Substrate processing method

Abstract

To cause plasma operation suitably in a substrate process.SOLUTION: A substrate processing method includes the steps of: keeping a substrate horizontally in a process space; disposing a plasma generation device that includes a plurality of plasma electrodes covered with a dielectric and generates plasma by applying voltage to the plasma electrodes over the horizontally kept substrate; generating atmospheric pressure plasma by the plasma generation device; forming a liquid film of a process liquid on an upper surface of the horizontally kept substrate; and processing the substrate by moving the plasma generation device and the substrate relatively until the distance between the liquid film and the dielectric covering the plasma electrode becomes 0.9 mm or more and 2.3 mm or less and operating the atmospheric pressure plasma on the process liquid.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The technology disclosed herein relates to substrate processing. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, techniques for removing a resist film (coating) formed on the upper surface of a substrate have been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which a mixed solution of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide solution is supplied to the upper surface of a substrate, and Caro's acid generated in the mixed solution is used to remove the resist film formed on the upper surface of the substrate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-88208 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-4561 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] On the other hand, as an alternative technology with a smaller environmental impact than the above-mentioned technology, Patent Document 2 discloses a technology for stripping a resist film by generating active species using atmospheric pressure plasma and dissolving the active species into a liquid film covering the upper surface of a substrate. This technology makes it possible to remove the resist film without using hydrogen peroxide water.

[0005] Here, since the action of the plasma depends on the distance between the liquid film and the plasma electrode, there is room for improvement in the above process.

[0006] The technology disclosed in the present specification has been made in consideration of the problems described above, and is a technology for appropriately generating the action of plasma in substrate processing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A substrate processing method that is a first aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is a substrate processing method for processing a substrate in a processing space at atmospheric pressure, comprising the steps of: holding the substrate horizontally in the processing space; arranging a plasma generating device above the horizontally held substrate, the plasma generating device including a plurality of plasma electrodes covered with a dielectric and applying a voltage to the plasma electrodes to generate plasma; generating atmospheric pressure plasma using the plasma generating device; forming a liquid film of a processing liquid on the upper surface of the horizontally held substrate; and moving the plasma generating device and the substrate relatively to a position where the distance between the dielectric covering the plasma electrodes and the liquid film is 0.9 mm or more and 2.3 mm or less, and applying the atmospheric pressure plasma to the processing liquid to process the substrate.

[0008] A substrate processing method that is a second aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is a substrate processing method for processing a substrate in a processing space at atmospheric pressure, comprising the steps of: holding the substrate horizontally in the processing space; arranging a plasma generation device above the horizontally held substrate, the plasma generation device including a plurality of plasma electrodes housed in a dielectric having a plurality of housing holes formed therein, and applying a voltage to the plasma electrodes to generate plasma; generating atmospheric pressure plasma using the plasma generation device; forming a liquid film of a processing liquid on the upper surface of the horizontally held substrate; and moving the plasma generation device and the substrate relatively to a position where the distance between the lower surface of the dielectric and the liquid film is 2.3 mm or more and 3.8 mm or less, and applying the atmospheric pressure plasma to the processing liquid at 250°C or more to process the substrate.

[0009] A substrate processing method that is a third aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is a substrate processing method for processing a substrate in a processing space at atmospheric pressure, comprising the steps of: holding the substrate horizontally in the processing space; arranging a plasma generation device above the horizontally held substrate, the plasma generation device including a plurality of plasma electrodes housed in a dielectric having a plurality of housing holes formed therein, and applying a voltage to the plasma electrodes to generate plasma; generating atmospheric pressure plasma using the plasma generation device; forming a liquid film of a processing liquid on the upper surface of the horizontally held substrate; and moving the plasma generation device and the substrate relatively to a position where the distance between the lower surface of the dielectric and the liquid film is 2.3 mm or more and 2.8 mm or less, and applying the atmospheric pressure plasma to the processing liquid, which is at 200°C or more and less than 250°C, to process the substrate.

[0010] A substrate processing method which is a fourth aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is related to a substrate processing method which is any one of the first to third aspects, and the step of forming the liquid film is a step of forming the liquid film having a film thickness of the processing liquid of 0.2 mm.

[0011] A substrate processing method according to a fifth aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is related to the substrate processing method according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the processing liquid is sulfuric acid.

[0012] A substrate processing method, which is a sixth aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification, is related to a substrate processing method, which is any one of the first to fifth aspects, in which the step of forming the liquid film is a step of forming the liquid film on the upper surface of a coating formed on the upper surface of the substrate, and the step of processing the substrate is a step of peeling off the coating. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to at least the first, second and third aspects of the technique disclosed in the present specification, the distance between the plasma electrode and the liquid film is within an appropriate range, so that the action of plasma can be generated appropriately in substrate processing.

[0014] Furthermore, objects, features, aspects, and advantages associated with the technology disclosed herein will become more apparent from the detailed description and accompanying drawings set forth below. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view schematically illustrating an example of the configuration of a substrate processing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 is a diagram conceptually illustrating an example of the configuration of a control unit illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a side view schematically illustrating an example of the configuration of a processing unit in an embodiment. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation of the plasma processing apparatus. [Figure 5] 5A to 5C are diagrams for explaining the operation of the plasma processing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] 5A to 5C are diagrams for explaining the operation of the plasma processing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] 3A and 3B are diagrams specifically illustrating an example of the configuration of a heating unit and its surrounding structure. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the time required for plasma to be generated in the entire region within the plasma processing unit. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a state in which plasma is generated in a partial region within the plasma processing unit. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an example in which some of the air outlets are opened based on the temperature measurement results obtained by the measurement unit. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing examples of the degree of peeling of a coating (resist film) on the surface of a substrate when the distance between a plasma processing unit and a liquid film is different. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a side view schematically illustrating an example of the configuration of a processing unit in an embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating an example of the configuration of a portion of a plasma processing unit. [Figure 14]FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically illustrating an example of the configuration of a portion of a plasma processing unit. [Figure 15] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing examples of the degree of peeling of a coating (resist film) on the surface of a substrate when the distance between a plasma processing unit and a liquid film is different. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following embodiments, detailed features will be shown for the purpose of explaining the technology, but these are merely examples and are not necessarily essential features for enabling the embodiments to be implemented.

[0017] The drawings are schematic, and for the sake of convenience, components may be omitted or simplified as appropriate. Furthermore, the relative sizes and positions of components shown in different drawings are not necessarily accurately depicted and may be changed as appropriate. Hatching may also be used in drawings such as plan views that are not cross-sectional views to facilitate understanding of the embodiments.

[0018] In the following description, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed descriptions of them may be omitted to avoid duplication.

[0019] Furthermore, in the description given in this specification, when a certain component is described as "comprising," "including," or "having," unless otherwise specified, this is not an exclusive expression that excludes the presence of other components.

[0020] Furthermore, in the descriptions provided in this specification, even if ordinal numbers such as "first" or "second" are used, these terms are used for convenience to facilitate understanding of the contents of the embodiments, and are not limited to the ordering that may result from these ordinal numbers.

[0021] Furthermore, in the description given in this specification, expressions such as "positive direction of the ... axis" or "negative direction of the ... axis" refer to the direction along the arrow of the ... axis shown in the figure as the positive direction, and the direction opposite to the arrow of the ... axis shown in the figure as the negative direction.

[0022] Furthermore, in the descriptions in this specification, expressions indicating an equal state, such as "identical," "equal," "uniform," or "homogeneous," unless otherwise specified, include cases indicating an exact equal state, as well as cases where there is a difference within a tolerance or within a range where the same level of functionality is obtained.

[0023] Furthermore, in the descriptions provided in this specification, terms that indicate specific positions or directions, such as "top," "bottom," "left," "right," "side," "bottom," "front," or "back," may be used, but these terms are used for convenience to facilitate understanding of the contents of the embodiments and have no relation to the positions or directions when actually implemented.

[0024] Furthermore, in the description of the present specification, when "the upper surface of ..." or "the lower surface of ..." is used, it is intended to include not only the upper surface or lower surface of the target component itself, but also a state in which another component is formed on the upper surface or lower surface of the target component. In other words, for example, when it is written as "Part B provided on the upper surface of Part A," it does not preclude the presence of another component "Part C" between Part A and Part B.

[0025] First Embodiment A substrate processing method according to this embodiment will be described below.

[0026] <Configuration of the substrate processing system> 1 is a plan view schematically illustrating an example of the configuration of a substrate processing system 1 according to this embodiment. The substrate processing system 1 includes a load port 400, an indexer robot 402, a center robot 406, a control unit 90, and at least one processing unit 100 (four processing units in FIG. 1).

[0027] Each processing unit 100 is for processing a substrate W (wafer), and at least one of them corresponds to a plasma processing apparatus. The plasma processing apparatus is a single-wafer processing apparatus that can be used for plasma processing, and specifically, is an apparatus that performs processing to remove organic matter adhering to the substrate W or performs metal etching on the substrate W. The organic matter adhering to the substrate W is, for example, a used resist film. The resist film is, for example, one that has been used as an implantation mask for an ion implantation process.

[0028] Here, substrates to be processed include, for example, semiconductor wafers, glass substrates for liquid crystal display devices, substrates for flat panel displays (FPDs) such as organic electroluminescence (EL) display devices, substrates for optical disks, substrates for magnetic disks, substrates for magneto-optical disks, glass substrates for photomasks, ceramic substrates, substrates for field emission displays (i.e., FEDs), and substrates for solar cells.

[0029] The processing unit 100 may include a chamber 80. In this case, the atmosphere in the chamber 80 may be controlled by a control unit 90, allowing the processing unit 100 to perform processing in a desired atmosphere.

[0030] The control unit 90 can control the operation of each component in the substrate processing system 1 (such as the spin motor 10D of the spin chuck 10, the processing liquid supply source 29, the valve 25, the gas supply source 70, or the AC power supply 40, which will be described later). The carrier C is a container that stores substrates W. The load port 400 is a container holding mechanism that holds multiple carriers C. The indexer robot 402 can transport substrates W between the load port 400 and the substrate platform 404. The center robot 406 can transport substrates W between the substrate platform 404 and the processing unit 100.

[0031] The indexer robot 402 , the substrate placement part 404 , and the center robot 406 transport the substrates W between the respective processing units 100 and the load port 400 .

[0032] The unprocessed substrate W is taken out of the carrier C by the indexer robot 402. Then, the unprocessed substrate W is transferred to the center robot 406 via the substrate placement part 404.

[0033] The center robot 406 carries the unprocessed substrate W into the processing unit 100. Then, the processing unit 100 processes the substrate W.

[0034] The substrate W that has been processed in the processing unit 100 is removed from the processing unit 100 by the center robot 406. Then, the processed substrate W passes through other processing units 100 as necessary, and is then transferred to the indexer robot 402 via the substrate placement part 404. The indexer robot 402 loads the processed substrate W into the carrier C. In this manner, the processing of the substrate W is completed.

[0035] Fig. 2 is a diagram conceptually illustrating an example of the configuration of the control unit 90 shown in Fig. 1. The control unit 90 may be configured by a general computer having electric circuits. Specifically, the control unit 90 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 91, a read-only memory (ROM) 92, a random access memory (RAM) 93, a storage device 94, an input unit 96, a display unit 97, and a communication unit 98, as well as a bus line 95 interconnecting these units.

[0036] The ROM 92 stores a basic program. The RAM 93 is used as a work area when the CPU 91 performs predetermined processing. The storage device 94 is composed of a non-volatile storage device such as a flash memory or a hard disk drive. The input unit 96 is composed of various switches or a touch panel, and receives input setting instructions such as processing recipes from an operator. The display unit 97 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display device and lamps, and displays various information under the control of the CPU 91. The communication unit 98 has a data communication function via a local area network (LAN), etc.

[0037] The storage device 94 has preset therein a plurality of modes for controlling each component in the substrate processing system 1 of FIG. 1. When the CPU 91 executes the processing program 94P, one of the above-described modes is selected, and each component is controlled in that mode. The processing program 94P may be stored in a recording medium. By using this recording medium, the processing program 94P can be installed in the control unit 90. Furthermore, some or all of the functions executed by the control unit 90 do not necessarily have to be realized by software, but may be realized by hardware such as a dedicated logic circuit.

[0038] FIG. 3 is a side view schematically showing an example of the configuration of the processing unit 100 according to this embodiment.

[0039] 3 may be surrounded by the chamber 80 in FIG. 1. The pressure inside the chamber 80 is approximately atmospheric pressure (for example, 0.5 atmospheres or more and 2 atmospheres or less). In other words, the plasma processing described below is atmospheric pressure plasma processing performed at atmospheric pressure.

[0040] The processing unit 100 includes a spin chuck 10 that holds a single substrate W in an approximately horizontal position and rotates the substrate W around a vertical rotation axis Z1 that passes through the center of the substrate W, a processing liquid nozzle 20 that ejects a processing liquid onto the substrate W, a processing liquid supply source 29 that supplies the processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle 20, a valve 25 that switches the supply and stop of the processing liquid from the processing liquid supply source 29 to the processing liquid nozzle 20, a plasma processing unit 30 that is positioned above the substrate W to cover the entire substrate W and serves as an atmospheric pressure plasma source that generates plasma under atmospheric pressure, an AC power supply 40 that applies an AC voltage to the plasma processing unit 30, a heating unit 50 that heats the plasma processing unit 30, a support unit 60 that integrally supports the plasma processing unit 30 and the heating unit 50, and a cylindrical processing cup 12 that surrounds the spin chuck 10 around the rotation axis Z1 of the substrate W.

[0041] Here, various liquids can be used as the processing liquid depending on the purpose of substrate processing in the processing unit 100. For example, a liquid containing hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, phosphoric acid, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, sulfate, peroxosulfuric acid, peroxosulfate, hydrogen peroxide, or tetramethylammonium hydroxide can be used as an etching liquid. Also, a liquid containing a mixed solution of ammonia and hydrogen peroxide (SC1), or a mixed aqueous solution of hydrochloric acid and hydrogen peroxide (SC2), can be used as a cleaning liquid. Also, deionized water (DIW) can be used as a cleaning liquid and a rinsing liquid.

[0042] This embodiment mainly describes a process for removing a resist film formed on the upper surface of a substrate W. In this case, the processing liquid is assumed to be a liquid containing at least one of sulfuric acid, sulfate, peroxosulfuric acid, and peroxosulfate, or a liquid containing hydrogen peroxide.

[0043] When multiple types of processing liquids are expected, multiple processing liquid nozzles 20 may be provided corresponding to the respective processing liquids. The processing liquid nozzles 20 supply the processing liquid to the substrate W so that a liquid film of the processing liquid is formed on the upper surface of the substrate W.

[0044] The processing liquid nozzle 20 is movable by an arm mechanism (not shown). Specifically, the processing liquid nozzle 20 is attached to an arm member whose angle can be adjusted by an actuator or the like, so that the processing liquid nozzle 20 can swing, for example, in the radial direction of the substrate W.

[0045] The spin chuck 10 includes a disk-shaped spin base 10A that vacuum-sucks the underside of the substrate W in a substantially horizontal position, a rotation shaft 10C that extends downward from the center of the spin base 10A, and a spin motor 10D that rotates the rotation shaft 10C to rotate the substrate W that is attracted to the spin base 10A. Note that instead of the spin chuck 10, a clamping chuck that includes multiple chuck pins that protrude upward from the outer periphery of the upper surface of the spin base and clamps the peripheral edge of the substrate W with the chuck pins may be used.

[0046] The plasma processing unit 30 includes a plate-shaped dielectric member 30A made of a dielectric material such as quartz, a plurality of electrode rods 30B arranged in a comb shape on the upper surface of the dielectric member 30A, a plurality of electrode rods 30C arranged in a comb shape on the lower surface of the dielectric member 30A, a holding portion 30D made of a resin (e.g., polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)) or ceramics, etc., and holding the plurality of electrode rods 30B and the plurality of electrode rods 30C at one end, a dielectric tube 30E made of a dielectric material such as quartz and covering each of the electrode rods 30B, a dielectric tube 30F made of a dielectric material such as quartz and covering each of the electrode rods 30C, a collective electrode 30G made of aluminum or the like and connected in common to the plurality of electrode rods 30B, and a collective electrode 30H made of aluminum or the like and connected in common to the plurality of electrode rods 30C. The collection electrodes 30G and 30H are arranged, for example, so that they together form a circle in a plan view, and a plurality of electrode bars 30B and a plurality of electrode bars 30C are housed within the circle.

[0047] The electrode rods 30B and 30C are made of, for example, tungsten. Although rod-shaped electrode members are used in this embodiment, the shape of the electrode members is not limited to a rod shape. Furthermore, the plurality of electrode rods 30B and the plurality of electrode rods 30C are arranged alternately so as not to overlap in plan view and side view. That is, in plan view, the electrode rods 30B and the electrode rods 30C are arranged alternately. In plan view, the distance (pitch) between the electrode rods 30B and 30C is, for example, 5 mm, and the distance between the plurality of electrode rods 30B and the distance between the plurality of electrode rods 30C is, for example, 10 mm.

[0048] The dielectric tubes 30E covering the respective electrode rods 30B are held by the holding portions 30D at the ends of the electrode rods 30B that are not held by the holding portions 30D. The dielectric tubes 30F covering the respective electrode rods 30C are held by the holding portions 30D at the ends of the electrode rods 30C that are not held by the holding portions 30D.

[0049] As a result, one end of electrode rod 30B is held directly by holding portion 30D, and the other end is held by holding portion 30D via dielectric tube 30E. Similarly, one end of electrode rod 30C is held directly by holding portion 30D, and the other end is held by holding portion 30D via dielectric tube 30F.

[0050] When an AC voltage is applied between the collection electrode 30G and the collection electrode 30H by the AC power supply 40, a dielectric barrier discharge occurs between the electrode rod 30B connected to the collection electrode 30G and the electrode rod 30C connected to the collection electrode 30H. Then, gas is converted into plasma around the discharge path of the discharge, and a plasma space is formed that spreads two-dimensionally along the surface of the dielectric member 30A separating the electrode rod 30B from the electrode rod 30C.

[0051] When the plasma space is formed, a gas such as O2 (oxygen), Ne, CO2, air, an inert gas, or a combination thereof may be supplied to the space below the plasma processing unit 30 (i.e., the space above the substrate W). The inert gas may be, for example, N2 or a rare gas. The rare gas may be, for example, He or Ar.

[0052] The heating unit 50 heats, for example, at least some of the electrode rods 30B and at least some of the electrode rods 30C of the plasma processing unit 30. A detailed configuration of the heating unit 50 will be described later. Although the heating unit 50 is shown as being integrally supported with the plasma processing unit 30 in FIG. 3, it may be provided independently of the plasma processing unit 30. However, if the heating unit 50 is supported integrally with the plasma processing unit 30, the heating unit 50 will be disposed near the plasma processing unit 30, and the heating unit 50 can efficiently heat the plasma processing unit 30.

[0053] Support unit 60 integrally supports plasma processing unit 30 and heating unit 50 and is movable in the Z-axis direction in Fig. 3 by, for example, a driving mechanism (not shown). Support unit 60 is made of resin (for example, PTFE), ceramics, or the like.

[0054] In FIG. 3, the processing liquid nozzle 20 and the plasma processing unit 30 are provided separately, but the processing liquid nozzle 20 may be provided integrally with the plasma processing unit 30, and both may be supported by a support unit 60.

[0055] <Operation of the plasma processing device> Next, the substrate processing operation of the plasma processing apparatus will be described. The processing method using the plasma processing apparatus according to this embodiment includes the steps of performing chemical processing on the substrate W transported to the processing unit 100, cleaning the substrate W after the chemical processing, drying the substrate W after the cleaning processing, and unloading the substrate W after the drying processing from the processing unit 100.

[0056] Hereinafter, the process of removing organic matter (e.g., a used resist film) adhering to the substrate W during or after chemical liquid processing, which is included in the operation of the plasma processing apparatus, will be described with reference to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 (i.e., a process belonging to the process of performing chemical liquid processing or the process of performing cleaning processing among the above processes). Here, FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the plasma processing apparatus. Also, FIGS. 5 and 6 are diagrams for explaining the operation of the plasma processing apparatus according to this embodiment.

[0057] First, the spin chuck 10 holds the substrate W horizontally (step ST01 in FIG. 4). Then, the spin chuck 10 is driven to rotate the substrate W. Note that the substrate W held by the spin chuck 10 does not need to be strictly parallel to the horizontal direction, and may be misaligned within a margin of error.

[0058] 5, the processing liquid 101 is supplied from the processing liquid supply source 29 to the processing liquid nozzle 20, and the processing liquid 101 is discharged from the processing liquid nozzle 20 onto the upper surface of the substrate W while the substrate W is rotating (step ST02 in FIG. 4). At this time, the position of the processing liquid nozzle 20 on the upper surface of the substrate W is adjusted by a nozzle arm or the like (not shown). Note that, although the present embodiment shows a case where the processing liquid 101 is discharged while the substrate W is rotating, the substrate W does not have to be rotating.

[0059] 5, a liquid film 101A of the processing liquid 101 is formed on the upper surface of the substrate W (step ST03 in FIG. 4). Here, the thickness of the liquid film 101A is, for example, not less than 0.1 mm and not more than 2.0 mm, and preferably about 0.2 mm.

[0060] Meanwhile, a predetermined AC voltage is applied between the collection electrodes 30G and 30H from the AC power supply 40, thereby generating plasma on the surface of the dielectric member 30A in the plasma processing unit 30 (step ST04 in FIG. 4). Specifically, a plasma space is formed that spreads two-dimensionally along the surface of the dielectric member 30A. The action of the plasma in the plasma space generates active species in the gas near the space. The active species include charged ions and electrically neutral radicals. For example, if the gas contains O2, the action of the plasma in the plasma processing unit 30 generates oxygen radicals, which are a type of active species.

[0061] Here, it is desirable that the plasma processing unit 30 waits at a predetermined waiting position (for example, a position sufficiently spaced in the positive direction of the Z axis from the horizontally held substrate W, as shown in FIG. 5) during the plasma generation stage as described above, and then moves to a processing position near the substrate W (for example, a position sufficiently close to the substrate W on the positive direction of the Z axis of the horizontally held substrate W, as shown in FIG. 6) after a suitably uniform plasma is generated on the surface of the dielectric member 30A. In this embodiment, uniform processing can be performed by applying the plasma to the liquid film 101A on the surface of the substrate W while the uniform plasma is generated.

[0062] In this embodiment, the plasma processing unit 30 moves relative to the substrate W, but the plasma processing unit 30 and the substrate W may be moved relatively to each other and positioned at the processing position.

[0063] Here, a position (processing position) sufficiently close to the substrate W will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the degree of peeling of the coating (resist film) on the surface of the substrate W when the distance between the plasma processing unit 30 and the liquid film 101A is different. The processing time is 1.5 minutes (90 seconds).

[0064] The distance between the plasma processing unit 30 and the liquid film 101A is, more specifically, the distance between the dielectric tube 30F covering the electrode rod serving as the plasma electrode and the liquid surface of the liquid film 101A. The processing liquid is assumed to be sulfuric acid. The liquid film 101A has a thickness of 0.2 mm. The temperature of the electrode rod 30B (or electrode rod 30C) serving as the plasma electrode in the plasma processing unit 30 is assumed to be 400°C. The temperature of the electrode rod 30B (or electrode rod 30C) serving as the plasma electrode may be any temperature above 400°C.

[0065] 11, it can be seen that the separation rate is sufficiently high when the distance between the plasma processing unit 30 and the liquid film 101A is 2.3 mm or less, whereas it can be seen that the separation rate is significantly reduced when the distance between the plasma processing unit 30 and the liquid film 101A is 2.8 mm or more.

[0066] For this reason, it is desirable that the distance between the plasma processing unit 30 and the liquid film 101A be 2.3 mm or less.

[0067] Furthermore, if the distance between the plasma processing unit 30 and the liquid film 101A is too close, arc discharge may occur between them, or the liquid surface of the liquid film 101A may be attracted toward the plasma processing unit 30, making it impossible to properly peel off the coating (resist film). In the inventors' experiments, the above-mentioned problems occurred when the distance between the plasma processing unit 30 and the liquid film 101A was less than 0.9 mm.

[0068] For this reason, it is desirable that the distance between the plasma processing unit 30 and the liquid film 101A be 0.9 mm or more.

[0069] Then, with the plasma processing unit 30 located at the processing position, as shown in FIG. 6, activated species generated by the action of the plasma 102 in the plasma processing unit 30 are supplied to the liquid film 101A (step ST05 in FIG. 4).

[0070] The active species are supplied to the liquid film 101A on the upper surface of the resist film, and the active species activate the processing liquid 101 in the liquid film 101A. As a specific example, the active species act on the sulfuric acid liquid film 101A on the upper surface of the substrate W. This improves the processing performance of the processing liquid 101. 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 called peroxomonosulfuric acid. The Caro's acid acts on the resist film on the substrate W, thereby oxidizing and removing the resist film.

[0071] Furthermore, when the active species include oxygen radicals, the removal of the resist film on the substrate W is promoted by the oxidizing power of the oxygen radicals.

[0072] In the above description, the operation of the processing liquid nozzle 20 is followed by the operation of the plasma processing unit 30, but the order of operations is not limited to this, and for example, the operation of the processing liquid nozzle 20 and the operation of the plasma processing unit 30 may be performed almost simultaneously.

[0073] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the plasma processing unit 30 is arranged to cover the entire upper surface of the substrate W, but if the plasma processing unit 30 is arranged to cover only a portion of the substrate W, the position of the plasma processing unit 30 on the upper surface of the substrate W may be moved in the rotational direction and radial direction of the substrate W along the upper surface of the substrate W as the substrate W rotates by a driving mechanism not shown.

[0074] Furthermore, the formation of the liquid film 101A is initiated by starting the supply of the processing liquid 101 onto the upper surface of the substrate W, and is stopped by stopping the supply of the processing liquid 101 onto the upper surface of the substrate W. However, even after the supply of the processing liquid 101 from the processing liquid nozzle 20 is stopped, the liquid film 101A can be maintained as long as the substrate W is not rotating at a high speed (for example, by rotating the substrate W at a low speed to form a puddle of the processing liquid film, or by forming a liquid film of the processing liquid without rotating the substrate W). The supply of active species to the liquid film 101A is performed after the supply of the processing liquid 101 is stopped, while the liquid film 101A is maintained. The supply of active species to the liquid film 101A may be performed after the supply of the processing liquid 101 is started and before the supply of the processing liquid 101 is stopped.

[0075] After the above-described removal process, a rinsing step (cleaning step) and a drying step are usually performed on the substrate W. For example, the rinsing step is performed by discharging deionized water (DIW) onto the substrate W, and the drying step is performed by drying with isopropyl alcohol (IPA). However, a spin-off drying step in which the substrate W is rotated at high speed or an N2 blowing step in which nitrogen gas is discharged onto the upper surface of the substrate may also be performed.

[0076] <About the heating section> Next, the heating unit 50 will be described. FIG. 7 is a diagram specifically illustrating an example of the configuration of the heating unit 50 and its peripheral structure. Note that in FIG. 7, the AC power supply 40 and the collection electrodes 30G and 30H are omitted for simplicity. As illustrated in the example in FIG. 7, the heating unit 50 includes a gas flow path 50A through which gas (e.g., an inert gas such as N2 or Ar, or dry air) supplied from a gas supply source 70 flows, and outlets 50B provided at each downstream end of the branched gas flow path 50A. Each outlet 50B is formed, for example, extending in at least a portion of the circumferential direction of the substrate W in a plan view. Each outlet 50B is, for example, a punched hole formed by punching or the like.

[0077] The gas blown out from outlet 50B is a high-temperature gas for heating a partial region or the entire plasma processing unit 30. That is, hot air is blown out from outlet 50B toward plasma processing unit 30 (e.g., electrode rods 30B and 30C). Here, the gas blown out from outlet 50B may be a gas that is kept at a high temperature when supplied from gas supply source 70, or may be a gas that has been heated to a high temperature by a heater (not shown) in gas flow path 50A when heating unit 50 is provided with the heater.

[0078] 7, gas flow path 50A is connected to gas flow path 60A formed inside support member 60 that supports heating unit 50, and gas supplied from gas supply source 70 passes through gas flow path 60A and gas flow path 50A to reach multiple outlets 50B. Also, in the example shown in FIG. 7, heating unit 50 may be provided with exhaust port 50D, which is a gap provided at the boundary with plasma processing unit 30. With this configuration, gas that is blown out from outlet 50B and heats plasma processing unit 30 is then exhausted from exhaust port 50D.

[0079] A shutter member 50C can be attached to each of the air outlets 50B. The shutter members 50C can slide on the underside of the heating unit 50 to open and close the corresponding air outlets 50B independently of each other. Specifically, the shutter members 50C can move between a closed position where they overlap with the air outlets 50B in a plan view and an open position where they do not overlap with the air outlets 50B in a plan view. In the closed position, the shutter members 50C can close the corresponding air outlets 50B, and in the open position, they can open the corresponding air outlets 50B. This operation is achieved by a drive mechanism such as a ball screw mechanism or an air cylinder, for example.

[0080] The opening and closing operations of each shutter member 50C are controlled, for example, by the control unit 90. This control allows hot air to be blown from the selectively opened air outlets 50B to any region within the plasma processing unit 30. Note that other types of opening and closing mechanisms may be provided as long as each air outlet 50B can be opened and closed.

[0081] The processing unit 100 may also be provided with a measuring unit 72 for measuring the temperatures of the electrodes 30B and 30C in the plasma processing unit 30. The measuring unit 72 is, for example, a radiation thermometer. In FIG. 7, the measuring unit 72 is provided independently of the plasma processing unit 30, the heating unit 50, and the supporting unit 60, but it may also be provided integrally with the plasma processing unit 30, the heating unit 50, or the supporting unit 60. The position at which the measuring unit 72 is provided is not limited to the position shown in FIG. 7.

[0082] <Heating method> Next, a method for heating the plasma processing unit 30 using the heating unit 50 will be described. The time required for plasma to be generated (for a plasma space to be formed) in each region of the plasma processing unit 30 varies depending on individual differences in the electrode rods arranged in the region, individual differences in the electrode assembly, or assembly errors in the plasma processing unit 30. In particular, when the area forming the plasma space in the plasma processing unit 30 is large, the variation increases, and it takes a long time to generate uniform plasma throughout the entire region of the plasma processing unit 30.

[0083] The inventors discovered that when generating atmospheric pressure plasma, for example, spraying high-temperature gas, such as 100°C, onto the plasma processing unit 30 can shorten the time required for plasma generation. Figure 8 shows the time required for plasma generation throughout the entire area of ​​the plasma processing unit 30. In Figure 8, the vertical axis represents temperature (relative values), and the horizontal axis represents time (relative values). In Figure 8, circles represent the temperature change in the plasma processing unit 30 when a voltage is applied without heating (room temperature), triangles represent the temperature change in the plasma processing unit 30 when a voltage is applied while the plasma processing unit 30 is heated to 100°C, and squares represent the temperature change in the plasma processing unit 30 when a voltage is applied while the plasma processing unit 30 is heated to 150°C. The temperature

[50] on the vertical axis in Figure 8 is the threshold temperature at which the temperature rise slows down. This threshold temperature is the temperature at which plasma is generated throughout the entire area of ​​the plasma processing unit 30.

[0084] As shown in the example in Figure 8, when a voltage is applied to a plasma processing unit 30 in an unheated state (at room temperature), it takes time [5] to reach the threshold temperature, whereas when a voltage is applied to a plasma processing unit 30 in a heated state to 100°C or 150°C, it can reach the threshold temperature in about half the time [5] (see the sandy area in Figure 8).

[0085] That is, by heating the plasma processing unit 30 to, for example, 100° C. or higher before generating plasma, the time required to generate uniform plasma throughout the entire area within the plasma processing unit 30 can be shortened.

[0086] In this embodiment, the heating unit 50 heats a part or the whole of the plasma processing unit 30 before generating plasma in the plasma processing unit 30. Specifically, the plasma processing unit 30 is heated by blowing high-temperature gas from the outlet 50B toward the plasma processing unit 30 (for example, the electrode rods 30B and 30C).

[0087] By doing so, plasma is generated in a state in which the plasma processing unit 30 and the gas in its vicinity are heated, thereby shortening the time required to generate plasma throughout the entire region within the plasma processing unit 30. Furthermore, shortening the time required to generate plasma reduces the variation in the time required to generate plasma in each region, making it possible to generate uniform plasma throughout the entire region.

[0088] Since it takes time for plasma to be generated in the plasma processing unit 30, it is desirable that the heating be started while the plasma processing unit 30 is in the standby position during a step prior to the plasma processing, for example, during the step of forming a liquid film 101A on the upper surface of the substrate W.

[0089] Alternatively, the temperature of a plurality of regions in the plasma processing unit 30 may be measured using the measuring unit 72, and the region to be heated using the heating unit 50 may be identified based on the measurement results.

[0090] 9 is a plan view showing a state in which plasma is generated in a partial region within plasma processing unit 30. As shown in the example of FIG. 9, even when a voltage is applied to multiple electrode rods 30B and multiple electrode rods 30C in plasma processing unit 30 in the same manner, the time required for plasma 102 to be generated varies, and therefore, the time required for plasma to be generated throughout the entire region within plasma processing unit 30 becomes longer.

[0091] On the other hand, one possible reason for the long time required for plasma generation is the presence of areas where the temperature of the plasma-generating region is relatively slow to rise. Therefore, first, the temperature of each region in the plasma processing unit 30 is measured using the measurement unit 72 until plasma is generated, and the region with a relatively low temperature is identified in advance. Then, the outlet 50B corresponding to the region is opened to blow warm air onto the region (specifically, the electrode rods 30B and 30C located in the region), thereby selectively heating the region corresponding to a portion of the plasma processing unit 30. This reduces the variation in the time required for plasma generation between regions in the plasma processing unit 30, effectively shortening the time required for uniform plasma generation throughout the entire region in the plasma processing unit 30.

[0092] 10 is a plan view showing an example in which some of the outlets 50B are opened based on the temperature measurement results by the measurement unit 72. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the temperature measurement by the measurement unit 72 determines that the temperature of a certain region (the upper right part of FIG. 10) is relatively low, and the outlets 50B arranged to cover that region are opened. In this way, the electrode rods 30B and 30C in the region corresponding to the opened outlets 50B can be effectively heated, thereby reducing the variation in the time required for plasma generation between regions in the plasma processing unit 30.

[0093] In Figures 9 and 10, the area where plasma 102 is not generated coincides with the area where outlet 50B is open, and the area where the temperature measured by measurement unit 72 is relatively low coincides with the area where plasma 102 is not generated within a specified time.

[0094] 10, one air outlet 50B is open, but multiple air outlets 50B spaced apart from each other may be open. With this heating method, multiple regions can be heated simultaneously, so that even a plasma processing unit 30 having a diverse temperature distribution can be effectively heated.

[0095] <Second embodiment> 12 is a side view schematically illustrating an example of the configuration of a processing unit 100A according to this embodiment, in which some of the configuration is shown in a transparent state for the sake of convenience.

[0096] 12 may be surrounded by chamber 80 in FIG. 1. The pressure inside chamber 80 is approximately atmospheric pressure (for example, 0.5 atmospheres or more and 2 atmospheres or less). In other words, the plasma processing described below is atmospheric pressure plasma processing performed at atmospheric pressure.

[0097] The processing unit 100A includes a spin chuck 10, a processing cup 12, a processing liquid nozzle 20, a processing liquid supply source 29, a valve 25, a plasma processing unit 130 arranged above the substrate W to cover the entire substrate W and serving as an atmospheric pressure plasma source that generates plasma under atmospheric pressure, an AC power supply 40 that applies an AC voltage to the plasma processing unit 130, a heating unit 50 that heats the plasma processing unit 130, and a support unit 60 that integrally supports the plasma processing unit 130 and the heating unit 50.

[0098] The plasma processing unit 130 includes a plate-shaped dielectric member 32A made of a dielectric material such as quartz, a plurality of electrode rods 30J housed in the dielectric member 32A and arranged in a comb shape, a plurality of electrode rods 30K housed in the dielectric member 32A and arranged in a comb shape, a holder 30L made of resin (e.g., polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)) or ceramics and holding one end of each of the plurality of electrode rods 30J and the plurality of electrode rods 30K, a collection electrode 30M made of aluminum or the like and connected in common to the plurality of electrode rods 30J, and a collection electrode 30N made of aluminum or the like and connected in common to the plurality of electrode rods 30K. The collection electrodes 30M and 30N are arranged, for example, to form a circle in a plan view, and the plurality of electrode rods 30J and the plurality of electrode rods 30K are housed within the circle. The distance between the bottom surface of the hole (receiving hole 32B described below) in the dielectric member 32A that receives the electrode rod 30J or 30K and the bottom surface of the dielectric member 32A (i.e., the thickness below the receiving hole 32B) is, for example, 0.3 mm.

[0099] The electrode rods 30J and 30K are rod-shaped and made of, for example, tungsten. However, the shapes of the electrode rods 30J and 30K are not limited to rod shapes. Furthermore, the multiple electrode rods 30J and the multiple electrode rods 30K are arranged alternately so as not to overlap in a planar view. That is, the electrode rods 30J and the electrode rods 30K are arranged alternately in a planar view. The distance (pitch) between the electrode rods 30J and the electrode rods 30K in a planar view is, for example, 6 mm, and the distance between the multiple electrode rods 30J and the multiple electrode rods 30K is, for example, 12 mm.

[0100] On the other hand, the multiple electrode bars 30J and the multiple electrode bars 30K are arranged to overlap each other in the side view shown in Fig. 12. Note that the multiple electrode bars 30J and the multiple electrode bars 30K do not have to overlap each other in the side view shown in Fig. 12, and may be arranged to be shifted in the Z-axis direction in Fig. 12, for example.

[0101] The dielectric member 32A has a planar top and bottom surface with no irregularities, which makes it easy to clean off any deposits on the bottom surface of the dielectric member 32A that may occur during plasma processing.

[0102] Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of the configuration of a portion of the plasma processing unit 130. Fig. 13 corresponds to the cross section taken along line A-A' in Fig. 12. Note that the number of electrode rods 30J and electrode rods 30K is not limited to the number shown in Fig. 13.

[0103] As shown in FIG. 13, the dielectric member 32A has a plurality of accommodating holes 32B extending in the X-axis direction from the plate-shaped side surface, and the electrode rods 30J and 30K are accommodated in the corresponding accommodating holes 32B. The accommodating holes 32B are formed by alternately extending inward from the ends (side surfaces) of the dielectric member 32A in the positive and negative X-axis directions. Therefore, the electrode rods 30J are inserted from the end on the positive X-axis side, and the electrode rods 30K are inserted from the end on the negative X-axis side. In this way, the electrode rods 30J and 30K are arranged surrounded by the dielectric member 32A. As shown in FIG. 12, the accommodating holes 32B are formed near the bottom surface of the dielectric member 32A.

[0104] When an AC voltage is applied between the collection electrode 30M and the collection electrode 30N by the AC power supply 40, an AC voltage is applied between each electrode rod 30J connected to the collection electrode 30M and each electrode rod 30K connected to the collection electrode 30N. As a result, a dielectric barrier discharge occurs between the electrode rod 30J and the electrode rod 30K. Then, gas is converted into plasma around the discharge path of the discharge, and a plasma space is formed that spreads two-dimensionally along the surface of the dielectric member 32A (including the inside of the accommodating hole 32B) that separates the electrode rod 30J and the electrode rod 30K. Here, because the accommodating hole 32B is formed in a position close to the bottom surface of the dielectric member 32A, the plasma 102 is mainly formed on the bottom surface of the dielectric member 32A.

[0105] When the plasma space is formed, a gas such as O2 (oxygen), Ne, CO2, air, an inert gas, or a combination thereof may be supplied to the space below the plasma processing unit 130 (i.e., the space above the substrate W). The inert gas may be, for example, N2 or a rare gas. The rare gas may be, for example, He or Ar.

[0106] The action of the plasma 102 generates active species in the gas near the space. The active species include charged ions and electrically neutral radicals. For example, if the gas contains O2, the action of the plasma in the plasma processing unit 130 generates oxygen radicals, which are a type of active species.

[0107] By using the processing unit 100A having the above configuration, the same substrate processing operations (steps ST01 to ST05 in FIG. 4) as those shown in the first embodiment can be performed.

[0108] Here, it is desirable that the plasma processing unit 130 waits at a predetermined waiting position during the stage of generating the plasma 102 as described above, and after a suitably uniform plasma 102 is generated on the lower surface of the dielectric member 32A, it moves to a processing position near the substrate W. In this embodiment, the plasma 102 is allowed to act on the liquid film on the surface of the substrate W in a state where the uniform plasma 102 is generated, thereby enabling uniform processing.

[0109] In this embodiment, the plasma processing unit 130 is arranged to cover the entire upper surface of the substrate W, but if the plasma processing unit 130 is arranged to cover only a portion of the substrate W, the position of the plasma processing unit 130 on the upper surface of the substrate W may be moved in the rotational direction and radial direction of the substrate W along the upper surface of the substrate W as the substrate W rotates by a driving mechanism not shown.

[0110] Here, the position (processing position) sufficiently close to the substrate W will be described with reference to Fig. 15. Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the degree of peeling of the coating (resist film) on the surface of the substrate W when the distance between the plasma processing unit 130 and the liquid film 101A is different.

[0111] 15 shows, as examples of different temperature settings, a case where the temperature of the dielectric member 32A is 200°C and a case where the temperature of the dielectric member 32A is 250°C. Under each temperature condition, the processing time is 1.5 minutes (90 seconds). Note that the temperature of the dielectric member 32A is the temperature of the upper surface of the dielectric member 32A when the temperature of the entire dielectric member 32A is maintained uniform.

[0112] The distance between the plasma processing unit 130 and the liquid film 101A is, more specifically, the distance between the lower surface of the dielectric member 32A, which houses the electrode rod serving as the plasma electrode, and the liquid surface of the liquid film 101A. The processing liquid is assumed to be sulfuric acid. The liquid film 101A has a thickness of 0.2 mm.

[0113] 15 indicates that the peeling rate of the coating (resist film) under the conditions is sufficiently high (e.g., 100%), while the cross marks in FIG. 15 indicate that the peeling rate of the coating (resist film) under the conditions is insufficient (e.g., less than 100%).

[0114] As shown in an example in Figure 15, when the temperature of the dielectric member 32A is 200°C, it can be seen that the peeling rate of the coating (resist film) is sufficiently high (for example, 100%) when the distance between the plasma processing unit 130 and the liquid film 101A is 2.3 mm or more and 2.8 mm or less.

[0115] On the other hand, if the distance between the plasma processing unit 130 and the liquid film 101A is 1.8 mm or less, the distance is too close, which may cause arc discharge between them or the liquid surface of the liquid film 101A to be attracted toward the plasma processing unit 130, making it impossible to properly peel off the coating (resist film). Also, if the distance between the plasma processing unit 130 and the liquid film 101A is 3.8 mm or more, the peeling rate of the coating (resist film) gradually decreases (for example, when the distance is 3.8 mm, the peeling rate is 60%). Therefore, it can be seen that the peeling rate of the coating (resist film) is insufficient within these distance ranges.

[0116] Furthermore, as shown in the example in Figure 15, when the temperature of the dielectric member 32A is 250°C, if the distance between the plasma processing unit 130 and the liquid film 101A is 2.3 mm or more and 3.8 mm or less, it can be seen that the peeling rate of the coating (resist film) is sufficiently high (for example, 100%).

[0117] On the other hand, if the distance between the plasma processing unit 130 and the liquid film 101A is 1.8 mm or less, the distance is too close, which may cause arc discharge between them or the liquid surface of the liquid film 101A to be attracted toward the plasma processing unit 130, making it impossible to properly peel off the coating (resist film). Also, if the distance between the plasma processing unit 130 and the liquid film 101A is 4.3 mm or more, the peeling rate of the coating (resist film) gradually decreases (for example, when the distance is 4.3 mm, the peeling rate is 85%). Therefore, it can be seen that the peeling rate of the coating (resist film) is insufficient within these distance ranges.

[0118] <Heating method> Next, a method for heating the plasma processing unit 130 by the heating unit 50 will be described. The time required for plasma to be generated (for a plasma space to be formed) in each region of the plasma processing unit 130 varies depending on the individual differences between the electrode rods arranged in that region, the individual differences between the electrode collections, or the magnitude of the heat capacity of that region. In particular, when the area forming the plasma space in the plasma processing unit 130 is large, the variation also increases, and it takes a long time to generate uniform plasma throughout the entire region of the plasma processing unit 130.

[0119] As described above, the inventors have discovered that when generating plasma such as atmospheric pressure plasma, the time required for plasma generation can be shortened by blowing high-temperature gas at, for example, 100°C onto the plasma processing unit 130.

[0120] In this embodiment, the heating unit 50 heats a part or the whole of the plasma processing unit 130 before generating plasma in the plasma processing unit 130. Specifically, the plasma processing unit 130 is heated by blowing high-temperature gas from the outlet 50B shown in FIG. 7 toward the plasma processing unit 130 (for example, toward the upper surface of the dielectric member 32A).

[0121] By doing so, plasma is generated in a state in which the plasma processing unit 130 and the gas in its vicinity are heated, thereby shortening the time required to generate plasma throughout the entire region within the plasma processing unit 130. Furthermore, shortening the time required to generate plasma reduces the variation in the time required to generate plasma in each region, making it possible to generate uniform plasma throughout the entire region.

[0122] It is to be noted that since it takes time for plasma to be generated in the plasma processing unit 130, it is desirable that the heating be started while the plasma processing unit 130 is positioned in the standby position during a step prior to the plasma processing, for example, during the step of forming a liquid film 101A (see Figure 5) on the upper surface of the substrate W.

[0123] Alternatively, the temperature of a plurality of regions in the plasma processing unit 130 may be measured using the measuring unit 72 in FIG. 7, and the region to be heated using the heating unit 50 may be identified based on the measurement results.

[0124] Fig. 14 is a plan view schematically illustrating an example of a portion of the configuration of the plasma processing unit 130. For convenience, some of the configuration is shown in a transparent state in Fig. 14. In the plasma processing unit 130 shown in Fig. 14, even when a voltage is applied to the plurality of electrode rods 30J and the plurality of electrode rods 30K in the same manner, the time required for plasma generation varies, and therefore, it takes a long time for plasma to be generated throughout the entire region of the plasma processing unit 130.

[0125] On the other hand, one possible reason for the long time required for plasma generation is the presence of areas where the temperature of the plasma-generating region is relatively slow to rise. Therefore, first, the temperature of each region in the plasma processing unit 130 until plasma generation is determined using the measuring unit 72 in FIG. 7 to identify in advance the region with a relatively low temperature. Then, the outlet 50B shown in FIG. 7 corresponding to the region is opened to blow warm air onto the region (specifically, the upper surface of the dielectric member 32A located in the region), thereby selectively heating the region corresponding to a portion of the plasma processing unit 130. This reduces the variation in the time required for plasma generation between regions in the plasma processing unit 130, effectively shortening the time required for uniform plasma generation throughout the entire region in the plasma processing unit 130.

[0126] <Effects of the above-described embodiments> Next, examples of effects obtained by the above-described embodiments will be described. Note that in the following description, the effects will be described based on the specific configurations exemplified in the above-described embodiments, but these may be replaced with other specific configurations exemplified in the present specification as long as the same effects are obtained. In other words, for convenience, only one of the corresponding specific configurations may be described as a representative below, but the representatively described specific configuration may be replaced with another corresponding specific configuration.

[0127] According to the embodiment described above, the plasma processing apparatus includes a plasma processing unit 30 and a heating unit 50. The plasma processing unit 30 generates plasma to process the substrate W. The heating unit 50 heats the plasma processing unit 30. Here, the heating unit 50 heats the plasma processing unit 30 before plasma is generated in the plasma processing unit 30.

[0128] With this configuration, plasma is generated in a state in which the plasma processing unit 30 and the gas in its vicinity are heated, thereby reducing the time required to generate plasma throughout the entire region within the plasma processing unit 30. Furthermore, the reduction in the time required to generate plasma reduces the variation in the time required to generate plasma in each region, making it possible to generate uniform plasma throughout the entire region.

[0129] Furthermore, even if other configurations shown as examples in this specification are appropriately added to the above configuration, that is, even if other configurations in this specification that were not mentioned as the above configuration are appropriately added, the same effect can be achieved.

[0130] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the plasma processing unit 30 includes a plurality of electrode members to which a voltage is applied. Here, the electrode members correspond to, for example, the electrode rods 30B and 30C. The heating unit 50 heats some of the plurality of electrode members. With this configuration, plasma is generated in a state in which some of the plurality of electrode rods are selectively heated, thereby reducing the variation in the time required to generate plasma between regions within the plasma processing unit 30.

[0131] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the heating unit 50 is disposed near the plasma processing unit 30. With this configuration, the heating unit 50 can efficiently heat the plasma processing unit 30.

[0132] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the heating unit 50 includes a gas flow path 50A and a plurality of outlets 50B. Gas supplied from a gas supply source 70 for supplying gas flows through the gas flow path 50A. The outlets 50B are provided at the end of the gas flow path 50A. The outlets 50B are openable and closable. The heating unit 50 selectively opens at least some of the outlets 50B to blow gas into the plasma processing unit 30. With this configuration, any region within the plasma processing unit 30 can be heated by selectively blowing gas from each outlet 50B.

[0133] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the heating unit 50 opens a plurality of spaced-apart outlets 50B to blow gas into the plasma processing unit 30. With this configuration, multiple regions can be heated simultaneously, so that even a plasma processing unit 30 having a diverse temperature distribution can be effectively heated, and the time required to generate uniform plasma throughout the entire region within the plasma processing unit 30 can be shortened.

[0134] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the plasma processing apparatus includes a measurement unit 72. The measurement unit 72 measures the temperature of each region in the plasma processing unit 30. The heating unit 50 heats the region where the temperature measured by the measurement unit 72 is relatively low. With this configuration, by selectively heating the region where the time required for plasma generation is long due to the low temperature, the variation in the time required for plasma generation between regions in the plasma processing unit 30 can be reduced, and the time required for uniform plasma generation throughout the entire region in the plasma processing unit 30 can be effectively shortened.

[0135] According to the embodiment described above, the plasma processing method includes a step of heating the plasma processing unit 30 for generating plasma to perform processing, and a step of generating plasma using the heated plasma processing unit 30.

[0136] With this configuration, plasma is generated in a state in which the plasma processing unit 30 and the gas in its vicinity are heated, thereby reducing the time required to generate plasma throughout the entire region within the plasma processing unit 30. Furthermore, the reduction in the time required to generate plasma reduces the variation in the time required to generate plasma in each region, making it possible to generate uniform plasma throughout the entire region.

[0137] Unless otherwise specified, the order in which the processes are performed can be changed.

[0138] Furthermore, even if other configurations shown as examples in this specification are appropriately added to the above configuration, that is, even if other configurations in this specification that were not mentioned as the above configuration are appropriately added, the same effect can be achieved.

[0139] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the plasma processing method includes a step of measuring the temperature of each region in the plasma processing unit 30. The step of heating the plasma processing unit 30 is a step of heating the region where the measured temperature is relatively low. With this configuration, by selectively heating the region where the time required for plasma generation is long due to the low temperature, the variation in the time required for plasma generation between regions in the plasma processing unit 30 can be reduced, and the time required for uniform plasma generation throughout the entire region in the plasma processing unit 30 can be effectively shortened.

[0140] <Modifications of the above-described embodiments> In this embodiment, the heating unit is provided so as to cover the entire plasma processing unit 30 in a plan view, but the heating unit may be provided so as to cover only a portion of the plasma processing unit 30 in a plan view. In this case, it is desirable to identify in advance a region with a relatively low temperature by measuring the temperature with the measuring unit 72, and to provide the heating unit near that region. Furthermore, if the heating unit is provided detachably with respect to the plasma processing unit 30, it is possible to accommodate cases where the relatively low temperature region is different.

[0141] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the heating unit heats the plasma processing unit 30 by blowing hot air, but the heating method is not limited to this method, and for example, the plasma processing unit 30 may be heated by a heating unit that is equipped only with an electric heater or a heat lamp.

[0142] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the case where activated species generated by the action of plasma in the plasma processing unit 30 are supplied to the liquid film 101A has been shown, but the activated species may also directly act on the upper surface of the substrate W on which the liquid film 101A is not formed.

[0143] In the embodiments described above, the material, composition, dimensions, shape, relative positional relationship, or implementation conditions of each component may also be described, but these are merely examples in all aspects and are not limiting.

[0144] Thus, numerous variations and equivalents not shown are contemplated within the scope of the technology disclosed herein, including, for example, the modification, addition, or omission of at least one component.

[0145] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, when a material name is mentioned without any particular specification, it is assumed that the material may contain other additives, such as an alloy, unless a contradiction arises. [Explanation of symbols]

[0146] 1. Substrate Processing System 10 Spin chuck 10A Spin Base 10C Rotational Axis 10D Spin Motor 12 Processing Cups 20 Processing liquid nozzle 25 valves 29 Processing liquid supply source 30 Plasma processing section 30A Dielectric Material 30B,30C electrode rod 30D holding part 30E, 30F Dielectric tube 30G,30H collective electrode 40 AC power supply 50 Heating section 50A, 60A gas flow path 50B Air Outlet 50C Shutter material 50D exhaust port 60 Support part 70 Gas supply source 72 Measuring part 80 Chamber 90 Control Unit 91 CPU 92 ROM 93 RAM 94 Storage device 94P Processing Program 95 Bus Line 96 Input section 97 Display section 98 Communications Department 100 processing units 101 Processing liquid 101A Liquid film 102 Plasma 400 Loading Port 402 Indexer Robot 404 Substrate placement section 406 Center Robot

Claims

1. A substrate processing method for processing a substrate in a processing space at atmospheric pressure, comprising: holding the substrate horizontally within the processing space; a step of disposing a plasma generating device above the horizontally held substrate, the plasma generating device including a plurality of plasma electrodes coated with a dielectric material and applying a voltage to the plasma electrodes to generate plasma; generating atmospheric pressure plasma by the plasma generator; forming a liquid film of a processing liquid on an upper surface of the horizontally held substrate; and relatively moving the plasma generator and the substrate to a position where the distance between the dielectric covering the plasma electrode and the liquid film is 0.9 mm or more and 2.3 mm or less, and applying the atmospheric pressure plasma to the processing liquid to process the substrate. Substrate processing method.

2. A substrate processing method for processing a substrate in a processing space at atmospheric pressure, comprising: holding the substrate horizontally within the processing space; a step of disposing a plasma generation device above the horizontally held substrate, the plasma generation device including a plurality of plasma electrodes accommodated in the accommodation holes of a dielectric body having a plurality of accommodation holes formed therein, and applying a voltage to the plasma electrodes to generate plasma; generating atmospheric pressure plasma by the plasma generator; forming a liquid film of a processing liquid on an upper surface of the horizontally held substrate; and relatively moving the plasma generator and the substrate to a position where the distance between the lower surface of the dielectric and the liquid film is 2.3 mm or more and 3.8 mm or less, and treating the substrate by applying the atmospheric pressure plasma to the treatment liquid at 250°C or more. Substrate processing method.

3. A substrate processing method for processing a substrate in a processing space at atmospheric pressure, comprising: holding the substrate horizontally within the processing space; a step of disposing a plasma generation device above the horizontally held substrate, the plasma generation device including a plurality of plasma electrodes accommodated in the accommodation holes of a dielectric body having a plurality of accommodation holes formed therein, and applying a voltage to the plasma electrodes to generate plasma; generating atmospheric pressure plasma by the plasma generator; forming a liquid film of a processing liquid on an upper surface of the horizontally held substrate; and relatively moving the plasma generator and the substrate to a position where the distance between the lower surface of the dielectric and the liquid film is 2.3 mm or more and 2.8 mm or less, and treating the substrate by applying the atmospheric pressure plasma to the treatment liquid, which is at least 200°C and less than 250°C. Substrate processing method.

4. 4. A substrate processing method according to claim 1, The step of forming the liquid film is a step of forming the liquid film of the treatment liquid having a film thickness of 0.2 mm. Substrate processing method.

5. 5. A substrate processing method according to claim 1, The treatment liquid is sulfuric acid. Substrate processing method.

6. 6. A substrate processing method according to claim 1, the step of forming the liquid film is a step of forming the liquid film on an upper surface of a coating formed on the upper surface of the substrate, The step of treating the substrate is a step of removing the coating. Substrate processing method.

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