Slit nozzle, substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Abstract

To provide a slit nozzle, a substrate processing device and a substrate processing method that can suppress occurrence and amounts of traces of process liquid at the tip part of the slit nozzle, when relatively moving a scraper while causing the scraper to contact with the tip part of the slit nozzle having the process liquid adhering thereto.SOLUTION: The substrate processing device satisfies a contact angle condition. That is, the condition that a contact angle θn of process liquid with respect to a nozzle-side contact area that contacts a scraper, of a surface of a tip part is larger than a contact angle θs of the process liquid with respect to a scraper-side contact area that contacts the tip part, of a surface of the scraper is satisfied. Therefore, the process liquid positioned between the scraper and the tip part of the slit nozzle is moved mainly to the scraper accompanying relative movement of the scraper. Therefore, no process liquid remains on a contact trajectory, or the process liquid remains remarkably less than before even if remaining.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a slit nozzle that ejects a treatment liquid from a slit-shaped ejection port, and to a technique for scraping off the treatment liquid from the tip of the slit nozzle. [Background technology]

[0002] In order to supply a processing liquid such as a resist liquid to a substrate, a slit nozzle having a slit-shaped discharge port is generally used, as described in, for example, Patent Document 1. Here, the substrate is a wafer level package (WLP). Substrates for semiconductor packages manufactured in a manufacturing format such as Flat Level Packaging (PLP) and Panel Level Packaging (PLP), semiconductor wafers, glass substrates for liquid crystal displays, FPDs such as organic EL displays, etc. These include substrates for panel displays, substrates for optical disks, substrates for magnetic disks, substrates for magneto-optical disks, glass substrates for photomasks, substrates for solar cells, etc.

[0003] In a slit nozzle, the processing liquid may adhere to the tip of the slit nozzle. If the adhered matter dries and hardens and falls onto the substrate, it will contaminate the substrate. Therefore, in the device described in Patent Document 1, before the processing liquid is supplied to the substrate from the slit nozzle, the processing liquid adhering to the side of the tip of the slit nozzle is scraped off with a scraper.

[0004] The scraping process using the scraper is a process in which the scraper is moved relative to the slit nozzle while being in contact with the tip of the slit nozzle from below. After this scraping process, traces of processing liquid remain on the trajectory of the scraper at the tip of the slit nozzle. For example, when a resist liquid is used as the processing liquid, resist traces remain. These resist traces accumulate every time the scraper is used to scrape off. In the substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the resist traces are periodically removed by applying ultrasonic vibrations to the tip of the slit nozzle while the tip is immersed in a cleaning liquid (ultrasonic cleaning process). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-37092 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Here, by suppressing the generation of resist marks due to the scraping operation, the frequency of ultrasonic cleaning processing can be reduced. However, in the past, no effective means for reducing the generation and amount of resist marks has been provided, and there is room for improvement.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a slit nozzle, substrate processing apparatus, and substrate processing method that can reduce the occurrence and amount of processing liquid marks at the tip of a slit nozzle having processing liquid adhering thereto when a scraper is brought into contact with the tip and moved relative to it. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A first aspect of the present invention is a slit nozzle having a tip end portion from which a slit-shaped discharge port for discharging a treatment liquid is extended, and after the treatment liquid is discharged from the discharge port, the treatment liquid is scraped off from the tip end portion by a scraper that moves relatively in the extension direction of the discharge port while abutting against the tip end portion, The tip portion has a surface treatment area that has been subjected to a liquid repellent treatment, The contact angle of the processing liquid with respect to the nozzle side contact area that contacts the scraper is Surface Treatment Area The contact angle of the processing liquid with respect to the scraper-side contact area contacting the The lower end of the surface treatment area coincides with the contact locus drawn by the upper end of the scraper due to the relative movement of the scraper with respect to the slit nozzle, or is located below the contact locus, and the upper end of the surface treatment area is located above the contact locus. It is characterized by the following.

[0009] A second aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus comprising: a slit nozzle having a tip end portion from which a slit-shaped discharge port for discharging a processing liquid is extended; a scraper having a contact portion that contacts the tip end portion of the slit nozzle; and a movement mechanism that moves the scraper relative to the slit nozzle in the extension direction of the discharge port while bringing the contact portion into contact with the tip end portion, The tip portion has a surface treatment area that has been subjected to a liquid repellent treatment, The contact angle of the processing liquid with respect to the nozzle side contact area that contacts the scraper is Surface Treatment Area The contact angle of the processing liquid with respect to the scraper-side contact area contacting the The lower end of the surface treatment area coincides with the contact locus drawn by the upper end of the scraper due to the relative movement of the scraper with respect to the slit nozzle, or is located below the contact locus, and the upper end of the surface treatment area is located above the contact locus. It is characterized by the following.

[0010] Furthermore, a third aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing method, comprising a scraping step of moving the scraper relative to the slit nozzle in the extension direction of the discharge port while bringing a contact portion of the scraper into contact with the tip of the slit nozzle that discharges a processing liquid from a slit-shaped discharge port extending from the tip of the slit nozzle, thereby scraping off the processing liquid from the tip, The tip portion has a surface treatment area that has been treated to be liquid repellent; The scraping process is Surface Treatment Area The contact angle of the treatment liquid with respect to the nozzle side contact area that contacts the scraper is Surface Treatment Area the contact angle of the processing liquid with respect to the scraper-side contact area contacting the tip of the scraper is larger than the contact angle of the processing liquid with respect to the scraper-side contact area contacting the tip of the scraper. and a condition that the lower end of the surface treatment area coincides with the abutment locus drawn by the upper end of the scraper due to the relative movement of the scraper with respect to the slit nozzle, or is located below the abutment locus, and the upper end of the surface treatment area is located above the abutment locus. The present invention is characterized in that it is carried out as follows.

[0011] In the invention configured in this way, the contact angle of the processing liquid with respect to the nozzle side abutment area of ​​the surface of the tip that abuts against the scraper is larger than the contact angle of the processing liquid with respect to the scraper side abutment area of ​​the surface of the scraper that abuts against the tip. Therefore, as the scraper moves relative to the tip, the destination of the processing liquid located between the scraper and the tip of the slit nozzle is mainly the scraper. No processing liquid remains on the abutment path, or even if it remains, the amount of remaining processing liquid is significantly less than in the past. Effect of the Invention

[0012] As described above, according to the present invention, when a scraper is brought into contact with and moved relative to the tip of a slit nozzle having processing liquid adhering thereto, the occurrence and amount of processing liquid marks at the tip can be suppressed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view that diagrammatically shows a substrate processing apparatus equipped with a slit nozzle according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view diagrammatically illustrating the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a top view illustrating a schematic arrangement of each part of the substrate processing apparatus illustrated in FIG. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a configuration of a cleaning unit that performs nozzle cleaning by a scraping operation. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of a slit nozzle according to the present invention. [Figure 6] 6 is a diagram showing a schematic example of a scraping operation by a scraper on the slit nozzle shown in FIG. 5. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the slit nozzle according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a substrate processing apparatus equipped with a first embodiment of the slit nozzle according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a top view showing the layout of each part of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1. In addition, in order to clarify the directional relationship between the figures, an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is appropriately added in which the Z direction is the up-down direction and the XY plane is the horizontal plane in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3 and the following figures, and the dimensions and numbers of each part are exaggerated or simplified as necessary. In addition, some components such as the nozzle support are omitted in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3.

[0015] The substrate processing apparatus 1 is, for example, a coating apparatus called a slit coater that uses a slit nozzle 2 to coat a processing liquid on a surface 31 of a substrate 3. The processing liquid is, for example, a color resist liquid containing a pigment. The substrate 3 is a glass substrate having a rectangular shape in a plan view. In this specification, the "surface 31 of the substrate 3" refers to the main surface of the substrate 3 on which the processing liquid is applied.

[0016] The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a stage 4 capable of suction-holding a substrate 3 in a horizontal position, a coating processing section 5 that performs a coating process, an example of substrate processing, on the substrate 3 held on the stage 4 using a slit nozzle 2, a nozzle maintenance unit 6 that performs a maintenance process on the slit nozzle 2, and a control section 100 that controls each of these sections.

[0017] The stage 4 is made of stone material such as granite having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the (+X) side of its upper surface (+Z side) has a holding surface 41 that is processed into a substantially horizontal flat surface and holds the substrate 3. A large number of vacuum suction ports (not shown) are formed and distributed on the holding surface 41. The substrate 3 is sucked by these vacuum suction ports, so that the substrate 3 is held horizontally at a predetermined position during the coating process. Note that the manner in which the substrate 3 is held is not limited to this, and the substrate 3 may be held mechanically, for example. In addition, a nozzle adjustment area RA is provided on the (-X) side of the area occupied by the holding surface 41 on the stage 4, and the nozzle maintenance unit 6 is arranged in this nozzle adjustment area RA.

[0018] The slit nozzle 2 extends in the Y direction. In addition, in the XZ cross section, a tip portion 21 (sometimes referred to as a lip portion) has a shape that tapers downward. A slit-shaped discharge port 23 extends in the Y direction at the tip portion 21, and the processing liquid pressure-fed from a processing liquid supply mechanism (not shown) is discharged downward from the discharge port 23. As a result, the processing liquid is supplied to the surface 31 of the substrate 3, and the processing liquid is applied to the surface 31 of the substrate 3.

[0019] The coating processing unit 5 has a nozzle support 51 that supports the slit nozzle 2. The nozzle support 51 has a support member 51a extending parallel to the Y direction above the stage 4, and two lifting mechanisms 51b that support the support member 51a from both sides in the Y direction and lift the support member 51a. The support member 51a is made of carbon fiber reinforced resin or the like, and is a rod member having a rectangular cross section. The lower surface of the support member 51a is an attachment portion 510 for the slit nozzle 2, and the support member 51a supports the slit nozzle 2 detachably at the attachment portion 510. Note that various fastening mechanisms such as latches or screws can be appropriately used as a mechanism for attaching and detaching the slit nozzle 2 to and from the attachment portion 510 of the support member 51a.

[0020] The two lifting mechanisms 51b are connected to both ends of the support member 51a in the longitudinal direction, and each has an AC servo motor and a ball screw, etc. The lifting mechanisms 51b lift the support member 51a and the slit nozzle 2 fixed thereto in the vertical direction (Z direction), and adjust the distance between the discharge port 23 opening at the lower end of the slit nozzle 2 and the substrate 3, i.e., the relative height of the discharge port 23 with respect to the substrate 3. The vertical position of the support member 51a can be detected by, for example, a linear encoder (not shown) consisting of a scale unit provided on the side of the lifting mechanism 51b and a detection sensor provided on the side of the slit nozzle 2 facing the scale unit.

[0021] The nozzle support 51 thus configured has a bridge structure spanning the holding surface 41, spanning both the left and right ends of the stage 4 along the Y direction, as shown in FIG. 1. The coating processing unit 5 has a slit nozzle moving unit 53 that moves the nozzle support 51 in the X direction. The slit nozzle moving unit 53 functions as a relative moving means that moves the nozzle support 51 as a bridge structure and the slit nozzle 2 supported thereon along the X direction relative to the substrate 3 held on the stage 4. Specifically, the slit nozzle moving unit 53 has a guide rail 52 that guides the movement of the slit nozzle 2 in the X direction, a linear motor 54 that is a driving source, and a linear encoder 55 for detecting the position of the discharge port 23 of the slit nozzle 2, on each of the ±Y sides.

[0022] The two guide rails 52 are provided at both ends of the stage 4 in the Y direction, and extend in the X direction to include the section in which the nozzle adjustment area RA and the holding surface 41 are provided. The two guide rails 52 guide the movement of the two lifting mechanisms 51b in the Y direction. The two linear motors 54 are provided on both sides of the stage 4, and are AC coreless linear motors having a stator 54a and a slider 54b. The stator 54a is provided on the side surface of the stage 4 in the Y direction along the X direction. On the other hand, the slider 54b is fixed to the outside of the lifting mechanism 51b. The two linear motors 54 drive the two lifting mechanisms 51b in the X direction by the magnetic force generated between the stator 54a and the slider 54b.

[0023] Each linear encoder 55 has a scale portion 55a and a detector portion 55b. The scale portion 55a is provided along the X direction below a stator 54a of a linear motor 54 fixed to the stage 4. On the other hand, the detector portion 55b is fixed further outside a slider 54b of the linear motor 54 fixed to the lifting mechanism 51b, and is disposed opposite the scale portion 55a. The linear encoder 55 detects the position of the outlet 23 of the slit nozzle 2 in the X direction based on the relative positional relationship between the scale portion 55a and the detector portion 55b.

[0024] The slit nozzle moving part 53 thus configured can move the slit nozzle 2 between above the nozzle adjustment area RA and above the substrate 3 held on the stage 4 by driving the nozzle support 51 in the X direction. The substrate processing apparatus 1 forms a coating layer on the surface 31 of the substrate 3 by moving the slit nozzle 2 relative to the substrate 3 while discharging the processing liquid from the discharge port 23 of the slit nozzle 2. Note that a region (frame-shaped region) of a predetermined width from the end of each side of the substrate 3 is a non-coated region that is not to be coated with the processing liquid. Therefore, the rectangular region of the substrate 3 excluding the non-coated region is the coating region RT to be coated with the processing liquid (FIG. 3). Therefore, the processing liquid is discharged from the discharge port 23 that moves in the section above the coating region RT of the substrate 3 among the moving sections of the slit nozzle 2.

[0025] During periods when no coating process is being performed on the stage 4, such as during the transfer of the substrate 3 between the substrate processing apparatus 1 and the external transport mechanism (periods during which the substrate 3 is loaded and unloaded), the slit nozzle 2 retreats to a nozzle adjustment area RA that is offset in the (-X) direction from the holding surface 41 of the substrate 3 (the state shown in FIG. 1). Then, a nozzle maintenance unit 6 performs various maintenance operations on the slit nozzle 2 positioned in the nozzle adjustment area RA.

[0026] 2, the nozzle maintenance unit 6 is provided in the nozzle adjustment area RA on the (-X) direction side (the right hand side in the figure) of the area occupied by the holding surface 41, and has a function of nozzle washing the slit nozzle 2 to remove deposits attached to the slit nozzle 2. Here, deposits to be removed include various substances that may adhere to the slit nozzle 2. For example, these deposits include the processing liquid itself and solidified materials formed by drying and solidifying the solute of the processing liquid.

[0027] The nozzle maintenance unit 6 includes two types of cleaning units 7 and 8. In the cleaning unit 7, a scraper moves in the Y direction along the outer surface of the tip 21 (lip portion) of the slit nozzle 2 while contacting the outer surface. This causes the scraper to scrape off and remove the processing liquid and the like adhering to the tip 21 of the slit nozzle 2 (scraping operation). The removed processing liquid is collected together with the rinsing liquid in a collection section provided in the cleaning unit 7.

[0028] 4 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a cleaning unit that performs nozzle cleaning by a scraping operation. The cleaning unit 7 includes a deposit remover 71, a nozzle cleaning and moving part 72, and a recovery part 73.

[0029] As shown in the figure, the deposit removal unit 71 has two types of nozzle cleaning members, a spreader 711 and a scraper 712, and a support member 713 that supports the spreader 711 and the scraper 712 in a state facing the tip 21 of the slit nozzle 2. Of these, the spreader 711 has a function of spreading the treatment liquid discharged in small amounts from the slit nozzle 2 and adhering to the tip 21 of the slit nozzle 2 over the tip 21 of the slit nozzle 2, and the scraper 712 has a liquid cutting function of removing the treatment liquid from the tip 21 of the slit nozzle 2 downstream of the movement direction Y of the spreader 711. This makes it possible to remove the deposit (treatment liquid) on the tip 21 of the slit nozzle 2. In other words, when a deposit such as a dried and solidified treatment liquid is attached to the inclined surface of the tip 21, the treatment liquid spread by the spreader 711 dissolves the deposit to a certain extent, and the treatment liquid including the dissolved substance (deposit) is removed by the scraper 712. As described above, in this embodiment, the scraper 712 has the function of removing the processing liquid adhering to the tip 21 of the slit nozzle 2.

[0030] The nozzle cleaning moving part 72 is connected to the support member 713. The nozzle cleaning moving part 72 reciprocates the support member 713 in the extension direction Y of the discharge port 23 in response to a movement command from the control part 100. As a result, the spreader 711 and the scraper 712 reciprocate in the X direction in a movement range MR shown in FIG. 4. This movement range MR is below the tip 21 of the slit nozzle 2 and has a size slightly larger than the Y direction size of the tip 21. When the nozzle cleaning moving part 72 moves the deposit removing part 71 from the (+Y) direction side to the (-Y) direction side, the slit nozzle 2 is located at the cleaning position of the cleaning unit 7, as shown by the dashed line in the figure. In other words, the deposit removing part 71 moves from the (+Y) direction side to the (-Y) direction side with the scraper 712 abutting against the tip 21 of the slit nozzle 2. As a result, the cleaning process of the tip 21 of the slit nozzle 2 is performed. On the other hand, when the cleaning process is completed and the slit nozzle 2 is separated from the cleaning position of the cleaning unit 7, the deposit removal part 71 moves from the (-Y) direction side to the (+Y) direction side. In this manner, the nozzle cleaning movement part 72 functions as the "movement mechanism" of the present invention.

[0031] The processing liquid, rinsing liquid, and the like removed from the tip 21 of the slit nozzle 2 by the cleaning process (hereinafter, these will be collectively referred to as the "removed processing liquid") flows downward via the deposit removal section 71. In order to collect this processing liquid, in this embodiment, a collection section 73 is provided. The collection section 73 is configured as a box-shaped structure that opens upward. As a result, the removed processing liquid that falls via the deposit removal section 71 is collected in the collection section 73.

[0032] A discharge section 74 is disposed vertically below the (-Y) direction portion of the collection section 73 and on the (+X) direction side of the movement range MR. As shown in Fig. 4, the discharge section 74 has a box-shaped receiving member 741 that opens toward the collection section 73 in a cleaning standby state, and a pipe 742 that extends from the bottom surface of the receiving member 741 to the outside of the coating apparatus 1. In the discharge section 74, the receiving member 741 receives the coating liquid discharged from the collection section 73, and discharges it via the pipe 742 to a waste liquid treatment device (not shown) provided outside the apparatus.

[0033] In this way, the processing liquid is removed from the tip 21 of the slit nozzle 2 by the scraper 712, and in the substrate processing apparatus 1, the coating process is performed after the coating pre-processing including the scraping operation is performed. Also, when a new substrate 3 is held on the stage 4 in place of the coated substrate 3, the coating pre-processing and the coating process are performed in response to a command from the control unit 100. In this way, the scraping operation is repeatedly performed, and traces of the processing liquid are accumulated. Therefore, the other cleaning unit 8 is provided.

[0034] The other cleaning unit 8 is a device for removing residual deposits that could not be completely removed by the above-mentioned cleaning unit 7, i.e., accumulated traces of processing liquid, from the slit nozzle 2 using a cleaning liquid and ultrasonic vibration. In this cleaning unit 8, a cleaning liquid for cleaning the tip 21 of the slit nozzle 2 is stored in a cleaning tank 81. Then, when the cumulative number of scraping operations reaches a certain value, the above-mentioned repetitive work is temporarily interrupted, and an ultrasonic cleaning process is performed on the slit nozzle 2. In other words, while the tip 21 of the slit nozzle 2 is immersed in the cleaning tank 81, ultrasonic vibration is applied to the tip 21 via the cleaning liquid, thereby removing the traces of processing liquid.

[0035] This ultrasonic cleaning process is one of the main factors that deteriorate the tact time of the substrate processing apparatus 1. Therefore, it is desirable to reduce the frequency of the ultrasonic cleaning process. This frequency varies depending on the accumulation state of the processing liquid marks. Therefore, suppressing the generation and amount of processing liquid marks caused by the scraping operation by the scraper 712 is effective in reducing the frequency. Therefore, the inventor of the present application verified the residual behavior of the processing liquid in the slit nozzle 2 during the scraping operation and found that satisfying the following contact angle condition between the tip 21 of the slit nozzle 2 and the scraper 712 is beneficial for suppressing the processing liquid marks. This contact angle condition is that the contact angle of the processing liquid with respect to the scraper contact area of ​​the surface of the tip 21 that contacts the scraper 712 is larger than the contact angle of the processing liquid with respect to the nozzle contact area of ​​the surface of the scraper 712 that contacts the tip 21. Below, the verification by the inventor of the present application and the surface treatment of the slit nozzle 2 based on the verification will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6.

[0036] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the slit nozzle according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a scraping operation by a scraper on the slit nozzle shown in FIG. 5. The slit nozzle 2 of this embodiment is significantly different from a conventionally known nozzle in that the above contact angle condition is satisfied by subjecting a part of the tip 21 to a liquid-repellent treatment, and the other configurations are basically the same. In addition, in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the dimensions of the slit nozzle 2 and the scraper 712 are shown different from the actual dimensions in order to clarify the contact state between the surface treatment area subjected to the liquid-repellent treatment and the scraper 712. In addition, in FIG. 5, dots are added to the liquid-repellent treated area for reference in order to clearly indicate the area.

[0037] The slit nozzle 2 is constructed by combining a pair of nozzle base materials processed from stainless steel. In each nozzle base material, a tip portion 21 and a nozzle body portion 22 extending upward from the tip portion 21, that is, in the (+Z) direction, are integrally formed. As shown in FIG. 6, the tip portion 21 has a tapered convex shape when viewed from the side in the Y direction, which is its longitudinal direction, and has a tip surface 211 provided at its tip (lower end), a lip side surface 212a formed on the (+X) side of the tip surface 211, and a lip side surface 212b formed on the (-X) side. In the following description, when there is no need to distinguish between the lip side surface 212a and the lip side surface 212b, they are simply referred to as the lip side surface 212.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 5, the tip surface 211 is provided with a discharge port 23, which is a long slit-shaped opening extending in the Y direction. The nozzle body 22 is fixed and supported by the nozzle support 51 (FIG. 1) with the discharge port 23 facing downward. Therefore, when the processing liquid L is pressure-fed from a processing liquid supply mechanism not shown to the slit nozzle 2, it is sent to the discharge port 23 through an internal flow path formed inside the nozzle body 22 and discharged from the discharge port 23 in the (-Z) direction. The supply operation to the substrate 3 is performed by discharging the processing liquid L from the discharge port 23 of the slit nozzle 2 and moving the slit nozzle 2 in the X direction as shown in FIG. 2. As a result, the processing liquid L is applied to the surface 31 of the substrate 3. At this time, the processing liquid L may adhere to the surrounding area of ​​the discharge port 23 of the slit nozzle 2, that is, the tip 21. The attached processing liquid L dries and becomes a residue, which, if left unattended, may hinder good discharge and cause contamination of the film of the processing liquid L formed on the substrate 3.

[0039] Therefore, the scraper 712 is provided as described above. The scraper 712 is formed of an elastic body such as fluorine-containing rubber. A V-groove 712a, which is a groove having a substantially V-shape, is formed at the upper end of the scraper 712. The V-groove 712a has a shape corresponding to the tip 21 of the slit nozzle 2, and has an inner side surface 712b with a slope corresponding to the lip side surface 212a, and an inner side surface 712c with a slope corresponding to the lip side surface 212b. The scraper 712 configured in this manner is disposed with its upper end surface positioned at a height position Pa in the vertical direction Z. Then, when the slit nozzle 2 descends from above, the tip 21 of the slit nozzle 2 enters the V-groove 712a of the scraper 712 as shown in FIG. 6. Then, parts of the lip side surfaces 212a and 212b abut against the inner sides 712b and 712c, respectively. The height positions of the parts of the slit nozzle 2 at this time are as shown in FIG. 5. That is, in the vertical direction Z, the tip surface 211 is located at position P0, the contact portion that contacts the upper end of the scraper 712 is located at position Pa, and the lower end and upper end of the liquid-repellent treated area (surface treatment area SA, which will be described in detail next) are located at positions P1 and P2, respectively. These positions P0, Pa, P1, and P2 are inequalities in the vertical direction Z as follows: P0 <P1<Pa<P2 The relationship is as shown below.

[0040] By moving the scraper 712 in the Y direction while keeping the tip 21 of the slit nozzle 2 in contact with the scraper 712, deposits are scraped off from the tip 21 of the slit nozzle 2 (scraping operation). At this time, the upper ends 712d and 712e of the scraper 712 each describe a contact trajectory extending in the Y direction. In FIG. 5, only the contact trajectory CT on the (+X) direction side, i.e., the trajectory of the upper end 712d, is shown, but a similar contact trajectory also exists on the (-X) direction side. In the prior art, a trace of processing liquid was generated along the contact trajectory CT at the tip 21 of the slit nozzle 2.

[0041] Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, a liquid-repellent treatment is applied as a surface treatment to the surface of the tip 21 of the slit nozzle 2 in correspondence with the contact trajectory CT, making the surface of the tip 21 liquid-repellent to the treatment liquid L. In this embodiment, the slit nozzle 2 is made of stainless steel, but the following three regions of the surface of the slit nozzle 2 are surface-treated with a silicon-based organic compound. That is, these three regions are indicated by dots in Figure 5, A nozzle-side contact area CAn of the lip side surfaces 212a, 212b of the tip portion 21 that contacts the scraper 712; A lip upper area UA above the nozzle side contact area CAn of the lip side surfaces 212a, 212b of the tip portion 21; A lower exposed area BA of the nozzle body portion 22; On the other hand, no special surface treatment is applied to the surface of the fluorine-containing rubber scraper 712. Therefore, as shown in the partially enlarged view of FIG. 6, the contact angle θn of the processing liquid L with respect to the nozzle side contact area CAn is larger than the contact angle θs of the processing liquid L with respect to the scraper side contact area CAs that contacts the tip 21 of the surface of the scraper 712. For example, when a color resist liquid containing a black pigment was used as the processing liquid L, the contact angles θn and θs were measured and found to be 42.8°, 29°, and 4°, respectively. In addition, when liquid repellency was exhibited by surface treatment with a fluorine silicon compound instead of a silicon organic compound, the contact angle θn was measured when a color resist liquid containing a black pigment was used as the processing liquid L and the contact angle θn was 63.9°. For reference, the contact angle of the color resist liquid with the stainless steel constituting the slit nozzle 2 was measured and found to be 6.4°.

[0042] As described above, according to this embodiment, the contact angle condition is satisfied, and thus most of the processing liquid L moves to the scraper 712 side. More specifically, when the processing liquid L adhering to the tip 21 is scraped off by the scraper 712, as shown in the partially enlarged view of FIG. 6, the processing liquid L located between the scraper 712 and the tip 21 moves to the scraper 712 and the tip 21 as the scraper 712 moves in the arrow direction Y. At that time, the contact angle θs on the scraper side is small, and the wettability of the processing liquid to the scraper 712 is good. As a result, the processing liquid that flows to the scraper 712 side increases, and no processing liquid remains on the contact trajectory CT, or even if it remains, the remaining amount of processing liquid is significantly less than that of the conventional method.

[0043] In addition, since the processing liquid remaining on the slit nozzle 2 side is located in the liquid-repellent treated area, it is difficult to remain at the height position Pa, and it is easy to move along the inclined surface due to the influence of gravity as described below. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the lower end DE of the surface treatment area SA (= nozzle side contact area CAn + lip upper area UA) where the tip 21 is subjected to the liquid-repellent treatment is located below the contact locus CT. Therefore, the processing liquid remaining on the contact locus CT on the slit nozzle 2 side after the scraping process is easy to move downward along the surface of the tapered tip 21, and often adheres below the contact locus CT. Therefore, it is scraped off by the scraper 712 in the next scraping process and is reliably removed from the tip 21 of the slit nozzle 2. Therefore, in the substrate processing apparatus 1 which repeatedly performs the coating pre-processing and coating process including the scraping process between the previous ultrasonic cleaning process and the next ultrasonic cleaning process, the processing liquid which was not scraped off by one scraping process can be removed by the subsequent scraping process by applying the above-mentioned liquid-repellent treatment.

[0044] These features make it possible to suppress the generation and amount of processing liquid marks (resist marks when a color resist liquid is used as the processing liquid) caused by the scraping operation. As a result, the frequency of ultrasonic cleaning processing by the cleaning unit 8 can be reduced, and the tact time of the substrate processing apparatus 1 can be improved.

[0045] In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, the lower end DE of the surface treatment area SA is below the contact trajectory CT, but does not reach the discharge port 23 and its neighboring area as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. In other words, the discharge port 23 and its neighboring area are not subjected to liquid repellent treatment, and the surface of the material of the slit nozzle 2, that is, the stainless steel, is exposed. In other words, the discharge port 23 and its neighboring area are maintained in a surface state suitable for coating. This surface state is suitable for forming a bead of the treatment liquid, for example, at the start of the coating process. As a result, the coating process can be performed smoothly. In order to achieve such an effect, it is desirable to set the distance from the tip surface 211 to the lower end DE to about several mm, but it is desirable to determine the distance according to the type of treatment liquid.

[0046] Furthermore, since the lower exposed area BA of the nozzle body 22 is also subjected to a liquid repellent treatment, it is possible to prevent the treatment liquid from splashing off the substrate 3 and adhering to the lower exposed area BA during the application process.

[0047] In the above embodiment, the inner surfaces 712b and 712c correspond to an example of the "contact portion that contacts the tip portion" of the present invention. The cleaning unit 8 corresponds to an example of the "cleaning portion" of the present invention. The scraping operation corresponds to an example of the "scraping step" of the present invention.

[0048] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the surface treatment area SA is provided so that the upper end is connected to the lower exposed area BA and the lower end DE is located below the contact locus CT. The shape and range of the surface treatment area SA are not limited to this, and for example, as shown in FIG. 7, the lower end DE may coincide with the contact locus CT (second embodiment). Although not shown, the upper end may be located midway between positions P1 and P2 in the vertical direction Z.

[0049] In this embodiment, the lower exposed area BA is subjected to a liquid-repellent treatment, but this is not directly related to the reduction in the occurrence and amount of processing liquid marks, and therefore the liquid-repellent treatment may be omitted.

[0050] In the above embodiment, a small amount of processing liquid is discharged from the slit nozzle 2 and spread on the tip 21 by the spreader 711, but there are cases where this discharge of processing liquid is not necessary. For example, this is the case when the tip 21 of the slit nozzle 2 is wet with a cleaning liquid or a rinsing liquid by a rinsing liquid supply unit, ultrasonic cleaning, a nozzle cleaner, or the like. In this case, the cleaning liquid spread by the spreader 711 dissolves the attached matter to a certain extent without discharging the processing liquid, and the processing liquid including the dissolved matter (attached matter) is removed by the scraper 712.

[0051] In addition, in the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a substrate processing apparatus 1 that performs nozzle cleaning using an adhesion removal unit 71 having a spreader 711 and a scraper 712, but the present invention can also be applied to a substrate processing apparatus that has only a scraper 712.

[0052] In addition, in the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a substrate processing apparatus 1 in which a processing liquid is supplied from a slit nozzle 2 while a substrate 3 is held on a stage 4, but the present invention can also be applied to a floating and transporting type substrate processing apparatus in which a processing liquid is supplied to a substrate from a slit nozzle while the substrate is floating and transported.

[0053] In addition, in the above embodiment, the deposit removal part 71 including the scraper 712 moves in the Y direction relative to the slit nozzle 2, but the scraping operation may be performed by moving the slit nozzle 2 in the Y direction. In other words, the present invention can be applied to a substrate processing apparatus in which the scraper 712 moves relatively to the slit nozzle 2 in the extension direction Y of the discharge port 23. [Industrial Applicability]

[0054] The present invention can be applied to a slit nozzle that discharges a processing liquid from a slit-shaped discharge port, and to substrate processing techniques in general in which a processing liquid is scraped off from the tip of a slit nozzle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 1...Substrate processing device 2...Slit nozzle 3...Substrate 8...Cleaning unit (cleaning section) 21...(slit nozzle) tip 23…Discharge port 72...Nozzle cleaning moving part (moving mechanism) 100...Control unit 712…Scraper 712b, 712c…Inner surface (contact part) CAn: Nozzle side contact area CAs: scraper side contact area CT…Contact locus DE: Lower end (of surface treatment area) L: Processing liquid SA: Surface treatment area Y…Extension direction Z…Vertical direction θn, θs…Contact angle

Claims

1. A slit nozzle having a tip end portion with an extended slit-shaped discharge port for discharging a treatment liquid, wherein after the treatment liquid is discharged from the discharge port, the treatment liquid is scraped off from the tip end portion by a scraper that moves relatively in a direction in which the discharge port extends while contacting the tip end portion, the tip portion has a surface treatment area that has been subjected to a liquid repellent treatment, a contact angle of the treatment liquid with respect to a nozzle-side contact region of the surface treatment region that contacts the scraper is larger than a contact angle of the treatment liquid with respect to a scraper-side contact region of the surface of the scraper that contacts the surface treatment region; The lower end of the surface treatment area coincides with a contact locus drawn by an upper end of the scraper due to relative movement of the scraper with respect to the slit nozzle, or is located below the contact locus; The upper end of the surface treatment area is located above the contact locus. A slit nozzle characterized by:

2. The slit nozzle according to claim 1, a nozzle substrate having the tip portion, The surface treatment region is a slit nozzle in which the surface of the nozzle base is surface-treated with a silicon-based organic compound or a fluorine-based silicon compound.

3. a slit nozzle having a tip end from which a slit-shaped discharge port for discharging a treatment liquid is extended; a scraper having a contact portion that contacts the tip portion of the slit nozzle; a moving mechanism that moves the scraper relative to the slit nozzle in an extension direction of the discharge port while bringing the contact portion into contact with the tip portion; Equipped with the tip portion has a surface treatment area that has been subjected to a liquid repellent treatment, a contact angle of the treatment liquid with respect to a nozzle-side contact region of the surface treatment region that contacts the scraper is larger than a contact angle of the treatment liquid with respect to a scraper-side contact region of the surface of the contact portion that contacts the surface treatment region; The lower end of the surface treatment area coincides with a contact locus drawn by an upper end of the scraper due to relative movement of the scraper with respect to the slit nozzle, or is located below the contact locus; The upper end of the surface treatment area is located above the contact locus. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1,

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, The scraper is entirely made of fluorine-containing rubber, the slit nozzle has a nozzle base having the tip portion, In the surface treatment area, a surface of the nozzle base material is treated with a silicon-based organic compound or a fluorine-based silicon compound.

5. 5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, a treatment liquid supply mechanism for supplying the treatment liquid to the slit nozzle and discharging the treatment liquid from the discharge port; a control unit that controls the treatment liquid supply mechanism and the movement mechanism so that a scraping process in which the scraper is brought into contact with the tip portion of the slit nozzle from which the treatment liquid is discharged from the discharge port and the treatment liquid is scraped off from the tip portion by relative movement of the scraper, is repeated; The substrate processing apparatus includes:

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5 , A cleaning unit for cleaning the tip portion is provided, The control unit controls the cleaning unit so that the tip portion is cleaned after the scraping process is repeated a plurality of times.

7. a scraping step of scraping the treatment liquid from the tip of the slit nozzle by moving the scraper relative to the slit nozzle in the extension direction of the outlet while bringing the scraper into contact with the tip of the slit nozzle from which the treatment liquid has been discharged from a slit-shaped outlet extending from the tip of the slit nozzle; the tip portion has a surface treatment area that has been subjected to a liquid repellent treatment, The scraping step includes: A contact angle of the treatment liquid with respect to a nozzle-side contact region of the surface treatment region that contacts the scraper is greater than a contact angle of the treatment liquid with respect to a scraper-side contact region of the surface treatment region that contacts the tip portion; The lower end of the surface treatment area coincides with a contact locus drawn by an upper end of the scraper due to the relative movement of the scraper with respect to the slit nozzle, or is located below the contact locus, and the upper end of the surface treatment area is located above the contact locus. Runs under A substrate processing method comprising:

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