Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Abstract

To prevent a liquid from being deposited to a substrate again in a case where the liquid is removed from the substrate by a processing fluid.SOLUTION: A substrate processing device comprises: a processing chamber including a processing space for processing a substrate; a support part which is stored in the processing space while supporting the substrate in a horizontal posture; a fluid supply part which causes a processing fluid to flow in a fixed direction in the processing space by supplying the processing fluid to the processing chamber; and a fluid discharge part which discharges the processing fluid from the processing chamber. The support part includes a substrate opposite surface opposed to a bottom face of the substrate and supports the substrate in a state where the substrate is separated upward from the substrate opposite surface. In a path of a layer flow of the processing fluid flowing between the substrate and the support part in the processing fluid, a downstream path positioned at a downstream side in the fixed direction is wider than an upstream path positioned at an upstream side in the fixed direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method for processing a substrate having a liquid attached thereto with a processing fluid in a supercritical state. [Background technology]

[0002] When a substrate is wet-processed with a liquid, the liquid adheres to the upper surface of the substrate. As a substrate processing apparatus for drying the substrate after the wet processing, for example, an apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is known. In this apparatus, the substrate is supported in a recess provided in a support tray, and a drying process is performed on the substrate using a processing fluid in a supercritical state.

[0003] In this substrate processing apparatus, the substrate is supported on a support tray in a face-up position with the upper surface bearing the fine pattern facing upward. More specifically, the substrate is positioned in a horizontal position, a fixed distance above the inner bottom surface of the recess. With the substrate supported in this manner, the support tray is placed in a processing chamber. In this processing chamber, a processing fluid having a lower surface tension than a liquid flows in a fixed direction. A portion of the processing fluid flowing along the upper surface of the substrate penetrates between the fine patterns formed on the upper surface of the substrate. This allows for efficient drying and reduces the risk of pattern collapse due to surface tension during drying. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-9875 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] A portion of the processing fluid flowing within the processing chamber flows between the support tray and the substrate, forming a laminar flow. It is desirable to efficiently remove the liquid that has been removed from the substrate along this laminar flow. However, in conventional systems, removal efficiency is not always high, and the liquid that has been removed from the substrate sometimes re-adheres to the upper surface of the substrate.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method that can prevent liquid from re-adhering to a substrate when the liquid is removed from the substrate by a processing fluid. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus that processes a substrate having a liquid attached thereto with a processing fluid in a supercritical state, the substrate processing apparatus comprising: a processing chamber having a processing space for processing the substrate; a support part that is accommodated in the processing space while supporting the substrate in a horizontal position; a fluid supply part that supplies the processing fluid to the processing chamber to cause the processing fluid to flow in a certain direction in the processing space; and a fluid discharge part that discharges the processing fluid from the processing chamber, the support part having a substrate facing surface that faces the lower surface of the substrate, and supporting the substrate in a state spaced above the substrate facing surface, Separated from the first laminar flow of processing fluid flowing along the top surface of the substrate of the processing fluid flowing between the substrate and the support No. 2 In a laminar flow path, it is located downstream in a certain direction. and merge the second laminar flow into the first laminar flow. The downstream route is located upstream in a certain direction The processing fluid is divided into a first laminar flow and a second laminar flow. It is characterized by being wider than the upstream route.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing method for processing a substrate having a liquid attached thereto with a processing fluid in a supercritical state, the method comprising: a step of accommodating, in a processing space of a processing chamber, a support member that supports the substrate in a horizontal position while separating the substrate upward from a substrate-facing surface that faces the lower surface of the substrate; and a step of supplying the processing fluid to the processing chamber accommodating the support member to support the substrate in a horizontal position. The flow is divided into a first laminar flow of the processing fluid that flows along the top surface of the substrate and a second laminar flow of the processing fluid that flows between the substrate and the support. The processing fluid is caused to flow in a fixed direction, and the processing fluid flowing between the support portion and the substrate is mixed with the processing fluid flowing in a fixed direction along the upper surface of the substrate. Let's join upand a processing step of discharging the substrate supported by the support part in the processing space from the processing chamber with the processing fluid, wherein in the processing step, and merge the second laminar flow into the first laminar flow. The downstream route is located upstream in a certain direction and divide it into the first and second laminar flows. It is characterized by being wider than the upstream route.

[0009] In the invention configured as described above, the processing of the underside of the substrate is performed by a laminar flow of processing fluid flowing between the substrate and the support. The path of this laminar flow is configured so that the downstream path located downstream in a certain direction is wider than the upstream path located upstream in the certain direction. As a result, the pressure loss of the processing fluid flowing from the upstream path to the downstream path is small. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] As described above, the pressure loss of the processing fluid flowing between the substrate and the support is reduced, so that when liquid is removed from the substrate by the processing fluid, the liquid can be prevented from re-adhering to the substrate. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1A] 1 is a plan view of a processing unit and a transfer mechanism provided in a first embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, viewed from vertically above. [Figure 1B] 1 is a plan view of a cover member, a support tray, and a substrate supported by the support tray, which are components of a processing unit, viewed from vertically above. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the flow path and laminar flow of processing fluids within a processing chamber. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the structure of lift pin elevating through holes. [Figure 5] 10 is a plan view of a cover member, a support tray, and a substrate supported by the support tray, as viewed from vertically above, in a second embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 6]FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating a flow path and laminar flow of a processing fluid in a processing chamber according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] 11 is a plan view of a cover member, a support tray, and a substrate supported by the support tray, as viewed from vertically above, in a third embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating a flow path and laminar flow of a processing fluid in a processing chamber according to a third embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a plan view of a cover member, a support tray, and a substrate supported by the support tray, as viewed from vertically above, in a fourth embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating a flow path and laminar flow of a processing fluid in a processing chamber according to a fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] FIG. 1A is a plan view of a processing unit and a transfer mechanism provided in a first embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, viewed from above. FIG. 1B is a plan view of a lid member, a support tray, and a substrate supported by the support tray, which are components of the processing unit, viewed from above. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the first embodiment, with a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1A shown in the lower part of the figure. This substrate processing apparatus 1 is an apparatus for processing the upper surface of various substrates, such as semiconductor substrates, with a supercritical fluid. To unify the directions in the following figures, an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is defined as shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 2. Here, the XY plane is a horizontal plane, and the Z direction represents the vertical direction. More specifically, the (-Z) direction represents the vertical downward direction.

[0013] Here, the "substrate" in this embodiment can be any of various substrates such as semiconductor wafers, 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, substrates for magneto-optical disks, etc. The following description will be given with reference to the drawings, taking as an example a substrate processing apparatus used primarily for processing semiconductor wafers, but the invention can also be applied to processing the various substrates exemplified above.

[0014] The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a processing unit 10, a supply unit 50, and a control unit 90. The processing unit 10 is the main body that performs the supercritical drying process, and the supply unit 50 supplies the processing unit 10 with chemical substances and power required for the process.

[0015] The control unit 90 controls each part of these devices to perform predetermined processing. For this purpose, the control unit 90 is equipped with a CPU 91 that executes various control programs, a memory 92 that temporarily stores processing data, a storage 93 that stores the control programs executed by the CPU 91, and an interface 94 for exchanging information with users and external devices. The operation of the devices, which will be described later, is achieved by the CPU 91 executing the control programs written in advance in the storage 93 and causing each part of the devices to perform predetermined operations.

[0016] The processing unit 10 includes a processing chamber 100. The processing chamber 100 includes a first member 11, a second member 12, and a third member 13, each formed from a metal block. The first member 11 and the second member 12 are joined in the vertical direction by a joining member (not shown), and the third member 13 is joined to the (+Y) side surface of the first member 11 and the second member 12 by a joining member (not shown), thereby forming the processing chamber 100 with a hollow structure. The hollow internal space serves as a processing space SP where processing is performed on a substrate S. The substrate S to be processed is loaded into the processing space SP and undergoes processing. A slit-shaped opening 101 extending elongatedly in the X direction is formed on the (-Y) side surface of the processing chamber 100, and the processing space SP communicates with the external space via the opening 101.

[0017] A lid member 14 is provided on the (-Y) side surface of the processing chamber 100 so as to close the opening 101. A flat support tray 15 is attached in a horizontal position to the (+Y) side surface of the lid member 14, and the upper surface of the support tray 15 serves as a support surface on which a substrate S can be placed. In this embodiment, the support tray 15 is configured to prevent the liquid removed from the substrate S during the supercritical drying process from re-adhering to the substrate S. The configuration and function of this support tray 15 will be described in detail later.

[0018] The lid member 14 is supported by a support mechanism (not shown) so as to be horizontally movable in the Y direction. The lid member 14 can be moved forward and backward relative to the processing chamber 100 by an advance / retract mechanism 53 provided in the supply unit 50. Specifically, the advance / retract mechanism 53 has a linear motion mechanism such as a linear motor, a linear motion guide, a ball screw mechanism, a solenoid, or an air cylinder, and this linear motion mechanism moves the lid member 14 in the Y direction. The advance / retract mechanism 53 operates in response to a control command from the control unit 90.

[0019] When the cover member 14 moves in the (-Y) direction, the support tray 15 is pulled out from the processing space SP through the opening 101, allowing access to the support tray 15 from the outside. That is, it becomes possible to place the substrate S on the support tray 15 and to remove the substrate S placed on the support tray 15. On the other hand, when the cover member 14 moves in the (+Y) direction, the support tray 15 is accommodated in the processing space SP. When the substrate S is placed on the support tray 15, the substrate S is carried into the processing space SP together with the support tray 15 (accommodating process).

[0020] In a supercritical drying process, the main purpose of which is to dry a substrate while preventing pattern collapse due to the surface tension of a liquid, the substrate S is carried in with its upper surface Sa covered with a liquid film to prevent pattern collapse due to exposure of the upper surface Sa. As the liquid constituting the liquid film, an organic solvent with a relatively low surface tension, such as isopropyl alcohol (IPA) or acetone, can be suitably used.

[0021] The lid member 14 moves in the (+Y) direction to close the opening 101, thereby sealing the processing space SP. A seal member 16 is provided between the (+Y) side surface of the lid member 14 and the (-Y) side surface of the processing chamber 100, maintaining the processing space SP in an airtight state. The seal member 16 may be an annular member made of an elastic resin material, such as rubber. A locking mechanism (not shown) fixes the lid member 14 to the processing chamber 100. With the processing space SP thus maintained in an airtight state, processing of the substrate S is performed in the processing space SP (processing step).

[0022] In this embodiment, a fluid of a substance that can be used in supercritical processing, such as carbon dioxide, is supplied in a gaseous or liquid state from a fluid supply section 57 provided in the supply unit 50 to the processing unit 10. Carbon dioxide is a chemical substance suitable for supercritical drying processing because it reaches a supercritical state at a relatively low temperature and pressure and has the property of dissolving organic solvents that are often used in substrate processing.

[0023] More specifically, the fluid supply unit 57 outputs a supercritical fluid or a fluid that is supplied in gaseous or liquid form and subsequently becomes supercritical when subjected to a predetermined temperature and pressure as a processing fluid for processing the substrate S. For example, gaseous or liquid carbon dioxide is output under pressure. The processing fluid is pumped through a pipe 571 and valves 572 and 573 inserted therein to input ports 102 and 103 provided on the (+Y) side of the processing chamber 100. That is, the valves 572 and 573 are opened in response to a control command from the control unit 90, thereby sending the processing fluid from the fluid supply unit 57 to the processing chamber 100 (supply step). As a result, the processing fluid flows from the (+Y) side to the (-Y) side within the processing chamber 100. This flow direction FD (FIGS. 1A and 2) corresponds to an example of the "uniform direction" of the present invention.

[0024] The processing fluid thus supplied forms three types of laminar flows within the processing chamber 100. Of these, the upper laminar flow (reference symbol FL1 in FIG. 3) flows along the upper surface Sa of the substrate S supported on the support tray 15 and is supplied to the upper surface Sa. The middle laminar flow (reference symbol FL2 in FIG. 3) flows along the lower surface Sb of the substrate S and is supplied to the lower surface Sb. Furthermore, the lower laminar flow (reference symbol FL3 in FIG. 3) flows along the lower surface of the support tray 15. Before describing these laminar flows, the configuration of the support tray 15 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1B and 2.

[0025] A central region of the upper surface of the support tray 15 serves as a substrate-facing surface 151 that faces the lower surface Sb of the substrate S and supports it. More specifically, the central region of the support tray 15 in the flow direction FD is finished to be a substantially flat surface and functions as the substrate-facing surface 151. Furthermore, on the upstream side of the substrate-facing surface 151, i.e., on the (+Y) side, two supply guide portions 152, 152 are erected upward from the substrate-facing surface 151, i.e., in the (+Z) direction. As shown in FIG. 1B , the supply guide portions 152, 152 are adjacently arranged on the (+Y) side of the substrate S with a small gap (symbol G1 in FIG. 3) provided therebetween so as to sandwich the substrate S supported while facing the substrate-facing surface 151 from the X direction.

[0026] Furthermore, on the downstream side of the substrate facing surface 151, i.e., on the (-Y) side, a discharge guide portion 153 is erected upward from the substrate facing surface 151. As shown in Fig. 1B, the discharge guide portion 153 is arranged on the (-Y) side of the substrate S supported while facing the substrate facing surface 151, with a gap (symbol G2 in Fig. 3) slightly wider from the substrate S than on the (+Y) side. The supply guide portions 152, 152 and the discharge guide portion 153 are provided with support members 154 (see the partially enlarged view in Fig. 1B) that support the substrate S from below and from the sides.

[0027] These three support members 154 are capable of transferring the substrate S to and from the transfer mechanism 200 of the substrate processing apparatus 1. More specifically, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 1A, the empty support tray 15 is pulled out of the processing chamber 100 in the (-Y) direction. This exposes the entire support tray 15 from the processing chamber 100, and the three through holes 155 provided in the substrate-facing surface 151 are positioned on the lift pin 201 lift path. The through holes 155 have an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the lift pin 201. Therefore, the lift pin 201 can freely move in and out of the through holes 155 in the vertical direction Z. Note that the operation of loading and unloading the substrate S to and from the support tray 15 using the lift pins 201 of the transfer mechanism 200 is well known, as described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-125471. Therefore, a description of the transfer operation will be omitted here.

[0028] When the substrate S is transferred by the transfer mechanism 200 using the support members 154 of the support tray 15, the substrate S is held with its upper surface Sa to be processed (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "substrate upper surface") facing upward. At this time, it is preferable that the upper surfaces of the supply guide portions 152, 152 and the discharge guide portion 153 and the substrate upper surface Sa are flush with each other. Then, while the substrate S is held on the support tray 15, it is processed by a processing fluid flowing through the processing chamber 100 as follows.

[0029] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the flow path and laminar flow of the processing fluid within the processing chamber, and is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 1A. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the lift pin elevating through-holes, and is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 1A. By using the support tray 15 configured as described above, the processing fluid supplied from the fluid supply unit 57 to the processing chamber 100 flows along three types of flow paths, as shown in FIG. 3. As a result, an upper-stage laminar flow FL1, a middle-stage laminar flow FL2, and a lower-stage laminar flow FL3 are formed. The flow path and laminar flow of the processing fluid will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1B, 2, and 3.

[0030] 2, the processing fluid flow path 17 extending from the input ports 102, 103 to the processing space SP functions as an introduction flow path that introduces the processing fluid supplied from the fluid supply unit 57 into the processing space SP. Specifically, a flow path 171 is connected to the input port 102. A buffer space 172 is provided at the end of the flow path 171 opposite to the input port 102, and is formed so that the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path suddenly increases.

[0031] A flow path 173 is further provided to connect the buffer space 172 and the processing space SP. The flow path 173 has a cross-sectional shape that is narrow in the vertical direction (Z direction) and long and wide in the horizontal direction (X direction), and the cross-sectional shape is approximately constant in the flow direction of the processing fluid. The end of the flow path 171 opposite the buffer space 172 is an outlet 174 that opens toward the processing space SP, and the processing fluid is introduced into the processing space SP from this outlet 174.

[0032] Desirably, the height of the flow path 173 is equal to the distance between the ceiling surface of the processing space SP and the substrate upper surface Sa when the support tray 15 is accommodated in the processing space SP. The discharge port 174 opens facing the gap between the ceiling surface of the processing space SP and the substrate-facing surface 151 of the support tray 15. For example, the ceiling surface of the flow path 173 and the ceiling surface of the processing space SP can be flush with each other. In this manner, the discharge port 174 opens in the shape of a horizontally elongated slit facing the processing space SP. The processing fluid from this discharge port 174 flows toward the substrate upper surface Sa directly and via the upper surfaces of the supply guide members 152, 152. Most of this processing fluid flows directly in the flow direction FD. This forms an upper-level laminar flow FL1 flowing between the ceiling surface of the processing space SP and the substrate upper surface Sa.

[0033] 3, a portion of the processing fluid flowing toward the substrate upper surface Sa flows around to the underside Sb of the substrate S (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as the "substrate lower surface") through a gap G1 between the supply guide portion 152 and the substrate S. This processing fluid then flows in a flow direction FD between the bottom surface of the processing space SP and the substrate lower surface Sb. In this way, a middle-stage laminar flow FL2 is formed. The processing fluid constituting this middle-stage laminar flow FL2 joins with the processing fluid constituting the upper-stage laminar flow FL1 at the gap G2, and then continues to flow in the flow direction FD.

[0034] Similarly, a flow path for the processing fluid is formed below the support tray 15. Specifically, a flow path 175 is connected to the input port 103. A buffer space 176 is provided at the end of the flow path 175 opposite the input port 103, and is formed so that the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path suddenly increases.

[0035] The buffer space 176 and the processing space SP are connected via a flow path 177. The flow path 177 has a cross-sectional shape that is narrow in the vertical direction (Z direction) and long and wide in the horizontal direction (X direction), and the cross-sectional shape is approximately constant in the flow direction of the processing fluid. The end of the flow path 177 opposite the buffer space 176 is an outlet 178 that opens into the processing space SP, and the processing fluid is introduced into the processing space SP from this outlet 178.

[0036] Preferably, the height of the flow path 177 is equal to the distance between the bottom surface of the processing space SP and the lower surface of the support tray 15. The discharge port 178 opens into the gap between the bottom surface of the processing space SP and the lower surface of the support tray 15. For example, the bottom surface of the flow path 177 and the bottom surface of the processing space SP can be flush with each other. That is, the discharge port 178 opens into the processing space SP in the shape of a horizontally elongated slit. The processing fluid from this discharge port 178 flows in the flow direction FD between the support tray 15 and the bottom surface of the processing space SP via the lower surfaces of the supply guide members 152, 152. In this way, a lower-level laminar flow FL3 is formed.

[0037] As described above, the processing fluid flowing through the processing space SP, divided into upper laminar flow FL1, middle laminar flow FL2, and lower laminar flow FL3, is discharged to the outside of the processing vessel via the exhaust flow path 18 configured as follows (discharge process). On the (-Y) side of the substrate S, the ceiling surface of the processing space SP and the substrate-facing surface 151 of the support tray 15 all form horizontal planes, and they face each other parallel to each other with a certain gap between them. This gap functions as an upstream region 181 of the exhaust flow path 18, which guides the processing fluid flowing along the substrate-facing surface 151 of the support tray 15 and the upper surface Sa of the substrate S to the fluid discharge part 55. This upstream region 181 has a cross-sectional shape that is narrow in the vertical direction (Z direction) and long and wide in the horizontal direction (X direction).

[0038] The end of the upstream region 181 opposite to the processing space SP is connected to a buffer space 182. The buffer space 182 is a space surrounded by the processing chamber 100, the cover member 14, and the seal member 16. The width of the buffer space 182 in the X direction is equal to or greater than the width of the upstream region 181, and the height of the buffer space 182 in the Z direction is greater than the height of the upstream region 181. Therefore, the buffer space 182 has a larger flow path cross-sectional area than the upstream region 181.

[0039] A downstream region 183 is connected to the upper part of the buffer space 182. The downstream region 183 is a through hole provided through the first member 11, which is an upper block constituting the processing chamber 100. The upper end of the downstream region 183 forms an output port 104 that opens to the upper surface of the processing chamber 100, and the lower end opens facing the buffer space 182.

[0040] As described above, in this embodiment, the exhaust flow path 18 on the upper surface side of the support tray 15 is divided into the following three regions: an upstream region 181 formed between the substrate-facing surface 151 of the support tray 15 and the lower surface of the first member 11; a downstream region 183 connected to the fluid discharge portion 55; an intermediate region (buffer space 182) that connects the upstream region 181 and the downstream region 183; It has the following characteristics.

[0041] Similarly, the bottom surface of the processing space SP and the lower surface of the support tray 15 both form horizontal planes, and are opposed to each other in parallel with a certain gap maintained therebetween. This gap functions as an upstream region 185 of the exhaust flow path 18 that guides the processing fluid flowing along the lower surface of the support tray 15 to the fluid discharge part 55. Furthermore, the upstream region 185 on the lower surface side of the support tray 15 is connected to a downstream region 187 via a buffer space 186, similar to the upper surface side of the support tray 15. That is, the exhaust flow path 18 on the lower surface side of the support tray 15 is divided into the following three regions, namely: an upstream region 185 formed between the lower surface of the support tray 15 and the upper surface of the second member 12; a downstream region 187 connected to the fluid discharge portion 55; an intermediate region (buffer space 186) that connects the upstream region 185 and the downstream region 187; It has the following characteristics.

[0042] The processing fluid that flows above the support tray 15 in the processing space SP is sent to the output port 104 via the upstream region 181, the buffer space 182, and the downstream region 183. The output port 104 is connected to the fluid discharge unit 55 by a pipe 551, and a valve 552 is inserted in the middle of the pipe 551.

[0043] Similarly, the processing fluid that flows below the support tray 15 in the processing space SP is sent to the output port 105 via the upstream region 185, the buffer space 186, and the downstream region 187. The output port 105 is connected to the fluid discharge unit 55 by a pipe 553, and a valve 554 is inserted in the middle of the pipe 553.

[0044] The valves 552 and 554 are controlled by the control unit 90. When the valves 552 and 554 are opened in response to a control command from the control unit 90, the processing fluid in the processing space SP is collected in the fluid discharge part 55 via the pipes 551 and 553.

[0045] In the substrate processing apparatus 1 configured as described above, in order to prevent the liquid from re-adhering to the substrate S when the liquid is removed from the substrate S by the processing fluid, the present embodiment has the following characteristic configuration.

[0046] As shown in FIGS. 1B and 3, a supply guide portion 152 and a discharge guide portion 153 are provided on the (+Y) side and the (-Y) side of the substrate S held by the support member 154, respectively. A gap G1 exists between the substrate S and the supply guide portion 152, and a gap G2 exists between the substrate S and the discharge guide portion 153. The gaps G1 and G2 are provided such that the dimension SG2 of the gap G2 in the flow direction FD is larger than the dimension SG1 of the gap G1. This structure is referred to as a "downstream gap enlargement structure." That is, by adopting the downstream gap enlargement structure, the laminar flow of the processing fluid flowing between the substrate S and the support tray 15, i.e., the middle laminar flow FL2, has a downstream path located downstream of the flow direction FD (i.e., the -Y side) wider than an upstream path located upstream of the flow direction FD (i.e., the +Y side). That is, the cross-sectional area of ​​the downstream side is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the upstream side. This reduces pressure loss in the middle laminar flow FL2. As a result, the flow rate of the processing fluid in the path is increased compared to the conventional technology, and the liquid (isopropyl alcohol, acetone, etc.) removed from the substrate S can be efficiently discharged from the processing chamber 100. In other words, when the liquid is removed from the substrate S by the processing fluid, the liquid can be prevented from re-adhering to the substrate S.

[0047] Further, through holes 155 are provided to allow the lift pins 201 to be inserted loosely. In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the openings 155a of the through holes 155 on the substrate-facing surface 151 side are tapered (tapered structure). That is, the openings 155a widen in a trumpet shape toward the path of the middle-stage laminar flow FL2. The resistance when the processing fluid constituting the middle-stage laminar flow FL2 flows into the through holes 155 through the openings 155a is smaller than that of the conventional technology, and pressure loss can be reduced. As a result, by employing the tapered structure, it is possible to obtain the same effects as the downstream-side gap enlargement structure. Thus, in the first embodiment, the lift pin elevating through holes 155 correspond to an example of the "second through holes" of the present invention. The tapered structure may also be applied to the bypass-only through holes (reference numeral 156 in FIGS. 7 to 10) described later.

[0048] In this first embodiment, the support tray 15 corresponds to an example of the "support portion" of the present invention. Also, the dimensions SG1 and SG2 correspond to the "separation distance of the supply guide portion from the substrate" and the "separation distance of the discharge guide portion from the substrate" of the present invention, respectively.

[0049] FIG. 5 is a plan view of a cover member, a support tray, and a substrate supported by the support tray, viewed from vertically above, in a second embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the flow path and laminar flow of a processing fluid within a processing chamber in the second embodiment. This second embodiment differs significantly from the first embodiment in that the upper surface of the discharge guide member 153 is flush with the substrate-facing surface 151. That is, the upper surface of the discharge guide member 153 is continuous with the substrate-facing surface 151, and the downstream side of the substrate S in the flow direction FD is open. Therefore, the upper-stage laminar flow FL1 flowing along the substrate upper surface Sa and the middle-stage laminar flow FL2 flowing along the substrate lower surface Sb are guided directly to the upstream region 181. By adopting this structure (hereinafter referred to as the "discharge-side fully open structure"), the downstream path of the middle-stage laminar flow FL2 located downstream of the flow direction FD (i.e., the -Y side) is significantly wider than the upstream path located upstream of the flow direction FD (i.e., the +Y side). Therefore, the pressure loss in the path of the middle-stage laminar flow FL2 is significantly reduced, which results in more efficient discharge of liquid from the processing chamber 100 than in the first embodiment employing the downstream-side expanded gap structure, and more effective prevention of liquid re-adhesion to the substrate S.

[0050] In the second embodiment, the downstream side of the substrate S in the flow direction FD is fully open, but the height of the discharge guide portion 153 may be set lower than that of the first embodiment. That is, the upper surface of the discharge guide portion 153 may be configured to be located lower than the upper surface of the supply guide portion 152, thereby adjusting the degree of opening on the downstream side of the substrate S. By employing such a structure (hereinafter referred to as the "discharge-side openness adjustment structure"), the same effects as those of the second embodiment can be obtained.

[0051] FIG. 7 is a plan view of a cover member, a support tray, and a substrate supported by the support tray, viewed from vertically above, in a third embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating the flow path and laminar flow of a processing fluid within a processing chamber in the third embodiment, showing a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. 7. The third embodiment differs significantly from the second embodiment in that a bypass through-hole 156 is added to the support tray 15. The through-hole 156 penetrates the discharge guide portion 153 in the vertical direction Z on the downstream side of the substrate S in the flow direction FD, i.e., on the (-Y) side. Therefore, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 7, a portion of the processing fluid constituting the middle-stage laminar flow FL2 passes between the substrate lower surface Sb and the substrate-facing surface 151 and flows into the upstream region 185 of the exhaust flow path 18 via the upstream region 181 and the through-hole 156. The processing fluid then merges with the processing fluid constituting the lower-stage laminar flow FL3 and is collected in the fluid discharge unit 55 via the downstream region 187 and the output port 105. That is, in addition to the through-holes 155 for lifting and lowering the lift pins 201, bypass-only through-holes 156 are added. By adopting such a structure (hereinafter referred to as the "additional bypass structure"), the downstream path located downstream of the flow direction FD (i.e., the -Y side) of the middle-stage laminar flow FL2 is wider than the upstream path located upstream of the flow direction FD (i.e., the +Y side). Therefore, pressure loss in the path of the middle-stage laminar flow FL2 is reduced.

[0052] 7, in the third embodiment, two bypass-only through-holes 156 are provided, one on the (+X) side and the other on the (-X) side with respect to the substrate S in the horizontal direction X orthogonal to the flow direction FD. That is, the bypass-only through-hole 156 is provided near the output port 105. Therefore, as indicated by the arrows in the figure, a portion of the processing fluid constituting the middle-stage laminar flow FL2 spreads toward the bypass-only through-hole 156 and is efficiently discharged via the bypass-only through-hole 156 and the output port 105.

[0053] As a result, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the third embodiment can discharge the processing fluid from the processing chamber 100 more efficiently than the first embodiment employing the downstream gap enlargement structure. As a result, it is possible to more effectively prevent the liquid from re-adhering to the substrate S. Thus, in the third embodiment, the bypass-only through hole 156 corresponds to an example of the "first through hole" of the present invention.

[0054] FIG. 9 is a plan view of a cover member, a support tray, and a substrate supported by the support tray, viewed from vertically above, in a fourth embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating the flow path and laminar flow of a processing fluid within a processing chamber in the fourth embodiment, showing a cross-sectional view taken along line E-E in FIG. 9. This fourth embodiment differs significantly from the third embodiment in that a portion of the substrate-facing surface 151 and the upper surface of the discharge guide portion 153 are finished as inclined surfaces 157. This inclined surface 157 is provided on the downstream region of the substrate-facing surface 151 and the entire upper surface of the discharge guide portion 153 in the flow direction FD, and these entire regions correspond to an example of the "inclined region" of the present invention. This inclined surface 157 slopes away from the substrate lower surface Sb as it moves downstream in the flow direction FD. Note that in FIG. 9, the area where the inclined surface 157 is provided is marked with dots to clearly indicate the inclined surface 157. By employing such a structure (hereinafter referred to as "inclined structure"), the downstream path located on the downstream side of the flow direction FD (i.e., the -Y side) of the path of the middle-stage laminar flow FL2 is wider than the upstream path located on the upstream side of the flow direction FD (i.e., the +Y side). Therefore, pressure loss in the path of the middle-stage laminar flow FL2 is reduced. Note that in this embodiment, each portion of the inclined surface 157 has the same inclination angle, but the inclination angle may be made different in parts. For example, the inclination angle may be made different between the downstream region of the substrate-facing surface 151 and the entire region of the upper surface of the discharge guide portion 153. Also, the entire substrate-facing surface 151 may be inclined.

[0055] In the fourth embodiment, the inclined surface 157 points toward the bypass-only through-hole 156. Therefore, as shown by the arrow in the figure, part of the processing fluid constituting the middle-stage laminar flow FL2 is guided by the inclined surface 157 to the bypass-only through-hole 156 and is efficiently discharged through the bypass-only through-hole 156 and the output port 105.

[0056] As a result, in the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the fourth embodiment, the liquid can be discharged from the processing chamber 100 more efficiently than in the second embodiment, and the liquid can be prevented from re-adhering to the substrate S more effectively.

[0057] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made to the above-described embodiment without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the "downstream gap enlargement structure (FIG. 3)," "tapered structure (FIG. 4)," "discharge side open structure (FIG. 6)," "discharge side open adjustment structure," "bypass additional structure (FIGS. 7 to 10)," and "inclined structure (FIG. 10)" are used as specific means for reducing pressure loss in the path of the middle laminar flow FL2, but these may be used alone or in combination.

[0058] 2, 3, etc., the support tray 15 is held by the support members 154 so that the substrate-facing surface 151 is positioned slightly deeper than the thickness (dimension in the vertical direction Z) of the substrate S relative to the upper surface of the supply guide portion 152. Here, by positioning the substrate-facing surface 151 further below the lower surface Sb of the substrate held by the support members 154, the pressure loss in the path of the middle-stage laminar flow FL2 can be further reduced, which is preferable. [Industrial Applicability]

[0059] The present invention can be applied to the general substrate processing technology in which a substrate having a liquid adhering to its surface is processed with a processing fluid in a supercritical state. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1...Substrate processing equipment 10...Processing unit 15...Support tray (support part) 55...Fluid discharge part 57...Fluid supply section 100...Processing chamber 155a...opening (of through-hole 155) 151...Substrate facing surface 152...Supply guide part 153...Ejection guide part 155...Lifting hole 156...Bypass dedicated through hole 157…Slope surface 200…Transfer mechanism 201...Lift pin FD...flow direction FL1: Upper laminar flow FL2…middle laminar flow S...Substrate SG1: Dimensions (distance between the supply guide and the board) SG2: Dimensions (distance between the ejection guide and the board) SP: Processing space Sa...Top surface (of substrate S) Sb...(substrate S) bottom surface X…Horizontal direction

Claims

1. 1. A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate having a liquid attached thereto using a processing fluid in a supercritical state, comprising: a processing chamber having a processing space for processing the substrate; a support part that is accommodated in the processing space while supporting the substrate in a horizontal position; a fluid supply unit that supplies the processing fluid to the processing chamber to cause the processing fluid to flow in a fixed direction in the processing space; a fluid discharge unit that discharges the processing fluid from the processing chamber, the support portion has a substrate-facing surface that faces a lower surface of the substrate, and supports the substrate in a state where the substrate is spaced above the substrate-facing surface; a second laminar flow path of the processing fluid that branches off from a first laminar flow of the processing fluid that flows along the upper surface of the substrate and flows between the substrate and the support, the second laminar flow path being located downstream in the certain direction and joining the first laminar flow, and being wider than an upstream path being located upstream in the certain direction and dividing the processing fluid into the first laminar flow and the second laminar flow.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , The support portion is a supply guide portion that stands upright from the substrate-facing surface on the upstream side of the substrate-facing surface in the predetermined direction and guides the processing fluid supplied from the fluid supply portion to an upper surface of the substrate; a discharge guide portion that stands upright from the substrate facing surface downstream of the substrate facing surface in the predetermined direction and guides the processing fluid that has flowed along the upper surface of the substrate to the fluid discharge portion; and The substrate processing apparatus, wherein a distance between the discharge guide portion and the substrate is longer than a distance between the supply guide portion and the substrate.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , The support portion is a supply guide portion that stands upright from the substrate-facing surface on the upstream side of the substrate-facing surface in the predetermined direction and guides the processing fluid supplied from the fluid supply portion to an upper surface of the substrate; a discharge guide portion provided downstream of the substrate-facing surface in the predetermined direction and configured to guide the processing fluid forming the laminar flow to the fluid discharge portion; and The substrate processing apparatus, wherein an upper surface of the discharge guide portion is located lower than an upper surface of the supply guide portion.

4. 4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, In the substrate processing apparatus, the upper surface of the discharge guide portion is flush with the substrate facing surface.

5. 5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, The substrate facing surface has an inclined region that inclines so as to move away from the lower surface of the substrate as it proceeds downstream in the certain direction.

6. 4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, an upper surface of the ejection guide portion is continuous with the substrate-facing surface; The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the upper surface of the discharge guide portion and the substrate-facing surface have an inclined region that inclines so as to move away from the lower surface of the substrate as the discharge guide portion proceeds downstream in the certain direction.

7. 7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, 3, 4 or 6, The discharge guide portion has a first through hole penetrating from the upper surface to the lower surface, and guides the processing fluid forming the laminar flow to the fluid discharge portion via the first through hole.

8. 8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, In the substrate processing apparatus, an upper opening of the first through hole is finished so that the inner diameter increases upward.

9. 9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, a transfer mechanism that transfers the substrate between the support part drawn out of the processing chamber and the substrate by vertically extending and retracting lift pins with respect to second through-holes that penetrate the substrate-facing surface downward and are provided in the support part, outside the processing chamber; In the substrate processing apparatus, an opening of the second through hole on the substrate-facing surface side is finished so that its inner diameter increases toward the bottom surface of the substrate.

10. 1. A substrate processing method for processing a substrate having a liquid attached thereto with a processing fluid in a supercritical state, comprising: an accommodating step of accommodating, in a processing space of a processing chamber, a support unit that supports the substrate in a horizontal position while spaced upward from a substrate-facing surface that faces the lower surface of the substrate; a processing step of supplying the processing fluid to the processing chamber accommodating the support part, thereby dividing the processing fluid into a first laminar flow of the processing fluid flowing along the upper surface of the substrate in the processing space and a second laminar flow of the processing fluid flowing between the substrate and the support part, and causing the first laminar flow of the processing fluid to flow in a fixed direction, and combining the processing fluid flowing in the fixed direction along the upper surface of the substrate with the processing fluid flowing between the support part and the substrate, and discharging the combined flow from the processing chamber, thereby processing the substrate supported by the support part in the processing space with the processing fluid, a downstream path located downstream in the fixed direction and merging the second laminar flow with the first laminar flow, the downstream path being wider than an upstream path located upstream in the fixed direction and separating the first laminar flow from the second laminar flow, in the processing step.

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