Substrate drying device

Abstract

To provide a substrate drying device 1 that suppresses the occurrence of micro-sized defects (for example, defects with a defect size of 20 nm or less).SOLUTION: A substrate drying device 1 includes a substrate holding portion 11 for holding a substrate W, a gas generator for generating a dry gas G containing at least IPA vapor and for drying the substrate W, and a dry gas nozzle 30 that supplies dry gas G to the surface WA of the substrate W, and the gas generator is provided with a filter for filtering the dry gas G, the defect size D allowed in the defect inspection after drying the substrate W is set to 20 nm or less, and a ration D / F between the defect size D and the filter size F to the filter is set to 4 or more.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate drying apparatus and a substrate drying method, and more particularly to a substrate drying apparatus and a substrate drying method in which a rinse liquid is moved toward the outer periphery by centrifugal force and Marangoni force, gradually expanding a dried area on a substrate from the center to the outer periphery, and ultimately drying the entire surface of the substrate. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, with the miniaturization of semiconductor devices, various material films with different physical properties are formed on a substrate and processed. In particular, in the damascene wiring formation process, wiring grooves formed on a substrate are filled with metal, but after the damascene wiring formation, the excess metal is polished and removed by a substrate polishing device (CMP device), resulting in the existence of films with different wettability to water, such as metal films, barrier films, and insulating films, on the substrate surface. For example, a low-k film with a low k value is used for an insulating film in which copper is embedded, but since the low-k film is hydrophobic, the water film on the substrate is easily divided, and if drying is performed in a state in which the water film is divided, defects such as water marks (water stains) are likely to occur. Furthermore, these substrate surfaces contain foreign matter such as slurry residues used in CMP polishing and Cu polishing debris, but even if the substrate surface has a complex film shape and surface properties that are difficult to clean, if the substrate is not sufficiently cleaned, the residues may cause leakage from that part or cause poor adhesion, which may cause reliability problems.

[0003] In view of this, a technique has been proposed as a drying apparatus and method that is effective in preventing the occurrence of defects, in which a rinse liquid for cleaning is supplied from a rinse liquid nozzle to a substrate rotating in a single-wafer manner to form a liquid film that covers the entire substrate surface, and a drying gas flow containing IPA (isopropyl alcohol) that reduces the surface tension of the rinse liquid is supplied from a drying gas nozzle to the substrate, thereby drying the substrate.As a conventional example, a substrate drying apparatus has been proposed that can prevent the occurrence of defects even if the rinse liquid evaporates in the central area of ​​the substrate, where the centrifugal force is relatively small and the rinse liquid is likely to remain (for example, see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-192967 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In recent years, advances in miniaturized devices have led to improved performance of defect inspection equipment, making it possible to detect microscopic defects that were previously undetectable. This has resulted in the need for improved technology that can address the issues and associated risks that have become apparent.

[0006] In addition, technological innovation in the semiconductor manufacturing process has led to the miniaturization of the line width of patterns formed on substrates in recent years, and particles on substrates that were previously considered to be non-fatal are now considered to be a cause of yield. In addition, when patterns are stacked in multiple layers using 3D wiring technology, there is a concern that surface variations caused by minor particles on the substrate surface after substrate polishing will be amplified, and improved technology was required. As technological innovation progresses, the required quality is increasing accordingly in terms of how much particles remaining on the substrate can be reduced, for example, after the substrate is polished, cleaned, and dried.

[0007] However, with conventional substrate drying apparatus and substrate drying methods, it is difficult to sufficiently suppress the occurrence of micro-sized defects (e.g., defects with a size of 20 nm or less), which are required at a higher level with the latest technological innovations, and further improvements are required.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an improved substrate drying apparatus and substrate drying method that can suppress the occurrence of micro-sized defects (e.g., defects with a size of 20 nm or less). [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The substrate drying apparatus of the present invention comprises a substrate holding part for holding a substrate, a gas generator for generating a dry gas containing at least IPA vapor for drying the substrate, and a dry gas nozzle for supplying the dry gas to a surface of the substrate, the gas generator being provided with a filter for filtering the dry gas, and a defect size D allowable in a defect inspection after drying of the substrate is set to 20 nm or less, and a ratio D / F of the defect size D and the filter size F of the filter is set to 4 or more.

[0010] According to this configuration, even if the allowable defect size D in defect inspection after drying of the substrate is 20 nm or less, the occurrence of defects (defects with a defect size D of 20 nm or less) can be suppressed by setting the ratio of the defect size D to the filter size F of the filter (a filter that filters the drying gas that dries the substrate) to 4 or more. Therefore, it is possible to provide an improved substrate drying apparatus that suppresses the occurrence of minute defects over the entire substrate.

[0011] Further, a substrate drying apparatus of the present invention includes a substrate holding unit that holds a substrate, a substrate rotating unit that rotates the substrate holding unit, a rinse liquid supply mechanism including a rinse liquid nozzle that supplies a rinse liquid to a surface of the substrate, a gas generator that generates a dry gas that contains at least IPA vapor and dries the substrate, and a dry gas supply mechanism including a dry gas nozzle that supplies the dry gas to the surface of the substrate, a nozzle moving mechanism for moving a supply position of the dry gas from the dry gas nozzle and a supply position of the rinse liquid from the rinse liquid nozzle in accordance with a drying process of the substrate, and a control device that controls operations of a rotation unit, the nozzle movement mechanism, the rinsing liquid supply mechanism, the gas generator, and the drying gas supply mechanism, wherein the control device, when dividing a surface of the substrate into concentric regions, a central area where a rotation center of the substrate is present, an inner peripheral area existing outside the central area, an outer peripheral area existing outside the inner peripheral area, and a peripheral area located at the outermost periphery of the substrate, performs one of the following (1), (2), or (3) while rotating the substrate by the substrate rotation unit in the substrate drying apparatus: a substrate drying apparatus operable to control the rinse liquid supply mechanism so as to: (1) supply the rinse liquid from the rinse liquid nozzle to the surface of the substrate when the rinse liquid nozzle is located in a central area, an inner peripheral area, or an outer peripheral area where a rotation center of the substrate exists, and stop supplying the rinse liquid from the rinse liquid nozzle to the surface of the substrate when the rinse liquid nozzle is located in the peripheral area; and (2) control the rinse liquid supply mechanism so as to supply the rinse liquid from the rinse liquid nozzle to the surface of the substrate when the rinse liquid nozzle is located in the central area, (3) controlling the gas generator so as to increase a concentration of a dry component contained in the dry gas supplied from the dry gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate when the dry gas nozzle is located in the inner peripheral area or the outer peripheral area, and to reduce a concentration of a dry component contained in the dry gas supplied from the dry gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate to zero when the dry gas nozzle is located in the peripheral area; and (4) supplying the dry gas from the dry gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate when the dry gas nozzle is located in the central area, the inner peripheral area, or the outer peripheral area;The dry gas supply mechanism is controlled so as to reduce a flow rate of the dry gas supplied from the dry gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate when the dry gas nozzle is located in the peripheral area.

[0012] According to this configuration, when the dry gas nozzle reaches the position of the peripheral area of ​​the substrate, the supply of the rinse liquid from the rinse liquid nozzle to the surface of the substrate is stopped, the concentration of the dry component (IPA) contained in the dry gas supplied from the dry gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate is set to zero, and the flow rate of the dry gas is reduced. This makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of defects (defects with a defect size D of 20 nm or less) in the peripheral area (edge ​​portion) of the substrate, where defect occurrence is likely to be a problem. Therefore, it is possible to provide an improved substrate drying apparatus that suppresses the occurrence of micro-sized defects over the entire substrate.

[0013] Further, a substrate drying apparatus of the present invention includes a substrate holding section for holding a substrate, a substrate rotating section for rotating the substrate, a rinse liquid nozzle for supplying a rinse liquid to cover the substrate with a liquid film onto a surface of the substrate, a dry gas nozzle for supplying a dry gas containing at least IPA vapor onto the surface of the substrate, a nozzle moving mechanism for moving a supply position of the dry gas from the dry gas nozzle and a supply position of the rinse liquid from the rinse liquid nozzle, a gas generator for generating a dry gas for drying the substrate, and a rinse liquid supplied from the rinse liquid nozzle onto the surface of the substrate. A substrate drying apparatus including a control device that controls a supply amount of liquid, a concentration of a drying component contained in the dry gas supplied from the dry gas nozzle to a surface of the substrate, and a flow rate of the dry gas supplied from the dry gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate, wherein the substrate has a central area where a rotation center of the substrate exists, an inner peripheral area existing outside the central area, an outer peripheral area existing outside the inner peripheral area, and a peripheral area existing outside the outer peripheral area, and the control device controls the rinse liquid nozzle to rotate around the central area, the inner peripheral area, the outer peripheral area, and the peripheral area. and controls a supply of the rinse liquid from the rinse liquid nozzle to the surface of the substrate when the dry gas nozzle is located in the inner peripheral area or the outer peripheral area, compared to when the dry gas nozzle is located in the central area, and controls a concentration of a dry component contained in the dry gas supplied from the dry gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate to be higher when the dry gas nozzle is located in the inner peripheral area or the outer peripheral area, compared to when the dry gas nozzle is located in the central area, and controls a concentration of a dry component contained in the dry gas supplied from the dry gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate to be zero when the dry gas nozzle is located in the peripheral area; and controls a supply of the dry gas from the dry gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate when the dry gas nozzle is located in the central area, the inner peripheral area or the outer peripheral area, and controls a flow rate of the dry gas supplied from the dry gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate not to be changed when the dry gas nozzle is located in the peripheral area.

[0014] According to this configuration, when the dry gas nozzle reaches the position of the peripheral area of ​​the substrate, the supply of the rinse liquid from the rinse liquid nozzle to the surface of the substrate is stopped, the concentration of the drying component (IPA) contained in the dry gas supplied from the dry gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate is set to zero, and the flow rate of the dry gas is not changed. This makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of defects (defects with a defect size D of 20 nm or less) in the peripheral area (edge ​​portion) of the substrate, where defect occurrence is likely to be a problem. Therefore, it is possible to provide an improved substrate drying apparatus that suppresses the occurrence of micro-sized defects over the entire substrate.

[0015] In addition, the substrate drying apparatus of the present invention may include a rotation speed control unit that controls the rotation speed of the substrate by the substrate rotation unit, and the line number control unit may increase the rotation speed of the substrate at or above a predetermined rotation acceleration up to a predetermined target rotation speed when the supply of the rinsing liquid is stopped.

[0016] According to this configuration, when the supply of the rinsing liquid is stopped, the rotation speed of the substrate is increased to a predetermined target rotation speed at a predetermined rotation acceleration or more, thereby making it possible to suppress the occurrence of defects (defects with a defect size D of 20 nm or less) in the peripheral area (edge ​​portion) of the substrate, where defect occurrence is likely to be a problem. Therefore, it is possible to provide an improved substrate drying apparatus that suppresses the occurrence of minute defects over the entire substrate.

[0017] A substrate drying method of the present invention is a method of drying a substrate using a substrate drying apparatus, the substrate drying apparatus comprising: a substrate rotation unit that rotates a substrate held by a substrate holding unit; a rinse liquid nozzle that supplies a rinse liquid for covering the substrate with a liquid film to a surface of the substrate; and a dry gas supply nozzle that supplies a dry gas containing at least IPA vapor to the surface of the substrate for drying the substrate, the substrate having a central area where a rotation center of the substrate exists, an inner peripheral area existing outside the central area, an outer peripheral area existing outside the inner peripheral area, and a peripheral area existing outside the outer peripheral area, the method comprising: supplying the rinse liquid from the rinse liquid nozzle to the surface of the substrate when the rinse liquid nozzle is positioned in the central area, the inner peripheral area, or the outer peripheral area; stopping the supply of the rinsing liquid from the nozzle to the surface of the substrate; increasing a concentration of a dry component contained in the dry gas supplied from the dry gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate when the dry gas nozzle is located in the inner peripheral area or the outer peripheral area compared to when the dry gas nozzle is located in the central area; setting a concentration of a dry component contained in the dry gas supplied from the dry gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate to zero when the dry gas nozzle is located in the peripheral area; supplying the dry gas from the dry gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate when the dry gas nozzle is located in the central area, the inner peripheral area or the outer peripheral area; and reducing a flow rate of the dry gas supplied from the dry gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate when the dry gas nozzle is located in the peripheral area.

[0018] In this method, as in the above-mentioned device, when the dry gas nozzle reaches the position of the peripheral area of ​​the substrate, the supply of the rinse liquid from the rinse liquid nozzle to the surface of the substrate is stopped, the concentration of the drying component (IPA) contained in the dry gas supplied from the dry gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate is set to zero, and the flow rate of the dry gas is reduced. This makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of defects (defects with a defect size D of 20 nm or less) in the peripheral area (edge ​​portion) of the substrate, where defect occurrence is likely to be a problem. Therefore, it is possible to provide an improved substrate drying method that suppresses the occurrence of micro-sized defects over the entire substrate.

[0019] A substrate drying method of the present invention is a method of drying a substrate using a substrate drying apparatus, the substrate drying apparatus comprising: a substrate rotation unit that rotates a substrate held by a substrate holding unit; a rinse liquid nozzle that supplies a rinse liquid to a surface of the substrate for covering the substrate with a liquid film; and a dry gas supply nozzle that supplies a dry gas containing at least IPA vapor to the surface of the substrate for drying the substrate, the substrate having a central area in which a rotation center of the substrate exists, an inner peripheral area existing outside the central area, an outer peripheral area existing outside the inner peripheral area, and a peripheral area existing outside the outer peripheral area, the method comprising: supplying the rinse liquid from the rinse liquid nozzle to the surface of the substrate when the rinse liquid nozzle is positioned in the central area, the inner peripheral area, or the outer peripheral area; stopping the supply of the rinsing liquid from the dry gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate; increasing a concentration of a dry component contained in the dry gas supplied from the dry gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate when the dry gas nozzle is located in the inner peripheral area or the outer peripheral area compared to when the dry gas nozzle is located in the central area; setting a concentration of a dry component contained in the dry gas supplied from the dry gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate to zero when the dry gas nozzle is located in the peripheral area; supplying the dry gas from the dry gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate when the dry gas nozzle is located in the central area, the inner peripheral area or the outer peripheral area; and not changing a flow rate of the dry gas supplied from the dry gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate when the dry gas nozzle is located in the peripheral area.

[0020] In this method, as in the above-mentioned device, when the dry gas nozzle reaches the position of the peripheral area of ​​the substrate, the supply of the rinse liquid from the rinse liquid nozzle to the surface of the substrate is stopped, the concentration of the drying component (IPA) contained in the dry gas supplied from the dry gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate is set to zero, and the flow rate of the dry gas is not changed. This makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of defects (defects with a defect size D of 20 nm or less) in the peripheral area (edge ​​portion) of the substrate, where defect occurrence is likely to be a problem. Therefore, it is possible to provide an improved substrate drying method that suppresses the occurrence of micro-sized defects over the entire substrate surface. Effect of the Invention

[0021] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an improved substrate drying apparatus and method that suppresses the occurrence of micro-sized defects (eg, defects with a size of 20 nm or less) on the surface of a substrate. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a substrate drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a configuration of a dry gas generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an area of ​​a surface of a substrate. [Figure 4] 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams showing an example of changes in a rinse liquid, an IPA concentration, a gas amount, and a substrate rotation speed in the substrate drying method according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams illustrating the action and effect of suppressing the occurrence of defects according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 6A to 6C are explanatory diagrams showing an example of changes (another example) in the rinse liquid, the IPA concentration, the gas amount, and the substrate rotation speed in the substrate drying method according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 6A to 6C are explanatory diagrams showing an example of changes (another example) in the rinse liquid, the IPA concentration, the gas amount, and the substrate rotation speed in the substrate drying method according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 6A to 6C are explanatory diagrams showing an example of changes (another example) in the rinse liquid, the IPA concentration, the gas amount, and the substrate rotation speed in the substrate drying method according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic top view of a substrate processing apparatus in which a substrate drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is used; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a substrate drying apparatus and method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, a substrate drying apparatus and method used for drying substrates such as semiconductor wafers will be described as an example.

[0024] The configuration of a substrate drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the substrate drying apparatus according to the present embodiment. The substrate drying apparatus 1 includes a rotation mechanism 10 that supports (or holds) and rotates a substrate W to be processed, a rinse water nozzle 20 as a rinse liquid nozzle, a dry gas nozzle 30 that supplies a dry gas G (gas G for drying an object) containing at least IPA vapor to the substrate W, a movement mechanism 40 that moves the rinse water nozzle 20 and the dry gas nozzle 30 parallel to the surface of the substrate W, and a control device 50 that controls the operation of the substrate drying apparatus 1 including the rotation mechanism 10 and the movement mechanism 40.

[0025] The substrate drying apparatus 1 also includes a processing vessel 70, which contains a rotating mechanism 10 for supporting a substrate, a rinse water nozzle 20, a dry gas nozzle 30, and a moving mechanism 40. A sidewall of the processing vessel 70 is formed with an inlet / outlet 71 for loading / unloading the substrate W, and an annular exhaust duct 72 is provided at the top of the processing vessel 70. An exhaust port 73 is provided at the bottom of the storage vessel 70. A downflow is formed in the storage vessel 70 by supplying ventilation gas from the exhaust duct 72 and discharging it from the exhaust port 73. In one embodiment, a control device 50 and a dry gas generating device 60, which are components of the substrate drying apparatus 1, are provided outside the processing vessel 70.

[0026] The rinse water nozzle 20 is a device that supplies rinse water R as a rinse liquid to the substrate W. In this embodiment, the moving mechanism 40 serves both as a rinse liquid nozzle moving mechanism and a dry gas nozzle moving mechanism. The substrate W to be processed is typically a semiconductor substrate (typically 200 mm or 300 mm in size) that is a material for manufacturing semiconductor elements, and is formed in a disk shape. The substrate W has a circuit formed on one surface (this surface is referred to as the "front surface WA"), and no circuit formed on the other surface (rear surface). In another embodiment, the semiconductor substrate used as the substrate W may be a substrate without a circuit surface, for example, a silicon wafer, or a compound semiconductor such as GaAs, SiC, or GaN.

[0027] The rotation mechanism 10 has chuck claws 11 and a rotary drive shaft 12. A plurality of chuck claws 11 are provided to grip the outer peripheral end (edge ​​portion) of the substrate W to hold the substrate W. The chuck claws 11 are connected to the rotary drive shaft 12 so that the surface of the substrate W can be held horizontally. In this embodiment, the substrate W is held by the chuck claws 11 so that the surface WA faces upward. The rotary drive shaft 12 is configured to be able to rotate about an axis extending perpendicularly to the surface of the substrate W, and the substrate W can be rotated in a substrate rotation direction Dr within a horizontal plane by the rotation of the rotary drive shaft 12 about its axis. As an alternative to this configuration, the rotation mechanism 10 that can be adopted as another embodiment of the present invention may be a disk-shaped disk having a size corresponding to the substrate, with a plurality of holes connected to a vacuum source on the mounting surface corresponding to the vicinity of the center of the substrate to vacuum-chuck the substrate, and a motor mechanism connected to the rotary shaft of the disk, and the substrate W may be held by the disk and rotatably supported.

[0028] The rinse water nozzle 20 is a nozzle (a cylindrical device that ejects a fluid from a fine hole at the tip) that supplies rinse water R to the substrate W in the form of a water flow (rinse water flow) to cover the upper surface of the substrate W with a liquid film in order to avoid defects such as watermarks caused by the liquid on the surface WA of the substrate W drying from a droplet state. The rinse water R is typically pure water, but deionized water from which dissolved salts and dissolved organic matter have been removed, water containing dissolved carbon dioxide gas, or functional water such as ozone water, hydrogen water, and electrolytic ion water may also be used. From the viewpoint of removing dissolved salts and dissolved organic matter that cause watermarks, it is preferable to use deionized water. In addition, since static electricity generated by the movement of the rinse water R on the substrate W due to the rotation of the substrate W can attract foreign matter, it is preferable to use water containing dissolved carbon dioxide gas in order to increase the conductivity of the rinse water R and suppress charging. In one embodiment, in the case of a substrate containing certain metal components, the use of water containing dissolved carbon dioxide may actually promote corrosion of the substrate and cause defects. Therefore, if such a concern exists, the rinse water R may be configured to use water containing dissolved carbon dioxide as the first rinse water R1, and deionized water (DIW) may be used as the subsequent rinse water R2.

[0029] The dry gas nozzle 30 is a nozzle that supplies isopropyl alcohol (hereinafter simply referred to as IPA) to the film of rinsing water R covering the surface WA of the substrate W, and also supplies a dry gas G that pushes aside the film of rinsing water R in the form of a gas flow (dry gas flow) to the substrate W. The dry gas G is typically a mixture of IPA vapor and an inert gas such as nitrogen or argon that functions as a carrier gas, but it may be IPA vapor itself or contain at least IPA vapor.

[0030] The substrate drying apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes a device for generating a dry gas G. In the device for generating the dry gas G, a liquid IPA is stored in a sealed cylindrical container (not shown) made of a metal such as stainless steel. An inlet pipe (not shown) for introducing an inert gas into the container and an outlet pipe (not shown) for introducing the inert gas containing IPA vapor from the container to the dry gas nozzle 30 penetrate the upper end surface of the cylindrical container. The end of the inlet pipe in the container is immersed in the liquid IPA. On the other hand, the end of the outlet pipe in the container is located in a portion filled with gas above the liquid IPA and is not immersed in the liquid IPA. In addition, a contact type liquid level sensor for maintaining the liquid level of the IPA liquid in the container within a predetermined range is provided in the container. The liquid level sensor detects the high and low levels of the IPA liquid in the container, and when it detects a low level, it starts a pump (not shown) to supply the IPA liquid into the container, and when it detects a high level, it stops the pump to stop the supply of the IPA liquid into the container. In order to include IPA vapor in the dry gas flow blown out from the dry gas nozzle 30, an inert gas is blown into the IPA liquid from an inlet pipe to bubble it. Then, the IPA vapor becomes saturated with the inert gas and accumulates in the container above the IPA liquid, and this is led out of the container by an outlet pipe and led to the dry gas nozzle 30. The content of IPA vapor in the inert gas blown out from the dry gas nozzle 30 is typically adjusted by mixing the inert gas saturated with IPA vapor led to the dry gas nozzle 30 with an inert gas from another line to dilute it.

[0031] Here, a specific example of an apparatus for generating a dry gas G will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a dry gas generating apparatus 60. The dry gas generating apparatus 60 has an airtight container 61 in which IPA liquid is stored, and an inlet pipe 62 for introducing nitrogen gas N2 into the container 61 and an outlet pipe 63 for leading the nitrogen gas N2 contained in IPA vapor from the container 61 penetrate the upper end surface of the container 61. In the container 61, the end of the inlet pipe 62 is immersed in the liquid IPA, and the end of the outlet pipe 63 is not immersed in the liquid IPA. A mass flow controller (hereinafter referred to as "MFC") 62c is inserted into the inlet pipe 62, and an MFC 63c is inserted into the outlet pipe 63. The MFCs 62c and 63c are devices for adjusting the flow rate of a fluid, and are configured to have excellent responsiveness and stability and to be able to instantly control the flow rate to a predetermined value. A valve 63v is inserted into the outlet pipe 63 upstream of the MFC 63c. The inlet pipe 62 upstream of the MFC 62c and the outlet pipe 63 upstream of the valve 63v are connected via a bypass pipe 64. An MFC 64c is inserted into the bypass pipe 64. The MFCs 62c, 63c, and 64c are each connected to an IPA concentration detection unit 69 by a signal cable, and are configured to adjust the flow rate of the fluid passing through the inlet pipe 62, the outlet pipe 63, and the bypass pipe 64 so that the flow rate and IPA concentration of the dry gas G supplied to the dry gas nozzle 30 become desired values. In this device, the inlet pipe 62 of the nitrogen gas N2 is branched to form a bypass pipe 64-1. This bypass pipe 64-1 is connected to the rinse water nozzle 20 via an MFC 64-1c.

[0032] A liquid level sensor 68 is provided in the container 61 to maintain the level of the IPA liquid in the container 61 within a predetermined range. An IPA supply pipe 65 for introducing the IPA liquid into the container 61 and a degassing pipe 66 for degassing the upper part of the container 61 penetrate the upper end surface of the container 61. The ends of both the IPA supply pipe 65 and the degassing pipe 66 are located above the IPA liquid level in the container 61. An IPA supply valve 65v is inserted in the IPA supply pipe 65, and a degassing valve 66v is inserted in the degassing pipe 66. The IPA supply valve 65v and the degassing valve 66v are each connected to a liquid level sensor 68 by a signal cable. When the liquid level sensor 68 detects a low liquid level, the IPA supply valve 65v is opened to supply the IPA liquid into the container 61, and when the liquid level sensor 68 detects a high liquid level, the IPA supply valve 65v is closed to stop the supply of the IPA liquid into the container 61. The gas vent valve 66v is also opened or closed in conjunction with the opening or closing of the IPA supply valve 65v, so that the IPA liquid is smoothly supplied into the container 61.

[0033] In the dry gas generating device 60 configured as described above, when the dry gas G is generated, the nitrogen gas N2 is introduced into the inlet pipe 62 and / or the bypass pipe 64 with the IPA supply valve 65v and the gas vent valve 66v closed. The nitrogen gas N2 introduced into the container 61 through the inlet pipe 62 is blown into the IPA liquid in the container 61 to bubble the IPA liquid, vaporize the IPA liquid, and generate a mixed gas of IPA vapor and nitrogen gas N2 above the IPA liquid surface. The mixed gas flows through the outlet pipe 63 toward the dry gas nozzle 30, and nitrogen gas N2 is merged with the mixed gas from the bypass pipe 64 as necessary on the way, becoming the dry gas G with an adjusted IPA concentration, which is supplied to the dry gas nozzle 30. In this way, the IPA concentration in the dry gas G is adjusted to a desired concentration with good responsiveness.

[0034] Furthermore, the dry gas generating apparatus 60 of this embodiment is provided with a filter 67 for filtering the dry gas. The defect size D permitted in the defect inspection after drying of the substrate is set to 20 nm or less, and the ratio D / F of the defect size D to the filter size F of the filter 67 is set to a value of 4 or more. For example, the ratio D / F of the defect size D to the filter size F of the filter 67 is set to a value such as 4, 6, 13, 20, or 67 (see FIG. 5). Returning to FIG. 1, the description of the configuration of the substrate drying apparatus 1 will continue.

[0035] The moving mechanism 40 includes a movable arm 41, a movable shaft 42, and a driving source 43. The movable arm 41 has a length greater than the radius of the substrate W, and is a member to which the rinsing water nozzle 20 and the dry gas nozzle 30 are attached. The movable shaft 42 is a rod-shaped member that transmits the power of the driving source 43 to the movable arm 41, and one end of the movable shaft 42 is connected to one end of the movable arm 41 so that its longitudinal direction is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the movable arm 41, and the other end is connected to the driving source 43. The driving source 43 is a device that rotates the movable shaft 42 around its axis. The movable shaft 42 is installed so as to extend in the vertical direction outside the substrate W. The movable arm 41 is configured so that the dry gas flow discharged from the dry gas nozzle 30 attached to the opposite side of the connection end with the movable shaft 42 can collide with the center of rotation of the substrate W. The moving mechanism 40 is configured such that when the drive source 43 is operated, the movable arm 41 moves in the radial direction of the substrate W via the movable shaft 42, and the rinsing water nozzle 20 and the dry gas nozzle 30 also move in the radial direction of the substrate W in accordance with the movement of the movable arm 41.

[0036] The control device 50 has a process controller equipped with a microprocessor (computer), a user interface, and a storage unit. Each component of the substrate drying apparatus is electrically connected to the process controller so as to be controllable. The storage unit is electrically connected to the process controller. The storage unit records a control program for implementing various processes performed in the substrate drying apparatus by controlling the process controller, a recipe for performing a predetermined process according to the process conditions, and various other databases. The storage unit stores, for each recipe, the number of rotations of the substrate W, the flow rate of the rinse water flow discharged from the rinse water nozzle 20, the flow rate (gas amount) of the dry gas flow discharged from the dry gas nozzle 30, and the concentration of IPA at each execution timing, corresponding to the time from the start of the tact to the end of the tact of the substrate drying process. The storage unit stores a computer-readable recording medium such as a hard disk, a flexible disk, a DVD, a CD-ROM, or a memory card, and the recipe is recorded in the recording medium. Alternatively, the recipe may be configured to be read out as data from a cloud server or the like. The user interface is connected to the process controller, and includes an input tablet that enables an operator to input commands for controlling each component of the substrate drying apparatus, a display having a display screen, and the like.

[0037] The control device 50 is also connected to the rotary drive shaft 12 of the rotation mechanism 10 by a signal cable, and is configured to be able to adjust the rotation speed of the substrate W by adjusting the rotation speed of the rotary drive shaft 12. The control device 50 is also configured to be able to adjust the flow rate of the rinsing water flow discharged from the rinsing water nozzle 20. The control device 50 is also configured to be able to adjust the flow rate (gas amount) of the dry gas flow discharged from the dry gas nozzle 30, and to adjust the concentration of IPA that may be contained in the dry gas G. The control device 50 is also connected to the drive source 43 of the movement mechanism 40 by a signal cable, and is configured to be able to adjust the movement speed of the movable arm 41 by adjusting the rotation speed of the movable shaft 42 by the drive source 43.

[0038] Continuing to refer to FIG. 1, the operation of the substrate drying apparatus 1 will be described. The operation of the substrate drying apparatus 1 is one aspect of the substrate drying method according to the embodiment of the present invention, but the substrate drying method according to the embodiment of the present invention may be configured to be executed by a device other than the substrate drying apparatus 1. The operation of each member in the following description is controlled by the control device 50. In the pre-process, a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process is performed, and wet cleaning is performed with a chemical solution or the like, and a substrate W in a state in which liquid components such as the chemical solution from the cleaning remain on the surface (state before drying) is held by the chuck claws 11 of the rotation mechanism 10. The wet cleaning process before the drying process may be performed on the same rotation mechanism 10 as that used when the drying process is to be performed. When the substrate W to be dried is held by the rotation mechanism 10, the movable arm 41 is moved until the discharge port of the rinse water nozzle 20 faces a portion of the surface WA of the substrate W slightly off the rotation center Wc. At this time, the dry gas nozzle 30 is located in a collision range where the center of rotation Wc of the surface WA is present, and the center of gravity of the collision range is upstream of the center of rotation Wc of the surface WA in the nozzle movement direction Dn. Note that the "collision range" is the range where the dry gas flow collides with the surface WA (the outer edge of a cross section perpendicular to the axis of the dry gas flow when the cross section is projected on the surface WA in the axial direction) assuming that no rinsing water R is present on the surface WA. Also, the nozzle movement direction Dn is the direction from the side of the center of rotation Wc of the substrate W, through which the dry gas flow moves when drying the surface WA, toward the outer periphery.

[0039] When the movable arm 41 has moved to the above-mentioned position, a rinsing water flow is discharged from the rinsing water nozzle 20 so that the rinsing water R is supplied to the front surface WA of the substrate W. When the supply of the rinsing water flow to the front surface WA is started, the rotary drive shaft 12 is rotated, thereby rotating the substrate W in a horizontal plane. At this time, the rotation speed of the substrate W is gradually increased, and from the viewpoint of being able to cover the front surface WA with a film of the rinsing water R without the rinsing water R scattering even if the front surface WA is hydrophobic, it is preferable to set the acceleration to 300 rpm or less per second. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of improving throughput, it is preferable to set the acceleration as large as possible within a range in which the front surface WA can be covered with a film of the rinsing water R.

[0040] When the surface WA is covered with the rinse water R and the rotation speed of the substrate W increases to a predetermined value, a dry gas flow is supplied from the dry gas nozzle 30 to the surface WA. Since the IPA contained in the dry gas flow is generally bipolar, even if the surface WA is hydrophobic, the IPA will wet the surface WA uniformly and evenly (spread wetting). In addition, since the solubility of IPA in water is infinite, the IPA vapor quickly dissolves in the water adhering to the surface WA, and if the surface is in the form of water droplets, the IPA will become droplets mixed with the water droplets. Even when the supply of the dry gas flow to the surface WA starts, the supply of the rinse water flow to the surface WA continues. By supplying the dry gas flow to the surface WA, the rinse water R is removed from the portion where the dry gas G was supplied, even in the vicinity of the rotation center Wc where the centrifugal force acting on the rinse water R on the surface WA is small, and a dry area appears on the surface WA. When the supply of the dry gas flow to the surface WA starts, the movable arm 41 is moved in the nozzle movement direction Dn, and accordingly, the position at which the rinse water flow collides with the surface WA and the position at which the dry gas flow collides with the surface WA move in the nozzle movement direction Dn. Before the movable arm 41 started operating, the dry gas nozzle 30 was located at a position where the center of gravity of the collision range of the dry gas flow was upstream of the rotation center Wc of the surface WA in the nozzle movement direction Dn. Therefore, the movement of the movable arm 41 causes the center of gravity of the collision range to pass through the rotation center Wc.

[0041] As the movable arm 41 moves from the rotation center Wc to the outer periphery of the substrate W while the rinsing water flow and the dry gas flow are supplied to the surface WA, the boundary between the rinsing water R and the dry gas G gradually expands in a concentric manner, and the dry area on the surface WA gradually expands. At this time, at the boundary between the rinsing water R and the dry gas G, the dry gas G is sprayed onto the rinsing water R, causing the IPA in the dry gas G to dissolve in the rinsing water R, causing a decrease in the surface tension of the rinsing water R. The concentration of the IPA dissolved in the rinsing water R decreases the farther away from the contact position of the dry gas flow, so that a gradient occurs in the surface tension of the rinsing water R, which is lower on the upstream side of the nozzle movement direction Dn and higher on the downstream side. This gradient of surface tension causes a Marangoni force that attracts the rinsing water R from the side with smaller surface tension to the side with larger surface tension. In addition, a centrifugal force is applied by the rotation of the substrate W, which attracts the rinsing water R from the side with the rotation center Wc to the outer periphery of the substrate W. The interaction of these forces allows the rinse water R to be properly removed from the surface WA. In other words, the rinse liquid is moved toward the outer periphery by centrifugal force and Marangoni force, gradually expanding the dried area on the substrate from the center to the periphery, and finally drying the entire surface of the substrate. According to the above-mentioned single-wafer IPA drying, the occurrence of problems such as watermarks can be suppressed even on the hydrophobic surface WA, and a drying process can be effectively performed. It goes without saying that the above-mentioned single-wafer IPA drying can also be applied to the surface of a hydrophilic substrate.

[0042] When the movable arm 41 reaches the outer periphery of the substrate W, the supply of the rinsing water flow to the front surface WA is stopped, and the supply amount of the dry gas flow is reduced. At this time, the supply of the rinsing water flow to the front surface WA is stopped first, and then the supply amount of the dry gas flow is reduced. Thereafter, the rotation speed of the substrate W is increased (to about 800 to 2000 rpm in this embodiment), and droplets remaining on the outer peripheral end portion (edge ​​portion) and back surface of the substrate W are removed by centrifugal force. With the above, the drying process is completed, and after the rotation of the substrate W is stopped, the substrate W is unloaded from the rotation mechanism 10.

[0043] FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the distinguished ranges of the surface WA of the substrate W. The surface WA is first distinguished into a central area W1 and an outer area WO. The central area W1 is a range in which the rotation center Wc of the substrate W exists in the collision range (the range in which the dry gas flow collides with the surface WA). The central area W1 is typically a range inside a virtual circle drawn with the rotation center Wc as the center and the diameter of the collision range as the radius. The outer area WO is a region outside the central area W1. The outer area WO is further distinguished into an inner peripheral area W2, an outer peripheral area W3, and a peripheral area W4 in order from the rotation center Wc side of the substrate W to the outer periphery end side. The inner peripheral area W2 is a range outside the central area W1 inside a virtual circle drawn with the rotation center Wc as the center and the radius of about half the radius of the substrate W. The outer peripheral area W3 is a range outside the inner peripheral area W2 and inside the peripheral area W4. The peripheral area W4 is the range outside the trajectory of the dry gas flow when it is rotated around the center of rotation Wc at a position where the supply of the rinsing water flow to the surface WA is stopped (typically when it reaches the outer circumferential edge) when the rinsing water flow (see Figure 1) and the dry gas flow (see Figure 1) are moving in the radial direction of the substrate W (nozzle movement direction Dn).

[0044] The substrate drying apparatus 1 of this embodiment can be applied to a substrate processing apparatus. Fig. 9 is a schematic top view of the substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus processes various substrates in the manufacturing process of semiconductor wafers having a diameter of 300 mm or 450 mm, flat panels, image sensors such as CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) and CCD (Charge Coupled Device), and magnetic films in MRAM (Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory).

[0045] The substrate processing apparatus comprises a substantially rectangular housing 100, a load port 200 on which a substrate cassette for stocking a large number of substrates is placed, one or more (four in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1) substrate polishing apparatuses 300, one or more (two in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1) substrate cleaning apparatuses 400, a substrate drying apparatus 500, transport mechanisms 600a-600d, and a controller 700. Substrate drying apparatus 1 of the present embodiment can be used as this substrate drying apparatus 500. In this case, controller 50 of substrate drying apparatus 1 can be configured as controller 700.

[0046] The load port 200 is disposed adjacent to the housing 100. An open cassette, a Standard Mechanical Interface (SMIF) pod, or a Front Opening Unified Pod (FOUP) can be mounted on the load port 200. The SMIF pod and FOUP are sealed containers that can store substrate cassettes therein and maintain an environment independent of the external space by covering them with a partition. Examples of substrates include semiconductor wafers.

[0047] A substrate polishing apparatus 300 for polishing a substrate, a substrate cleaning apparatus 400 for cleaning the substrate after polishing, and a substrate drying apparatus 500 for drying the substrate after cleaning are contained in a housing 100. The substrate polishing apparatus 300 is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the substrate processing apparatus, and the substrate cleaning apparatus 400 and the substrate drying apparatus 500 are also arranged along the longitudinal direction of the substrate processing apparatus.

[0048] A transport mechanism 600a is disposed in an area surrounded by the load port 200, the substrate polishing apparatus 300 located on the load port 200 side, and the substrate drying apparatus 500. A transport mechanism 600b is disposed in parallel to the substrate polishing apparatus 300, the substrate cleaning apparatus 400, and the substrate drying apparatus 500. The transport mechanism 600a receives unpolished substrates from the load port 200 and passes them to the transport mechanism 600b, and receives dried substrates removed from the substrate drying apparatus 500 from the transport mechanism 600b.

[0049] A transport mechanism 600c is disposed between the two substrate cleaning apparatuses 400 for transferring substrates between the substrate cleaning apparatuses 400, and a transport mechanism 600d is disposed between the substrate cleaning apparatus 400 and the substrate drying apparatus 500 for transferring substrates between the substrate cleaning apparatus 400 and the substrate drying apparatus 500.

[0050] Furthermore, a control unit 700 that controls the operation of each device of the substrate processing apparatus is disposed inside the housing 100. Here, a description will be given using an embodiment in which the control unit 700 is disposed inside the housing 100, but this is not limiting, and the control unit 700 may be disposed outside the housing 100.

[0051] Next, a substrate cleaning method according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a time chart showing the supply / stop of rinse water R, changes in the IPA concentration in the dry gas flow, changes in the flow rate (gas amount) of the dry gas flow, and changes in the rotation speed of the substrate W according to the present embodiment. The symbols W1 to W4 on the horizontal axis indicate areas of the surface WA that are distinguished for convenience. In Fig. 4, W1 to W4 are equally divided to facilitate understanding, but this does not mean that the time required to dry each area is equal.

[0052] First, a description will be given of the control of supply / stop of the rinsing water R. As shown in Fig. 4, in this embodiment, when drying the central area W1, the inner peripheral area W2, and the outer peripheral area W3, the rinsing water R is supplied to the front surface WA of the substrate W, and when drying the peripheral area W4, the supply of the rinsing water R to the front surface WA of the substrate W is stopped.

[0053] Next, the control of the IPA concentration in the dry gas flow will be described. As shown in Fig. 4, in this embodiment, when drying the central area W1, the IPA concentration in the dry gas flow is maintained at a low concentration (e.g., less than 2 mol%), and when drying the inner peripheral area W2 and the outer peripheral area W3, the IPA concentration in the dry gas flow is maintained at a high concentration (e.g., 2 mol% to 20 mol%). Then, when drying the peripheral area W4, the IPA concentration in the dry gas flow is set to zero (0 mol%).

[0054] Next, the control of the flow rate (gas amount) of the dry gas flow will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, when drying the central area W1, the inner peripheral area W2, and the outer peripheral area W3, the flow rate (gas amount) of the dry gas flow is maintained at a large flow rate (for example, 0.5 liters / minute to 20 liters / minute), and when drying the peripheral area W4, the flow rate (gas amount) of the dry gas flow is maintained at a small flow rate (for example, 0.25 liters / minute to 10 liters / minute, which is half the flow rate at the large flow rate). Here, the flow rate (gas amount) of the dry gas flow refers to the total gas amount of IPA gas and nitrogen gas N2. Therefore, for example, when drying the inner peripheral area W2, if the IPA concentration increases (if the gas amount of IPA gas increases), the gas amount of nitrogen gas N2 is reduced accordingly, thereby maintaining the flow rate (total gas amount) of the dry gas flow constant.

[0055] Finally, the control of the rotation speed of the substrate W will be described. As shown in Fig. 4, in this embodiment, when drying the central area W1, the inner peripheral area W2, and the outer peripheral area W3, the rotation speed of the substrate W is maintained at a predetermined low rotation speed (e.g., 100 rpm to 500 rpm). Then, when drying the peripheral area W4, the rotation speed of the substrate W is increased to a predetermined high rotation speed (e.g., 800 rpm to 2000 rpm) at a rotation acceleration equal to or higher than a predetermined high rotation acceleration (500 rpm / sec or higher, e.g., 1000 rpm / sec). This high rotation speed can be called the target rotation speed.

[0056] According to the substrate drying apparatus 1 of this embodiment, even if the allowable defect size D in the defect inspection after drying of the substrate W is 20 nm or less, the occurrence of defects (defects with a defect size D of 20 nm or less) can be suppressed by setting the pore distribution and pore diameter of the filter 67 (filter 67 that filters the drying gas that dries the substrate) so that the ratio of the defect size D to the filter size F of the filter 67 is 4 or more, as shown in FIG. 5.

[0057] 4, in the recipe of this embodiment, when the dry gas nozzle 30 reaches the position of the peripheral area W4 of the substrate W, the supply of the rinse water R from the rinse water nozzle 20 to the front surface WA of the substrate W is stopped, the IPA concentration contained in the dry gas supplied to the front surface WA of the substrate W from the dry gas nozzle 30 is set to zero, and the flow rate (gas volume) of the dry gas is reduced. This makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of defects (defects with a defect size D of 20 nm or less) in the peripheral area W4 (edge ​​portion) of the substrate W where defect occurrence is particularly likely to be a problem. Therefore, it is possible to realize an improved substrate drying processing method that suppresses the occurrence of micro-sized defects over the entire substrate.

[0058] Furthermore, in the recipe of one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4, when the supply of rinsing water R is stopped, the rotation speed of the substrate is increased to a predetermined target rotation speed (e.g., 800 rpm to 2000 rpm) at a rotation acceleration greater than or equal to a predetermined rotation acceleration (500 rpm / sec or greater, e.g., 1000 rpm / sec), thereby suppressing the occurrence of defects (defects with a defect size D of 20 nm or less) in the peripheral area W4 (edge ​​portion) of the substrate W.

[0059] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above by way of example, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these, and changes and modifications can be made according to the purpose within the scope of the claims.

[0060] For example, in the example of Fig. 4, when the inner peripheral area W2 and the outer peripheral area W3 are dried, the IPA concentration in the dry gas flow is maintained at a high concentration (e.g., 2 mol% to 20 mol%), but when the inner peripheral area W2 and the outer peripheral area W3 are dried, a recipe in which the IPA concentration in the dry gas flow is gradually increased may be used as shown in Fig. 6. Also, in the example of Fig. 4, when the central area W1, the inner peripheral area W2, and the outer peripheral area W3 are dried, the flow rate (gas amount) of the dry gas flow is maintained at a high flow rate (e.g., 0.5 liters / min to 20 liters / min), but when the central area W1, the inner peripheral area W2, and the outer peripheral area W3 are dried, a recipe in which the flow rate (gas amount) of the dry gas flow is gradually increased may be used as shown in Fig. 6.

[0061] In the example of FIG. 4, when drying the peripheral area W4, the flow rate (gas amount) of the dry gas flow is reduced to a low flow rate (for example, 0.25 liters / min to 10 liters / min, which is half the flow rate at the high flow rate). However, as shown in FIG. 7, even when the dry gas nozzle 30 is located in the peripheral area W4, the flow rate of the dry gas supplied from the dry gas nozzle 30 to the surface WA of the substrate W does not need to be changed. In this case, the IPA concentration is reduced (the amount of IPA gas is reduced), so that the amount of nitrogen gas N2 is increased accordingly, thereby maintaining the flow rate (total gas amount) of the dry gas flow constant. Even in this manner, the occurrence of defects (defects with a defect size D of 20 nm or less) in the peripheral area W4 (edge ​​portion) of the substrate W can be suppressed.

[0062] In the example of Fig. 7, the IPA concentration in the dry gas flow is maintained at a high concentration (e.g., 2 mol% to 20 mol%) when drying the inner peripheral area W2 and the outer peripheral area W3, but the IPA concentration in the dry gas flow may be gradually increased when drying the inner peripheral area W2 and the outer peripheral area W3 as shown in Fig. 8. In the example of Fig. 7, the flow rate (gas amount) of the dry gas flow is maintained at a high flow rate (e.g., 0.5 liters / min to 20 liters / min) when drying the central area W1, the inner peripheral area W2, and the outer peripheral area W3, but the flow rate (gas amount) of the dry gas flow may be gradually increased when drying the central area W1, the inner peripheral area W2, and the outer peripheral area W3 as shown in Fig. 8.

[0063] According to the above embodiment, in a substrate drying apparatus that dries substrates, a series of processes can be performed continuously on multiple substrates, thereby improving throughput while suppressing the occurrence of defects on the substrates during the continuous substrate drying processes. [Industrial Applicability]

[0064] INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY As described above, the substrate drying apparatus according to the present invention has the effect of being able to suppress the occurrence of micro-sized defects (for example, defects with a size of 20 nm or less), and is useful as a substrate drying apparatus for semiconductor wafers, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 1 Substrate dryer 10 Rotation mechanism 11 Chuck jaws (substrate holding part) 12 Rotation drive shaft (substrate rotation part) 20 Rinse water nozzle (rinse liquid nozzle) 30 Dry Gas Nozzle 40 Moving mechanism 50 Control device 60 Gas generator (gas generating device including dry gas) 67 Filters W substrate WA board surface W1 Central Area WO Outer Area W2 Inner Area W3 Outer Area W4 Periphery Area R Rinse water G Dry gas

Claims

1. A substrate holder for holding a substrate; a gas generator for generating a drying gas containing at least IPA vapor for drying the substrate; a dry gas nozzle that supplies the dry gas to a surface of the substrate; Equipped with the gas generator is provided with a filter for filtering the dry gas; A substrate drying apparatus characterized in that a defect size D allowable in defect inspection after drying of the substrate is set to 20 nm or less, and a ratio D / F of the defect size D to a filter size F of the filter is set to 4 or more.

2. a substrate rotation unit that rotates the substrate holding unit; a rinse liquid supply mechanism including a rinse liquid nozzle that supplies a rinse liquid to the surface of the substrate; a dry gas supply mechanism including the dry gas nozzle; a nozzle moving mechanism for moving a supply position of a dry gas from the dry gas nozzle and a supply position of a rinse liquid from the rinse liquid nozzle in accordance with a drying process of a substrate; a control device that controls operations of the substrate rotating unit, the nozzle moving mechanism, the rinsing liquid supply mechanism, the gas generator, and the drying gas supply mechanism; A substrate drying apparatus comprising: The control device includes:

2. The substrate drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the surface of the substrate is concentrically divided into a central area where a rotation center of the substrate is present, an inner peripheral area existing outside the central area, an outer peripheral area existing outside the inner peripheral area, and a peripheral area located at the outermost periphery of the substrate, the substrate drying apparatus operates to perform any of the following controls (1), (2), and (3) while rotating the substrate with the substrate rotation unit: (1) supplying the rinse liquid from the rinse liquid nozzle to the surface of the substrate when the rinse liquid nozzle is located in a central area where a rotation center of the substrate exists, the inner peripheral area, or the outer peripheral area; controlling the rinsing liquid supply mechanism to stop supplying the rinsing liquid from the rinsing liquid nozzle to the surface of the substrate when the rinsing liquid nozzle is located in the peripheral area; (2) increasing a concentration of a dry component contained in the dry gas supplied from the dry gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate when the dry gas nozzle is located in the inner peripheral area or the outer peripheral area, compared with when the dry gas nozzle is located in the central area; controlling the gas generator so that a concentration of a dry component contained in the dry gas supplied from the dry gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate is zero when the dry gas nozzle is located in the peripheral area; (3) supplying the dry gas from the dry gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate when the dry gas nozzle is located in the central area, the inner peripheral area, or the outer peripheral area; The dry gas supply mechanism is controlled to reduce a flow rate of the dry gas supplied from the dry gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate when the dry gas nozzle is located in the peripheral area.

3. a substrate rotating unit that rotates the substrate; a rinse liquid nozzle that supplies a rinse liquid to a surface of the substrate to cover the substrate with a liquid film; a nozzle moving mechanism for moving a supply position of the dry gas from the dry gas nozzle and a supply position of the rinse liquid from the rinse liquid nozzle; a supply amount of the rinsing liquid supplied from the rinsing liquid nozzle to the surface of the substrate; a concentration of a dry component contained in the dry gas supplied from the dry gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate; and a control device for controlling a flow rate of the dry gas supplied from the dry gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate; A substrate drying apparatus comprising: the substrate has a central area where a rotation center of the substrate exists, an inner peripheral area existing outside the central area, an outer peripheral area existing outside the inner peripheral area, and a peripheral area existing outside the outer peripheral area, The control device includes: supplying the rinse liquid from the rinse liquid nozzle to the surface of the substrate when the rinse liquid nozzle is located in the central area, the inner peripheral area, or the outer peripheral area; controlling to stop supply of the rinse liquid from the rinse liquid nozzle to the surface of the substrate when the rinse liquid nozzle is located in the peripheral area; Furthermore, the control device a concentration of a dry component contained in the dry gas supplied from the dry gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate is increased when the dry gas nozzle is located in the inner peripheral area or the outer peripheral area, compared to when the dry gas nozzle is located in the central area; controlling a concentration of a dry component contained in the dry gas supplied from the dry gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate to be zero when the dry gas nozzle is located in the peripheral area; Furthermore, the control device supplying the dry gas from the dry gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate when the dry gas nozzle is located in the central area, the inner peripheral area, or the outer peripheral area; The substrate drying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the flow rate of the dry gas supplied from the dry gas nozzle to the surface of the substrate is controlled so as not to be changed when the dry gas nozzle is located in the peripheral area.

4. a rotation speed control unit for controlling a rotation speed of the substrate by the substrate rotation unit, The rotation speed control unit is 4. The substrate drying apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the supply of the rinsing liquid is stopped, the rotation speed of the substrate is increased to a predetermined target rotation speed at a predetermined rotation acceleration or higher.

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