Substrate processing method and substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

To effectively suppress the generation of particles in a substrate processing technique for supplying a processing liquid to the peripheral edge of a rotating substrate to process the substrate.SOLUTION: In the substrate processing method and the substrate processing apparatus according to this invention, the thickness of the liquid film (liquid film thickness) at the supply position and the occurrence of liquid splash are correlated with each other. More specifically, when the liquid film at the supply position is relatively thick, the liquid splash appears remarkably. In addition, as the liquid film becomes thinner, the occurrence of the liquid splash converges, and when the film thickness falls below a predetermined film thickness, the liquid splash can be suppressed to such an extent that there is no problem in practical use. Therefore, in the present invention, the film thickness at the supply position is directly or indirectly acquired, and at least one of the flow rate of the processing liquid and the posture of the nozzle is controlled according to the acquired film thickness, thereby preventing the thickness of the liquid film from exceeding a predetermined threshold value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a substrate processing technology in which a processing liquid is supplied to the peripheral edge of a rotating substrate. The substrates include semiconductor wafers, glass substrates for liquid crystal displays, glass substrates for plasma displays, substrates for optical disks, substrates for magnetic disks, substrates for magneto-optical disks, glass substrates for photomasks, and substrates for solar cells (hereinafter simply referred to as "substrates"). The processing also includes bevel cleaning. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a substrate processing apparatus that rotates a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer and supplies a processing liquid to the peripheral edge of the substrate to perform chemical processing, cleaning processing, etc. For example, in the apparatus described in Patent Document 1, a processing liquid such as a chemical liquid or a rinse liquid is supplied from a nozzle to the peripheral edge of the rotating substrate, thereby performing so-called bevel processing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2023-140680 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-described substrate processing apparatus, splashes of processing liquid (so-called "liquid splashes") may occur when the processing liquid is ejected toward the peripheral edge of the substrate. If the splashes adhere to the substrate, they can become a source of particle generation. In particular, as patterns formed on substrates become finer, it is desirable to suppress even minute splashes. However, at present, it cannot be said that sufficient effects are being achieved.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to effectively suppress the generation of particles in a substrate processing technique in which a processing liquid is supplied to the peripheral portion of a rotating substrate for processing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A first aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing method comprising the steps of: (a) rotating a substrate in a horizontal position around a rotation axis; (b) supplying a processing liquid from a nozzle to a peripheral portion of the rotating substrate; and (c) acquiring film thickness information related to the thickness of a liquid film formed on the peripheral portion of the substrate at a supply position where the processing liquid is supplied, wherein in step (b), at least one of the flow rate of the processing liquid from the nozzle and the attitude of the nozzle is controlled based on the film thickness information so that the thickness of the liquid film at the supply position does not exceed a predetermined threshold.

[0007] A second aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus comprising: a substrate holding unit that holds a substrate in a horizontal position so that it can rotate freely around a rotation axis; a rotation unit that rotates the substrate holding unit around the rotation axis; a processing liquid supply unit that supplies processing liquid from a nozzle to the peripheral edge of the rotating substrate; a film thickness information acquisition unit that acquires film thickness information related to the thickness of a liquid film formed on the peripheral edge of the substrate at a supply position where the processing liquid is supplied; and a control unit that controls the processing liquid supply unit based on the film thickness information, thereby adjusting the flow rate of the processing liquid from the nozzle so that the thickness of the liquid film does not exceed a predetermined threshold.

[0008] A third aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus comprising: a substrate holding unit that holds a substrate in a horizontal position so that it can rotate freely around a rotation axis; a rotation unit that rotates the substrate holding unit around the rotation axis; a processing liquid supply unit that supplies processing liquid from a nozzle to the peripheral edge of the rotating substrate; a nozzle attitude adjustment unit that adjusts the attitude of the nozzle; a film thickness information acquisition unit that acquires film thickness information related to the thickness of a liquid film formed on the peripheral edge of the substrate at a supply position where the processing liquid is supplied; and a control unit that controls the nozzle attitude adjustment unit based on the film thickness information to adjust the nozzle attitude so that the thickness of the liquid film does not exceed a predetermined threshold.

[0009] In the invention configured as described above, a processing liquid is supplied from a nozzle to the peripheral edge of a rotating substrate. This performs a so-called bevel process. A liquid film of the processing liquid is formed at the supply position where the processing liquid is supplied. The film thickness varies depending on the flow rate of the processing liquid and the attitude of the nozzle. Moreover, as will be described in detail later, the state of liquid splashing varies significantly depending on the film thickness. More specifically, when the liquid film at the supply position is relatively thick, liquid splashing becomes noticeable. Furthermore, as the liquid film becomes thinner, the occurrence of liquid splashing subsides, and when the film thickness falls below a predetermined value, the liquid splashing can be suppressed to a level that does not pose a problem in practical use. Thus, the thickness of the liquid film at the supply position and the occurrence of liquid splashing are correlated. Therefore, in the present invention, the film thickness at the supply position is directly or indirectly obtained, and at least one of the flow rate of the processing liquid and the attitude of the nozzle is controlled accordingly, thereby preventing the liquid film thickness from exceeding a predetermined threshold. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] As described above, according to the present invention, the thickness of the liquid film at the supply position does not exceed a predetermined threshold value, so it is possible to effectively suppress the generation of particles due to liquid splashing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing system equipped with a first embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a first embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 3] 3 is a plan view of a part of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 2, viewed from above. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a view showing a portion of a rotating cup portion and a fixed cup portion. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing the configuration of an upper surface protection and heating mechanism. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the upper surface protection and heating mechanism shown in FIG. [Figure 7]FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a processing mechanism and a film thickness measurement mechanism. [Figure 8] 1A and 1B are diagrams schematically illustrating a supply position where a processing liquid is supplied from a processing liquid discharge nozzle onto a substrate and a state in which a liquid film is formed at the supply position and in the vicinity thereof. [Figure 9] 10 is a graph showing the measurement results of the liquid film thickness at the supply position at low and high flow rates. [Figure 10] 10 is a graph showing the measurement results of the liquid film thickness at the supply position according to the rotation angle of the processing liquid discharge nozzle. [Figure 11] 2A and 2B are views showing a part of a second embodiment and a third embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a view showing a part of a fourth embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the schematic configuration of a substrate processing system equipped with a first embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. This is not an external view of the substrate processing system 100, but a schematic view showing the internal structure of the substrate processing system 100 by excluding the exterior wall panels and other components. The substrate processing system 100 is a single-wafer processing apparatus installed, for example, in a clean room, for processing substrates S, each of which has a circuit pattern or the like (hereinafter referred to as a "pattern") formed on only one main surface. The substrates are processed using a processing solution in a processing unit installed in the substrate processing system 100. In this specification, the pattern-formed surface (one main surface) of the two main surfaces of a substrate on which a pattern is formed is referred to as the "front surface," and the opposite main surface on which no pattern is formed is referred to as the "rear surface." The surface facing downward is referred to as the "lower surface," and the surface facing upward is referred to as the "upper surface." In this specification, the "pattern-formed surface" refers to the surface of a substrate on which a concave-convex pattern is formed in any region.

[0013] Here, the "substrate" in this embodiment can be any of various substrates, such as semiconductor wafers, glass substrates for photomasks, glass substrates for liquid crystal displays, glass substrates for plasma displays, substrates for FEDs (Field Emission Displays), substrates for optical disks, substrates for magnetic disks, substrates for magneto-optical disks, etc. The following description will be given with reference to the drawings, taking as an example a substrate processing apparatus used primarily for processing semiconductor wafers, but the invention can also be applied to processing the various substrates exemplified above.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing system 100 has a substrate processing area 110 where disk-shaped substrates S are processed. An indexer unit 120 is provided adjacent to the substrate processing area 110. The indexer unit 120 has a container holder 121 that can hold a plurality of containers C for accommodating the substrates S (such as a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod), an SMIF (Standard Mechanical Interface) pod, or an OC (Open Cassette) that accommodates a plurality of substrates S in a sealed state). The indexer unit 120 also has an indexer robot 122 that accesses the containers C held in the container holder 121 to remove unprocessed substrates S from the container C or store processed substrates S in the container C. Each container C accommodates a plurality of substrates S in a substantially horizontal position.

[0015] The indexer robot 122 comprises a base 122a fixed to the apparatus housing, an articulated arm 122b rotatable about a vertical axis relative to the base 122a, and a hand 122c attached to the tip of the articulated arm 122b. The hand 122c is structured so that a substrate S can be placed on its upper surface and held thereon. Indexer robots having such articulated arms and hands for holding substrates are well known, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0016] In the substrate processing area 110, a mounting table 112 is provided so that a substrate S from an indexer robot 122 can be placed thereon. In addition, a substrate transfer robot 111 is arranged approximately in the center of the substrate processing area 110 in a plan view. Furthermore, a plurality of processing units 1 are arranged surrounding the substrate transfer robot 111. The substrate transfer robot 111 randomly accesses these processing units 1 to transfer the substrate S. Meanwhile, each processing unit 1 performs a predetermined process on the substrate S. In this embodiment, one of these processing units 1 corresponds to the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a first embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 2, showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing section. In FIGS. 2, 3, and the other figures referred to below, the dimensions and number of components may be exaggerated or simplified for ease of understanding. The chamber 11 used in the substrate processing apparatus (processing unit) 1 has a rectangular bottom wall 11a in a plan view from vertically above, four side walls extending from the periphery of the bottom wall 11a, and a ceiling wall covering the upper ends of the side walls. The bottom wall, side walls, and ceiling wall combine to form an internal space 12 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape.

[0018] Base support members 16, 16 are fixed to the upper surface of bottom wall 11a with bolts or other fasteners while spaced apart from each other. That is, base support member 16 stands upright from bottom wall 11a. A base member 17 is fixed to the upper ends of these base support members 16, 16 with bolts or other fasteners. This base member 17 has a planar size smaller than bottom wall 11a and is made of a plate material that is thicker and more rigid than bottom wall 11a. As shown in FIG. 2 , base member 17 is raised vertically upward from the bottom wall by base support members 16, 16. That is, a so-called raised floor structure is formed at the bottom of internal space 12 of chamber 11. The upper surface of base member 17 is designed to accommodate a substrate processing unit SP that processes substrates S, as will be described in detail later. The substrate processing unit SP is installed on this upper surface. Each component of this substrate processing unit SP is electrically connected to control unit 10, which controls the entire apparatus, and operates in response to instructions from control unit 10.

[0019] 3, of the four side walls of the substrate processing apparatus 1, a transfer opening 11b1 is provided in the side wall 11b facing the substrate transfer robot 111, thereby communicating the internal space 12 with the outside of the chamber 11. Therefore, a hand (not shown) of the substrate transfer robot 111 can access the substrate processing unit SP through the transfer opening 11b1. In other words, the provision of the transfer opening 11b1 makes it possible to load and unload the substrate S into and from the internal space 12. In addition, a shutter 15 for opening and closing this transfer opening 11b1 is attached to the side wall 11b.

[0020] A shutter opening / closing mechanism (not shown) is connected to the shutter 15, and opens and closes the shutter 15 in response to an opening / closing command from the control unit 10. More specifically, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, when an unprocessed substrate S is loaded into the chamber 11, the shutter opening / closing mechanism opens the shutter 15, and the unprocessed substrate S is loaded into the substrate processing unit SP in a face-up position by the hand of the substrate transfer robot 111. That is, the substrate S is placed on the spin chuck 21 of the substrate processing unit SP with the patterned surface facing upward. After the substrate is loaded, when the hand of the substrate transfer robot 111 retracts from the chamber 11, the shutter opening / closing mechanism closes the shutter 15. Then, within the processing space of the chamber 11, the substrate processing unit SP performs bevel processing on the peripheral edge Ss of the substrate S. After the bevel processing is completed, the shutter opening / closing mechanism reopens the shutter 15, and the hand of the substrate transfer robot 111 unloads the processed substrate S from the substrate processing unit SP. As described above, in this embodiment, the internal space 12 of the chamber 11 is maintained at room temperature. In this specification, "room temperature" means a temperature range of 5°C to 35°C.

[0021] FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a substrate processing unit mounted on a base member. Hereinafter, to clarify the relative positions and operations of the various components of the apparatus, a coordinate system is used, where appropriate, with the Z direction defined as the vertical direction and the XY plane defined as the horizontal plane. The substrate processing unit SP includes a holding and rotating mechanism 2, a scattering prevention mechanism 3, an upper surface protection and heating mechanism 4, a processing mechanism 5, a film thickness measurement mechanism 6, and an elevation mechanism 7 (FIG. 2). These mechanisms are mounted on a base member 17. In other words, the holding and rotating mechanism 2, the scattering prevention mechanism 3, the upper surface protection and heating mechanism 4, the processing mechanism 5, the film thickness measurement mechanism 6, and the elevation mechanism 7 are positioned in a predetermined relationship relative to each other, with the base member 17 having higher rigidity than the chamber 11 as the reference.

[0022] 2, the holding and rotation mechanism 2 includes a substrate holding part 2A that holds the substrate S in a substantially horizontal position with the surface of the substrate S facing upward, and a rotation mechanism 2B that synchronously rotates the substrate holding part 2A holding the substrate S and a part of the shatter prevention mechanism 3. Therefore, when the rotation mechanism 2B operates in response to a rotation command from the control unit 10, the substrate S and the rotating cup part 31 of the shatter prevention mechanism 3 are rotated around a rotation axis AX that extends parallel to the vertical direction Z.

[0023] The substrate holding unit 2A is equipped with a spin chuck 21, which is a disk-shaped member smaller than the substrate S. The spin chuck 21 is disposed so that its upper surface is substantially horizontal and its central axis coincides with the rotation axis AX. A cylindrical rotation shaft unit 22 is connected to the lower surface of the spin chuck 21. The rotation shaft unit 22 extends in the vertical direction Z with its axis coincident with the rotation axis AX. A rotation mechanism 2B is connected to the rotation shaft unit 22.

[0024] The rotation mechanism 2B includes a motor 23 that generates a rotational driving force for rotating the substrate holding unit 2A and the rotating cup unit 31 of the shatter prevention mechanism 3, and a power transmission unit 24 that transmits the rotational driving force. The motor 23 has a rotating shaft 231 that rotates in response to the generated rotational driving force, and the rotating shaft 231 is mounted on the base member 17 so that it extends vertically downward. As shown in FIG. 2, the tip of the rotating shaft 231 protrudes downward from the base member 17. The substrate holding unit 2A is also mounted on the base member 17 so that its lower end protrudes downward from the base member 17. A first pulley 241 and a second pulley 242 are attached to the tip of the rotating shaft 231 and the lower end of the substrate holding unit 2A, respectively. An endless belt 243 is stretched between the first pulley 241 and the second pulley 242. As described above, in this embodiment, the first pulley 241, the second pulley 242, and the endless belt 243 form the power transmission unit 24.

[0025] A through-hole (not shown) is provided in the center of the spin chuck 21, and communicates with the internal space of the rotating shaft portion 22. A pump 26 is connected to the internal space via piping 25 equipped with a valve (not shown). The pump 26 and the valve are electrically connected to the control unit 10 and operate in response to commands from the control unit 10. This allows negative pressure and positive pressure to be selectively applied to the spin chuck 21. For example, when the pump 26 applies negative pressure to the spin chuck 21 with the substrate S placed on the upper surface of the spin chuck 21 in a substantially horizontal position, the spin chuck 21 suction-holds the substrate S from below. On the other hand, when the pump 26 applies positive pressure to the spin chuck 21, the substrate S can be removed from the upper surface of the spin chuck 21. When the suction of the pump 26 is stopped, the substrate S can be moved horizontally on the upper surface of the spin chuck 21.

[0026] The rotation mechanism 2B has a power transmission unit 27 (FIG. 2) not only for rotating the spin chuck 21 integrally with the substrate S but also for rotating the rotating cup portion 31 in synchronization with the rotation. As shown in FIG. 2, the power transmission unit 27 has a circular member 27a made of a non-magnetic material or resin, a spin chuck-side magnet 27M built into the circular member, and a cup-side magnet 32M built into a lower cup 32 which is one component of the rotating cup portion 31. The circular member 27a is attached to the rotating shaft portion 22 as shown in FIG. 2 and is rotatable together with the rotating shaft portion 22 around the rotation axis AX.

[0027] A plurality of spin chuck side magnets 27M are arranged radially around the rotation axis AX at equal angular intervals on the outer periphery of the annular member 27a. In this embodiment, one of two adjacent spin chuck side magnets 27M is arranged so that the outer and inner sides thereof are N and S poles, respectively, and the other is arranged so that the outer and inner sides thereof are N and S poles, respectively.

[0028] Similar to these spin chuck-side magnets 27M, multiple cup-side magnets 32M are arranged radially around the rotation axis AX at equal angular intervals. These cup-side magnets 32M are built into the lower cup 32. The lower cup 32 is a component of the anti-scattering mechanism 3, which will be described next, and has an annular shape. That is, the lower cup 32 has an inner peripheral surface that can face the outer peripheral surface of the annular member 27a. The inner diameter of this inner peripheral surface is larger than the outer diameter of the annular member 27a. The lower cup 32 is arranged concentrically with the rotation shaft portion 22 and the annular member 27a, with the inner peripheral surface facing the outer peripheral surface of the annular member 27a at a predetermined distance (= (the inner diameter - the outer diameter) / 2). An engagement pin and a connecting magnet are provided on the upper surface of the outer periphery of the lower cup 32, which connect the upper cup 33 to the lower cup 32, and this connected body functions as the rotation cup portion 31.

[0029] The lower cup 32 is supported on the upper surface of the base member 17 by bearings (not shown) so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis AX while remaining in the above-described arrangement. As described above, the cup-side magnets 32M are arranged radially around the rotation axis AX at equal angular intervals on the inner peripheral edge of the lower cup 32. The arrangement of two adjacent cup-side magnets 32M is also the same as that of the spin chuck-side magnets 27M. That is, one is arranged so that the outer and inner sides are north and south poles, respectively, and the other is arranged so that the outer and inner sides are south and north poles, respectively.

[0030] In the power transmission unit 27 configured as described above, when the motor 23 rotates the circular member 27a together with the rotating shaft 22, the magnetic force between the spin chuck-side magnet 27M and the cup-side magnet 32M causes the lower cup 32 to rotate in the same direction as the circular member 27a while maintaining the air gap (the gap between the circular member 27a and the lower cup 32). This causes the rotating cup unit 31 to rotate around the rotation axis AX. In other words, the rotating cup unit 31 rotates in the same direction as the substrate S and in synchronization with it.

[0031] 4 is a diagram showing a portion of the rotating cup portion and the fixed cup portion. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the anti-scattering mechanism 3 includes a rotating cup portion 31 that can rotate about the rotation axis AX while surrounding the outer periphery of the substrate S held by the spin chuck 21, and a fixed cup portion 34 that is fixedly provided to surround the rotating cup portion 31. The rotating cup portion 31 includes a lower cup 32 and an upper cup 33 disposed above the lower cup 32. The height position of the lower cup 32 is fixed in the vertical direction Z. Meanwhile, the upper cup 33 can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction Z by the lifting mechanism 7. When the upper cup 33 is moved upward by the lifting mechanism 7, a transport space for loading and unloading the substrate S is formed between the upper cup 33 and the lower cup 32 in the vertical direction Z. Meanwhile, when the upper cup 33 is moved downward by the lifting mechanism 7, it is connected to the lower cup 32. As a result, the upper cup 33 and the lower cup 32 are integrated with a gap GP extending horizontally therebetween, and rotate around the rotation axis AX while surrounding the outer periphery of the rotating substrate S.

[0032] 4, in the rotating cup part 31 configured as above, droplets of the processing liquid scattered from the rotating substrate S are collected on the inclined surface 334 of the upper cup 33. The droplets then flow along the inclined surface 334 to the lower end of the upper cup 33, i.e., the lower annular portion 331, and can be discharged to the outside of the rotating cup part 31 through the gap GP.

[0033] The fixed cup portion 34 is disposed to surround the rotating cup portion 31 and forms a discharge space SPe. As shown in FIG. 4, the fixed cup portion 34 has a liquid receiving portion 341 and an exhaust portion 342 disposed inside the liquid receiving portion 341. The liquid receiving portion 341 has a cup structure that opens to face the opening of the gap GP on the side opposite the substrate (the opening on the left side in FIG. 4). In other words, the internal space of the liquid receiving portion 341 functions as the discharge space SPe and is connected to the internal space of the rotating cup portion 31 via the gap GP. Therefore, the liquid droplets collected by the rotating cup portion 31 are guided to the discharge space SPe together with gas components via the gap GP. The liquid droplets are then collected at the bottom of the liquid receiving portion 341 and are discharged from the fixed cup portion 34.

[0034] On the other hand, gas components are collected in the exhaust part 342. This exhaust part 342 is separated from the liquid receiving part 341 by a partition wall 343. In addition, a gas guide part 344 is disposed above the partition wall 343. The gas guide part 344 extends from a position directly above the partition wall 343 into the exhaust space SPe and the inside of the exhaust part 342, thereby covering the partition wall 343 from above and forming a flow path for the gas components having a labyrinth structure. Therefore, the gas components of the fluid that has flowed into the liquid receiving part 341 are exhausted via the flow path. In addition, the fluid that has accumulated in the liquid receiving part 341 is drained.

[0035] FIG. 5 is an external perspective view showing the configuration of the upper surface protection and heating mechanism. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the upper surface protection and heating mechanism shown in FIG. 5. The upper surface protection and heating mechanism 4 includes a shielding plate 41 disposed above the upper surface Sf of the substrate S held by the spin chuck 21. The shielding plate 41 includes a horizontally held circular plate 42. The circular plate 42 incorporates a heater 421. The circular plate 42 has a diameter slightly smaller than that of the substrate S. The circular plate 42 is supported by a support member 43 so that the lower surface of the circular plate 42 covers the surface area of ​​the upper surface Sf of the substrate S from above, excluding the peripheral edge Ss. The reference numeral 44 in FIG. 5 denotes a notch provided in the peripheral edge of the circular plate 42 to prevent interference with the processing liquid discharge nozzle 51F included in the processing mechanism 5 and the film thickness sensor 61 included in the film thickness measurement mechanism 6. The notch 44 opens radially outward.

[0036] The lower end of the support member 43 is attached to the center of the disk portion 42. A cylindrical through-hole is formed so as to penetrate the support member 43 and the disk portion 42 from top to bottom. A central nozzle 45 is inserted vertically into the through-hole. As shown in FIG. 2, the central nozzle 45 is connected to a nitrogen gas supply unit 47 via piping 46. The nitrogen gas supply unit 47 heats room-temperature nitrogen gas supplied from the utility power of the factory in which the substrate processing system 100 is installed, and supplies the heated gas to the substrate processing unit SP at a flow rate and timing according to a heated gas supply command from the control unit 10.

[0037] The heated nitrogen gas (hereinafter referred to as "heated gas") is pressure-fed toward the central nozzle 45 and discharged from the central nozzle 45. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, when the heated gas is supplied while the disk portion 42 is positioned at a processing position adjacent to the substrate S held by the spin chuck 21, the heated gas flows from the center toward the periphery of the space SPa sandwiched between the upper surface Sf of the substrate S and the disk portion 42 incorporating the heater. This prevents the atmosphere around the substrate S from entering the upper surface Sf of the substrate S. As a result, it is possible to effectively prevent droplets contained in the atmosphere from being drawn into the space SPa sandwiched between the substrate S and the disk portion 42. Furthermore, the upper surface Sf is entirely heated by the heating from the heater 421 and the heated gas, thereby making the in-plane temperature of the substrate S uniform. This prevents the substrate S from warping and stabilizes the supply position of the processing liquid.

[0038] Returning to FIG. 2, the lifting mechanism 7 will be described. The lifting mechanism 7 is connected to the upper end of the support member 43, the upper cup 33, and a nozzle holder, which will be described later. Therefore, in response to a command from the control unit 10, the lifting mechanism 7 raises and lowers the disk portion 42 of the upper surface protection and heating mechanism 4 between the processing position (FIG. 2) and a spaced position spaced above the processing position. Simultaneously with the raising and lowering of the upper surface protection and heating mechanism 4, the upper cup 33 also raises and lowers. For example, in FIG. 2, the upper surface protection and heating mechanism 4 is lowered, positioning the disk portion 42 at the processing position. At the same time, the upper cup 33 lowers and connects to the lower cup 32. Meanwhile, when the lifting mechanism 7 receives a lift command from the control unit 10 and raises the upper surface protection and heating mechanism 4 and the upper cup 33, the disk portion 42 moves upward away from the substrate S, and the upper cup 33 also moves upward, separating from the lower cup 32. This widens the gap between the spin chuck 21 and the upper cup 33 and the disk portion 42, making it possible to load and unload the substrate S onto and from the spin chuck 21.

[0039] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the processing mechanism 5 has a processing liquid discharge nozzle 51F (FIG. 3) disposed on the upper surface side of the substrate S, and a processing liquid supply unit 52 that supplies the processing liquid to the processing liquid discharge nozzle 51F. In this embodiment, one processing liquid discharge nozzle 51F is provided, but the number of processing liquid discharge nozzles 51F is not limited to this and can be any number. For example, three processing liquid discharge nozzles 51F may be provided, and the processing liquid supply unit 52 may be configured to supply chemical solutions such as SC1 and DHF or functional water (CO2 water, etc.) as the processing liquid. In this case, SC1, DHF, and functional water can be discharged independently from the three processing liquid discharge nozzles 51F.

[0040] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of the processing mechanism and film thickness measurement mechanism. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the supply position where the processing liquid is supplied from the processing liquid discharge nozzle to the substrate and the state of liquid film formation in the vicinity thereof. The configurations of the processing mechanism 5 and film thickness measurement mechanism 6 will be described below with reference to Figs. 2, 3, 7, and 8.

[0041] In the processing mechanism 5, a processing liquid discharge nozzle 51F is held by a nozzle holder 53 with its lower portion disposed in the notch 44 of the disk portion 42 and its discharge port 511 provided on the lower surface of the tip thereof facing the peripheral portion Ss of the upper surface Sf of the substrate S. More specifically, the processing liquid discharge nozzle 51F is tilted by an elevation angle φ and a swivel angle θ, and supplies the processing liquid to the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S from obliquely above. This position of the processing liquid corresponds to the "supply position" of the present invention and will be referred to as the "supply position P1" hereinafter. Here, the elevation angle φ refers to the angle that the liquid column LC of the processing liquid discharged from the discharge port 511 makes with respect to the upper surface Sf of the substrate S in a plane including the liquid column LC and the vertical direction Z, as shown in the upper right diagram of FIG. 8 . Furthermore, the rotation angle θ means the angle formed by the liquid column LC of the processing liquid discharged from the processing liquid discharge nozzle 51F and an imaginary line (dashed line in the figure) extending from the center of rotation (rotation axis AX) of the substrate S to the supply position P1 when the supply position P1 is viewed from vertically above, as shown in the lower right diagram of Figure 8.

[0042] A nozzle attitude adjustment unit 55 is connected to the nozzle holder 53. Therefore, the attitude of the treatment liquid discharge nozzle 51F can be controlled by moving the nozzle holder 53 at a rotation angle θ in the range of 40° to 65° in response to an attitude command from the control unit 10. The discharge direction DD1 of the treatment liquid is adjusted by controlling the nozzle attitude in this manner. Note that the specific purpose of adjusting the discharge direction DD1 of the treatment liquid in this embodiment is to adjust the thickness of the liquid film formed at the supply position P1 by the supply of the treatment liquid and to suppress splashing of the treatment liquid. This point will be described in detail later.

[0043] Furthermore, a nozzle moving unit 54 is further connected to the nozzle holder 53. In response to a nozzle movement command from the control unit 10, the nozzle moving unit 54 moves the nozzle holder 53 in the radial direction D1 of the substrate S. This makes it possible to displace the supply position P1 in the radial direction D1.

[0044] As described above, the processing liquid discharge nozzle 51F is connected to the processing liquid supply unit 52, and supplies the processing liquid sent from the processing liquid supply unit 52 to the supply position P1. Then, at the supply position P1, the processing liquid that has landed on the peripheral surface of the substrate S flows in the rotation direction R of the substrate S, forming a liquid film LF. The film thickness of this liquid film LF (hereinafter referred to as the "liquid film thickness") is closely related to the splashing of the processing liquid, as will be described in detail later. Therefore, in this embodiment, a film thickness measurement mechanism 6 is provided to measure the liquid film thickness LT1 at the supply position P1.

[0045] The film thickness measurement mechanism 6 includes a film thickness sensor 61, a sensor three-dimensional movement unit 62, and a measurement base unit 63. As shown in FIG. 7, the measurement base unit 63 is fixedly disposed above the supply position P1 and spaced apart from the processing liquid discharge nozzle 51F in the radial direction D1. The sensor three-dimensional movement unit 62 is attached to the upper surface of the measurement base unit 63. The sensor three-dimensional movement unit 62 includes a bracket 621 that supports the film thickness sensor 61 while positioning it directly above the supply position P1. By moving the bracket 621 three-dimensionally, the film thickness sensor 61 can be positioned at a suitable position for measuring the liquid film thickness LT1. Note that a conventionally known configuration can be used for moving the bracket 621 three-dimensionally. Therefore, a description of the configuration of the sensor three-dimensional movement unit 62 is omitted here.

[0046] In this embodiment, a spectral interference displacement type film thickness measuring device is used as the film thickness sensor 61. That is, the film thickness measuring mechanism 6 measures the distance from the film thickness sensor 61 to the liquid film LF and the peripheral edge Ss of the substrate S, and determines the liquid film thickness LT1 by internally calculating these measured values. The liquid film thickness LT1 measured in this manner is sent to the control unit 10.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 10 includes a processor 10A, a memory 10B, a reader 10C, a drive controller 10D, a display 10E (e.g., a display), and an input unit 10F (e.g., a keyboard and a mouse). The memory 10B is configured with a hard disk drive or the like and stores a program for executing bevel processing using the substrate processing apparatus 1. The program is stored, for example, in a computer-readable recording medium (e.g., an optical disk, a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, etc.), read from the recording medium by the reader 10C, and stored in the memory 10B. The program may not be provided from a recording medium; for example, the program may be provided via a telecommunications line. The drive controller 10D controls each drive unit of the substrate processing apparatus 1. The display 10E displays various information, and the input unit 10F accepts input from an operator.

[0048] The arithmetic processing unit 10A includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The system is configured with a computer having a memory (access memory) and the like, and controls each part of the substrate processing apparatus 1 as follows according to a program stored in the memory unit 10B to perform bevel processing. In this embodiment, the same steps as those in the substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 are performed, except that the liquid film thickness LT1 at the supply position P1 is constantly measured in situ during discharging, and the discharge flow rate of the processing liquid from the discharge port 511 is adjusted. Therefore, the same steps will be explained briefly, while the differences will be explained in detail.

[0049] The processor 10A requests the substrate transfer robot 111 to load the substrate S. In response, the substrate S is placed on the spin chuck 21. After the substrate transfer robot 111 retreats from the substrate processing apparatus 1, the spin chuck 21 suction-holds the substrate S from below. The processor 10A then lowers the upper surface protection and heating mechanism 4 and the nozzle holder 53. This positions the disk 42 at the processing position, and simultaneously connects the upper cup 33 to the lower cup 32. The lower surface of the disk 42 covers the upper surface Sf of the substrate S from above, excluding the notch 44. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the processing liquid discharge nozzle 51F is positioned within the notch 44 of the disk 42 with the discharge port 511 facing the supply position P1. When preparations for supplying the processing liquid to the substrate S are thus completed, the processor 10A issues a rotation command to the motor 23, causing the spin chuck 21 and the rotating cup 31 holding the substrate S to start rotating.

[0050] Next, the arithmetic processing unit 10A discharges heated nitrogen gas, i.e., heated gas, from the central nozzle 45 toward the space SPa (FIGS. 4 and 6) sandwiched between the substrate S and the disk unit 42. As a result, the entire upper surface Sf of the substrate S is heated. The substrate S is also heated by the heater 421. Subsequently, the arithmetic processing unit 10A controls the processing liquid supply unit 52 to supply the processing liquid to the processing liquid discharge nozzle 51F. As a result, a liquid column LC (FIG. 8) of the processing liquid is discharged from the processing liquid discharge nozzle 51F toward the supply position P1 so as to hit the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the substrate S.

[0051] Here, liquid splashing sometimes occurred at the supply position P1. Therefore, the inventors of the present application observed the behavior of liquid splashing while changing the discharge flow rate of the treatment liquid and the attitude of the treatment liquid discharge nozzle 51F.

[0052] In the verification of the discharge flow rate, the rotation speed of the substrate S was set to 1500 rpm, and the rotation angle of the processing liquid discharge nozzle 51F was fixed at 65°. The frequency of liquid splashes was counted under two conditions: a discharge flow rate of 6 mL / min and a discharge flow rate of 12 mL / min. As a result, the number of times liquid splashes occurred during 500 rotations of the substrate S was 116 (probability of occurrence 23%) at a discharge flow rate of 12 mL / min, and 500 (probability of occurrence 100%) at a discharge flow rate of 6 mL / min. In addition, the observation image at the supply position P1 revealed that the liquid film width (symbol LW in Figure 8) varied depending on the discharge flow rate.

[0053] In the above verification, the same processing liquid discharge nozzle 51F was used to adjust the flow rate (amount of processing liquid discharged per unit time), so the flow rate decreased at a low flow rate (6 mL / min). Therefore, the liquid film width LW narrowed due to the low flow rate. In addition, the low flow rate made it easier for the processing liquid to stagnate on the upper surface Sf of the substrate S. These factors likely led to a thicker liquid film thickness LT1, which caused liquid splashing, especially when the notch of the substrate S moved to the supply position P1. In contrast, at a high flow rate (12 mL / min), the liquid film thickness LT1 decreased, which reduced the frequency of liquid splashing. When the liquid film thickness LT1 was actually measured using the film thickness measurement mechanism 6 during the above verification, the measurement results shown in FIG. 9 were obtained.

[0054] 9 is a graph showing the measurement results of the liquid film thickness at the supply position at low and high flow rates. The graph shows the measurement results of the film thickness sensor 61 for a period of 10 seconds after the start of discharge of the treatment liquid and before the end of discharge, i.e., a period when the discharge status of the treatment liquid has stabilized. As can be seen from this graph, reducing the liquid film thickness LT1 makes it possible to effectively suppress liquid splashing.

[0055] In the verification of the nozzle attitude, the rotation speed of the substrate S was set to 1500 rpm, the discharge flow rate of the processing liquid was fixed at 12 mL / min, and the rotation angle θ was set to 65° and 40° by the nozzle attitude adjustment unit 55. The frequency of occurrence of liquid splashing was verified under two conditions, and the liquid film thickness LT1 was measured by the film thickness sensor 61. As a result, the measurement results shown in Fig. 10 were obtained.

[0056] 10 is a graph showing the measurement results of the liquid film thickness at the supply position as a function of the rotation angle of the processing liquid discharge nozzle. As shown in the graph, by changing the rotation angle from 65° to 40°, the liquid film thickness LT1 can be further reduced. As a result, not only is the thinning effect achieved by increasing the discharge flow rate from the processing liquid discharge nozzle 51F achieved, but the thinning effect achieved by the nozzle position is also achieved, making it possible to more effectively suppress liquid splashing.

[0057] Based on the above considerations, in this embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is equipped with a film thickness measurement mechanism 6. The arithmetic processing unit 10A of the control unit 10 adjusts the discharge flow rate and the nozzle attitude based on the measurement results of the liquid film thickness LT1 by the film thickness sensor 61 while performing bevel processing using the processing liquid. That is, in accordance with the measurement results, the arithmetic processing unit 10A controls the processing liquid supply unit 52 to adjust the discharge flow rate and controls the nozzle attitude adjustment unit 55 to adjust the swirl angle θ. This makes it possible to optimize the liquid film thickness LT1, prevent liquid splashing, and reduce particle generation.

[0058] When the beveling process using the processing liquid is thus completed, the arithmetic processing unit 10A stops the discharge of the processing liquid, stops the supply of nitrogen gas, and stops the rotation of the spin chuck 21 and the rotating cup unit 31.

[0059] Thereafter, the arithmetic processing unit 10A requests the substrate transport robot 111 to unload the substrate S, and the processed substrate S is carried out from the substrate processing apparatus 1.

[0060] As described above, the liquid film thickness LT1 at the supply position P1 is measured in situ during the discharge of the processing liquid, and the discharge flow rate and nozzle attitude are adjusted based on the measurement results so that the liquid film thickness LT1 does not exceed a predetermined value (for example, 10 μm). As a result, it is possible to effectively suppress liquid splashing at the supply position P1 and reduce particle generation.

[0061] As described above, in the first embodiment, the liquid film thickness LT1 at the supply position P1 corresponds to an example of the "liquid film thickness" of the present invention. The film thickness measurement mechanism 6 corresponds to an example of the "film thickness information acquisition unit" of the present invention, and the measurement result of the liquid film thickness LT1 by the film thickness sensor 61 corresponds to an example of the "film thickness information" of the present invention. The rotation mechanism 2B corresponds to an example of the "rotation unit" of the present invention. The processing liquid discharge nozzle 51F corresponds to an example of the "nozzle" of the present invention. The control unit 10 corresponds to an example of the "control unit" of the present invention.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the film thickness sensor 61 measures the liquid film thickness LT1 at the supply position P1, but instead of measuring the liquid film thickness at the supply position P1, the liquid film thickness may be measured near the downstream side of the supply position P1 in the rotation direction R of the substrate S, i.e., at a supply vicinity position P2, as shown in Fig. 8. Here, the near downstream side means a range within 6.5 mm from the supply position P1, for example.

[0063] In the above embodiment, both the discharge flow rate adjustment and the nozzle attitude adjustment are performed during the discharge of the processing liquid, but the timing of the discharge flow rate adjustment and the nozzle attitude adjustment is arbitrary. For example, it is also possible to configure the system so that only the discharge flow rate adjustment is performed during the discharge of the processing liquid, and the nozzle attitude adjustment is performed after the processing of one substrate is completed.

[0064] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, both the discharge flow rate adjustment and the nozzle attitude adjustment are performed as the means for controlling the liquid film thickness LT1, but it may be configured to perform only one of them.

[0065] In the above embodiment, one film thickness sensor 61 is provided, but multiple film thickness sensors may be provided to improve measurement accuracy. For example, in the substrate processing apparatus 1 shown in Fig. 8, only the liquid film thickness LT1 at the supply position P1 is measured, but it may also be configured as shown in (a) of Fig. 11 (second embodiment).

[0066] 11 shows a part of a second embodiment and a third embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. In this second embodiment, it is possible to measure the liquid film thickness at a distant position P3 away from the supply position P1 and the supply vicinity position P2. Here, it is desirable to set the distance from the supply position P1 or the supply vicinity position P2 to the distant position P3 to, for example, 40 mm or less.

[0067] In addition, in the second embodiment described above, two film thickness sensors 61 are always equipped in the substrate processing apparatus 1, but two film thickness sensors 61 may be used during the assembly and adjustment stage of the substrate processing apparatus 1, and after the assembly and adjustment is completed, bevel processing may be performed using the film thickness sensor 61 at the separated position P3 (third embodiment).

[0068] In this third embodiment, a film thickness sensor for measuring a liquid film thickness LT1 at the supply position P1 (or the supply-proximal position P2) is detachably provided in the substrate processing apparatus 1, and a film thickness sensor for measuring a liquid film thickness LT3 at the spaced position P3 is fixedly provided. Then, in the assembly and adjustment stage, after the film thickness sensor for the supply position P1 is attached to the substrate processing apparatus 1, a correlation is determined between the measurement results measured by both film thickness sensors while a test substrate is rotated and a processing liquid is supplied to the substrate under various processing conditions. For the correlation, for example, as shown in FIG. 11(b), the measurement results (liquid film thickness LT1) by the film thickness sensor for the supply position P1 and the measurement results (liquid film thickness LT3) by the film thickness sensor for the spaced position P3 may be stored in the memory unit 10B in a table format for each type of processing liquid. Furthermore, a function indicating the correlation between the liquid film thicknesses LT1 and LT3 may be derived from these and stored in the memory unit 10B.

[0069] Once the assembly and adjustment stage, including the derivation and storage of the correlation, is completed, the film thickness sensor for supply position P1 is removed from the substrate processing apparatus 1. When actually performing bevel processing, the arithmetic processing unit 10A of the control unit 10 determines the liquid film thickness LT1 at supply position P1 by comparing the liquid film thickness LT3 measured in situ by the film thickness sensor for separation position P3 during the discharge of the processing liquid with the correlation. Furthermore, based on the liquid film thickness, the arithmetic processing unit 10A adjusts the discharge flow rate and the nozzle attitude so that the liquid film thickness LT1 at supply position P1 does not exceed a predetermined threshold value (e.g., 10 μm). As a result, even in the third embodiment, liquid splashing at supply position P1 can be effectively suppressed, and particle generation can be reduced.

[0070] Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the liquid film thickness at the supply position P1 (corresponding to an example of "film thickness information" in the present invention) is derived from the liquid film thickness at the separation position P3, which provides the following advantageous effects. In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the components of the film thickness measurement mechanism 6 must be located in close proximity to the supply position P1. Of course, the components of the film thickness measurement mechanism 6 must be located while avoiding interference with the anti-scattering mechanism 3, the upper surface protection and heating mechanism 4, the processing mechanism 5, and the like. This may significantly limit the design of the film thickness measurement mechanism 6 or may make it practically difficult to install a film thickness sensor 61 or the like at the supply position P1. In contrast, in the third embodiment, it is sufficient to temporarily install a film thickness sensor for the supply position P1 during the assembly and adjustment stage, and the film thickness sensor for the separation position P3 is optional. Therefore, compared to the first embodiment, the advantageous effect of increasing the design freedom of the film thickness measurement mechanism 6 is achieved.

[0071] 12 is a diagram showing a portion of a fourth embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. This fourth embodiment differs significantly from the first embodiment in that, instead of adjusting the discharge flow rate and nozzle attitude in situ during the discharge of the processing liquid, the discharge flow rate and nozzle attitude are adjusted by selecting a recipe. In other words, in the fourth embodiment, as in the third embodiment, a film thickness sensor for supply position P1 is temporarily attached during the assembly and adjustment stage, and the processing liquid is supplied to supply position P1 according to various preset recipes. The liquid film thickness LT1 at supply position P1 measured by the film thickness sensor is stored in a table format in memory unit 10B in association with the recipe.

[0072] Once the assembly and adjustment stage is complete, the film thickness sensor for the supply position P1 is removed from the substrate processing apparatus 1. In other words, no film thickness sensor is installed when the actual bevel processing is performed. Therefore, the arithmetic processing unit 10A of the control unit 10 displays a group of recipes, including the liquid film thickness at the supply position, on the display unit 10E to prompt the operator to select a recipe. The bevel processing is then performed using the recipe selected by the operator. In other words, in the fourth embodiment, the liquid film thickness included in the recipe corresponds to an example of the “film thickness information” of the present invention. By selecting a recipe with reference to the liquid film thickness included in the recipe, the discharge flow rate adjustment and nozzle attitude adjustment have already been performed in advance. Therefore, as in the first embodiment, liquid splashing at the supply position P1 can be effectively suppressed, and particle generation can be reduced.

[0073] Furthermore, according to the fourth embodiment, the film thickness measurement mechanism 6 functions as an assembly adjustment part, and there is no need to incorporate the film thickness measurement mechanism 6 as a part constituting the substrate processing apparatus 1. Therefore, the product cost can be kept lower than in the first to third embodiments.

[0074] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications other than those described above are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, a spectral interference displacement type film thickness sensor is used as the film thickness sensor 61 for measuring the liquid film thickness, but the present invention is not limited to this, and other types of film thickness measuring devices can be used.

[0075] Furthermore, in the second and third embodiments, the same film thickness sensor is used for the supply position P1 and the separation position P3, but different sensors may be used. [Industrial Applicability]

[0076] The present invention can be applied to any substrate processing technology in which a processing liquid is supplied to the peripheral edge of a rotating substrate for processing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 1...Substrate processing equipment 2A...Board holding part 2B...Rotation mechanism (rotating part) 6...Film thickness measurement mechanism (film thickness information acquisition unit) 10...Control unit (control section) 10A...Calculation processing unit (control unit) 51F...(processing liquid discharge) nozzle 52... Processing liquid supply unit 55...Nozzle position adjustment unit 61...Film thickness sensor (film thickness information acquisition unit) AX...rotation axis DD1…Discharge direction LF…Liquid film LT1: Liquid film thickness (thickness of the liquid film at the supply position) LT3: Liquid film thickness (thickness of the liquid film at the separation position) P1…Supply position P2: Supply vicinity position P3…Separated position R...Rotation direction S...Substrate SP: Substrate processing section Sf...(substrate) top surface Ss...periphery (of the substrate) θ…Turning angle

Claims

1. (a) rotating the substrate around a rotation axis in a horizontal position; (b) supplying a processing liquid from a nozzle to the peripheral edge of the rotating substrate; (c) acquiring film thickness information relating to the thickness of a liquid film formed on the peripheral portion of the substrate at a supply position where the processing liquid is supplied, a substrate processing method characterized in that in the step (b), at least one of the flow rate of the processing liquid from the nozzle and the attitude of the nozzle is controlled based on the film thickness information so that the thickness of the liquid film at the supply position does not exceed a predetermined threshold value.

2. 2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, When the vicinity of the downstream side of the supply position in the rotation direction of the substrate is defined as a supply vicinity position, The substrate processing method includes a step (c) of measuring, in parallel with the step (b), a thickness of the liquid film at the supply position or a position near the supply position as the film thickness information.

3. 2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, When the vicinity of the downstream side of the supply position in the rotation direction of the substrate is defined as a supply vicinity position, Step (c) (c-1) a step of previously obtaining a correlation between a thickness of the liquid film formed at the supply position or the supply vicinity position and a thickness of the liquid film formed on the peripheral portion of the substrate at a position spaced apart from both the supply position and the supply vicinity position; (c-2) measuring the thickness of the liquid film at the separated position in parallel with the step (b); (c-3) determining, as the film thickness information, the thickness of the liquid film at the supply position derived from the measurement result at the separated position and the correlation; A substrate processing method comprising:

4. 2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, Step (c) (c-4) a step of acquiring in advance a correlation between a recipe for executing the step (b) and a thickness of the liquid film formed at the supply position when the step (b) is executed using the recipe; (c-5) reading out the thickness of the liquid film at the supply position derived from the recipe corresponding to the step (b) and the correlation as the film thickness information; A substrate processing method comprising:

5. 5. The substrate processing method according to claim 4, The method for processing a substrate, wherein the recipe includes a flow rate of the processing liquid from the nozzle.

6. 6. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, further comprising: In the step (b), the amount of the processing liquid discharged from the nozzle per unit time is controlled as the flow rate.

7. 6. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, further comprising: When the angle formed by the processing liquid discharged from the nozzle as viewed vertically from above and an imaginary line extending from the rotation center of the substrate to the supply position is defined as a rotation angle, The substrate processing method, wherein the step (b) is a step of controlling the attitude by adjusting the rotation angle.

8. a substrate holder that holds the substrate in a horizontal position so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis; a rotation unit that rotates the substrate holding unit around the rotation axis; a processing liquid supply unit that supplies a processing liquid from a nozzle to a peripheral edge of the rotating substrate; a film thickness information acquiring unit that acquires film thickness information related to the thickness of a liquid film formed on the peripheral portion of the substrate at a supply position where the processing liquid is supplied; a control unit that controls the processing liquid supply unit based on the film thickness information to adjust the flow rate of the processing liquid from the nozzle so that the thickness of the liquid film does not exceed a predetermined threshold; A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

9. a substrate holder that holds the substrate in a horizontal position so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis; a rotation unit that rotates the substrate holding unit around the rotation axis; a processing liquid supply unit that supplies a processing liquid from a nozzle to a peripheral edge of the rotating substrate; a nozzle attitude adjustment unit that adjusts the attitude of the nozzle; a film thickness information acquiring unit that acquires film thickness information related to the thickness of a liquid film formed on the peripheral portion of the substrate at a supply position where the processing liquid is supplied; a control unit that controls the nozzle attitude adjustment unit based on the film thickness information to adjust the attitude of the nozzle so that the thickness of the liquid film does not exceed a predetermined threshold; A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

10. 10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, When the vicinity of the downstream side of the supply position in the rotation direction of the substrate is defined as a supply vicinity position, The film thickness information acquisition unit includes a film thickness sensor that measures the thickness of the liquid film formed at the supply position or a position near the supply position as the film thickness information.

Images