Substrate processing equipment

Abstract

This reduces uneven cleaning on the substrate surface and ensures accurate cleaning of the substrate surface. [Solution] The substrate processing apparatus (100) is a substrate processing apparatus that applies ultrasonic vibrations to a substrate (W) while immersing the substrate (W) in a processing liquid, and is provided near the surface of the processing liquid stored in the processing tank (10), with an ultrasonic reflector (50) having an uneven shape that diffusely reflects the ultrasonic vibrations applied from the ultrasonic vibration applying unit (40) toward an upper position on the substrate support unit (22).

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus for cleaning various substrates such as semiconductor wafers, glass substrates for liquid crystal display devices (LCDs), glass substrates for plasma display panels (PDPs), glass / ceramic substrates for magnetic / optical disks, and substrates for electronic devices, by immersing the substrates in a cleaning liquid and irradiating ultrasonic waves from the bottom side of a processing tank to the substrates.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an ultrasonic cleaning method using ultrasonic waves has been used for cleaning substrates such as semiconductor wafers and glass substrates for LCDs. In a batch-type substrate cleaning apparatus using this ultrasonic cleaning method, the substrate is held by a substrate holder and fixed in a processing tank, and while supplying a cleaning liquid into the processing tank, ultrasonic waves are irradiated from an ultrasonic vibrator installed on the outer surface side of the bottom of the processing tank into the processing tank, and dirt such as particles, organic substances, and impurities adhering to the surface of the substrate is removed by the physical energy of the ultrasonic waves transmitted in the cleaning liquid in the processing tank.

[0003] And in such a substrate cleaning apparatus using ultrasonic waves, since the propagation straightness of the ultrasonic waves is very high, the propagation of the ultrasonic waves is obstructed by the substrate holder, so uneven cleaning may occur on the surface of the semiconductor wafer. In order to eliminate such cleaning unevenness, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique of providing an ultrasonic reflector inclined above the semiconductor wafer.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, since the ultrasonic reflector described in Patent Document 1 basically reflects ultrasonic waves specularly, the reflection direction is fixed with respect to the incident direction of the ultrasonic waves. Therefore, considering that the frequency / output of the ultrasonic waves or the size of the substrate may vary, the possibility of uneven cleaning on the substrate surface is not sufficiently reduced.

[0006] This disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus that reduces uneven cleaning on the surface of a substrate and accurately cleans the surface of the substrate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, a substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a substrate processing apparatus that applies ultrasonic vibration to a substrate while immersing the substrate in a processing liquid, comprising: a processing tank for storing the processing liquid; a substrate support part for supporting the substrate from below inside the processing tank; a nozzle for supplying the processing liquid into the processing tank; and an ultrasonic vibration applying part for applying ultrasonic vibration from a position below the processing tank toward the inside of the processing tank, wherein an ultrasonic reflector plate having an uneven reflective surface that diffusely reflects the ultrasonic vibration applied from the ultrasonic vibration applying part toward a position above the substrate support part is provided near the liquid surface of the processing liquid stored in the processing tank.

[0008] Furthermore, in a substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure, when the substrate processing apparatus is viewed from above, the area of ​​the region where the uneven shape of the reflective surface is formed may be larger than the area of ​​the region in which the substrate is immersed.

[0009] Furthermore, in a substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the ultrasonic reflector may be provided on the surface of the opening / closing lid provided on the upper part of the processing tank that is in contact with the liquid surface of the processing liquid.

[0010] Furthermore, in a substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure, a back plate is provided which extends vertically from the substrate support and is connected to a first lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the substrate support, and the ultrasonic reflector is pivotally fixed to the back plate so as to rotate between a first state in which it is aligned with the back plate and a second state in which it is in contact with the surface of the processing liquid.

[0011] Furthermore, in a substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure, a second lifting mechanism is provided which moves up and down between a position above the processing tank and a position inside the processing tank, and the ultrasonic reflector may be provided on the second lifting mechanism.

[0012] Furthermore, in a substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of this disclosure, particles may be removed from the surface of the substrate by ultrasonic vibration. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to one aspect of this disclosure, it is possible to reduce uneven cleaning on the surface of the substrate and to accurately clean the surface of the substrate. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] This is a schematic perspective view showing the vertical movement of the lifter. [Figure 4] This is a schematic perspective view of a pair of opening and closing lids, seen from below. [Figure 5] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of the uneven surface of the ultrasonic reflector. [Figure 6] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the uneven surface of an ultrasonic reflector. [Figure 7] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of the substrate processing apparatus according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 8] This is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of an ultrasonic reflector. [Figure 9] It is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 10] It is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to Embodiment 3.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] 〔Embodiment 1〕 Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail. In this specification, the vertical direction corresponds to the perpendicular direction.

[0016] 〔Outline of Substrate Processing Apparatus〕 Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, the schematic configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 100 will be described. FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic cross-sectional views showing the schematic configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 100. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing the vertical movement of the lifter 20. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a pair of opening / closing lids 12 viewed from below. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of the concavo-convex portion 52 of the ultrasonic reflector 50.

[0017] The substrate processing apparatus 100 is an apparatus for cleaning the surface of the substrate W by applying ultrasonic vibration to the substrate W. The substrate W is, for example, a semiconductor substrate such as a silicon wafer. The substrate processing apparatus 100 applies ultrasonic vibration to the substrate W while immersing the substrate W in the processing liquid. The substrate processing apparatus 100 is a batch-type apparatus capable of cleaning a plurality of substrates W and is controlled by a control apparatus not shown. The substrate processing apparatus 100 may be, for example, an apparatus for removing particles from the surface of the substrate W by ultrasonic vibration. As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 100 includes a processing tank 10, a lifter 20, a nozzle 30, an ultrasonic vibration applying unit 40, and an ultrasonic reflector 50.

[0018] The processing tank 10 stores the processing liquid. The processing tank 10 stores the processing liquid supplied from the nozzle 30. The processing tank 10 has an opening 11 at the upper part. The liquid level of the processing liquid stored in the processing tank 10 is located in the vicinity of the opening 11.

[0019] ​A pair of open / close lids 12 are provided at the top of the processing tank 10. The pair of open / close lids 12 open and close the opening 11. The pair of open / close lids 12 are movable between a closed position P1, which closes the opening 11 shown in Figure 1, and an open position P2, which opens the opening 11, as shown in Figure 2. When processing is performed on the substrate W by the substrate processing apparatus 100, the pair of open / close lids 12 are in the closed position P1. When the substrate W is immersed in the processing liquid of the processing tank 10, or when the substrate W is removed from the processing liquid of the processing tank 10, the pair of open / close lids 12 are in the open position P2. Note that the open / close lids 12 are not limited to a pair and may be made of a single component.

[0020] As shown in Figure 1, the substrate processing apparatus 100 may include an outer tank 15. The outer tank 15 stores the processing liquid that overflows from the processing tank 10. The processing liquid stored in the outer tank 15 is drained to the outside of the substrate processing apparatus 100 by a drainage unit (not shown). Alternatively, the substrate processing apparatus 100 may be configured such that the outer tank 15 and the processing tank 10 are connected by a circulation pipe (not shown), and the processing liquid is circulated between the outer tank 15 and the processing tank 10 through this circulation pipe.

[0021] The lifter 20 is a mechanism for raising and lowering the substrate W relative to the processing tank 10. The lifter 20 is an example of a first lifting mechanism. The lifter 20 comprises a back plate 21 and a substrate support portion 22. The back plate 21 is connected to the lifter 20, which raises and lowers the substrate support portion 22. The back plate 21 is a member that extends vertically from the substrate support portion 22. That is, the substrate support portion 22 is attached to the lower part of the back plate 21.

[0022] The substrate support portion 22 is a member that supports the substrate W from below inside the processing tank 10. The substrate support portion 22 extends in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the back plate 21. Multiple grooves are formed in the substrate support portion 22, arranged regularly in the extending direction of the substrate support portion 22. By fitting the substrate W into the grooves of the substrate support portion 22, the substrate support portion 22 supports the substrate W from below. The substrate support portion 22 can support multiple substrates W. However, the substrate support portion 22 may be configured to support only one substrate W.

[0023] When a driving force is applied to the lifter 20 from a drive unit (not shown), it moves the back plate 21, which is connected to its mechanism, in the vertical direction. This causes the substrate support unit 22 to move up and down. As shown in Figure 3, the lifter 20 is movable between the immersion position P3 and the removal position P4. The immersion position P3 is the position in which the substrate W supported by the substrate support unit 22 is immersed in the processing liquid of the processing tank 10. The immersion position P3 is the position in which the substrate support unit 22 is lowered to its lowest position. The removal position P4 is the position in which the substrate W supported by the substrate support unit 22 is removed from the processing tank 10 and is located above the immersion position P3.

[0024] The nozzles 30 supply the processing liquid to the inside of the processing tank 10. Multiple nozzles 30 are provided at the bottom of the processing tank 10. Note that there may be only one nozzle 30. The processing liquid is supplied to the nozzles 30 from a processing liquid supply unit (not shown). The processing liquid supplied from the nozzles 30 is not particularly limited, but includes chemicals and pure water. Chemicals used for cleaning the substrate W include, for example, ammonia hydrogen peroxide solution (SC-1), hydrochloric acid hydrogen peroxide solution (SC-2), hydrogen fluoride (HF), isopropyl alcohol (IPA), and tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH).

[0025] The ultrasonic vibration application unit 40 applies ultrasonic vibrations from a position below the processing tank 10 toward the inside of the processing tank 10. The ultrasonic vibration application unit 40 is located outside the processing tank 10 and below the processing tank 10. The ultrasonic vibration application unit 40 includes a propagation tank 41 and an ultrasonic transducer 42.

[0026] The propagation tank 41 stores the propagation liquid supplied from a propagation liquid supply unit (not shown). The propagation liquid includes, for example, pure water. The propagation tank 41 is positioned to surround the lower part of the treatment tank 10. The lower part of the treatment tank 10 is located inside the propagation tank 41 and is immersed in the propagation liquid.

[0027] The ultrasonic transducer 42 generates ultrasonic vibrations from its vibration-generating surface 43. The vibration-generating surface 43 is the surface of the ultrasonic transducer 42 that faces upward. The ultrasonic transducer 42 is located inside the propagation tank 41 and is immersed in the propagation liquid. The vibration-generating surface 43 faces the bottom of the processing tank 10. The ultrasonic vibration application unit 40 applies ultrasonic vibrations to the substrate W from the bottom side of the processing tank 10 by driving the ultrasonic transducer 42. The ultrasonic vibrations generated from the vibration-generating surface 43 propagate from the propagation liquid in the propagation tank 41 to the processing liquid inside the processing tank 10.

[0028] More specifically, when the ultrasonic transducer 42 is driven, ultrasonic waves generated from the vibration generating surface 43 are irradiated from the bottom of the processing tank 10 toward the pair of opening / closing lids 12 located in the closed position P1. That is, the ultrasonic waves generated from the vibration generating surface 43 are irradiated perpendicular to the liquid surface of the processing liquid stored in the processing tank 10. By irradiating ultrasonic waves toward the inside of the processing tank 10, ultrasonic vibrations are applied to the inside of the processing tank 10. The ultrasonic transducer 42 generates ultrasonic waves with a frequency of 500 kHz or higher, for example. The ultrasonic transducer 42 may also be configured to be located at the bottom inside the processing tank 10.

[0029] The ultrasonic reflector 50 reflects ultrasonic vibrations applied from the ultrasonic vibration application unit 40. The ultrasonic reflector 50 has a reflective surface 51 that reflects ultrasonic vibrations. The ultrasonic reflector 50 reflects ultrasonic vibrations that propagate through the processing liquid in the processing tank 10 from bottom to top. In this embodiment, the ultrasonic reflector 50 is provided at the bottom of a pair of opening / closing lids 12. When the pair of opening / closing lids 12 are in the closed position P1, the bottom of the pair of opening / closing lids 12 constitutes the ultrasonic reflector 50.

[0030] The ultrasonic reflector 50 is located near the surface of the processing liquid stored in the processing tank 10. The position of the ultrasonic reflector 50 near the liquid surface includes cases where the reflective surface 51 of the ultrasonic reflector 50 is below the liquid surface, and cases where the reflective surface 51 is above the liquid surface. That is, at least a portion of the ultrasonic reflector 50 may be immersed in the processing liquid stored in the processing tank 10, or the ultrasonic reflector 50 may not be immersed in the processing liquid stored in the processing tank 10. The ultrasonic reflector 50 may also be provided on the surface of the pair of opening / closing lids 12 that is in contact with the surface of the processing liquid.

[0031] In the vertical direction, the substrate W supported by the substrate support 22 located at the immersion position P3 is positioned between the ultrasonic vibration applying unit 40 and the ultrasonic reflector 50. That is, in the vertical direction, the ultrasonic reflector 50 is positioned above the upper end of the substrate W supported by the substrate support 22 located at the immersion position P3. The ultrasonic reflector 50 is positioned above the substrate W being cleaned. It is preferable that the reflective surface 51 of the ultrasonic reflector 50 is located below the liquid surface. That is, it is preferable that at least a part of the ultrasonic reflector 50 is immersed in the processing liquid stored in the processing tank 10.

[0032] As shown in Figure 4, the ultrasonic reflector 50 has a reflective surface 51 with an uneven shape that diffusely reflects ultrasonic vibrations toward an upper position of the substrate support portion 22. More specifically, the reflective surface 51 of the ultrasonic reflector 50 has an uneven portion 52 and a flat portion 53. The uneven portion 52 is the region of the reflective surface 51 in which the uneven shape is formed. The flat portion 53 is the region of the reflective surface 51 in which the uneven shape is not formed. The flat portion 53 is the surface facing downwards and is the surface facing the vibration generation surface 43. The flat portion 53 may be a surface that is substantially parallel to the liquid surface of the processing liquid in the processing tank 10 when the pair of opening / closing lids 12 are in the closed position P1.

[0033] As shown in Figure 5, the uneven portion 52 is composed of a plurality of protrusions 521 formed on the flat portion 53 of the ultrasonic reflector 50. In this embodiment, the protrusions 521 have a curved surface that is convex downwards, and the cross-sectional shape of the protrusions 521 is spherical. The protrusions 521 reflect ultrasonic vibrations propagating from below upwards while diffusing them. In the uneven portion 52, adjacent protrusions 521 are formed without any spacing between them. That is, no flat surface is formed between adjacent protrusions 521. However, adjacent protrusions 521 may be formed with spacing between them, that is, a flat surface may be formed between adjacent protrusions 521. In the vertical direction, the height of the protrusions 521 is preferably 200 μm or more. The height of the protrusions 521 is the distance between the tip of the protrusion 521 and the flat portion 53 in the vertical direction.

[0034] The uneven portion 52 may be composed of a single protrusion 521. Furthermore, the protrusion 521 is not limited to having a spherical cross-sectional shape, but may have any shape that diffusely reflects ultrasonic vibrations. For example, the cross-sectional shape of the protrusion 521 may be a cone shape or a polygonal pyramidal shape that is convex downwards when the pair of opening / closing lids 12 are in the closed position P1. The uneven portion 52 may also be composed of one or more recesses formed in the flat portion 53. In this case, the cross-sectional shape of the recess may be a spherical shape, a cone shape, a polygonal pyramidal shape, etc. In the vertical direction, the depth of the recess is preferably 200 μm or more. The depth of the recess is the distance between the bottom of the recess and the flat portion 53 in the vertical direction. The uneven portion 52 may also be composed of a combination of one or more protrusions 521 and one or more recesses formed in the flat portion 53. In this case, in the vertical direction, the distance between the tip of the protrusion 521 and the bottom of the recess is preferably 200 μm or more.

[0035] The uneven portion 52 forms a substantially circular area when the substrate processing apparatus 100 is viewed from above. The uneven portion 52 may also be substantially polygonal in shape, such as a square or hexagon, when the substrate processing apparatus 100 is viewed from above. It is preferable that the area of ​​the uneven portion 52 is larger than the area of ​​the region in which the substrate W is immersed when the substrate processing apparatus 100 is viewed from above. That is, it is preferable that the region in which the substrate W is immersed is included within the area of ​​the uneven portion 52 when the substrate processing apparatus 100 is viewed from above.

[0036] According to the substrate processing apparatus 100, since the ultrasonic reflector 50 has an uneven reflective surface 51, even if the ultrasonic frequency / output or the substrate size is changed, ultrasonic vibrations can be transmitted evenly to the surface of the substrate W, and the surface of the substrate W can be accurately cleaned.

[0037] Furthermore, if the area of ​​the uneven portion 52 of the reflective surface 51 is larger than the area of ​​the region in which the substrate W is immersed, ultrasonic vibrations can be diffusely reflected by the ultrasonic reflector 50 over a wide area. As a result, ultrasonic vibrations can be propagated more evenly across the surface of the substrate W. This allows for more precise cleaning of the surface of the substrate W.

[0038] Furthermore, by providing the ultrasonic reflector 50 on the surface of the pair of opening / closing lids 12 that is in contact with the liquid surface of the processing liquid, there is no need to prepare a member for attaching the ultrasonic reflector 50. This reduces the number of parts.

[0039] [Variation 1] A modified example of the uneven portion 52 of the ultrasonic reflector 50 will be described with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the uneven portion 52 of the ultrasonic reflector 50. For the sake of clarity, components having the same function as those described in the above embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are not repeated. In Figure 6, for the sake of readability, only the processing tank 10, substrate support 22, ultrasonic vibration application unit 40, ultrasonic reflector 50, and substrate W are shown, and other components are omitted from the illustration.

[0040] As shown in Figure 6, the reflective surface 51A of the ultrasonic reflector 50 according to this modified example has an uneven surface 52A. The uneven surface 52A is composed of one or more protrusions 521 and one or more protrusions 522. The protrusions 522 are convex downwards and are formed on the outer edge of the uneven surface 52A. The protrusions 522 may be located outside the area in which the substrate W is immersed when the substrate processing apparatus 100 is viewed from above. The protrusions 522 have an inclined surface 522A that faces the substrate W supported by the substrate support portion 22. That is, the normal direction of the inclined surface 522A faces the area in which the substrate W is immersed.

[0041] A protrusion 521 is formed in the central part of the uneven portion 52A. The protrusion 521 is surrounded by a protrusion 522. Alternatively, the central part of the uneven portion 52A may be flat, and the protrusion 521 may be formed to surround that flat surface.

[0042] According to this modified example, ultrasonic vibrations propagating outside the area where the substrate W is immersed can be reflected back towards the substrate W within the processing tank 10. This allows ultrasonic vibrations to propagate more evenly across the surface of the substrate W, enabling more precise cleaning of the substrate W's surface.

[0043] [Embodiment 2] Other embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to Figures 7 and 8. Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 100A according to this embodiment. Figure 8 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of the ultrasonic reflector 50A. For the sake of convenience of explanation, the same reference numerals are used for components having the same function as those described in the above embodiments, and their descriptions will not be repeated. The substrate processing apparatus 100A according to Embodiment 2 differs from the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to Embodiment 1 in that the ultrasonic reflector 50A is provided on the lifter 20.

[0044] As shown in Figure 7, the ultrasonic reflector 50A of the substrate processing apparatus 100A is provided on the upper part of the back plate 21. The ultrasonic reflector 50A is provided on the back plate 21 so as to be positioned above the substrate W supported by the substrate support part 22 in the vertical direction. When the lifter 20 is in the immersion position P3, the ultrasonic reflector 50A is positioned between the pair of opening / closing lids 12A of the substrate processing apparatus 100A and the substrate W supported by the substrate support part 22 in the vertical direction. As shown in Figure 8, the ultrasonic reflector 50A is pivotally fixed to the back plate 21 so as to rotate between a first state P6 in which it is aligned with the back plate 21 and a second state P5 in which it is in contact with the surface of the processing liquid.

[0045] The first state P6 is a position where the reflective surface 51 of the ultrasonic reflector 50A does not face the substrate support 22, and the substrate W can be inserted into and removed from the substrate support 22. When the ultrasonic reflector 50A is in the first state P6, the reflective surface 51 faces in a direction opposite to the side surface of the processing tank 10 that extends in the vertical direction. The second state P5 is a position where the reflective surface 51 of the ultrasonic reflector 50A faces the substrate support, and the ultrasonic vibrations applied from the ultrasonic vibration applying unit 40 can be diffusely reflected toward the upper position of the substrate support 22. When the ultrasonic reflector 50A is in the second state P5, the reflective surface 51 faces the bottom of the processing tank 10.

[0046] The ultrasonic reflector 50A is a single plate-shaped component that is rotatable around a rotation axis Ax. The rotation axis Ax is fixed to the back plate 21. The ultrasonic reflector 50A rotates between a first state P6 and a second state P5 by the drive of a rotation mechanism (not shown). When cleaning is performed on the substrate W, the ultrasonic reflector 50A is in the second state P5. When the substrate W is removed from the processing tank 10, the ultrasonic reflector 50A is in the first state P6.

[0047] According to the substrate processing apparatus 100A, the ultrasonic reflector 50A can change between a first state P6 and a second state P5. Therefore, by setting the ultrasonic reflector 50A to the second state P5, the ultrasonic reflector 50A can be positioned near the surface of the processing liquid stored in the processing tank 10. This allows the ultrasonic vibrations applied from the ultrasonic vibration application unit 40 to be transmitted uniformly to the surface of the substrate W.

[0048] [Embodiment 3] Other embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to Figures 9 and 10. Figures 9 and 10 are schematic cross-sectional views showing the schematic configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 100B according to this embodiment. For the sake of convenience of explanation, the same reference numerals are used for components having the same function as those described in the above embodiments, and their descriptions will not be repeated. The substrate processing apparatus 100B according to Embodiment 3 differs from the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to Embodiment 1 in that the ultrasonic reflector 50B is provided on the reflector lifter 60.

[0049] As shown in Figure 9, the substrate processing apparatus 100B is equipped with a reflector lifter 60 on which an ultrasonic reflector 50B is provided. The reflector lifter 60 is an example of a second lifting mechanism. The reflector lifter 60 comprises an ultrasonic reflector 50B and a lifting member 61. The ultrasonic reflector 50B is provided at the lower part of the lifting member 61. The lifting member 61 moves vertically when a driving force is applied from a drive unit (not shown). As the lifting member 61 moves vertically, the ultrasonic reflector 50B moves up and down.

[0050] The reflector lifter 60 moves up and down between a position P8 above the processing tank 10 shown in Figure 10 and a position P7 inside the processing tank 10 shown in Figure 9. As shown in Figure 10, when the reflector lifter 60 is at position P8, the ultrasonic reflector 50B is above the processing tank 10. That is, when the reflector lifter 60 is at position P8, the ultrasonic reflector 50B is outside the processing tank 10. As shown in Figure 9, when the reflector lifter 60 is at position P7, the ultrasonic reflector 50B is inside the processing tank 10. That is, when the reflector lifter 60 is at position P7, the ultrasonic reflector 50B is near the liquid surface of the processing liquid stored in the processing tank 10.

[0051] The pair of opening / closing covers 12B have an opening 120. The opening 120 is an opening that accommodates the lifting member 61, which is located at position P7, when the pair of opening / closing covers 12B are in the closed position P1. Because the opening 120 is formed in the pair of opening / closing covers 12B, the lifting member 61 and the pair of opening / closing covers 12B do not interfere with each other.

[0052] According to the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 100B, the ultrasonic reflector 50B can be raised and lowered relative to the processing tank 10 by the reflector lifter 60. Therefore, the ultrasonic reflector 50B can be positioned near the surface of the processing liquid stored in the processing tank 10. This allows the ultrasonic vibrations applied from the ultrasonic vibration application unit 40 to be transmitted evenly to the surface of the substrate W. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0053] 10 Processing tanks 12 Opening and closing lid 20 Lifter (First Lifting Mechanism) 21 Back plate 22 Substrate support section 30 nozzles 40 Ultrasonic vibration application unit 50 Ultrasonic reflector 51 Reflective surface 52 Uneven part 60 Reflector Lifter (Second Lifting Mechanism) 100 Substrate Processing Equipment

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus that applies ultrasonic vibrations to a substrate while immersing it in a processing liquid, A treatment tank for storing the aforementioned treatment liquid, A substrate support portion that supports the substrate from below inside the processing tank, A nozzle for supplying processing liquid to the inside of the processing tank, The system includes an ultrasonic vibration applying unit that applies ultrasonic vibrations from a position below the processing tank toward the inside of the processing tank, A substrate processing apparatus characterized by providing an ultrasonic reflector plate, which has an uneven reflective surface that diffusely reflects the ultrasonic vibrations applied from the ultrasonic vibration applying unit toward an upper position of the substrate support unit, near the surface of the processing liquid stored in the processing tank.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the substrate processing apparatus is viewed from above, the area of ​​the region where the uneven shape of the reflective surface is formed is larger than the area of ​​the region in which the substrate is immersed.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic reflector is provided on the surface of the opening / closing lid provided on the upper part of the processing tank that is in contact with the liquid surface of the processing liquid.

4. A back plate is provided, which extends vertically from the substrate support portion and is connected to a first lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the substrate support portion. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic reflector is axially fixed to the back plate so as to rotate between a first state in which it is aligned with the back plate and a second state in which it is in contact with the surface of the processing liquid.

5. It is equipped with a second lifting mechanism that moves up and down between a position above the processing tank and a position inside the processing tank, The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic reflector is provided in the second lifting mechanism.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein particles are removed from the surface of the substrate by the ultrasonic vibration.

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