Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Abstract

To reliably perform light irradiation treatment on the back surface of the substrate. [Solution] The substrate processing apparatus of the present disclosure comprises: a substrate holding unit for holding the substrate in a processing chamber; a light source; a housing for housing the light source and forming a light source chamber partitioned from the processing chamber; a window forming part of the housing for transmitting light irradiated from the light source and supplying it to the back surface of the substrate in the processing chamber for processing; a processing chamber side gas supply unit for supplying an inert gas to the processing chamber; a processing chamber side exhaust unit for exhausting the inert gas from the processing chamber; a light source chamber side gas supply unit for supplying an inert gas to the light source chamber; and a light source chamber side exhaust unit for exhausting the inert gas from the light source chamber.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method.

Background Art

[0002] In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, there are cases where light such as ultraviolet rays is irradiated on the back surface of a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a wafer) using a substrate processing apparatus. Patent Document 1 describes that after forming a friction reducing film on the back surface of the wafer to reduce friction with an exposure stage on which the wafer is placed, the friction reducing film is removed by irradiating ultraviolet rays.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure provides a technique capable of stably performing processing by light irradiation on the back surface of a substrate.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The substrate processing apparatus of the present disclosure includes a substrate holding unit that holds the substrate in a processing chamber, a light source, a housing that houses the light source and forms a light source chamber partitioned from the processing chamber, and a window that forms a part of the housing and transmits light irradiated from the light source to supply it to the back surface of the substrate in the processing chamber for processing, a light irradiation unit including a processing chamber side gas supply unit that supplies an inert gas to the processing chamber, a processing chamber side exhaust unit that exhausts the inert gas from the processing chamber, a light source chamber side gas supply unit that supplies an inert gas to the light source chamber, A light source chamber side exhaust unit that exhausts the inert gas from the light source chamber, It is equipped with. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] This disclosure enables stable processing of the back surface of a substrate by light irradiation. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional plan view of the aforementioned substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional plan view of the aforementioned substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 4] This is a schematic side view of the aforementioned substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 5] This is a schematic side view of the system including the aforementioned substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 6] This is a chart illustrating the processing operation of the substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 7] This is a side view showing the processing operation of the substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 8] This is a side view showing the processing operation of the substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 9] This is an explanatory diagram showing the supply and exhaust conditions of the aforementioned system. [Figure 10] This is a cross-sectional view showing the exhaust passage of the substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 11] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view of the aforementioned substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 12] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a substrate processing apparatus according to a modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 13] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a substrate processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] This is a cross-sectional plan view of the aforementioned substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 15] This is a schematic side view of the substrate processing apparatus according to the third embodiment. [Figure 16]It is a schematic diagram of the substrate processing apparatus of the fourth embodiment. [Figure 17] It is a longitudinal side view of a substrate processing apparatus according to still another modification of the first embodiment. [Figure 18] It is a longitudinal front view of the substrate processing apparatus according to the modification. [Figure 19] It is a longitudinal side view of the irradiation unit of the substrate processing apparatus.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] 〔First Embodiment〕 The substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the longitudinal side view of FIG. 1 and the cross-sectional plan views of FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 3 shows a cross section at a different height from FIG. 2. The substrate processing apparatus 1 is provided in an air atmosphere and processes a wafer W which is a circular substrate. For this wafer W, for example, a resist film having a predetermined pattern formed on the surface and an organic film (organic film) is formed on the back surface, for example. As a specific example of this organic substance, HMDS (hexamethyldisilazane) is used, and it is a film formed to form a pattern on the resist film. The substrate processing apparatus 1 irradiates light from below onto the entire back surface of the wafer W to perform a process of removing the organic film. The light includes ultraviolet rays (that is, vacuum ultraviolet rays) having a wavelength of 10 nm to 200 nm, and more specifically, ultraviolet rays having a peak wavelength of, for example, 172 nm are irradiated.

[0009] However, oxygen in the air is activated by the above light, and O3 (ozone) gas is generated on the back surface side of the wafer W. Since this O3 gas attenuates light, if the concentration of O3 gas is relatively high between the light source (ultraviolet irradiation source) and the wafer W, there is a possibility that a sufficient film removing effect cannot be obtained. Further, if the O3 gas leaks around to the front surface side of the wafer W, the resist film will be damaged and removed by this O3 gas. As will be described in detail later, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is configured to prevent these problems by supplying and exhausting an inert gas. The dotted arrows in FIGS. 2 and 3 indicate the exhaust flow.

[0010] The configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 1 will be described in detail below. The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a housing 11 that forms the general shape of the apparatus, and the housing 11 is horizontally long and rectangular. The length direction of this housing 11 will be described as the front-back direction. Therefore, the left-right direction is the width direction of the substrate processing apparatus 1. In the drawing, the X direction indicates the left-right horizontal direction, the Y direction indicates the front-back horizontal direction, and the Z direction indicates the vertical direction. A transfer port 12 for the wafer W is provided on the front-side wall of the housing 11. Inside the housing 11, a stage 13, a moving unit 2, a light irradiation unit 3, and a power supply unit 4 are provided. The light irradiation unit 3 irradiates the wafer W with light including the ultraviolet rays described above, and the moving unit 2 holds and moves the wafer W for this light irradiation.

[0011] The stage 13 is provided in front of the light irradiation unit 3 inside the housing 11, and adsorbs and horizontally supports the central portion on the back surface side of the wafer W. A transfer mechanism 81 (not shown in FIGS. 1 to 3) delivers the wafer W to the stage 13. The stage 13 is connected to a rotation mechanism 14. By the rotation mechanism 14, the stage 13 rotates around a vertical rotation axis together with the adsorbed wafer W, and the orientation of the wafer W is changed inside the housing 11. This change in the orientation of the wafer W is performed in order to change the holding position of the back surface of the wafer W by the moving unit 2 when processing the entire back surface of the wafer W.

[0012] The moving unit 2 includes a moving part 20 including an annular main body part 21 surrounding the side periphery of the wafer W, a substrate holding part 22 protruding from the main body part 21 toward the region surrounded by the main body part 21, and a light shielding plate 23, and a moving mechanism 25 connected to the moving part 20. A plurality of, for example, four substrate holding parts 22 are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction of the main body part 21, and adsorb and hold the peripheral edge portion of the back surface of the wafer W by suction from the suction holes 24.

[0013] An inert gas outlet (not shown) is provided on the inner side of the main body 21, and the inert gas is supplied to the gap between the side of the wafer W held by the substrate holding part 22 and the side of the main body 21, thereby suppressing the leakage of O3 gas onto the surface of the wafer W. The light shielding plate 23 is formed in an arc shape in plan view so as to follow the circumferential direction of the main body 21 and is provided to connect the base ends of the substrate holding part 22. This light shielding plate 23 prevents the light irradiated from below from being supplied to the surface of the wafer W by diffraction.

[0014] The moving mechanism 25 can move the moving section 20 vertically up and down, and horizontally back and forth. By moving the moving section 20 up and down, the wafer W can be transferred between the stage 13 and the substrate holding section 22 of the moving section 20. Furthermore, by moving the moving section 20 back and forth, the wafer W is transported together with the moving section 20 to the processing chamber 70 (described later) and moves on the light irradiation section 3, thereby changing the position of light irradiation on the back surface of the wafer W. In other words, light is irradiated to different positions on the front and back of the back surface of the wafer W, and processing is performed.

[0015] The light irradiation unit 3 comprises a housing 31 and a light source 32. The housing 31 is a rectangular shape that is elongated from left to right and is provided within the housing 11 of the device in the width direction. The upper wall of the housing 31 is formed horizontally, and a part of this upper wall is formed as a window 33 that transmits light irradiated from the light source 32 upward. Thus, a part of the housing 31 is configured as a window 33. The window 33 is made of, for example, quartz, and the width of the window 33 is greater than the diameter of the wafer W so that light can be irradiated over the entire diameter of the wafer W. The space inside the housing 31 is configured as a light source chamber 30. In the light source chamber 30, the light source 32 is positioned below the window 33, away from the window 33, and irradiates light of the aforementioned wavelength upward.

[0016] Let's explain the power supply unit 4 connected to the light irradiation unit 3. The light source 32 is powered by the power supply unit 4 located below the light irradiation unit 3, enabling it to irradiate light in this manner. The upstream end of the exhaust pipe 41 is connected to the power supply unit 4, and the downstream end of the exhaust pipe 41 is connected to an exhaust source (not shown). Due to the exhaust from the exhaust source, the inside of the exhaust pipe 41 and the power supply unit 4 are subjected to negative pressure relative to the surroundings of the power supply unit 4. As a result, the air surrounding the power supply unit 4 flows into the power supply unit 4 through the exhaust pipe 41 and is exhausted from the exhaust pipe 41, cooling the equipment installed inside the power supply unit 4. The exhaust source that exhausts the power supply unit 4 in this manner, and the exhaust sources described later, are, for example, exhaust passages provided in a factory where a wafer processing system 8 (described later), including the substrate processing apparatus 1, is installed, and are set to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, with the flow paths connected to each exhaust source being exhausted.

[0017] Returning to the description of the light irradiation unit 3, the downstream end of the gas supply pipe 34 is connected to the housing 31 and opens to the light source chamber 30. A valve V1 is interposed in the gas supply pipe 34, and the upstream end of the gas supply pipe 34 is connected to the downstream end of the gas supply pipe 35, which is interposed in the pressure adjustment unit, regulator R2. Inert gas is supplied to the gas supply pipe 35, and regulator R2 adjusts the flow rate of the inert gas supplied to the downstream side of the gas supply pipe 35 so that the pressure on the downstream side of the gas supply pipe 35 remains constant. As will be described later, regulator R1 is provided upstream of regulator R2 as a primary regulator, and regulator R2 is a secondary regulator.

[0018] Furthermore, the upstream ends of two exhaust pipes 36 are connected to the housing 31 of the light irradiation unit 3, and these exhaust pipes 36 open at the left and right ends of the light source chamber 30, respectively. The downstream ends of each exhaust pipe 36 extend towards the rear inside the housing 11 of the device, and the downstream ends of each exhaust pipe 36 are connected to the rear side wall of the housing 11. A duct 37 is provided that is connected to the side wall from the outside of the housing 31 and extends horizontally to the left and right, and the downstream ends of each exhaust pipe 36 open into the flow path within the duct 37. The duct 37 is connected to an exhaust source 80 (not shown in Figures 1 to 3), and the inside of the duct 37 is exhausted by the exhaust source 80.

[0019] With the above configuration, the light source chamber 30 can be supplied with inert gas when valve V1 is open, and is constantly exhausted via duct 37 and exhaust pipe 36 by the exhaust source. When inert gas is supplied, the inert gas is exhausted into duct 37, and when inert gas is not supplied, the air that flows into the light source chamber 30 from outside the housing 31 is exhausted into duct 37. The supply of inert gas to the light source chamber 30 is performed when light is irradiated from the light source 32. The reason for supplying and exhausting the light source chamber 30 when light is irradiated is to prevent the light irradiated from the light source 32 from being greatly attenuated due to the high concentration of O3 gas generated between the window 33 and the light source 32 when light is irradiated. Another purpose is to prevent defects caused by oxidation of metal parts inside the light source chamber 30 by the O3 gas.

[0020] As described above, multiple exhaust paths (two in this example) are provided, each formed by the exhaust pipe 36, branching off to the left and right from the light source chamber 30. Alternatively, three or more exhaust pipes 36 may be arranged side-by-side, connecting three or more points in the light source chamber 30 to the duct 37. These exhaust pipes 36 and duct 37 constitute the exhaust section on the light source chamber side. Furthermore, the valve V1 and gas supply pipe 34 constitute the gas supply section on the light source chamber side.

[0021] Furthermore, a pressure sensor 15 is provided in the light source chamber 30, and the control device 100, described later, can detect the pressure in the light source chamber 30 based on the detection signal output from this pressure sensor 15. If the pressure falls outside the acceptable range when valve V1 is opened, the control device 100 determines that an abnormality has occurred, outputs a control signal, closes valve V1, and terminates, for example, the processing of wafer W. By stopping the supply of inert gas due to the closing of valve V1, malfunctions such as damage to the window 33 due to excessive pressurization are prevented.

[0022] A gas outlet 38 is located on the upper surface of the housing 31 of the light irradiation unit 3, in front of the window 33. This gas outlet 38 opens diagonally upward toward the rear and is formed in the shape of a slit, for example, extending in the left-right direction. The downstream end of a gas supply pipe 39, which has a valve V2 interposed between it and the housing 31, is connected to the housing 31, and the downstream end of this gas supply pipe 39 communicates with the gas outlet 38 via a flow path provided in the housing 31.

[0023] The upstream end of the gas supply pipe 39 is connected to the downstream end of the gas supply pipe 35. Therefore, the downstream section of the gas supply pipe 35, where the regulator R2 is installed, branches off to form gas supply pipes 34 and 39, and the regulator R2 is shared by gas supply pipes 34 and 39. When the valve V2 is opened, inert gas is discharged from the gas outlet 38. The gas outlet 38, the valve V2, and the portion of the gas supply pipe 39 downstream of the valve V2 constitute the gas supply section on the processing chamber side.

[0024] A first regulating member, a wind direction regulating plate 51, is provided above the gas outlet 38, with a gap between it and the gas outlet 38. The wind direction regulating plate 51 is horizontally supported by a support portion 52 provided on the front side of the gas outlet 38. Since the wind direction regulating plate 51 is located on the extension of the direction of gas discharge from the gas outlet 38, the inert gas discharged from the gas outlet 38 collides with the wind direction regulating plate 51. The inert gas then flows horizontally along the lower surface of the wind direction regulating plate 51 and towards the rear.

[0025] Behind the light irradiation unit 3, there is an exhaust passage forming unit 6 that forms an exhaust passage for the inert gas discharged from the gas outlet 38. The exhaust passage forming unit 6 comprises a lower plate 61 and an upper plate 62 positioned above the lower plate 61. The lower plate 61 is configured as a horizontal plate that divides the area behind the light irradiation unit 3 within the housing 11 vertically, and the upper plate 62 is configured as a plate whose rear side is bent at 90° relative to its front side. The front side of the upper plate 62 forms a horizontal portion 63, which divides the area behind the light irradiation unit 3 vertically, and is positioned opposite the lower plate 61 with a relatively small gap between them. The rear side of the upper plate 62 forms a vertical portion 64, which is positioned opposite the rear side wall of the housing 11 so as to divide the area above the lower plate 61 within the housing 11 front to back.

[0026] The area enclosed by the lower plate 61, the upper plate 62, and the housing 11 is an exhaust passage partitioned from the surroundings, and as will be described later, gas flows through this exhaust passage toward the rear. This exhaust passage is L-shaped when viewed in the left-right direction and comprises a lateral exhaust passage 65 formed by the horizontal portion 63 of the upper plate 62 and extending horizontally from front to rear, and a vertical exhaust passage 66 connected to the downstream end of the lateral exhaust passage 65 and formed by the side wall of the housing 11 and extending vertically upward.

[0027] Each of the horizontal exhaust passages 65 and vertical exhaust passages 66 is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from the left-right, front-back, and up-down directions. For example, the width of the horizontal exhaust passage 65 and the width of the vertical exhaust passage 66 are equal in the left-right direction. The height D1 of the horizontal exhaust passage 55 is smaller than the front-to-back length D2 of the vertical exhaust passage 56 (see Figure 1). Therefore, in terms of the cross-sectional area in the flow direction, the horizontal exhaust passage 65 is larger than the vertical exhaust passage 56, resulting in a greater pressure loss for the gas (atmosphere and inert gas) flowing through the horizontal exhaust passage 65 than the vertical exhaust passage 66. Regarding the front-to-back length, the length D2 of the vertical exhaust passage 66 is smaller than the front-to-back length of the horizontal exhaust passage 65, and the width from side to side is larger than the front-to-back length D2 of the vertical exhaust passage 66, resulting in a strip-like shape extending from side to side in a plan view.

[0028] The upper surface of the upper plate 62 described above is provided to be continuous with the upper surface of the housing 31 of the light irradiation unit 3. That is, the upper surface of the upper plate 62 and the upper surface of the housing 31 are in contact and at the same height. On the front side of the upper plate 62, a number of exhaust ports 67 are formed, each facing vertically, and opening into the lateral exhaust passage 65. The number of exhaust ports 67 are formed in rows to the left and right, spaced apart from each other.

[0029] An opening 68 extending horizontally is provided in the rear side wall of the housing 11, and it opens into a vertical exhaust passage 66. A duct 69 is also provided, connected to the side wall from the outside of the housing 31. Duct 69 is located below duct 37 and extends horizontally to the left and right. Like duct 37, duct 69 is also connected to the exhaust source 80, so that its interior is exhausted. The aforementioned opening 68 also opens into duct 69. Therefore, the inert gas discharged from the gas outlet 38 flows through the exhaust port 67, horizontal exhaust passage 65, vertical exhaust passage 66, and duct 69 in that order and is exhausted.

[0030] Furthermore, at the left and right ends of the housing 11 of the device, support portions 71 are provided that extend from the front end of the housing 31 of the light irradiation unit 3 toward the rear end of the horizontal portion 63 of the exhaust passage forming unit 6 and protrude upward. These support portions 71, together with the horizontal plate 72 supported by each support portion 71, constitute a cavity forming member 73, and the space enclosed by the cavity forming member 73 is configured as a processing chamber 70 into which the wafer W supported by the moving unit 20 is transported for light irradiation. Therefore, the processing chamber 70 is a space formed above the light source chamber 30 and is partitioned from the light source chamber 30. The moving unit 20 transports the wafer W into this processing chamber 70 for processing. Because the processing chamber 70 is formed as described above, the gas discharge port 38 discharges inert gas into the processing chamber 70, and the exhaust port 67 exhausts the processing chamber 70. Air can flow into the processing chamber 70 from the front.

[0031] Furthermore, exhaust is continuously performed from the exhaust port 67 via the duct 69. Between the processing chamber 70 and the light source chamber 30, the flow paths of each part of the substrate processing apparatus 1 are formed such that the processing chamber 70 has a larger exhaust volume, and the atmosphere from the processing chamber 70 is also exhausted from the exhaust port 67, both when inert gas is supplied from the gas discharge port 38 and when it is not. The exhaust passage forming section 6 and the duct 69 described above constitute the processing chamber side exhaust section.

[0032] Above the exhaust port 67, a second restricting member, a wind direction restricting plate 53, is provided with a gap between it and the exhaust port 67. The wind direction restricting plate 53 is horizontally supported by a support portion 54 provided on the rear side of the exhaust port 67. The wind direction restricting plate 53, the exhaust port 67, the aforementioned wind direction restricting plate 51, and the gas discharge port 38 will be described in more detail. During the processing of the wafer W, light is irradiated from the window 33 onto the back surface of the wafer W located above the window 33. As previously described, this light irradiation generates O3 gas from the atmosphere, and if the concentration of this O3 gas is high, the film removal effect on the back surface of the wafer W is weakened.

[0033] To prevent this, during light irradiation, an inert gas is discharged from the gas outlet 38, and the O3 gas is purged towards the exhaust port 67. The airflow regulating plate 51 restricts the flow of the inert gas so that it is directed towards the rear, thereby preventing the inert gas from moving towards the wafer W along with the O3 gas.

[0034] As described above, exhaust is constantly performed from the exhaust port 67, so even when purging of O3 gas with this inert gas is performed, suction is also performed from the exhaust port 67, and the purged O3 gas flows into the exhaust port 67 and is removed. When this O3 gas removal is performed, if the exhaust port 67 exhausts around the wafer W, the generated O3 gas will easily flow towards the wafer W. In other words, an exhaust flow of O3 gas will be formed that passes around the wafer W, and the resist film on the surface of the wafer W will be removed.

[0035] Therefore, by positioning the airflow regulating plate 53, it is prevented that the exhaust direction from the exhaust port 67 will be upward, and the exhaust will be directed towards the front of the exhaust port 67. In other words, the O3 gas, which is pushed backward by the inert gas, is drawn in along with the inert gas and flows forward into the exhaust port 67, thereby preventing the O3 gas and inert gas from being supplied upward to the processing chamber 70. In this example, the length of the airflow regulating plate 53 in the front-to-back direction is relatively large in order to more reliably obtain the effect of the airflow regulating plate 53. More specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the length L2 from the front end of the exhaust port 67 to the front end of the airflow regulating plate 53 is greater than the length L1 from the rear end of the gas discharge port 38 to the rear end of the airflow regulating plate 51.

[0036] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the substrate processing apparatus 1 described above, with the flow of inert gas supplied from the gas supply source indicated by dotted arrows. The supply path of this inert gas is divided downstream of the regulator R2 into a supply path toward the processing chamber 70 and a supply path toward the light source chamber 30. The exhaust path from the processing chamber 70 is formed separately as an exhaust path and duct 69 by the exhaust path forming section 6, and the exhaust path from the light source chamber 30 is formed separately as an exhaust pipe 36 and duct 37. Hereafter, duct 37 and duct 69 may be referred to as the light source chamber side exhaust duct 37 and processing chamber side exhaust duct 69 to distinguish them from each other.

[0037] Next, an example of a wafer processing system 8 including multiple substrate processing devices 1 will be explained with reference to the schematic side view in Figure 5. In the wafer processing system 8, multiple substrate processing devices 1 are arranged in the vertical direction, and each substrate processing device 1 in each stage is arranged in a single row in the left-right direction (X direction). In the example shown in Figure 5, the substrate processing devices 1 are provided in three stages, and three substrate processing devices 1 are provided in each stage, so a total of nine substrate processing devices 1 are provided in the wafer processing system 8. These substrate processing devices 1 are arranged in a 3x3 matrix when viewed from the side.

[0038] The wafer processing system 8 is equipped with a transport mechanism (transport device) 81. The transport mechanism 81 transports the wafer W between a transport container that stores the wafer W, for example, called a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod), and any substrate processing device 1, where the wafer W is processed. In the figure, one transport mechanism 81 is shown to be shared by three stages of substrate processing devices 1, but the number of substrate processing devices 1 that receive and receive wafers W from one transport mechanism 81 and the number of transport mechanisms 81 installed are arbitrary. For example, a transport mechanism 81 may be provided for each stage, and the same transport mechanism 81 may be used to transport wafers W to three substrate processing devices 1 in the same stage.

[0039] The light source chamber-side exhaust duct 37 and the processing chamber-side exhaust duct 69 described above are shared by the three substrate processing devices 1 located on the same level. More specifically, as described above, the ducts 37 and 69 are installed to extend horizontally in the left-right direction. The housings 11 of the three substrate processing devices 1 are connected to each other at different positions along the length (left-right direction) of these ducts 37 and 69. Therefore, in the wafer processing system 8, the light source chamber-side exhaust duct 37 and the processing chamber-side exhaust duct 69 are each installed in three levels vertically.

[0040] The left and right ends of each of the light source chamber-side exhaust duct 37 and the processing chamber-side exhaust duct 69 are closed. The other left and right ends (right ends in the figure) of each light source chamber-side exhaust duct 37 are connected to a vertical duct 82 that extends downward, and the other left and right ends (right ends in the figure) of each processing chamber-side exhaust duct 69 are connected to a vertical duct 83 that extends downward. The lower ends of the vertical ducts 82 and 83 are each connected to an exhaust source 80, and exhaust is performed by the exhaust source 80. Therefore, exhaust is performed from the other left and right ends of each light source chamber-side exhaust duct 37 and each processing chamber-side exhaust duct 69 via the vertical ducts 82 and 83. Note that although the exhaust source 80 to which vertical duct 82 is connected and the exhaust source 80 to which vertical duct 83 is connected are shown as separate, they may be a common exhaust source. 84 in the figure is an O3 gas removal filter interposed in each of the vertical ducts 82 and 83.

[0041] Furthermore, the wafer processing system 8 is equipped with multiple gas supply pipes 85, each containing a regulator R1, and inert gas is supplied to these gas supply pipes 85 from an inert gas supply source 86. The inert gas supplied from this inert gas supply source 86 is, for example, N2 (nitrogen) gas. Each regulator R1 adjusts the flow rate of the inert gas supplied to the downstream side of the gas supply pipe 85 so that the pressure in the gas supply pipe 85 downstream of the regulator R1 remains constant.

[0042] Downstream of the location where regulator R1 is installed in the gas supply pipe 85, it branches off and connects to regulators R2 (see Figure 1) installed in two adjacent substrate processing devices 1 in the left-right or up-down directions. In this way, regulator R1 is shared by two substrate processing devices 1. However, since there are nine substrate processing devices 1 installed in the wafer processing system 8, one substrate processing device 1 is configured not to share regulator R1 with the other substrate processing devices 1.

[0043] The wafer processing system 8 described above is equipped with a control unit, which is a control device 100. The control device 100 is, for example, a computer and has a program storage unit (not shown). The program storage unit stores a program that controls the processing of wafers W in the wafer processing system 1. The program storage unit also stores a program that controls the operation of the drive systems, such as the various processing devices and transport devices mentioned above, in order to realize wafer processing in the wafer processing system 1. The program consists of a set of steps necessary to transport and process wafers W in the wafer processing system 8. The control device 100 outputs control signals to each part of the wafer processing system 8 according to the program, and the transport and processing are carried out by controlling each part as described above. The control device 100 also determines whether or not there is an abnormality as described above, and if it determines that an abnormality has occurred, it outputs an alarm to that effect via sound or screen display.

[0044] The above program may be recorded on a computer-readable storage medium H and installed from said storage medium H to the control device 100. The storage medium H may include ROM, RAM, or a hard disk, but its structure and type are not limited, and it may be temporary or non-temporary. The control device 100 may include a part that stores, reads, and executes the program for realizing wafer processing and performs related communications, and the location of each part may be either inside or outside the wafer processing system 1. The control device 100 may be one or more circuits, and may be provided as a single unit or in separate parts. The control device 100 controls the operation of the substrate processing device 1 and can also be considered as being provided on the substrate processing device 1.

[0045] As the wafer processing system 8 has the configuration described above, the gas supply system (gas supply source 86, gas supply pipe 85, regulator R1) is common among the multiple substrate processing devices 1, and the exhaust system, consisting of the light source chamber side exhaust duct 37 and the processing chamber side exhaust duct 69, is also common. In other words, the multiple substrate processing devices 1 are connected to each other via the gas supply system and the exhaust system, and each substrate processing device 1 is subjected to the supply pressure of inert gas from the gas supply system and the exhaust pressure from the factory.

[0046] Therefore, the start, stop, or detection of an abnormality in the wafer W processing in one substrate processing apparatus 1 causes a change in the balance between the supply pressure and exhaust pressure of the inert gas, which can affect the supply and exhaust of other substrate processing apparatuses 1. If this effect is significant, it is conceivable that in other substrate processing apparatuses 1, a large change in the flow rate of gas (air and inert gas) in the processing chamber 70 could cause an abnormality in the processing of the wafer W, or a large change in the flow rate of the inert gas in the light source chamber 30 could cause the pressure in the light source chamber 30 to fall outside the acceptable range, leading to an unfair detection of an abnormality. However, the wafer processing system 8 described above is configured to prevent such malfunctions.

[0047] To explain how to prevent such malfunctions, the processing operations of the wafer W performed in each substrate processing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to the timing chart in Figure 6 and the side views showing the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 in Figures 7 and 8. The timing chart in Figure 6 shows the period during which inert gas is supplied to the processing chamber 70 and the light source chamber 30, and therefore also shows the timing of opening and closing valves V1 and V2. In Figures 7 and 8, dotted arrows indicate the direction of gas flow, and dashed arrows indicate the direction of light irradiation from the light source 32.

[0048] With valves V1 and V2 closed, and air flowing from the processing chamber 70 to the duct 69 and from the light source chamber 30 to the duct 37 at a constant exhaust rate, the transport mechanism 81 places the wafer W onto the stage 13. The moving part 20 of the moving unit, which was waiting below the stage 13, rises to receive and hold the wafer W. Figure 1 shows the state when the moving part 20 holds the wafer W in this manner. Then, both valves V1 and V2 open (time t1 in the chart), and inert gas is supplied to the processing chamber 70 and the light source chamber 30. The gas flowing from the light source chamber 30 to the duct 37 changes from air to inert gas. The gas flowing from the processing chamber 70 to the duct 69 becomes a mixture of inert gas and air, and the flow rate of air flowing into the duct 69 decreases by the amount of the flow rate of inert gas flowing into the duct 69. At the same time, light irradiation from the light source 32 of the light irradiation unit 3 to the processing chamber 70 begins.

[0049] The mobile unit 20 retracts, and the wafer W enters the processing chamber 70. The rear end of the wafer W is then positioned above the window 33, and the first light irradiation begins as shown in Figure 7 (time t2). As the mobile unit 20 continues to retract, light is irradiated onto the region from the rear end to the front end of the wafer W, as shown in Figure 8. When the mobile unit 20 moves to a predetermined position, it stops retracting and begins to move forward. Light irradiation of the wafer W continues even while it is moving forward. The wafer W exits the processing chamber 70, the light source 32 turns off, and the first light irradiation ends. The mobile unit 20 returns to the position shown in Figure 1. During this time, the supply of inert gas to the processing chamber 70 and the light source chamber 30 continues.

[0050] Subsequently, the moving unit 20 descends and the wafer W is transferred to the stage 13, after which the stage 13 rotates 90°. Then, the moving unit 20 rises, adsorbs and holds the wafer W again, and operates in the same manner as during the first light irradiation, thereby irradiating the wafer W with light for the second time. That is, the second light irradiation is performed by the moving unit 20 moving forward and backward, and in the first light irradiation, light is irradiated onto the unprocessed area including the part that overlapped with the substrate holding unit 22 of the moving unit 20, and processing is performed. Then, as the moving unit 20 retracts, the wafer W exits the processing chamber 70 and the light source 32 turns off, and the second light irradiation is completed (time t3). At this point, the entire back surface of the wafer W has been irradiated with light, and the film has been removed from the entire back surface.

[0051] Subsequently, valves V1 and V2 are both closed (at time t4), stopping the supply of inert gas to the processing chamber 70 and the light source chamber 30. The gas flowing from the light source chamber 30 to the duct 37 becomes air, and the gas flowing from the processing chamber 70 to the duct 69 becomes air alone. At the same time, the flow rate of air flowing through the duct 69 increases by the amount of the flow rate of the inert gas whose supply has been stopped. After that, the moving unit 20 descends, and the wafer W is transferred to the stage 13 and transported out of the substrate processing apparatus 1 by the transport mechanism 81.

[0052] The configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 1 related to the wafer W processing described in Figures 6 to 8 above will now be explained in more detail. In the substrate processing apparatus 1, a regulator R2 is provided on the gas supply pipe 35 (see Figure 4) to keep the pressure in the light source chamber 30 within an acceptable range. However, in order to keep the pressure in the light source chamber 30 within an acceptable range, the regulator R2 may be provided not on the gas supply pipe 35, but on the gas supply pipe 34 that branches off from the gas supply pipe 35 and is connected to the light source chamber 30.

[0053] In the process described in the chart in Figure 6, the inert gas is continuously supplied to the processing chamber 70 from the start to the end of the processing of the wafer W. However, during periods when the wafer W is not located in the processing chamber 70, such as when the wafer W's orientation is being changed by stage 13, the processing of the wafer W is not affected even if the inert gas is not supplied to the processing chamber 70. From the viewpoint of reducing the consumption of inert gas and lowering the operating costs of the equipment, it is preferable to stop the supply of inert gas to the processing chamber 70 during such periods when the wafer W is not located in the processing chamber 70.

[0054] However, as explained in the chart in Figure 6, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is designed so that the wafer W is processed in such a way that the supply period of inert gas to the processing chamber 70 coincides with the supply period of inert gas to the light source chamber 30. In other words, inert gas is supplied even when the wafer W is not located in the processing chamber 70. In order to perform processing while matching the supply period of inert gas in the processing chamber 70 and the light source chamber 30, the regulator R2 should be installed so as to adjust the flow rate of the supplied gas to both the gas supply pipe 34 connected to the light source chamber 30 and the gas supply pipe 39 connected to the processing chamber 70. For this reason, the regulator R2 is not installed in the gas supply pipe 34, but rather, as shown in Figure 4, etc., it is located upstream of the gas supply pipe 34 which forms a flow path toward the light source chamber 30 and the gas supply pipe 39 which forms a flow path toward the processing chamber 70, and is installed in the gas supply pipe 35 which is the source of the branching of these gas supply pipes 34 and 39.

[0055] We will continue our explanation with reference to Figure 9, which shows three substrate processing devices 1 in the same stage of the wafer processing system 8. For convenience, we will refer to the three substrate processing devices 1 as 1a, 1b, and 1c from left to right. Let's assume that a pressure anomaly is detected in the light source chamber 30 of substrate processing device 1a, and the supply of inert gas to the light source chamber 30 is stopped by closing valve V1.

[0056] The substrate processing apparatus 1a shares a gas supply pipe 85 with the substrate processing apparatus 1b. When the supply of inert gas to the light source chamber 30 in the substrate processing apparatus 1a is stopped, the pressure in the gas supply pipe 85 changes, and the flow rate of inert gas flowing through the gas supply pipe 85 changes. However, in the substrate processing apparatus 1b, as described above, regulator R2 is installed in the gas supply pipe 35, which is the branching point of the gas supply pipe 34 that forms a flow path toward the light source chamber 30 and the gas supply pipe 39 that forms a flow path toward the processing chamber 70. Therefore, fluctuations in the flow rate of inert gas supplied to the light source chamber 30 and the flow rate of inert gas supplied to the processing chamber 70 are suppressed, respectively. Consequently, in the substrate processing apparatus 1b, it is prevented that the pressure in the light source chamber 30 will fall outside the acceptable range and be judged as abnormal. In addition, in the processing chamber 70 of the substrate processing apparatus 1b, gas (air and inert gas) continues to flow at a stable flow rate, so it is prevented that the flow of O3 gas generated by light irradiation will be disturbed and wrap around to the surface of the wafer W, preventing abnormalities in the processing of the wafer W.

[0057] Furthermore, the gas supply pipes 85 connected to each substrate processing device 1 are connected to each other upstream of the location where the regulator R1 is installed. Therefore, when the supply of inert gas to the light source chamber 30 of the substrate processing device 1a is stopped, the pressure in the gas supply pipes 85 connected to the substrate processing devices 1 other than 1a and 1b (such as 1c) will also change, and the flow rate of inert gas supplied to the downstream side may change. However, as described above, the regulator R2 is also installed in the substrate processing devices 1 other than 1b, so that the change in the gas flow rate passing through the light source chamber 30 and processing chamber 70 is suppressed, just as in the substrate processing device 1b.

[0058] Now, suppose that when the supply of inert gas to the light source chamber 30 in the substrate processing apparatus 1a is stopped, the flow rate of inert gas flowing to the light source chamber side exhaust duct 37 via the exhaust pipe 36 changes, and the pressure inside the light source chamber side exhaust duct 37 changes. However, the processing chambers 70 of the substrate processing apparatuses 1a to 1c are connected to a processing chamber side exhaust duct 69, which is provided separately from the light source chamber side exhaust duct 37, via a horizontal exhaust passage 55 and a vertical exhaust passage 56. In other words, the exhaust path of the processing chamber 70 of the substrate processing apparatuses 1a to 1c and the exhaust path of the light source chamber 30 of the substrate processing apparatuses 1a to 1c are formed separately.

[0059] Therefore, even if pressure changes occur in the exhaust duct 37 on the light source chamber side due to changes in the gas inflow rate, changes in the gas flow rate from the processing chambers 70 of the substrate processing devices 1a to 1c to the exhaust duct 69 on the processing chamber side are suppressed. In other words, in each processing chamber 70, the inert gas and the atmosphere continue to flow at stable rates. Therefore, abnormalities in the processing of the wafer W are prevented in each of the substrate processing devices 1b and 1c.

[0060] For the sake of explanation, it was stated that the supply of inert gas to the light source chamber 30 of the substrate processing apparatus 1a stops due to an abnormality. However, since wafer W is processed independently in substrate processing apparatuses 1a to 1c, the supply of inert gas to the light source chamber 30 of substrate processing apparatus 1a may stop when the processing of wafer W in substrate processing apparatus 1b and 1c is completed. Also, the pressures of the gas supply system and exhaust system change when the processing of wafer W starts. Even when the processing of wafer W starts or ends in this way, changes in the gas flow rate in the light source chamber 30 and processing chamber 70 of substrate processing apparatuses 1b and 1c connected to substrate processing apparatus 1a are prevented, as in the case of an abnormality. Furthermore, although the case in which the supply of inert gas to the light source chamber 30 of substrate processing apparatus 1a stops as a representative of the wafer processing system 8, the same method is used to prevent the occurrence of abnormalities in other substrate processing apparatuses 1 if the supply of inert gas to the light source chamber 30 of a substrate processing apparatus 1 other than 1a stops.

[0061] As described above, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, an inert gas is supplied to and exhausted from the light source chamber 30. Therefore, the attenuation of the light irradiated onto the wafer W from the light source 32 is suppressed, and processing of the wafer W can be performed stably. More specifically, it prevents the residue of a film from remaining on the back surface of the wafer W due to insufficient intensity of the irradiated light.

[0062] Furthermore, when each substrate processing device 1 is connected to each other via a gas supply system and an exhaust system to form the wafer processing system 8, the arrangement of the regulator R2 described above and the simultaneous supply of inert gas to the light source chamber 30 and the processing chamber 70 suppress changes in the flow rate of inert gas to the light source chamber 30 and the processing chamber 70. In addition, by providing an exhaust duct 37 on the light source chamber side and an exhaust duct 69 on the processing chamber side, the exhaust path of the light source chamber 30 and the exhaust path of the processing chamber 70 are separated, thereby suppressing changes in the gas flow rate in the processing chamber 70. Consequently, it is prevented that the supply of inert gas to the light source chamber 30 will be unjustly stopped due to pressure changes in the light source chamber 30 even though there is no abnormality in the device, and the flow of O3 gas in the processing chamber 70 will not be disturbed. Therefore, the substrate processing device 1 can stably process the wafer W.

[0063] By the way, when exhausting the light source chamber 30, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, as shown in Figure 3, the light source chamber 30 is connected to the light source chamber side exhaust duct 37 via two exhaust pipes (pipes) 36, and the exhaust pipes 36 are connected to exhaust air from positions separated to the left and right in the width direction of the light source chamber 30. Instead of using these two exhaust pipes 36 to connect the inside of the housing 31 and the light source chamber side exhaust duct 37, one exhaust pipe (for convenience, referred to as a virtual exhaust pipe) may be used to connect the light source chamber 30 and the light source chamber side exhaust duct 37. For example, suppose the cross-sectional area of ​​the pipe inside the exhaust pipe 36 is A, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the pipe in the virtual exhaust pipe is 2A. That is, the cross-sectional area of ​​the pipe is made to be the same as the sum of the cross-sectional area of ​​the virtual exhaust pipe and the two exhaust pipes 36.

[0064] However, even if the cross-sectional area of ​​the virtual exhaust pipe and the cross-sectional area of ​​the exhaust pipe 36 have such a relationship, the gas flow is difficult through each of the two exhaust pipes 36 because the cross-sectional area of ​​each pipe is small, resulting in a relatively large pressure loss of gas from the light source chamber 30 to the exhaust duct 37 on the light source chamber side. Since it is preferable to have a relatively large pressure loss in the gas flow path from the light source chamber 30 to the exhaust duct 37 on the light source chamber side, it is preferable to provide two exhaust pipes 36 as shown in Figure 3 rather than providing a virtual exhaust pipe.

[0065] To explain in more detail how to increase the pressure loss between the light source chamber 30 and the exhaust duct 37 on the light source chamber side, we will refer to Figure 9 again and explain using the example of when the supply of inert gas to the light source chamber 30 is stopped in device 1a of the substrate processing devices 1a to 1c. When the supply of inert gas is stopped in this way, the flow rate of gas flowing from the light source chamber 30 of the substrate processing device 1a into the exhaust duct 37 on the light source chamber side changes, and the pressure inside the exhaust duct 37 on the light source chamber side changes.

[0066] In this case, if the pressure loss in the flow path between the light source chamber 30 and the exhaust duct 37 on the light source chamber side is large and the gas flowability is low in the substrate processing apparatus 1b and 1c, the gas flow rate and pressure in the light source chamber 30 of these substrate processing apparatuses 1b and 1c will be suppressed from following the pressure changes in the exhaust duct 37 on the light source chamber side. In other words, even if the pressure in the exhaust duct 37 on the light source chamber side changes relatively rapidly and relatively large, the changes in the flow rate and pressure of the inert gas in the light source chamber 30 of the substrate processing apparatuses 1b and 1c will be relatively gradual and relatively small. Therefore, even if there is no abnormality in the substrate processing apparatuses 1b and 1c, it will be more reliably prevented from being judged as abnormal because the pressure in the light source chamber 30 falls outside the acceptable range.

[0067] Incidentally, exhausting the light source chamber 30 from a plurality of locations by the exhaust pipe 36 as described above is also preferable from the viewpoint of preventing uneven exhaust in the light source chamber 30 and preventing O3 gas from easily remaining locally. That is, in addition to suppressing the pressure change in the light source chamber 30, from the viewpoint of more surely suppressing the attenuation of light from the light source 32 and the oxidation of metal parts in the light source chamber 30, it is more preferable to connect the light source chamber 30 and the light source chamber side exhaust duct 37 by the exhaust pipe 36 than by the above-described virtual exhaust pipe.

[0068] The configurations of the light source chamber side exhaust duct 37 and the exhaust pipe 36 will be supplemented and described. FIG. 10 shows a cross-section orthogonal to the flow path direction of the exhaust pipe 36 and a cross-section in the flow path direction of the light source chamber side exhaust duct 37. As described above, the cross-sectional area of the pipe of the exhaust pipe 36 is A. And the cross-sectional area of the pipe in the flow path direction of the light source chamber side exhaust duct 37 is defined as B. As described above, the gas pressure loss in the flow path from the light source chamber 30 to the light source chamber side exhaust duct 37 is configured to be relatively high. More specifically, the pressure loss in the flow path from the light source chamber 30 to the light source chamber side exhaust duct 37 > the pressure loss in the light source chamber side exhaust duct 37 is set. Therefore, the exhaust pipe 36 and the light source chamber side exhaust duct 37 are each formed such that the cross-sectional area B of the light source chamber side exhaust duct 37 is larger than the sum 2A of the cross-sectional areas of the two exhaust pipes 36.

[0069] Incidentally, if the cross-sectional area in the flow path direction of the processing chamber side exhaust duct 69 is defined as C, then 2A < C. The two exhaust pipes 36 in the substrate processing apparatus 1B of the second embodiment to be described later are connected to the processing chamber side exhaust duct 69 via an exhaust path provided in the exhaust path forming portion 6. Similar to this first embodiment, the gas pressure loss in the flow path formed by the two exhaust pipes 36 is set to be higher than the gas pressure loss in the duct of the connection destination. By being set in this way, the influence of the pressure change in the processing chamber side exhaust duct 69 on the light source chamber 30 is suppressed.

[0070] Return to the description of the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment. As described with reference to FIG. 1, regarding the height D1 of the horizontal exhaust passage 65 forming the exhaust passage for the processing chamber 70 and the length D2 before and after the vertical exhaust passage 66, it is set such that D1 < D2. Therefore, the horizontal exhaust passage 65 is narrowed with respect to the vertical exhaust passage 66, and the pressure loss of the gas is high in the horizontal exhaust passage 65. Accordingly, also in the processing chamber 70 as in the light source chamber 30, it is suppressed that the flow rate and the pressure of the gas flowing through are affected by the pressure fluctuation in the duct (processing chamber side exhaust duct 69) at the gas inflow destination.

[0071] Regarding the suppression of the change in the processing chamber 70, it will be specifically described again with reference to FIG. 9. For example, assume that the supply of the inert gas to the processing chamber 70 is stopped, such as when the processing of the wafer W is stopped in the substrate processing apparatus 1a, and the pressure in the processing chamber side exhaust duct 69 changes rapidly and greatly. However, in the flow path from the processing chamber 70 to the processing chamber side exhaust duct 69, a portion where the pressure loss of the gas is relatively high is provided as the horizontal exhaust passage 65. Therefore, in the processing chambers 70 of the substrate processing apparatuses 1b and 1c, the change in the flow rate and the pressure of the gas (atmosphere and inert gas) becomes gentle and small. Accordingly, it is prevented that the processing of the wafer W in the processing chambers 70 of the substrate processing apparatuses 1b and 1c is affected by the pressure change in the processing chamber side exhaust duct 69.

[0072] Subsequently, matters regarding the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 other than during the processing of the wafer W will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 11. As one of the inspections of the substrate processing apparatus 1, the illuminance of the light source 32 irradiated through the window 33 is measured. This illuminance measurement is performed by arranging the inspection jig 19 above the window 33 as shown in FIG. 11 by an operator. In order to prevent damage and adhesion of dirt to the window 33, a gap of a predetermined height is provided between the window 33. Although not shown, members that interfere with the arrangement of the jig 19 in the substrate processing apparatus 1 may be appropriately removed by an operator.

[0073] When irradiating with light for illuminance measurement, the light source chamber 30 is supplied with inert gas by opening valve V1, just as during wafer W processing. However, if inert gas is discharged from the gas outlet 38, just as during wafer W processing, and an inert gas flow is formed between the gas outlet 38 and the exhaust port 67, this inert gas flow may cause the amount of O3 gas on the window 33 to fluctuate, resulting in unstable measured illuminance. In other words, supplying inert gas to the processing chamber 70 may prevent accurate illuminance measurement.

[0074] Therefore, when performing this illuminance measurement, it is conceivable to close valve V1 to prevent the discharge of inert gas from gas outlet 38 (i.e., to prevent the supply of inert gas to processing chamber 70). However, as explained in Figure 6, multiple substrate processing devices 1 are connected to each other via a gas supply system. Therefore, if valve V1 is opened or closed during illuminance measurement, this may cause changes in the gas flow rate and pressure in the processing chamber 70 and light source chamber 30 of other substrate processing devices 1 that are not performing illuminance measurements, potentially interfering with the processing of wafers W.

[0075] To prevent interference with other substrate processing apparatus 1 that are not performing such illuminance measurements, in the example shown in Figure 11, when processing wafer W, the downstream end of the gas supply pipe 39, which was connected to the housing 31 of the light irradiation unit 3, is connected to the power supply unit 4, so that inert gas is supplied to the power supply unit 4. Therefore, when performing illuminance measurements, in addition to setting up the jig 19, the operator also changes the downstream end of the gas supply pipe 39 from the housing 31 to the power supply unit 4. After the operator's work, when illuminance is irradiated for illuminance measurement, valves V1 and V2 are opened, and inert gas is supplied to the light source chamber 30 and the power supply unit 4, respectively. The inert gas supplied to the power supply unit 4 is removed from the exhaust pipe 41 connected to the power supply unit 4. Furthermore, the illuminance measured by the jig 19 is corrected based on a predetermined calculation formula so that the light attenuation effect due to the O3 gas present between the jig 19 and the window 33 is canceled, thereby allowing the illuminance during wafer W processing to be calculated.

[0076] Figure 12 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a modified substrate processing apparatus 1A, which is a modified version of the substrate processing apparatus 1. The difference between this substrate processing apparatus 1A and the substrate processing apparatus 1 is that, when performing the illuminance measurement described in Figure 11, it is not necessary for the operator to change the gas supply pipe 39. The upstream end of the gas supply pipe 18 is connected to the upstream side of the position where valve V2 is provided in the gas supply pipe 39. Valve V3 is interposed in the gas supply pipe 18, and the downstream end of the gas supply pipe 18 is connected to the power supply unit 4. When processing the wafer W, valve V3 is closed and valve V1 is opened, thereby supplying inert gas from the inert gas supply source 86 to the processing chamber 70. When measuring the illuminance, valve V1 is closed and valve V3 is opened, thereby supplying inert gas from the inert gas supply source 86 to the power supply unit 4.

[0077] As described above, the flow path formed by the gas supply pipe 18 is a bypass flow path that supplies gas to a different exhaust path (the pipe of the exhaust pipe 41) from the exhaust path from the lateral exhaust passage 65 forming the exhaust section on the processing chamber side to the duct 69, and from the exhaust path from the exhaust pipe 36 forming the exhaust section on the light source chamber side to the duct 37, without passing through the gas discharge port 38 forming the gas supply section on the processing chamber side. In this substrate processing apparatus 1A, the destination of the inert gas can be switched between the processing chamber gas supply section and the gas supply pipe 18 as described above by the switching valves V1 and V3, thus reducing the effort required of the operator when performing illuminance measurements.

[0078] [Second Embodiment] Next, the substrate processing apparatus 1B according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 13, a longitudinal cross-sectional side view, and Figure 14, a cross-sectional plan view, focusing on the differences from the substrate processing apparatus 1. In this substrate processing apparatus 1B, there is no exhaust duct 37 on the light source chamber side, and the gas from the light source chamber 30 flows from the exhaust pipe 36 through the buffer chamber 75 (described later) and other parts into the duct 69 for exhaust. In Figure 13, the flow of gas is indicated by the dashed arrows.

[0079] A long, horizontally elongated flow path forming member 74 is provided on the rear end of the horizontal section 63 of the exhaust passage forming section 6. This flow path forming member 74 is configured in a roughly inverted U-shape when viewed from the left to right, and together with the left and right side walls of the housing 11, surrounds the area above the rear end of the horizontal section 63. This surrounded area is configured as a buffer chamber 75, partitioned from the surroundings. In addition, the horizontal section 63 has a number of through holes 76 that open vertically, and these through holes 76 are spaced apart from each other and lined up in a row from left to right. The buffer chamber 75 communicates with the lateral exhaust passage 65 via the through holes 76, and exhaust is discharged from the buffer chamber 75 towards the lateral exhaust passage 65.

[0080] The buffer chamber 75, which is a diffusion space for diffusing gas, is rectangular when viewed in the front-to-back, left-to-right, and up-to-down directions, and its width from left to right is the same as the width from left to right of the lateral exhaust passage 65 of the exhaust passage forming section 6. Furthermore, the front-to-back length D3 of the buffer chamber 75 is greater than the up-to-down height D1 (see Figure 1) of the lateral exhaust passage 65. Therefore, the buffer chamber 75 is formed so that the gas pressure loss is smaller than that of the lateral exhaust passage 65. Note that since the buffer chamber 75 is elongated from left to right and is formed as a strip-shaped space in plan view, its width from left to right is greater than its front-to-back length D3.

[0081] In the illustrated example, the downstream end of the exhaust pipe 36 extends behind the buffer chamber 75. The gas then flows forward from the downstream end of the exhaust pipe 36 through a passage 77 provided in the housing 11 and is introduced into the buffer chamber 75. The downstream end of the passage 77 opens at the left and right ends of the buffer chamber 75, respectively, so the gas is introduced to different positions on the left and right sides of the buffer chamber 75. In the illustrated example, the gas flows into the buffer chamber 75 from the rear via the exhaust pipe 36 and passage 77, but the gas flow is not limited to the rear; it may also flow into the buffer chamber 75 from above or from the front.

[0082] As described above, the gas from the light source chamber 30 is exhausted towards the lateral exhaust passage 65 via the exhaust pipe 36, the passage 77 of the housing 11, the buffer chamber 75, and the through-hole 76 in that order, and merges with the gas flowing from the processing chamber 70 in the lateral exhaust passage 65. The gas from the light source chamber 30 and the gas from the processing chamber 70 that have merged in this way then flow into the duct 69 via the vertical exhaust passage 66 and are exhausted. Therefore, the buffer chamber 75 forms part of the exhaust section on the light source chamber side.

[0083] As explained in the first embodiment, the vertical height D1 of the lateral exhaust passage 65 is relatively small, so the gas pressure loss in the lateral exhaust passage 65 is relatively large. Since the gas flowing in from the exhaust pipe 36 passes through the lateral exhaust passage 65, which has such a large pressure loss, before flowing into the duct 69, the gas flow rate and, consequently, the pressure change in the light source chamber 30 due to pressure changes in the duct 69 can be suppressed more reliably. Therefore, in this second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, when the gas flow rate flowing into the duct 69 changes due to an abnormality or the start or stop of wafer W processing in one substrate processing apparatus, pressure changes and gas flow rate changes in the light source chamber 30 and processing chamber 70 in other substrate processing apparatuses are suppressed.

[0084] Furthermore, the gas flowing from the exhaust pipe 36 does not directly flow into the lateral exhaust passage 65, which is configured to have a large pressure loss. Instead, it flows into the buffer chamber 75, which is configured to have a smaller pressure loss than the lateral exhaust passage 65, before flowing into the lateral exhaust passage 65. Therefore, the gas flowability from the light source chamber 30 to the buffer chamber 75 is not made excessively low. Consequently, the O3 gas generated in the light source chamber 30 can be removed quickly and reliably from the light source chamber 30.

[0085] Furthermore, the buffer chamber 75 is horizontally elongated, and the light source chamber 30 is exhausted via exhaust pipes 36 connected to different positions on the left and right sides via flow paths 77. As described above, the buffer chamber 75 has low gas pressure loss (i.e., relatively high gas flowability), so exhaust is performed with high uniformity in each part of the buffer chamber 75 in the left-right direction. Therefore, when the buffer chamber 75 is exhausted, each of the left and right exhaust pipes 36 is exhausted with high uniformity, and as a result, the light source chamber 30 is exhausted with high uniformity from positions separated on the left and right by the exhaust pipes 36. Accordingly, this device configuration is also preferable because the O3 gas generated in the light source chamber 30 is removed quickly and reliably.

[0086] Incidentally, the vertical exhaust passage 66, which is located downstream of the buffer chamber 75, is also horizontally elongated and has high gas flowability, similar to the buffer chamber 75, and can therefore be considered a buffer chamber that plays a similar role to the buffer chamber 75. That is, for the light source chamber 30, exhaust is carried out with high uniformity from different positions on the left and right by the action of the buffer chamber 75 and the vertical exhaust passage 66, and for the processing chamber 70, exhaust is carried out with high uniformity from different positions on the left and right by the action of the vertical exhaust passage 66. In this way, when providing the buffer chamber 75 before the vertical exhaust passage 66, which is the downstream buffer chamber, so that there are two buffer chambers in the flow path, the buffer chamber 75 is placed on the front side of the vertical exhaust passage 66 so that it overlaps with the horizontal exhaust passage 65 that connects them to each other, thereby saving space in the device.

[0087] [Third Embodiment] Next, the substrate processing apparatus 1C according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 15, a schematic diagram, focusing on the differences from the substrate processing apparatus 1B of the second embodiment. In this substrate processing apparatus 1C as well, there is no exhaust duct 37 on the light source chamber side, and the light source chamber 30 is exhausted through a duct 69 via an exhaust pipe 36. The downstream end of the gas supply pipe 91 is connected to the exhaust pipe 36. A valve V4 and a mass flow controller (MFC) 92 are interposed in this order toward the upstream side of the gas supply pipe 91, and the upstream end of the gas supply pipe 91 is connected to an atmospheric supply source 93. The MFC 92 is a flow rate adjustment unit that causes the atmospheric air supplied from the supply source 93 to flow downstream of the gas supply pipe 91 at a preset flow rate.

[0088] Then, when an abnormality is detected or the processing of the wafer W is completed, the valve V1, which was open, is closed and the supply of inert gas to the light source chamber 30 is stopped. Simultaneously with the closing of valve V1, valve V4 is opened. As a result, instead of inert gas being supplied to the duct 69 via the light source chamber 30, atmospheric air is supplied via the gas supply pipe 91. This suppresses changes in the flow rate of the gas supplied to the duct 69 and suppresses pressure changes within the duct 69. Therefore, changes in gas flow rate and pressure in the light source chamber 30 and processing chamber 70 of other substrate processing devices 1 that share the duct 69 with the substrate processing device 1C in which valve V1 is closed are suppressed.

[0089] [Fourth Embodiment] Next, the substrate processing apparatus 1D according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 16, a schematic side view, focusing on the differences from the substrate processing apparatus 1B of the second embodiment. Similar to the examples shown so far, a duct 69 is shared among multiple, for example, three, substrate processing apparatuses 1D. However, unlike the examples shown so far, an opening 94 is provided in this duct 69 near the location where the housing 11 of each substrate processing apparatus 1D is connected. Specifically, for example, an opening 94 is provided in the duct 69 on the opposite side of the location where the housing 11 is connected. The duct 69 is provided with a damper 95 as an opening and closing mechanism for each of these openings 94.

[0090] A damper 95 located near the position where the housing 11 is connected operates as a damper corresponding to the substrate processing apparatus 1D including the housing 11, in accordance with the state of the substrate processing apparatus 1D. Normally, each opening 94 is closed by the damper 95. When an abnormality is detected in one substrate processing apparatus 1D or the processing of the wafer W is completed, and the valve V1, which was open, is closed and the supply of inert gas to the light source chamber 30 is stopped, the damper 95 corresponding to that substrate processing apparatus 1D is driven simultaneously with the closing of the valve V1, and the opening 94 is opened.

[0091] Therefore, near the location where one substrate processing apparatus 1D is connected within the duct 69, instead of inert gas being supplied via the light source chamber 30, atmospheric air flows in through the opening 94. As a result, pressure changes within the duct 69 are suppressed, and in other substrate processing apparatuses 1D that share the duct 69 with one substrate processing apparatus 1D, changes in gas flow rate and pressure in the light source chamber 30 and processing chamber 70 are suppressed.

[0092] The positions of the openings 94 and dampers 95 are arbitrary, and it is not limited to one damper 95 being associated with one substrate processing device 1D. For example, dampers 95 and openings 94 can be provided between two substrate processing devices 1D along the length of the duct 69. Therefore, in the case where three substrate processing devices 1D share the duct 69 as in the example in Figure 16, two dampers 95 and two openings 94 can be provided, separated on the left and right sides. The damper 95 on the left side may be driven in response to the closing of the valves V1 of the left and central substrate processing devices 1D, and the damper 95 on the right side may be driven in response to the closing of the valves V1 of the right and central substrate processing devices 1D.

[0093] Furthermore, the duct 69 may be connected to the housing 11 of the substrate processing apparatus 1D by a flow path forming member, and the vertical exhaust passage 66 formed by the exhaust passage forming section 6 of the substrate processing apparatus 1D and the flow path in the duct 69 may be connected via a flow path provided in this flow path forming member. In such a case, a damper 95 may be provided in the flow path forming member. Therefore, the damper 95 is not limited to being provided in the duct 69.

[0094] [Other components of the substrate holder] Regarding the substrate processing apparatus 1E, which is yet another modification of the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, the differences from the substrate processing apparatus 1 will be explained, focusing on the differences from the substrate processing apparatus 1, with reference to the plan view in Figure 17 and the longitudinal front view in Figure 18. Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow AA' in Figure 17. In this substrate processing apparatus 1E, a projection 26 is provided at the upper end of the side surface of the outer circumference of the substrate holding portion 21, which is an annular member. This projection 26 is a plate-shaped member that protrudes horizontally from the entire circumference of the substrate holding portion 21 toward the outside of the substrate holding portion 21. Therefore, the projection 26 protrudes to the left and to the right from the entire left side surface and the entire right side surface of the substrate holding portion 21, respectively. In plan view, the outer shape of the projection 26 is rectangular, and the left and right sides of the projection 26 extend in the direction of movement of the moving portion 20 (i.e., the front and back direction). A moving mechanism 25 is connected to the portion of the projection 26 that protrudes forward from the substrate holding portion 21, and moves the substrate holding portion 21 forward and backward.

[0095] The left and right support portions 71 in the cavity-forming member 73 that forms the processing space 70 also extend in the front-to-back direction. When light is irradiated onto the wafer W, as shown in Figures 17 and 18, the protruding portion 26 enters the processing space 70 together with the substrate holding portion 21, and the left and right ends of the protruding portion 26 come into close proximity to the left support portion 71 and the right support portion 71, respectively.

[0096] This protrusion 26, like the airflow restricting plate 53 mentioned earlier, serves to restrict the flow of inert gas and prevent the resist film on the surface of the wafer W from being removed. More specifically, during the processing of the wafer W, the substrate holding unit 21 moves back and forth, so there may be cases where the substrate holding unit 21 and the wafer W are not positioned above the exhaust port 67. If the protrusion 26 and the airflow restricting plate 53 were not provided in that state, as described in the explanation of the airflow restricting plate 53, the exhaust port 67 draws in the atmosphere from the upper region of the processing space 70, so there is a risk that the inert gas discharged from the gas outlet 38 will be supplied above the wafer W along with the O3 gas generated by light irradiation.

[0097] However, as previously described, the provision of the airflow regulating plate 53 (not shown in Figures 17 and 18) suppresses suction in the upper region of the processing space 70. Furthermore, by configuring the protruding portion 26 to be close to the cavity forming member 73, the inert gas discharged from the gas outlet 38 is prevented from circulating to the surface of the wafer W from the left and right sides of the substrate holding portion 21, as shown by the dotted arrows in Figure 18. Therefore, as previously described, removal of the resist film is prevented in this substrate processing apparatus 1E.

[0098] [Configuration of the irradiation unit] The irradiation unit 3 may be configured such that the light source chamber 30 is sealed (created as a sealed space) by a leaf spring, which is an elastic member, pressing one of the peripheral edge of the window 33 and the member constituting the window frame of the housing 31 against the other. A specific example of this configuration is shown in Figure 19. On the upper surface of the side wall of the housing 31 that forms the window frame, the inner peripheral edge is formed lower than the outer peripheral edge to form a stepped portion 31A, and the peripheral edge of the window 33 is supported by the stepped portion 31A. An annular member 31B formed along the peripheral edge of the window 33 is stacked on the outer peripheral edge of this side wall, and the peripheral edge of the window 33 is pressed toward the stepped portion 31A below by a leaf spring 31C interposed between the annular member 31B and the window 33, thereby sealing the light source chamber 30.

[0099] The leaf springs 31C are provided on each side of the rectangular window 33 and extend along each side, pressing against the straight areas along each side of the window 33. By using such leaf springs, it is possible to suppress the application of excessive force to the window 33 that could cause it to break.

[0100] In this configuration, where the light source chamber 30 is sealed by a leaf spring, it is conceivable that the inert gas supplied to the light source chamber 30 may leak slightly into the processing chamber 70 outside the housing 31 through the sealing surface of the window 33 (the contact surface of the window 33 that is pressed toward the window frame by the leaf spring, and in the example of Figure 19, the contact surface of the window 33 toward the stepped portion 31A). However, even if such leakage occurs, by adjusting the flow rate of the inert gas supplied to the processing chamber 70 from the gas outlet 38, an environment with an appropriate oxygen concentration for processing the wafer W can be maintained in the processing chamber 70.

[0101] Incidentally, the pressure in the light source chamber 30 (referred to as the internal pressure value) detected by the pressure sensor 15 in the light source chamber 30 changes in accordance with fluctuations in the flow rate of the inert gas supplied to the light source chamber 30. Then, the amount of inert gas flowing out into the processing chamber 70 through the sealing surface of the window 33 (referred to as the amount of inert gas leakage) changes in accordance with this internal pressure value.

[0102] Therefore, correlation data between the internal pressure value and the appropriate flow rate of inert gas supplied from the gas outlet 38 to the processing chamber 70 is acquired in advance. Then, for example, a flow rate adjustment mechanism such as a mass flow controller is installed in the gas supply pipe 39 that supplies inert gas to the gas outlet 38. The operation of this flow rate adjustment mechanism is controlled by a control signal from the control device 100, and the flow rate of inert gas supplied to the processing chamber 70 can be changed according to the control signal.

[0103] The control device 100 monitors the internal pressure value and controls the operation of the flow rate adjustment mechanism based on the internal pressure value and the correlation data described above, so that the flow rate of the inert gas supplied to the processing chamber 70 corresponds to the internal pressure value. In other words, the flow rate of the inert gas supplied to the processing chamber 70 is automatically adjusted to follow the leakage state from the light source chamber 30 through the sealing surface. By adjusting the flow rate in this way, the oxygen concentration in the processing chamber 70 can be stabilized.

[0104] For example, suppose data has been obtained showing that the appropriate flow rate of inert gas supplied to the processing chamber 70 when gas leakage from the light source chamber 30 is maximum is 5 to 25 L / min, and the appropriate flow rate of inert gas supplied to the processing chamber 70 when gas leakage from the light source chamber 30 is minimum is 10 to 30 L / min. In that case, for example, the reference range for the flow rate of inert gas supplied to the processing chamber 70 could be set to 10 to 25 L / min. In other words, when the obtained internal pressure value is relatively large or relatively small within the allowable range, the correlation data described above can be set so that the supply flow rate falls outside this reference range.

[0105] Furthermore, in each embodiment, the substrate to be processed is not limited to a wafer, but may be, for example, a substrate for manufacturing a flat panel display or a mask substrate for manufacturing a mask for exposure. Therefore, a rectangular substrate may also be processed. The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The above embodiments may be omitted, replaced, modified and combined in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0106] W wafer V1, V2 valves 22 Board holding part 30 Light source room 34 Gas supply pipe 36 Exhaust pipe 37 Light source room side exhaust duct 38 Gas outlet 39 Gas supply pipe 5. Exhaust passage forming section 69 Exhaust duct on the processing room side 70 Processing Rooms

Claims

1. A substrate holding section that holds the substrate in the processing chamber, A light irradiation unit comprising: a light source; a housing that houses the light source and forms a light source chamber partitioned from the processing chamber; and a window that forms part of the housing and transmits light irradiated from the light source to the back surface of the substrate in the processing chamber for processing; A processing chamber side gas supply unit that supplies inert gas to the processing chamber, A processing chamber side exhaust unit for exhausting the inert gas from the processing chamber, A light source chamber side gas supply unit that supplies inert gas to the light source chamber, A light source chamber side exhaust unit that exhausts the inert gas from the light source chamber, A substrate processing apparatus equipped with the following:

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust section on the light source chamber side comprises a plurality of exhaust paths that branch off to the left and right from the light source chamber.

3. A bypass channel supplies the inert gas supplied from the inert gas supply source to an exhaust passage formed separately from the processing chamber side exhaust section and the light source chamber side exhaust section, without passing it through the processing chamber side gas supply section. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a switching unit for switching the destination of the inert gas supplied from the inert gas supply source between the processing chamber side gas supply unit and the bypass flow path.

4. The aforementioned exhaust section on the processing chamber side includes an exhaust duct on the processing chamber side that is connected to the exhaust source. The aforementioned light source chamber-side exhaust section includes a light source chamber-side exhaust duct connected to the exhaust source. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the exhaust duct on the processing chamber side and the exhaust duct on the light source chamber side are provided separately.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the exhaust section on the light source chamber side comprises a buffer chamber whose downstream side is connected to the exhaust section on the processing chamber side.

6. The exhaust section on the light source chamber side is provided with multiple exhaust paths that branch off to the left and right from the light irradiation section. The buffer chamber is longer in the left-to-right direction than in the front-to-back direction, and is a space partitioned from its surroundings. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein gas is introduced from the plurality of exhaust paths to different positions on the left and right sides of the buffer chamber.

7. The processing chamber side gas supply unit is provided on one side of the window and has a discharge port that opens diagonally toward the other side to discharge the inert gas. The processing chamber side exhaust section is provided on the other side of the window and includes an exhaust port for exhausting the inert gas that has been discharged from the discharge port and passed through the surface of the window. A first restricting member that covers the discharge port with a gap and restricts the flow of the inert gas, A substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a second restricting member that covers the exhaust port with a gap and restricts the flow of the inert gas.

8. A step of holding the substrate in the processing chamber with a substrate holding section, A light source, and a housing that houses the light source inside and forms a light source chamber partitioned from the processing chamber, A process of irradiating light from the light source of a light irradiation unit, which has a window forming a part of the housing, and supplying the light to the back surface of the substrate through the window for processing, A process of supplying an inert gas to the processing chamber by a processing chamber-side gas supply unit, A process of exhausting the inert gas from the processing chamber by using the exhaust section on the processing chamber side, A step of supplying an inert gas to the light source chamber by a gas supply unit on the light source chamber side, A step of exhausting the inert gas from the light source chamber by exhausting the exhaust section on the light source chamber side, A substrate processing method comprising the following:

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