Substrate processing equipment

Abstract

This mechanism allows for nozzle position adjustment, high processing accuracy of etching width, and suppression of particle outflow into the substrate processing area. [Solution] The nozzle mechanism (50) comprises a nozzle body (52) and a nozzle drive unit (53) that reciprocates the nozzle body in the radial direction of the substrate. The nozzle body has an axial portion (52b) on the side opposite to the discharge port (521). The nozzle drive unit is connected to an actuator (531) and comprises a shaft (532) engaged with the axial portion, a bearing (533) that supports the axial portion, and a housing and fixing portion (534) that fixes and covers the actuator and the bearing. The shaft and the bearing are arranged coaxially.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] As a process for a circular or substantially circular substrate such as a semiconductor wafer, there is a process for removing only the thin film at the peripheral portion of the substrate among the thin films formed on at least one main surface of the substrate. For example, there is a known technique in which an etching liquid is supplied to the peripheral portion of the substrate while rotating the substrate, and only the thin film outside the supply position of the etching liquid is removed. 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 portion of the substrate in a horizontal posture.Not 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 portion 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] In recent years, there has been a demand for variable etching width at the periphery of the substrate, ranging from 0 to 20 mm, and for etching width accuracy, such as ±75 μm, on the order of tens of micrometers.

[0007] However, the above-mentioned conventional technology does not disclose in detail the structure for attaching the nozzle to the nozzle support member. Therefore, it is unclear how the nozzle position is adjusted. Also, if the nozzle vibrates during nozzle operation, the liquid application position shifts, reducing the accuracy of the etching width, but this is not addressed in the above-mentioned conventional technology. Furthermore, if the nozzle position is adjustable, there is a risk that particles (fine dust) emitted from the adjustment mechanism may flow into the substrate processing area, but this is also not addressed in the above-mentioned conventional technology.

[0008] 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, which allows for nozzle position adjustment, high processing accuracy of etching width, and suppression of particle outflow into the substrate processing area. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To solve the above problems, a substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a rotation mechanism that holds a circular substrate in a horizontal position and rotates the substrate about a vertical axis passing through the center of the substrate, and a nozzle mechanism disposed below the substrate, wherein the nozzle mechanism comprises a nozzle body that discharges a processing liquid from a discharge port 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, wherein the nozzle body has an axial-shaped portion that extends inward in the radial direction on the side opposite to the discharge port in the radial direction, wherein the nozzle drive unit comprises a shaft that moves the nozzle body, with one end connected to an actuator and the other end engaged with the axial-shaped portion, and at least one bearing provided so as to be able to support the axial-shaped portion when the nozzle body is moved to the outermost position in the radial direction, and a housing and fixing portion that fixes the actuator and the bearing and houses at least the portion of the actuator from the side to which the shaft is connected to the bearing, wherein the shaft and the bearing are arranged coaxially.

[0010] With the above configuration, the nozzle drive unit adjusts the position of the nozzle body by reciprocating the nozzle body in the radial direction of the substrate using an actuator. 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.

[0011] Incidentally, the shaft, with one end connected to the actuator, is cantilevered. Therefore, if there is a gap between the actuator and its fixing member during the operation of the nozzle mechanism, this can cause the shaft to vibrate, and the nozzle body engaged with the tip of the shaft will also vibrate. As a result, the position of the discharge port changes, causing a shift in the liquid contact point and reducing processing accuracy.

[0012] According to the above configuration, a shaft-shaped portion is provided on the nozzle body, this shaft-shaped portion is supported by at least one bearing, and the shaft is engaged with this shaft-shaped portion. Since the bearing and the shaft are arranged coaxially, the engaged shaft and shaft-shaped portion form a single shaft body, with one end connected to the actuator and the middle part supported by the bearing. Moreover, the bearing is positioned to support the shaft-shaped portion when the nozzle body is moved to its outermost radial position, and supports the single shaft body at a position away from the base of the shaft. Therefore, the runout of the single shaft body can be effectively suppressed.

[0013] Furthermore, in the above configuration, the housing and fixing section not only fixes the actuator and bearing, but also houses them so as to cover at least the portion from the side of the actuator shaft to the bearing. This allows particles generated from the engagement point between the shaft and the shaft-shaped portion during the operation of the nozzle mechanism to be contained within the housing and fixing section, thereby suppressing or preventing fine dust from flowing out into the substrate processing area.

[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, it is possible to provide a mechanism that allows for nozzle position adjustment, high processing accuracy of etching width, and suppression of particle outflow into the substrate processing area. [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] It is a side view showing the internal structure of the above processing unit. [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 is located at the origin. [Figure 6] 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.

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-wafer type apparatus installed in a clean room and processing the substrate 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 performed.

[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 is sometimes 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 be in a mode of executing 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 a 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. Also, in a plan view, a substrate transfer robot 111 is arranged substantially at the center of the substrate processing area 110. Further, a plurality of processing units 1 are arranged 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 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 in the position of the origin. Figure 6 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 in the position of being fully extended.

[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 supports 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 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 lugs 542, with both lugs 542 in contact with the upper surface of the flange portion 572.

[0050] The upper surface 541 of the base 54 between the 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 fixed to the support base 54 using screws or the like.

[0051] Here, we will take one processing liquid discharge nozzle section 51A as an example and explain its structure with reference to Figures 5 and 6. 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".

[0052] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, 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 shaft-shaped portion 52b is located radially inward of the substrate S in the nozzle body 52, that is, on the opposite side from the discharge port 521, and extends radially inward. The shaft-shaped portion 52b is inserted into and supported by a bearing 533 provided in the nozzle drive unit 53.

[0057] The nozzle drive unit 53 includes 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 (storage and fixing portion) 534.

[0058] The motor 531 is held in the motor holder 535, except for the radially outward-facing side to which the shaft 532 is attached.

[0059] The shaft 532 is cantilevered to the motor 531 and, in this embodiment, is integrally provided with the motor 531. The shaft 532 is arranged coaxially with the bearing 533, and its tip (the radially outer end) is engaged with the axial portion 52b of the nozzle body 52.

[0060] Specifically, in this embodiment, the axial portion 52b of the nozzle body 52 has an axial hole 523 into which the shaft 532 is inserted, the axial hole 523 opening radially inward and extending radially outward, and a nut 524 is fixed to this axial hole 523. On the other hand, the shaft 532 has a thread on its outer circumference 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 is screwed onto the nut 524.

[0061] As a result, when the motor 531 drives the shaft 532, 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.

[0062] The housing 534 secures and houses the motor 531 and the bearing 533. In addition to securing the motor 531 and the bearing 533, the housing 534 also houses at least the portion of the motor 531 from the side to which the shaft 532 is connected to the bearing 533.

[0063] The bearing 533 is provided so as to be able to support the shaft-shaped portion 52b when the nozzle body 52 is moved to its furthest radially outward position.

[0064] With the above configuration, 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 the 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.

[0065] Here, since the shaft 532, one end of which is connected to the motor 531, is cantilevered, if there is a gap between the motor 531 and the housing which is its fixing member when the nozzle block 50 is in operation, this causes the shaft 532 to vibrate, and the nozzle body 52 engaged with the tip of the shaft 532 also vibrates. As a result, the position of the discharge port 521 changes, causing a shift in the liquid landing position and reducing processing accuracy.

[0066] According to the above configuration, a shaft-shaped portion 52b is provided on the nozzle body 52, this shaft-shaped portion 52b is supported by at least one bearing 533, and the shaft 532 is engaged with this shaft-shaped portion 52b. Since the bearing 533 and the shaft 532 are arranged coaxially, the engaged shaft 532 and shaft-shaped portion 52b form a single shaft body, with one end connected to the motor 531 and the middle part supported by the bearing 533. Moreover, the bearing 533 is positioned to support the shaft-shaped portion 52b when the nozzle body 52 is moved to its outermost radial position, and supports the single shaft body at a position away from the base of the shaft 532. Therefore, the runout of the single shaft body can be effectively suppressed, and the displacement of the liquid landing position due to changes in the position of the discharge port 521 can be effectively suppressed.

[0067] Furthermore, in the above configuration, the housing 534 not only fixes the motor 531 and bearing 533, but also accommodates at least the portion from the side of the motor 531 to which the shaft 532 is connected to the bearing 533. As a result, when the nozzle block 50 is in operation, particles generated from the engagement portion between the shaft 532 and the shaft-shaped portion 52b can be contained within the housing 534, thereby suppressing or preventing the outflow of particles into the substrate processing area.

[0068] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the bearing 533 is a sleeve-type bearing 533A that extends radially from the substrate S. The radially outer end of the sleeve-type bearing 533A is positioned to support the shaft-shaped portion 52b when the nozzle body 52 is moved to the outermost radial position of the substrate S, and extends radially inward from this position.

[0069] The shaft-shaped portion 52b is inserted from the radially outer end of the sleeve-type bearing 533A, and the shaft 532 is inserted from the radially inner end of the sleeve-type bearing 533A, and the shaft-shaped portion 52b and the shaft 532 are engaged in the sleeve-type bearing 533A.

[0070] With the above configuration, since a sleeve-type bearing 533A is used as the bearing 533, the contact area between the axial portion 52b of the nozzle body 52 and the sleeve-type bearing 533A is increased. This makes it possible to more effectively suppress the runout of the single shaft. In addition, since the axial portion 52b and the shaft 532 are engaged inside the sleeve-type bearing 533A, it is possible to more effectively suppress or prevent the outflow of particles generated from the engagement portion into the substrate processing area.

[0071] As a sleeve-type bearing, for example, a sliding bearing such as iglidur G (product name: igus Corporation) can be used. However, while using a sleeve-type bearing as bearing 533 is preferable for the reasons mentioned above, it is not necessarily limited to this, and a configuration in which rolling bearings are arranged in multiple locations may also be used.

[0072] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the motor 531 and bearing 532 are fixed to the housing 534 by interference fit. More precisely, since the motor 531 is held by the motor holder 535, in this embodiment, the motor 531 is held by the motor holder 535 and fixed to the housing 534 together with the bearing 533 by interference fit.

[0073] According to the above configuration, the motor 531 and bearing 533 are fixed to the housing 534 by interference fit. Therefore, the intersection of the parts fixing the motor 531 and bearing 533 is an interference fit intersection, and sufficient coaxiality can be ensured in the motor 531 and bearing 533. By ensuring the coaxiality of the motor 531 and bearing 533, the runout of the single shaft can be suppressed more effectively.

[0074] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the nut 524 is fixed to the shaft hole 523 by a crimp fit in the shaft-shaped portion 52b of the nozzle body 52.

[0075] In this way, the nut 524 is fixed to the shaft hole 523 by an interference fit, so that the intersection of the inner circumference of the shaft hole 523 and the outer circumference of the nut 524 becomes an interference fit intersection, and sufficient coaxiality can be ensured between the shaft 532 and the nut 524. By ensuring the coaxiality between the shaft 532 and the nut 524, the runout of the single shaft body can be suppressed more effectively.

[0076] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a seal ring 536 is positioned radially outward of the bearing 533 to seal the ring-shaped space between the bearing 533 and the shaft-shaped portion 52b. A ring-shaped groove 534a is formed in the housing 534 for positioning the seal ring 536, and the seal ring 536 is fitted into this groove 534a. A ring-shaped retaining member 537 is fitted radially outward of the seal ring 536 to prevent the seal ring 536 from falling out.

[0077] The seal ring 536 has a ring-shaped sliding contact portion that slides against the entire circumference of the outer surface of the shaft-shaped portion 52b, and a ring-shaped contact portion that adheres tightly to the inner surface of the groove 534a over its entire circumference. As a result, the ring-shaped contact portion seals the ring-shaped space by adhering tightly to the groove 534a, while the ring-shaped sliding contact portion allows the shaft-shaped portion 52b to slide.

[0078] According to the above configuration, when the nozzle block 50 is in operation, particles generated from the engagement portion between the shaft 532 and the shaft-shaped portion 52b can be effectively suppressed or prevented from flowing out into the substrate processing area through the gap between the bearing 533 and the shaft-shaped portion 52b.

[0079] 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.

[0080] 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]

[0081] 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 52 Nozzle body 52b Shaft shape part 53 Nozzle drive unit 54 Support base 110 Substrate processing area 521 Discharge port 523 Shaft hole 524 Nut 531 Motor (Actuator) 532 shaft 533 Bearing 533A Sleeve-type bearing 534 Housing (retaining and fixing part)

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 comprises a nozzle body that discharges processing liquid from an outlet toward the lower peripheral edge of the substrate, The nozzle body is reciprocated by a nozzle drive unit that moves the nozzle body back and forth in the radial direction of the substrate, The nozzle body has an axial-shaped portion that extends inward in the radial direction, on the side opposite to the discharge port in the radial direction. The nozzle drive unit is One end is connected to the actuator, and the other end is engaged with the shaft-shaped portion, and the shaft moves the nozzle body. At least one bearing is provided so as to be able to support the shaft-shaped portion when the nozzle body is moved to its outermost position in the radial direction, The actuator and the bearing are fixed together, and the housing and fixing portion is provided to house the actuator and the bearing, and to house the actuator so as to cover at least the portion from the side to which the shaft is connected to the bearing, The substrate processing apparatus is characterized in that the shaft and the bearing are arranged coaxially.

2. The bearing is a sleeve-type bearing that extends in the radial direction, The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shaft-shaped portion is inserted from the radially outer end of the sleeve-type bearing, the shaft is inserted from the radially inner end of the sleeve-type bearing, and the shaft-shaped portion and the shaft are engaged within the sleeve-type bearing.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the actuator and the bearing are fixed to the housing and fixing portion by a pressure fit.

4. The shaft-shaped portion is a shaft hole into which the shaft is inserted, and has a shaft hole that opens toward the radially inward direction and extends toward the radially outward direction. A nut is secured in the aforementioned shaft hole by an interference fit. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that a screw for screwing into the nut is formed on the outer circumference of the shaft.

5. A seal ring is positioned radially outward of the bearing to seal the ring-shaped space between the bearing and the shaft-shaped portion. A ring-shaped groove for positioning the seal ring is formed in the aforementioned housing and fixing portion. The aforementioned seal ring is A ring-shaped sliding contact portion that slides against the outer circumferential surface of the shaft-shaped portion and the entire circumference, The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it has a ring-shaped contact portion that is in close contact with the inner circumferential surface of the groove over its entire circumference.

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