Substrate processing apparatus and substrate removal method

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of reducing adhesion of particles to the surface of a substrate when the substrate is taken out of a processing container.SOLUTION: A substrate processing device includes: a processing container that processes a substrate; a substrate support having a mounting surface on which the substrate is mounted; and a lift pin mechanism including a lift pin movable relative to the substrate support and a pin accommodation chamber accommodating the lift pin. The substrate support has a hole through which the lift pin can pass. The lift pin mechanism includes a pressure adjustment unit that adjusts the pressure in the hole by circulating an inert gas in the pin accommodation chamber. When the substrate is floated, the pressure adjustment unit sets the pressure in the hole to be equal to or higher than the pressure in the processing space above the mounting surface, and the floatation pressure at which the substrate is continuously mounted on the mounting surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Substrate processing apparatuses are required to minimize the adhesion of particles to substrates. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for suppressing particle generation by moving a substrate diagonally upward when unloading the substrate, thereby eliminating friction between the wall of a substrate support unit and the substrate.

[0003] In a substrate processing apparatus, the substrate may stretch due to heating during processing, causing the substrate to rub against the substrate support member, generating particles. When removing the substrate, it is necessary to prevent these particles from adhering to the substrate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-60936 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present disclosure provides a technique that can reduce particle adhesion to the surface of a substrate when the substrate is removed from a processing chamber. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a processing vessel for accommodating a substrate therein and processing the substrate, a substrate support part provided within the processing vessel and having a mounting surface on which the substrate is placed, and a lift pin mechanism part including lift pins movable relative to the substrate support part and pin housing chambers for housing the lift pins, and for lifting the lift pins to lift the substrate placed on the substrate support part, wherein the substrate support part has holes through which the lift pins can pass, and the lift pin mechanism part has a pressure adjustment part that adjusts the pressure of the holes by circulating an inert gas through the pin housing chambers, and the pressure adjustment part adjusts the pressure of the holes to a level that is equal to or higher than the pressure of a processing space above the mounting surface and that is equal to a lifting pressure at which the substrate is continuously placed on the mounting surface. The pressure adjusting unit has a gas exhaust path that communicates with the pin housing chamber and exhausts gas from the pin housing chamber, and an exhaust adjuster that adjusts the opening of a flow path of the gas exhaust path. A substrate processing apparatus is provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect, adhesion of particles to the surface of the substrate can be reduced when the substrate is removed from the processing chamber. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the internal structure of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing the internal structure of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a lift pin mechanism of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing a process flow of a substrate removal method. [Figure 6] 6A to 6C are schematic cross-sectional views showing the operation of the lift pin mechanism, where FIG. 6A is a first state, FIG. 6B is a second state, and FIG. 6C is a third state. [Figure 7]7A to 7C are schematic cross-sectional views showing the operation of the lift pin mechanism following FIG. 6, where FIG. 7A is a fourth state, FIG. 7B is a fifth state, and FIG. 7C is a sixth state. [Figure 8] 8A and 8B are schematic cross-sectional views showing the operation of the lift pin mechanism portion following FIG. 7, where FIG. 8A shows the seventh state and FIG. 8B shows the eighth state. [Figure 9] 10 is a graph illustrating the ratio of the pressure in each hole on the back side of the substrate to the pressure in the processing space. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations may be omitted.

[0010] [Substrate Processing Apparatus] 1, a film forming apparatus that forms a silicon oxide (SiO2) film on a substrate W by atomic layer deposition (ALD) or molecular layer deposition (MLD) will be described as an example of the substrate processing apparatus 1. The substrate W to be subjected to the film forming process may be, for example, a semiconductor wafer. A recess pattern such as a trench or a via may be formed on the surface of the substrate W.

[0011] The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a processing chamber 10, a substrate support unit 20, a gas supply unit 30, a gas exhaust unit 40, a heater unit 50, a lift pin mechanism unit 60, and a control unit 90.

[0012] The processing vessel 10 is a vacuum vessel capable of reducing the pressure in its internal space 11, and performs substrate processing such as film formation on substrates W in a vacuum atmosphere. The processing vessel 10 is formed as a flat cylinder having a substantially circular planar shape, and is capable of accommodating multiple substrates W in the internal space 11 in the horizontal direction. The processing vessel 10 is composed of a concave vessel body 12 that is open on the upper side in the vertical direction, and a top plate 15 that covers the top of the vessel body 12. The vessel body 12 and the top plate 15 are preferably made of, for example, aluminum (Al). The vessel body 12 and the top plate 15 are hermetically sealed together by a sealing member 16.

[0013] The vessel body 12 has a disk-shaped bottom wall 13 and a side wall 14 that protrudes vertically upward from the outer periphery of the bottom wall 13. A transfer port 14a is formed in the side wall 14 for loading and unloading the substrate W. The transfer port 14a is airtightly opened and closed by a gate valve (not shown). When the gate valve is open, a transfer arm CA (see FIG. 3) for substrate transport installed outside the processing vessel 10 enters through the transfer port 14a, thereby loading and unloading the substrate W between the outside of the processing vessel 10 and the internal space 11.

[0014] The bottom wall 13 is provided with a plurality of exhaust ports 13a for exhausting gas inside the processing vessel 10 to the outside. The bottom wall 13 also has a plurality of through-holes 13b formed therein for passing lift pins 61 of a lift pin mechanism 60 (described later) and an inert gas therethrough.

[0015] The substrate support part 20 includes a rotary table 21 that supports the substrate W in the processing chamber 10, a rotary shaft 22 fixed to the center of the rotary table 21, and a rotary drive part 23 that rotates the rotary shaft 22.

[0016] The rotary table 21 is made of, for example, quartz and has a disk shape. The center of the rotary table 21 coincides with the axis of the processing vessel 10, and the rotary table 21 rotates around the axis of the processing vessel 10 as a rotary shaft 22 rotates.

[0017] The turntable 21 has a plurality of (e.g., five) recesses 24 on its upper surface for accommodating and supporting the substrates W. The recesses 24 are arranged at approximately equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the turntable 21. Each recess 24 is formed in a perfect circle in a plan view, and has an inner diameter that is slightly larger than the diameter of the substrate W (e.g., approximately 1 mm to 4 mm larger than the diameter of the substrate W). A substrate W is placed in each of the plurality of recesses 24. An internal space 11 from the upper surface of the turntable 21 to the ceiling surface of the top plate 15 forms a processing space S in which the substrate W is processed.

[0018] The bottom surface of the recess 24 serves as a mounting surface 25 on which the substrate W is placed. The turntable 21 also has a plurality of (three) holes 26 that penetrate the lower surface of the turntable 21 and the mounting surface 25 of the recess 24. A lift pin 61 of a lift pin mechanism 60 passes through each hole 26. The substrate processing apparatus 1 uses the lift pin mechanism 60 when transferring and receiving the substrate W between each recess 24 and the transport arm CA while the turntable 21 is stopped from rotating.

[0019] The depth of each recess 24 is set to be equal to or deeper than the thickness of the substrate W. Therefore, when the substrate W is accommodated in the recess 24, the surface of the substrate W and the upper surface of the turntable 21 are at the same height, or the surface of the substrate W is lower than the upper surface of the turntable 21. It is preferable that the depth of the recess 24 be set to a depth of up to three times the thickness of the substrate W.

[0020] The rotary table 21 has a cylindrical core 27 at its center, and is fixed to the upper end of a rotary shaft 22 via the core 27. The rotary shaft 22 penetrates the bottom wall 13 of the processing vessel 10, and its lower end is connected to a rotary drive unit 23. The rotary drive unit 23 has a motor and a drive transmission mechanism (not shown), and is housed in a case 28 that is open at the top in the vertical direction. The case 28 is fixed to the bottom wall 13 of the processing vessel 10.

[0021] 2 and 3, the gas supply unit 30 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 has one or more (two in this embodiment) reaction gas nozzles 31 and 32 and one or more (two in this embodiment) separation gas nozzles 33 and 34 arranged above the turntable 21. The reaction gas nozzles 31 and 32 and the separation gas nozzles 33 and 34 are made of, for example, quartz and are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the processing chamber 10 (the rotation direction of the turntable 21). In this embodiment, the separation gas nozzle 33, the reaction gas nozzle 31, the separation gas nozzle 34, and the reaction gas nozzle 32 are arranged in this order clockwise from the transfer port 14a.

[0022] Each of the reaction gas nozzles 31, 32 and each of the separation gas nozzles 33, 34 has a gas inlet port 35 for introducing various gases, which is located outside the processing vessel 10. The gas inlet port 35 is fixed to the sidewall 14 of the vessel body 12 and protrudes outside the vessel body 12. Each of the reaction gas nozzles 31, 32 and each of the separation gas nozzles 33, 34 is inserted into the processing vessel 10 from the sidewall 14 of the vessel body 12 and extends radially inward of the vessel body 12.

[0023] Each of the reactive gas nozzles 31, 32 is connected to a reactive gas supply source (not shown) via piping, a flow rate controller, etc. (not shown). Examples of the reactive gas that can be used include a silicon-containing gas, a metal-containing gas, an oxidizing gas, and a nitriding gas. Each of the reactive gas nozzles 31, 32 has a plurality of outlet holes (not shown) that open toward the turntable 21 and are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the reactive gas nozzles 31, 32. For example, the substrate processing apparatus 1 may be configured such that the first reactive gas nozzle 31 discharges a silicon-containing gas or a metal-containing gas, and the second reactive gas nozzle 32 discharges an oxidizing gas or a nitriding gas. Silicon or metal is deposited on the surface of the substrate W in a region P1 below the first reactive gas nozzle 31, and the deposited silicon or metal is oxidized or nitrided in a region P2 below the second reactive gas nozzle 32.

[0024] Each separation gas nozzle 33, 34 is connected to a separation gas supply source (not shown) via piping, a flow control valve, etc. (not shown). The separation gas may be, for example, an inert gas such as argon (Ar) gas or nitrogen (N2) gas. Each separation gas nozzle 33, 34 has a plurality of discharge holes (not shown) that open toward the rotary table 21 and are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the separation gas nozzle 33, 34.

[0025] 2 and 3, two convex portions 36 are provided inside the processing vessel 10. The convex portions 36, together with the separation gas nozzles 33 and 34, form a separation region, and are attached to the rear surface of the top plate 15 so as to protrude toward the turntable 21. The convex portions 36 have a fan-shaped planar shape with an arc-shaped top, and the inner arc is connected to the protruding portion 15a of the top plate 15, while the outer arc is disposed along the inner circumferential surface of the side wall 14 of the vessel body 12.

[0026] The inert gas discharged from each separation gas nozzle 33, 34 is guided by the convex portion 36, and acts as a counterflow to the first reaction gas in the lower region P1 and the second reaction gas in the lower region P2. Therefore, the first reaction gas in the lower region P1 and the second reaction gas in the lower region P2 are separated. This prevents the first reaction gas and the second reaction gas from mixing and reacting with each other in the internal space 11 of the processing vessel 10.

[0027] 1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 has a separation gas supply pipe 37 connected to the center of the top plate 15 of the processing vessel 10, and supplies a separation gas to the space between the top plate 15 and the core 27. The separation gas prevents the first reaction gas supplied to the lower region P1 and the second reaction gas supplied to the lower region P2 from mixing through the center.

[0028] An exhaust pipe 41, which is a gas exhaust unit 40, is connected to a plurality of exhaust ports 13a provided in the bottom wall 13. A pressure controller 42 and a vacuum pump 43 are provided in this exhaust pipe 41.

[0029] The heater unit 50 is provided on the upper surface of the bottom wall 13. The heater unit 50 has a housing 51 (see FIG. 4) that protrudes from the bottom wall 13 and is close to the underside of the turntable 21, and a heating wire 52 (see FIG. 4) that is housed in the housing 51, and heats the substrate W placed on the turntable 21 to a temperature set in a recipe. The heater unit 50 also has a plurality of through holes 50a formed in the heater unit 50 at the same positions as the positions of the through holes 13b in the bottom wall 13, through which the lift pins 61 pass.

[0030] The bottom wall 13, which is closer to the center of rotation than the space in which the heater unit 50 is disposed, has a protrusion 17 that protrudes upward so as to approach the core portion 27. The gap between this protrusion 17 and the core portion 27 and the gap between the inner circumferential surface of the hole of the rotating shaft 22 that penetrates the bottom wall 13 and the rotating shaft 22 are both narrow, and these narrow spaces communicate with the case 28. The case 28 is provided with a purge gas supply pipe 29 that supplies nitrogen gas as a purge gas.

[0031] In addition, a plurality of purge gas supply pipes 18 are provided at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction of the processing vessel 10 on the bottom wall 13 of the processing vessel 10 below the heater unit 50. Each purge gas supply pipe 18 supplies purge gas to purge gas in the space where the heater unit 50 is disposed.

[0032] A control unit 90 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 instructs each component of the substrate processing apparatus 1 to operate and controls the operation of each component. The control unit 90 is a control computer having one or more processors 91, a memory 92, an input / output interface (not shown), and electronic circuits. The one or more processors 91 are one or a combination of a CPU, a GPU, an ASIC, an FPGA, or a circuit made up of multiple discrete semiconductors. The memory 92 includes a nonvolatile memory and a volatile memory, and forms a storage unit of the control unit 90. The nonvolatile memory may be, for example, a flexible disk, a compact disk, a hard disk, a flash memory, a DVD, or the like.

[0033] [Lift pin mechanism 60] Next, the lift pin mechanism 60 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 will be described. When the substrate W is loaded into or unloaded from the substrate support 20 by the transport arm CA (see FIG. 3), the lift pin mechanism 60 raises and lowers a plurality of lift pins 61 (three in this embodiment) to receive and transfer the substrate W between the transport arm CA. Note that for convenience of illustration, two lift pins 61 are shown in FIG. 1. The number of lift pins 61 in the lift pin mechanism 60 is not particularly limited, and the lift pin mechanism 60 may be provided with, for example, four or more lift pins 61.

[0034] The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a lift pin mechanism 60 located opposite the turntable 21 near the transfer opening 14a, and places a substrate W in each of a plurality of recesses 24 that move with the rotation of the turntable 21, and lifts the substrate W from each recess 24. The lift pin mechanism 60 is fixed to the bottom wall 13 at a position that allows it to face each recess 24 with the rotation of the turntable 21. The lift pin mechanism 60 includes three (multiple) upper lift units 62, each having three lift pins 61, and one lower operating unit 70 that simultaneously raises and lowers the three lift pins 61.

[0035] 4, each upper lift part 62 is installed across the through-hole 13b in the bottom wall 13 of the processing vessel 10 and the through-hole 50a in the housing 51 of the heater unit 50. Each upper lift part 62 includes an upper case 63, a lift pin 61, a spring member 64, a cylindrical member 65, and a pressure adjusting part 66.

[0036] The upper case 63 is formed in a cylindrical shape that can be accommodated in the through-holes 13b of the bottom wall 13 and the heater unit 50, and is firmly fixed to the bottom wall 13 and the heater unit 50 by appropriate fixing means. The interior of this upper case 63 is a pin accommodating chamber 63a that can accommodate the lift pins 61 and the cylindrical members 65 so that they can be raised and lowered. The upper case 63 is located radially outwardly of the lift pins 61 accommodated in the pin accommodating chamber 63a, and is not in contact with the lift pins 61 when the lift pins 61 are raised and lowered.

[0037] In addition, in the attached state, the upper case 63 protrudes vertically downward from the lower surface of the bottom wall 13. The lift pin mechanism 60 has a pressure adjusting section 66 connected to the protruding portion of the upper case 63.

[0038] The lift pin 61 is a cylindrical (solid rod-like) member, and is formed to be longer than the combined thickness of the bottom wall 13 and the heater unit 50. The lift pin 61 is displaceable between a lowered position LP where its upper end is located below the upper surface of the heater unit 50 and an elevated position HP (indicated by a two-dot chain line in the drawing) where its upper end protrudes above the upper surface of the turntable 21.

[0039] The lift pin 61 has a large-diameter cylindrical lower base 611 and a cylindrical rod portion 612 that protrudes vertically upward from the lower base 611 and has a smaller diameter than the lower base 611. The lower base 611 and the rod portion 612 are integrally molded. The material that constitutes the lift pin 61 is preferably a metal material or ceramic that has high wear resistance, and in this embodiment, alumina (Al2O3) is used.

[0040] The lower end base 611 serves as a receiving part that receives a pressing force from a plunger 71 of the lower operating part 70, which will be described later. In addition, a seat member 613 that fixes the lower end of a spring member 64 is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the lower end base 611. The rod part 612 has a constant outer diameter and a smooth outer peripheral surface, and extends along the axis of the upper case 63. When the rod part 612 protrudes from the turntable 21, its upper end comes into contact with and supports the substrate W. The upper end of the rod part 612 is formed in an approximately hemispherical shape, and is capable of making point contact with the substrate W.

[0041] The lift pins 61 are positioned at a lowered position LP below the upper surface of the heater unit 50, thereby enabling the turntable 21 to rotate. When the turntable 21 is not rotating, the lift pins 61 face the holes 26 formed in the recesses 24 of the turntable 21. Then, when the lift pins 61 are pushed up by the plungers 71 of the lower operating units 70, the lift pins 61 pass through the holes 26 of the turntable 21 and are exposed above the upper surface of the turntable 21.

[0042] The spring member 64 is a coil spring that is provided on the side periphery of the rod portion 612 of the lift pin 61 without contacting the rod portion 612, and is capable of expanding and contracting in the vertical direction. The lower end of the spring member 64 is fixed to the upper end of the seat member 613 as described above. On the other hand, the upper end of the spring member 64 is fixed to the cylindrical member 65.

[0043] The tubular member 65 is disposed on the upper end side of the upper case 63. The tubular member 65 is formed in a cylindrical shape that can be accommodated inside the through-hole 13b of the heater unit 50, and has a tubular hole 651 inside in which the rod portion 612 of the lift pin 61 is disposed. The lower end of the tubular member 65 serves as a spring seat that can accommodate the upper end of the spring member 64. In addition, the upper end of the tubular member 65 is provided with a flange portion 652 that protrudes radially outward from the tubular portion and wraps around in an annular shape. The flange portion 652 is configured to hook onto the upper surface of the housing 51 of the heater unit 50. By hooking the flange portion 652 onto the heater unit 50, the lift pin 61 can be supported via the tubular member 65 and the spring member 64, and the lift pin 61 does not come into contact with the bottom surface of the upper case 63.

[0044] This cylindrical member 65 is movable relative to the upper case 63, and when the lift pins 61 rise, the cylindrical member 65 is pushed upward via the spring member 64, and rises together with the lift pins 61. As the cylindrical member 65 rises, the flange portion 652 comes into contact with the underside of the turntable 21, thereby communicating between the hole portion 26 of the turntable 21 and the pin accommodating chamber 63a of the upper case 63 via the cylindrical hole 651. When the cylindrical member 65 comes into contact with the turntable 21, the rise of the cylindrical member 65 stops, while the lift pins 61 continue to rise relative to the cylindrical member 65. This allows the lift pin mechanism 60 to stably insert the lift pins 61 into the hole portion 26 of the turntable 21.

[0045] The pressure adjustment unit 66 of the lift pin mechanism 60 includes a gas supply unit 67 that supplies gas to the pin housing chamber 63a of the upper case 63, and a gas exhaust unit 68 that exhausts gas from the pin housing chamber 63a. The pressure adjustment unit 66 regulates the flow of gas to prevent the processing gas from entering the components below the turntable 21 (such as the heater unit 50 and the lift pin mechanism 60). Examples of gases supplied by the gas supply unit 67 include inert gases such as argon gas, nitrogen gas, and dry air.

[0046] Specifically, the gas supply unit 67 includes a gas supply path 671 connected to the upper case 63 protruding from the bottom wall 13. The gas supply unit 67 includes, in order from the upstream side to the downstream side of the gas supply path 671, a gas source 672, a mass flow controller 673, a pressure sensor 674, and an on-off valve (not shown). Under the control of the control unit 90, the gas supply unit 67 opens and closes the on-off valve. With the on-off valve open, the mass flow controller 673 adjusts the flow rate of the inert gas supplied from the gas source 672, thereby supplying an appropriate amount of inert gas into the upper case 63. The pressure sensor 674 detects the pressure of the inert gas flowing through the gas supply path 671 and transmits the pressure value to the control unit 90. This pressure value indirectly represents the pressure in the pin housing chamber 63a.

[0047] Meanwhile, the gas exhaust unit 68 of the lift pin mechanism 60 adjusts the pressure inside the upper case 63 by exhausting gas from inside the upper case 63. This gas exhaust unit 68 has a gas exhaust path 681 connected to a protruding portion of the upper case 63, and also has a flow rate adjustment valve 682 and a pump 683 located midway along the gas exhaust path 681. The gas exhaust unit 68 operates the pump 683 under the control of the control unit 90 to perform suction inside the upper case 63, and can control the pressure in the pin housing chamber 63a by adjusting the exhaust rate with the flow rate adjustment valve 682.

[0048] 1, the lower operating unit 70 of the lift pin mechanism 60 is provided below the three upper lift units 62. The lower operating unit 70 has three plungers 71 corresponding to the three lift pins 61 of the lift pin mechanism 60, and each plunger 71 is displaced in the vertical direction and presses the lower end base 611 of each lift pin 61 when raised. In other words, the lift pin mechanism 60 has a two-stage structure that includes, separately, a plurality of lift pins 61 that directly contact the substrate W and a plurality of plungers 71 that raise and lower each lift pin 61. Note that the lift pin mechanism 60 may have a drive unit (not shown) connected to each lift pin 61 without including each plunger 71, and the drive unit may directly raise and lower each lift pin 61.

[0049] The lower operating unit 70 includes a lower case 72 capable of accommodating three plungers 71, and a plunger drive unit 73 that integrally operates the three plungers 71. The lower case 72 is formed in an appropriate shape (substantially disk-shaped) capable of accommodating each component of the lower operating unit 70, and is fixed to the lower end of the upper case 63. The upper case 63 and the lower case 72 are fixed airtightly by a sealing member (not shown).

[0050] The plunger drive unit 73 includes a drive source 74 and a drive transmission unit 75 that transmits the drive force of the drive source 74 to the plungers 71. The drive source 74 operates under the control of the control unit 90 and outputs the drive force to the drive transmission unit 75. The type of drive source 74 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a motor, a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder mechanism, and a magnetic mechanism. The drive transmission unit 75 converts or reduces the speed of the drive force of the drive source 74, thereby raising and lowering a movable body 751 that supports the three plungers 71 in the vertical direction.

[0051] As shown in Fig. 4, each plunger 71 is formed in the shape of a long, thin solid rod, and is fixed to a movable body 751 so that it extends parallel to the vertical direction. Passages 76 that allow each plunger 71 to pass through are formed in the upper case 63 and the lower case 72 at locations facing each plunger 71. When receiving or transferring the substrate W, each plunger 71 moves up together with the movable body 751 and moves within the pin accommodating chamber 63a of the upper case 63. Each plunger 71 comes into contact with the lower end base 611 of each lift pin 61, thereby pushing up the lift pin 61.

[0052] [Operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1] The substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is basically configured as described above, and its operation will be described below.

[0053] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, in preparation for a film formation process, the control unit 90 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 opens the gate valve to load a substrate W into the processing chamber 10. The substrate W is held by the transfer arm CA and transferred into the processing chamber 10, and is positioned directly above the recess 24 on the turntable 21 where the substrate W is to be placed. In this state, the control unit 90 operates the lift pin mechanism 60 facing the substrate W to receive the substrate W from the transfer arm CA. At this time, the lift pin mechanism 60 simultaneously pushes up the plungers 71 of the lower operating unit 70, causing the upper ends of the plungers 71 to press against the lower end bases 611, thereby raising the lift pins 61. The lift pins 61 rise to a standby position (lift position HP) for the substrate W and receive the substrate W by contacting the underside of the substrate W. At this time, the lift pin mechanism 60 may supply an inert gas to the pin housing chamber 63a via the gas supply unit 67. This makes it possible to prevent the reaction gas remaining in the previous film forming process from entering the area below the turntable 21.

[0054] After the substrate W is received by each lift pin 61, the control unit 90 removes the transport arm CA from the processing vessel 10 and operates the lift pin mechanism unit 60 to lower each lift pin 61, thereby placing the substrate W in the recessed portion 24 of the turntable 21. The substrate processing apparatus 1 performs the above operation for each of the recessed portions 24, thereby placing the substrate W in all of the recessed portions 24.

[0055] After the substrate W is accommodated in the recess 24 of the turntable 21, the substrate processing apparatus 1 starts a film formation process. For example, while a separation gas is being discharged into the processing chamber 10 from the separation gas nozzles 33 and 34, the control unit 90 discharges a first reaction gas from the first reaction gas nozzle 31 into the lower region P1 and a second reaction gas from the second reaction gas nozzle 32 into the lower region P2. Furthermore, while discharging the reaction gas and separation gas, the control unit 90 rotates the turntable 21 at a predetermined speed using the rotation drive unit 23. As a result, when the substrate W placed on the turntable 21 repeatedly passes through the lower region P1 and the lower region P2, a film is deposited on the surface of the substrate W by ALD.

[0056] Furthermore, the control unit 90 operates the heater unit 50 during the film formation process to heat the substrate W on the turntable 21. Note that the control unit 90 may operate the gas supply unit 67 of the lift pin mechanism 60 to supply an inert gas to the upper case 63 of the upper lift unit 62 during the film formation process. The inert gas supplied to the pin housing chamber 63a flows out to the underside of the turntable 21 in the processing vessel 10, thereby preventing the reactive gas from entering the underside of the turntable 21. Furthermore, after the film formation process, the substrate processing apparatus 1 supplies a purge gas into the processing vessel 10 via the purge gas supply pipes 18 and 29, thereby directing the gas in the processing vessel 10 to the exhaust port 13a (gas exhaust unit 40).

[0057] After the above processing, the control unit 90 performs an operation of floating the substrate W accommodated in each recess 24 of the turntable 21 from the mounting surface 25 to the raised position HP and transferring it to the transfer arm CA that has entered the processing chamber 10 (hereinafter referred to as a substrate unloading method). As described above, during the film formation process, the substrate W may stretch due to heating or the like, which may cause friction between the substrate W and the turntable 21, resulting in particles remaining in the processing chamber 10. If these types of particles fly up when the substrate W is unloaded, they will adhere to the periphery of the substrate W. In the substrate unloading method, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present disclosure performs a process of adjusting the pressure on the underside of the substrate W (each hole 26) to a floating pressure that is slightly higher than the processing space S above the substrate W, in order to prevent particles generated during the film formation process from adhering to the substrate W.

[0058] Specifically, in the process flow of the substrate removal method shown in Fig. 5, the control unit 90 first operates the lower operation unit 70 to start raising the lift pins 61 (step S1). As shown in Fig. 6(A), the lift pins 61 are positioned in the lowered position LP until they receive a pressing force from the plungers 71. Under the control of the control unit 90, the lower operation unit 70 raises each plunger 71 and presses each plunger 71 against each lift pin 61. Thereafter, the lower operation unit 70 continues to raise each plunger 71, thereby raising each lift pin 61 simultaneously.

[0059] When the lift pins 61 ascend, the control unit 90 operates the gas exhaust unit 68 to start suctioning gas from the pin accommodating chamber 63a of the upper case 63 (step S2 in FIG. 5). As shown in FIG. 6(B), the timing for starting suction of the pin accommodating chamber 63a is when the lift pins 61 and the cylindrical member 65 are displaced slightly upward from the lowered position LP. By suctioning the gas from the pin accommodating chamber 63a, the pressure below the turntable 21 can be reduced. The timing for starting suction of the pin accommodating chamber 63a may be when the plunger 71 begins to ascend or before the plunger 71 ascends.

[0060] The timing at which suction into the pin housing chamber 63a begins can be controlled by the distance traveled by the plunger 71 (the same applies to the operation timings after step S2). As an example, the control unit 90 measures the rotation speed of the drive source 74 using an encoder (not shown), recognizes the position of the plunger 71 based on the measurement value of the encoder, and begins suctioning gas when the plunger 71 reaches a predetermined position. Alternatively, the control may be performed by measuring the time from when the plunger 71 begins to move. As an example, the control unit 90 begins suctioning gas after a predetermined time has elapsed since the plunger 71 began to move. Alternatively, the substrate processing apparatus 1 may be provided with a sensor (not shown) that detects the position of the plunger 71 or the lift pins 61, and the operation timing may be determined based on the position detected by the sensor.

[0061] After the pin housing chamber 63a starts to be suctioned, the control unit 90 operates the gas supply unit 67 to start supplying the inert gas to the pin housing chamber 63a of the upper case 63 (step S3 in FIG. 5). As shown in FIG. 6(C), the gas supply unit 67 opens an open / close valve (not shown) and adjusts the flow rate of the inert gas using a mass flow controller 673, thereby supplying the inert gas at an appropriate flow rate to the pin housing chamber 63a.

[0062] The timing to start supplying the inert gas is preferably set before the cylindrical member 65 comes into contact with the underside of the turntable 21. When the cylindrical member 65 comes into contact with the underside of the turntable 21, as shown in Fig. 7(A), the pin accommodating chamber 63a of the upper case 63, the cylindrical hole 651 of the cylindrical member 65, and the hole 26 of the turntable 21 communicate with each other, and a space is formed whose upper part is blocked by the substrate W. By supplying the inert gas and stabilizing the gas supply before this space is formed, it is possible to prevent the gas supply pressure from being suddenly applied to the substrate W, causing the substrate W to lift up from the mounting surface 25.

[0063] After the inert gas is supplied, the lift pins 61 rise and the cylindrical member 65 comes into contact with the underside of the turntable 21 (step S4 in FIG. 5). This temporarily blocks the space. However, the control unit 90 adjusts the supply amount of inert gas using the mass flow controller 673 and adjusts the exhaust amount of gas using the flow rate adjustment valve 682 based on the pressure value detected by the pressure sensor 674 during the supply of inert gas. Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can control the pressure in each hole 26 on the back side of the substrate W to an appropriate floating pressure.

[0064] Specifically, the control unit 90 adjusts the floating pressure of each hole 26 (pin accommodating chamber 63a, cylindrical hole 651) so that it is slightly higher than the pressure in the processing space S above the mounting surface 25. For example, as shown in Fig. 9, the substrate processing apparatus 1 adjusts the pressure in the processing space S to a range of 1 Torr or more and 100 Torr or less (= 133 Pa to 13332 Pa) using the gas supply unit 30 and the gas exhaust unit 40 during substrate processing. More preferably, the substrate processing apparatus 1 sets the pressure in the processing space S during transfer to a range of 1 Torr or more and less than 2 Torr (= 267 Pa) depending on the pressure during film formation processing.

[0065] When the pressure in the processing space S during transfer is set to a pressure of 1 Torr or more and less than 2 Torr as described above, the control unit 90 preferably sets the ratio of the pressure in each hole 26 to the pressure in the processing space S to a range of 1.0 to 1.66. That is, the pressure in each hole 26 is preferably 1 Torr or more and 3.32 Torr or less (=133 Pa to 443 Pa). For example, when the pressure in the processing space S is 1.8 Torr, the gas supply unit 67 and the gas exhaust unit 68 are controlled so that the pressure in each hole 26 is 3 Torr (=400 Pa). This allows a slight positive pressure to be applied to the substrate W without the substrate W floating above the mounting surface 25.

[0066] As can be seen from the above ratio range, the floating pressure may be set to be the same as the pressure in the processing space S. Even if the floating pressure and the pressure in the processing space S are the same, the gas in the processing space S does not apply pressure to the substrate W, and the substrate W can be easily floated as the lift pins 61 rise. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9 , when the pressure in the processing space S during transport is set to a value lower than 1 Torr, the ratio of the pressure in each hole 26 to the pressure in the processing space S may be set to a ratio greater than 1.66. In this case, the ratio may be set to 2.8 or less. This is because when the pressure in the processing space S is low, the pressure applied to each hole 26 becomes sufficiently small, and the substrate W does not float due to its own weight. Conversely, when the pressure in the processing space S during transport is set to a value of 2 Torr or more based on the pressure for substrate processing, the ratio of the pressure in each hole 26 to the pressure in the processing space S is preferably set to 1.0 to 1.5. The range of the ratio of the floating pressure to the pressure in the processing space S is 1.0 to 2.8 times as a whole. However, when the pressure in the processing space S is 1 Torr to less than 2 Torr, the ratio is preferably set to 1.0 to 1.66 times, and when the pressure in the processing space S is 2 Torr or more, the ratio is preferably set to 1.0 to 1.5 times.

[0067] As described above, by adjusting the levitation pressure to a value equal to or greater than the pressure of the processing space S and allowing the substrate W to continue to be placed on the placement surface 25, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can wait in a state in which the substrate W can be easily separated from the placement surface 25. That is, if the pressure in each hole 26 is lower than the pressure in the processing space S, the placement surface 25 and the back surface of the substrate W will come into contact with each other, causing significant airflow disturbances when the substrate W is levitated by the lift pins 61, making it easier for particles generated during the film formation process to fly up. In contrast, by setting the pressure in each hole 26 to a slightly positive pressure slightly higher than the pressure in the processing space S, it is possible to prevent particles from flying up. Furthermore, because the substrate W can continue to be placed on the placement surface 25 even when the levitation pressure is applied to each hole 26, it is possible to avoid problems such as the substrate W coming into contact with the recesses 24 due to the substrate W being levitated.

[0068] 1, the control unit 90 may detect the pressure in the processing space S using the processing space side pressure sensor 19, and adjust the supply or exhaust amount of the inert gas based on the pressure value in the processing space S and the pressure value of the pressure sensor 674 of the gas supply unit 67. This allows the control unit 90 to accurately control the floating pressure in each hole 26 to a slightly positive pressure that is slightly higher than the pressure in the processing space S.

[0069] With each hole 26 adjusted to a levitation pressure, the control unit 90 raises each lift pin 61 under the operation of the lower operating unit 70, thereby levitating the substrate W from the placement surface 25 (step S5 in FIG. 5). As a result, the lift pin mechanism 60 lifts the substrate W with each lift pin 61, as shown in FIG. 7(B).

[0070] At this time, the floating pressure in each hole 26 is a slightly positive pressure that is slightly higher than the processing space S, which prevents the substrate W from adhering to the mounting surface 25 and allows the substrate W to be smoothly separated. Even if the inert gas flows into the processing space S from each hole 26 due to the floating of the substrate W, the flow is gentle, and particles are prevented from flying up into the processing space S.

[0071] The control unit 90 operates the lower operating unit 70 to continue raising the lift pins 61, thereby raising the substrate W to an elevated position HP where the transport arm CA can receive the substrate W (step S6 in FIG. 5). As shown in FIG. 7C, while the lift pins 61 are being raised, the control unit 90 continues to supply inert gas by the gas supply unit 67 and to exhaust gas by the gas exhaust unit 68. This prevents residual reactive gas remaining during the film formation process from entering the upper lift unit 62.

[0072] Then, when the substrate W reaches the raised position HP, the control unit 90 stops the supply of inert gas from the gas supply unit 67 and stops the exhaust of gas by the gas exhaust unit 68 (step S7 in FIG. 5). As shown in FIG. 8(A), when the substrate W is located at the raised position HP, each of the holes 26 is fully open to the processing space S. Therefore, by stopping the flow of inert gas, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can quickly equalize the pressure above and below the turntable 21.

[0073] In this state, the control unit 90 moves the transport arm CA below the substrate W at the raised position HP and lowers the lift pins 61, thereby transferring the substrate W to the transport arm CA (step S8 in FIG. 5). At this time, as shown in FIG. 8(B), the pressure in each hole 26 is the same as the pressure in the processing space S, so that the substrate W is not affected by the airflow, and the substrate W can be stably transferred to the transport arm CA. Then, after receiving the substrate W, the transport arm CA unloads the substrate W from the processing vessel 10.

[0074] As described above, in the substrate removal method, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can suppress adhesion of particles to the substrate W by setting the pressure in each hole 26 below the mounting surface 25 on which the substrate W is placed to a floating pressure that is higher than that of the processing space S and does not float the substrate W.

[0075] [Example of Substrate Removal Method] An experiment was conducted to confirm whether particles were actually adhering to the substrates W by implementing the substrate removal method using the above-described substrate processing apparatus 1. In the experiment, a plurality of substrates W were prepared and divided into a group in which the above-described substrate removal method was implemented and a group in which the substrates W were simply lifted by the lift pins 61 without implementing the substrate removal method, for comparison, and whether particles were adhering to the periphery of the substrates W was confirmed.

[0076] The same experiment was conducted on 23 substrates W as a group in which the substrates W were simply lifted by the lift pins 61. As a result of the experiment, particles were found to adhere to the surfaces of 7 substrates W. On average, particle adhesion occurred at a rate of approximately 30%. In contrast, the same experiment was conducted on 21 substrates W as a group in which the above-mentioned substrate removal method was performed. As a result of the experiment, no substrates W had particles adhered to their surfaces (the rate of substrates W with particles adhered was 0%). In other words, it can be said that the substrate processing apparatus 1 and substrate removal method according to this embodiment can significantly reduce particle adhesion.

[0077] The technical ideas and effects of the present disclosure explained in the above embodiments will be described below.

[0078] A substrate processing apparatus 1 according to a first aspect of the present disclosure comprises a processing vessel 10 for accommodating a substrate W therein and processing the substrate W; a substrate support part 20 provided within the processing vessel 10 and having a mounting surface 25 on which the substrate W is placed; and a lift pin mechanism part 60 including lift pins 61 movable relative to the substrate support part 20 and a pin storage chamber 63a for storing the lift pins 61, and for lifting the lift pins 61 to lift the substrate W placed on the substrate support part 20, wherein the substrate support part 20 has holes 26 through which the lift pins 61 can pass, and the lift pin mechanism part 60 has a pressure adjustment part 66 for adjusting the pressure of the holes 26 by circulating an inert gas through the pin storage chamber 63a, and the pressure adjustment part 66 adjusts the pressure of the holes 26 to a pressure equal to or greater than the pressure of the processing space above the mounting surface 25 and at a floating pressure at which the substrate W is continuously placed on the mounting surface 25.

[0079] As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1 uses the pressure adjustment unit 66 to adjust the pressure in the holes 26 to be equal to or greater than the pressure in the processing space S and to a floating pressure at which the substrate W continues to be placed on the placing surface 25, thereby making it easier for the back side of the substrate W to separate from the placing surface 25. Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can smoothly float the substrate W from the placing surface 25 using the lift pins 61, and can suppress the flying up of particles generated during substrate processing, thereby reducing adhesion of particles to the surface of the substrate W.

[0080] The floating pressure is 1.0 to 2.8 times the pressure in the processing space S. This allows the substrate processing apparatus 1 to stably place the substrate W on the mounting surface 25 until the lift pins 61 contact it, and to smoothly float the substrate W after the lift pins 61 contact it.

[0081] Furthermore, when the pressure in the processing space S is equal to or greater than 1 Torr and less than 2 Torr, the levitation pressure is equal to or greater than 1.0 and equal to or less than 1.66 times the pressure in the processing space S. This allows the substrate processing apparatus 1 to smoothly levitate the substrate W after the lift pins 61 contact it, while keeping the substrate W stably placed on the placement surface 25, even when the pressure in the processing space S is equal to or greater than 1 Torr and less than 2 Torr.

[0082] Furthermore, when the pressure in the processing space S is 2 Torr or higher, the floating pressure is 1.0 to 1.5 times the pressure in the processing space S. As a result, even when the pressure in the processing space S is set to 2 Torr or higher in various substrate processing operations, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can appropriately adjust the pressure on the back side of the substrate W, and can easily detach the substrate W from the mounting surface 25 when the lift pins 61 are raised, thereby suppressing particle adhesion.

[0083] The pressure adjusting unit 66 also includes a gas supply path 671 that supplies an inert gas to the pin housing chamber 63a, and an air supply regulator (mass flow controller 673) that adjusts the flow rate of the inert gas and is provided in the gas supply path 671. This allows the substrate processing apparatus 1 to smoothly adjust the pressure in the hole 26 by supplying the inert gas to the pin housing chamber 63a.

[0084] The pressure adjusting unit 66 also includes a gas exhaust path 681 that communicates with the pin housing chamber 63a and exhausts gas from the pin housing chamber 63a, and an exhaust regulator (flow rate adjusting valve 682) that adjusts the opening of the flow path of the gas exhaust path 681. This allows the substrate processing apparatus 1 to stably adjust the pressure in the hole 26.

[0085] Furthermore, the pressure adjusting unit 66 opens the exhaust adjuster (flow rate adjusting valve 682) before supplying the inert gas to the pin housing chamber 63a. This allows the substrate processing apparatus 1 to reduce the pressure in the pin housing chamber 63a before supplying the inert gas, thereby preventing the substrate W from floating up due to a sudden increase in pressure in the pin housing chamber 63a.

[0086] The pressure adjusting unit 66 also includes a pressure sensor 674 that detects the pressure in the pin accommodating chamber 63a, and a control unit 90 that controls the operation of the lift pin mechanism unit 60 based on the pressure value of the pressure sensor 674. This allows the substrate processing apparatus 1 to accurately adjust the pressure in the hole 26.

[0087] The control unit 90 adjusts the pressure in the hole 26 by the pressure adjusting unit 66 based on the pressure value of the pressure sensor 674 and the pressure value of the processing space side pressure sensor 19. This allows the substrate processing apparatus 1 to appropriately adjust the pressure in the hole 26 according to the pressure value on the processing space S side.

[0088] Furthermore, the lift pin mechanism 60 has a cylindrical member 65 around the side of the lift pin 61 that can come into contact with the substrate support part 20 as the lift pin 61 rises, and the pressure adjustment part 66 supplies an inert gas to the pin accommodating chamber 63a until the cylindrical member 65 comes into contact with the substrate support part 20 when the substrate W is lifted. This allows the substrate processing apparatus 1 to effectively introduce the inert gas into the hole part 26, thereby enabling the pressure in the hole part 26 to be adjusted efficiently and stably.

[0089] Furthermore, the pressure adjusting unit 66 stops the supply of the inert gas after the substrate W is separated from the substrate support unit 20 by the lifting of the lift pins 61. This allows the substrate processing apparatus 1 to more reliably suppress adhesion of particles to the substrate W.

[0090] Furthermore, a second aspect of the present disclosure is a substrate removal method of a substrate processing apparatus 1 for removing a substrate W from a substrate support part 20 on which the substrate W is placed, inside a processing vessel 10 for processing the substrate W, wherein the substrate processing apparatus 1 has a lift pin mechanism part 60 including lift pins 61 that are movable relative to the substrate support part 20 and pin accommodating chambers 63a that accommodate the lift pins 61, and the substrate support part 20 has a loading surface 25 on which the substrate W is placed and hole parts 26 through which the lift pins 61 can pass, and the substrate removal method includes a step of circulating an inert gas through the pin accommodating chambers 63a by a pressure adjustment part 66 when lifting the substrate W, thereby adjusting the pressure of the hole parts 26 to a pressure equal to or higher than the pressure of the processing space S above the loading surface 25 and a levitation pressure at which the substrate W continues to be placed on the loading surface 25, and a step of raising the lift pins 61 to levitate the substrate W placed on the substrate support part 20. In this second aspect, when the substrate W is taken out from the processing chamber 10, adhesion of particles to the surface of the substrate W can also be reduced.

[0091] The substrate processing apparatus 1 and the method for unloading a substrate W according to the presently disclosed embodiments are illustrative in all respects and are not limiting. The embodiments can be modified and improved in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. The matters described in the above-described embodiments can be configured in other ways as long as they are not inconsistent, and can be combined as long as they are not inconsistent.

[0092] The substrate processing apparatus 1 of the present disclosure can be applied to any type of apparatus, including atomic layer deposition (ALD) apparatus, capacitively coupled plasma (CCP), inductively coupled plasma (ICP), radial line slot antenna (RLSA), electron cyclotron resonance plasma (ECR), and helicon wave plasma (HWP). [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 1. Substrate processing equipment 10 Processing container 20 Substrate support 25 Placement surface 26 Hole 60 Lift pin mechanism 61 Lift pin 63a Pin Containment Room 66 Pressure adjustment unit S Processing space W substrate

Claims

1. a processing vessel for accommodating a substrate therein and processing the substrate; a substrate support provided in the processing chamber and having a mounting surface on which the substrate is placed; a lift pin mechanism that includes lift pins that are movable relative to the substrate support portion and pin accommodating chambers that accommodate the lift pins, and that lifts the substrate placed on the substrate support portion by raising the lift pins; the substrate support portion has a hole through which the lift pin can pass, the lift pin mechanism includes a pressure adjusting unit that adjusts the pressure of the hole by circulating an inert gas through the pin housing chamber, the pressure adjusting unit adjusts the pressure in the hole to a floating pressure that is equal to or greater than the pressure in the processing space above the placement surface and that allows the substrate to be continuously placed on the placement surface when the substrate is floating; the pressure adjusting unit includes a gas exhaust path that communicates with the pin housing chamber and exhausts gas from the pin housing chamber, and an exhaust adjuster that adjusts the opening of a flow path of the gas exhaust path. Substrate processing equipment.

2. the floating pressure is 1.0 times or more and 2.8 times or less the pressure of the processing space; The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

3. When the pressure in the processing space is equal to or greater than 1 Torr and less than 2 Torr, the floating pressure is 1.0 times or more and 1.66 times or less the pressure of the processing space; The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 .

4. When the pressure in the processing space is 2 Torr or more, the floating pressure is 1.0 to 1.5 times the pressure of the processing space; The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 .

5. The pressure adjusting unit includes a gas supply path that supplies the inert gas to the pin housing chamber, and an air supply regulator that is provided in the gas supply path and adjusts the flow rate of the inert gas. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

6. the pressure adjusting unit opens the exhaust regulator before supplying the inert gas to the pin housing chamber. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

7. A processing vessel for accommodating a substrate therein and processing the substrate; a substrate support provided in the processing chamber and having a mounting surface on which the substrate is placed; a lift pin mechanism that includes lift pins that are movable relative to the substrate support portion and pin accommodating chambers that accommodate the lift pins, and that lifts the substrate placed on the substrate support portion by raising the lift pins; the substrate support portion has a hole through which the lift pin can pass, the lift pin mechanism includes a pressure adjusting unit that adjusts the pressure of the hole by circulating an inert gas through the pin housing chamber, the pressure adjusting unit adjusts the pressure in the hole to a floating pressure that is equal to or greater than the pressure in the processing space above the placement surface and that allows the substrate to be continuously placed on the placement surface when the substrate is floating; the pressure adjusting unit includes a pressure sensor that detects the pressure in the pin accommodating chamber, a control unit that controls the operation of the lift pin mechanism unit based on the pressure value of the pressure sensor; Substrate processing equipment.

8. a processing space pressure sensor for detecting the pressure in the processing space when the substrate is floating; the control unit adjusts the pressure in the hole using the pressure adjustment unit based on the pressure value of the pressure sensor and the pressure value of the processing space side pressure sensor. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7 .

9. A processing vessel for accommodating a substrate therein and processing the substrate; a substrate support provided in the processing chamber and having a mounting surface on which the substrate is placed; a lift pin mechanism that includes lift pins that are movable relative to the substrate support portion and pin accommodating chambers that accommodate the lift pins, and that lifts the substrate placed on the substrate support portion by raising the lift pins; the substrate support portion has a hole through which the lift pin can pass, the lift pin mechanism includes a pressure adjusting unit that adjusts the pressure of the hole by circulating an inert gas through the pin housing chamber, the pressure adjusting unit adjusts the pressure in the hole to a floating pressure that is equal to or greater than the pressure in the processing space above the placement surface and that allows the substrate to be continuously placed on the placement surface when the substrate is floating; the lift pin mechanism has a cylindrical member around the side of the lift pin that can come into contact with the substrate support portion as the lift pin rises, the pressure adjusting unit supplies the inert gas to the pin accommodating chamber during the floating of the substrate until the cylindrical member comes into contact with the substrate support unit. Substrate processing equipment.

10. the pressure adjusting unit stops the supply of the inert gas after the lift pins are raised to separate the substrate from the substrate support unit. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

11. 1. A substrate removal method for a substrate processing apparatus, comprising the steps of: removing a substrate from a substrate support part on which the substrate is placed in a processing vessel for processing the substrate; The substrate processing apparatus includes: a lift pin mechanism including lift pins that are movable relative to the substrate support portion and pin accommodating chambers that accommodate the lift pins; the substrate support portion has a mounting surface on which the substrate is placed and a hole portion through which the lift pin can pass, the lift pin mechanism includes a pressure adjusting unit that adjusts the pressure of the hole by circulating an inert gas through the pin housing chamber, the pressure adjusting unit includes a gas exhaust path that communicates with the pin housing chamber and exhausts gas from the pin housing chamber, and an exhaust adjuster that adjusts an opening degree of a flow path of the gas exhaust path, The method for removing the board is as follows: a step of circulating an inert gas through the pin accommodating chamber by the pressure adjusting unit when lifting the substrate, and adjusting the opening of the exhaust adjuster to exhaust gas from the gas exhaust path, thereby adjusting the pressure in the hole to a pressure equal to or higher than the pressure in the processing space above the placement surface and a floating pressure at which the substrate is continuously placed on the placement surface; and lifting the substrate placed on the substrate support by raising the lift pins. How to remove the board.

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