Liquid processing apparatus, liquid processing method, and storage medium

Abstract

To suppress the occurrence of processing trouble that is caused by temperature changes of a rotary stage on which a substrate is placed when the substrate is treated with a liquid.SOLUTION: A device is constituted so as to be provided with: a rotary stage which is equipped with a placement table to place a substrate on, and in which the substrate is transferred to and from a substrate support that supports the substrate and moves up and down relatively to the placement table; a suction port that opens to the placement table for the substrate to be attracted to the placement table by suction; a process liquid nozzle that sprays a process liquid to the substrate that is placed on the placement table to treat the substrate; and a control unit that, while a clearance is formed between the substrate held by the substrate support and the placement table, outputs a control signal so that gaseous matter in the periphery of the clearance is drawn in from the suction port, in order to adjust the temperature of the rotary stage.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] In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, various liquid processes such as forming a coating film by supplying a coating liquid and performing a developing process by supplying a developing liquid are performed on a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a wafer). Patent Document 1 describes an apparatus for performing the developing process.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure provides a technique capable of suppressing the occurrence of processing defects caused by temperature changes in a rotation stage on which a substrate is placed when performing liquid processing on the substrate.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The liquid processing apparatus of the present disclosure includes a placement surface on which a substrate is placed, a rotation stage on which the substrate is transferred between a substrate support that supports the substrate and relatively moves up and down with respect to the placement surface, a suction port that opens to the placement surface to adsorb the substrate to the placement surface, a processing liquid nozzle that discharges a processing liquid onto the substrate placed on the placement surface to perform processing, and a control unit that outputs a control signal so that gas around the gap is sucked from the suction port in a state where a gap is formed between the substrate supported by the substrate support and the placement surface in order to adjust the temperature of the rotation stage. and includes. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] This disclosure makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of processing defects caused by temperature changes on the rotating stage on which the substrate is placed when performing liquid treatment on the substrate. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a plan view of a substrate processing apparatus that includes a liquid processing apparatus as a module according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a plan view of the resist film formation module, which is the module mentioned above. [Figure 3] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view of the resist film formation module. [Figure 4] This is a side view illustrating the height of the pins provided in the resist film formation module. [Figure 5] This is a process diagram showing the transfer of a wafer from the transport mechanism of the substrate processing apparatus to the resist film formation module. [Figure 6] This is a process diagram showing the aforementioned handover. [Figure 7] This is a process diagram showing the aforementioned handover. [Figure 8] This is a process diagram showing the aforementioned handover. [Figure 9] This is a process diagram showing the aforementioned handover. [Figure 10] This is a chart illustrating the flow of the aforementioned handover process. [Figure 11] This is an explanatory diagram showing the state of airflow formation during the aforementioned transfer. [Figure 12] This is a chart illustrating the operation of the resist film formation module. [Figure 13] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view showing a resist film formation module according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] This is a plan view showing the resist film formation module. [Figure 15]It is an explanatory diagram showing the formation of an air current in the resist film forming module. [Figure 16] It is a longitudinal side view of a resist film forming module which is a modification of the second embodiment. [Figure 17] It is a longitudinal side view showing a configuration example of another resist film forming module. [Figure 18] It is a graph showing the results of a reference test. [Figure 19] It is a graph showing the results of a reference test.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] 〔First Embodiment〕 A substrate processing apparatus 1 including a resist film forming module 3 according to a first embodiment of the liquid processing apparatus of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the plan view of FIG. 1. The substrate processing apparatus 1 is configured to form a resist film on a wafer W which is a circular substrate, and to perform a heat treatment after the resist film is formed. The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a carrier block D1 and a processing block D2, and these carrier block D1 and processing block D2 are arranged side by side on the left and right.

[0009] The wafer W is transported to the carrier block D1 in a state of being stored in a carrier C which is a transport container, and is placed on a stage 11 of the carrier block D1. Further, a transport mechanism 12 is provided in the carrier block D1 to transfer the wafer W between the carrier C and a module of a tower T1 described later.

[0010] The processing block D2 includes a transport path 14 for the wafer W extending left and right, and a transport mechanism 21 provided in the transport path 14. The transport mechanism 21 includes a base 22 that can move left and right, move up and down, and rotate around a vertical axis along the transport path 14, and two holders 23 that can move forward and backward independently of each other on the base 22. In the figure, only one holder 23 is shown.

[0011] As shown in the plan view of Figure 2, the holder 23 is a roughly C-shaped member that surrounds the side circumference of the wafer W and has an open forward direction on the base 22, and is equipped with a support portion 24 for supporting the peripheral edge of the back surface of the wafer W from below. With this configuration, the holder 23 serves as a substrate support for the wafer W that is movable laterally relative to the resist film forming module 3 described later, and the upper surface of the support portion 24 serves as the support surface for the wafer W.

[0012] A resist film formation module 3 and a heating module 15 are provided on the front and rear sides of the transport path 14, respectively. Multiple resist film formation modules 3 and heating modules 15 are provided side by side on the left and right. A tower T1 is provided on the left side of the transport path 14 (carrier block D1 side), and the tower T1 is provided with multiple stacked temporary storage modules 16 on which wafers W are temporarily placed.

[0013] The wafer W is transported and processed in the following order: carrier C → transport mechanism 12 → temporary storage module 16 → transport mechanism 21 → resist film formation module 3 → transport mechanism 21 → heating module 15 → transport mechanism 21 → temporary storage module 16 → transport mechanism 12 → carrier C. The processing in heating module 15 is a heat treatment to remove solvent from the resist film. In addition, the temporary storage module 16, to which the wafer W is transported before transport to resist film formation module 3, adjusts the temperature of the wafer W to a predetermined temperature. The wafers W are transported and processed in batches by lot from carrier C. In other words, after multiple wafers W belonging to one lot are transported and processed along the above route, multiple wafers W from other lots are transported and processed along the same route.

[0014] Next, the resist film formation module 3 will be explained with reference to the plan view in Figure 2 and the longitudinal cross-sectional side view in Figure 3. The resist film formation module 3 performs the application of thinner to the surface of the wafer W by spin coating and the formation of a resist film on the surface of the wafer W by spin coating of resist. The application of thinner is a pretreatment to improve the spreadability of the resist on the surface of the wafer W.

[0015] The resist film formation module 3 includes a spin chuck 31, which is a circular stage. The upper surface of the spin chuck 31 is configured as a circular, horizontal mounting surface 32 on which the center of the back surface of the wafer W is placed. The lower center of the spin chuck 31 is supported by a vertically extending support column 33, and the lower end of the support column 33 is connected to a rotation mechanism 34. The rotation mechanism 34 includes a motor and rotates the spin chuck 31 around its central axis via the support column 33.

[0016] A suction passage 35 is formed inside the spin chuck 31 and the support column 33, and the upstream end of the suction passage 35 opens as a suction port 36 in the center of the mounting surface 32. The downstream side of the suction passage 35 is formed to lead out to the outside of the support column 33 and is connected to an exhaust passage (not shown) where a negative pressure atmosphere is created. A valve V1 and a pressure sensor 37 are interposed in the suction passage 35. By opening and closing the valve V1, it is possible to switch between a state in which suction and exhaust are performed from the suction port 36 and a state in which the suction and exhaust are stopped. When the valve V1 is opened with the wafer W placed on the mounting surface 32, the wafer W is held in place by suction to the mounting surface 32, and the wafer W can be rotated together with the rotation of the spin chuck 31. The pressure sensor 37 transmits a detection signal corresponding to the pressure (exhaust pressure) in the suction passage 35 to the control unit 10, which will be described later, and the control unit 10 detects the exhaust pressure based on the detection signal.

[0017] The support column 33 described above is provided so as to penetrate the center of the base body 41, which is a circular, horizontal plate member. Three lift pins 42 are provided so as to penetrate the peripheral edge of the base body 41 in the thickness direction (i.e., the vertical direction) of the base body 41, surrounding the spin chuck 31, which is a rotating stage, in a plan view. Each lift pin 42 is a rod-shaped member extending in the vertical direction and supports the back surface of the wafer W. The tip portion 43 of the lift pin 42 is made of a material such as resin with a relatively high coefficient of friction with respect to the back surface of the wafer W, so as to prevent the wafer W from shifting position on the lift pin 42.

[0018] The heights of each tip 43 are aligned, and the wafer W is horizontally supported by the lift pins 42. Therefore, the lift pins 42 are substrate support structures configured as vertically extending rod-shaped bodies, and the upper surfaces of the tip 43 form the support surfaces for the wafer W. The lower ends of the support columns 33 are supported on a support plate 44, which moves vertically up and down by a lifting mechanism 45. Consequently, the lift pins 42 also move vertically up and down.

[0019] A guide member 46 is provided surrounding the base body 41, having a mountain-like shape in vertical cross-section and with its peripheral end protruding downward. This guide member 46 is for guiding waste liquid to the bottom of the cup 51, which will be described later. A circular cup 51 is provided surrounding the spin chuck 31, the wafer W held by the spin chuck 31, and the guide member 46. The top of the cup 51 is open so that the wafer W can be transferred between the spin chuck 31 and the transport mechanism 21 via the lift pin 42.

[0020] Furthermore, the lower end of the side wall 52 constituting the cup 51 protrudes laterally toward the center of the cup 51 to form a floor portion 53, and the inner periphery of the floor portion 53 protrudes vertically upward to form an inner wall 54, the upper end of the inner wall 54 is connected to the inner edge side of the lower surface of the guide member 46. An upright exhaust pipe 56 is provided in the floor portion 53. While the resist film forming module 3 is in operation, the inside of the cup 51 is constantly exhausted through the exhaust port at the upper end of the exhaust pipe 56. A drain port 57 is also open in the floor portion 53.

[0021] The resist film formation module 3 is also provided with a resist nozzle 61, a thinner nozzle 62, an arm 63, a moving mechanism 64, and a guide 65. The guide 65 is provided so as to extend horizontally to the left and right on the rear side of the cup 51. The moving mechanism 64 is movable along the extension direction of the guide 65. The arm 63 extends forward from the moving mechanism 64, and the resist nozzle 61 and the thinner nozzle 62 are provided at the tip (front end) of the arm 63. The moving mechanism 64 raises and lowers these resist nozzles 61 and thinner nozzles 62 via the arm 63. The resist and thinner are processing liquids for the wafer W, and the resist nozzle 61 and thinner nozzle 62 are processing liquid nozzles.

[0022] A resist supply mechanism 66 is connected to the resist nozzle 61, and the resist nozzle 61 discharges the resist supplied from the supply mechanism 66 vertically downward. A thinner supply mechanism 67 is connected to the thinner nozzle 62, and the thinner nozzle 62 discharges the thinner supplied from the supply mechanism 67 vertically downward. The above-described moving mechanism 64 allows the resist nozzle 61 and the thinner nozzle 62 to move freely between a standby position outside the cup 51 in a plan view and a processing position on the center of the wafer W. This processing position is the position where thinner or resist is discharged onto the center of the wafer W.

[0023] Furthermore, an air supply unit 68 is provided above the area on the cup 51 in which the resist nozzle 61 and thinner nozzle 62 move. The air supply unit 68 supplies purified air downward. Therefore, the temperature of the atmosphere around the spin chuck 31 inside the cup 51 is the temperature of the air supplied from the air supply unit 68.

[0024] The processing procedure for wafer W in the resist film formation module 3 is as follows: Wafer W is transferred from the transport mechanism 21 to the spin chuck 31 via the lift pin 42. With wafer W adsorbed to the spin chuck 31, thinner is supplied to the center of wafer W from the thinner nozzle 62. By rotating wafer W, the thinner is applied to the entire surface of wafer W. Subsequently, resist is supplied to the center of wafer W from the resist nozzle 61. By rotating wafer W, the resist is applied to the entire surface of wafer W, forming a resist film. After that, the rotation of wafer W stops, and wafer W is transferred from the spin chuck 31 to the transport mechanism 21 via the lift pin 42.

[0025] As shown in Figure 1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a control unit 10. The control unit 10 is a computer and includes a program and memory. The program incorporates a set of steps that enable the execution of a series of operations in the substrate processing apparatus 1, which will be described later. The control unit 10 outputs control signals to each part of the substrate processing apparatus 1 using this program, thereby controlling the operation of each part. Specifically, the wafer transport operation by the transport mechanisms 12 and 21, the heating module 15, and the resist film formation module 3 are controlled by the above control signals. The operation of the resist film formation module 3 controlled by these control signals includes opening and closing of the valve V1, supply of resist and thinner from the supply mechanisms 66 and 67, the height of the lift pin 42 by the lifting mechanism 45, the movement of each nozzle by the moving mechanism 64, and the rotation speed of the spin chuck 31 by the rotating mechanism 34. The program is stored on a storage medium such as a compact disc, hard disk, memory card, or DVD and installed in the control unit 10.

[0026] The memory constituting the control unit 10 stores the lower and upper limits of the absolute value of the exhaust pressure detected by the pressure sensor 37 when the wafer W is successfully adsorbed onto the mounting surface 32 of the spin chuck 31. Based on these lower and upper limits of the absolute value of the exhaust pressure and the detected absolute value of the exhaust pressure, it is determined whether or not the wafer W is being transported to the spin chuck 31 normally. To give a specific example, suppose the upper limit of the absolute value is set to 50kPa and the lower limit of the absolute value is set to 100kPa and stored in the memory. In that case, if the pressure detected when adsorbing the wafer W is between -50kPa and -100kPa (i.e., the absolute value is between 50kPa and 100kPa), it is determined that the wafer W has been successfully adsorbed. As will be described in more detail later, the lower limit of the absolute value stored in the memory in this way is also used to determine whether or not there is an abnormality when forming the temperature control airflow of the spin chuck 31.

[0027] Furthermore, the control unit 10 includes an alarm output unit, which consists of a display and a speaker. Depending on the result of the determination, an alarm indicating that an abnormality has occurred is output from the alarm output unit as a predetermined screen display or sound. The detection of exhaust pressure, as well as each determination and alarm output described above, are also performed by the program described above.

[0028] By the way, in the resist film formation module 3 and heating module 15 described above, for example, after processing one lot of wafers W, various processing conditions are switched, and after the switch, other lots are transported from carrier C and processed. Therefore, looking at any module, the transport interval of wafers W belonging to the same lot is shorter than the transport interval of wafers W belonging to different lots. The transport interval of wafers W belonging to different lots is the transport interval between the wafer W belonging to one lot that is last transported to the module and the wafer W belonging to another lot that is first transported to the module (the first wafer W).

[0029] Consider the case where wafers W belonging to the same lot are sequentially transported to the resist film formation module 3, and these wafers W are processed sequentially in the resist film formation module 3. First, when processing the first wafer W of the lot, thinner and resist are supplied to the wafer W, and volatilization occurs on the surface of the wafer W of the thinner and the solvent contained in the resist. The heat of vaporization at that time cools the mounting surface 32 of the spin chuck 31 via the wafer W. As described above, the transport interval for wafers W belonging to the same lot to the resist film formation module 3 is relatively short. Therefore, after the processing of the first wafer W is completed and it is removed from the resist film formation module 3, it is conceivable that the mounting surface 32 will remain cooled without being acclimated to the surrounding atmosphere when the second wafer W of the lot is placed on the spin chuck 31. In that case, the center of this second wafer W will be cooled.

[0030] Furthermore, when processing the second wafer W as described above, the mounting surface 32 is cooled by the heat of vaporization of the thinner and solvent, just as when processing the first wafer W. Therefore, after this second wafer W is removed from the resist film formation module 3, when the third wafer W of the lot is placed on the spin chuck 31, there is a risk that the center of the third wafer W will be cooled to an even lower temperature than the center of the second wafer W.

[0031] Furthermore, as described above, because the wafer transport interval is relatively short, when processing wafers W belonging to the same lot sequentially, the amount of heat accumulated in the rotating mechanism 34 may gradually increase as the number of wafers W being processed increases. In that case, the amount of heat transferred from the rotating mechanism 34 to the spin chuck 31 will increase, causing the spin chuck 31 to heat up.

[0032] Thus, due to the effects of the heat of vaporization from each processing liquid and the heat stored in the rotation mechanism 34, the temperature of the spin chuck 31, and more specifically the temperature of the mounting surface 32, may vary each time a wafer W within the same lot is placed. As a result, the temperature of the center of each wafer W placed on the mounting surface 32 may vary, which may prevent the uniformity of the resist film thickness between wafers W within the same lot from being sufficiently high. Furthermore, if a wafer W is placed on the mounting surface 32 when there is a large difference between the temperature of the mounting surface 32 and the temperature of the atmosphere surrounding the spin chuck 31, the temperature difference between the center and the periphery of the wafer W will increase. As a result, there is a risk that the difference in the thickness of the resist film between the center and the periphery of the wafer W will become large.

[0033] In the resist film formation module 3, operations are performed to suppress such temperature variations in the spin chuck 31. Referring to Figure 4, the lift pins 42 supporting the wafer W create a gap 30 of a predetermined height H1 between the lower surface of the wafer W and the mounting surface 32 of the spin chuck 31. With this gap 30 formed, suction exhaust is performed from the suction port 36, causing the air forming the atmosphere around the spin chuck 31 to be drawn towards the gap 30, creating an airflow that flows from the periphery of the circular gap 30 towards the center in a plan view. The mounting surface 32 of the spin chuck 31 that forms the gap 30 is exposed to this airflow, and the temperature of the mounting surface 32 is adjusted to the temperature of the airflow.

[0034] As described above, the temperature of the mounting surface 32 is adjusted to match the temperature of the air supplied from the air supply unit 68 above the cup 51, which forms the atmosphere around the gap 30. This suppresses temperature variations on the mounting surface 32 of the spin chuck 31 when each wafer W is placed on it. For the sake of explanation, the airflow formed in the gap 30 by the suction and exhaust from the suction port 36 may be referred to as the temperature adjustment airflow from now on.

[0035] Next, with reference to Figure 4, the height of the lift pin 42 will be explained. The lift pin 42 moves up and down between an upper transfer position and a lower standby position. The first position, the transfer position of the lift pin 42, and the wafer W supported at this transfer position are shown by dotted lines in the figure. This transfer position is the position for transferring the wafer W to the transport mechanism 21, and at this position, the tip surface (upper end surface) of the lift pin 42 is located above the mounting surface 32. The second position, the standby position of the lift pin 42, is shown by a dashed line in the figure. The standby position is the position for keeping the lift pin 42 in standby when not in use, and at this position, the tip surface of the lift pin 42 is located below the mounting surface 32.

[0036] Furthermore, if the position of the lift pin 42 that forms the gap 30 is defined as the temperature adjustment position, then this third position, the temperature adjustment position, is located between the transfer position and the standby position. In Figure 4, the lift pin 42 at the temperature adjustment position and the wafer W supported by the lift pin 42 are shown by solid lines.

[0037] If the height H1 of the gap 30 described above is too large, a large amount of air from directly above the suction port 36 will flow into the suction port 36. As a result, the temperature-regulating airflow from the periphery to the center of the gap 30 may not form or may have a low flow velocity, making it difficult to obtain the temperature-regulating effect of the spin chuck 31. In addition, the wafer W transported to the resist film formation module 3 may be warped to have a bowl-shaped form, with the height of the center being lower than the height of the periphery. Even if the degree of warping is within an acceptable range, if the height H1 of the gap 30 is too small, the center of the wafer W will block the suction port 36, and the temperature-regulating airflow will not be able to form. From the above viewpoint, the height H1 of the gap 30 is preferably, for example, 5.0 mm to 50.0 mm. Note that this height H1 of the gap 30 is the height when the wafer W is flat and has no warping.

[0038] Incidentally, the lower limit of the absolute value of the exhaust pressure stored in the memory of the control unit 10 mentioned above, and the value of the exhaust pressure detected by the pressure sensor 37 are used to determine whether or not the temperature-regulating airflow is being formed normally. To explain this determination, as previously mentioned, the wafer W transported to the resist film formation module 3 may be warped into a bowl shape. If the amount of this bowl-shaped warping is relatively large, the center of the wafer W will block the suction port 36 when the lift pin 42 is in the temperature-regulating position, thus preventing the formation of the temperature-regulating airflow.

[0039] In other words, when the lift pin 42 is positioned at the temperature control location, if the temperature control airflow is formed normally, the suction port 36 is not blocked, and the absolute value of the detected exhaust pressure will be smaller than the lower limit. That is, if the lower limit is set to 50 kPa as described above, the absolute value of the detected exhaust pressure will be a smaller value, for example, 10 kPa (i.e., the detected value itself will be -10 kPa). On the other hand, if the suction port 36 is blocked due to the warping of the wafer W as described above, the absolute value of the detected exhaust pressure will be greater than or equal to the lower limit (i.e., 50 kPa or greater). Therefore, by comparing the absolute value of the detected exhaust pressure with the lower limit of the absolute value, it is possible to determine whether there is an abnormality in the formation of the temperature control airflow. It should be noted that this determination of the temperature control airflow is for detecting defects caused by the shape of the wafer W, as described above, and can therefore also be said to be a determination of whether or not a wafer W with a normal shape is being transported to the resist film formation module 3.

[0040] In this example, when the wafer W is transferred from the transport mechanism 21 to the spin chuck 31, the temperature-regulating airflow is formed with the gap 30 described above. In other words, the airflow is formed using the wafer W before the processing liquid is supplied. The transfer to the spin chuck 31 and the temperature adjustment of the spin chuck 31 by forming the temperature-regulating airflow at that time will be explained below with reference to Figures 5 to 9 showing the state of the wafer W and the lift pin 42, and Figure 10 showing the operation flowchart. In Figures 5 to 9, the valve V1 in the closed state is hatched to distinguish between the open and closed states.

[0041] First, with valve V1 closed and suction and exhaust from suction port 36 stopped, the holder 23 of the transport mechanism 21 holding the wafer W is positioned at a predetermined height on the cup 51. The lift pin 42, which was waiting in the standby position, moves to the transfer position and supports the wafer W in place of the holder 23 (Figure 5, step S1). When the holder 23 is moved away from the cup 51, the lift pin 42 descends (step S2) and stops in the temperature adjustment position, forming a gap 30 between the wafer W and the mounting surface 32 (Figure 6, step S3). Subsequently, valve V1 is opened and suction and exhaust from suction port 36 begins (Figure 7, step S4). As previously described, the atmosphere around the gap 30 is drawn in, and a temperature adjustment airflow is formed in the gap 30. In Figure 7, the airflow around the wafer W, including the temperature adjustment airflow in the gap 30, is indicated by dotted arrows.

[0042] During the formation of this temperature-regulating airflow, the exhaust pressure acquired by the pressure sensor 37 is calculated to have an absolute value. Then, it is determined whether this absolute value is smaller than the lower limit value stored in memory (step S5). If it is determined that it is not smaller than the lower limit value (i.e., greater than or equal to the lower limit value), an alarm is output indicating that the temperature-regulating airflow has not been formed (step S6), the valve V1 is closed to stop exhaust from the suction port 36, and subsequent processing in this resist film forming module 3 is stopped, for example.

[0043] If it is determined in step S5 that the value is less than the lower limit, the valve V1 remains open and the temperature-regulating airflow continues to form, thereby adjusting the temperature of the mounting surface 32 on the spin chuck 31 (step S7). After a preset time has elapsed since the valve V1 was opened, the valve V1 is closed, the exhaust from the suction port 36 temporarily stops (step S8), and the lift pin 42 descends toward the standby position (step S9). During this descent, when the wafer W is placed on the mounting surface 32 of the spin chuck 31 (Figure 8, step S10), the exhaust from the suction port 36 resumes (step S11). The lift pin 42 continues to descend further and comes to rest in the standby position (Figure 9).

[0044] Then, it is determined whether the absolute value of the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 37 is above the lower limit and below the upper limit (step S12). If it is determined that it is not above the lower limit and below the upper limit, the alarm in step S6 is output, the valve V1 is closed and exhaust from the suction port 36 is stopped, and subsequent processing in this resist film formation module 3 is stopped.

[0045] In step S12, if it is determined that the absolute value of the pressure is above the lower limit and below the upper limit, the processing of the wafer W is started (step S13). That is, the thinner pretreatment and resist film formation described above are performed. After the resist film is formed, the rotation of the spin chuck 31 stops, and the exhaust from the suction port 36 stops. The lift pin 42 rises from the standby position to support the wafer W, and rises further to the transfer position, at which point the holder 23 of the transport mechanism 21 moves onto the cup 51. Then, as the lift pin 42 returns to the standby position, the wafer W is transferred from the lift pin 42 to the holder 23.

[0046] The flow consisting of steps S1 to S12 (referred to as the pre-processing airflow formation flow) leading up to step S13, in which processing is started on the wafer W, is executed, thereby suppressing temperature variations on the mounting surface 32 of the spin chuck 31 each time a wafer W is placed on it. As a result, the temperature difference at the center of each wafer W placed on the spin chuck 31 is suppressed. Consequently, it is possible to prevent large variations in the thickness of the resist film between wafers W due to this temperature difference. In other words, the uniformity of processing between wafers W can be increased.

[0047] For the sake of explanation, it was stated that when each wafer W within a lot is placed on the spin chuck 31, the temperature of the spin chuck 31 may vary, and that forming a temperature-regulating airflow is effective in suppressing variations in the film thickness of each wafer W within a lot caused by this variation. However, if the transport interval between one lot and other lots is relatively short and the above-mentioned temperature-regulating airflow is not formed, it is possible that the temperature of the spin chuck 31 may deviate from the ambient temperature when the first wafer W of another lot is transported to the spin chuck 31. In other words, the effect of this technology is not limited to suppressing variations in the processing of wafer W within the same lot, but is also effective in suppressing variations in processing between wafer W of different lots.

[0048] Furthermore, by performing the above-described pre-processing airflow formation flow, it is prevented that the center of the wafer W is placed on the spin chuck 31 when there is a large temperature difference between the spin chuck 31 and the ambient temperature. This suppresses a large temperature difference between the center and the periphery of the wafer W. Consequently, a large difference in the thickness of the resist film between the center and the periphery is suppressed. In other words, this technology can also improve the uniformity of the processing within the plane of the wafer W.

[0049] In the pre-processing airflow formation flow, suction from the suction port 36 is stopped during steps S8 to S10, when the lift pin 42 is lowered from the temperature control position to the position where the wafer W is placed on the spin chuck 31. If suction were to occur from the suction port 36 during this descent, the center of the wafer W would be pulled downwards, potentially causing deformation of the wafer W. Stopping the suction prevents such deformation of the wafer W, which is preferable.

[0050] As mentioned above, the transport interval between wafers W from different lots to the resist film formation module 3 is longer than the transport interval between wafers W from the same lot. Therefore, if one lot is processed before another lot is processed, when the first wafer W of another lot is placed on the spin chuck 31, the temperature of the spin chuck 31 is adjusted to match the ambient temperature, and it is conceivable that there is no difference from the ambient temperature, or that the difference is relatively small.

[0051] Therefore, the above pre-processing airflow formation flow is performed for the second and subsequent wafers W of each lot, and for the first wafer W of each lot, the formation of a temperature-controlling airflow by stationary lift pins 42 at the temperature-controlling position during the flow and suction by suction port 36 may be omitted. In other words, for the first wafer W of a lot, steps S3 to S5, S7, and step S6, which is performed according to the determination result of step S5, may be omitted from steps S1 to S13. By operating the resist film formation module 3 in this manner, the first wafer W of a lot is quickly placed on the spin chuck 31 and processing begins, thus preventing a decrease in the module's throughput when processing that lot.

[0052] Incidentally, the formation of the temperature-regulating airflow described above is not limited to being performed before the wafer W is placed on the spin chuck 31. Specifically, the operation flow for forming the temperature-regulating airflow is performed after the wafer W has been processed by supplying the processing liquid and before the wafer W is handed over to the transport mechanism 21. This prevents the wafer W that is placed on the spin chuck 31 next from being affected by the temperature of the spin chuck 31. This operation flow is called the post-processing airflow formation flow. In general terms, this post-processing airflow formation flow is performed in the reverse order (i.e., starting from step S11) of the pre-processing airflow formation flow described above, and in each of those steps, the operation described as the lift pin 42 descending is performed as the lift pin 42 ascending.

[0053] Specifically, regarding the post-processing airflow formation flow, after the formation of the resist film is completed and the rotation of the wafer W is stopped, the suction and exhaust from the suction port 36 are stopped, thereby releasing the wafer W from the spin chuck 31. Subsequently, the lift pin 42 rises from the standby position, and after the wafer W is supported by the lift pin 42, it comes to rest in the airflow formation position. The reason for stopping the suction and exhaust from the suction port 36 while the lift pin 42 is rising to this airflow formation position is to prevent deformation of the wafer W, similar to why the suction and exhaust are stopped in steps S8 to S10 of the pre-processing formation flow.

[0054] Then, suction and exhaust are performed from the suction port 36, forming a temperature-regulating airflow for a predetermined time. After this time, the suction and exhaust stops, the lift pin 42 moves to the transfer position, and the wafer W is transferred to the transport mechanism 21. During the formation of the temperature-regulating airflow, an abnormality check is performed as described in step S5, and if an abnormality is detected, the alarm in step S6 is output.

[0055] Even when the post-treatment airflow formation flow described above is performed, the same effects as when the pre-treatment airflow formation flow shown in Figures 5 to 10 is performed can be obtained. Either the pre-treatment airflow formation flow or the post-treatment airflow formation flow may be performed, or both may be performed.

[0056] By the way, the lift pin 42 is not limited to being stationary while the temperature-regulating airflow is being formed. Below, as a modified example of the pre-processing airflow formation flow described in Figure 10, we will explain the operation flow in which the temperature-regulating airflow is formed while the lift pin 42 is descending (for convenience of explanation, this will be called the descending airflow formation flow), focusing on the differences from the pre-processing airflow formation flow. For the purpose of this explanation, with respect to the lift pin 42, the upper and lower ends of the predetermined section between the handover position and the standby position shown in Figure 4 will be referred to as the upper airflow formation position and the lower airflow formation position, respectively. In other words, the upper airflow formation position is below the handover position, and the lower airflow formation position is above the standby position.

[0057] Figure 11 shows the upper airflow formation position and the lower airflow formation position, respectively, with solid and dashed lines. When the lift pin 42 is positioned at each of these positions, the height H1 of the gap 30 formed between the lower surface of the wafer W and the mounting surface 32 falls within the preferred range described in Figure 4. The section between the upper airflow formation position and the lower airflow formation position corresponds to one section, and the section between the transfer position and the upper airflow formation position corresponds to the other section. As will be described later, the maximum descent speed of the lift pin 42 differs depending on the section.

[0058] An example of the speed change of the lift pin 42 during the execution of the descending airflow formation flow will be explained with reference to the timing chart in Figure 12. Figure 12 also shows the period during which suction from the suction port 36 is performed, corresponding to the timing of the speed change. First, the lift pin 42 supporting the wafer W while stationary at the transfer position begins to descend (time t1). The speed of the lift pin 42 increases, and when it reaches a predetermined first speed A1, for example, the increase in speed stops (time t2), and it continues to descend at the same first speed A1. After that, the lift pin 42 begins to decelerate before reaching the upper airflow formation position (time t3).

[0059] Next, when the lift pin 42 reaches the upper airflow formation position, deceleration stops (time t4), and the lift pin 42 continues to descend at a constant second speed A2. Then, when the lift pin 42 reaches the lower airflow formation position, the speed of the lift pin 42 increases (time t5), and when it reaches a first speed A1, the increase in speed stops. After that, the lift pin 42 decelerates and comes to a stop in the standby position. After the speed increase at time t5, while the lift pin 42 is moving towards the standby position, the wafer W is placed on the spin chuck 31.

[0060] The relationship between each step S explained in the flow chart in Figure 10 and the time t in the chart in Figure 12 is as follows: At times t4 to t5, the same operations as steps S3 to S8 of the pre-processing airflow formation flow are performed, except that the lift pin 42 is lowered at the second velocity A2 as described above. Therefore, suction from the suction port 36 is started at time t4 to form the temperature-regulating airflow, and at time t5 the suction stops and the formation of the temperature-regulating airflow stops. Note that the period before time t4 is the period during which steps S1 and S2 are performed, and the period after time t5 is the period during which each step from step S9 onwards is performed.

[0061] By lowering the lift pin 42 even while the temperature-regulating airflow is being formed, it is possible to prevent the time from being extended from when the wafer W is supported by the lift pin 42 until it is placed on the spin chuck 31, which is preferable for increasing the throughput of the resist film formation module 3. Furthermore, the second speed A2, which is the maximum speed of the lift pin 42 in the section from the upper airflow formation position to the lower airflow formation position (times t4 to t5), is smaller than the first speed A1, which is the maximum speed in the section from the transfer position to the upper airflow formation position (times t1 to t4). Therefore, it is preferable because it is possible to more reliably shorten the time until the wafer W is placed on the spin chuck 31 while forming the temperature-regulating airflow for a sufficient amount of time to match the temperature of the spin chuck 31 to the ambient temperature.

[0062] In the example shown in the chart of Figure 12, the descent speed of the lift pin 42 is changed from the first speed A1 to the second speed A2 without stopping the descent of the lift pin 42. However, after descending at the first speed A1, the descent of the lift pin 42 may be temporarily stopped before descending at the second speed A2. Also, although the descent speed of the lift pin 42 at times t4 to t5 is assumed to be constant at the second speed A2, it may vary. Furthermore, if the distance between the lower airflow formation position and the standby position is relatively short, after stopping suction at time t5, the descent speed of the lift pin 42 may not be increased, and the lift pin 42 may be allowed to descend to the standby position at the second speed A2.

[0063] For the post-processing airflow formation flow, similar to the descending airflow formation flow described in Figures 11 and 12, the lift pin 42 may be moved during the formation of the temperature-regulating airflow. Specifically, the operation should be the same as the operation described above for the descending airflow formation flow, except that the lift pin 42 is raised instead of lowered. More specifically, for example, the lift pin 42 is raised from the standby position to the lower airflow formation position, and then the temperature-regulating airflow is formed while the lift pin 42 is raised from the lower airflow formation position to the upper airflow formation position at a second velocity A2. After that, the lift pin 42 is raised from the upper airflow formation position to the handover position at a maximum velocity of the first velocity A1.

[0064] Next, we will describe the operation flow (referred to as the temporary placement flow) of a further modified version of the pre-processing airflow formation flow shown in Figure 10. As described in Figure 1, the wafer W is temperature-adjusted in the temporary placement module 16 and then transported to the resist film formation module 3. The temperature of the wafer W after this adjustment is, for example, the same as the ambient temperature around the spin chuck 31 (i.e., the same temperature as the air supplied from the air supply unit 68 on the cup 51).

[0065] Then, after the transport mechanism 21 transports the temperature-controlled wafer W onto the cup 51, it performs the operations of steps S1 and S2 described in Figure 10, namely supporting the wafer W on the lift pin 42 and lowering the lift pin 42 in order. However, in step S2, the lift pin 42 is not left stationary in the airflow formation position but is moved to the standby position and the wafer W is placed on the spin chuck 31. This placement causes heat exchange between the wafer W and the spin chuck 31, and the temperature of the spin chuck 31 approaches the temperature of the wafer W (i.e., the same temperature as the surrounding atmosphere of the spin chuck 31). On the other hand, the temperature of the wafer W deviates from the temperature of the surrounding atmosphere of the spin chuck 31.

[0066] Subsequently, the lift pin 42 rises toward the airflow formation position, and the wafer W is separated from the spin chuck 31. Once the lift pin 42 reaches the airflow formation position (i.e., once the gap 30 is formed), the operations of steps S3 and later are performed. During the formation of the temperature-regulating airflow in steps S4 to S8 of steps S3 and later, the temperature of the spin chuck 31 approaches the ambient temperature further by exposure to the temperature-regulating airflow, while the temperature of the wafer W, which has deviated from the ambient temperature due to the heat exchange described above, returns to the ambient temperature.

[0067] This temporary placement flow allows the spin chuck 31 to be more reliably adjusted to the ambient temperature, thereby suppressing the variations in the thickness of the resist film between wafers W and within the plane of wafer W as described above. Even when the temperature adjustment airflow is formed after the wafer W has been placed on the spin chuck 31, the lift pin 42 is not limited to being stationary during airflow formation; it may also be lowered as shown in Figures 11 and 12.

[0068] As previously described, the resist film formation module 3 uses the wafer W to form a temperature-regulating airflow that passes over the mounting surface 32, thereby regulating the temperature of the mounting surface 32. Now, let's consider a comparative example in which, instead of using such suction, temperature regulation is performed by discharging gas onto the mounting surface 32 from above the spin chuck 31 using a gas nozzle. In this comparative example, it is necessary to discharge N2 gas onto the mounting surface 32 when the wafer W is not positioned above the spin chuck 31.

[0069] In the transport mechanism 21 described in Figure 1, when transferring wafers W to each module, one holder 23 receives the wafer W from the module, and the other holder 23 sends the wafer W to the module. In other words, the wafer W is transported in a way that replaces the wafer W with the module. Therefore, in the configuration of the comparative example, after one holder 23 receives the wafer W from the lift pin 42, the other holder 23 cannot quickly transfer the wafer W to the lift pin 42 in order not to interfere with temperature adjustment by the gas nozzle, and will have to wait while holding the wafer W. This may lead to a decrease in throughput. With the resist film formation module 3, such waiting for the other holder 23 is unnecessary, which has the advantage of preventing a decrease in throughput.

[0070] [Second Embodiment] The resist film formation module 7 according to the second embodiment will be described, focusing on the differences from the resist film formation module 3, with reference to the longitudinal cross-sectional side view in Figure 13 and the plan view in Figure 14. In this resist film formation module 7, a gas nozzle 71 is provided on the base body 41. The gas nozzle 71 is connected via piping to a gas supply mechanism 72 which includes a flow rate adjustment unit such as a mass flow controller, a valve, and a supply source of N2 (nitrogen) gas. N2 gas is supplied from the gas supply mechanism 72 to the gas nozzle 71 at a predetermined flow rate and discharged from the gas nozzle 71. This N2 gas is supplied to the gap 30 between the wafer W and the spin chuck 31 to regulate the temperature of the spin chuck 31. The temperature of the N2 gas supplied from the gas supply mechanism 72 is, for example, the same as the temperature of the air supplied from the air supply unit 68 above the cup 51.

[0071] The gas nozzle 71 is located below the spin chuck 31 and is positioned outside the spin chuck 31 in a plan view. The gas nozzle 71 discharges N2 gas diagonally upward, and the N2 gas flows from the peripheral side to the center side of the spin chuck 31 in a plan view. The period during which this N2 gas is discharged is set to overlap with the period described in each example of the first embodiment as forming the temperature-regulating airflow. That is, the discharge of N2 gas and the suction from the suction port 36 are performed in parallel.

[0072] Please also refer to Figure 15 for further explanation. In Figure 15, the flow of N2 gas from the gas nozzle 51 and the airflow around the wafer W are indicated by dotted arrows. With the gap 30 formed to create a temperature-regulating airflow, N2 gas is discharged from the gas nozzle 71 to the lower surface of the wafer W. By being discharged and colliding with the lower surface of the wafer W in this way, the N2 gas changes direction and flows from the peripheral edge towards the center of the gap 30, and is exhausted from the suction port 36. While N2 gas is being discharged from the gas nozzle 71 in this manner, the spin chuck 31 rotates. Due to this rotation, the entire circumferential surface 32 of the spin chuck 31 is exposed to the airflow of N2 gas discharged from the gas nozzle 71.

[0073] In this way, the resist film formation module 7 forms the temperature-regulating airflow described above, as well as an airflow from the gas nozzle 71 toward the center of the gap 30. By being exposed to these airflows, the temperature of the mounting surface 32 of the spin chuck 31 is more reliably and quickly matched to the ambient temperature.

[0074] As described in the first embodiment as a comparative example, it is conceivable to adjust the temperature of the mounting surface 32 of the spin chuck 31 by supplying gas from a gas nozzle located above the spin chuck 31. However, this comparative example configuration hinders the transfer of the wafer W between the lift pin 42 and the transport mechanism 21. However, since the gas nozzle 71 is located below the mounting surface 32, it prevents interference with the transfer of the wafer W, thus minimizing the impact on the throughput of the resist film formation module 7, which is preferable.

[0075] Incidentally, if the flow rate of N2 gas discharged from the gas nozzle 71 is greater than the flow rate of N2 gas exhausted from the suction port 36, the pressure in the gap 30 will increase, and there is a risk that some of the N2 gas will not flow into the gap 30 but will be exhausted from the exhaust pipe 56 of the cup 51. Therefore, from the viewpoint of not wasting N2 gas, it is preferable to set the flow rate of N2 gas discharged from the gas nozzle 71 to be less than or equal to the exhaust flow rate from the suction port 36. From the viewpoint of preventing such wasted consumption of N2 gas and quickly adjusting the temperature of the spin chuck 31, it is even more preferable to set the flow rate of N2 gas discharged from the gas nozzle 71 to be the same as the exhaust flow rate from the suction port 36. Specifically, the discharge amount of N2 gas when it is the same as the exhaust flow rate is, for example, 10 L / min. In addition, setting the flow rate of N2 gas discharged from the gas nozzle 71 to be less than or equal to the exhaust flow rate from the suction port 36 has the advantage of more reliably preventing the pressure inside the cup 51 from rising, which could cause the wafer W to shift position on the lift pin 42 or detach from the lift pin 42.

[0076] Incidentally, in the resist film formation module 7, N2 gas is supplied to localized positions in the circumferential direction of the gap 30, thereby suppressing temperature variations in the circumferential direction of the mounting surface 32. However, multiple gas nozzles 71 may be provided along the circumference of the spin chuck 31. If multiple gas nozzles 71 are provided in this way, and the temperature around the entire circumference of the gap 30 is adjusted by the gas from the gas nozzles 71, it is not necessary to rotate the spin chuck 31. In other words, the configuration is not limited to rotating the spin chuck 31 when gas is discharged from the gas nozzles. Furthermore, the gas discharged from the gas nozzles 71 is not limited to N2 gas; for example, air or other types of inert gases may be used.

[0077] Furthermore, the timing of starting the discharge of N2 gas from the gas nozzle 71 and the timing of opening valve V1 to start suction and exhaust from the suction port 36 do not have to be the same. Similarly, the timing of stopping the discharge of gas from the gas nozzle 71 and the timing of closing valve V1 to stop suction and exhaust from the suction port 36 do not have to be the same. However, from the viewpoint of more reliably introducing the N2 gas discharged from the gas nozzle 71 into the gap 30 for temperature adjustment without wasting it through suction from the suction port 36, it is preferable that the timing of discharging the N2 gas and opening valve V1 be the same, and that the timing of stopping the discharge of N2 gas and closing valve V1 be the same.

[0078] It should be noted that the temperature of the N2 gas discharged from the gas nozzle 71 is not limited to being the same as the temperature of the air supplied from the air supply unit 68. For example, a heater may be provided in the flow path connecting the gas nozzle 71 and the gas supply mechanism 72 so that N2 gas at a higher temperature than the air supplied from the air supply unit 68 is discharged from the gas nozzle 71. This is preferable because it allows the temperature of the spin chuck 31, which has been cooled by the heat of vaporization described above, to quickly match the ambient temperature.

[0079] Figure 16 shows a modified version of the second embodiment. In this modified version, a lift pin 73 is provided instead of the lift pin 42, and this lift pin 73 is configured as a gas nozzle that discharges N2 gas into the gap 30 instead of the gas nozzle 71. Although only two are shown in Figure 16, like the lift pin 42, for example, three lift pins 73 are provided to horizontally support the wafer W.

[0080] Regarding the differences between the lift pin 73 and the lift pin 42, a flow path 74 is formed inside each lift pin 73 along its length, and a gas supply mechanism 72 is connected to this flow path 74 via piping connected to the base end of the lift pin 73. Furthermore, an outlet 75 connected to the flow path 74 is horizontally opened on the side of the tip of the lift pin 73, facing the gap 30. As this modification shows, the N2 gas is not limited to being discharged toward the bottom surface of the wafer W.

[0081] Incidentally, the liquid processing apparatus is not limited to those that form resist films, such as the resist film formation module 3. For example, a developing module may be placed in place of the resist film formation module 3 in the substrate processing apparatus 1. This developing module is a module for developing a resist film exposed along a predetermined exposure pattern, and has the same configuration as the resist film formation module 3, except that a developing solution nozzle and a washing nozzle are provided instead of the resist nozzle 61 and thinner nozzle 62. The wafer W is temperature-controlled in the temporary storage module 16 before being transported to the developing module.

[0082] To further explain the developing module, the developing nozzle is configured to form a liquid film of developer over the entire surface of the wafer W. The cleaning nozzle discharges a cleaning solution, such as pure water, to the center of the wafer W where the liquid film of developer has formed. As the cleaning solution is discharged, the wafer W rotates, and the cleaning solution spreads due to centrifugal force, removing the developer from the wafer W.

[0083] In this developing module, the operation flow described in the resist film formation module 3 is executed, thereby suppressing temperature variations in the spin chuck 31 when each wafer W is placed on it. As a result, variations in the critical dimension of the resist pattern between wafers W and within the plane of wafer W can be suppressed. The pure water used as the cleaning solution has a relatively large heat of vaporization. Therefore, in the developing module, there is a risk that the amount of temperature reduction of the spin chuck 31 due to the heat of vaporization will be relatively large. For this reason, forming the temperature control airflow described above in this developing module is particularly effective.

[0084] Incidentally, the application of this technology is not limited to modules that perform resist film formation and development as described above. Although it was stated that development modules perform development and cleaning, this technology may also be applied to modules that perform only cleaning. Furthermore, this technology may be applied to modules that form films other than resist films, specifically modules that supply processing liquids for forming films such as anti-reflective films and insulating films to wafer W to perform film formation, or modules that supply adhesives for bonding wafers W together as processing liquids to wafer W. Moreover, the application of this technology is not limited to modules in which wafer W is adsorbed and rotated by a spin chuck 31 in order to perform processing on the surface side of wafer W. For example, this technology may be applied to modules in which a processing liquid, such as a cleaning liquid, is supplied to the back surface of wafer W that is adsorbed and rotated by a spin chuck 31.

[0085] Furthermore, the member that directly transfers the wafer W to the spin chuck 31 is not limited to the lift pin 42. Figure 17 shows an example configuration of the resist film formation module 3 in which the rotation mechanism 34 is connected to the lifting mechanism 81, so that the spin chuck 31 is located outside the cup 51 and the wafer W can be directly transferred between it and the transport mechanism 21. In this example configuration, the spin chuck 31 remains stationary outside the cup 51. Then, by raising and lowering the holder 23 of the transport mechanism 21 instead of the lift pin 42, the formation of a temperature-regulating airflow by forming a gap 30 and the transfer of the wafer W are performed as described in the first embodiment. More specifically, instead of the tip surface of the lift pin 42, the upper surface of the support portion 24 of the holder 23 that supports the wafer W is controlled to be positioned at each height position shown in the first embodiment as the position of the tip surface of the lift pin 42 relative to the spin chuck 31. This creates the gap 30 and transfers the wafer W.

[0086] In the configuration example shown in Figure 17, instead of the holder 23 of the transport mechanism 21 moving up and down while the spin chuck 31 is stationary, the spin chuck 31 may move up and down while the transport mechanism 21 is stationary, thereby forming the gap 30 and transferring the wafer W. In other words, the support for the wafer W can be anything that moves up and down relative to the spin chuck 31.

[0087] Furthermore, the mounting surface 32 of the spin chuck 31 is configured to have multiple suction ports, one of which may be used to form a temperature-regulating airflow, and the other suction ports may be used to adsorb the wafer W. In other words, the suction ports may be configured to be used differently depending on the application. Moreover, although the resist film formation modules 3 and 7 and the developing module described above are installed in an atmospheric environment, they may also be installed in another type of gas atmosphere, such as an N2 gas atmosphere, and the suction port 36 may draw in the gas constituting that atmosphere to form a temperature-regulating airflow. Therefore, the temperature-regulating airflow is not limited to air. Note that the substrate to be processed is not limited to wafer W, but may also be a rectangular substrate such as a substrate for manufacturing flat panel displays.

[0088] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The above embodiments may be omitted, replaced, modified and combined in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

[0089] [Reference Test] Next, we will describe the reference tests conducted in relation to this technology. A spin chuck 31, which is installed in a test apparatus having a configuration generally similar to that of the resist film formation module 3, was cooled to 22.5°C. Then, N2 gas was discharged from a gas nozzle installed in this test apparatus from above the spin chuck 31 toward the mounting surface 32 of the spin chuck 31. The temperature of the mounting surface 32 during this gas discharge was measured and the change over time was investigated. The temperature of the discharged N2 gas and the temperature of the atmosphere in which the test apparatus is installed is approximately 23.0°C.

[0090] Each time the spin chuck 31 was cooled, the flow rate of N2 gas discharged from the gas nozzle was changed, and the above temperature measurements were performed. The tests conducted with the N2 gas flow rates set to 3 L / min, 6 L / min, and 10 L / min are designated as Reference Tests 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3, respectively. In addition, as a comparative test, the same tests as Reference Tests 1-1 to 1-3 were performed, except that N2 gas was not discharged to the spin chuck 31.

[0091] Figures 18 and 19 show the results of each test. In Figure 18, the horizontal and vertical axes represent the elapsed time (in seconds) and the measured temperature (in °C), respectively, since the start of N2 gas discharge. Figure 19 shows the measured temperatures when the elapsed time is 0 seconds, 5 seconds, and 10 seconds, respectively. As shown in Figures 18 and 19, in the comparative test the measured temperature does not reach 23 °C, while in reference tests 1-1 to 1-3 the measured temperature reaches 23 °C. In other words, in reference tests 1-1 to 1-3, the temperature of the mounting surface 32 of the spin chuck 31 was adjusted to the same temperature as the atmosphere at an earlier time. From these results, it is considered that the configuration of the resist film forming module 7 provided with the gas nozzle 71, as shown in the second embodiment, is effective in quickly adjusting the temperature of the spin chuck 31 when the mounting surface 32 cools down.

[0092] As shown in Figures 18 and 19, the time it took for the mounting surface 32 to reach 23°C differed between reference tests 1-1 to 1-3. The higher the flow rate of the discharged N2 gas, the earlier the temperature reached 23°C. From these results, it can be seen that when setting the N2 gas discharge time in order to adequately control the temperature in the resist film formation module 7 and to suppress the wasteful consumption of N2 gas, it is desirable to consider the flow rate of N2 gas discharged from the gas nozzle 71.

[0093] For example, suppose that the temperature change information from these reference tests 1-1 to 1-3 is stored in the memory of the control unit 10 as described in the embodiment. Then, assume that the atmosphere around the spin chuck 31 in the resist film formation module 7 is 23°C, the same as in these reference tests, and that the user of the apparatus can set how many degrees the temperature of the mounting surface 32 drops from 23°C due to the heat of vaporization in one wafer W processing cycle. The user can also set the flow rate of the N2 gas discharged from the gas nozzle 71. The control unit 10 may determine the N2 gas discharge time based on the temperature drop setting, the flow rate of the discharged N2 gas, and the above temperature change information.

[0094] To be more specific about this decision, suppose the N2 gas flow rate is set to 10 L / min, and the temperature drop of the mounting surface 32 due to one wafer W processing is set to 0.2°C. The control unit 10 reads the data from Reference Test 1-3, where the N2 gas flow rate is 10 L / min. According to the data from Reference Test 1-3, it is necessary to discharge N2 gas for 5.0 seconds in order to raise the temperature from 23°C - 0.2°C = 22.8°C to 23°C. Therefore, the control unit 10 may decide that this 5.0 seconds is the N2 gas discharge time. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0095] W wafer 10 Control Unit 3. Resist film formation module 31 Spin Chuck 32 Mounting surface 61 Resist Nozzle 62 Thinner nozzle

Claims

1. A rotating stage is provided which has a mounting surface on which a substrate is placed, and the substrate is transferred between a substrate support that supports the substrate and moves up and down relative to the mounting surface, In order to adsorb the substrate onto the mounting surface, a suction port opening onto the mounting surface is provided, A processing liquid nozzle that discharges a processing liquid onto the substrate placed on the mounting surface and performs processing, To adjust the temperature of the rotating stage, a control unit outputs a control signal so that a gap is formed between the substrate supported by the substrate support and the aforementioned mounting surface, and that gas from around the gap is drawn in through the suction port. A liquid treatment apparatus equipped with the following features.

2. The substrate support moves up and down relative to the mounting surface between a first position where the support surface supporting the substrate is below the mounting surface described above, and a second position where the support surface is above the mounting surface described above. If the position for forming the gap between the first position and the second position is defined as the third position, The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein suction from the suction port is stopped while the substrate support is moving relative to the first position and the third position.

3. The substrate support moves up and down relative to the mounting surface between a first position where the support surface supporting the substrate is below the mounting surface described above, and a second position where the support surface is above the mounting surface described above. If the position for forming the gap between the first position and the second position is defined as the third position, The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the substrate support remains stationary at the third position.

4. The substrate support moves up and down relative to the mounting surface between a first position where the support surface supporting the substrate is below the mounting surface described above, and a second position where the support surface is above the mounting surface described above. If we define one section as the gap formed between the first position and the second position, and the other section as the section from the second position to the first section, The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the maximum speed of the substrate support in the first section is smaller than the maximum speed of the substrate support in the other section.

5. The liquid processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the gas suction is performed while the substrate is supported by the substrate support before the processing liquid is supplied.

6. After placing the substrate on the aforementioned mounting surface, The liquid apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the substrate support supports the substrate such that the gap is formed.

7. The liquid apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the gas suction is performed while the substrate is supported by the substrate support after the supply of the processing liquid.

8. The liquid processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the gas suction is performed while the substrate is supported by the substrate support before the supply of the processing liquid.

9. A gas nozzle for supplying gas to adjust the temperature of the rotating stage is provided in the gap. The liquid processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein suction from the suction port and discharge of the gas from the gas nozzle are performed in parallel while the gap is formed.

10. The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the rotating stage rotates while the gas is being supplied from the gas nozzle to the gap.

11. The liquid processing apparatus according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the gas nozzle discharges the gas toward the lower surface of the substrate.

12. The substrate support is a rod-shaped body that extends vertically and is provided around the rotating stage in a plan view. The liquid processing apparatus according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the gas nozzle is included in the rod-shaped body.

13. The liquid processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the substrate support is a substrate transport mechanism that can move laterally with respect to the rotating stage.

14. A step of transferring a substrate between a rotating stage having a mounting surface on which the substrate is placed and a substrate support that supports the substrate and moves up and down relative to the mounting surface, A step of sucking the substrate with a suction port opening on the mounting surface to adsorb the substrate to the mounting surface described above, A process of discharging a processing liquid from a processing liquid nozzle onto the substrate placed on the aforementioned surface and performing processing, To adjust the temperature of the rotating stage, a step is made to suck the gas from the suction port into the gap while a gap is formed between the substrate supported by the substrate support and the aforementioned mounting surface, A liquid treatment method comprising the following:

15. A storage medium for storing computer programs used in liquid processing equipment, The computer program is a storage medium having a set of steps configured to execute the liquid processing method described in claim 14.

Images