Substrate processing method and substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of suppressing sneaking of a liquid medicine, which is supplied to an upward principal surface in a substrate, to a downward principal surface.SOLUTION: A substrate processing method includes: a first holding state forming step of forming a state where a substrate 9 in such an attitude that a first principal surface 91 in which a pattern is formed is turned downward is held by a first chuck part 710 separately from a plurality of support pins 61 supporting the substrate 9 from a lower side; and a liquid medicine processing step of supplying a gas to a space at a lower side of the substrate 9 and supplying a liquid medicine to a second principal surface 92 which is turned upward in the substrate 9 while rotating the substrate 9, which is held by the first chuck part 710 separately from the plurality of support pins 61, around a vertically extending center axis J1. The first chuck part 710 includes a plurality of first chuck pins 71 which abut on an end face of a peripheral edge of the substrate 9 without abutting on a bottom face of the peripheral edge of the substrate 9, and the substrate 9 is held by the plurality of first chuck pins 71.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to a substrate processing method and a substrate processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] In manufacturing semiconductor devices and the like, various processes are performed on substrates. For example, there is known a substrate processing apparatus that supplies a processing liquid or the like to the main surface of a substrate while holding the substrate in a posture such that its thickness direction is along the vertical direction, and performs processing on the main surface (for example, Patent Documents 1 to 4). Among such substrate processing apparatuses, there is one that holds a substrate having a pattern of a device (a device in the process of being manufactured) formed on one main surface in a posture such that the main surface faces downward, and supplies a processing liquid or the like to the main surface facing upward at this time (that is, the main surface on which the pattern of the device is not formed), and performs processing on the main surface (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Incidentally, when supplying a chemical solution as a processing solution to the main surface facing upward on a substrate and processing that surface, there is a possibility that the chemical solution supplied to the main surface facing upward may spread to the main surface facing downward. If a device pattern is formed on the main surface facing downward, such leakage of the chemical solution can cause etching to proceed, for example, potentially leading to device defects. To avoid such a situation, it is necessary to reduce the leakage of the chemical solution. In particular, in recent years, in order to obtain as many devices as possible from a single substrate, device patterns are being formed close to the outer edge of the substrate, and the need for technology that can reduce the leakage of the chemical solution is increasing.

[0005] This invention was made in view of these problems, and its purpose is to provide a technology that can suppress the leakage of a chemical solution supplied to the main surface facing upward on a substrate to the main surface facing downward. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The first embodiment is a substrate processing method comprising: a first holding state forming step, in which a substrate in a position in which a first main surface on which a pattern is formed faces downward is held by a first chuck portion spaced apart from a plurality of support pins that support the substrate from below; and a chemical solution processing step, in which the substrate held by the first chuck portion spaced apart from the plurality of support pins is rotated around a vertically extending central axis while gas is supplied to the space below the substrate and a chemical solution is supplied to a second main surface of the substrate facing upward, wherein the first chuck portion comprises a plurality of first chuck pins that contact the peripheral edge end surface of the substrate without contacting the lower peripheral edge of the substrate, and the substrate is held by the plurality of first chuck pins.

[0007] The second embodiment is a substrate processing method according to the first embodiment, comprising: a rinse liquid supply initiation step of stopping the supply of the chemical solution and starting the supply of rinse liquid to the second main surface; and a second holding state formation step of holding the substrate with a second chuck portion after the supply of the rinse liquid has started, wherein the second chuck portion comprises a plurality of second chuck pins that abut the upper surface and the lower surface of the peripheral edge of the substrate, and the substrate is held by the plurality of second chuck pins.

[0008] A third embodiment is a substrate processing method according to the first or second embodiment, comprising a rotation speed increase step of increasing the rotation speed of the substrate to a predetermined drying rotation speed while at least a second chuck portion is holding the substrate, wherein the second chuck portion comprises a plurality of second chuck pins that abut the upper surface and the lower surface of the peripheral edge of the substrate, and the substrate is held by the plurality of second chuck pins.

[0009] A fourth aspect is a substrate processing method according to any of the first to third aspects, wherein the first holding state forming step comprises a pre-holding step of holding the substrate, which is supported by the plurality of support pins, with a second chuck and separating it from the plurality of support pins, and a chuck part changing step of further holding the substrate held by the second chuck with the first chuck after the pre-holding step, and then releasing the substrate from the second chuck, wherein the second chuck comprises a plurality of second chuck pins that abut the upper surface and the lower surface of the peripheral edge of the substrate, and the substrate is held by the plurality of second chuck pins.

[0010] The fifth aspect is a substrate processing method according to any of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the first chuck pin comprises an end face contact surface that abuts against the peripheral edge end face and an upper contact surface that abuts against the upper peripheral edge surface of the substrate.

[0011] The sixth aspect is a substrate processing method according to any of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the first chuck pin has an end face contact surface that abuts against the peripheral end face, and does not have an upper contact surface that abuts against the upper peripheral surface of the substrate.

[0012] The seventh aspect is a substrate processing method according to any of the first to sixth aspects, wherein when the chemical solution is supplied to the second main surface, the amount of the chemical solution that flows around to the lower surface of the peripheral edge at the position where the first chuck pin contacts it is smaller than the amount of the chemical solution that flows around to the lower surface of the peripheral edge at the position where the second chuck pin, which contacts the upper surface and the lower surface of the peripheral edge of the substrate, contacts it, and is larger than the amount of the chemical solution that flows around to the lower surface of the peripheral edge at a position where neither the first chuck pin nor the second chuck pin contacts it.

[0013] The eighth aspect is a substrate processing method according to the first aspect, wherein the first chuck pin comprises an end surface contact surface that abuts against the peripheral end surface and an upper surface that abuts against the upper peripheral surface of the substrate, and the first holding state forming step comprises a floating step of separating the substrate from the plurality of support pins by supplying gas to the space below the substrate to make the substrate float, and a floating substrate holding step of holding the floating substrate with the first chuck.

[0014] The ninth aspect is a substrate processing apparatus comprising: a substrate holding section for holding a substrate; a substrate rotation mechanism for rotating the substrate held by the substrate holding section around a vertically extending central axis; a processing liquid supply section for supplying a processing liquid to the upward-facing main surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding section; a gas supply section for supplying gas to the space below the substrate held by the substrate holding section; and a control section for controlling the substrate holding section, the substrate rotation mechanism, the processing liquid supply section, and the gas supply section, wherein the substrate holding section has a plurality of supports that abut against the substrate from below and support the substrate. The control unit comprises a holding pin and a plurality of first chuck pins that contact the peripheral edge end surface of the substrate without contacting the lower peripheral edge of the substrate, and a first chuck portion that holds the substrate with the plurality of first chuck pins, wherein the control unit rotates the substrate using the substrate rotation mechanism while the control unit rotates the substrate using the gas supply unit to supply the gas to the space below the substrate and the control unit rotates the substrate using the gas supply unit to supply the chemical solution as the first processing solution to the second main surface of the substrate facing upward.

[0015] A tenth embodiment is a substrate processing apparatus according to the ninth embodiment, wherein the substrate holding portion comprises a plurality of second chuck pins that abut the upper surface and the lower surface of the peripheral edge of the substrate, and a second chuck portion that holds the substrate with the plurality of second chuck pins, and the control unit causes the processing liquid supply unit to stop supplying the chemical solution and start supplying a rinse solution as a second processing solution, and after the supply of the rinse solution is started, causes the substrate to be held by the second chuck portion.

[0016] An eleventh aspect is a substrate processing apparatus according to the ninth or tenth aspect, wherein the substrate holding portion comprises a plurality of second chuck pins that contact the upper surface and the lower surface of the peripheral edge of the substrate, and a second chuck portion that holds the substrate with the plurality of second chuck pins, and the control unit increases the rotation speed of the substrate by the substrate rotation mechanism to a predetermined drying rotation speed while the substrate is held by at least the second chuck portion.

[0017] The twelfth embodiment is a substrate processing apparatus according to any of the ninth to eleventh embodiments, wherein the substrate holding portion comprises a plurality of second chuck pins that abut the upper surface and the lower surface of the peripheral edge of the substrate, and a second chuck portion that holds the substrate with the plurality of second chuck pins, and the control unit, in forming a state in which the substrate is separated from the plurality of support pins and held by the first chuck portion, holds the substrate supported by the plurality of support pins in the second chuck portion, separates the substrate from the plurality of support pins, then further holds the substrate held by the second chuck portion in the first chuck portion, and then releases the holding of the substrate by the second chuck portion.

[0018] The thirteenth embodiment is a substrate processing apparatus according to any of the ninth to twelfth embodiments, wherein the first chuck pin comprises an end face contact surface that abuts against the peripheral end face and an upper contact surface that abuts against the upper peripheral surface of the substrate.

[0019] The 14th embodiment is a substrate processing apparatus according to any of the 9th to 12th embodiments, wherein the first chuck pin has an end face contact surface that abuts against the peripheral end face, and does not have an upper contact surface that abuts against the upper peripheral surface of the substrate.

[0020] The 15th embodiment is a substrate processing apparatus according to any of the 9th to 14th embodiments, wherein the substrate holding portion comprises a plurality of second chuck pins that abut the upper surface and the lower surface of the peripheral edge of the substrate, and the substrate is held by the plurality of second chuck pins, wherein when the chemical solution is supplied to the second main surface, the amount of the chemical solution that flows around to the lower surface of the peripheral edge at the position where the first chuck pins abut is smaller than the amount of the chemical solution that flows around to the lower surface of the peripheral edge at the position where the second chuck pins abut is smaller than the amount of the chemical solution that flows around to the lower surface of the peripheral edge at the position where the second chuck pins abut is larger than the amount of the chemical solution that flows around to the lower surface of the peripheral edge at a position where neither the first nor the second chuck pins abut is in contact.

[0021] The 16th aspect is a substrate processing apparatus according to the 9th aspect, wherein the first chuck pin includes an end surface contact surface that contacts the end surface of the peripheral portion and an upper contact surface that contacts the upper surface of the peripheral portion of the substrate, and when the control unit forms a state in which the substrate is separated from the plurality of support pins and held by the first chuck unit, the gas supply unit supplies the gas to the space below the substrate to lift the substrate, thereby separating the substrate from the plurality of support pins, and holds the lifted substrate by the first chuck unit.

Effect of the Invention

[0022] According to each of the substrate processing method according to the 1st aspect and the substrate processing apparatus according to the 9th aspect, a chemical solution is supplied to the second main surface facing upward of a substrate whose first main surface on which a pattern is formed is in a posture facing downward. When the chemical solution is supplied, if the chuck pin contacts the lower surface of the peripheral portion of the substrate, the chemical solution supplied to the second main surface may enter the lower surface of the peripheral portion through minute gaps at the contact portion between the lower surface of the peripheral portion and the chuck pin due to capillary action. Here, since the first chuck pin included in the first chuck unit holding the substrate when the chemical solution is supplied does not contact the lower surface of the peripheral portion of the substrate, the chemical solution does not enter the lower surface of the peripheral portion due to capillary action. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the chemical solution supplied to the main surface (second main surface) facing upward of the substrate from entering the main surface (first main surface) facing downward.

[0023] According to each of the substrate processing method according to the 2nd aspect and the substrate processing apparatus according to the 10th aspect, after the supply of the chemical solution to the second main surface is stopped and the supply of the rinse liquid is started, that is, after the chemical solution is less likely to enter the first main surface, since the second chuck unit holds the substrate, the substrate can be stably held.

[0024] According to each of the substrate processing method according to the third aspect and the substrate processing apparatus according to the eleventh aspect, while the substrate is held by the second chuck portion, the rotation speed of the substrate is increased to a predetermined drying rotation speed, so that the substrate does not shift in the height direction when the rotation speed is increased.

[0025] According to each of the substrate processing method according to the fourth aspect and the substrate processing apparatus according to the twelfth aspect, when forming a state in which the substrate is held by the first chuck portion while being separated from a plurality of support pins, instead of directly holding the substrate supported by the plurality of support pins by the first chuck portion, first, the substrate is held by the second chuck portion. The second chuck pins provided in the second chuck portion abut on the upper surface and the lower surface of the peripheral edge portion of the substrate, so that the substrate held by the second chuck portion is positioned at a predetermined height. Therefore, after positioning the substrate at a predetermined height by holding it with the second chuck portion, by holding the substrate with the first chuck portion, it is possible to ensure that the substrate held by the first chuck portion is positioned at the predetermined height.

[0026] According to each of the substrate processing method according to the fifth aspect and the substrate processing apparatus according to the thirteenth aspect, for example, even if the substrate held by the first chuck portion is urged upward by the pressure of the gas supplied to the space below it, the substrate does not shift upward.

[0027] According to each of the substrate processing method according to the sixth aspect and the substrate processing apparatus according to the fourteenth aspect, since the first chuck pins provided in the first chuck portion do not have an upper contact surface that abuts on the upper surface of the peripheral edge portion of the substrate, the contact area between the substrate and the first chuck pins can be made a sufficiently small area.

[0028] According to each of the substrate processing method according to the seventh aspect and the substrate processing apparatus according to the fifteenth aspect, by supplying a chemical solution to the second main surface of the substrate in a state where the first chuck pins are in contact, it is possible to suppress the chemical solution supplied to the second main surface from flowing around to the first main surface.

[0029] According to the substrate processing method of the eighth aspect and the substrate processing apparatus of the sixteenth aspect, the substrate is held in the first chuck portion while being biased upward by gas pressure, so that the upper contact surface of the first chuck pin contacts the upper surface of the peripheral edge of the substrate, thereby positioning the substrate held in the first chuck portion at a predetermined height. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0030] [Figure 1] This is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a plan view that schematically shows the opposing surfaces of the opposing plate section. [Figure 3] This is a side view of the support pin. [Figure 4] This is a plan view of the support pin. [Figure 5] This is a side view of the protruding portion of the first chuck pin. [Figure 6] This is a plan view of the first chuck pin. [Figure 7] This is a side view of the protruding portion of the second chuck pin. [Figure 8] This is a plan view of the second chuck pin. [Figure 9] This diagram shows the lower surface of the opposing plate section, with the first open magnet and the second open magnet positioned at a distance from each other. [Figure 10] This diagram shows the lower surface of the opposing plate section, with the first open magnet and the second open magnet positioned in close proximity. [Figure 11] This diagram shows the lower surface of the opposing plate section, with the first open magnet positioned in close proximity and the second open magnet positioned at a distance from each other. [Figure 12] This diagram shows the lower surface of the opposing plate section, with the first open magnet positioned at a distanced position and the second open magnet positioned at a close position. [Figure 13] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control unit. [Figure 14] This diagram shows the processing flow performed in a substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 15] This figure shows the measurement results of the amount of feedback. [Figure 16] This is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. [Figure 17] This is a plan view that schematically shows the opposing surfaces of the opposing plate section. [Figure 18] This diagram shows the processing flow performed in a substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 19] This is a diagram illustrating a method for holding a substrate. [Figure 20] This is a side view of a protruding portion of a first chuck pin of a different shape. [Figure 21] This is a side view of a protruding portion of a first chuck pin of a different shape. [Figure 22] This diagram illustrates the occurrence of leakage due to capillary action. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0031] The embodiments will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the components described in these embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure to them alone. Furthermore, in the drawings, the dimensions or number of parts may be exaggerated or simplified as needed for ease of understanding.

[0032] Expressions indicating relative or absolute positional relationships (e.g., "in one direction," "along one direction," "parallel," "orthogonal," "center," "concentric," "coaxial," etc.) shall, unless otherwise specified, not only strictly represent the positional relationship but also represent a state in which the object is relatively displaced in terms of angle or distance within a tolerance or range in which equivalent functionality is obtained. Similarly, expressions indicating equality (e.g., "identical," "equal," "homogeneous," etc.) shall, unless otherwise specified, not only represent a state in which the object is quantitatively exactly equal but also represent a state in which there is a difference in which tolerance or equivalent functionality is obtained. Furthermore, expressions indicating shape (e.g., "circular," "square," "cylindrical," etc.) shall, unless otherwise specified, not only strictly represent the shape geometrically but also represent a shape within a range in which equivalent effects are obtained, and may include features such as concavity or chamfers. Finally, expressions such as "equipped," "possessed," "contains," and "have" a component are not exclusive expressions that exclude the existence of other components. Furthermore, the expression "at least one of A, B, and C" includes "A only," "B only," "C only," "any two of A, B, and C," and "all of A, B, and C."

[0033] <1. First Embodiment> <1-1. Configuration of substrate processing equipment> The configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 100.

[0034] The substrate processing apparatus 100 is a so-called single-wafer processing apparatus that processes substrates 9 one at a time. The processing performed here is, for example, a cleaning process to remove contaminants, particles, oxide films, etc., attached to the main surface of the substrate 9. The substrate 9 to be processed by the substrate processing apparatus 100 is, for example, disc-shaped, and a pattern DP (see Figure 5) of a device (a device in the process of being manufactured) is formed on one of its main surfaces. However, the substrate processing apparatus 100 processes only the main surface of the substrate 9 on which the device pattern DP is not formed. Hereinafter, the main surface of the substrate 9 on which the device pattern DP is formed (i.e., the device formation surface) will be called the "first main surface 91," and the other main surface on which the device pattern DP is not formed (i.e., the non-device formation surface) will be called the "second main surface 92."

[0035] The substrate processing apparatus 100 comprises a substrate holding unit 1, a substrate rotation mechanism 2, a processing liquid supply unit 3, a gas supply unit 4, and a control unit 5. The substrate holding unit 1, the substrate rotation mechanism 2, the processing liquid nozzle 31 (described later) of the processing liquid supply unit 3, the gas nozzle 41 (described later) of the gas supply unit 4, etc., are housed in a chamber (not shown) that forms an approximately sealed space inside.

[0036] (Substrate holding part 1) The substrate holder 1 holds the substrate 9 in a horizontal position. A horizontal position here refers to a position in which the thickness direction of the substrate 9 is aligned with the vertical direction. The substrate 9 is held in the substrate holder 1 in a position in which the first main surface 91, which is the device formation surface, faces downward and the second main surface 92, which is the non-device formation surface, faces upward. The substrate holder 1 includes a disc-shaped opposing plate portion 11, and the substrate 9 is held above the opposing plate portion 11 in a position in which the first main surface 91 faces the upward-facing main surface (opposing surface) 111 of the opposing plate portion 11. The specific configuration of the substrate holder 1 will be described later.

[0037] (Substrate rotation mechanism 2) The substrate rotation mechanism 2 rotates the substrate 9 held by the substrate holding part 1 around a central axis J1 that extends vertically. Specifically, the substrate rotation mechanism 2 comprises, for example, a shaft part 21 connected at its upper end to the center of the lower surface 112 of the opposing plate part 11, and a motor 22 that drives the shaft part 21. Here, for example, an axis extending vertically through the center of the opposing plate part 11 (that is, the center of the main surfaces 91, 92 of the substrate 9 held above the opposing plate part 11) is defined as the central axis J1, and the shaft part 21 is provided coaxially with this central axis J1. As the shaft part 21 is rotated by the drive of the motor 22, the opposing plate part 11, and by extension the substrate 9 held by the chuck parts 710, 720 (described later) provided thereon, rotates around the central axis J1. The motor 22 is driven in response to instructions from the control unit 5, and the rotation speed of the opposing plate portion 11 (and consequently the substrate 9), the position (angle) of the rotation direction when the opposing plate portion 11 stops rotating, etc., are controlled by the control unit 5.

[0038] (Processing liquid supply unit 3) The processing liquid supply unit 3 supplies processing liquid to the upward-facing second main surface 92 of the substrate 9 held by the substrate holding unit 1. Specifically, the processing liquid supply unit 3 includes, for example, a processing liquid nozzle 31 and a processing liquid supply source 32.

[0039] The processing liquid nozzle 31 is a nozzle that discharges processing liquid and is supported by a nozzle arm 311. A nozzle moving mechanism (not shown) is connected to the nozzle arm 311, and the processing liquid nozzle 31 is moved between a discharge position and a standby position when the nozzle arm 311 is driven by the nozzle moving mechanism. Here, the "discharge position" is the position in which the processing liquid nozzle 31 faces the center of the second main surface 92 (i.e., the second main surface 92 which is the main surface facing upward) of the substrate 9 held by the substrate holding part 1. The "standby position" is the position in which, when viewed from above, the processing liquid nozzle 31 is spaced apart from the substrate 9 held by the substrate holding part 1 without overlapping with it.

[0040] The processing liquid supply source 32 is a supply source that supplies processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle 31. Specifically, the processing liquid supply source 32 comprises, for example, a chemical liquid supply source 32a that supplies a chemical liquid as the first processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle 31, and a rinse liquid supply source 32b that supplies a rinse liquid as the second processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle 31.

[0041] The chemical supply source 32a is connected to the processing liquid nozzle 31 by a pipe 323a through which a chemical valve 321a and a flow rate adjustment unit 322a are inserted. Therefore, when the chemical valve 321a is opened in response to an instruction from the control unit 5, the chemical supplied from the chemical supply source 32a is discharged from the processing liquid nozzle 31 at a flow rate adjusted by the flow rate adjustment unit 322b. When the chemical valve 321a is opened while the processing liquid nozzle 31 is positioned in the discharge position, the chemical is discharged toward the center of the second main surface 92 of the substrate 9 held by the substrate holding unit 1. Examples of chemicals include hydrofluoric acid (HF), ozone-containing hydrofluoric acid solution, dilute hydrofluoric acid (DHF), buffered hydrofluoric acid (BHF), SC1 (a liquid containing NH4OH and H2O2), etc.

[0042] The rinse liquid supply source 32b is connected to the processing liquid nozzle 31 by a pipe 323b through which a rinse liquid valve 321b and a flow rate adjustment unit 322b are inserted. Therefore, when the rinse liquid valve 321b is opened in response to an instruction from the control unit 5, the rinse liquid supplied from the rinse liquid supply source 32b is discharged from the processing liquid nozzle 31 at a flow rate adjusted by the flow rate adjustment unit 322b. When the processing liquid nozzle 31 is positioned in the discharge position and the rinse liquid valve 321b is opened, the rinse liquid is discharged toward the center of the second main surface 92 of the substrate 9 held by the substrate holding unit 1. Examples of rinse liquids include deionized water (DIW) and isopropyl alcohol (IPA).

[0043] (Gas supply section 4) The gas supply unit 4 supplies gas to the space below the substrate 9 held by the substrate holding unit 1. Specifically, the gas supply unit 4 includes, for example, a gas nozzle 41 and a gas supply source 42.

[0044] The gas nozzle 41 is a nozzle that discharges gas. Specifically, the gas nozzle 41 is disposed in a hollow section provided in the shaft section 21. The upper end portion of the gas nozzle 41 is positioned within a through hole provided in the center of the opposing plate section 11, and the gas discharge port provided at the upper end of the gas nozzle 41 is positioned near the center of the opposing surface 111 of the opposing plate section 11. In other words, the gas nozzle 41 is positioned so as to face the center of the first main surface 91 of the substrate 9 held by the substrate holding section 1.

[0045] The gas supply source 42 is a source that supplies a predetermined gas (in this case, an inert gas) to the gas nozzle 41. Specifically, the gas supply source 42 is connected to the gas nozzle 41 by a pipe 423 through which a gas valve 421 and a flow rate adjustment unit 422 are inserted. Therefore, when the gas valve 421 is opened in response to an instruction from the control unit 5, the inert gas supplied from the gas supply source 42 is discharged from the gas nozzle 41 at a flow rate adjusted by the flow rate adjustment unit 422. That is, the inert gas is supplied to the space below the substrate 9 held by the substrate holding unit 1 (specifically, the space between the opposing surface 111 and the first main surface 91). The inert gas is typically nitrogen gas, but may also be argon gas, helium gas, low-humidity clean air, etc.

[0046] Furthermore, the opposing surface 111 of the opposing plate portion 11 may be provided with an annular stepped portion 113 extending along the circumference of a circle centered on the central axis J1, on the side of the central axis J1 that is inward from the periphery of the substrate 9 held above it, so that the side on the central axis J1 is relatively lower. When such a stepped portion 113 is provided, the distance between the opposing surface 111 and the first main surface 91 becomes relatively larger on the inside of the stepped portion 113 and relatively smaller on the outside of the stepped portion 113. Therefore, when inert gas is supplied to the space below the substrate 9 held by the substrate holding portion 1, the space between the opposing surface 111 and the first main surface 91 inside the stepped portion 113 becomes sufficiently positive pressure. In addition, the velocity of the inert gas flowing out through the gap between the periphery of the substrate 9 and the opposing surface 111 becomes sufficiently high. This protects the first main surface 91 of the substrate 9, and prevents the processing liquid and the atmosphere of the processing liquid supplied to the second main surface 92 of the substrate 9 from flowing to the first main surface 91 when processing with the processing liquid is performed. The stepped portion 113 can be annular in shape, following the circumference of a circle centered on the central axis J1 when viewed from above, but it does not need to be a perfect annular shape. For example, if various members (e.g., support pins 61, chuck pins 71, 72, etc.) are provided on the circumference, the stepped portion 113 can be provided so as to bypass those members and detour towards the central axis J1 side of those members (see Figure 2).

[0047] (Control Unit 5) The control unit 5 controls each part of the substrate processing apparatus 100 (substrate holding unit 1, substrate rotation mechanism 2, processing liquid supply unit 3, and gas supply unit 4). Specifically, the control unit 5 is composed of, for example, a general-purpose computer having electrical circuits. Specifically, as shown in Figure 13, the control unit 5 is composed of, for example, a CPU (Central Processor Unit) 51 as a central processing unit responsible for data processing, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 52 in which basic programs are stored, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 53 used as a work area when the CPU 51 performs predetermined processing (data processing), a storage device 54 composed of non-volatile storage devices such as flash memory and hard disk drives, and a bus line 55 connecting these to each other. The storage device 54 stores a program P that defines the processing to be executed by the control unit 5, and by executing this program P on the CPU 51, the control unit 5 can execute the processing defined by the program P. However, some or all of the processing to be executed by the control unit 5 may be executed by dedicated hardware such as logic circuits. Furthermore, program P may be stored on a recording medium, and program P may be installed in the control unit 5 using this recording medium.

[0048] <1-2. Board holding part> Next, the configuration of the substrate holding section 1 will be explained with reference to Figure 1 and Figure 2. Figure 2 is a schematic plan view showing the opposing surfaces 111 of the opposing plate section 11.

[0049] As described above, the substrate holding portion 1 includes an opposing plate portion 11. Furthermore, the substrate holding portion 1 includes a support portion 6 that supports the substrate 9 above the opposing plate portion 11, and a chuck portion 7 that holds the substrate 9 above the opposing plate portion 11.

[0050] <1-2-1.Support part> The support portion 6 includes a plurality of support pins 61 that contact the substrate 9 from below and support the substrate 9 in a horizontal position above the opposing plate portion 11, and a pin lifting mechanism 62 that raises and lowers each support pin 61.

[0051] (i) Support pin 61 Multiple support pins (six in the example shown) 61 are provided on the opposing plate portion 11. Now, if we define a virtual circle (reference circle) C1 centered on the central axis J1 of the opposing plate portion 11, the multiple support pins 61 are arranged on the circumference of the reference circle C1 at equal intervals along the circumferential direction. If, for example, six support pins 61 are provided, adjacent support pins 61 will be arranged with a 60-degree interval when viewed from the central axis J1.

[0052] Here, each support pin 61 will be explained in detail with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4. Figure 3 is a side view of the support pin 61. Figure 4 is a top view of the support pin 61.

[0053] The support pin 61 comprises a substantially cylindrical base portion 61a and a projection portion 61b that protrudes upward from the upper end surface of the base portion 61a.

[0054] The base portion 61a is positioned within a cylindrical hole 114 provided on the opposing surface 111. In other words, the opposing surface 111 is provided with a plurality of holes 114 arranged at equal intervals along the circumference of the reference circle C1, and the base portion 61a of each support pin 61 is positioned within each hole 114. However, the base portion 61a is supported so as to be able to move up and down within the hole 114.

[0055] The base portions 61a of the multiple support pins 61 are connected to each other via an annular member (not shown) provided inside the opposing plate portion 11. Specifically, for example, an annular hollow space centered on the central axis J1 is provided inside the opposing plate portion 11, and the base portions 61a of the multiple support pins 61 are connected to each other by the annular member placed in this space. Needless to say, the annular member does not need to be a perfect annular shape, and may be shaped to avoid interfering with other members provided on the opposing plate portion 11 (for example, chuck pins 71, 72, etc.).

[0056] The protruding portion 61b is provided so as to protrude upward from the upper end surface of the base portion 61a. Specifically, the protruding portion 61b includes, for example, a lift support surface 611, a lift guide surface 612, and a lift auxiliary guide surface 613.

[0057] The lift support surface 611 is a surface that faces approximately upward and inclins downward (towards the opposing surface 111) as it approaches the central axis J1. Now, when a surface (reference surface) F1 is defined that passes through the center of the projection 61b, includes the central axis J1, and lies along the radial direction of the circle centered on the central axis J1, the lift support surface 611 is symmetrical with respect to the reference surface F1 and has two surfaces 611a on either side of the reference surface F1. Each of the two surfaces 611a inclins downward as it approaches the central axis J1 and also inclins downward as it moves away from the reference surface F1 (that is, as it moves away from the reference surface F1 in the circumferential direction of the reference circle C1), and the two surfaces 611a are connected at an obtuse angle on the reference surface F1. In other words, the lift support surface 611 has a corner 611b where two surfaces 611a intersect, and this corner 611b slopes downward as it approaches the central axis J1. When the multiple support pins 61 support the substrate 9, typically, the corner 611b of each lift support surface 611 makes almost point contact with the peripheral edge 93 of the substrate 9.

[0058] Furthermore, drainage grooves 611c are formed in the lift support surface 611. Specifically, the drainage grooves 611c are formed, for example, on each of the two surfaces 611a of the lift support surface 611. In other words, the drainage grooves 611c are provided on both sides of the corner 611b. Each drainage groove 611c is a continuous groove in the circumferential direction of the reference circle C1 from the vicinity of the corner 611b to the edge of the surface 611a, and the bottom surface of each drainage groove 611c slopes downward as it moves away from the corner 611b. By providing such drainage grooves 611c, when processing using processing liquid is performed, the processing liquid that enters between the substrate 9 and the lift support surface 611 is properly discharged through the drainage grooves 611c.

[0059] The lift guide surface 612 is a surface that is connected to the lift support surface 611 on the opposite side from the central axis J1. The lift guide surface 612 is a surface that is approximately oriented toward the central axis J1 and inclins downward as it approaches the central axis J1. Like the lift support surface 611, the lift guide surface 612 is symmetrical with respect to the reference plane F1 and has two surfaces 612a on either side of the reference plane F1. The two surfaces 612a are connected at an obtuse angle on the reference plane F1. In other words, the lift guide surface 612 has a corner 612b where the two surfaces 612a intersect, and this corner 612b inclins downward as it approaches the central axis J1. On the reference plane F1, the inclination angle of the lift guide surface 612 (specifically, the corner 612b) with respect to the opposing surface 111 is greater than the inclination angle of the lift support surface 611 (specifically, the corner 611b) with respect to the opposing surface 111. In other words, the gradient of the lift guide surface 612 is greater than the gradient of the lift support surface 611. Also, on the reference surface F1, the distance between the lower end of the lift guide surface 612 and the central axis J1 is slightly greater than the radius of the substrate 9.

[0060] The lift assist guide surface 613 is a surface that is connected to the lift guide surface 612 on the opposite side from the central axis J1. The lift assist guide surface 613 is a surface that faces the central axis J1 and upwards, and inclins downwards as it approaches the central axis J1. Like the lift support surface 611, the lift assist guide surface 613 is symmetrical with respect to the reference surface F1, and has two surfaces 613a on either side of the reference surface F1. The two surfaces 613a are connected at an obtuse angle on the reference surface F1. In other words, the lift assist guide surface 613 has a corner 613b where the two surfaces 613a intersect, and this corner 613b inclins downwards as it approaches the central axis J1. On the reference surface F1, the inclination angle of the lift auxiliary guide surface 613 (specifically, the corner portion 613b) with respect to the opposing surface 111 is smaller than the inclination angle of the lift guide surface 612 (specifically, the corner portion 612b) with respect to the opposing surface 111, and larger than the inclination angle of the lift support surface 611 (specifically, the corner portion 611b) with respect to the opposing surface 111. In other words, the gradient of the lift auxiliary guide surface 613 is smaller than the gradient of the lift guide surface 612, and larger than the gradient of the lift support surface 611.

[0061] (ii) Pin lifting mechanism 62 The pin lifting mechanism 62 is a mechanism for raising and lowering (moving vertically) a plurality of support pins 61, and is positioned below the opposing plate portion 11 (Figure 1). By raising and lowering each support pin 61 with the pin lifting mechanism 62, the substrate 9 supported by the support pins 61 is raised and lowered. In other words, here, the support pins 61 not only function as support parts that support the substrate 9, but also as lift pins that raise and lower the substrate 9. Specifically, the pin lifting mechanism 62 comprises, for example, a piston rod 621 and an air cylinder 622 that moves it forward and backward. The piston rod 621 is positioned below the opposing plate portion 11, and when the opposing plate portion 11 has stopped rotating at a predetermined rotation stop position, it faces the hole portion 114 in which the support pins 61 are provided.

[0062] In this configuration, when the piston rod 621 rises in response to the drive of the air cylinder 622, the support pin 61 provided in the hole 114 opposite to it is pushed up and positioned in the upper position (dotted line in Figure 3). When this support pin 61 is positioned in the upper position, all other support pins 61 connected via the annular member are also positioned in the upper position. In other words, all of the multiple support pins 61 are positioned in the upper position.

[0063] On the other hand, when the piston rod 621 is driven by the air cylinder 622 and moves downward, the support pins 61 are positioned in a lower position (solid line in Figure 3) which is lower than the upper position. To ensure that the support pins 61 are reliably positioned in the lower position when the piston rod 621 is not rising, the support pins 61 may be provided with biasing members such as springs that bias them downward. Even when the support pins 61 are positioned in the lower position, it is preferable that the upper surface of the base portion 61a of the support pin 61 (the entire area of ​​the support pin 61 in a plan view) is at the same height as the opposing surface 111, or slightly above the opposing surface 111. With this configuration, when processing is performed using the processing liquid, no processing liquid accumulates on the support pins 61.

[0064] <1-2-2. Chuck section> The chuck section 7 comprises a first chuck section 710 and a second chuck section 720. The first chuck section 710 has a plurality of first chuck pins 71, which hold the substrate 9. On the other hand, the second chuck section 720 has a plurality of second chuck pins 72, which hold the substrate 9. The chuck section 7 also further includes a chuck switching mechanism 73 that switches between holding and releasing the substrate 9 by each of the chuck sections 710 and 720.

[0065] Multiple first chuck pins 71 and multiple second chuck pins 72 are all arranged on the circumference of the reference circle C1 together with multiple support pins 61 and provided on the opposing plate portion 11. In other words, multiple support pins 61, multiple first chuck pins 71, and multiple second chuck pins 72 are arranged on the circumference of the reference circle C1.

[0066] Multiple first chuck pins 71 are arranged on the circumference of the reference circle C1 at equal intervals along the circumferential direction. If, for example, three first chuck pins 71 are provided, adjacent first chuck pins 71 will be arranged with a 120-degree interval between them when viewed from the central axis J1. Similarly, multiple second chuck pins 72 are also arranged on the circumference of the reference circle C1 at equal intervals along the circumferential direction. If, for example, three second chuck pins 72 are provided, adjacent second chuck pins 72 will be arranged with a 120-degree interval between them when viewed from the central axis J1.

[0067] Furthermore, the first chuck pin 71 and the second chuck pin 72 are arranged alternately at equal intervals along the circumference, with the support pin 61 in between. That is, they are arranged in the order of first chuck pin 71, support pin 61, second chuck pin 72, support pin 61, first chuck pin 71, support pin 61, second chuck pin 72, ... For example, if there are six support pins 61 and three first chuck pins 71 and three second chuck pins 72, adjacent support pins 61 and first chuck pins 71 or second chuck pins 72 are arranged with a 30-degree gap from the central axis J1. Also, adjacent first chuck pins 71 and second chuck pins 72 separated by a support pin 61 are arranged with a 60-degree gap from the central axis J1.

[0068] (i) First chuck pin 71 The first chuck pin 71 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1, 2, 5, and 6. Figure 5 is a side view of the protruding portion 71b of the first chuck pin 71. Figure 6 is a top view of the first chuck pin 71.

[0069] The first chuck pin 71 comprises a substantially cylindrical base portion 71a and two protrusions 71b that project upward from the upper end surface of the base portion 71a.

[0070] The base portion 71a is positioned within a cylindrical hole 115 provided on the opposing surface 111. That is, the opposing surface 111 has a plurality of holes 115 on the circumference of a reference circle C1, and the base portion 71a of the first chuck pin 71 is positioned within each hole 115. However, a bearing 116 (Figure 1) is provided in the hole 115, and the first chuck pin 71 is supported so as to be rotatable around an axis (chuck rotation axis) J2 that extends vertically through the center of the base portion 71a. The hole 115 may be provided with a locking member (not shown) to limit the rotation range of the first chuck pin 71 to a predetermined angular range (however, an angular range that includes at least the holding position and the open position, which will be described later).

[0071] It is preferable that the upper surface of the base portion 71a of the first chuck pin 71 (the entire area of ​​the first chuck pin 71 in a plan view) is positioned at the same height as the opposing surface 111, or slightly above the opposing surface 111. With this configuration, when processing with the processing liquid is performed, the processing liquid does not accumulate on the first chuck pin 71.

[0072] Each protrusion 71b is positioned at an offset (eccentric) position from the chuck rotation axis J2. Specifically, each protrusion 71b is positioned at a distance from the chuck rotation axis J2 in the circumferential direction of the reference circle C1 centered on the central axis J1. In addition, two protrusions 71b are also positioned at a distance from each other in the circumferential direction of the reference circle C1. A gap is provided between the two protrusions 71b, so that when processing with processing liquid is performed, the processing liquid supplied to the second main surface 92 of the substrate 9 is discharged from the second main surface 92 through this gap.

[0073] Each of the two protrusions 71b has the same outer shape when viewed along the circumferential direction of the reference circle C1. Now, when a plane (reference plane) F2 is defined that passes through the center of each protrusion 71b, includes the central axis J1 of the opposing surface 111, and lies along the radial direction of the circle centered on the central axis J1, when the first chuck pin 71 is positioned in the holding position (solid line in Figure 6), the side surface (chuck contact surface) 7101 of the protrusion 71b facing the central axis J1 is, for example, perpendicular to the reference plane F2.

[0074] Specifically, the chuck contact surface 7101 includes, for example, an end surface contact surface 711 that contacts the peripheral end surface 930 of the substrate 9 when the first chuck pin 71 is in the holding position, and an upper contact surface 712 that contacts the peripheral upper surface 932 of the substrate 9 in the same state.

[0075] However, here, the annular portion in plan view surrounding the main surfaces 91 and 92 of the substrate 9, which is non-parallel to each of the main surfaces 91 and 92 which are flat and extending surfaces, is referred to as the "peripheral edge 93" of the substrate 9. Furthermore, of the peripheral edge 93 of the substrate 9, the surface facing radially outward (typically, a surface perpendicular to the main surfaces 91 and 92) is referred to as the "peripheral edge end surface 930". In addition, of the peripheral edge 93 of the substrate 9, the portion adjacent to the lower side of the peripheral edge end surface 930 is referred to as the "peripheral edge lower surface 931", and the portion adjacent to the upper side of the peripheral edge end surface 930 is referred to as the "peripheral edge upper surface 932". In other words, when the substrate 9 is positioned with the first main surface 91 facing downwards and the second main surface 92 facing upwards, the lower peripheral surface 931 is the portion located between the peripheral end surface 930 and the first main surface 91, and the upper peripheral surface 932 is the portion located between the peripheral end surface 930 and the second main surface 92. For example, if the diameter of the substrate 9 is 300 mm, the peripheral portion 93 is an annular region extending approximately 0.5 mm from the peripheral end surface 930. The peripheral portion 93 may have an arc-shaped curve as shown in the figure, but is not limited to this shape.

[0076] The end face contact surface 711 is the surface that contacts the peripheral end face 930 of the substrate 9 when the first chuck pin 71 is in the holding position. Specifically, the end face contact surface 711 is, for example, a surface that extends along the vertical direction (i.e., a surface that makes an angle of approximately 90 degrees with the opposing surface 111), and when viewed from the side, extends approximately parallel to the peripheral end face 930 of the substrate 9 held horizontally on the opposing surface 111. The end face contact surface 711 may also be, for example, a surface that extends in a straight line when viewed from above. In other words, the end face contact surface 711 may be a flat surface.

[0077] The upper contact surface 712 is the surface that contacts the upper peripheral surface 932 of the substrate 9 when the first chuck pin 71 is in the holding position, and is connected to the upper end contact surface 711. Specifically, the upper contact surface 712 is, for example, a plane facing downwards. That is, the upper contact surface 712 inclins upward as it approaches the central axis J1, and at its upper end it connects to the upper surface of the projection 71b. The lower end of the upper contact surface 712 (i.e., the portion connected to the end contact surface 711) may be a curved contact surface 7121 whose shape on the reference plane F2 matches the shape of the upper peripheral surface 932 of the substrate 9.

[0078] As will become clear later, each first chuck pin 71 moves between an open position (dotted line in Figure 6) and a holding position (solid line in Figure 6) by rotating around the chuck pivot axis J2. As described above, each projection 71b of the first chuck pin 71 is positioned offset from the chuck pivot axis J2, and when the first chuck pin 71 moves between the open position and the holding position, the chuck contact surface 7101 of each projection 71b moves in a direction toward or toward the peripheral edge 93 of the substrate 9.

[0079] When the first chuck pin 71 is in the holding position, the distance between the end face contact surface 711 of each projection 71b and the central axis J1 is approximately equal to the radius of the substrate 9. Therefore, when the first chuck pin 71 is in the holding position, the end face contact surface 711 of each projection 71b contacts the peripheral edge end face 930 (Figure 5(b)). At this time, the upper contact surface 712 of each projection 71b contacts the upper peripheral edge surface 932. However, each projection 71b does not have a surface that contacts the lower peripheral edge surface 931 of the substrate 9 (a surface corresponding to the lower contact surface 721 described later). Therefore, when the first chuck pin 71 is in the holding position, each projection 71b does not contact the lower peripheral edge surface 931.

[0080] On the other hand, when the first chuck pin 71 is moved from the holding position to the open position, the distance between the chuck contact surface 7101 of each protrusion 71b and the central axis J1 increases. That is, the distance between the end face contact surface 711 of each protrusion 71b and the central axis J1 becomes greater than the radius of the substrate 9. Therefore, when the first chuck pin 71 is positioned in the open position, the end face contact surface 711 of each protrusion 71b separates from the peripheral end surface 930, and the upper contact surface 712 of each protrusion 72b separates from the peripheral upper surface 932 (Figure 5(a)).

[0081] In this way, when each of the multiple first chuck pins 71 is positioned in the holding position, the first chuck pins 71 at different positions on the peripheral edge 93 of the substrate 9 will not contact the lower surface 931 of the peripheral edge, but will contact the peripheral edge end surface 930 at the end surface contact surface 711 and the upper surface 932 of the peripheral edge at the upper contact surface 712, thereby holding the substrate 9. In other words, the substrate 9 is held by the first chuck portion 710. On the other hand, when each of the multiple first chuck pins 71 is positioned in the open position, each first chuck pin 71 will be separated from the substrate 9, thereby releasing the substrate 9 from being held. In other words, the substrate 9 is released from being held by the first chuck portion 710.

[0082] When the first chuck portion 710 is holding the substrate 9, each first chuck pin 71 does not come into contact with the lower surface 931 of the peripheral portion. Therefore, when processing with the processing liquid is performed, the processing liquid does not leak onto the lower surface 931 of the peripheral portion due to capillary action.

[0083] (ii) Second chuck pin 72 The second chuck pin 72 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1, 2, 7, and 8. Figure 7 is a side view of the protruding portion 72b of the second chuck pin 72. Figure 8 is a top view of the second chuck pin 72.

[0084] The second chuck pin 72 comprises a substantially cylindrical base portion 72a and two protrusions 72b that protrude upward from the upper end surface of the base portion 72a.

[0085] The base portion 72a, like the base portion 71a of the first chuck pin 71, is positioned within a cylindrical hole 115 provided on the opposing surface 111. That is, the opposing surface 111 has a plurality of holes 115 on the circumference of a reference circle C1, and the base portion 72a of the second chuck pin 72 is positioned within each of the holes 115. However, a bearing 116 (Figure 1) is provided in the hole 115, and the second chuck pin 72 is supported so as to be rotatable around an axis (chuck rotation axis) J2 that extends vertically through the center of the base portion 72a. The hole 115 may be provided with a locking member (not shown) to limit the rotation range of the second chuck pin 72 to a predetermined angular range (however, an angular range that includes at least the holding position and the open position, which will be described later).

[0086] It is preferable that the upper surface of the base portion 72a of the second chuck pin 72 (the entire area of ​​the second chuck pin 72 in a plan view) is positioned at the same height as the opposing surface 111, or slightly above the opposing surface 111. With this configuration, when processing with the processing liquid is performed, the processing liquid does not accumulate on the second chuck pin 72.

[0087] Each protrusion 72b is positioned at an offset (eccentric) position from the chuck rotation axis J2. Specifically, each protrusion 72b is positioned at a distance from the chuck rotation axis J2 in the circumferential direction of the reference circle C1 centered on the central axis J1. In addition, two protrusions 72b are also positioned at a distance from each other in the circumferential direction of the reference circle C1. A gap is provided between the two protrusions 72b, so that when processing with processing liquid is performed, the processing liquid supplied to the second main surface 92 of the substrate 9 is discharged from the second main surface 92 through this gap.

[0088] Each of the two protrusions 72b has the same outer shape when viewed along the circumferential direction of the reference circle C1. Now, when a plane (reference plane) F3 is defined that passes through the center of each protrusion 72b, includes the central axis J1 of the opposing surface 111, and lies along the radial direction of the circle centered on the central axis J1, when the second chuck pin 72 is positioned in the holding position (solid line in Figure 8), the side surface (chuck contact surface) 7201 of the protrusion 72b facing the central axis J1 is, for example, perpendicular to the reference plane F3.

[0089] Specifically, the chuck contact surface 7201 includes, for example, a lower contact surface 721 that contacts the lower peripheral surface 931 of the substrate 9 when the second chuck pin 72 is in the holding position, an upper contact surface 722 that contacts the upper peripheral surface 932 of the substrate 9 in the same state, and a curved contact surface 723 that contacts the end peripheral surface 930 of the substrate 9 in the same state.

[0090] The lower contact surface 721 is the surface that contacts the lower peripheral surface 931 of the substrate 9 when the second chuck pin 72 is in the holding position. Specifically, the lower contact surface 721 is, for example, a plane facing upward. That is, the lower contact surface 721 slopes downward as it approaches the central axis J1, and at its lower end it connects to the upper surface of the base portion 72a.

[0091] The upper contact surface 722 is the surface that contacts the upper peripheral surface 932 of the substrate 9 when the second chuck pin 72 is in the holding position. Specifically, the upper contact surface 722 is, for example, a plane facing downwards. That is, the upper contact surface 722 inclines upward as it approaches the central axis J1, and at its upper end it connects to the upper surface of the projection 72b.

[0092] On the reference surface F3, the upward inclination angle of the lower contact surface 721 with respect to the opposing surface 111 is approximately the same as the downward inclination angle of the upper contact surface 722 with respect to the opposing surface 111. Furthermore, these inclination angles are greater than the upward inclination angle of the lift support surface 611 of the support pin 61 with respect to the opposing surface 111. In other words, the slope of the lower contact surface 721 and the slope of the upper contact surface 722 are approximately the same, and these are greater than the slope of the lift support surface 611. In addition, the downward inclination angle of the upper contact surface 722 with respect to the opposing surface 111 is approximately the same as the downward inclination angle of the upper contact surface 712 of the first chuck pin 71 with respect to the opposing surface 111. Moreover, the height at which the upper contact surface 722 is installed is approximately the same as the height at which the upper contact surface 712 of the first chuck pin 71 is installed.

[0093] The curved contact surface 723 is the surface that contacts the peripheral edge end surface 930 of the substrate 9 when the second chuck pin 72 is in the holding position, and is located between the lower contact surface 721 and the upper contact surface 722. That is, the curved contact surface 723 connects with the upper end of the lower contact surface 721 at its lower end and with the lower end of the upper contact surface 722 at its upper end. Specifically, the curved contact surface 723 is a curved surface whose shape on the reference surface F3 matches the shape of the peripheral edge 93 of the substrate 9.

[0094] As will become clear later, each second chuck pin 72 moves between an open position (dotted line in Figure 8) and a holding position (solid line in Figure 8) by rotating around the chuck pivot axis J2. As described above, each projection 72b of the second chuck pin 72 is positioned offset from the chuck pivot axis J2, and when the second chuck pin 72 moves between the open position and the holding position, the chuck contact surface 7201 of each projection 72b moves in a direction toward or toward the peripheral edge 93 of the substrate 9.

[0095] When the second chuck pin 72 is positioned in the holding position, the distance between the center (vertical center) of the curved contact surface 723 of each protrusion 72b and the central axis J1 is approximately equal to the radius of the substrate 9. Therefore, when the second chuck pin 72 is positioned in the holding position, the curved contact surface 723 of each protrusion 72b comes into contact with the peripheral edge end surface 930 (Figure 7(b)). At this time, the lower contact surface 721 of each protrusion 72b comes into contact with the lower peripheral surface 931, and the upper contact surface 722 of each protrusion 72b comes into contact with the upper peripheral surface 932.

[0096] On the other hand, when the second chuck pin 72 is moved from the holding position to the open position, the distance between the chuck contact surface 7201 of each protrusion 72b and the central axis J1 increases. That is, the distance between the center of the curved contact surface 723 of each protrusion 72b and the central axis J1 becomes greater than the radius of the substrate 9. Therefore, when the second chuck pin 72 is positioned in the open position, the curved contact surface 723 of each protrusion 72b moves away from the peripheral end surface 930, and the lower contact surface 721 and upper contact surface 722 of each protrusion 72b move away from the lower peripheral surface 931 and upper peripheral surface 932, respectively (Figure 7(a)).

[0097] In this way, when each of the multiple second chuck pins 72 is positioned in the holding position, the second chuck pins 72 contact the peripheral end surface 930 at the curved contact surface 723, the lower surface 931 at the lower contact surface 721, and the upper surface 932 at the upper contact surface 722 at different positions on the peripheral edge 93 of the substrate 9, thereby holding the substrate 9. In other words, the substrate 9 is held by the second chuck portion 720. On the other hand, when each of the multiple second chuck pins 72 is positioned in the open position, each second chuck pin 72 is separated from the substrate 9, thereby releasing the substrate 9 from being held. In other words, the substrate 9 is released from being held by the second chuck portion 720.

[0098] When the second chuck portion 720 is holding the substrate 9, each second chuck pin 72 contacts not only the peripheral end face 930 but also the peripheral lower surface 931 and the peripheral upper surface 932, so that the substrate 9 held by the second chuck portion 720 is positioned at a predetermined height and held at that predetermined height. However, the "predetermined height" at which the substrate 9 held by the second chuck portion 720 is positioned is higher than the height at which the substrate 9 supported by the plurality of support pins 61 positioned at the lower position is positioned, and lower than the height at which the substrate 9 supported by the plurality of support pins 61 positioned at the upper position is positioned. Furthermore, when the second chuck portion 720 is holding the substrate 9, each second chuck pin 72 contacts not only the peripheral end face 930 but also the peripheral lower surface 931 and the peripheral upper surface 932, so that the second chuck portion 720 can firmly and stably hold the substrate 9.

[0099] (iii) Chuck switching mechanism 73 Next, the configuration of the chuck switching mechanism 73 will be explained in detail with reference to Figures 1, 2, and Figures 9 to 12. Figures 9 to 12 are schematic diagrams showing the lower surface 112 of the opposing plate portion 11. Figure 9 shows the state in which the first open magnet 733a and the second open magnet 733b are positioned at a distance from each other. Figure 10 shows the state in which the first open magnet 733a and the second open magnet 733b are positioned at close proximity. Figure 11 shows the state in which the first open magnet 733a is positioned at close proximity and the second open magnet 733b is positioned at a distance from each other. Figure 12 shows the state in which the first open magnet 733a is positioned at a distance from each other and the second open magnet 733b is positioned at close proximity. Note that in Figures 9 to 12, hatching is applied to the N pole side of the magnets.

[0100] The chuck switching mechanism 73 switches between holding and releasing (releasing) the substrate 9 by each chuck section 710, 720. Specifically, the chuck switching mechanism 73 switches between holding and releasing the substrate 9 by the first chuck section 710 by moving a plurality of first chuck pins 71 between a holding position and an open position. In addition, the chuck switching mechanism 73 switches between holding and releasing the substrate 9 by the second chuck section 720 by moving a plurality of second chuck pins 72 between a holding position and an open position.

[0101] The chuck switching mechanism 73 comprises a plurality of first rotating magnets 731a and a plurality of second rotating magnets 731b. The chuck switching mechanism 73 also comprises a plurality of first closing magnets 732a and a plurality of second closing magnets 732b. The chuck switching mechanism 73 also comprises a plurality of first open magnets 733a and a plurality of second open magnets 733b. Furthermore, the chuck switching mechanism 73 comprises a first magnet lifting mechanism 734a for raising and lowering the plurality of first open magnets 733a and a second magnet lifting mechanism 734b for raising and lowering the plurality of second open magnets 733b. Each rotating magnet 731a, 731b, each closing magnet 732a, 732b, and each open magnet 733a, 733b are permanent magnets. Furthermore, each of the rotating magnets 731a, 731b, each of the blocking magnets 732a, 732b, and each of the opening magnets 733a, 733b are actually housed in dedicated retaining members, but the retaining members are not shown in the illustration.

[0102] (Rotating magnets 731a, 731b) Each of the multiple first rotating magnets 731a is attached to the first chuck pin 71 on the side of the lower surface 112 of the opposing plate portion 11. That is, the lower end of each first chuck pin 71 protrudes below the lower surface 112 of the opposing plate portion 11, and the first rotating magnet 731a is attached to this lower end. The orientation of the magnetic poles (magnetization direction) of each first rotating magnet 731a is, for example, perpendicular to the central axis J1 and the chuck rotation axis J2.

[0103] Each of the multiple second rotating magnets 731b is attached to the second chuck pin 72 on the side of the lower surface 112 of the opposing plate portion 11. That is, the lower end of each second chuck pin 72 protrudes below the lower surface 112 of the opposing plate portion 11, and the second rotating magnet 731b is attached to this lower end. The orientation of the magnetic poles of each second rotating magnet 731b is, for example, perpendicular to the central axis J1 and the chuck rotation axis J2.

[0104] (Closure magnets 732a, 732b) Each of the multiple first blocking magnets 732a is fixed to the lower surface 112 of the opposing plate portion 11 in the vicinity of the first rotating magnet 731a. The orientation of the magnetic poles of each first blocking magnet 732a is, for example, perpendicular to the central axis J1 and the chuck rotation axis J2, and inclined with respect to the radial direction of a circle centered on the central axis J1.

[0105] Each of the multiple second blocking magnets 732b is fixed to the lower surface 112 of the opposing plate portion 11 in the vicinity of the second rotating magnet 731b. The orientation of the magnetic poles of each second blocking magnet 732b is, for example, perpendicular to the central axis J1 and the chuck rotation axis J2, and inclined with respect to the radial direction of a circle centered on the central axis J1.

[0106] However, the orientation of the magnetic poles of the first blocking magnet 732a and the second blocking magnet 732b are opposite to each other in the radial direction of a circle centered on the central axis J1. For example, if the first blocking magnet 732a is oriented so that its south pole is on the side of the central axis J1, then the second blocking magnet 732b is oriented so that its north pole is on the side of the central axis J1.

[0107] (Open magnets 733a, 733b) Each first open magnet 733a and each second open magnet 733b are provided below the opposing plate portion 11, independently of the opposing plate portion 11 (Figure 1). Each first open magnet 733a and each second open magnet 733b are arc-shaped in plan view and are arranged below the opposing plate portion 11 on the circumference of a circle centered on the central axis J1 (a circle with a smaller diameter than the reference circle C1). However, the first open magnets 733a and the second open magnets 733b are arranged alternately along the circumference with a certain gap between them. When the opposing plate portion 11 stops rotating at a predetermined rotation stop position, each first open magnet 733a is positioned in the vicinity of the first rotating magnet 731a (near the central axis J1) in plan view, and each second open magnet 733b is positioned in the vicinity of the second rotating magnet 731b (near the central axis J1) in plan view.

[0108] The magnetic poles of each first open magnet 733a and each second open magnet 733b are oriented along the radial direction of a circle centered on the central axis J1. However, the magnetic poles of the first open magnet 733a and the magnetic poles of the second open magnet 733b are oriented in opposite directions. Furthermore, with respect to the radial direction of the circle centered on the central axis J1, the magnetic poles of the first open magnet 733a are oriented in the opposite direction to the magnetic poles of the first closed magnet 732a, and the magnetic poles of the second open magnet 733b are oriented in the opposite direction to the magnetic poles of the second closed magnet 732b. For example, if the south pole of the first blocking magnet 732a is positioned on the side of the central axis J1, and the north pole of the second blocking magnet 732b is positioned on the side of the central axis J1, then the first open magnet 733a is oriented so that its north pole is positioned on the side of the central axis J1, and the second open magnet 733b is oriented so that its south pole is positioned on the side of the central axis J1.

[0109] (Magnetic lifting mechanism 734a, 734b) The first magnet lifting mechanism 734a is a mechanism for raising and lowering (moving vertically) a plurality of first open magnets 733a, and is located below the opposing plate portion 11 (Figure 1). Specifically, the first magnet lifting mechanism 734a comprises, for example, a piston rod 7341a and an air cylinder 7342a that moves it forward and backward. One of the first open magnets 733a is attached to the tip of the piston rod 7341a. However, the plurality of first open magnets 733a are connected to each other by an annular member (not shown).

[0110] When the piston rod 7341a descends in response to the drive of the air cylinder 7342a, the multiple first open magnets 733a are positioned at a sufficiently distant position (spaced position) from the lower surface 112 of the opposing plate portion 11 (solid line in Figure 1). At this time, the first open magnets 733a do not have a magnetic effect on the first rotating magnet 731a. On the other hand, when the piston rod 7341a rises in response to the drive of the air cylinder 7342a, the multiple first open magnets 733a are positioned at a close position (proximity position) from the lower surface 112 of the opposing plate portion 11 (dotted line in Figure 1). At this time, the first open magnets 733a have a magnetic effect on the first rotating magnet 731a.

[0111] The second magnet lifting mechanism 734b is a mechanism for raising and lowering a plurality of second open magnets 733b, and is located below the opposing plate portion 11 (Figure 1). Specifically, the second magnet lifting mechanism 734b comprises, for example, a piston rod 7341b and an air cylinder 7342b that moves it forward and backward. One of the second open magnets 733b is attached to the tip of the piston rod 7341b. However, the plurality of second open magnets 733b are connected to each other by an annular member (not shown).

[0112] When the piston rod 7341b descends in response to the drive of the air cylinder 7342b, the multiple second open magnets 733b are positioned at a sufficiently distant position (spaced position) from the lower surface 112 of the opposing plate portion 11 (dotted line in Figure 1). At this time, the second open magnets 733b do not have a magnetic effect on the second rotating magnet 731b. On the other hand, when the piston rod 7341b rises in response to the drive of the air cylinder 7342b, the multiple second open magnets 733b are positioned at a close position (close position) from the lower surface 112 of the opposing plate portion 11 (solid line in Figure 1). At this time, the second open magnets 733b have a magnetic effect on the second rotating magnet 731b.

[0113] (iv) Switching between each chuck section 710 and 720 Next, the mode in which the chuck switching mechanism 73 switches between holding and releasing the substrate 9 by the first chuck portion 710 and the second chuck portion 720 will be explained with reference to Figures 9 to 12.

[0114] (Switching of the first chuck section 710) As described above, when the first magnet lifting mechanism 734a drives the multiple first open magnets 733a to be positioned in close proximity, each first open magnet 733a is positioned near the first rotating magnet 731a (Figures 10 and 11). At this time, the magnetic attractive force between the first rotating magnet 731a and the first open magnet 733a becomes greater than the magnetic attractive force between the first rotating magnet 731a and the first closed magnet 732a. As a result, the first rotating magnet 731a assumes a first orientation (for example, an orientation where the south pole is positioned on the opposite side of the central axis J1 and the north pole is positioned on the side of the central axis J1) due to the magnetic attractive force between it and the first open magnet 733a (in the example shown in the figure, the orientation of the magnetic poles of the first rotating magnet 731a at this time is inclined with respect to the radial direction of the circle centered on the central axis J1).

[0115] When the first rotating magnet 731a is in the first position, the position of the first chuck pin 71 (i.e., the first chuck pin 71 attached to the first rotating magnet 731a) (angle position around the chuck rotation axis J2) becomes the open position. In other words, when the first magnet lifting mechanism 734a is driven, the multiple first open magnets 733a are positioned in close proximity, causing each of the multiple first chuck pins 71 to be positioned in the open position. As described above, when each of the multiple first chuck pins 71 is positioned in the open position, the holding of the substrate 9 by the first chuck part 710 is released.

[0116] When the opposing plate portion 11 is rotated around the central axis J1 by the drive of the substrate rotation mechanism 2, the first rotating magnet 731a and the first closing magnet 732a rotate together with the opposing plate portion 11, while the first opening magnet 733a does not rotate. When multiple first opening magnets 733a are positioned in close proximity, and the opposing plate portion 11 is rotated at a rotational speed above a certain level (for example, above the liquid processing rotational speed described later), each first opening magnet 733a positioned in close proximity substantially acts a magnetic attractive force on each first rotating magnet 731a, regardless of the position (angular position) of each first rotating magnet 731a. Therefore, each first chuck pin 71 is maintained in the open position. That is, the state in which the substrate 9 is released from being held by the first chuck portion 710 is maintained.

[0117] On the other hand, when the first magnet lifting mechanism 734a drives the multiple first open magnets 733a to spaced positions, each first open magnet 733a is positioned sufficiently far from the first rotating magnet 731a (Figures 9 and 12). At this time, the magnetic attractive force between the first rotating magnet 731a and the first closed magnet 732a becomes greater than the magnetic attractive force between the first rotating magnet 731a and the first open magnet 733a. As a result, the first rotating magnet 731a is forced into a second position different from the first position by the magnetic attractive force between it and the first closed magnet 732a (for example, a position where the N pole is positioned on the opposite side of the central axis J1 and the S pole is positioned on the side of the central axis J1) (in the example shown in the figure, the orientation of the magnetic poles of the first rotating magnet 731a at this time is inclined with respect to the radial direction of the circle centered on the central axis J1).

[0118] When the first rotating magnet 731a is in the second position, the position of the first chuck pin 71 (i.e., the first chuck pin 71 attached to the first rotating magnet 731a) (angle position around the chuck rotation axis J2) becomes the holding position. In other words, when the first magnet lifting mechanism 734a drives the multiple first open magnets 733a to spaced-out positions, each of the multiple first chuck pins 71 is positioned in the holding position. As described above, when each of the multiple first chuck pins 71 is positioned in the holding position, the substrate 9 is held by the first chuck part 710.

[0119] As described above, the chuck switching mechanism 73 moves the multiple first open magnets 733a from a close position to a separated position, thereby switching the first chuck portion 710 from a state in which it does not hold the substrate 9 (the holding position is released) to a state in which it holds the substrate 9. Conversely, the chuck switching mechanism 73 moves the multiple first open magnets 733a from a separated position to a close position, thereby switching the first chuck portion 710 from a state in which it holds the substrate 9 to a state in which it does not hold the substrate 9.

[0120] (Switching of the second chuck section 720) As described above, when the second magnet lifting mechanism 734b drives the multiple second open magnets 733b to be positioned in close proximity, each second open magnet 733b is positioned near the second rotating magnet 731b (Figures 10 and 12). At this time, the magnetic attractive force between the second rotating magnet 731b and the second open magnet 733b becomes greater than the magnetic attractive force between the second rotating magnet 731b and the second closed magnet 732b. As a result, the second rotating magnet 731b assumes a first orientation (for example, an orientation where the north pole is positioned on the opposite side of the central axis J1 and the south pole is positioned on the side of the central axis J1) due to the magnetic attractive force between it and the second open magnet 733b (in the example shown in the figure, the orientation of the magnetic poles of the second rotating magnet 731b at this time is inclined with respect to the radial direction of the circle centered on the central axis J1).

[0121] When the second rotating magnet 731b is in the first position, the position of the second chuck pin 72 (i.e., the second chuck pin 72 attached to the second rotating magnet 731b) (angle position around the chuck rotation axis J2) becomes the open position. In other words, when the second magnet lifting mechanism 734b is driven, the multiple second open magnets 733b are positioned in close proximity, causing each of the multiple second chuck pins 72 to be positioned in the open position. As described above, when each of the multiple second chuck pins 72 is positioned in the open position, the holding of the substrate 9 by the second chuck part 720 is released.

[0122] When the opposing plate portion 11 is rotated around the central axis J1 by the drive of the substrate rotation mechanism 2, the second rotating magnet 731b and the second closing magnet 732b rotate together with the opposing plate portion 11, while the second opening magnet 733b does not rotate. When multiple second opening magnets 733b are positioned in close proximity, and the opposing plate portion 11 is rotated at a rotational speed above a certain level (for example, above the liquid processing rotational speed described later), each second opening magnet 733b positioned in close proximity exerts a substantially magnetic attractive force on each second rotating magnet 731b, regardless of the position (angular position) of each second rotating magnet 731b. Therefore, each second chuck pin 72 is maintained in the open position. In other words, the state in which the substrate 9 is released from being held by the second chuck portion 720 is maintained.

[0123] On the other hand, when the second magnet lifting mechanism 734b drives the multiple second open magnets 733b to spaced positions, each second open magnet 733b is positioned sufficiently far from the second rotating magnet 731b (Figures 9 and 11). At this time, the magnetic attractive force between the second rotating magnet 731b and the second closed magnet 732b becomes greater than the magnetic attractive force between the second rotating magnet 731b and the second open magnet 733b. As a result, the second rotating magnet 731b is forced into a second position different from the first position by the magnetic attractive force between it and the second closed magnet 732b (for example, a position where the south pole is positioned on the opposite side of the central axis J1 and the north pole is positioned on the side of the central axis J1) (in the example shown in the figure, the orientation of the magnetic poles of the second rotating magnet 731b at this time is inclined with respect to the radial direction of the circle centered on the central axis J1).

[0124] When the second rotating magnet 731b is in the second position, the position of the second chuck pin 72 (i.e., the second chuck pin 72 attached to the second rotating magnet 731b) (angle position around the chuck rotation axis J2) becomes the holding position. In other words, when the second magnet lifting mechanism 734b is driven, the multiple second open magnets 733b are positioned at a distanced position, so that each of the multiple second chuck pins 72 is positioned in the holding position. As described above, the substrate 9 is held by the second chuck part 720 because each of the multiple second chuck pins 72 is positioned in the holding position.

[0125] As described above, the chuck switching mechanism 73 moves the multiple second open magnets 733b from a close position to a separated position, thereby switching the second chuck portion 720 from a state in which it does not hold the substrate 9 to a state in which it holds the substrate 9. Conversely, the chuck switching mechanism 73 moves the multiple second open magnets 733b from a separated position to a close position, thereby switching the second chuck portion 720 from a state in which it holds the substrate 9 to a state in which it does not hold the substrate 9.

[0126] (Combinations of the states of each chuck part 710 and 720) The chuck switching mechanism 73 can move the multiple first open magnets 733a and the multiple second open magnets 733b independently.

[0127] For example, when both the multiple first open magnets 733a and the multiple second open magnets 733b are positioned at a distance from each other (Figure 9), both the multiple first chuck pins 71 and the multiple second chuck pins 72 are positioned in a holding position. In other words, both the first chuck portion 710 and the second chuck portion 720 hold the substrate 9.

[0128] Furthermore, for example, if both the multiple first open magnets 733a and the multiple second open magnets 733b are positioned in close proximity (Figure 10), then both the multiple first chuck pins 71 and the multiple second chuck pins 72 will be positioned in the open position. In other words, neither the first chuck portion 710 nor the second chuck portion 720 will hold the substrate 9.

[0129] For example, when multiple first open magnets 733a are positioned close together and multiple second open magnets 733b are positioned spaced apart (Figure 11), multiple first chuck pins 71 are positioned in the open position and multiple second chuck pins 72 are positioned in the holding position. In other words, the first chuck portion 710 does not hold the substrate 9, and the second chuck portion 720 holds the substrate 9.

[0130] For example, when multiple first open magnets 733a are positioned at spaced distances from each other and multiple second open magnets 733b are positioned at close proximity (Figure 12), multiple first chuck pins 71 are positioned in the holding position and multiple second chuck pins 72 are positioned in the open position. In other words, the first chuck portion 710 holds the substrate 9, while the second chuck portion 720 does not hold the substrate 9.

[0131] <1-3. Processing Flow> Next, the processing flow performed by the substrate processing apparatus 100 will be explained with reference to Figures 1 to 13, as well as Figure 14. Figure 14 is a diagram showing the processing flow. The series of processes described below are performed by the control unit 5 controlling each part of the substrate processing apparatus 100 (specifically, the pin lifting mechanism 62 and chuck switching mechanism 73 of the substrate holding unit 1, the motor 22 of the substrate rotation mechanism 2, the chemical valve 321a and rinse valve 321b of the processing liquid supply unit 3, the gas valve 421 and flow rate adjustment unit 422 of the gas supply unit 4, etc.). Furthermore, the series of processes described below are usually performed repeatedly. That is, once the series of processes for one substrate 9 is completed, the series of processes is then performed on another new substrate 9.

[0132] Step S101: PCB loading process First, the substrate 9 to be processed is brought into the substrate processing apparatus 100. Specifically, with multiple support pins 61 positioned in the upper position (dotted line in Figure 3), and multiple first chuck pins 71 and multiple second chuck pins 72 all in the open position, an external transport mechanism inserts the hand portion holding the substrate 9 into the chamber of the substrate processing apparatus 100, positioning the hand portion above the opposing plate portion 11. However, the transport mechanism holds the substrate 9 on the hand portion in a position such that the first main surface 91 on which the pattern DP is formed faces downward and the second main surface 92 on which the pattern DP is not formed faces upward. Next, the transport mechanism lowers the hand portion holding the substrate 9. As a result, the peripheral portion 93 of the substrate 9 is supported from below by the multiple support pins 61 (specifically, the corners 611b of the lift support surfaces 611 of each support pin 61). This transfers the substrate 9 from the hand portion onto the multiple support pins 61. Subsequently, the transport mechanism retracts the hand portion from above the opposing plate portion 11 and exits from the chamber of the substrate processing device 100.

[0133] Furthermore, when the circuit board 9 is transferred from the hand portion onto the multiple support pins 61, if the center of the circuit board 9 is misaligned with the central axis J1, at least a portion of the peripheral edge 93 of the circuit board 9 will come into contact with the lift guide surface 612 (specifically, for example, its corner portion 612b) and be guided by it, thereby bringing the center of the circuit board 9 closer to the central axis J1. In other words, the misalignment (eccentricity) of the circuit board 9 is corrected.

[0134] Step S102: Lift pin lowering process Next, the pin lifting mechanism 62 lowers the multiple support pins 61, positioning them in the lower position (solid line in Figure 3).

[0135] Step S103: Pre-holding process Next, the substrate 9 supported by the multiple support pins 61 (that is, the substrate 9 supported by the multiple support pins 61 from below with the first main surface 91 facing downwards) is held by the second chuck portion 720 and separated from the multiple support pins 61. Specifically, the chuck switching mechanism 73 moves the multiple second open magnets 733b from the close position to the separated position while keeping the multiple first open magnets 733a in the close position. As a result, the multiple first chuck pins 71 remain in the open position, while the multiple second chuck pins 72 move (rotate) from the open position to the holding position. When each second chuck pin 72 begins to move from the open position to the holding position, the lower contact surface 721 first comes into contact with the lower peripheral surface 931 of the substrate 9 supported by the multiple lift support surfaces 611. Subsequently, as each second chuck pin 72 moves, the substrate 9 is guided by the lower contact surface 721 and moves upward (is lifted), separating from each support pin 61. When each second chuck pin 72 is positioned in the holding position, the curved contact surface 723 contacts the peripheral end face 930, the lower contact surface 721 contacts the peripheral lower surface 931, and the upper contact surface 722 contacts the peripheral upper surface 932. In other words, the substrate 9 is separated from the multiple support pins 61 and held by the second chuck portion 720. In this state, the first chuck portion 710 does not hold the substrate 9.

[0136] Step S104: Chuck part modification process (1) Next, the substrate 9 held by the second chuck portion 720 is further held by the first chuck portion 710. Specifically, the chuck switching mechanism 73 moves the multiple first open magnets 733a from the close position to the separated position while keeping the multiple second open magnets 733b in the separated position. As a result, the multiple first chuck pins 71 move from the open position to the held position while the multiple second chuck pins 72 remain in the holding position. As described above, the height at which the upper contact surface 712 of the first chuck pin 71 is positioned is approximately the same as the height at which the upper contact surface 722 of the second chuck pin 72 is positioned. Therefore, when each first chuck pin 71 is positioned in the holding position, the end face contact surface 711 contacts the peripheral end face 930 of the substrate 9 (i.e., the substrate 9 held by the multiple second chuck pins 72, spaced apart from the multiple support pins 61), and the upper contact surface 712 contacts the peripheral upper surface 932 of the substrate 9. In other words, the substrate 9 is held by both the first chuck portion 710 and the second chuck portion 720.

[0137] Step S105: Gas supply initiation process Next, the gas supply unit 4 starts supplying inert gas. Specifically, the gas valve 421 is opened. As a result, the inert gas supplied from the gas supply source 42 is discharged from the gas nozzle 41 at a predetermined flow rate adjusted by the flow rate adjustment unit 422, and the inert gas is supplied to the space below the substrate 9 (specifically, the space between the opposing surface 111 and the first main surface 91). The amount of inert gas supplied at this time is, for example, 250 liters / minute or more. The gas supply unit 4 continues to supply inert gas until the gas supply stop process (step S115), which will be described later, is performed.

[0138] Step S106: Rotation start process Next, the substrate rotation mechanism 2 starts rotating the substrate 9. Specifically, the motor 22 starts rotating the shaft portion 21, which causes the opposing plate portion 11 (and thus the substrate 9 held by the chuck pins 71 and 72 provided thereon) to start rotating around the central axis J1. The substrate rotation mechanism 2 increases the rotational speed of the substrate 9 to a predetermined liquid processing rotational speed. The liquid processing rotational speed is, for example, 300 to 1500 rpm.

[0139] Here, the rotational speed of the substrate 9 is increased while at least the second chuck portion 720 is holding the substrate 9. When increasing or decreasing the rotational speed of the substrate 9 (i.e., when accelerating or decelerating the substrate 9), the substrate 9 is prone to displacement (slipping). However, as described above, the substrate 9 held by the second chuck portion 720 is positioned at a predetermined height and held at that predetermined height, so when increasing the rotational speed, the substrate 9 does not experience displacement in the height direction.

[0140] Furthermore, in this case, with both the first chuck portion 710 and the second chuck portion 720 holding the substrate 9, the rotational speed of the substrate 9 is increased. When both the first chuck portion 710 and the second chuck portion 720 are holding the substrate 9, the number of chuck pins 71 and 72 in contact with the substrate 9 is greater than when only one of them is holding the substrate 9. Therefore, there are more points on the substrate 9 that receive frictional force from the chuck pins 71 and 72, making it less likely for the substrate 9 to shift position in the height and horizontal directions. Also, the more chuck pins 71 and 72 that are in contact with the substrate 9 there are, the smaller the chuck force required to hold the substrate 9 (the force that biases the chuck pins 71 and 72 to the substrate 9) can be. The smaller the chuck force, the smaller the load on the substrate 9 at the contact points of the chuck pins 71 and 72, making it less likely for the substrate 9 to be damaged or deformed. In other words, by increasing the rotational speed of the substrate 9 while both the first chuck portion 710 and the second chuck portion 720 are holding the substrate 9, it is possible to sufficiently suppress displacement of the substrate 9 while keeping the load on the substrate 9 small.

[0141] Step S107: Chuck part modification process (2) When the rotation speed of the substrate 9 reaches the liquid processing rotation speed, the substrate rotation mechanism 2 maintains the rotation speed of the substrate 9 at the liquid processing rotation speed. In this state, the holding of the substrate 9 by the second chuck section 720 is released. Specifically, the chuck switching mechanism 73 moves the multiple second open magnets 733b from the separated position to the close position while keeping the multiple first open magnets 733a in the separated position. As a result, the multiple first chuck pins 71 remain in the holding position, while the multiple second chuck pins 72 move from the holding position to the open position. This releases the holding of the substrate 9 by the second chuck section 720. In other words, the substrate 9 is held by the first chuck section 710 but not by the second chuck section 720.

[0142] Thus, in this embodiment, by performing steps S103, S104, and S107, a state is formed in which the substrate 9 (i.e., the substrate 9 in a position where the first main surface 91 on which the pattern DP is formed faces downward) is held by the first chuck portion 710, separated from the plurality of support pins 61 (first holding state formation step). In other words, in this embodiment, in forming the state in which the substrate 9 is held by the first chuck portion 710, separated from the plurality of support pins 61, first, the substrate 9 supported by the plurality of support pins 61 is held by the second chuck portion 720 to separate it from the plurality of support pins 61 (step S103: preliminary holding step). After that, the substrate 9 held by the second chuck portion 720 is further held by the first chuck portion 710 (step S104: chuck portion change step (1)), and then the holding of the substrate 9 by the second chuck portion 720 is released (step S107: chuck portion change step (2)). As described above, the substrate 9 held by the second chuck portion 720 is positioned at a predetermined height and held at that predetermined height. Therefore, after positioning the substrate 9 at a predetermined height by holding it with the second chuck portion 720, holding the substrate 9 with the first chuck portion 710 ensures that the substrate 9 held by the first chuck portion 710 is also positioned at the predetermined height.

[0143] Step S108: Start of chemical solution supply process Next, the processing liquid supply unit 3 begins supplying the chemical solution as the first processing liquid. Specifically, the processing liquid nozzle 31 is positioned at the discharge position, and the chemical solution valve 321a is opened. Then, the chemical solution supplied from the chemical solution supply source 32a begins to be discharged from the processing liquid nozzle 31, and the chemical solution begins to be supplied to the second main surface 92 of the substrate 9. The chemical solution supplied to the second main surface 92 spreads toward the periphery of the second main surface 92 due to the centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the substrate 9, and the chemical solution is supplied to the entire second main surface 92.

[0144] As a result, the substrate 9 (i.e., the substrate 9 in a position where the first main surface 91 on which the pattern DP is formed faces downward) is held by the first chuck portion 710, spaced apart from the multiple support pins 61, and while the substrate 9 is rotated around the central axis J1, an inert gas is supplied to the space below the substrate 9, and a chemical solution is supplied to the upward-facing second main surface 92 of the substrate 9, so that the second main surface 92 is cleaned by the chemical solution. In other words, chemical treatment is performed on the second main surface 92 (chemical treatment step).

[0145] Here, while the chemical treatment is being performed, the second chuck portion 720 does not hold the substrate 9, and the first chuck portion 710 holds the substrate 9. Unlike the second chuck pin 72 of the second chuck portion 720, the first chuck pin 71 of the first chuck portion 710 does not have a contact surface that abuts against the lower peripheral surface 931 of the substrate 9. When the chemical treatment is being performed (i.e., when the chemical is supplied to the second main surface 92), if the chuck pin is in contact with the lower peripheral surface 931 of the substrate 9, the chemical supplied to the second main surface 92 may, by capillary action, travel through the minute gap in the contact area between the lower peripheral surface 931 and the chuck pin and flow back onto the lower peripheral surface 931 (Figure 22). In this configuration, the first chuck pin 71 of the first chuck portion 710, which holds the substrate 9 when the chemical solution is supplied to the second main surface 92, does not come into contact with the lower peripheral surface 931 of the substrate 9. Therefore, the chemical solution does not leak onto the lower peripheral surface 931 due to capillary action. Consequently, the leakage of the chemical solution supplied to the second main surface 92 onto the first main surface 91 during chemical treatment is suppressed.

[0146] Furthermore, in this configuration, the supply of inert gas to the space below the substrate 9 is continuously maintained while the chemical treatment is being performed, thereby protecting the first main surface 91 and preventing the chemical solution and the chemical atmosphere supplied to the second main surface 92 from flowing back to the first main surface 91. In particular, here, the substrate 9 held by the first chuck portion 710 is ensured to be positioned at a predetermined height (i.e., the distance between the first main surface 91 and the opposing surface 111 is ensured to be a predetermined value while the chemical treatment is being performed), so by supplying inert gas to the space below the substrate 9 at an appropriate supply amount determined according to the distance, the flow of the chemical solution and the chemical atmosphere supplied to the second main surface 92 back to the first main surface 91 can be effectively prevented.

[0147] As described above, the first chuck pin 71 does not have a contact surface that abuts against the lower peripheral edge 931 of the substrate 9, so it might seem that the substrate 9, which is not held by the second chuck portion 720 but only by the first chuck portion 710, could be displaced downward. However, in reality, the possibility of such displacement occurring is quite low. The reasons for this are, firstly, that an inert gas is supplied to the space below the substrate 9, and the pressure of the supplied inert gas biases the substrate 9 upward. Secondly, when the substrate 9 is rotated at a certain speed or higher (for example, a speed of 100 rpm or higher), sufficient centrifugal force is generated on the substrate 9. Thirdly, the first chuck pin 71 abuts against the peripheral edge end surface 930 of the substrate 9, creating a frictional force between the first chuck pin 71 and the substrate 9.

[0148] Step S109: Rinse fluid supply start process After a predetermined time has elapsed since the supply of the first processing liquid (chemical solution) began, the processing liquid supply unit 3 stops supplying the chemical solution and starts supplying the second processing liquid (rinsing liquid). Specifically, with the processing liquid nozzle 31 positioned at the discharge location, the chemical solution valve 321a is closed and the rinsing liquid valve 321b is opened. Then, instead of the chemical solution supplied from the chemical solution supply source 32a, the rinsing liquid supplied from the rinsing liquid supply source 32b is discharged from the processing liquid nozzle 31, and the rinsing liquid is supplied to the second main surface 92 of the substrate 9. The rinsing liquid supplied to the second main surface 92 spreads toward the periphery of the second main surface 92 due to the centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the substrate 9. As a result, the chemical solution that was supplied to the second main surface 92 is replaced by the rinsing liquid, and the chemical solution on the second main surface 92 is washed away by the rinsing liquid. In other words, a rinsing treatment is performed on the second main surface 92 (rinsing treatment process).

[0149] Step S110: Second holding state formation process After the supply of the rinse solution as the second processing solution is started (specifically, for example, after the supply of the rinse solution is started, when the chemical solution supplied to the second main surface 92 has been largely replaced by the rinse solution and the concentration of the chemical solution on the second main surface 92 has sufficiently decreased), the substrate 9 is held by the second chuck section 720. Specifically, the chuck switching mechanism 73 moves the multiple second open magnets 733b from the close position to the separated position while keeping the multiple first open magnets 733a in the separated position. Then, the multiple second chuck pins 72 move from the open position to the held position while the multiple first chuck pins 71 remain in the holding position. When each second chuck pin 72 is positioned in the holding position, the curved contact surface 723 comes into contact with the peripheral edge end face 930 of the substrate 9 (i.e., the substrate 9 held by the multiple first chuck pins 71), the lower contact surface 721 comes into contact with the lower peripheral edge 931, and the upper contact surface 722 comes into contact with the upper peripheral edge 932. In other words, the substrate 9 is held by both the first chuck portion 710 and the second chuck portion 720.

[0150] Step S111: Rinse fluid supply stop process After a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of supplying the rinse liquid as the second processing liquid, the processing liquid supply unit 3 stops supplying the rinse liquid. Specifically, the rinse liquid valve 321b is closed. As a result, the discharge of rinse liquid from the processing liquid nozzle 31 stops.

[0151] Step S112: Rotation speed increase process Next, the substrate rotation mechanism 2 increases the rotation speed of the substrate 9 from the liquid treatment rotation speed to a predetermined drying rotation speed that is greater than this speed. The drying rotation speed is, for example, 1000 to 2000 rpm. Once the rotation speed of the substrate 9 reaches the drying rotation speed, the substrate rotation mechanism 2 maintains the rotation speed of the substrate 9 at the drying rotation speed. As the substrate 9 rotates at the drying rotation speed, a large centrifugal force acts on the liquid adhering to the substrate 9, causing the liquid to be swept away from the substrate 9. In this way, the substrate 9 is dried. That is, a drying rotation process (spin drying process) is performed on the substrate 9 (drying process step).

[0152] Here too, since the rotational speed of the substrate 9 is increased while at least the second chuck portion 720 is holding the substrate 9, the substrate 9 does not shift in height when the rotational speed is increased. Furthermore, since the rotational speed of the substrate 9 is increased while both the first chuck portion 710 and the second chuck portion 720 are holding the substrate 9, the load on the substrate 9 when the rotational speed is increased can be kept small while sufficiently suppressing displacement of the substrate 9.

[0153] Step S113: Hand change process When the rotation speed of the substrate 9 is maintained at the drying rotation speed, the substrate 9 is transferred between the first chuck section 710 and the second chuck section 720.

[0154] When changing the grip of the substrate 9, for example, first, the holding of the substrate 9 by the second chuck portion 720 is released (step S113a). Specifically, the chuck switching mechanism 73 moves the multiple second open magnets 733b from the separated position to the close position while keeping the multiple first open magnets 733a in the separated position. As a result, the multiple first chuck pins 71 remain in the holding position, while the multiple second chuck pins 72 move from the holding position to the open position. This releases the holding of the substrate 9 by the second chuck portion 720. In other words, the substrate 9 is held by the first chuck portion 710 but not by the second chuck portion 720. In this state, the liquid adhering to the parts that each second chuck pin 72 was in contact with is shaken off.

[0155] Subsequently, the substrate 9 is held again by the second chuck portion 720 (step S113b). Specifically, the chuck switching mechanism 73 moves the multiple second open magnets 733b from the close position to the separated position while keeping the multiple first open magnets 733a in the separated position. As a result, the multiple second chuck pins 72 move from the open position to the held position while the multiple first chuck pins 71 remain in the holding position. This results in the substrate 9 being held again by both the first chuck portion 710 and the second chuck portion 720.

[0156] Next, the first chuck portion 710 releases its grip on the substrate 9 (step S113c). Specifically, the chuck switching mechanism 73 moves the multiple first open magnets 733a from the separated position to the close position while keeping the multiple second open magnets 733b in the separated position. As a result, the multiple second chuck pins 72 remain in the holding position, while the multiple first chuck pins 71 move from the holding position to the open position. This releases the first chuck portion 710 from gripping the substrate 9. In other words, the substrate 9 is held by the second chuck portion 720 but not by the first chuck portion 710. In this state, any liquid adhering to the parts that each first chuck pin 71 was in contact with is shaken off.

[0157] Subsequently, the substrate 9 is held again by the first chuck portion 710 (step S113d). Specifically, the chuck switching mechanism 73 moves the multiple first open magnets 733a from the close position to the separated position while keeping the multiple second open magnets 733b in the separated position. As a result, the multiple first chuck pins 71 move from the open position to the held position while the multiple second chuck pins 72 remain in the holding position. This results in the substrate 9 being held again by both the first chuck portion 710 and the second chuck portion 720.

[0158] Step S114: Rotation stop process When the substrate 9 has been rotated at a drying speed for a predetermined time, the substrate rotation mechanism 2 stops the rotation of the substrate 9.

[0159] Here too, since the rotational speed of the substrate 9 is reduced while at least the second chuck portion 720 holds the substrate 9, the substrate 9 does not shift in height when the rotational speed is reduced. Furthermore, since the rotational speed of the substrate 9 is reduced while both the first chuck portion 710 and the second chuck portion 720 hold the substrate 9, the load on the substrate 9 when the rotational speed is reduced can be kept small while sufficiently suppressing displacement of the substrate 9.

[0160] Step S115: Gas supply shutdown process Next, the gas supply unit 4 stops supplying the inert gas. Specifically, the gas valve 421 is closed.

[0161] Step S116: Delivery Process Next, the first chuck portion 710 and the second chuck portion 720 release their grip on the substrate 9, transferring the substrate 9, which was held by the first chuck portion 710 and the second chuck portion 720, onto the multiple support pins 61. Specifically, the chuck switching mechanism 73 moves the multiple first open magnets 733a from a spaced-out position to a close-up position, and also moves the multiple second open magnets 733b from a spaced-out position to a close-up position. As a result, the multiple second chuck pins 72 and the multiple first chuck pins 71 both move from the holding position to the open position. As each second chuck pin 72 moves, the substrate 9 is guided downward by the lower contact surface 721, and when each second chuck pin 72 is positioned in the open position, the peripheral edge 93 of the substrate 9 is supported from below by the multiple support pins 61. In this way, the substrate 9 is transferred onto the multiple support pins 61.

[0162] Step S117: Lift pin raising process Next, the pin lifting mechanism 62 raises the multiple support pins 61, positioning them in the upper position (the dashed line in Figure 3).

[0163] Step S118: Substrate unloading process Subsequently, the substrate 9 is discharged from the substrate processing device 100. Specifically, an external transport mechanism inserts the handle into the chamber of the substrate processing device 100, moves the handle between the first main surface 91 of the substrate 9, which is supported by a plurality of support pins 61, and the opposing plate portion 11, and then raises the handle. This transfers the substrate 9 from the plurality of support pins 61 to the handle. After that, the transport mechanism removes the handle holding the substrate 9 from the chamber of the substrate processing device 100. This discharges the substrate 9 from the substrate processing device 100.

[0164] <1-4. Wrap-around amount> Next, when the processing liquid is supplied to the second main surface 92 of the substrate 9, the amount of processing liquid that seeps around to the lower peripheral surface 931 at each position in the circumferential direction of the substrate 9 will be explained with reference to Figure 15. Both Figure 15(a) and Figure 15(b) show the measurement results of the amount of processing liquid (for example, the chemical solution as the first processing liquid) seeping around to the lower peripheral surface 931. The horizontal axis indicates each position in the circumferential direction of the substrate 9, and the vertical axis indicates the amount of processing liquid seeping around at that position (i.e., the value indicating how many millimeters the processing liquid seeps around to from the peripheral end surface 930 in the radial direction of the substrate 9). Figure 15(a) shows the measurement results when the substrate 9 is held by the first chuck portion 710, and Figure 15(b) shows the measurement results when the substrate 9 is held by the second chuck portion 720.

[0165] When the substrate 9 is held by the first chuck portion 710 (Figure 15(a)), two peaks P1, P1 appear in pairs. The position of each peak P1 coincides with the position where each protrusion 71b of the first chuck pin 71 makes contact. In other words, the peak P1 of the amount of wrap-around appears at the position where each of the two protrusions 71b of each first chuck pin 71 makes contact. The height of the peak P1 originating from the protrusions 71b of the first chuck pin 71 is less than 1.0 mm, more specifically about 0.7 mm or less, and as an example, about 0.5 mm. In other words, when the chemical solution is supplied to the second main surface 92 while the first chuck portion 710 is holding the substrate 9, the amount d1 of the chemical solution seeping around to the lower surface 931 of the peripheral edge at the position where the first chuck pin 71 contacts the outer circumference of the substrate 9 can be kept to less than 1.0 mm, and under certain conditions, it can be kept to about 0.7 mm or less, and as an example, it can be kept to about 0.5 mm.

[0166] Even when the substrate 9 is held by the second chuck portion 720 (Figure 15(b)), two peaks P2, P2 appear in pairs. The position of each peak P2 coincides with the position where each protrusion 72b of the second chuck pin 72 makes contact (in Figures 15(a) and 15(b), for the sake of comparison, the peaks P1 and P2 that appear in each are shown at approximately the same position). In other words, the peak P2 of the amount of wrap-around appears at the position where each of the two protrusions 72b of each second chuck pin 72 makes contact. The height of the peak P2 originating from the protrusions 72b of the second chuck pin 72 is approximately 1.0 to 1.2 mm. In other words, when the chemical solution is supplied to the second main surface 92 while the second chuck portion 720 is holding the substrate 9, the amount d2 of the chemical solution that flows around to the lower surface 931 of the peripheral edge at the position where the second chuck pin 72 contacts the outer circumference of the substrate 9 is approximately 1.0 to 1.2 mm.

[0167] On the other hand, the amount of leakage at positions where neither the first chuck pin 71 nor the second chuck pin 72 makes contact (i.e., the entire area excluding the positions where the protrusions 71b and 72b make contact) is less than 0.5 mm, for example, about 0.3 mm. In other words, when the chemical solution is supplied to the second main surface 92 while at least one of the first chuck portion 710 and the second chuck portion 720 is holding the substrate 9, the amount d3 of leakage of the chemical solution to the lower surface 931 of the peripheral edge at positions on the outer circumference of the substrate 9 where neither the first chuck pin 71 nor the second chuck pin 72 makes contact is less than 0.5 mm, for example, about 0.3 mm.

[0168] Thus, when the chemical solution is supplied to the second main surface 92 of the substrate 9, the amount of processing liquid that seeps into the lower peripheral surface 931 at the position where the first chuck pin 71 or the second chuck pin 72 contacts it, d1 and d2, is greater than the amount of chemical solution that seeps into the lower peripheral surface 931 at the position where neither the first chuck pin 71 nor the second chuck pin 72 contacts it, d3. This is thought to be because each chuck pin 71 and 72 contacts at least the peripheral end surface 930 of the substrate 9, and therefore chemical solution can seep in through the contact portion.

[0169] Furthermore, when the chemical solution is supplied to the second main surface 92 of the substrate 9, the amount of wrap-around d1 at the position where the first chuck pin 71 makes contact is smaller than the amount of wrap-around d2 at the position where the second chuck pin 72 makes contact. This is thought to be because the first chuck pin 71 does not make contact with the lower peripheral surface 931 of the substrate 9, while the second chuck pin 72 makes contact with the lower peripheral surface 931 of the substrate 9. In other words, in the case of a chuck pin that contacts the lower peripheral surface 931, such as the second chuck pin 72, the chemical solution supplied to the second main surface 92 may, by capillary action, travel through the minute gap at the contact point between the lower peripheral surface 931 and the lower contact surface 721 and flow back onto the lower peripheral surface 931 (Figure 22). In contrast, in the case of a chuck pin that does not contact the lower peripheral surface 931, such as the first chuck pin 71, no leakage of the chemical solution onto the lower peripheral surface 931 due to capillary action occurs. For this reason, the amount of leakage d1 at the position where the first chuck pin 71 contacts is considered to be smaller than the amount of leakage d2 at the position where the second chuck pin 72 contacts.

[0170] <1-5. Effects> The substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the above embodiment includes a substrate holding unit 1 for holding a substrate 9, a substrate rotation mechanism 2 for rotating the substrate 9 held by the substrate holding unit 1 around a vertically extending central axis J1, a processing liquid supply unit 3 for supplying processing liquid to the upward-facing main surface of the substrate 9 held by the substrate holding unit 1, a gas supply unit 4 for supplying gas to the space below the substrate 9 held by the substrate holding unit 1, and a control unit 5 for controlling the substrate holding unit 1, the substrate rotation mechanism 2, the processing liquid supply unit 3, and the gas supply unit 4. Furthermore, the substrate holding unit 1 includes a plurality of support pins 61 that contact the substrate 9 from below to support the substrate 9, and a plurality of first chuck pins 71 that contact the peripheral edge end face 930 of the substrate 9 without contacting the peripheral edge lower surface 931 of the substrate 9, and a first chuck unit 710 that holds the substrate 9 with the plurality of first chuck pins 71. Then, the control unit 5 rotates the substrate 9 with the substrate rotation mechanism 2 while the substrate 9 is held by the first chuck portion 710 with the first main surface 91 on which the pattern DP is formed facing downwards, spaced apart from the multiple support pins 61. At the same time, it supplies gas to the gas supply unit 4 into the space below the substrate 9 and supplies the chemical solution as the first processing solution to the second main surface 92 of the substrate 9 facing upwards with the processing solution supply unit 3.

[0171] From another perspective, the substrate processing method according to the above embodiment comprises: a first holding state forming step, in which a substrate 9 in a position where the first main surface 91 on which the pattern DP is formed faces downward is held by a first chuck portion 710 spaced apart from a plurality of support pins 61 that support the substrate 9 from below; and a chemical solution processing step, in which the substrate 9 held by the first chuck portion 710 spaced apart from the plurality of support pins 61 is rotated around a vertically extending central axis J1 while gas is supplied to the space below the substrate 9 and a chemical solution is supplied to the upward-facing second main surface 92 of the substrate 9.

[0172] In these configurations, the chemical solution is supplied to the upward-facing second main surface 92 of the substrate 9, where the first main surface 91 on which the pattern DP is formed is oriented downward. When the chemical solution is supplied, if the chuck pin is in contact with the lower peripheral surface 931 of the substrate 9, the chemical solution supplied to the second main surface 92 may, due to capillary action, travel through the minute gap at the contact point between the lower peripheral surface 931 and the chuck pin and flow back onto the lower peripheral surface 931 (Figure 22). In this case, the first chuck pin 71 of the first chuck part 710 that holds the substrate 9 when the chemical solution is supplied does not come into contact with the lower peripheral surface 931 of the substrate 9, so the leakage of the chemical solution onto the lower peripheral surface 931 due to capillary action does not occur. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the chemical solution supplied to the upward-facing main surface (second main surface 92) of the substrate 9 from flowing to the downward-facing main surface (first main surface 91).

[0173] Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the above embodiment includes a substrate holding section 1 which has a plurality of second chuck pins 72 that contact the upper surface 932 and the lower surface 931 of the peripheral edge of the substrate 9, and a second chuck section 720 which holds the substrate 9 with the plurality of second chuck pins 72.The control unit 5 then stops the supply of the chemical solution to the processing liquid supply section 3 and starts the supply of the rinse liquid as the second processing liquid, and after the supply of the rinse liquid is started, it causes the substrate 9 to be held in the second chuck section 720.

[0174] From another perspective, the substrate processing method according to the above embodiment comprises a rinse liquid supply start step (step S109) in which the supply of the chemical solution is stopped and the supply of rinse liquid to the second main surface 92 is started, and a second holding state formation step (step S110) in which the substrate 9 is held by the second chuck portion 720 after the supply of rinse liquid has started.

[0175] With these configurations, the second chuck portion 720 holds the substrate 9 after the supply of the chemical solution to the second main surface 92 is stopped and the supply of the rinsing solution is started, that is, after the condition in which the chemical solution is less likely to seep into the first main surface 91 is met, thus enabling stable holding of the substrate 9.

[0176] Furthermore, in the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the above embodiment, the control unit 5 increases the rotation speed of the substrate 9 by the substrate rotation mechanism 2 to a predetermined drying rotation speed while the substrate 9 is held in at least the second chuck portion 720.

[0177] From another perspective, the substrate processing method according to the above embodiment includes a rotation speed increase step (step S112) in which the rotation speed of the substrate 9 is increased to a predetermined drying rotation speed while at least the second chuck portion 720 is holding the substrate 9.

[0178] With these configurations, the rotation speed of the substrate 9 is increased to a predetermined drying speed while the substrate 9 is held by the second chuck portion 720, so that the substrate 9 does not experience any displacement in the height direction when the rotation speed is increased.

[0179] Furthermore, in the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the above embodiment, the control unit 5, in order to form a state in which the substrate 9 is separated from the plurality of support pins 61 and held by the first chuck portion 710, holds the substrate 9, which is supported by the plurality of support pins 61, in the second chuck portion 720 to separate the substrate 9 from the plurality of support pins 61, then further holds the substrate 9 held by the second chuck portion 720 in the first chuck portion 710, and then releases the holding of the substrate 9 by the second chuck portion 720.

[0180] From another perspective, the substrate processing method according to the above embodiment includes a first holding state formation step which comprises a preliminary holding step (step S103) in which the substrate 9 supported by a plurality of support pins 61 is held by the second chuck portion 720 and separated from the plurality of support pins 61, and a chuck portion changing step (steps S104 and S107) in which, after the preliminary holding step, the substrate 9 held by the second chuck portion 720 is further held by the first chuck portion 710, and then the holding of the substrate 9 by the second chuck portion 720 is released.

[0181] With these configurations, when the substrate 9 is held by the first chuck portion 710 with the substrate 9 spaced apart from the multiple support pins 61, the substrate 9, which is supported by the multiple support pins 61, is not held directly by the first chuck portion 710, but is first held by the second chuck portion 720. The second chuck pins 72 of the second chuck portion 720 contact the upper peripheral surface 932 and the lower peripheral surface 931 of the substrate 9, so the substrate 9 held by the second chuck portion 720 is positioned at a predetermined height. Therefore, after positioning the substrate 9 at a predetermined height by holding it with the second chuck portion 720, it is possible to ensure that the substrate 9 held by the first chuck portion 710 is positioned at the predetermined height by holding it with the first chuck portion 710.

[0182] Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the above embodiment includes a first chuck pin 71 which has an end surface contact surface 711 that contacts the peripheral end surface 930 and an upper contact surface 712 that contacts the upper surface 932 of the peripheral.

[0183] With this configuration, for example, even if the substrate 9 held by the first chuck portion 710 is biased upward by the pressure of the gas supplied to the space below it, the substrate 9 will not shift position upward.

[0184] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, when the chemical solution is supplied to the second main surface 92, the amount d1 of the chemical solution that flows around to the lower peripheral surface 931 at the position where the first chuck pin 71 contacts it is smaller than the amount d2 of the chemical solution that flows around to the lower peripheral surface 931 at the position where the second chuck pin 72 contacts it, and is larger than the amount d3 of the chemical solution that flows around to the lower peripheral surface 931 at the position where neither the first chuck pin 71 nor the second chuck pin 72 contacts it.

[0185] With this configuration, by supplying the chemical solution to the second main surface 92 of the substrate 9 while the first chuck pin 71 is in contact, it is possible to suppress the chemical solution supplied to the second main surface 92 from flowing back to the first main surface 91.

[0186] <2. Second Embodiment> <2-1. Configuration of the substrate processing apparatus> The configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 100t according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 16 and 17. Figure 16 is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 100t. Figure 17 is a schematic plan view showing the opposing surface 111 of the opposing plate portion 11 of the substrate processing apparatus 100t. In the following, the differences from the first embodiment will be described, and elements that are the same as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions will be omitted.

[0187] The substrate processing apparatus 100t differs from the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment in the configuration of the chuck portion 7t. The configuration of the chuck portion 7t of the substrate processing apparatus 100t will be described below.

[0188] The chuck section 7t comprises a first chuck section 710A and a second chuck section 710B. The first chuck section 710A is equipped with a plurality of first chuck pins 71A, which hold the substrate 9. On the other hand, the second chuck section 710B is equipped with a plurality of second chuck pins 71B, which hold the substrate 9. Furthermore, the chuck section 7t is equipped with a chuck switching mechanism 73 that switches between holding and releasing the substrate 9 by each chuck section 710A, 710B. The configuration of the chuck switching mechanism 73 is as described in the first embodiment.

[0189] The arrangement of the multiple first chuck pins 71A and the multiple second chuck pins 71B is the same as the arrangement of the multiple first chuck pins 71 and the multiple second chuck pins 72 in the first embodiment. That is, the multiple first chuck pins 71A and the multiple second chuck pins 71B are all arranged on the circumference of the reference circle C1 together with the multiple support pins 61 and provided on the opposing plate portion 11. The multiple first chuck pins 71A are arranged on the circumference of the reference circle C1 at equal intervals along its circumferential direction. Similarly, the multiple second chuck pins 71B are also arranged on the circumference of the reference circle C1 at equal intervals along its circumferential direction. Furthermore, the first chuck pins 71A and the second chuck pins 71B are arranged alternately at equal intervals along the circumferential direction, with the support pins 61 in between.

[0190] The first chuck pin 71A and the second chuck pin 71B both have the same shape as the first chuck pin 71 in the first embodiment (Figures 5 and 6). In other words, in this embodiment, the first chuck pin 71A and the second chuck pin 71B each include a substantially cylindrical base portion 71a and two protrusions 71b that protrude upward from the upper end surface of the base portion 71a. The chuck contact surface 7101 of each protrusion 71b includes an end surface contact surface 711 that contacts the peripheral end surface 930 of the substrate 9 when the chuck pins 71A and 71B are in the holding position, and an upper contact surface 712 that contacts the peripheral upper surface 932 of the substrate 9 in the same state. Furthermore, each protrusion 71b does not have a surface that contacts the peripheral lower surface 931 of the substrate 9 (a surface corresponding to the lower contact surface 721). Therefore, when each chuck pin 71A, 71B is positioned in the holding position, each projection 71b does not come into contact with the lower surface 931 of the peripheral edge.

[0191] Therefore, when each of the multiple first chuck pins 71A is positioned in the holding position, at different positions on the peripheral edge 93 of the substrate 9, the first chuck pins 71A will not contact the lower peripheral edge surface 931, but will contact the peripheral edge end surface 930 at the end surface contact surface 711 and the upper peripheral edge upper surface 932 at the upper contact surface 712, thereby holding the substrate 9. In other words, the substrate 9 is held by the first chuck portion 710A. On the other hand, when each of the multiple first chuck pins 71A is positioned in the open position, each first chuck pin 71A will be separated from the substrate 9, thereby releasing the substrate 9 from being held. In other words, the first chuck portion 710A is released from holding the substrate 9.

[0192] Similarly, when each of the multiple second chuck pins 71B is positioned in the holding position, at different positions on the peripheral edge 93 of the substrate 9, the second chuck pins 71B will not contact the lower peripheral edge surface 931, but will contact the peripheral edge end surface 930 at the end surface contact surface 711 and the upper peripheral edge upper surface 932 at the upper contact surface 712, thereby holding the substrate 9. In other words, the substrate 9 is held by the second chuck portion 710B. On the other hand, when each of the multiple second chuck pins 71B is positioned in the open position, each second chuck pin 71B will be separated from the substrate 9, thereby releasing the substrate 9 from being held. In other words, the substrate 9 is released from being held by the second chuck portion 710B.

[0193] <2-2. Processing Flow> Next, the processing flow performed by the substrate processing apparatus 100t will be explained with reference to Figures 16, 17, 18, and 19. Figure 18 is a diagram showing the processing flow. Figure 19 is a diagram illustrating the manner in which the substrate 9 is held. The series of processes described below are performed by the control unit 5 controlling each part of the substrate processing apparatus 100t. Furthermore, the series of processes described below are usually performed repeatedly. That is, once the series of processes for one substrate 9 is completed, the series of processes is then performed on another new substrate 9.

[0194] Step S201: PCB loading process First, the substrate 9 to be processed is brought into the substrate processing apparatus 100t. Specifically, with multiple support pins 61 positioned in the upper position and multiple first chuck pins 71A and multiple second chuck pins 71B all in the open position, an external transport mechanism inserts the hand portion holding the substrate 9 into the chamber of the substrate processing apparatus 100, positioning the hand portion above the opposing plate portion 11. However, the transport mechanism holds the substrate 9 on the hand portion in a position where the first main surface 91 faces downward and the second main surface 92 faces upward. Next, the transport mechanism lowers the hand portion holding the substrate 9. As a result, the peripheral portion 93 of the substrate 9 is supported from below by the multiple support pins 61. This transfers the substrate 9 from the hand portion onto the multiple support pins 61. After that, the transport mechanism retracts the hand portion from above the opposing plate portion 11 and exits the chamber of the substrate processing apparatus 100.

[0195] Step S202: Lift pin lowering process Next, the pin lifting mechanism 62 lowers the multiple support pins 61, positioning them in the lowered position.

[0196] Step S203: Floating process Next, the gas supply unit 4 starts supplying inert gas. Specifically, the gas valve 421 is opened. As a result, the inert gas supplied from the gas supply source 42 is discharged from the gas nozzle 41 at a predetermined flow rate adjusted by the flow rate adjustment unit 422, and the inert gas is supplied to the space below the substrate 9 (specifically, the space between the opposing surface 111 and the first main surface 91). The amount of inert gas supplied at this time is a predetermined levitation supply amount that is sufficient to levitate the substrate 9 to a predetermined height. The "predetermined height" for levitating the substrate 9 is, specifically, a height corresponding to the side of the upper contact surfaces 712 of each chuck pin 71A, 71B located in the open position (i.e., a height such that the first main surface 91 is higher than the lower end of the upper contact surfaces 712 of each chuck pin 71A, 71B, and the second main surface 92 is lower than the upper end of the upper contact surfaces 712 of each chuck pin 71A, 71B), for example, a height such that the distance between the opposing surface 111 and the first main surface 91 is about 0.5 mm. The levitation supply amount required to levitate the substrate 9 to such a height is, for example, 250 liters / minute or more. The gas supply unit 4 continues to supply inert gas while maintaining the supply amount of inert gas at the levitation supply amount until the gas supply stop process (step S214) described later is performed.

[0197] When inert gas is supplied to the space below the substrate 9 at a levitation rate, the substrate 9, that is, the substrate 9 supported by a plurality of support pins 61 in a position where the first main surface 91 faces downward (Figure 19(a)), levitates due to the pressure of the inert gas from below, and moves away from each support pin 61, to a height corresponding to the side of the upper contact surface 712 of each chuck pin 71, 71B (hovering state) (Figure 19(b)). In this way, the gas supply unit 4 supplies gas to the space below the substrate 9, causing the substrate 9 to levitate (hover), thereby moving the substrate 9 away from the plurality of support pins 61.

[0198] The timing for starting the supply of inert gas may be before the support pins 61 are lowered. In other words, the support pins 61 may be lowered after the supply of inert gas has been started. In this case, while the support pins 61 are moving from the upper position to the lower position (i.e., when the substrate 9 supported by the multiple support pins 61 is positioned at a height corresponding to the side of the upper contact surface 712 of each chuck pin 71, 71B), the substrate 9 separates from each support pin 61 and enters a hovering state.

[0199] Step S204: Floating substrate holding process Next, the substrate 9, which is floating above the multiple support pins 61, is held by the first chuck portion 710A and the second chuck portion 710B. Specifically, the chuck switching mechanism 73 moves the multiple first open magnets 733a from a close position to a separated position, and moves the multiple second open magnets 733b from a close position to a separated position. As a result, the multiple first chuck pins 71A and the multiple second chuck pins 71B both move from the open position to the holding position. When each chuck pin 71A, 71B starts moving from the open position to the holding position, the upper contact surface 712 first comes into contact with the upper peripheral surface 932 of the substrate 9, which is floating above the multiple support pins 61 at a height corresponding to the side of the upper contact surface 712 of each chuck pin 71A, 71B. Subsequently, as each chuck pin 71A, 71B moves, the substrate 9 is guided downward by the upper contact surface 712. When each chuck pin 71A, 71B is positioned in the holding position, the upper contact surface 712 comes into contact with the upper peripheral surface 932, and the end surface contact surface 711 comes into contact with the peripheral end surface 930 (Figure 19(c)). In other words, the substrate 9 is held by both the first chuck portion 710A and the second chuck portion 710B.

[0200] Thus, in this embodiment, by performing steps S203 and S204, a state is formed in which the substrate 9 (i.e., the substrate 9 in a position where the first main surface 91 on which the pattern DP is formed faces downward) is held by the first chuck portion 710A and the second chuck portion 710B, separated from the plurality of support pins 61 (first holding state formation step). In other words, in this embodiment, in forming the state in which the substrate 9 is held by the first chuck portion 710A and the second chuck portion 710B, an inert gas is supplied to the space below the substrate 9 to levitate the substrate 9, thereby separating the substrate 9 from the plurality of support pins 61 (step S203: levitation step), and the levitating substrate 9 is held by the first chuck portion 710A and the second chuck portion 710B (step S204: levitation substrate holding step). In this configuration, the substrate 9 is held by the first chuck portion 710A and the second chuck portion 710B while being biased upward by the pressure of an inert gas. As a result, the upper contact surfaces 712 of each chuck pin 71A, 71B contact the upper peripheral surface 932 of the substrate 9, thereby positioning the substrate 9 held by the first chuck portion 710A and the second chuck portion 710B at a predetermined height.

[0201] Step S205: Rotation start process Next, the substrate rotation mechanism 2 starts rotating the substrate 9. Specifically, the motor 22 starts rotating the shaft portion 21, which causes the opposing plate portion 11 (and by extension, the substrate 9 held by the chuck pins 71A and 71B provided thereon) to start rotating around the central axis J1. The substrate rotation mechanism 2 increases the rotational speed (rotational rate) of the substrate 9 to a predetermined liquid processing rotational speed.

[0202] In this configuration, the rotational speed of the substrate 9 is increased while both the first chuck portion 710A and the second chuck portion 710B are holding the substrate 9. This allows for minimizing the load on the substrate 9 while effectively suppressing any misalignment of the substrate 9 during the rotational speed increase.

[0203] Step S206: Start of chemical solution supply process The substrate rotation mechanism 2 maintains the rotation speed of the substrate 9 at the liquid processing rotation speed once it reaches that speed. When this state is reached, the processing liquid supply unit 3 starts supplying the chemical solution as the first processing liquid. Specifically, the processing liquid nozzle 31 is positioned at the discharge position and the chemical solution valve 321a is opened. Then, the chemical solution supplied from the chemical solution supply source 32a starts to be discharged from the processing liquid nozzle 31, and the chemical solution starts to be supplied to the second main surface 92 of the substrate 9. The chemical solution supplied to the second main surface 92 spreads toward the periphery of the second main surface 92 due to the centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the substrate 9, and the chemical solution is supplied to the entire second main surface 92.

[0204] As a result, the substrate 9 (i.e., the substrate 9 in a position where the first main surface 91 on which the pattern DP is formed faces downward) is held by the first chuck portion 710A and the second chuck portion 710B, spaced apart from the multiple support pins 61, while the substrate 9 is rotated around the central axis J1. At the same time, an inert gas is supplied to the space below the substrate 9, and a chemical solution is supplied to the upward-facing second main surface 92 of the substrate 9, so that the second main surface 92 is cleaned by the chemical solution. In other words, chemical treatment is performed on the second main surface 92 (chemical treatment step).

[0205] Here, the first chuck portion 710A and the second chuck portion 710B hold the substrate 9 while the chemical treatment is being performed. Neither the first chuck pin 71A of the first chuck portion 710A nor the second chuck pin 71B of the second chuck portion 710B come into contact with the lower peripheral surface 931 of the substrate 9. Therefore, the chemical solution does not flow around to the lower peripheral surface 931 due to capillary action, and the flow of the chemical solution supplied to the second main surface 92 to the first main surface 91 during the chemical treatment is suppressed.

[0206] Furthermore, while the chemical treatment is being performed, the supply of inert gas to the space below the substrate 9 is continued, protecting the first main surface 91 and preventing the chemical solution and the atmosphere supplied to the second main surface 92 from flowing back to the first main surface 91. In addition, the continuous supply of inert gas to the space below the substrate 9 maintains a state in which the substrate 9 is positioned at a predetermined height (i.e., the substrate 9 is biased upward by the pressure of the inert gas, causing the upper contact surfaces 712 of each chuck pin 71A, 71B to contact the upper peripheral surface 932 of the substrate 9, thereby positioning the substrate 9 at a predetermined height). By supplying inert gas to the space below the substrate 9 at an appropriate supply amount determined according to the distance between the first main surface 91 and the opposing surface 111 in this positioned state, the flow of the chemical solution and the atmosphere supplied to the second main surface 92 back to the first main surface 91 can be effectively prevented.

[0207] Furthermore, since the chemical treatment is performed with both the first chuck portion 710A and the second chuck portion 710B holding the substrate 9, the load on the substrate 9 during the chemical treatment can be kept to a minimum while sufficiently suppressing displacement of the substrate 9.

[0208] Step S207: Rinse fluid supply start process After a predetermined time has elapsed since the supply of the first processing liquid (chemical solution) began, the processing liquid supply unit 3 stops supplying the chemical solution and starts supplying the second processing liquid (rinsing liquid). Specifically, with the processing liquid nozzle 31 positioned at the discharge location, the chemical solution valve 321a is closed and the rinsing liquid valve 321b is opened. Then, instead of the chemical solution supplied from the chemical solution supply source 32a, the rinsing liquid supplied from the rinsing liquid supply source 32b is discharged from the processing liquid nozzle 31, and the rinsing liquid is supplied to the second main surface 92 of the substrate 9. The rinsing liquid supplied to the second main surface 92 spreads toward the periphery of the second main surface 92 due to the centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the substrate 9. As a result, the chemical solution that was supplied to the second main surface 92 is replaced by the rinsing liquid, and the chemical solution on the second main surface 92 is washed away by the rinsing liquid. In other words, a rinsing treatment is performed on the second main surface 92 (rinsing treatment process).

[0209] Step S208: Rinse fluid supply stop process After a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of supplying the rinse liquid as the second processing liquid, the processing liquid supply unit 3 stops supplying the rinse liquid. Specifically, the rinse liquid valve 321b is closed. As a result, the discharge of rinse liquid from the processing liquid nozzle 31 stops.

[0210] Step S209: Rotational speed increase process Next, the substrate rotation mechanism 2 increases the rotation speed of the substrate 9 from the liquid treatment rotation speed to a predetermined drying rotation speed that is greater than this speed. Once the rotation speed of the substrate 9 reaches the drying rotation speed, the substrate rotation mechanism 2 maintains the rotation speed of the substrate 9 at the drying rotation speed. As the substrate 9 rotates at the drying rotation speed, a large centrifugal force acts on the liquid adhering to the substrate 9, causing the liquid to be thrown around the substrate 9. In this way, the substrate 9 is dried. In other words, a drying rotation process (spin drying process) is performed on the substrate 9 (drying process step).

[0211] Here too, since the rotational speed of the substrate 9 is increased while both the first chuck portion 710A and the second chuck portion 710B are holding the substrate 9, it is possible to sufficiently suppress displacement of the substrate 9 while keeping the load on the substrate 9 small when increasing the rotational speed.

[0212] Step S210: Hand change process When the rotation speed of the substrate 9 is maintained at the drying rotation speed, the substrate 9 is transferred between the first chuck section 710A and the second chuck section 710B.

[0213] When the substrate 9 is repositioned, for example, first, the holding of the substrate 9 by the second chuck portion 710B is released (step S210a). Specifically, the chuck switching mechanism 73 moves the multiple second open magnets 733b from the separated position to the close position while keeping the multiple first open magnets 733a in the separated position. As a result, the multiple first chuck pins 71A remain in the holding position, while the multiple second chuck pins 71B move from the holding position to the open position. This releases the holding of the substrate 9 by the second chuck portion 710B. In other words, the substrate 9 is held by the first chuck portion 710A but not by the second chuck portion 710B. In this state, any liquid adhering to the parts that each second chuck pin 71B was in contact with is shaken off.

[0214] Subsequently, the substrate 9 is held again by the second chuck portion 710B (step S210b). Specifically, the chuck switching mechanism 73 moves the multiple second open magnets 733b from the close position to the separated position while keeping the multiple first open magnets 733a in the separated position. As a result, the multiple first chuck pins 71A remain in the holding position, while the multiple second chuck pins 71B move from the open position to the holding position. This results in the substrate 9 being held again by both the first chuck portion 710A and the second chuck portion 710B.

[0215] Next, the holding of the substrate 9 by the first chuck portion 710A is released (step S210c). Specifically, the chuck switching mechanism 73 moves the multiple first open magnets 733a from the separated position to the close position while keeping the multiple second open magnets 733b in the separated position. As a result, the multiple second chuck pins 71B remain in the holding position, while the multiple first chuck pins 71A move from the holding position to the open position. This releases the holding of the substrate 9 by the first chuck portion 710A. In other words, the substrate 9 is held by the second chuck portion 710B but not by the first chuck portion 710A. In this state, the liquid adhering to the parts that each first chuck pin 71A was in contact with is shaken off.

[0216] Subsequently, the substrate 9 is held again by the first chuck portion 710A (step S210d). Specifically, the chuck switching mechanism 73 moves the multiple first open magnets 733a from the close position to the separated position while keeping the multiple second open magnets 733b in the separated position. As a result, the multiple first chuck pins 71A move from the open position to the held position while the multiple second chuck pins 71B remain in the holding position. This results in the substrate 9 being held again by both the first chuck portion 710A and the second chuck portion 710B.

[0217] Step S211: Rotation stop process When the substrate 9 has been rotated at a drying speed for a predetermined time, the substrate rotation mechanism 2 stops the rotation of the substrate 9.

[0218] Here too, since the rotational speed of the substrate 9 is reduced while both the first chuck portion 710A and the second chuck portion 710B are holding the substrate 9, the load on the substrate 9 when the rotational speed is reduced can be kept small while sufficiently suppressing displacement of the substrate 9.

[0219] Step S212: Release process Next, the holding of the substrate 9 by the first chuck portion 710A and the second chuck portion 710B is released. Specifically, the chuck switching mechanism 73 moves the multiple first open magnets 733a from a separated position to a close position, and moves the multiple second open magnets 733b from a separated position to a close position. As a result, the multiple first chuck pins 71A and the multiple second chuck pins 71B both move from the holding position to the open position. However, even at this stage, the supply of inert gas to the space below the substrate 9 continues, and the substrate 9 is biased upward by the pressure of the inert gas. Therefore, as each first chuck pin 71A and each second chuck pin 71B moves from the holding position to the open position, the substrate 9 is guided by the upper contact surface 712 and moves upward. When each first chuck pin 71A and each second chuck pin 71B are positioned in the open position, the substrate 9 is separated from each chuck pin 71A and 71B and floats to a height corresponding to the side of the upper contact surface 712 of each chuck pin 71A and 71B (Figure 19(b)).

[0220] Step S213: Lift pin raising process Next, the pin lifting mechanism 62 raises the multiple support pins 61, positioning them in the upper position (the dashed line in Figure 3). As the multiple support pins 61 move from the lower position to the upper position, the peripheral edge 93 of the substrate 9, which is floating at a height corresponding to the side of the upper contact surface 712 of each chuck pin 71A, 71B, is supported from below by the multiple support pins 61.

[0221] Step S214: Gas supply shutdown process Next, the gas supply unit 4 stops supplying the inert gas. Specifically, the gas valve 421 is closed.

[0222] Step S215: Substrate removal process Subsequently, the substrate 9 is unloaded from the substrate processing apparatus 100t. Specifically, an external transport mechanism inserts its handle into the chamber of the substrate processing apparatus 100t, moves the handle between the first main surface 91 of the substrate 9, which is supported by a plurality of support pins 61, and the opposing plate portion 11, and then raises the handle. This transfers the substrate 9 from the plurality of support pins 61 onto the handle. After that, the transport mechanism removes the handle holding the substrate 9 from the chamber of the substrate processing apparatus 100t. This unloads the substrate 9 from the substrate processing apparatus 100t.

[0223] <2-3. Effects> The substrate processing apparatus 100t according to the above embodiment includes, like the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment, a substrate holding unit 1, a substrate rotation mechanism 2, a processing liquid supply unit 3, a gas supply unit 4, and a control unit 5. The substrate holding unit 1 also includes a support pin 61. Furthermore, the substrate holding unit 1 includes a first chuck unit 710A which holds the substrate 9 with a plurality of chuck pins 71A that contact the peripheral edge end face 930 of the substrate 9 without contacting the peripheral edge lower surface 931 of the substrate 9, and a second chuck unit 710B which holds the substrate 9 with a plurality of chuck pins 71B which contact the peripheral edge end face 930 of the substrate 9 without contacting the peripheral edge lower surface 931 of the substrate 9. Then, the control unit 5 rotates the substrate 9 with the substrate rotation mechanism 2 while the substrate 9 is held by the first and second chucks 710A and 710B, spaced apart from the multiple support pins 61, with the substrate 9 facing downwards, and supplies gas to the gas supply unit 4 into the space below the substrate 9, and supplies the chemical solution as the first processing solution to the second main surface 92 of the substrate 9 facing upwards, with the control unit 5.

[0224] From another perspective, the substrate processing method according to the above embodiment comprises: a first holding state forming step, in which a substrate 9 in a position where the first main surface 91 on which the pattern DP is formed faces downward is held by first and second chuck portions 710A and 710B spaced apart from a plurality of support pins 61 that support the substrate 9 from below; and a chemical treatment step, in which the substrate 9 held by the first and second chuck portions 710A and 710B spaced apart from the plurality of support pins 61 is rotated around a vertically extending central axis J1 while gas is supplied to the space below the substrate 9 and a chemical solution is supplied to the upward-facing second main surface 92 of the substrate 9.

[0225] With these configurations, similar to the first embodiment, it is possible to suppress the chemical solution supplied to the upward-facing main surface (second main surface 92) of the substrate 9 from flowing to the downward-facing main surface (first main surface 91).

[0226] Furthermore, in the substrate processing apparatus 100t according to the above embodiment, each chuck pin 71A, 71B includes an end face contact surface 711 that abuts against the peripheral end face 930 and an upper contact surface 712 that abuts against the upper peripheral surface 932 of the substrate 9.The control unit 5, in order to form a state in which the substrate 9 is held by the first and second chuck parts 710A, 710B with the substrate 9 separated from the plurality of support pins 61, supplies gas to the space below the substrate 9 via the gas supply unit 4 to levitate the substrate 9, thereby separating the substrate 9 from the plurality of support pins 61, and holding the levitated substrate 9 in the first and second chuck parts 710A, 710B.

[0227] From another perspective, the substrate processing method according to the above embodiment includes a first holding state formation step which comprises a levitation step (step S203) in which gas is supplied to the space below the substrate 9 to levitate the substrate 9 and thereby separate the substrate 9 from the plurality of support pins 61, and a levitated substrate holding step (step S204) in which the levitated substrate 9 is held by the first and second chuck parts 710A and 710B.

[0228] In this configuration, the substrate 9 is held by the first and second chuck portions 710A and 710B while being biased upward by the gas pressure. As a result, the upper contact surfaces 712 of each chuck pin 71A and 71B contact the upper peripheral surface 932 of the substrate 9, thereby positioning the substrate 9 held by the first and second chuck portions 710A and 710B at a predetermined height.

[0229] <3. Other Embodiments> The shapes of the chuck pins 71, 71A, 71B, and 72 in each embodiment are merely illustrative and may be modified as appropriate.

[0230] For example, in the first chuck pin 71 according to the first embodiment, the upper contact surface 712 is not essential. That is, in holding the substrate 9 with the first chuck portion 710, it is sufficient for the first chuck pin 71 to contact the peripheral end surface 930 at least with the end surface contact surface 711, and the upper contact surface 712 that contacts the upper peripheral surface 932 is not essential.

[0231] Specifically, for example as shown in Figure 20, the first chuck pin 71s may have chuck contact surfaces 7101s of each protrusion 71b that contact the peripheral edge end surface 930 of the substrate 9 when the first chuck pin 71s is in the holding position, and may not have a surface that contacts the upper peripheral surface 932 (a surface corresponding to the upper contact surface 712). In this case as well, the end contact surface 711s is specifically, for example, a surface that extends along the vertical direction (that is, a surface that makes an angle of approximately 90 degrees with the opposing surface 111), and when viewed from the side, it extends approximately parallel to the peripheral edge end surface 930 of the substrate 9 held horizontally on the opposing surface 111.

[0232] The end contact surface 711s may be, for example, a surface that curves in an arc shape when viewed from above. In other words, the end contact surface 711s may be a curved surface. Specifically, for example, the projection 71b may be cylindrical (rod-shaped). Alternatively, the end contact surface 711s may be, for example, a surface that extends in a straight line when viewed from above. In other words, the end contact surface 711s may be a flat surface. Specifically, for example, the projection 71b may be prism-shaped.

[0233] If the first chuck pin 71s has an end-face contact surface 711s that contacts the peripheral end face 930 of the substrate 9, and does not have an upper contact surface 712 that contacts the peripheral upper surface 932 of the substrate 9, then the contact area between the substrate 9 and the first chuck pin 71s can be made sufficiently small.

[0234] Furthermore, for example, the first chuck pin 71 according to the first embodiment may have various shaped portions on its protruding portion 71b or base portion 71a, as long as it does not come into contact with the lower peripheral surface 931 of the substrate 9. For example, as shown in Figure 21, a convex-shaped portion 719s may be provided at the base end of the protruding portion 71b of the first chuck pin 71s. The same applies to each of the chuck pins 71A and 71B according to the second embodiment.

[0235] Furthermore, for example, in the first chuck pin 71 according to the first embodiment, the end face contact surface 711 may be a surface that extends in a straight line when viewed from above, or it may be a surface that curves in an arc shape when viewed from above. In other words, the end face contact surface 711 may be a flat surface or a curved surface. Similarly, the upper contact surface 712 may be a surface that extends in a straight line when viewed from above, or it may be a surface that curves in an arc shape when viewed from above. In other words, the upper contact surface 712 may be a flat surface or a curved surface. The same applies to each of the chuck pins 71A and 71B according to the second embodiment.

[0236] Similarly, in the second chuck pin 72 according to the first embodiment, each of the lower contact surface 721, the upper contact surface 722, and the curved contact surface 723 may be a surface that extends in a straight line when viewed from above, or it may be a surface that curves in an arc shape when viewed from above.

[0237] The configurations of the chuck portions 710, 710A, 710B, and 720 in each embodiment are merely illustrative and may be modified as appropriate.

[0238] For example, the number of first chuck pins 71 in the first chuck portion 710 according to the first embodiment does not necessarily have to be three; any number of three or more is acceptable. The same applies to the second chuck portion 720. The same also applies to each of the chuck portions 710A and 710B according to the second embodiment.

[0239] Furthermore, the shapes of the multiple first chuck pins 71 provided in the first chuck portion 710 according to the first embodiment do not need to be the same. For example, some of the multiple first chuck pins 71 may have a shape that includes an end face contact surface 711 and an upper contact surface 712 (Figure 5), while the remaining first chuck pins 71 may have an end face contact surface 711 but not an upper contact surface 712 (Figure 20). The same applies to each chuck portion 710A, 710B according to the second embodiment.

[0240] Furthermore, when the substrate 9 is held by the first chuck portion 710 according to the first embodiment (i.e., when the first chuck pin 71 is positioned in the holding position), the force (chuck force) that the end face contact surface 711 of each protrusion 71b of the first chuck pin 71 biases the peripheral end face 930 toward the central axis J1 can be appropriately defined. The same applies to the chuck portions 710A and 710B according to the second embodiment.

[0241] Similarly, when the substrate 9 is held by the second chuck portion 720 according to the first embodiment (i.e., when the second chuck pin 72 is positioned in the holding position), the force exerted by the curved contact surface 723 of each protrusion 72b of the second chuck pin 72 to bias the peripheral end face 930 toward the central axis J1, the force exerted by the lower contact surface 721 to bias the lower peripheral surface 931 toward upward, and the force exerted by the upper contact surface 722 to bias the upper peripheral surface 932 toward downward can also be appropriately defined.

[0242] The processing flow performed in the substrate processing apparatus 100 and 100t is merely an example and may be modified as appropriate.

[0243] For example, in the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment, the substrate 9 may be transferred between the first chuck portion 710 and the second chuck portion 720 while the rinsing process is being performed. Similarly, in the substrate processing apparatus 100t according to the second embodiment, the substrate 9 may be transferred between the first chuck portion 710A and the second chuck portion 710B while the chemical treatment and / or rinsing process is being performed.

[0244] Furthermore, for example, in the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment, when increasing or decreasing the rotational speed of the substrate 9, the substrate 9 was held by both the first chuck portion 710 and the second chuck portion 720. However, for example, the rotational speed of the substrate 9 may be increased or decreased while the first chuck portion 710 does not hold the substrate 9 and the second chuck portion 720 holds the substrate 9. Alternatively, for example, the rotational speed of the substrate 9 may be increased or decreased while the second chuck portion 720 does not hold the substrate 9 and the first chuck portion 710 holds the substrate 9.

[0245] Furthermore, for example, in the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment, the step of further holding the substrate 9 held by the first chuck portion 710 with the second chuck portion 720 (step S110: second holding state formation step) was performed before the rinsing process was completed (i.e., before the step of stopping the supply of the rinsing liquid (step S111: rinsing liquid supply stopping step)), but this step may be performed after the rinsing process is completed. In other words, the rinsing process may be performed while the substrate 9 is held by the first chuck portion 710 and not held by the second chuck portion 720.

[0246] However, if the substrate 9 is held by the second chuck portion 720 before the rinsing process is completed, the substrate 9 will be held by the second chuck portion 720 during the rinsing process, so the substrate 9 will be held stably and the rinsing process can be performed stably. In addition, since the substrate 9 is held by both the first chuck portion 710 and the second chuck portion 720 during the rinsing process, the load on the substrate 9 during the rinsing process can be kept small while sufficiently suppressing displacement of the substrate 9.

[0247] Other configurations of the substrate processing apparatus 100,100t are merely examples and may be modified as appropriate.

[0248] For example, the number of support pins 61 does not necessarily have to be six; any number of three or more is acceptable. However, in order to adequately correct any misalignment of the substrate 9 when it is transferred from the hand portion onto multiple support pins 61, by guiding it with the lift guide surfaces 612 of the support pins 61, it is preferable to provide four or more support pins 61. Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments, the shape of the support pins 61 is merely illustrative and may be changed as appropriate.

[0249] Furthermore, the configuration of the chuck switching mechanism 73 may be modified as appropriate. For example, the chuck switching mechanism 73 may position the chuck pins 71, 72, and 71B in a holding position by magnetic repulsion between the rotating magnets 731a, 731b and the closing magnets 732a, 732b. Alternatively, for example, the chuck pins 71, 72, and 71B may be positioned in an open position by magnetic repulsion between the rotating magnets 731a, 731b and the opening magnets 733a, 733b. Moreover, the chuck switching mechanism 73 does not necessarily have to switch the positions of each chuck pin 71, 72, and 71B by changing the relative positions of the magnets. For example, the chuck switching mechanism 73 may switch the positions of each chuck pin 71, 72 (71A, 71B) by transmitting the driving force of the motor to each chuck pin 71, 72 (71A, 71B) through a ball screw mechanism, rack and pinion mechanism, link mechanism, etc.

[0250] Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, the pin lifting mechanism 62, the first magnet lifting mechanism 734a, and the second magnet lifting mechanism 734b used air cylinders, but these may also use, for example, motors.

[0251] Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, the chemical solution as the first processing liquid and the rinsing liquid as the second processing liquid are discharged from the same processing liquid nozzle 31, but a separate nozzle for discharging the chemical solution and a separate nozzle for discharging the rinsing liquid may be provided. Also, when the processing liquid is supplied to the second main surface 92 of the substrate 9, cleaning using a brush or the like may be performed.

[0252] Also, in each of the above embodiments, the substrate 9 to be processed in the substrate processing apparatuses 100 and 100t does not necessarily have to be a semiconductor substrate. For example, the substrate 9 to be processed may be a glass substrate for a photomask, a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display, a glass substrate for a plasma display, a substrate for a FED (Field Emission Display), a substrate for an optical disk, a substrate for a magnetic disk, a substrate for a magneto-optical disk, and the like. Also, the shape of the substrate 9 to be processed is not limited to those exemplified above. For example, the shape of the substrate 9 to be processed may be rectangular.

[0253] As described above, the substrate processing apparatus and the substrate processing method have been described in detail. However, the above description is illustrative in all aspects, and the substrate processing apparatus and the substrate processing method are not limited thereto. An innumerable number of modifications that are not illustrated can be assumed without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Each configuration described in each of the above embodiments and each of the above modifications can be appropriately combined or omitted as long as they do not conflict with each other.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0254] 100, 100t Substrate processing apparatus 1 Substrate holding unit 2 Substrate rotation mechanism 3 Processing liquid supply unit 4 Gas supply unit 5 Control unit 6 Support unit 61 Support pin 62 Pin lifting mechanism 7, 7t Chuck unit 710 First chuck unit 71 First chuck pin 711 End face contact surface 712 Upper contact surface 720 Second chuck unit 72 Second chuck pin 721 Lower contact surface 722 Upper contact surface 723 Curved contact surface 710A First chuck unit 71A First chuck pin 710B Second Chuck Section 71B Second Chuck Pin 9 circuit boards 91 First Main Surface 92 Second Main Surface 93 Peripheral area 930 Peripheral end face 931 Lower surface of the peripheral edge 932 Peripheral upper surface

Claims

1. A first holding state forming step is performed, in which a substrate in a position where the first main surface on which a pattern is formed faces downward is held by a first chuck portion, spaced apart from a plurality of support pins that support the substrate from below, A chemical treatment step is performed in which the substrate, which is held in the first chuck portion spaced apart from the plurality of support pins, is rotated around a central axis extending vertically, while gas is supplied to the space below the substrate and a chemical solution is supplied to the second main surface of the substrate facing upward. Equipped with, The first chuck portion comprises a plurality of first chuck pins that contact the end surface of the peripheral edge of the substrate without contacting the lower surface of the peripheral edge of the substrate, and the substrate is held by the plurality of first chuck pins. Substrate processing method.

2. A substrate processing method according to claim 1, A rinse solution supply start step involves stopping the supply of the aforementioned chemical solution and starting the supply of rinse solution to the second main surface, After the supply of the rinse liquid is started, a second holding state formation step is performed in which the substrate is held in the second chuck portion, Equipped with, The second chuck portion comprises a plurality of second chuck pins that contact the upper surface and the lower surface of the peripheral edge of the substrate, and the substrate is held by the plurality of second chuck pins. Substrate processing method.

3. A substrate processing method according to claim 1 or 2, A rotation speed increase step, in which the rotation speed of the substrate is increased to a predetermined drying rotation speed while at least the second chuck portion is holding the substrate, Equipped with, The second chuck portion comprises a plurality of second chuck pins that contact the upper surface and the lower surface of the peripheral edge of the substrate, and the substrate is held by the plurality of second chuck pins. Substrate processing method.

4. A substrate processing method according to claim 1 or 2, The first holding state formation step is A preliminary holding step involves holding the substrate, which is supported by the plurality of support pins, with the second chuck portion and separating it from the plurality of support pins. After the preliminary holding step, the substrate held by the second chuck is further held by the first chuck, and then the substrate is released from the second chuck's hold; Equipped with, The second chuck portion comprises a plurality of second chuck pins that contact the upper surface and the lower surface of the peripheral edge of the substrate, and the substrate is held by the plurality of second chuck pins. Substrate processing method.

5. A substrate processing method according to claim 1 or 2, The first chuck pin, It comprises an end surface contact surface that abuts against the peripheral edge end surface and an upper surface contact surface that abuts against the upper peripheral edge of the substrate. Substrate processing method.

6. A substrate processing method according to claim 1 or 2, The first chuck pin, It has an end surface contact surface that abuts against the end surface of the peripheral edge, but does not have an upper surface contact surface that abuts against the upper surface of the peripheral edge of the substrate. Substrate processing method.

7. A substrate processing method according to claim 1 or 2, When the chemical solution is supplied to the second main surface, the amount of the chemical solution that seeps into the lower surface of the peripheral edge at the position where the first chuck pin contacts it is smaller than the amount of the chemical solution that seeps into the lower surface of the peripheral edge at the position where the second chuck pin, which contacts the upper surface and lower surface of the peripheral edge of the substrate, contacts it, and is larger than the amount of the chemical solution that seeps into the lower surface of the peripheral edge at a position where neither the first nor the second chuck pin contacts it. Substrate processing method.

8. A substrate processing method according to claim 1, The first chuck pin, It comprises an end surface contact surface that abuts against the end surface of the peripheral edge, and an upper contact surface that abuts against the upper surface of the peripheral edge of the substrate, The first holding state formation step is A levitation step in which gas is supplied to the space below the substrate to levitate the substrate, thereby separating the substrate from the plurality of support pins, A floating substrate holding step in which the floating substrate is held by the first chuck portion, Equipped with, Substrate processing method.

9. A substrate holding section that holds the substrate, A substrate rotation mechanism that rotates the substrate held in the substrate holding portion around a central axis extending vertically, A processing liquid supply unit supplies processing liquid to the main surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, which faces upward. A gas supply unit supplies gas to the space below the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, The control unit controls the substrate holding unit, the substrate rotating mechanism, the processing liquid supply unit, and the gas supply unit, Equipped with, The substrate holding portion is A plurality of support pins that contact the substrate from below and support the substrate, The first chuck portion comprises a plurality of first chuck pins that contact the end face of the peripheral edge of the substrate without contacting the lower surface of the peripheral edge of the substrate, and the plurality of first chuck pins hold the substrate. Equipped with, The control unit, A substrate, with its first main surface on which a pattern is formed facing downwards, is held in the first chuck portion, spaced apart from the plurality of support pins. The substrate is rotated by the substrate rotation mechanism, while the gas is supplied to the space below the substrate by the gas supply unit, and the chemical solution, which is the first processing liquid, is supplied to the second main surface of the substrate facing upwards by the processing liquid supply unit. Circuit board processing equipment.

10. A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, The substrate holding portion is The second chuck portion comprises a plurality of second chuck pins that contact the upper surface and the lower surface of the peripheral edge of the substrate, and the plurality of second chuck pins hold the substrate. Equipped with, The control unit, The supply of the chemical solution to the processing liquid supply unit is stopped, and the supply of the rinse solution as the second processing liquid is started. After the supply of the rinse liquid is started, the substrate is held in the second chuck. Circuit board processing equipment.

11. A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9 or 10, The substrate holding portion is The second chuck portion comprises a plurality of second chuck pins that contact the upper surface and the lower surface of the peripheral edge of the substrate, and the plurality of second chuck pins hold the substrate. Equipped with, The control unit, With the substrate held in the second chuck portion, the rotation speed of the substrate by the substrate rotation mechanism is increased to a predetermined drying rotation speed. Circuit board processing equipment.

12. A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9 or 10, The substrate holding portion is The second chuck portion comprises a plurality of second chuck pins that contact the upper surface and the lower surface of the peripheral edge of the substrate, and the plurality of second chuck pins hold the substrate. Equipped with, The control unit, In forming a state in which the substrate is held by the first chuck portion, separated from the plurality of support pins, The substrate, supported by the plurality of support pins, is held by the second chuck, the substrate is separated from the plurality of support pins, the substrate held by the second chuck is then further held by the first chuck, and then the substrate is released from the second chuck's grip. Circuit board processing equipment.

13. A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9 or 10, The first chuck pin, It comprises an end surface contact surface that abuts against the peripheral edge end surface and an upper surface contact surface that abuts against the upper peripheral edge of the substrate. Circuit board processing equipment.

14. A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9 or 10, The first chuck pin, It has an end surface contact surface that abuts against the end surface of the peripheral edge, but does not have an upper surface contact surface that abuts against the upper surface of the peripheral edge of the substrate. Circuit board processing equipment.

15. A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9 or 10, The substrate holding portion is The second chuck portion comprises a plurality of second chuck pins that contact the upper surface and the lower surface of the peripheral edge of the substrate, and the plurality of second chuck pins hold the substrate. Equipped with, When the chemical solution is supplied to the second main surface, the amount of the chemical solution that flows around to the lower surface of the peripheral edge at the position where the first chuck pin contacts it is smaller than the amount of the chemical solution that flows around to the lower surface of the peripheral edge at the position where the second chuck pin contacts it, and is larger than the amount of the chemical solution that flows around to the lower surface of the peripheral edge at a position where neither the first nor the second chuck pin contacts it. Circuit board processing equipment.

16. A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, The first chuck pin, It comprises an end surface contact surface that abuts against the end surface of the peripheral edge, and an upper contact surface that abuts against the upper surface of the peripheral edge of the substrate, The control unit, In forming a state in which the substrate is held by the first chuck portion, separated from the plurality of support pins, The gas supply unit is used to supply the gas to the space below the substrate, thereby levitating the substrate and separating it from the plurality of support pins, and the levitating substrate is held in place by the first chuck unit. Circuit board processing equipment.

Images