SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD

Abstract

A substrate treatment apparatus (1) comprises a rinse tank (62), a treatment tank (61), an acquisition unit (10a), a concentration adjustment unit (140), and a concentration control unit (10b). The rinse tank (62) is a tank in which a water-containing rinsing solution is stored, and a plurality of substrates (W) having an inorganic film are immersed in the stored rinsing solution such that the plurality of substrates (W) are rinsed. The treatment tank (61) is a tank in which a phosphating solution is stored, and the plurality of substrates (W) after rinsing treatment are immersed in the stored phosphating solution such that the plurality of substrates (W) are etched. The acquisition unit (10a) acquires the number of substrates (W) immersed in batches in the treatment tank (61). The concentration adjustment unit (10b) adjusts the concentration of the phosphating solution stored in the treatment tank (61). The concentration control unit (140) obtains an input amount which is the amount of rinsing solution inputted together with the plurality of substrates (W) to the treatment tank (61), on the basis of the number of substrates (W) acquired by the acquisition unit (10a), and controls the concentration adjustment unit (140) on the basis of the input amount to adjust the concentration of the phosphating solution.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a technique is known in which a plurality of substrates are immersed in an etching bath containing an etching solution to etch a plurality of substrates at once.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a semiconductor wafer etching method in which the temperature of the etching solution is set higher in advance, taking into consideration the temperature drop caused by the introduction of the semiconductor wafer. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-214243 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present disclosure provides a technique that can suppress variations in the amount of etching when etching a plurality of substrates at once using an aqueous phosphoric acid solution. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a rinse tank, a processing tank, an acquisition unit, a concentration adjustment unit, and a concentration control unit. The rinse tank is a tank that stores a rinse liquid containing water, and rinses multiple substrates having an inorganic film by immersing the multiple substrates in the stored rinse liquid. The processing tank is a tank that stores a phosphate processing liquid, and etching multiple substrates by immersing the multiple substrates after rinsing in the stored phosphate processing liquid. The acquisition unit acquires the number of substrates to be immersed in the processing tank at once. The concentration adjustment unit adjusts the concentration of the phosphate processing liquid stored in the processing tank. The concentration control unit acquires a carry-over amount, which is the amount of rinse liquid brought into the processing tank along with the multiple substrates, based on the number of substrates acquired by the acquisition unit, and controls the concentration adjustment unit based on the carry-over amount to adjust the concentration of the phosphate processing liquid. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, in a technique for simultaneously etching a plurality of substrates using an aqueous phosphoric acid solution, variations in the amount of etching can be suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a substrate processing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the etching processing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the number of wafers and the amount of rinse liquid carried over. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the number of wafers and the temperature change before and after the wafers are loaded. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a cycle etching procedure executed by the substrate processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the concentration control process executed by the substrate processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure of a temperature control process executed by the substrate processing system according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") for carrying out a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, the embodiments can be appropriately combined within the scope of not causing any contradiction in the processing content. Furthermore, the same components in the following embodiments will be given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0010] Furthermore, in the following embodiments, expressions such as "constant," "orthogonal," "perpendicular," or "parallel" may be used, but these expressions do not necessarily mean "constant," "orthogonal," "perpendicular," or "parallel" in the strict sense. In other words, the above expressions allow for deviations due to, for example, manufacturing precision, installation precision, etc.

[0011] In addition, for ease of understanding, the drawings referred to below may show an orthogonal coordinate system in which the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions are defined as being orthogonal to each other, with the positive Z-axis direction being the vertically upward direction. Also, the direction of rotation around the vertical axis may be referred to as the θ direction.

[0012] A technique has been proposed in which a substrate on which silicon nitride films and silicon oxide films are alternately stacked is immersed in a phosphoric acid treatment solution to selectively etch the silicon nitride film out of the silicon oxide film and the silicon nitride film.

[0013] When the rinsed substrate is placed in the processing bath, the rinse liquid adhering to the substrate may be carried into the processing bath, causing the concentration of the phosphoric acid processing liquid to become lower than the desired concentration.

[0014] The amount of rinse solution introduced into the processing tank varies depending on the number of substrates immersed in the processing tank at once. Specifically, the more substrates immersed in the processing tank at once, the greater the amount of rinse solution introduced into the processing tank. Fluctuations in the amount of rinse solution introduced into the processing tank also result in fluctuations in the degree of decrease in the concentration of the phosphoric acid processing solution in the processing tank. Therefore, for example, when etching 25 substrates at once and when etching 50 substrates at once, there is a risk of variations in the amount of etching due to differences in the concentration of the phosphoric acid processing solution.

[0015] In recent years, with the increasing density of film stacking, the non-uniformity of the etching rate between the top and bottom layers due to the difference in Si concentration in the stacking direction has become more pronounced. To address this issue, cycle etching, which involves repeatedly performing a rinse process and an etching process in a short period of time, has been proposed. However, the shorter the time required for a single etching process, the greater the impact of the decrease in the concentration of the phosphoric acid treatment solution due to the carryover of the rinse solution. Given these circumstances, a technology that can suppress the variation in the amount of etching is desired when simultaneously etching multiple substrates using an aqueous phosphoric acid solution.

[0016] <Configuration of substrate processing system> First, the configuration of a substrate processing system 1 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the substrate processing system 1 according to an embodiment. The substrate processing system 1 is an example of a substrate processing apparatus.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, a substrate processing system 1 according to the embodiment includes a carrier loading / unloading section 2, a lot forming section 3, a lot placing section 4, a lot transport section 5, a lot processing section 6, and a control device .

[0018] The carrier loading / unloading section 2 includes a carrier stage 20, a carrier transport mechanism 21, carrier stocks 22 and 23, and a carrier placement table 24.

[0019] The carrier stage 20 is used to place multiple FOUPs F transferred from outside. The FOUP F is a container that accommodates multiple (e.g., 25) wafers W arranged one above the other in a horizontal position. The carrier transfer mechanism 21 transfers the FOUPs F between the carrier stage 20, carrier stocks 22 and 23, and carrier placement table 24.

[0020] A plurality of wafers W before processing are transferred from the FOUP F placed on the carrier mounting table 24 to the lot processing section 6 by the substrate transfer mechanism 30, which will be described later. Furthermore, a plurality of processed wafers W are transferred from the lot processing section 6 to the FOUP F placed on the carrier mounting table 24 by the substrate transfer mechanism 30.

[0021] The lot formation unit 3 has a substrate transfer mechanism 30 and forms lots. A lot is made up of multiple wafers W that are combined and processed simultaneously, each of which is housed in one or more FOUPs F. The multiple wafers W that form one lot are arranged at a fixed interval with their plate surfaces facing each other. For example, the lot formation unit 3 may form one lot with 25 wafers W housed in one FOUP F, or may form one lot with a total of 50 wafers W housed in two FOUPs F.

[0022] The substrate transfer mechanism 30 transfers a plurality of wafers W between the FOUP F placed on the carrier placement table 24 and the lot placement unit 4.

[0023] The lot placement unit 4 has a lot transfer table 40 on which lots transferred by the lot transfer unit 5 between the lot formation unit 3 and the lot processing unit 6 are temporarily placed (on standby). The lot transfer table 40 has an in-side placement table 41 on which lots formed in the lot formation unit 3 before being processed are placed, and an out-side placement table 42 on which lots processed in the lot processing unit 6 are placed. A plurality of wafers W for one lot are placed in an upright position, lined up front and back, on the in-side placement table 41 and the out-side placement table 42.

[0024] The lot transport unit 5 has a lot transport mechanism 50, and transports lots between the lot placement unit 4 and the lot processing unit 6 and inside the lot processing unit 6. The lot transport mechanism 50 has rails 51, a moving body 52, and a substrate holder 53.

[0025] Rails 51 are arranged along the X-axis direction across lot mounting section 4 and lot processing section 6. Moving body 52 is configured to be able to move along rails 51 while holding a plurality of wafers W. Substrate holders 53 are arranged on moving body 52 and hold a plurality of wafers W lined up in front and behind each other in an upright position.

[0026] The lot processing section 6 collectively performs etching, cleaning, drying, and other processes on one lot of wafers W. In the lot processing section 6, two etching processing sections 60, a cleaning processing section 70, a cleaning processing section 80, and a drying processing section 90 are arranged side by side along rails 51.

[0027] The etching processing device 60 performs etching processing on one lot of multiple wafers W in a batch. The cleaning processing device 70 performs cleaning processing on one lot of multiple wafers W in a batch. The cleaning processing device 80 performs cleaning processing on the substrate holder 53. The drying processing device 90 performs drying processing on one lot of multiple wafers W in a batch. The numbers of the etching processing devices 60, cleaning processing devices 70, cleaning processing devices 80, and drying processing devices 90 are not limited to the example in FIG. 1.

[0028] The etching processing device 60 includes a processing tank 61 for etching, a processing tank 62 for rinsing, and substrate lifting mechanisms 63 and 64.

[0029] The processing tank 61 can accommodate one lot of wafers W arranged in an upright position, and stores a chemical liquid for etching, specifically, a phosphoric acid processing liquid. The processing tank 61 will be described in detail later.

[0030] A rinse liquid is stored in the processing tank 62. The rinse liquid contains water. For example, the rinse liquid is deionized water. The substrate lifting mechanisms 63 and 64 hold a plurality of wafers W forming a lot in an upright position, lined up front and rear.

[0031] In the etching processing device 60, the lot transported by the lot transport unit 5 is held by the substrate lifting mechanism 63 and immersed in the phosphoric acid processing solution in the processing bath 61 to perform etching processing.

[0032] The lot that has been etched in the processing tank 61 is transferred to the processing tank 62 by the lot transfer unit 5. Then, the etching processing device 60 holds the transferred lot by the substrate lifting mechanism 64 and performs a rinse process by immersing it in the rinse liquid in the processing tank 62. The lot that has been rinsed in the processing tank 62 is transferred by the lot transfer unit 5 to the processing tank 71 of the cleaning processing device 70.

[0033] The cleaning processing device 70 includes a cleaning processing tank 71, a rinsing processing tank 72, and substrate lifting mechanisms 73 and 74. A cleaning chemical (hereinafter also referred to as a "cleaning chemical") is stored in the cleaning processing tank 71. The cleaning chemical is, for example, SC-1 (a mixture of ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, and water).

[0034] A processing liquid for rinsing (deionized water, etc.) is stored in the processing bath 72 for rinsing. The substrate lifting mechanisms 73 and 74 hold a plurality of wafers W for one lot in an upright position, lined up front and rear.

[0035] The cleaning processing device 70 holds the lot transferred by the lot transfer unit 5 with a substrate lifting mechanism 73 and immerses it in a cleaning liquid in a processing bath 71 to perform a cleaning process.

[0036] The lot that has been cleaned in the processing bath 71 is transferred to the processing bath 72 by the lot transfer unit 5. The cleaning processing device 70 then holds the transferred lot with the substrate lifting mechanism 74 and performs a rinse process by immersing the lot in the rinse liquid in the processing bath 72. The lot that has been rinsed in the processing bath 72 is transferred by the lot transfer unit 5 to the processing bath 91 of the drying processing device 90.

[0037] The drying processing device 90 includes a processing tank 91 and a substrate lifting mechanism 92. A processing gas for drying processing is supplied to the processing tank 91. The substrate lifting mechanism 92 holds a plurality of wafers W for one lot in an upright position, lined up front and rear.

[0038] The drying processing device 90 holds the lot transported by the lot transport unit 5 with a substrate lifting mechanism 92 and performs a drying process using a processing gas for drying process supplied into the processing tank 91. The lot that has been dried in the processing tank 91 is transported to the lot mounting unit 4 by the lot transport unit 5.

[0039] The cleaning processing device 80 performs a cleaning process on the substrate holder 53 of the lot transfer mechanism 50 by supplying a cleaning processing liquid to the substrate holder 53 and further supplying a dry gas.

[0040] The control device 7 controls the operation of each part (such as the carrier loading / unloading part 2, the lot forming part 3, the lot placing part 4, the lot transporting part 5, and the lot processing part 6) of the substrate processing system 1. The control device 7 controls the operation of each part of the substrate processing system 1 based on signals from switches, various sensors, etc.

[0041] The control device 7 includes a microcomputer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), input / output ports, etc., and various other circuits. The control device 7 controls the operation of the substrate processing system 1 by, for example, reading and executing a program stored in a storage unit 9 (see FIG. 3). The control device 7 will be described in detail later.

[0042] <Configuration of etching treatment device> Next, the configuration of an etching processing apparatus 60 that performs etching processing on a wafer W will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of an etching processing apparatus 60 according to an embodiment.

[0043] The etching processing apparatus 60 includes a phosphate processing solution supply unit 100 and a substrate processing unit 110. The phosphate processing solution supply unit 100 generates a phosphate processing solution and supplies it to the substrate processing unit 110.

[0044] The phosphating solution supply unit 100 includes an aqueous phosphoric acid solution supply unit 101, a silicic acid solution supply unit 102, a precipitation inhibitor supply unit 103, a mixing mechanism 104, a phosphating solution supply path 105, and a flow rate regulator 106.

[0045] The phosphoric acid aqueous solution supply unit 101 supplies the phosphoric acid aqueous solution to the mixing mechanism 104. The phosphoric acid aqueous solution supply unit 101 includes a phosphoric acid aqueous solution supply source 101a, a phosphoric acid aqueous solution supply path 101b, and a flow rate regulator 101c.

[0046] The phosphoric acid aqueous solution supply source 101a is, for example, a tank that stores phosphoric acid aqueous solution. The phosphoric acid aqueous solution supply path 101b connects the phosphoric acid aqueous solution supply source 101a and the mixing mechanism 104 and supplies the phosphoric acid aqueous solution from the phosphoric acid aqueous solution supply source 101a to the mixing mechanism 104.

[0047] The flow rate regulator 101c is disposed in the phosphoric acid aqueous solution supply path 101b, and regulates the flow rate of the phosphoric acid aqueous solution supplied to the mixing mechanism 104. The flow rate regulator 101c includes an on-off valve, a flow rate control valve, a flow meter, and the like.

[0048] The silicic acid solution supply unit 102 supplies a solution containing a silicic acid compound (hereinafter also referred to as "silicic acid solution") to the mixing mechanism 104. The silicic acid solution supply unit 102 includes a silicic acid solution supply source 102a, a silicic acid solution supply path 102b, and a flow rate regulator 102c.

[0049] The silicic acid solution supply source 102a is, for example, a tank that stores the silicic acid solution. The silicic acid solution supply path 102b connects the silicic acid solution supply source 102a and the mixing mechanism 104, and supplies the silicic acid solution from the silicic acid solution supply source 102a to the mixing mechanism 104.

[0050] The flow rate regulator 102c is disposed in the silicic acid solution supply path 102b and regulates the flow rate of the silicic acid solution supplied to the mixing mechanism 104. The flow rate regulator 102c includes an on-off valve, a flow control valve, a flow meter, etc. The silicic acid solution according to the embodiment is, for example, a solution in which colloidal silicon is dispersed.

[0051] The deposition inhibitor supply unit 103 supplies a deposition inhibitor to the mixing mechanism 104. The deposition inhibitor supply unit 103 includes a deposition inhibitor supply source 103a, a deposition inhibitor supply path 103b, and a flow rate regulator 103c.

[0052] The deposition inhibitor supply source 103a is, for example, a tank that stores the deposition inhibitor. The deposition inhibitor supply path 103b connects the deposition inhibitor supply source 103a and the mixing mechanism 104 and supplies the deposition inhibitor from the deposition inhibitor supply source 103a to the mixing mechanism 104.

[0053] The flow rate regulator 103c is disposed in the deposition inhibitor supply path 103b, and regulates the flow rate of the deposition inhibitor supplied to the mixing mechanism 104. The flow rate regulator 103c includes an on-off valve, a flow control valve, a flow meter, and the like.

[0054] The precipitation inhibitor according to the embodiment may contain a component that inhibits the precipitation of silicon oxide. For example, the precipitation inhibitor may contain a component that stabilizes silicate ions dissolved in the phosphoric acid aqueous solution in a dissolved state to inhibit the precipitation of silicon oxide. The precipitation inhibitor may also contain a component that inhibits the precipitation of silicon oxide by other known methods.

[0055] The deposition inhibitor according to the embodiment may be, for example, an aqueous solution of hexafluorosilicic acid (H2SiF6) containing a fluorine component. The deposition inhibitor may also contain an additive such as ammonia to stabilize the hexafluorosilicic acid in the aqueous solution.

[0056] As the deposition inhibitor according to the embodiment, for example, ammonium hexafluorosilicate (NH4)2SiF6, sodium hexafluorosilicate (Na2SiF6), or the like can be used.

[0057] Furthermore, the precipitation inhibitor according to the embodiment may be a compound containing an element that is a cation with an ionic radius of 0.2 Å to 0.9 Å. Here, the "ionic radius" refers to the radius of an ion empirically determined from the sum of the radii of an anion and a cation, which are obtained from the lattice constant of the crystal lattice.

[0058] The deposition inhibitor according to the embodiment may contain, for example, an oxide of any of the elements aluminum, potassium, lithium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, zirconium, tungsten, titanium, molybdenum, hafnium, nickel, and chromium.

[0059] Furthermore, the precipitation inhibitor according to the embodiment may contain at least one of nitrides, chlorides, bromides, hydroxides, and nitrates of any of the above elements, instead of or in addition to the oxides of any of the above elements.

[0060] The precipitation inhibitor according to the embodiment may include, for example, at least one of Al(OH)3, AlCl3, AlBr3, Al(NO3)3, Al2(SO4)3, AlPO4, and Al2O3.

[0061] The precipitation inhibitor according to the embodiment may include at least one of KCl, KBr, KOH, and KNO. Furthermore, the precipitation inhibitor according to the embodiment may include at least one of LiCl, NaCl, MgCl, CaCl, and ZrCl.

[0062] The mixing mechanism 104 mixes an aqueous phosphoric acid solution, a silicic acid solution, and a precipitation inhibitor to produce a phosphate treatment solution. That is, the phosphate treatment solution according to the embodiment contains an aqueous phosphoric acid solution, a silicic acid solution, and a precipitation inhibitor.

[0063] As an example, the mixing mechanism 104 includes a tank and a circulation path. The circulation path is provided with a pump, a filter, a heater, and the like. The mixing mechanism 104 can mix the liquids stored in the tanks by circulating the liquids stored in the tanks using the circulation path. The mixing mechanism 104 can also heat the liquids to a desired temperature using a heater provided in the circulation path.

[0064] The phosphate treatment solution supply path 105 connects the mixing mechanism 104 to the outer tank 112 of the treatment tank 61 and supplies the phosphate treatment solution from the mixing mechanism 104 to the outer tank 112 .

[0065] The flow rate regulator 106 is disposed in the phosphate treatment solution supply path 105 and regulates the flow rate of the phosphate treatment solution supplied to the outer bath 112. The flow rate regulator 106 includes an on-off valve, a flow control valve, a flow meter, and the like.

[0066] The substrate processing unit 110 etches the wafer W by immersing the wafer W in the phosphate processing solution supplied from the phosphate processing solution supply unit 100. The wafer W is, for example, a silicon wafer, which is an example of a substrate. Silicon nitride films and silicon oxide films are alternately stacked on the surface of the wafer W. The substrate processing unit 110 selectively etches the silicon nitride film out of the silicon nitride film and silicon oxide film formed on the wafer W. The silicon nitride film is an example of an inorganic film.

[0067] The substrate processing unit 110 includes a processing tank 61, a substrate lifting mechanism 63, a circulation path 120, a DIW supply unit 130, a gas discharge unit 140, and a processing liquid discharge unit 150. The processing tank 61 includes an inner tank 111 and an outer tank 112.

[0068] The inner tank 111 is a tank for immersing the wafer W in the phosphoric acid treatment solution, and contains the phosphoric acid treatment solution for immersion. The inner tank 111 has an opening 111a at the top, and the phosphoric acid treatment solution is stored up to the vicinity of the opening 111a.

[0069] In the inner tank 111, a plurality of wafers W are immersed in the phosphoric acid treatment solution by the substrate lifting mechanism 63. This allows the plurality of wafers W to be etched all at once. The substrate lifting mechanism 63 is configured to be able to move up and down, and holds the plurality of wafers W aligned in front and behind each other in a vertical position.

[0070] The outer tank 112 is disposed outside the inner tank 111 so as to surround the inner tank 111, and receives the phosphate treatment solution flowing out from the opening 111a of the inner tank 111. As shown in FIG. 2, the liquid level in the outer tank 112 is maintained lower than the liquid level in the inner tank 111.

[0071] A temperature sensor 113 for measuring the temperature of the phosphate treatment solution and a concentration sensor 114 (an example of a measuring unit) for measuring the phosphoric acid concentration of the phosphate treatment solution are provided in the outer tank 112. Signals generated by the sensors 113 and 114 are input to the control device 7 (see FIG. 1).

[0072] The inner tank 111 and the outer tank 112 are made of a material having high heat resistance and chemical resistance, such as quartz, etc. This allows the control unit 10 to etch the wafer W with the phosphoric acid treatment solution maintained at a high temperature (for example, 150°C or higher), thereby enabling the wafer W to be etched efficiently.

[0073] The outer bath 112 and the inner bath 111 are connected by a circulation path 120. One end of the circulation path 120 is connected to the bottom of the outer bath 112, and the other end of the circulation path 120 is connected to a processing liquid supply nozzle 125 located in the inner bath 111.

[0074] In the circulation path 120, a pump 121, a heater 122 (an example of a temperature adjusting unit), and a filter 123 are positioned in this order from the outer bath 112 side.

[0075] The pump 121 forms a circulating flow of the phosphate treatment solution that is sent from the outer bath 112 through the circulation path 120 to the inner bath 111. The phosphate treatment solution also overflows from the opening 111a of the inner bath 111 and flows back into the outer bath 112. In this way, a circulating flow of the phosphate treatment solution is formed within the substrate processing unit 110. That is, this circulating flow is formed in the outer bath 112, the circulation path 120, and the inner bath 111.

[0076] The heater 122 adjusts the temperature of the phosphating solution circulating through the circulation path 120. The filter 123 filters the phosphating solution circulating through the circulation path 120.

[0077] The DIW supply unit 130 includes a DIW supply source 130a, a DIW supply path 130b, and a flow rate regulator 130c. The DIW supply unit 130 supplies DIW (Deionized Water) to the outer tank 112 to adjust the concentration of the phosphoric acid treatment solution stored in the treatment tank 61.

[0078] The DIW supply path 130b connects the DIW supply source 130a and the outer bath 112, and supplies DIW at a predetermined temperature from the DIW supply source 130a to the outer bath 112.

[0079] The flow rate regulator 130c is disposed in the DIW supply path 130b and regulates the amount of DIW supplied to the outer bath 112. The flow rate regulator 130c includes an on-off valve, a flow control valve, a flow meter, etc. The flow rate regulator 130c regulates the amount of DIW supplied, thereby adjusting the temperature, phosphoric acid concentration, silicic acid concentration, and precipitation inhibitor concentration of the phosphating solution in the etching treatment device 60.

[0080] The gas discharge unit 140 discharges bubbles of an inert gas (e.g., nitrogen gas) into the phosphoric acid treatment liquid stored in the inner tank 111. The gas discharge unit 140 includes an inert gas supply source 140a, an inert gas supply path 140b, a flow rate regulator 140c, and a gas nozzle 140d.

[0081] The inert gas supply path 140b connects the inert gas supply source 140a and the gas nozzle 140d, and supplies an inert gas (for example, nitrogen gas) from the inert gas supply source 140a to the gas nozzle 140d.

[0082] The flow rate regulator 140c is disposed in the inert gas supply path 140b and regulates the amount of inert gas supplied to the gas nozzle 140d. The flow rate regulator 140c includes an on-off valve, a flow rate control valve, a flow meter, and the like.

[0083] The gas nozzle 140d is located, for example, in the inner bath 111 below the wafer W and the processing liquid supply nozzle 125. The gas nozzle 140d discharges bubbles of inert gas into the phosphoric acid processing liquid stored in the inner bath 111.

[0084] The etching processing apparatus 60 according to the embodiment can supply a fast flow of phosphoric acid processing solution to the gaps between the plurality of wafers W arranged side by side in the inner tank 111 by discharging bubbles of inert gas from the gas nozzle 140d. Therefore, according to the embodiment, the plurality of wafers W can be etched efficiently and uniformly.

[0085] Furthermore, the etching treatment device 60 can promote evaporation of moisture contained in the phosphate treatment solution stored in the inner tank 111 by discharging bubbles of inert gas from the gas nozzle 140d. The etching treatment device 60 can accelerate the evaporation rate of moisture by increasing the discharge flow rate of the inert gas. Furthermore, the etching treatment device 60 can slow the evaporation rate of moisture by decreasing the discharge flow rate of the inert gas. As will be described later, the gas discharge unit 140 also functions as a concentration adjustment unit that adjusts the concentration of the phosphate treatment solution stored in the inner tank 111.

[0086] The processing solution discharge unit 150 discharges the phosphoric acid processing solution to the drain DR when, for example, all or part of the phosphoric acid processing solution used in the etching process is replaced. The processing solution discharge unit 150 has a discharge path 150a, a flow rate regulator 150b, and a cooling tank 150c.

[0087] The discharge path 150a is connected to the circulation path 120. The flow rate regulator 150b is disposed on the discharge path 150a and regulates the amount of the phosphate treatment solution being discharged. The flow rate regulator 150b includes an on-off valve, a flow rate control valve, a flow meter, and the like.

[0088] The cooling tank 150c temporarily stores and cools the phosphating solution that has flowed through the discharge path 150a. In the cooling tank 150c, the discharge rate of the phosphating solution is adjusted by the flow rate adjuster 150b.

[0089] Next, details of the etching process according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3 to Fig. 5. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control device 7 according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, the control device 7 includes a communication unit 8, a storage unit 9, and a control unit 10.

[0090] Furthermore, the control device 7 is connected to the temperature sensor 113 and the concentration sensor 114 described above.

[0091] In addition to the functional units shown in FIG. 3, the control device 7 may also have various functional units that known computers have, such as various input devices and audio output devices.

[0092] The communication unit 8 is realized by, for example, a network interface card (NIC) etc. The communication unit 8 is connected to the management device 200 via the network N in a wired or wireless manner, and is a communication interface that controls communication of information with the management device 200.

[0093] The communication unit 8 receives various types of information related to the plurality of wafers W accommodated in the FOUP F from the management device 200. For example, the communication unit 8 receives information related to the number of wafers W accommodated in the FOUP F and the type of device formed on each wafer W from the management device 200. The communication unit 8 then outputs the received information to the control unit 10. Note that the management device 200 may obtain information related to the number of wafers W accommodated in the FOUP F from a wafer number measuring device 11 provided in the substrate processing system 1. The wafer number measuring device 11 is disposed, for example, near the carrier mounting table 24 and can optically detect the wafers W accommodated in the FOUP F.

[0094] In the present disclosure, the information regarding the type of device formed on the wafer W may include, for example, the film thickness and number of silicon nitride films and silicon oxide films stacked on the wafer W.

[0095] The storage unit 9 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as RAM or flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or optical disk. The storage unit 9 has a concentration adjustment information storage unit 9a and a temperature adjustment information storage unit 9b. The storage unit 9 also stores information used in processing by the control unit 10.

[0096] The concentration adjustment information storage unit 9a stores concentration adjustment information in which the carry-in amount and the concentration adjustment value are associated with the number of wafers W. The carry-in amount is the amount of rinse liquid brought into the processing tank 61 along with multiple substrates. The concentration adjustment value is a value used in the concentration control process by the concentration control unit 10b, which will be described later. The relationship between the number of wafers W and the carry-in amount will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

[0097] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the number of wafers W and the amount of rinse liquid brought in. In the graph shown in Fig. 4, the horizontal axis represents the number of wafers W, and the vertical axis represents the amount of rinse liquid brought in. As shown in Fig. 4, there is a correlation between the number of wafers W and the amount of rinse liquid brought in, and as the number of wafers W increases, the amount of rinse liquid brought in increases.

[0098] 4 can be obtained, for example, by measuring the difference between the amount of rinse liquid in the processing tank 62 before the wafers W are immersed and the amount of rinse liquid in the processing tank 62 after the wafers W are removed from the processing tank 62, multiple times with different numbers of wafers W. Alternatively, the weight of one wafer W may be measured before the wafer W is immersed in the processing tank 62 and after the wafers W are removed from the processing tank 62, the amount of carry-over per wafer W may be calculated based on the difference, and the calculated result may be multiplied by an integer to obtain the amount of carry-over for each number of wafers. The concentration adjustment information shown in FIG. 4 is an example of carry-over amount information in which the number of substrates and the amount of carry-over are previously associated with each other.

[0099] The concentration adjustment value is, for example, an offset value (wt%) from a reference value of the phosphoric acid concentration. Such a concentration adjustment value can be calculated from the amount of phosphoric acid brought in. Specifically, the concentration adjustment value is the difference between the phosphoric acid concentration (initial concentration) of the phosphoric acid treatment solution in the inner tank 111 before the rinse solution is brought into the treatment tank 61 and the phosphoric acid concentration of the phosphoric acid treatment solution in the inner tank 111 after the rinse solution is brought into the treatment tank 61.

[0100] The temperature adjustment information storage unit 9b stores temperature adjustment information that associates the number of wafers W with a temperature adjustment value. The temperature adjustment value is a value used in a temperature control process by the temperature control unit 10c, which will be described later. The relationship between the number of wafers W and the temperature adjustment value will be described with reference to FIG. 5.

[0101] 5 is a diagram showing the relationship between the number of wafers W and the temperature change before and after the wafers W are introduced. In the graph shown in FIG. 5, the horizontal axis represents the number of wafers W, and the vertical axis represents the temperature change before and after the wafers W are introduced. The temperature change before and after the wafers W are introduced is the difference between the temperature of the phosphoric acid treatment solution in the inner tank 111 before the wafers W are immersed in the processing tank 61 and the temperature of the phosphoric acid treatment solution in the inner tank 111 after the wafers W after the rinse processing are immersed in the processing tank 61. As shown in FIG. 5, there is a correlation between the number of wafers W and the temperature change before and after the wafers W are introduced, and the temperature change before and after the wafers W are introduced becomes larger as the number of wafers W increases.

[0102] The temperature adjustment value in the temperature adjustment information is, for example, an offset value (°C) from the reference value of the phosphoric acid temperature, and more specifically, the difference value between the temperatures of the phosphoric acid treatment solution before and after the wafer W is introduced. The temperature adjustment information can be obtained, for example, by measuring the difference between the temperature of the phosphoric acid treatment solution in the treatment tank 61 before the wafer W is immersed and the temperature of the phosphoric acid treatment solution in the treatment tank 61 after the wafer W is immersed, multiple times with different numbers of wafers W.

[0103] The control unit 10 is realized by, for example, a CPU, a micro processing unit (MPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or the like executing a program stored in the storage unit 9 using the RAM as a working area.

[0104] Furthermore, the control unit 10 may be realized by an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0105] The control unit 10 has an acquisition unit 10a, a concentration control unit 10b, and a temperature control unit 10c, and realizes or executes the functions and actions of the control processing described below. Note that the internal configuration of the control unit 10 is not limited to the configuration shown in Fig. 3, and may be any other configuration as long as it is capable of performing the control processing described below.

[0106] Acquiring unit 10a acquires information regarding the number of wafers W included in a lot scheduled for processing from management device 200 via communication unit 8. Acquiring unit 10a acquires various information including the number of wafers W accommodated in a FOUP F (see FIG. 1 ) from management device 200, for example, based on the identification information of the FOUP F that accommodates the lot scheduled for processing. The information acquired from management device 200 is an example of management information that associates the identification information of a FOUP F with the number of substrates accommodated in the FOUP F.

[0107] Based on the number of wafers W acquired by the acquisition unit 10a, the concentration control unit 10b acquires a carry-over amount, which is the amount of rinse liquid brought into the processing bath 61 along with the wafers W, and adjusts the concentration of the phosphate processing solution based on the carry-over amount. Specifically, the concentration control unit 10b performs a process of presetting a high phosphoric acid concentration in consideration of a decrease in the phosphoric acid concentration due to the carry-over of the rinse liquid. In this case, the concentration control unit 10b sets a target concentration of the phosphate processing solution according to the number of wafers W immersed in the processing bath 61 at once, thereby suppressing variations in the amount of etching between lots. Details of the concentration control process of the phosphate processing solution by the concentration control unit 10b will be described later.

[0108] The temperature control unit 10c acquires a temperature adjustment value corresponding to the number of wafers W acquired by the acquisition unit 10a, and controls the heater 122 based on the temperature adjustment value to adjust the temperature of the phosphate treatment solution. Specifically, the temperature control unit 10c performs a process to increase the temperature of the phosphoric acid in advance, taking into account a decrease in the temperature of the phosphoric acid due to immersion of the wafers W after the rinse process in the process bath 61. At this time, the temperature control unit 10c sets a target temperature of the phosphate treatment solution according to the number of wafers W immersed in the process bath 61 at once, thereby suppressing variations in the amount of etching between lots. The temperature control process of the phosphate treatment solution by the temperature control unit 10c will be described in detail later.

[0109] <Control processing procedure> Next, the procedure of cycle etching according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of cycle etching executed by the substrate processing system 1 according to the embodiment.

[0110] First, the control unit 10 carries the lot into the processing tank 62 and performs a rinse process by immersing the wafers W in a rinse liquid (step S101). Note that the rinse process may be performed using a rinse liquid containing hydrofluoric acid during the first rinse process.

[0111] Next, the control unit 10 carries the lot into the processing tank 61 and immerses the wafers W in a phosphoric acid processing solution to perform an etching process (step S102). The control unit 10 performs this process in a short time, for example, of 10 minutes or less.

[0112] Next, the control unit 10 determines whether the number of times the rinsing process and the etching process have been performed (the number of repetitions) has reached a predetermined set value (step S103). If the number of repetitions has reached the set value, the control unit 10 ends the process of this flowchart. On the other hand, if the number of repetitions has not reached the set value, the control unit 10 returns the process to step S101.

[0113] In this manner, the substrate processing system 1 according to the embodiment performs cycle etching, which repeats a series of processing steps, namely, a rinse process followed by an etching process, multiple times. By performing such cycle etching, the etching rate between the top and bottom in the stacking direction can be made uniform for a highly stacked film.

[0114] It should be noted that the substrate processing system 1 does not necessarily need to perform cycle etching. The substrate processing system 1 may simply perform a series of processing steps of performing a rinse process followed by an etching process at least once.

[0115] Next, the procedure of the concentration control process according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the concentration control process executed by the substrate processing system 1 according to the embodiment. The process in Fig. 7 is performed before the wafer W is loaded into the processing tank 61. Specifically, the process starts when the wafer W is immersed in the processing tank 62 and a rinsing process is started.

[0116] First, the acquiring unit 10a acquires the number of wafers W included in the lot to be loaded into the processing tank 61 based on the management information acquired from the management device 200 (step S201). That is, the acquiring unit 10a acquires the number of wafers W associated with the identification information of the FOUP F in which the wafers W constituting the lot to be loaded into the processing tank 61 are accommodated, from the management information.

[0117] Next, the concentration control unit 10b uses the concentration adjustment information stored in the concentration adjustment information storage unit 9a to acquire the carry-in amount and the concentration adjustment value corresponding to the number of wafers W acquired by the acquisition unit 10a in step S201 (step S202).

[0118] Next, the density control unit 10b determines a target density based on the density adjustment value acquired in step S202 (step S203). Specifically, the density control unit 10b determines the target density to be a density obtained by adding the density adjustment value (offset value) to a predetermined processing density.

[0119] Next, the concentration control unit 10b determines whether the carryover amount acquired in step S202 is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold (step S204). In this process, if it is determined that the carryover amount is equal to or less than the threshold (step S204, Yes), the concentration control unit 10b controls the gas discharge unit 140 to discharge gas at a first flow rate (step S205). On the other hand, if it is determined in step S204 that the carryover amount exceeds the threshold (step S204, No), the concentration control unit 10b controls the gas discharge unit 140 to discharge gas at a second flow rate that is higher than the first flow rate (step S206). The second flow rate is a flow rate that allows the concentration of the phosphate treatment solution to reach the target concentration by the time the rinsing process is completed.

[0120] Here, a specific example of the processing of steps S204 to S206 will be described. For example, assume that when the gas discharge unit 140 discharges gas at a first flow rate, 10 mL / min of water can be evaporated. If the rinse process time (the time from the start of the flow process to the completion of the rinse process in FIG. 7) is 2 minutes, 200 mL of water can be evaporated at the first flow rate, so the threshold is set to 200 mL.

[0121] In step S204, the concentration control unit 10b determines whether the carry-over amount is 200 mL or less. If the carry-over amount is 200 mL or less, the moisture equivalent to the carry-over amount can be evaporated by discharging the gas at a first flow rate. Therefore, in step S205, the concentration control unit 10b controls the gas discharge unit 140 to discharge the gas at the first flow rate. On the other hand, if the carry-over amount is greater than 200 mL, the moisture equivalent to the carry-over amount cannot be evaporated at the first flow rate. Therefore, the concentration control unit 10b controls the gas discharge unit 140 to discharge the gas at a second flow rate that is greater than the first flow rate.

[0122] According to this process, the concentration of the phosphoric acid treatment solution in the treatment tank 61 can be adjusted to a concentration that takes into account the amount of carryover before the rinsing process is completed, thereby preventing a decrease in throughput in the rinsing process and etching process.

[0123] Next, the concentration control unit 10b measures the concentration of the phosphoric acid treatment solution using the concentration sensor 114 (step S207).

[0124] Next, the concentration control unit 10b determines whether the concentration of the phosphoric acid treatment solution obtained in step S207 is equal to or greater than the target concentration determined in step S203 (step S208). If the concentration of the phosphoric acid treatment solution is equal to or greater than the target concentration, the concentration control unit 10b proceeds to step S209. On the other hand, if the concentration of the phosphoric acid treatment solution is lower than the target concentration, the concentration control unit 10b returns the process to step S207.

[0125] Next, the concentration control unit 10b determines whether the gas discharge flow rate by the gas discharge unit 140 is the second flow rate (step S209). If the gas discharge flow rate is the second flow rate (step S209, Yes), the concentration control unit 10b controls the gas discharge unit 140 to change the gas discharge flow rate to the first flow rate (step S210). On the other hand, if the gas discharge flow rate is not the second flow rate (step S209, No), the concentration control unit 10b proceeds to step S211.

[0126] Next, the concentration control unit 10b controls the DIW supply unit 130 to start replenishing DIW (step S211). This process allows the phosphoric acid concentration to be kept constant after the concentration of the phosphoric acid treatment solution reaches the target concentration.

[0127] In this way, when the carry-over amount exceeds the threshold, the concentration control unit 10b discharges the gas at the second flow rate while the phosphoric acid concentration measured by the concentration sensor 114 is less than the target concentration. Then, when the phosphoric acid concentration measured by the concentration sensor 114 becomes equal to or greater than the target concentration, the concentration control unit 10b changes the discharge flow rate of the gas from the second flow rate to the first flow rate.

[0128] Furthermore, while the phosphoric acid concentration measured by the concentration sensor 114 is below the target concentration, the concentration control unit 10b stops the DIW supply unit 130 (an example of a water replenishment unit) from replenishing water into the treatment tank 61. Then, when the phosphoric acid concentration measured by the concentration sensor 114 becomes equal to or higher than the target concentration, the concentration control unit 10b controls the DIW supply unit 130 to replenish water into the treatment tank 61.

[0129] Next, the procedure of the temperature control process according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the temperature control process executed by the substrate processing system 1 according to the embodiment. The process in Fig. 7 is performed before the wafer W is loaded into the processing tank 61. Specifically, the process starts when the wafer W is immersed in the processing tank 62 and a rinsing process is started.

[0130] First, the acquiring unit 10a acquires the number of wafers W included in the lot to be loaded into the processing tank 61 based on the management information acquired from the management device 200 (step S301). That is, the acquiring unit 10a acquires the number of wafers W associated with the identification information of the FOUP F in which the wafers W constituting the lot to be loaded into the processing tank 61 are accommodated, from the management information.

[0131] Next, the temperature control unit 10c acquires a temperature adjustment value corresponding to the number of wafers W acquired by the acquisition unit 10a in step S301, using the temperature adjustment information stored in the temperature adjustment information storage unit 9b. Then, the temperature control unit 10c determines a target temperature based on the acquired temperature adjustment value (step S302). Specifically, the temperature control unit 10c determines the target temperature to be a temperature obtained by adding the temperature adjustment value (offset value) to a predetermined processing temperature.

[0132] Next, the temperature control unit 10c measures the temperature of the phosphoric acid treatment solution using the temperature sensor 113 (step S303).

[0133] Next, temperature control unit 10c determines whether the temperature of the phosphate treatment solution obtained in step S303 is equal to or higher than the target temperature determined in step S302 (step S304). If the temperature of the phosphate treatment solution is equal to or higher than the target temperature (step S304, Yes), temperature control unit 10c controls the heater 122 to decrease its output (step S305). On the other hand, if the temperature of the phosphate treatment solution is lower than the target temperature (step S304, No), temperature control unit 10c controls the heater 122 to increase its output (step S306).

[0134] Next, the temperature control unit 10c determines whether or not the etching process is to be started (step S307). If the etching process is to be started (step S307, Yes), the temperature control unit 10c ends the process of this flowchart. On the other hand, if the etching process is not to be started (step S307, No), the temperature control unit 10c returns the process to step S303. That is, the temperature control unit 10c continues the process of maintaining the temperature of the phosphoric acid treatment solution at the target temperature until the etching process is started.

[0135] <Modification> In the above-described embodiment, the concentration control process by the concentration control unit 10b and the temperature control process by the temperature control unit 10c are described separately, but the concentration control process and the temperature control process may be performed together, or only one of the processes may be performed.

[0136] In the above-described embodiment, the concentration control process by the concentration controller 10b is completed by the time the rinsing process for the wafer W is completed. However, the timing of performing such concentration control process is not limited to the above-described example. For example, the concentration control process may be performed during the etching process, or a waiting time may be set after the rinsing process or the etching process, and the concentration adjustment process may be performed during such waiting time. The same applies to the timing of performing the temperature control process.

[0137] In the above-described embodiment, the concentration of the phosphate treatment solution is adjusted by adjusting the gas discharge flow rate of the gas discharge unit 140 and the DIW supply rate of the DIW supply unit 130. However, the method for adjusting the concentration of the phosphate treatment solution is not limited to the above-described method. For example, the concentration control unit 10b may adjust the concentration of the phosphate treatment solution by newly supplying a high-concentration phosphate treatment solution to the treatment tank 61.

[0138] As described above, the substrate processing apparatus (for example, the substrate processing system 1) according to the embodiment includes a rinse tank (for example, the processing tank 62), a processing tank (for example, the processing tank 61), an acquisition unit (for example, the acquisition unit 10a), a concentration adjustment unit (for example, the gas discharge unit 140), and a concentration control unit (for example, the concentration control unit 10b). The rinse tank is a tank that stores a rinse liquid containing water, and rinses a plurality of substrates (for example, wafers W) having an inorganic film by immersing the substrates in the stored rinse liquid (for example, a processing liquid for rinsing). The processing tank is a tank that stores a phosphate treatment liquid (for example, a phosphate treatment liquid), and etches a plurality of substrates by immersing the substrates after rinsing in the stored phosphate treatment liquid. The acquisition unit acquires the number of substrates immersed in the processing tank at once. The concentration adjustment unit adjusts the concentration of the phosphate treatment liquid stored in the processing tank. The concentration control unit acquires the amount of rinsing liquid brought into the processing tank along with the multiple substrates based on the number of substrates acquired by the acquisition unit, and controls the concentration adjustment unit based on the amount of rinsing liquid brought into the processing tank to adjust the concentration of the phosphoric acid processing liquid.

[0139] The substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment acquires a carry-over amount, which is the amount of rinse liquid brought into the processing tank along with the substrates, based on the number of substrates immersed together in the processing tank containing the phosphoric acid processing solution, and then adjusts the concentration of the phosphoric acid processing solution based on the carry-over amount.

[0140] According to this configuration, even when etching is performed on substrates after rinsing, the concentration adjustment process is performed to address factors that change the concentration of the phosphoric acid treatment solution (the amount of rinsing solution carried over, which changes depending on the number of substrates immersed in the treatment tank at once). Therefore, the etching process can be performed on the substrates after rinsing at an appropriate concentration. Furthermore, even when the number of substrates to be etched at once varies, variations in the phosphoric acid concentration can be suppressed.

[0141] Therefore, according to the substrate processing apparatus of the embodiment, it is possible to suppress variations in the amount of etching in a technique for simultaneously etching a plurality of substrates using an aqueous phosphoric acid solution.

[0142] The disclosed embodiments should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. Indeed, the above-described embodiments may be embodied in various forms. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0143] 1. Substrate Processing System 7 Control Device 8. Communications Department 9 Storage section 9a Density adjustment information storage section 9b Temperature adjustment information storage section 10 Control Unit 10a Acquisition part 10b Concentration control section 10c Temperature control unit 11 Sheet counting device 61 Treatment tank 62 Treatment tank 63 PCB lifting mechanism 111 Inner tank 111a opening 112 Outer tank 113 Temperature Sensor 114 Concentration sensor 120 Circulation path 122 Heater 130 DIW supply section 140 Gas discharge section W wafer F Hoop

Claims

1. a rinse tank that stores a rinse liquid containing water and that rinses a plurality of substrates having an inorganic film by immersing the substrates in the stored rinse liquid; a treatment tank for storing a phosphoric acid treatment solution, the treatment tank being configured to etch the substrates by immersing the substrates after the rinsing process in the phosphoric acid treatment solution; an acquisition unit that acquires the number of the substrates immersed in the processing bath at once; a concentration adjusting unit that adjusts the concentration of the phosphoric acid treatment solution stored in the treatment tank; a concentration control unit that acquires a carry-over amount, which is the amount of the rinse liquid brought into the treatment bath together with the plurality of substrates, based on the number of substrates acquired by the acquisition unit, and controls the concentration adjustment unit based on the carry-over amount to adjust the concentration of the phosphoric acid treatment solution; A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the concentration control unit causes the concentration adjusting unit to start adjusting the concentration of the phosphate processing solution before the etching process.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the concentration control unit causes the concentration adjusting unit to complete the concentration adjustment of the phosphate processing solution during the rinsing process.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a series of processing steps of performing the etching processing after the rinsing processing is performed at least once.

5. a storage unit for storing carry-over amount information in which the number of the substrates and the carry-over amount are previously associated with each other; Equipped with The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the concentration control unit acquires the carry-over amount corresponding to the number of substrates acquired by the acquisition unit, using the carry-over amount information.

6. The concentration adjusting unit a gas discharge section for discharging gas into the processing tank; Equipped with The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the concentration control unit adjusts the concentration of the phosphoric acid treatment solution by changing the flow rate of the gas discharged by the gas discharge unit.

7. The concentration adjusting unit When the carryover amount is equal to or less than a threshold value, the gas is discharged at a first flow rate; The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein when the carry-over amount exceeds the threshold value, the gas is discharged at a second flow rate that is higher than the first flow rate.

8. a measuring unit for measuring the concentration of the phosphoric acid treatment solution stored in the treatment tank; a storage unit that stores density adjustment information in which the number of substrates and density adjustment values ​​are previously associated with each other; Equipped with the concentration control unit acquires the concentration adjustment value corresponding to the number of substrates acquired by the acquisition unit using the concentration adjustment information, and sets a target concentration based on the acquired concentration adjustment value; 8. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein when the amount of carryover exceeds the threshold, the gas is discharged at the second flow rate while the concentration of the phosphate processing liquid measured by the measurement unit is less than the target concentration, and when the concentration of the phosphate processing liquid measured by the measurement unit becomes equal to or greater than the target concentration, the discharge flow rate of the gas is changed from the second flow rate to the first flow rate.

9. a water replenishing section for replenishing the treatment tank with water; Equipped with 9. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 8, wherein the concentration control unit stops the water replenishment unit from replenishing water into the processing tank while the concentration of the phosphoric acid processing solution measured by the measurement unit is less than the target concentration, and controls the water replenishment unit to replenish water into the processing tank when the concentration of the phosphoric acid processing solution measured by the measurement unit becomes equal to or greater than the target concentration.

10. a temperature adjusting unit that adjusts the temperature of the phosphate treatment solution stored in the treatment tank; a temperature control unit that acquires a temperature adjustment value corresponding to the number of substrates acquired by the acquisition unit, and controls the temperature adjustment unit based on the temperature adjustment value to adjust the temperature of the phosphating treatment solution; The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:

11. a storage unit that stores temperature adjustment information in which the number of substrates and the temperature adjustment value are associated in advance; Equipped with The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the temperature control unit acquires a temperature adjustment value corresponding to the number of substrates acquired by the acquisition unit, using the temperature adjustment information.

12. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the temperature control unit controls the temperature adjustment unit to adjust the temperature of the phosphoric acid processing solution to a temperature obtained by adding the temperature adjustment value to a predetermined processing temperature.

13. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition unit acquires the number of substrates to be immersed in the processing tank at once based on management information that associates identification information that identifies a FOUP that can accommodate multiple substrates with the number of substrates accommodated in the FOUP.

14. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the inorganic film is a nitride film.

15. a step of rinsing a plurality of substrates having an inorganic film by immersing the substrates in a rinse tank containing a rinse liquid containing water; immersing the substrates after the rinsing process in a treatment tank containing a phosphoric acid treatment solution, thereby etching the substrates; acquiring the number of the substrates to be immersed in the treatment bath at the same time; acquiring a carry-over amount, which is the amount of the rinse liquid brought into the processing tank together with the plurality of substrates, based on the number of the substrates acquired in the acquiring step, and adjusting the concentration of the phosphoric acid processing solution stored in the processing tank based on the carry-over amount; A substrate processing method comprising:

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