SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD

Abstract

To provide a substrate processing device and a substrate processing method which can improve the cleanliness of a substrate after the completion of substrate processing operation.SOLUTION: A substrate processing device 100 includes: a substrate processing unit 1a; a substrate conveyance unit 2 having a conveyance holding part H; and a control unit 110. The substrate processing unit 1a includes: a substrate holding unit 11 which holds a substrate W in a horizontal position; an opposing member 31 having an opposing face 31a which faces the substrate W held by the substrate holding unit 11 and configured to be able to move up and down between a first height position, which is apart upward from the substrate holding unit 11, and a second height position which is lower than the first height position; and a lifting drive unit 36 which moves the opposing member 31 up and down. After the opposing member 31 is held at the second height position until a preset maintaining time elapses from the completion time of the substrate processing operation, the control unit 110 controls the lifting drive unit 36 to lift the opposing member from the second height position to the first height position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] In order to remove the resist film formed on the substrate, a resist stripping solution is supplied onto the substrate that is rotated in a horizontal position. As the resist stripping solution, for example, a mixture of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) (hereinafter abbreviated as SPM) is used.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a substrate processing apparatus having a spin chuck and a shield plate in a chamber. The shield plate is provided so as to be movable between a shield position close to the top surface of the substrate held by the spin chuck and a retracted position retracted significantly above the shield position. In the SPM process, with the shield plate in the retracted position, SPM is supplied from an SPM nozzle onto the substrate rotated by the spin chuck. Also, with the shield plate in the shield position, a rinsing process and a drying process are performed. After the drying process is completed, the rotation of the spin chuck is stopped and the shield plate is retracted to the retracted position. Next, the substrate is carried out of the chamber by the hand of a substrate transport robot. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-207986 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the above-mentioned substrate processing apparatus, if the SPM atmosphere remains in the chamber, there is a possibility that mist or droplets in the SPM atmosphere in the chamber may re-adhere to the substrate after the substrate processing operation is completed.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method capable of improving the cleanliness of a substrate after completion of a substrate processing operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] (1) A substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a substrate processing unit that performs a substrate processing operation using a processing liquid on a substrate, a substrate transport unit having a transport holding unit that holds a substrate and transports the substrate in and out of the substrate processing unit, and a control unit that controls the substrate processing unit and the substrate transport unit. The substrate processing unit includes a substrate holding unit that holds the substrate in a horizontal position, an opposing member that has an opposing surface that faces the substrate held in the substrate holding unit and is configured to be raised and lowered between a first height position spaced upward from the substrate holding unit and a second height position that is lower than the first height position, and a lifting drive unit that raises and lowers the opposing member. The control unit controls the lifting drive unit so that the opposing member is held at the second height position until a predetermined maintenance time has elapsed from the end of the substrate processing operation, and then the opposing member rises from the second height position to the first height position.

[0008] In this substrate processing apparatus, a substrate processing operation is performed with the opposing member at a first height position or a second height position. The opposing member is held at the second height position until a predetermined holding time has elapsed from the time the substrate processing operation is completed. After the holding time has elapsed, the opposing member is raised from the second height position to the first height position. This allows the substrate to be removed by the transport holder of the substrate transport unit.

[0009] According to this configuration, the facing surface of the facing member faces the upper surface of the substrate in a close proximity state from the end of the substrate processing operation until the maintenance time has elapsed. This prevents mist or droplets in the atmosphere of the processing liquid remaining in the substrate processing unit from re-adhering to the substrate after the substrate processing operation. This makes it possible to improve the cleanliness of the substrate after the substrate processing operation is completed.

[0010] (2) The substrate processing unit further includes a processing chamber having an opening and accommodating a substrate holding unit and an opposing member, a shutter configured to transition between a closed state that blocks the opening of the processing chamber and an open state that opens the opening, and a shutter drive unit that transitions the shutter between the closed state and the open state, and the control unit may control the shutter drive unit so that the shutter is in the open state at the end of the substrate processing operation, and control the lift drive unit so that the opposing member is maintained at the second height position from the time the shutter is opened until the maintenance time has elapsed.

[0011] In this case, when the substrate processing operation is completed, the shutter is opened, which allows the transport holder to enter the processing chamber. With the above configuration, the opposing member is held at the second height position from the time the shutter is opened until the maintenance time has elapsed, so that mist or droplets in the atmosphere of the processing liquid that has remained in the processing chamber between the time the shutter is opened and the time the transport holder enters the processing chamber are prevented from re-adhering to the substrate.

[0012] (3) The control unit may provide an end signal to the substrate transport unit indicating the end of the substrate processing operation, receive an entry start signal from the substrate transport unit indicating the start of entry of the transport holder into the processing chamber through the opening, and control the lift drive unit so that the opposing member begins to rise from the second height position to the first height position in response to the entry start signal.

[0013] In this case, after the substrate processing operation is completed, the opposing member starts to rise from the second height position to the first height position in response to the entry start signal. As a result, the opposing member is held at the second height position from the end of the substrate processing operation until the entry start signal is received. Therefore, even if the entry of the transport holder of the substrate transport unit into the processing chamber is delayed, mist or droplets in the atmosphere of the processing liquid remaining in the processing chamber are prevented from re-adhering to the substrate.

[0014] (4) The substrate holding unit may be a rotating holding unit that rotates the substrate around a vertical axis, and the control unit may control the rotating holding unit so that the rotation of the substrate stops at the end of the substrate processing operation, and control the lifting drive unit so that the opposing member is held stationary at the second height position until a maintenance time has elapsed while the rotation of the substrate held by the rotating holding unit has stopped.

[0015] In this case, the substrate processing operation of the substrate processing section is terminated by stopping the rotation of the substrate held by the rotating holder. Also, since the facing member is held at the second height position in a stationary state, no flow of the processing liquid atmosphere is formed in the substrate processing section. This prevents the flow of the processing liquid atmosphere from entering between the facing member and the substrate. As a result, the mist or droplets are prevented from re-attaching to the substrate.

[0016] (5) The substrate processing unit may further include an inert gas supply unit that supplies an inert gas to the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, and the inert gas supply unit may be configured to be selectable between a first state in which inert gas is supplied to the space between the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and the opposing member during the maintenance time, and a second state in which inert gas is not supplied to the space between the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and the opposing member during the maintenance time.

[0017] In this case, in the first state, the atmosphere between the substrate and the facing member can be blown away. On the other hand, in the second state, the atmosphere between the substrate and the facing member can be maintained in a static state. With the above configuration, a user can select the first state or the second state depending on the state of the atmosphere of the processing liquid in the substrate processing apparatus.

[0018] (6) The control unit may control the substrate processing operation according to a process recipe including a plurality of steps in sequence, and may determine the end of the substrate processing operation upon completion of a final step of the process recipe. In this case, the control unit may hold the opposing member at the second height position from the end of the substrate processing operation until the maintaining time has elapsed, by simple control, without adding any special determination process.

[0019] (7) The control unit may be configured to be able to adjust the second height position. In this case, it is possible to adjust the second height position so that the transport holder can load and unload the substrate in the space between the opposing member held at the second height position and the substrate holder. This allows the substrate to be loaded and unloaded with the opposing member in the second position. As a result, the throughput of the substrate processing apparatus is improved.

[0020] (8) A substrate processing method according to the present invention includes the steps of performing a substrate processing operation using a processing liquid on a substrate held by a substrate holding part in a substrate processing part; holding an opposing member during the substrate processing operation at a first height position spaced upward from the substrate holding part or at a second height position lower than the first height position; holding the opposing member at the second height position until a predetermined maintenance time has elapsed from the end of the substrate processing operation; and, after holding the opposing member at the second height position until the maintenance time has elapsed, raising the opposing member from the second height position to the first height position.

[0021] In this substrate processing method, a substrate processing operation is performed with the opposing member at a first height position or a second height position. The opposing member is held at the second height position until a predetermined holding time has elapsed from the time the substrate processing operation is completed. After the holding time has elapsed, the opposing member is raised from the second height position to the first height position. This allows the substrate to be removed by the substrate holder of the transport holder.

[0022] According to this method, the facing surface of the facing member faces the upper surface of the substrate until the maintenance time has elapsed from the end of the substrate processing operation. This prevents mist or droplets in the atmosphere of the processing liquid remaining in the substrate processing unit from re-adhering to the substrate after the substrate processing operation. This makes it possible to improve the cleanliness of the substrate after the substrate processing operation is completed.

[0023] (9) The step of performing a substrate processing operation may include performing a substrate processing operation using a processing liquid on a substrate held by a substrate holding part in the processing chamber while closing an opening of the processing chamber of the substrate processing unit with a shutter, and opening the opening of the processing chamber by opening the shutter at the end of the substrate processing operation, and the step of holding the opposing member at the second height position may include holding the opposing member at the second height position from the opening of the shutter until after the maintenance time has elapsed.

[0024] In this case, when the substrate processing operation is completed, the shutter is opened, which allows the transport holder to enter the processing chamber. The above method holds the opposing member at the second height position from the time the shutter is opened until the maintenance time has elapsed, thereby preventing mist or droplets in the atmosphere of the processing liquid that has remained in the processing chamber from the time the shutter is opened until the transport holder enters the processing chamber from adhering again to the substrate.

[0025] (10) The substrate processing method may further include the steps of: providing an end signal to the substrate transport unit at the end of the substrate processing operation, indicating the end of the substrate processing operation; and receiving an entry start signal from the substrate transport unit, indicating the start of entry of the transport holder of the substrate transport unit into the processing chamber through the opening, and the step of raising the opposing member may include starting to raise the opposing member from the second height position to the first height position in response to the entry start signal.

[0026] In this case, after the substrate processing operation is completed, the opposing member starts to rise from the second height position to the first height position in response to the entry start signal. As a result, the opposing member is held at the second height position from the end of the substrate processing operation until the entry start signal is received. Therefore, even if the entry of the transport holder of the substrate transport unit into the processing chamber is delayed, mist or droplets in the atmosphere of the processing liquid remaining in the processing chamber are prevented from re-adhering to the substrate.

[0027] (11) The substrate processing method may further include a step of stopping the rotation of the substrate held by the rotating holder at the end of the substrate processing operation, and the step of holding the opposing member at the second height position may include holding the opposing member at the second height position until a maintenance time has elapsed with the rotation of the substrate held by the rotating holder stopped.

[0028] In this case, the substrate processing operation of the substrate processing section is terminated by stopping the rotation of the substrate held by the rotating holder. Also, since the facing member is held at the second height position in a stationary state, no flow of the processing liquid atmosphere is formed in the substrate processing section. This prevents the flow of the processing liquid atmosphere from entering between the facing member and the substrate. As a result, the mist or droplets are prevented from re-attaching to the substrate.

[0029] (12) The substrate processing method may further include a step of accepting a selection between a first state in which an inert gas is supplied to a space between the substrate held by the substrate holding part and the opposing member during a maintenance time, and a second state in which an inert gas is not supplied to a space between the substrate held by the substrate holding part and the opposing member during a maintenance time.

[0030] In this case, in the first state, the atmosphere between the substrate and the facing member can be blown away. On the other hand, in the second state, the atmosphere between the substrate and the facing member can be maintained in a static state. By the above method, a user can select the first state or the second state depending on the state of the atmosphere of the processing liquid in the substrate processing apparatus.

[0031] (13) The substrate processing method may further include a step of determining completion of the substrate processing operation based on completion of a final step of a processing recipe including a plurality of steps in sequence. In this case, the opposing member is held at the second height position until the maintaining time has elapsed from the completion of the substrate processing operation by simple control without adding a special determination process.

[0032] (14) The substrate processing method may further include a step of adjusting the second height position of the opposing member. In this case, it is possible to adjust the second height position so that the transport holder can load and unload the substrate in the space between the opposing member held at the second height position and the substrate holder. This allows the substrate to be loaded and unloaded while the opposing member is in the second position. As a result, the throughput of the substrate processing apparatus is improved. Effect of the Invention

[0033] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the cleanliness of the substrate after the substrate processing operation is completed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0034] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a substrate processing section in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control unit in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the substrate processing section in FIG. 2. [Diagram 5] 3A to 3C are schematic cross-sectional views showing an example of the operation of the substrate processing section in FIG. 2. [Figure 6] 3A to 3C are schematic cross-sectional views showing an example of the operation of the substrate processing section in FIG. 2. [Figure 7] 3A to 3C are schematic cross-sectional views showing an example of the operation of the substrate processing section in FIG. 2. [Figure 8] 3A to 3C are schematic cross-sectional views showing an example of the operation of the substrate processing section in FIG. 2. [Figure 9] 3A to 3C are schematic cross-sectional views showing an example of the operation of the substrate processing section in FIG. 2. [Figure 10] 3A to 3C are schematic cross-sectional views showing an example of the operation of the substrate processing section in FIG. 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0035] A substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the substrate refers to a semiconductor substrate, a substrate for FPD (Flat Panel Display) such as a liquid crystal display device or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display device, a substrate for optical disks, a substrate for magnetic disks, a substrate for magneto-optical disks, a substrate for photomasks, a ceramic substrate, a substrate for solar cells, or the like.

[0036] In this embodiment, the processing liquid may be a mixture of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide (SPM), a mixture of ammonia water and hydrogen peroxide (SC1), a mixture of hydrochloric acid and hydrogen peroxide (SC2), dilute hydrofluoric acid (DHF), organic alkali (e.g., tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH)), buffered hydrofluoric acid (BHF), or other chemicals. The rinsing liquid may be, for example, pure water (deionized water), carbonated water, ozone water, magnetic water, functional water (e.g., ultra-diluted ammonia water (1 ppm to 100 ppm), ultra-diluted hydrochloric acid (1 ppm to 100 ppm), reduced water (hydrogen water), or other), ionized water, or an organic solvent such as IPA (isopropyl alcohol).

[0037] (1) Configuration of the substrate processing device Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 100 includes an indexer block ID and a processing block PR. The indexer block ID includes a substrate transport part (substrate transport robot) IR and a carrier platform CP. A carrier CC that stores a plurality of substrates W in multiple stages is mounted on the carrier platform CP.

[0038] The processing block PR includes substrate processing units 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d and a substrate transport unit (substrate transport robot) 2. The substrate processing units 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d are arranged in four directions with the substrate transport unit 2 at the center. The substrate processing units 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d include processing chambers CHa, CHb, CHc, CHd. In the processing chambers CHa, CHb, CHc, CHd, a processing liquid is used to remove, rinse, and dry a resist film on a substrate W. In this embodiment, the substrate processing operation includes the removal, rinsing, and drying of a resist film on a substrate W. Details of the substrate processing operation will be described later.

[0039] The processing chambers CHa, CHb, CHc, and CHd have an opening OP (see FIG. 2) on the surface facing the substrate transport unit 2. The shutters SHa, SHb, SHc, and SHd are configured to be able to switch between a state in which the opening OP is closed and a state in which it is open. The substrate transport unit 2 has a transport holder (hand) H that holds and transports the substrate W, and a transport driver 2a (see FIG. 3). The transport holder H transports the substrate W into and out of the substrate processing units 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d. Details of the substrate W transport operation of the transport holder H will be described later.

[0040] A carrier CC accommodating a substrate W having a resist film thereon is placed on at least one carrier platform CP of the indexer block ID. The substrate transporter IR transports the substrate W having a resist film from the carrier CC to the platform PT.

[0041] The substrate transport part 2 of the processing block PR transports the substrate W having the resist film from the placement part PT to one of the processing chambers CHa, CHb, CHc, or CHd. Thereby, a substrate processing operation is performed on the substrate W having the resist film. Thereafter, the substrate transport part 2 unloads the substrate W after the substrate processing operation from one of the processing chambers CHa, CHb, CHc, or CHd and places it on the placement part PT.

[0042] A carrier CC for accommodating a processed substrate W is placed on at least one carrier platform CP in the indexer block ID. The substrate transport part IR transports the processed substrate W from the platform PT to the carrier CC.

[0043] The control unit 110 controls the operations of the substrate processing units 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d and the substrate transport unit 2. The configuration and operation of the control unit 110 will be described in detail later.

[0044] (2) Configuration of the Substrate Processing Section 1a 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the substrate processing section 1a in FIG. 1. The configurations of the substrate processing sections 1b, 1c, and 1d are similar to that of the substrate processing section 1a. The substrate processing section 1a includes a processing chamber CHa, a spin chuck (rotary holder) 10, a nozzle driver 20, a blocking member 30, and a splash guard 40. The spin chuck 10, the nozzle driver 20, the processing liquid supply nozzle 22, the blocking member 30, and the splash guard 40 are accommodated in the processing chamber CHa. The blocking member 30 is provided above the spin chuck 10. The splash guard 40 is provided to surround the spin chuck 10. The nozzle driver 20 is provided outside the splash guard 40.

[0045] The spin chuck 10 is composed of a spin base 11, a plurality of chuck pins 12, and a spin motor 13. The plurality of chuck pins 12 are provided at equal intervals on the periphery of the upper surface of the spin base 11. The outer peripheral edge of the substrate W is held by the plurality of chuck pins 12. As a result, the substrate W is held on the spin base 11 in a horizontal position. The spin base 11 is configured to be rotatable around a vertical axis by the spin motor 13. As a result, the substrate W is rotatably held on the spin chuck 10.

[0046] The nozzle driving unit 20 includes an arm 21, a processing liquid supply unit 23, and a motor 24. A flow path is formed in the arm 21. A processing liquid supply nozzle 22 is provided at one end of the flow path in the arm 21. The processing liquid supply unit 23 is connected to the other end of the flow path in the arm 21. As a result, a processing liquid is supplied from the processing liquid supply nozzle 22 to the upper surface of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 10. The arm 21 is attached to the motor 24. The arm 21 is rotated around a vertical axis by the motor 24. As a result, the processing liquid supply nozzle 22 can move between a position above the center of the substrate W (hereinafter referred to as a processing liquid supply position) and a position outside the spin chuck 10 (hereinafter referred to as a retracted position). In this embodiment, the substrate processing unit 1a is provided with one nozzle driving unit 20 and processing liquid supply nozzle 22, but multiple nozzle driving units 20 and processing liquid supply nozzles 22 may be provided when, for example, multiple processes using multiple chemicals are performed on the substrate W.

[0047] The blocking member 30 is composed of a disk-shaped blocking plate 31, a rotating shaft 32, and a support arm 33. The blocking plate 31 has a facing surface 31a facing the substrate W held by the spin chuck 10. A discharge port 31b is formed in the center of the facing surface 31a. A substantially cylindrical rotating shaft 32 extending vertically is provided on the upper surface of the blocking plate 31. The rotating shaft 32 is supported by the support arm 33 so that the blocking plate 31 is held above the substrate W held by the spin chuck 10. The rotating shaft 32 is connected to a blocking plate rotation drive unit 35. This allows the blocking plate 31 to rotate around a vertical axis above the substrate W held by the spin chuck 10.

[0048] The support arm 33 is connected to a shield plate lifting drive unit 36. This allows the shield plate 31 to move up and down between a first height position and a second height position. The first height position is a position higher than the processing liquid supply nozzle 22 at the processing liquid supply position. The second height position is a position lower than the first height position and closer to the top surface of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 10. The second height position is 5 mm or less, and preferably 0.3 mm or more and 2.5 mm or less.

[0049] A discharge flow path 32a communicating with the discharge port 31b is formed inside the rotating shaft 32. The discharge flow path 32a is connected to a rinsing liquid supply unit 37 and an inert gas supply unit 38. As a result, the rinsing liquid and the inert gas are supplied from the discharge port 31b toward the upper surface of the substrate W held on the spin chuck 10.

[0050] The splash guard 40 includes a first guard 41A, a second guard 41B, a first cup 42A, a second cup 42B, and a peripheral wall member 43. The first guard 41A, the second guard 41B, and the peripheral wall member 43 each have a cylindrical shape. The second cup 42A is integrally formed with the first guard 41A. The first guard 41A and the second guard 41B are configured to be movable up and down in the vertical direction. The peripheral wall member 43 is configured to surround the first guard 41A, the second guard 41B, the first cup 42A, and the second cup 42B.

[0051] During substrate processing operation, the first guard 41A and the second guard 41B are raised to a height that surrounds the substrate W held by the spin chuck 10. The first guard 41A and the second guard 41B receive droplets scattered from the substrate W held by the spin chuck 10. The droplets received by the first guard 41A and the second guard 41B are guided downward. The first cup 42A receives the droplets guided downward by the first guard 41A. The second cup 42B receives the droplets guided downward by the second guard 41B.

[0052] The droplets received by the first cup 42A and the second cup 42B are collected by a collection section (not shown). The inside of the splash guard 40 is evacuated by an exhaust section (not shown). As a result, the mist of the processing liquid scattered from the substrate W is collected.

[0053] When the substrate W is loaded before the substrate processing operation and when the substrate W is unloaded after the substrate processing operation, the first guard 41A and the second guard 41B are lowered to a position below the spin base 11 of the spin chuck 10.

[0054] The shutter SHa of the processing chamber CHa is configured to be movable up and down by a shutter driving unit Sd, so that the shutter SHa can transition between a state in which it closes the opening OP and a state in which it opens the opening OP.

[0055] (3) Configuration and Operation of Control Unit 110 Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control unit 110 in Fig. 1. The control unit 110 includes a transport control unit 111, a cleaning processing storage unit 112, and a processing operation control unit 113. The control unit 110 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a storage device. The CPU executes a computer program stored in a storage medium such as the ROM or the storage device, thereby realizing the functions of each component of the control unit 110. Note that a part or all of the configuration of the control unit 110 may be realized by hardware such as an electronic circuit.

[0056] The substrate transport unit 2 in FIG. 1 includes the transport driver 2a in FIG. 3. The transport controller 111 controls the transport driver 2a so that the transport holder H in FIG. 1 transports the substrate W to and from the substrate processing units 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d. The cleaning process memory 112 stores a process recipe including a plurality of steps in sequence. The processing operation controller 113 controls the shutter driver Sd, the nozzle driver 20, the processing liquid supply unit 23, the rinsing liquid supply unit 37, the inert gas supply unit 38, the shield plate rotation driver 35, the shield plate lift driver 36, and the spin chuck 10 according to the process recipe stored in the cleaning process memory 112. Thereby, the substrate processing operation is performed. In addition, a holding operation of the shield plate 31, which will be described later, is performed under the control of the processing operation controller 113. In the holding operation, the shield plate 31 is held at a second height position. The processing operation controller 113 is configured to be able to adjust the second height position based on a user's operation or a control program.

[0057] Furthermore, when the substrate processing operation is completed, the processing operation control unit 113 provides a processing operation completion signal PE to the transport control unit 111. The transport control unit 111 provides an entry start signal ES to the transport control unit 111, which indicates that the transport holder H of the substrate transport unit 2 has started to enter the processing chamber CHa (CHb, CHb, CHd) of the substrate processing unit 1a (1b, 1c, 1d).

[0058] (4) Operation Example of Substrate Processing Unit 1a Fig. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the substrate processing unit 1a of Fig. 2. Figs. 5 to 10 are schematic cross-sectional views showing an example of the operation of the substrate processing unit 1a of Fig. 2. The operations of the substrate processing units 1b, 1c, and 1d are similar to that of the substrate processing unit 1a. In this example, a resist stripping liquid (e.g., SPM) is used as the processing liquid.

[0059] 4, first, the processing operation control unit 113 starts a substrate processing operation (step S1). In this case, the processing operation control unit 113 controls each unit according to a processing recipe stored in the cleaning processing storage unit 112.

[0060] Specifically, the shutter SHa is opened by the shutter driver Sd in Fig. 2. The transport holder H of the substrate transport unit 2 in Fig. 1 enters the processing chamber CHa through the opening OP and loads the substrate W onto the spin chuck 10. The spin chuck 10 holds the substrate W by a plurality of chuck pins 12. In this example, a resist film is formed on the substrate W.

[0061] After the transport holder H leaves the processing chamber CHa, the shutter SHa is closed by the shutter driver Sd of FIG. 2, as shown in FIG. 5. Also, the first guard 41A and the second guard 41B of the splash guard 40 are raised. The blocking plate 31 is at the first height position. In this state, the motor 24 of the nozzle driver 20 moves the processing liquid supply nozzle 22 from the retracted position to the processing liquid supply position. Also, the spin motor 13 rotates the spin base 11. This causes the substrate W to rotate around a vertical axis.

[0062] In this state, as indicated by a dotted arrow p, the processing liquid supply unit 23 supplies a resist stripping liquid as a processing liquid from the processing liquid supply nozzle 22 to the upper surface of the rotating substrate W. This removes the resist film on the substrate W. In this case, an atmosphere of the processing liquid remains in the processing chamber CHa.

[0063] Thereafter, a rinsing process is performed as shown in Fig. 6. In the rinsing process, the motor 24 of the nozzle drive unit 20 moves the processing liquid supply nozzle 22 from the processing liquid supply position to the retracted position. Also, the shield plate lift drive unit 36 ​​lowers the shield plate 31 from the first height position to the second height position. In this state, the shield plate rotation drive unit 35 rotates the shield plate 31 around a vertical axis. At this time, the rinsing liquid supply unit 37 supplies the rinsing liquid from the outlet 31b of the shield plate 31 to the upper surface of the rotating substrate W, as indicated by the dotted arrow r. This rinses the upper surface of the substrate W.

[0064] Next, as shown in FIG. 7, a drying process is performed. In the drying process, while the spin base 11 and the shield plate 31 are rotating, an inert gas is supplied from the inert gas supply unit 38 to the upper surface of the rotating substrate W from the discharge port 31b of the shield plate 31 as shown by the dotted arrow g by the inert gas supply unit 38. This dries the upper surface of the substrate W. Thereafter, the rotation of the shield plate 31 by the shield plate rotation drive unit 35 is stopped, and the rotation of the spin base 11 by the spin motor 13 is stopped. In addition, the substrate W is released from the holding by the multiple chuck pins 12 of the spin chuck 10. Furthermore, the first guard 41A and the second guard 41B of the splash guard 40 are lowered. At this point, all steps (substrate processing operations) of the processing recipe stored in the cleaning processing storage unit 112 are completed. The processing operation control unit 113 determines the end of the substrate processing operation by the end of the final step of the processing recipe.

[0065] 4, the processing operation control unit 113 determines whether the substrate processing operation has been completed (step S2). In this case, the processing operation control unit 113 determines that the substrate processing operation has been completed when the final step of the processing recipe has been completed. If the substrate processing operation has not been completed, the processing operation control unit 113 repeats the determination of step S2.

[0066] When the substrate processing operation is completed, the processing operation control unit 113 provides a processing operation end signal PE to the transfer control unit 111 (step S3).

[0067] 4, the processing operation control unit 113 controls the shutter drive unit Sd to open the shutter SHa (step S4). The processing operation control unit 113 measures the elapsed time from the end of the substrate processing operation. At this time, as shown in FIG. 8, the shield plate 31 is held at the second height position. Also, an inert gas is supplied to the upper surface of the substrate W by the inert gas supply unit 38.

[0068] The processing operation control unit 113 judges whether the measured time has passed a predetermined maintenance time (step S5). The maintenance time is, for example, 5 to 1800 seconds. If the measured time has not passed the predetermined maintenance time, the processing operation control unit 113 repeats the judgment of step S5. At this time, the transport holder H is outside the processing chamber CHa. When the transport holder H is able to enter the processing chamber CHa, the transport control unit 111 provides an entry start signal ES to the processing operation control unit 113.

[0069] When the time measured in step S5 has elapsed a predetermined maintenance time, the processing operation control unit 113 judges whether or not an entry start signal ES has been received from the transport control unit 111 (step S6). When the processing operation control unit 113 has not received the entry start signal ES, it repeats the judgment of step S6.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 4, when the processing operation control unit 113 receives the entry start signal ES, the processing operation control unit 113 stops the supply of the inert gas to the upper surface of the substrate W by the inert gas supply unit 38 (step S7). Steps S3 to S7 are the holding operation of the shield plate 31. When the processing operation control unit 113 receives the entry start signal ES, the transport holder H enters the processing chamber CHa through the opening OP as shown in FIG. 9. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the processing operation control unit 113 raises the shield plate 31 from the second height position to the first height position by the shield plate lifting drive unit 36 ​​(step S8). Note that the entry of the transport holder H into the processing chamber CHa and the lifting of the shield plate 31 may be performed simultaneously, or the transport holder H may enter after the lifting of the shield plate 31. In this state, the transport holder H takes out the substrate W on the spin chuck 10 as shown in FIG. 10.

[0071] (5) Effects In the substrate processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the opposing surface 31a of the shield plate 31 faces the upper surface of the substrate W in a close proximity state until the maintenance time has elapsed from the end of the substrate processing operation. This prevents mist or droplets in the atmosphere of the processing liquid remaining in the processing chamber CHa from re-adhering to the substrate W after the substrate processing operation. This makes it possible to improve the cleanliness of the substrate W after the substrate processing operation is completed.

[0072] In the substrate processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment, when the substrate processing operation is completed, the shutter SHa is opened. This allows the transport holder H to enter the processing chamber CHa. Since the shield plate 31 is held at the second height position from the time the shutter SHa is opened until the maintenance time has elapsed, mist or droplets in the atmosphere of the processing liquid that has remained in the processing chamber CHa between the time the shutter SHa is opened and the time the transport holder H enters the processing chamber CHa are prevented from re-adhering to the substrate.

[0073] Furthermore, after the substrate processing operation is completed, the blocking plate 31 starts to rise from the second height position to the first height position in response to the entry start signal ES. As a result, the blocking plate 31 is held at the second height position from the end of the substrate processing operation until the entry start signal ES is received. Therefore, even if the entry of the transport holder H of the substrate transport unit 2 into the processing chamber CHa is delayed, mist or droplets in the atmosphere of the processing liquid remaining in the processing chamber CHa are prevented from re-adhering to the substrate W.

[0074] Furthermore, the substrate processing operation of the substrate processing unit 1a is terminated as the rotation of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 10 is stopped. Furthermore, since the blocking plate 31 is held at the second height position in a stationary state, no flow of the processing liquid atmosphere is formed in the processing chamber CHa. This prevents the flow of the processing liquid atmosphere from entering between the blocking plate 31 and the substrate W. As a result, the mist or droplets are prevented from re-attaching to the substrate.

[0075] Furthermore, the processing operation control unit 113 determines the end of the substrate processing operation when the final step of the processing recipe is completed, and thereby, the blocking plate 31 can be held at the second height position until the maintenance time has elapsed from the end of the substrate processing operation with simple control without adding any special determination process.

[0076] Furthermore, the second height position can be adjusted so that the transport holder H can load and unload the substrate W in the space between the shield plate 31 held at the second height position and the spin base 11. This allows the substrate W to be loaded and unloaded with the shield plate 31 in the second position. As a result, the throughput of the substrate processing apparatus 100 is improved.

[0077] (6) Other embodiments (a) In the above embodiment, the end of the substrate processing operation is determined by the end of the final step of the processing recipe, but the method of determining the end of the substrate processing operation is not limited to this. For example, the end of the substrate processing operation may be determined based on the transition of the shutter SHa to an open state, or the end of the rotation of the spin base 11 or the rotation of the shield plate 31 at the end of the drying step of the substrate W.

[0078] (b) In the above embodiment, when the processing operation control unit 113 receives the entry start signal ES after the maintenance time has elapsed from the end of the substrate processing operation, the blocking plate 31 is raised from the second height position to the first height position, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the blocking plate 31 may be raised from the second height position to the first height position when the maintenance time has elapsed from the end of the substrate processing operation.

[0079] (c) In the above embodiment, the inert gas supply unit 38 supplies the inert gas to the upper surface of the substrate W until the maintenance time has elapsed from the end of the substrate processing operation, but the present invention is not limited to this. The inert gas supply unit 38 may stop supplying the inert gas to the upper surface of the substrate W before the maintenance time has elapsed from the end of the substrate processing operation, or the inert gas supply unit 38 may not supply the inert gas to the upper surface of the substrate W until the maintenance time has elapsed from the end of the substrate processing operation.

[0080] (d) The processing operation control unit 113 may be configured to be able to select between a first state in which the inert gas supply unit 38 supplies inert gas to the upper surface of the substrate W until a maintenance time has elapsed from the end of the substrate processing operation, and a second state in which the inert gas supply unit 38 does not supply inert gas to the upper surface of the substrate W until a maintenance time has elapsed from the end of the substrate processing operation.

[0081] In this case, in the first state, the atmosphere between the substrate W and the shield plate 31 can be blown away. On the other hand, in the second state, the atmosphere between the substrate W and the shield plate 31 can be maintained in a static state. With the above configuration, a user can select the first state or the second state depending on the state of the atmosphere of the processing liquid in the substrate processing units 1a to 1d.

[0082] (e) In the above embodiment, the second height position of shielding plate 31 is adjustable. However, the second height position of shielding plate 31 may be fixed.

[0083] (f) In the above embodiment, a resist stripping liquid is supplied to the substrate W as the processing liquid, but the processing liquid is not limited to the resist stripping liquid. For example, DHF may be used as the processing liquid. In this case, if mist or droplets of DHF reattach to the substrate, unintended etching of the substrate W may proceed. According to the substrate processing unit 1a-1d of the above embodiment, mist or droplets in the DHF atmosphere remaining in the processing chamber CHa are prevented from reattaching to the substrate W. As a result, unintended etching of the substrate W is prevented from proceeding.

[0084] Alternatively, TMAH may be used as the processing liquid. When high-temperature TMAH of 60 to 70° C. is used, mist or droplets in the TMAH atmosphere may be dispersed within the processing chamber CHa. If the mist or droplets of TMAH are redeposited on the substrate, unintended etching of the substrate W may proceed. According to the substrate processing unit 1a to 1d of the above embodiment, the mist or droplets in the TMAH atmosphere diffused in the processing chamber CHa are prevented from being redeposited on the substrate W. As a result, unintended etching of the substrate W is prevented from proceeding.

[0085] (7) Correspondence between each component of the claims and each part of the embodiment An example of the correspondence between each component of the claims and each element of the embodiment will be described below. In the above embodiment, the spin chuck 10 is an example of a substrate holding part, the shield plate 31 is an example of an opposing member, the shield plate lifting drive part 36 is an example of a lifting drive part, and the processing operation end signal PE is an example of an end signal indicating the end of the substrate processing operation. Various other elements having the configuration or function described in the claims can also be used as each component of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d... substrate processing section, 2... substrate transport section, 2a... transport drive section, 10... spin chuck, 11... spin base, 12... chuck pin, 13... spin motor, 20... nozzle drive section, 21... arm, 22... processing liquid supply nozzle, 23... processing liquid supply section, 24... motor, 30... blocking member, 31... blocking plate, 31a... opposing surface, 31b... discharge port, 32... rotating shaft, 32a... discharge flow path, 33... support arm, 35... blocking plate rotation drive section, 36... blocking plate lift drive section, 37... rinsing liquid supply section, 38... inert gas supply section, 40... Splash guard, 41A...first guard, 42A...second guard, 41B...first cup, 42B...second cup, 43...peripheral wall member, 100...substrate processing apparatus, 110...control section, 111...transport control section, 112...cleaning processing memory section, 113...processing operation control section, CC...carrier, CHa, CHb, CHc, CHd...processing chamber, CP...carrier placement section, H...transport holding section, IR...substrate transport section, OP...opening, PR...processing block, PT...placement section, SHa, SHb, SHc, SHd...shutter, Sd...shutter drive section, W...substrate

Claims

1. a substrate processing section for performing a substrate processing operation using a processing liquid on a substrate; a substrate transport unit having a transport holder that holds a substrate and transports the substrate into and out of the substrate processing unit; a control unit that controls the substrate processing unit and the substrate transport unit, The substrate processing section includes: a substrate holder that holds the substrate in a horizontal position; an opposing member having an opposing surface facing the substrate held by the substrate holding portion, the opposing member being configured to be movable between a first height position spaced above the substrate holding portion and a second height position lower than the first height position; a lifting drive unit that lifts and lowers the opposing member, The control unit controls the lifting drive unit so that the opposing member is held at the second height position until a predetermined maintenance time has elapsed from the end of the substrate processing operation, and then the opposing member rises from the second height position to the first height position.

2. the substrate holder is a rotary holder that rotates the substrate around a vertical axis, the control unit controls the rotation holding unit so that rotation of the substrate is stopped at a time point when the substrate processing operation is completed; The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: controlling the lifting and lowering drive unit so that the opposing member is held stationary at the second height position until the maintenance time has elapsed with the rotation of the substrate held by the rotating holder stopped.

3. 3 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls the substrate processing operation in accordance with a process recipe including a plurality of processes in sequence, and determines the end of the substrate processing operation upon completion of a final process of the process recipe.

4. performing a substrate processing operation using a processing liquid on a substrate held by a substrate holding unit in a substrate processing unit; holding an opposing member at a first height position spaced above the substrate holding part or at a second height position lower than the first height position during the substrate processing operation; maintaining the opposing member at the second height position until a predetermined maintenance time has elapsed from the end of the substrate processing operation; and after holding the opposing member at the second height position until the maintenance time has elapsed, raising the opposing member from the second height position to the first height position.

5. The method further includes a step of stopping the rotation of the substrate held by the rotation holder at a time point when the substrate processing operation is completed, The step of holding the opposing member at the second height position includes:

5. The substrate processing method according to claim 4, further comprising holding the opposing member at the second height position until the maintenance time has elapsed in a state in which rotation of the substrate held by the rotation holder is stopped.

6. 6. The substrate processing method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of determining completion of the substrate processing operation based on completion of a final process of a processing recipe including a plurality of processes in sequence.

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