Substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

To provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of uniformizing a thickness of a film of a processing liquid formed on a substrate while suppressing wasteful consumption of a processing liquid with a simple configuration without requiring a complicated setting operation.SOLUTION: A slit-shaped discharge port 15a is formed in a substrate facing surface 11a located at a lower end of a nozzle block 151. During the substrate coating process, the nozzle block 151 moves in one direction in a space above a substrate W while discharging the processing liquid from the discharge port 15a in a state where an upper surface of the substrate W and the substrate facing surface 11a face each other. On the substrate facing surface 11a of the nozzle block 151, a slit-shaped suction port 16a is formed behind the discharge port 15a. A suction flow path 16b connected to the suction port 16a is formed inside the nozzle block 151. The suction flow path 16b is formed so as to generate a capillary phenomenon of suctioning the processing liquid when the processing liquid is present below the suction port 16a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus that forms a film of a processing liquid on the upper surface of a substrate. [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 display devices or organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display devices, substrates for optical disks, substrates for magnetic disks, substrates for magneto-optical disks, substrates for photomasks, ceramic substrates, and substrates for solar cells.

[0003] As an example of a substrate processing apparatus, Patent Document 1 describes a rotary substrate processing apparatus that forms a resist film on a substrate. In this substrate processing apparatus, a resist liquid is supplied to the center of a substrate that is held in a horizontal position and rotates. The supplied resist liquid spreads toward the peripheral edge of the substrate, forming a film of the resist liquid over the entire upper surface of the substrate. The substrate with the resist liquid film formed thereon is subjected to a predetermined process such as a drying process. As a result, a resist film is formed on the upper surface of the substrate.

[0004] As described above, the method of forming a film of processing liquid (resist liquid) on the upper surface of a rotating substrate by supplying the processing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate is called spin coating. In spin coating, the processing liquid is spread over the entire upper surface of the rotating substrate using centrifugal force, so some of the processing liquid supplied to the substrate is scattered outside the substrate. Therefore, spin coating has limitations on the efficiency of processing liquid utilization.

[0005] In addition to the spin coating method described above, there is also a method called capillary coating, which uses a nozzle with a slit-shaped outlet (hereinafter referred to as a slit nozzle) to form a film of the treatment liquid on a substrate. The capillary coating method forms a gap between the slit nozzle and the substrate, and the treatment liquid fills the gap, causing capillary action to occur, which draws the treatment liquid from the slit-shaped outlet onto the substrate (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

[0006] In the capillary coating method, the processing liquid is drawn onto the substrate from the discharge port under the condition that capillary action occurs, and therefore the capillary coating method has a higher utilization efficiency of the processing liquid than the spin coating method. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-046850 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-148769 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, in the capillary coating method, the processing liquid drawn from the slit nozzle is directly applied to each portion of the substrate, making it difficult to control the film thickness when the positional relationship between the slit nozzle and the substrate changes significantly. For example, when the processing liquid has been applied to the substrate and the slit nozzle is pulled away from the substrate, the thickness of the processing liquid film formed on the substrate at the portion where the slit nozzle is pulled away tends to be thicker than the thickness of the other portions.

[0009] Therefore, the variation in thickness of a coating film formed on a substrate by capillary coating is greater than the variation in thickness of a coating film formed on a substrate by spin coating.

[0010] The slit nozzle has a storage space formed therein that stores the treatment liquid and is connected to the discharge port. To reduce variations in the thickness of the coating film, it is conceivable to adjust the pressure in the storage space and thereby adjust the amount of treatment liquid discharged from the slit nozzle. However, this type of control requires complex setup work and is difficult to achieve in practice.

[0011] The object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus that has a simple configuration and is capable of uniforming the thickness of the processing liquid film formed on the substrate while suppressing wasteful consumption of the processing liquid, without requiring complicated setting work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] A substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes a substrate holding unit that holds a substrate, a nozzle having a substrate-facing surface formed with a slit-shaped outlet that extends in a first direction parallel to the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and that discharges a processing liquid from the outlet, a relative movement unit that supports the substrate holding unit and the nozzle and is configured to be able to move at least one of the substrate holding unit and the nozzle, and a relative movement unit that moves a substrate holding unit and a substrate-facing surface facing the substrate, the relative movement unit supporting the substrate holding unit and the nozzle, the relative movement unit being configured to be able to move at least one of the substrate holding unit and the nozzle, and a relative movement unit that moves a substrate holding unit and a substrate-facing surface facing the substrate, the relative movement unit supporting the substrate holding unit and the nozzle, the relative movement unit supporting the substrate holding unit and the nozzle, the relative movement unit being configured to be able to move at least one of the substrate holding unit and the nozzle, the relative movement unit being configured to move a substrate holding unit and a substrate-facing surface facing the substrate ... and a control unit that performs relative movement control to control the relative movement unit so that the nozzle moves through space in a second direction that is parallel to the substrate and intersects the first direction, and the nozzle further has a slit-shaped suction port formed in the substrate-facing surface so as to be located rearward of the discharge port in the second direction and extend parallel to the first direction, and a suction path formed to connect to the suction port and that generates a first capillary force that sucks the processing liquid from the suction port when the processing liquid fills the gap between the upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and the substrate-facing surface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to uniformize the thickness of the film of processing liquid formed on a substrate while suppressing wasteful consumption of processing liquid with a simple configuration, without requiring complicated setting work. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view of an external appearance of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the appearance of the nozzle block of FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the nozzle block of FIG. 2 cut along an imaginary plane of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating dimensions of each part of the nozzle block. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing simulation results corresponding to the example nozzle block and the comparative example nozzle block, respectively. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the thickness of a film of processing liquid formed at the front end of the substrate and in its vicinity by the simulation of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the cleaning block for explaining the details of cleaning of the nozzle block. [Figure 8] 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] A substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing 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, a substrate for an optical disk, a substrate for a magnetic disk, a substrate for a magneto-optical disk, a substrate for a photomask, a ceramic substrate, or a substrate for a solar cell. The substrate described below has a circular shape in plan view, excluding the portion where a notch is formed.

[0016] 1. Outline of the substrate processing equipment Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the exterior of a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a coating apparatus 100, a control unit 110, a processing liquid supply system 170, and a cleaning liquid supply system 180, and is housed in a housing (not shown). In Fig. 1 and certain subsequent figures, arrows indicating mutually orthogonal X, Y, and Z directions are used to clarify the positional relationships. The X and Y directions are orthogonal to each other in a horizontal plane, and the Z direction corresponds to the up-down direction (vertical direction).

[0017] The coating apparatus 100 is configured to be capable of performing a coating process to form a film of a processing liquid on a substrate W, and includes two stage supports 120, a stage device 130, two nozzle supports 140, a nozzle device 150, and a cleaning block 160. In this embodiment, the processing liquid used in the coating apparatus 100 is a coating liquid for a resist film (resist liquid) or a coating liquid for an anti-reflection film (anti-reflection liquid). The substrate W to be coated in the coating apparatus 100 of this example has a diameter of approximately 300 mm.

[0018] Each of the two stage supports 120 of the coating apparatus 100 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in one direction and is provided on the bottom surface of a housing (not shown) so as to extend along the X direction. The two stage supports 120 are arranged side by side in the Y direction. A guide rail 121 extending along the longitudinal direction of the stage support 120 is provided on the upper surface of each stage support 120. In the following description, the direction from one end ta of the stage support 120 to the other end tb thereof will be referred to as the front of the coating apparatus 100, and the direction from the other end tb of the stage support 120 to the one end ta thereof will be referred to as the rear of the coating apparatus 100.

[0019] The stage device 130 is located between the front halves of the two stage supports 120 in the Y direction and is supported by the two stage supports 120. The stage device 130 includes a plate member 131, a suction chuck 132, a plurality of (three in this example) support pins 133, a pin lifting / lowering drive unit 134, and a suction drive unit 135.

[0020] The plate member 131 is formed of, for example, a rectangular flat plate-like member, and constitutes the upper surface portion of the stage device 130. A disk-shaped suction chuck 132 is provided in the center of the plate member 131 so as to protrude a predetermined distance (height) upward from the plate member 131. The suction chuck 132 has an upper surface formed so that the substrate W can be placed thereon.

[0021] A plurality of pin insertion holes (not shown) are formed in a plurality of portions of the plate member 131 that are near the suction chuck 132 and surround the suction chuck 132 in a plan view, so as to penetrate the plate member 131 in the Z direction.

[0022] The pin lifting / lowering drive unit 134 and the suction drive unit 135 are provided below the plate member 131. The multiple support pins 133 are supported by the pin lifting / lowering drive unit 134 so as to extend in the Z direction and overlap with the multiple pin insertion holes in a plan view. The pin lifting / lowering drive unit 134 moves the multiple support pins 133 in the Z direction under the control of the control unit 110. As a result, the upper ends of the multiple support pins 133 move through the multiple pin insertion holes between a pin-up position above the suction chuck 132 and a pin-down position below the plate member 131.

[0023] When the substrate W is carried into the substrate processing apparatus 1, the upper ends of the plurality of support pins 133 are held in the pin up position. In this state, an unprocessed substrate W is placed on the plurality of support pins 133. On the other hand, when the substrate W is carried out of the substrate processing apparatus 1, the upper ends of the plurality of support pins 133 are in the pin up position, and the processed substrate W supported on the plurality of support pins 133 is received by a transport device (not shown). Furthermore, when the substrate W is subjected to a coating process in the substrate processing apparatus 1, the upper ends of the plurality of support pins 133 are held in the pin down position.

[0024] A plurality of suction holes (not shown) are formed in the upper surface of the suction chuck 132. The plurality of suction holes are connected to exhaust equipment in the factory through a suction drive unit 135 and an air intake system (not shown). The suction drive unit 135 switches the air intake path formed between the plurality of suction holes and the air intake system between an open state and a closed state under the control of the control unit 110. With this configuration, the suction drive unit 135 opens the air intake path when the substrate W is placed on the suction chuck 132. This allows the substrate W to be suction-held on the suction chuck 132. Furthermore, the suction drive unit 135 closes the air intake path when the substrate W is suction-held on the suction chuck 132. This allows the substrate W to be released from the suction chuck 132.

[0025] Two nozzle supports 140 are provided on the upper surfaces of the two stage supports 120, respectively. The two nozzle supports 140 are arranged side by side in the Y direction. Each of the two nozzle supports 140 is movable in the X direction (the front-to-rear direction of the coating apparatus 100) along a guide rail 121 of the stage support 120 on which the nozzle support 140 is provided.

[0026] The nozzle device 150 is located between the two nozzle supports 140 in the Y direction and is supported by the two nozzle supports 140. At least one of the two nozzle supports 140 has an X-direction drive unit 141 and a Z-direction drive unit 142 built in.

[0027] The nozzle device 150 includes a nozzle block 151. The nozzle block 151 is made of metal or resin and has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in one direction. Both ends of the nozzle block 151 are supported by two nozzle supports 140, respectively. A pipe PI1 that constitutes a part of the processing liquid supply system 170 is connected to the nozzle block 151. A pipe PI2 that constitutes a part of the cleaning liquid supply system 180 is also connected to the nozzle block 151. A discharge port 15a (FIG. 3) that discharges the processing liquid onto the substrate W is formed at the bottom end of the nozzle block 151. Details of the nozzle block 151 will be described later.

[0028] The X-direction driving unit 141 includes an actuator such as a motor, and moves the nozzle support 140 in the X direction on the guide rails 121 of the stage support 120. The Z-direction driving unit 142 includes an actuator such as a motor, and moves the nozzle device 150 supported by the nozzle support 140 in the Z direction.

[0029] The cleaning block 160 is located between the rear end portions of the two stage supports 120 in the Y direction, and is supported by the two stage supports 120. A pipe PI3 that forms part of the cleaning liquid supply system 180 is connected to the cleaning block 160. The cleaning block 160 has a box shape that is open upward, and is configured to be able to house part of the nozzle block 151. The cleaning block 160 is also configured to be able to clean the part of the nozzle block 151 that is housed therein. Cleaning of the nozzle block 151 in the cleaning block 160 will be described in detail below.

[0030] The processing liquid supply system 170 includes fluid-related equipment such as a processing liquid supply source, one or more pipes, joints, valves, etc., in addition to the above-mentioned pipe PI1. The processing liquid supply system 170 supplies the processing liquid to the nozzle block 151 through the pipe PI1. The cleaning liquid supply system 180 includes fluid-related equipment such as a cleaning liquid supply source, one or more pipes, joints, valves, etc., in addition to the above-mentioned pipes PI2 and PI3. The cleaning liquid supply system 180 supplies the cleaning liquid to the nozzle block 151 through the pipe PI2 and to the cleaning block 160 through the pipe PI3. The cleaning liquid supplied to the nozzle block 151 and the cleaning block 160 is, for example, an organic solvent capable of diluting the processing liquid and is used to remove unnecessary processing liquid adhering to the nozzle block 151. Examples of such organic solvents include HFE (hydrofluoroether) and IPA (isopropyl alcohol). Note that pure water, carbonated water, ozone water, hydrogen water, electrolytic ion water, etc. may also be used as the cleaning liquid. The control unit 110 controls the operation of each unit of the substrate processing apparatus 1. The control unit 110 will be described in detail later.

[0031] In the substrate processing apparatus 1 having the above configuration, during coating processing of the substrate W, the nozzle block 151 is brought close to the upper surface of the substrate W while the substrate W is held by suction on the suction chuck 132. In this state, the nozzle block 151 moves in the X direction from rear to front in the space above the substrate W. At this time, the position in the Z direction (height position) of the nozzle device 150 is adjusted so that the processing liquid in the nozzle block 151 is drawn (discharged) from the discharge port 15a (FIG. 3) into the gap between the nozzle block 151 and the substrate W by capillary action. This method of supplying the coating liquid from the discharge port of the nozzle onto the substrate W by utilizing capillary action is called a capillary coating method.

[0032] 2. Details of the structure of the nozzle block 151 2 is an external perspective view of the nozzle block 151 of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the nozzle block 151 of FIG. 2 taken along an imaginary plane VS of FIG.

[0033] 2, the nozzle block 151 has a front surface 13 and a rear surface 14. The front surface 13 is a rectangular flat surface facing the front of the coating apparatus 100, and the rear surface 14 is a rectangular flat surface facing the rear of the coating apparatus 100. The nozzle block 151 also has an upper end surface 12 that connects the upper ends of the front surface 13 and the rear surface 14. The nozzle block 151 also has a substrate-facing surface 11a, a front inclined surface 11b, and a rear inclined surface 11c.

[0034] 3, when viewing the nozzle block 151 in the Y direction, the front inclined surface 11b extends rearward and diagonally downward from the lower end of the front surface 13. On the other hand, when viewing the nozzle block 151 in the Y direction, the rear inclined surface 11c extends frontward and diagonally downward from the lower end of the rear surface 14. The substrate-facing surface 11a is the lower end surface of the nozzle block 151, and connects the lower end of the front inclined surface 11b and the lower end of the rear inclined surface 11c so as to be parallel to the horizontal plane.

[0035] A slit-shaped discharge port 15a and a slit-shaped suction port 16a are formed in the substrate-facing surface 11a. In the front-rear direction of the coating apparatus 100, the discharge port 15a is located forward of the suction port 16a. The discharge port 15a and the suction port 16a have the same or approximately the same length in the Y direction and extend parallel to the Y direction from near one end of the nozzle block 151 to near the other end. Each of the discharge port 15a and the suction port 16a has a constant width in the X direction.

[0036] A liquid flow path for discharge 15b and a storage section 15c are formed inside the nozzle block 151. The storage section 15c is formed so as to be able to store a certain amount of the processing liquid supplied through the pipe PI1 in Fig. 1. A liquid flow path for discharge 15b is formed from the storage section 15c to the discharge port 15a. As a result, the internal space of the storage section 15c communicates with the space below the nozzle block 151 (the external space of the nozzle block 151) through the liquid flow path for discharge 15b and the discharge port 15a.

[0037] A suction flow path 16b is further formed inside the nozzle block 151. The suction flow path 16b is formed to extend from the suction port 16a to a position near the upper end surface 12 of the nozzle block 151. As shown in FIG. 2, a through-hole 12h is formed in the upper end surface 12 of the nozzle block 151, which connects the space inside the suction flow path 16b with the space above the nozzle block 151. This allows the internal space of the suction flow path 16b to be open to atmospheric pressure. In other words, the internal space of the suction flow path 16b is maintained at atmospheric pressure.

[0038] 3, a cleaning liquid introduction hole 14h that connects the suction flow path 16b to the rear surface 14 is formed near the upper end of the nozzle block 151. The pipe PI2 of the cleaning liquid supply system 180 in FIG. 1 is connected to the cleaning liquid introduction hole 14h.

[0039] 3. Dimensions of each part of the nozzle block 151 Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view for explaining the dimensions of each part of nozzle block 151. Like the vertical cross-sectional view of Fig. 3, the vertical cross-sectional view of Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of nozzle block 151 of Fig. 2 taken along imaginary plane VS of Fig. 2.

[0040] In the following description, the width in the X direction of the discharge port 15a and the discharge liquid flow path 15b of the nozzle block 151 will be referred to as the discharge width G11, and the width in the X direction of the suction port 16a and the suction flow path 16b of the nozzle block 151 will be referred to as the suction width G12. Furthermore, the size of the gap formed between the substrate W and the substrate-facing surface 11a of the nozzle block 151 during the coating process of the substrate W will be referred to as the gap G01.

[0041] As described above, in the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, the coating process of the substrate W is performed by the capillary coating method. Therefore, the discharge width G11 is determined so that the processing liquid stored in the storage portion 15c does not leak out of the discharge port 15a when the storage portion 15c is not pressurized (for example, when the storage portion 15c is maintained at atmospheric pressure). The discharge width G11 according to this embodiment is 30 μm or more and 100 μm or less, for example, 60 μm.

[0042] During coating processing of the substrate W, the gap G01 between the nozzle block 151 and the substrate W is adjusted so that a capillary force that draws the treatment liquid from the reservoir 15c into the gap is generated. In Fig. 4, the state of the substrate W during coating processing using the nozzle block 151 is indicated by a dashed dotted line. The gap G01 for generating the capillary force can be calculated in advance depending on the type, density, viscosity, and temperature of the treatment liquid.

[0043] In the capillary coating method, the gap between the substrate facing surface 11a and the substrate W is filled with the processing liquid. The suction width G12 is determined so that, when the processing liquid is present below the suction port 16a, a capillary force is generated that sucks the processing liquid from the suction port 16a into the suction flow path 16b. The suction width G12 in this embodiment must be larger than the gap G01. When the gap G01 is 70 μm, the suction width G12 is 90 μm or more and 200 μm or less, for example, 100 μm.

[0044] Here, the suction width G12 according to this embodiment is determined to be larger than the distance G01 between the substrate facing surface 11a and the substrate W. Furthermore, when viewing the nozzle block 151 in the Y direction, the suction port 16a is located rearward of the intermediate portion p2 between the discharge port 15a and the rear end portion p3 of the substrate facing surface 11a. Furthermore, when viewing the nozzle block 151 in the Y direction, the discharge port 15a and the suction port 16a are formed such that the distance D2 between the discharge port 15a and the suction port 16a is smaller than the distance D1 between the front end portion p1 of the substrate facing surface 11a and the discharge port 15a.

[0045] The width in the X direction of the substrate facing surface 11a according to this embodiment (the distance between the front end portion p1 and the rear end portion p3) is 800 μm or more and 2000 μm or less, for example, 1000 μm. The distance D1 according to this embodiment is 300 μm or more and 1000 μm or less, for example, 500 μm. The distance D2 according to this embodiment is 200 μm or more and 800 μm or less, for example, 400 μm.

[0046] 4. Functions of the suction port 16a and the suction channel 16b during coating processing In the following description, the forwardmost portion of the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W that is suction-held by the suction chuck 132 in the substrate processing apparatus 1 of Fig. 1 will be referred to as the front end portion of the substrate W. Also, the rearmost portion of the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W that is suction-held by the suction chuck 132 in the substrate processing apparatus 1 of Fig. 1 will be referred to as the rear end portion of the substrate W.

[0047] The suction ports 16a and suction flow paths 16b of the nozzle block 151 are formed to prevent pools of processing liquid from forming in multiple parts of the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W when the nozzle block 151 moves away from the multiple parts of the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W in the latter stage of the coating process of the substrate W. Here, the multiple parts of the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W where pools of liquid are likely to form are parts of the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W that are located forward of the center of the substrate W (front half parts), and include the front end of the substrate W.

[0048] The inventors conducted a simulation of a coating process using nozzle blocks 151 of an example and a comparative example to confirm the function of suction port 16a and suction flow path 16b during a coating process. Specifically, the inventors used nozzle block 151 of FIG. 2 as the example nozzle block. The inventors also conducted a simulation of changes in the state of the processing liquid supplied onto substrate W by the example nozzle block. The inventors also used a nozzle block having the same configuration as the example nozzle block except that suction port 16a and suction flow path 16b were not formed as the comparative nozzle block. The inventors also conducted a simulation of changes in the state of the processing liquid supplied onto substrate W by the comparative nozzle block. The inventors then compared the simulation results corresponding to the example nozzle block with the simulation results corresponding to the comparative nozzle block.

[0049] FIG. 5 shows simulation results corresponding to the example nozzle block and the comparative example nozzle block. The left portion of FIG. 5 shows the simulation results for the example nozzle block 151A. Specifically, the left portion of FIG. 5 shows five vertical cross-sectional views in chronological order, illustrating changes in the state of the treatment liquid during a coating process using the example nozzle block 151A. The right portion of FIG. 5 shows the simulation results for the comparative example nozzle block 151B. Specifically, the right portion of FIG. 5 shows five vertical cross-sectional views in chronological order, illustrating changes in the state of the treatment liquid during a coating process using the comparative example nozzle block 151B.

[0050] Each longitudinal cross-sectional view in FIG. 5 corresponds to a portion of a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the coating apparatus 100 in FIG. 1 cut along a vertical plane passing through the center of the substrate W and extending in the X direction. In each longitudinal cross-sectional view, to facilitate understanding of changes in the state of the treatment liquid, hatching indicating the cross sections of the embodiment nozzle block 151A, the comparative example nozzle block 151B, and the substrate W is omitted, and a dot pattern is applied only to the treatment liquid. Furthermore, the dimensions of the gap between the substrate facing surface 11a and the substrate W are exaggerated. Therefore, although the suction width G12 of the suction flow path 16b is larger than the gap distance G01 between the substrate facing surface 11a and the substrate W, in FIG. 5 the suction width G12 is shown as being smaller than the distance G01.

[0051] In the following description, when there is no need to distinguish between the embodiment nozzle block 151A and the comparative example nozzle block 151B, the embodiment nozzle block 151A and the comparative example nozzle block 151B will be simply referred to as nozzle blocks. The two vertical cross-sectional views arranged on the left and right of each row in Figure 5 have the same positional relationship between the nozzle block and the substrate W.

[0052] In the coating process using each nozzle block, the nozzle block moves at a constant speed in the X direction from a position behind the substrate W to a position in front of the substrate W. This causes the processing liquid to be spread over the top surface of the substrate W from the rear end of the substrate W to the front end.

[0053] 5 shows the state of the processing liquid when the front surface 13 of the nozzle block 151A of the embodiment is positioned behind the front end of the substrate W. In this state, capillary force is generated in the gap between the substrate W and the portion of the substrate facing surface 11a where the discharge ports 15a are formed. This causes the processing liquid in the storage portion 15c (FIG. 2) to be drawn onto the substrate W through the discharge liquid flow path 15b and the discharge ports 15a. The drawn processing liquid fills the gap between the entire substrate facing surface 11a and the substrate W.

[0054] The suction port 16a opens toward the gap between the substrate facing surface 11a and the substrate W. However, almost no processing liquid enters the suction flow path 16b. The reason for this is that the suction width G12 of the suction port 16a and the suction flow path 16b is larger than the gap G01 between the substrate facing surface 11a and the substrate W. Because the suction width G12 is larger than the gap G01, the capillary force generated in the suction flow path 16b is smaller than the capillary force generated in the gap between the substrate facing surface 11a and the substrate W.

[0055] 5 shows the state of the processing liquid when the front surface 13 of the comparative nozzle block 151B is positioned behind the front end of the substrate W. In this state, as in the example on the left of the first row, the processing liquid in the storage section 15c (FIG. 2) is drawn out onto the substrate W through the discharge liquid flow path 15b and the discharge port 15a. The drawn-out processing liquid fills the gap between the entire substrate facing surface 11a and the substrate W.

[0056] 5 shows the state of the processing liquid when the front surface 13 of the nozzle block 151A of the embodiment is positioned a small distance forward of the front end of the substrate W. In this state, the curvature of the meniscus at the front end of the processing liquid drawn between the substrate facing surface 11a and the substrate W is smaller than in the example on the left of the first row. In addition, part of the processing liquid drawn between the substrate facing surface 11a and the substrate W is drawn into the suction flow path 16b. The reason for this is that the meniscus of the processing liquid becomes larger as the contact area of ​​the processing liquid on the substrate facing surface 11a changes, and the capillary force generated between the substrate facing surface 11a and the substrate W becomes smaller than the capillary force generated in the suction flow path 16b.

[0057] 5 shows the state of the processing liquid when the front surface 13 of the comparative nozzle block 151B is positioned a small distance forward of the front end of the substrate W. In this state, as in the example on the left of the second row, the curvature of the meniscus at the front end of the processing liquid drawn between the substrate facing surface 11a and the substrate W is smaller than in the example on the right of the first row. Also, in this state, a relatively large amount of processing liquid is drawn between the comparative nozzle block 151B and the substrate W. As a result, some of the processing liquid is also present between the rear inclined surface 11c and the substrate W.

[0058] 5 shows the state of the processing liquid when the discharge port 15a of the nozzle block 151A of the embodiment is positioned a small distance forward of the front end of the substrate W. In this state, the processing liquid inside the discharge port 15a and the discharge liquid flow path 15b is separated from the processing liquid on the substrate W. Meanwhile, a small amount of processing liquid remains between the substrate facing surface 11a and the substrate W, connecting the nozzle block 151A of the embodiment and the substrate W. The reason that a large amount of processing liquid does not remain between the substrate facing surface 11a and the substrate W is that the processing liquid present between the nozzle block 151A of the embodiment and the substrate W is sucked into the suction flow path 16b through the suction port 16a.

[0059] 5 shows the state of the processing liquid when the discharge port 15a of the comparative nozzle block 151B is positioned a small distance forward of the front end of the substrate W. In this state, the processing liquid inside the discharge port 15a and the discharge liquid flow path 15b is separated from the processing liquid on the substrate W. Furthermore, in this state, a relatively large amount of processing liquid remains between the comparative nozzle block 151B and the substrate W, connecting the comparative nozzle block 151B and the substrate W.

[0060] The left side of the fourth row from the top of Figure 5 shows the state of the processing liquid when the entire substrate-facing surface 11a of the nozzle block 151A of the embodiment is positioned a small distance forward of the front end of the substrate W. In this state, the processing liquid adhering to the nozzle block 151A of the embodiment is separated from the processing liquid on the substrate W. Also, in this state, there is no significant variation in the thickness of the processing liquid film formed near the front end of the substrate W. Furthermore, the amount of processing liquid adhering to the surface of the nozzle block 151A of the embodiment is small. The reason for this is that most of the excess processing liquid drawn between the nozzle block 151A of the embodiment and the substrate W is sucked into the suction flow path 16b through the suction port 16a.

[0061] 5 shows the state of the processing liquid when the entire substrate-facing surface 11a of the comparative nozzle block 151B is positioned a small distance forward of the front end of the substrate W. In this state, unlike the example on the left of the fourth row, a relatively large amount of processing liquid exists between the comparative nozzle block 151B and the substrate W. Therefore, the processing liquid adhering to the rear inclined surface 11c of the comparative nozzle block 151B and the processing liquid on the substrate W are maintained in a connected state.

[0062] 5 shows the state of the processing liquid when the rear surface 14 of the nozzle block 151A of the embodiment is positioned a small distance forward of the front end of the substrate W. In this state, the state of the processing liquid adhering to the nozzle block 151A of the embodiment and the processing liquid on the substrate W is maintained in the same state as in the example on the left of the fourth row.

[0063] The fifth row from the top to the right of Figure 5 shows the state of the processing liquid when the rear surface 14 of the comparative nozzle block 151B is positioned a small distance forward of the front end of the substrate W. In this state, the processing liquid adhering to the comparative nozzle block 151B is separated from the processing liquid on the substrate W. In this state, the thickness of the processing liquid formed near the front end of the substrate W is significantly greater than that of other parts. Furthermore, a relatively large amount of processing liquid adheres to the surface of the comparative nozzle block 151B (more specifically, the rear inclined surface 11c). This is because excess processing liquid drawn between the comparative nozzle block 151B and the substrate W by capillary force remains locally as liquid puddles on the substrate W and in parts of the comparative nozzle block 151B.

[0064] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the thickness of the film of processing liquid formed at and near the front end of the substrate W by the simulation of Fig. 5. Fig. 6 shows a graph of the thickness of the film of processing liquid formed at and near the front end of the substrate W. In the graph of Fig. 6, the vertical axis represents the thickness of the film of processing liquid formed on the substrate W, and the horizontal axis represents the distance DW from the front end of the substrate W in the X direction (see the balloon in Fig. 6).

[0065] 6, the thickness of the film of processing liquid formed by the example nozzle block 151A at and near the front end of the substrate W (hereinafter referred to as the example film) is indicated by a thick solid line, and the thickness of the film of processing liquid formed by the comparative example nozzle block 151B at and near the front end of the substrate W (hereinafter referred to as the comparative example film) is indicated by a dotted line.

[0066] As shown in Figure 6, the range of significant thickness fluctuations for the example film at distance DW is about half the range of significant thickness fluctuations for the comparative film, and the range of significant thickness fluctuations for the example film is about one-third the range of significant thickness fluctuations for the comparative film.

[0067] From the above results, it was confirmed that the suction port 16a and the suction flow path 16b in the nozzle block 151A of the embodiment have the function of suppressing the formation of a pool of processing liquid at the front end of the substrate W.

[0068] 5. Cleaning of the nozzle block 151 in the cleaning block 160 1, a part of the nozzle block 151 is housed therein, thereby making it possible to clean a part of the nozzle block 151. Details of this cleaning will be described below.

[0069] Fig. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the cleaning block 160 for explaining the details of cleaning of the nozzle block 151. The vertical cross-sectional view of Fig. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the cleaning block 160 of Fig. 1 cut along a vertical plane extending in the X direction. Fig. 7 shows the cross section of the cleaning block 160 as well as the nozzle block 151 to be cleaned.

[0070] 7, the cleaning block 160 has a box shape that is open upward. The lower half of the nozzle block 151 is inserted into the cleaning block 160 from a position above the cleaning block 160. In this state, the nozzle block 151 is supported by the two nozzle supports 140 shown in FIG.

[0071] Cleaning nozzles 161 that spray cleaning liquid onto multiple portions of the rear inclined surface 11c and the front inclined surface 11b of the nozzle block 151 are attached near the bottom of the cleaning block 160. The multiple cleaning nozzles 161 are connected to the pipes PI3 in FIG.

[0072] 1 through piping PI3 to the plurality of cleaning nozzles 161, with the lower half of the nozzle block 151 housed in the cleaning block 160. As a result, the processing liquid adhering to the substrate-facing surface 11a, the front inclined surface 11b, the rear inclined surface 11c, etc. of the nozzle block 151 is washed away by the cleaning liquid.

[0073] 1 through piping PI2 to the cleaning liquid introduction hole 14h of the nozzle block 151. As a result, the processing liquid sucked into the suction flow path 16b of the nozzle block 151 during the coating processing of the substrate W is washed away by the cleaning liquid supplied to the cleaning liquid introduction hole 14h and discharged from the suction port 16a.

[0074] A drain pipe 162 is connected to the bottom of the cleaning block 160. As a result, the cleaning liquid and processing liquid that flow down from the nozzle block 151 when the nozzle block 151 is cleaned are received by the bottom of the cleaning block 160 and are discharged to the outside of the substrate processing apparatus 1 through the drain pipe 162.

[0075] A brush or the like for physically cleaning the substrate-facing surface 11a, front inclined surface 11b, and rear inclined surface 11c of the nozzle block 151 may be provided at the bottom of the cleaning block 160 or in the vicinity thereof.

[0076] 6. Control system of substrate processing apparatus 1 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system of the substrate processing apparatus 1 of FIG. 1. As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a control unit 110. The control unit 110 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), and a storage device. The RAM is used as a working area for the CPU. The ROM stores a system program. The storage device stores a coating processing program for performing a coating process on a substrate W.

[0077] 8, the control unit 110 includes, as functional units for controlling the operation of each unit of the substrate processing apparatus 1, a nozzle movement control unit 111, a discharge control unit 112, a stage control unit 113, a nozzle cleaning control unit 114, and a condition setting unit 115. The functional units of the control unit 110 are realized by a CPU executing a coating process program stored in a storage device on a RAM. Some or all of the functional units of the control unit 110 may be realized by hardware such as an electronic circuit.

[0078] One or more predetermined processing conditions are stored in the condition setting unit 115. In the present embodiment, the one or more processing conditions include "the moving speed of the nozzle block 151," "the moving direction of the nozzle block 151," "the gap between the nozzle block 151 and the substrate W," and "the timing of cleaning."

[0079] The "movement speed of the nozzle block 151" is the movement speed when the nozzle block 151 moves in the front-to-rear direction of the coating apparatus 100 relative to the substrate W during the coating process. This movement speed is set to, for example, 0.2 m / sec.

[0080] The "movement direction of the nozzle block 151" is the direction in which the nozzle block 151 moves relative to the substrate processing apparatus 1 during coating processing, and in this embodiment, is the direction from the rear of the coating apparatus 100 to the front of the coating apparatus 100.

[0081] The "gap distance between the nozzle block 151 and the substrate W" is the gap distance G01 (FIG. 4) between the nozzle block 151 and the substrate W during the coating process. This gap distance G01 is set to, for example, 70 μm.

[0082] The "cleaning timing" is the timing for cleaning the nozzle block 151 that is predetermined in the substrate processing apparatus 1. The cleaning timing is set, for example, to "the end point of coating processing on the substrate W." In this case, the nozzle block 151 is cleaned every time coating processing on one substrate W is performed.

[0083] The substrate processing apparatus 1 further includes an operation unit 190. The operation unit 190 includes, for example, a keyboard and a pointing device, and is configured to be operable by a user. The user can input one or more processing conditions for the coating process and cleaning of the nozzle block 151 by operating the operation unit 190. When the processing conditions are input, the condition setting unit 115 updates the processing conditions previously stored with the input processing conditions.

[0084] The nozzle movement control unit 111 controls the X-direction driving unit 141 and the Z-direction driving unit 142 based on various processing conditions set by the condition setting unit 115 during coating processing of the substrate W. For example, the nozzle movement control unit 111 controls the Z-direction driving unit 142 so that a gap of a set distance G01 is formed between the nozzle block 151 and the substrate W during coating processing of the substrate W. The nozzle movement control unit 111 also controls the X-direction driving unit 141 so that the nozzle block 151 moves in a set movement direction at a set movement speed during coating processing of the substrate W.

[0085] Furthermore, the nozzle movement control unit 111 controls the X-direction driving unit 141 and the Z-direction driving unit 142 so that a part of the nozzle block 151 is accommodated in the cleaning block 160 at the set cleaning timing.

[0086] The discharge control unit 112 controls the processing liquid supply system 170 so that the processing liquid is supplied to the nozzle block 151 during coating processing of the substrate W. The stage control unit 113 controls the pin lifting / lowering drive unit 134 and the suction drive unit 135. As a result, the pin lifting / lowering drive unit 134 moves the multiple support pins 133 up and down, for example, when the substrate W is carried in and out of the coating apparatus 100. The suction drive unit 135 suction-holds the substrate W on the suction chuck 132. In addition, the suction drive unit 135 releases the substrate W suction-held on the suction chuck 132.

[0087] The nozzle cleaning control unit 114 controls the cleaning liquid supply system 180 so that the cleaning liquid is supplied to the nozzle block 151 and the cleaning block 160 at the set cleaning timing.

[0088] 7.Effects (a) In the substrate processing apparatus 1, during coating processing of the substrate W, the processing liquid is efficiently supplied from the nozzle block 151 to the upper surface of the substrate W by the capillary coating method. Therefore, unnecessary consumption of the processing liquid is suppressed.

[0089] Here, during coating processing of the substrate W, after a film of the processing liquid is formed over the entire upper surface of the substrate W, the nozzle block 151 continues to move forward in the coating apparatus 100. As a result, the nozzle block 151 gradually moves away from the substrate W. At this time, an excessive amount of processing liquid is likely to remain as a liquid puddle in the front half of the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W.

[0090] According to the configuration of the nozzle block 151, when the discharge port 15a moves away from each part of the front half of the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W, the suction port 16a is located closer to the substrate W than the discharge port 15a. Therefore, when the gap between the nozzle block 151 and the substrate W is filled with the processing liquid, part of the processing liquid is sucked into the suction flow path 16b by the capillary force generated in the suction port 16a and the suction flow path 16b. This prevents the processing liquid from puddling in the front half of the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W.

[0091] As a result, it is possible to uniformize the thickness of the processing liquid film formed on the substrate W while suppressing wasteful consumption of the processing liquid with a simple configuration, without requiring complicated setting work to adjust the amount of processing liquid discharged.

[0092] (b) In the capillary phenomenon in which liquid is drawn into a gap, the capillary force generated in the gap decreases as the gap width increases, and increases as the gap width decreases. In the nozzle block 151 described above, the suction width G12 is set to be larger than the distance G01 between the substrate-facing surface 11a and the substrate W during the coating process of the substrate W. Therefore, for each portion of the nozzle block 151, when that portion moves to a position on the upper surface of the substrate W away from the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W during the coating process, the capillary force generated in the gap between the portion of the substrate-facing surface 11a and the substrate W becomes larger than the capillary force generated in the suction flow path 16b. Therefore, in the portion of the substrate W excluding the first half of the outer circumferential edge, most of the processing liquid supplied onto the substrate W remains on the substrate W against the capillary force generated in the suction flow path 16b. In other words, a film of the processing liquid is formed.

[0093] On the other hand, during the coating process, when a portion of the nozzle block 151 moves over the front half of the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W, the substrate facing surface 11a gradually moves away from the substrate W, thereby reducing the curvature of the meniscus formed between the portion of the substrate facing surface 11a and the substrate W. In this case, the capillary force generated between the substrate facing surface 11a and the substrate W decreases. As a result, part of the processing liquid present between the upper surface of the substrate W and the nozzle block 151 is sucked into the suction flow path 16b against the capillary force generated in the gap between the substrate facing surface 11a and the substrate W. This prevents liquid from puddling in the front half of the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W.

[0094] (c) As described above, when viewing the nozzle block 151 in the Y direction, the suction port 16a is located behind the intermediate portion p2 between the discharge port 15a and the rear end portion p3 of the substrate-facing surface 11a.

[0095] In this case, the distance between the rear end portion p3 of the substrate facing surface 11a and the suction port 16a can be made sufficiently small. As a result, when the discharge port 15a moves away from each part of the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W during the period in which the substrate W is being coated, a large amount of processing liquid is less likely to remain between the nozzle block 151 and the substrate W. This further reduces the occurrence of liquid pools in the front half of the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W.

[0096] (d) As described above, when viewing the nozzle block 151 in the Y direction, the discharge port 15a and the suction port 16a are formed so that the distance D2 between the discharge port 15a and the suction port 16a is smaller than the distance D1 between the front end portion p1 of the substrate facing surface 11a and the discharge port 15a.

[0097] In this case, the distance between the front end portion p1 of the substrate facing surface 11a and the discharge port 15a can be made sufficiently large. This makes it possible to lengthen the period during which the capillary force generated in the gap between the substrate facing surface 11a and the substrate W becomes smaller than the capillary force generated in the suction flow path 16b when the discharge port 15a moves away from the front end of the substrate W during the period during which the substrate W is being coated. In other words, it is possible to increase the amount of processing liquid that remains at and near the front end of the substrate W. This further reduces the occurrence of liquid pooling at the front end of the substrate W.

[0098] (e) A through-hole 12h is formed in the nozzle block 151. In this case, the pressure in the suction flow path 16b is maintained at atmospheric pressure without the need for pressure control in the suction flow path 16b. As a result, with a simple configuration, a portion of the processing liquid supplied to the substrate W can be sucked in by capillary action.

[0099] (f) The coating apparatus 100 includes a cleaning block 160 and a cleaning liquid supply system 180. As a result, the processing liquid adhering to the substrate-facing surface 11 a of the nozzle block 151 and inside the suction flow path 16 b is removed in the cleaning block 160. This prevents poor suction of the processing liquid and contamination of the substrate W, which are caused by the processing liquid adhering to the substrate-facing surface 11 a of the nozzle block 151 and inside the suction flow path 16 b.

[0100] 8. Other Embodiments (a) In the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the above embodiment, the substrate W to be coated has a circular shape except for the portion where the notch is formed, but the present invention is not limited to this. The substrate W to be coated is not limited to a circular shape and may have a rectangular shape. A rectangular substrate W may be positioned during coating processing so that, for example, one of two orthogonal sides is parallel to the front-to-rear direction of the coating apparatus 100. In this case, the occurrence of liquid pooling at the front end of the substrate W, i.e., the side of the substrate W located most forward, is suppressed.

[0101] (b) In the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the above embodiment, the coating apparatus 100 includes the cleaning block 160. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The cleaning block 160 may be provided separately from the coating apparatus 100.

[0102] (c) In the coating apparatus 100 according to the above embodiment, a film of processing liquid is formed on the substrate W by moving the nozzle device 150 back and forth relative to the substrate W on the fixed suction chuck 132, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0103] The coating apparatus 100 may be configured such that the suction chuck 132 is movable in the forward and backward directions. In this case, the suction chuck 132 may move in the forward and backward directions relative to the fixed nozzle device 150, thereby forming a film of the processing liquid on the substrate W that is held by suction on the suction chuck 132. Alternatively, the nozzle device 150 may move forward (or backward) and the suction chuck 132 may move backward (or forward) to form a film of the processing liquid on the substrate W.

[0104] (d) In the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the above embodiment, processing liquid is supplied from the nozzle block 151 onto the substrate W by utilizing capillary action occurring in the gap between the nozzle block 151 and the substrate W, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0105] For example, the substrate processing apparatus 1 may be configured to supply the processing liquid onto the substrate W from the discharge ports 15a of the nozzle block 151 without utilizing capillary action. In this case, when the processing liquid is supplied from the nozzle block 151 to the substrate W, the distance between the nozzle block 151 and the substrate W can be increased to a degree that does not cause capillary action. Furthermore, the suction width G12 of the suction ports 16a and the suction flow paths 16b can be set independently of the gap width G01 between the substrate facing surface 11a and the substrate W. However, in order to prevent the processing liquid from pooling at the tip of the substrate W, it is necessary to fill at least the gap between the substrate W and the portion of the substrate facing surface 11a where the suction ports 16a are formed.

[0106] As described above, when capillary action is not utilized, the supply of the processing liquid from the nozzle block 151 to the substrate W is performed by adjusting (increasing) the pressure of the processing liquid inside the nozzle block 151. In this case, it is preferable to adjust the opening area of ​​the slit-shaped discharge port 15a to match the width of the substrate W while the nozzle block 151 is moving relative to the substrate W. In this way, the portion of the slit-shaped discharge port 15a that does not face the substrate W is appropriately blocked. This prevents the processing liquid from being discharged into an area where no substrate W is present, thereby preventing unnecessary consumption of the processing liquid.

[0107] (e) In the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the above embodiment, the nozzle block 151 may be formed with a plurality of suction ports 16a and a plurality of suction channels 16b, for example, aligned in the X direction. In this case, some of the plurality of suction ports 16a may be formed on the rear inclined surface 11c of the nozzle block 151.

[0108] (f) In the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the above embodiment, a cleaning liquid is supplied to the cleaning liquid inlet hole 14h when cleaning the nozzle block 151, but the present invention is not limited to this. A gas such as an inert gas or air may be supplied to the cleaning liquid inlet hole 14h. In this case, by supplying the gas into the suction flow path 16b, the processing liquid in the suction flow path 16b can be forcibly discharged through the suction port 16a.

[0109] 9. 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.

[0110] In the above embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is an example of a substrate processing apparatus, the suction chuck 132 and the suction drive unit 135 are examples of a substrate holding unit, the Y direction is an example of a first direction, the discharge port 15a is an example of a discharge port, the substrate facing surface 11a is an example of a substrate facing surface, and the nozzle apparatus 150 and the nozzle block 151 are examples of nozzles.

[0111] In addition, the two guide rails 121, the two nozzle supports 140, the X-direction drive unit 141 and the Z-direction drive unit 142 are examples of relative movement units, the direction in the X direction from the rear to the front of the coating device 100 is an example of a second direction, and the control unit 110 is an example of a control unit.

[0112] Furthermore, the gap between the nozzle block 151 and the substrate W during coating processing of the substrate W is an example of a gap, the capillary force generated in the suction flow path 16b is an example of a first capillary force, the suction flow path 16b is an example of a suction path, and the capillary force generated in the gap between the nozzle block 151 and the substrate W during coating processing of the substrate W is an example of a second capillary force.

[0113] Furthermore, the internal space of the suction flow path 16b is an example of a suction space, the suction width G12 of the suction flow path 16b is an example of a suction width, the front end portion p1 of the substrate facing surface 11a is an example of a front end portion, the rear end portion p3 of the substrate facing surface 11a is an example of a rear end portion, the portion where the discharge port 15a is formed on the substrate facing surface 11a is an example of a discharge portion, the middle portion p2 of the substrate facing surface 11a is an example of a middle portion, and the portion where the suction port 16a is formed on the substrate facing surface 11a is an example of a suction portion.

[0114] Furthermore, the through-hole 12h of the nozzle block 151 is an example of an opening portion, and the cleaning block 160 and the cleaning liquid supply system 180 are an example of a processing liquid removal portion.

[0115] 10. Summary of the embodiment (Item 1) The substrate processing apparatus according to item 1 comprises: a substrate holder for holding a substrate; a nozzle having a substrate-facing surface formed with a slit-shaped discharge port extending in a first direction parallel to the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, the nozzle discharging a processing liquid from the discharge port; a relative movement unit configured to support the substrate holding unit and the nozzle, respectively, and to be capable of moving at least one of the substrate holding unit and the nozzle; a control unit that performs relative movement control to control the relative movement unit so that, in a state in which an upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and the substrate facing surface face each other, the nozzle moves through a space above the substrate in a second direction that is parallel to the substrate and intersects with the first direction while discharging a processing liquid onto the substrate, The nozzle is a slit-shaped suction port formed in the substrate-facing surface so as to be located rearward of the discharge port in the second direction and extend parallel to the first direction; The substrate holding unit further includes a suction path formed to connect to the suction port, which generates a first capillary force that sucks in the processing liquid from the suction port when the processing liquid fills the gap between the upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and the substrate facing surface.

[0116] In the substrate processing apparatus, during relative movement control, with the upper surface of the substrate and the substrate-facing surface facing each other, the nozzle moves in the second direction in the space above the substrate while discharging the processing liquid from the slit-shaped discharge port onto the substrate. This allows the processing liquid to be efficiently supplied to the upper surface of the substrate. Therefore, unnecessary consumption of the processing liquid is suppressed.

[0117] Here, the edge of the substrate facing forward in the second direction is referred to as the front portion of the substrate. As the nozzle outlet passes through the space above the substrate, a film of processing liquid is formed over the entire surface of the substrate. After the film of processing liquid is formed over the entire surface of the substrate, as at least one of the substrate holder and the nozzle continues to move, the nozzle outlet gradually moves away from various parts of the front portion of the substrate. At this time, an excess amount of processing liquid is likely to remain as a liquid puddle in the front portion of the substrate.

[0118] According to the above configuration, when the nozzle discharge port moves away from the front portion of the substrate, the nozzle's slit-shaped suction port is located closer to the front portion of the substrate than the discharge port. Therefore, when the processing liquid fills the gap between the top surface of the substrate and the substrate-facing surface, a portion of the processing liquid present in and near the front portion of the substrate is sucked into the suction path of the nozzle through the slit-shaped suction port by the first capillary force. This prevents liquid from pooling in the front portion of the substrate.

[0119] As a result, it is possible to uniformize the thickness of the processing liquid film formed on the substrate while suppressing wasteful consumption of processing liquid with a simple configuration, without requiring complicated setting work to adjust the amount of processing liquid discharged.

[0120] (Item 2) In the substrate processing apparatus according to item 1, the control unit controls the relative movement so that a second capillary force that sucks the processing liquid from the discharge port into the gap between the upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and the substrate facing surface is generated; The suction path may be formed so that the second capillary force is greater than the first capillary force during a part of a period during which the relative movement control is performed.

[0121] In this case, during a portion of the period during which relative movement control is performed, the processing liquid in the nozzle flows into the gap between the upper surface of the substrate and the substrate-facing surface due to the second capillary force. At this time, the first capillary force is smaller than the second capillary force. Therefore, the processing liquid drawn onto the substrate remains on the substrate against the first capillary force. Therefore, a film of the processing liquid is formed on the upper surface of the substrate. In other words, so-called capillary coating is performed.

[0122] On the other hand, when the nozzle outlet moves away from the front portion of the substrate during the period in which the relative movement control is performed, the amount of processing liquid present between the nozzle outlet and the front portion of the substrate and its surroundings decreases significantly, and the curvature of the meniscus formed between the nozzle outlet and the front portion of the substrate decreases. In this case, the second capillary force becomes smaller than the first capillary force. As a result, a portion of the processing liquid present between the upper surface of the substrate and the substrate-facing surface is sucked into the suction path from the suction port against the second capillary force. This prevents liquid from pooling in the front portion of the substrate.

[0123] (Item 3) In the substrate processing apparatus according to item 2, The relative moving portion is configured to be able to adjust the width of the gap, the suction path includes a suction space extending upward from the suction port and having a predetermined suction width in the second direction; The control unit may control the relative movement unit during the relative movement control so that the gap between the upper surface of the substrate and the substrate facing surface is smaller than the suction width.

[0124] In the capillary phenomenon in which a liquid is drawn into a gap, the capillary force generated in the gap decreases as the gap size increases, and increases as the gap size decreases. According to the above configuration, a second capillary force greater than the first capillary force is generated in the gap between the upper surface of the substrate and the substrate-facing surface during a portion of the period during which relative movement control is performed. This allows capillary coating to be performed.

[0125] On the other hand, when the nozzle outlet moves away from the front portion of the substrate during the period when the relative movement control is being performed, the second capillary force becomes weaker than the first capillary force. As a result, part of the processing liquid present between the upper surface of the substrate and the substrate-facing surface is sucked into the suction path. Therefore, the occurrence of liquid pooling in the front portion of the substrate is suppressed.

[0126] (Item 4) In the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 3, the substrate-facing surface has a front end portion and a rear end portion aligned in the second direction, the discharge port is formed in a predetermined discharge portion of the substrate-facing surface between the front end portion and the rear end portion in the second direction, The suction port may be formed in a suction portion of the substrate-facing surface that is rearward of a middle portion between the discharge portion and the rear end portion in the second direction.

[0127] In this case, the distance between the rear end portion of the substrate-facing surface and the suction portion in the second direction can be made sufficiently small. As a result, when the nozzle outlet moves away from the front portion of the substrate during the period when the relative movement control is being performed, a large amount of processing liquid is less likely to remain between the substrate-facing surface and the substrate. Therefore, the occurrence of liquid pooling in the front portion of the substrate is further suppressed.

[0128] (Item 5) In the substrate processing apparatus according to item 2 or 3, the substrate-facing surface has a front end portion and a rear end portion aligned in the second direction, the discharge port is formed in a predetermined discharge portion of the substrate-facing surface between the front end portion and the rear end portion in the second direction, the suction port is formed in a suction portion of the substrate-facing surface between the discharge portion and the rear end portion in the second direction, The distance between the discharge portion and the suction portion in the second direction may be smaller than the distance between the front end portion and the discharge portion in the second direction.

[0129] In this case, the distance between the front end portion and the discharge portion in the second direction can be made sufficiently large. This allows the period during which the second capillary force is smaller than the first capillary force to be longer when the nozzle discharge port moves away from the front portion of the substrate during the period during which relative movement control is performed. In other words, the amount of processing liquid remaining in the front portion of the substrate can be increased. Therefore, the occurrence of liquid pools in the front portion of the substrate is further suppressed.

[0130] (Item 6) In the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of Items 1 to 5, The nozzle may have an opening that opens the space within the suction path to a space outside the nozzle.

[0131] In this case, the pressure in the suction path can be maintained at atmospheric pressure without requiring pressure control or the like for sucking the processing liquid through the suction port, and thus a portion of the processing liquid supplied to the substrate can be sucked in by capillary action with a simple configuration.

[0132] (Item 7) In the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 6, The substrate processing apparatus includes: The apparatus may further include a processing liquid removal unit that removes processing liquid adhering to the suction port and the suction path.

[0133] In this case, the processing liquid adhering to the suction port and the suction path is removed by the processing liquid removal unit, thereby preventing poor suction of the processing liquid and contamination of the substrate caused by the processing liquid adhering to the suction port and the suction path.

[0134] The substrate processing apparatus according to the above embodiment can reduce wasteful consumption of the processing liquid, eliminating the need to generate a large amount of the processing liquid, thereby contributing to reducing pollution of the global environment caused by the processing liquid. [Explanation of symbols]

[0135] 1...substrate processing apparatus, 11a...substrate facing surface, 11b...front inclined surface, 11c...rear inclined surface, 12...upper end surface, 12h...through hole, 13...front surface, 14...rear surface, 14h...cleaning liquid introduction hole, 15a...discharge port, 15b...discharge liquid flow path, 15c...storage section, 16a...suction port, 16b...suction flow path, 100...coating apparatus, 110...control section, 111...nozzle movement control section, 112...discharge control section, 113...stage control section, 114...nozzle cleaning control section, 115...condition setting section, 120...stage support, 121...guide rail, 130...stage device, 131...plate member, 132...suction Chuck, 133...support pin, 134...pin lifting drive unit, 135...suction drive unit, 140...nozzle support, 141...X-direction drive unit, 142...Z-direction drive unit, 150...nozzle device, 151...nozzle block, 151A...embodiment nozzle block, 151B...comparison example nozzle block, 160...cleaning block, 161...cleaning nozzle, 162...drain pipe, 170...processing liquid supply system, 180...cleaning liquid supply system, 190...operation unit, PI1, PI2, PI3...piping, VS...imaginary surface, W...substrate, p1...front end portion, p2...middle portion, p3...rear end portion, ta...one end portion, tb...other end portion

Claims

1. a substrate holder for holding a substrate; a nozzle having a substrate-facing surface formed with a slit-shaped discharge port extending in a first direction parallel to the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, the nozzle discharging a processing liquid from the discharge port; a relative movement unit configured to support the substrate holding unit and the nozzle, respectively, and to be capable of moving at least one of the substrate holding unit and the nozzle; a control unit that performs relative movement control to control the relative movement unit so that, with an upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and the substrate facing surface facing each other, the nozzle moves through a space above the substrate in a second direction that is parallel to the substrate and intersects with the first direction while discharging a processing liquid onto the substrate, The nozzle is a slit-shaped suction port formed in the substrate-facing surface so as to be located rearward of the discharge port in the second direction and extend parallel to the first direction; a suction path formed to connect to the suction port, which generates a first capillary force that sucks in processing liquid from the suction port when processing liquid fills a gap between the top surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding part and the substrate facing surface.

2. the control unit controls the relative movement so that a second capillary force that sucks the processing liquid from the discharge port into the gap between the upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and the substrate facing surface is generated; The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the suction path is formed so that the second capillary force is greater than the first capillary force during a part of a period during which the relative movement control is performed.

3. The relative moving portion is configured to be able to adjust the width of the gap, the suction path includes a suction space extending upward from the suction port and having a predetermined suction width in the second direction; The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit controls the relative movement unit during the relative movement control so that the gap between the upper surface of the substrate and the substrate facing surface is smaller than the suction width.

4. the substrate-facing surface has a front end portion and a rear end portion aligned in the second direction, the discharge port is formed in a predetermined discharge portion of the substrate-facing surface between the front end portion and the rear end portion in the second direction, The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the suction port is formed in a suction portion of the substrate facing surface that is rearward of an intermediate portion between the discharge portion and the rear end portion in the second direction.

5. the substrate-facing surface has a front end portion and a rear end portion aligned in the second direction, the discharge port is formed in a predetermined discharge portion of the substrate-facing surface between the front end portion and the rear end portion in the second direction, the suction port is formed in a suction portion of the substrate-facing surface between the discharge portion and the rear end portion in the second direction, 4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a distance between the discharge portion and the suction portion in the second direction is smaller than a distance between the front end portion and the discharge portion in the second direction.

6. 3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle has an opening that opens a space within the suction path to a space outside the nozzle.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a processing liquid removal unit that removes processing liquid adhering to the suction port and the suction path.

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