Substrate processing method

Abstract

To improve the degree of freedom of an etching profile.SOLUTION: A substrate processing method includes steps of: rotating a substrate which is held by a substrate holding section; discharging a first process liquid to a center of the rotating substrate using a center nozzle; discharging a second process liquid to an edge of the rotating substrate using an edge nozzle; detecting a liquid film width of a liquid film of the second process liquid, the liquid film width being a width in a radial direction in the edge of the substrate; and controlling a rotation speed of the rotating substrate and a discharge amount of the second process liquid from the edge nozzle on the basis of the detected liquid film width. The edge nozzle discharges the second process liquid in a forward direction of rotations of the substrate from a direction which is tilted with respect to a principal surface of the substrate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a substrate processing method. Substrates to be processed include, for example, semiconductor substrates, substrates for liquid crystal display devices, substrates for flat panel displays (FPDs) such as organic electroluminescence (EL) display devices, substrates for optical disks, substrates for magnetic disks, substrates for magneto-optical disks, substrates for photomasks, ceramic substrates, and substrates for solar cells. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in the manufacturing process of semiconductor substrates (hereinafter simply referred to as "substrates"), various processes are performed on the substrates using substrate processing apparatuses, including an etching process for removing the top surface of the substrate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6064875 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above etching process, various etching profiles are required, for example, an etching profile that compensates for non-uniformity in etching in a previous process may be required.

[0005] In this case, for example, by performing an etching process in which the etching profile is significantly different between the central portion and the peripheral portion of the substrate, it is possible to process the substrate while offsetting the non-uniformity of the etching.

[0006] The technology disclosed in the present specification has been made in consideration of the problems described above, and is a technology for increasing the degree of freedom of etching profiles in substrate processing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A first aspect of the technique relating to the substrate processing method disclosed in the present specification includes the steps of: rotating a substrate held by a substrate holder; discharging a first processing liquid onto a center portion of the rotating substrate using a central nozzle; discharging a second processing liquid onto a peripheral portion of the rotating substrate using a peripheral nozzle; and discharging a liquid film of the second processing liquid onto the peripheral portion of the substrate. from Radial direction Extends to and controlling the rotation speed of the rotating substrate and the amount of the second processing liquid discharged from the peripheral nozzle based on the detected liquid film width, wherein the peripheral nozzle discharges the second processing liquid from a direction inclined with respect to the main surface of the substrate along the forward direction of the rotation of the substrate.

[0008] A second aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is related to the first aspect, and the peripheral nozzle ejects the second processing liquid after a liquid film of the first processing liquid is formed in the center of the substrate.

[0009] A third aspect of the technique disclosed in the present specification is related to the first or second aspect, and the first treatment liquid and the second treatment liquid are different types of treatment liquid.

[0010] A fourth aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is related to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the central nozzle is swingable in the radial direction of the substrate. A fifth aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is related to any one of the first to fourth aspects, and is a step of controlling the rotation speed of the rotating substrate and the amount of the second processing liquid ejected from the peripheral nozzle based on the detected liquid film width, by decreasing the amount of the second processing liquid ejected when the rotation speed of the substrate is increased, and increasing the amount of the second processing liquid ejected when the rotation speed of the substrate is decreased. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The first to fourth aspects of the technology disclosed in the present specification 5 According to this aspect, the degree of freedom in etching profile in substrate processing can be increased.

[0012] Furthermore, objects, features, aspects, and advantages associated with the technology disclosed herein will become more apparent from the detailed description and accompanying drawings set forth below. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view schematically showing an example of the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram conceptually illustrating an example of the configuration of a control device of the substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 3] 1 is a side view schematically showing an example of a processing unit and its related configuration in a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are side views showing examples of the positional relationship between the peripheral nozzles and the substrate. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are plan views showing examples of the positional relationship of central nozzles and peripheral nozzles on the upper surface of a substrate. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing an operation in a processing unit among the operations of the substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are plan views showing examples of the positional relationship of central nozzles and peripheral nozzles on the upper surface of a substrate. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are plan views showing examples of the positional relationship of central nozzles and peripheral nozzles on the upper surface of a substrate. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are plan views showing examples of the width of a liquid film of a processing liquid ejected from a peripheral nozzle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following embodiments, detailed features will be shown for the purpose of explaining the technology, but these are merely examples and are not necessarily essential features for enabling the embodiments to be implemented.

[0015] The drawings are schematic, and for the sake of convenience, components may be omitted or simplified as appropriate. Furthermore, the relative sizes and positions of components shown in different drawings are not necessarily accurately depicted and may be changed as appropriate. Hatching may also be used in drawings such as plan views that are not cross-sectional views to facilitate understanding of the embodiments.

[0016] In the following description, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed descriptions of them may be omitted to avoid duplication.

[0017] Furthermore, in the following description, when a certain component is described as "comprising," "including," or "having," unless otherwise specified, this is not an exclusive expression that excludes the presence of other components.

[0018] Furthermore, in the following description, even if ordinal numbers such as "first" or "second" are used, these terms are used for convenience to facilitate understanding of the contents of the embodiments, and are not limited to the ordering that may result from these ordinal numbers.

[0019] Furthermore, in the following description, expressions indicating relative or absolute positional relationships, such as "in one direction," "along one direction," "parallel," "orthogonal," "center," "concentric," or "coaxial," unless otherwise specified, include cases where the positional relationship is strictly indicated and cases where the angle or distance is displaced within a tolerance or within a range where equivalent functionality is obtained.

[0020] Furthermore, in the following description, expressions indicating an equal state, such as "same," "equal," "uniform," or "homogeneous," unless otherwise specified, include cases indicating an exact equal state, as well as cases where there is a difference within a tolerance or within a range where the same level of functionality is obtained.

[0021] Furthermore, in the following description, terms that indicate specific positions or directions, such as "top," "bottom," "left," "right," "side," "bottom," "front," or "back," may be used; however, these terms are used for convenience to facilitate understanding of the contents of the embodiments, and have no relation to the positions or directions when actually implemented.

[0022] Furthermore, in the following explanation, when "the upper surface of ..." or "the lower surface of ..." is written, it includes not only the upper surface or lower surface of the target component itself, but also a state in which another component is formed on the upper surface or lower surface of the target component. In other words, for example, when it is written as "Part B provided on the upper surface of Part A," it does not prevent another component "Part C" from being interposed between Part A and Part B.

[0023] <Embodiment> The substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method according to this embodiment will be described below.

[0024] <Configuration of the substrate processing apparatus> Fig. 1 is a plan view schematically showing an example of the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a carrier mounting part 3, an indexer robot IR, a center robot CR, a control device 9 (controller), and at least one processing unit 7 (four processing units in Fig. 1). The multiple processing units 7 are for processing substrates W (wafers).

[0025] The substrate processing apparatus 1 is a single-wafer processing apparatus that can be used for substrate processing, such as a wet etching apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus 1 has a chamber 80. By controlling the atmosphere within the chamber 80, substrate processing can be performed in a desired atmosphere. A control device 9 can control the operation of each component of the substrate processing apparatus 1. Each carrier CA is a container that accommodates a substrate W. The carrier platform 3 is a mechanism for holding multiple carriers CA. The indexer robot IR can transport substrates W between the carrier platform 3 and the substrate platform PS. The center robot CR can transport substrates W from one of the substrate platform PS and at least one processing unit 7 to another. With the above configuration, the indexer robot IR, the substrate platform PS, and the center robot CR function as a transport mechanism that transports substrates W between each processing unit 7 and the carrier platform 3.

[0026] An unprocessed substrate W is taken out of a carrier CA by an indexer robot IR and handed over to a center robot CR via a substrate platform PS. The center robot CR loads the unprocessed substrate W into a processing unit 7. The processing unit 7 processes the substrate W. The processed substrate W is taken out of the processing unit 7 by the center robot CR, passes through other processing units 7 as necessary, and is then handed over to the indexer robot IR via a substrate platform PS. The indexer robot IR loads the processed substrate W into a carrier CA. In this manner, the substrate W is processed.

[0027] <About the control device> 2 is a diagram conceptually illustrating an example of the configuration of the control device 9 of the substrate processing apparatus 1. The control device 9 is communicably connected to the indexer robot IR, the center robot CR, and the processing units .

[0028] The control device 9 includes a control unit 90 that controls the operations of the indexer robot IR, the center robot CR, and each operating unit in the processing unit 7. The control device 9 may also include a detection unit 91. The detection unit 91 detects setting values ​​for the substrate processing performed in the processing unit 7 by referring to a processing recipe for the substrate W stored in a storage medium described below. The detection unit 91 also detects setting values ​​for the substrate processing performed in the processing unit 7 by performing image analysis based on an image captured by a camera described below. In this case, the control unit 90 can control the operation of each operating unit in the processing unit 7 by referring to the setting values ​​detected by the detection unit 91.

[0029] The control device 9 is realized by a central processing unit (CPU) that executes various processes, a random access memory (RAM) that serves as a working area for the processes, or a storage medium such as a fixed disk. The storage medium stores various types of information in advance. The storage medium stores, for example, information regarding the operating conditions of the indexer robot IR, the center robot CR, and the processing units 7. The information regarding the operating conditions of the processing units 7 is, for example, a processing recipe (processing program) for processing the substrates W. The storage medium stores, for example, information for identifying each substrate W.

[0030] <About the processing unit> FIG. 3 is a side view schematically showing an example of the processing unit 7 and its related configuration in the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment.

[0031] The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a spin chuck 10 that holds one substrate W in a substantially horizontal position and rotates the substrate W around a vertical rotation axis Z1 that passes through the center of the substrate W, a central nozzle 20 that discharges a processing liquid 120 mainly onto the center of the substrate W, a processing liquid supply source 29 that supplies the processing liquid 120 to the central nozzle 20, a valve 25 that switches between supplying and stopping the supply of the processing liquid 120 from the processing liquid supply source 29 to the central nozzle 20, a nozzle arm 22 to which the central nozzle 20 is attached at its end, and a nozzle arm 22 that rotates mainly around the peripheral edge of the substrate W (i.e., surrounding the center of the substrate W in a plan view). The peripheral nozzle 50 includes a peripheral nozzle 50 that ejects processing liquid 150 onto the peripheral nozzle 50 (i.e., onto a portion of the substrate W other than the central portion thereof), a processing liquid supply source 59 that supplies the processing liquid 150 to the peripheral nozzle 50, a valve 55 that switches between supplying and stopping the supply of processing liquid 150 from the processing liquid supply source 59 to the peripheral nozzle 50, a nozzle arm 52 having the peripheral nozzle 50 attached to its end, a cylindrical processing cup 12 that surrounds the spin chuck 10 around the rotation axis Z1 of the substrate W, and a camera 70, such as a CMOS camera or a CCD camera, that captures an image of mainly the peripheral portion of the substrate W from above.

[0032] 3, the central nozzle 20 is shown as discharging the processing liquid 120 in a direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the substrate W, but the discharging direction of the central nozzle 20 is not limited to that shown in Fig. 3. Furthermore, the peripheral edge of the substrate W refers to a range of about 10 mm from the outer periphery of the substrate W, for example.

[0033] The processing liquid 120 or 150 may be a liquid containing at least one of sulfuric acid, acetic acid, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, ammonia water, deionized water (DIW), hydrogen peroxide, organic acid (e.g., citric acid or oxalic acid), organic alkali (e.g., tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH)), surfactant, and corrosion inhibitor. Examples of chemical liquids obtained by mixing these include a mixed solution of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide (SPM), a mixed solution of ammonia and hydrogen peroxide (SC1), and dilute hydrofluoric acid (DHF) obtained by diluting hydrofluoric acid (HF) with deionized water.

[0034] Furthermore, the processing liquid 120 supplied from the processing liquid supply source 29 and the processing liquid 150 supplied from the processing liquid supply source 59 may be the same type of processing liquid or different types of processing liquids.

[0035] The spin chuck 10 includes a disk-shaped spin base 10A facing the underside of the substrate W in a substantially horizontal position, a plurality of chuck pins 10E that clamp the substrate W from the outer periphery of the spin base 10A, a rotation shaft 10C extending downward from the center of the spin base 10A, and a spin motor 10D that rotates the rotation shaft 10C to rotate the substrate W held on the spin base 10A. The plurality of chuck pins 10E are arranged at equal intervals along the circumference of the circular substrate W. Note that a suction-type chuck that vacuum-sucks the underside of the substrate W may be used instead of the spin chuck 10.

[0036] The nozzle arm 22 includes an arm portion 22A, a shaft body 22B, and an actuator 22C. The actuator 22C adjusts the angle of the shaft body 22B around its axis. One end of the arm portion 22A is fixed to the shaft body 22B, and the other end of the arm portion 22A is disposed away from the axis of the shaft body 22B. A central nozzle 20 is attached to the other end of the arm portion 22A. By adjusting the angle of the shaft body 22B with the actuator 22C, the central nozzle 20 is configured to be swingable in the radial direction of the substrate W. Note that the movement direction of the central nozzle 20 due to the swinging movement only needs to have a radial component of the substrate W, and does not need to be strictly parallel to the radial direction of the substrate W.

[0037] The nozzle arm 52 includes an arm portion 52A and a base portion 52B. One end of the arm portion 52A is fixed to the base portion 52B, and the peripheral nozzle 50 is attached to the other end of the arm portion 52A. The position of the nozzle arm 52 can be changed in the circumferential direction of the processing cup 12. Note that, although FIG. 3 shows the nozzle arm 52 as fixing the peripheral nozzle 50 in the position where it is arranged, the nozzle arm 52 may also hold the peripheral nozzle 50 in a swingable manner, similar to the nozzle arm 22.

[0038] Furthermore, in the above example, the processing unit 7 has two nozzles, but may further include a nozzle for discharging the processing liquid onto the central or peripheral portion of the substrate W.

[0039] 4 is a side view showing an example of the positional relationship between the peripheral nozzle 50 and the substrate W. As shown in the example in FIG. 4, the discharge direction X1 of the processing liquid discharged from the peripheral nozzle 50 is inclined at an acute angle θ with respect to the upper surface of the substrate W.

[0040] By ejecting the processing liquid at such an angle relative to the substrate W, the amount of rebound of the ejected processing liquid on the upper surface of the substrate W can be reduced compared to, for example, when the ejection direction X1 is perpendicular to the upper surface of the substrate W.

[0041] Fig. 5 is a plan view showing an example of the positional relationship between the central nozzle 20 and the peripheral nozzle 50 on the upper surface of the substrate W. As shown in the example in Fig. 5, the central nozzle 20 can swing along a path Y1 around the shaft 22B. On the other hand, the peripheral nozzle 50 can be positioned at any position in the circumferential direction of the substrate W.

[0042] Here, the discharge direction X1 of the processing liquid discharged from the peripheral nozzle 50 is desirably parallel to the rotation direction of the substrate W at the position where the processing liquid is discharged (i.e., the direction tangent to the outer periphery of the substrate W at that position) in a plan view. When the discharge direction X1 is in such a direction, the processing liquid is discharged in the forward direction of the rotation of the substrate W, thereby preventing the processing liquid from bouncing off the substrate W. Furthermore, when the discharge direction X1 is in such a direction, the discharged processing liquid is less likely to flow in the radial direction of the substrate W, preventing the processing liquid from being repelled by the chuck pins 10E that clamp the substrate W and splashing from the outer periphery of the spin base 10A.

[0043] <Operation of the substrate processing apparatus> Next, an example of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation in the processing unit among the operations of the substrate processing apparatus.

[0044] The indexer robot IR transports the substrate W from a carrier CA on the carrier platform 3 to the substrate platform PS. The center robot CR transports the substrate W from the substrate platform PS to one of the processing units 7. The processing unit 7 processes the substrate W. The center robot CR transports the substrate W from the processing unit 7 to the substrate platform PS. The indexer robot IR transports the substrate W from the substrate platform PS to a carrier CA on the carrier platform 3.

[0045] In the substrate processing in the processing unit 7, first, a chemical solution is supplied to the upper surface of the substrate W to perform a predetermined chemical processing (step ST01 in FIG. 6). Then, pure water (DIW) or the like is supplied to the upper surface of the substrate W to perform a rinse processing (step ST02 in FIG. 6). Furthermore, the substrate W is rotated at high speed to shake off the pure water, thereby drying the substrate W (step ST03 in FIG. 6).

[0046] In the chemical liquid treatment among the above substrate treatments, a predetermined treatment liquid is discharged from the central nozzle 20 and the peripheral nozzles 50 onto the upper surface of the substrate W which is held and rotated by the spin chuck 10. The type, discharge amount, concentration, temperature, discharge timing, etc. of the treatment liquid discharged from the central nozzle 20 and the peripheral nozzles 50 are controlled by the control unit 90 in the control device 9 based on a treatment recipe stored in a storage medium.

[0047] For example, the same type of processing liquid (such as SPM) is discharged at the same or different times from the central nozzle 20 and the peripheral nozzle 50. In this case, by making the concentration or temperature of the processing liquid discharged from the central nozzle 20 and the peripheral nozzle 50 different, it is possible to make the etching rate different between the central portion and the peripheral portion of the substrate W. Therefore, even if it is known from the processing recipe that non-uniformity in the etching rate between the central portion and the peripheral portion of the substrate W has occurred before the previous process (such as a dry etching process), it is possible to cancel out this non-uniformity in this process.

[0048] Also, for example, different types of processing liquid (such as a combination of SPM and pure water) are ejected at the same or different times from the central nozzle 20 and the peripheral nozzle 50. In this way, the etching rate can be made significantly different between the central portion and the peripheral portion of the substrate W, so that even if it is known from the processing recipe that non-uniformity in the etching rate between the central portion and the peripheral portion of the substrate W has occurred before the previous process (such as a dry etching process), the non-uniformity can be offset in this process.

[0049] When performing substrate processing, the central nozzle 20 may be fixed above the center of the substrate W, or may be swung in the radial direction of the substrate W by adjusting the angle of the shaft 22B using the actuator 22C.

[0050] Furthermore, it is desirable that the timing for ejecting the processing liquid from the peripheral nozzles 50 be after a liquid film has been formed in the central portion of the upper surface of the substrate W by the processing liquid ejected from the central nozzle 20. In this state, the central portion of the upper surface of the substrate W is less likely to be affected by the processing liquid ejected from the peripheral nozzles 50, and therefore defects in the central portion of the substrate W caused by the action of the processing liquid can be suppressed.

[0051] <Regarding the ejection position of the processing liquid from the peripheral nozzle> Next, the following describes the position at which the processing liquid is discharged by the peripheral nozzle 50. As described above, the peripheral nozzle 50 can be disposed at any position in the circumferential direction of the substrate W, but it is desirable to dispose the processing liquid from the peripheral nozzle 50 so that, when the processing liquid discharged from the central nozzle 20 spreads over the upper surface of the substrate W, the peripheral nozzle 50 is discharged to a position where the liquid film formed by the processing liquid discharged from the central nozzle 20 is relatively thin.

[0052] FIG. 7 is a plan view showing an example of the positional relationship between the central nozzle 20 and the peripheral nozzles 50 on the upper surface of the substrate W.

[0053] 7, the processing liquid discharged from the central nozzle 20 spreads to form a liquid film in the rotation direction R1 of the substrate W. At this time, the processing liquid discharged from the central nozzle 20 is gradually caused to flow toward the peripheral edge of the substrate W by the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the substrate W, and as it flows down from the outer periphery of the substrate W, the liquid film on the upper surface of the substrate W also becomes thinner.

[0054] In this case, it is desirable that the peripheral nozzle 50 is positioned so as to eject the processing liquid at a position further in the rotational direction R1 than the peripheral portion of the substrate W on the opposite side of the central nozzle 20 from the central position CP on the straight line D1 connecting the central nozzle 20 and the center position CP of the substrate W (i.e., the peripheral portion of the substrate W at a position halfway around in the rotational direction R1 from the position of the central nozzle 20).

[0055] 7, because the peripheral nozzle 50 is disposed at the position described above, the processing liquid discharged from the peripheral nozzle 50 is discharged to a location where the liquid film formed by the processing liquid discharged from the central nozzle 20 is relatively thin. In this case, the processing liquid discharged from the peripheral nozzle 50 is less likely to be interfered with by the processing liquid discharged from the central nozzle 20, and therefore the processing liquid discharged from the peripheral nozzle 50 is more likely to reach the upper surface of the substrate W and act on the upper surface of the substrate W. This enhances the processing effect of the processing liquid discharged from the peripheral nozzle 50, and even when performing substrate processing with significantly different etching rates between the central and peripheral portions of the substrate W, interference between the processing liquid discharged from the central nozzle 20 and the processing liquid discharged from the peripheral nozzle 50 is suppressed, making it easier to achieve a desired etching rate.

[0056] FIG. 8 is a plan view showing an example of the positional relationship between the central nozzle 20 and the peripheral nozzles 50 on the upper surface of the substrate W.

[0057] 8, the processing liquid discharged from the central nozzle 20 spreads to form a liquid film in the rotation direction R1 of the substrate W. At this time, the processing liquid discharged from the central nozzle 20 is gradually caused to flow toward the peripheral edge of the substrate W by the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the substrate W, and as it flows down from the outer periphery of the substrate W, the liquid film on the upper surface of the substrate W also becomes thinner.

[0058] In this case, it is desirable that the peripheral nozzle 50 is positioned so as to eject the processing liquid at a position further in the rotational direction R1 than the peripheral portion of the substrate W on the opposite side of the central nozzle 20 from the central position CP on the straight line D2 connecting the central nozzle 20 and the center position CP of the substrate W (i.e., the peripheral portion of the substrate W at a position halfway around in the rotational direction R1 from the position of the central nozzle 20).

[0059] <Control of treatment liquid film width using peripheral nozzles> 9 is a plan view showing an example of the liquid film width W1 of the processing liquid 150 discharged from the peripheral nozzle 50. Note that the liquid film width W1 of the processing liquid 150 shown in the example in FIG. 9 is merely an example, including the ratio of the liquid film width W1 to the entire substrate W.

[0060] 9, the processing liquid 150 discharged from the peripheral nozzle 50 spreads in the rotation direction R1 of the substrate W, while also spreading radially inward and outward of the substrate W. Here, the width in the radial direction of the substrate W of the liquid film formed by the spreading of the processing liquid 150 discharged from the peripheral nozzle 50 is defined as a liquid film width W1.

[0061] The liquid film width W1 can be controlled by any one of the following methods or a combination thereof. The control is performed by the control device 9.

[0062] In the first method, first, the camera 70 (see FIG. 3) is used to capture an image of the liquid film formed on the upper surface of the substrate W. Then, image data of the image captured by the camera 70 is input to a detection unit 91 (see FIG. 2) in the control device 9. Then, the detection unit 91 detects the liquid film width W1 by performing image analysis on the image data.

[0063] Next, the control unit 90 in the control device 9 adjusts the rotation speed of the substrate W and the amount of the processing liquid 150 discharged from the peripheral nozzle 50 while referring to the liquid film width W1 detected by the detection unit 91.

[0064] Specifically, when narrowing the liquid film width W1, the control unit 90 increases the rotation speed of the substrate W to increase the centrifugal force on the substrate W. On the other hand, when widening the liquid film width W1, the control unit 90 decreases the rotation speed of the substrate W to reduce the centrifugal force on the substrate W. When increasing the rotation speed of the substrate W, the control unit 90 decreases the discharge rate of the processing liquid 150 as needed, while when decreasing the rotation speed of the substrate W, the control unit 90 increases the discharge rate of the processing liquid 150 as needed. Furthermore, when decreasing the discharge rate of the processing liquid 150, the concentration or temperature of the processing liquid 150 may be increased. Similarly, when increasing the discharge rate of the processing liquid 150, the concentration or temperature of the processing liquid 150 may be decreased.

[0065] In the second method, first, the detection unit 91 in the control device 9 refers to a processing recipe for processing the substrate W from a storage medium of the control device 9 or the like. Then, the liquid film width W1 to be formed by the processing liquid 150 is detected from an etching profile or the like of the processing recipe corresponding to this step.

[0066] Next, the control unit 90 in the control device 9 adjusts the rotation speed of the substrate W and the amount of processing liquid 150 ejected from the peripheral nozzle 50, while referring to the liquid film width W1 detected by the detection unit 91 and the correspondence table described below.

[0067] Here, the correspondence table is a table showing the relationship between the liquid film width W1 formed by the processing liquid 150, the rotation speed of the substrate W, and the discharge amount of the processing liquid 150, and is created in advance through experiments or the like.

[0068] By controlling the liquid film width W1 of the processing liquid 150 discharged from the peripheral nozzle 50, the range in which the etching rate is determined by the processing liquid 150 can be identified with high accuracy, thereby realizing the desired etching profile.

[0069] <Effects of the above-described embodiments> Next, examples of effects obtained by the above-described embodiments will be described. Note that in the following description, the effects will be described based on the specific configurations exemplified in the above-described embodiments, but these may be replaced with other specific configurations exemplified in the present specification as long as the same effects are obtained.

[0070] According to the embodiment described above, the substrate processing method includes the steps of rotating the substrate W held by a substrate holder, discharging a first processing liquid onto a central portion of the rotating substrate W using the central nozzle 20, and discharging a second processing liquid onto a peripheral portion of the rotating substrate W using the peripheral nozzle 50. Here, the substrate holder corresponds to, for example, the spin chuck 10. The first processing liquid corresponds to, for example, the processing liquid 120. The second processing liquid corresponds to, for example, the processing liquid 150. Here, the peripheral nozzle 50 discharges the processing liquid 150 along the forward direction of rotation of the substrate W from a direction inclined at an angle θ with respect to the main surface of the substrate W. The peripheral nozzle 50 discharges the processing liquid 150 onto the peripheral portion of the substrate W at a position that is halfway around the straight line D1 connecting the center position CP of the substrate W and the central nozzle 20 in the forward direction of rotation of the substrate W in plan view.

[0071] This configuration increases the degree of freedom in etching profile. Specifically, the processing liquid 150 discharged from the peripheral nozzle 50 is discharged to a location where the liquid film formed by the processing liquid 120 discharged from the central nozzle 20 is relatively thin. This reduces interference between the processing liquid 120 and the processing liquid 150, allowing the processing liquid 150 to reach the upper surface of the substrate W and more easily act on the upper surface of the substrate W. This enhances the processing effect of the processing liquid 150, making it easier to achieve a desired etching rate, such as an etching rate that differs significantly between the central and peripheral portions of the substrate W. As a result, even if a previous etching process involves a focus ring for uniforming the etching rate of dry etching, which changes shape due to the dry etching, resulting in non-uniform etching gas concentrations at the peripheral portion of the substrate W, the substrate can be processed while offsetting the non-uniform etching by performing an etching process that results in a significantly different etching profile between the central and peripheral portions of the substrate.

[0072] Unless otherwise specified, the order in which the processes are performed can be changed.

[0073] Furthermore, even if other configurations shown as examples in this specification are appropriately added to the above configuration, that is, even if other configurations in this specification that were not mentioned as the above configuration are appropriately added, the same effect can be achieved.

[0074] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the method includes the steps of rotating the substrate W held by the spin chuck 10, discharging the processing liquid 120 onto the center of the rotating substrate W using the central nozzle 20, discharging the processing liquid 150 onto the peripheral edge of the rotating substrate W using the peripheral nozzle 50, detecting a liquid film width W1 that is the radial width of the liquid film of the processing liquid 150 at the peripheral edge of the substrate W, and controlling the rotation speed of the rotating substrate W and the discharge amount of the processing liquid 150 from the peripheral nozzle 50 based on the detected liquid film width W1. Here, the peripheral nozzle 50 discharges the processing liquid 150 in the forward direction of rotation of the substrate W from a direction inclined at an angle θ with respect to the main surface of the substrate W.

[0075] This configuration increases the degree of freedom in etching profile. Specifically, by controlling the liquid film width W1 of the processing liquid 150 discharged from the peripheral nozzle 50, the range in which the etching rate is determined by the processing liquid 150 can be specified with high accuracy, thereby realizing a desired etching profile.

[0076] Unless otherwise specified, the order in which the processes are performed can be changed.

[0077] Furthermore, even if other configurations shown as examples in this specification are appropriately added to the above configuration, that is, even if other configurations in this specification that were not mentioned as the above configuration are appropriately added, the same effect can be achieved.

[0078] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the peripheral nozzle 50 discharges the processing liquid 150 after a liquid film of the processing liquid 120 is formed in the central portion of the substrate W. With this configuration, the central portion of the top surface of the substrate W is less likely to be affected by the processing liquid 150 discharged from the peripheral nozzle 50, and therefore, defects in the central portion of the substrate W caused by the action of the processing liquid 150 can be suppressed.

[0079] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the processing liquids 120 and 150 are different types of processing liquids. With this configuration, the etching rate can be made to be significantly different between the central portion and the peripheral portion of the substrate W.

[0080] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the central nozzle 20 is capable of swinging in the radial direction of the substrate W. With such a configuration, the processing liquid 120 discharged from the central nozzle 20 can be quickly and uniformly dispersed.

[0081] <Modifications of the above-described embodiments> In the embodiment described above, the amount, concentration, or temperature of the processing liquid discharged from the central nozzle 20 and the peripheral nozzle 50 was controlled to offset the unevenness of the etching rate predicted from the processing recipe. However, before performing substrate processing using the central nozzle 20 and the peripheral nozzle 50, the thickness of the film formed on the upper surface of the substrate W or the depth of the groove may be measured using an optical sensor or the like, and the amount, concentration, or temperature of the processing liquid discharged from the central nozzle 20 and the peripheral nozzle 50 may be controlled by referring to the measured value.

[0082] In the embodiments described above, the material, composition, dimensions, shape, relative positional relationship, or implementation conditions of each component may also be described, but these are merely examples in all aspects and are not limited to those described in this specification.

[0083] Thus, numerous variations and equivalents not shown are contemplated within the scope of the technology disclosed herein, including, for example, the modification, addition, or omission of at least one component.

[0084] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, when a material name is mentioned without any particular specification, it is assumed that the material may contain other additives, such as an alloy, unless a contradiction arises. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 1. Substrate processing equipment 3 Carrier placement area 7 Processing Unit 9 Control Device 10 Spin chuck 10A Spin Base 10C Rotational Axis 10D Spin Motor 10E zipper pin 12 Processing Cups 20 central nozzle 22,52 Nozzle arm 22A, 52A arm part 22B Shaft body 22C Actuator 25,55 valve 29,59 Processing fluid supply source 50 Peripheral nozzle 52B base 70 Camera 80 Chamber 90 Control Unit 91 Detection unit 120,150 Processing liquid

Claims

1. rotating the substrate held by the substrate holder; discharging a first processing liquid onto a central portion of the rotating substrate using a central nozzle; discharging a second processing liquid onto a peripheral portion of the rotating substrate using a peripheral nozzle; detecting a liquid film width of the second processing liquid, the liquid film width being a width extending in a radial direction from a peripheral edge of the substrate; and controlling the rotation speed of the rotating substrate and the discharge amount of the second processing liquid from the peripheral nozzle based on the detected liquid film width, the peripheral nozzle ejects the second processing liquid from a direction inclined with respect to the main surface of the substrate along a forward direction of rotation of the substrate; Substrate processing method.

2. 2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, the peripheral nozzle discharges the second processing liquid after a liquid film of the first processing liquid is formed on the central portion of the substrate; Substrate processing method.

3. 3. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, the first processing liquid and the second processing liquid are different types of processing liquids; Substrate processing method.

4. 4. A substrate processing method according to claim 1, the central nozzle is swingable in the radial direction of the substrate; Substrate processing method.

5. A substrate processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the step of controlling the rotation speed of the rotating substrate and the discharge amount of the second processing liquid from the peripheral nozzle based on the detected liquid film width is a step of decreasing the discharge amount of the second processing liquid when the rotation speed of the substrate is increased, and increasing the discharge amount of the second processing liquid when the rotation speed of the substrate is decreased. Substrate processing method.

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