Substrate Processing Equipment

Abstract

To provide a substrate holding mechanism that can switch between the ground and non-ground states for a substrate.SOLUTION: A substrate holding mechanism 200 includes a plurality of chuck pins 210 that can switch between the chuck state in which the side of a substrate W is grasped and the support state in which the lower surface of the substrate W is supported while the substrate W is released from the chuck state. Each of the plurality of chuck pins 210 includes a conductive material 211 that is made of a conductive material, is in contact with the edge of the substrate W in the chuck state, and is separated from the substrate W in the support state, and a non-conductive member 212 that is made of a non-conductive material having conductivity lower than that of the conductive material, is fixed to the conductive members 211, and supports the lower surface of the substrate W in the support state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention , base This relates to a plate processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2017-228582 (Patent Document 1) discloses a substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus includes multiple chuck members that horizontally clamp a substrate to hold it in a horizontal position, a support member that supports the chuck members, a fastening member that fastens the chuck members to the support member, and a chuck opening / closing mechanism. The chuck opening / closing mechanism switches the multiple chuck members between a closed state in which the multiple chuck members are pressed against the outer periphery of the substrate and an open state in which the multiple chuck members are released from pressing against the substrate. At least one of the multiple chuck members includes a conductive member, a core member, and a current-carrying member. The conductive member includes a substrate contact portion that is pressed against the outer periphery of the substrate and is conductive. The core member supports the conductive member and is fastened to the support member by the fastening member. The current-carrying member forms part of a ground path that extends from the substrate contact portion to the fastening member without passing through the core member, and grounds the substrate via the ground path.

[0003] According to the above configuration, the core material of the chuck member is fastened to the support member by the fastening member, and the conductive member of the chuck member is supported by the core material. When the chuck opening / closing mechanism switches the multiple chuck members to the closed state, the substrate contact portion of the conductive member is pressed against the outer periphery of the substrate, holding the substrate in a horizontal position. At this time, the substrate is grounded via a ground path extending from the substrate contact portion to the fastening member. This prevents the substrate from becoming charged. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-228582 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] According to the technology described in the above publication, when a substrate is processed by a substrate processing apparatus, the substrate is grounded, thereby preventing the substrate from becoming charged. This prevents damage to the substrate caused by discharge due to charging. This effect is particularly useful when the substrate is processed by a liquid process (a process in which a liquid is applied to the substrate).

[0006] However, depending on the type of substrate processing, it may not be desirable for the substrate to be grounded. In particular, when the substrate processing is plasma processing (processing in which plasma is irradiated onto the substrate), if the substrate is grounded, discharge from the high-voltage plasma source to the substrate is likely to occur, which may result in damage to the substrate.

[0007] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and one of its objects is to , base A substrate processing apparatus is provided that can select between a grounded state and a non-grounded state during substrate processing, and can place the substrate in a non-grounded state during plasma processing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The substrate gripping mechanism includes a plurality of chuck pins that can switch between a chuck state in which the sides of the substrate are gripped and a support state in which the bottom surface of the substrate is supported while releasing the substrate from the chuck state. Each of the plurality of chuck pins includes a conductive member that contacts the edge of the substrate in the chuck state and is separated from the substrate in the support state, and is made of a conductive material, and a non-conductive member that is fixed to the conductive member, supports the bottom surface of the substrate in the support state, and is made of a non-conductive material having lower conductivity than the conductive material.

[0009] A second aspect is the substrate gripping mechanism of the first aspect, wherein in the supporting state, a portion of the conductive member located above the substrate does not overlap with the substrate in a plan view.

[0010] A third aspect is the substrate gripping mechanism of the first or second aspect, wherein in the supporting state, the non-conductive member is disposed outside the center of the substrate in a plan view.

[0011] A fourth aspect is a substrate gripping mechanism according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the conductive material contains either polytetrafluoroethylene, perfluoroalkoxyethylene, or polychlorotrifluoroethylene, and has carbon fibers dispersed therein.

[0012] A fifth aspect is the substrate gripping mechanism of any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the non-conductive material includes at least one of polytetrafluoroethylene and polychlorotrifluoroethylene.

[0013] A sixth aspect is the substrate gripping mechanism according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the conductive material is 1×10 6 It has a volume resistivity of less than Ω·cm.

[0014] A seventh aspect is the substrate gripping mechanism of any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the non-conductive material is 1×10 6 It has a volume resistivity greater than Ω·cm.

[0015] An eighth aspect is a substrate processing apparatus comprising a substrate gripping mechanism according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, and a plasma source that irradiates plasma onto an upper surface of the substrate supported by the substrate gripping mechanism in the supported state. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to each of the above aspects, the substrate can be switched between a grounded state and a non-grounded state. In particular, according to the second aspect, when substrate processing is performed on the upper surface of the substrate supported by the substrate gripping mechanism in the supported state, the conductive member is prevented from interfering with the substrate processing. In particular, according to the eighth aspect, the grounded state and the non-grounded state can be selected during substrate processing, and the substrate can be in the non-grounded state during plasma processing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view schematically illustrating an example of a configuration of a substrate processing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a control unit in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of the configuration of a processing unit (substrate processing apparatus) in FIG. 1 together with a substrate. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the substrate gripping mechanism in FIG. 3 together with the substrate in a chucked state. [Figure 5] 4 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the substrate gripping mechanism in FIG. 3 together with the substrate in a supported state. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing an example of a substrate processing method according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] 7A to 7C are cross-sectional views schematically showing a step of forming a liquid film in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the substrate gripping mechanism in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a plasma irradiation step in FIG. 6. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the substrate gripping mechanism in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a top view schematically showing a substrate gripping mechanism according to a modified example, together with a substrate in a grounded state. [Figure 12] 12 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of a conductive chuck pin of the substrate gripping mechanism of FIG. 11, together with a substrate on which a liquid film is formed. [Figure 13] 12 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of a non-conductive chuck pin of the substrate gripping mechanism of FIG. 11, together with a substrate on which a liquid film is formed. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a top view schematically showing a substrate gripping mechanism according to a modified example, together with a substrate that is in a non-grounded state. [Figure 15] 15 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of a non-conductive chuck pin of the substrate gripping mechanism of FIG. 14, together with a substrate on which a liquid film is formed. [Figure 16] 15 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of a conductive chuck pin of the substrate gripping mechanism of FIG. 14, together with a substrate on which a liquid film is formed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals and will not be described repeatedly.

[0019] <Overall Configuration of Substrate Processing System 100> 1 is a plan view schematically showing an example of the configuration of a substrate processing system 100 according to an embodiment. The substrate processing system 100 is a single-wafer processing apparatus that processes substrates W to be processed one by one.

[0020] The substrate W is, for example, a semiconductor substrate having a disk shape. In addition to semiconductor substrates, various substrates can be used for the substrate W, such as glass substrates for photomasks, glass substrates for liquid crystal displays, glass substrates for plasma displays, substrates for FEDs (Field Emission Displays), substrates for optical disks, substrates for magnetic disks, and substrates for magneto-optical disks. The shape of the substrate is not limited to a disk shape, and various other shapes, such as a rectangular plate shape, can also be used.

[0021] The substrate processing system 100 includes a load port 101 , an indexer robot 110 , a main transport robot 120 , a plurality of processing units 130 , and a control unit 90 .

[0022] The multiple load ports 101 are arranged side by side in one horizontal direction. Each load port 101 is an interface unit for loading and unloading substrates W into and from the substrate processing system 100. A carrier C storing multiple substrates W is loaded into each load port 101 from the outside. Each load port 101 holds the loaded carrier C. As the carrier C, for example, a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) that stores substrates W in an enclosed space, a SMIF (Standard Mechanical Interface) pod, or an OC (Open Cassette) that exposes the substrates W to the outside air is used.

[0023] The indexer robot 110 is a transport robot that transports substrates W between the carriers C held in each load port 101 and the main transport robot 120. The indexer robot 110 is movable along the direction in which the load ports 101 are arranged, and can stop at a position facing each carrier C. The indexer robot 110 can perform the operation of removing substrates W from each carrier C and the operation of transferring substrates W to each carrier C.

[0024] The main transport robot 120 is a transport robot that transports substrates W between the indexer robot 110 and each processing unit 130. The main transport robot 120 can receive substrates W from the indexer robot 110 and deliver substrates W to the indexer robot 110. The main transport robot 120 can also carry substrates W into each processing unit 130 and carry substrates W out of each processing unit 130.

[0025] The substrate processing system 100 is provided with, for example, 12 processing units 130. Specifically, four towers, each of which has three processing units 130 stacked vertically, are provided to surround the main transport robot 120. In FIG. 1, one of the processing units 130 stacked in three tiers is shown schematically. Note that the number of processing units 130 in the substrate processing system 100 is not limited to 12 and may be changed as appropriate.

[0026] The main transport robot 120 is surrounded by four towers. The main transport robot 120 carries unprocessed substrates W received from the indexer robot 110 into each processing unit 130. Each processing unit 130 processes the substrate W. The main transport robot 120 also carries out processed substrates W from each processing unit 130 and hands them over to the indexer robot 110.

[0027] The control unit 90 controls the operation of each component of the substrate processing system 100. FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an example of the configuration of the control unit 90. The control unit 90 is an electronic circuit and includes, for example, a data processing unit 91 and a storage medium 92. In the specific example of FIG. 2, the data processing unit 91 and the storage medium 92 are connected to each other via a bus 93. The data processing unit 91 may be, for example, an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU (Central Processor Unit). The storage medium 92 may include a non-transitory storage medium (e.g., a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a hard disk) 921 and a temporary storage medium (e.g., a RAM (Random Access Memory)) 922. The non-transitory storage medium 921 may store, for example, a program that defines the processing to be performed by the control unit 90. The data processing unit 91 executes this program, allowing the control unit 90 to perform the processing defined in the program. Of course, some or all of the functions of the control unit 90 may be implemented by a hardware circuit.

[0028] The control unit 90 may have a main control unit and multiple local control units. The main control unit controls the entire substrate processing system 100, and a local control unit is provided for each processing unit 130. The local control units are capable of communicating with the main control unit and control various components (described below) within the processing unit 130 based on instructions from the main control unit. Each of the main control unit and the local control units may have a data processing unit 91 and a storage medium 92, as in FIG. 2 .

[0029] <Processing unit 130 (substrate processing apparatus)> Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of the configuration of the processing unit 130 (substrate processing apparatus) in Fig. 1, together with a substrate W. It is not necessary for all processing units 130 belonging to the substrate processing system 100 (Fig. 1) to have the configuration shown in Fig. 3, but it is sufficient for at least one processing unit 130 to have this configuration.

[0030] The processing unit 130 illustrated in FIG. 3 is an apparatus that performs plasma processing on a substrate W. The plasma processing is, for example, an organic matter removal process. The organic matter removal process is a process that removes organic matter formed on the main surface of the substrate W. If the organic matter is resist, the organic matter removal process is a resist removal process. Below, the resist removal process will be described in detail as an example of plasma processing. The substrate W is, for example, a semiconductor substrate and has a disk shape. Although the size of the substrate W is not particularly limited, its diameter is, for example, approximately 300 mm.

[0031] The processing unit 130 includes a substrate holder 2, a nozzle 3, a plasma source 6, and moving mechanisms 51 and 52. As illustrated in Fig. 3, the processing unit 130 may include a chamber 1. The chamber 1 has a box-like shape, and processing of the substrate W is performed in its internal space. The internal space of the chamber 1 is provided with the substrate holder 2, the nozzle 3, the plasma source 6, and the moving mechanisms 51 and 52.

[0032] <Substrate holding part 2> The substrate holder 2 is provided in the chamber 1 and holds the substrate W in a horizontal position. Here, the horizontal position means that the thickness direction of the substrate W is aligned with the vertical direction. In the example of FIG. 3, the substrate holder 2 includes a stage 21 and a substrate gripping mechanism 200. The stage 21 has a disk shape and is provided vertically below the substrate W. The stage 21 is provided with its thickness direction aligned with the vertical direction.

[0033] 4 and 5 are cross-sectional views schematically illustrating the configuration of the substrate gripping mechanism 200 together with the substrate W. The substrate gripping mechanism 200 includes a plurality of chuck pins 210. The chuck pins 210 are provided upright on the upper surface of the stage 21 (FIG. 3). The plurality of chuck pins 210 can be switched between a chuck state (FIG. 4) in which the lateral sides of the substrate W are gripped and a support state (FIG. 5) in which the lower surface of the substrate W is supported while the substrate W is released from the chuck state by being displaced relative to the substrate W. This displacement is performed by a displacement mechanism 215. The displacement mechanism 215 may include a motor. In this case, the plurality of chuck pins 210 may be displaced by the driving force of the motor. Alternatively, the displacement mechanism 215 may include a first fixed magnet connected to each chuck pin 210 and a second movable magnet that moves relative to the first fixed magnet. In this case, the plurality of chuck pins 210 may be displaced depending on the position of the second movable magnet.

[0034] In the chucking state (FIG. 4), the plurality of chuck pins 210 are pressed against the peripheral edge of the substrate W, thereby fixing the substrate W to the chuck pins 210. In the supporting state (FIG. 5), the peripheral edge of the substrate W is separated from the plurality of chuck pins 210, and instead the substrate W is supported on the plurality of chuck pins 210. Unlike the chucking state, in the supporting state the substrate W is not inseparably fixed to the chuck pins 210, but is simply placed on the chuck pins 210. Therefore, the supporting state is an unchucked state, i.e., a released state. Therefore, when the substrate W is carried into the substrate gripping mechanism 200 and when the substrate W is carried out from the substrate gripping mechanism 200, the plurality of chuck pins 210 are in the unchucked state.

[0035] Each of the multiple chuck pins 210 includes a conductive member 211 made of a conductive material and a non-conductive member 212 made of a non-conductive material having lower conductivity than the conductive material. The non-conductive member 212 is fixed to the conductive member 211, and in the illustrated example, is fixed on the upper surface of the conductive member 211. The conductive member 211 and the non-conductive member 212 form an integrated member as the chuck pin 210.

[0036] The conductive material may comprise either polytetrafluoroethylene, perfluoroalkoxyethylene, or polychlorotrifluoroethylene, and may have carbon fibers dispersed therein. The non-conductive material may be polytetrafluoroethylene or polychlorotrifluoroethylene. The conductive material may be 1×10 6 Preferably, the non-conductive material has a volume resistivity of less than 1×10 Ω·cm. 6 It is preferable that the volume resistivity is greater than Ω·cm.

[0037] The conductive member 211 contacts the edge of the substrate W in the chucked state (FIG. 4) and is separated from the substrate W in the supported state (FIG. 5). The non-conductive member 212 is separated from the substrate W in the chucked state (FIG. 4) and supports the lower surface of the substrate W in the supported state (FIG. 5). Thus, the substrate W is grounded via the conductive member 211 in the chucked state, and the substrate W is ungrounded (floating) in the supported state. The surface of the non-conductive member 212 that supports the substrate W may be flat, as shown in FIG. 5. In the supported state, a portion of the conductive member 211 that is positioned above the substrate W is preferably positioned outside the substrate W in a planar view. In the supported state, the non-conductive member 212 is preferably positioned outside the center of the substrate W in a planar view.

[0038] In the example of FIG. 3, the substrate holder 2 further includes a rotation mechanism 23, which rotates the substrate W around a rotation axis Q1. To prevent the substrate W from coming off the substrate gripping mechanism 200 due to rotation, the multiple chuck pins 210 are in a chuck state (FIG. 4). However, the substrate W can also be rotated in the support state (FIG. 5) at a sufficiently low rotation speed. The rotation axis Q1 passes through the center of the substrate W and is an axis along the vertical direction. For example, the rotation mechanism 23 includes a shaft 24 and a motor 25. The upper end of the shaft 24 is connected to the lower surface of the stage 21 and extends from the lower surface of the stage 21 along the rotation axis Q1. The motor 25 rotates the shaft 24 around the rotation axis Q1, thereby rotating the stage 21 and the multiple chuck pins 210 together. As a result, the substrate W held by the multiple chuck pins 210 rotates around the rotation axis Q1. Such a substrate holder 2 may also be called a spin chuck. Hereinafter, the radial direction and the circumferential direction with respect to the rotation axis Q1 will be simply referred to as the radial direction and the circumferential direction, respectively.

[0039] <Nozzle 3> The nozzle 3 is provided in the chamber 1 and is used to supply a processing liquid to the main surface of the substrate W. The nozzle 3 is connected to a processing liquid supply source 34 via a supply pipe 31. That is, a downstream end of the supply pipe 31 is connected to the nozzle 3, and an upstream end of the supply pipe 31 is connected to the processing liquid supply source 34. The processing liquid supply source 34 includes, for example, a tank (not shown) that stores the processing liquid, and supplies the processing liquid to the supply pipe 31. Here, sulfuric acid is assumed as the processing liquid, but it may also be a chemical liquid such as a liquid containing at least one of sulfate, peroxosulfuric acid, and peroxosulfate, or a liquid containing hydrogen peroxide.

[0040] 3, a valve 32 and a flow rate adjuster 33 are provided in the supply pipe 31. When the valve 32 is opened, the processing liquid from the processing liquid supply source 34 is supplied to the nozzle 3 through the supply pipe 31 and is ejected from the outlet 3a of the nozzle 3. The outlet 3a is formed, for example, in the lower end surface of the nozzle 3. The flow rate adjuster 33 adjusts the flow rate of the processing liquid flowing through the supply pipe 31. The flow rate adjuster 33 is, for example, a mass flow controller.

[0041] In the example of FIG. 3, the nozzle 3 is provided so as to be movable by a moving mechanism 51. The moving mechanism 51 moves the nozzle 3 between a nozzle processing position and a nozzle standby position. The nozzle processing position is a position where the nozzle 3 ejects a processing liquid toward the main surface (here, the upper surface) of the substrate W. The nozzle processing position is, for example, a position vertically above the substrate W and facing the center of the substrate W in the vertical direction (see also FIG. 7 described later). The nozzle standby position is a position where the nozzle 3 does not eject a processing liquid toward the main surface of the substrate W and is farther away from the substrate W than the nozzle processing position. The nozzle standby position is also a position where the nozzle 3 does not interfere with the main transport robot 120 and the substrate W when the substrate W is being transported in or out. As a specific example, the nozzle standby position is a position radially outward from the periphery of the substrate W. In the example of FIG. 3, the nozzle 3 is shown stopped at the nozzle standby position.

[0042] The movement mechanism 51 has, for example, a ball screw mechanism or an arm rotation mechanism. The arm rotation mechanism includes an arm, a support column, and a motor, all of which are not shown. The arm has a rod-like shape extending horizontally, with the nozzle 3 connected to its tip and the base end of the arm connected to the support column. The support column extends vertically and is rotatable around its central axis. When the motor rotates the support column, the arm rotates and the nozzle 3 moves circumferentially around the central axis. The support column is provided so that the nozzle processing position and the nozzle standby position are located on the movement path of the nozzle 3.

[0043] The nozzle 3 is positioned at the nozzle processing position (Fig. 7 7), when the valve 32 opens while the substrate holder 2 is rotating the substrate W, the processing liquid is discharged from the nozzle 3 toward the upper surface of the substrate W. The processing liquid lands on the upper surface of the substrate W and spreads over the upper surface of the substrate W due to the centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the substrate W, causing the processing liquid to splash outward from the periphery of the substrate W. As a result, a liquid film F of the processing liquid (see FIG. 7) is formed on the upper surface of the substrate W. When the liquid film F of the processing liquid is formed on the upper surface of the substrate W, the valve 32 closes and the movement mechanism 51 moves the nozzle 3 to the nozzle standby position.

[0044] <Guard 5> The processing unit 130 is provided with a guard 5 that catches the processing liquid splashed from the periphery of the substrate W. The guard 5 has a cylindrical shape that surrounds the substrate W held by the substrate holder 2. The processing liquid splashed from the periphery of the substrate W hits the inner circumferential surface of the guard 5 and flows vertically downward along the inner circumferential surface. The processing liquid flows, for example, through a recovery pipe (not shown) and is recovered in a tank of the processing liquid supply source 34. This allows the processing liquid to be reused.

[0045] Although not shown in FIG. 3, the processing unit 130 may be configured to supply multiple types of processing liquid to the substrate W. For example, the nozzle 3 may be connected to multiple processing liquid supply sources. Alternatively, the processing unit 130 may include a nozzle other than the nozzle 3. The additional nozzle is connected to a processing liquid supply source other than the processing liquid supply source 34. Examples of the multiple types of processing liquid include chemical liquids such as sulfuric acid, as well as pure water, ozone water, carbonated water, and rinse liquids such as isopropyl alcohol. Here, it is assumed that the nozzle 3 is connected to multiple processing liquid supply sources and can individually supply multiple types of processing liquid to the substrate W.

[0046] <Plasma Source 6> The plasma source 6 (plasma reactor) is a device that generates plasma in order to irradiate the plasma onto the upper surface of the substrate W. Specifically, the plasma source 6 irradiates the plasma onto the upper surface of the substrate W supported by the substrate gripping mechanism 200 in the supported state (FIG. 5) (see FIG. 9).

[0047] The plasma source 6 is provided in the chamber 1 at a position vertically facing the main surface (e.g., the upper surface) of the substrate W held by the substrate holder 2. The plasma source 6 is electrically connected to a power source 8, and receives power from the power source 8 to convert the surrounding gas into plasma. Note that, as an example, the plasma source 6 generates plasma under atmospheric pressure. The atmospheric pressure here means, for example, 80% or more and 120% or less of standard atmospheric pressure.

[0048] A voltage is applied to the plasma source 6 by a plasma power supply 8. The power supply 8 has a switching power supply circuit such as an inverter circuit, and the switching power supply circuit outputs a voltage for the plasma. As a more specific example, the power supply 8 outputs a high-frequency voltage as the voltage for the plasma. For example, a high-frequency voltage of several tens of kV and several tens of kHz is used.

[0049] The processing unit 130 may be provided with a blocking member 7. The blocking member 7 has a plate shape and is provided vertically above the plasma source 6 with its thickness oriented vertically. The blocking member 7 has, for example, a circular shape in a plan view. The blocking member 7 may be wider than the plasma source 6. In other words, the side surface of the blocking member 7 may be located radially outward of the plasma source 6.

[0050] The moving mechanism 52 moves the plasma source 6 relative to the substrate holding part 2 in the vertical direction. The moving mechanism 52 can also be said to be an elevation mechanism. Here, as an example, the moving mechanism 52 moves the plasma source 6 and the blocking member 7 together. In other words, the plasma source 6 is fixed to the blocking member 7. For example, the plasma source 6 is fixed to the blocking member 7 by a connecting member (not shown). When the moving mechanism 52 moves the plasma source 6 and the blocking member 7 together, the configuration of the processing unit 130 can be simplified and manufacturing costs can be reduced compared to when two moving members that move the plasma source 6 and the blocking member 7 independently are provided.

[0051] In the following, the positions of the plasma source 6 and the blocking member 7 will be described representatively using the position of the plasma source 6. The moving mechanism 52 moves the plasma source 6 back and forth between the plasma processing position and the plasma standby position.

[0052] The plasma processing position is a position where the substrate W is processed using plasma generated by the plasma source 6. The plasma standby position is a position where the substrate W is not processed using plasma, and is a position farther from the substrate W than the plasma processing position. The plasma standby position is also a position where the plasma source 6 does not interfere with the main transport robot 120 and the substrate W when the substrate W is being transferred in or out. As a specific example, the plasma standby position is a position vertically above the plasma processing position. The example in FIG. 3 shows the plasma source 6 stopped at the plasma standby position. The moving mechanism 52 has a moving mechanism such as a ball screw mechanism or an air cylinder.

[0053] The plasma source 6 can move from the plasma standby position to the plasma processing position, for example, with the nozzle 3 retracted to the nozzle standby position. For example, when a liquid film F of the processing liquid is formed on the upper surface of the substrate W by discharging the processing liquid from the nozzle 3 at the nozzle processing position (see FIG. 7), the valve 32 is closed and the movement mechanism 51 moves the nozzle 3 from the nozzle processing position to the nozzle standby position. Thereafter, the movement mechanism 52 moves the plasma source 6 from the plasma standby position to the plasma processing position (see FIG. 9). In this way, since the nozzle 3 is not located directly above the substrate W, the plasma source 6 can be brought closer to the upper surface of the substrate W. In other words, the plasma processing position can be set closer to the substrate W.

[0054] Then, when the plasma source 6 is positioned at the plasma processing position, the power supply 8 outputs a voltage to the plasma source 6. This causes the plasma source 6 to convert the surrounding gas into plasma. Various active species are generated as a result of this plasma generation. For example, when air is converted into plasma, various active species such as oxygen radicals, hydroxyl radicals, and ozone gas can be generated. These active species act on the liquid film F of the processing liquid (here, sulfuric acid) on the upper surface of the substrate W. Conversely, the plasma processing position is set at a position where the active species can act on the liquid film F on the substrate W. The action of the active species on the processing liquid improves the processing performance of the processing liquid. Specifically, the reaction between the active species and sulfuric acid produces Caro's acid, which has high processing performance (here, oxidizing power). Caro's acid is also known as peroxomonosulfuric acid. When this Caro's acid acts on the resist on the substrate W, it can oxidize and remove the resist.

[0055] <Gas supply unit 10> The gas supply unit 10 supplies a processing gas between the substrate W held by the substrate holder 2 and the plasma source 6. The processing gas is a gas that generates activated species when the plasma acts on the processing gas, such as an oxygen-containing gas. The oxygen-containing gas includes, for example, oxygen gas, ozone gas, carbon dioxide gas, air, or a mixture of at least two of these. The gas supply unit 10 may also supply a carrier gas. The carrier gas includes at least one of a rare gas such as argon gas and nitrogen gas.

[0056] The gas supply unit 10 has an inlet 11a that discharges gas, and in the example of Fig. 3, the inlet 11a is located radially outward of the space between the plasma source 6 and the substrate W. In the example of Fig. 3, a plurality of inlets 11a are provided. The plurality of inlets 11a are provided, for example, radially outward of the space between the plasma source 6 and the substrate W, at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0057] The gas supply port 11a is formed at the downstream end of the gas supply pipe 11, and the upstream end of the gas supply pipe 11 is connected to a gas supply source 14. In the example of FIG. 3, the gas supply pipe 11 includes a plurality of branch pipes 111 and a common pipe 112. The downstream end of each branch pipe 111 corresponds to the gas supply port 11a, and the upstream end of each branch pipe 111 is commonly connected to the downstream end of the common pipe 112. The upstream end of the common pipe 112 is connected to a gas supply source 14. The gas supply source 14 supplies a process gas to the upstream end of the gas supply pipe 11 (specifically, the upstream end of the common pipe 112). A valve 12 and a flow rate regulator 13 are interposed in the gas supply pipe 11 (more specifically, the common pipe 112). When the valve 12 is opened, the process gas from the gas supply source 14 flows through the gas supply pipe 11 and out of each gas supply port 11a. The flow rate regulator 13 regulates the flow rate of the process gas flowing through the gas supply pipe 11. The flow rate adjusting unit 13 is, for example, a mass flow controller.

[0058] In the example of Figure 3, air supply pipe 11 is attached to blocking member 7. In the example of Figure 3, blocking member 7 includes a cover portion 71 and a hanging portion 72. Cover portion 71 is provided vertically above plasma source 6. Cover portion 71 has, for example, a disk shape and is provided with its thickness direction along the vertical direction. The side of cover portion 71 is located radially outward from plasma source 6. Hanging portion 72 extends vertically downward from the periphery of cover portion 71, and its tip is located vertically below plasma source 6. In the example of Figure 3, the downstream portion of air supply pipe 11 radially penetrates the tip of hanging portion 72 of blocking member 7. Air supply port 11a is formed, for example, on the inner surface of hanging portion 72.

[0059] Hanging portion 72 may be erected along the entire periphery of cover portion 71, or may be provided only in the circumferential portion that forms air inlet 11a. In the latter case, multiple hanging portions 72 are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0060] With the plasma source 6 positioned at the plasma processing position, the gas supply unit 10 supplies a processing gas to the processing space between the plasma source 6 and the substrate W, thereby effectively generating activated species such as oxygen radicals in the processing space. Furthermore, the greater the flow rate of the processing gas, the more activated species such as oxygen radicals can be generated.

[0061] <Modifications of the gas supply unit 10> When gas can pass through plasma source 6 in the vertical direction, gas inlet 11a of gas supply unit 10 may be disposed vertically above plasma source 6 and at a position vertically opposite plasma source 6. For example, gas inlet 11a may be disposed on the lower surface of cover portion 71 of blocking member 7. Note that the configuration of gas supply unit 10 is not limited to the above-described embodiment and this modified example, and is arbitrary.

[0062] <Example of processing unit operation> 6 is a flow diagram showing an example of a substrate processing method using the processing unit 130 according to an embodiment. First, the substrate holding part 2 holds the substrate W (step ST10: holding step). Specifically, the main transport robot 120 (FIG. 1) loads an unprocessed substrate W into the processing unit 130. The substrate holding part 2 receives the substrate W in an unchucked state (open state). Here, a resist is formed on the upper surface of the substrate W.

[0063] Next, a liquid film F of the processing liquid is formed on the upper surface of the substrate W (step ST20: liquid film forming step). FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the state of the processing unit 130 in the liquid film forming step. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the substrate gripping mechanism 200 in FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 8, in the liquid film forming step, the chuck pins 210 are in a chuck state. Therefore, when the processing liquid is supplied onto the substrate W, the substrate W is in a grounded state.

[0064] In the liquid film forming step, first, the movement mechanism 51 moves the nozzle 3 from the nozzle standby position to the nozzle processing position. Here, the nozzle processing position is a position vertically opposite to the center of the substrate W. Then, the substrate holder 2 rotates the substrate W about the rotation axis Q1, and the valve 32 opens. When the valve 32 opens, the processing liquid is ejected from the nozzle 3 toward the center of the upper surface of the substrate W. The processing liquid lands on the center of the upper surface of the substrate W, spreads over the upper surface of the substrate W due to centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the substrate W, and splashes outward from the periphery of the substrate W. As a result, a liquid film F of the processing liquid is formed on the upper surface of the substrate W.

[0065] Once the liquid film F is formed on the substrate W, the valve 32 closes, stopping the supply of the processing liquid. After the liquid film F is formed, the substrate holder 2 may stop the rotation of the substrate W, or may continue to rotate the substrate W. If the rotation of the substrate W is to be continued, the substrate holder 2 may rotate the substrate W at a rotation speed lower than the rotation speed used in the liquid film formation process. This reduces the amount of processing liquid that flows down from the periphery of the substrate W, thereby more reliably maintaining the liquid film F. In other words, the substrate holder 2 may rotate the substrate W at a rotation speed sufficient to maintain the liquid film F. More specifically, the substrate holder 2 may rotate the substrate W at a rotation speed sufficient to prevent the processing liquid from flowing down from the periphery of the substrate W. This process of maintaining the liquid film F on the upper surface of the substrate W while stopping the supply of the processing liquid is also called puddle processing. After the liquid film F is formed, the movement mechanism 51 moves the nozzle 3 to the nozzle standby position.

[0066] Next, the moving mechanism 52 moves the plasma source 6 to the plasma processing position. Then, the plasma source 6 irradiates the upper surface of the substrate W with plasma (step ST30: plasma process). FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the state of the processing unit 130 during the plasma process. During the plasma process, the power supply 8 supplies power to the plasma source 6. This converts the gas surrounding the plasma source 6 into plasma. Various active species are generated as a result of this plasma conversion. For example, when air is converted into plasma, various active species such as oxygen radicals, hydroxyl radicals, and ozone gas can be generated.

[0067] Fig. 10 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the substrate gripping mechanism 200 during the plasma process. As shown in Fig. 10, during the plasma process, the chuck pins 210 are in a supporting state. Therefore, when the plasma PL is irradiated from the plasma source 6 onto the upper surface of the substrate W, the substrate W is in a non-grounded state.

[0068] When the plasma source 6 is positioned at the plasma processing position, the plasma source 6 converts the surrounding gas into plasma, causing the activated species to act on the liquid film F on the upper surface of the substrate W. Specifically, activated species generated between the plasma source 6 and the substrate W act on the liquid film F. This improves the processing performance of the processing liquid. As a specific example, the activated species react with sulfuric acid to produce Caro's acid, which has high processing performance (here, oxidizing power). The Caro's acid acts on the resist on the substrate W, allowing the resist to be quickly oxidized and removed.

[0069] In the above example, the plasma source 6 can generate plasma over a wide range in plan view, and therefore can supply active species over a wide range to the upper surface of the substrate W. This makes it possible to more uniformly remove the resist on the upper surface of the substrate W. It is preferable that the plasma source 6 generates plasma over an area that is the same as or wider than the upper surface of the substrate W in plan view.

[0070] When the resist on the top surface of the substrate W has been sufficiently removed, the moving mechanism 52 moves the plasma source 6 and the blocking member 7 together from the plasma processing position to the plasma standby position, and the power supply 8 stops supplying power to the plasma source 6.

[0071] Next, the processing unit 130 performs a rinse process on the upper surface of the substrate W (step ST40: rinse process). Specifically, the processing unit 130 supplies a rinse liquid to the upper surface of the substrate W, replacing the processing liquid on the upper surface of the substrate W with the rinse liquid. In the rinse process, the chuck pins 210 are in a chuck state. Therefore, when the rinse liquid is supplied onto the substrate W, the substrate W is in a grounded state.

[0072] Next, the processing unit 130 performs a drying process on the substrate W (step ST50: drying process). For example, the substrate holder 2 rotates the substrate W at a rotation speed higher than that in the liquid film forming process, thereby drying the substrate W (so-called spin drying). In the drying process, the chuck pins 210 are placed in a chuck state. Next, after the chuck pins 210 are placed in a supporting state (i.e., a released state), the main transport robot 120 (FIG. 1) transports the processed substrate W out of the processing unit 130.

[0073] Thereafter, unprocessed substrates W are successively carried into the processing units 130, and steps ST10 to ST50 (FIG. 6) are performed for each of them.

[0074] <Effects> According to the substrate gripping mechanism 200 of this embodiment, it is possible to switch between a grounded state and a non-grounded state for the substrate W. According to the processing unit 130 of this embodiment, it is possible to select between a grounded state and a non-grounded state during substrate processing, and it is possible to place the substrate W in a non-grounded state during plasma processing. Preferably, in the supported state, a portion of the conductive member 211 located above the substrate W does not overlap with the substrate W in a plan view. This prevents the conductive member 211 from interfering with substrate processing, particularly plasma processing, when substrate processing, particularly plasma processing, is performed on the upper surface of the substrate W supported by the substrate gripping mechanism 200 in the supported state.

[0075] <Modification of the substrate gripping mechanism> FIG. 11 is a top view showing the configuration of a modified example of the substrate gripping mechanism 200 (FIG. 3). The modified substrate gripping mechanism has a plurality of conductive chuck pins 1210 and a plurality of non-conductive chuck pins 2210. FIGS. 12 and 13 are cross-sectional views showing the conductive chuck pins 1210 and the non-conductive chuck pins 2210 in FIG. 11. In FIG. 11, the plurality of conductive chuck pins 1210 are in a chuck state, which causes the substrate W to be in a grounded state. This state can be used instead of the chuck state in the present embodiment described above.

[0076] In the grounded state, the non-conductive chuck pin 2210 may be in a non-chucked state as shown in FIGS. 11 and 13, or may be in a chucked state.

[0077] The conductive chuck pin 1210 may include a main body portion 1211 made of a conductive material and contacting the substrate W when chucking the substrate W, and a support portion 1212 supporting the substrate W when both the conductive chuck pin 1210 and the non-conductive chuck pin 2210 are in an unchucked state. The support portion 1212 is fixed to the main body portion 1211, and in the illustrated example, is fixed on the upper surface of the main body portion 1211. The main body portion 1211 and the support portion 1212 form an integrated member as the conductive chuck pin 1210. The material of the support portion 1212 is arbitrary and may be either a conductive material or a non-conductive material.

[0078] The non-conductive chuck pin 2210 may include a main body portion 2211 made of a non-conductive material and contacting the substrate W when chucking the substrate W, and a support portion 2212 supporting the substrate W when both the conductive chuck pin 1210 and the non-conductive chuck pin 2210 are in an unchucked state. The support portion 2212 is fixed to the main body portion 2211, and in the illustrated example, is fixed on the upper surface of the main body portion 2211. The main body portion 2211 and the support portion 2212 form an integrated member as the non-conductive chuck pin 2210. The material of the support portion 2212 is arbitrary and may be either a conductive material or a non-conductive material.

[0079] Fig. 14 is a top view showing the state in which the substrate gripping mechanism of this modified example is switched from the above-described grounded state to the non-grounded state. Fig. 15 and Fig. 16 are cross-sectional views showing the state of the non-conductive chuck pins 2210 and the conductive chuck pins 1210 in Fig. 14. In Fig. 14, multiple non-conductive chuck pins 2210 are in the chucked state, and all conductive chuck pins 1210 are in the non-chucked state. This causes the substrate W to be in an ungrounded state. By using this ungrounded state, substrate processing using plasma PL can be performed in a floating state. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 6: Plasma source 130: Processing unit (substrate processing apparatus) 200: Substrate gripping mechanism 210: Zipper pin 211: Conductive materials 212: Non-conductive materials 215: Displacement mechanism W: Substrate

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus, a substrate gripping mechanism having a plurality of chuck pins that can switch between a chuck state in which the substrate is gripped by a side thereof and a support state in which the substrate is released from the chuck state and a support state in which the lower surface of the substrate is supported, wherein each of the plurality of chuck pins is a conductive member made of a conductive material, the conductive member contacting an edge of the substrate in the chuck state and being separated from the substrate in the supporting state; a non-conductive member fixed to the conductive member, supporting the lower surface of the substrate in the supported state, and made of a non-conductive material having lower conductivity than the conductive material; The substrate processing apparatus further comprises: a plasma source that irradiates plasma onto an upper surface of the substrate supported by the substrate gripping mechanism in the supported state; a nozzle for supplying a liquid to the upper surface of the substrate gripped by the substrate gripping mechanism in the chuck state; A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , In the supporting state, a portion of the conductive member located above the substrate does not overlap with the substrate in a plan view.

3. 3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, In the supporting state, the non-conductive member is disposed outside the center of the substrate in a plan view.

4. 4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the conductive material contains any one of polytetrafluoroethylene, perfluoroalkoxyethylene, and polychlorotrifluoroethylene, and has carbon fibers dispersed therein.

5. 5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the non-conductive material includes at least one of polytetrafluoroethylene and polychlorotrifluoroethylene.

6. 6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, The conductive material is 1×10 ６ A substrate processing apparatus having a volume resistivity of less than Ω·cm.

7. 7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, The non-conductive material is 1×10 ６ A substrate processing apparatus having a volume resistivity greater than Ω·cm.

8. A substrate processing apparatus, The apparatus includes a plurality of chuck pins that can be switched between a chuck state in which the substrate is gripped at a side thereof and an unchuck state in which the substrate is released from the chuck state, and the plurality of chuck pins include: a conductive chuck pin that contacts an edge of the substrate in the chucked state and is spaced from the substrate in the non-chucked state and is made of a conductive material; a non-conductive chuck pin that contacts the edge of the substrate in the chucked state and is spaced from the substrate in the unchucked state, the non-conductive chuck pin being made of a non-conductive material having lower conductivity than the conductive material; the substrate processing apparatus further comprises: a plasma source that irradiates plasma onto an upper surface of the substrate when the substrate is in the chucked state by the non-conductive chuck pin and in the unchucked state by the conductive chuck pin; a nozzle for supplying a liquid to the upper surface of the substrate when the substrate is in the chucked state by the conductive chuck pin; A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, The conductive chuck pin is a first body portion made of a conductive material, the first body portion contacting the edge of the substrate when the conductive chuck pin is in the chucked state and being spaced apart from the substrate when the conductive chuck pin is in the non-chucked state; The non-conductive chuck pin A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a second body portion made of a non-conductive material, the second body portion contacting the edge of the substrate when the non-conductive chuck pin is in the chucked state and spaced apart from the substrate when the non-conductive chuck pin is in the unchucked state.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, the conductive chuck pin includes a first support portion fixed on an upper surface of the first body portion and made of a non-conductive material; the non-conductive chuck pin includes a second support portion fixed on an upper surface of the second body portion and made of a non-conductive material; The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the first support portion and the second support portion support a lower surface of the substrate when both the conductive chuck pin and the non-conductive chuck pin are in the unchucked state.

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