SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD

Abstract

To enable processing with the processing liquid in a short time by efficiently heating the periphery of the substrate with light emitted from a light emitting element located directly under the one main surface of the substrate rotating around the rotation axis and away from the edge surface of the substrate toward the rotation axis.SOLUTION: A light emitting element is positioned at an angle from the horizontal plane so that its light emitting surfaces face the periphery of the substrate. Therefore, light emitted from the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting element is irradiated to the bottom periphery of the substrate or an area close to it.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4A

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus which processes semiconductor wafers, glass substrates for liquid crystal displays, glass substrates for plasma displays, substrates for optical disks, substrates for magnetic disks, substrates for magneto-optical disks, glass substrates for photomasks, substrates for solar cells, etc. (hereinafter simply referred to as "substrates") by supplying a processing liquid to the substrate while heating the substrate in a non-contact manner. [Background technology]

[0002] As a substrate processing apparatus that performs chemical processing, cleaning processing, etc. by supplying a processing liquid to a processing surface of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer rotating around a rotation axis while performing a heat processing on the substrate, for example, an apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is known. In this substrate processing apparatus, in order to heat the bottom surface (heated surface) of the substrate opposite to the top surface (processed surface), an annular heater incorporating a heating element extends in the circumferential direction of the substrate along the peripheral edge of the bottom surface of the substrate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-11015 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, the use of light-emitting elements such as LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) instead of heating elements as a heat source for heating a substrate in a non-contact manner has been considered. For example, an ultraviolet-emitting LED (model number NVCUQ096A-D4) manufactured by Nichia Corporation can be used as a heat source. In the above LED, a plurality of light-emitting parts are arranged in a planar shape on one main surface of an element substrate, and function as a light-emitting surface. When performing heat treatment using an LED configured in this way, it is preferable to arrange it directly below the peripheral portion of the lower surface of the substrate or in a position close to the peripheral portion, as will be described later with reference to FIG. 7. However, in an actual substrate processing apparatus, various configurations are arranged around the substrate. For example, a splash guard and a mechanism for driving the splash guard are arranged around the substrate to catch the processing liquid and the like that splashes from the substrate during substrate processing. Due to such layout constraints of each part of the apparatus, the space in which the LEDs are allowed to be arranged is limited to a position directly below the lower surface of the substrate and away from the end surface of the substrate toward the rotation axis. Therefore, it is desired to provide a substrate processing apparatus that can quickly heat the peripheral portion of the substrate and shorten the tact time despite such arrangement constraints.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to efficiently heat the peripheral portion of the substrate using light emitted from a light-emitting element that is positioned directly below one main surface of a substrate rotating around a rotation axis and away from the end face of the substrate toward the rotation axis, thereby enabling processing with a processing liquid to be performed in a short period of time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] This invention A first aspect is a substrate processing apparatus, The apparatus includes a substrate holding section which holds a substrate substantially horizontally and is rotatable about a predetermined rotation axis, a rotation mechanism which rotates the substrate holding section about the rotation axis, a heating mechanism which irradiates one main surface of the substrate with light emitted from a light emitting surface of a light emitting element which is disposed directly below one main surface of the substrate rotating about the rotation axis and at a position away from an end face of the substrate toward the rotation axis, to heat the substrate, and a treatment liquid discharge mechanism which discharges a treatment liquid onto the other main surface of the substrate heated by the heating mechanism, the light emitting element being disposed at an angle from the horizontal plane so that the light emitting surface faces the peripheral edge of the substrate. The heating mechanism has an inclination angle adjustment unit that adjusts the inclination angle of the light-emitting surface relative to a horizontal plane, and the inclination angle adjustment unit adjusts the inclination angle so that the light-emitting surface is in a horizontal position while the substrate is being carried in and out between the outside of the device and the substrate holding unit, thereby widening the distance between the heating mechanism and the substrate holding unit in the vertical direction to be greater than the distance while light is being emitted from the light-emitting surface. It is characterized by the following. In addition, a second aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus comprising: a substrate holding section which holds a substrate approximately horizontally and is rotatable about a predetermined rotation axis; a rotation mechanism which rotates the substrate holding section about the rotation axis; a heating mechanism which heats the substrate by irradiating one main surface of the substrate with light emitted from a light-emitting surface of a light-emitting element which is located directly below one main surface of the substrate rotating about the rotation axis and away from the end face of the substrate toward the rotation axis; a processing liquid ejection mechanism which ejects a processing liquid onto the other main surface of the substrate heated by the heating mechanism; and a light-shielding member which surrounds the heating mechanism from the opposite side of the rotation axis and blocks reflected light reflected by the one main surface of the substrate, wherein the light-emitting element is positioned at an angle from the horizontal plane so that its light-emitting surface faces the peripheral edge of the substrate.

[0007] This invention Third The embodiment is a substrate processing method, in which a light-emitting element is disposed directly under one main surface of a substrate rotating around a rotation axis and away from an end surface of the substrate toward the rotation axis, the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting element is tilted from a horizontal plane so as to face a peripheral portion of the substrate, and the light-emitting surface irradiates light onto the one main surface of the substrate to heat the substrate. While loading and unloading the board, adjust the inclination angle of the light-emitting surface so that the light-emitting surface is in a horizontal position. It is characterized by the following. In addition, a fourth aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing method, which is characterized by: irradiating light from a light-emitting surface of a light-emitting element located directly below one main surface of a substrate rotating around a rotation axis and away from an end face of the substrate toward the rotation axis, tilting the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting element from the light-emitting surface toward the peripheral edge of the substrate while tilting the light-emitting surface from the light-emitting surface toward the peripheral edge of the substrate, thereby heating the substrate; and blocking the light reflected from the one main surface of the substrate from the opposite side of the rotation axis.

[0008] In the invention configured in this way, a light-emitting element is used as a heat source for heating the peripheral portion of the substrate, but its location is limited to a position directly below one main surface of the substrate rotating around the rotation axis and away from the end face of the substrate toward the rotation axis. However, the light-emitting element is disposed at an angle from the horizontal plane so that the light-emitting surface faces the peripheral portion of the substrate. Therefore, the light emitted from the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting element is irradiated onto the peripheral portion of the lower surface of the substrate or an area close to this. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to this invention, although the arrangement of the light-emitting element is limited to a position directly under one main surface of the substrate rotating around the rotation axis and away from the end face of the substrate toward the rotation axis, the peripheral portion of the substrate can be efficiently heated by the light emitted from the light-emitting element arranged at that position, and as a result, the treatment with the treatment liquid can be performed in a short time. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a view showing a first embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a plan view of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1, viewed from above. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the heating mechanism as viewed in the vertical direction. [Figure 4A] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. [Figure 4B] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the structure of a heat sink which is one component of the heating mechanism. [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a substrate processing operation by the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 6] 13 is a diagram showing the arrangement of light-emitting elements in a comparative example of a heating mechanism. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. [Figure 8] 11 is a graph showing the effect of the distance from the end face of the substrate to the center position of the light emitting surface on the temperature rise characteristics. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a view showing a heating mechanism provided in a second embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a view showing a heating mechanism provided in a third embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a view showing a heating mechanism provided in a fourth embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 12] 13A to 13C are diagrams illustrating an example of the operation of a heating mechanism in the fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a first embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the substrate processing apparatus shown in Fig. 1 as seen from above. In each of the figures referred to below, the dimensions and numbers of each part may be exaggerated or simplified for ease of understanding. The up-down direction is the vertical direction, and the substrate side is upper with respect to the spin chuck.

[0012] The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a rotating and holding mechanism 2, a scattering prevention unit 3, a surface protection unit 4, a processing unit 5, a nozzle moving mechanism 6, a heating mechanism 7, and a control unit 10. Each of these units 2 to 7 is electrically connected to the control unit 10 and operates according to instructions from the control unit 10. For example, the control unit 10 may be similar to a general computer. That is, the control unit 10 includes, for example, a CPU that performs various arithmetic processing, a ROM that is a read-only memory that stores a basic program, a RAM that is a readable and writable memory that stores various information, a magnetic disk that stores control software, data, and the like. In the control unit 10, the CPU as a main control unit performs arithmetic processing according to a procedure described in a program, thereby controlling each unit of the substrate processing apparatus 1.

[0013] The rotating and holding mechanism 2 is a mechanism capable of rotating the substrate W while holding it in a substantially horizontal position with its surface facing upward. The rotating and holding mechanism 2 rotates the substrate W around a vertical rotation axis a1 passing through the center c1 of the main surface. The rotating and holding mechanism 2 includes a spin chuck ("substrate holding part") 21 which is a disk-shaped member smaller than the substrate W. The spin chuck 21 is provided so that its upper surface is substantially horizontal and its central axis coincides with the rotation axis a1. A cylindrical rotating shaft part 22 is connected to the lower surface of the spin chuck 21. The rotating shaft part 22 extends in the vertical direction with its axis line coinciding with the rotation axis a1. A rotating drive part (e.g., a motor) 23 is connected to the rotating shaft part 22. The rotating drive part 23 drives the rotating shaft part 22 to rotate around its axis line. Thus, the spin chuck 21 is rotatable around the rotation axis a1 together with the rotating shaft part 22. The rotation drive unit 23 and the rotation shaft unit 22 constitute a rotation mechanism 231 that rotates the spin chuck 21 about the rotation axis a1. The rotation shaft unit 22 and the rotation drive unit 23 are housed in a cylindrical casing 24.

[0014] A through hole (not shown) is provided in the center of the spin chuck 21, and communicates with the internal space of the rotating shaft portion 22. A pump (not shown) is connected to the internal space via piping and an on-off valve (not shown). The pump and the on-off valve are electrically connected to the control unit 10. The control unit 10 controls the operation of the pump and the on-off valve. The pump can selectively supply negative pressure and positive pressure under the control of the control unit 10. When the pump supplies negative pressure with the substrate W placed on the upper surface of the spin chuck 21 in a substantially horizontal position, the spin chuck 21 adsorbs and holds the substrate W from below in a substantially horizontal position with the upper surface Wu facing upward. When the pump supplies positive pressure, the substrate W can be removed from the upper surface of the spin chuck 21.

[0015] In this configuration, when the rotation driver 23 rotates the rotation shaft 22 while the spin chuck 21 suction-holds the substrate W, the spin chuck 21 is rotated about an axis line along the vertical direction. As a result, the substrate W held on the spin chuck 21 is rotated in the direction of arrow AR1 about the vertical rotation axis a1 passing through the center c1 in the plane of the spin chuck 21.

[0016] The method of holding the substrate W is not limited to this, and may be a so-called mechanical chuck method in which the substrate W is held by a plurality of chuck pins (for example, six).

[0017] The splash prevention unit 3 receives processing liquid and the like splashed from the substrate W which is rotated together with the spin chuck 21. The splash prevention unit 3 includes a splash guard 31. The splash guard 31 is a cylindrical member with an open upper end, and is provided so as to surround the rotation holding mechanism 2. A guard drive mechanism which moves the splash guard 31 up and down is connected to the splash guard 31, and is driven in response to a lift command from the control unit 10.

[0018] The surface protection unit 4 includes a gas discharge mechanism that discharges a flow of inert gas so as to strike the peripheral portion of the upper surface Wu of the substrate W held and rotated on the spin chuck 21. The "inert gas" is a gas that is poorly reactive with the material of the substrate W and the thin film formed on the surface thereof, such as nitrogen (N2) gas, argon gas, and helium gas. The gas discharge mechanism includes gas discharge mechanisms 41 and 42. The gas discharge mechanisms 41 and 42 discharge the inert gas, for example, as a gas column-shaped gas flow. The gas discharge mechanism 42 discharges the inert gas flow so as to strike a position upstream of the position where the gas flow discharged by the gas discharge mechanism 41 strikes the peripheral portion of the substrate W in the direction of rotation of the substrate W.

[0019] The surface protection unit 4 further includes a gas discharge mechanism 43 that discharges a flow of inert gas toward the center of the upper surface Wu of the substrate W held and rotating on the spin chuck 21. By discharging a flow of inert gas from the gas discharge mechanisms 41-43 to the upper surface Wu of the substrate W, the surface protection unit 4 protects a non-processing region of the upper surface Wu of the substrate W from processing liquid, etc., discharged to hit a ring-shaped processing region defined by the peripheral portion of the upper surface Wu of the substrate W.

[0020] The gas discharge mechanisms 41 and 42 include a nozzle head 44. The gas discharge mechanism 43 includes a nozzle head 45. The nozzle heads 44 and 45 are attached to the tips of arms 61 and 62, respectively, of a nozzle movement mechanism 6, which will be described later. The arms 61 and 62 extend along a horizontal plane. The nozzle movement mechanism 6 moves the arms 61 and 62 to move the nozzle heads 44 and 45 between their respective processing positions and retracted positions.

[0021] The nozzle head 44 has two nozzles 46 and 47, and is attached to the tip of the arm 61. The nozzles 46 and 47 have their tips (lower ends) protruding downward from the lower surface of the nozzle head 44, and their upper ends protruding upward from the upper surface. One end of a pipe 411 is connected to the upper end of one of the nozzles 46. The other end of the pipe 411 is connected to a gas supply source 412. A flow rate controller 413 and an on-off valve 414 are provided in this order from the gas supply source 412 side in the middle of the pipe 411. One end of a pipe 421 is also connected to the other nozzle 47. The other end of the pipe 421 is connected to a gas supply source 422. A flow rate controller 423 and an on-off valve 424 are provided in this order from the gas supply source 422 side in the middle of the pipe 421.

[0022] Here, when the nozzle movement mechanism 6 positions the nozzle head 44 at its processing position, the outlet of the nozzle 46 faces a part of the rotational trajectory of the peripheral edge of the substrate W rotated by the rotating and holding mechanism 2, and the outlet of the nozzle 47 faces another part of the rotational trajectory.

[0023] When the nozzle head 44 is disposed at the processing position, the nozzles 46, 47 are supplied with an inert gas (nitrogen (N2) gas in the illustrated example) from the gas supply sources 412, 422. The nozzle 46 discharges the supplied inert gas from above so that the gas flow hits a position defined on the rotation trajectory of the peripheral portion of the substrate W. The nozzle 46 discharges the gas flow from the discharge port in a predetermined direction so that the discharged gas flow, after reaching the position, flows from the position toward the peripheral portion of the substrate W. The nozzle 47 discharges the supplied inert gas from above so that the gas flow hits a position defined on the rotation trajectory. The nozzle 47 discharges the gas flow from the discharge port in a predetermined direction so that the discharged gas flow, after reaching the position, flows from the position toward the peripheral portion of the substrate W.

[0024] The nozzle head 45 of the gas discharge mechanism 43 includes a columnar member 93 attached to the lower surface of the tip of the arm 62, a disk-shaped blocking plate 90 attached to the lower surface of the columnar member 93, and a cylindrical nozzle 48. The axis of the columnar member 93 and the axis of the blocking plate 90 coincide with each other and are aligned vertically. The lower surface of the blocking plate 90 is aligned horizontally. The nozzle 48 penetrates the columnar member 93 and the blocking plate 90 in the vertical direction so that its axis coincides with the axes of the blocking plate 90 and the columnar member 93. The upper end of the nozzle 48 also penetrates the tip of the arm 62 and opens on the upper surface of the arm 62. One end of a pipe 431 is connected to the upper opening of the nozzle 48. The other end of the pipe 431 is connected to a gas supply source 432. A flow rate controller 433 and an opening / closing valve 434 are provided in this order from the gas supply source 432 side in the middle of the pipe 431. The lower end of the nozzle 48 opens at the lower surface of the blocking plate 90. This opening is the discharge port of the nozzle 48.

[0025] When the nozzle moving mechanism 6 places the nozzle head 45 at the processing position, the outlet of the nozzle 48 faces the vicinity of the center of the upper surface Wu of the substrate W. In this state, the nozzle 48 is supplied with an inert gas (nitrogen (N2) gas in the illustrated example) from a gas supply source 432 via a pipe 431. The nozzle 48 discharges the supplied inert gas as a gas flow of the inert gas toward the vicinity of the center of the upper surface Wu of the substrate W. The gas flow spreads radially from above the central portion of the substrate W toward the periphery of the substrate W. That is, the gas discharge mechanism 43 discharges the inert gas from above the central portion of the upper surface Wu of the substrate W to generate a gas flow that spreads from above the central portion toward the periphery of the substrate W.

[0026] The processing unit 5 performs processing on a processing region on the periphery of the upper surface of the substrate W held on the spin chuck 21. Specifically, the processing unit 5 supplies a processing liquid to the processing region of the substrate W held on the spin chuck 21. The processing unit 5 includes a processing liquid discharge mechanism 51A. The processing liquid discharge mechanism 51A discharges a liquid flow of the processing liquid so as to hit a part of the periphery of the upper surface Wu (processing surface) of the substrate W held and rotated on the spin chuck 21. The liquid flow is in the form of a liquid column. The processing liquid discharge mechanism 51A includes a nozzle head 50. The nozzle head 50 is attached to the tip of a long arm 63 included in the nozzle movement mechanism 6. The arm 63 extends along a horizontal plane. The nozzle movement mechanism 6 moves the arm 63 to move the nozzle head 50 between its processing position and a retracted position.

[0027] The nozzle head 50 has four nozzles 53 to 56 and is attached to the tip of the arm 63. The nozzles 5a to 5d are arranged in a line along the extending direction of the arm 63. In the nozzle head 50, the tip (lower end) of the nozzles 5a to 5d protrudes downward, and the base end (upper end) thereof protrudes upward. The nozzles 5a to 5d are connected to a processing liquid supply unit 51, which is a piping system that supplies the processing liquid to the nozzles. Specifically, one end of piping 511a to 511d of the processing liquid supply unit 51 is connected to the upper end of the nozzles 5a to 5d. The processing liquid is supplied to the nozzles 5a to 5d from the processing liquid supply unit 51, and the nozzles 5a to 5d respectively discharge the supplied processing liquid from the discharge port at the tip. The processing liquid discharge mechanism 51A discharges a liquid flow of the processing liquid from one of the nozzles 5a to 5d, which is determined by the control information set in the control unit 10, under the control of the control unit 10.

[0028] Specifically, the processing liquid supply unit 51 is configured by combining an SC-1 supply source 52a, a DHF supply source 52b, an SC-2 supply source 52c, a rinsing liquid supply source 52d, a plurality of pipes 53a, 53b, 53c, and 53d, and a plurality of on-off valves 54a, 54b, 54c, and 54d. SC-1, DHF, and SC-2 are chemical liquids. Therefore, the processing liquid discharge mechanism 51A is a chemical liquid discharge unit that discharges the chemical liquid to the peripheral portion of the substrate W.

[0029] The SC-1 supply source 52a is a supply source that supplies SC-1. The SC-1 supply source 52a is connected to the nozzle 5a via a pipe 53a in which an on-off valve 54a is inserted. Therefore, when the on-off valve 54a is opened, the SC-1 supplied from the SC-1 supply source 52a is discharged from the nozzle 5a.

[0030] The DHF supply source 52b is a supply source that supplies DHF. The DHF supply source 52b is connected to the nozzle 5b via a pipe 53b in which an on-off valve 54b is inserted. Therefore, when the on-off valve 54b is opened, the DHF supplied from the DHF supply source 52b is discharged from the nozzle 5b.

[0031] The SC-2 supply source 52c is a supply source that supplies SC-2. The SC-2 supply source 52c is connected to the nozzle 5c via a pipe 53c in which an on-off valve 54c is inserted. Therefore, when the on-off valve 54c is opened, the SC-2 supplied from the SC-2 supply source 52c is discharged from the nozzle 5c.

[0032] The rinse liquid supply source 52d is a supply source that supplies the rinse liquid. Here, the rinse liquid supply source 52d supplies, for example, pure water as the rinse liquid. The rinse liquid supply source 52d is connected to the nozzle 56 via a pipe 53d in which an on-off valve 54d is interposed. Therefore, when the on-off valve 54d is opened, the rinse liquid supplied from the rinse liquid supply source 52d is discharged from the nozzle 56. Note that pure water, warm water, ozone water, magnetic water, reduced water (hydrogen water), various organic solvents (ionized water, IPA (isopropyl alcohol), functional water (CO2 water, etc.), etc. may also be used as the rinse liquid.

[0033] The processing liquid supply unit 51 selectively supplies SC-1, DHF, SC-2, and a rinse liquid. When the processing liquid (SC-1, DHF, SC-2, or a rinse liquid) is supplied from the processing liquid supply unit 51 to a corresponding nozzle among the nozzles 5a to 5d, the nozzle discharges a liquid flow of the processing liquid so as to hit a processing area on the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the rotating substrate W. However, each of the opening and closing valves 54a, 54b, 54c, and 54d provided in the processing liquid supply unit 51 is opened and closed under the control of the control unit 10 by a valve opening and closing mechanism (not shown) electrically connected to the control unit 10. That is, the discharge mode of the processing liquid from the nozzle of the nozzle head 50 (specifically, the type of processing liquid discharged, the discharge start timing, the discharge end timing, the discharge flow rate, etc.) is controlled by the control unit 10. That is, under the control of the controller 10, the processing liquid discharge mechanism 51A discharges a flow of the processing liquid so as to strike a position on the rotation locus of the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the substrate W rotating about the rotation axis a1.

[0034] The nozzle moving mechanism 6 is a mechanism for moving the nozzle heads 50 of the gas discharge mechanisms 41-43 and the processing liquid discharge mechanism 51A between their respective processing positions and retracted positions. The nozzle moving mechanism 6 includes horizontally extending arms 61-63, nozzle bases 64-66, and drive units 67-69. The nozzle heads 44, 45, and 50 are attached to the tips of the arms 61-63.

[0035] The base ends of the arms 61-63 are connected to the upper end portions of the nozzle bases 64-66. The nozzle bases 64-66 are arranged around the casing 24 in a distributed manner with their axes aligned vertically. The nozzle bases 64-66 each include a rotating shaft that extends vertically along its axis and is rotatable around the axis. The axis of the nozzle bases 64-66 coincides with the axis of each rotating shaft. The upper end portions of the nozzle bases 64-66 are attached to the upper ends of the rotating shafts. When each rotating shaft rotates, the upper end portions of the nozzle bases 64-66 rotate around the axis of each rotating shaft, i.e., the axis of the nozzle bases 64-66. The nozzle bases 64-66 are provided with driving units 67-69 that rotate the respective rotating shafts around their axes. The driving units 67-69 each include, for example, a stepping motor or the like.

[0036] The driving units 67-69 rotate the upper end portions of the nozzle bases 64-66 via the rotation shafts of the nozzle bases 64-66. As the upper end portions rotate, the nozzle heads 44, 45, 50 also rotate around the axis of the nozzle bases 64-66. As a result, the driving units 67-69 move the nozzle heads 44, 45, 50 horizontally between the respective processing positions and the retracted positions.

[0037] When the nozzle head 44 is positioned in the processing position, the outlet of the nozzle 46 faces part of the rotational trajectory of the peripheral edge of the substrate W rotated by the rotating and holding mechanism 2, and the outlet of the nozzle 47 faces another part of the rotational trajectory.

[0038] When the nozzle head 45 is placed in the processing position, the nozzle 48 is located above the center c1 of the substrate W, and the axis of the nozzle 48 coincides with the rotation axis a1 of the spin chuck 21. The discharge outlet (lower opening) of the nozzle 48 faces the center of the substrate W. In addition, the lower surface of the shielding plate 90 faces and is parallel to the upper surface Wu of the substrate W. The shielding plate 90 is close to the upper surface Wu of the substrate W in a non-contact state.

[0039] When the nozzle head 50 is disposed at the processing position, the nozzles 5a to 5d are disposed at the processing position. The retracted positions of the nozzle heads 44, 45, 50 are positions where they do not interfere with the transport path of the substrate W and do not interfere with each other. Each retracted position is, for example, a position outside and above the splash guard 31.

[0040] A heating mechanism 7 is provided below the lower surface Wd of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 21. The configuration and operation of the heating mechanism 7 will be described in detail below with reference to Figs. 3, 4A, and 4B. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the heating mechanism as viewed from the vertical direction. Fig. 4A is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in Fig. 3. Fig. 4B is a perspective view showing the structure of a heat sink, which is one component of the heating mechanism. In order to clarify the internal structure of the heating mechanism 7, a heating housing 71 and the substrate W are respectively shown in Fig. 3 by dashed lines and dashed lines.

[0041] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the heating mechanism 7 is provided below the lower surface Wd of the substrate W and on the rotation axis a1 side of the edge surface We of the substrate W (FIG. 4). The heating mechanism 7 has a resin heating housing 71 having a circular ring shape when viewed from above. The outer diameter of the heating housing 71 is narrower than the outer diameter of the substrate W. The rotational symmetry axis a71 of the heating housing 71 coincides with the rotation axis a1 of the spin chuck 21. Therefore, when viewed vertically from below, the heating housing 71 is disposed concentrically with the substrate W inside (on the rotation axis a1 side) of the lower surface peripheral portion Wdp of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 21.

[0042] 4, the heating housing 71 has a box member 711 with an opening at the top and a transparent member 712 arranged to close the annular opening of the box member 711 from above. A light emitting element 72 functioning as a heating source, a heat sink 73, and a base member 74 are stored in a roughly torus (doughnut-shaped) storage space 713 formed by the box member 711 and the transparent member 712. As described below, when the light emitting element 72 is turned on, light from the light emitting element 72 is irradiated toward the lower surface peripheral portion Wdp of the substrate W through the transparent member 712. In this way, in the first embodiment, the entire transparent member 712 functions as a transmission window, but the range of the transmission window may be limited by covering the upper surface or lower surface of the transparent member 712 with a light-shielding member, except for a light-transmitting region through which the light from the light emitting element 72 transmits. In addition, the annular opening of the box member 711 may be covered from above with a light-blocking material, an opening may be provided in the light-blocking material in an area corresponding to the light-transmitting area, and a transparent material may be fitted into the opening to function as a transparent window.

[0043] A base member 74 having an annular shape is disposed on the inner bottom of the storage space 713 in correspondence with the heating housing 71. The base member 74 is made of an aluminum plate. A metal heat sink 73 is disposed on the base member 74. The heat sink 73 is in close contact with the bottom surface 722b, which is the opposite surface of the light emitting surface 722a of the light emitting element 72, and functions to support and cool the light emitting element 72. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4B, the heat sink 73 has the same planar shape as the base member 74, that is, a bottom surface 731 having an annular shape. The side surface of the heat sink 73 is an inclined surface 732, which is finished with a downward inclination from the rotational symmetry axis 733 in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, the inclination angle θ is set to 10° to 20°. The heat sink 73 having such an external shape is fixed to the base member 74 so that the rotational symmetry axis 733 is substantially aligned with the rotational symmetry axis a71 of the heating housing 71. Inside the heat sink 73, cooling water is circulated by a cooling water circulation supply unit (not shown), thereby cooling the light emitting element 72. The heat sink 73 cools the light emitting element 72 while being in close contact with the bottom surface 722b of the light emitting element 72, so that the light emitting element 72 can be cooled efficiently.

[0044] The light-emitting element 72, such as the ultraviolet-emitting LED described above, is disposed on the inclined surface 732 of the heat sink 73 so as to face the lower surface peripheral portion Wdp of the substrate W via the transparent member (transmission window) 712. In the first embodiment, in order to heat the substrate peripheral portion under preset heating conditions (for example, to heat up to 80° C. in 10 seconds), six light-emitting elements 72 are radially arranged on the inclined surface 732 of the heat sink 73 at equal angular intervals (60° intervals) around the rotational symmetry axis 733 of the heat sink 73. Each light-emitting element 72 has an element substrate 721, a light-emitting portion 722 that emits light (ultraviolet light), and a connector 723 that transmits and receives a control signal of the light-emitting portion 722 and a temperature detection signal to and from the control unit 10. The light-emitting portion 722 and the connector 723 are attached adjacent to each other on one main surface of the element substrate 721. The light-emitting element 72 is fixed to the inclined surface 732 of the heat sink 73 with the light-emitting portion 722 and the connector 723 facing the substrate W. Therefore, all six light-emitting elements 72 are disposed so that their light-emitting surfaces 722a face the lower surface peripheral portion Wdp of the substrate W, and are tilted at the tilt angle θ from the horizontal plane.

[0045] In the light-emitting element 72 configured in this manner, when a turn-on signal is received from the control unit 10 via the connector 723, the light-emitting unit 722 turns on and emits ultraviolet light L toward the lower surface peripheral portion Wdp of the substrate W. The ultraviolet light L is irradiated via the transparent member 712 onto the lower surface peripheral portion Wdp of the substrate W rotating around the rotation axis a1 and its vicinity. As a result, the substrate peripheral portion is heated and reaches a desired temperature.

[0046] 5 is a flow chart showing an example of a substrate processing operation by the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1. In the substrate processing apparatus 1 configured as described above, the control unit 10 controls each part of the apparatus as follows, according to a procedure described in a program. When an unprocessed substrate W is carried into the substrate processing apparatus 1 from outside the apparatus by a transfer robot (not shown) or the like and placed on the upper surface of the spin chuck 21, the spin chuck 21 holds the substrate W (step S1: loading of substrate). The transfer robot then retreats from the substrate processing apparatus 1. Following this, the nozzle heads 44, 45, 50 are placed in the processing position by the nozzle moving mechanism 6, and the splash guard 31 is placed in the upper position by the guard driving mechanism.

[0047] When preparation for substrate processing is thus completed, the rotation mechanism 231 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 starts rotating the spin chuck 21 holding the substrate W (step S2). The rotation speed of the substrate W is set to, for example, 1800 rpm. Furthermore, in response to a turn-on signal from the control unit 10, all the light-emitting units 722 are turned on (step S3). As a result, ultraviolet light L is emitted from the light-emitting surface 722a of each light-emitting unit 722 and irradiated onto the lower surface peripheral portion Wdp of the rotating substrate W via the transparent member 712. Thus, heating of the peripheral portion of the substrate W starts.

[0048] Next, the gas discharge mechanisms 41 and 42 start discharging a gas flow of the inert gas from the nozzles 46 and 47 of the nozzle head 44, and the gas discharge mechanism 43 starts discharging a gas flow of the inert gas from the nozzle 48 of the nozzle head 45 (step S4).

[0049] After the temperature of the peripheral portion of the substrate W increases over time and stabilizes, the processing liquid discharge mechanism 51A discharges a flow of the processing liquid (chemical liquid) to hit the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the substrate W to process the peripheral portion (step S5). When the control unit 10 detects the lapse of the processing time required to process the substrate W, the processing liquid discharge mechanism 51A stops discharging the processing liquid.

[0050] Subsequently, in response to a turn-off signal from the control unit 10, the light-emitting unit 722 is turned off and heating of the peripheral portion of the substrate W is stopped (step S6). The gas flow is also stopped (step S7). Furthermore, rotation of the spin chuck 21 is stopped (step S8). Thereafter, the hand of a transfer robot (not shown) enters the substrate processing apparatus 1 and receives the processed substrate W, and the substrate W is released from the spin chuck 21. The transfer robot then transports the received substrate W to the next substrate processing apparatus (step S9: unloading).

[0051] As described above, according to this embodiment, all six light-emitting elements 72 are arranged at an incline from the horizontal plane, and the light-emitting surfaces 722a face the lower surface peripheral portion Wdp of the substrate W. Therefore, the ultraviolet light L emitted from the light-emitting surfaces 722a of the light-emitting elements 72 is irradiated onto the lower surface peripheral portion Wdp of the substrate W or its vicinity. Therefore, the peripheral portion of the substrate W can be efficiently heated. As a result, the time required for the peripheral portion of the substrate W to reach a predetermined temperature and stabilize, that is, the time from the start of the discharge of the gas flow (step S4) to the start of the discharge of the processing liquid (step S5), can be shortened. As a result, the tact time required for substrate processing can be shortened.

[0052] Here, in order to clarify the effect of this embodiment, the temperature rise at the edge of the substrate was investigated in the comparative example (apparatus in which the light-emitting surface 722a was set horizontally) shown in Figs. 6 and 7. As a result, the temperature rise characteristics shown in Fig. 8 were found. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the arrangement of light-emitting elements in the comparative example of the heating mechanism. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a graph showing the effect of the distance from the edge of the substrate to the center position of the light-emitting surface on the temperature rise characteristics.

[0053] The heating mechanism 70 according to the comparative example is largely different from the heating mechanism 7 equipped in the first embodiment in two points. That is, the number of the light-emitting elements 72 is five, which is one less than that of the heating mechanism 7, and a flat ring-shaped heat sink 730 is used. In the comparative example, the light-emitting element 72 is disposed on the upper surface of the heat sink 730, and the inclination angle θ of the light-emitting surface 722a is zero. That is, the light-emitting surface 722a is disposed parallel to the horizontal plane. The light-emitting element 72 used is the same as that in the first embodiment. Therefore, the light amount per light-emitting element 72 is 144 W, and the total light amount of the heating mechanism 70 is 720 W. Then, the ultraviolet light L was irradiated toward the substrate W rotating at 1800 rpm while the distance D from the end surface We of the substrate W to the center position of the light-emitting element 72 (light-emitting surface 722a) was set to 10 mm, 20 mm, and 30 mm. Then, the temperature of the peripheral portion of the substrate was measured 10 seconds after the start of heating, and the measured temperatures for each distance D were plotted in the graph shown in FIG.

[0054] As can be seen from the figure, the longer the distance D, that is, the further away from the end face We of the substrate W, the lower the temperature of the substrate peripheral portion, and the longer the time required to raise the temperature of the substrate peripheral portion to a temperature suitable for substrate processing with the processing liquid. In other words, the heating time can be shortened by moving the light emitting element 72 closer to the end face We of the substrate W. However, due to layout constraints of each part of the apparatus, the space in which the light emitting element 72 can be arranged is limited to a range immediately below the lower surface of the substrate W and away from the end face We of the substrate W toward the rotation axis a1. Therefore, from the viewpoint of shortening the heating time, it is desirable to arrange the light emitting element 72 at a distance D=10 mm, that is, directly below the lower surface peripheral portion Wdp of the substrate W. However, in reality, it is necessary to arrange the light emitting element 72 at a position D=20 mm to 30 mm or more. In contrast, in the heating mechanism 7 of the first embodiment, the light-emitting surface 722a is tilted and directed toward the lower peripheral portion Wdp of the substrate W. Therefore, even if the light-emitting element 72 is somewhat distant from the end face We of the substrate W, the ultraviolet light L can be irradiated onto the lower peripheral portion Wdp of the substrate W or its vicinity, and heating can be performed in a shorter time than in the comparative example in which the light-emitting element 72 is horizontally arranged. Furthermore, in order to obtain the desired heating performance while arranging the light-emitting element 72 in the manner shown in the comparative example at the same position as in the first embodiment, it is necessary to provide nine light-emitting elements 72, which is more than the heating mechanism 7 of the first embodiment (six light-emitting elements). Thus, according to the first embodiment, the number of light-emitting elements 72 can be reduced, which is more advantageous than the comparative example in terms of device size and running costs.

[0055] In the first embodiment, since the light-emitting surface 722a is inclined, the incident angle of the ultraviolet light L to the lower peripheral portion Wdp of the substrate W becomes relatively large as shown in Fig. 4, and the reflection angle of the reflected light RL reflected by the lower peripheral portion Wdp also becomes large. Therefore, the reflected light RL may penetrate deep into the device. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 9, the heating mechanism 7 may be surrounded by a heat-resistant light-shielding member 75 having light-shielding properties (second embodiment).

[0056] 9 is a diagram showing a heating mechanism provided in a second embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. In the second embodiment, as shown in the figure, a heat-resistant light-shielding member 75 is attached to a part of the splash guard 31. As the light-shielding member 75, for example, a cover member made of PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) can be used. By covering the heating mechanism 7 from the opposite side of the rotation axis a1 with the light-shielding member 75 in this way, it is possible to effectively prevent the reflected light RL from affecting the inside of the apparatus.

[0057] As is clear from the comparison with the comparative example, since it is possible to reduce the number of light emitting elements 72, the arrangement of the light emitting elements 72 may be changed, for example, as shown in FIG. 10 (third embodiment).

[0058] 10 is a diagram showing a heating mechanism provided in a third embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. The third embodiment is significantly different from the first embodiment in that the shapes of the heating housing 71, the heat sink 73, and the base member 74 are substantially fan-shaped in plan view from above, and six light-emitting elements 72 are arranged on an inclined surface 732 of the heat sink 73. That is, in the first embodiment, the light-emitting elements 72 are generally distributed and arranged at equal angular intervals around the rotation axis a1, whereas in the third embodiment, the six light-emitting elements 72 are concentratedly arranged in a substantially fan-shaped region in plan view from above. Therefore, in the third embodiment, the occupancy rate of the heating mechanism 7 in the substrate processing apparatus 1 is reduced, and the degree of freedom in designing the apparatus can be increased.

[0059] In the first to third embodiments, the inclination angle θ of the light emitting surface 722a is fixed, but the inclination angle θ may be configured to be adjustable (fourth embodiment).

[0060] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a heating mechanism provided in a fourth embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the heating mechanism in the fourth embodiment. In this fourth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, heating casings 71, the same number as the light-emitting elements 72, are arranged in a distributed manner at equal angular intervals around the rotation axis a1. Each heating casing 71 accommodates one light-emitting element 72. That is, a base member 74 and a heat sink 73 are arranged in a layered manner on the inner bottom of the heating casing 71. The heat sink 73 is a block body having a so-called one-way sloped inclined surface 734 having a downward slope from the rotation axis a1 toward the circumferential direction. The light-emitting element 72 is fixed on the inclined surface 734. Therefore, in each light-emitting element 72 in the fourth embodiment, the light-emitting surface 722a faces the lower peripheral portion Wdp of the substrate W.

[0061] Each heating casing 71 is supported rotatably around a rotation axis a2 that passes through the center of the light-emitting surface 722a and is perpendicular to the inclination direction of the light-emitting surface 722a and extends in the width direction parallel to the light-emitting surface 722a. A tilt angle adjustment unit 76 is connected to each heating casing 71. Therefore, the tilt angle adjustment unit 76 rotates the heating casing 71 around the rotation axis a2 in response to a rotation command from the control unit 10, so that the inclination of the light-emitting surface 722a with respect to the horizontal plane can be set arbitrarily. In the fourth embodiment, when the substrate W is loaded (step S1) and unloaded (step S9), the tilt angle adjustment unit 76 positions the heating casing 71 so that the light-emitting surface 722a is approximately parallel to the horizontal plane. On the other hand, at other times, that is, during substrate processing, the tilt angle adjustment unit 76 positions the heating casing 71 so that the light-emitting surface 722a faces the lower surface peripheral portion Wdp of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 21.

[0062] In the fourth embodiment configured as described above, as shown in Fig. 12(b), during substrate processing, ultraviolet light L emitted from the light-emitting surface 722a is irradiated onto the lower surface peripheral portion Wdp and its vicinity, thereby efficiently heating the peripheral portion of the substrate W. On the other hand, during loading / unloading of the substrate W, as shown in Fig. 12(a), the vertical distance Ha between the substrate W on the spin chuck 21 and the heating housing 71 is wider than the distance Hb during substrate processing. This allows a wider movable space for the hands of the transport robot during loading / unloading, thereby enabling stable delivery of the substrate W to the spin chuck 21.

[0063] Furthermore, if the ultraviolet light L emitted from the light-emitting surface 722a is continuously irradiated in a fixed direction, the temperature of the substrate area directly irradiated with the ultraviolet light L may rise rapidly, and the temperature difference with the adjacent substrate area may become large. This temperature difference may cause the substrate W to warp. When processing a substrate W in which such warping is significant, the inclination angle adjustment unit 76 may be operated to change the inclination angle θ continuously or intermittently while the ultraviolet light L is being continuously emitted from the light-emitting surface 722a, that is, the light-emitting element 72 may be swung. This makes it possible to suppress warping of the substrate W and improve the quality of the substrate processing.

[0064] Furthermore, the tilt angle adjustment unit 76 may be configured to adjust the tilt angle θ during substrate processing in accordance with the type of substrate W. This makes it possible to accommodate various substrates W, thereby improving the versatility of the substrate processing apparatus 1.

[0065] As described above, in the first to fourth embodiments, the lower surface Wd and the upper surface Wu of the substrate W correspond to "one main surface of the substrate" and "the other main surface of the substrate" of the present invention, respectively. Also, the loading and unloading of the substrate W corresponds to an example of "loading the substrate" and "unloading the substrate" of the present invention.

[0066] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the embodiment, the number of light-emitting elements 72 is set to six, but the number is not limited to six, and may be set according to the temperature of the peripheral portion of the substrate required for substrate processing.

[0067] In the above embodiment, an LED that emits ultraviolet light L is used as the light-emitting element 72, but the wavelength range of the light emitted from the light-emitting element 72 is not limited to this. However, since light is irradiated onto the lower surface Wd of the substrate W to heat the substrate peripheral portion, it is desirable to prevent the light from reaching the device formed on the upper surface Wu of the substrate W. Therefore, for example, when the thickness of the substrate W is 775 μm, in order to set the transmittance to the upper surface Wu of the substrate W to 0.01% or less, it is necessary to suppress the penetration length of the light L to 100 μm or less. Here, referring to the relationship between the wavelength of light and the penetration length in the case of silicon described in the Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids, if the wavelength of the light L is 950 nm or less, the transmittance becomes 0.01% or less, and there is little possibility of affecting the device. On the other hand, light L with a wavelength of 300 nm or less may break the bond of silicon that constitutes the substrate W. Therefore, when the substrate W is a silicon substrate, it is preferable to use a light-emitting element that emits light with a wavelength of 300 nm to 950 nm. [Industrial Applicability]

[0068] The present invention can be applied to any substrate processing technique in which a processing liquid is supplied to a substrate while heating the peripheral portion of the substrate in a non-contact manner. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 1...Substrate processing device 7...Heating mechanism 21...Spin chuck (substrate holder) 51A… Processing liquid discharge mechanism 71…Heated housing 72...Light emitting element 73…Heat sink 75...Light blocking material 76...Inclination angle adjustment section 231...Rotation mechanism 722…Light emitting part 722a…Light-emitting surface 722b…Bottom surface 732,734…Slope surface a1...(substrate) rotation axis a2...Rotation axis (of the heating housing) D…Distance L…Ultraviolet light W…Substrate Wd…Bottom surface (one of the main surfaces of the substrate) Wdp: Bottom edge of the board We…end face Wu: Top surface (other main surface of the substrate) θ…Inclination angle

Claims

1. a substrate holder that holds the substrate substantially horizontally and is rotatable about a predetermined rotation axis; a rotation mechanism that rotates the substrate holder around the rotation axis; a heating mechanism that irradiates the one main surface of the substrate with light emitted from a light emitting surface of a light emitting element that is disposed immediately below the one main surface of the substrate that rotates around the rotation axis and away from the end surface of the substrate toward the rotation axis, thereby heating the substrate; a treatment liquid discharge mechanism that discharges a treatment liquid onto the other main surface of the substrate heated by the heating mechanism, the light-emitting element is disposed at an angle from a horizontal plane so that the light-emitting surface faces a peripheral portion of the substrate; the heating mechanism has an inclination angle adjustment unit that adjusts an inclination angle of the light-emitting surface with respect to the horizontal plane, The tilt angle adjustment unit adjusts the tilt angle so that the light emitting surface is in a horizontal position while the substrate is being carried in and out between the outside of the apparatus and the substrate holding unit, thereby widening the distance between the heating mechanism and the substrate holding unit in the vertical direction to a value greater than the distance while the light is being emitted from the light emitting surface. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1,

2. a substrate holder that holds the substrate substantially horizontally and is rotatable about a predetermined rotation axis; a rotation mechanism that rotates the substrate holder around the rotation axis; a heating mechanism that irradiates the one main surface of the substrate with light emitted from a light emitting surface of a light emitting element that is disposed immediately below the one main surface of the substrate that rotates around the rotation axis and away from the end surface of the substrate toward the rotation axis, thereby heating the substrate; a processing liquid discharge mechanism that discharges a processing liquid onto the other main surface of the substrate heated by the heating mechanism; a light shielding member that surrounds the heating mechanism from an opposite side of the rotation shaft and shields light reflected by one main surface of the substrate; Equipped with The substrate processing apparatus is characterized in that the light emitting element is disposed at an angle from a horizontal plane so that the light emitting surface faces a peripheral portion of the substrate.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, The heating mechanism includes an inclination angle adjustment unit that adjusts the inclination angle of the light emitting surface relative to the horizontal plane.

4. 4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, The tilt angle adjusting unit adjusts the tilt angle in accordance with the type of the substrate.

5. 4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, The tilt angle adjustment unit changes the tilt angle continuously or intermittently while the light is continuously emitted from the light emitting surface.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, The inclination angle adjustment unit adjusts the inclination angle so that the light-emitting surface is in a horizontal position while the substrate is being loaded and unloaded between the outside of the apparatus and the substrate holding unit, thereby widening the vertical distance between the heating mechanism and the substrate holding unit to be greater than the distance while the light is being emitted from the light-emitting surface.

7. 7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, The tilt angle adjusting unit adjusts the tilt angle in accordance with the type of the substrate.

8. 7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, The tilt angle adjustment unit changes the tilt angle continuously or intermittently while the light is continuously emitted from the light emitting surface.

9. 9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, The light-emitting element has a bottom surface opposite the light-emitting surface, The substrate processing apparatus further includes a heat sink that supports the light emitting element while being in close contact with the bottom surface of the light emitting element.

10. A light-emitting element is disposed immediately below one main surface of a substrate rotating around a rotation axis and away from an end surface of the substrate toward the rotation axis, and the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting element is tilted from a horizontal plane so as to face a peripheral portion of the substrate. The substrate is heated by irradiating the one main surface with light from the light-emitting surface, and the tilt angle of the light-emitting surface is adjusted so that the light-emitting surface is in a horizontal position while the substrate is being carried in and out. A substrate processing method comprising:

11. A light-emitting element is disposed immediately below one main surface of a substrate rotating around a rotation axis and away from an end face of the substrate toward the rotation axis, and the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting element is tilted from a horizontal plane so as to face a peripheral portion of the substrate, and the substrate is heated by irradiating light from the light-emitting surface onto the one main surface of the substrate, and the light reflected by the one main surface of the substrate is shielded from the opposite side of the rotation axis. A substrate processing method comprising:

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