Substrate Processing Equipment

Abstract

The present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus that accommodates a plurality of substrates and includes a processing tank for storing a processing liquid for immersing the plurality of substrates. The bubbler is disposed in the processing tank and positioned below the plurality of substrates to supply gas bubbles into the processing solution. The bubbler includes a bubble plate facing the plurality of substrates and a bubble chamber. The bubble plate has a plurality of openings, and the bubble chamber is used to supply gas to the openings. In the present invention, the bubble chamber is divided into at least two gas channels, each with an independently controlled gas supply flow rate, and / or the bubble plate is divided into at least two opening areas, each with an independently set opening density. The present invention achieves the objective of equalizing the etching rate across the substrate and across the plurality of substrates, thereby improving etching uniformity across the substrate and between sheets, by adjusting the gas supply flow rate of each gas channel and / or the opening density of the opening areas to control the behavior of bubbles in different regions of the substrate.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and more particularly to substrate processing equipment. [Background technology]

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing processes, substrate processing equipment often performs processes such as cleaning and etching on multiple substrates simultaneously using a processing solution by immersing the multiple substrates in a processing tank. To improve the uniformity of the liquid processing on the substrates, for example, the uniformity of etching the substrates, a bubble supply pipe is typically provided in the processing tank. By supplying bubbles to the processing solution and agitating the processing solution, the mass transfer efficiency on the substrate surface is improved, thereby improving the uniformity of substrate etching.

[0003] For example, in the substrate processing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 (CN114446822A), multiple bubble generating tubes are arranged below multiple substrates immersed in a processing liquid. The multiple bubble generating tubes extend along the normal direction of the main surfaces of the multiple substrates (i.e., the arrangement direction of the multiple substrates), and the amount of bubbles generated by the multiple bubble generating tubes is controlled to be approximately equal by controlling the flow of gas in each bubble generating tube, thereby suppressing non-uniformity in processing across the entire surface of the substrates.

[0004] However, in Patent Document 1, bubbles mainly concentrate above the bubble generating tube, meaning that the area covered by the bubbles generated on the substrate by the bubble generating tube is limited, resulting in unevenness on the surface of the substrate. As shown in Figure 28, in the area on the substrate indicated by the dashed frame, there are almost no bubbles or the number of bubbles is clearly insufficient. This reduces the etching efficiency in localized areas of the substrate, making it difficult to control the uniformity within the substrate surface. This situation becomes more pronounced when the substrate surface has an uneven structure.

[0005] For example, in the substrate processing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2 (CN111430270A), a liquid supply unit having multiple discharge paths for discharging liquid to different regions in the arrangement direction of the multiple substrates is arranged below the multiple substrates. A movement mechanism is provided for the multiple discharge paths, and the discharge positions of the multiple discharge paths are changed during substrate liquid processing. This improves processing uniformity among the multiple substrates and the uniformity across the entire surface of the substrate.

[0006] However, in Patent Document 2, uniformity of the substrate liquid processing within the surface and between sheets is achieved by a movement mechanism, which makes the configuration and control of the device complex, increases costs, and makes maintenance more difficult. Summary of the Invention

[0007] A technical object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of improving the uniformity of liquid processing on the surface of a substrate and among a plurality of substrates.

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides: a storage tank for accommodating a plurality of substrates arranged in a horizontal row and for storing a processing solution in which the plurality of substrates are immersed, the storage tank having a Y direction in which the plurality of substrates are arranged and an X direction in which the direction parallel to the main surfaces of the substrates is defined, the X direction and the Y direction being orthogonal to each other; a bubbler disposed in the processing tank and positioned below the plurality of substrates for supplying bubbles to the processing liquid, the bubbler including: a bubble plate facing the plurality of substrates and having a plurality of openings; a bubble chamber for supplying gas to the plurality of openings, The bubble chamber is divided into at least two gas channels that are independent of each other, and the gas supply flow rates of the at least two gas channels are controlled independently.

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention also provides: a storage tank for accommodating a plurality of substrates arranged in a horizontal row and for storing a processing solution in which the plurality of substrates are immersed, the storage tank having a Y direction in which the plurality of substrates are arranged and an X direction in which the direction parallel to the main surfaces of the substrates is defined, the X direction and the Y direction being orthogonal to each other; a bubble box disposed in the processing tank and positioned below the plurality of substrates for supplying bubbles to the processing liquid, the bubble box comprising: a bubble plate facing the plurality of substrates and having a plurality of openings; a bubble chamber for supplying gas to the plurality of openings, The plurality of opening holes are distributed non-uniformly on the bubble plate to provide a substrate processing apparatus.

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention also provides: a processing tank for accommodating a plurality of substrates arranged in a horizontal row and storing a processing solution for immersing the plurality of substrates; and a bubbler disposed within the processing tank and positioned below the plurality of substrates for supplying bubbles to the processing liquid, the bubbler having a gas inlet, the gas inlet being provided in a baffle plate, the baffle plate being provided in the gas flow direction so as to uniformly diffuse the gas supplied into the bubbler through the gas inlet within the bubbler. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a top view of the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. [Figure 5]5a to 5d are schematic diagrams showing the positional relationship between a liquid supply unit and a gas supply unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged view of portion C in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a gas supply unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the X direction in FIG. [Figure 9] 9a to 9c are schematic diagrams of gas channels in a bubble chamber according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of etched regions separated in the X direction on a substrate. [Figure 11] 11 is a perspective view of the inside of a bubbler according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] Fig. 12a is a cross-sectional view along the X direction of Fig. 11 when a dividing plate is not provided in the bubble chamber, and Fig. 12b is a cross-sectional view along the X direction of Fig. 11 when a dividing plate is provided in the bubble chamber. [Figure 13] 13a to 13c are schematic diagrams of an open hole area on a bubble plate according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram illustrating open hole area and open hole density on a bubble plate according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram illustrating open hole area and open hole density on a bubble plate according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram illustrating open hole area and open hole density on a bubble plate according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram of a substrate group in which a plurality of substrates are divided in the Y direction. [Figure 18] 18a to 18c are schematic diagrams of multiple rows of aperture holes in one aperture hole region according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19]FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a bubbler according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view taken along the X direction in FIG. [Figure 21] Figure 21a is a cross-sectional view of a bubbler according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, in which a baffle plate is provided at the gas inlet, and Figure 21b is a cross-sectional view of a bubbler in which a baffle plate is not provided at the gas inlet. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a top view of a bubbler according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 23] Figure 23a shows simulated curves of gas velocity distribution along the Y direction of the bubbler shown in Figure 21a. Figure 23b shows simulated curves of gas velocity distribution along the Y direction of the bubbler shown in Figure 21b. [Figure 24] Figure 24a shows simulated curves of gas velocity distribution along the X direction of the bubbler shown in Figure 21a. Figure 24b shows simulated curves of gas velocity distribution along the X direction of the bubbler shown in Figure 21b. [Figure 25] FIG. 25 is a bottom view of a bubbler according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 26] FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional view taken along the X direction of a bubbler according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 27] FIG. 27 is a cross-sectional view taken along the X direction of another bubbler according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 28] FIG. 28 is a schematic diagram showing the generation of bubbles from a bubble generating tube in the prior art. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The present invention will be described below with reference to specific examples, and other advantages and effects of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure of this specification. The present invention may be embodied in or applied to other specific embodiments, and various details of the present invention may be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0013] It should be noted that the drawings shown in this embodiment only show the basic concept of the present invention in a schematic manner. The drawings show only components related to the present invention and are not drawn according to the number, shape, and size of the components in an actual implementation, but the shape, number, and ratio of each component in an actual implementation can be arbitrarily changed, and the layout of the components can be more complicated.

[0014] [First embodiment] In the present invention, the substrate processing apparatus performs batch processing, such as cleaning or etching, on multiple substrates using a processing liquid. The type and temperature of the processing liquid are not particularly limited. For example, the processing liquid may be a cleaning liquid such as SC-1 (standard cleaning liquid No. 1), SC-2 (standard cleaning liquid No. 2), or H2SO4 (sulfuric acid) for cleaning the substrate. The processing liquid may be a cleaning liquid such as DIW (deionized water) or UPW (ultrapute water) for cleaning the substrate. The processing liquid may be an etching liquid such as BHF (buffered hydrofluoric acid) or H3PO4 (hot phosphoric acid) for etching the substrate.

[0015] In this embodiment, a phosphoric acid etching process performed by a substrate processing apparatus will be described as an example. Specifically, the substrate processing apparatus uses a high-temperature phosphoric acid solution (temperature of about 160°C) to selectively wet etch a silicon nitride masking layer on the patterned surface of the substrate, thereby accurately transferring a pattern on a photolithography mask to the surface of the substrate.

[0016] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a top view of the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 2.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the substrate processing apparatus includes a processing tank 101, a substrate holder 102, a gas supply unit 103, and a liquid supply unit 104.

[0018] The processing tank 101 is used to store a processing liquid and accommodate a plurality of substrates W. The processing liquid stored in the processing tank 101 is, for example, a phosphoric acid solution, and the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution is 140°C to 160°C. In this embodiment, the processing tank 101 includes an inner tank 111 and an outer tank 112, and the inner tank 111 is disposed within the outer tank 112. A certain distance is provided between the bottom wall and side wall of the inner tank 111 and the inner wall of the outer tank 112, allowing the processing liquid in the inner tank 111 to overflow into the outer tank 112. The processing liquid in the outer tank 112 surrounds the inner tank 111 and provides a certain heat retention effect for the processing liquid in the inner tank 111, thereby reducing temperature loss of the processing liquid and energy consumption while improving processing stability.

[0019] In another embodiment, the outer tank 112 may be provided around the upper periphery of the inner tank 111 and used solely as an overflow tank.

[0020] The substrate holder 102 is used to hold multiple substrates W in the processing tank 101, and the multiple substrates W are arranged in a row in an upright position along the horizontal direction at a predetermined interval p. The predetermined interval p is, for example, 5 mm. Here, the arrangement direction of the substrates is defined as the Y direction, the horizontal direction parallel to the main surfaces of the substrates is defined as the X direction, and the X and Y directions are orthogonal to each other. The direction perpendicular to the plane in which the X and Y directions lie is defined as the Z direction.

[0021] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the substrate holding unit 102 is provided in the processing tank 101 so that it can be raised and lowered; that is, the substrate holding unit 102 has the function of driving a plurality of substrates W to be raised and lowered simultaneously in the processing tank 101. When performing substrate liquid processing, the substrate holding unit 102 pushes the substrate W down into the processing tank 101, immersing the substrate W in the processing liquid. After the substrate liquid processing is completed, the substrate holding unit 102 drives the substrate W to separate it from the processing tank 101. In another embodiment, the substrate holding unit 102 may be provided fixedly in the processing tank 101.

[0022] The gas supply unit 103 includes a bubbler 131 and a gas inlet pipe 132. The bubbler 131 is installed in the processing tank 101 and positioned below the substrates W. The bubbler 131 is used to supply bubbles to the processing solution. The bubbles generated by the bubbler 131 have an average diameter d, where 30%p≦d≦95%p, where p is a predetermined spacing between the substrates W. The gas inlet pipe 132 is used to supply gas to the bubbler 131. At least a portion of the gas inlet pipe 132 is fixed to the outer wall of the processing tank 101 in a coiled shape, allowing the gas in the gas inlet pipe 132 to exchange heat with the processing solution before being supplied to the processing solution in the processing tank 101. This prevents temperature fluctuations in the processing solution caused by an excessive temperature difference between the gas and the processing solution, which could affect the etching effect of the substrates. In FIG. 1, a portion of the gas inlet pipe 132 is fixed to the outer wall of the outer tank 112 in a serpentine coil shape.

[0023] The liquid supply unit 104 includes a liquid inlet pipe 141 and a liquid injection pipe 142. The liquid inlet pipe 141 is used to supply a processing liquid, for example, a phosphoric acid solution at 140°C to 160°C, to the liquid injection pipe 142. The liquid inlet pipe 141 has a branch pipe (not shown) connected to the outer tank 112, and circulates the processing liquid between the inner tank 111 and the outer tank 112. The liquid injection pipe 142 is disposed between the bubbler 131 and the plurality of substrates W. The liquid injection pipe 142 extends along the Y direction to supply the processing liquid into the processing tank 101. Referring to FIGS. 5a to 5d, the liquid injection pipe 142 is provided with a plurality of liquid ejection ports 1421 facing the substrates W, and the liquid ejection ports 1421 form an angle of 0 to 180° with respect to the vertical direction.

[0024] The liquid injection pipes 142 may be arranged directly above and / or on the side of the bubbler 131. As shown in Figures 5a and 5b, two liquid injection pipes 142 are provided, and the two liquid injection pipes 142 are distributed symmetrically with respect to the center of the substrate W and are arranged directly above the bubbler 131. In Figure 5a, the bubbler 131 has an opening hole in the vertical projection area of ​​the liquid injection pipe 142, while in Figure 5b, the bubbler 131 does not have an opening hole in the vertical projection area of ​​the liquid injection pipe 142. As shown in Figure 5c, two liquid injection pipes 142 are provided, and the two liquid injection pipes 142 are distributed symmetrically with respect to the normal to the substrate W and are arranged above the side of the bubbler 131. As shown in Figure 5d, three liquid injection pipes 142 are provided, and of the three liquid injection pipes 142, the two liquid injection pipes 142 located on the outside are distributed symmetrically with respect to the center of the substrate W and are provided above the side of the bubbler 131, and the liquid injection pipe 142 located in the center is provided directly above the bubbler 131.

[0025] FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged view of portion C in FIG. 2, showing the positional relationship between the opening of the bubbler and the substrate. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the bubbler. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the bubbler along the X direction. FIGS. 9a to 9c are schematic diagrams of gas channels in the bubble chamber. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of etching regions divided in the X direction on the substrate.

[0026] The configuration of the bubbler will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 7, the bubbler 131 is a flat bubble box 131. The upper surface of the bubble box 131 is a bubble plate 1311 having a plurality of openings 13111. The bubble plate 1311 faces a plurality of substrates W, and the openings 13111 may or may not be uniformly distributed. In this embodiment, N is a positive integer, and the openings 13111 are arranged in N rows along the Y direction. When viewed from above, one row of openings 13111 is provided between adjacent substrates W. Specifically, N is typically equal to or greater than the number of substrates that the substrate holder 102 can support. As shown in FIG. 6, the distance between two adjacent openings 13111 in the X direction is t, where 30%p≦t≦4p, and p is a predetermined distance between the substrates W. By arranging one row of opening holes 13111 between adjacent substrates W, the bubbles can cover the entire surface of the substrate more uniformly along the surface direction of the substrate (i.e., the X direction), avoiding bubble-free stirring in localized regions of the substrate, thereby improving the uniformity of the surface of the substrate.

[0028] 7 and 8, the internal space of the bubble box 131 forms a bubble chamber 1312 having at least two gas channels L for supplying gas to a plurality of openings 13111 on a bubble plate 1311. As shown in FIG. 8, the bubble chamber 1312 has a partition plate 1313 therein, which divides the bubble chamber 1312 into at least two gas channels L. The gas supply flow rates of the at least two gas channels L are independently controlled. The partition plate 1313 may be removable or fixed.

[0029] Each gas channel L is provided with a gas inlet pipe 132 and a gas inlet 1321, and the gas inlet pipe 132 is connected to the corresponding gas channel L via the gas inlet 1321. A flow rate control element (not shown) such as an MFC (mass flow controller) is disposed in the gas inlet pipe 132 to adjust the gas supply flow rate in the corresponding gas channel L.

[0030] The interior of bubble chamber 1312 is divided into at least two gas channels along the X and / or Y directions. For example, as shown in FIG. 9A, vertical partition plate 1313a extending along the Y direction is provided in bubble chamber 1312, dividing the interior of bubble chamber 1312 into four gas channels L1 to L4 along the X direction. As another example, as shown in FIG. 9B, horizontal partition plate 1313b extending along the X direction is provided in bubble chamber 1312, dividing the interior of bubble chamber 1312 into four gas channels L1 to L4 along the Y direction. As another example, as shown in FIG. 9C, vertical partition plate 1313a extending along the Y direction and horizontal partition plate 1313b extending along the X direction are provided in bubble chamber 1312, dividing the interior of bubble chamber 1312 into nine gas channels L1 to L9 in a mesh pattern along the X and Y directions.

[0031] Figures 9a to 9c are merely examples, and it should be noted that they do not limit the number of divisions, the division direction of the gas channels, the relative sizes of each gas channel, etc. For example, the partition plate may have an angle with respect to the X direction or the Y direction to partition the inclined gas channels, or the partition plate may be a circular or rectangular partition plate to partition the annular gas channels. As another example, referring to Figure 9a, the widths of the gas channels L1 to L4 in the X direction are W1 to W4, respectively. In one embodiment, the inside of the bubble chamber 1312 is divided into equal parts of the gas channels L1 to L4 along the X direction, that is, W1 = W2 = W3 = W4. In another embodiment, the inside of the bubble chamber 1312 is divided into unequal parts of the gas channels L1 to L4 along the X direction. For example, W1 = W4 < W2 = W3.

[0032] The independent control of the gas supply flow rate of each gas channel is described in the method of dividing the bubble chamber shown in Figure 9a. Referring to Figures 9a and 10, the bubble chamber 1312 divides the gas channels into L1 to L4 along the X direction. Similarly, the substrate W is divided into etching regions M1 to M4 corresponding to the gas channels L1 to L4 along the X direction. In this embodiment, by adjusting the gas supply flow rate of the gas channels, the behavior of the bubbles such as the number of bubbles in the corresponding etching regions is controlled, and by making the etching rates in each etching region on the substrate the same, the in-plane uniformity of the substrate etching is improved. For example, the substrate is etched with the gas supply amounts of the gas channels L1 to L4 being the same, and the average etching rates V1 to V4 of the substrate etching regions M1 to M4 are obtained respectively. When the experimental results show that V1 = V4 < V2 = V3, the gas supply flow rates of the gas channels L1 and L4 can be increased, the number of bubbles in the etching regions M1 and M4 can be increased, the stirring effect and the mass transfer efficiency in the etching regions M1 and M4 can be improved, and thereby the etching rates of the etching regions M1 and M4 can be improved. Thereby, V1 = V2 = V3 = V4 can be obtained, and the purpose of further improving the in-plane uniformity of the substrate etching can be achieved.

[0033] [Second embodiment] Referring to Figures 11 to 15, this embodiment provides a substrate processing apparatus, and compared to the first embodiment, the second embodiment differs in the structure of the bubbler 231, and the other structures are the same as those of the first embodiment, so duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0034] The bubbler 231 includes a bubble plate 2311 and a bubble chamber 2312. To supply gas to the bubble plate 2311, a gas inlet pipe 232 communicates with a gas channel L in the bubble chamber 2312. In one embodiment, the interior space of the bubble chamber 2312 is not divided into regions, but rather has a through-hole gas channel L, as shown in FIG. 12(a). In another embodiment, a partition plate 2313 is provided in the interior space of the bubble chamber 2312, and the partition plate 2313 divides the interior space of the bubble chamber 2312 into at least two gas channels L. As shown in FIG. 12(b), the gas supply flow rates of the at least two gas channels L are independently controlled, and the control mode of the specific gas supply flow rate of each gas channel can be described in the relevant description of the first embodiment.

[0035] In this embodiment, at least two aperture regions K are divided on the bubble plate 2311, and the aperture densities of the at least two aperture regions K are set independently. When a partition plate 2313 is provided in the bubble chamber 2312, the at least two aperture regions K on the bubble plate 2311 may or may not correspond one-to-one to the at least two gas channels L in the bubble chamber 2312. In other words, the division of the bubble plate 2311 and the bubble chamber 2312 into regions is relatively independent. In this application, the division of the bubble plate 2311 and the bubble chamber 2312 into regions is based on the etching rate distribution within the substrate surface and the etching rate distribution among multiple substrates.

[0036] At least a portion of the aperture area K on the bubble plate 2311 may be formed by a removable movable panel having a plurality of apertures, and the movable panel may be sealed and joined at the corresponding aperture area.

[0037] In this embodiment, at least two aperture hole regions K are divided along the X direction and / or Y direction on the bubble plate 2311. FIGS. 13a to 13c show schematic diagrams of aperture hole regions on the bubble plate 2311. As shown in FIG. 13a, the bubble plate 2311 is divided into four aperture hole regions K1 to K4 along the X direction, and all four aperture hole regions K1 to K4 extend along the Y direction. As shown in FIG. 13b, the bubble plate 2311 is divided into three aperture hole regions K1 to K3 along the Y direction, and all three aperture hole regions K1 to K3 extend along the X direction. As shown in FIG. 13c, the bubble plate 2311 is divided into nine aperture hole regions K1 to K9 along the X and Y directions.

[0038] Hereinafter, the independent setting of the open hole density in each open hole region of the valve plate 2311 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0039] 14 and 15, the bubble plate 2311 is divided into four opening hole regions K1 to K4 along the X direction, and the opening hole densities of the four opening hole regions K1 to K4 are denoted as Q1 to Q4, respectively. Similarly, referring to FIG. 10, the substrate W is divided into etching regions M1 to M4 along the X direction, which correspond one-to-one to the opening hole regions K1 to K4. By setting the opening hole density of the opening hole region, for example, the number of bubbles, the behavior of the bubbles in the corresponding etching region can be adjusted, and the etching rate in each etching region on the substrate becomes the same, thereby improving the in-plane uniformity of the substrate etching.

[0040] For example, in order to obtain the average etching rates V1 to V4 of the substrate etching regions M1 to M4, the substrate is etched under the condition that the aperture densities of the four aperture regions K1 to K4 are the same. If the experimental results show that V1 = V4 < V2 = V3, by increasing the aperture densities of the aperture regions K1 and K4, the number of bubbles in the etching regions M1 and M4 can be increased (see FIG. 14), the stirring effect and the mass transfer efficiency in the etching regions M1 and M4 can be improved, and thereby, the etching rates of the etching regions M1 and M4 on the substrate W can be increased. Therefore, V1 = V2 = V3 = V4 can be obtained, and thereby, the object of improving the in-plane uniformity of the substrate etching can be achieved. Similarly, if the experimental results show that V1 = V4 > V2 = V3, by increasing the aperture densities of the aperture regions K2 and K3, the number of bubbles in the etching regions M2 and M3 can be increased (see FIG. 15), the stirring effect and the mass transfer efficiency in the etching regions M2 and M3 on the substrate W can be improved, and thereby, the etching rates of the etching regions M2 and M3 can be increased, and by making V1 = V2 = V3 = V4, the object of improving the in-plane uniformity of the substrate etching can be achieved.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 16, on the bubble plate 2311, two aperture regions K1 and K2 are divided in the Y direction, and the aperture densities of the two aperture regions K1 and K2 are shown as Q1 and Q2, respectively. At the same time, as shown in FIG. 17, a plurality of substrates W are divided into substrate groups G1 and G2 that correspond one-to-one to the aperture regions K1 and K2 along the arrangement direction Y. The behavior of bubbles in each substrate group, for example, the number of bubbles, is adjusted by setting the aperture density of the aperture region so that the etching rates of each substrate group are the same, and thereby, the uniformity between substrates due to substrate etching can be improved.

[0042] For example, when substrates are etched under conditions where the aperture densities of the two aperture regions K1 and K2 are the same, average etching rates V1 and V2 for the substrate groups G1 and G2, respectively, can be obtained. If experimental results show that V1 > V2, increasing the aperture density of the aperture region K2 can increase the number of bubbles supplied to the substrate group G2 (see FIG. 16), improving the stirring effect and mass transfer efficiency in the region where the substrate group G2 is located, thereby increasing the etching rate of the substrate group G2. V1 = V2 can be obtained, thereby achieving the goal of improving the sheet-to-sheet uniformity of substrate etching.

[0043] In the present application, changing the density in the aperture hole regions primarily refers to changing the spacing between adjacent aperture holes along the X direction in each aperture hole region. Specifically, the spacing between adjacent aperture holes along the X direction in each aperture hole region may be equal or partially unequal. In this embodiment, for example, FIGS. 18a to 18c show three schematic diagrams in which multiple aperture holes in one aperture hole region are arranged in multiple rows along the X direction. The row spacing between the multiple rows of aperture holes along the X direction may be equal or partially unequal. As shown in FIG. 18a, aperture hole region K has five rows of aperture holes, and the row spacing between the five rows of aperture holes is equal. As shown in FIG. 18b, aperture hole region K has ten rows of aperture holes, and the row spacing between the ten rows of aperture holes gradually increases from the center to the outside. As shown in FIG. 18c, aperture hole region K has seven rows of aperture holes, and the row spacing between the five rows of aperture holes on the left gradually increases from left to right, while the row spacing between the three rows of aperture holes on the right is equal.

[0044] In another embodiment, the plurality of apertures in the aperture region are not arranged in a row in the X direction. The plurality of apertures in the aperture region form a plurality of aperture rows in the Y direction, and the spacing between adjacent apertures in each row can be adjusted.

[0045] Furthermore, the hole density of the hole regions and the gas supply flow rate of the gas channels can be simultaneously adjusted, thereby improving the uniformity of substrate etching. For example, in one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13a, four hole regions K1-K4 are divided along the X direction on the bubble plate 2311. At the same time, as shown in FIG. 12b, four gas channels L1-L4 are divided along the X direction into the bubble chamber 2322. Referring to FIG. 10, the four gas channels L1-L4 correspond one-to-one to the four hole regions K1-K4. Assuming that the hole density of the four hole regions K1-K4 is the same, the etching rate of the corresponding etching region on the substrate W can be adjusted only by adjusting the gas supply flow rate of the four gas channels L1-L4, which is limited by the upper limit of the gas supply flow rate. This is because if the gas supply flow rate continues to increase after reaching the upper limit, the average diameter of the bubbles may exceed a predetermined range. For example, if the gas supply flow rate is too high, the bubble volume will be large, but the bubble coalescence will be promoted, resulting in larger bubble size. This means that simply changing the gas supply flow rate may not be enough to control the bubble size. However, bubble size is also an important factor in determining the uniformity of substrate etching. Based on this, we can simultaneously adjust the gas supply flow rate of the gas channel and the aperture density of the aperture region to achieve a synergistic effect. This allows us to improve bubble behavior, such as bubble number, based on controllable bubble size, thereby improving the uniformity of substrate etching across the surface and between sheets.

[0046] [Third embodiment] 19 and 20, this embodiment provides a substrate processing apparatus. The difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment lies in the structure of the bubbler 331. Since the other structures are the same as those of the first embodiment, redundant explanations will be omitted. FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram of the bubbler in this embodiment. FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of the bubbler in this embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the bubbler 331 includes at least two bubble pipes 330 having a flat shape, each of which has a plurality of openings 33111 on its upper surface. Each bubble pipe 330 defines at least one gas channel L therein, and the gas supply flow rate of each gas channel L is independently controlled. The bubble pipes 330 may extend along the X or Y direction.

[0047] In this embodiment, the bubbler 331 includes four bubble pipes 330. As shown in FIG. 19, the four bubble pipes 330 extend along the Y direction and are arranged in a row along the X direction. A gas channel L is formed in each bubble pipe 330, and a gas inlet pipe 332 is connected to each bubble pipe 330. The gas supply flow rate in each bubble pipe 330 is adjusted by a flow rate adjusting element (e.g., an MFC) arranged on the gas inlet pipe 332. In another embodiment, a partition plate (not shown) is provided in the bubble pipe 330, and the partition plate divides the bubble pipe 330 into at least two gas channels, and the gas supply flow rate of each gas channel may be controlled independently.

[0048] 19, the opening hole density on the top surface of each of the four bubble pipes 330 is the same, and each bubble pipe 330 has five rows of opening holes distributed along the X direction. The opening hole density on the top surface of each bubble pipe 330 is set independently. In other words, the top surface of one bubble pipe 330 is equal to the opening hole area. For setting the opening hole density on the top surface of each bubble pipe 330, please refer to the description of setting the opening hole density of each opening hole area in the second embodiment, and therefore will not be repeated here.

[0049] The cross section of bubble pipe 330 is not limited to the rectangular shape shown in FIG. 20, but may be any shape such as a diamond or an oval.

[0050] [Fourth embodiment] 21a to 24b, this embodiment provides a substrate processing apparatus. Compared with the first embodiment, this embodiment differs in the structure of a bubbler 431. Since the other structures are the same as those of the first embodiment, the description will not be repeated here. FIG. 21a shows a cross-sectional view of a bubbler according to a fourth embodiment. The bubbler 431 includes a bubble plate 4311 and a bubble chamber 4312 having a gas channel L formed therein. The gas channel L is provided with a gas inlet 4321 connected to a gas inlet pipe for supplying gas to the gas channel L. In this embodiment, a baffle plate 4314 is disposed at the gas inlet 4321. The baffle plate 4314 is disposed along the gas flow direction, so that the gas supplied to the bubble chamber 4312 through the gas inlet 4321 is uniformly diffused within the bubble chamber 4312. More specifically, the baffle plate 4314 is used to uniformly diffuse the gas supplied to the corresponding gas channel L through the gas inlet 4321 within the gas channel L.

[0051] The applicant performed a simulation analysis of gas distribution in a bubbler 431 having a baffle plate 4314 at its gas inlet 4321 and a bubbler 531 without a baffle plate. The bubbler 431 shown in FIG. 21a has a baffle plate 4314 at its gas inlet 4321. FIG. 21b shows the bubbler 531 without a baffle plate at its gas inlet 5321. Referring to FIG. 22, the openings formed in the bubble plates of the bubbler 431 and the bubbler 531 are the same. Specifically, the openings 43111 on the bubble plate 4311 of the bubbler 431 are arranged in a matrix. In this embodiment, the bubble plate 4311 has 53 rows of openings along the Y direction and 23 columns of openings along the X direction.

[0052] 22, FIG. 23a shows simulated curves of gas velocity distribution for six rows of openings C1-C6 on bubbler 431, and FIG. 23b shows simulated curves of gas velocity distribution for six rows of openings C1-C6 on bubbler 531. As can be seen from FIGS. 23a and 23b, in both bubbler 431 and bubbler 531, as the distance between the opening and the gas inlet increases, the gas distribution along the Y direction tends to stabilize. However, the six rows of openings C1-C6 on bubbler 431 begin to converge and stabilize at approximately 0.09 m / s in the Y direction from the opening in the 10th row (r10) on the gas inlet 4321 side, whereas the six rows of openings C1-C6 on bubbler 531 begin to converge and stabilize at approximately 0.09 m / s in the Y direction from the opening in the 16th row (r6) on the gas inlet 5321 side. Furthermore, the gas velocity fluctuations in the first 12 rows of openings (r1 to r12) of the six columns of openings C1 to C6 of bubbler 431 are significantly smaller than the gas velocity fluctuations in the first 12 rows of openings (r1 to r12) of the six columns of openings C1 to C6 of bubbler 531. As shown in FIG. 23b, the gas velocity fluctuation range of the first 12 rows of openings (r1 to r12) of the six columns of openings C1 to C6 of bubbler 531 is 0.04 m / s to 0.14 m / s, with a fluctuation width of 0.1 m / s, whereas the gas velocity fluctuation range of the first 12 rows of openings (r1 to r12) of the six columns of openings C1 to C6 of bubbler 431 is 0.07 m / s to 0.09 m / s, with a fluctuation width of only 0.02 m / s. Therefore, by adding a baffle plate 4314 to the gas inlet 4321 of the bubbler 431, the uniformity of the gas velocity injected from the multiple openings on the bubble plate 4311 along the Y direction can be significantly improved.

[0053] 22, Fig. 24a shows simulation curves of gas velocity distributions for the first row of openings r1, the fifth row of openings r5, and the tenth row of openings r10 on the side of bubbler 431 closer to gas inlet 4321, and Fig. 24b shows simulation curves of gas velocity distributions for the first row of openings r1, the fifth row of openings r5, and the tenth row of openings r10 on the side of bubbler 531 closer to gas inlet 5321. As can be seen from Figs. 24a and 24b, the gas velocity distributions for the three rows of openings (r1, r5, r10) on bubbler 431 exhibit good uniformity with a fluctuation range of 0.03 m / s, whereas the gas velocity distributions for the three rows of openings (r1, r5, r10) on bubbler 531 exhibit poor uniformity with a fluctuation range of 0.11 m / s. Therefore, by adding a baffle plate 4314 to the gas inlet 4321 of the bubbler 431, the uniformity of the velocity of the gas injected from the multiple openings on the bubble plate 4311 along the X direction can be significantly improved.

[0054] Based on the above analysis, placing the baffle plate 4314 at the gas inlet 4321 is beneficial to uniformly diffusing the gas in the bubble chamber 4312, and eliminates the phenomenon of non-uniform etching in local areas of the substrate caused by fluctuations in the gas flow rate at the gas inlet 4321 of the bubbler 431.

[0055] [Fifth embodiment] 25 to 27, this embodiment provides a substrate processing apparatus. Compared to the first embodiment, this embodiment differs in the structure of the bubbler 631, but the other structures are the same as those of the first embodiment, so duplicated explanations will be omitted. As shown in FIGS. 25 to 27, a purge member 700 is provided below the bubbler 631 to agitate the processing liquid below the bubbler 631 and prevent a stagnant water region from being formed below the bubbler 631.

[0056] 26 , the bubbler 631 includes a bubble chamber 6312, a bubble plate 6311 located at the top of the bubble chamber 6312, and a bottom plate 6313 located at the bottom of the bubble chamber 6312. A purge hole 6314 is provided in the center of the bottom plate 6313, and the purge hole 6314 communicates with the bubble chamber 6312 to form a purge member 700 for stirring the processing liquid below the bubbler 631.

[0057] 27, a purge member 700 is provided below the bubbler 631, and the purge member 700 includes a hollow housing 701 and purge piping (not shown). An opening 702 is provided in the lower surface of the housing 701. The purge piping communicates with the interior of the housing 701 to agitate the processing liquid below the bubbler 631 by supplying gas to the interior of the housing 701.

[0058] The above-described embodiments are merely for illustrating the principles and effectiveness of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make modifications or changes to the above-described embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or changes made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical ideas disclosed in this specification should still be protected by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. a processing tank for accommodating a plurality of substrates arranged in a single horizontal row and for storing a processing solution for immersing the plurality of substrates, wherein the arrangement direction of the plurality of substrates is defined as a Y direction, a horizontal direction parallel to main surfaces of the substrates is defined as an X direction, and the X direction and the Y direction are orthogonal to each other; a bubbler disposed in the processing tank and positioned below the plurality of substrates for supplying bubbles to the processing liquid, the bubbler including: a bubble plate facing the plurality of substrates and having a plurality of openings; a bubble chamber for supplying gas to the plurality of openings, The inside of the bubble chamber is divided into at least two gas channels independent of each other, and gas supply flow rates of the at least two gas channels are controlled independently.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the inside of the bubble chamber is divided into at least two gas channels along the X direction and / or the Y direction.

3. 2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of opening holes are arranged in N rows along the Y direction, where N is a positive integer, and when viewed from above, one row of opening holes is positioned between adjacent substrates.

4. 4. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein a distance between two adjacent opening holes in the X direction is t among the plurality of opening holes, the plurality of substrates are arranged in a row at a predetermined distance p, and 30% p≦t≦4p is satisfied.

5. 2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bubbles generated by the bubbler have an average diameter of d, the plurality of substrates are arranged in a line at a predetermined interval p, and 30% p≦d≦95% p is satisfied.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of openings are uniformly distributed.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of openings are distributed non-uniformly.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the bubble plate is divided into at least two aperture regions, and the densities of the apertures in the at least two aperture regions are set independently.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the bubble plate is divided into at least two opening hole regions along the X direction and / or the Y direction.

10. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the intervals between two adjacent aperture holes along the X direction in each aperture hole region are equal or at least partially unequal.

11. 9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein at least some of the openings of the valve plate are formed by detachable movable panels having a plurality of openings.

12. 2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bubbler has a flat bubble box, an upper surface of the bubble box forms the bubble plate, an interior of the bubble box forms the bubble chamber, and a partition plate is disposed within the bubble chamber, the partition plate dividing the bubble chamber into at least two gas channels.

13. 2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bubbler comprises at least two flat bubble pipes, upper surfaces of the at least two bubble pipes coming together to form the bubble plate, interiors of the at least two bubble pipes coming together to form the bubble chamber, the interior of each bubble pipe forming at least one gas channel, and the upper surface of each bubble pipe having a plurality of opening holes.

14. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein a partition plate is disposed in the bubble pipe, and the partition plate divides the inside of the bubble pipe into at least two gas channels.

15. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the density of the openings in the upper surface of each bubble pipe is set independently.

16. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least two gas channels are provided with gas inlets for supplying gas to the corresponding gas channels.

17. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a baffle plate disposed at the gas inlet along a gas flow direction so that the gas supplied to the gas channel through the gas inlet is uniformly diffused in the gas channel.

18. 17. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a gas supply pipe connected to the gas inlet for supplying gas to the gas inlet, and at least a portion of the gas supply pipe fixed in a coil form to an outer wall of the processing tank for heat exchange between the gas in the gas supply pipe and the processing liquid in the processing tank.

19. 19. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the processing liquid is a phosphoric acid solution, and the temperature of the phosphoric acid solution is 140.degree. C. to 180.degree.

20. 2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a liquid injection pipe disposed below the plurality of substrates and extending along the Y direction to supply the processing liquid to the processing tank, the liquid injection pipe facing the plurality of substrates and having a plurality of liquid outlets disposed at an angle of 0° to 180° with respect to the vertical direction.

21. 21. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 20, having two liquid injection pipes, both of which are distributed symmetrically with respect to the center of the substrate, and both of which are positioned directly above the bubbler, or both of which are positioned on the side of the bubbler.

22. 21. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 20, wherein three liquid injection pipes are provided, the three liquid injection pipes being equally spaced apart, the two outer liquid injection pipes being symmetrically distributed about the center of the substrate and located on the sides of the bubbler, and the central liquid injection pipe being located directly above the bubbler.

23. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a purge member disposed below the bubbler for agitating the processing liquid below the bubbler.

24. a processing tank for accommodating a plurality of substrates arranged in a single horizontal row and for storing a processing solution for immersing the plurality of substrates, wherein the arrangement direction of the plurality of substrates is defined as a Y direction, a horizontal direction parallel to main surfaces of the substrates is defined as an X direction, and the X direction and the Y direction are orthogonal to each other; a bubble box disposed in the processing tank and positioned below the plurality of substrates for supplying bubbles to the processing liquid, the bubble box comprising: a bubble plate facing the plurality of substrates and having a plurality of openings; a bubble chamber for supplying gas to the plurality of openings, The plurality of opening holes are distributed non-uniformly on the bubble plate to provide a substrate processing apparatus.

25. 25. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 24, wherein the plurality of apertures are arranged in N rows, where N is a positive integer, and the rows of apertures are disposed between adjacent bases when viewed from above.

26. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the bubble plate is divided into at least two aperture hole regions, and the aperture hole densities of the at least two aperture hole regions are set independently.

27. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 26, wherein the bubble plate is divided into at least two open hole regions along the X direction and / or the Y direction.

28. a processing tank for accommodating a plurality of substrates arranged in a single horizontal row and storing a processing solution for immersing the plurality of substrates; a bubbler disposed within the processing tank and positioned below the plurality of substrates for supplying bubbles to the processing liquid, the bubbler having a gas inlet and a baffle plate disposed in the gas flow direction of the gas inlet for uniformly diffusing gas supplied into the bubbler through the gas inlet.

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