Substrate Processing Equipment

Abstract

To provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of supplying a processing solution to the lower surface of a substrate and improving processing quality.SOLUTION: A substrate processing apparatus capable of supplying a processing solution to the lower surface of a rotating substrate 9 to process the substrate 9 includes: an upper support 31 separably installed on a lower support 21; a plurality of upper holding members 32 projected downward from the upper support 31 and for holding the substrate 9; and an upper holding drive part 33 for attachably and detachably moving the upper holding member 32 to the outer edge part of the substrate 9. The upper holding drive part 33 preferably moves the upper holding member 32 using a magnetic action between a holding side magnetic body 331 and an annular drive side magnetic body 332.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for processing a substrate by supplying a processing liquid to the substrate. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in the manufacturing process of substrates such as semiconductor substrates and glass substrates (hereinafter simply referred to as "substrates"), a process is performed in which the outer periphery of the substrate is gripped and a processing liquid is supplied to the underside of the substrate while rotating the substrate. As one such process, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which an etching liquid is supplied to the underside of the substrate and etching is performed with the etching liquid that has flowed around to the outer periphery edge (i.e., the bevel portion) of the upper surface.

[0003] On the other hand, in Patent Document 2, the substrate is gripped from above by an annular spin chuck, and liquid and gas are supplied onto the substrate from an upper supply unit and a lower supply unit.

[0004] Furthermore, Patent Document 3 discloses a technique in which a ring-shaped magnet is brought close to a rotation magnet connected to a holding member, thereby holding the substrate with the holding member while the substrate is rotating. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-266951 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2017-112364 A [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-135314 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, when a processing liquid is supplied to the underside of a substrate while the substrate is being held from below, the processing liquid that spreads over the underside of the substrate collides not only with the portion of the holding part that is in contact with the substrate, but also with the portion below that, which generates a large amount of droplets that may affect the quality of the processing.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and has an object to improve the quality of processing in a substrate processing apparatus that supplies a processing liquid to the underside of a substrate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The invention described in claim 1 is a substrate processing apparatus that processes a substrate by supplying a processing liquid to the substrate, and includes an upper support part that supports the substrate from above in a horizontal position, a lower support part on which the upper support part is detachably placed and faces an underside of the substrate supported on the upper support part, a rotation part that rotates the lower support part around a central axis facing in the vertical direction, and a processing liquid supply part that supplies processing liquid to the underside of the substrate supported on the upper support part, and the upper support part has an upper support body that is detachably placed on the lower support part and rotates together with the lower support part and faces the upper surface of the substrate, a plurality of upper gripping members that protrude downward from the upper support body and grip the substrate by contacting the outer edge of the substrate, and an upper gripping drive unit that moves the plurality of upper gripping members so as to be able to approach and separate from the outer edge of the substrate.

[0009] The invention described in claim 2 is a substrate processing apparatus described in claim 1, wherein the lower support portion has a lower support body facing the underside of the substrate, a plurality of lower gripping members protruding upward from the lower support body and gripping the substrate by contacting the outer edge portion of the substrate, and a lower gripping drive portion that moves the plurality of lower gripping members so as to be able to approach and separate from the outer edge portion of the substrate.

[0010] The invention described in claim 3 is a substrate processing apparatus described in claim 2, wherein, during processing of a substrate, there are a state in which the substrate is gripped by the multiple upper gripping members and not gripped by the multiple lower gripping members, and a state in which the substrate is gripped by the multiple lower gripping members and not gripped by the multiple upper gripping members.

[0011] A fourth aspect of the present invention provides the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the processing liquid supply unit supplies a processing liquid to an underside of the substrate gripped by the upper gripping members.

[0012] A fifth aspect of the present invention provides the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the upper support is annular.

[0013] The invention described in claim 6 is a substrate processing apparatus described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the upper gripping driving unit has a gripping side magnetic body mechanically connected to the multiple upper gripping members, a ring-shaped driving side magnetic body centered on the central axis, and a magnetic body moving unit that moves the driving side magnetic body, and at least one of the gripping side magnetic body and the driving side magnetic body is a magnet, and the multiple upper gripping members are moved by magnetic action between the gripping side magnetic body and the driving side magnetic body due to movement of the driving side magnetic body by the magnetic body moving unit. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, in a substrate processing apparatus that supplies a processing liquid to the underside of a substrate, the quality of processing can be improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view showing a configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a part of the substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 3A] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an upper support placed on a lower support. [Figure 3B] FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the upper support is lifted from the lower support. [Figure 4] 5 is a diagram showing a flow of an example of operation of the substrate processing apparatus; [Figure 5A] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state of the substrate processing apparatus; [Figure 5B] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state of the substrate processing apparatus; [Figure 5C] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state of the substrate processing apparatus; [Figure 5D] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state of the substrate processing apparatus; [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the state of an etching solution. [Figure 7A] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing another example of a structure for raising and lowering the upper support. [Figure 7B] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing another example of a structure for raising and lowering the upper support. [Figure 8A] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing still another example of a structure for raising and lowering the upper support; [Figure 8B] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing still another example of a structure for raising and lowering the upper support; [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the substrate processing apparatus from which a lower gripping member is omitted. [Figure 10] 10 is a plan view showing a part of the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. [Figure 11] 13 is a diagram showing the ejection direction of the treatment liquid from the upper nozzle. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] FIG 1 is a side view showing the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The substrate processing apparatus 1 is a single-wafer type apparatus that processes semiconductor substrates 9 (hereinafter simply referred to as "substrates 9") one by one. The substrate processing apparatus 1 processes the substrates 9 by supplying a processing liquid thereto. FIG 1 shows a cross section of part of the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 1. Note that the parallel diagonal lines indicating the cross section are omitted in the details as appropriate.

[0017] The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a housing 11, a lower support section 2, an upper support section 3, a rotating section 12, a lifting section 13, a liquid receiving section 15, an annular cover 16, a processing liquid supply section 4, and a control section (not shown). The housing 11 accommodates the lower support section 2, the upper support section 3, the rotating section 12, the lifting section 13, the liquid receiving section 15, the annular cover 16, the processing liquid supply section 4, and the like. In FIG. 1, the housing 11 is illustrated in cross section. An airflow generating section 111 is provided in the canopy section of the housing 11 to supply gas to the internal space and form an airflow (so-called downflow) flowing downward. For example, an FFU (fan filter unit) is used as the airflow generating section 111.

[0018] The control unit is disposed outside the housing 11, and controls the lower support unit 2, the upper support unit 3, the rotating unit 12, the lifting unit 13, the processing liquid supply unit 4, etc. The control unit includes, for example, a normal computer equipped with a processor, a memory, an input / output unit, and a bus. The bus is a signal circuit that connects the processor, the memory, and the input / output unit. The memory stores programs and various information. The processor executes various processes (e.g., numerical calculations) using the memory, etc., in accordance with the programs, etc. stored in the memory. The input / output unit includes a keyboard and mouse that accept input from an operator, a display that displays outputs, etc. from the processor, and a transmission unit that transmits outputs, etc. from the processor.

[0019] The lower support 2 supports the substrate 9 in a horizontal position. In this embodiment, the lower support 2 directly supports the substrate 9, but as described later, the lower support 2 may indirectly support the substrate 9. "Indirectly supporting the substrate 9" means supporting the substrate 9 via a member that is connected to the lower support 2 in a separable or inseparable manner. The lower support 2 includes a lower support 21, a plurality of lower gripping members 22, and a lower gripping drive unit 23. In FIG. 1, one lower gripping member 22 is shown on the left side. The lower support 21 faces the lower surface of the substrate 9. That is, the upper surface of the lower support 21 is spaced apart from the substrate 9 and faces the lower surface of the substrate 9.

[0020] The multiple lower gripping members 22 protrude upward from the lower support 21 and grip the substrate 9 by contacting the outer edge of the substrate 9. The lower gripping members 22 are so-called "support pins." The upper part of the lower gripping members 22 is pin-shaped with a thinner shape than the lower part, and as the lower gripping members 22 rotate around a central axis facing in the up-down direction, the upper part, which is positioned offset from the central axis, moves and contacts the outer edge of the substrate 9. The lower gripping members 22 mechanically support the substrate 9.

[0021] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the annular cover 16 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 and a part of the inner structure thereof. The left side of FIG. 2 shows the upper surface of the lower support 21, and the right side shows a state in which an upper support 31 described later is placed on the lower support 21. As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, three lower gripping members 22 are provided on the lower support 21. The three lower gripping members 22 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction around a central axis J1 when rotating the substrate 9. As shown in FIG. 1, each lower gripping member 22 penetrates the lower support 21 in the vertical direction and is rotatably supported by the lower support 21 via a bearing (not shown). In the following description, the circumferential direction centered on the central axis J1 is also simply referred to as the "circumferential direction", the radial direction centered on the central axis J1 is simply referred to as the "radial direction", and the direction parallel to the central axis J1 is simply referred to as the "axial direction".

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, the lower gripping drive unit 23 (see the left side of FIG. 1) includes a gripping side magnetic body 231, a driving side magnetic body 232, a magnetic body moving unit 233 (see the right side of FIG. 1), and a position restoration unit (not shown). The gripping side magnetic body 231 is mechanically connected to the lower end of the lower gripping member 22. In this embodiment, the gripping side magnetic body 231 is a magnet. The driving side magnetic body 232 is annular about the central axis J1. In this embodiment, the driving side magnetic body 232 is a magnet. The magnetic body moving unit 233 raises and lowers the driving side magnetic body 232. In practice, two magnetic body moving units 233 are provided facing each other with the central axis J1 as the center (see the magnetic body moving unit 333 in FIG. 2 described later). Three or more magnetic body moving units 233 may be arranged in the circumferential direction. The number of magnetic body moving units 233 may be one. Various mechanisms can be used as the magnetic body moving unit 233, and may be a cylinder, a mechanism combining a rotary motor with a ball screw, a linear motor, or the like. In this embodiment, the position restoration unit is a magnet fixed to the lower surface of the lower support 21. The position restoration unit is adjacent to the gripping side magnetic body 231. Note that FIG. 2 illustrates a position restoration unit 334 of the upper grip driving unit 33, which will be described later. The position restoration unit of the lower grip driving unit 23 is provided in accordance with the position restoration unit 334 of the upper grip driving unit 33.

[0023] In a state where the driving side magnetic body 232 is lowered by the magnetic body moving part 233, the magnetic body between the gripping side magnetic body 231 and the position restoration part target As a result of this magnetic action, the lower gripping member 22 is positioned at a position where it grips the substrate 9. That is, the upper part of the lower gripping member 22 comes into contact with the outer edge of the substrate 9. The magnetic action may be an attractive force or a repulsive force, and the same applies in the following description. When the driving-side magnetic body 232 is raised by the magnetic body moving part 233, the magnetic action between the gripping-side magnetic body 231 and the driving-side magnetic body 232 overcomes the magnetic action between the gripping-side magnetic body 231 and the position restoration part, and the lower gripping member 22 rotates to a position where it does not grip the substrate 9. That is, the upper part of the lower gripping member 22 moves away from the outer edge of the substrate 9.

[0024] From this state, when the driving side magnetic body 232 is lowered by the magnetic body moving part 233, the magnetic body between the gripping side magnetic body 231 and the position restoration part targetAs a result, the lower gripping members 22 return to a position where they grip the substrate 9. The lower gripping drive unit 23 moves the multiple lower gripping members 22 so that they can move toward and away from the outer edge of the substrate 9. Because the drive-side magnetic body 232 is annular about the central axis J1, the lower gripping members 22 can grip and release the substrate 9 even while the substrate 9 is rotating. By using magnets, the lower gripping members 22 can be moved with a simple structure.

[0025] It is not necessary that the gripping side magnetic body 231, the driving side magnetic body 232, and the position restoration part are all magnets, and one of them may be a magnetic body such as iron, within a range that can generate a magnetic action. That is, at least one of the gripping side magnetic body 231 and the driving side magnetic body 232 is a magnet, and at least one of the gripping side magnetic body 231 and the position restoration part is a magnet. Furthermore, the position restoration part does not have to be a magnetic body, and may be, for example, an elastic body such as a spring. In this case, the lower gripping member 22 moves from a position where it does not grip the substrate 9 to a position where it grips the substrate 9 due to an elastic force acting between the lower gripping member 22 and the position restoration part. Furthermore, if the substrate 9 can be gripped by a configuration in which, for example, the lower gripping member 22 can be positioned at a position where it grips the substrate 9 by utilizing centrifugal force while the substrate 9 is rotating, the position restoration part may be omitted.

[0026] The upper support section 3 supports the substrate 9 from above in a horizontal position. In this embodiment, the upper support section 3 directly supports the substrate 9. The upper support section 3 includes an upper support 31, a plurality of upper gripping members 32, and an upper gripping drive section 33 (see the right side of FIG. 1). In FIG. 1, one upper gripping member 32 is shown on the right side. The upper support 31 faces the upper surface of the substrate 9. In other words, the upper support 31 is spaced apart from the substrate 9 and faces the upper surface of the substrate 9. To be precise, the upper support 31 faces a portion of the upper surface of the substrate 9 while being spaced apart in the vertical direction.

[0027] In this embodiment, the upper support 31 is an annular member centered on the central axis J1. The upper support 31 is detachably placed on the lower support 2 (the lower support 21). The upper support 31 rotates together with the lower support 2 (excluding the non-rotating portion) while covering the outer edge of the substrate 9 supported by the lower support 2. In the following description, when the rotation of the lower support 2 is mentioned, it refers to the rotating portion of the lower support 2, particularly the lower support 21 and the lower gripping member 22. In addition, taking into account the gripping operation described later, the term "substrate 9 supported by the lower support 2" accurately refers to "substrate 9 supported only by the lower support 2", "substrate 9 indirectly supported by the lower support 2 via the upper support 3", and "substrate 9 supported by the lower support 2 and the upper support 3", focusing on the lower support 2 for convenience, and the same applies hereinafter unless a special description regarding support is given.

[0028] 3A is a diagram showing a vertical cross section (only one side with respect to the central axis J1) of the upper support 31 placed on the lower support 21. The upper support 31, which is an annular member, includes an annular side wall portion 311 that faces radially the outer periphery of the substrate 9 supported by the lower support portion 2 and the outer periphery of the lower support portion 2 (excluding the lower gripping drive portion 23), and an annular upper portion 312 that spreads radially inward from the annular side wall portion 311 and faces the outer edge of the upper surface of the substrate 9 in the up-down direction. The area of ​​an opening 313 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) of the annular upper portion 312 above the substrate 9 is preferably at least half the area of ​​the substrate 9 (to be precise, the area of ​​the substrate 9 when viewed in a plan view; the same applies below).

[0029] Opening 313 opens widely above substrate 9, and more preferably the area of ​​opening 313 is ¾ or more the area of ​​substrate 9. In particular, when substrate processing apparatus 1 processes the outer edge of substrate 9, or more preferably when etching the outer edge of substrate 9, the range that annular upper portion 312 covers above substrate 9 is preferably 20 mm or less radially inward from the outer periphery (edge) of the outer periphery of substrate 9. More preferably, the range is 10 mm or less.

[0030] FIG. 3B is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the upper support 31 is lifted from the lower support 21 by the lifting unit 13 described later. A plurality of protrusions 215 protruding upward are provided on the upper surface of the lower support 21. The protrusions 215 are located radially outward from the upper gripping member 32 (see FIG. 1). The plurality of protrusions 215 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. For example, the number of the protrusions 215 is 3 or 6, and is preferably located between the upper gripping member 32 and the lower gripping member 22 in the circumferential direction. The number of the protrusions 215 is not limited to 3 or 6, and may be 2 or more, and is preferably 3 or more. A pin-shaped small protrusion 216 is provided on the upper end of the protrusion 215. In FIG. 2, the protrusions 215 are omitted from the illustration.

[0031] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3B, a plurality of protruding portions 315 protruding downward are provided on the lower surface of the annular upper portion 312 of the upper support 31. The protruding portions 315 are provided at positions corresponding to the protruding portions 215 of the lower support 21. The number of the protruding portions 315 is the same as the number of the protruding portions 215. The lower ends of the protruding portions 315 are provided with small recesses 316 recessed upward. When the upper support 31 is placed on the lower support 21, the positions of the protruding portions 215 and the protruding portions 315 are aligned, and the upper support 31 is lowered so that the small protrusions 216 are inserted into the small recesses 316, and the protruding portions 215 and the protruding portions 315 come into contact with each other as shown in FIG. 3A. As a result, the position of the upper support 31 relative to the lower support 21 is fixed in the circumferential and radial directions. When the lower support 21 (and lower gripping member 22) is rotated about the central axis J1 by the rotating part 12, the upper support 31 (and upper gripping member 32) also rotates about the central axis J1. In other words, when the lower support part 2 rotates about the central axis J1, the upper support part 3 (excluding the non-rotating part) also rotates about the central axis J1. In the following description, when referring to the rotation of the upper support part 3, as in the case of the lower support part 2, this refers to the rotating parts of the upper support part 3, in particular the upper support part 31 and the upper gripping member 32.

[0032] Generally speaking, the preferred position of the engagement portion (protrusions 215, 315) that engages the upper support 31 and the lower support 21 is located radially outboard of the position that grips the substrate 9, and is located circumferentially between multiple positions that grip the substrate 9.

[0033] When the upper support 31 is placed on the lower support 21, the structure for fixing the position of the upper support 31 relative to the lower support 21 in the circumferential direction and the radial direction may be modified in various ways. For example, a small recess may be provided on the protruding portion 215, and a small protrusion may be provided on the protruding portion 315. A protruding portion may be provided only on the lower support 21 or the upper support 31. Furthermore, a structure for fixing the relative position of the upper support 31 relative to the lower support 21 only in the circumferential direction and a structure for fixing the relative position of the upper support 31 relative to the lower support 21 only in the radial direction may be provided separately between the lower support 21 and the upper support 31. A structure for fixing the position of the upper support 31 relative to the lower support 21 in the circumferential direction and the radial direction may be provided between the lower support 21 and the annular side wall portion 311 of the upper support 31.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 3A, in a state where the upper support 31 is placed on the lower support 21, the annular side wall portion 311 is spaced radially outward from the lower support 21. The lower end of the annular side wall portion 311 is located below the upper surface of the lower support 21. The lower end of the annular side wall portion 311 may be located below the lower surface of the lower support 21. The lower surface of the annular upper portion 312 and the inner peripheral surface of the annular side wall portion 311 are preferably smoothly connected. That is, the lower surface of the annular upper portion 312 and the inner peripheral surface of the annular side wall portion 311 are connected via a portion that is substantially arc-shaped or substantially elliptical arc-shaped in a vertical cross section. As a result, even if liquid adheres to the lower surface of the annular upper portion 312, the liquid is smoothly guided to the inner peripheral surface of the annular side wall portion 311 and discharged below the annular side wall portion 311.

[0035] The upper end of the inner peripheral surface of the annular side wall portion 311 may be appropriately determined, but when the lower surface of the annular upper portion 312 and the inner peripheral surface of the annular side wall portion 311 are connected by a smooth surface or an inclined surface (hereinafter, these surfaces are referred to as "connection surface"), the connection surface may be considered as a part of the inner peripheral surface of the annular side wall portion 311. In other words, the upper end of the inner peripheral surface of the annular side wall portion 311 may be interpreted as the boundary between the lower surface of the annular upper portion 312 and the connection surface. As a result, even when the connection surface is located to the side of the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate 9, the annular side wall portion 311 is located radially outward of the substrate 9, and the annular side wall portion 311 can be said to receive droplets scattered from the substrate 9. In this interpretation, the upper end of the inner peripheral surface of the annular side wall portion 311 is located above the upper surface of the substrate 9.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 3A, an annular protrusion 314 protruding downward is provided on the inner periphery of the lower surface of the annular upper part 312. The annular protrusion 314 is annular about the central axis J1. The annular protrusion 314 may be provided on the inner periphery end of the annular upper part 312, or may be provided slightly radially outward from the inner periphery end. The radial width of the annular protrusion 314 and the height downward from the lower surface of the annular upper part 312 are appropriately set according to the airflow to be generated on the outer edge of the substrate 9 during processing, as described later. Due to the presence of the annular protrusion 314, the speed of the airflow between the upper surface of the substrate 9 and the upper support 31 is increased compared to the case where the annular protrusion 314 is not present. The annular protrusion 314, together with the annular upper part 312, generates a desired airflow on the outer edge of the substrate 9. If the annular upper part 312 without the annular protrusion 314 can generate a desired airflow on the outer edge of the substrate 9, the annular protrusion 314 can be omitted.

[0037] The "outer edge" of the substrate 9 refers to a range of a certain width from the outer peripheral edge of the substrate 9 toward the center of the substrate 9. This width may be very small or may be somewhat large. For example, the "outer edge" may be only the arc-shaped region of the outer peripheral edge in the vertical cross section of the substrate 9, or may be a region that extends several centimeters inward toward the center of the substrate 9 in addition to the arc-shaped region. As described later, the range in which the etching solution flows from the lower surface to the upper surface of the substrate 9 (for example, a range of 0.5 to 3 mm) may be regarded as the outer edge, or the range in which the substrate 9 and the annular upper portion 312 overlap in the vertical direction may be regarded as the outer edge. Alternatively, the region on the substrate 9 that is radially outward of the annular protrusion 314 may be regarded as the outer edge. Of course, the term "outer edge" is interpreted appropriately depending on the context in which the term is used.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 1, the upper gripping members 32 protrude downward from the upper support 31 and grip the substrate 9 by contacting the outer edge of the substrate 9. The upper gripping members 32 are so-called "support pins." The lower part is pin-shaped with a thin edge compared to the upper part, and as the upper gripping members 32 rotate around a central axis facing the up-down direction, the lower part, which is positioned offset from the central axis, moves and contacts the outer edge of the substrate 9. The upper gripping members 32 mechanically support the substrate 9. Note that a recess is provided in the part of the lower side surface of the upper gripping members 32 that contacts the substrate 9 to match the outer edge of the substrate 9 so that the upper gripping members 32 alone can grip the substrate 9 without dropping it.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, three upper gripping members 32 are provided on the upper support 31. The three upper gripping members 32 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction centered on the central axis J1 when the substrate 9 is rotated. The upper gripping members 32 are arranged between the lower gripping members 22, and in the example of FIG. 2, the upper gripping members 32 and the lower gripping members 22 are arranged alternately at 60 degree intervals. The number of the upper gripping members 32 and the lower gripping members 22 is not limited to three, and may be four or more. The number of the upper gripping members 32 and the number of the lower gripping members 22 may be different. As shown in FIG. 1, each upper gripping member 32 penetrates the upper support 31 in the vertical direction and is rotatably supported by the upper support 31 via a bearing not shown.

[0040] The upper grip driving unit 33 has a structure similar to that of the lower grip driving unit 23. The upper grip driving unit 33 (see the right side of FIG. 1) includes a gripping side magnetic body 331, a driving side magnetic body 332, a magnetic body moving unit 333 (see the left side of FIG. 1), and a position restoration unit 334 (see FIG. 2). As shown in FIG. 1, the gripping side magnetic body 331 is mechanically connected to the upper end of the upper gripping member 32. In this embodiment, the gripping side magnetic body 331 is a magnet. The driving side magnetic body 332 is annular about the central axis J1 (see FIG. 2). In this embodiment, the driving side magnetic body 332 is a magnet. The magnetic body moving unit 333 raises and lowers the driving side magnetic body 332. As shown in FIG. 2, two magnetic body moving units 333 are provided facing each other around the central axis J1. Three or more magnetic body moving units 333 may be arranged in the circumferential direction. The number of magnetic body moving parts 333 may be one. Various mechanisms are available for the magnetic body moving part 333, and may be a cylinder, a mechanism combining a rotary motor with a ball screw, a linear motor, or the like. In this embodiment, the position restoration part 334 is a magnet fixed to the upper surface of the upper support 31. The position restoration part 334 is adjacent to the gripping side magnetic body 331.

[0041] In a state where the driving side magnetic body 332 is raised by the magnetic body moving part 333, the magnetic body between the gripping side magnetic body 331 and the position restoring part 334 target As a result, the upper gripping member 32 is positioned at a position where it grips the substrate 9. That is, the lower part of the upper gripping member 32 comes into contact with the outer edge of the substrate 9. When the driving-side magnetic body 332 is lowered by the magnetic body moving part 333, the magnetic action between the gripping-side magnetic body 331 and the driving-side magnetic body 332 overcomes the magnetic action between the gripping-side magnetic body 331 and the position restoring part 334, and the upper gripping member 32 rotates to a position where it does not grip the substrate 9. That is, the lower part of the upper gripping member 32 moves away from the outer edge of the substrate 9.

[0042] From this state, when the driving side magnetic body 332 is raised by the magnetic body moving part 333, the magnetic body between the gripping side magnetic body 331 and the position restoring part 334 targetAs a result of this action, the upper gripping members 32 return to a position where they grip the substrate 9. In this manner, the upper gripping drive unit 33 moves the multiple upper gripping members 32 so that they can move toward and away from the outer edge of the substrate 9. Because the drive-side magnetic body 332 is annular about the central axis J1, the upper gripping members 32 can grip and release the substrate 9 even while the substrate 9 is rotating. By using magnets, the upper gripping members 32 can be moved with a simple structure.

[0043] It is not necessary that the gripping side magnetic body 331, the driving side magnetic body 332, and the position restoring unit 334 are all magnets, and one of them may be a magnetic body such as iron, within a range that can generate a magnetic effect. That is, at least one of the gripping side magnetic body 331 and the driving side magnetic body 332 is a magnet, and at least one of the gripping side magnetic body 331 and the position restoring unit 334 is a magnet. Furthermore, the position restoring unit 334 does not have to be a magnetic body, and may be, for example, an elastic body such as a spring. In this case, the upper gripping member 32 moves from a position where it does not grip the substrate 9 to a position where it grips the substrate 9 due to an elastic force acting between the upper gripping member 32 and the position restoring unit 334. Furthermore, if the substrate 9 can be gripped by a configuration in which, for example, the upper gripping member 32 can be positioned at a position where it grips the substrate 9 by utilizing centrifugal force while the substrate 9 is rotating, the position restoring unit 334 may be omitted.

[0044] 1, the rotating shaft of the rotating part 12 is connected to the lower support 21. The rotating part 12 rotates around the lower support 21 as the center of a central axis J1. The rotating shaft is hollow, and its upper end serves as a lower nozzle 41, which will be described later.

[0045] The lifting unit 13 raises and lowers the upper support 31 relative to the lower support 21. The upper support 31 is a mounting member placed on the lower support 21. That is, the lifting unit 13 raises and lowers the upper support 31, which is a mounting member, relative to the lower support 2. The lifting unit 13 includes a lifting drive unit 131 and a tip portion 132 that is raised and lowered by the lifting drive unit 131. As the lifting drive unit 131, various mechanisms are available, and may be a cylinder, a mechanism combining a rotary motor with a ball screw, a linear motor, or the like. As shown in FIG. 2, two lifting units 13 are actually provided at positions facing each other with respect to the central axis J1. Three or more lifting units 13 may be arranged in the circumferential direction.

[0046] A groove 34 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the upper support 31, recessed radially inward over the entire circumference. A tip 132 of the lifting unit 13 extends from the radially outward direction toward the groove 34 of the upper support 31. As shown in FIG. 3B , when the tip 132 rises, a downward-facing surface 341 on the upper side of the groove 34 comes into contact with an upper surface 133 of the tip 132, and the upper support 31 moves upward away from the lower support 21. Hereinafter, the groove 34 will be referred to as the "first contact portion," the tip 132 as the "second contact portion," the surface 341 as the "first contact surface," and the upper surface 133 as the "second contact surface."

[0047] When the second contact portion 132 is lowered by the lifting drive unit 131, the upper support 31 is placed on the lower support 21 and the second contact surface 133 is separated from the first contact surface 341, as shown in Fig. 3A. That is, the second contact portion 132 is separated from the first contact portion 34. Since the first contact portion 34 is formed over the entire circumference, the lower support 2 can rotate in a state in which the first contact portion 34 and the second contact portion 132 are separated. Since the first contact surface 341 is an annular surface centered on the central axis J1, the upper support 31 can be lifted and lowered by the lifting unit 13 regardless of the rotation position of the upper support 31.

[0048] The lifting section 13 lifts and lowers the upper support 31 while supporting the outer periphery of the upper support 31. Therefore, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, there is no mechanism for lifting and lowering the upper support 31 directly above the upper support 31. As a result, the height of the substrate processing apparatus 1 can be kept low. In order to realize such a structure, it is preferable that the position of the first contact section 34 in the height direction is 150 mm or less from the upper surface of the lower support 21 when the upper support 31 is placed on the lower support section 2. This makes it possible to keep the height of the part involved in the processing low while maintaining the processing space. In addition, the space above the upper support 31 can also be effectively used. More preferably, the position of the first contact section 34 in the height direction is 100 mm or less from the upper surface of the upper support 31. More preferably, the height of the upper support 31 is 150 mm or less.

[0049] 1, an annular liquid receiving portion 15 is provided below the gap between the lower support 21 and the annular side wall portion 311 of the upper support 31. The liquid receiving portion 15 is annular about the central axis J1. The liquid receiving portion 15 receives liquid dropping from the gap between the lower support 21 and the annular side wall portion 311.

[0050] The annular cover 16 is disposed in a stationary state radially outside the upper support 31, which is an annular member. The annular cover 16 is annular about the central axis J1. The upper portion of the annular cover 16 faces radially inward and approaches the outer circumferential surface of the annular side wall portion 311 of the upper support 31. The inner circumferential end of the annular cover 16 is spaced apart from the outer circumferential surface of the annular side wall portion 311. The lifting / lowering drive portion 131 of the lifting / lowering portion 13 is provided on the annular cover 16. This allows the size of the substrate processing apparatus 1 in a horizontal plane (so-called footprint) to be kept small. In the substrate processing apparatus 1, the magnetic body moving portion 333 of the upper gripping drive portion 33 is also provided on the annular cover 16 (see FIG. 2). This also allows the size of the substrate processing apparatus 1 in a horizontal plane to be kept small.

[0051] In this embodiment, the upper support 31 directly receives droplets scattered from the substrate 9, so the annular cover 16 is provided to prevent droplets from scattering. Therefore, the radial width of the annular cover 16 can be made smaller than when the droplets are directly received, and a mechanism for moving the annular cover 16 up and down is not required, simplifying the device structure. Since the upper support 31 rotates together with the substrate 9, the amount of splashes generated when droplets scattered from the substrate 9 collide with the annular side wall 311 is also reduced compared to when the annular side wall 311 does not exist. The fixed arrangement of the annular cover 16 makes it easy to install the lifting and lowering drive unit 131 and the magnetic body moving unit 333 on the annular cover 16. An exhaust unit for exhausting air to the outside of the substrate processing device 1 is provided below the annular cover 16.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 1, the processing liquid supply unit 4 includes a lower nozzle 41, an upper nozzle 42, a nozzle moving unit (not shown), and a processing liquid supply source (not shown). As described above, the lower nozzle 41 is provided at the upper end of the rotation shaft of the rotating unit 12. The processing liquid discharged from the lower nozzle 41 is supplied to the lower surface of the substrate 9 supported by the lower support unit 2. The upper nozzle 42 is moved between a position above the substrate 9 and a position off the upper side of the substrate 9 by the nozzle moving unit. The processing liquid discharged from the upper nozzle 42 is supplied to the upper surface of the substrate 9 supported by the lower support unit 2. The processing liquid supply source supplies the processing liquid to the lower nozzle 41 and the upper nozzle 42 individually using a pump or the like from a tank that stores the processing liquid. In this embodiment, the processing liquid supplied to the lower nozzle 41 is a rinse liquid that is deionized water, an etching liquid, or the like. The processing liquid supplied to the upper nozzle 42 is a rinse liquid that is deionized water, or the like. The rinsing liquid may be carbonated water, hydrogen water, ozone water, SC1, SC2, etc. The etching liquid is, for example, an aqueous solution of hydrofluoric acid, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, hydrogen peroxide, or the like, or a mixed solution of two or more selected from these, or a solution containing these aqueous solutions or mixed solutions.

[0053] The processing liquid is not limited to a rinse liquid or an etching liquid. In the present embodiment, the upper nozzle 42 can be omitted. Depending on the type of processing, the lower nozzle 41 may be omitted and only the upper nozzle 42 may be provided in the substrate processing apparatus 1. When the upper support 31 is raised to load or unload the substrate 9, the upper nozzle 42 is retreated by the nozzle moving part to a position where it does not interfere with the upper support 31.

[0054] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a flow of an example of operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1. Fig. 5A to Fig. 5D are diagrams showing states of the substrate processing apparatus 1. The substrate processing apparatus 1 operates under the control of a control unit (not shown).

[0055] 5A, in a state where the upper support 31 is raised, the driving-side magnetic body 332 of the upper gripping drive unit 33 is adjacent to the gripping-side magnetic body 331, and the driving-side magnetic body 232 of the lower gripping drive unit 23 is adjacent to the gripping-side magnetic body 231, the substrate 9 is carried in by an external transport mechanism (step S11). Thereafter, the magnetic body moving unit 233 of the lower gripping drive unit 23 lowers the driving-side magnetic body 232, whereby the substrate 9 is gripped by the lower gripping member 22 (step S12).

[0056] The upper support 31 is lowered by the magnetic body moving part 333 of the upper grip driving part 33 and the lifting part 13 while maintaining the driving side magnetic body 332 and the gripping side magnetic body 331 of the upper grip driving part 33 in a state close to each other. As a result, the upper support 31 is placed on the lower support 21 (step S13). Thereafter, the magnetic body moving part 333 lifts the driving side magnetic body 332, so that the substrate 9 is gripped by the upper gripping member 32 as shown in FIG. 5B (step S14). That is, the substrate 9 is gripped by the upper support part 3 and the lower support part 2.

[0057] The rotating unit 12 rotates the lower support unit 2, thereby rotating the substrate 9 (step S15). The upper nozzle 42 moves from a position retracted to the side of the upper support 31 to above the upper support 31. First, a rinsing liquid is supplied from the lower nozzle 41 and the upper nozzle 42 of the processing liquid supply unit 4 to the lower and upper surfaces of the substrate 9 while the substrate 9 is rotating. The supplied rinsing liquid flows over the lower and upper surfaces of the substrate 9. Diameter The liquid flows outward in the cleaning direction, splashes off the outer circumferential edge of the substrate 9, and is received by the annular side wall portion 311 of the upper support 31. The liquid drops downward from the annular side wall portion 311 and is received in the liquid receiving portion 15. Thereafter, the supply of the rinsing liquid is stopped.

[0058] Next, an etching liquid is supplied to the lower surface of the substrate 9 from the lower nozzle 41. The supplied etching liquid flows over the lower surface of the substrate 9. Diameter The liquid flows outward in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the substrate 9, splashes off the outer circumferential edge of the substrate 9, and is received by the annular side wall portion 311. The liquid falls downward from the annular side wall portion 311 and is received by the liquid receiving portion 15.

[0059] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the state of the etching solution 8. The etching solution 8 flowing on the lower surface of the substrate 9 slightly wraps around to the upper surface at the outer peripheral end of the substrate 9. Hereinafter, the radial distance 5 that the etching solution 8 wraps around from the outer peripheral end of the substrate 9 to the upper surface is referred to as the "wraparound amount". The wraparound amount 5 is affected by various factors, one of which is the speed of the airflow moving radially outward on the upper surface of the substrate 9. In order to make this airflow speed a desired value, the cross-sectional shape of the annular upper portion 312 of the upper support 31 is designed. Specifically, referring to FIG. 3A, the cross-sectional shape of the upper support 31 is designed while adjusting the width of the overlap between the annular upper portion 312 and the outer edge of the substrate 9 in the vertical direction, the distance between the upper surface of the substrate 9 and the annular upper portion 312, the radial width of the annular protrusion 314, the height of the annular protrusion 314 downward from the lower surface of the annular upper portion 312, the radial position of the annular protrusion 314, and the like. In particular, the annular protrusion 314 makes it easy to set the airflow speed on the outer edge of the substrate 9 to a desired value, and the wraparound amount 5 to an appropriate distance.

[0060] In addition, in the case of this embodiment, the airflow from airflow generating unit 111 is led directly to the upper surface of substrate 9 through opening 313 of upper support 31, so that the speed of the airflow on the outer edge of substrate 9 can be more easily set to a desired value. The airflow from airflow generating unit 111 is led directly to the upper surface of substrate 9 by at least a part of airflow generating unit 111 directly facing at least a part of the upper surface of substrate 9 in the vertical direction (with no object therebetween).

[0061] When the diameter and thickness of the substrate 9 are 300 mm and 775 μm, respectively, the required wraparound amount 5 is, for example, 2 mm to 3 mm.

[0062] While the etching liquid is being supplied to the substrate 9, the substrate processing apparatus 1 performs a substrate 9 repositioning operation. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5C, the magnetic body moving part 233 of the lower gripping drive part 23 raises the driving side magnetic body 232, releasing the grip of the substrate 9 by the lower gripping member 22, and the substrate 9 is gripped only by the upper gripping member 32. Thereafter, the magnetic body moving part 233 lowers the driving side magnetic body 232, and the substrate 9 is returned to a state in which it is gripped by the lower gripping member 22 and the upper gripping member 32. Next, as shown in FIG. 5D, the magnetic body moving part 333 of the upper gripping drive part 33 lowers the driving side magnetic body 332, and the substrate 9 is released from the grip of the upper gripping member 32, and the substrate 9 is returned to a state in which it is gripped only by the lower gripping member 22. Thereafter, the magnetic body moving part 333 raises the driving side magnetic body 332, and the substrate 9 is returned to a state in which it is gripped by the lower gripping member 22 and the upper gripping member 32. The above process is repeated to change the grip of the substrate 9. Thereafter, the supply of the etching liquid to the substrate 9 is stopped.

[0063] Generally, the amount of wraparound increases near the position where the substrate 9 and the gripping member come into contact. By changing the grip of the substrate 9, the increase in the amount of wraparound is reduced.

[0064] It is not necessary that the time during which the substrate 9 is gripped only by the upper gripping member 32 and the time during which it is gripped only by the lower gripping member 22 are the same length. Moreover, it is not necessary that the state in which the substrate 9 is gripped only by the upper gripping member 32 and the state in which it is gripped only by the lower gripping member 22 are alternately performed. During the processing of the substrate 9, there may be a state in which the substrate 9 is gripped by a plurality of upper gripping members 32 but not gripped by a plurality of lower gripping members 22, and a state in which the substrate 9 is gripped by a plurality of lower gripping members 22 but not gripped by a plurality of upper gripping members 32. This allows processing with the processing liquid at the gripping position.

[0065] The rinsing liquid is supplied again to the lower and upper surfaces of the substrate 9 from the lower nozzle 41 and the upper nozzle 42 of the processing liquid supply unit 4. The supplied rinsing liquid flows over the lower and upper surfaces of the substrate 9. Diameter The liquid flows outward in the circumferential direction, splashes from the outer peripheral edge of the substrate 9, and is received by the annular side wall portion 311 of the upper support 31. The liquid falls downward from the annular side wall portion 311 and is received in the liquid receiving portion 15. Thereafter, the supply of the rinsing liquid is stopped. With the above process, the treatment of the substrate 9 with the treatment liquid is completed (step S16). The substrate 9 may be changed over while the rinsing liquid is being supplied to the substrate 9. The substrate 9 may also be changed over when the rinsing liquid is being supplied to the substrate 9 before the etching liquid is supplied to the substrate 9.

[0066] In the substrate processing apparatus 1, the substrate 9 is gripped by three lower gripping members 22 and three upper gripping members 32. When processing liquid is supplied to the lower surface of the substrate 9, part of the processing liquid flowing radially outward collides with the lower gripping members 22. If the upper gripping members 32 were omitted and six lower gripping members 22 were provided, the amount of processing liquid that collides with the lower gripping members 22 would increase. As a result, the amount of mist and droplets of the processing liquid that are generated would also increase. By providing the upper gripping members 32 in the substrate processing apparatus 1, the generation of mist and droplets of the processing liquid can be reduced, improving the quality of processing.

[0067] The rotation of the substrate 9 is stopped (step S17), the driving-side magnetic body 232 of the lower gripping drive unit 23 rises, and the grip of the substrate 9 by the lower gripping member 22 is released. Furthermore, the driving-side magnetic body 332 of the upper gripping drive unit 33 descends, and the grip of the substrate 9 by the upper gripping member 32 is also released. The upper nozzle 42 retreats to the side, and the upper support 31 and the driving-side magnetic body 332 are raised by the lifting unit 13 and the magnetic body moving unit 333 as shown in FIG. 5A (step S18). Then, the substrate 9 is carried out by an external transport mechanism (step S19).

[0068] The substrate processing apparatus 1 can be modified in various ways.

[0069] 7A and 7B are diagrams showing another example of the structure for lifting and lowering the upper support 31, and correspond to Fig. 3A and Fig. 3B, respectively. Fig. 7A is a diagram showing a vertical section of the upper support 31 placed on the lower support 21 (only one side with respect to the central axis J1). Fig. 7B is a vertical section showing a state in which the upper support 31 is lifted up from the lower support 21 by the lifting and lowering unit 13.

[0070] As shown in Figures 7A and 7B, an engagement portion 34a is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the upper support 31, which is a mounting member, and protrudes radially outward along the entire circumference. The outer circumferential end of the engagement portion 34a has a portion that protrudes further downward. The tip portion 132 of the lifting portion 13 contacts the outer circumferential surface of the upper support 31 from the radially outward direction below the engagement portion 34a. Towards The tip of tip portion 132 has a portion that protrudes upward. As shown in FIG. 7B, when tip portion 132 rises, a surface 341 facing downward on the radially inner side of the downward protruding portion of engagement portion 34a comes into contact with an upper surface 133 of a portion of tip portion 132 that protrudes upward, and upper support body 31 moves upward away from lower support body 21. Hereinafter, engagement portion 34a will be referred to as the "first abutment portion," tip portion 132 as the "second abutment portion," surface 341 as the "first abutment surface," and upper surface 133 as the "second abutment surface."

[0071] When the second contact portion 132 is lowered by the lifting drive unit 131, the upper support 31 is placed on the lower support 21 and the second contact surface 133 is separated from the first contact surface 341, as shown in FIG. 7A. That is, the second contact portion 132 is separated from the first contact portion 34a. Since the first contact portion 34a is formed around the entire circumference, the lower support 2 can rotate in a state in which the first contact portion 34a and the second contact portion 132 are separated. Since the first contact surface 341 is an annular surface centered on the central axis J1, the upper support 31 can be lifted and lowered by the lifting unit 13 regardless of the rotation position of the upper support 31.

[0072] 8A and 8B are diagrams showing yet another example of a structure for raising and lowering the upper support 31, and correspond to Figs. 3A and 3B, respectively. Fig. 8A is a diagram of the upper support 31 and the tip 132 in a state in which the upper support 31 is placed on the lower support 21 (not shown), as viewed from the lifting / lowering unit 13 side. Fig. 8A shows a part of the outer circumferential surface of the upper support 31 and a cross section of the tip 132. Fig. 8B is a diagram of the upper support 31 and the tip 132 in a state in which the upper support 31 is lifted from the lower support 21 by the lifting / lowering unit 13, as viewed from the lifting / lowering unit 13 side.

[0073] As shown in Figures 8A and 8B, a groove 34 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the upper support 31, which is a mounting member, and is recessed radially inward along the entire circumference. A part of the groove 34 is an enlarged portion 342 that expands upward, and two protruding portions 343 that protrude downward are provided on the downward surface of the enlarged portion, i.e., the upper side wall of the enlarged groove. Meanwhile, two recessed portions 134 recessed downward are provided on the upper surface 133 of the tip portion 132 of the lifting / lowering portion 13. The protruding portion 343 is generally conical, and the recessed portion 134 is also generally conical. The other structure is the same as in Figures 3A and 3B.

[0074] 8B, when the tip portion 132 rises, the protrusion 343 of the enlarged portion 342 and the recess 134 of the tip portion 132 fit together, and the upper support 31 moves upward away from the lower support 21. Hereinafter, the enlarged portion 342 will be referred to as the "first abutment portion," the tip portion 132 as the "second abutment portion," the protrusion 343 as the "first abutment element," and the recess 134 as the "second abutment element."

[0075] When the second contact portion 132 is lowered by the lifting drive portion 131, the upper support 31 is placed on the lower support 21, and the second contact element 134 and the first contact element 343 are separated as shown in FIG. 8A. That is, the second contact portion 132 is separated from the first contact portion 342. Furthermore, since the second contact portion 132 is located in the groove 34, and the groove 34 is formed around the entire circumference, the lower support 2 can rotate in a state where the first contact portion 342 and the second contact portion 132 are separated. When the rotation of the lower support 21 and the upper support 31 stops, the lower support 21 stops at a rotation position where the circumferential positions of the first contact portion 342 and the second contact portion 132 coincide with each other.

[0076] Since the first contact portion 342 and the second contact portion 132 include a displacement prevention structure that fits together when they contact each other, that is, the first contact element 343 and the second contact element 134, displacement of the upper support 31 relative to the lower support 21 when the upper support 31 rises is reliably prevented. The number of the first contact element 343 and the second contact element 134 corresponding to one lifting / lowering section 13 may be one each. Of course, the number of the first contact element 343 and the second contact element 134 corresponding to one lifting / lowering section 13 may be three or more each. As described above, since the multiple lifting / lowering sections 13 are provided in the circumferential direction, the multiple first contact elements 343 and the multiple second contact elements 134 are arranged in the circumferential direction. The first contact elements 343 do not need to be arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and the second contact elements 134 do not need to be arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction either.

[0077] FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a part of the substrate processing apparatus 1 with the lower gripping member 22 omitted. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the annular cover 16 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 and a part of the configuration inside the annular cover 16. As shown in FIG. 10, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is provided with six upper gripping members 32, and a first driving side magnetic body 332a and a second driving side magnetic body 332b are provided as driving side magnetic bodies. The first driving side magnetic body 332a is annular about the central axis J1 and is located radially inward of the six gripping side magnetic bodies 331a, 331b. The second driving side magnetic body 332b is also annular about the central axis J1 and is located radially outward of the six gripping side magnetic bodies 331a, 331b. The first driving side magnetic body 332a is raised and lowered by two magnetic body moving parts 333a. The second driving side magnetic body 332b is raised and lowered by two magnetic body moving parts 333b. The configuration of the magnetic body moving parts 333a and 333b is the same as that of the magnetic body moving part 333 shown in Figures 1 and 2, except that the positions of the driving side magnetic bodies 332a and 332b are different. In Figures 9 and 10, the same components as those in Figures 1 and 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0078] The three gripping side magnetic bodies 331a (hereinafter referred to as "first gripping side magnetic bodies") and the three gripping side magnetic bodies 331b (hereinafter referred to as "second gripping side magnetic bodies") have different magnetization states and are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction. As shown in Fig. 9, when the first driving side magnetic body 332a and the second driving side magnetic body 332b are raised, the six upper gripping members 32 are in a state of gripping the substrate 9 due to the magnetic action between the first gripping side magnetic body 331a and the second gripping side magnetic body 331b and the position restoration part 334.

[0079] When the second driving side magnetic body 332b maintains its elevated state and the first driving side magnetic body 332a is lowered by the magnetic body moving part 333a, the magnetic action between the first gripping side magnetic body 331a and the first driving side magnetic body 332a overcomes the magnetic action between the first gripping side magnetic body 331a and the position restoration part 334, and the three upper gripping members 32 connected to the first gripping side magnetic body 331a do not grip the substrate 9. At this time, the magnetic action between the second gripping side magnetic body 331b and the first driving side magnetic body 332a is sufficiently smaller than the magnetic action between the second gripping side magnetic body 331b and the position restoration part 334, or acts in the gripping direction, and the three upper gripping members 32 connected to the second gripping side magnetic body 331b maintain a state of gripping the substrate 9.

[0080] When the first driving side magnetic body 332a maintains the elevated state and the second driving side magnetic body 332b is lowered by the magnetic body moving part 333b, the magnetic action between the second gripping side magnetic body 331b and the second driving side magnetic body 332b overcomes the magnetic action between the second gripping side magnetic body 331b and the position restoration part 334, and the three upper gripping members 32 connected to the second gripping side magnetic body 331b do not grip the substrate 9. At this time, the magnetic action between the first gripping side magnetic body 331a and the second driving side magnetic body 332b is sufficiently smaller than the magnetic action between the first gripping side magnetic body 331a and the position restoration part 334, or acts in the gripping direction, and the three upper gripping members 32 connected to the first gripping side magnetic body 331a maintain the state of gripping the substrate 9.

[0081] When the substrate 9 is carried in, the pins of the multiple push-up mechanisms 24 (not shown in FIG. 2) arranged below the lower support 21 rise from the holes in the lower support 21 with the upper support 31 in a raised state, and the substrate 9 is placed on the pins. Then, the upper support 31 descends while the six upper gripping members 32 are maintained in a position not gripping the substrate 9 by a mechanical mechanism (not shown), and the substrate 9 is gripped by the six upper gripping members 32. The pins of the push-up mechanisms 24 descend.

[0082] Thereafter, as described above, the processing liquid is supplied to the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate 9 while rotating the substrate 9, and the above-mentioned first driving-side magnetic body 332a and second driving-side magnetic body 332b are alternately lowered to perform a gripping operation of the substrate 9. The substrate 9 is unloaded by the reverse operation of the loading of the substrate 9.

[0083] As described above, the substrate 9 may be held only by the upper holding member 32. In this case, the substrate 9 is supplied to the rear surface of the substrate 9. Processing solution Since the processing liquid does not collide with the lower gripping member, the generation of mist or droplets due to scattering of the processing liquid can be reduced, thereby improving the quality of processing.

[0084] In the substrate processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, the substrate 9 is supported by the upper support part 3. Meanwhile, the upper support 31 of the upper support part 3 is supported by the lower support part 2. Therefore, the substrate 9 is indirectly supported by the lower support part 2. In the substrate processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the substrate 9 is basically supported by the lower support part 2, but during a shifting operation, the substrate 9 is temporarily indirectly supported by the lower support part 2. The structure in which the substrate 9 is indirectly supported is not limited to the above structure. For example, a component other than the upper support 31 may be placed on the lower support 21, and the substrate 9 may be supported by this component. In addition, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, the upper support 31 is made an annular member to reduce the weight of the upper support 31, but from this viewpoint, it is not essential to support the substrate 9 from above, and the substrate 9 may be supported only by the lower support part 2. That is, the upper gripping member 32 and the configuration related to its drive may be omitted, and the substrate 9 may be supported only by the lower gripping member 22.

[0085] Furthermore, the support of the substrate 9 is not limited to being held by the upper gripping member 32 or the lower gripping member 22. For example, the center or outer periphery of the lower surface of the substrate 9 may be supported by suction. Regardless of how the substrate 9 is supported, by making the upper support 31 an annular member, a desired airflow can be generated at the outer periphery of the upper surface of the substrate 9 during processing involving rotation of the substrate 9. Note that the upper support 31 need only be an annular member, and is not limited to being annular. In other words, the outer periphery of the upper support 31 and the inner periphery of the opening 313 are not limited to being circular.

[0086] As described above, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, the desired airflow can be easily obtained at the outer edge of the substrate 9 by changing the shape of the vertical cross section of the upper support 31 in various ways. The annular side wall 311 of the upper support 31 need only be present on the side of the substrate 9 like a wall, and does not need to be wall-shaped. That is, the radial width of the annular side wall 311 may be large, and for example, the radial width of the annular side wall 311 may be larger than its axial height. Moreover, the inner surface of the annular side wall 311 is not limited to a cylindrical surface, and annular recesses and protrusions centered on the central axis J1 may be appropriately provided.

[0087] The annular side wall portion 311 only needs to be radially opposed to the outer periphery of the substrate 9 supported by the lower support portion 2 and the outer periphery of the lower support portion 2 (more precisely, the outer periphery of the lower support portion 21). However, it is not necessary for the annular side wall portion 311 to be opposed to the outer periphery of the lower support portion 21 over the entire axial direction, and it is sufficient for the annular side wall portion 311 to be present below the height of the upper surface of the lower support portion 21.

[0088] The annular upper portion 312 is not limited to a plate shape. The annular upper portion 312 may extend radially inward from the annular side wall portion 311 and vertically face the outer edge of the upper surface of the substrate 9 supported by the lower support portion 2. Here, "facing" means facing without contact. In FIG. 3A, the annular upper portion 312 includes an annular protruding portion 314 protruding downward from the inner periphery of the lower surface, but the lower surface of the annular upper portion 312 may be provided with an annular recess centered on the central axis J1 in addition to the annular protruding portion. Furthermore, two or more annular protruding portions or two or more annular recessed portions may be provided. Generally speaking, by providing at least one annular convex portion (i.e., protruding portion), recessed portion, or step portion centered on the central axis J1 on the lower surface of the annular upper portion 312, the air flow at the outer edge of the substrate 9 can be made as desired. More generally speaking, the lower surface of the annular upper portion 312 does not need to be a straight line extending in the horizontal direction in the vertical cross section.

[0089] Airflow generating section 111 preferably generates an airflow that flows directly downward toward opening 313 of annular upper section 312. As described above, airflow generating section 111 does not need to face the entire opening 313 in the vertical direction, and may face only a portion of it. Preferably, airflow generating section 111 directly faces ⅓ or more of the opening in the vertical direction. More preferably, airflow generating section 111 directly faces ½ or more of the opening in the vertical direction. If the amount of airflow flowing into opening 313 is increased compared to when airflow generating section 111 is not present, airflow may indirectly flow into opening 313 from airflow generating section 111.

[0090] The technique of making the airflow at the outer edge of the substrate 9 desired is particularly suitable for guiding the etching liquid to the outer edge of the substrate 9. Furthermore, it is suitable for supplying the etching liquid to the lower surface of the substrate 9 and guiding the etching liquid to a region including the outer edge of the upper surface of the substrate 9.

[0091] In the case where the upper support 31 can sufficiently receive the liquid scattered from the substrate 9, the annular cover 16 can be omitted. Conversely, a plurality of annular covers 16 may be provided in a radially overlapping manner. Furthermore, the annular cover 16 may be raised and lowered like a cover (so-called a cup) that directly receives droplets from the substrate 9. The upper part of the annular cover 16 is preferably close to the outer circumferential surface of the annular side wall portion 311 while facing inward in the radial direction, but the upper part of the annular cover 16 may be located above the upper end of the annular side wall portion 311. In the substrate processing apparatus 1, the upper support 31 can suppress the generation of mist and droplets of the processing liquid, so that the amount of airflow from the airflow generating portion 111 and the amount of exhaust from the exhaust portion provided at the bottom of the apparatus can also be reduced. The manufacturing cost of the substrate processing apparatus 1 can be reduced by miniaturizing the annular cover 16 and reducing the amount of airflow.

[0092] Since the annular upper portion 312 has a large opening 313, it is also possible to supply the processing liquid directly from the upper nozzle 42 to the upper surface of the outer edge of the substrate 9. The upper nozzle 42 of the processing liquid supply unit 4 may supply the processing liquid to a position closer to the inner peripheral end of the annular upper portion 312 (i.e., the edge of the opening 313) than the central axis J1, and as shown in FIG. 11, the processing liquid may be supplied to the upper surface of the substrate 9 at a position where the annular upper portion 312 and the substrate 9 overlap in the vertical direction by inclining the ejection direction of the processing liquid from the upper nozzle 42. The processing liquid ejected from the upper nozzle 42 may be various processing liquids. The processing liquid may be a rinsing liquid or an etching liquid.

[0093] In the substrate processing apparatus 1, the gripping side magnetic body 331 is mechanically connected to the upper gripping member 32 in the upper gripping drive unit 33. "Mechanically connected" means that the movement of the gripping side magnetic body 331 is transmitted to the upper gripping member 32 directly or via a contact member. As shown in FIG. 1, the gripping side magnetic body 331 is not limited to being directly joined to the upper gripping member 32, and the movement of the gripping side magnetic body 331 may be transmitted to the upper gripping member 32 via a gear, a belt, a cam, a lever, or the like. The same applies to the gripping side magnetic body 231 and the lower gripping member 22 in the lower gripping drive unit 23.

[0094] Various magnetization modes of the gripping side magnetic body 331 and the driving side magnetic body 332 can be used. The ring-shaped driving side magnetic body 332 centered on the central axis J1 may have N poles (or S poles) and S poles (or N poles) on the inside and outside, or N poles (or S poles) and S poles (or N poles) on the top and bottom. The magnetic body moving part 333 may move the driving side magnetic body 332 in other directions instead of up and down. For example, the driving side magnetic body 332 may be divided into four equal parts in the circumferential direction, and the magnetic body moving part 333 may move each magnetic piece forward and backward in the radial direction to move the magnetic piece closer to or away from the side or above the gripping side magnetic body 331. The above explanation is similar to that of the lower gripping driving part 23, except that the up and down directions are reversed.

[0095] As described above, at least one of the gripping side magnetic body 331 and the driving side magnetic body 332 is a magnet. From the viewpoint of obtaining a large attractive force and repulsive force, it is preferable that the gripping side magnetic body 331 and the driving side magnetic body 332 are magnets. As described above, the position restoration part 334 may be a magnet, may be a magnetic body other than a magnet, or may be an elastic body such as a coil spring or a leaf spring. It is also possible to omit the position restoration part 334. The same applies to the lower gripping drive part 23. By using a magnet, the upper gripping member 32 and the lower gripping member 22 can be easily moved.

[0096] The upper gripping member 32 is not limited to one that rotates about an axis facing the vertical direction. For example, the upper gripping member 32 may grip the outer edge of the substrate 9 by rotating about an axis facing the horizontal direction. The same applies to the lower gripping member 22.

[0097] Transferring the substrate 9 by different gripping members as the substrate 9 is processed does not necessarily have to be performed.

[0098] In the substrate processing apparatus 1, the upper gripping member 32 and the lower gripping member 22 may move (including rotate) by mechanical force transmission, for example, transmission via gears, belts, cams, levers, etc., without using magnets. That is, the upper gripping member 32 and the lower gripping member 22 may move between a position where the substrate 9 is gripped and a position where the substrate 9 is not gripped, by force transmission utilizing contact between members. For example, the upper gripping member 32 and the lower gripping member 22 may grip the substrate 9 by the force of a spring or the like, and move to a position where the substrate 9 is not gripped by contacting a separately provided drive mechanism when stationary. In such a case, the substrate 9 may or may not be changed over.

[0099] From the viewpoint of supporting the substrate 9 from above and reducing splashing of the processing liquid flowing on the back surface of the substrate 9, the upper support 31 does not need to have the opening 313. Furthermore, if the processing liquid does not need to be received by the upper support 31, there is no need to provide the upper support 31 with the annular side wall portion 311. In this case, the processing liquid splashed from the substrate 9 is received, for example, by an annular cup arranged on the outer periphery of the lower support 21 and the substrate 9. The annular upper portion 312 does not need to be plate-shaped either.

[0100] From the viewpoint of reducing the number of lower gripping members 22 by providing the upper gripping member 32, a structure in which the upper gripping member 32 is provided on the upper support 31, regardless of whether the lower gripping member 22 is provided or not, is particularly suitable for supplying processing liquid to the underside of the substrate 9.

[0101] Furthermore, when the upper gripping drive unit 33 is provided, a large force is required to raise and lower the upper support 31. Therefore, it is preferable to reduce the weight of the upper support 31 by making the upper support 31 an annular member. From the viewpoint of reducing the weight, the upper support 31 is preferably formed of a resin (for example, a PEEK (polyether ether ketone) resin).

[0102] In the substrate processing apparatus 1, the upper support 31 is raised and lowered while supporting the outer edge of the upper support 31. This allows the upper support 31, which is a mounting member for the lower support 21, to be raised and lowered with a simple structure, and the space above the substrate 9 can be used for various purposes. From this perspective, the upper support 31 does not necessarily have to have the opening 313. That is, the upper support 31 is detachably placed on the lower support part 2 and covers at least the upper part of the outer edge of the substrate 9 supported by the lower support part 2. In the substrate processing apparatus 1, a processing liquid is supplied to the upper surface or lower surface of the substrate 9 supported by the lower support part 2. Of course, when the upper support 31 is raised and lowered while supporting its outer edge, it is possible to effectively utilize the space above the upper support 31, so it is preferable that the upper support 31, which is a mounting member, is made into a ring shape so that processing liquid or gas can be supplied to the substrate 9 from above. In addition, the substrate 9 may be gripped only by the lower gripping member 22. That is, the upper gripping member 32 and the upper gripping drive unit 33 may be omitted.

[0103] The number of the lifting and lowering units 13 that lift and lower the upper support 31, which is a mounting member, relative to the lower support 2 is preferably more than one. However, the number of the lifting and lowering units 13 may be only one. For example, the upper support 31 may be lifted and lowered by one lifting and lowering unit 13 by fitting both arms of a member with high rigidity that is large and U-shaped in plan view into the groove 34. In general terms, whether the number of the lifting and lowering units 13 is one or two or more, the upper support 31 includes a first contact portion that can contact the lifting and lowering unit 13 in the vertical direction radially outside the outer periphery of the substrate 9 supported by the lower support 2, and the lifting and lowering unit 13 includes a second contact portion that extends from the radially outside toward the first contact portion of the upper support 31. When the lifting drive unit 131 raises the second abutment portion, the second abutment portion comes into contact with the first abutment portion and the upper support 31 moves upward away from the lower support unit 2, and when the lifting drive unit 131 lowers the second abutment portion, the upper support 31 is placed on the lower support unit 2 and the second abutment portion moves away from the first abutment portion.

[0104] After the upper support 31 is placed on the lower support 2, the second contact portion may be retracted radially outward, but preferably, the lower support 2 and the upper support 3 can rotate in a state in which the first contact portion and the second contact portion are separated without the second contact portion being retracted. This allows the upper support 31 to be raised and lowered with a simple structure. In particular, when the first contact portion contacts the second contact portion, an annular surface of the first contact portion centered on the central axis J1 comes into contact with the second contact portion, so that the upper support 31 can be raised and lowered regardless of the position of the upper support 31 in the rotational direction. Usually, when the first contact portion and the second contact portion come into contact, the annular downward facing surface of the upper support 31 comes into contact with the upward facing surface of the lifting and lowering unit 13. However, these surfaces are not limited to horizontal surfaces. For example, the upper support 31 may be provided with an annular downwardly convex surface, and a concave surface below the lifting and lowering unit 13 may be provided, and these surfaces may come into contact with each other.

[0105] On the other hand, when the rotational position by the rotating unit 12 can be controlled, it is also possible to provide the first contact portion only on a part of the circumferential direction of the upper support 31. In this case, as shown in FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B, the first contact portion and the second contact portion can easily include a displacement prevention structure that fits when they contact each other. The displacement prevention structure is preferably a structure that prevents the upper support 31 from displacing in the circumferential direction and the radial direction relative to the lower support 21. The displacement prevention structure may be a structure that prevents only radial displacement. For example, when the upper gripping member 32 is not provided on the upper support 31 and the upper support 31 can be placed at any rotational position relative to the lower support 21, it is only necessary to prevent displacement in the radial direction. Prevention of displacement is achieved by fitting a part of the first contact portion and the second contact portion into a convex portion, a concave portion, a step, or the like provided on at least one of the other.

[0106] In the substrate processing apparatus 1, the annular cover 16 is provided in a stationary state on the radially outer side of the upper support 31, and the lifting and lowering drive unit 131 is provided on the annular cover 16, thereby realizing a compact substrate processing apparatus 1. If the annular cover 16 has sufficient rigidity, the lifting and lowering drive unit 131 may be provided directly on the annular cover 16. If the annular cover 16 does not have sufficient rigidity, a reinforcing member may be provided on the annular cover 16 and the lifting and lowering drive unit 131 may be provided on the annular cover 16. Also, a base such as a highly rigid frame may be provided above the annular cover 16, and the lifting and lowering unit 13 may be provided on the base. That is, "providing the lifting and lowering drive unit 131 on the annular cover 16" includes the case where the lifting and lowering drive unit 131 is provided above the annular cover 16 from the viewpoint of reducing the footprint of the substrate processing apparatus 1. The same applies to the case where a mechanism for retracting the magnetic body moving unit 333 of the upper gripping drive unit 33 or the upper nozzle 42 is provided on the annular cover 16.

[0107] Regardless of the presence or absence of the opening 313 of the upper support 31 and the presence or absence of the upper gripping member 32, the upper support 31 being "separably placed" with respect to the lower support 21 (lower support part 2) preferably means that the upper support 31 is detachably placed on the lower support 21 by the upper support 31 moving in the vertical direction. Of course, the upper support 31 may be detachably placed on the lower support 21 by the upper support 31 moving in a direction other than the vertical direction. "Separably placed" means that the upper support 31 is joined onto the lower support 21 mainly by using gravity (or by using gravity only).

[0108] As described above, the rotating part 12 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 is preferably a hollow motor, but if there is no need to provide the lower nozzle 41, there is no need to provide a through hole in the rotating shaft. Also, the rotating part 12 may be a motor in which the rotor floats relative to the stator.

[0109] The above-mentioned substrate processing apparatus 1 may be used to process glass substrates used in flat panel displays such as liquid crystal displays or organic EL (Electro Luminescence) displays, or glass substrates used in other displays, in addition to semiconductor substrates. The above-mentioned substrate processing apparatus 1 may also be used to process substrates for optical disks, substrates for magnetic disks, substrates for magneto-optical disks, substrates for photomasks, ceramic substrates, and substrates for solar cells.

[0110] The configurations in the above-described embodiment and each of the modified examples may be combined as appropriate as long as they are not mutually inconsistent. [Explanation of symbols]

[0111] 1. Substrate Processing Equipment 2 Lower support part 3 Upper support part 4 Processing liquid supply section 9 Substrate 12 Rotating section 21 Lower support 22 Lower gripping member 23 Lower grip drive unit 31 Upper support 32 Upper gripping member 33 Upper gripping drive unit 41 Lower nozzle 331 Gripping side magnetic body 332 Driving magnetic body 333 Magnetic material moving part J1 center axis

Claims

1. 1. A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate by supplying a processing liquid to the substrate, comprising: an upper support portion that supports the substrate from above in a horizontal position; a lower support portion on which the upper support portion is detachably placed and which faces a lower surface of a substrate supported by the upper support portion; A rotating part that rotates the lower support part around a central axis facing in a vertical direction; a processing liquid supply unit that supplies a processing liquid to a lower surface of the substrate supported by the upper support unit; Equipped with The upper support portion is an upper support that is detachably placed on the lower support and rotates together with the lower support, and faces an upper surface of the substrate; a plurality of upper gripping members protruding downward from the upper support and contacting an outer edge of the substrate to grip the substrate; an upper gripping drive unit that moves the plurality of upper gripping members so as to be able to approach and separate from an outer edge portion of the substrate; A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , The lower support part is a lower support facing a lower surface of the substrate; a plurality of lower gripping members protruding upward from the lower support and contacting an outer edge of the substrate to grip the substrate; a lower gripping drive unit that moves the plurality of lower gripping members so as to be able to approach and separate from an outer edge portion of the substrate; A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, A substrate processing apparatus characterized in that, during processing of a substrate, there exist a state in which the substrate is gripped by the plurality of upper gripping members and not gripped by the plurality of lower gripping members, and a state in which the substrate is gripped by the plurality of lower gripping members and not gripped by the plurality of upper gripping members.

4. 4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, a processing liquid supply unit for supplying a processing liquid to an underside of the substrate gripped by the upper gripping members;

5. 5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the upper support is annular.

6. 6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, The upper gripping drive unit, A gripping side magnetic body mechanically connected to the plurality of upper gripping members; a ring-shaped driving magnetic body centered on the central axis; A magnetic body moving unit that moves the driving side magnetic body; having At least one of the gripping-side magnetic body and the driving-side magnetic body is a magnet, a driving-side magnetic body moving unit moving the driving-side magnetic body to move the upper gripping members by magnetic action between the gripping-side magnetic body and the driving-side magnetic body.

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