Substrate processing equipment

Abstract

To improve productivity while reducing the occurrence of scratches and other defects. [Solution] The catalyst pad 30 includes a substrate holding head 20, a substrate holding part 22 for holding a substrate W, a base material 31, a catalyst layer 32 formed on the surface of the base material 31 facing the substrate W and having a substrate contact surface 32a that contacts the processing surface W1 of the substrate W, wherein the area of ​​the substrate contact surface 32a is larger than the area of ​​the processing surface W1, a pad holding part 40 for fixing and holding the catalyst pad 30 in the process chamber 10, a supply and discharge part 60 for supplying at least an etching agent to the process chamber 10, a moving mechanism 50 for relatively moving the substrate holding head 20 in the approach-away direction with respect to at least the catalyst pad 30, and a control unit 200. The supply and discharge part 60 supplies new processing agent to the substrate contact surface 32a while the processing surface W1 of the substrate W is pressed against the substrate contact surface 32a of the catalyst pad 30 in the presence of the processing agent supplied into the process chamber 10.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, as a technique used in the planarization process of a semiconductor device substrate, CMP (Chemical-Mechanical Polishing) can be mentioned. The CMP technique is a wet polish that combines chemical action and mechanical polishing, but there are concerns about the impact on product quality due to the generation of scratches by mechanical polishing and the generation of particles by slurry.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a substrate processing apparatus that performs substrate planarization processing on a processing target using catalyst-referred etching (CARE), which is one of the catalyst-assisted etching methods. The substrate processing apparatus of Patent Document 1 has a pad holding portion (substrate holding portion) for holding a substrate and a CARE head having a catalyst holding portion for holding a catalyst. The catalyst holding portion has a high-rigidity base plate, a piezo element disposed adjacent to the base plate, a high-rigidity catalyst holding base disposed adjacent to the piezo element, and a catalyst held by the catalyst holding base. The substrate processing apparatus further has a control device for controlling the drive voltage applied to the piezo element.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 polishes the surface to be processed using the CARE method while controlling the distance between the catalyst and the surface to be processed on the substrate with a piezoelectric element. As a result, relative sliding occurs between the catalyst and the surface to be processed due to the mechanical oscillation of the catalyst. Therefore, the apparatus described in Patent Document 1 raises concerns about scratches and other issues caused by friction between the catalyst surface and the surface to be processed.

[0006] Furthermore, in the apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the contact area of ​​the CARE head with the surface to be processed is smaller than the area of ​​the surface to be processed on the substrate. Therefore, in order to process the entire surface to be processed, the apparatus described in Patent Document 1 requires the CARE head to be moved multiple times within the processing area, and there is room for improvement in terms of productivity.

[0007] Furthermore, catalyst-assisted etching methods such as the CARE method are performed in the presence of a treatment agent, causing the concentration of the treatment solution between the catalyst and the substrate to gradually decrease from the start of the process. As a result, catalyst-assisted wet etching has the problem of gradually slowing down and requiring a longer processing time.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and specifically aims to provide a substrate processing apparatus that can improve productivity while reducing the occurrence of scratches and the like. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The above problem can be solved by one of the following means (1) to (12).

[0010] (1) A substrate processing apparatus for etching a processing surface of a substrate to be processed in a process chamber, comprising: a substrate holding head; a substrate holding portion provided on the substrate holding head for holding the substrate; a substrate; a catalyst layer formed on the surface of the substrate facing the substrate and having a substrate contact surface that contacts the processing surface of the substrate; a catalyst pad having a catalyst pad; a pad holding portion for fixing and holding the catalyst pad in the process chamber; a supply and discharge portion for supplying at least the etching agent to the process chamber; a movement mechanism for moving the substrate holding head relative to at least the catalyst pad in an approach-away direction; and a control unit, wherein the area of ​​the substrate contact surface of the catalyst pad is larger than the area of ​​the processing surface; and the supply and discharge portion supplies new etching agent to the substrate contact surface while the processing surface of the substrate is pressed against the substrate contact surface of the catalyst pad in the presence of the etching agent supplied into the process chamber.

[0011] (2) The substrate holding head is fixed in position so that the processing surface of the substrate is in contact with the substrate contact surface of the catalyst layer, as described in (1) above.

[0012] (3) The substrate processing apparatus according to (1) or (2) above, wherein the flatness of the substrate contact surface is higher than that of the processing surface.

[0013] (4) The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (3) above, wherein the supply and discharge unit comprises a first supply and discharge unit that supplies the processing agent to the process chamber and a second supply and discharge unit that supplies the processing agent to the substrate contact surface through the inside of the catalyst pad.

[0014] (5) The substrate processing apparatus according to (4) above, wherein the pad holding portion has a fixed surface that is fixed to the process chamber, and the second supply and discharge portion has a plurality of supply holes that communicate the substrate contact surface and the fixed surface, a supply and discharge pipe that supplies the processing agent to the supply holes, and a flow control portion that controls the amount of the processing agent supplied to the supply holes.

[0015] (6) The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (5) above, wherein the substrate holding head is equipped with a thickness measuring unit for measuring the thickness of the substrate.

[0016] (7) The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (6) above, wherein the moving mechanism has an adjustment drive unit that moves the substrate holding head in the approach / separation direction, in a planar direction perpendicular to the approach / separation direction, and in a rotational direction with the approach / separation direction as the axis of rotation.

[0017] (8) The substrate processing apparatus according to (7) above, wherein the control unit moves the substrate holding head in the separation direction to separate the substrate contact surface from the processing surface, moves the substrate holding head in at least one of the planar direction and the rotational direction, and then moves the substrate holding head in the contact direction to bring the substrate contact surface into contact with the processing surface.

[0018] (9) The substrate contact surface has a transfer pattern of a predetermined shape formed on its surface. The substrate processing apparatus according to (7) or (8) above, wherein the control unit drives the moving mechanism so that an arbitrary pattern shape corresponding to the transfer pattern is formed on the processing surface.

[0019] (10) A substrate processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (9) above, comprising a conditioning mechanism for conditioning the substrate contact surface of the catalyst pad.

[0020] (11) The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (10) above, wherein the catalyst layer is formed of a noble metal or carbon material.

[0021] (12) The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (10) above, wherein the control unit controls the amount of the processing agent supplied from the supply and discharge unit based on the thickness information of the substrate measured by the thickness measuring unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] According to the present invention, productivity can be improved while reducing the occurrence of scratches and the like.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023] [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a functional block diagram of the supply / discharge unit of the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3A] It is a diagram showing the flow of the planarization process of the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3B] It is a diagram showing the flow of the planarization process of the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3C] It is a diagram showing the flow of the planarization process of the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3D] It is a diagram schematically showing an example of the reaction process of wet etching using a catalyst in the present invention. [Figure 4A] It is a diagram showing an example of the shape of a substrate. [Figure 4B] It is a diagram showing another example of the shape of a substrate. [Figure 4C] It is a diagram showing another example of the shape of a substrate. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing a configuration example of a conditioning mechanism. [Figure 6] It is a flowchart showing a series of flows of the planarization process performed by the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7A] Sub-diagrams (a) to sub-diagram (c) are schematic diagrams showing the operation of the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7B] Sub-diagrams (d) and sub-diagram (e) are schematic diagrams showing the operation of the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] It is a schematic diagram of a substrate processing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] It is a functional block diagram of the supply / discharge unit of the substrate processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10A] It is a diagram showing an example of the formation of a supply hole. [Figure 10B] This figure shows another example of the formation of the supply hole. [Figure 11A] This figure shows the planarization process of surface irregularities that have entered the supply hole of the substrate processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11B] This figure shows the planarization process of surface irregularities that have entered the supply hole of the substrate processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12A] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the operation of the substrate rotation process of the substrate processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12B] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the operation of the substrate rotation process of the substrate processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12C] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the operation of the substrate rotation process of the substrate processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13] This flowchart shows a series of steps in the planarization process performed by the substrate processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] Figures (a) and (b) are schematic diagrams illustrating the operation of the substrate processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. [Figure 15] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a catalyst pad included as part of the configuration of Modified Example 1 of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 16A] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the flow of transfer pattern formation using the catalyst pad of Modified Example 1. [Figure 16B] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the flow of transfer pattern formation using the catalyst pad of Modified Example 1. [Figure 16C] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the flow of transfer pattern formation using the catalyst pad of Modified Example 1. [Figure 17] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the substrate processing apparatus according to modification example 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0024] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. In the following drawings, the same reference numerals refer to the same components, and the size of each component may be exaggerated in the drawings for clarity and convenience of explanation. Furthermore, the embodiments described below are merely illustrative, and various modifications are possible from such embodiments.

[0025] In the following, "upper part" or "top" may include not only things that are directly above and in contact, but also things that are above but not in contact. Similarly, "lower part" or "bottom" may include not only things that are directly below and in contact, but also things that are below but not in contact.

[0026] A singular expression includes plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates that it is singular. Furthermore, when a part is said to "include," "possess," or "have" a component, it does not exclude other components, but rather may include other components unless otherwise specified.

[0027] Unless explicitly stated otherwise, the steps constituting the method shall be performed in the appropriate order. This order is not necessarily limited to the order in which the steps are described. All examples or illustrative terms are used solely to illustrate the technical idea and are not limited in scope to the claims.

[0028] In the following explanations, when ordinal numbers such as "1st" and "2nd" are used, they are for convenience only and do not prescribe any particular order unless otherwise specified.

[0029] A substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0030] For the sake of explanation, an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is set for the substrate processing apparatus 1. The direction parallel to the X-axis within a predetermined plane is defined as the X-axis direction. The direction parallel to the Y-axis perpendicular to the X-axis within a predetermined plane is defined as the Y-axis direction. The direction parallel to the Z-axis perpendicular to both the X-axis and the Y-axis is defined as the Z-axis direction. In this embodiment, the predetermined plane is the XY plane and parallel to the horizontal plane, and the Z-axis is perpendicular to the predetermined plane. Therefore, the Z-axis direction is the direction of approach and separation (thickness direction of each component) in which the substrate holding head 20 and catalyst pad 30 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 move closer to and further apart, and the X-axis direction and Y-axis direction correspond to the planar direction perpendicular to the approach and separation direction. Note that the approach and separation direction includes the "separation direction," which is the direction in which the substrate contact surface 32a is separated from the processing surface W1, and the "contact direction," which is the direction in which the substrate holding head 20 is moved to bring the substrate contact surface 32a into contact with the processing surface W1.

[0031] The substrate processing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment is an apparatus that performs various processes such as planarization on the processing surface W1 of a substrate W such as a wafer to be processed into a semiconductor chip or the like, using catalyst-assisted wet etching technology as an etching process. The substrate processing apparatus 1 can be configured to perform processes other than planarization as substrate processing.

[0032] The substrate W to be processed by the substrate processing apparatus 1 can be made of a wafer made of, for example, silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), or a III-V semiconductor (including, as an example, gallium arsenide (GaAs), indium phosphide (InP), gallium phosphide (GaP), indium arsenide (InAs), indium antimony (InSb), indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs), or a combination thereof). The substrate W has a fine uneven surface (surface unevenness Wa) on the processing surface W1 (see Figure 3A). The surface unevenness Wa is the part that is removed by etching. The substrate W is immersed in the processing agent in the process chamber 10 with the processing surface W1 and the substrate contact surface 32a of the catalyst pad 30 in contact, thereby removing the surface unevenness Wa and flattening the substrate.

[0033] As shown in Figure 1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 comprises a process chamber 10, a substrate holding head 20, a catalyst pad 30, a pad holding section 40, a moving mechanism 50 for moving the substrate holding head 20 in a predetermined direction, a supply / discharge section 60, a temperature adjustment section 70, a concentration measuring section 80, and a thickness measuring section 90. The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a control unit 200 shown in Figure 1, which controls the drive of each section. The substrate processing apparatus 1 may be configured to include other components besides those described above.

[0034] The process chamber 10 has a bottom 11 and side walls 12, and a storage section 14 in which the processing agent can be stored. A pad holding section 40 is fixedly positioned at the bottom 11 of the process chamber 10. The process chamber 10 is equipped with a temperature control section 70 for maintaining the temperature of the processing agent inside the chamber at a predetermined temperature (for example, 25°C). In Figure 1, the process chamber 10 can be configured as a cylindrical shape without a ceiling to match the shape of the substrate W, as is the shape of the storage section 14. However, the process chamber 10 may be in other shapes besides cylindrical, such as a rectangular parallelepiped.

[0035] The substrate holding head 20 consists of a head body 21 and a substrate holding portion 22. The substrate holding head 20 is positioned opposite the pad holding portion 40. The substrate holding head 20 has a head body 21 connected to a moving mechanism 50 and moves relative to at least the pad holding portion 40 in an approach-across direction (Z-axis direction).

[0036] The substrate holding section 22 is composed of an electrostatic chuck and holds the substrate W by electrostatic attraction. The substrate holding section 22 receives the high voltage necessary to electrostatically attract and fix the substrate W from a DC power supply unit (not shown). Because the substrate holding section 22 is composed of an electrostatic chuck, it can reliably hold the substrate W which is immersed in the processing liquid in the process chamber 10.

[0037] The catalyst pad 30 is composed of a substrate 31 and a catalyst layer 32. The area of ​​the substrate contact surface 32a of the catalyst pad 30 is larger than the area of ​​the processing surface W1 of the substrate W. Therefore, the catalyst pad 30 can come into contact with the entire processing surface W1 of the substrate W during the planarization process. Thus, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can planarize the entire processing surface W1 while keeping the substrate W and the catalyst pad 30 fixed in position during the etching process.

[0038] The base material 31 can be formed from, for example, urethane, epoxy resin, or a nonwoven fabric processed from polyester. The Shore D hardness of the base material 31 is 50 to 90. The base material 31 has a catalyst forming surface 31a on which the catalyst layer 32 is formed. The catalyst pad 30 does not move during processing because the base material 31 is fixedly held in the pad holding part 40.

[0039] The catalyst layer 32 can be formed from precious metals such as gold (Au), platinum (Pt), silver (Ag), and ruthenium (Ru), or from carbon materials such as fullerene, carbon nanotubes, graphene, graphene nanoribbons, and reduced graphene. The catalyst layer 32 has a substrate contact surface 32a that contacts the processing surface W1 of the substrate W. The substrate contact surface 32a is the surface that faces the processing surface W1 of the substrate W held by the substrate holding head 20 when the catalyst pad 30 is placed in the pad holding section 40.

[0040] The catalyst layer 32 can be formed on the substrate 31 using a thin-film formation method such as sputtering, for example, when the forming material is a noble metal. Alternatively, the catalyst layer 32 can be formed by first forming a metal film on the catalyst formation surface 31a, then applying an iodine coating, and finally depositing a carbon material film by applying a pulsed electric field to the substrate 31 in a solvent containing a carbon material precursor.

[0041] The substrate contact surface 32a is substantially flat in order to flatten the processing surface W1. The flatness of the substrate contact surface 32a is higher than that of the processing surface W1 of the substrate W in its pre-processing state. Therefore, it can be said that the surface of the substrate contact surface 32a has better overall global flatness than the surface of the processing surface W1 of the substrate W. For example, if the global step height of a 12-inch Si wafer as the substrate W is set to 100 nm, the global step height of the substrate contact surface 32a can be set to less than 100 nm. In this specification, indicators of "flatness" can be, for example, global flatness evaluation indices such as global backsurface-referenced ideal plane / range (GBIR) and site flatness (SBIR). These flatness values ​​can be measured from the nano-order to the micro-order using a film thickness measurement device that uses spectral interference.

[0042] The pad holding portion 40 is fixedly positioned at the bottom 11 of the process chamber 10 and holds the catalyst pad 30 in a position opposite to the substrate holding head 20. The pad holding portion 40 has a holding surface 41 that fixes and holds the catalyst pad 30, and a fixing surface 42 on the opposite side of the holding surface 41.

[0043] The moving mechanism 50 moves the substrate holding head 20 relative to at least the catalyst pad 30 in the direction of approach and separation. The moving mechanism 50 can be configured as, for example, a 6-axis drive mechanism. The moving mechanism 50 is attached to the shaft portion 21a of the head body 21 of the substrate holding head 20. The moving mechanism 50 may be equipped with an adjustment drive unit 51 that moves the substrate holding head 20 in the direction of approach and separation, in a planar direction perpendicular to the direction of approach and separation (in the X-axis direction or Y-axis direction), and in a rotational direction with the direction of approach and separation as the axis of rotation (rotation around the Z-axis, which is θZ). In addition, the moving mechanism 50 can also move the substrate holding head 20 in a rotational direction around the X-axis (θX) and a rotational direction around the Y-axis (θY) by driving the adjustment drive unit 51 as other directions of movement. However, the moving mechanism 50 may be configured as a drive mechanism that can move the substrate holding head 20 only in the direction of approach and separation (separation direction and contact direction along the Z-axis direction) as a function of the adjustment drive unit 51, rather than being able to move in the various directions described above.

[0044] The moving mechanism 50 moves the substrate holding head 20 in the direction of contact and separation while the processing surface W1 of the substrate W remains parallel to the planar direction (X-axis direction, Y-axis direction) perpendicular to the contact and separation direction. At this time, when the substrate W comes into contact with the substrate contact surface 32a of the catalyst layer 32, a substantially uniform pressing force is applied to the entire processing surface W1. The moving mechanism 50 applies only pressing force to the substrate holding head 20 while the substrate W and the catalyst pad 30 are in contact. Therefore, the substrate W does not move in the planar direction during the etching process.

[0045] The supply and discharge unit 60 supplies a predetermined amount of treatment agent into the process chamber 10. As shown in Figure 2, the supply and discharge unit 60 is composed of a first supply unit 61, a first discharge unit 62, a mixing unit 63, and a stock solution supply unit 64. The supply and discharge unit 60 allows the treatment agent to flow through piping 65 to each part. Each part of the supply and discharge unit 60 is driven by the control unit 200. The first supply unit 61, the first discharge unit 62, the mixing unit 63, and the stock solution supply unit 64 can function as a first supply and discharge unit that supplies the treatment agent into the process chamber 10.

[0046] The supply and discharge section 60, along with the first supply section 61, the first discharge section 62, and the mixing section 63, constitutes a circulation path for supplying and discharging the treatment agent to and from the process chamber 10, thereby storing a certain amount of the treatment agent in the process chamber 10.

[0047] The treatment agent supplied by the supply / discharge section 60 is a fluid such as a liquid, and a mixture of, for example, hydrogen fluoride (HF), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), pure water (H2O), and amine-based additives can be used. A mixing ratio (volume ratio) of HF:H2O2:H2O = 1:1:X, or a molar ratio of 1M:1.3M:X, enables stable etching. To improve controllability by using a low rate, the pure water ratio X can be increased. Adding small amounts of amine-based polymer additives or surfactants to the treatment agent is effective in improving stability, such as suppressing the formation of porous Si.

[0048] The first supply unit 61 supplies a predetermined amount of the processing agent supplied from the mixing unit 63 into the process chamber 10. The first supply unit 61 is formed to penetrate the side wall 12 of the process chamber 10. A supply amount adjustment unit 61a, such as a valve, is located on the upstream side of the first supply unit 61. The supply amount adjustment unit 61a is opened and closed by control of the control unit 200 so that a certain amount of processing agent is stored in the process chamber 10.

[0049] The first discharge section 62 discharges a predetermined amount of the treatment agent from the process chamber 10. The first discharge section 62 is formed to penetrate the bottom 11 of the process chamber 10. The first discharge section 62 allows the discharged treatment agent to flow to the mixing section 63. A discharge adjustment section 62a, such as a valve, is located downstream of the first discharge section 62. The discharge adjustment section 62a is opened and closed by control of the control unit 200 so that a certain amount of treatment agent is stored in the process chamber 10.

[0050] The mixing unit 63 temporarily stores the treatment agent discharged through the first discharge unit 62, and then distributes a predetermined amount of the treatment agent to the first supply unit 61. The mixing unit 63 receives the raw treatment agent from the raw solution supply unit 64 when the concentration of the treatment agent falls below a standard, or when a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of treatment. The mixing unit 63 functions as a buffer element to maintain a constant concentration of the treatment agent.

[0051] The stock solution supply unit 64 is a tank for storing the stock solution of the treatment agent. The stock solution supply unit 64 supplies the stock solution of the treatment agent to the mixing unit 63 when the concentration of the treatment agent falls below a standard level, or when a predetermined time has elapsed after the start of treatment. As a result, the treatment agent stored in the mixing unit 63 is mixed with the treatment agent flowing in from the first discharge unit 62 and the stock solution of the treatment agent supplied from the stock solution supply unit 64, and adjusted to the standard concentration.

[0052] The temperature control unit 70 is composed of a heating and cooling device capable of heating and cooling the treatment agent stored in the process chamber 10 to a predetermined temperature (for example, 25°C). The temperature control unit 70 may be located inside the bottom 11 or side walls 12 of the process chamber 10, indirectly adjusting the temperature of the treatment agent by heating or cooling the process chamber 10. Alternatively, the temperature control unit 70 may be located exposed on the inner surface of the bottom 11 or side walls 12 of the process chamber 10, directly heating or cooling the treatment agent to adjust its temperature.

[0053] The concentration measuring unit 80 measures the concentration of the treatment agent. As shown in Figure 1, the concentration measuring unit 80 is positioned in the process chamber 10 at a location where the concentration of the treatment agent can be measured. The concentration measuring unit 80 measures the concentration of the treatment agent in the process chamber 10 and outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the measured concentration value to the control unit 200.

[0054] Furthermore, the concentration measuring unit 80 is located within the mixing unit 63 and can measure the concentration of the treatment agent stored in the mixing unit 63. The concentration measuring unit 80 measures the concentration of the treatment agent in the mixing unit 63 and outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the measured concentration value to the control unit 200.

[0055] The thickness measuring unit 90 measures the thickness of the substrate W. The thickness measuring unit 90 can be configured, for example, as a non-contact measuring device using infrared light. The thickness measuring unit 90 is positioned to be movable in the diametrical direction of the substrate W. Therefore, the thickness measuring unit 90 can measure the thickness of the substrate W as a whole. The thickness measuring unit 90 measures the thickness of the substrate W and outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the measured thickness to the control unit 200.

[0056] The temperature measuring unit 100 measures the temperature of the processing agent stored in the process chamber 10. The temperature measuring unit 100 measures the temperature of the processing agent in the process chamber 10 and outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the measured temperature value to the control unit 200.

[0057] The control unit 200 consists of, for example, a processor and a memory that stores programs and information for operating the processor. The control unit 200 comprehensively controls the drive of each part that constitutes the substrate processing apparatus 1.

[0058] The main control functions of the control unit 200 are described below. In addition to the control functions described below, the control unit 200 also performs various controls related to the driving of the substrate processing device 1.

[0059] The control unit 200 drives and controls the moving mechanism 50 to move the substrate holding head 20 in a predetermined direction. The substrate holding head 20 moves along the contact-to-separation direction under the control of the control unit 200 so that the substrate W and the catalyst pad 30 come into contact or separate at predetermined timings during the planarization process.

[0060] The control unit 200 drives and controls the first supply unit 61, the first discharge unit 62, and the stock solution supply unit 64 based on the measurement results from the concentration measurement unit 80. The mixing unit 63 receives the required amount of stock solution of the processing liquid from the stock solution supply unit 64, and the concentration of the stored processing liquid is adjusted to the standard concentration. The processing agent whose concentration has been adjusted in the mixing unit 63 is supplied into the process chamber 10 from the first supply unit 61. As a result, the processing agent in the process chamber 10 reaches the standard concentration.

[0061] The control unit 200 drives and controls the moving mechanism 50 based on the measurement results of the thickness measuring unit 90 to move the substrate holding head 20 in a predetermined direction. For example, if the control unit 200 determines, based on the measurement results of the thickness measuring unit 90, that the thickness of the processing surface W1 of the substrate W has been etched to a target thickness, it moves the substrate holding head 20 in the approach / apartment direction to separate the substrate W from the catalyst pad 30. As a result, the substrate processing apparatus 1 completes the planarization process of the substrate W. Also, if the control unit 200 determines, based on the measurement results of the thickness measuring unit 90, that the progress speed of the etching process is below a certain level, it moves the substrate holding head 20 in the approach / apartment direction to separate the substrate W from the catalyst pad 30. As a result, the processing agent between the center of the substrate W and the center of the catalyst layer 32 is replaced with new processing agent due to the negative pressure effect associated with the separation movement of the substrate holding head 20, and the progress speed of the etching process can be restored to the same level as at the start of the process.

[0062] The control unit 200 controls the opening and closing of the supply amount adjustment unit 61a of the first supply unit 61 and the discharge amount adjustment unit 62a of the first discharge unit 62, thereby maintaining a constant amount of processing agent stored in the process chamber 10. As a result, a constant amount of processing agent is always stored in the process chamber 10 during the planarization process.

[0063] The control unit 200 drives and controls the temperature adjustment unit 70 based on the measurement results from the temperature measurement unit 100. As a result, the processing agent in the process chamber 10 is maintained at a constant temperature.

[0064] As shown in Figures 3A to 3C, the substrate processing apparatus 1 uses a catalyst-assisted wet etching method to flatten the processed surface W1 of the substrate W by bringing it into contact with the substrate contact surface 32a of the catalyst pad 30 in the presence of a processing agent.

[0065] As shown in Figure 3A, when the planarization process begins, a portion of the processed surface W1 comes into contact with the substrate contact surface 32a.

[0066] As shown in Figure 3B, the substrate W is gradually etched by the principle shown in Figure 3D as the surface irregularities Wa of the processing surface W1 and the catalyst layer 32 of the substrate contact surface 32a come into contact in the processing agent. In this embodiment of wet etching, first, as shown in equation (1) below, hydrogen peroxide is reduced by the action of the catalyst to generate holes (h+). Next, as shown in equation (2) below, when the holes (h+) pass through the catalyst and are supplied to the surface of the substrate W, Si is oxidized to generate SiO. Then, as shown in equation (3) below, the generated SiO reacts with HF (hydrofluoric acid) in the solvent to proceed with etching. Neither the substrate W nor the catalyst pad 30 moves in the planar direction during the etching process, and the contact state between the processing surface W1 and the substrate contact surface 32a is maintained while a pressing force is applied by the moving mechanism 50. Note that in equations (1) to (3) below, "H + " represents a hydrogen ion, "H2SiF6" represents hexafluorosilicic acid, and "n" represents a coefficient corresponding to the number of Si atoms (n=1,2,3,4).

[0067] [ka]

[0068] Then, as shown in Figure 3C, the substrate W is etched for a predetermined time, which flattens the processed surface W1.

[0069] In this manner, the substrate processing apparatus 1 performs the planarization process while maintaining contact between the substrate W and the catalyst pad 30 during the etching process. Therefore, since the substrate holding head 20 is not moved in the planar direction during the etching process, scratches and other defects can be prevented. Furthermore, because the substrate contact surface 32a of the catalyst pad 30 is larger than the area of ​​the processing surface W1 of the substrate W, the entire processing surface W1 of the substrate W can be planarized at once during the planarization process, thereby improving productivity.

[0070] The substrate processing apparatus 1 can shape the substrate W into a desired shape in plan view, as long as the processing surface W1 of the substrate W is contained within the substrate contact surface 32a of the catalyst pad 30. For example, the substrate W can be in various shapes, such as a circle as shown in Figure 4A, a rectangle such as a square as shown in Figure 4B, or an ellipse as shown in Figure 4C.

[0071] As shown in Figure 5, the substrate processing apparatus 1 requires conditioning treatment such as polishing or replacement of the catalyst pad 30 due to thinning of the substrate contact surface 32a of the catalyst pad 30, adhesion of foreign matter due to etching, peeling of the catalyst layer 32, deterioration of flatness, etc. Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is equipped with a conditioning mechanism 110 for performing a predetermined conditioning treatment on the catalyst pad 30.

[0072] The conditioning mechanism 110 is positioned to access the catalyst pad 30 within the process chamber 10. The conditioning mechanism 110 includes a conditioning unit 111 that performs a predetermined conditioning treatment, such as polishing, on the substrate contact surface 32a of the catalyst pad 30. The conditioning unit 111 is attached to an arm unit 112 and can move between the substrate processing apparatus 1 and the standby unit 113. Normally, the conditioning unit 111 waits in the standby unit 113 and moves from the standby unit 113 to above the catalyst pad 30 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 when a conditioning treatment is to be performed.

[0073] The conditioning mechanism 110 performs the conditioning process at a timing that meets predetermined conditioning conditions, such as the total processing time of the etching process and the number of etching cycles, under the control of the control unit 200. When it is time to perform the conditioning, the conditioning mechanism 110 drives the arm 112 to move the conditioning unit 111 from the standby unit 113 to the substrate processing apparatus 1. The conditioning mechanism 110 applies a predetermined conditioning process to the substrate contact surface 32a of the catalyst pad 30 using the conditioning unit 111. After conditioning the catalyst pad 30, the conditioning mechanism 110 drives the arm 112 to return the conditioning unit 111 to the standby unit 113.

[0074] Next, the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 7A and 7B. Note that the series of operations shown below is an example, and other operations may be incorporated between each operation as needed. Furthermore, the order of the operations shown below may be changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0075] As shown in Figure 6, the substrate processing apparatus 1 performs a planarization process that includes a contact step S1, a planarization process S2, a first decision process S3, a processing agent replacement step S4, and a second decision process S5. The substrate processing apparatus 1 performs each process while driving each part under the control of the control unit 200.

[0076] The substrate processing apparatus 1 may perform a preparation step before performing the contact step S1. The preparation step includes steps such as storing a predetermined amount of processing agent in the process chamber 10, setting the substrate W on the substrate holding head 20, and setting the catalyst pad 30 on the pad holding section 40.

[0077] The substrate processing apparatus 1 performs the contact process S1 as shown in subdivision (a) of Figure 7A. The processing surface W1 of the substrate W comes into contact with the substrate contact surface 32a of the catalyst pad 30.

[0078] As shown in Figure 7A(b), the substrate processing apparatus 1 performs the planarization process S2. The substrate W is immersed in the processing agent in the process chamber 10 and comes into contact with the catalyst pad 30 to perform the planarization process.

[0079] The substrate processing apparatus 1 performs the first decision processing step S3. Based on the measurement results of the thickness measuring unit 90, the control unit 200 determines whether the etching process progress speed is below a certain level and whether the variation in the in-plane uniformity of the progress speed is above a certain level. If the control unit 200 determines that the etching process progress speed is below a certain level and the variation in the in-plane uniformity of the progress speed is above a certain level (S3-Yes), it proceeds to the processing agent replacement step S4. On the other hand, if the control unit 200 determines that the etching process progress speed is not below a certain level or the variation in the in-plane uniformity of the progress speed is not above a certain level (S3-No), it returns to the planarization process S2 and continues the planarization process.

[0080] The substrate processing apparatus 1 performs the processing agent replacement process S4. As shown in subdivision (c) of Figure 7A, the substrate processing apparatus 1 drives the moving mechanism 50 to move the substrate holding head 20 a predetermined distance, separating the substrate W from the catalyst pad 30. As a result, the processing agent between the center of the substrate W and the center of the catalyst layer 32 is replaced with new processing agent from the surrounding area due to the negative pressure created by the separation movement of the substrate holding head 20, as shown in subdivision (d) of Figure 7B. The processing agent replacement process S4 involves separating the substrate holding head 20 for a predetermined time, and then bringing the processing surface W1 into contact with the substrate contact surface 32a again, as shown in subdivision (e) of Figure 7B.

[0081] The substrate processing apparatus 1 performs the second decision processing step S5. The control unit 200 determines whether the substrate W has been etched to the target thickness based on the measurement result of the thickness measuring unit 90. If the control unit 200 determines that the substrate W has been etched to the target thickness (S5-Yes), it terminates the process. On the other hand, if the control unit 200 determines that the substrate W has not been etched to the target thickness (S5-No), it returns to the planarization processing step S2 and continues the planarization process.

[0082] Next, a substrate processing apparatus 1A according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the substrate processing apparatus 1A according to the second embodiment described below, components similar to those in the embodiments described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted. Furthermore, components not specifically mentioned can be configured in the same way as in the embodiments described above.

[0083] In the substrate processing apparatus 1A according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the configuration of the catalyst pad 30, pad holding section 40, and supply / discharge section 60 differs from that of the previously described embodiment.

[0084] As shown in Figure 8, the substrate processing apparatus 1A of the second embodiment can supply the processing agent through the catalyst pad 30 and the pad holding portion 40. That is, in addition to the supply route for supplying the processing agent from the first supply portion 61, the substrate processing apparatus 1A has another supply route for supplying the processing agent from the supply hole 66.

[0085] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the supply and discharge section 60 further comprises a supply hole 66, a supply and discharge pipe 67, and a flow adjustment section 68. The supply hole 66, the supply and discharge pipe 67, and the flow adjustment section 68 can function as a second supply and discharge section that supplies the treatment agent to the substrate contact surface 32a through the inside of the catalyst pad 30.

[0086] The supply holes 66 are formed to communicate from the fixed surface 42 of the pad holding portion 40 to the substrate contact surface 32a of the catalyst layer 32. Multiple supply holes are formed on the catalyst pad 30 and the pad holding portion 40. The treatment agent supplied from the supply and discharge pipe 67 is supplied to the substrate contact surface 32a through the supply holes 66.

[0087] The supply holes 66 have a diameter through which the treatment agent can flow and can be formed, for example, on the order of microns. As shown in Figure 10A, the supply holes 66 can be formed substantially uniformly on the substrate contact surface 32a with a constant spacing between them. As shown in Figure 10B, the supply holes 66 can be formed more densely in the central part of the substrate contact surface 32a (the area enclosed by the dotted line in the figure) than in the peripheral part on the outer edge. Forming the supply holes 66 in the arrangement shown in Figure 10B is preferable because it allows for proper supply of the treatment agent to the central part, which is difficult to reach.

[0088] The supply and discharge pipe 67 consists of a second supply section 67a, a second discharge section 67b, and a connecting section 67c. The connecting section 67c of the supply and discharge pipe 67 is connected to the upstream opening end of each of the supply holes 66. The supply and discharge pipe 67 supplies the treatment agent supplied from the mixing section 63 to the supply holes 66 via the second supply section 67a and the connecting section 67c. The supply and discharge pipe 67 discharges any unwanted treatment agent from inside the pipe through the second discharge section 67b. The discharged treatment agent returns to the mixing section 63. The supply and discharge pipe 67 can be formed inside the pad holding section 40 and inside the bottom 11 of the process chamber 10.

[0089] The flow adjustment unit 68 is positioned at predetermined locations in the supply hole 66 and the supply / discharge pipe 67. The flow adjustment unit 68 can be composed of a valve that opens and closes. The flow adjustment unit 68 operates under the control of the control unit 200 so that the required amount of processing agent is supplied from the supply hole 66 to the substrate contact surface 32a.

[0090] As shown in Figure 11A, the substrate processing apparatus 1A has supply holes 66 formed in the catalyst pad 30, so the leading edges of the surface irregularities Wa on the processing surface W1 of the substrate W may enter the supply holes 66. However, as shown in Figure 11B, the substrate processing apparatus 1A supplies an appropriate amount of processing agent of a standard concentration from the supply holes 66, so even the surface irregularities Wa (gray areas) that have entered the supply holes 66 can be etched.

[0091] In the substrate processing apparatus 1A, since supply holes 66 are formed in the catalyst pad 30, there is a possibility that the surface irregularities Wa at the opening positions of the supply holes 66 may not be properly etched during the planarization process. Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 1A performs a substrate rotation process to change the contact position between the substrate W and the catalyst pad 30 by appropriately driving the moving mechanism 50 under the control of the control unit 200. This substrate rotation process is performed based on the measurement results of the thickness measuring unit 90.

[0092] As shown in Figures 12A to 12C, the substrate processing apparatus 1A can perform substrate rotation processing by driving the substrate holding head 20.

[0093] As shown in Figure 12A, the substrate processing apparatus 1A raises the substrate holding head 20 to separate the substrate W from the catalyst pad 30. The amount of separation by the substrate holding head 20 should be such that the substrate W and the catalyst pad 30 are separated and rotation is not hindered.

[0094] Next, the substrate processing apparatus 1A rotates the substrate holding head 20 in a predetermined direction, as shown in Figure 12B. At this time, the substrate processing apparatus 1A rotates the substrate holding head 20 by a predetermined amount so that the surface irregularities Wa do not enter the opening of the supply hole 66 as much as possible and make contact with the substrate contact surface 32a. The amount of rotation of the substrate holding head 20 is set appropriately according to the position of the supply hole 66 formed in the catalyst pad 30, the size and thickness of the substrate W, etc., so that the surface irregularities Wa make contact with the substrate contact surface 32a.

[0095] Subsequently, as shown in Figure 12C, the substrate processing apparatus 1A lowers the rotated substrate holding head 20, bringing the substrate W and the catalyst pad 30 into contact so that a constant pressing force is applied to the substrate W.

[0096] In this embodiment, the substrate W is rotated in a non-contact state with the catalyst pad 30, and a process is performed to shift the contact position between the substrate contact surface 32a of the catalyst pad 30 and the processing surface W1 before and after rotation. The substrate contact surface 32a of the catalyst pad 30 has a plurality of supply holes 66 formed therein, and a part of the surface irregularities Wa of the processing surface W1 may enter the openings of the supply holes 66. In this case, the surface irregularities Wa may only partially contact the substrate contact surface 32a and may not be properly etched. However, the substrate processing apparatus 1A of this embodiment can uniformly flatten the processing surface W1 by rotating the substrate holding head 20 to change the contact position between the processing surface W1 and the substrate contact surface 32a.

[0097] The substrate processing apparatus 1A according to the second embodiment includes a supply and discharge unit 60 that supplies a processing agent to the substrate contact surface 32a of the catalyst pad 30 through a supply hole 66 and a supply and discharge pipe 67. This allows the substrate processing apparatus 1A to appropriately supply the processing agent to the central and peripheral parts of the catalyst pad 30. Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus 1A drives the substrate holding head 20 to change the contact position between the processing surface W1 of the substrate W and the substrate contact surface 32a of the catalyst pad 30. This allows the substrate processing apparatus 1A to reduce etching defects of the substrate W caused by the supply hole 66.

[0098] Next, the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1A according to the second embodiment will be described. Note that the series of operations shown below is an example, and other operations may be incorporated between each operation as needed. Also, the order of the operations shown below may be changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0099] As shown in Figure 13, the substrate processing apparatus 1A performs a planarization process that includes a contact step S11, a planarization process S12, a first decision process S13, a rotation process S14, and a second decision process S15. Each process is performed by the substrate processing apparatus 1 under the control of the control unit 200. The substrate processing apparatus 1A is supplied with a fixed amount of processing agent from the first supply unit 61 and the supply hole 66 of the supply and discharge unit 60.

[0100] The substrate processing apparatus 1 may perform a preparation step before performing the contact step S11. The preparation step includes steps such as storing a predetermined amount of processing agent in the process chamber 10, setting the substrate W on the substrate holding head 20, and setting the catalyst pad 30 on the pad holding section 40.

[0101] The substrate processing apparatus 1 performs the contact process S11 as shown in subdivision (a) of Figure 14. The processing surface W1 of the substrate W comes into contact with the substrate contact surface 32a of the catalyst pad 30.

[0102] As shown in Figure 14(b), the substrate processing apparatus 1 performs the planarization process S12. The substrate W is immersed in the processing agent in the process chamber 10 and comes into contact with the catalyst pad 30 for planarization. In the planarization process S12, a fixed amount of the processing agent is supplied from the first supply unit 61 and the supply hole 66.

[0103] The substrate processing apparatus 1 performs the first decision processing step S13. The control unit 200 determines the progress of the etching process based on the measurement results of the thickness measuring unit 90. If the control unit 200 determines that the etching amount has reached a predetermined amount (S13-Yes), it proceeds to the rotation process S14. On the other hand, if the control unit 200 determines that the etching amount has not reached a predetermined amount (S13-No), it returns to the planarization process S12 and continues the planarization process. The control unit 200 can also proceed to the rotation process S14 at predetermined intervals.

[0104] The substrate processing apparatus 1 performs a rotation process S14. As shown in Figures 12A to 12C, the substrate processing apparatus 1 controls the moving mechanism 50 to move the substrate holding head 20, thereby changing the contact position between the processing surface W1 of the substrate W and the substrate contact surface 32a of the catalyst pad 30. As a result, the surface irregularities Wa of the processing surface W1 come into contact with the substrate contact surface 32a other than the opening of the supply hole 66 and are properly flattened.

[0105] The substrate processing apparatus 1 performs the second determination processing step S15. The control unit 200 determines whether the substrate W has been etched to the target thickness based on the measurement result of the thickness measuring unit 90. If the control unit 200 determines that the substrate W has been etched to the target thickness (S15-Yes), it terminates the process. On the other hand, if the control unit 200 determines that the substrate W has not been etched to the target thickness (S15-No), it returns to the planarization processing step S12 and continues the planarization process.

[0106] Next, examples of modifications to the substrate processing apparatus according to this embodiment will be described. The following examples of modifications can be appropriately incorporated into each of the embodiments described above. Furthermore, the following examples of modifications can be appropriately combined and adopted without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0107] The substrate processing apparatus 1B of Modified Example 1 in this embodiment will be described. As shown in Figure 15, the substrate processing apparatus 1B of Modified Example 1 can form a transfer pattern 33 of a predetermined shape on the substrate contact surface 32a of the catalyst pad 30 and transfer it to the substrate W.

[0108] The transfer pattern 33 is formed on the surface of the substrate contact surface 32a of the catalyst layer 32. The transfer pattern 33 transfers a predetermined pattern shape to the surface of the treated surface W1 of the substrate W when etching during the planarization process. The shape of the transfer pattern 33 can be formed in any shape depending on the application of the substrate W. The transfer pattern 33 can have an uneven shape, for example, as shown in Figure 15.

[0109] As shown in Figure 16A, when transferring the transfer pattern 33 formed on the catalyst pad 30, the substrate processing apparatus 1B brings the processing surface W1 into contact with the substrate contact surface 32a. As shown in Figure 16B, the substrate processing apparatus 1B gradually etches the processing surface W1 along the outline of the transfer pattern 33. As shown in Figure 16C, when the processing surface W1 is etched to a shape along the outline of the transfer pattern 33, the substrate processing apparatus 1B separates the substrate W from the catalyst pad 30. As a result, the pattern shape of the transfer pattern 33 is transferred to the processing surface W1 of the substrate W.

[0110] Furthermore, if the modified example 1 is adopted in the substrate processing apparatus 1A, etching can be performed while changing the transfer position by rotating the substrate holding head 20, thus enabling various patterns with higher precision.

[0111] A modified example 2 of this embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 1C, will now be described. As shown in Figure 17, the modified example 2 substrate processing apparatus 1C uses a gas as a processing agent to flatten the processing surface W1 of the substrate W.

[0112] As shown in Figure 17, the substrate processing apparatus 1C uses a gaseous processing agent in the process chamber 10. The processing agent can be, for example, the vapor of hydrofluoric acid water. The substrate processing apparatus 1C is equipped with a lid 13 for sealing and containing the gaseous processing agent in the process chamber 10. As shown in Figure 17, the shaft portion 21a of the head body 21 of the substrate holding head 20 is positioned to penetrate the lid portion 13 of the process chamber 10. A sealing member 23 is positioned around the shaft portion 21a. The sealing member 23 is fixed by a sealing holder 24. In this way, the inside of the containment portion 14 of the process chamber 10 is sealed by the lid portion 13 and the sealing member 23, so that the processing agent does not leak to the outside.

[0113] Although the substrate processing apparatus 1C differs in that the processing agent handled in the supply / discharge unit 60 is a gas instead of a liquid, the functions of each part of the supply / discharge unit 60 may be the same as those of the substrate processing apparatuses 1 and 1A.

[0114] The substrate processing apparatus 1C is configured such that the process chamber 10 remains sealed inside by the lid 13 and sealing member 23, while the substrate holding head 20 can move in a predetermined direction. Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 1C can perform planarization processing in the same way as the substrate processing apparatuses 1 and 1A, even when using gas as the processing agent.

[0115] As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1A according to this embodiment is an apparatus for etching and planarizing the processing surface W1 of a substrate W to be processed in a process chamber 10, and comprises a substrate holding head 20, a substrate holding part 22 provided on the substrate holding head 20 for holding the substrate W, a base material 31, a catalyst pad 30 having a catalyst layer 32 formed on the surface of the base material 31 facing the substrate W and having a substrate contact surface 32a that contacts the processing surface W1 of the substrate W, a pad holding part 40 for fixing and holding the catalyst pad 30 in the process chamber 10, and at least The process chamber 10 includes a supply / discharge unit 60 for supplying an etching agent, a moving mechanism 50 for relative movement of the substrate holding head 20 in an approach-away direction, at least in relation to the catalyst pad 30, and a control unit 200. The catalyst pad 30 has a substrate contact surface 32a with an area larger than the processing surface W1, and the supply / discharge unit 60 supplies new processing agent to the substrate contact surface 32a while the processing surface W1 of the substrate W is pressed against the substrate contact surface 32a of the catalyst pad 30 in the presence of the processing agent supplied into the process chamber 10.

[0116] With this configuration, when the substrate processing apparatus 1A etches the substrate W with the catalyst pad 30 using catalyst-assisted etching technology, it can supply the processing agent to the entire contact surface between the substrate W and the catalyst pad 30. As a result, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can shorten the processing time and etch the substrate W appropriately. Furthermore, since the substrate processing apparatus 1A performs the etching process while maintaining contact between the substrate W and the catalyst pad 30, scratches and other defects do not occur. In addition, because the area of ​​the substrate contact surface 32a is larger than the area of ​​the processing surface W1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can etch the entire processing surface W1 in one step, thereby improving productivity. [Explanation of symbols]

[0117] 1, 1A, 1B, 1C Substrate processing equipment, 10 process chambers, 11 bottom, 12 side wall, 13 Lid, 14 containment section, 20 substrate holding heads, 21 Head body, 21a Shaft, 22 Board holding part, 23 sealing member, 24 seal holders, 30 catalytic converter pads, 31 base material, 31a Catalyst forming surface, 32 catalyst layer, 32a Board contact surface, 33 transfer patterns, 40 Pad holding section, 41 holding surface, 42 fixed surface, 50 moving mechanism; 51 Adjustment drive unit, 60 Supply and discharge section, 61 1st supply section, 61a Supply amount adjustment section, 62 1st discharge section, 62a Emission adjustment section, 63 Mixing section, 64 Stock solution supply section, 65 Piping, 66 supply hole, 67 Supply and exhaust pipes, 68 Distribution Coordination Department 70 Temperature adjustment section, 80 Concentration measurement section, 90 Thickness measuring section, 100 Temperature measuring section, 110 Conditioning mechanism, 111 Conditioning Department, 112 Arm section, 113 Waiting Department, 200 Control unit, W substrate, W1 processed surface, Wa surface irregularities.

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus for etching the processing surface of a substrate to be processed within a process chamber, A substrate holding head, The substrate holding head is provided with a substrate holding portion for holding the substrate, A catalyst pad comprising: a base material; a catalyst layer formed on the surface of the base material facing the substrate and having a substrate contact surface that contacts the processing surface of the substrate; A pad holding section for fixing and holding the catalyst pad within the process chamber, A supply and discharge unit that supplies an etching agent to the process chamber, A moving mechanism that moves the substrate holding head relative to at least the catalyst pad in an approaching and moving away direction, It comprises a control unit and, The catalyst pad has a substrate contact surface area that is larger than the processing surface area. The supply and discharge unit supplies new processing agent to the substrate contact surface while the processing surface of the substrate is pressed against the substrate contact surface of the catalyst pad, in the presence of the processing agent supplied into the process chamber.

2. The substrate holding head is fixed in a position such that the processing surface of the substrate is in contact with the substrate contact surface of the catalyst layer, as described in claim 1.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flatness of the substrate contact surface is higher than the flatness of the processing surface.

4. The aforementioned supply and discharge section is A first supply and discharge unit that supplies the processing agent to the process chamber, The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a second supply and discharge unit that supplies the processing agent to the substrate contact surface through the inside of the catalyst pad.

5. The pad holding portion has a fixing surface that is fixed to the process chamber, The second supply and discharge unit is, Multiple supply holes connecting the substrate contact surface and the fixing surface, A supply and discharge pipe for supplying the processing agent to the supply hole, A flow adjustment unit that controls the amount of the processing agent supplied to the supply hole, A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, having the following features.

6. The substrate holding head is further comprising a thickness measuring unit for measuring the thickness of the substrate, as described in claim 1.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving mechanism has an adjustment drive unit that moves the substrate holding head in the approach / separation direction, in a planar direction perpendicular to the approach / separation direction, and in a rotational direction with the approach / separation direction as the axis of rotation.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the control unit moves the substrate holding head in the separation direction to separate the substrate contact surface from the processing surface, moves the substrate holding head in at least one of the planar direction and the rotational direction, and then moves the substrate holding head in the contact direction to bring the substrate contact surface into contact with the processing surface.

9. The substrate contact surface has a transfer pattern of a predetermined shape formed on its surface. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the control unit drives the moving mechanism so that an arbitrary pattern shape corresponding to the transfer pattern is formed on the processing surface.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a conditioning mechanism for conditioning the substrate contact surface of the catalyst pad.

11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the catalyst layer is formed of a noble metal or carbon material.

12. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control unit controls the amount of the processing agent supplied from the supply / discharge unit based on the thickness information of the substrate measured by the thickness measuring unit.

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