Substrate Processing Equipment

Abstract

To provide a wafer processing device capable of replacing ozone gas in a short time and also preventing contamination caused by particles.SOLUTION: A control section processes a substrate W by supplying ozone gas into a chamber 32 in a state where a control valve 55 is opened and a control valve 69 is closed, and thereafter, when supplying nitrogen gas into the chamber 32 while closing the control valve 55 and opening the control valve 69, a suction pipe 73 is caused to perform suction. Therefore, a filter 59 in which the ozone gas remains, a mass flow controller 57 and the control valve 55 are sucked through the suction pipe 73. Accordingly, gas does not flow from a second branch point 63 to the side of the chamber 32 in a circulation pipe 53. As a result, the ozone gas can be prevented from being mixed into the nitrogen gas at the side of the chamber 32. Thus, the ozone gas can be replaced in a short time and contamination caused by particles may also be prevented.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus which performs predetermined processing on substrates (hereinafter simply referred to as substrates), such as semiconductor wafers, substrates for liquid crystal displays or organic EL (Electroluminescence) display devices, glass substrates for photomasks, substrates for optical disks, substrates for magnetic disks, ceramic substrates, and substrates for solar cells. [Background technology]

[0002] To form a pattern on a substrate, for example, a photoresist film is applied to the substrate and patterned, and then an etching process is performed using the patterned photoresist film as a mask. Thereafter, the mask is no longer needed, and the photoresist film is removed. To remove the photoresist film, for example, SPM (Sulfuric Hydrogen Peroxide Mixture), which is a mixed solution of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide, is used. This SPM has a strong oxidizing power, and the photoresist film is peeled off and removed from the surface of the substrate. However, for example, if ions are implanted into the photoresist film, the surface of the photoresist film is hardened. Therefore, in a process in which only SPM is supplied, the consumption of SPM increases. Also, the photoresist film may not be removed well using only SPM.

[0003] Therefore, before supplying SPM, ozone gas (O3 gas) is supplied to the photoresist film and its oxidizing power is used to treat it. This makes it possible to oxidize (ash) the surface of the photoresist film that has hardened due to ion implantation, making it easier to peel off the photoresist film during subsequent processing with SPM. This reduces the consumption of SPM.

[0004] As an apparatus for supplying ozone gas to process a substrate in this manner, there is one equipped with a supply mechanism that switches between SPM, nitrogen gas, pure water, and ozone gas and supplies them to the processing surface of the substrate (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0005] In such equipment, after processing with ozone gas, the ozone gas in the chamber is replaced with nitrogen gas before the substrate is removed from the chamber to be processed with SPM. For this reason, the supply mechanism is configured as follows.

[0006] There is a "first configuration" including a first pipe, a second pipe, a first filter, a first control valve, a second control valve, and a second filter. The first pipe has one end connected to the chamber and the other end connected to an ozone gas supply source. The second pipe has one end connected to a branch point that is a part of the first pipe and the other end connected to a nitrogen gas supply source. The first filter is provided in the first pipe on the chamber side of the branch point. The first control valve is provided on the ozone supply source side of the branch point and controls the flow of ozone gas in the first pipe. The second control valve is provided on the branch point side of the second pipe and controls the flow of nitrogen gas. The second filter is provided on the nitrogen gas supply source side of the second control valve in the second pipe. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] JP 2008-66400 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, the conventional example having such a configuration has the following problems. That is, according to the first conventional configuration, a branch point is provided upstream of the first filter. Therefore, ozone gas also passes through the first filter of nitrogen gas. Therefore, when nitrogen gas is supplied from the second pipe to perform replacement after the ozone gas is treated, the ozone gas remaining in the first filter is mixed into the nitrogen gas supplied to the chamber. Therefore, there is a problem that the concentration of ozone gas is difficult to decrease, and replacement with nitrogen gas takes time.

[0009] Therefore, it is conceivable to adopt the following "second configuration."

[0010] The second pipe has one end connected to a branch point, which is a portion of the first pipe on the chamber side, and the other end connected to a nitrogen gas supply source. The first control valve and the first filter are provided in that order from the branch point toward the ozone supply source. The second filter and the second control valve are provided in that order from the branch point toward the nitrogen gas supply source.

[0011] According to the second configuration, there is no first filter between the branch point and the chamber. Therefore, the inconveniences of the first configuration do not occur. However, since the first control valve is provided on the chamber side of the first filter, particles generated in the first control valve may be sucked into the flow of nitrogen gas flowing from the branch point to the chamber side, and may contaminate the substrate in the chamber.

[0012] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of replacing the ozone gas in a short time and preventing contamination by particles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following configuration. That is, the invention described in claim 1 is a substrate processing apparatus for performing a process for removing a coating deposited on a substrate, the apparatus comprising: a chamber for accommodating a substrate and forming a sealed processing space; a holding mechanism for holding the substrate in the chamber; an ozone gas supply source for supplying ozone gas at a processing concentration for processing the substrate; a first pipe connecting the chamber and the ozone gas supply source in communication; a first control valve provided in the first pipe and controlling a flow of ozone gas in the first pipe; a first filter provided in the first pipe on the chamber side relative to the first control valve; a second pipe having one end connected to a first branch point connected to the first pipe on the chamber side relative to the first filter and having an inert gas supplied from the other end; a second control valve provided in the second pipe and controlling the flow of the inert gas in the second pipe; and a suction pipe having one end connected to a second branch point connected to the first pipe between the first filter and the first control valve and having a suction from the other end. A third control valve provided in the suction pipe; After a substrate is processed by supplying ozone gas into the chamber while the first control valve is opened and the second control valve is closed, when the first control valve is closed and the second control valve is opened to supply an inert gas into the chamber, The third control valve is opened. and a control unit that controls the suction pipe to perform suction.

[0014] [Function and Effect] According to the invention described in claim 1, the control unit performs suction through the suction pipe when supplying inert gas into the chamber by opening the first control valve and closing the second control valve to process the substrate, and then closing the first control valve and opening the second control valve to supply inert gas into the chamber. Therefore, the first filter in which ozone gas remains and the second control valve in which particles are likely to be generated are sucked through the suction pipe. Therefore, in the first pipe, no gas flows from the second branch point to the chamber side. As a result, it is possible to prevent ozone gas from mixing with the inert gas on the chamber side, and it is possible to shorten the replacement time of ozone gas and prevent contamination by particles.

[0015] In the present invention, it is preferable that the suction by the suction pipe is performed with a suction force that does not impede the supply of the inert gas supplied from the second pipe to the chamber (claim 2).

[0016] When the inert gas is supplied to the chamber, the first pipe is sucked by the suction pipe at the first branch point. At this time, the suction from the suction pipe is performed with a suction force that does not interfere with the supply of the inert gas supplied from the second pipe to the chamber via the first branch point. Therefore, the ozone gas in the chamber can be reliably replaced by the inert gas.

[0017] In the present invention, it is preferable that the suction pipe is provided at the other end with a vacuum ejector that generates a suction force by supplying compressed gas (claim 3).

[0018] A vacuum ejector is smaller and less expensive than a vacuum pump, which contributes to the miniaturization of the device and prevents costs from increasing.

[0019] In the present invention, it is preferable that the suction pipe includes a suction control valve that controls the suction force at the second branch point and is operated by the control unit (claim 4).

[0020] By operating the suction control valve, the effect of suction on the second pipe at the second branch point can be reliably blocked.

[0021] In the present invention, it is preferable that the second pipe includes a second filter between the first branch point and the second control valve (claim 5).

[0022] When the inert gas is supplied, adverse effects due to particles generated in the second control valve can be prevented.

[0023] In addition, in the present invention, it is preferable that the apparatus further comprises a processing liquid chamber for accommodating a substrate and processing it with a processing liquid, and a transport mechanism for transporting the substrate, the substrate having been treated with ozone gas in the chamber being transported to the processing liquid chamber by the transport mechanism, and the substrate being processed with the processing liquid in the processing liquid chamber (Claim 6).

[0024] The substrate that has been treated with ozone gas in the chamber is transported by the transport mechanism to the treatment liquid chamber, where the substrate is treated with the treatment liquid. This allows the substrate to be treated successively with gas and liquid. Therefore, the substrate can be efficiently treated by pretreatment with ozone gas followed by treatment with the treatment liquid. Effect of the Invention

[0025] According to the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention, the control unit performs suction through the suction pipe when supplying an inert gas into the chamber by opening the first control valve and closing the second control valve to process the substrate, and then closes the first control valve and opens the second control valve to supply the inert gas into the chamber. Therefore, the first filter in which the ozone gas remains and the second control valve in which particles are likely to be generated are sucked through the suction pipe. Therefore, in the first pipe, no gas flows from the second branch point to the chamber side. As a result, it is possible to prevent the inert gas from being mixed with the ozone gas on the chamber side, and it is possible to shorten the replacement time of the ozone gas and prevent contamination by particles. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] 1. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 101-101 in FIG. [Diagram 3] 1. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 103-103 in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating a substrate processing apparatus. [Diagram 5]4 is a graph showing a change in ozone gas concentration in an ozone gas supply unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an ozone gas bake unit and a gas supply system and exhaust system. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the state when no treatment with ozone gas is used. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a treatment with ozone gas. [Figure 9] 11 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which ozone gas is being supplied. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which nitrogen gas is being supplied. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0028] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 101-101 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 103-103 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan view showing a schematic diagram of the substrate processing apparatus.

[0029] The substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment is, for example, an apparatus for performing a process for removing a photoresist coating on a substrate W on which a photoresist coating is formed. This is particularly useful when the photoresist coating is hardened. Specifically, this substrate processing apparatus 1 is suitable for performing an ozone gas process and an SPM process after an on-gas process on the substrate W in that order.

[0030] The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes an indexer block 3, a processing block 5, a transport block 7, a processing liquid supply block 9, an ozone gas supply unit 11, and an ozone gas decomposition unit 13.

[0031] The indexer block 3 transfers the substrate W to be processed between the transport block 7. The transport block 7 transports the substrate W between the indexer block 3 and the processing block 5 and between the processing blocks 5. The processing block 5 includes a plurality of processing units 15. The processing liquid supply block 9 supplies various processing liquids used in the processing block 5 to the processing block 5. The ozone gas supply unit 11 supplies the ozone gas used in the processing block 5. The ozone gas decomposition unit 13 takes in the ozone gas discharged from the processing block 5, renders it harmless, and discharges it. The gas discharged from the ozone gas decomposition unit 13 is discharged, for example, to an exhaust port provided in a clean room. This exhaust port is connected to, for example, an exhaust facility in a factory.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes an indexer block 3, a processing block 5, a transport block 7, and a processing liquid supply block 9, which are arranged in this order.

[0033] In the following description, the direction in which the indexer block 3, the processing block 5, the transport block 7, and the processing liquid supply block 9 are aligned is referred to as the "front-rear direction X" (horizontal direction). In particular, the direction from the processing block 5 and the transport block 7 toward the indexer block 3 is referred to as the "forward XF", and the opposite direction of the forward XF direction is referred to as the "backward XB". The direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction X and the horizontal direction is referred to as the "width direction Y". Furthermore, when viewed from the front of the indexer block 3, one direction of the width direction Y is appropriately referred to as the "right direction YR", and the other direction opposite to the right direction YR is referred to as the "left direction YL". In addition, the vertical direction is referred to as the "up-down direction Z" (height direction, vertical direction). Note that when simply describing "side" or "lateral direction", it is not limited to either the front-rear direction X or the width direction Y.

[0034] The indexer block 3 includes a carrier placement part 17 and an indexer robot IR. The substrate processing apparatus 1 in this embodiment includes, for example, four carrier placement parts 17. Specifically, the four carrier placement parts 17 are arranged in a row in the width direction Y. A carrier C is placed on each carrier placement part 17. The carrier C stores a plurality of substrates W (for example, 25 substrates) in a stacked manner, and each carrier placement part 17 transfers the carrier C between, for example, an OHT (Overhead Hoist Transport: also called an unmanned guided vehicle running on the ceiling) not shown. The OHT transports the carrier C by using the ceiling of a clean room. An example of the carrier C is a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod).

[0035] In the indexer block 3, an indexer robot IR is disposed behind the carrier placement section 17, XB. The indexer robot IR transfers substrates W between the carriers C, and also transfers substrates W between the indexer robot IR and the path section 19. The path section 19 is disposed between the indexer block 3 and the transport block 7 in the front-rear direction X. Only one indexer robot IR is disposed in the indexer block 3. This indexer robot IR is attached at a fixed position so that its base does not move in the width direction Y. The indexer robot IR is provided with, for example, a multi-joint arm that can rise and fall in the vertical direction Z. The indexer robot IR is configured to be able to access the four carriers C and the path section 19.

[0036] The path section 19 is provided with a plurality of support pins (e.g., three) on a support base. The path section 19 abuts and supports the substrate W in a horizontal position. An indexer robot IR places an unprocessed substrate W in the path section 19 and removes a processed substrate W therefrom. The center robot CR of the transport block 7 removes an unprocessed substrate W in the path section 19 and places a processed substrate W therein. The path section 19 is configured in multiple stages in the vertical direction Z. Thus, multiple substrates W can be placed in the path section 19 at the same time.

[0037] The transport block 7 includes, for example, one center robot CR. The center robot CR is configured to be movable in the forward / backward direction X and to be able to move up and down in the vertical direction Z. The center robot CR is also configured to be able to rotate in a horizontal plane about an axis in the vertical direction Z. The center robot CR is configured to be able to transfer the substrate W between the processing blocks 5 arranged on the right side YR and the left side YL in the width direction Y, based on the position of the center robot CR. The center robot CR can transfer the substrate W between the indexer robot IR via the path section 19.

[0038] The processing blocks 5 are arranged on the right side YR and the left side YL in the width direction Y, sandwiching the transport block 7 therebetween. Here, of the processing blocks 5, the one arranged in the vertical direction Z from the front XF to the left YL in a plan view is referred to as tower TW1. Similarly, the one arranged in the vertical direction Z from the rear XB to the left YL is referred to as tower TW2. Furthermore, the one arranged in the vertical direction Z from the front XF to the right YR is referred to as tower TW3. Moreover, the one arranged in the vertical direction Z from the rear XB to the right YR is referred to as tower TW4.

[0039] The towers TW1 and TW3 of the processing block 5 are configured by, for example, stacking four processing units 15 in the vertical direction Z. The towers TW1 and TW3 are equipped with, for example, an ozone gas bake unit 21 (also indicated as O3BAKE in FIG. 2) as the processing unit 15. The ozone gas bake unit 21 processes the substrate W by supplying ozone gas while heating the substrate W at a predetermined temperature. The details of the structure will be described later. The ozone gas bake unit 21 cools the substrate W after completing the processing with ozone gas. The cooled substrate W is transported to the processing unit 15 of the towers TW2 and TW4 by the center robot CR.

[0040] The towers TW2 and TW4 of the processing block 5 are configured by, for example, stacking three processing units 15 in the vertical direction Z. The towers TW2 and TW4 are equipped with, for example, an SPM unit 23 (also referred to as HT SPM in FIG. 3) as the processing unit 15. The SPM unit 23 supplies SPM heated to a predetermined temperature to the substrate W to perform processing. This SPM is SPM (Sulfuric Hydrogen Peroxide Mixture), which is a mixed solution of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water. The substrate W processed by the ozone gas bake unit 21 is transported to the SPM unit 23 by the center robot CR. The substrate W processed by the SPM unit 23 is transported to the path section 19 by the center robot CR after the SPM is removed with pure water.

[0041] The SPM unit 23 corresponds to the "treatment liquid chamber" in this invention, and the center robot CR corresponds to the "transfer mechanism" in this invention.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 4, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is provided with two ozone gas supply units 11 and two ozone gas decomposition units 13. The ozone gas supply unit 11 generates and supplies ozone at a processing concentration used in processing in the ozone gas bake unit 21. For example, when the ozone gas supply unit 11 starts the apparatus from a stopped state in which ozone gas is not generated, with a target concentration as the processing concentration, the concentration of the ozone gas supplied from the ozone gas supply unit changes, for example, as shown in Fig. 5. Note that Fig. 5 is a graph showing the change in ozone gas concentration in the ozone gas supply unit.

[0043] Thus, it is understood that the ozone gas supply unit 11 has a characteristic that the treatment concentration is not reached until nearly two minutes have passed since the start of the apparatus. One ozone gas supply unit 11 supplies ozone gas at the treatment concentration to the four ozone gas bake units 21 of the tower unit TW1 described above. Another ozone gas supply unit 11 supplies ozone gas at the treatment concentration to the four ozone gas bake units 21 of the tower unit TW3.

[0044] The ozone gas decomposition unit 13 takes in the gas containing ozone gas discharged from the ozone gas bake unit 21 and detoxifies the ozone gas. The detoxified gas is exhausted, for example, to an exhaust port provided in a clean room. One of the two ozone gas decomposition units 13 processes exhaust from, for example, the four ozone gas bake units 21 of tower TW1. The remaining ozone gas decomposition unit 13 processes exhaust from, for example, the four ozone gas bake units 21 of tower TW3.

[0045] The ozone gas supply unit 11 corresponds to the "ozone gas supply source" in this invention.

[0046] Here, reference is made to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the ozone gas bake unit and the gas supply system and exhaust system. In the following explanation, the ozone gas bake unit 21 of the tower unit TW1 will be taken as an example, but the ozone gas bake unit 21 of the tower unit TW3 has the same configuration.

[0047] Each ozone gas bake unit 21 constituting the tower unit TW1 includes a chamber 32 equipped with a lower lid 25, an upper lid 27, a heat-treating plate 29, and a lifting mechanism 31. The lifting mechanism 31 includes a connection part that connects to the upper lid 27, and a motor that moves the connection part. The lower lid 25 is disposed at the bottom in the vertical direction Z. The lower lid 25 is a housing having an opening at the top. The upper lid 27 is a housing having an opening at the bottom. The lower lid 25 includes a heat-treating plate 29. The heat-treating plate 29 abuts against and supports the substrate W. The heat-treating plate 29 heats the substrate W to a predetermined temperature. The upper lid 27 descends and abuts against the lower lid 25. The opening of the upper lid 27 and the opening of the lower lid 25 have substantially the same shape, and the upper lid 27 and the lower lid 25 can be brought into contact with and separated from each other by a lifting mechanism 31. When the upper lid 27 and the lower lid 25 are joined together, the upper lid 27 and the lower lid 25 form a closed space therein. This closed space including the heat-treating plate 29 becomes a processing space in which the substrate W is processed. The upper lid 27 is raised and lowered relative to the lower lid 25 by the lifting mechanism 31. The lifting mechanism 31 lowers the upper lid 27 onto the lower lid 25 when processing the substrate W. On the other hand, the lifting mechanism 31 transfers the substrate W between the processing space and raises the upper lid 27 above the lower lid 25 when processing is not being performed.

[0048] The tower unit TW1 includes one exhaust main pipe 33. The exhaust main pipe 33 is disposed from the bottom to the top of the tower unit TW1. A lower portion of the exhaust main pipe 33 is connected in communication with the ozone gas decomposition unit 13. The tower unit TW1 includes one supply pipe 35. The supply pipe 35 is also disposed from the bottom to the top of the tower unit TW1. One end of the supply pipe 35 is connected in communication with the ozone gas supply unit 11. Ozone gas at a treatment concentration is supplied to the supply pipe 35 from the ozone gas supply unit 11.

[0049] The heat treatment plate 29 corresponds to the "holding mechanism" in the present invention.

[0050] Here, reference is made to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining the state when no treatment with ozone gas is performed.

[0051] The ozone gas supply unit 11 includes a generation pipe 41 , a mass flow controller 43 , an ozone gas generator 45 , a filter 47 , an automatic pressure regulator 49 , and a control valve 51 .

[0052] One end of the generation pipe 41 is connected to, for example, an oxygen supply source (not shown), which is one of the utilities provided in the clean room. The other end of the generation pipe 41 is connected to the supply pipe 35. A mass flow controller 43, an ozone gas generator 45, a filter 47, an automatic pressure regulator 49, and a control valve 51 are attached to the generation pipe 41 in this order from the oxygen supply source side to the supply pipe 35 side.

[0053] The mass flow controller 43 controls the flow rate of oxygen supplied to the generation pipe 41 to a predetermined flow rate. The ozone gas generator 45 is configured by arranging, for example, four ozone gas generation modules in parallel. Each ozone gas generation module generates ozone gas from oxygen. The ozone gas generated by the ozone gas generator 45 has particles and the like removed by a filter 47. The ozone gas that has passed through the filter 47 is adjusted to a predetermined first pressure P1 (for example, 200 kPa) by an automatic pressure regulator 49. The control valve 51 controls the flow of the ozone gas adjusted to the first pressure P1 to the supply pipe 35.

[0054] The above-mentioned ozone gas supply unit 11 can supply ozone gas at a flow rate of, for example, up to 100 liters / minute. The above-mentioned automatic pressure regulator 49 has an adjustment pressure set to a first pressure P1, so that the pressure at the most downstream portion of the generation pipe 41 (the portion communicating with the supply pipe 35) is adjusted to the first pressure P1 (for example, 200 kPa in this embodiment). The flow rate of the ozone gas in the supply pipe 35 is a first flow rate F1 (for example, 100 liters / minute) at maximum depending on the performance of the ozone gas supply unit 11.

[0055] Returning to Fig. 6, the supply pipe 35 connected to the other end of the generation pipe 41 of the ozone gas supply unit 11 branches off to each ozone gas bake unit 21. The ozone gas bake unit 21 is connected to a circulation pipe 53 that branches off from the supply pipe 35 to each chamber 32. Specifically, one end of the circulation pipe 53 is connected to the supply pipe 35, and the other end is connected to each chamber 32. In particular, the other end of the circulation pipe 53 is attached to the upper lid 25, and connected to the processing space formed in the chamber 32.

[0056] The flow pipe 53 has a control valve 55, a mass flow controller 57, and a filter 59 installed in this order from the supply pipe 35 toward the chamber 32. The control valve 55 controls the flow of ozone gas from the supply pipe 35 to the chamber 32. The mass flow controller 57 adjusts the flow rate of the ozone gas flowing through the flow pipe 53 and supplied to the chamber 32. The filter 59 removes particles and the like contained in the ozone gas flowing through the flow pipe 53.

[0057] For example, the mass flow controller 57 is set so that the flow rate of the ozone gas is a maximum of 20 liters / minute, and the processing flow rate is set to 10 liters / minute.

[0058] The circulation pipe 53 is provided with a first branch point 61 and a second branch point 63. The first branch point 61 is provided in the circulation pipe 53 between the chamber 32 and the filter 59. In other words, the first branch point 61 is provided in the circulation pipe 53 on the chamber 32 side relative to the filter 59. The second branch point 63 is provided in the circulation pipe 53 between the filter 59 and the mass flow controller 57 and the control valve 55.

[0059] One end of the inert gas supply pipe 65 is connected to the first branch point 61. The other end of the inert gas supply pipe 65 is connected to, for example, a nitrogen gas supply source, which is one of the utilities of the clean room. The inert gas supply pipe 65 is provided with a mass flow controller 67, a control valve 69, and a filter 71 in this order from the nitrogen gas supply source side toward the first branch point 61. The mass flow controller 67 adjusts the flow rate of the nitrogen gas supplied to the inert gas supply pipe 65. The control valve 69 controls the flow of the nitrogen gas in the inert gas supply pipe 65. The filter 71 removes particles and the like contained in the nitrogen gas flowing through the inert gas supply pipe 65. It is preferable that the inert gas supply pipe 65 is provided with a check valve between the control valve 69 and the mass flow controller 67, for example, to prevent ozone gas from flowing in from the flow pipe 53.

[0060] The circulation pipe 53 corresponds to the "first pipe" in this invention, the control valve 55 corresponds to the "first control valve" in this invention, and the filter 59 corresponds to the "first filter" in this invention. The inert gas supply pipe 65 corresponds to the "second pipe" in this invention, the control valve 69 corresponds to the "second control valve" in this invention, and the filter 71 corresponds to the "second filter" in this invention.

[0061] One end of a suction pipe 73 is connected to the second branch point 63. The other end of the suction pipe 73 is connected to a suction port of a vacuum ejector 75. The exhaust port of the vacuum ejector 75 is connected to the main exhaust pipe 33. When compressed air is supplied to the supply port of the vacuum ejector 75, a gas flow from the suction port to the exhaust port is formed. The suction pipe 73 is provided with a control valve 74 that controls the flow of the gas being sucked.

[0062] The control valve 74 corresponds to the "suction control valve" of this invention.

[0063] The suction from the suction pipe 73 is performed, for example, as follows.

[0064] After ozone gas is supplied to the chamber 32 from the flow pipe 53, a process of replacing the ozone gas with nitrogen gas is performed. At this time, nitrogen gas is supplied to the first branch point 61 from the inert gas supply pipe 65. At this time, suction is performed by the suction pipe 73. This makes it possible to prevent the ozone gas remaining in the filter 59 and the mass flow controller 57 from being drawn into the chamber 32 by the flow of nitrogen gas. Therefore, the time required to replace the ozone gas with nitrogen gas can be shortened. In addition, it is possible to prevent particles that may be generated in the mass flow controller 57 and the control valve 55, which include mechanical operations, from being drawn into the flow of nitrogen gas and flowing into the chamber 32.

[0065] The vacuum ejector 75 is small and inexpensive compared to a vacuum pump etc. Therefore, it can contribute to the miniaturization of the substrate processing apparatus 1 and also suppress an increase in costs.

[0066] One end of an exhaust pipe 77 is connected to the chamber 32. The other end of the exhaust pipe 77 is connected to an inlet of a vacuum ejector 79. The outlet of the vacuum ejector 79 is connected to the main exhaust pipe 33. One end of a first supply pipe 81 is connected to a supply port for supplying compressed air to the vacuum ejector 79 to form an exhaust flow flowing from the inlet to the outlet of the vacuum ejector 79. The other end of the first supply pipe 81 is connected to a compressed air source, which is, for example, one of the utilities of a clean room.

[0067] First drive tube 81 is provided with a flow rate control valve 83 and an on-off valve 85 in that order from the compressed air source toward vacuum ejector 79. Flow rate control valve 83 adjusts the flow rate of compressed air so that compressed air flows through first drive tube 81 at a first flow rate Fa. On-off valve 85 controls the flow of compressed air set at the first flow rate Fa through first drive tube 81. Both ends of second drive tube 87 are connected in communication with a portion of first drive tube 81 upstream of flow rate control valve 83 and a portion of first drive tube 81 between on-off valve 85 and vacuum ejector 79. Second drive tube 87 is provided with a flow rate control valve 89 and an on-off valve 91 in that order from the compressed air source toward vacuum ejector 79. Flow rate control valve 89 adjusts the flow rate of compressed air so that compressed air flows through second drive tube 87 at a second flow rate Fb. On-off valve 91 controls the flow of compressed air, which is set to a second flow rate Fb, through second drive tube 87. Flow rate adjustment valves 83, 89 are set so that second flow rate Fb is smaller than first flow rate Fa.

[0068] The exhaust pipe 77 is equipped with an on-off valve 93. One end of a purge pipe 94 is connected to the exhaust pipe 77 between the on-off valve 93 and the chamber 32. The other end of the purge pipe 94 is connected to the main exhaust pipe 33. The purge pipe 94 is equipped with an on-off valve 95. The on-off valve 95 controls the flow of gas in the purge pipe 94.

[0069] The exhaust through the exhaust pipe 77 is performed as follows.

[0070] Of the on-off valves 85, 89, 93, and 95, when only the on-off valves 93 and 85 are opened, the vacuum ejector 79 is operated with the first flow rate Fa. As a result, the gas in the chamber 32 is strongly sucked out and strongly exhausted through the exhaust pipe 77. When only the on-off valves 91 and 93 are opened, the vacuum ejector 79 is operated with the second flow rate Fb (<the first flow rate Fa). As a result, the gas in the chamber 32 is weakly sucked out and weakly exhausted through the exhaust pipe 77. When nitrogen gas is being supplied to the chamber 32 from the inert gas supply pipe 65, when only the on-off valve 95 is opened, the gas in the chamber 32 is pushed out by only the nitrogen gas through the exhaust pipe 77 and the purge pipe 94.

[0071] The supply pipe 35 includes an auxiliary pipe 97. One end of the auxiliary pipe 97 is connected to the supply pipe 35. The other end of the auxiliary pipe 97 is connected to the exhaust main pipe 33. The auxiliary pipe 97 includes an automatic pressure regulator 99 and a control valve 101 from the supply pipe 35 toward the exhaust main pipe 33. The automatic pressure regulator 99 adjusts the pressure of the ozone gas in the auxiliary pipe 97 branched from the supply pipe 35 to a predetermined second pressure P2 (for example, 100 kPa). Here, the flow rate of the ozone gas in the supply pipe 35 is a first flow rate F1, and the ozone gas flowing in the supply pipe 35 toward each chamber 32 side from the auxiliary pipe 97 is a second flow rate F2. In this case, if the flow rate difference between the first flow rate F1 and the second flow rate F2 is ΔF, the auxiliary pipe 97 flows with the flow rate of the difference ΔF.

[0072] Each ozone gas bake unit 21 is provided with an external exhaust pipe 103 that is outside the chamber 32 and exhausts gas within each ozone gas bake unit 21. The external exhaust pipe 103 exhausts gas around the chamber 32 and the various pipes and valves described above to, for example, an exhaust port provided in a clean room.

[0073] As shown in Fig. 4, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a control unit 111. The control unit 111 includes a CPU and a memory. The control unit 111 comprehensively controls the operation of each unit based on an operator's operation of a control console (not shown). Specifically, the control unit 111 controls the transport of the indexer robot IR in the indexer block 3, the transport of the center robot CR in the transport block 7, the process of each processing unit 15 in the processing block 5, the delivery of various processing liquids in the processing liquid supply block 9, and the operation of the ozone gas supply unit 11 and the ozone gas decomposition unit 13.

[0074] The control unit 111 operates each unit with respect to the flow rate of ozone gas, for example, as follows. It is assumed that the ozone gas supply unit 11 is already operating and is in a state where it can supply ozone gas at a treatment concentration, and the control valve 51 is open. The above-mentioned control unit 111 adjusts the flow rate of ozone gas by the mass flow controller 99 and the control valve 101 in conjunction with the flow rates by the mass flow controllers 57 and the on-off valves 55 so that the flow rate difference ΔF described below falls within a predetermined value.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 7, when no treatment is performed using ozone gas in the chamber 32, each control valve 55 is closed and the control valve 101 is opened. As a result, ozone gas is not supplied from the supply pipe 35 to each chamber 32. The ozone gas supplied from the ozone gas supply unit 11 to the supply pipe 35 is discharged to the exhaust main pipe 33 via the auxiliary pipe 97. In this state, the pressure of the ozone gas in the generation pipe 41 of the ozone gas supply unit 11 is a first pressure P1 (=200 kPa), and the pressure of the ozone gas in the auxiliary pipe 97 is a second pressure P2 (=100 kPa). As for the flow rates, for example, the first flow rate F1 in the generation pipe 41 is 100 liters / minute, and the second flow rate F2 in the supply pipe 35 is 0 liters / minute. Therefore, the flow rate difference ΔF between the first flow rate F1 and the second flow rate F2 is 100 liters / minute.

[0076] Here, reference is made to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining the treatment with ozone gas.

[0077] When processing with ozone gas is performed in the chamber 32, specifically, when ozone gas is supplied to at least one of the four chambers 32 and processing with ozone gas is performed in that chamber 32, the control valve 55 of the chamber 32 performing the processing is opened. At this time, the control valve 101 is opened, but the flow rate is adjusted.

[0078] For example, when processing with ozone gas is performed in all four chambers 32, ozone gas is supplied at a flow rate of up to 20 liters / minute according to the required amount of processing in each chamber 32. Therefore, the second flow rate F2 is up to 80 liters / minute. Since the first flow rate F1 is 100 liters / minute, the flow rate difference ΔF is at least 20 liters / minute. In this manner, the mass flow controller 99 and the control valve 101 are controlled so that the flow rate difference ΔF is within a predetermined value. Therefore, a predetermined amount of reserve can be left on the ozone gas supply unit 11 side so that the second flow rate F2 does not exceed the first flow rate F1, and therefore the supply of ozone gas to each chamber 32 can be stably performed. Conversely, the second flow rate F2 can be increased or decreased by adjusting the flow rate difference ΔF by the mass flow controller 99 and the control valve 101. As a result, the flow rate of ozone gas can be varied collectively for all four chambers 32. This makes it possible to more easily control the flow rate than by operating the mass flow controllers 57 in the respective chambers 32.

[0079] Next, the processing in the above-mentioned substrate processing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation. In the following description, only the parts related to the ozone gas processing and the SPM processing will be described in detail, and other operations will be simplified or omitted. In order to facilitate understanding of the invention, only the flow of one substrate W will be described.

[0080] Step S1 The operator starts up the substrate processing apparatus 1. In addition, in conjunction with this, the ozone gas supply unit 11 and the ozone gas decomposition unit 13 are also started up. As a result, under the control of the control unit 111, the ozone gas supply unit 11 starts generating ozone gas having a processing concentration. As shown in Fig. 5, it takes about 2 minutes to generate ozone gas having a processing concentration.

[0081] Step S2 The control unit 111 monitors whether a predetermined time has elapsed until ozone gas of a treatment concentration is generated by the ozone gas supply unit 11, and proceeds to the next step S3 at the point in time when the predetermined time has elapsed. Note that even before the concentration of ozone gas reaches the treatment concentration, all of the generated ozone gas is exhausted through the auxiliary pipe 97 and the main exhaust pipe 33, as in the case of non-treatment with ozone gas shown in FIG.

[0082] Step S3 An operator issues an instruction to start processing from a control console (not shown).

[0083] Step S4 The substrate W to be processed accommodated in the carrier C is transported to the path section 19 via the indexer block 3, and is loaded into the ozone gas bake unit 21 by the center robot CR. Before the substrate W is loaded into the chamber 32 for processing in the next step S5, the control section 111 operates the control valve 69 and the mass flow controller 67 to supply nitrogen gas to the chamber 32. Furthermore, the control section 111 operates the vacuum ejector 79 by the flow rate adjustment valve 89 and the opening / closing valve 91. As a result, the inside of the chamber 32 is weakly evacuated, and the processing space is kept clean with the inert gas.

[0084] Step S5 When the substrate W is accommodated in the chamber 32, the control unit 111 moves the upper lid 27 to the lower lid 25 by the lifting mechanism 31. This seals the chamber 32. At this time, the control unit 111 operates the flow rate control valve 89 and the on-off valve 91 to stop the operation of the vacuum ejector 79 by the second drive tube 81. Furthermore, the control unit 111 operates the vacuum ejector 79 by the flow rate control valve 83 and the on-off valve 85. Note that the flow rate of the suction port of the vacuum ejector 79 is greater than the flow rate of the nitrogen gas supplied from the inert gas supply pipe 65. This causes the inside of the chamber 32 to be strongly exhausted, and the processing space becomes negative pressure. Therefore, the upper lid 27 is tightly attached to the lower lid 25, and the chamber 32 is completely sealed from the surroundings.

[0085] Thereafter, the control unit 111 waits until the temperature of the substrate W placed on the heat-treating plate 29 increases to a predetermined temperature (for example, 100 to 300° C.). When the temperature of the substrate W reaches the predetermined temperature, the control unit 111 starts the treatment with ozone gas.

[0086] Specifically, the control unit 111 operates the mass flow controller 57 and the control valve 55 so that ozone gas at the processing concentration is supplied at a required flow rate to the chamber 32. This causes ozone gas at the processing concentration to be supplied to the processing space in which the substrate W is placed. The state in which ozone gas is being supplied is as shown by the dashed line with an arrow in FIG.

[0087] At this time, the control unit 111 operates the flow rate adjustment valve 83 and the on-off valve 85 to stop the strong exhaust. Furthermore, the control unit 111 operates the flow rate adjustment valve 89 and the on-off valve 91 to switch to weak exhaust. This allows ozone gas at a treatment concentration to remain in the treatment space, allowing sufficient treatment with the ozone gas to be performed. When a predetermined treatment time for the ozone gas has elapsed, the control unit 111 operates the mass flow controller 57 and the control valve 55 to stop the supply of ozone gas to the chamber 32.

[0088] Next, the control unit 111 replaces the ozone gas in the chamber 32 with nitrogen gas. Specifically, the control unit 111 operates the control valve 69 and the mass flow controller 67 to supply nitrogen gas from the inert gas supply pipe 65 in Fig. 6 to the chamber 32. The state in which nitrogen gas is being supplied is as shown by the dashed line with an arrow in Fig. 11.

[0089] The control unit 111 also operates the vacuum ejector 75 and opens the control valve 74 to perform suction of the second branch point 63 by the suction pipe 73. The state in which the second branch point 63 is suctioned is as shown by the two-dot chain line with an arrow in FIG. 11. Furthermore, the control unit 111 operates the flow rate control valve 89 and the opening / closing valve 91 to stop the weak exhaust. At the same time, the control unit 111 operates the flow rate control valve 83 and the opening / closing valve 85 to perform strong exhaust. Since the inside of the chamber 32 is strongly exhausted, the ozone gas in the processing space is efficiently replaced with nitrogen gas. Therefore, the time required for replacement can be shortened. At this time, as shown by the two-dot chain line with an arrow in FIG. 11, suction of the second branch point 63 is performed at the same time, so that the ozone remaining in the filter 59 can be prevented from being mixed into the processing space. Therefore, the efficiency of replacement by nitrogen gas can be improved. Furthermore, since the second branch point 63 is provided between the filter 59 and the mass flow meter 57 and the control valve 55, it is possible to prevent particles that are likely to be generated in the mass flow meter 57 and the control valve 55 from flowing into the processing space. Therefore, the substrate W can be processed cleanly.

[0090] The suction of the suction pipe 73 is performed with a suction force that does not interfere with the supply of nitrogen gas to the chamber 32 via the first branch point 61. Therefore, the ozone gas in the chamber 32 can be reliably replaced with nitrogen gas.

[0091] When the replacement with nitrogen gas is completed, the control unit 111 operates the flow rate adjustment valve 83 and the on-off valve 85 to stop the strong exhaust. The control unit 111 opens the on-off valve 95. As a result, the inert gas is exhausted through the purge pipe 94 by its supply pressure alone. At this time, the chamber 32 becomes positive pressure, so that the lifting mechanism 31 can smoothly lift the upper lid 25. After the upper lid 25 is lifted, the control unit 111 closes the on-off valve 95 and operates the flow rate adjustment valve 89 and the on-off valve 91 to perform weak exhaust. This keeps the processing space clean with the inert gas. The control unit 111 moves the substrate W to a cooling unit (not shown) to return the substrate W to room temperature.

[0092] Step S6 The control unit 111 operates the center robot CR to take out the substrate W from the ozone gas bake unit 21 and transport the substrate W to the SPM unit 23.

[0093] Step S7 The control unit 111 supplies SPM to the surface of the substrate W while keeping the substrate W in a heated state. This causes the photoresist coating on the surface of the substrate W to be removed by the SPM. At this time, since the surface of the photoresist coating has been ashed to some extent by the pretreatment with ozone gas, even if the surface of the photoresist coating has hardened, the photoresist coating can be easily removed with a small amount of SPM. After the treatment of the substrate W by the SPM is completed, the control unit 111 performs a cleaning process with pure water and a drying process.

[0094] Step S8 The control unit 111 operates the center robot CR to transport the substrate W to the path unit 19, and operates the indexer robot IR to unload the substrate W and return it to the carrier C. Through such a series of operations, the process of removing the photoresist coating from the substrate W is performed.

[0095] According to this embodiment, the control unit 111 opens the control valve 55 and closes the control valve 69 to supply ozone gas into the chamber 32 to process the substrate W, and then closes the control valve 55 and opens the control valve 69 to supply nitrogen gas into the chamber 32, and causes suction through the suction pipe 73. Therefore, the filter 59 in which the ozone gas remains, the mass flow controller 57, and the control valve 55 are sucked through the suction pipe 73. Therefore, in the circulation pipe 53, no gas flows from the second branch point 63 to the chamber 32 side. As a result, it is possible to prevent the ozone gas from mixing with the nitrogen gas on the chamber 32 side, and therefore it is possible to shorten the replacement time of the ozone gas and prevent contamination by particles.

[0096] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be modified as follows.

[0097] (1) In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the substrate processing apparatus 1 is provided with four chambers 32 and four circulation pipes 53. However, the present invention does not require a plurality of chambers 32 and a plurality of circulation pipes 53. In other words, the present invention can be applied to a substrate processing apparatus 1 provided with one chamber 32 and one circulation pipe 53.

[0098] (2) In the above-described embodiment, nitrogen gas is used as the inert gas. However, the present invention is not limited to using nitrogen gas as the inert gas, and may use argon gas, for example.

[0099] (3) In the above-described embodiment, the suction pipe 73 is sucked by the vacuum ejector 75. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the suction pipe 73 may be sucked by a suction means such as a vacuum pump.

[0100] (4) In the above-described embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes the ozone gas decomposition unit 13. However, the ozone gas decomposition unit 13 is not essential to the present invention.

[0101] (5) In the above-described embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes the SPM unit 23, but the present invention does not require the SPM unit 23. For example, the substrate W processed in the ozone gas bake unit 21 may be processed in an SPM unit 23 included in another apparatus.

[0102] (6) In the above-described embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes the indexer block 3, the transport block 7, the carrier placement section 17, the path section 19, etc., and is configured to continuously transport and efficiently process a plurality of substrates W, but the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. In other words, the present invention can be applied to a substrate processing apparatus that does not include a transport system, etc., and is configured to perform processing using ozone gas at a processing concentration. [Industrial Applicability]

[0103] As described above, the present invention is suitable for a substrate processing apparatus that performs a predetermined process using ozone gas on a substrate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0104] 1 ... Substrate processing equipment W: Substrate 3 … Indexer block 5 … Processing block 7 … Transport block 9 … Processing liquid supply block 11 … Ozone gas supply unit 13 ... Ozone gas decomposition unit 15 … Processing unit 19 ... Path section TW1~TW4 … Tower 21 … Ozone gas bake unit 23 ... SPM unit 25 … Lower lid 27 … Top lid 29 ... Heat treatment plate 31 ... Lifting mechanism 32 … Chamber 33 ... Exhaust main pipe 35 … Supply piping 41 … Generation piping 43,57,67 … Mass flow controller 49,99 … Automatic pressure regulator 51,55,69,74,101 … Control valve 53 … Distribution piping 59,71 … Filter 75, 79 … Vacuum ejector 61 … First turning point 63 … The second turning point 65 … Inert gas supply piping 73 … Suction piping

Claims

1. 2. A substrate processing apparatus for performing a process for removing a coating applied to a substrate, comprising: a chamber for accommodating a substrate and forming a sealed processing space; a holding mechanism for holding a substrate within the chamber; an ozone gas supply source for supplying ozone gas at a treatment concentration for treating the substrate; a first pipe communicating between the chamber and the ozone gas supply source; a first control valve provided in the first pipe and configured to control a flow of ozone gas through the first pipe; a first filter provided in the first pipe closer to the chamber than the first control valve; a second pipe having one end connected to a first branch point of the first pipe that is connected to the chamber side of the first filter, and having an inert gas supplied from the other end of the second pipe; a second control valve provided in the second pipe and configured to control a flow of the inert gas through the second pipe; a suction pipe having one end connected to a second branch point of the first pipe between the first filter and the first control valve, and having the other end to receive suction; A third control valve provided in the suction pipe; a control unit that opens the third control valve to perform suction through the suction piping when, after supplying ozone gas into the chamber with the first control valve opened and the second control valve closed to process a substrate, closing the first control valve and opening the second control valve to supply an inert gas into the chamber; A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

2. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, suction by said suction pipe is performed with a suction force that does not interfere with the supply of inert gas to said chamber from said second pipe.

3. 3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, The substrate processing apparatus is characterized in that the suction pipe is provided at the other end with a vacuum ejector that generates a suction force by supplying compressed gas.

4. 4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the suction pipe includes a suction control valve that controls a suction force at the second branch point and is operated by the control unit.

5. 5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second pipe includes a second filter between the first branch point and the second control valve.

6. 6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, a processing liquid chamber for accommodating a substrate and performing processing with a processing liquid; A transport mechanism for transporting the substrate; Further equipped with a transport mechanism for transporting the substrate treated with the ozone gas in the chamber to the treatment liquid chamber, and treating the substrate with the treatment liquid in the treatment liquid chamber.

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