Processing liquid removing method, processing liquid removing device, substrate processing device, and substrate processing method

Abstract

To provide a technique for effectively removing a treatment liquid to be supplied.SOLUTION: A treatment liquid removing device in regard to a technique disclosed in the present specification, is a treatment liquid removing method that uses a treatment device having: a rotational part that includes a first surface and can be rotated to a normal direction of the first surface as a rotational shaft; and an opposite part having a second surface that is opposite to the first surface. The treatment liquid removing method comprises at least: a step of supplying a treatment liquid to a gap region as a region between the first and second surfaces; and a step of removing the treatment liquid adhered to the second surface by rotating the rotational part in a state where both of the first and second surfaces are approached. During the supply of the treatment liquid to the gap region, the distance between the first surface and the second surface is separated than the step of removing the treatment liquid.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a processing liquid removing method, a processing liquid removing apparatus, a substrate processing apparatus, and a substrate processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in manufacturing processes of substrates such as semiconductor substrates, various processes are performed on the substrates using substrate processing apparatuses, and processing liquids for processing the substrates are used in the processes (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-12629 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Although the processing liquid supplied for processing the substrate is removed by a drying process after the processing, a portion of the processing liquid may remain in the chamber where the substrate processing is performed.

[0005] In particular, if the processing liquid remains at the location where the substrate to be processed is fixed and its surrounding areas, there is a problem that the processing liquid may contaminate the substrate that is fixed to that location in a subsequent process.

[0006] The technology disclosed in the present specification has been made in consideration of the problems described above, and aims to provide a technology for effectively removing the supplied processing liquid. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A first aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is a method for removing a processing liquid using a processing device including a rotating part having a first surface and rotatable around a rotation axis in a direction normal to the first surface, and an opposing part having a second surface opposing the first surface, and the method includes at least a step of supplying a processing liquid to a gap region between the first surface and the second surface, and a step of removing the processing liquid adhering to the second surface by rotating the rotating part while the first surface and the second surface are brought into close proximity to each other, and while the processing liquid is being supplied to the gap region, the first surface and the second surface are spaced apart more than in the step of removing the processing liquid.

[0008] A second aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is a method for removing a processing liquid using a processing device including a rotating unit having a first surface and rotatable around a rotation axis in a normal direction of the first surface, and an opposing unit which is an undersurface of a nozzle facing the first surface, the undersurface of the nozzle being movable in a plane along the first surface, and includes at least a step of supplying a processing liquid to a gap region which is a region between the first surface and the second surface, and a step of removing the processing liquid adhering to the second surface by positioning the undersurface of the nozzle on the outer edge side of the center of the rotating unit and rotating the rotating unit while bringing the first surface and the second surface into close proximity to each other.

[0009] A third aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is a method for removing a processing liquid using a processing apparatus including a rotating part having a first surface and capable of rotating around a rotation axis in a normal direction of the first surface, and an opposing part having a second surface opposing the first surface and not rotating, the method including at least a step of supplying a processing liquid to a gap region that is a region between the first surface and the second surface, bringing the first surface and the second surface close to each other, The processing liquid adhering to the second surface and removing the processing liquid adhering to the second surface by rotating the rotating part while in contact with the first surface.

[0010] A fourth aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is related to the first or second aspect, in which the opposed portion does not rotate.

[0011] A fifth aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is related to the first or second aspect, and in the step of removing the processing liquid, the rotating part is rotated while the processing liquid adhering to the second surface is in contact with the first surface.

[0012] A sixth aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is related to the first aspect, and involves separating the first surface and the second surface while the processing liquid is supplied to the gap region, and then bringing the first surface and the second surface closer together in a step of removing the processing liquid.

[0013] A seventh aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is related to the first aspect, and after the step of removing the processing liquid, the first surface and the second surface are separated while the processing liquid is supplied to the gap area.

[0014] An eighth aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is related to any one of the first to seventh aspects, and in the step of removing the processing liquid, a gas is supplied to the gap region.

[0015] A ninth aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is related to any one of the first to eighth aspects, in which the rotating part is a dummy substrate which is a substrate having a predetermined shape.

[0016] A tenth aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is related to any one of the first to ninth aspects, in which the second surface is heated in the step of removing the processing liquid.

[0017] An eleventh aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is related to any one of the first to tenth aspects, and the processing liquid is a chemical liquid for processing the rotating part, or a cleaning liquid for cleaning at least one of the rotating part or the opposing part.

[0018] A twelfth aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification includes a rotating unit having a first surface and rotatable around a rotation axis normal to the first surface, an opposing unit having a second surface opposing the first surface, a processing liquid supply unit for supplying a processing liquid to at least a gap region between the first surface and the second surface, a moving unit for moving at least one of the rotating unit or the opposing unit closer to or away from the other, and a control unit for controlling the rotational drive of the rotating unit and controlling the rotating unit or the opposing unit of the moving unit to move closer to or away from each other, wherein the control unit causes the moving unit to move the first surface and the second surface closer together while the processing liquid is being supplied to the gap region by the processing liquid supply unit, and causes the moving unit to rotate the rotating unit in a state in which the first surface and the second surface are brought into close proximity to each other when removing the processing liquid adhering to the second surface.

[0019] A thirteenth aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification includes a rotating unit having a first surface and rotatable around a rotation axis in a normal direction of the first surface, and an opposing unit having a second surface opposed to the first surface and movable in a plane along the first surface, a nozzle for supplying a processing liquid to at least a gap region between the first surface and the second surface, and a control unit for controlling the rotational drive of the rotating unit and the position of the nozzle, wherein when removing the processing liquid adhering to the second surface, the control unit positions the nozzle on the outer edge side of the center of the rotating unit and rotates the rotating unit while bringing the first surface and the second surface into close proximity.

[0020] A fourteenth aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification comprises a rotating unit having a first surface and rotatable around a rotation axis in the normal direction of the first surface, a counter unit having a second surface opposite the first surface and not rotating, a processing liquid supply unit for supplying a processing liquid to at least a gap region between the first surface and the second surface, and a control unit for controlling the rotational drive of the rotating unit, wherein the control unit rotates the rotating unit while the first surface and the second surface are brought into close proximity and the processing liquid adhering to the second surface is in contact with the first surface.

[0021] A fifteenth aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is related to the twelfth or thirteenth aspect, in which the opposing portion does not rotate.

[0022] A 16th aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is related to the 12th, 13th or 15th aspects, and the control unit rotates the rotating unit while the processing liquid adhering to the second surface is in contact with the first surface.

[0023] A 17th aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is related to any one of the 12th to 16th aspects, and further includes a gas supply unit that supplies gas to the gap region at least when removing the processing liquid adhering to the second surface.

[0024] An 18th aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is related to any one of the 12th to 17th aspects, in which the rotating part is a dummy substrate which is a substrate having a predetermined shape.

[0025] A nineteenth aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is related to any one of the twelfth to eighteenth aspects, and further includes a heating unit that heats the second surface.

[0026] A twentieth aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is related to any one of the twelfth to nineteenth aspects, and the processing liquid is a chemical liquid for processing the rotating part, or a cleaning liquid for cleaning at least one of the rotating part or the opposing part.

[0027] A twenty-first aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is a substrate processing apparatus that supplies a processing liquid to an upper surface of a substrate while rotating the substrate, the area of ​​which excluding the edge surface of the lower surface of the substrate, held on a spin chuck. The substrate processing apparatus includes a back surface shielding plate that does not rotate and has an opposing surface that faces the edge surface of the lower surface of the substrate held on the spin chuck, and a processing liquid supply unit that supplies a processing liquid between the edge surface of the lower surface of the substrate held on the spin chuck and the opposing surface of the back surface shielding plate. After the processing liquid is supplied by the processing liquid supply unit between the edge surface of the lower surface of the substrate held on the spin chuck and the opposing surface of the back surface shielding plate, the spin chuck is rotated to splash the processing liquid outward from the back surface shielding plate while the edge surface of the lower surface of the substrate and the back surface shielding plate are brought into close proximity to each other, thereby cleaning the opposing surface of the back surface shielding plate.

[0028] A 22nd aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is a substrate processing apparatus that supplies a processing liquid to an upper surface of a substrate while rotating the substrate held on a spin chuck with a rotating part, the processing liquid being provided with a nozzle that is movable in a plane along the upper surface of the substrate held by the spin chuck and has an opposing surface that faces the upper surface of the substrate, and after supplying a processing liquid from the nozzle to the upper surface of the substrate held by the spin chuck, the nozzle is positioned on the outer edge side of the center of the rotating part and the substrate and the nozzle are brought into close proximity, and the spin chuck is rotated to splash the processing liquid outwardly of the substrate, thereby cleaning the opposing surface of the nozzle.

[0029] A 23rd aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is a substrate processing method comprising the steps of: a supply step of rotating a substrate held by a spin chuck in an area excluding an edge surface of its underside; and a removal step of rotating the spin chuck to scatter and remove the processing liquid supplied between the edge surface of the back side of the substrate held by the spin chuck and an opposing surface of a non-rotating back side shielding plate that faces the edge surface of the underside of the substrate held by the spin chuck, while bringing the edge surface of the underside of the substrate and the back side shielding plate into close proximity to each other, by rotating the spin chuck to scatter and remove the processing liquid outside the back side shielding plate, and cleaning the opposing surface of the back side shielding plate.

[0030] A 24th aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is a substrate processing method including: a supplying step of supplying a processing liquid to an upper surface of the substrate held by the spin chuck from a nozzle movable in a plane along the upper surface of the substrate held by the spin chuck and having an opposing surface facing the upper surface of the substrate while rotating the substrate held by a rotating part; and a removal step of rotating the spin chuck to scatter and remove the processing liquid outward from the substrate while positioning the nozzle on the outer edge side of the center of the rotating part and bringing the substrate and the nozzle into close proximity, and cleaning the opposing surface of the nozzle. Effect of the Invention

[0031] According to the first to twenty-fourth aspects of the technology disclosed in the present specification, by rotating the rotating part while the rotating part and the opposing part are in close proximity to each other, the processing liquid adhering to the opposing part can be removed by the direct or indirect contribution of the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the rotating part.

[0032] Furthermore, objects, features, aspects and advantages associated with the technology disclosed herein will become more apparent from the detailed description set forth below and the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0033] [Figure 1]1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] 4 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the connection relationship between each element of the substrate processing apparatus and a controller. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing an example of an operation of the substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus corresponding to FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] 13 is a diagram showing in detail a configuration including a substrate and a back shield plate when performing chemical liquid treatment; FIG. [Figure 6] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing in detail a configuration including a dummy substrate and a rear shielding plate when a cleaning process is performed. [Figure 7] 13 is a diagram showing in detail a configuration including a dummy substrate and a rear shielding plate when a drying process is performed. FIG. [Figure 8] 13 is a diagram showing in detail a configuration including a dummy substrate and a cleaning liquid nozzle when performing a drying process. FIG. [Figure 9] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment; [Figure 10] 13 is a diagram showing in detail a configuration including a substrate (or a dummy substrate) and a surface blocking plate when a drying process is performed. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0034] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following embodiments, detailed features are shown for the purpose of explaining the technology, but they are merely examples and are not necessarily all essential features for enabling the embodiments to be implemented.

[0035] The drawings are schematic, and for the sake of convenience, configurations may be omitted or simplified as appropriate. The size and positional relationship of the configurations shown in different drawings are not necessarily described accurately, and may be changed as appropriate. Hatching may be used in drawings such as plan views that are not cross-sectional views to facilitate understanding of the contents of the embodiments.

[0036] In the following description, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed descriptions thereof may be omitted to avoid duplication.

[0037] Furthermore, in the description below, when a certain component is described as "comprising," "including," or "having," unless otherwise specified, this is not an exclusive expression that excludes the presence of other components.

[0038] In addition, in the description below, even if ordinal numbers such as "first" or "second" are used, these terms are used for convenience to facilitate understanding of the contents of the embodiments, and are not limited to the ordering that may result from these ordinal numbers.

[0039] In addition, in the following description, expressions indicating relative or absolute positional relationships, such as "in one direction," "along one direction," "parallel," "orthogonal," "center," "concentric," or "coaxial," are intended to include cases where the positional relationship is strictly indicated and cases where the angle or distance is displaced within a tolerance or a range where equivalent functionality is obtained, unless otherwise specified.

[0040] In addition, in the following description, expressions indicating an equal state, such as "same," "equal," "uniform," or "homogeneous," unless otherwise specified, include cases indicating a strictly equal state, as well as cases where differences occur within a tolerance or within a range in which the same level of functionality is obtained.

[0041] Furthermore, in the following description, unless otherwise specified, expressions such as "moving an object in a specific direction" include moving an object parallel to the specific direction, and moving an object in a direction having a component in the specific direction.

[0042] Furthermore, in the description below, terms indicating specific positions and directions, such as "top," "bottom," "left," "right," "side," "bottom," "front," or "back," may be used; however, these terms are used for convenience to facilitate understanding of the contents of the embodiments, and do not relate to the directions in which the embodiments are actually implemented.

[0043] In addition, in the following description, when "the upper surface of ..." or "the lower surface of ..." is stated, it includes not only the upper surface of the target component itself, but also a state in which another component is formed on the upper surface of the target component. In other words, for example, when it is stated that "B is provided on the upper surface of A," it does not prevent another component "C" from being interposed between A and B.

[0044] <First embodiment> A processing liquid removing method and a processing liquid removing device according to this embodiment will be described below.

[0045] In this embodiment, the function or operation of the substrate processing apparatus 100 as a processing liquid removal apparatus will be particularly described.

[0046] <Configuration of the substrate processing apparatus> 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment. In order to facilitate understanding of the configuration, some components may be omitted or illustrated in a simplified form in the drawing.

[0047] The substrate processing apparatus 100 is a single-wafer processing apparatus that processes disk-shaped substrates W, such as semiconductor wafers, one by one. The substrate processing apparatus 100 performs various processes (cleaning process, etching process, etc.) on the substrates W, such as fluid processing using a processing liquid (i.e., processing liquid including a chemical liquid, a cleaning liquid, or a rinsing liquid) or a gas, processing using electromagnetic waves such as ultraviolet light, or physical cleaning processing (e.g., brush cleaning or spray nozzle cleaning, etc.).

[0048] The substrates to be processed include, for example, semiconductor substrates, substrates for flat panel displays (FPDs) such as liquid crystal displays or organic EL (electroluminescence) displays, substrates for optical disks, substrates for magnetic disks, substrates for magneto-optical disks, substrates for photomasks, ceramic substrates, printed circuit boards, or substrates for solar cells.

[0049] In the substrate processing apparatus 100, for example, when cleaning the inside of a processing chamber described below, a dummy substrate DW is placed in place of the substrate W. Here, the dummy substrate DW is a substrate whose thickness, shape, etc., are already known.

[0050] Here, the upper and lower surfaces of both the substrate W and the dummy substrate DW are flat, but grooves or irregularities may be formed on the upper and lower surfaces.

[0051] As shown in the example in Figure 1, the substrate processing apparatus 100 comprises a box-shaped processing chamber 50 having an internal space, a spin chuck 51 that holds one substrate W or dummy substrate DW in a horizontal position within the processing chamber 50 and rotates the substrate W or dummy substrate DW around a vertical rotation axis Z passing through the center of the substrate W or dummy substrate DW, a back surface shielding plate 170 arranged opposite the underside of the substrate W or dummy substrate DW, a moving unit 190 that moves the back surface shielding plate 170 in the vertical direction (i.e., the Z direction in Figure 1), and a cylindrical processing cup 511 that surrounds the spin chuck 51 around the rotation axis Z of the substrate W or dummy substrate DW.

[0052] Here, "facing" refers to a state in which, for example, surfaces face each other, and it is acceptable for another object to be present between the facing surfaces.

[0053] The processing chamber 50 is surrounded by a box-shaped partition wall 50A. The partition wall 50A has an opening 50B for loading and unloading the substrate W or the dummy substrate DW into and out of the processing chamber 50.

[0054] The opening 50B is opened and closed by a shutter 50C. The shutter 50C is raised and lowered by a shutter lifting mechanism (not shown here) between a closed position (shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1) where the opening 50B is covered and an open position (shown by a solid line in FIG. 1) where the opening 50B is opened.

[0055] When loading or unloading the substrate W or the dummy substrate DW, the transport robot uses a robot hand to access the processing chamber 50 through the opening 50B. This allows an unprocessed substrate W to be placed on the upper surface of the spin chuck 51, or a processed substrate W to be removed from the spin chuck 51.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 1, the spin chuck 51 includes a disk-shaped spin base 51A that vacuum-adsorbs the underside of a horizontally oriented substrate W or a dummy substrate DW to its upper surface, a rotation shaft 51C extending downward from the center of the spin base 51A, and a spin motor 51D that rotates the substrate W or dummy substrate DW adsorbed to the spin base 51A by rotating the rotation shaft 51C.

[0057] The upper surface of the spin base 51A is a flat surface made of, for example, porous ceramics, etc. However, grooves or irregularities may be formed on the upper surface of the spin base 51A within a range where the substrate W or the dummy substrate DW can be adsorbed.

[0058] The spin chuck 51 is not limited to the vacuum suction type chuck shown in FIG. 1, but may be, for example, a clamping type chuck having a plurality of chuck pins protruding upward from the outer periphery of the upper surface of the spin base, and using the chuck pins to clamp the peripheral portion of the substrate W or dummy substrate DW.

[0059] The back surface shielding plate 170 is provided in an annular shape so as to surround the periphery of the spin chuck 51 in a plan view. The upper surface of the back surface shielding plate 170 faces the lower surface of the substrate W or dummy substrate DW held by the spin base 51A. The upper surface of the back surface shielding plate 170 and the lower surface of the substrate W or dummy substrate DW are preferably parallel. Here, a region sandwiched between the upper surface of the back surface shielding plate 170 and the lower surface of the substrate W or dummy substrate DW is referred to as a gap region 180.

[0060] The upper surface of the rear shielding plate 170 is flat, but the upper surface may have grooves or irregularities formed thereon.

[0061] Also, in FIG. 1, the rear shielding plate 170 has approximately the same diameter as the substrate W or dummy substrate DW, but the size of the rear shielding plate 170 is not limited to this and may be larger than the substrate W or dummy substrate DW, or conversely, may be smaller.

[0062] In addition, in this embodiment, the back surface shielding plate 170 is independent of the spin chuck 51 and does not rotate around the rotation axis Z, but the back surface shielding plate 170 may be rotatable around any axis including the rotation axis Z.

[0063] The moving unit 190 supports the back surface shielding plate 170 and vertically raises and lowers the back surface shielding plate 170. The moving unit 190 is provided around the spin chuck 51 in a plan view, and is raised and lowered in the vertical direction by a motor (not shown).

[0064] By driving the moving part 190, the upper surface of the back surface shielding plate 170 moves up and down between a position (referred to as an upper position or the like) where it can come into contact with the lower surface of the substrate W or dummy substrate DW held by the spin base 51A, and a position (referred to as a lower position or the like) where the gap region 180 between the upper surface of the back surface shielding plate 170 and the lower surface of the substrate W or dummy substrate DW is sufficiently widened. Here, the driving of the moving part 190 is controlled by a control part described later.

[0065] In this embodiment, the rear surface shielding plate 170 is moved by driving the moving part 190, thereby changing the Z-direction width of the gap region 180. However, the Z-direction width of the gap region 180 may also be changed by moving the substrate W or dummy substrate DW held by the spin base 51A relative to the rear surface shielding plate 170.

[0066] As shown in the example in FIG. 1, substrate processing apparatus 100 includes a chemical solution nozzle 52 that ejects a chemical solution toward the top surface of substrate W held on spin chuck 51, a chemical solution arm 152 having chemical solution nozzle 52 attached to its tip, a chemical solution tank 53 that stores the chemical solution to be supplied to chemical solution nozzle 52, chemical solution piping 54 that guides the chemical solution in chemical solution tank 53 to chemical solution nozzle 52, a liquid delivery device 55 (e.g., a pump) that delivers the chemical solution in chemical solution tank 53 to chemical solution piping 54, and a chemical solution valve 56 that opens and closes the inside of chemical solution piping 54.

[0067] The lower surface (end surface) of chemical liquid nozzle 52 is flat, but grooves or irregularities may be formed on the lower surface.

[0068] The liquid medicine arm 152 includes a rotary drive source 152A, a shaft body 152B, and an arm portion 152C having one end fixed to the upper end of the shaft body 152B and having the liquid medicine nozzle 52 attached to the other end.

[0069] In the chemical solution arm 152, the shaft 152B is rotated by the rotary drive source 152A, so that the chemical solution nozzle 52 attached to the tip of the arm portion 152C can move along the upper surface of the substrate W or the upper surface of the dummy substrate DW held by the spin chuck 51. That is, the chemical solution nozzle 52 attached to the tip of the arm portion 152C can move in the horizontal direction. Here, the drive of the rotary drive source 152A is controlled by a control unit described later.

[0070] Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus 100 is provided with a circulation pipe 57 that connects the chemical pipe 54 and the chemical tank 53 upstream of the chemical valve 56 (i.e., on the chemical tank 53 side), a circulation valve 58 that opens and closes the inside of the circulation pipe 57, and a temperature control device 59 that adjusts the temperature of the chemical flowing through the circulation pipe 57.

[0071] The opening and closing of the liquid chemical valve 56 and the circulation valve 58 are controlled by a control unit described later. When the liquid chemical in the liquid chemical tank 53 is supplied to the liquid chemical nozzle 52, the liquid chemical valve 56 is opened and the circulation valve 58 is closed. In this state, the liquid chemical sent from the liquid chemical tank 53 to the liquid chemical piping 54 by the liquid sending device 55 is supplied to the liquid chemical nozzle 52.

[0072] On the other hand, when the supply of the chemical liquid to the chemical liquid nozzle 52 is stopped, the chemical liquid valve 56 is closed and the circulation valve 58 is opened. In this state, the chemical liquid sent from the chemical liquid tank 53 to the chemical liquid piping 54 by the liquid sending device 55 returns to the chemical liquid tank 53 through the circulation piping 57. Therefore, during the supply stop period in which the supply of the chemical liquid to the chemical liquid nozzle 52 is stopped, the chemical liquid continues to circulate through the circulation path formed by the chemical liquid tank 53, the chemical liquid piping 54, and the circulation piping 57.

[0073] Temperature adjustment device 59 adjusts the temperature of the chemical liquid flowing through circulation pipe 57. Therefore, the chemical liquid in chemical tank 53 is heated in the circulation path while the supply is stopped, and is maintained at a temperature higher than room temperature.

[0074] Furthermore, the opening degree of the chemical liquid valve 56 is adjustable so that pre-dispensing can be performed by discharging a minute amount of the chemical liquid from the chemical liquid nozzle 52. In addition, a chemical liquid recovery member (not shown here) is disposed near the chemical liquid nozzle 52, and the chemical liquid pre-dispensed from the chemical liquid nozzle 52 is recovered.

[0075] 1, the substrate processing apparatus 100 includes a rinsing liquid nozzle 60 that ejects a rinsing liquid toward the upper surface of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 51, a rinsing liquid arm 160 having the rinsing liquid nozzle 60 attached to its tip, a rinsing liquid pipe 61 that supplies the rinsing liquid from a rinsing liquid supply source (not shown here) to the rinsing liquid nozzle 60, and a rinsing liquid valve 62 that switches between supplying and stopping the rinsing liquid from the rinsing liquid pipe 61 to the rinsing liquid nozzle 60. As the rinsing liquid, DIW (deionized water) or the like is used.

[0076] The lower surface (end surface) of the rinsing liquid nozzle 60 is flat, but the lower surface may have grooves or irregularities formed thereon.

[0077] The rinsing liquid arm 160 includes a rotation drive source 160A, a shaft body 160B, and an arm portion 160C having one end fixed to the upper end of the shaft body 160B and having the rinsing liquid nozzle 60 attached to the other end.

[0078] In the rinsing liquid arm 160, the shaft 160B is rotated by the rotary drive source 160A, so that the rinsing liquid nozzle 60 attached to the tip of the arm portion 160C can move along the upper surface of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 51 or the upper surface of the dummy substrate DW. That is, the rinsing liquid nozzle 60 attached to the tip of the arm portion 160C can move in the horizontal direction. Here, the drive of the rotary drive source 160A is controlled by a control unit described later.

[0079] After the chemical liquid is supplied to the substrate W by the chemical liquid nozzle 52, a rinsing liquid is supplied to the substrate W from the rinsing liquid nozzle 60, whereby the chemical liquid adhering to the substrate W and the back surface shielding plate 170 can be washed away.

[0080] 1, the substrate processing apparatus 100 includes a cleaning liquid nozzle 64 for discharging a cleaning liquid toward a predetermined portion (e.g., spin base 51A) inside the processing chamber 50, a cleaning liquid pipe 65 for supplying the cleaning liquid from a cleaning liquid supply source (not shown here) to the cleaning liquid nozzle 64, and a cleaning liquid valve 66 for switching between supply and stop of the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid pipe 65 to the cleaning liquid nozzle 64. DIW (deionized water) or the like is used as the cleaning liquid.

[0081] The cleaning liquid nozzle 64 is attached to the inner wall of the processing chamber 50. With the substrate W or the dummy substrate DW held by the spin chuck 51, the spin base 51A is rotated and a cleaning liquid is discharged from the cleaning liquid nozzle 64.

[0082] The lower surface (end surface) of the cleaning liquid nozzle 64 is flat, but the lower surface may have grooves or irregularities formed thereon.

[0083] Then, the cleaning liquid discharged from the cleaning liquid nozzle 64 bounces off the upper surface of the substrate W or the upper surface of the dummy substrate DW, and the cleaning liquid splashes inside the processing chamber 50. By splashing the cleaning liquid in this manner, various components (such as the rear surface shielding plate 170 or the processing cup 511) arranged inside the processing chamber 50 can be cleaned.

[0084] The processing cup 511 is provided so as to surround the periphery of the spin chuck 51, and is raised and lowered in the vertical direction by a motor (not shown). The upper part of the processing cup 511 is raised and lowered between an upper position where its upper end is above the substrate W or dummy substrate DW held by the spin base 51A, and a lower position where it is below the substrate W or dummy substrate DW.

[0085] The processing liquid splashed outward from the upper surface of the substrate W or the upper surface of the dummy substrate DW is received on the inner surface of the processing cup 511. The processing liquid received in the processing cup 511 is appropriately drained to the outside of the processing chamber 50 through a drainage port 513 provided at the bottom of the processing chamber 50 and on the inside of the processing cup 511.

[0086] Further, an exhaust port 515 is provided on the side of the processing chamber 50. The atmosphere inside the processing chamber 50 is appropriately exhausted to the outside of the processing chamber 50 through the exhaust port 515.

[0087] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the connection between each element of the substrate processing apparatus 100 and the control unit 7. As shown in FIG.

[0088] The hardware configuration of the control unit 7 is the same as that of a general computer. That is, the control unit 7 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 71 that performs various arithmetic processing, a read only memory (ROM) 72 that is a read-only memory that stores a basic program, a random access memory (RAM) 73 that is a readable and writable memory that stores various information, and a non-transient storage unit 74 that stores a control application (program) or data.

[0089] The CPU 71, the ROM 72, the RAM 73 and the storage unit 74 are connected to one another via a bus wiring 75 or the like.

[0090] The control application or data may be provided to the control unit 7 in a state in which it is recorded on a non-transitory recording medium (for example, a semiconductor memory, an optical medium, or a magnetic medium). In this case, it is preferable that a reading device for reading the control application or data from the recording medium is connected to the bus wiring 75.

[0091] Furthermore, the control application or data may be provided to the control unit 7 from a server or the like via a network. In this case, it is preferable that a communication unit that performs network communication with an external device is connected to the bus wiring 75.

[0092] An input unit 76 and a display unit 77 are connected to the bus wiring 75. The input unit 76 includes various input devices such as a keyboard and a mouse. An operator inputs various information to the control unit 7 via the input unit 76. The display unit 77 is composed of a display device such as a liquid crystal monitor, and displays various information.

[0093] The control unit 7 is connected to each of the operating parts (e.g., chemical liquid valve 56, circulation valve 58, rinsing liquid valve 62, cleaning liquid valve 66, moving unit 190, rotation drive source 152A, rotation drive source 160A, shutter 50C or spin motor 51D, etc.) and controls their operation.

[0094] <Operation of the substrate processing apparatus> Next, the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0095] Fig. 3 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 100. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 100 corresponding to Fig. 3.

[0096] As shown in Fig. 3, a chemical treatment is first performed (step ST1 in Fig. 4). In the chemical treatment, a chemical is discharged from the chemical nozzle 52 under the control of the control unit 7, thereby performing an etching process or the like on the substrate W. For example, the etching process on the substrate W is performed using fluoronitric acid, which is a mixed solution of hydrofluoric acid (HF) and nitric acid (HNO3).

[0097] As shown in FIG. 3, in the chemical liquid processing, the moving unit 190 raises and lowers the back surface shielding plate 170 under the control of the control unit 7 so that the width of the gap region 180 in the Z direction is, for example, 0.5 mm. In the chemical liquid processing, the spin motor 51D is driven under the control of the control unit 7 so that the substrate W rotates at a rotation speed of, for example, 200 rpm or more and 1500 rpm or less. In the chemical liquid processing, inert gas such as nitrogen (N2) is supplied into the gap region 180 from the back surface shielding plate 170 side at, for example, 400 LPM in order to prevent the chemical liquid from flowing around the lower surface (back surface) of the substrate W. However, the supply of the inert gas is not essential. In addition, the supply mode of the inert gas is not limited to the mode shown in the present embodiment, and may be, for example, a mode in which the inert gas is supplied into the gap region 180 from the periphery or above the substrate W.

[0098] FIG. 5 is a detailed diagram showing a configuration including the substrate W and the back surface shielding plate 170 when performing chemical liquid processing.

[0099] 5, in the chemical processing, a chemical solution 252 is discharged from a chemical solution nozzle 52, and the chemical solution 252 is uniformly spread over the upper surface of the substrate W. At this time, the width of the gap region 180 in the Z direction is, for example, 0.5 mm.

[0100] In addition, by supplying an inert gas such as nitrogen (N2) from a gas supply unit (not shown) from, for example, the central portion of the upper surface of the back surface shielding plate 170 adjacent to the spin chuck 51 toward the underside (backside) of the substrate W, the flow of the inert gas from the central portion toward the outer edge of the underside (backside) of the substrate W suppresses the chemical solution 252 from flowing around to the underside (backside) of the substrate W.

[0101] Next, a cleaning process is performed (step ST2 in FIG. 4). In the cleaning process, the processed substrate W is first replaced with a dummy substrate DW. Then, cleaning liquid 264 is discharged from cleaning liquid nozzle 64 under the control of controller 7, thereby washing away deposits on rear surface shielding plate 170 and further processing cup 511 (see FIG. 1).

[0102] Here, the cleaning liquid 264 discharged from the cleaning liquid nozzle 64 flows around to the lower surface (rear surface) side of the dummy substrate DW, so that the cleaning liquid is also supplied to the rear surface shielding plate 170.

[0103] As shown in FIG. 3, in the cleaning process, the rear surface shielding plate 170 is cleaned. In addition, in the cleaning process, the moving unit 190 raises and lowers the rear surface shielding plate 170 under the control of the control unit 7 so that the width of the gap region 180 in the Z direction is, for example, 3 mm. In addition, in the cleaning process, the spin motor 51D is driven under the control of the control unit 7 so that the dummy substrate DW rotates at a rotation speed of, for example, 50 rpm or more and 200 rpm or less. In addition, in the cleaning process, an inert gas such as nitrogen (N2) is supplied into the gap region 180 from the rear surface shielding plate 170 side at, for example, 400 LPM. However, the supply of the inert gas is not essential. In addition, the supply mode of the inert gas is not limited to the mode shown in the present embodiment, and may be, for example, a mode in which the inert gas is supplied into the gap region 180 from around or above the substrate W.

[0104] In the above-described cleaning process, cleaning is performed using the cleaning liquid 264 ejected from the cleaning liquid nozzle 64. However, for example, in a rinsing process in which a rinsing liquid is ejected from the rinsing liquid nozzle 60, the rear surface shielding plate 170 may be cleaned by supplying the rinsing liquid to the gap region 180.

[0105] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing in detail a configuration including the dummy substrate DW and the rear shielding plate 170 when performing cleaning processing.

[0106] As shown in the example in FIG. 6, in the cleaning process, a cleaning liquid 264 is discharged from the cleaning liquid nozzle 64, and the cleaning liquid 264 spreads uniformly over the upper surface of the dummy substrate DW.

[0107] At this time, the width of the gap region 180 in the Z direction is, for example, 3 mm, and the cleaning liquid that reaches the outer edge of the dummy substrate DW flows toward the back surface (back surface) of the dummy substrate DW and toward the back surface shielding plate 170.

[0108] Next, a drying process is performed (step ST3 in FIG. 4). In the drying process, the dummy substrate DW and the back surface shielding plate 170 are dried by rotating the spin base 51A under the control of the controller 7.

[0109] As shown in FIG. 3, in the drying process, the moving unit 190 raises and lowers the back surface shielding plate 170 under the control of the control unit 7 so that the width of the gap region 180 in the Z direction is, for example, 0.5 mm. In this state, the lower surface of the dummy substrate DW is close to the upper surface of the opposing back surface shielding plate 170. In the drying process, the spin motor 51D is driven under the control of the control unit 7 so that the dummy substrate DW rotates at a rotation speed of, for example, 2500 rpm. In the drying process, an inert gas such as nitrogen (N2) is supplied into the gap region 180 from the back surface shielding plate 170 side at, for example, 400 LPM. However, the supply of the inert gas is not essential. In addition, the supply mode of the inert gas is not limited to the mode shown in this embodiment, and may be, for example, a mode in which the inert gas is supplied into the gap region 180 from the periphery or above the substrate W.

[0110] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing in detail a configuration including the dummy substrate DW and the rear shielding plate 170 when performing a drying process.

[0111] As shown in FIG. 7, in the drying process, the cleaning liquid 264 adhering to the dummy substrate DW and the rear surface shielding plate 170 is scattered by the rotation of the dummy substrate DW.

[0112] Specifically, the cleaning liquid 264 adhering to the upper and lower surfaces of the dummy substrate DW is subjected to centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the dummy substrate DW, and is scattered from the outer edge of the dummy substrate DW to the periphery of the dummy substrate DW.

[0113] In addition, the cleaning liquid 264 adhering to both the lower surface of the dummy substrate DW and the upper surface of the rear surface shielding plate 170 (i.e., cleaning liquid 264 whose droplet size is larger than the Z-direction width of the gap region 180) is pushed out to the outer edge of the dummy substrate DW because the side in contact with the lower surface of the dummy substrate DW is subjected to centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the dummy substrate DW, and is then scattered around the dummy substrate DW.

[0114] Furthermore, the cleaning liquid 264 adhering only to the upper surface of the rear surface shielding plate 170 (i.e., cleaning liquid 264 whose droplet size is smaller than the Z-direction width of the gap region 180) is pushed outward in the system direction toward the outer edge of the dummy substrate DW by the flow of atmosphere (including fine particles suspended in the gap region 180) caused by the rotation of the dummy substrate DW, and is further scattered around the dummy substrate DW.

[0115] In the center of the dummy substrate DW, the cleaning liquid 264 adhering to the lower surface of the dummy substrate DW and the cleaning liquid 264 adhering to the upper surface of the rear surface shielding plate 170 are pushed out toward the outer edge of the dummy substrate DW mainly by the inert gas supplied from the rear surface shielding plate 170 side.

[0116] On the other hand, at the outer edge of the dummy substrate DW, the contribution of the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the dummy substrate DW becomes greater, thereby compensating for the weakened contribution of the inert gas supplied from the center of the rear surface shielding plate 170.

[0117] Here, the lower surface of the rotating dummy substrate DW and the upper surface of the back surface shielding plate 170 may be parallel to each other. In such a case, the contribution of the centrifugal force (or the atmosphere toward the outside in the system direction) generated by the rotation of the dummy substrate DW is uniformly and efficiently transmitted to the cleaning liquid 264 adhering to the back surface shielding plate 170, facilitating the removal of the cleaning liquid 264.

[0118] In this manner, the cleaning liquid 264 adhering to the dummy substrate DW and the rear surface shielding plate 170 is removed by the rotation of the dummy substrate DW.

[0119] Here, it is desirable to remove all of the cleaning liquid 264 in the drying process, but this is not necessarily limited to the case where all of the cleaning liquid 264 is removed. As described later, even if some of the cleaning liquid remains, it is possible to continue with processing such as chemical processing.

[0120] In the present embodiment, the dummy substrate DW is adsorbed to the spin base 51A in the drying process, and the cleaning liquid 264 remaining in the gap region 180 is removed by rotating the dummy substrate DW, but the substrate W that has been subjected to the chemical liquid process may be adsorbed to the spin base 51A. In that case, the cleaning liquid 264 remaining in the gap region 180 is removed by rotating the substrate W.

[0121] However, when performing the drying process using a dummy substrate DW, since the dummy substrate DW is a substrate that has not undergone chemical treatment, and is a substrate of a known shape that is less susceptible to deformation such as warping compared to the substrate W, the Z-direction width of the gap region 180 during the drying process can be controlled with high precision.

[0122] Next, it is determined whether or not another chemical liquid treatment (on the same or another substrate W) needs to be performed (step ST4 in FIG. 4).

[0123] If another chemical solution treatment is required, that is, if the result corresponds to "YES" branched from step ST4, an example of which is shown in FIG. 4, the process returns to step ST1, an example of which is shown in FIG.

[0124] On the other hand, if no other chemical solution treatment is required, that is, if the result corresponds to "NO" branched from step ST4 as shown in FIG. 4, the operation ends.

[0125] 4 to perform another chemical solution treatment, the Z-direction width of gap region 180 in the other chemical solution treatment can be made wider than the Z-direction width of gap region 180 in the drying treatment that has already been completed. For example, the Z-direction width of gap region 180 in the drying treatment can be set to 0.3 mm, and the Z-direction width of gap region 180 in the chemical solution treatment can be set to 0.5 mm.

[0126] By controlling the width of the gap region 180 in the Z direction in this manner, even if cleaning liquid 264 remains on the upper surface of the back surface shielding plate 170 in the previous drying process, the particle size of the remaining cleaning liquid 264 is considered to be smaller than the width of the gap region 180 in the Z direction in the drying process, so that during chemical liquid processing, it is possible to prevent the lower surface of the substrate W adsorbed to the spin base 51A from coming into contact with the remaining cleaning liquid 264. Thus, contamination of the substrate W can be suppressed.

[0127] <Second embodiment> A processing liquid removal method and a processing liquid removal device according to the present embodiment will be described. In the following description, components similar to those described in the above embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0128] <Configuration of the substrate processing apparatus> The substrate processing apparatus 100 according to this embodiment has the same configuration as that shown in the first embodiment, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted. However, in this embodiment, the rear surface shielding plate 170 may not be provided.

[0129] <Operation of the substrate processing apparatus> Next, the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0130] First, chemical treatment and cleaning treatment are performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0131] Next, a drying process is performed. In the drying process, the dummy substrate DW and the cleaning liquid nozzle 64 are dried by rotating the spin base 51A under the control of the control unit .

[0132] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing in detail a configuration including the dummy substrate DW and the cleaning liquid nozzle 64 when performing a drying process.

[0133] 8, in the drying process, the cleaning liquid 264 adhering to the dummy substrate DW and the cleaning liquid nozzle 64 is scattered by the rotation of the dummy substrate DW. At this time, the lower surface (end surface) of the cleaning liquid nozzle 64 faces the upper surface of the dummy substrate DW. When removing the cleaning liquid 264 adhering to the end surface of the cleaning liquid nozzle 64, the control unit 7 positions the cleaning liquid nozzle 64 on the outer edge side of the center of the dummy substrate DW.

[0134] Specifically, the cleaning liquid 264 adhering to the upper surface of the dummy substrate DW is subjected to centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the dummy substrate DW, and is scattered from the outer edge of the dummy substrate DW to the periphery of the dummy substrate DW.

[0135] In addition, the cleaning liquid 264 adhering to both the upper surface of the dummy substrate DW and the lower surface (end surface) of the cleaning liquid nozzle 64 (i.e., the cleaning liquid 264 whose droplet size is larger than the Z-direction width of the gap region 180A) is pushed out to the outer edge of the dummy substrate DW because the side in contact with the upper surface of the dummy substrate DW is subjected to centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the dummy substrate DW, and is then scattered around the dummy substrate DW.

[0136] Furthermore, the cleaning liquid 264 adhering only to the lower surface (end surface) of the cleaning liquid nozzle 64 (i.e., cleaning liquid 264 whose droplet size is smaller than the Z-direction width of the gap region 180A) is pushed outward in the system direction toward the outer edge of the dummy substrate DW by the flow of atmosphere (including fine particles floating in the gap region 180A) generated by the rotation of the dummy substrate DW, and is further scattered around the dummy substrate DW.

[0137] In particular, at the outer edge of the dummy substrate DW, the contribution of the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the dummy substrate DW is large, so if the cleaning liquid nozzle 64 is positioned to correspond to the outer edge of the dummy substrate DW, the cleaning liquid 264 can be effectively removed.

[0138] It should be noted that the position of the cleaning liquid nozzle 64 in the drying process is not limited to the position corresponding to the outer edge of the dummy substrate DW as exemplified in FIG.

[0139] In this manner, the cleaning liquid 264 adhering to the dummy substrate DW and the lower surface (end surface) of the cleaning liquid nozzle 64 is removed by the rotation of the dummy substrate DW.

[0140] In this embodiment, the dummy substrate DW is adsorbed to the spin base 51A in the drying process, and the cleaning liquid 264 remaining in the gap region 180A is removed by the rotation of the dummy substrate DW. However, the substrate W that has been subjected to the chemical liquid process may be adsorbed to the spin base 51A. In that case, the cleaning liquid 264 remaining in the gap region 180A is removed by the rotation of the substrate W. Alternatively, the substrate W or the dummy substrate DW may not be adsorbed to the spin base 51A. In that case, the cleaning liquid 264 remaining in the gap region between the upper surface of the spin base 51A and the lower surface (end surface) of the cleaning liquid nozzle 64 is removed by the rotation of the spin base 51A.

[0141] However, when performing the drying process using a dummy substrate DW, since the dummy substrate DW is a substrate that has not undergone chemical treatment, and is a substrate of a known shape that is less susceptible to deformation such as warping compared to the substrate W, the Z-direction width of the gap region 180A during the drying process can be controlled with high precision.

[0142] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the drying process is performed with the lower surface (end surface) of the cleaning liquid nozzle 64 facing the upper surface of the dummy substrate DW, but the drying process may also be performed with the lower surface (end surface) of another nozzle, for example, the chemical liquid nozzle 52 or the rinsing liquid nozzle 60 facing the upper surface of the dummy substrate DW, in which the corresponding processing liquid is removed.

[0143] <Third embodiment> A processing liquid removal method and a processing liquid removal device according to the present embodiment will be described. In the following description, components similar to those described in the above embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0144] In this embodiment, the function or operation of the substrate processing apparatus 100B as a processing liquid removal apparatus will be particularly described.

[0145] <Configuration of the substrate processing apparatus> 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 100B according to the present embodiment. In order to facilitate understanding of the configuration, some components may be omitted or illustrated in a simplified form in the drawing.

[0146] The substrate processing apparatus 100B is a single-wafer processing apparatus that processes disk-shaped substrates W, such as semiconductor wafers, one by one. The substrate processing apparatus 100B performs various processes (cleaning process, etching process, etc.) on the substrates W, such as fluid processing using a processing liquid (i.e., processing liquid including a chemical liquid, a cleaning liquid, or a rinsing liquid) or a gas, processing using electromagnetic waves such as ultraviolet rays, or physical cleaning processing (e.g., brush cleaning or spray nozzle cleaning, etc.).

[0147] In the substrate processing apparatus 100B, a dummy substrate DW is placed in place of the substrate W, for example, when cleaning the inside of a processing chamber, which will be described later.

[0148] 9, the substrate processing apparatus 100B includes a box-shaped processing chamber 50, a spin chuck 51, a back surface shielding plate 170, a moving part 190, a cylindrical processing cup 511, and a front surface shielding plate 210 disposed opposite to the upper surface of the substrate W or the dummy substrate DW. Note that the back surface shielding plate 170 does not necessarily have to be provided.

[0149] As shown in an example in Figure 9, a chemical liquid nozzle 352 for spraying a chemical liquid toward the upper surface of the substrate W held on the spin chuck 51, a rinsing liquid nozzle 360 ​​for spraying a rinsing liquid toward the upper surface of the substrate W, and a cleaning liquid nozzle 364 for spraying a cleaning liquid toward the upper surface of the substrate W are provided in the central portion of the surface blocking plate 210.

[0150] The surface blocking plate 210 is a plate member having a diameter approximately equal to that of the substrate W. However, the diameter of the surface blocking plate 210 may be larger than the diameter of the substrate W or smaller than that of the substrate W.

[0151] Further, the lower surface of the surface blocking plate 210 is flat, but the lower surface may have grooves or irregularities formed thereon.

[0152] The surface blocking plate 210 can be moved in the Z direction in Figure 9 by a moving unit not shown, and the Z direction width of the gap area 180B between the lower surface of the surface blocking plate 210 and the upper surface of the substrate W can be adjusted by control of the control unit 7 in Figure 2.

[0153] The chemical is supplied to the chemical nozzle 352 from a chemical tank 53 via a chemical pipe 54. The chemical pipe 54 is provided with a liquid delivery device 55 (e.g., a pump) that delivers the chemical from the chemical tank 53 to the chemical pipe 54, and a chemical valve 56 that opens and closes the inside of the chemical pipe 54.

[0154] A rinse liquid is supplied to the rinse liquid nozzle 360 ​​from a rinse liquid supply source (not shown here) via a rinse liquid pipe 61. A rinse liquid valve 62 that switches between supplying and stopping the rinse liquid is provided in the rinse liquid pipe 61. As the rinse liquid, DIW (deionized water) or the like is used.

[0155] After the chemical liquid is supplied to the substrate W by the chemical liquid nozzle 352, a rinsing liquid is supplied to the substrate W from the rinsing liquid nozzle 360, whereby the chemical liquid adhering to the substrate W and the front blockage plate 210 can be washed away.

[0156] A cleaning liquid is supplied to the cleaning liquid nozzle 364 from a cleaning liquid supply source (not shown here) via a cleaning liquid pipe 65. A cleaning liquid valve 66 that switches between supplying and stopping the cleaning liquid is provided on the cleaning liquid pipe 65. As the cleaning liquid, DIW (deionized water) or the like is used.

[0157] <Operation of the substrate processing apparatus> Next, the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 100B according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0158] First, a chemical treatment is performed. In the chemical treatment, a chemical is discharged from the chemical nozzle 352 under the control of the control unit 7, and an etching treatment or the like is performed on the substrate W. For example, the etching treatment of the substrate W is performed using fluoronitric acid, which is a mixed solution of hydrofluoric acid (HF) and nitric acid (HNO3).

[0159] Next, a cleaning process is performed. In the cleaning process, cleaning liquid 264 is discharged from cleaning liquid nozzle 364 under the control of control unit 7, so that deposits on front block plate 210 and the like can be washed away.

[0160] In the above-described cleaning process, cleaning is performed using cleaning liquid 264 ejected from cleaning liquid nozzle 364. However, for example, in a rinsing process in which rinsing liquid is ejected from rinsing liquid nozzle 360, cleaning of surface blocking plate 210 may be performed by supplying rinsing liquid to gap region 180B.

[0161] Next, a drying process is performed. In the drying process, the spin base 51A is rotated under the control of the controller 7 to dry the substrate W (or the dummy substrate DW) and the front shielding plate 210.

[0162] FIG. 10 is a detailed diagram showing a configuration including the substrate W (or dummy substrate DW) and the surface blocking plate 210 when performing a drying process.

[0163] As shown in FIG. 10, in the drying process, the cleaning liquid 264 adhering to the substrate W (or dummy substrate DW) and the surface blocking plate 210 is scattered by the rotation of the substrate W (or dummy substrate DW).

[0164] Specifically, the cleaning liquid 264 adhering to the upper surface of the substrate W is subjected to centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the substrate W, and is scattered from the outer edge of the substrate W to the periphery of the substrate W.

[0165] In addition, cleaning liquid 264 adhering to both the upper surface of the substrate W and the lower surface of the surface blocking plate 210 (i.e., cleaning liquid 264 whose droplet size is larger than the Z-direction width of the gap region 180B) is pushed out to the outer edge of the substrate W because the side in contact with the upper surface of the substrate W is subjected to centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the substrate W, and is then scattered around the substrate W.

[0166] In addition, cleaning liquid 264 adhering only to the underside of the surface blocking plate 210 (i.e., cleaning liquid 264 whose droplet size is smaller than the Z-direction width of the gap region 180B) is pushed outward in the system direction toward the outer edge of the substrate W by the flow of atmosphere (including fine particles floating in the gap region 180B) caused by the rotation of the substrate W, and is further scattered around the substrate W.

[0167] In this manner, the cleaning liquid 264 adhering to the substrate W and the lower surface of the front blockage plate 210 is removed by the rotation of the substrate W.

[0168] The substrate W or the dummy substrate DW may not be adsorbed to the spin base 51A. In this case, the cleaning liquid 264 remaining in the gap between the upper surface of the spin base 51A and the lower surface of the front shield plate 210 is removed by the rotation of the spin base 51A.

[0169] <Effects of the above-described embodiment> Next, examples of effects obtained by the above-described embodiment will be described. Note that in the following description, the effects will be described based on the specific configurations exemplified in the above-described embodiment, but the effects may be replaced with other specific configurations exemplified in the present specification as long as the same effects are obtained.

[0170] Furthermore, the replacement may be made across a number of embodiments, that is, configurations shown as examples in different embodiments may be combined to produce the same effect.

[0171] According to the embodiment described above, the processing liquid removal device includes a rotating unit, a facing unit, a processing liquid supply unit, and a control unit 7. Here, the rotating unit corresponds to, for example, any one of the rotatable spin base 51A or the dummy substrate DW (or substrate W) adsorbed to the spin base 51A. The facing unit corresponds to, for example, any one of the back surface shielding plate 170, the chemical liquid nozzle 52 facing the substrate W (or dummy substrate DW), the rinse liquid nozzle 60, the cleaning liquid nozzle 64, and the front surface shielding plate 210. The processing liquid supply unit corresponds to, for example, any one of the chemical liquid nozzle 52, the rinse liquid nozzle 60, and the cleaning liquid nozzle 64. The dummy substrate DW has a first surface (lower surface). The dummy substrate DW is rotatable around the normal direction of the first surface (lower surface) as the rotation axis (i.e., around the rotation axis Z). The back surface shielding plate 170 has a second surface (upper surface) facing the first surface. The cleaning liquid nozzle 64 supplies the cleaning liquid 264 to a gap region 180, which is a region between the lower surface of the dummy substrate DW and the upper surface of the back surface shielding plate 170. The control unit 7 removes the cleaning liquid 264 adhering to the upper surface of the back surface shielding plate 170 by rotating the dummy substrate DW while bringing the lower surface of the dummy substrate DW and the upper surface of the back surface shielding plate 170 into close proximity to each other.

[0172] According to this configuration, by rotating the rotating part (dummy substrate DW) while bringing the lower surface of the rotating part (dummy substrate DW) and the upper surface of the opposing part (rear surface shielding plate 170) into close proximity, the processing liquid (cleaning liquid 264) adhering to the upper surface of the opposing part (rear surface shielding plate 170) can be removed by the direct or indirect contribution of the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the rotating part (dummy substrate DW).

[0173] Furthermore, the same effect can be achieved even when at least one of the other configurations whose examples are shown in this specification is appropriately added to the configuration described above, that is, when another configuration whose examples are shown in this specification but which was not mentioned as a configuration described above is appropriately added.

[0174] Moreover, according to the embodiment described above, the back surface shielding plate 170 does not rotate. With this configuration, even if the opposing back surface shielding plate 170 does not rotate and processing liquid is likely to remain, by rotating the dummy substrate DW, which is the rotating part, in a state in close proximity to the back surface shielding plate 170, the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the dummy substrate DW can be utilized to remove the cleaning liquid 264 adhering to the upper surface of the back surface shielding plate 170.

[0175] Moreover, according to the embodiment described above, the control unit 7 rotates the dummy substrate DW in a state in which the cleaning liquid 264 adhering to the upper surface of the rear surface shielding plate 170 is in contact with the lower surface of the dummy substrate DW. According to such a configuration, the cleaning liquid 264 adhering to both the lower surface of the dummy substrate DW and the upper surface of the rear surface shielding plate 170 is pushed out to the outer edge of the dummy substrate DW by the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the dummy substrate DW on the side in contact with the lower surface of the dummy substrate DW, and further splashes around the dummy substrate DW. Therefore, the cleaning liquid 264 adhering to the upper surface of the rear surface shielding plate 170 can be effectively removed.

[0176] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the processing liquid removal apparatus includes a moving unit 190 for moving at least one of the dummy substrate DW or the back surface shielding plate 170 closer to or farther away from the other. Then, the control unit 7 rotates the dummy substrate DW in a state in which the lower surface of the dummy substrate DW and the upper surface of the back surface shielding plate 170 are brought closer to each other by the moving unit 190. According to this configuration, the dummy substrate DW and the back surface shielding plate 170 can be brought closer to each other while the distance between them is relatively controlled by the moving unit 190.

[0177] Moreover, according to the embodiment described above, while the cleaning liquid 264 is being supplied to the gap region 180 by the cleaning liquid nozzle 64, the control unit 7 separates the lower surface of the dummy substrate DW from the upper surface of the back surface shielding plate 170 by the moving unit 190, and when removing the cleaning liquid 264 adhering to the upper surface of the back surface shielding plate 170, the control unit 7 brings the lower surface of the dummy substrate DW and the upper surface of the back surface shielding plate 170 closer to each other by the moving unit 190. According to this configuration, when the cleaning liquid 264 is supplied to the gap region 180, the width of the gap region 180 in the Z direction is made wider so that the cleaning liquid 264 can easily penetrate into the gap region 180 as much as possible, while when removing the cleaning liquid 264 adhering to the upper surface of the back surface shielding plate 170, the lower surface of the dummy substrate DW can be brought closer to the upper surface of the back surface shielding plate 170 in order to effectively remove the cleaning liquid 264.

[0178] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the second surface of the facing portion is an end surface of a nozzle (chemical liquid nozzle 52, cleaning liquid nozzle 64, or rinsing liquid nozzle 60) that is movable in a plane along the first surface (upper surface) of the substrate W (or dummy substrate DW) and faces the upper surface of the substrate W (or dummy substrate DW). When removing the cleaning liquid 264 adhering to the end surface of the nozzle, the control unit 7 positions the nozzle on the outer edge side from the center of the dummy substrate DW. According to this configuration, the contribution of the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the dummy substrate DW becomes large at the outer edge of the dummy substrate DW, so that the cleaning liquid 264 can be effectively removed.

[0179] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the processing liquid removal device includes at least a gas supply unit (not shown) that supplies gas to the gap region 180 when removing the cleaning liquid 264 adhering to the upper surface of the back surface shielding plate 170. With such a configuration, the cleaning liquid 264 is scattered by the supplied gas in addition to the contribution of the centrifugal force due to the rotation of the dummy substrate DW, so that the cleaning liquid 264 can be effectively removed.

[0180] Moreover, according to the embodiment described above, the rotating part is a dummy substrate DW, which is a substrate having a predetermined shape. With this configuration, the dummy substrate DW is a substrate that has not been subjected to chemical treatment or the like, and is a substrate having a known shape that is less likely to cause deformation such as warping compared to the substrate W, so that the width in the Z direction of the gap region 180 during the drying process can be controlled with high precision.

[0181] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the processing liquid removal device includes a heating unit that heats the upper surface of the back surface shielding plate 170. With such a configuration, by providing a heater that heats the facing surface of the facing part (i.e., the upper surface of the back surface shielding plate 170, the lower surface of the cleaning liquid nozzle 64, or the lower surface of the front surface shielding plate 210), drying of the facing surface in the drying process can be promoted.

[0182] Moreover, according to the embodiment described above, the cleaning liquid 264 is the chemical liquid 252 for treating the dummy substrate DW, or the cleaning liquid 264 for cleaning at least one of the dummy substrate DW or the back surface shielding plate 170. With such a configuration, whichever processing liquid is used, the processing liquid can be effectively removed by the drying process in which the rotating part and the opposing part are brought close to each other.

[0183] Moreover, according to the embodiment described above, the lower surface of the dummy substrate DW and the upper surface of the back surface shielding plate 170 are separated while the cleaning liquid 264 is being supplied to the gap region 180, and then the lower surface of the dummy substrate DW and the upper surface of the back surface shielding plate 170 are brought close to each other in the process of removing the cleaning liquid 264. According to such a configuration, when the cleaning liquid 264 is supplied to the gap region 180, the width of the gap region 180 in the Z direction is made wide so that the cleaning liquid 264 can easily penetrate into the gap region 180 as much as possible, while, when the cleaning liquid 264 adhering to the upper surface of the back surface shielding plate 170 is removed, the lower surface of the dummy substrate DW and the upper surface of the back surface shielding plate 170 can be brought close to each other in order to effectively remove the cleaning liquid 264.

[0184] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, after the step of removing the cleaning liquid 264, the lower surface of the dummy substrate DW is separated from the upper surface of the back surface shielding plate 170 while the chemical liquid 252 is being supplied to the gap region 180. With this configuration, even if the cleaning liquid 264 remains on the upper surface of the back surface shielding plate 170 in the previous drying process, the particle size of the remaining cleaning liquid 264 is considered to be smaller than the width in the Z direction of the gap region 180 in the drying process, so that it is possible to prevent the lower surface of the substrate W adsorbed to the spin base 51A from coming into contact with the remaining cleaning liquid 264 during the next chemical liquid process. Therefore, contamination of the substrate W can be suppressed.

[0185] <Modifications of the above-described embodiments> In the embodiment described above, the cleaning process and the drying process may be performed collectively after the chemical liquid processing for a plurality of substrates W has been completed.

[0186] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, rotation of the substrate W or dummy substrate DW is used in a drying process to remove the cleaning liquid after the cleaning liquid is supplied in the cleaning process, but this may also be applied after a substrate process other than the cleaning process, such as a chemical process or a rinsing process, or may be applied during the substrate process.

[0187] In the embodiments described above, a heater may be provided to heat the facing surface of the facing part facing the rotating substrate W or dummy substrate DW (i.e., the upper surface of back surface shielding plate 170, the lower surface of cleaning liquid nozzle 64, or the lower surface of front surface shielding plate 210). The heater may be built into the facing surface, or may be provided separately. The temperature of the heater is controlled by, for example, the control unit 7 shown in FIG. 2.

[0188] By providing a heater for heating the opposing surface, drying of the opposing surface during the drying process can be promoted.

[0189] In the embodiments described above, the material, composition, dimensions, shape, relative positional relationship, or implementation conditions of each component may be described, but these are merely examples in all respects and are not limited to those described in the present specification.

[0190] Therefore, countless modifications and equivalents not shown are assumed within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present specification, including, for example, modifying, adding, or omitting at least one component, and further, extracting at least one component in at least one embodiment and combining it with a component in another embodiment.

[0191] Furthermore, unless a contradiction arises, any component described in the above embodiments as being provided in "one" quantity may be provided in "one or more" quantities.

[0192] Furthermore, each component in the embodiments described above is a conceptual unit, and the scope of the technology disclosed in this specification includes cases where one component is made up of multiple structures, where one component corresponds to a part of a structure, and even where multiple components are provided in one structure.

[0193] Furthermore, each of the components in the embodiments described above includes structures having other structures or shapes as long as they perform the same function.

[0194] Furthermore, the descriptions in this specification are incorporated by reference for all purposes related to the present technology, and none of them are admitted to be prior art.

[0195] In addition, in the embodiments described above, when a material name is mentioned without being specifically specified, it is understood that the material may contain other additives, such as an alloy, unless a contradiction arises.

[0196] Furthermore, each of the components described in the above embodiments is envisioned as either software or firmware, or as corresponding hardware, and in both concepts, each component is referred to as a "unit" or a "processing circuit" (circuitry), etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0197] 7 control unit, 50 processing chamber, 50A partition wall, 50B opening, 50C shutter, 51 spin chuck, 51A spin base, 51C rotating shaft, 51D spin motor, 52, 352 chemical nozzle, 53 chemical tank, 54 chemical piping, 55 liquid delivery device, 56 chemical valve, 57 circulation piping, 58 circulation valve, 59 temperature control device, 60, 360 rinse liquid nozzle, 61 rinse liquid piping, 62 rinse liquid valve, 64, 364 cleaning liquid nozzle, 65 cleaning liquid piping, 66 cleaning liquid valve, 71 CPU, 72 ROM, 73 RAM, 74 memory unit, 75 bus wiring, 76 input unit, 77 display unit, 100, 100B substrate processing device, 152 chemical arm, 152A, 160A Rotation drive source, 152B, 160B shaft body, 152C, 160C arm portion, 160 rinse liquid arm, 170 back surface blocking plate, 180, 180A, 180B gap area, 190 moving portion, 210 front surface blocking plate, 252 chemical solution, 264 cleaning solution, 511 processing cup, 513 drain port, 515 exhaust port.

Claims

1. A method for removing a processing liquid using a processing device including a rotating part having a first surface and rotatable about a rotation axis in a normal direction of the first surface, and an opposing part having a second surface opposing the first surface, supplying a treatment liquid to at least a gap region between the first surface and the second surface; removing the processing liquid adhering to the second surface by rotating the rotating unit while the first surface and the second surface are brought into close proximity to each other; While the processing liquid is being supplied to the gap region, the first surface and the second surface are spaced apart from each other more than in the step of removing the processing liquid. Method for removing processing fluid.

2. a rotating part having a first surface and rotatable about a rotation axis in a normal direction of the first surface; a second surface facing the first surface and a facing portion that is a lower surface of a nozzle that is movable along a plane along the first surface and faces the first surface, supplying a treatment liquid to at least a gap region between the first surface and the second surface; and removing the processing liquid adhering to the second surface by positioning the lower surface of the nozzle on the outer edge side relative to the center of the rotating unit and rotating the rotating unit in a state in which the first surface and the second surface are close to each other. Method for removing processing fluid.

3. a rotating part having a first surface and rotatable about a rotation axis in a normal direction of the first surface; a processing liquid removal method using a processing apparatus including a counter part having a second surface facing the first surface and not rotating, supplying a treatment liquid to at least a gap region between the first surface and the second surface; and removing the processing liquid adhering to the second surface by bringing the first surface and the second surface into close proximity to each other and rotating the rotating unit in a state in which the processing liquid adhering to the second surface is in contact with the first surface. Method for removing processing fluid.

4. The method for removing a processing liquid according to claim 1 or 2, The opposing portion does not rotate. Method for removing processing fluid.

5. The method for removing a processing liquid according to claim 1 or 2, In the step of removing the processing liquid, the rotating unit is rotated in a state in which the processing liquid adhering to the second surface is in contact with the first surface. Method for removing processing fluid.

6. The method for removing a processing liquid according to claim 1, a step of separating the first surface from the second surface while the processing liquid is being supplied to the gap region, and then bringing the first surface close to the second surface in a step of removing the processing liquid; Method for removing processing fluid.

7. The method for removing a processing liquid according to claim 1, After the step of removing the processing liquid, the first surface and the second surface are spaced apart while the processing liquid is being supplied to the gap region. Method for removing processing fluid.

8. A method for removing a processing liquid according to any one of claims 1 to 7, In the step of removing the processing liquid, a gas is supplied to the gap region. Method for removing processing fluid.

9. A method for removing a processing liquid according to any one of claims 1 to 8, The rotating part is a dummy substrate which is a substrate having a predetermined shape. Method for removing processing fluid.

10. A method for removing a processing liquid according to any one of claims 1 to 9, In the step of removing the processing liquid, the second surface is heated. Method for removing processing fluid.

11. A method for removing a processing liquid according to any one of claims 1 to 10, the processing liquid is a chemical liquid for processing the rotating part, or a cleaning liquid for cleaning at least one of the rotating part and the opposing part; Method for removing processing fluid.

12. a rotating part having a first surface and rotatable about a rotation axis in a normal direction of the first surface; an opposing portion having a second surface opposing the first surface; a processing liquid supply unit for supplying a processing liquid to at least a gap region between the first surface and the second surface; a moving unit for moving at least one of the rotating unit and the opposing unit toward or away from the other of the rotating unit and the opposing unit; a control unit that controls the rotational drive of the rotating unit and controls the rotating unit or the opposing unit of the moving unit to approach or move away from each other, the control unit causes the moving unit to separate the first surface and the second surface while the processing liquid is being supplied to the gap region by the processing liquid supply unit, and when removing the processing liquid adhering to the second surface, causes the moving unit to rotate the rotating unit in a state in which the first surface and the second surface are brought close to each other. Processing liquid removal device.

13. a rotating part having a first surface and rotatable about a rotation axis in a normal direction of the first surface; a nozzle that is movable on a plane along the first surface, has an opposing portion having a second surface opposing the first surface, and supplies a treatment liquid to at least a gap region that is a region between the first surface and the second surface; a control unit for controlling the rotational drive of the rotating unit and the position of the nozzle, when removing the processing liquid adhering to the second surface, the control unit positions the nozzle on an outer edge side of a center of the rotating unit and rotates the rotating unit in a state in which the first surface and the second surface are close to each other. Processing liquid removal device.

14. a rotating part having a first surface and rotatable about a rotation axis in a normal direction of the first surface; a facing portion having a second surface facing the first surface and not rotating; a processing liquid supply unit for supplying a processing liquid to at least a gap region between the first surface and the second surface; A control unit that controls the rotation drive of the rotating unit, the control unit rotates the rotating unit in a state in which the first surface and the second surface are brought into close proximity to each other and the processing liquid adhering to the second surface is in contact with the first surface. Processing liquid removal device.

15. The processing liquid removal device according to claim 12 or 13, The opposing portion does not rotate. Processing liquid removal device.

16. The processing liquid removal device according to claim 12, 13 or 15, the control unit rotates the rotating unit in a state in which the treatment liquid adhering to the second surface is in contact with the first surface. Processing liquid removal device.

17. 17. The processing liquid removal device according to claim 12, a gas supply unit that supplies a gas to the gap region when removing the processing liquid adhering to the second surface. Processing liquid removal device.

18. 18. The processing liquid removal device according to claim 12, The rotating part is a dummy substrate which is a substrate having a predetermined shape. Processing liquid removal device.

19. 19. The processing liquid removal device according to claim 12, Further comprising a heating unit that heats the second surface. Processing liquid removal device.

20. 20. The processing liquid removal device according to claim 12, the processing liquid is a chemical liquid for processing the rotating part, or a cleaning liquid for cleaning at least one of the rotating part and the opposing part; Processing liquid removal device.

21. 1. A substrate processing apparatus that supplies a processing liquid to an upper surface of a substrate while rotating the substrate, the upper surface of the substrate being held by a spin chuck at an area other than an edge surface of the lower surface of the substrate, a back surface shielding plate having a surface facing the end surface of the lower surface of the substrate held by the spin chuck and not rotating; a processing liquid supply unit that supplies a processing liquid between an end surface of the lower surface of the substrate held by the spin chuck and the opposing surface of the back surface shielding plate; Equipped with a processing liquid supply unit supplies a processing liquid between an end surface of the lower surface of the substrate held by the spin chuck and the opposing surface of the back surface shielding plate, With the end surface of the lower surface of the substrate and the rear surface shielding plate brought into close proximity to each other, 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing liquid is scattered outwardly of the rear surface shielding plate by rotating the spin chuck, thereby cleaning the opposing surface of the rear surface shielding plate.

22. 1. A substrate processing apparatus that supplies a processing liquid to an upper surface of a substrate while rotating the substrate held by a spin chuck with a rotating part, a nozzle that is movable in a plane along the upper surface of the substrate held by the spin chuck and has an opposing surface that faces the upper surface of the substrate; Equipped with a processing liquid is supplied from the nozzle to the upper surface of the substrate held by the spin chuck, The nozzle is positioned on the outer edge side of the center of the rotating part, and the substrate and the nozzle are brought into close proximity to each other, 2. A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a processing liquid supplying unit for supplying a processing liquid to a nozzle; a processing liquid supplying unit for supplying a processing liquid to a nozzle;

23. 1. A substrate processing method comprising: While rotating the substrate, the area of ​​the lower surface of which is not the end surface, held by the spin chuck, a supplying step of supplying a processing liquid between an edge surface of a back surface of the substrate held by the spin chuck and an opposing surface of a non-rotating back surface shielding plate that faces the edge surface of the lower surface of the substrate held by the spin chuck; a removing step of rotating the spin chuck to scatter and remove the processing liquid supplied between the substrate held by the spin chuck and the opposing surface of the back surface shielding plate while bringing the end surface of the lower surface of the substrate and the back surface shielding plate into close proximity to each other, thereby cleaning the opposing surface of the back surface shielding plate; A substrate processing method comprising:

24. 1. A substrate processing method comprising: a supplying step of supplying a processing liquid onto an upper surface of the substrate held by the spin chuck from a nozzle movable along a plane along the upper surface of the substrate held by the spin chuck and having an opposing surface facing the upper surface of the substrate while rotating the substrate held by a spin chuck with a rotating part; a removal process in which, while the nozzle is positioned on the outer edge side of the center of the rotating part and the substrate and the nozzle are in close proximity to each other, the spin chuck is rotated to scatter and remove the substrate outward, and the opposing surface of the nozzle is cleaned.

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