Substrate processing equipment

Abstract

To provide a wafer processing device capable of suppressing generation of contamination by preventing process liquid from being stagnant at an edge of a wafer.SOLUTION: A wafer processing device 1 comprises: a rotor 20 which rotates a wafer W; a supply section 40 which processes the wafer W by supplying process liquid to a processing surface of the wafer W rotated by the rotor 20; a plurality of clamp pins 32 provided in the rotor 20 and movable between a hold position, where a rear face of the wafer W is separately opposed to the rotor 20 by being contact with an end face of the wafer W, and a release position, where the wafer W is released by separating from the end face of the wafer W; and a support member 33 provided in te clamp pin 32 and movable between a support position, where the wafer W is supported by being contact to an edge of the rear face of the wafer W with the move of the clamp pin 32 to the hold position, and a retraction position where the wafer W is held only by the clamp pin 32 by separating from the edge of the wafer W.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] In a process of forming semiconductor devices on the surface of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer, the substrate is held in a dedicated processing chamber and various processes are performed using a special atmosphere or processing liquid. In such processes, substances such as the processing liquid itself, residues generated during processing, and contact marks from holding the substrate remain on the processing surface of the substrate, which leads to a decrease in the quality of the substrate. Further, not only on the processing surface of the substrate, but also the presence of processing liquid, substances, contact marks, etc. on the surface opposite to the processing surface of the substrate (hereinafter referred to as the back surface) is not preferable because it affects the processing surface of the substrate. For this reason, processing is performed by supplying the processing liquid to the processing surface while holding the outer peripheral end surfaces by a plurality of holding members without affecting the processing surface or the back surface of the substrate. As such a holding member, for example, a plurality of holding portions that move in a direction approaching and separating from the outer peripheral end surface of the substrate are used.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Conventional holding systems integrate a tapered support section with an inclined surface and a clamp pin that holds the edge of the substrate, and rotate eccentrically. The support section supports the back edge of the substrate, which is transported by a transport robot, with its inclined surface. As the clamp pin rotates eccentrically, the edge of the substrate rises along the inclined surface. Finally, the movement of the substrate stops when the clamp pin contacts the edge of the substrate, and the edge of the substrate is held. However, at this time, the support section and the back edge of the substrate are always in contact. When the substrate is rotated while held by the holding section in this manner and a processing liquid is supplied to the surface of the substrate, the processing liquid that descends along the clamp pin accumulates at the point where the support section and the substrate are in contact, resulting in uneven processing.

[0005] Furthermore, because the substrate rotates during processing, processing liquid is scattered around the outer edge of the substrate. Therefore, when newly scattered processing liquid collides with the processing liquid that has accumulated at the point where the support part and the substrate meet, the impacted processing liquid diffuses as a mist and adheres to the processed surface, edge, and back surface of the substrate. When this adhering mist dries, it becomes a stain, causing contamination of the substrate and leading to product defects.

[0006] The embodiments of the present invention aim to provide a substrate processing apparatus that can prevent the accumulation of processing liquid at the edges of the substrate and suppress the occurrence of contamination. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The substrate processing apparatus of the embodiment includes a rotating body for rotating the substrate, a supply unit for processing the substrate by supplying a processing liquid to the processing surface of the substrate rotated by the rotating body, and a device provided on the rotating body that contacts the end face of the substrate, thereby processing the surface of the substrate opposite to the processing surface. but The rotating body is separated from and facing The substrate is held in such a manner.The device comprises a plurality of clamp pins that can move between a holding position and an open position that releases the substrate by moving away from the end face of the substrate, and a support member provided on the clamp pins that can move between a support position that supports the substrate by contacting the edge of the substrate opposite to the processing surface of the substrate and a retracted position that moves away from the edge of the substrate and holds the substrate only by the clamp pins. The support member moves between the support position and the retracted position while the clamp pin is in the holding position and holding the substrate. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] Embodiments of the present invention can provide a substrate processing apparatus that can prevent the accumulation of processing liquid at the edges of the substrate and suppress the occurrence of contamination. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a plan view showing the operation of the holding part of the substrate processing apparatus, where (A) shows the state in which the clamp pin is in the holding position and (B) shows the state in which the clamp pin is in the open position. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the substrate processing apparatus with the substrate open. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the substrate holding state of the internal configuration of the substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view showing the clamp pin and support part. [Figure 6] The images show a perspective view (A) and a cross-sectional view (B) of the support section when it is raised, and a perspective view (C) and a cross-sectional view (D) of the support section when it is lowered. [Figure 7] This is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the clamp pin is in the open position (A), the state in which the clamp pin is in the retained position (B), and the state in which the support member is in the retracted position (C). [Figure 8] This is a flowchart showing the substrate processing procedure of the embodiment. [Figure 9] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a liquid reservoir between the substrate and the support member. [Figure 10]It is an explanatory diagram showing a modified example in which a support member moves outward due to centrifugal force. [Figure 11] It is an explanatory diagram showing a modified example in which a support member rotates due to centrifugal force.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [Overview] As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is an apparatus for wet-processing a substrate W by holding and rotating the substrate W with a clamp pin 32 and supplying a processing liquid from a supply unit 40 to one surface (hereinafter referred to as a processing surface) of the substrate W. The substrate W to be processed is, for example, a circular semiconductor wafer made of silicon. The wet processing in the present embodiment includes an etching process using a chemical solution, a cleaning process using a cleaning solution, and the like.

[0011] In the following description, the surface opposite to the processing surface of the substrate W is referred to as the back surface. When both the front and back surfaces of the substrate W are processed after being turned over, the processing surface and the back surface are interchanged. Also, the side surface of the outer periphery of the substrate W is referred to as an end surface, and the angle formed by the end surface and the back surface is referred to as an edge portion. Although the direction against gravity is defined as up and the direction following gravity is defined as down, the installation direction of the substrate processing apparatus 1 is not limited.

[0012] [Substrate Processing Apparatus] As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a rotating body 20, a holding unit 30, a supply unit 40, and a control device 50.

[0013] (Rotating Body) The rotating body 20 has a flat table 20a that faces the substrate W held by the clamp pin 32 with a gap therebetween, and is provided so as to be rotatable together with the clamp pin 32. The rotating body 20 has a cylindrical shape with one end closed by the table 20a. The table 20a is a circular surface having a diameter larger than that of the substrate W. As shown in FIG. 2, a circular through-hole 20b is formed at the center of the table 20a.

[0014] The rotating body 20 is rotatably provided on a fixed base 21 fixed to an installation surface (not shown) or a pedestal installed on the installation surface by a motor 22. A in the figure is the central axis of rotation of the rotating body 20. As shown in FIG. 3, the motor 22 is a hollow motor having a hollow rotor 22a and a stator 22b for rotating the same. A hollow rotating shaft 22c is connected to the rotor 22a of the motor 22. The outer periphery of the rotating shaft 22c is coaxially connected to the inside of the rotating body 20. Inside the rotating shaft 22c, a waste liquid pipe 22d communicating with the through hole 20b is provided. The stator 22b is fixed to the fixed base 21.

[0015] When the motor 22 energizes the coil of the stator 22b, the rotating shaft 22c rotates together with the rotor 22a, so that the rotating body 20 rotates. The rotating body 20 indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 3 and the portion surrounded by the alternate long and short dash line are the portions that rotate together with the substrate W, and the rest are fixed to the fixed base 21 and do not rotate together with the substrate W.

[0016] A protective wall 21a is provided on the fixed base 21. As shown in FIG. 3, the protective wall 21a is concentric with the rotating body 20 and is a double cylindrical wall erected on the fixed base 21, covering the lower edge of the rotating body 20 in a non-contact manner. Thereby, a labyrinth structure, which is a bent path, is formed between the protective wall 21a and the rotating body 20, and the processing liquid flowing down along the outer wall of the rotating body 20 is configured to be difficult to flow into the inside of the rotating body 20.

[0017] (Holding portion) The holding portion 30 holds the substrate W in parallel and at an interval with respect to the table 20a. As shown in FIG. 2, six holding portions 30 are provided at equal intervals along the periphery of the table 20a. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, each holding portion 30 has a rotating member 31, a clamp pin 32, a support member 33, a rotation mechanism 34, a lifting mechanism 35, and a detection portion 36. As shown in FIG. 5, the rotating member 31 is a cylindrical member. The rotating member 31 is rotatably provided about an axis parallel to the axis A of the rotating body 20. The top surface of the rotating member 31 is exposed from the table 20a.

[0018] The clamp pin 32 is cylindrical in shape and rises in a direction parallel to axis A. The outer circumference of the upper end of the clamp pin 32 has a tapered surface that is inclined as it expands in diameter towards the top. The clamp pin 32 is positioned eccentrically from the center of rotation of the top surface of each rotating member 31.

[0019] The clamp pins 32 are provided to move between a holding position (see Figure 2(A)) and an open position (see Figure 2(B)) in accordance with the rotation of the rotating member 31. The holding position is the position in which the substrate W is held by contacting the end face of the substrate W. The open position is the position in which the substrate W is released by moving away from the end face of the substrate W. In this embodiment, the substrate W is held by the six clamp pins 32 contacting the end face of the substrate W.

[0020] The support member 33 is a wedge-shaped member that is mounted on the clamp pin 32 so as to be vertically movable. The upper part of the support member 33 has an inclined surface 33a that slopes downward as it moves away from the clamp pin 32. The width of the support member 33 also narrows as it moves away from the clamp pin 32. The inclined surface 33a is inclined with respect to the processing surface of the substrate W and supports the substrate W by contacting its edge.

[0021] The support member 33 is provided to be movable between a support position (see Figures 3 and 6(A)) and a retracted position (see Figures 4 and 6(B)). The support position is the position in which the support member is in contact with the edge of the substrate W and supports the substrate W. The retracted position is the position in which the support member is away from the edge of the substrate W and holds the substrate W only by the clamp pins 32.

[0022] More specifically, as shown in Figures 6(B) and (C), a guide hole 32a parallel to axis A is formed inside the clamp pin 32, and a guide 33b rising from the bottom surface of the support member 33 is slidably inserted into this guide hole 32a. This allows the support member 33 to move up and down between the support position and the retracted position without any play. The top surface of the rotating member 31 is provided with a housing section 31a, which is a hole that accommodates the support member 33 when it has moved to the retracted position.

[0023] The rotating mechanism 34 moves the clamp pin 32 between a holding position and an open position by rotating the rotating member 31. As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the rotating mechanism 34 has a rotating shaft 341, a small gear 342, and a large gear 343. As shown in Figure 5, the rotating shaft 341 is a cylindrical member provided on the opposite side of the top surface of the rotating member 31, coaxial with the axis of rotation of the rotating member 31.

[0024] The small gear 342 is a sector gear provided at the end of the pivot shaft 341 opposite to the rotating member 31. The large gear 343 is a gear with intermittently formed gear grooves corresponding to the small gear 342. The large gear 343 is rotatably mounted on the outer circumference of the rotating shaft 22c by bearings (not shown). In other words, the large gear 343 is rotatably mounted coaxially with the rotating body 20 by the motor 22 that rotates the rotating body 20. The large gear 343 has six protrusions formed at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction, corresponding to the spacing of the small gear 342, and gear grooves that mesh with the small gear 342 are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the tip of each protrusion.

[0025] The large gear 343 is biased by a spring (not shown) in the rotational direction (counterclockwise) indicated by arrow α in Figure 2(A). As a result, the small gear 342 is biased in the clockwise direction indicated by arrow β1, so that the rotating member 31 is linked to the rotation of the small gear 342, and the clamp pin 32 moves toward the center of the rotating body 20 and is maintained in a holding position that contacts the end face of the substrate W. During substrate processing, the rotating member 31, rotating shaft 341, clamp pin 32, small gear 342, and large gear 343 rotate together with the rotating body 20 while maintaining this holding position.

[0026] Furthermore, the rotation of the large gear 343 is prevented by a stopper mechanism (not shown). With the rotation of the large gear 343 prevented, when the rotating body 20 is rotated by a predetermined angle in the direction of arrow γ, as shown in Figure 2(B), the small gear 342, which is meshed with the large gear 343 whose rotation is prevented, rotates in the counterclockwise direction indicated by arrow β2. As a result, the rotating member 31 rotates, and the clamp pin 32 moves away from the end face of the substrate W, coming into the open position.

[0027] The lifting mechanism 35 moves the support member 33 between a supported position and a retracted position by raising and lowering the support member 33. The lifting mechanism 35 has a lifting shaft 35a, a drive source 35b, and a transmission unit 350. The lifting shaft 35a is a rod to which the support member 33 is connected at its upper end, inserted through a lifting shaft hole 341a that passes through the pivot shaft 341 and the small gear 342, with its lower end protruding below the small gear 342. The drive source 35b raises and lowers the lifting shaft 35a. For example, a cylinder can be used as the drive source 35b.

[0028] The transmission unit 350 transmits the driving force from the drive source 35b to the support member 33 without contact. The transmission unit 350 includes a drive-side magnet 351, a driven-side magnet 352, and a biasing member 353. The drive-side magnet 351 is ring-shaped and is supported at its lower surface by the drive rod of the drive source 35b, thereby moving up and down by the drive source 35b. The driven-side magnets 352 are attached to the lower end of each lifting shaft 35a, each of a predetermined size. The driven-side magnets 352 face the drive-side magnet 351 without contact due to repulsive force. However, the driven-side magnets 352 may also be ring-shaped and face the drive-side magnet 351 without contact. Furthermore, if the driven-side magnets 352 are ring-shaped, the drive-side magnets 351 may each be of a predetermined size and supported by the drive rod of each drive source 35b.

[0029] The biasing member 353 is a spring provided between the driven magnet 352 and the small gear 342, which biases the driven magnet 352 downward. When the driven magnet 352 is biased downward by the biasing member 353, the support member 33 is also biased downward along with the lifting shaft 35a. As a result, the support member 33 comes to a lowered, retracted position. When the drive magnet 351 is raised by the drive source 35b, the driven magnet 352 is biased upward without contact, so the lifting shaft 35a and the support member 33 rise against the biasing force of the biasing member 353 and come to a support position.

[0030] The detection unit 36 ​​detects the raising and lowering position of the support member 33 by the lifting mechanism 35. In this embodiment, the detection unit 36 ​​indirectly detects the raising and lowering position of the support member 33 by detecting the height of the drive-side magnet 351. The detection unit 36 ​​uses a non-contact sensor such as a laser or infrared sensor that detects the distance to the drive-side magnet 351. If the driven-side magnet 352 is ring-shaped as described above, the detection unit 36 ​​may also detect the distance to the driven-side magnet 352.

[0031] (Supply Department) As shown in Figure 1, the supply unit 40 supplies processing liquid to the processing surface of the substrate W. The supply unit 40 includes a processing liquid supply mechanism 41, a processing liquid holding unit 42, a lifting mechanism 43, and a heating unit 44.

[0032] The processing liquid supply mechanism 41 is a mechanism for supplying multiple types of processing liquids. In this embodiment, for example, pure water (H2O), an aqueous solution containing phosphoric acid (H3PO4) (hereinafter referred to as phosphoric acid solution), and an aqueous solution containing hydrogen fluoride (HF) (hereinafter referred to as hydrofluoric acid solution) are supplied as processing liquids. The processing liquid supply mechanism 41 has processing liquid tanks 41a for storing each of the processing liquids.

[0033] Individual supply pipes 41b are connected in parallel to the processing liquid supply pipe 41c from each processing liquid tank 41a. The tip of the processing liquid supply pipe 41c faces the substrate W held by the holding part 30. As a result, the processing liquid from each processing liquid tank 41a is supplied to the processing surface of the substrate W via the individual supply pipes 41b and the processing liquid supply pipe 41c. Each individual supply pipe 41b is equipped with a flow rate adjustment valve 41d and a flow meter 41e.

[0034] The processing liquid holding section 42 is circular in diameter and larger than the substrate W, and has a basin shape due to the formation of a wall on its periphery that rises on the opposite side from the rotating body 20. The outer bottom surface of the processing liquid holding section 42 faces the substrate W. The tip of the processing liquid supply pipe 41c is inserted through the processing liquid holding section 42, forming a discharge port 42a that is exposed on the substrate W side. The discharge port 42a is positioned eccentrically with respect to axis A.

[0035] The lifting mechanism 43 is a mechanism that moves the processing liquid holding section 42 in a direction toward or toward the substrate W. Various mechanisms that move the processing liquid holding section 42 in a direction parallel to the axis of the rotating body 20 can be applied as the lifting mechanism 43, for example, a cylinder or a ball screw mechanism, but details are omitted.

[0036] The heating unit 44 heats the processing liquid supplied by the supply unit 40. The heating unit 44 has a heater 441 provided on the side of the processing liquid holding unit 42 opposite to the side facing the substrate W. The heater 441 is in the shape of a circular sheet. The heater 441 has a through hole 441a through which the processing liquid supply pipe 41c is inserted.

[0037] (Control device) The control device 50 controls various parts of the substrate processing apparatus 1. The control device 50 has a processor that executes programs to realize various functions of the substrate processing apparatus 1, a memory that stores various information such as programs and operating conditions, and drive circuits that drive each element. In other words, the control device 50 controls the rotation mechanism 34, the lifting mechanism 35, the processing liquid supply mechanism 41, the lifting mechanism 43, the heating unit 44, etc. The control device 50 is also connected to an input unit 60 for inputting information and an output unit 70 for outputting information. The input unit 60 is an input device such as a touch panel, keyboard, mouse, or switch. The output unit 70 is an output device such as a display, lamp, speaker, or buzzer.

[0038] The control device 50 of this embodiment includes a mechanism control unit 51 and a determination unit 52. The mechanism control unit 51 controls the mechanisms of each part. The determination unit 52 determines whether the clamp pin 32 can properly hold and release the substrate W based on the raising and lowering position of the support member 33 detected by the detection unit 36. For example, if a command has been issued to raise the support member 33 to the support position, but the detection unit 36 ​​has determined that the support member 33 is at a predetermined height and is outside the range of a preset threshold, it can be determined that there is a problem with the drive source 35b or the like, and the substrate W cannot be held or released. In this case, the predetermined threshold is, for example, a threshold set to detect that the support member 33 is in the support position.

[0039] When the robot hand loads the substrate W, the support member 33 must be raised, and the loaded substrate W must be placed on the inclined surface 33a, releasing the grip on the substrate W. However, if the support member 33 is not raised as it should be, that is, if it is in a retracted position, when the robot hand that loaded the substrate W releases its grip on the substrate W, the substrate W will fall onto the inclined surface 33a which is not raised. In other words, in this case, the clamp pin 32 cannot hold the substrate W in its normal position (normal height). The determination unit 52 can determine whether or not it is possible for the clamp pin 32 to hold the substrate W in this manner by comparing the detected value with a threshold value.

[0040] Furthermore, if the support member 33 remains in the retracted position instead of being raised after processing the substrate W, the clamp pin 32 will release the substrate W, causing the substrate W to fall onto the inclined surface 33a of the support member 33, which is in the retracted position. In other words, in this case, it is not possible to release the substrate W at the normal height and hand it over to the robot hand. The determination unit 52 can determine whether or not it is possible to release the substrate W using the clamp pin 32 in this manner by comparing the detected value with a threshold value.

[0041] Furthermore, if the support member 33 remains in the support position instead of moving to the retracted position after the clamp pin 32 has held the substrate W, then the processing liquid will stagnate during processing as described above. The determination unit 52 can determine whether or not to process the substrate W because of the stagnation of the processing liquid by comparing the detected value with a threshold value. In this case, for example, a threshold value is set to detect that the substrate is in the retracted position.

[0042] The output unit 70 outputs information to notify the system when the determination unit 52 determines that the position is outside a predetermined threshold range. For example, the display of the output unit 70 may display information indicating that the height position of the support member 33 is not normal, or a lamp may light up or blink to indicate that the height position of the support member 33 is not normal. In addition, the speaker of the output unit 70 may output an audio message indicating that the height position of the support member 33 is not normal, or a buzzer alarm may sound to indicate that the height position of the support member 33 is not normal. Upon receiving the notification, the operator can stop the device to prevent the occurrence of defective products due to malfunctions in holding and releasing the substrate W. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the accumulation of processing liquid due to the support member 33 not moving to the retracted position after the substrate W is held by the clamp pin 32. Note that the mechanism control unit 51 may stop the operation of the device when the determination unit 52 determines that the position is outside the threshold range.

[0043] [Substrate processing] Next, the substrate processing by the substrate processing apparatus 1 will be explained with reference to Figures 1 to 6 above, as well as the explanatory diagram in Figure 7 and the flowchart in Figure 8. First, as shown in Figure 2(B), as the rotating body 20 rotates by a predetermined angle in the γ direction, the small gear 342 rotates in the β2 direction, so the clamp pin 32 is in an open position away from the area where the substrate W is inserted (shown by a dashed line in Figure 2). At this time, a part of the inclined surface 33a of the support member 33 is inside the area where the substrate W is inserted. Also, if normal, the drive side magnet 351 is raised by the drive source 35b, and the driven side magnet 352 is biased upward without contact, so the support member 33 is in an elevated support position.

[0044] At this time, the detection unit 36 ​​detects the lifting position of the support member 33, that is, the distance to the drive-side magnet 351 (step S01). If the determination unit 52 determines that the distance detected by the detection unit 36 ​​is within a predetermined threshold range (YES in step S02), then there is no abnormality in the drive source 35b, etc., and the support member 33 is in the support position. Therefore, as shown in Figure 3, the substrate W mounted on the robot hand of the transport robot is carried between the processing liquid holding unit 42 and the rotating body 20, and its edge is supported by the inclined surfaces 33a of the multiple support members 33 (step S03). Then, the robot hand retracts from the substrate processing device 1 (step S04).

[0045] Furthermore, if the determination unit 52 determines that the distance detected by the detection unit 36 ​​is outside the range of a predetermined threshold (NO in step S02), the output unit 70 outputs information to notify the operator of this (step S19). The operator who receives the notification then stops the device (step S20). As a result, the support member 33 is in the retracted position, and the robot hand releases the substrate W, preventing the substrate W from falling.

[0046] Next, when the biasing force of the rotating body 20 due to rotation in the γ direction is stopped, as shown in Figure 2(A), the large gear 343 is biased in the α direction by the spring and rotates, so the rotating body 20 rotates in the β1 direction together with the small gear 342. Then, as shown in Figure 7(A), as the clamp pin 32 moves in a direction that contacts the end face of the substrate W, the support member 33 moves while pushing up the edge of the substrate W with the inclined surface 33a, and as shown in Figure 7(B), it stops in a holding position where the clamp pin 32 contacts the end face of the substrate W (step S05).

[0047] In this way, the end face of the substrate W is held by the clamp pins 32, thereby holding the substrate W on the table 20a of the rotating body 20. At this time, the six clamp pins 32 position the substrate W so that its center aligns with the axis A of rotation of the rotating body 20.

[0048] Next, when the drive source 35b of the lifting mechanism 35 lowers the drive-side magnet 351, if normal, the support member 33 will descend together with the lifting shaft 35a according to the biasing force of the biasing member 353 and move to the retracted position (step S06). In other words, the support members 33 corresponding to the six clamp pins 32 move to the retracted position. As a result, as shown in Figure 7(C), the inclined surface 33a of the support member 33 separates from the edge of the substrate W, leaving the entire back surface of the substrate W empty.

[0049] At this time, the detection unit 36 ​​detects the raising and lowering position of the support member 33 (step S07). If the determination unit 52 determines that the distance detected by the detection unit 36 ​​is within a predetermined threshold range (YES in step S08), the rotating body 20 rotates at a relatively low predetermined speed (for example, about 50 rpm). As a result, the substrate W rotates together with the holding unit 30 at the predetermined speed (step S09). Then, the substrate processing is started by supplying processing liquid to the processing surface of the substrate W (step S10).

[0050] Furthermore, if the determination unit 52 determines that the distance detected by the detection unit 36 ​​is outside the range of a predetermined threshold (NO in step S08), the output unit 70 outputs information to notify the operator of this (step S19). The operator who receives the notification then stops the device (step S20). As a result, the processing liquid is supplied while the support member 33 is in the support position, that is, while the edge on the back side of the substrate W is in contact with the support member 33, and the stagnation of the processing liquid is prevented.

[0051] The following describes the details of the substrate processing. Hydrofluoric acid solution, which is an etching solution, is supplied from the discharge port 42a of the processing solution holding unit 42 into the gap between the processing solution holding unit 42 and the processing surface of the substrate W. As the hydrofluoric acid solution is supplied to the processing surface of the rotating substrate W, the hydrofluoric acid solution moves sequentially toward the outer circumference of the substrate W, so that the processing surface of the substrate W is etched and oxide film and organic matter are removed.

[0052] Furthermore, the processing liquid that flows outwards towards the outer edge of the substrate W is discharged to the outside through the gap in the clamp pin 32. Also, since the entire back surface of the substrate W is open, the processing liquid does not accumulate between the substrate W and the inclined surface 33a of the support member 33. This is also true for the following processing liquids.

[0053] Next, the processing liquid holder 42 stops supplying etching solution and supplies pure water from the discharge port 42a into the gap between the processing liquid holder 42 and the processing surface of the substrate W. As pure water is supplied to the processing surface of the rotating substrate W, the pure water moves sequentially toward the outer circumference of the substrate W, washing away the hydrofluoric acid from the processing surface of the substrate W. Then, the processing liquid holder 42 stops supplying pure water.

[0054] The processing liquid holder 42 descends, bringing the heater 441 closer to the substrate W, and supplying phosphoric acid to the gap between the processing liquid holder 42 and the processing surface of the substrate W. In this way, the phosphoric acid solution supplied between the processing liquid holder 42 and the processing surface of the substrate W is heated to a high temperature by the processing liquid holder 42, which is heated by the heater 441.

[0055] In this state, when the phosphoric acid solution is continuously supplied from the discharge port 42a of the processing liquid holding unit 42, the phosphoric acid solution moves sequentially toward the outer edge of the substrate W, and the pure water on the processing surface of the substrate W is replaced by phosphoric acid, while the nitride film is removed by etching.

[0056] Next, the processing liquid holder 42 stops supplying the phosphoric acid solution and supplies pure water from the discharge port 42a into the gap between the processing liquid holder 42 and the processing surface of the substrate W. As pure water is supplied to the processing surface of the rotating substrate W, the pure water moves sequentially toward the outer circumference of the substrate W, washing away the phosphoric acid from the processing surface of the substrate W. After a predetermined washing time has elapsed, the processing liquid holder 42 stops supplying the pure water, thereby ending the processing within the substrate processing apparatus 1 (YES in step S11). After that, the rotation of the substrate W by the rotating body 20 stops, and the processing liquid holder 42 rises (step S12).

[0057] Next, when the drive source 35b of the lifting mechanism 35 raises the drive-side magnet 351, if normal, the support member 33 rises along with the driven-side magnet 352 via the lifting shaft 35a and comes to the support position (step S13). As a result, the inclined surface 33a of the support member 33 comes into contact with the edge of the substrate W. At this time, the detection unit 36 ​​detects the lifting position of the support member 33 (step S14). If the determination unit 52 determines that the distance detected by the detection unit 36 ​​is within a predetermined threshold range (YES in step S15), the rotating body 20 rotates by a predetermined angle in the γ direction, causing the small gear 342 to rotate in the β2 direction, so that the clamp pin 32 comes to an open position away from the end face of the substrate W (step S16).

[0058] In this state, the robot hand of the transport robot is inserted under the substrate W and rises to support the substrate W (step S17). Then, the robot hand further lifts the substrate W and transports it out of the substrate processing apparatus 1 (step S18).

[0059] Furthermore, if the determination unit 52 determines that the distance detected by the detection unit 36 ​​is outside the range of a predetermined threshold (NO in step S15), the output unit 70 outputs information to notify the operator of this (step S19). The operator who receives the notification then stops the device (step S20). As a result, with the support member 33 in the retracted position, the clamp pin 32 moves to the open position, preventing the substrate W from falling.

[0060] [effect] (1) The substrate processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes a rotating body 20 for rotating a substrate W, a supply unit 40 for processing the substrate W by supplying a processing liquid to the processing surface of the substrate W rotated by the rotating body 20, a plurality of clamp pins 32 provided on the rotating body 20 that are movable between a holding position in contact with the end face of the substrate W so that the back surface of the substrate W is separated from the rotating body 20 and an open position that is separated from the end face of the substrate W so that the substrate W is released, and a support member 33 provided on the clamp pins 32 that is movable between a support position in contact with the edge of the back surface of the substrate W so that the substrate W is supported and a retracted position that is separated from the edge of the substrate W so that the substrate W is held only by the clamp pins 32.

[0061] Therefore, when the end face of the substrate W is supported by the clamp pin 32, the support member 33 can be separated from the edge on the back side of the substrate W. In this way, by separating the support member 33 from the edge of the substrate W, the entire outer surface on the back side of the substrate W is opened, so it is possible to prevent uneven processing caused by the accumulation of processing liquid that flows down from the outer surface on the front side of the substrate W along the clamp pin 32, as in the conventional method. Here, Figure 9 is a diagram corresponding to Figure 7(B) of the above embodiment. If processing with the processing liquid is performed with the substrate W and the support member 33 in close proximity as shown in Figure 9, liquid pooling L will occur. However, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7(C), the substrate W and the support member 33 are separated, so liquid pooling does not occur. In addition, it is possible to prevent the processing liquid scattered from the outer surface of the substrate W from colliding with the accumulated processing liquid, so the generation of mist caused by this can be reduced, and contamination due to mist generation can be suppressed.

[0062] (2) The system includes a lifting mechanism 35 that moves the support member 33 between a supported position and a retracted position by raising and lowering the support member 33. Therefore, the support member 33 can be moved between the supported position and the retracted position with a relatively simple lifting operation.

[0063] (3) The lifting mechanism 35 includes a drive source 35b and a transmission unit 350 that transmits the driving force from the drive source 35b to the support member 33 without contact. Therefore, the mechanism for raising and lowering the support member 33 is separated from the rotating body 20, making the rotating body 20 lighter and stabilizing its rotation. In this embodiment, by making the drive-side magnet 351 ring-shaped, the driven-side magnet 352 can be raised and lowered regardless of the position at which the rotating body 20 stops rotating.

[0064] (4) The system includes a detection unit 36 ​​that detects the raising and lowering position of the support member 33 by the lifting mechanism 35, and a determination unit 52 that determines whether or not the substrate W can be held and released by the clamp pin 32 in a normal manner based on the raising and lowering position of the support member 33 detected by the detection unit 36. Therefore, if the substrate W cannot be held in a normal manner, the substrate W will not be loaded, and if the substrate W cannot be released in a normal manner, the substrate processing device 1 will be stopped, thereby suppressing the occurrence of defective products due to the substrate W falling.

[0065] [Differentiation] (1) This embodiment is not limited to the above-described configuration. The support member 33 is positioned in a support position when the rotating body 20 is not rotating, and may be provided to be movable to a retracted position by the centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the rotating body 20. For example, as shown in Figure 10, the support member 33 is provided to be slidable through the clamp pin 32. A weight 33c is provided at the outer end of the support member 33. A spring 33d is provided between the support member 33 and the clamp pin 32 to bias the support member 33 to the support position.

[0066] Before the rotating body 20 begins to rotate, as shown in Figure 10(A), the support member 33 is in a supported position due to the biasing force of the spring 33d. When the rotating body 20 begins to rotate, as shown in Figure 10(B), the support member 33, which is equipped with a weight 33c, moves to a retracted position due to centrifugal force, against the biasing force of the spring 33d. Therefore, since the support member 33 can be moved to the retracted position by the rotation of the rotating body 20 for substrate processing, the drive source 35b and the lifting shaft 35a become unnecessary, and the device can be configured simply and inexpensively.

[0067] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 11, the support member 33 is rotatably mounted through the clamp pin 32. A weight 33c is attached to the lower end of the drive shaft 33e, which is mounted to hang down from the support member 33. Before the rotating body 20 starts to rotate, as shown in Figure 11(A), the support member 33 is in a supported position due to gravity acting on the drive shaft 33e to which the weight 33c is attached. When the rotating body 20 starts to rotate, as shown in Figure 11(B), the weight 33c moves to the outer circumference due to centrifugal force, causing the tip of the support member 33 to rotate downward and move to a retracted position. Therefore, since the support member 33 can be moved to the retracted position by the rotation of the rotating body 20 for substrate processing, the drive source 35b and spring 33d become unnecessary, and the device can be constructed simply and inexpensively.

[0068] (4) The clamp pin 32 is not limited to any particular shape, and may be any protruding portion having an outer peripheral surface capable of holding the end face of the substrate W. For example, the outer shape of the clamp pin 32 may be a simple cylindrical shape, or it may have a portion that widens at the top as in the above embodiment. A convex groove or the like may be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the clamp pin 32.

[0069] (5) This embodiment can be broadly applied to a substrate processing apparatus 1 that processes a rotating substrate W by supplying a processing solution to it. For this reason, the type of processing solution used is not limited to those exemplified in the above embodiment. For example, various processing solutions can be applied, such as ammonia-hydrogen peroxide solution (APM), hydrochloric acid-hydrogen peroxide solution (HPM), sulfuric acid-hydrogen peroxide solution (SPM), dilute hydrofluoric acid solution (DHF), hydrofluoric acid-hydrogen peroxide solution (FPM), and hydrofluoric acid (HF)-ozone water solution. Furthermore, the heating unit 44 is not essential; for example, in the case of an apparatus that uses a processing solution that does not require heating, the heating unit 44 may not be included.

[0070] [Other embodiments] Although embodiments and modifications of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments and modifications are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments described above can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the invention described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1. Substrate processing device 20. Solids of revolution 20a Table 20b Through hole 21 Fixed base 21a Protective wall 22 motors 22a Rotor 22b Stator 22c Rotation axis 22d Waste liquid pipe 30 Holding part 31 Rotating Member 31a Storage area 32 clamp pins 32a Guide hole 33 Support Member 33a Slope 33b Guide 33c weight 33d spring 33e Drive shaft 34 Rotating Mechanism 35 Lifting mechanism 35a Lifting axis 35b Power source 35c ball 35d Support Block 35e slope 36 Detection unit 40 Supply section 41 Processing liquid supply mechanism 41a Treatment liquid tank 41b Individual conveyance pipe 41c Processing liquid supply pipe 41d Flow control valve 41e flow meter 42 Processing liquid holding section 42a Discharge port 43 Lifting mechanism 44 Heating section 50 Control device 51 Mechanism Control Unit 52 Judgment section 60 Input section 70 Output section 341 Rotary shaft 341a Lifting shaft hole 342 Small gear 343 Large gear 350 Transmission section 351 Drive side magnet 352 Driven magnet 353 Biasing member 441 Heater 441a Through hole

Claims

1. A rotating body that rotates the circuit board, A supply unit that processes the substrate by supplying a processing liquid to the processing surface of the substrate which is rotated by the aforementioned rotating body, A plurality of clamp pins are provided on the rotating body and are movable between a holding position, which holds the substrate so that the surface of the substrate opposite to the processing surface is separated from the rotating body and faces it, and an open position, which releases the substrate by moving away from the end face of the substrate. A support member provided on the clamp pin, which is movable between a support position that supports the substrate by contacting the edge of the substrate opposite to the processing surface of the substrate, and a retracted position that is away from the edge of the substrate and holds the substrate only by the clamp pin, It has, The support member moves between the support position and the retracted position while the clamp pin is in the holding position and holding the substrate, in a substrate processing apparatus.

2. A lifting mechanism that moves the support member between the support position and the retracted position by raising and lowering the support member, A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, having the following features.

3. The aforementioned lifting mechanism is Power source and A transmission unit that transmits the driving force from the drive source to the support member without contact, A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, comprising:

4. A detection unit for detecting the raising and lowering position of the support member by the lifting mechanism, A determination unit determines whether the clamp pin can properly hold and release the substrate based on the raising and lowering position of the support member detected by the detection unit, A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 or claim 3, having the following features.

5. The aforementioned support member is When the rotating body is not rotating, it is positioned at the support position, The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, which is provided so as to be movable to the retracted position by the centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the rotating body.

Images