is sent downstream through the pure water supply unit 61B.

[0027] The replenishment unit 62 includes a replenishment pipe 62A, a pure water supply unit 62B, a temperature sensor 62C, a filter 62D, a flow rate adjuster 62E, an on-off valve 62F, and a temperature sensor 62G. The upstream end of the replenishment pipe 62A is connected to the pure water supply unit 62B. The pure water supply unit 62B supplies pure water as a processing liquid.

[0028] The temperature sensor 62C, filter 62D, flow rate adjuster 62E, on-off valve 62F, and temperature sensor 62G are provided on the refill pipe 62A. In addition, a heating unit 140 is provided on the refill pipe 62A. In this example, the temperature sensor 62C, filter 62D, heating unit 140, temperature sensor 62G, flow rate adjuster 62E, and on-off valve 62F are arranged in this order from upstream to downstream. However, as long as the temperature sensor 62C is located upstream of the heating unit 140 and the temperature sensor 62G is located downstream of the heating unit 140, the order in which the temperature sensor 62C, filter 62D, heating unit 140, temperature sensor 62G, flow rate adjuster 62E, and on-off valve 62F are arranged is not limited.

[0029] The heating unit 140 heats the processing liquid flowing through the replenishment pipe 62A. The temperature sensors 62C and 62G detect the temperature of the processing liquid flowing through the replenishment pipe 62A. The filter 62D removes foreign matter from the processing liquid flowing through the replenishment pipe 62A. The flow rate adjustment unit 62E detects the flow rate of the processing liquid flowing through the replenishment pipe 62A and adjusts the flow rate of the processing liquid flowing through the replenishment pipe 62A. The opening / closing valve 62F is switched between an open state and a closed state by the control device 160. When the opening / closing valve 62F is opened, the processing liquid supplied by the pure water supply unit 62B is sent downstream through the pure water supply unit 62B.

[0030] The replenishment unit 63 includes a replenishment pipe 63A, a hot water supply unit 63B, a temperature sensor 63C, a filter 63D, a flow rate adjustment unit 63E, and an on-off valve 63F. The upstream end of the replenishment pipe 63A is connected to the hot water supply unit 63B. The hot water supply unit 63B supplies hot water as a processing liquid. The hot water is heated pure water supplied as a utility from a factory where the substrate processing system 300 is installed. The hot water has a relatively high temperature because its temperature has been adjusted in advance in other equipment of the factory where the substrate processing system 300 is installed.

[0031] Temperature sensor 63C, filter 63D, flow rate adjuster 63E, and on-off valve 63F are provided in refill pipe 63A. In this example, temperature sensor 63C, filter 63D, flow rate adjuster 63E, and on-off valve 63F are arranged in this order from upstream to downstream, but the order in which temperature sensor 63C, filter 63D, flow rate adjuster 63E, and on-off valve 63F are arranged is not limited.

[0032] The temperature sensor 63C detects the temperature of the processing liquid flowing through the replenishment pipe 63A. The filter 63D removes foreign matter from the processing liquid flowing through the replenishment pipe 63A. The flow rate adjuster 63E detects the flow rate of the processing liquid flowing through the replenishment pipe 63A and adjusts the flow rate of the processing liquid flowing through the replenishment pipe 63A. The on-off valve 63F is switched between an open state and a closed state by the control device 160. When the on-off valve 63F is opened, the processing liquid supplied by the hot water supply unit 63B is sent downstream through the hot water supply unit 63B.

[0033] The downstream ends of the replenishment pipes 61A to 63A join together and are connected to the upstream end of the replenishment pipe 64. The downstream end of the replenishment pipe 64 is connected to the inlet 115 of the reservoir 110. With this connection, the processing liquid delivered by any of the replenishment units 61 to 63 is delivered to the reservoir 110 through the replenishment pipe 64 and the inlet 115. In this way, the storage 110 is replenished with the processing liquid.

[0034] The temperature sensor 65 is provided in the replenishment pipe 64. The temperature sensor 65 detects the temperature of the processing liquid flowing through the replenishment pipe 64. The detection results by the temperature sensors 61C to 63C, 62G, 65 and the flow rate adjusters 61E to 63E in the replenishment unit 60 are provided to the control device 160. Note that each of the flow rate adjusters 61E to 63E may be configured by, for example, a flow rate switch and a motor needle valve.

[0035] The storage device 150 stores a processing liquid supply program for causing the control device 160 to execute a processing liquid supply process. The storage device 150 also stores the volume of the entire circulation path 101. The volume of the entire circulation path 101 may include the volumes of the pump 120, the heating unit 130, the flow rate sensor 21, the temperature sensor 22, the filter 23, or the on-off valve 24. The volume of the entire circulation path 101 may also include the volume of the flow rate sensor 31 or the temperature sensor 32. Furthermore, the volume of the entire circulation path 101 may include the volume of the branch pipe 40. In this case, the volume of the entire circulation path 101 may further include the volume of the on-off valve 41.

[0036] The control device 160 executes a processing liquid supply process by controlling various components in the substrate processing apparatus 200 based on the detection results provided by the various sensors. The processing liquid supply process includes a temperature change process, a liquid supply process, a temperature adjustment process, and a liquid drainage process. The temperature change process is a process in which, when the set temperature value is changed, the temperature of the processing liquid approaches the changed set value by controlling the liquid drainage unit 50 and the liquid replenishment unit 60 based on the temperature of the processing liquid throughout the circulation path 101, including the temperature of the processing liquid flowing through the circulation piping 30. Details of the temperature change process will be described below, and details of other processing liquid supply processes will be omitted.

[0037] The liquid supply process is a process of supplying a predetermined volume of the processing liquid into the reservoir 110 by controlling the replenishment unit 60 based on the detection results of the liquid level sensors 116 and 117. The temperature adjustment process is a process of supplying the processing liquid to the substrate processing apparatus 200 while maintaining it at a set temperature by controlling the pump 120 and the heating unit 130 and opening the on-off valve 24. When the processing liquid is not to be supplied to the substrate processing apparatus 200, the on-off valve 41 may be opened instead of the on-off valve 24. The liquid drainage process is a process of discharging the processing liquid from the circulation path 101 by controlling the pump 120 and opening the on-off valves 11, 24, and 52, and is performed when the processing liquid is contaminated, for example.

[0038] (2) Processing liquid supply process 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the control device 160 of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 160 includes, as functional units, a setting unit 161, a determination unit 162, a capacity calculation unit 163, a substitution unit 164, a temperature increase unit 165, and a temperature adjustment unit 166. The control device 160 executes a processing liquid supply program stored in the storage device 150, thereby realizing the functional units of the control device 160. Some or all of the functional units of the control device 160 may be realized by hardware such as electronic circuits. Furthermore, the processing liquid supply program may be stored in a storage medium different from the storage device 150.

[0039] The setting unit 161 sets the temperature of the treatment liquid based on a user specification. Specifically, the setting unit 161 sets the set value of the treatment liquid temperature to the set value specified by the user. Therefore, when the set value is changed by the user, the setting unit 161 sets the set value of the treatment liquid temperature to the changed set value.

[0040] The determination unit 162 determines the temperature of the treatment liquid throughout the circulation path 101 based on the temperatures detected by the temperature sensors 22, 32, and 118. The temperature of the treatment liquid throughout the circulation path 101 may be determined as a calculated value of the temperatures detected by the temperature sensors 22, 32, and 118. The calculated value may be an average value (including a weighted average value) or another calculated value. Furthermore, when the setting unit 161 changes the set value of the temperature of the treatment liquid, the determination unit 162 determines whether the changed set value is lower than the determined temperature of the treatment liquid throughout the circulation path 101.

[0041] The capacity calculation unit 163 calculates the replacement volume of the treatment liquid for bringing the temperature of the treatment liquid to the changed set value, based on the volume of the entire circulation path 101 stored in the storage device 150 and the temperature of the treatment liquid throughout the circulation path 101 identified by the determination unit 162. It is relatively easy to raise the temperature of the treatment liquid to the set value even when the temperature of the treatment liquid is lower than the set value. Therefore, in this example, the capacity calculation unit 163 calculates the replacement volume of the treatment liquid for bringing the temperature of the treatment liquid to the changed set value, which is a temperature (hereinafter referred to as the target temperature) slightly lower than the changed set value.

[0042] The substitution unit 164 performs a discharge process of discharging the treatment liquid using the drainage unit 50 and a replenishment process of replenishing the treatment liquid using the replenishment unit 60, thereby replacing the treatment liquid by the substitution volume calculated by the volume calculation unit 163. In this embodiment, when the set value after the temperature change is lower than the temperature of the treatment liquid throughout the circulation path 101, the substitution unit 164 sequentially performs a discharge process of discharging the treatment liquid at the substitution volume and a replenishment process of replenishing the treatment liquid at the substitution volume. Furthermore, the substitution unit 164 may further open the on-off valve 11 during the discharge process. Furthermore, when the treatment liquid stored in the storage unit 110 is not within a predetermined volume range, the substitution unit 164 may control the replenishment unit 60 to replenish the treatment liquid into the storage unit 110.

[0043] The temperature raising unit 165 performs a first temperature raising process when the set value after the change in temperature is higher than the temperature of the treatment liquid throughout the circulation path 101. The first temperature raising process is a process of controlling the heating unit 130 to bring the temperature of the treatment liquid closer to the set value after the change, without replacing the treatment liquid by the replacement unit 164. Specifically, by performing the first temperature raising process, the treatment liquid flowing through the supply pipe 20 is heated until the temperature of the treatment liquid reaches the target temperature.

[0044] When the replacement unit 164 performs the discharge process and the replenishment process, or when the temperature increase unit 165 performs the first temperature increase process, the temperature of the treatment liquid reaches the target temperature. That is, the temperature of the treatment liquid is slightly lower than the set value. Therefore, the temperature adjustment unit 166 heats the treatment liquid flowing through the supply pipe 20 using the heating unit 130 so that the temperature of the treatment liquid increases slightly. This allows the temperature of the treatment liquid to be finely adjusted to the set value.

[0045] Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing an algorithm of a processing liquid supply process executed by a processing liquid supply program. The processing liquid supply process will be described below using the processing liquid supply device 100 in Fig. 1, the control device 160 in Fig. 2, and the flowchart in Fig. 3. As described above, the processing liquid supply process in Fig. 3 is a temperature change process. In the temperature change process, in the initial state, a predetermined volume of processing liquid is stored in the storage unit 110, the on-off valve 24 is opened, and the pump 120 is operated to circulate the processing liquid through the circulation path 101. In addition, the on-off valves other than the on-off valve 24 are closed.

[0046] First, the setting unit 161 determines whether the set value of the temperature of the treatment liquid has been changed (step S1). If the set value of the temperature has not been changed, the setting unit 161 waits until the set value of the temperature of the treatment liquid is changed. If the set value of the temperature has been changed, the determination unit 162 identifies the temperature of the treatment liquid throughout the circulation path 101 (step S2). Step S2 is executed based on the temperatures detected by the temperature sensors 22, 32, and 118.

[0047] Next, the determination unit 162 determines whether the set temperature value changed in step S1 is lower than the temperature of the treatment liquid throughout the entire circulation path 101 identified in step S2 (step S3). If it is determined that the set temperature value is lower than the temperature of the treatment liquid throughout the entire circulation path 101, the capacity calculation unit 163 calculates the replacement volume of the treatment liquid to bring the temperature of the treatment liquid throughout the entire circulation path 101 to the target temperature based on the volume of the entire circulation path 101, the volume of the treatment liquid in the reservoir 110 based on the detection results of the liquid level sensors 116 and 117, and the temperature of the treatment liquid throughout the entire circulation path 101 identified in step S2 (step S4). The target temperature is slightly lower than the set temperature value after the change.

[0048] Next, the substitution unit 164 opens the on-off valve 52 of the drainage unit 50, thereby performing a discharge process to discharge the treatment liquid of the substitution volume calculated in step S4 from the circulation path 101 (step S5). In this example, the substitution unit 164 further opens the on-off valve 11 in the discharge process. The volume of treatment liquid discharged from the circulation path 101 is managed based on the detection results of the flow rate sensors 21 and 31 and the liquid level sensors 116 and 117. After the discharge process of the substitution volume is completed, the substitution unit 164 closes the on-off valves 11 and 52.

[0049] Thereafter, the substitution unit 164 opens the on-off valve 61F of the replenishing unit 60 to execute a replenishing process for replenishing the storage unit 110 with the treatment liquid of the substitution volume calculated in step S4 (step S6). The volume of the treatment liquid replenishing the storage unit 110 is managed based on the detection results of the flow rate adjuster 61E and the liquid level sensors 116 and 117. After the replenishing process of the substitution volume is completed, the substitution unit 164 closes the on-off valve 61F. At this time, the determination unit 162 may confirm, based on the temperatures detected by the temperature sensors 22, 32, and 118, that the temperature of the treatment liquid throughout the circulation path 101 has reached the target temperature.

[0050] Next, the substitution unit 164 determines whether or not a volume of the treatment liquid stored in the storage unit 110 is within a predetermined range based on the detection results of the liquid level sensors 116 and 117 (step S7). If it is determined that a volume of the treatment liquid stored in the storage unit 110 is not within the predetermined range, the substitution unit 164 opens the on-off valve 61F to replenish the storage unit 110 with the shortage of the treatment liquid (step S8). If the target temperature is relatively high, the on-off valve 62F or the on-off valve 63F may be opened instead of the on-off valve 61F. After the shortage of the treatment liquid is replenished in the storage unit 110, the on-off valves 61F to 63F are closed. At this time, the substitution unit 164 may confirm that the circulation path 101 is filled with the treatment liquid based on the detection results of the flow rate sensors 21 and 31 and the liquid level sensors 116 and 117.

[0051] Even if it is determined in step S3 that the set temperature value is higher than the temperature of the treatment liquid throughout the circulation path 101, the substitution unit 164 determines whether or not a volume of the treatment liquid stored in the storage unit 110 is within a predetermined range (step S9), as in step S7. If it is determined that a volume of the treatment liquid stored in the storage unit 110 is not within the predetermined range, the substitution unit 164 opens some or all of the on-off valves 61F to 63F to replenish the shortage of treatment liquid to the storage unit 110 (step S10), as in step S8. After the shortage of treatment liquid is replenished to the storage unit 110, the on-off valves 61F to 63F are closed. At this time, the substitution unit 164 may confirm that the circulation path 101 is filled with treatment liquid based on the detection results of the flow rate sensors 21 and 31 and the liquid level sensors 116 and 117.

[0052] If it is determined in step S9 that the volume of the treatment liquid stored in the storage unit 110 is within a predetermined range, or if the shortage of treatment liquid is replenished in step S10, the process proceeds to step S11. In step S11, the temperature raising unit 165 executes a first temperature raising process (step S11). In this embodiment, the first temperature raising process is a process for bringing the temperature of the treatment liquid throughout the circulation path 101 closer to the changed set value, and is executed by controlling the heating unit 130.

[0053] If it is determined in step S7 that a volume of the treatment liquid stored in the reservoir 110 is within a predetermined range, if the shortage of treatment liquid is replenished in step S8, or if the first temperature increase process is performed in step S11, the process proceeds to step S12. In step S12, the temperature adjustment unit 166 finely adjusts the temperature of the treatment liquid by heating the treatment liquid flowing through the supply pipe 20 using the heating unit 130 (step S12).

[0054] Thereafter, the temperature adjustment unit 166 determines whether the temperature of the processing liquid throughout the circulation path 101 specified by the determination unit 162 has reached the set value (step S13). If it is determined that the temperature of the processing liquid throughout the circulation path 101 has not reached the set value, the process returns to step S12. Steps S12 and S13 are repeated until it is determined that the temperature of the processing liquid throughout the circulation path 101 has reached the set value. If it is determined in step S13 that the temperature of the processing liquid throughout the circulation path 101 has reached the set value, the processing liquid supply process ends.

[0055] (3) Effects In the processing liquid supplying apparatus 100 according to this embodiment, the draining unit 50 and the replenishing unit 60 operate based on the temperature of the processing liquid throughout the processing liquid circulation path 101, including the temperature of the processing liquid flowing through the circulation piping 30. Therefore, even if the processing liquid supplying apparatus 100 is installed apart from the substrate processing apparatus 200 and the volume of the circulation piping 30 is large, the temperature of the processing liquid can be appropriately brought close to the changed set value. This allows the processing liquid whose temperature has been appropriately adjusted to be supplied to the substrate processing apparatus 200.

[0056] Furthermore, the sum of the volume of the supply pipe 20 and the volume of the circulation pipe 30 is larger than the volume of the reservoir 110. According to this configuration, since the processing liquid supply apparatus 100 is provided at a distance from the substrate processing apparatus 200, even if the volumes of the supply pipe 20 and the circulation pipe 30 are sufficiently large, the processing liquid can be supplied to the substrate processing apparatus 200 with an appropriately temperature-adjusted state.

[0057] The capacity calculation unit 163 of the control device 160 calculates the replacement volume of the processing liquid to bring the temperature of the processing liquid to the changed set value, based on the volume of the entire circulation path 101 including the volume of the supply pipe 20 and the volume of the circulation pipe 30. The replacement unit 164 of the control device 160 replaces the replacement volume of the processing liquid by executing a discharge process in which the drainage unit 50 discharges the processing liquid and a replenishment process in which the replenishment unit 60 replenishes the processing liquid. In this case, the temperature-adjusted processing liquid can be supplied to the substrate processing apparatus 200 with simple control.

[0058] Specifically, when the set value after the temperature change is lower than the temperature of the processing liquid throughout the entire circulation path 101, the substitution unit 164 sequentially executes a discharge process for discharging a substitution volume of the processing liquid and a replenishment process for replenishing a substitution volume of the processing liquid. In this case, the temperature-adjusted processing liquid can be supplied to the substrate processing apparatus 200 with simpler control. In addition, the storage device 150 stores the volume of the entire circulation path 101. The capacity calculation unit 163 calculates the substitution volume based on the volume of the entire circulation path 101 stored in the storage device 150. In this case, the substitution volume can be easily calculated.

[0059] Furthermore, as described above, since the volumes of the supply pipe 20 and the circulation pipe 30 are sufficiently large, a relatively large volume of the processing liquid flows through the supply pipe 20 and the circulation pipe 30. Even in this case, in this embodiment, the upstream end of the drainage pipe 51 is connected to the vicinity of the downstream end of the circulation pipe 30, so that the processing liquid remaining in the supply pipe 20 and the circulation pipe 30 can be efficiently discharged to the drainage device during the discharge process.

[0060] 2. Second embodiment (1) Processing liquid supply process The following describes the differences between the processing liquid supplying apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment and the processing liquid supplying apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, a discharge process and a replenishment process are performed once each. In the discharge process, a substitution volume of processing liquid is discharged. In the replenishment process, a substitution volume of processing liquid is replenished. This replaces the processing liquid in the substitution volume.

[0061] In contrast, in this embodiment, a discharge process and a replenishment process are alternately and repeatedly performed. In each discharge process, a volume of processing liquid (hereinafter referred to as a replacement volume) smaller than a predetermined volume of the reservoir 110 is discharged. In each replenishment process, a replacement volume of processing liquid is replenished. The discharge process and the replenishment process are alternately and repeatedly performed until the replacement volume of processing liquid is replaced.

[0062] Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an algorithm for the processing liquid supply process in the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 4, in this embodiment, steps S5a and S6a are executed instead of steps S5 and S6 in Fig. 3. Furthermore, step S6b is further executed after step S6a.

[0063] Specifically, after step S4, the substitution unit 164 opens the on-off valve 52 of the drainage unit 50 to perform a discharge process in which the replacement volume of treatment liquid is discharged from the circulation path 101 (step S5a). In this example, the substitution unit 164 also opens the on-off valve 11 during the discharge process. After the discharge process for the replacement volume is completed, the substitution unit 164 closes the on-off valves 11 and 52. Next, the substitution unit 164 opens the on-off valve 61F of the refilling unit 60 to perform a refilling process in which the replacement volume of treatment liquid is refilled into the storage unit 110 (step S6a). After the refilling process for the replacement volume is completed, the substitution unit 164 closes the on-off valve 61F.

[0064] Next, the substitution unit 164 determines whether the treatment liquid of the substitution volume calculated in step S4 has been substituted (step S6b). If it is determined that the treatment liquid of the substitution volume has not been substituted, the process returns to step S5a. Steps S5a, S6a, and S6b are repeated until it is determined that the treatment liquid of the substitution volume has been substituted. If it is determined in step S6b that the treatment liquid of the substitution volume has been substituted, the process proceeds to step S7. At this time, the determination unit 162 may confirm that the temperature of the treatment liquid throughout the circulation path 101 has reached the target temperature, based on the temperatures detected by the temperature sensors 22, 32, and 118.

[0065] (2) Effects In the processing liquid supplying apparatus 100 according to this embodiment, when the set value after the change in temperature is lower than the temperature of the processing liquid throughout the circulation path 101, the substitution unit 164 substitutes the substitution volume of the processing liquid by alternately and repeatedly performing a discharge process in which a replacement volume of the processing liquid smaller than the volume of the storage unit 110 is discharged and a replenishment process in which a replacement volume of the processing liquid is replenished. In this case, a certain volume or more of the processing liquid always remains in the storage unit 110, so the pump 120 does not run empty. Therefore, there is no need to provide a pump 120 that can run empty. This improves the flexibility of the configuration of the processing liquid supplying apparatus 100.

[0066] 3. Third Embodiment (1) Processing liquid supply process The following describes the differences between the processing liquid supply apparatus 100 according to the third embodiment and the processing liquid supply apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of a control device 160 according to the third embodiment. As shown in Fig. 5, the control device 160 further includes a time calculation unit 167 as a functional unit.

[0067] In the second embodiment, the capacity calculation unit 163 calculates the replacement capacity based on the volume of the entire circulation path 101 stored in the storage device 150 and the temperature of the treatment liquid throughout the circulation path 101 identified by the determination unit 162. In contrast, in the present embodiment, the capacity calculation unit 163 calculates the replacement capacity based on the volume of the entire circulation path 101 stored in the storage device 150 and the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 118. That is, in the present embodiment, the replacement capacity is calculated based on the temperature of the treatment liquid stored in the storage unit 110. The temperature detected by the temperature sensors 22 and 32 does not have to be used in calculating the replacement capacity.

[0068] Furthermore, the temperature raising unit 165 is configured to selectively execute the first temperature raising process and the second temperature raising process when the set value after the change in temperature is higher than the temperature of the treatment liquid throughout the circulation path 101. The second temperature raising process is a process in which the temperature of the treatment liquid approaches the set value after the change by controlling the heating unit 140 while the substitution unit 164 performs substitution of the treatment liquid. The time calculation unit 167 calculates a first time required to bring the temperature of the treatment liquid to the set value after the change by the first temperature raising process and a second time required to bring the temperature of the treatment liquid to the set value after the change by the second temperature raising process. The temperature raising unit 165 executes the first temperature raising process when the first time is equal to or shorter than the second time, and executes the second temperature raising process when the first time is longer than the second time.

[0069] 6 and 7 are flowcharts showing an algorithm for the processing liquid supply process in the third embodiment. As shown in Fig. 6, in this embodiment, step S4a is executed instead of step S4 in Fig. 4. Furthermore, if it is determined in step S3 that the set temperature value is higher than the temperature of the processing liquid throughout the circulation path 101, the temperature increase process (step S20) in Fig. 7 is executed.

[0070] Specifically, if it is determined in step S3 that the set temperature value is lower than the temperature of the treatment liquid throughout the circulation path 101, the capacity calculation unit 163 calculates the replacement volume of the treatment liquid to bring the temperature of the treatment liquid in the reservoir 110 to the target temperature, based on the volume of the entire circulation path 101, the volume of the treatment liquid in the reservoir 110 based on the detection results of the liquid level sensors 116 and 117, and the temperature of the treatment liquid in the reservoir 110 detected by the temperature sensor 118 (step S4a). Then, the process proceeds to step S5a.

[0071] Thereafter, steps S5a, S6a, and S6b are repeated until it is determined that the replacement volume of treatment liquid calculated in step S4a has been replaced. As a result, the temperature of the treatment liquid in the reservoir 110 reaches the target temperature, and the process proceeds to step S7. At this time, the determination unit 162 may confirm, based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 118, that the temperature of the treatment liquid in the reservoir 110 has reached the target temperature.

[0072] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S3 that the set temperature is higher than the temperature of the treatment liquid throughout the circulation path 101, a temperature increase process is performed (step S20). In the temperature increase process, the temperature increase unit 165 first calculates a first time period and a second time period (step S21). The first time period is calculated based on, for example, the difference between the set temperature period and the temperature of the treatment liquid in the reservoir 110 (hereinafter referred to as the set temperature difference), and the volume of the entire circulation path 101. The second time period is calculated based on, for example, the set temperature difference, the volume of the entire circulation path 101, and the volume and temperature of the treatment liquid replenished by the replenishment unit 60.

[0073] Next, the temperature increasing unit 165 determines whether the first time calculated in step S21 is equal to or shorter than the second time (step S22). If it is determined that the first time is equal to or shorter than the second time, steps S9 to S11 similar to those in the second embodiment are executed. This ends the temperature increasing process. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S12 of the processing liquid supply process.

[0074] If it is determined in step S22 that the first time is longer than the second time, a second temperature increase process is performed in the following steps S23 to S27. Specifically, first, the temperature increase unit 165 drives the heating unit 140 to heat the processing liquid supplied from the pure water supply unit 62B (step S23). This allows the processing liquid heated to a predetermined temperature to be supplied from the replenishment unit 60. Step S23 is continued until the second temperature increase process is completed.

[0075] Similarly to step S4a, the capacity calculation unit 163 calculates the replacement volume of the treatment liquid to bring the temperature of the treatment liquid in the reservoir 110 to the target temperature based on the volume of the entire circulation path 101, the volume of the treatment liquid in the reservoir 110 based on the detection results of the liquid level sensors 116 and 117, and the temperature of the treatment liquid in the reservoir 110 detected by the temperature sensor 118 (step S24). Steps S23 and S24 may be performed either first or simultaneously.

[0076] Next, similar to step S5a, the substitution unit 164 performs a discharge process to discharge the replacement volume of processing liquid from the circulation path 101 (step S25). In this example, the substitution unit 164 further opens the on-off valve 11 during the discharge process. After the discharge process of the replacement volume is completed, the substitution unit 164 closes the on-off valves 11 and 52. Subsequently, the substitution unit 164 performs a refill process to refill the replacement volume of processing liquid into the storage unit 110 by opening the on-off valve 62F of the refilling unit 60 (step S26). In this case, the processing liquid supplied by the pure water supply unit 62B and heated by the heating unit 140 is replenished.

[0077] In the replenishing process of step S26, instead of or in addition to the processing liquid supplied by the pure water supply unit 62B, the processing liquid (hot water) supplied by the hot water supply unit 63B may be replenished. In this case, the on-off valve 63F is opened in addition to the on-off valve 62F instead of the on-off valve 62F. Here, if the processing liquid supplied by the pure water supply unit 62B is not used in the replenishing process, step S23 does not need to be executed. After the replenishing process of the replacement volume is completed, the substitution unit 164 closes the on-off valves 62F and 63F.

[0078] Thereafter, similarly to step S6b, the substitution unit 164 determines whether the treatment liquid of the substitution volume calculated in step S24 has been substituted (step S27). If it is determined that the treatment liquid of the substitution volume has not been substituted, the process returns to step S25. Steps S25 to S27 are repeated until it is determined that the treatment liquid of the substitution volume has been substituted. If it is determined in step S27 that the treatment liquid of the substitution volume has been substituted, the second temperature increase process ends, and the process proceeds to step S28. At this time, the determination unit 162 may confirm that the temperature of the treatment liquid in the storage unit 110 has reached the target temperature, based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 118.

[0079] Next, similarly to step S7, the substitution unit 164 determines whether or not a volume of the treatment liquid stored in the storage unit 110 is within a predetermined range (step S28). If it is determined that a volume of the treatment liquid stored in the storage unit 110 is not within the predetermined range, similarly to step S8, the substitution unit 164 opens some or all of the on-off valves 61F to 63F to replenish the storage unit 110 with the deficient treatment liquid (step S29). After the deficient treatment liquid is replenished in the storage unit 110, the on-off valves 61F to 63F are closed. This completes the temperature increase process. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S12 of the treatment liquid supply process. At this time, the substitution unit 164 may confirm that the circulation path 101 is filled with the treatment liquid based on the detection results of the flow rate sensors 21 and 31 and the liquid level sensors 116 and 117.

[0080] (2) Effects In the treatment liquid supplying apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the capacity calculation unit 163 calculates the replacement capacity based on the temperature of the treatment liquid stored in the storage unit 110. In this case, since the replacement capacity is relatively small, the temperature of the treatment liquid can be brought close to the changed set value in a short time even when the discharge process and the replenishment process are repeated.

[0081] The heating unit 130 is configured to heat the processing liquid flowing through the circulation pipe 30. The heating unit 140 is configured to heat the processing liquid replenished by the replenishment unit 60. The temperature raising unit 165 of the control device 160 selectively performs a first temperature raising process or a second temperature raising process when the set temperature after the change is higher than the temperature of the processing liquid throughout the circulation path 101. The first temperature raising process is a process in which the heating unit 130 is controlled to bring the temperature of the processing liquid closer to the set temperature after the change without the substitution unit 164. The second temperature raising process is a process in which the heating unit 140 is controlled to bring the temperature of the processing liquid closer to the set temperature after the change while the substitution unit 164 is performing substitution. With this configuration, when the set temperature after the change is higher than the temperature of the processing liquid throughout the circulation path 101, it is possible to perform a process that further reduces the consumption of energy and processing liquid.

[0082] Here, the time calculation unit 167 of the control device 160 calculates a first time required for the temperature of the treatment liquid to reach the changed set value through the first temperature increase process, and a second time required for the temperature of the treatment liquid to reach the changed set value through the second temperature increase process. The temperature increase unit 165 may execute the first temperature increase process when the first time is equal to or shorter than the second time, and may execute the second temperature increase process when the first time is longer than the second time. With this configuration, when the changed set value for the temperature is higher than the temperature of the treatment liquid throughout the circulation path 101, the temperature of the treatment liquid can be brought closer to the changed set value in a short time.

[0083] 4. Other embodiments (1) In the above embodiment, the sum of the volume of the supply pipe 20 and the volume of the circulation pipe 30 is larger than the volume of the storage unit 110, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The sum of the volume of the supply pipe 20 and the volume of the circulation pipe 30 may be equal to or smaller than the volume of the storage unit 110.

[0084] (2) In the above embodiment, the volume of the entire circulation path 101 is stored in the storage device 150, but the embodiment is not limited to this. As long as the capacity calculation unit 163 can acquire the volume of the entire circulation path 101, the volume of the entire circulation path 101 does not need to be stored in the storage device 150.

[0085] (3) In the above embodiment, the refill section 60 includes three refill units 61 to 63, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The refill section 60 may include any one of the three refill units 61 to 63. Therefore, the refill section 60 may not include one or two of the three refill units 61 to 63.

[0086] (4) In the first embodiment, the replacement unit 164 executes the discharge process and the replenishment process sequentially, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The replacement unit 164 may execute the discharge process and the replenishment process simultaneously.

[0087] (5) In the first or second embodiment, the temperature raising unit 165 is configured to be capable of performing only the first temperature raising process, but the embodiment is not limited to this. As in the third embodiment, the temperature raising unit 165 may be configured to be capable of selectively performing the first temperature raising process and the second temperature raising process. In this case, the capacity calculation unit 163 may calculate the replacement capacity of the treatment liquid required to raise the temperature of the treatment liquid throughout the circulation path 101 to the target temperature based on the temperatures detected by the temperature sensors 22, 32, and 118 during the second temperature raising process.

[0088] On the other hand, in the third embodiment, the temperature raising unit 165 is configured to be able to selectively perform the first temperature raising process and the second temperature raising process, but the embodiment is not limited to this. As in the first or second embodiment, the temperature raising unit 165 may be configured to be able to perform only the first temperature raising process.

[0089] Here, when the temperature increasing unit 165 is configured to be able to perform the second temperature increasing process, it performs the first temperature increasing process when the first time is equal to or less than the second time, and performs the second temperature increasing process when the first time is longer than the second time; however, the embodiment is not limited to this. The temperature increasing unit 165 may perform the first temperature increasing process when the set temperature difference is relatively small, and perform the second temperature increasing process when the set temperature difference is relatively large. For example, the temperature increasing unit 165 may perform the first temperature increasing process when the set temperature difference is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, and perform the second temperature increasing process when the set temperature difference is larger than the threshold. In this case, the control device 160 may not include the time calculation unit 167.

[0090] 5. Correspondence between each element of the claims and each part of the embodiment Below, examples of correspondence between each element of the claims and each element of the embodiments will be described, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples. Various other elements having the configuration or function described in the claims can also be used as each element of the claims.

[0091] In the above-described embodiments, the substrate processing apparatus 200 is an example of a substrate processing apparatus, the processing liquid supply apparatus 100 is an example of a processing liquid supply apparatus, the delivery unit 112 is an example of a delivery unit, the delivery unit 113 is an example of a delivery unit, and the storage unit 110 is an example of a storage unit. The supply pipe 20 is an example of a supply pipe, the circulation pipe 30 is an example of a circulation pipe, the pump 120 is an example of a pump, the drainage unit 50 is an example of a drainage unit, the replenishment unit 60 is an example of a replenishment unit, the control device 160 is an example of a control unit, and the capacity calculation unit 163 is an example of a capacity calculation unit. The substitution unit 164 is an example of a substitution unit, the storage device 150 is an example of a storage unit, the heating unit 130 is an example of a first heating unit, the heating unit 140 is an example of a second heating unit, the temperature increase unit 165 is an example of a temperature increase unit, and the time calculation unit 167 is an example of a time calculation unit.

[0092] 6. Summary of the embodiment (Item 1) The processing liquid supply device according to item 1 comprises: A processing liquid supply device that supplies a processing liquid to a substrate processing apparatus, a storage section for storing a processing liquid and having an outlet section for discharging the stored processing liquid and an inlet section for receiving the discharged processing liquid; a supply pipe connecting the delivery portion of the storage portion and the substrate processing apparatus; a circulation pipe connecting the substrate processing apparatus and the inlet of the storage unit; a pump that delivers the treatment liquid stored in the storage unit from the delivery unit to the supply pipe; a drainage section provided in the circulation pipe and configured to be able to discharge the treatment liquid flowing through the circulation pipe; a replenishing unit configured to be able to replenish the treatment liquid in the storage unit; When the temperature setting value is changed, the control unit controls the drainage unit and the replenishment unit based on the temperature of the processing liquid throughout the processing liquid circulation path, including the temperature of the processing liquid flowing through the circulation piping, to bring the temperature of the processing liquid closer to the changed setting value.

[0093] In this processing liquid supply device, the drainage unit and replenishment unit operate based on the temperature of the processing liquid throughout the processing liquid circulation path, including the temperature of the processing liquid flowing through the circulation pipe. Therefore, even if the processing liquid supply device is installed away from the substrate processing apparatus and the volume of the circulation pipe is large, the temperature of the processing liquid can be appropriately brought close to the changed set value. This allows the processing liquid whose temperature has been appropriately adjusted to be supplied to the substrate processing apparatus.

[0094] (Item 2) In the processing liquid supply device described in item 1, The sum of the volume of the supply pipe and the volume of the circulation pipe may be greater than the volume of the storage portion.

[0095] According to this configuration, since the processing liquid supply device is located away from the substrate processing device, processing liquid whose temperature has been appropriately adjusted can be supplied to the substrate processing device even if the volume of the supply piping and circulation piping is sufficiently large.

[0096] (Item 3) In the processing liquid supplying device according to item 1 or 2, The control unit a volume calculation unit that calculates a replacement volume of the treatment liquid to bring the temperature of the treatment liquid to the changed set value based on the volume of the supply pipe and the volume of the entire circulation path including the volume of the circulation pipe; The treatment system may further include a replacement unit that replaces the replacement volume of treatment liquid by performing a discharge process of discharging the treatment liquid using the drainage unit and a replenishment process of replenishing the treatment liquid using the replenishment unit.

[0097] In this case, the processing liquid whose temperature has been adjusted can be supplied to the substrate processing apparatus through simple control.

[0098] (Item 4) The processing liquid supply device according to item 3, Further provided is a memory unit that stores the volume of the entire circulation path, The capacity calculation unit may calculate the replacement capacity based on the volume of the entire circulation path stored in the storage unit.

[0099] In this case, the replacement volume can be easily calculated.

[0100] (Item 5) In the processing liquid supplying device according to item 3 or 4, When the set value after the temperature change is lower than the temperature of the treatment liquid in the entire circulation path, the replacement unit may sequentially perform the discharge process of discharging the treatment liquid in the replacement volume and the replenishment process of replenishing the treatment liquid in the replacement volume.

[0101] In this case, the temperature-adjusted processing liquid can be supplied to the substrate processing apparatus through simpler control.

[0102] (Item 6) In the processing liquid supplying device according to item 3 or 4, When the set value after the temperature change is lower than the temperature of the processing liquid in the entire circulation path, the replacement unit may replace the replacement volume of processing liquid by alternately and repeatedly performing the discharge process of discharging a replacement volume of processing liquid that is smaller than the volume of the storage unit and the replenishment process of replenishing the replacement volume of processing liquid.

[0103] In this case, a certain amount of processing liquid always remains in the reservoir, so the pump does not run empty. Therefore, there is no need to provide a pump that can run empty. This increases the flexibility of the configuration of the processing liquid supply device.

[0104] (Item 7) In the processing liquid supplying device according to item 6, The volume calculation unit may calculate the replacement volume based on the temperature of the treatment liquid stored in the storage unit.

[0105] In this case, the replacement volume is relatively small, so that even when the discharge process and the replenishment process are repeated, the temperature of the treatment liquid can be brought close to the changed set value in a short time.

[0106] (Item 8) The processing liquid supplying device according to any one of items 3 to 7, a first heating unit configured to heat the treatment liquid flowing through the circulation pipe; a second heating unit configured to heat the treatment liquid replenished by the replenishment unit, The control unit may include a temperature raising unit that selectively performs a first temperature raising process to bring the temperature of the processing liquid closer to the changed set value by controlling the first heating unit without replacing the processing liquid by the replacement unit when the set value after the temperature change is higher than the temperature of the processing liquid in the entire circulation path, and a second temperature raising process to bring the temperature of the processing liquid closer to the changed set value by controlling the second heating unit while replacing the processing liquid by the replacement unit.

[0107] According to this configuration, when the set temperature value after the change is higher than the temperature of the treatment liquid in the entire circulation path, it is possible to perform treatment with reduced consumption of energy and treatment liquid.

[0108] (Item 9) In the processing liquid supply device according to item 8, the control unit further includes a time calculation unit that calculates a first time required for the temperature of the treatment liquid to reach the changed set value by the first temperature-raising process and a second time required for the temperature of the treatment liquid to reach the changed set value by the second temperature-raising process; The temperature raising unit may perform the first temperature raising process when the first time is equal to or less than the second time, and may perform the second temperature raising process when the first time is longer than the second time.

[0109] According to this configuration, when the set temperature value after the change is higher than the temperature of the treatment liquid in the entire circulation path, the temperature of the treatment liquid can be brought close to the set temperature value after the change in a short time.

[0110] (Item 10) The processing liquid supply method according to item 10 includes: A processing liquid supplying method for supplying a processing liquid at a set temperature to a substrate processing apparatus by a processing liquid supplying device, comprising: sending the processing liquid stored in a storage unit to a supply pipe connecting an outlet of the storage unit and the substrate processing apparatus by a pump; supplying a processing liquid to the storage unit through a circulation pipe connecting the substrate processing apparatus and an inlet of the storage unit; When the set temperature value is changed, the process includes discharging the processing liquid flowing through the circulation pipe using a drainage section provided in the circulation pipe based on the temperature of the processing liquid throughout the entire circulation path of the processing liquid, including the temperature of the processing liquid flowing through the circulation pipe, and refilling the storage section with processing liquid to bring the temperature of the processing liquid closer to the changed set value.

[0111] According to this processing liquid supply method, the drainage unit and the replenishment unit operate based on the temperature of the processing liquid throughout the entire circulation path, including the temperature of the processing liquid flowing through the circulation pipe. Therefore, even if the processing liquid supply device is installed away from the substrate processing apparatus and the volume of the circulation pipe is large, the temperature of the processing liquid can be appropriately brought close to the changed set value. This allows the processing liquid whose temperature has been appropriately adjusted to be supplied to the substrate processing apparatus. [Explanation of symbols]

[0112] 10, 51... Drainage piping, 11, 24, 41, 52, 61F to 63F... Opening and closing valve, 20... Supply piping, 21, 31... Flow rate sensor, 22, 32, 53, 61C to 63C, 62G, 65, 118... Temperature sensor, 23, 61D to 63D... Filter, 30... Circulation piping, 40... Branch piping, 50... Drainage section, 60... Refill section, 61 to 63... Refill unit, 61A to 63A, 64... Refill piping, 61B, 62B... Pure water supply section, 63B... Hot water supply section, 61E to 63 E...flow rate adjustment unit, 100...processing liquid supply device, 101...circulation path, 110...storage unit, 111, 112...delivery unit, 113-115...delivery unit, 116, 117...liquid level sensor, 120...pump, 130, 140...heating unit, 150...storage device, 160...control device, 161...setting unit, 162...determination unit, 163...capacity calculation unit, 164...substitution unit, 165...heating unit, 166...temperature adjustment unit, 167...time calculation unit, 200...substrate processing device, 300...substrate processing system

Claims

1. A processing liquid supply device that supplies a processing liquid to a substrate processing apparatus, a storage section for storing a processing liquid and having an outlet section for discharging the stored processing liquid and an inlet section for receiving the discharged processing liquid; a supply pipe connecting the delivery portion of the storage portion and the substrate processing apparatus; a circulation pipe connecting the substrate processing apparatus and the inlet of the storage unit; a pump that delivers the treatment liquid stored in the storage unit from the delivery unit to the supply pipe; a drainage section provided in the circulation pipe and configured to be able to discharge the treatment liquid flowing through the circulation pipe; a replenishing unit configured to be able to replenish the treatment liquid in the storage unit; a control unit that, when the temperature setting value is changed, controls the drainage unit and the replenishment unit based on the temperature of the processing liquid throughout the processing liquid circulation path, including the temperature of the processing liquid flowing through the circulation piping, to bring the temperature of the processing liquid closer to the changed setting value.

2. 2. The processing liquid supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a total volume of the supply pipe and the circulation pipe is larger than a volume of the reservoir.

3. The control unit a volume calculation unit that calculates a replacement volume of the treatment liquid to bring the temperature of the treatment liquid to the changed set value based on the volume of the supply pipe and the volume of the entire circulation path including the volume of the circulation pipe; 3. The processing liquid supply device according to claim 1, further comprising a replacement section that replaces the processing liquid in the replacement volume by performing a discharge process that discharges the processing liquid using the drain section and a replenishment process that replenishes the processing liquid using the replenishment section.

4. Further provided is a memory unit that stores the volume of the entire circulation path, The processing liquid supply apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the volume calculation unit calculates the replacement volume based on the volume of the entire circulation path stored in the storage unit.

5. 4. The processing liquid supply device according to claim 3, wherein the replacement unit sequentially performs the discharge process of discharging the replacement volume of processing liquid and the replenishment process of replenishing the replacement volume of processing liquid when the set value after the change of the temperature is lower than the temperature of the processing liquid in the entire circulation path.

6. 4. The processing liquid supply device according to claim 3, wherein, when the set value after the change in temperature is lower than the temperature of the processing liquid throughout the circulation path, the replacement unit replaces the replacement volume of processing liquid by alternately and repeatedly performing the discharge process of discharging a replacement volume of processing liquid smaller than the volume of the storage unit and the replenishment process of replenishing the replacement volume of processing liquid.

7. The treatment liquid supply device according to claim 6 , wherein the volume calculation unit calculates the replacement volume based on a temperature of the treatment liquid stored in the storage unit.

8. a first heating unit configured to heat the treatment liquid flowing through the circulation pipe; a second heating unit configured to heat the treatment liquid replenished by the replenishment unit, 4. The processing liquid supply device according to claim 3, wherein the control unit selectively performs a first temperature increase process to bring the temperature of the processing liquid closer to the changed set value by controlling the first heating unit without replacing the processing liquid by the substitution unit when the set value after the change of temperature is higher than the temperature of the processing liquid in the entire circulation path, and a second temperature increase process to bring the temperature of the processing liquid closer to the changed set value by controlling the second heating unit while replacing the processing liquid by the substitution unit.

9. the control unit further includes a time calculation unit that calculates a first time required for the temperature of the treatment liquid to be changed to the set value after the first temperature increase process and a second time required for the temperature of the treatment liquid to be changed to the set value after the second temperature increase process, 9. The processing liquid supply device according to claim 8, wherein the temperature raising unit performs the first temperature raising process when the first time is equal to or less than the second time, and performs the second temperature raising process when the first time is longer than the second time.

10. A processing liquid supply method for supplying a processing liquid at a set temperature to a substrate processing apparatus by a processing liquid supply device, comprising: sending the processing liquid stored in a storage unit to a supply pipe connecting an outlet of the storage unit and the substrate processing apparatus by a pump; supplying a processing liquid to the storage unit through a circulation pipe connecting the substrate processing apparatus and an inlet of the storage unit; a processing liquid supply method including, when a set temperature value is changed, discharging the processing liquid flowing through the circulation pipe using a drainage section provided in the circulation pipe based on the temperature of the processing liquid throughout the entire circulation path of the processing liquid, including the temperature of the processing liquid flowing through the circulation pipe, and replenishing the processing liquid in the storage section, thereby bringing the temperature of the processing liquid closer to the changed set value.

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