Substrate processing equipment

Abstract

In a substrate processing apparatus in which a nozzle is positioned below the substrate, the present invention provides a mechanism that allows for adjustment of the nozzle's position and facilitates maintenance work during component replacement. [Solution] The substrate processing apparatus (1) includes a nozzle mechanism (50). The nozzle mechanism includes two or more nozzle parts (51), each having a nozzle body (52) and a nozzle drive unit (53) that reciprocates the nozzle body in the radial direction of the substrate, and a support part (54) that supports the two or more nozzle parts together. The support part supports each nozzle part individually so that they can be attached and detached without removing the support part, and the support part and the nozzle drive unit of each nozzle part are provided with a concave / concave shape (560) for defining the position of each of the two or more nozzle parts relative to the support part.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus that supplies a processing liquid to the peripheral edge of a substrate in the internal space of a chamber to process the peripheral edge.

Background Art

[0002] As a process for a circular or substantially circular substrate such as a semiconductor wafer, there is a process of removing only the thin film at the peripheral edge of the substrate among the thin films formed on at least one main surface of the substrate. For example, a technique is known in which an etching liquid is supplied to the peripheral edge of the substrate while rotating the substrate to remove only the thin film outside the supply position of the etching liquid. The process of removing the thin film in this way is sometimes referred to as bevel etching.

[0003] For example, in Patent Document 1, in a substrate processing apparatus housed in a processing chamber, a lower peripheral nozzle is provided below the substrate in order to perform an etching process on the lower peripheral edge of the substrate in a horizontal posture. In this lower peripheral nozzle, a plurality of nozzles are attached to a nozzle support member, and each of these nozzles discharges a processing liquid such as a chemical solution or a rinse liquid upward toward the lower peripheral edge of the substrate.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In this type of processing, the width of the area to be removed from the thin film (etching width) must be adjusted to a predetermined target value. Therefore, in substrate processing equipment, it is necessary to adjust the nozzle position to obtain the predetermined etching width before use after assembly or component replacement. Furthermore, the etching width required in processing is not always constant and may be changed depending on the purpose. When changing the etching width in this way, nozzle position adjustment is also necessary.

[0006] However, the above-mentioned prior art does not disclose in detail the mounting structure of multiple nozzles to the nozzle support member. Therefore, it is unclear how to adjust the nozzle position. Furthermore, there is no description whatsoever of how to replace parts. As mentioned above, adjustment of the nozzle position is necessary after replacing parts, but the above-mentioned prior art does not focus on any ingenuity to facilitate maintenance work such as parts replacement.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a mechanism for a substrate processing apparatus in which a nozzle is positioned below the substrate, that allows for adjustment of the nozzle's position and facilitates maintenance work when replacing parts. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, a substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes a rotation mechanism that holds a circular substrate in a horizontal position and rotates the substrate around a vertical axis passing through the center of the substrate, and a nozzle mechanism disposed below the substrate, wherein the nozzle mechanism includes two or more nozzle parts, each having a nozzle body that discharges processing liquid from an outlet toward the lower peripheral edge of the substrate, and a nozzle drive unit that reciprocates the nozzle body in the radial direction of the substrate by an actuator, and a support unit that supports the two or more nozzle parts collectively, wherein the support unit supports each of the two or more nozzle parts individually so as to be detachable without removing the support unit, and the support unit and the nozzle drive unit of each of the two or more nozzle parts are provided with a concave or concave shape for defining the position of each of the two or more nozzle parts relative to the support unit.

[0009] With the above configuration, the nozzle unit comprises a nozzle body and a nozzle drive unit. The nozzle drive unit uses an actuator to reciprocate the nozzle body in the radial direction of the substrate, thereby adjusting the position of the nozzle body. This makes it possible to adjust the etching width by changing the point at which the processing liquid discharged from the discharge port on the nozzle body lands on the substrate.

[0010] Incidentally, a configuration in which multiple nozzle sections are assembled into a single support unit allows for easy installation and compact design, as multiple nozzle sections can be treated as a single component. However, if one of the multiple nozzle sections needs to be replaced, it is necessary to remove the aforementioned component and detach the assembly between the support unit and the multiple nozzle sections. Therefore, after replacing the component, the multiple nozzle sections must be reassembled into the support unit, and then the aforementioned component must be reattached. In this case, since the support unit is removed, adjustments are required in two directions: the radial direction of the substrate, which is the direction of movement of the nozzle section, and directions perpendicular to it. Furthermore, adjustments are required for the direction of movement of the nozzle body for all nozzle sections. As a result, maintainability during component replacement is reduced.

[0011] According to the above configuration, the support unit individually and detachably supports two or more nozzle units without removing the support unit itself. Therefore, only the nozzle unit that requires replacement needs to be removed from the support unit.

[0012] By eliminating the need to remove the support unit, adjustments in two directions—the radial direction of the circuit board (which is the direction of nozzle movement) and the direction perpendicular to it—become unnecessary. Furthermore, no adjustment of the nozzle body's movement direction is required for nozzles that are not removed from the support unit. Therefore, only the movement direction of the nozzle body needs to be adjusted for nozzles that have been removed from the support unit, resulting in improved maintainability during parts replacement.

[0013] Furthermore, since the support unit and the nozzle drive unit are provided with irregular shapes to define the position of the nozzle unit relative to the support unit, the removed nozzle unit can be easily positioned relative to the support unit. This further improves maintainability when replacing parts.

[0014] In the above invention, the term "circular substrate" refers not only to a substrate whose main surface is strictly circular in a plan view, but also to a "substrate that is approximately circular" in that its envelope outline is circular, but a portion of its outer periphery has parts that differ from the circumference, such as orientation flats or notches. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to one aspect of the present invention, in a substrate processing apparatus in which a nozzle is positioned below the substrate, a mechanism is provided that allows for adjustment of the nozzle's position and facilitates maintenance work when replacing parts. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing system equipped with one embodiment of a processing unit, which is a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a side view showing the internal structure of the processing unit described above. [Figure 3] It is a plan view of the above processing unit. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing the structure and arrangement of the processing mechanism provided in the above processing unit. [Figure 5] It is a cross-sectional view of a nozzle block showing the structure of one processing liquid discharge nozzle part provided in the above processing mechanism, showing the state where the nozzle body has advanced the most. [Figure 6] It is a perspective view of a nozzle block provided in the above processing mechanism, showing a state where one processing liquid discharge nozzle part is separated. [Figure 7] It is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle head part in the above processing liquid discharge nozzle part. [Figure 8] It is a perspective view of the above nozzle head part seen from the discharge port side. [Figure 9] It is a perspective view of the above nozzle head part seen from the lower surface side.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing system equipped with an embodiment of a processing unit 1 which is an aspect of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of the substrate processing system 100 in an easy-to-understand manner by excluding the outer wall panel and other partial configurations thereof. This substrate processing system 100 is, for example, a single-substrate type apparatus installed in a clean room and processing substrates S one by one.

[0018] The substrate processing system 100 includes a plurality of processing units (substrate processing apparatuses) 1 each of which is a processing main body for the substrate S. In FIG. 1, a state where four processing units 1 are arranged in the horizontal direction is shown, but each processing unit 1 can also be stacked in multiple stages in the vertical direction. In each of the plurality of processing units 1 equipped in the substrate processing system 100, substrate processing with a processing liquid is executed.

[0019] Here, as the "substrate" in the present embodiment, various substrates such as semiconductor wafers, glass substrates for photomasks, glass substrates for liquid crystal displays, glass substrates for plasma displays, substrates for FED (Field Emission Display), substrates for optical disks, substrates for magnetic disks, and substrates for magneto-optical disks can be applied. In the following, a substrate processing apparatus mainly used for processing semiconductor wafers will be taken as an example and described with reference to the drawings, but it can be similarly applied to the processing of various substrates exemplified above.

[0020] The processing unit 1 of the present embodiment receives a substrate S having a thin film of a metal or a metal compound formed on one main surface, and executes a process of removing only the peripheral portion of the thin film formed on the substrate S by an etching process. Such an etching process may be called "bevel etching process" or simply "bevel process". Note that all of the plurality of processing units 1 included in the substrate processing system 100 may execute such a bevel etching process, or a plurality of types of processing units that execute different processes may be combined.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing system 100 has a substrate processing area 110 for performing processing on the substrate S. An indexer unit 120 is provided adjacent to the substrate processing area 110. The indexer unit 120 has a container holding unit 121 that can hold a plurality of containers C for accommodating the substrate S. The indexer unit 120 includes an indexer robot 122 for accessing the container C held by the container holding unit 121 to take out an unprocessed substrate S from the container C or store the processed substrate S in the container C. A plurality of substrates S are accommodated in each container C in a substantially horizontal posture.

[0022] In the substrate processing area 110, a mounting table 112 is provided so as to be able to mount the substrate S from the indexer robot 122. In a plan view, a substrate transfer robot 111 is disposed substantially at the center of the substrate processing area 110. Further, a plurality of processing units 1 are disposed so as to surround the substrate transfer robot 111.

[0023] The substrate transfer robot 111 randomly accesses the mounting table 112 for these processing units 1 and transfers the substrate S between the robot and the mounting table 112. Meanwhile, each processing unit 1 performs predetermined processing on the substrate S and corresponds to the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. In this embodiment, these processing units (substrate processing apparatus) 1 have the same function. Therefore, parallel processing of multiple substrates S is possible. In Figure 1, reference numeral 11 denotes a chamber which is a partition wall of the processing unit 1, and reference numeral 15 denotes a shutter provided in the chamber 11.

[0024] Figure 2 is a side view showing the internal structure of processing unit 1, and Figure 3 is a top view thereof. In Figures 2 and 3, the dimensions and number of parts may be exaggerated or simplified for ease of understanding.

[0025] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the processing unit 1 has a structure in which a substrate processing unit SP is arranged in the internal space 12 within the chamber 11. The substrate processing unit SP is installed on the upper surface of a raised base member 17. Each part constituting the substrate processing unit SP is electrically connected to a control unit 10 that controls the entire apparatus and operates in accordance with instructions from the control unit 10.

[0026] In the following, a coordinate system is used where appropriate, with the Z direction being the vertical direction and the XY plane being the horizontal plane, in order to clarify the arrangement and operation of each part of the device. In the coordinate system in Figure 3, the horizontal direction corresponding to the vertical direction of the paper is defined as the "X direction," and the horizontal direction perpendicular to it is defined as the "Y direction."

[0027] The substrate processing unit SP includes a holding and rotating mechanism 2, a scattering prevention mechanism 3, an upper surface protection heating mechanism 4, a processing mechanism 5, an atmosphere separation mechanism 6, a lifting mechanism 7, a centering mechanism 8, and a substrate observation mechanism 9. These mechanisms are mounted on the base member 17.

[0028] The holding and rotating mechanism (rotating mechanism) 2 holds the substrate S in a horizontal position and rotates it around a vertical axis passing through the center of the substrate S. The holding and rotating mechanism 2 comprises a substrate holding section 2A that holds the substrate S in a substantially horizontal position with the film-forming surface of the substrate S facing downward, and a rotating mechanism section 2B that synchronously rotates the substrate holding section 2A holding the substrate S and the rotating cup section 31, which is part of the scattering prevention mechanism 3.

[0029] The substrate holding section 2A includes a spin chuck 21, which is a disc-shaped member smaller than the substrate S. The spin chuck 21 is positioned so that its central axis coincides with the rotation axis AX, and it holds the substrate S from below by the suction force of the pump 26. Nitrogen gas at room temperature is supplied to the spin chuck 21 from the nitrogen gas supply section 29.

[0030] A cylindrical rotating shaft portion 22 is connected to the lower surface of the spin chuck 21. The rotating shaft portion 22 extends vertically in the Z direction with its axis aligned with the rotation axis AX. A rotating mechanism portion 2B is also connected to the rotating shaft portion 22.

[0031] The rotating mechanism section 2B includes a motor 23 that generates rotational driving force to rotate the substrate holding section 2A and the rotating cup section 31 of the anti-scattering mechanism 3, and a power transmission section 27 for transmitting said rotational driving force.

[0032] The rotating mechanism 2B not only rotates the spin chuck 21 integrally with the substrate S, but also has a power transmission unit 27 to rotate the rotating cup unit 31 in synchronization with the rotation. The power transmission unit 27 has a disc member 27a made of a non-magnetic material or resin. The disc member 27a is mounted coaxially with the rotating shaft unit 22 and is rotatable together with the rotating shaft unit 22 around the rotating shaft AX.

[0033] The splash prevention mechanism 3 prevents the etching solution discharged during the etching process from splashing and also recovers the treated solution. The splash prevention mechanism 3 has a rotating cup portion 31 that can rotate around the rotation axis AX while surrounding the outer circumference of the substrate S held by the spin chuck 21, and a fixed cup portion 34 that is fixedly provided so as to surround the rotating cup portion 31. The rotating cup portion 31 is a connected body in which a lower cup 32 and an upper cup 33 are connected. The droplets collected by the rotating cup portion 31 are recovered together with the gaseous components and collected in the fixed cup portion 34. The droplets are drained, and the gaseous components are efficiently exhausted when the pressure in the fixed cup portion 34 is adjusted by the operation of the exhaust portion 38.

[0034] The top surface protection heating mechanism 4 protects the top surface of the substrate S by preventing it from being exposed to the ambient atmosphere. The top surface protection heating mechanism 4 has a shielding plate 41 positioned above the top surface of the substrate S held by the spin chuck 21, and the shielding plate 41 has a disc portion 42 held in a horizontal position. The disc portion 42 incorporates a heater (not shown) that is driven and controlled by a heater drive unit 422.

[0035] The top surface protection heating mechanism 4 positions the disc portion 42 in a processing position close to the substrate S, and supplies heating gas from the heating gas supply unit 47 between the substrate S and the disc portion 42. The heating gas is supplied from the center of the disc portion 42 and flows toward the periphery. This prevents the surrounding atmosphere of the substrate S from entering the top surface of the substrate S.

[0036] The atmosphere separation mechanism 6 separates the internal space 12 within the chamber 11 into a sealed space 12a where beveling of the substrate S can be performed and an outer space 12b of the sealed space 12a. The atmosphere separation mechanism 6 is positioned to completely surround the spin chuck 21, the substrate S held by the spin chuck 21, the rotating cup portion 31, and the upper surface protection heating mechanism 4 from above. The atmosphere separation mechanism 6 has a lower sealed cup member 61 and an upper sealed cup member 62. The lower sealed cup member 61 is provided to be movable in the vertical direction (movable up and down).

[0037] As shown in Figure 2, when the lower sealing cup member 61 descends and is positioned at its lower limit, the upper sealing cup member 62, the lower sealing cup member 61, and the fixed cup portion 34 are connected in the vertical direction, and a sealed space 12a is formed by the upper sealing cup member 62, the lower sealing cup member 61, and the fixed cup portion 34.

[0038] Although not shown in the diagram, when the lower sealing cup member 61 rises and moves to the retracted position, the upper cup 33 also rises together with it in engagement with the lower sealing cup member 61. This causes the upper cup 33 and the upper surface protection heating mechanism 4 to move upward away from the spin chuck 21. The movement of the lower sealing cup member 61 to the retracted position creates a transport space for the hand of the substrate transport robot 111 to access the spin chuck 21.

[0039] The lifting mechanism 7 moves the lower sealed cup member 61 up and down. The lifting mechanism 7 has two lifting drive units, namely a first lifting drive unit 71 and a second lifting drive unit 72. The first and second lifting drive units 71 and 72 move vertically along the side surface of the lower sealed cup member 61, synchronizing two different points in its circumferential direction. Therefore, the upper surface protection heating mechanism 4 and the lower sealed cup member 61 can be raised and lowered stably. In addition, as the lower sealed cup member 61 is raised and lowered by the lifting mechanism 7, the upper cup 33, which is connected to the lower cup 32 to form the rotating cup portion 31, is also raised and lowered.

[0040] The centering mechanism 8 performs a centering process to eliminate the eccentricity of the substrate S and align the center of the substrate S with the rotation axis AX. The centering mechanism 8 has a single contact portion 81 and a multi-contact portion 82 that are positioned on opposite sides of the rotation axis AX of the spin chuck 21, and a centering drive unit 83 that moves the single contact portion 81 and the multi-contact portion 82 in the contact movement direction.

[0041] The substrate observation mechanism 9 is a mechanism for optically observing the peripheral portion Ss of the substrate S being processed, for the purpose of confirming whether the processing is being carried out properly. The substrate observation mechanism 9 comprises a light source unit 91, an imaging unit 92, an observation head 93, and an observation head drive unit 94.

[0042] The processing mechanism 5 performs a process in which only the peripheral portion of a thin film formed on the substrate S is removed by etching. As shown in Figure 3, the processing mechanism 5 has a nozzle block (nozzle mechanism) 50 positioned on the lower side of the substrate S and a processing liquid supply unit 59 that supplies processing liquid to the nozzle block 50. As will be described later, the nozzle block 50 has a plurality of processing liquid discharge nozzle units (nozzle units) 51 (see Figure 4), and the processing liquid supply unit 59 is connected to each processing liquid discharge nozzle unit 51.

[0043] The processing liquid supply unit 59 is configured to supply chemical solutions such as SC1 liquid and DHF (dilute hydrofluoric acid), as well as functional water (such as CO2 water), as processing liquids, and SC1 liquid, DHF, and functional water can be discharged independently from each processing liquid discharge nozzle unit 51.

[0044] As shown in Figure 2, in this embodiment, a nozzle support portion 57 that supports the nozzle block 50 is provided below the substrate S held by the spin chuck 21 in order to discharge the processing liquid toward the peripheral edge of the lower surface of the substrate S. The nozzle support portion 57 has a thin-walled cylindrical portion 571 that extends in the vertical direction and a flange portion 572 that has an annular shape and is folded outward radially at the upper end of the cylindrical portion 571.

[0045] The cylindrical portion 571 has a shape that allows it to be freely inserted into the air gap formed between the disc member 27a and the lower cup 32. The nozzle support portion 57 is fixedly positioned such that the cylindrical portion 571 is freely inserted into the air gap and the flange portion 572 is positioned between the substrate S held by the spin chuck 21 and the lower cup 32. The nozzle block 50 is attached to a part of the upper peripheral edge of the flange portion 572.

[0046] (Processing mechanism) Next, the processing mechanism 5 will be described in detail using Figures 4 to 6. Figure 4 is a diagram showing the structure and arrangement of the processing mechanism 5 provided in the processing unit 1. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a nozzle block showing the structure of one processing liquid discharge nozzle section provided in the processing mechanism 5, showing the nozzle body 52 in its most extended state. Figure 6 is a perspective view of a nozzle block 50 provided in the processing mechanism 5, showing one processing liquid discharge nozzle section 51A separated.

[0047] As shown in Figure 4, the nozzle block 50 has three sets of processing liquid discharge nozzles 51A, 51B, and 51C, each of which discharges processing liquid, and a support base 54 that supports them. Each processing liquid discharge nozzle 51A to 51C has the same shape. Here, the nozzle block 50 is shown as having three processing liquid discharge nozzles 51, but it is sufficient to have two or more.

[0048] The support base 54 is attached to a roughly annular flange portion 572 located on the upper part of the nozzle support portion 57 (see Figure 2). The support base 54 collectively supports the three processing liquid discharge nozzle portions 51A to 51C. Hereinafter, the direction in which the three processing liquid discharge nozzle portions 51A to 51C are aligned will be referred to as the lateral direction of the support base 54.

[0049] The support base 54 has large lugs 542 with screw holes formed at both lateral ends. The support base 54 is fixed to the flange portion 572 by screws 543 inserted into the screw holes formed in the large lugs 542, with both large lugs 542 abutting against the upper surface of the flange portion 572.

[0050] The upper surface 541 of the base 54 between the large ear portions 542 of the support base 54 serves as a support surface for the three processing liquid discharge nozzle portions 51A to 51C. The three processing liquid discharge nozzle portions 51A to 51C are detachably attached to the support base 54, and this will be described later.

[0051] First, let's take one processing liquid discharge nozzle section 51A as an example and explain its structure with reference to Figure 5. In the following, when it is not necessary to distinguish between each processing liquid discharge nozzle section 51A to 51C, they will simply be referred to as "processing liquid discharge nozzle section 51". Also, the structure of the processing liquid discharge nozzle section 51A shown in Figure 5 is just one example and does not limit the configuration in which the support base 54 detachably supports the processing liquid discharge nozzle sections 51A to 51C, as will be described later.

[0052] As shown in Figure 5, the processing liquid discharge nozzle unit 51 comprises a nozzle body 52, which is the main part of the processing liquid discharge nozzle unit 51, and a nozzle drive unit 53 that reciprocates the nozzle body 52 in the radial direction of the substrate S. The nozzle body 52 discharges the processing liquid from the discharge port 521 toward the lower peripheral edge of the substrate S.

[0053] The nozzle body 52 has an elongated shape along the radial direction of the substrate S, with a nozzle head portion 52a on the radially outer side and an axial portion 52b on the radially inner side.

[0054] A discharge port 521 for discharging the processing liquid is provided at the tip, which is the radially outer end of the nozzle head portion 52a. The discharge port 521 discharges the processing liquid supplied from the processing liquid supply portion 59 (see Figure 3) via the internal manifold portion 522 at an upward angle of 45 degrees and outward when viewed from the rotation axis AX. The processing liquid is discharged toward the peripheral edge of the lower surface of the substrate S.

[0055] If a thin metal film or a thin metal compound film is formed on the underside of the substrate S, and the discharged processing solution is soluble in this film, the thin film in the area of ​​the underside of the substrate S where the processing solution adheres will be etched away. If the substrate S is rotating, the processing solution will spread outward from the point of contact due to centrifugal force, and as a result, the thin film outside the point of contact will be removed.

[0056] The axial portion 52b extends radially inward from the substrate S in the nozzle body 52 and is inserted into and supported by a bearing 533 provided in the nozzle drive unit 53. The nozzle drive unit 53 comprises a motor (actuator) 531, a shaft 532 with one end connected to the motor 531, a bearing 533 that supports the axial portion 52b of the nozzle body 52, and a housing (retaining and fixing part) 534.

[0057] The shaft 532 is integrally mounted with the motor 531 and is arranged coaxially with the bearing 533, and the tip of the shaft 532 is engaged with the axial portion 52b of the nozzle body 52. ​​The housing 534 fixes and houses the motor 531 and the bearing 533. The bearing 533 is a sleeve-type bearing and is provided to support the axial portion 52b when the nozzle body 52 is moved to its furthest radially outward position.

[0058] The axial portion 52b of the nozzle body 52 has an axial hole 523 into which the shaft 532 is inserted, and a nut 524 is fixed to this axial hole 523. A thread is formed on the outer circumference of the shaft 532 that screws onto the nut 524, and the shaft 532 and the axial portion 52b are engaged when the thread on the outer circumference of the shaft 532 screws onto the nut 524.

[0059] When the shaft 532 rotates due to the driving force of the motor 531, the nut 524 screwed onto the outer circumference of the shaft 532 moves along the radial direction of the substrate S. The direction of movement is determined by the rotation direction of the shaft 532, and the amount of movement is determined by the amount of rotation of the shaft 532. As the nut 524 moves along the radial direction of the substrate S, the nozzle body 52 to which the nut 524 is fixed also moves along the radial direction of the substrate S.

[0060] Next, with reference to Figure 6, the mounting structure of the three processing liquid discharge nozzle sections 51A to 51C of the nozzle block 50 to the support base 54 will be described.

[0061] As shown in Figure 6, the support base 54 has the aforementioned large lugs 542 at both ends in the lateral direction. The large lugs 542 are provided so as to rise from the upper surface 541 of the base, which is the main surface of the support base 54, and protrude laterally outward, and each lug has two screw holes 542a. The support base 54 is fixed to the flange portion 572 (see Figure 4) by bringing the large lugs 542 on both sides into contact with the upper surface of the flange portion 572, and screwing the screws 543 (see Figure 4), which are inserted through the screw holes 542a, into screw holes (not shown) provided in the flange portion 572.

[0062] The upper surface 541 of the base between the large ear portions 542 serves as a support surface 541a that supports the three processing liquid discharge nozzle portions 51A to 51C. The support base 54 supports the three processing liquid discharge nozzle portions 51A to 51C collectively, and also supports each of the processing liquid discharge nozzle portions 51A to 51C individually so that they can be attached and detached without removing the support base 54. As a result, each of the processing liquid discharge nozzle portions 51A to 51C can be attached and detached from the support base 54. In this embodiment, as an example of a detachable configuration, each of the processing liquid discharge nozzle portions 51A to 51C is screwed to the support base 54. This will be described later.

[0063] A support surface 541a is provided for each processing liquid discharge nozzle section 51A to 51C. Each processing liquid discharge nozzle section 51A to 51C is fixed by abutting the lower surface of the nozzle drive unit 53 (the lower surface of the housing 534) against the respective support surface 541a.

[0064] The support base 54 and the nozzle drive unit 53 of each processing liquid discharge nozzle section 51A to 51C are provided with a recessed shape 560 on the support base 54 to define the position of each processing liquid discharge nozzle section 51A to 51C.

[0065] The uneven shape 560 is intended to define the mounting positions of each processing liquid discharge nozzle section 51A to 51C on each support surface 541a of the base upper surface 541. One side of the uneven shape 560 is formed on each support surface 541a, and the other side of the uneven shape 560 is formed on the lower nozzle surface 511 of each processing liquid discharge nozzle section 51A to 51C, which is the part that abuts against the support surface 541a.

[0066] With the above configuration, the processing liquid discharge nozzle unit 51 has a nozzle body 52 and a nozzle drive unit 53, and the nozzle drive unit 53 adjusts the position of the nozzle body 52 by reciprocating the nozzle body 52 in the radial direction of the substrate S using a motor 531. This makes it possible to adjust the etching width by changing the point at which the processing liquid discharged from the discharge port 521 provided on the nozzle body 52 lands on the substrate S.

[0067] Incidentally, the configuration in which multiple processing liquid discharge nozzle units 51 are assembled into a single support unit makes installation easy and compact, as the multiple processing liquid discharge nozzle units 51 can be treated as a single component. However, if one of the multiple processing liquid discharge nozzle units 51 needs to be replaced, it is necessary to first remove the component and detach the assembly between the support unit and the multiple processing liquid discharge nozzle units 51. Therefore, after replacing the component, the multiple processing liquid discharge nozzle units 51 must be reassembled into the support unit, and then the component must be reattached. In this case, since the support unit is removed, adjustments are required in two directions perpendicular to the radial direction of the substrate, which is the direction of movement of the processing liquid discharge nozzle unit 51. Furthermore, adjustments are required in the direction of movement of the nozzle body 52 for all processing liquid discharge nozzle units 51. As a result, maintainability during component replacement is reduced.

[0068] According to the above configuration, the support base 54 supports each of the multiple processing liquid discharge nozzles 51 individually and detachably without removing the support base 54. Therefore, only the processing liquid discharge nozzle 51 that requires parts replacement needs to be removed from the support base 54.

[0069] By eliminating the need to remove the support base 54, adjustments in two directions—the radial direction of the substrate, which is the direction of movement of the processing liquid discharge nozzle 51, and the direction perpendicular to it—become unnecessary. Furthermore, no adjustment of the direction of movement of the nozzle body 52 is required for the processing liquid discharge nozzle 51 that has not been removed from the support base 54. Therefore, only the direction of movement of the nozzle body 52 needs to be adjusted for the processing liquid discharge nozzle 51 that has been removed from the support base 54, resulting in improved maintainability during parts replacement.

[0070] Furthermore, since the support base 54 and the processing liquid discharge nozzle section 51 are provided with a grooved shape 560 for defining the position of the processing liquid discharge nozzle section 51 relative to the support base 54, the processing liquid discharge nozzle section 51 can be easily positioned relative to the support base 54. This further improves maintainability when replacing parts.

[0071] In this embodiment, the uneven shape 560 is formed by a positioning pin 561a and a pin hole 561b into which the positioning pin 561a fits. The positioning pin 561a and the pin hole 561b can be easily formed even if the support surface 541a is narrow.

[0072] Furthermore, this embodiment has multiple combinations of positioning pins 561a and pin holes 561b. This prevents rotation of the processing liquid discharge nozzle section 51 around the positioning pin 561a.

[0073] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the combinations of positioning pins 561a and pin holes 561b are arranged along the radial direction of the substrate S. As a result, the combinations of positioning pins 561a and pin holes 561b are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the nozzle drive unit 53 (processing liquid discharge nozzle unit 51), and the distance between each combination can be increased, allowing for more stable positioning.

[0074] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a pin hole 561b is provided on the processing liquid discharge nozzle section 51 side, that is, on the nozzle drive section 53, and a positioning pin 561a is provided on the support base 54.

[0075] If the positioning pin 561a is located on the processing liquid discharge nozzle section 51 side, there is a risk of damaging the positioning pin 561a when the removed processing liquid discharge nozzle section 51 is placed on a stand or the like. Also, processing liquid that has flowed out from the discharge port 521 tends to accumulate around the positioning pin 561a, which may contaminate the stand. By providing the positioning pin 561a on the support base 54 side, these problems can be avoided. This configuration is common to all uneven shapes 560, and it is preferable that the concave side of the uneven shape 560 is provided on the nozzle drive section 53 and the convex side of the uneven shape 560 is provided on the support base 54.

[0076] Although the positioning pin 561a and the pin hole 561b into which the positioning pin 561a fits have been given as examples of the uneven shape 560, it is not limited to these. Furthermore, if the cross-sectional shape of the uneven shape 560 in the direction perpendicular to the fitting direction is a shape such as a square or triangle that restricts rotation when fitted, then there may be only one uneven shape 560.

[0077] In the support base 54, partition walls 544 are formed on both sides in the lateral direction of each support surface 541a, and each support surface 541a is partitioned by the partition walls 544. The partition walls 544 are vertical walls that rise from the upper surface 541 of the base and extend in the direction of advancement and retraction of each processing liquid discharge nozzle section 51A to 51C, which is also the radial direction of the substrate S.

[0078] This partition wall 544 also serves as a boss, and has first and second screw holes 544a and 544b formed therein for fixing each processing liquid discharge nozzle section 51A to 51C to the support base 54. As mentioned above, as an example of a detachable configuration, each processing liquid discharge nozzle section 51A to 51C is screwed to the support base 54.

[0079] Of these, the two partition walls 544 located on either side of the support surface 541a that supports the central processing liquid discharge nozzle section 51B are provided with a first screw hole 544a located radially inward and a second screw hole 544b located radially outward, along the radial direction of the substrate S, which is also the direction in which the nozzle body 52 moves forward and backward.

[0080] On the other hand, in the partition wall 544 located at the left end when viewed from the radially outward direction of the support surface 541a that supports the processing liquid discharge nozzle section 51A, only the first screw hole 544a located on the radially inward direction is formed. Also, although not shown in the figures, in the partition wall 544 located at the right end when viewed from the radially outward direction of the support surface 541a that supports the processing liquid discharge nozzle section 51C, only the second screw hole 544b located on the radially outward direction is formed.

[0081] Small ear portions 538 having screw holes 538a are formed on both sides of each processing liquid discharge nozzle portion 51A to 51C. The formation positions of the small ear portions 538 are offset radially from the substrate S, corresponding to the first screw holes 544a and the second screw holes 544b of the support base 54. When viewed from the nozzle head portion 52a side, which is radially outward, the small ear portion 538 is formed at the position corresponding to the first screw hole 544a on the left side, and the small ear portion 538 is formed at the position corresponding to the second screw hole 544a on the right side. The small ear portions 538 are integrally molded with the outer surface of the housing 534.

[0082] Each processing liquid discharge nozzle section 51A to 51C is fixed to the support base 54 by screwing a screw 548, which is inserted through the screw hole 538a of the small ear section 538, into the first screw hole 544a and the second screw hole 544b of the support base 54 while it is placed on the support surface 541a.

[0083] In other words, each of the three processing liquid discharge nozzles 51A to 51C is screwed to the support base 54 on both sides in the direction in which the processing liquid discharge nozzles 51 are adjacent to each other, and the screw fastening positions on both sides are offset in the radial direction of the substrate S, so that the screw fastening positions of adjacent processing liquid discharge nozzles 51 are aligned in the radial direction of the substrate S. The screw fastening positions are arranged to be point-symmetrical left to right.

[0084] In the nozzle drive unit 53, the nozzle body 52 and the tubes that supply the discharged liquid are located in the radial direction of the substrate S, making it difficult to secure space for screw fixing. As described above, it is suitable to screw the nozzle drive unit 53 to both sides of the processing liquid discharge nozzle section 51 in the direction in which they are adjacent.

[0085] Furthermore, in the above configuration, the screw fastening positions on both sides are offset in the radial direction of the substrate S, so that the screw fastening positions of adjacent processing liquid discharge nozzles 51 are aligned in the radial direction of the substrate S. This makes it possible to avoid interference between screw fastening positions between adjacent processing liquid discharge nozzles 51 and to position the processing liquid discharge nozzles 51 closer to each other. This allows for space saving, making the support base 54 smaller and resulting in a more compact configuration. In addition, this effectively avoids interference with the hand of the substrate transport robot 111 (see Figure 1).

[0086] Although screw fastening was used as an example for the configuration in which the support base 54 detachably supports the processing liquid discharge nozzles 51A to 51C, it is not limited to this. For example, a snap-fit ​​engagement may also be used. However, since snap-fit ​​engagements may be affected by heat, screw fastening is preferred.

[0087] Figures 7 to 9 show the structure of the nozzle head portion 52a of the nozzle body 52 in the processing liquid discharge nozzle section 51. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle head portion 52a. Figure 8 is a perspective view of the nozzle head portion 52a from the discharge port 521 side. Figure 9 is a perspective view of the nozzle head portion 52a from the bottom side.

[0088] As shown in Figures 7 to 9, the nozzle head portion 52a has a head support portion 525 formed integrally with the aforementioned shaft-shaped portion 52b, and a joint member 580 is fitted into a recess 525a formed in the head support portion 525. The joint member 580 is positioned on the head support portion 525 by a fitting contact surface structure. The joint member 580 is fixed to the nozzle body 52 by screwing it to the head support portion 525 with a screw 575 while the base portion 580a is fitted into the recess 525a.

[0089] A flow path constituting the manifold section 522 is formed inside the joint member 580, and a tube 585 for supplying the processing liquid is attached to a connecting section 580d, which is provided on the base 580a and serves as the entrance to the flow path. The tube 585 and the connecting section 580d are butt-welded together.

[0090] A nozzle tip component 581 having a discharge port 521 is attached to the cylindrical portion 580b opposite to the base portion 580a. Specifically, the nozzle tip component 581 is fitted inside the cylindrical portion 580b. A thread is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 580b, and a nut portion 582 is screwed onto the thread on the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 580b to fix it to the joint member 580. In other words, the nozzle tip component 581 is detachably attached to the joint member 580.

[0091] A step 580c is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 580b of the joint member 580, which is used to position the lower end of the nozzle tip component 581 by abutting it against the step 580c. The nozzle tip component 581 is positioned by abutting its lower end against the step 580c.

[0092] The nut portion 582 has a bottom portion 582a on one side in the axial direction, and the nozzle tip component 581 is inserted through a through hole 582b provided in the bottom portion 582a and attached. The tightness of the nut portion 582 is determined by the thickness tolerance between the inner surface of the bottom portion 582a of the nut portion 582 and the upper surface of the cylindrical portion 580b.

[0093] In the above configuration, the nut portion 582 can be removed, and only the nozzle tip component 581 can be replaced. In a configuration where the nozzle tip component 581 and the joint member 580 are integrally provided and welded together, it is necessary to remove the entire tube 585. However, by separating the nozzle tip component 581 and the joint member 580, and eliminating the need to remove the tube 585, maintainability is improved.

[0094] The processing liquid discharge nozzle section 51 (51A~51C) and the support base 54 are made of a material with excellent chemical resistance, such as a resin material. For example, polyethylene resin, PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) resin, PEEK (polyetheretherketone) resin, etc., can be appropriately selected and used depending on the purpose.

[0095] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0096] 1. Processing Unit (Substrate Processing Equipment) 2. Holding and rotating mechanism (rotating mechanism) 5 Processing mechanism 50 Nozzle Block (Nozzle Mechanism) 51, 51A, 51B, 51C Processing liquid discharge nozzle section (nozzle section) 52 Nozzle body 53 Nozzle drive unit 54 Support base (support part) 57 Nozzle support section 59 Processing liquid supply unit 110 Substrate processing area 521 Discharge port 560 Uneven shape 561a Positioning pin 561b Pinhole

Claims

1. A rotation mechanism that holds a circular substrate in a horizontal position and rotates the substrate around a vertical axis passing through its center, The system includes a nozzle mechanism positioned below the substrate, The nozzle mechanism is The system comprises two or more nozzle units, each having a nozzle body that discharges a processing liquid from an outlet toward the lower peripheral edge of the substrate, and a nozzle drive unit that reciprocates the nozzle body in the radial direction of the substrate using an actuator. The system includes a support section that collectively supports the two or more nozzle sections, The support portion supports each of the two or more nozzle portions individually and detachably without removing the support portion. A substrate processing apparatus is provided in the support portion and the nozzle drive portion of each of the two or more nozzle portions, which are provided with a recessed or recessed shape for defining the position of each of the two or more nozzle portions relative to the support portion.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the aforementioned uneven shape comprises a positioning pin and a pin hole into which the positioning pin fits.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that it has a plurality of combinations of the positioning pin and the pin hole.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the combination of the plurality of positioning pins and the pin holes is arranged along the radial direction.

5. The nozzle drive unit is provided with the concave side of the uneven shape, The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support portion is provided with the convex side of the uneven shape.

6. Each of the two or more nozzle portions is screwed to the support portion on both sides in the direction in which the nozzle portions are adjacent to each other. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the screw fastening positions on both sides are offset in the radial direction, and the screw fastening positions of adjacent nozzle portions are aligned in the radial direction.

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