Substrate Processing Equipment

Abstract

To provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of improving the uniformity of the processing rate over the circumferential direction of a substrate.SOLUTION: A substrate processing apparatus includes a holding unit 10 having a plurality of chuck pins 11 for holding the outer peripheral edge We of a substrate W, a chuck opening / closing mechanism 50 that moves the plurality of chuck pins 11 between an open position away from the substrate W and a closed position where the substrate W is held in contact with the outer peripheral edge We of the substrate W, a ring member 20 having an inner peripheral edge 21 shaped along the outer peripheral edge We of the substrate W and a notch 23 provided in the inner peripheral edge 21 and receiving the chuck pin 11 in the closed position, and integrally formed over the entire circumference, and a ring moving mechanism 60 that moves between an approach position where the inner peripheral edge 21 of the ring member 20 closely surrounds the outer peripheral edge We of the substrate W and a retracted position where the ring member 20 is retracted from the outer peripheral edge We of the substrate W.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices and flat panel displays, a desired pattern is formed by supplying an etching liquid to a film provided on the surface of a substrate such as a wafer or glass substrate. As an apparatus for performing such etching, a substrate processing apparatus has been proposed that supplies an etching liquid to a central region of a rotating substrate. In this case, the etching liquid supplied to the central region of the substrate spreads toward the periphery of the substrate due to centrifugal force, so that the surface of the substrate is etched with the supplied etching liquid.

[0003] In such substrate processing, if contact marks left on the front surface of the substrate while supporting the substrate lead to a decrease in the quality of the substrate. In addition, it is also undesirable to leave contact marks not only on the front surface of the substrate but also on the back surface of the substrate, as this affects the quality of the substrate. For this reason, the substrate is processed while being rotated in a state in which the outer periphery of the substrate is held by a plurality of holding members, rather than the front or back surface of the substrate. As such holding members, for example, a plurality of chuck pins that move in a direction toward and away from the outer periphery of the substrate are used.

[0004] Here, since the etching process is performed by a chemical reaction between the etching solution and the part to be removed, it is necessary to ensure that the etching solution is in contact with the part to be removed. In this case, if the rotation speed of the substrate per unit time is increased, the etching solution is discharged at a high speed, and the etching reaction does not proceed. Therefore, when performing the etching process, the rotation speed of the substrate is set lower than in the case of a cleaning process using a cleaning solution such as a rinse solution.

[0005] By lowering the rotation speed of the substrate, the etching solution is discharged more slowly, and the time that the etching solution is in contact with the part to be removed is increased. This promotes the etching reaction on the object to be etched. However, near the outer edge of the substrate, surface tension makes it difficult for the etching solution to be discharged to the outside. Furthermore, by lowering the rotation speed of the substrate, the centrifugal force acting in the discharge direction is reduced.

[0006] Therefore, it becomes difficult to drain the etching solution from the substrate, and the etching solution tends to remain near the outer periphery of the substrate. In other words, the flow rate of the etching solution diffused from the central region of the substrate to the outer periphery decreases as it flows closer to the outer periphery of the substrate. This causes a change in the flow rate of the etching solution near the periphery of the substrate. In this case, the etching solution supplied to the central region of the substrate flows toward the periphery of the substrate while undergoing a chemical reaction with the removed portion. The etching solution that has flowed near the periphery of the substrate becomes an etching solution that has already been used, that is, an etching solution with reduced reactivity with the removed portion. When the etching solution with reduced reactivity remains near the periphery of the substrate, the etching rate near the periphery of the substrate decreases, and the uniformity of the etching rate on the surface of the substrate is impaired.

[0007] For this reason, a substrate processing apparatus has been proposed in which a recess is provided in the placement part on which the substrate is placed, and when the substrate is stored inside the recess, the surface where the recess of the placement part opens and the surface of the substrate (the surface on which the etching process is performed) are flush with each other. If the surface of the placement part and the surface of the substrate are flush with each other, the surface of the substrate is essentially extended, so that the change in the flow rate of the etching liquid near the periphery of the substrate can be reduced. Therefore, the etching liquid that has flowed near the periphery of the substrate can be easily discharged onto the surface of the placement part. In this way, the etching liquid with reduced reaction performance can be prevented from accumulating near the periphery of the substrate, so that the uniformity of the etching rate on the surface of the substrate can be improved. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-221062 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] Generally, the etching process is followed by a cleaning process using a cleaning liquid such as a rinse liquid. For example, in the above-mentioned substrate processing apparatus, the substrate is stored in a mounting section having a recessed interior, and a cleaning liquid such as a rinse liquid is supplied to a central region of the substrate to process the substrate.

[0010] In this substrate processing, the back surface of the substrate is in contact with the mounting section, and therefore the cleanliness of the back surface of the substrate may be impaired. Furthermore, when the substrate is carried into the mounting section by the robot hand or carried out from the mounting section, a mechanism for raising and lowering the substrate is required on the mounting section. This requires that the substrate is raised and lowered by contacting the back surface of the substrate with lifting pins or the like, which affects the cleanliness of the back surface of the substrate.

[0011] For this reason, there has been a demand for the development of a substrate processing apparatus capable of improving the uniformity of the etching rate and also improving the cleanliness of the rear surface of the substrate.

[0012] An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of improving the uniformity of the processing rate over the circumferential direction of a substrate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] The substrate processing apparatus of the present invention comprises a holding section having a plurality of chuck pins for holding the outer peripheral edge of a substrate, a chuck opening / closing mechanism for moving the plurality of chuck pins between an open position away from the substrate and a closed position in which the chuck pins contact the outer peripheral edge of the substrate and hold the substrate, a ring member having an inner peripheral edge shaped to fit the outer peripheral edge of the substrate and a notch provided on the inner peripheral edge into which a chuck pin in the closed position can be inserted, the ring member being integrally formed around the entire circumference, a ring moving mechanism for moving the inner peripheral edge of the ring member between an approach position where the inner peripheral edge of the ring member closely surrounds the outer peripheral edge of the substrate and a retracted position where the ring member is retracted from the outer peripheral edge of the substrate, a rotating body that is equipped with the chuck pins and the ring member in the approach position, and a supply section that supplies a processing liquid to the substrate held by the chuck pins and rotated by the rotating body. Effect of the Invention

[0014] The present invention can provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of improving the uniformity of the processing rate in the circumferential direction of the substrate. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an internal structure of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a notch and a chuck pin. [Figure 4] 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of a processing liquid in the vicinity of the outer periphery of a substrate. FIG. [Diagram 5] 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the inside of the rotating cover when the chuck pin is in the open position and the ring member is in the retracted position. FIG. [Figure 6] 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the inside of the rotating cover when the chuck pin is in a closed position and the ring member is in a retracted position. FIG. [Figure 7] 13 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the inside of the rotating cover when the chuck pin is in a closed position and the ring member is in an approaching position. FIG. [Figure 8]FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the opening and closing mechanism when the chuck pin is in a closed position. [Figure 9] 13 is a perspective view showing the ring moving mechanism when the ring member is in the approach position. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an installation position of a detection unit. [Figure 11] 1A is a perspective view showing an open / close detector, and FIG. 1B is an explanatory diagram showing a detection position. [Figure 12] 1 is a flowchart showing a procedure for substrate processing. [Figure 13] 13 is a perspective view showing the positions of a notch in a ring member and a groove in a holding portion. FIG. [Figure 14] 13 is a plan view showing the operation of an eccentric rotating type holding member. FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the positions of a chuck pin of an eccentric rotating type holding member and a notch of a ring member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [overview] As shown in Fig. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment is an apparatus that processes a substrate W while holding and rotating it. The substrate W to be processed is, for example, a wafer or a glass substrate used in a manufacturing process of a microstructure such as a semiconductor device or a flat panel display. The processing by the substrate processing apparatus 1 is, for example, a wet processing in which a processing liquid is supplied to the substrate W while rotating it. In this manner, the surface of the substrate W to be processed is referred to as the front surface, and the opposite surface is referred to as the back surface. The wet processing of this embodiment includes an etching process in which a film provided on the front surface of the substrate W is etched with a chemical solution, and a cleaning process in which the film is cleaned with a cleaning solution.

[0017] The substrate processing apparatus 1 has a holding unit 10 and a ring member 20. The holding unit 10 is a plurality of members having chuck pins 11 for holding the outer periphery We of the substrate W. The ring member 20 is annular and integrally formed around the entire circumference, and has an inner periphery 21 shaped along the outer periphery We of the substrate W as shown in FIG. 2. That is, the ring member 20 has a circular inner periphery 21 for the circular substrate W. The diameter of the circle drawn by the inner periphery 21 of the ring member 20 is slightly larger than the diameter of the circle drawn by the outer periphery We of the substrate W. That is, when the outer periphery We enters the inner periphery 21, a slight gap is formed between them. The inner periphery 21 has a notch 23 into which the chuck pin 11 holding the substrate W enters as shown in FIG. 3. The surface of the ring member 20 on the front side of the substrate W is the front surface of the ring member 20, and the opposite surface is the back surface.

[0018] 1 to 3, the substrate processing apparatus 1 has a rotating body 30, a rotation mechanism 40, a chuck opening and closing mechanism 50, a ring moving mechanism 60, a supply unit 70, a detection unit 80, and a control device 90. The rotating body 30 has a holding unit 10 and a ring member 20, and rotates the substrate W held by the chuck pins 11 and the ring member 20. The rotation mechanism 40 is a mechanism that rotates the rotating body 30.

[0019] The chuck opening / closing mechanism 50 moves the multiple chuck pins 11 between an open position away from the substrate W and a closed position in which the chuck pins 11 contact the outer periphery We of the substrate W to hold the substrate W. The ring moving mechanism 60 moves the ring member 20 to a close position where the inner periphery 21 of the ring member 20 closes to and surrounds the outer periphery We of the substrate W, and a retracted position where the ring member 20 retracts from the outer periphery We of the substrate W. As shown in FIGS. 4(A) and 4(B), the close position means that the outer periphery We of the substrate W and the inner periphery 21 of the ring member 20 are close to each other without contacting each other to such an extent that most of the processing liquid L does not fall. In other words, when the ring member 20 is in the close position, a slight gap is formed when the outer periphery We of the substrate W enters the inner periphery 21, and the processing liquid L that has reached the outer periphery We on the surface of the substrate W can easily reach (contact) the inner periphery 21 of the ring member 20. In this embodiment, the upper surface of the ring member 20 and the surface of the substrate W in the close position are set to be flush with each other. It is not necessary for the surfaces to be flush with each other as long as there is a gap that allows the processing liquid L that has reached the outer periphery We on the surface of the substrate W to easily reach (contact) the inner periphery 21 of the ring member 20. For example, the ring member 20 may be positioned lower than the substrate W.

[0020] Since the shape of the outer periphery We differs depending on the substrate W, a groove or a step may be formed between the upper surface of the substrate W and the upper surface of the ring member 20. For example, a slight groove is formed because the shape and inclination angle of the chamfer due to bevel processing differ. As shown in Fig. 4(B), such a groove is filled with the processing liquid L, so that leakage of the liquid is prevented and a continuous liquid surface is formed and flows outward.

[0021] 1, the supply unit 70 supplies a processing liquid to the substrate W held by the chuck pins 11 and rotated by the rotor 30. The detection unit 80 detects the positions of the ring member 20 and the chuck pins 11 (see FIGS. 2, 10 and 11). When the detection unit 80 detects that the ring member 20 is in the retracted position, the control device 90 causes the chuck opening and closing mechanism 50 to move the chuck pins 11.

[0022] [composition] (rotating body) As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 5 to FIG. 7, the rotating body 30 has a rotating cover 31, a rotating base 32, and a connecting tube 33. The rotating cover 31 has a cylindrical shape with one end closed by a table 31a. The table 31a has a circular surface with a diameter larger than that of the substrate W. As shown in FIG. 1, a drain port 31c, which is a through hole for discharging the processing liquid, is formed on a side surface 31b of the rotating cover 31. Note that FIG. 5 to FIG. 7 are cross-sectional views of the rotating cover 31 cut along a vertical plane including the rotation axis A. The right side of each figure shows a cross section of the chuck opening and closing mechanism 50, and the left side shows a cross section of the ring moving mechanism 60. When six chuck pins 11 are provided as described later, the chuck opening and closing mechanism 50 has the same cross section at six points, and when three lifting shafts 68 are provided as described later, the ring moving mechanism 60 has the same cross section at three points.

[0023] Further, the table 31a is provided with a plurality of through holes 31d at equal intervals along the periphery of the substrate W. A cylindrical annular wall 31e protruding upward is provided on the periphery of the through holes 31d. In this embodiment, six through holes 31d are provided at intervals of 60 degrees. Since a holder 10 is provided in each of the through holes 31d, the holders 10 are arranged at equal intervals along the periphery of the substrate W.

[0024] Further, a plurality of through holes 31f are provided in the table 31a along the periphery of the substrate W. An upwardly protruding cylindrical annular wall 31g is provided on the periphery of the through holes 31f. In this embodiment, three through holes 31f are provided at intervals of 120 degrees. An elevation shaft 68 for raising and lowering the ring member 20 is disposed in each of the through holes 31f.

[0025] The rotating base 32 is a disk-shaped member attached to the underside of the table 31a and is coaxial with the table 31a. The rotating cover 31 and the rotating base 32 are arranged coaxially. This axis is a rotation axis A which is the center of rotation. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the rotating body 30 is arranged rotatably by a rotation mechanism 40 on a base part B (see Fig. 2) which is fixed to a stand installed on an installation surface (not shown).

[0026] (Rotation mechanism) The rotation mechanism 40 is a mechanism for rotating the rotor 30. As shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 5 to 7, the rotation mechanism 40 has a driving source 41 and a connecting tube 33. The driving source 41 is a hollow motor having a hollow rotor and a stator for rotating the rotor, and is fixed to the base part B. The connecting tube 33 is a cylindrical body coaxially connected to the opposite side of the table 31a of the rotating base 32. The lower end of the connecting tube 33 is connected to the rotor of the driving source 41. When the driving source 41 applies electricity to the coil of the stator, the connecting tube 33 rotates together with the rotor, and the rotating cover 31 rotates together with the rotating base 32 about the rotation axis A.

[0027] (holding part) As shown in FIG. 1, the holder 10 holds the substrate W parallel to the table 31a with a gap therebetween. As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the holder 10 has a cover 12, a chuck 13, a rotating shaft 14, and an arm 15 in addition to the chuck pin 11. The cover 12 is a cylindrical member disposed at a position covering the through hole 31d of the table 31a. The cover 12 has an annular groove 12a that accommodates the annular wall 31e so as to cover it with a gap therebetween. This forms a labyrinth structure, which is a bent path, between the annular wall 31e and the annular groove 12a, and prevents the processing liquid from flowing into the inside of the rotor 30 through the through hole 31d.

[0028] 3, the chuck portion 13 is wedge-shaped, and the sharpened tip of each wedge is raised on the upper surface of the cover 12 so as to face the rotation axis A. The chuck pin 11 is provided on the upper surface of the chuck portion 13. The chuck pin 11 is shaped like a truncated cone with a narrowed diameter at the bottom.

[0029] The chuck pins 11 move in accordance with the rotation of the holder 10 between an open position (see FIG. 5) away from the outer circumferential edge We of the substrate W and a closed position (see FIGS. 6 and 8) in contact with the outer circumferential edge We of the substrate W to hold the substrate W. As a result, a plurality of chuck pins 11 are arranged at equal intervals along the periphery of the substrate W. In this embodiment, six chuck pins 11 are arranged at 60 degree intervals.

[0030] The chuck pin 11 may be a part of the holder 10 having a surface that can contact the outer periphery We of the substrate W and hold the substrate W. For this reason, the chuck pin 11 may be a cylinder, a prism, or a cone having rotational symmetry, but is not limited to these shapes. In the closed position, it is preferable that the chuck pin 11 has a height that does not contact and does not affect the front and back surfaces of the substrate W, and that minimizes the effect on the flow of the processing liquid.

[0031] The rotating shaft 14 is an axis of rotation of the holder 10. The rotating shaft 14 is provided inside the through hole 31d in the tangential direction of the rotation circle of the rotating body 30. When the holder 10 rotates about the rotating shaft 14, the chuck pin 11 moves in a direction perpendicular to the outer circumferential edge We of the substrate W. In other words, the chuck pin 11 can move so as to come into contact with or move away from the outer circumferential edge We of the substrate W. The arm 15 is a member extending from below the rotating shaft 14 toward the rotation axis A inside the rotating body 30. The lower end of the arm 15 is connected to a chuck opening and closing mechanism 50.

[0032] (Chuck opening and closing mechanism) As shown in Fig. 2 and Figs. 5 to 7, the chuck opening / closing mechanism 50 includes an opening / closing cylinder 51, an opening / closing lever 52, an opening / closing lifter 53, an opening / closing cam follower 54, an opening / closing shaft 55, and an opening / closing ring 56. The opening / closing cylinder 51 is fixed to the lower part of the base part B so that the driving rod faces vertically downward. The opening / closing lever 52 is a member provided on the base part B so as to be rotatable about a fulcrum 52a. An end of the opening / closing lever 52 is rotatably connected to the driving rod of the opening / closing cylinder 51. The opening / closing lever 52 is U-shaped so as to surround the driving source 41. The opening / closing lever 52 is connected to a pair of opening / closing lifters 53.

[0033] The pair of opening / closing lifters 53 are provided on the base part B so as to be movable up and down. Both ends of a U-shaped opening / closing lever 52 are rotatably connected to each opening / closing lifter 53. Therefore, the opening / closing lever 52 rotates in accordance with the movement of the drive rod of the opening / closing cylinder 51, and the pair of opening / closing lifters 53 rise and fall. The opening / closing cam follower 54 is provided on the upper part of the opening / closing lifter 53 and protrudes above the base part B. The opening / closing cam follower 54 has a roller that rotates about a horizontal axis, and is raised and lowered by the opening / closing lifter 53. In other words, one opening / closing cylinder 51 raises and lowers two opening / closing lifters 53 and two opening / closing cam followers 54.

[0034] The opening / closing shaft 55 is a rod-shaped member fixed vertically to a fixed ring 55a fixed around the connecting tube 33 inside the rotating body 30. The opening / closing ring 56 is a ring-shaped member provided inside the rotating body 30 so as to be movable up and down. As shown in FIG. 8, the opening / closing ring 56 has a slider 56a, a connecting portion 56b, and a spring 56c. The slider 56a is cylindrical and hollow inside. The opening / closing shaft 55 is inserted into the hollow of the slider 56a, and the slider 56a moves up and down along the opening / closing shaft 55. The opening / closing ring 56 is fixed to the slider 56a via the connecting portion 56b, so that it moves up and down together with the slider 56a. The upper end of the connecting portion 56b is connected to the lower end of the arm 15. That is, a horizontally long hole 15a is formed at the lower end of the arm 15, and a shaft 56d of the connecting part 56b is inserted into this hole 15a to connect the connecting part 56b to the arm 15. The spring 56c is a biasing member that biases the slider 56a downward. That is, the opening / closing ring 56 itself is also biased downward by the spring 56c via the slider 56a.

[0035] The opening / closing ring 56 comes into contact with and separates from the opening / closing cam follower 54 which rises and falls. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 5, when the opening / closing cam follower 54 comes into contact with the opening / closing ring 56 and rises, the opening / closing ring 56 rises against the biasing force of the spring 56c, the holding portion 10 rotates about the rotation shaft 14, and the chuck pin 11 moves to the open position. As shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, when the opening / closing cam follower 54 descends and separates from the opening / closing ring 56, the opening / closing ring 56 descends due to the biasing force of the spring 56c, the holding portion 10 rotates about the rotation shaft 14, and the chuck pin 11 moves to the closed position.

[0036] (Ring material) As described above, the ring member 20 is an annular member that is integrally formed. Formed integrally means that it is continuous in the circumferential direction without gaps. For example, it may be formed seamlessly from a common material, or it may be formed by fixedly connecting a plurality of members. As shown in Fig. 4, the surface of the ring member 20 is flush with the surface of the substrate W at the approach position.

[0037] 2, the outer diameter of the ring member 20 is larger than the outer diameter of the substrate W. In this case, the inner diameter of the ring member 20 is such that the outer edge We of the substrate W fits into the inner circumferential edge 21 and the two come close to each other. The ring member 20 is supported by a lift shaft 68, which will be described later, and is disposed coaxially with the rotation axis A of the rotor 30.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 3, the inner peripheral edge 21 of the ring member 20 is provided with a plurality of notches 23 corresponding to the plurality of chuck pins 11. That is, the inner peripheral edge 21 of the ring member 20 is provided with six notches 23 at equal intervals along the outer peripheral edge We of the substrate W. As shown in Fig. 3, the chuck pins 11 in the closed position enter the notches 23 without contacting each other, and the notches 23 function as escape portions for avoiding interference between the chuck pins 11 and the ring member 20. The notches 23 have a shape that allows the chuck pins 11 to enter when the ring member 20 is positioned at the approach position. In this embodiment, an example in which the notches 23 are U-shaped is shown, but the shape is not limited to this.

[0039] In this embodiment, the notch 23 is narrower on the inner peripheral edge 21 side than on the outer peripheral edge side. This narrows the gap between the notch 23 and the chuck pin 11, and therefore minimizes the amount of processing liquid entering between the chuck pin 11 and the notch 23 when the processing liquid flows over the substrate W and onto the surface of the ring member 20. This makes it possible to make the flow around the chuck pin 11 the same as the flow in other places, thereby reducing uneven processing.

[0040] (Ring movement mechanism) As shown in Figures 2, 5 to 7, the ring moving mechanism 60 has a lifting cylinder 61, a lifting lever 62, a lifting lifter 63, a lifting cam follower 64, a lifting shaft 65, a first lifting ring 66, a second lifting ring 67, a lifting shaft 68, and a lifting link 69.

[0041] The lifting cylinder 61 is fixed to the lower part of the base part B so that the drive rod faces vertically downward. The lifting lever 62 is a plate provided on the base part B so as to be rotatable around a fulcrum (not shown). An end of the lifting lever 62 is rotatably connected to the drive rod of the lifting cylinder 61. The lifting lever 62 is U-shaped so as to surround the drive source 41. The lifting lever 62 is connected to a pair of lifting lifters 63.

[0042] The pair of lifting lifters 63 are provided on the base B adjacent to the pair of opening / closing lifters 53 shown in FIG. 2 so as to be movable up and down in the same manner as the opening / closing lifters 53. In each lifting lifter 63, both ends of a U-shaped lifting lever 62 are rotatably connected. Therefore, the lifting lever 62 rotates according to the movement of the driving rod of the lifting cylinder 61, and the pair of lifting lifters 63 rise and fall. The lifting cam follower 64 is provided on the upper part of the lifting lifter 63 and protrudes above the upper part of the base B. The lifting cam follower 64 has a roller that rotates around a horizontal axis, and is lifted and lowered by the lifting lifter 63. In other words, one lifting cylinder 61 lifts and lowers two lifting lifters 63 and two lifting cam followers 64.

[0043] The lift shaft 65 is a rod-shaped member fixed vertically to the fixed ring 55a inside the rotor 30. The first lift ring 66 is a ring-shaped member provided inside the rotor 30 so as to be movable up and down. As shown in FIG. 9, the first lift ring 66 has a slider 66a and a spring 66b. The slider 66a is cylindrical and hollow inside. The lift shaft 65 is inserted into the hollow of the slider 66a, and the slider 66a moves up and down along the lift shaft 65. The spring 66b is a biasing member that biases the slider 66a downward.

[0044] The second lift ring 67 is a ring-shaped member having a diameter larger than that of the substrate W. The lift shaft 68 is a vertical shaft, and its lower end is connected to the second lift ring 67. The upper end of the lift shaft 68 is inserted into the through hole 31f, protrudes above the table 31a, and supports the lower surface of the ring member 20. As a result, the multiple lift shafts 68 are arranged at equal intervals along the periphery of the substrate W, and the ring member 20 and the second lift ring 67 move up and down together. In this embodiment, three lift shafts 68 are arranged at 120 degree intervals. In addition, the three lift shafts 68 are slidably attached to the table 31a so as to always remain parallel and move along a direction parallel to the rotation axis A.

[0045] The upper end of the lift shaft 68 is cylindrical and covers the through hole 31f, and has an annular groove 68a inside that accommodates the annular wall 31g so as to cover it with a gap therebetween. This forms a labyrinth structure, which is a bent path, between the annular wall 31g and the annular groove 68a, and prevents the processing liquid from flowing into the inside of the rotor 30 through the through hole 31f.

[0046] The lift link 69 is rotatably provided on a support member extending from the rotating base 32 inside the rotating body 30. A fulcrum shaft 69c is provided at the center of the lift link 69. The lift link 69 is rotatably provided around the fulcrum shaft 69c. The fulcrum shaft 69c is provided on a support column 32a that extends downward from the bottom surface of the rotating base 32. One end of the lift link 69 is rotatably connected to the lower end of the lift shaft 68 via a pin 69a, and the other end is rotatably connected to a slider 66a of the first lift ring 66 via a pin 69b.

[0047] The first lift ring 66 comes into contact with and separates from the lift cam follower 64. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, when the lift cam follower 64 comes into contact with the first lift ring 66 and rises, the first lift ring 66 rises against the biasing force of the spring 66b, the lift link 69 rotates, and the lift shaft 68 descends, so that the ring member 20 descends and moves to the retracted position. As shown in Fig. 7, when the lift cam follower 64 descends and separates from the first lift ring 66, the first lift ring 66 descends due to the biasing force of the spring 66b, the lift link 69 rotates, and the lift shaft 68 rises, so that the ring member 20 rises and moves to the approaching position.

[0048] When the ring member 20 is in the approach position, as shown in Fig. 3, the chuck pin 11 enters the notch 23, so interference with the chuck pin 11 can be avoided. Also, as shown in Fig. 5, when the ring member 20 is in the retracted position, the height of the lifting shaft 68 is set so that a gap h into which a robot hand of a transport robot can be inserted is formed between the ring member 20 and the substrate W. The formation of this gap h makes it possible to insert the robot hand to set the substrate W and to remove the robot hand.

[0049] The mechanism above the opening / closing cam follower 54 and the lifting / lowering cam follower 64 and the connecting tube 33 are rotated by the rotor of the drive source 41. When the rotating body 30 rotates, the opening / closing cam follower 54 and the opening / closing ring 56, and the lifting cam follower 64 and the first lifting / lowering ring 66 are not in contact with each other.

[0050] (Supply Department) 1, the supply unit 70 supplies a processing liquid to a surface of the substrate W, that is, to a surface of the substrate W held by the holder 10 opposite to the table 31a. The supply unit 70 includes a processing liquid supply mechanism 71, a processing liquid holding unit 72, a lifting mechanism 73, and a heating unit 74.

[0051] The processing liquid supply mechanism 71 is a mechanism for supplying a plurality of types of processing liquid. In this embodiment, for example, pure water (H2O), an aqueous solution containing phosphoric acid (H3PO4) (hereinafter referred to as phosphoric acid solution), and an aqueous solution containing hydrogen fluoride (HF) (hereinafter referred to as hydrofluoric acid solution) are supplied as processing liquids. The processing liquid supply mechanism 71 has processing liquid tanks 71a for storing the respective processing liquids.

[0052] Individual feed pipes 71b are connected in parallel to processing liquid supply pipes 71c from each processing liquid tank 71a. The tip of the processing liquid supply pipe 71c faces the substrate W held in the holder 10. Thus, the processing liquid from each processing liquid tank 71a is supplied to the surface of the substrate W via the individual feed pipes 71b and the processing liquid supply pipes 71c. Each individual feed pipe 71b is provided with a flow rate adjustment valve 71d and a flow meter 71e.

[0053] The processing liquid holding unit 72 is circular and has a diameter larger than that of the substrate W, and has a wall formed on its periphery that rises on the side opposite the rotor 30, forming a tray shape. The outer bottom surface of the processing liquid holding unit 72 faces the substrate W. The processing liquid holding unit 72 has a discharge port 72a, through which the tip of the processing liquid supply pipe 71c is inserted and which is exposed on the substrate W side.

[0054] The lifting mechanism 73 is a mechanism that moves the processing liquid holding part 72 in a direction toward and away from the substrate W. As the lifting mechanism 73, various mechanisms that move the processing liquid holding part 72 in a direction parallel to the axis of the rotor 30, such as a cylinder or a ball screw mechanism, can be applied, but details will be omitted.

[0055] The heating unit 74 heats the processing liquid supplied onto the surface of the substrate W by the supply unit 70. The heating unit 74 has a heater 741 provided on the surface of the processing liquid holding unit 72 opposite to the surface facing the substrate W. The heater 741 is in the form of a circular sheet. The heater 741 has a through hole 741a formed therein, through which the processing liquid supply pipe 71c is inserted.

[0056] (Detection unit) As shown in FIG. 10, the detection unit 80 has an open / close detection unit 81 and a ring position detection unit 82. The open / close detection unit 81 is provided near the open / close ring 56 on the base unit B. The ring position detection unit 82 is provided near the first lift ring 66 on the base unit B. The open / close detection unit 81 and the ring position detection unit 82 are each a transmission type optical sensor having a light transmitting unit and a light receiving unit facing each other. The open / close detection unit 81 and the ring position detection unit 82 can detect the position of a member between the light transmitting unit and the light receiving unit by outputting an electrical signal proportional to the amount of light for a transmitted light detection area 83 (see FIG. 11(B)) in a light receiving window of the light receiving unit.

[0057] 11(A), the open / close detection unit 81 is disposed at a position where the open / close ring 56 is interposed between the light transmitting unit and the light receiving unit. When the height of the open / close ring 56 changes, the amount of light blocked changes, and the output of the open / close detection unit 81 changes. Since the height of the open / close ring 56 determines whether the chuck pin 11 is in the closed position or the open position, the position of the chuck pin 11 can be detected by the output of the open / close detection unit 81.

[0058] The ring position detector 82 is disposed at a position where the first lift ring 66 is interposed between the light transmitting section and the light receiving section. When the height of the first lift ring 66 changes, the amount of light blocked changes, and so the output of the ring position detector 82 changes. Since the height of the first lift ring 66 determines whether the ring member 20 is in the approach position or the retracted position, the position of the ring member 20 can be detected by the output of the ring position detector 82.

[0059] 11(B), when the bottom of the open / close ring 56 is at the position indicated by the solid line a with respect to the transmitted light detection area 83 of the light receiving section, this indicates that the chuck pins 11 are in the open position. When the bottom of the open / close ring 56 is at the position indicated by the dotted line b, this indicates that the chuck pins 11 are in the closed position and are properly holding the substrate W. Note that the position of b has a predetermined width w (tolerance range). When the bottom of the open / close ring 56 is at the position indicated by the dashed line c, this indicates that the chuck pins 11 have moved beyond the closed position and are therefore unable to hold the substrate W and are in an idling state.

[0060] (Control device) The control device 90 controls each part of the substrate processing apparatus 1. The control device 90 has a processor that executes a program to realize various functions of the substrate processing apparatus 1, a memory that stores various information such as the program and operating conditions, and a drive circuit that drives each element. That is, the control device 90 controls the rotation mechanism 40, the chuck opening and closing mechanism 50, the ring moving mechanism 60, the processing liquid supply mechanism 71, the lifting mechanism 73, the heating section 74, etc. The control device 90 also has an input device for inputting information and a display device for displaying information.

[0061] In this embodiment, the control device 90 causes the ring moving mechanism 60 to move the ring member 20 to the approach position when the opening / closing detection unit 81 detects that the chuck pin 11 is in the closed position. Also, the control device 90 causes the chuck opening / closing mechanism 50 to move the chuck pin 11 to the open position when the ring position detection unit 82 detects that the ring member 20 is in the retracted position.

[0062] [Operation] The operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 12 in addition to Figs. 1 to 11. Note that a substrate processing method for processing a substrate according to the following procedure is also one aspect of this embodiment.

[0063] 1, the processing liquid holding part 72 of the supply part 70 is in an upper standby position, the chuck pins 11 are in an open position, and the ring member 20 is in a retracted position (the state in FIG. 5). In this state, when the substrate W mounted on the robot hand of the transport robot is carried in between the processing liquid holding part 72 and the rotating body 30 (step S01), the opening / closing cylinder 51 is actuated to lower the opening / closing cam follower 54, thereby rotating the holding part 10 by the biasing force of the spring 56c, and moving the multiple chuck pins 11 to the closed position (step S02).

[0064] When the open / close detector 81 detects that the chuck pin 11 is in the closed position where it normally holds the outer periphery We of the substrate W (YES in step S03) (state of FIG. 6), the lift cylinder 61 is actuated to lower the lift cam follower 64, thereby lifting the lift shaft 68 by the biasing force of the spring 66b, and moving the ring member 20 to the approach position (step S04) (state of FIG. 7). When the detector detects that the chuck pin 11 is not in the normal position (NO in step S03), an abnormality has occurred and the apparatus is stopped. For example, the detector detects that the chuck pin 11 is unable to contact the outer periphery We of the substrate W and has gone too far to the inner periphery side, and stops the apparatus.

[0065] When the ring position detector 82 detects that the ring member 20 is in the approach position (YES in step S05), the drive source 41 is actuated and the rotating body 30 starts to rotate (step S06). The rotating body 30 rotates at a relatively slow predetermined speed (e.g., about 50 rpm), and the substrate W rotates together with the holder 10 at the predetermined speed. When the ring member 20 is detected to be out of the normal position (NO in step S05), an abnormality is detected and the apparatus is stopped. For example, the apparatus detects a case in which the ring member 20 has come into contact with the outer periphery We of the substrate W and cannot rise to the normal height, and stops the apparatus.

[0066] An etching liquid is supplied from the discharge port 72a of the processing liquid holding part 72 to a gap between the processing liquid holding part 72 and the surface of the substrate W (step S07). That is, when the hydrofluoric acid solution is supplied to the surface of the rotating substrate W, the etching liquid moves successively toward the outer circumferential edge We of the substrate W, so that the surface of the substrate W is etched and an oxide film and organic matter are removed. Note that, as shown in FIGS. 4(A) and 4(B), the processing liquid flowing out toward the outer circumferential edge We of the substrate W flows from the outer circumferential edge We of the substrate W over the surface of the ring member 20 and is discharged to the outside through the gap of the chuck pin 11.

[0067] At this time, the surface of the substrate W is substantially extended, and the change in flow rate in the vicinity of the peripheral edge of the substrate W is reduced, so that the etching liquid is less likely to remain in the vicinity of the periphery of the substrate W, and the discharge of the etching liquid is promoted. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 3, since the chuck pin 11 is inserted in the notch 23, the surface of the substrate W and the surface of the ring member 20 exist so as to surround the periphery of the chuck pin 11, and the gap around the chuck pin 11 is reduced, so that the liquid flowing from the peripheral edge of the substrate W to the chuck pin 11 is discharged to the surface of the ring member 20 around the chuck pin 11. This reduces the effect of the chuck pin 11 in blocking the liquid flow.

[0068] Next, the processing liquid holding unit 72 stops the supply of the etching liquid (step S08), and supplies pure water from the discharge port 72a into the gap between the processing liquid holding unit 72 and the surface of the substrate W (step S09). When the pure water is supplied to the surface of the rotating substrate W, the pure water moves successively toward the outer circumferential edge We of the substrate W, thereby washing away the hydrofluoric acid on the surface of the substrate W. The action of promoting the flow by the ring member 20 is the same as described above. Then, the processing liquid holding unit 72 stops the supply of pure water (step S10).

[0069] The processing liquid holding part 72 is lowered to bring the heater 741 closer to the substrate W (step S11), and the phosphoric acid solution is supplied to the gap between the processing liquid holding part 72 and the surface of the substrate W (step S12). In this manner, the phosphoric acid solution supplied between the processing liquid holding part 72 and the surface of the substrate W is heated to a high temperature by the processing liquid holding part 72 which is heated by the heater 741.

[0070] In this state, when the phosphoric acid solution is continuously supplied from the discharge port 72a of the processing solution holding unit 72, the phosphoric acid solution moves successively on the surface of the substrate W toward the outer periphery We of the substrate W, whereby the pure water on the surface of the substrate W is replaced with phosphoric acid, and the nitride film is removed by etching. The action of promoting the flow by the ring member 20 is the same as described above.

[0071] Next, the processing solution holding unit 72 stops supplying the phosphoric acid solution and rises (step S13), and supplies pure water from the discharge port 72a into the gap between the processing solution holding unit 72 and the surface of the substrate W (step S14). When the pure water is supplied to the surface of the rotating substrate W, the pure water moves sequentially toward the outer periphery We of the substrate W, thereby washing away the phosphoric acid on the surface of the substrate W. The action of promoting the flow by the ring member 20 is the same as described above. Then, when a predetermined cleaning time has elapsed, the processing solution holding unit 72 stops supplying the pure water (step S15). Then, the processing solution holding unit 72 rises (step S16), and the driving source 41 is stopped and the rotating body 30 stops rotating, thereby stopping the substrate W (step S17).

[0072] Thereafter, the lift cylinder 61 is actuated to lift the lift cam follower 64 against the biasing force of the spring 66b, thereby lowering the lift shaft 68 and moving the ring member 20 to the retracted position (step S18).

[0073] When the ring position detection unit 82 detects that the ring member 20 is in the retracted position (YES in step S19), the robot hand is inserted under the substrate W and the opening / closing cylinder 51 is activated to raise the opening / closing cam follower 54 against the biasing force of the spring 56c, thereby rotating the holding unit 10 and moving the multiple chuck pins 11 to the open position (step S20).

[0074] Then, when the open / close detection unit 81 detects that the chuck pins 11 are in the normal open position (YES in step S21), the robot hand carries out the substrate W (step S22). When the ring member 20 is detected not in the retracted position (NO in step S19), the apparatus is stopped without moving the chuck pins 11 to the open position. When the chuck pins 11 are detected not in the normal open position (NO in step S21), the apparatus is stopped.

[0075] Since the open / close detection unit 81 and the ring position detection unit 82 perform detection at all times, if an abnormality occurs during the sequence operation (steps S05 to S09), the control device 90 stops the substrate processing. That is, the control device 90 starts rotation of the substrate W and performs processing only when the closed position of the chuck pins 11 and the approach position of the ring member 20 are both within the normal range. Furthermore, if the outputs from the open / close detection unit 81 and the ring position detection unit 82 go outside the normal range during processing, the control device 90 immediately takes action such as stopping the apparatus.

[0076] [effect] (1) The substrate processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment as described above includes a holding unit 10 having a plurality of chuck pins 11 for holding the outer peripheral edge We of the substrate W, a chuck opening and closing mechanism 50 for moving the plurality of chuck pins 11 between an open position away from the substrate W and a closed position in which the chuck pins 11 contact the outer peripheral edge We of the substrate W and hold the substrate W, and a ring member 20 formed integrally around the entire circumference, the ring member 20 having an inner peripheral edge 21 shaped to fit the outer peripheral edge We of the substrate W and a notch 23 provided on the inner peripheral edge 21 into which the chuck pins 11 in the closed position can be inserted, and a ring moving mechanism 60 for moving the ring member 20 between an approach position where the inner peripheral edge 21 of the ring member 20 closely surrounds the outer peripheral edge We of the substrate W and a retracted position where the ring member 20 is retracted from the outer peripheral edge We of the substrate W.

[0077] Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is equipped with chuck pins 11 and a ring member 20, as well as a rotating body 30 that rotates the substrate W held by the chuck pins 11 and the ring member 20 in an approaching position, and a supply section 70 that supplies a processing liquid to the substrate W held by the chuck pins 11 and rotated by the rotating body 30.

[0078] Therefore, by processing the substrate W while holding the outer periphery We with the chuck pins 11 without contacting the back surface of the substrate W with the placement surface or lift pins, the change in the flow rate of the processing liquid near the periphery of the substrate W can be reduced while maintaining the cleanliness of the surface of the substrate W, thereby improving the uniformity of the processing rate. At the approach position, the chuck pins 11 enter the notches 23, so that the periphery of the chuck pins 11 is surrounded by the surface of the substrate W and the surface of the ring member 20 which expands the surface of the chuck pins 11. This reduces the difference between the peripheral part of the chuck pins 11 and the other parts, and promotes the flow of the processing liquid near the periphery of the substrate W. This reduces the influence of the chuck pins 11, and improves the uniformity of the processing rate in the circumferential direction.

[0079] In addition, since the ring moving mechanism 60 only needs to move the integrated ring member 20, it is easier to align the ring member 20 with respect to the substrate W, and there is no need to synchronize multiple parts, compared to when separate control bodies are driven independently. Furthermore, since the robot hand can enter the gap below the substrate W, it is easy to load and unload the substrate W.

[0080] (2) The chuck pin 11 is movable between the open position and the closed position by moving in a direction perpendicular to the outer peripheral edge We of the substrate W. When the chuck pin 11 is perpendicular to the outer peripheral edge We of the substrate W, the chuck pin 11 in the closed position enters the notch 23 and does not interfere with the raising and lowering of the ring member 20.

[0081] (3) The apparatus includes a ring position detector 82 that detects the position of the ring member 20, and a control device 90 that controls the chuck opening and closing mechanism 50 and the ring moving mechanism 60. When the ring position detector 82 detects that the ring member 20 is in the retracted position, the control device 90 causes the chuck opening and closing mechanism 50 to move the chuck pin 11 to the open position. This makes it possible to prevent the ring member 20 from interfering with the movement of the chuck pin 11 to the open position.

[0082] (4) The control device 90 has an open / close detection unit 81 that detects the position of the chuck pin 11, and when the open / close detection unit 81 detects that the chuck pin 11 is in the closed position, the control device 90 causes the ring moving mechanism 60 to move the ring member 20 to the approach position. This makes it possible to prevent the holding unit 10 from interfering with the movement of the ring member 20 to the approach position. Also, it is possible to detect an abnormality in the holding of the substrate W and safely stop the operation.

[0083] [Variations] (1) The holding part 10 may be provided with a groove 13a that fits into the notch 23 of the ring member 20 in the retreated position when the chuck pin 11 is in the open position. For example, as shown in FIG. 13(A), a recessed groove 13a is formed on the outer periphery of the chuck part 13. As a result, as shown in FIG. 13(B) and (C), when the holding part 10 rotates to move the chuck pin 11 to the open position, the groove 13a functions as a relief part to avoid interference with the ring member 20. As a result, even if the curved part of the notch 23 is made shallow, the movement amount of the chuck pin 11 to the open position can be secured, and interference between the substrate W and the chuck pin 11 during loading and unloading can be prevented. Therefore, the gap between the chuck pin 11 and the ring member 20 generated by the notch 23 can be made small, and the effect on the flow of the processing liquid can be suppressed. In other words, by making the gap between the chuck pin 11 and the ring member 20 as small as possible, the processing liquid can be prevented from flowing around the back surface of the ring member 20. Therefore, the amount of processing liquid dropping onto the back surface side of the ring member 20 and the back surface side of the substrate W is minimized, and the cleanliness of the back surface side of the substrate W can be ensured.

[0084] (2) The chuck pin 11 may be an eccentric rotating type that is movable between an open position and a closed position by rotating about an axis parallel to the rotation axis A of the rotating body 30. For example, as shown in Fig. 14, the chuck pin 11 may be configured to move between a closed position (see Fig. 14(A)) where the chuck pin 11 holds the substrate W by contacting the edge of the substrate W, and an open position (see Fig. 14(B)) where the chuck pin 11 releases the substrate W by moving away from the edge of the substrate W, in accordance with the rotation of the cover 12.

[0085] Such a chuck opening and closing mechanism 50 has, for example, a drive shaft 531, a small gear 532, and a large gear 533. The drive shaft 531 is a cylindrical member provided on the side opposite the top surface of the cover 12 coaxially with the axis of rotation of the cover 12.

[0086] The small gear 532 is a sector gear provided at the end of the drive shaft 531 on the side opposite to the cover 12. The large gear 533 is a gear in which gear grooves are intermittently formed corresponding to the small gear 532. The large gear 533 is rotatably provided coaxially with the rotating body 30 by a rotation mechanism 40 that rotates the rotating body 30. The large gear 533 has six convex portions formed at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction at an interval corresponding to the small gear 532, and gear grooves that mesh with the small gear 532 are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the tip of each convex portion.

[0087] The large gear 533 is biased in the rotation direction (counterclockwise direction) indicated by the arrow α in FIG. 14(A) by a biasing member such as a spring (not shown). As a result, the small gear 532 is biased in the clockwise direction indicated by the arrow β1. Therefore, the cover 12 is interlocked with the rotation of the small gear 532, and the chuck pin 11 moves in the direction of the center of the rotating body 30 and is maintained in the closed position where it contacts the substrate W. During substrate processing, the cover 12, the drive shaft 531, the chuck pin 11, the small gear 532, and the large gear 533 rotate together with the rotating body 30 while maintaining this closed position.

[0088] Also, the rotation of the large gear 533 is blocked by a stopper mechanism (not shown). When the rotating body 30 is rotated in the direction of the arrow γ as shown in FIG. 14(B) with the rotation of the large gear 533 blocked, the small gear 532 meshing with the large gear 533 whose rotation is blocked rotates in the counterclockwise direction indicated by the arrow β2. As a result, the rotating cover 31 rotates, so that the chuck pin 11 moves in the direction away from the edge of the substrate W and comes to the open position.

[0089] Furthermore, more specifically, as shown in FIG. 15, the chuck pin 11 is provided in a chuck portion 13 erected on the cover 12. The chuck portion 13 is provided with a groove 13a similar to the above.

[0090] Even in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 15(A), when the chuck pin 11 is in the closed position, the chuck pin 11 enters the notch 23 of the ring member 20, so that interference with the chuck pin 11 can be avoided. In addition, when the chuck pin 11 moves horizontally around the axis in this manner, even when the ring member 20 is in the retracted position, the notch 23 needs to be made deeper by the movement range of the chuck pin 11 in order to avoid interference with the chuck pin 11 moving to the open position. Then, the flow of the processing liquid changes in the portion where the notch 23 is enlarged. In this case, the gap between the chuck pin 11 and the notch 23 is particularly enlarged, so that the processing liquid flows around the gap to the back side of the ring member 20 or the back side of the substrate W, impairing the cleaning degree of that portion. To address this, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 15(B), the notch 23 enters the groove 13a when the cover 12 rotates to move the chuck pin 11 to the open position. This prevents the notch 23 from expanding, while ensuring the amount of movement of the chuck pin 11 to the open position, and prevents interference between the substrate W and the chuck pin 11 during loading and unloading. Therefore, the gap between the chuck pin 11 and the ring member 20 generated by the notch 23 can be reduced, and the effect on the flow of the processing liquid can be suppressed.

[0091] (3) The configuration for driving the chuck opening / closing mechanism 50 and the ring moving mechanism 60 is not limited to the above. For example, instead of using cam followers, a configuration may be used in which the repulsive force of magnets is used to lift and lower the mechanism in a non-contact manner.

[0092] (4) The surface of the ring member 20 in the approaching position does not have to be flush with the surface of the substrate W as long as it can receive the processing liquid and prevent it from leaking out of the gap. The surface of the ring member 20 may be lower than the surface of the substrate W. Note that the shape of the ring member 20 is preferably such that the liquid does not flow around to the back side of the substrate W in the gap between the ring member 20 and the substrate W.

[0093] (5) The processing contents and processing liquids of the substrate processing apparatus 1 are not limited to those exemplified above. The substrates W and films to be processed are also not limited to those exemplified above.

[0094] [Other embodiments] Although the embodiment of the present invention and the modified examples of each part have been described above, these embodiments and the modified examples of each part are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments described above can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 1. Substrate Processing Equipment 10 Holding part 11 Chuck pin 12 Cover 12a Annular groove 13 Chuck part 13a Groove 14 Rotating Axis 15 Arm 15a hole 20 Ring member 21 Inner edge 23 Notch 30 Rotating Body 31 Rotating cover 31a Table 31b Side 31c outlet 31d through hole 31e Circular Wall 31f through hole 31g Circular Wall 32 Rotating Base 32a post 33 Connecting tube 40 Rotation mechanism 41 Power Source 42 Connection tube 50 Chuck opening and closing mechanism 51 Opening and closing cylinder 52 Opening / Closing Lever 52a Fulcrum 53 Opening and closing lifter 54 Open / close cam follower 55 Opening and closing shaft 55a Fixing ring 56 Opening and closing ring 56a Slider 56b Connection part 56c spring 56d axis 60 Ring movement mechanism 61 Lifting cylinder 62 Lifting lever 63 Lifting Lift 64 Lifting cam follower 65 Lifting shaft 66 First Lifting Ring 66a Slider 66b Spring 67 Second Lifting Ring 68 Lifting shaft 68a Circular groove 69 Lifting link 69a, 69b pins 69c fulcrum shaft 70 Supply section 71 Processing liquid supply mechanism 71a Processing liquid tank 71b Individual conveyance pipe 71c Processing liquid supply pipe 71d Flow control valve 71e flow meter 72 Processing liquid holding section 72a Discharge port 73 Lifting mechanism 74 Heating section 80 Detection unit 81 Open / close detector 82 Ring position detector 83 Transmitted light detection area 90 Control device 531 Drive shaft 532 Small gear 533 Large Gear 741 Heater 741a Through hole

Claims

1. a holding portion having a plurality of chuck pins for holding an outer peripheral edge of the substrate; a chuck opening / closing mechanism that moves the chuck pins between an open position away from the substrate and a closed position in which the chuck pins contact an outer periphery of the substrate to hold the substrate; a ring member having an inner peripheral edge shaped to fit the outer peripheral edge of the substrate and a notch provided on the inner peripheral edge into which a chuck pin in the closed position is inserted, the ring member being integrally formed around the entire circumference; a ring moving mechanism that moves the ring member between a close position where an inner peripheral edge of the ring member closely surrounds an outer peripheral edge of the substrate and a retracted position where the ring member is retracted from the outer peripheral edge of the substrate; a rotating body including the chuck pins and the ring member, the rotating body rotating the substrate held by the chuck pins and the ring member located at a close position; a supply unit that supplies a processing liquid to the substrate held by the chuck pins and rotated by the rotating body; A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

2. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notch has a shape that allows the chuck pin to enter when the ring member is positioned at the approach position.

3. a ring position detector for detecting a position of the ring member; A control device that controls the chuck opening / closing mechanism and the ring moving mechanism; having The control device includes:

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the chuck opening / closing mechanism moves the chuck pins to an open position when the ring member is detected to be in the retracted position by the ring position detector.

4. an open / close detection unit that detects the position of the chuck pin; The control device includes:

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the ring moving mechanism moves the ring member to the approach position when the open / close detection unit detects that the chuck pins are in the closed position.

Images