Liquid processing apparatus, liquid processing method, and storage medium

Abstract

To suppress abnormality in processing of a rectangular substrate by splashing a process liquid discharged toward the substrate or an air flow adjustment member.SOLUTION: A liquid processing device comprises: a rotary hold section which is rotated while holding a rectangular substrate; an air flow adjustment member which is provided around the substrate along with sides of the substrate and rotated together with the substrate; and a nozzle which discharges a process liquid in such a manner that a liquid application position is moved between the substrate and the flow adjustment member by the rotations of the substrate and the air flow adjustment member. Regarding a boundary region between a surface of the substrate and a surface of the air flow adjustment member in a movement path of the liquid application position, in a first boundary region where the substrate is positioned at an upstream side in a rotation direction of the air flow adjustment member, the surface of the substrate is higher than the surface of the air flow adjustment member and in a second boundary region where the substrate is positioned at a downstream side in the rotation direction of the air flow adjustment member, the surface of the air flow adjustment member is higher than the surface of the substrate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a liquid processing apparatus, a liquid processing method, and a storage medium.

Background Art

[0002] When performing processing on a rectangular substrate, there are cases where an apparatus is used that is configured such that both the substrate and an airflow adjustment member disposed around the substrate rotate, and a processing liquid is discharged onto the rotating substrate. Patent Document 1 shows such an apparatus, and the airflow adjustment member is formed along the sides of the substrate and includes a flat planar portion that is close to the substrate. It is shown that the planar portion is disposed at a position 0.5 mm lower than the surface of the substrate.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] This disclosure can prevent the processing liquid discharged toward a rectangular substrate or airflow adjustment member from splashing, which can cause abnormal processing of the substrate. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] A longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a developing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a plan view of the aforementioned developing apparatus. [Figure 3] This is a plan view of the developing apparatus and transport mechanism. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of the airflow adjustment member in the aforementioned developing apparatus. [Figure 5] This is a side view of the rectifier plate that constitutes the airflow adjustment member. [Figure 6] This is a plan view of the developing apparatus for the substrate processed by the developing apparatus and the airflow adjustment member. [Figure 7] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view of the aforementioned rectifier plate. [Figure 8] This is a plan view of the airflow adjustment member and the substrate. [Figure 9] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view of the substrate and the rectifier plate. [Figure 10] This is an explanatory diagram showing the cleaning process in the comparative example. [Figure 11] A side view showing the cleaning process in the developing apparatus. [Figure 12] A side view showing the cleaning process in the developing apparatus. [Figure 13]It is a side view showing the cleaning process in the developing device. [Figure 14] It is a side view showing the cleaning process in the developing device. [Figure 15] It is a longitudinal side view showing a modified example of the rectifying plate. [Figure 16] It is a longitudinal side view showing a modified example of the rectifying plate. [Figure 17] It is a plan view showing a modified example of the rectifying plate. [Figure 18] It is a longitudinal side view showing a modified example of the airflow adjusting member. [Figure 19] It is a plan view showing a modified example of the airflow adjusting member.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0008] The developing device 1 according to an embodiment of the liquid processing device of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 1 which is a longitudinal side view and FIG. 2 which is a plan view. The developing device 1 performs processing on a substrate G conveyed by a conveying mechanism 100. This substrate G is a rectangular glass substrate for manufacturing a reticle which is an exposure mask used in an exposure apparatus. For example, it is square in plan view, and a resist film is formed on its surface. The developing device 1 performs a developing process of resolving a pattern with the resist film by supplying a developing solution to the surface of the substrate G, and a cleaning process of cleaning the surface by supplying a cleaning solution to the surface of the rotating substrate G after the developing process.

[0009] The developing device 1 includes a horizontal disk-shaped support 11. Although it will be described in detail later, the substrate G is placed on the support 11. As shown in FIG. 3, the conveying mechanism 100 includes a conveying main body portion 101 having a C-shaped configuration in plan view, and four support portions 102 that project to the inner peripheral side of the conveying main body portion 101 and support each corner portion of the substrate G from below. By the conveying mechanism 100 moving up and down with respect to the support 11 and each member provided on the support as described later, the substrate G is transferred between the conveying mechanism 100 and the support 11.

[0010] Returning to FIGS. 1 and 2 for description, the central portion of the lower surface of the support 11 is supported on a vertically extending rotating shaft 12, and the lower side of the rotating shaft 12 is connected to a rotation mechanism 13. By the rotation mechanism 13, the support 11 rotates about the vertical axis and clockwise in a plan view via the rotating shaft 12.

[0011] A cup 2 is provided to receive each liquid scattered from the substrate G so as to surround the side circumference of the support 11. The cup 2 includes an inner cup 21 and an outer cup 22 surrounding the inner cup 21. The inner cup 21 and the outer cup 22 are provided in a standing cylindrical shape, and their respective central axes extend vertically and are coaxial with each other. Further, the upper sides of the inner cup 21 and the outer cup 22 form inclined walls in a longitudinal sectional view such that the openings become narrower upward. By an elevating mechanism not shown, the inner cup 21 and the outer cup 22 are elevated, located on the upper side shown in FIG. 1 during the processing of the substrate G, and located on the lower side to avoid interference with the transfer mechanism 100 during the transfer of the substrate G between the transfer mechanism 100 and the support 11.

[0012] The cup 2 also includes a ring plate 23 surrounding the rotating shaft 12 on the lower side of the support 11, and the ring plate 23 is circular in a plan view. The inner peripheral end of the ring plate 23 extends vertically downward to form a cylindrical body 24. The bottom 25 of the cup 2 in an annular shape in a plan view is formed by the lower end of the cylindrical body 24 spreading outward. On the bottom 25, cylindrical walls 26 and 27 that are coaxial with each other and extend in the vertical direction are provided, and are respectively connected to the lower side of the inner cup 21 and the lower side of the outer cup 22. In the bottom 25, an exhaust port 28 opens in a region closer to the center than the inner cup 21 and overlapping the ring plate 23 in a plan view, and a drain port 29 opens in a region between the lower ends of the cylindrical walls 26 and 27.

[0013] The following explanation will also refer to Figure 4, which shows a schematic perspective view of each component provided on the support 11. The peripheral edge of the back surface of the substrate G is placed on the support 11, and mounting members 3 are provided to restrict the lateral position of the substrate G. Multiple mounting members 3 are provided along each side of the substrate G placed on the support 11, and together with the support 11 they form a rotational holding section. In this example, the mounting members 3 are shown as being provided in pairs for each side of the square-shaped substrate G, and are positioned to support the substrate G at a location slightly closer to the center of the side than one end and the other end.

[0014] Figure 5 shows a side view of the mounting member 3. Note that Figure 5 shows a side view of the rectifier plate 41, which will be described later, in the direction of extension. The mounting member 3 consists of a lower cylinder 31 and an upper cylinder 32, both of which extend upward and whose central axes coincide in a plan view. The diameter of the lower cylinder 31 is larger than the diameter of the upper cylinder 32. Therefore, it can be seen that the center of the lower cylinder 31 protrudes upward to form the upper cylinder 32. The peripheral edge of the upper surface of the lower cylinder 31 forms a mounting surface 33 for mounting the end of the lower surface of the substrate G.

[0015] Furthermore, the lower side surface of the upper cylinder 32 forms a vertical plane and acts as a position-regulating surface 34 that controls the position of the substrate G placed on the mounting surface 33. On the upper side of the upper cylinder 32, the diameter decreases as it moves upward, so that the upper side surface forms an inclined surface 35. When the substrate G is transferred, if the edge of the lower surface of the substrate G is placed on this inclined surface 35, it is guided to slide down to the mounting surface 33. The substrate G is placed horizontally on the mounting surface 33 of each mounting member 3. At this time, the center P (see Figure 2) of the substrate G coincides with the rotation center of the support 11. Therefore, the center P is also the rotation center of the substrate G, and the substrate G rotates around its vertical axis.

[0016] A cylindrical support column 14 extending vertically is provided on the support body 11, and the airflow adjustment member 4 is supported by this support column 14. The airflow adjustment member 4 is a member provided around the substrate G placed on the mounting member 3, and is composed of four rectifier plates 41 of similar shape. The rectifier plates 41 are rectifier members provided for each side of the substrate G placed on the mounting member 3, and one rectifier plate 41 is positioned close to each side corresponding to one side of the substrate G. Correspondence here means being arranged side by side in a plan view. The four rectifier plates 41 rotate together with the substrate G as the support body 11 rotates. When these four rectifier plates 41 and the substrate G are viewed together in a plan view, they form a circle with four notches provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0017] As the substrate G and the airflow adjustment member 4 rotate as a circular rotating body as described above, liquid treatment is performed on the substrate G. As a result, no corners are formed on the substrate G, and the state of each part in the direction of rotation is uniform. Therefore, variations in airflow in the direction of rotation are suppressed, and each part of the substrate G in the direction of rotation is treated by the same airflow. In this way, the airflow adjustment member 4 plays a role in adjusting the airflow around the substrate G to suppress variations in treatment at each part within the surface of the substrate G. The above-mentioned notch is formed to allow the support part 102 of the transport mechanism 100 to pass through when the transport mechanism 100 moves up and down to transfer the substrate G to the mounting member 3, thereby enabling the transfer.

[0018] As previously described, since the rectifier plate 41, together with the substrate G, forms a circular shape with a notch, each rectifier plate 41 is formed as if a disc were cut along a straight line parallel to its diameter to form two divided pieces of different sizes, with the smaller of the two divided pieces having notches at both ends in the longitudinal direction. More specifically, the rectifier plate 41 has a straight portion 42 that forms a side surface extending along one side of the substrate G adjacent to the rectifier plate 41 in a plan view, and an arc portion 43 that forms a side surface provided on the side opposite to the side of the substrate G that the straight portion 42 is located on. With this configuration, each rectifier plate 41 provided for each side of the substrate G is configured such that, in a plan view, the direction along the side of the substrate G corresponding to the rectifier plate 41 is the longitudinal direction.

[0019] Furthermore, since the rectifier plate 41 is constructed as a flat plate, its entire surface is smooth. This smooth surface is inclined 40 with respect to the horizontal surface of the substrate G due to the inclination of the rectifier plate 41, which will be described later. As the rectifier plate 41 is formed as described above, these inclined surfaces 40 are provided for each side of the substrate G corresponding to the sides of the substrate G, and are formed to extend along the corresponding sides in a plan view. Unless otherwise specified, in this specification, the surface of the rectifier plate means the upper surface of the rectifier plate, and the surface of the substrate means the upper surface of the substrate.

[0020] As described above, mounting members 3 are provided on one end and the other end of one side of the substrate G, and a flow straightening plate 41 is provided so that the straight section 42 is sandwiched between the upper cylindrical parts 32 of these mounting members 3. When viewed in the extension direction of the flow straightening plate 41, the position regulating surface 34 of the mounting members 3 is located closer to the center of the support 11 than the straight section 42. With this arrangement, as shown in Figure 5, the straight section 42 and the side surfaces forming the edges of the substrate G placed on the mounting members 3 are close to and facing each other with a gap 36 in between. The width L1 of the gap 36 is, for example, 1.5 mm.

[0021] The reason why the substrate G and the rectifier plate 41 are not in close contact and a gap 36 is to allow the transfer of the substrate G to be performed even if the position of the transport mechanism 100 is slightly shifted laterally from its designed position during the transfer. In addition, two support columns 14 are provided for each rectifier plate 41, supporting one end and the other end of the rectifier plate 41 in the longitudinal direction. The support of the rectifier plate 41 by these support columns 14 will be explained in detail later.

[0022] The mounting member 3, support column 14, and four rectifier plates 41 described above are arranged on the support body 11 in a rotationally symmetrical layout in plan view, specifically a four-fold symmetrical layout. In other words, the plan view layout of each part on the support body 11 is the same before and after rotating the support body 11 by 90°.

[0023] Returning to Figures 1 and 2, the developing apparatus 1 is equipped with a developing solution supply unit 6A and a cleaning solution supply unit 6B. The developing solution supply unit 6A consists of a developing nozzle 61A, an arm 62A, a moving mechanism 63A, a guide 64A, and a developing solution supply mechanism 65A, while the cleaning solution supply unit 6B consists of a cleaning nozzle 61B, an arm 62B, a moving mechanism 63B, a guide 64B, and a cleaning solution supply mechanism 65B.

[0024] Guides 64A and 64B extend horizontally to the left and right, parallel to each other, on the rear side of the cup 2. Moving mechanisms 63A and 63B are movable along the extension direction of guides 64A and 64B, respectively. Arms 62A and 62B extend forward from moving mechanisms 63A and 63B, respectively. A developing nozzle 61A and a washing nozzle 61B are provided at the front end of arm 62A and arm 62B, respectively. Moving mechanism 63A can raise and lower the developing nozzle 61A via arm 62A, and moving mechanism 63B can raise and lower the washing nozzle 61B, which is a processing liquid nozzle, via arm 62B. With this configuration, the developing nozzle 61A and the washing nozzle 61B can move between the standby area outside the substrate G and the airflow adjustment member 4 in a plan view and on the substrate G, respectively, and can also move horizontally on the substrate G.

[0025] The developer supply mechanism 65A controls the supply of developer to the developer nozzle 61A. The developer nozzle 61A is configured to be elongated in the front-to-back direction, and while discharging the developer supplied from the developer supply mechanism 65A onto the substrate G when it has stopped rotating, it moves from one side to the other on the substrate G, thereby supplying the developer to the entire surface of the substrate G. In addition, the cleaning solution supply mechanism 65B controls the supply of cleaning solution to the cleaning nozzle 61B, and the cleaning solution is discharged from a circular outlet provided on the cleaning nozzle 61B. The cleaning solution, which is the processing solution for the substrate G, is, for example, pure water.

[0026] Next, we will explain with reference to the plan view of the airflow adjustment member 4 in Figure 6 and Figure 7. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the rectifier plate 41 taken along the AA' arrow in Figure 6, showing a longitudinal section along the length of the rectifier plate 41. In the following explanation, the substrate G and the airflow adjustment member 4 (four rectifier plates 41) together will be referred to as a pseudo-disk G1. The area projected onto the pseudo-disk G1 in the direction of discharge of the cleaning liquid from the discharge port of the cleaning nozzle 61B is defined as the projection region R1. Therefore, the projection region R1 is the point of contact of the cleaning liquid on the pseudo-disk G1. The center of the projection region R1 is shown as P1. In the figure, the discharge direction of the cleaning liquid from the cleaning nozzle 61B is shown as D1, and the rotation direction of the rotating pseudo-disk G1 is shown as D2. Furthermore, the inscribed circle of the substrate G with its center P is shown as G2.

[0027] The cleaning process involves discharging cleaning fluid from the cleaning nozzle 61B while moving the cleaning nozzle 61B horizontally using the aforementioned moving mechanism 63B. This moves the projection region R1 from the center of the pseudo-disk G1 (i.e., the center P of the substrate G) towards the periphery of the pseudo-disk G1, along the radial direction of the rotating pseudo-disk G1. In Figure 6, the position of the cleaning nozzle 61B at the start of cleaning fluid discharge is shown by a dashed line as the central discharge position, and the position of the cleaning nozzle 61B at the end of cleaning fluid discharge is shown by a solid line as the peripheral discharge position. The projection region R1 when the cleaning nozzle 61B is located at the central discharge position and the projection region R1 when it is located at the peripheral discharge position are also shown by dashed and solid lines, respectively. Due to the horizontal movement of the cleaning nozzle 61B and the rotation of the pseudo-disk G1, the movement path of the projection region R1 during the cleaning process is spiral outwards from the pseudo-disk G1. When the cleaning nozzle 61B is located at the peripheral discharge position, the distance L2 between the center P1 of the projection region R1 and the center P of the substrate G is, for example, 80 mm to 90 mm.

[0028] In plan view, the discharge direction D1 of the cleaning fluid follows the direction of rotation of the pseudo-disk G1, that is, it does not go against the direction of rotation of the pseudo-disk G1, thereby suppressing splashing of the cleaning fluid from the projection region R1. More specifically, the movement path along the radial direction of the pseudo-disk G1 in the projection region R1 is extended to the peripheral edge of the pseudo-disk G1 (i.e., the arc portion 43 of the rectifier plate 41), and a tangent line L3 is drawn at the arc portion 43. In this example, the discharge direction D1 in plan view is parallel to this tangent line L3. However, since the cleaning nozzle 61B discharges the cleaning fluid from the center side to the peripheral side of the pseudo-disk G1, the discharge direction D1 may be inclined with respect to the tangent line L3. Furthermore, in order to suppress splashing of the cleaning solution from the projection area R1, the angle θ1 that the discharge direction D1 of the cleaning solution makes with respect to the horizontal surface of the substrate G in a side view is set to, for example, 10° to 80°, and in this example, it is set to 45°.

[0029] Incidentally, in order to improve the cleaning power on the corners of the substrate G, as shown in Figure 6, the position of the projection region R1 corresponding to the peripheral discharge position (the position of the projection region R1 when the cleaning nozzle 61B is positioned at the peripheral discharge position) is outside the inscribed circle G2 and near the periphery of the pseudo-disk G1. While the projection region R1 is moving outside the inscribed circle G2, it alternately passes between the substrate G and the rectifier plate 41 due to the rotation of the pseudo-disk G1. In Figure 8, the movement path of the projection region R1 corresponding to the peripheral discharge position is shown as R2. As previously mentioned, since the cleaning liquid is discharged while the cleaning nozzle 61B is moving, the actual movement path of the projection region R1 is spiral-shaped, but the rotation speed of the pseudo-disk G1 is relatively high in order to obtain a good cleaning effect, as will be illustrated later. Therefore, the movement path of the projection region R1 while it completes one revolution around the pseudo-disk G1 is generally ring-shaped, and the movement path R2 in Figure 8 is shown as ring-shaped. Therefore, this annular movement path R2 is the movement path of the liquid contact position that is furthest from the rotation center of the pseudo-disk G1.

[0030] As described above, during the cleaning process, the projection region R1 passes through the boundary region between the substrate G and the rectifier plate 41. When passing through this boundary region, as will be illustrated later, if the height relationship between the rectifier plate 41 and the substrate G is inappropriate, there is a risk that the cleaning solution may splash in the boundary region. In order to suppress this splashing of the cleaning solution, the rectifier plate 41 is inclined in its longitudinal direction, as shown in Figure 7. To describe this inclination in more detail, as mentioned above, one rectifier plate 41 is provided in close proximity to one side of the substrate G, but looking at the corresponding sides and the rectifier plate 41, the rectifier plate 41 is inclined in the direction along the side.

[0031] As described above, in plan view, the rectifier plate 41 is formed to extend along the corresponding edge of the substrate G. We will continue the explanation by referring to the end located upstream in the direction of rotation along the corresponding edge of the rectifier plate 41 as one end of the rectifier plate 41, and the end located downstream in the direction of rotation as the other end of the rectifier plate 41. As already mentioned, the inclination of the rectifier plate 41 forms an inclined surface 40 on its surface. One end of this inclined surface 40 is lower than the surface of the substrate G, and the other end is higher than the surface of the substrate G. Furthermore, this inclined surface 40 is formed from one end to the other of the rectifier plate 41 and rises towards the other end.

[0032] The four flow straightening plates 41 are all similarly inclined and positioned at the same height. Therefore, when viewed in the direction of rotation, for adjacent flow straightening plates 41, the height of the downstream end (the other end in the direction along the corresponding edge) of the flow straightening plate 41 located upstream in the direction of rotation is different from the height of the upstream end (the one end in the direction along the corresponding edge) of the flow straightening plate 41 located downstream in the direction of rotation. More specifically, between these ends, the height of the upstream end in the direction of rotation of the flow straightening plate 41 located downstream in the direction of rotation is lower.

[0033] The reason for tilting the rectifier plate 41 will be explained below. In this explanation, the boundary regions between the substrate G and the rectifier plate 41 in the movement path of the projection region R1 will be referred to as A1 and A2. Boundary region A1 is the first boundary region in which the substrate G is located close to the rectifier plate 41 on the upstream side in the rotational direction, and boundary region A2 is the second boundary region in which the substrate G is located close to the rectifier plate 41 on the downstream side in the rotational direction. Figure 8 shows the boundary regions A1 and A2 on the movement path R2 corresponding to the peripheral discharge position described above. Figure 9 is a longitudinal section view taken along the BB' arrow in Figure 8, showing the longitudinal side view of the movement path R2. More specifically, Figure 9 shows the longitudinal side view along the path of the center P1 of the projection region R1 within the movement path R2.

[0034] The relationship between the heights of each part of boundary regions A1 and A2 in the movement path of the center P1, as shown in Figure 9, is described below. As shown in Figure 7, the rectifier plate 41 is tilted, so in boundary region A1, the surface of the substrate G is higher than the surface of the rectifier plate 41, and in boundary region A2, the surface of the rectifier plate 41 is higher than the surface of the substrate G. Furthermore, the path between boundary region A1 and boundary region A2 is an arc-shaped path along the direction of rotation, and this path is formed by the inclined surface 40 of the rectifier plate 41 described above, so that it forms an inclined surface that rises from the upstream side in the direction of rotation to the downstream side in the direction of rotation.

[0035] Here, let's assume that in boundary regions A1 and A2, the relative heights between the surface of the rectifier plate 41 and the surface of the substrate G are the opposite of the relative heights previously described, with the rectifier plate 41 being higher in boundary region A1 and the substrate G being higher in boundary region A2. In that case, as a liquid flow M of cleaning fluid is formed from the cleaning nozzle 61B toward the projection region R1 and the cleaning process is performed, the wall W formed by the step difference between the substrate G and the rectifier plate 41 moves from the upstream side to the downstream side in the rotational direction, colliding with and crossing the liquid flow M. Figure 10 shows how the wall W crosses the liquid flow M, assuming that a wall W is formed in boundary region A2.

[0036] It is thought that a relatively large amount of splashing occurs due to the collision and crossing of the liquid flow M by the wall W described above. If these splashed cleaning liquid droplets adhere to the cleaned area of ​​the substrate G (the area closer to the center P than the area where the projected area R1 is located in the radial direction of the pseudo-disk G1), they may remain on the substrate G even after the cleaning process, potentially resulting in a defect in the process. In order to suppress the number of splashing droplets and prevent the occurrence of such defects, the height relationship shown in Figure 9 is established so that the surface height of the part located upstream in the direction of rotation is higher than the surface height of the part located downstream in the direction of rotation at the boundary areas A1 and A2 between the rectifier plate 41 and the substrate G.

[0037] Furthermore, in order to prevent the wall W formed by the substrate G and the rectifier plate 41, as described in Figure 10, from crossing the liquid flow M, it is conceivable to make the surface height of the rectifier plate 41 the same as the surface height of the substrate G. However, as shown in Figure 9, it is more preferable to increase the height of the wall on the upstream side in the direction of rotation in the boundary regions A1 and A2 in order to suppress liquid splashing. This is because, as previously described, a gap 36 is formed in the boundary regions A1 and A2 for the purpose of transferring to the transport mechanism 100. If the surface height of the rectifier plate 41 and the surface height of the substrate G are the same, it is thought that liquid splashing may occur because the wall forming the gap 36 collides with and crosses the liquid flow M from the upstream side in the direction of rotation.

[0038] By the way, referring to Figure 9, specific values ​​are given for the height difference of each part on the movement path of the center P1 in the projection region R1 corresponding to the peripheral discharge position. The height difference H1 in boundary region A1 is, for example, 0.4 mm or less, preferably 0.3 mm, and the height difference H2 in boundary region A2 is, for example, less than 0.2 mm, preferably 0.1 mm. The above height differences H1 and H2 are preferred heights for suppressing splashing, which were set based on tests relating to this technology. In order to obtain such a high splash suppression effect, the height difference between the substrate G and the rectifier plate 41 in boundary regions A1 and A2, where the distance from the rotation center of the pseudo-disk G1 is the same, is set to be larger in boundary region A1.

[0039] The explanation of the support columns 14 that support the rectifier plate 41 will be supplemented with reference to Figures 7 and 8. Each support column 14 is provided outside the above-described movement path R2. The distance L4 between the central axes of two support columns 14 (referred to as a pair of support columns 14) that support the same rectifier plate 41 is, for example, 100 mm. In order to form the above-described height difference H1 of 0.3 mm, the height difference H3 between point P3 on the surface of the rectifier plate 41 that coincides with the central axis of the support column 14 on the upstream side in the rotational direction of the pair of support columns 14 and the surface of the substrate G is, for example, 0.4 mm. In order to form the above-described height difference H2 of 0.1 mm, the height difference H4 between point P4 on the surface of the rectifier plate 41 on the central axis of the support column 14 on the downstream side in the rotational direction of the pair of support columns 14 and the surface of the substrate G is, for example, 0.2 mm.

[0040] Figure 7 shows the angle between the inclined surface 40 of the rectifier plate 41 and the horizontal surface as θ2. The inclined surface 40 is not unavoidably formed during the manufacturing of the device, and the angle θ2 is configured to be, for example, 0.1° or more. If the angle θ2 is too large, the irregularities formed on the pseudo-disk G1 will become large, reducing the rectifier effect, so it is preferable to set the angle θ2 to, for example, 3° or less.

[0041] Incidentally, since the projection region R1 moves in a spiral manner, it passes through multiple boundary regions A1 and A2. Therefore, although Figures 8 and 9 show representative examples of boundary regions A1 and A2 corresponding to the peripheral discharge position, the projection region R1 also passes through boundary regions A1 and A2 other than those shown in Figures 8 and 9. Even when the projection region R1 is located near the peripheral edge of the pseudo-disk G1 and closer to the center P of the pseudo-disk G1 than the position shown in Figure 8, if we consider the movement path of the projection region R1 around the pseudo-disk G1 as an annular shape, the relationship between the height of the surface of the rectifier plate 41 and the surface of the substrate G in boundary regions A1 and A2 is as previously described. That is, as shown in Figure 9, the height of the surface of the rectifier plate 41 located upstream in the direction of rotation is higher than the height of the surface of the substrate G located downstream in the direction of rotation. Furthermore, when comparing the height difference between the surface of the substrate G and the surface of the rectifier plate 41 in boundary regions A1 and A2, where the distance from the rotation center of the pseudo-disk G1 is the same, the height difference in boundary region A1 is larger.

[0042] Furthermore, when the height difference H1 to H4 is set as described above, the surface of substrate G is higher than the surface of the rectifier plate 41 near the center of the edge of substrate G (see Figure 7). Therefore, in the boundary region A2 where the position of projection region R1 is outside the inscribed circle G2 and close to the inscribed circle G2, the surface of substrate G is higher than the surface of the rectifier plate 41, unlike the height relationship described above. However, in boundary regions A2 other than the boundary region A2 formed in such a position, the height relationship described in Figure 9 is established between the surface of the rectifier plate 41 and the surface of substrate G, so splashing is suppressed, and the risk of droplets adhering to substrate G can be reduced. In other words, the purpose of tilting the rectifier plate 41 is to prevent defects in the processing of substrate G by suppressing the number of scattered droplets, and it is not necessary for the height relationship described in Figure 9 to be established in all of the boundary regions A1 and A2, but the effect of preventing processing defects can be obtained by establishing this height relationship in some of them.

[0043] Furthermore, since the angular velocity is greater at the periphery of the pseudo-disk G1 than at the center, if a wall W is formed by the step shown in Figure 10, splashing is more likely to occur at the periphery than at the center. As described above, the boundary region A2 where the surface of the substrate G is higher than the surface of the rectifier plate 41 is located near the center of the edge of the substrate G. That is, since the position of the boundary region A2 is closer to the center of the pseudo-disk G1, splashing from the boundary region A2 is relatively unlikely to occur. And from the viewpoint of suppressing splashing at positions with high angular velocity, this example is preferable in that, as described in Figure 9, the boundary regions A1 and A2 in the movement path R2 of the projected region R1 when the projected region R1 is furthest away from the rotation center of the pseudo-disk G1 are those located on the upstream side in the direction of rotation that are higher.

[0044] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the developing apparatus 1 is equipped with a control unit 10. The control unit 10 is a computer and contains a program. The program incorporates a set of steps that enable the execution of a series of operations in the developing apparatus 1, which will be described later. The control unit 10 outputs control signals to each part of the developing apparatus 1 using this program, thereby controlling the operation of each part. Specifically, it controls the rotation speed of the support 11 and the pseudo-disk G1 by the rotating mechanism 13, the supply of developing solution from the developing solution supply mechanism 65A to the developing nozzle 61A, the supply of cleaning solution from the cleaning solution supply mechanism 65B to the cleaning nozzle 61B, and the movement of the developing nozzle 61A and cleaning nozzle 61B by the moving mechanisms 63A and 63B. The above program is stored on a storage medium such as a compact disc, hard disk, or DVD and installed in the control unit 10.

[0045] Next, the processing of the substrate G by the developing apparatus 1 will be described. When the substrate G is placed on the mounting member 3 by the transport mechanism 100, the developing nozzle 61A moves across the substrate G from one side to the other. During this movement, the developing solution is discharged, and the entire surface of the substrate G is covered with a film of the developing solution, resolving the resist pattern.

[0046] Next, the pseudo-disk G1 rotates at a rotational speed of, for example, 300 rpm or more, for example, 800 rpm, and during this rotation, cleaning liquid is discharged from the cleaning nozzle 61B located at the central discharge position to the center P of the substrate G. As soon as the discharge of this cleaning liquid begins, the cleaning nozzle 61B starts to move toward the peripheral processing position, and the projection area R1 of the discharge port of the cleaning nozzle 61B moves across the substrate G toward the periphery of the pseudo-disk G1. The cleaning liquid discharged into the projection area R1 is moved toward the outside of the pseudo-disk G1 by the centrifugal force of the rotation of the pseudo-disk G1, pushing away the developer and reaction products generated by development.

[0047] Then, after the projection region R1 moves to the region outside the inscribed circle G2 shown in Figure 6, it moves alternately between the surface of the substrate G and the surface of the rectifier plate 41, towards the periphery of the pseudo-disk G1. The process of liquid treatment outside this inscribed circle G2 will be explained with reference to Figures 11 to 14.

[0048] With the cleaning solution being discharged onto the substrate G (the projection region R1 is positioned on the substrate G), the rotation of the pseudo-disk G1 causes the boundary region A1 to approach the projection region R1 from the rotational flow side (Figure 11) and reach the projection region R1. The boundary region A1 is formed by the downstream end of the substrate G in the direction of rotation and the upstream end of the rectifier plate 41 in the direction of rotation, which is lower than the boundary region A1. Therefore, the step formed by these ends does not form a wall W that crosses the liquid flow M from the cleaning nozzle 61B from the upstream side in the direction of rotation, as explained in Figure 10. Consequently, splashing of the cleaning solution is suppressed as the projection region R1 passes through the boundary region A1. During passage through this boundary region A1, the projection region R1 moves from the downstream end of the substrate G in the direction of rotation to the upstream end of the rectifier plate 41 in the direction of rotation, so the height of the projection region R1 becomes lower than the surface of the substrate G (Figure 12).

[0049] As the pseudo-disk G1 continues to rotate, the projection region R1 moves across the rectifier plate 41. Since the surface of the rectifier plate 41 is inclined upward in the direction of rotation, the height of the projection region R1 increases along this inclined surface and becomes higher than the surface of the substrate G (Figure 13). Then, the boundary region A2 approaches the projection region R1 from the upstream side in the direction of rotation and reaches the projection region R1. The boundary region A2 is formed by the downstream end of the rectifier plate 41 in the direction of rotation and the upstream end of the substrate G in the direction of rotation, which is lower than the boundary region A2. Therefore, the step formed by these ends does not form the wall W described above, so splashing of the cleaning solution is suppressed as the projection region R1 passes through the boundary region A2. Then, as the projection region R1 moves from the downstream end of the rectifier plate 41 in the direction of rotation to the upstream end of the substrate G in the direction of rotation, the height of the projection region R1 decreases (Figure 14).

[0050] As the cleaning nozzle 61B moves, the height of the projection area R1 changes as described above, and the cleaning process proceeds. When the cleaning nozzle 61B reaches the peripheral discharge position and the movement path R2 shown in Figure 8 is cleaned, the discharge of cleaning liquid from the cleaning nozzle 61B stops. Even after the discharge of cleaning liquid stops, the rotation of the pseudo-disk G1 continues, shaking off the cleaning liquid, and when the pseudo-disk G1 dries, the rotation of the pseudo-disk G1 stops. Then the substrate G is handed over to the transport mechanism 100 and unloaded from the developing device 1.

[0051] As described above, this developing apparatus 1 can suppress splashing of the cleaning solution in boundary regions A1 and A2. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the yield of exposure masks manufactured from the substrate G. Furthermore, suppressing splashing in boundary regions A1 and A2 means that, from another perspective, by suppressing splashing in this way, the projection region R1 can be moved to the outside of the inscribed circle G2 and the cleaning process can be performed there. Therefore, with the developing apparatus 1, the projection region R1 can be positioned near the corners of the substrate G, and a high cleaning effect can be obtained on those corners. From the viewpoint of being able to perform the cleaning process in a way that provides a high cleaning effect over a wider area, it is also possible to suppress a decrease in the yield of exposure masks.

[0052] Furthermore, in order to suppress liquid splashing in boundary regions A1 and A2, it is conceivable that the impact when the wall W, as explained in Figure 10, collides with the liquid flow M can be reduced by setting the rotation speed of the pseudo-disk G1 when discharging the cleaning liquid to the outside of the inscribed circle G2 to a relatively low value. However, it has been confirmed that if the rotation speed is low, defects occur that are thought to be caused by cleaning liquid remaining at the corners of the substrate G. This is thought to be due to insufficient centrifugal force from the rotation, which prevented the cleaning liquid from being sufficiently discharged from the substrate G. Therefore, forming the above-described height relationship between the surface of the substrate G and the surface of the rectifier plate 41 in boundary regions A1 and A2 allows for setting the rotation speed of the pseudo-disk G1 to a relatively high value as exemplified, thereby suppressing the occurrence of the above-mentioned defects at the corners of the substrate G.

[0053] The following describes a modified version of the rectifier plate, focusing on the differences from the rectifier plate 41. The rectifier plate 71 shown in Figure 15 is a plate that is curved so that the central side in the longitudinal direction protrudes slightly downward, and its surface is configured as a curved surface 72. Figure 15 shows a cross-section taken along the BB' arrow in Figure 9, assuming that the rectifier plate 71 is installed in the developing apparatus 1 instead of the rectifier plate 41 described above. Therefore, Figure 15 represents a longitudinal cross-section along the direction of rotation. The curved surface 72 is formed as an inclined surface that slopes downward from the boundary region A1 toward the downstream side in the direction of rotation, and then slopes upward toward the boundary region A2.

[0054] Another variation is shown in Figure 16, which depicts a flow straightening plate 73. Like Figure 15, Figure 16 shows a cross-section viewed from the direction of arrow BB' in Figure 9. The flow straightening plate 73 is a plate that is bent so that its center in the longitudinal direction protrudes slightly upward. This bending provides the surface of the flow straightening plate 73 with an inclined surface 74 that rises as it moves downstream in the rotational direction from boundary region A1, and an inclined surface 75 that rises as it moves upstream in the rotational direction from boundary region A2.

[0055] Figure 17 also shows a plan view of the rectifier plate 76 as another modified example. On the surface of this rectifier plate 76, the region between the movement path R2 shown in Figure 8 and the region closer to the center of the pseudo-disk G1 than the movement path R2 is formed as an inclined surface 77 having the same inclination as the inclined surface 40 of the rectifier plate 41. In other words, the region through which the projection region R1 passes during the cleaning process is configured as an inclined surface 77, so that the height relationship described above holds between the surface of the substrate G and the surface of the rectifier plate in the boundary regions A1 and A2. In order to maintain this height relationship, in the direction along the corresponding edge, one end of the inclined surface 77 is lower than the surface of the substrate G, and the other end of the inclined surface 77 is higher than the surface of the substrate G.

[0056] Furthermore, the surface of the rectifier plate 41, specifically the area outside the inclined surface 77, is configured as a horizontal surface 78 that is higher than the surface of the substrate G. In Figure 17, dots are added to the inclined surface 77 and diagonal lines are added to the horizontal surface 78 to facilitate identification of each surface. Figure 18 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the rectifier plate 76 taken along the CC' arrow, and Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view along the length of the rectifier plate 76. As shown in Figure 18, a shallow recess is formed on the surface of the rectifier plate 76, the bottom surface of the recess is the inclined surface 77, and the area outside the recess forms a horizontal surface 78.

[0057] As illustrated above, the surface of the rectifier plate can be any shape as long as it does not form a structure similar to a wall W that crosses the liquid flow M of the cleaning fluid from the upstream side in the rotational direction, as described in Figure 10, such as a relatively large protrusion. Therefore, it is not limited to being formed as a smooth surface. Furthermore, as shown in the example of the rectifier plate 76, the inclined surface between boundary regions A1 and A2 is not limited to being formed on the surface of the rectifier plate from one end to the other in the direction along the corresponding edge.

[0058] However, as previously described, the rectifier plate is positioned close to the substrate G to adjust the airflow over various parts of the substrate G. Therefore, if the height difference between the surface of the rectifier plate and the surface of the substrate G is too large, or if the surface shape becomes too complex, it may not be able to perform its role effectively. The rectifier plate 41 described above is configured such that a flat plate is tilted to form an inclined surface 40 extending from one end to the other along the corresponding edge, and the inclined surface 40 rises towards the other end. This configuration prevents the height difference with respect to the surface of the substrate G from becoming too large, and also prevents the shape from becoming too complex. Therefore, it is preferable to obtain the effect of forming a movement path for the projection region R1 while achieving a high rectification effect.

[0059] Furthermore, the surface of the rectifier plate may be formed in a stepped shape, rising as it approaches boundary region A2, over the moving region of the projection region R1 from boundary region A1 to boundary region A2. The steps of the steps should be very small to suppress liquid splashing on the surface of the rectifier plate. Therefore, it is not limited to providing an inclined surface between boundary regions A1 and A2. However, to more reliably suppress liquid splashing, it is preferable to provide an inclined surface between boundary regions A1 and A2.

[0060] By the way, the support 11 may be provided with a plurality of through holes 81, and a lifting pin 82 whose tip can protrude upward through these through holes 81 to the mounting member 3 may be provided so that the substrate G is transferred by the lifting motion of the lifting pin 82 instead of the lifting motion of the transport mechanism 100. In that case, the pseudo-disc G1 does not need to have a notch corresponding to the support part 102 of the transport mechanism 100. In other words, the length of each rectifier plate 41 in plan view may be approximately the same as one side of the substrate G, and the ends of adjacent rectifier plates 41 in the length direction in the rotational direction may be in contact with each other. In that case, as shown in Figure 2, the mounting member 3, which is positioned on one end side and the other end side of the substrate G, should be positioned such that the side opposite to the side facing the substrate G is covered by the rectifier plate 41 in plan view.

[0061] Furthermore, the airflow adjustment member is not limited to being composed of rectifier members provided on each side of the substrate G. More specifically, in the examples described so far, when the pseudo-disc G1 is viewed in the circumferential direction, the airflow adjustment member forming the periphery of the pseudo-disc G1 is divided by the substrate G on each side of the substrate G, but it is not limited to being divided on each side. To give a specific example, in the airflow adjustment member 8 shown in Figure 19, adjacent rectifier plates in the rotational direction are connected to each other and are configured to be integrated. More specifically, the airflow adjustment member 8 is configured as a circular member with a rectangular through hole 83 in a plan view, and processing is performed with the substrate G contained within the through hole 83. The substrate G is transferred between the transport mechanism 100 and the mounting member 3 via the aforementioned through hole 81 and lifting pin 82.

[0062] In this airflow adjustment member 8, for example, the configuration of each rectifier plate described in Figures 15 to 18 is applied, and bends or recesses are provided on its surface. This creates a height difference between the surface of the airflow adjustment member 8 and the surface of the substrate G in boundary regions A1 and A2, and also forms inclined surfaces corresponding to each side of the substrate G in a plan view. However, since the surface of the airflow adjustment member becomes complex, from the viewpoint of obtaining a high rectification effect by making the surface of the airflow adjustment member smooth, it is preferable that the airflow adjustment member be a rectifier plate provided for each side of the substrate G, as in the examples described above, and it is even more preferable that the surface be made smooth, as in the rectifier plate 41.

[0063] Regarding the cleaning process, the cleaning nozzles used during the process may be switched. For example, for the area inside the inscribed circle G2 of the pseudo-disk G1, a cleaning nozzle (let's call it 61C) similar to cleaning nozzle 61B is used, and cleaning is performed by moving it toward the periphery of the pseudo-disk G1, just like cleaning nozzle 61B. When the projection area R1 of the discharge port of cleaning nozzle 61C is located on the inscribed circle G2, the discharge of cleaning liquid from cleaning nozzle 61C is stopped, while cleaning liquid is discharged from cleaning nozzle 61B toward the outside of the inscribed circle G2. The discharge port of cleaning nozzle 61B may be made relatively large so that it discharges cleaning liquid toward the outside of the inscribed circle G2 while stationary. In other words, when performing the cleaning process, the nozzles that clean the area including the boundary areas A1 and A2 outside the inscribed circle G2 may be configured not to move during the cleaning process.

[0064] Furthermore, the position of the projection region R1 when the discharge of the cleaning solution is stopped is not limited to the example shown in Figure 6, etc. For example, the projection region R1 may be moved to the edge of the pseudo-disk G1, and the discharge of the cleaning solution may be stopped when it reaches that edge. However, since there is a risk of splashing due to the liquid flow M of the cleaning solution hitting the corners of the substrate G, it is preferable to stop the discharge of the cleaning solution at the position described above. The liquid processing apparatus may be configured to perform only the cleaning process without performing the developing process, for example, and is not limited to being configured as a developing apparatus. Also, the cleaning solution is not limited to pure water, but any cleaning solution can be used. And the substrate G is not limited to a substrate for forming an exposure mask, but this technology can be applied to any rectangular substrate.

[0065] Furthermore, the embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The above embodiments may be omitted, substituted, modified and combined in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] A1, A2 boundary area G board 11 Support part 3 Mounting member 4. Airflow adjustment member 61B Cleaning Nozzle

Claims

1. A rotating holding unit that holds and rotates a rectangular substrate, An airflow adjustment member is provided around the substrate along each side of the substrate and rotates together with the substrate, A nozzle that discharges a processing liquid such that the liquid application position moves between the substrate and the airflow adjusting member due to the rotation of the substrate and the airflow adjusting member, Equipped with, A liquid processing apparatus in which, in the boundary region between the surface of the substrate and the surface of the airflow adjusting member in the movement path of the liquid contact position, in a first boundary region where the substrate is located upstream of the airflow adjusting member in the rotational direction, the surface of the substrate is higher than the surface of the airflow adjusting member, and in a second boundary region where the substrate is located downstream of the airflow adjusting member in the rotational direction, the surface of the airflow adjusting member is higher than the surface of the substrate.

2. The airflow adjustment member includes inclined surfaces provided corresponding to each side of the substrate, The inclined surface is inclined in a direction along the side corresponding to the inclined surface, The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movement path is formed by each of the inclined surfaces.

3. In each of the aforementioned inclined surfaces, If we define one end and the other end in the direction along the corresponding side as the upstream end in the rotational direction and the downstream end in the rotational direction, One end of the inclined surface is lower than the surface of the substrate. The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the other end of the inclined surface is higher than the surface of the substrate.

4. The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the airflow adjusting member is comprised of a rectifier member provided for each side of the substrate, each having an inclined surface.

5. The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the inclined surface is formed from one end to the other in the direction along the side of the rectifying member, and is formed to rise towards the other end.

6. The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein, with respect to adjacent flow straightening members in the direction of rotation, the height of the downstream end in the direction of rotation of the flow straightening member located upstream in the direction of rotation is different from the height of the upstream end in the direction of rotation of the flow straightening member located downstream in the direction of rotation.

7. A liquid processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a moving mechanism is provided for moving the nozzle in order to move the liquid application position between the central side and the peripheral side of the rotating body formed by the substrate and the airflow adjusting member.

8. The first boundary region and the second boundary region are The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 7, which includes a boundary region between the surface of the substrate and the surface of the airflow adjusting member in the movement path of the liquid application position that is furthest from the center of rotation of the rotating body.

9. Regarding the difference in height between the surface of the substrate and the surface of the airflow adjusting member in the first boundary region and the second boundary region in the movement path of the liquid application position that is furthest from the rotation center of the rotating body, In the first boundary region, it is 0.4 mm or less. The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the second boundary region is smaller than 0.2 mm.

10. For the first boundary region and the second boundary region, which are the same distance from the center of rotation of the rotating body, The liquid processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the difference in height between the surface of the substrate and the surface of the airflow adjusting member is greater in the first boundary region than in the second boundary region.

11. A process of holding and rotating a rectangular substrate using a rotating holding unit, A step of rotating together with the substrate an airflow adjustment member provided around the substrate along each side of the substrate, A process of discharging a processing liquid from a nozzle and moving the liquid contact position between the substrate and the airflow adjusting member by the rotation of the substrate and the airflow adjusting member, Equipped with, A liquid treatment method in which, with respect to the boundary region between the surface of the substrate and the surface of the airflow adjusting member in the movement path of the liquid application position, in a first boundary region where the substrate is located upstream of the airflow adjusting member in the rotational direction, the surface of the substrate is higher than the surface of the airflow adjusting member, and in a second boundary region where the substrate is located downstream of the airflow adjusting member in the rotational direction, the surface of the airflow adjusting member is higher than the surface of the substrate.

12. A storage medium for storing computer programs used in liquid processing equipment, The storage medium is characterized in that the computer program has a set of steps arranged to execute the liquid processing method described in claim 11.

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