Substrate processing equipment

Abstract

To increase the amount of downflow air to a substrate surface without increasing the amount of air sent out from an FFU, and to prevent processing liquid from re-adhering to the substrate surface.SOLUTION: A substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment includes a processing chamber, a rotary table, a supply portion, a liquid receiving portion, an air blowing portion, and an airflow forming portion. The processing chamber is formed from a ceiling and a base that face each other in the vertical direction. The rotary table is provided on the base side of the processing chamber and rotates the substrate. The supply portion supplies processing liquid to the substrate held on the rotary table. The liquid receiving portion is provided so as to surround the rotary table, has a circular opening at the upper end, and receives the processing liquid scattered from the substrate rotated by the rotation of the rotary table. The air blowing portion is provided on the ceiling side of the processing chamber and generates a downward airflow within the processing chamber. The airflow forming portion is provided between the liquid receiving portion and the air blowing portion, and concentrates the downward airflow generated by the air blowing portion inside the opening in the liquid receiving portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a substrate processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] In a substrate processing apparatus that performs chemical solution treatment or cleaning treatment on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer, a single wafer processing method in which the substrates are processed one by one is widely adopted from the viewpoints of processing uniformity and reproducibility. In a single wafer processing type substrate processing apparatus, a substrate is fixed to a rotary table, the substrate is rotated about an axis orthogonal to the center of the substrate as a rotation axis, a processing liquid (for example, a chemical solution or pure water) is supplied to the center of the substrate, and the substrate surface is processed. The processing liquid supplied to the substrate surface spreads toward the edge of the substrate due to centrifugal force, peels off from the edge of the substrate, and is received by the inner peripheral surface of a cup that covers the periphery of the rotary table.

[0003] Further, in the substrate processing apparatus, a fan filter unit (FFU) is installed on the ceiling side in the processing chamber. The FFU generates a downward airflow (downflow) by sending clean air downward from the ceiling side, and maintains a high level of cleanliness in the processing chamber. For example, the FFU suppresses splashing and rebounding of the processing liquid supplied to the substrate surface by causing the downward flow of clean air generated by the FFU to be supplied to the substrate surface, and prevents the processing liquid from scattering outward from the substrate surface to the outside of the cup. Further, the downflow discharges the processing liquid peeled off from the edge of the substrate and dust dancing in the processing chamber together with the air from the lower side of the processing chamber to the outside of the processing chamber.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Even when using the above-mentioned FFU (Filler Fluid Unit) in the substrate processing apparatus described above, splashing and splattering of the processing liquid may occur on or around the substrate surface when supplying the processing liquid to the substrate surface to process the substrate. Such splashing and splattering of the processing liquid can cause the processing liquid to re-adhere to the substrate surface, leading to product defects. For example, in the drying process to dry the substrate surface, if the processing liquid that has been stirred up by splashing or splattering adheres to the substrate surface after the drying process is complete, it will result in watermarks (water stains) on the substrate surface, reducing the quality of the product. Therefore, suppressing splashing and splattering of the processing liquid is important for preventing the processing liquid from re-adheding to the substrate surface and improving product quality.

[0006] One possible measure to suppress splashing and rebound of the processing solution is to increase the amount of air supplied from the FFU to generate a stronger downflow, thereby further suppressing splashing and rebound of the processing solution on the substrate surface. However, increasing the amount of air supplied from the FFU would increase the pressure inside the processing chamber, potentially causing mist and other components of the processing solution inside the chamber to leak out. Therefore, it is not possible to increase the amount of air supplied from the FFU, making it difficult to further suppress splashing and rebound of the processing solution.

[0007] The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its objective is to provide a substrate processing apparatus that can increase the amount of downflow air onto the substrate surface without increasing the amount of air supplied from the FFU, thereby suppressing the re-adhesion of the processing liquid to the substrate surface. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, a substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention , a processing chamber for processing substrates, and front Recording Room Inside It is set up in The aforementioned circuit board Hold Rotate Rotating table and frontThe processing liquid is supplied to the substrate held on the rotating table. Supply Department and, It is provided so as to surround the rotating table, has a circular opening at its upper end, and receives the processing liquid that splashes from the substrate as it rotates due to the rotation of the rotating table. Liquid receiving section and front It is installed on the ceiling side of the processing room and generates a downward airflow inside the processing room. The air blower and the front Provided between the liquid receiving section and the air blowing section, It is formed in a cylindrical shape with circular openings at its upper and lower ends, Generated by the aforementioned blower death The downward airflow is directed to the liquid receiving section upper end Concentrate on the inside of the opening The device comprises an airflow forming section, the airflow forming section having an inner wall, an outer wall, and a curved surface, the curved surface having an outer shape that bulges upward in a cross-section in the vertical direction, and is a curved surface that connects the outer wall and the inner wall. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, the amount of downflow air onto the substrate surface can be increased without increasing the amount of air discharged from the FFU, thereby suppressing the re-adhesion of the processing liquid to the substrate surface. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1A] Figure 1A is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 1B] Figure 1B is a schematic diagram illustrating the outline of the airflow formation mechanism according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2A] Figure 2A is a side view of the airflow formation mechanism according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2B] Figure 2B is a top view of the airflow formation mechanism according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example of the configuration of the airflow formation mechanism according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4A] Figure 4A is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the airflow formation mechanism according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4B] Figure 4B is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the airflow formation mechanism according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the size and installation location of the airflow forming mechanism according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the airflow formed by the airflow forming mechanism according to the first embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the substrate processing apparatus disclosed in the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the substrate processing apparatus disclosed in the present application is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0012] (First Embodiment) FIG. 1A is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1A, the substrate processing apparatus 1 has an inner chamber 11. The inner chamber 11 is partitioned vertically into two spaces by a partition wall 11a, and the lower space is formed as a processing chamber 11b. That is, the processing chamber 11b is formed by the partition wall 11a (ceiling) and the base body 21 (base) facing each other in the vertical direction, and the side wall of the inner chamber 11. Here, the above-mentioned up and down mean the upper side and the lower side in the substrate processing apparatus 1 (that is, the upper side and the lower side in FIG. 1A). Here, in the present embodiment, the upper side and the lower side may be described as the upper and the lower, respectively.

[0013] The inner chamber 11 is provided with a loading / unloading port (not shown) at a position corresponding to one processing chamber 11b on the side wall. The loading / unloading port is an entrance / exit for loading and unloading the substrate W into / from the processing chamber 11b, and is formed by a shutter or the like that can be opened and closed. The substrate processing apparatus 1 opens the shutter when loading the substrate W into the processing chamber 11b and when unloading the processed substrate W from the processing chamber 11b, and enables the insertion of a transfer arm for transferring the substrate W into the processing chamber 11b. Note that the shutter is in a closed state while the processing is being executed on the substrate W.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1A, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a base body 21 having a through hole at the center, a rotary table 22 rotatably provided above the base body 21, a motor 23 serving as a driving source for the rotary table 22, an annular liquid receiving portion 24 (cup) surrounding the rotary table 22, a nozzle 25 (supply portion) for supplying a processing liquid to the substrate W, a fan filter unit (FFU) 26 (air blowing portion), an ionizer 27 (electrostatic elimination portion), an air flow forming mechanism 30 (air flow forming portion), a control device 40 (control portion), and a gas supply source 50 (gas supply portion).

[0015] The rotary table 22 is disposed on the base body 21 direction and is fixed to the upper end of the rotor 23b of the motor 23 so that the central axis coincides with the rotation axis of the motor 23. Further, the rotary table 22 to has a plurality (for example, six) of chuck pins 22a for gripping the substrate W provided at predetermined intervals on the surface on which the substrate W is placed. The plurality of chuck pins 22a fix the substrate W to the rotary table 22 by gripping the outer peripheral surface of the substrate W to be processed.

[0016] The motor 23 is composed of a cylindrical stator 23a and a cylindrical rotor 23b rotatably inserted into the stator 23a. The stator 23a is attached to the lower surface side of the base body 21, and the upper end side of the rotor 23b is connected to the rotary table 22 on the upper surface side of the base body 21. The motor 23 is an example of a driving source for rotating the rotary table 22. The motor 23 is electrically connected to the control device 40 and is driven according to the control of the control device 40. As a result, the rotary table 22 rotates by the driving of the motor 23. The rotation center axes of the rotary table 22 and the motor 23 become the substrate rotation axis A1.

[0017] The liquid receiving section 24 is composed of an annular movable liquid receiving section 24a and an annular fixed liquid receiving section 24b, which receive processing liquids that have splashed or flowed down from the substrate W. The liquid receiving section 24 is formed to surround the rotary table 22. In other words, the liquid receiving section 24 is open so that the surface of the substrate W held by the rotary table 22 is exposed. The movable liquid receiving section 24a is configured to be able to move vertically by a lifting mechanism (not shown), such as a cylinder. The upper part of the movable liquid receiving section 24a is inclined radially inward. The fixed liquid receiving section 24b is fixed to the upper surface of the base body 21, and a pipe 12 for discharging gases in the processing chamber 11b and processing liquids (e.g., chemicals or pure water) discharged from the substrate W is connected to the bottom surface of the fixed liquid receiving section 24b.

[0018] The piping 12 is connected to an exhaust pipe 14 that goes to an exhaust pump (not shown) that discharges gas from the processing chamber 11b to the outside, and a waste liquid pipe 13 that discharges the processing liquid that is received by the liquid receiving section 24 and drips out to the outside.

[0019] The nozzle 25 supplies processing liquid to the substrate W held on the rotary table 22. Specifically, the nozzle 25 is held at a predetermined position on the base body 21 by a nozzle moving mechanism and sprays processing liquid downwards while processing the substrate W. The nozzle moving mechanism has a movable arm and an arm swing mechanism and reciprocates the nozzle 25 between the center and the periphery of the substrate W when processing the substrate W. Specifically, the movable arm has the nozzle 25 attached to one end and the other end is supported by the arm swing mechanism. The arm swing mechanism swings the movable arm using the other end of the movable arm as a pivot point. When processing the substrate W is completed, the arm swing mechanism swings the movable arm to retract the nozzle 25 to a standby position away from the substrate W.

[0020] The FFU26 is installed on the partition wall 11a of the inner chamber 11. The FFU26 has a built-in fan, and a filter (for example, an ULPA filter (Ultra Low Penetration Air Filter)) is installed below the fan. Clean air that has passed through the filter is sent through the partition wall 11a into the processing chamber 11b. Inside the processing chamber 11b, the air sent out by the FFU26 generates a downward airflow toward the base body 21.

[0021] The ionizer 27 is a long, slender, bar-shaped (bar-type) static eliminator located below the FFU 26 to remove static electricity. Specifically, the ionizer 27 is designed to switch between releasing either positive or negative ions, thereby imparting ions to the gas discharged from the FFU 26. As a result, the ionized gas is supplied to the substrate W, neutralizing the charge on the substrate W.

[0022] The airflow forming mechanism 30 is located between the liquid receiving section 24 and the FFU 26, and above the nozzle 25 (in other words, the movable arm) positioned on the substrate W, and concentrates the downward airflow generated by the FFU 26 into the opening in the liquid receiving section 24. Figure 1B is a schematic diagram illustrating the outline of the airflow forming mechanism 30 according to the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 1B, the airflow forming mechanism 30 is formed in a cylindrical (ring-shaped) form with circular openings at its upper and lower ends (upper opening 30a and lower opening 30b), and is installed below the ionizer 27 such that the central axis of the rotary table 22 coincides with the centers of the openings 30a and 30b. The airflow forming mechanism 30 takes in the downward airflow generated by the FFU 26 located on the ceiling side of the processing chamber 11b and to which ions have been added by the ionizer 27 through the upper opening 30a and sends it out through the lower opening 30b into the upper opening 24c of the liquid receiving section 24. Here, the airflow forming mechanism 30 is configured to increase the downward airflow (downflow) sent out into the upper opening 24c of the liquid receiving section 24 by the induction phenomenon and Coanda effect caused by the discharge of gas supplied by the gas supply source 50. Details of the airflow forming mechanism 30 will be described later.

[0023] The control device 40 controls each component, including the motor 23 and the gas supply source 50. For example, the control device 40 controls the supply of gas to the airflow forming mechanism 30 by controlling the gas supply source 50.

[0024] The gas supply source 50 is connected to the airflow forming mechanism 30 via piping. The gas supply source 50 is also electrically connected to the control device 40, and supplies gas (e.g., nitrogen gas or air) to the airflow forming mechanism 30 in accordance with the control of the control device 40. Here, a filter similar to that of the FFU 26 (e.g., a ULPA filter) is installed in the piping connecting the gas supply source 50 and the airflow forming mechanism 30. In other words, the airflow forming mechanism 30 is supplied with clean gas that has passed through the filter and discharges the supplied clean gas.

[0025] The details of the airflow forming mechanism 30 according to this embodiment will be described below. Figure 2A is a side view of the airflow forming mechanism 30 according to the first embodiment. Figure 2B is a top view of the airflow forming mechanism 30 according to the first embodiment. For example, as shown in Figures 2A and 2B, the airflow forming mechanism 30 has four gas inlets 31a formed at equal intervals on its side surface. The gas inlets 31a connect the chamber (space) formed inside the airflow forming mechanism 30 to the outside of the airflow forming mechanism 30. The gas inlets 31a are connected to piping connected to the gas supply source 50 at the opening on the outside. In other words, the gas inlets 31a are inlets that introduce gas supplied from the gas supply source 50 into the chamber formed inside the airflow forming mechanism 30. For example, the airflow forming mechanism 30 is held below the ionizer 27 by the fact that each of the four outer surfaces of the gas inlets 31a is supported by a support member (not shown).

[0026] Figure 3 shows an example of the configuration of the airflow forming mechanism 30 according to the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 3, the airflow forming mechanism 30 is formed from a first annular member 31 and a second annular member 32. Specifically, the airflow forming mechanism 30 is formed by overlapping the inner wall surface of the first annular member 31, which has a gas inlet 31a formed thereon, with the second annular member 32 so as to cover a part of the outer wall surface. That is, the outer diameter of the upper end of the second annular member 32 is formed to be smaller than the inner diameter of the lower end of the first annular member 31, and the airflow forming mechanism 30 is formed by overlapping the first annular member 31 with the second annular member 32.

[0027] Here, in the airflow forming mechanism 30, the first annular member 31 is superimposed on the second annular member 32 to form a chamber for storing and compressing gas inside. Figure 4A is a cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of the airflow forming mechanism 30 according to the first embodiment. Note that Figure 4A is a cross-sectional view of the AA section in Figure 3. That is, Figure 4A is a cross-sectional view of the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the vertical direction.

[0028] As shown in Figure 4A, the airflow forming mechanism 30 has a chamber 33 formed by superimposing the first annular member 31 on the second annular member 32. Specifically, the airflow forming mechanism 30 has a chamber 33 formed by the inner wall surface of the first annular member 31 and a portion of the outer wall surface of the second annular member 32. Here, the chamber 33 is formed around the entire circumference inside the airflow forming mechanism 30.

[0029] Chamber 33 is connected to each of the four gas inlets 31a (not shown), and also to a slit 34 (gas discharge section) formed around the entire circumference inside the airflow forming mechanism 30. toGas is supplied from the gas supply source 50 through four gas inlets 31a. The gas supplied from the gas supply source 50 spreads within the chamber 33 and is discharged from the slit 34. Here, the chamber 33 has a buffer function to ensure that the gas supplied from the gas supply source 50 can be stably discharged from the entire circumference of the slit 34. Specifically, when gas is supplied from the gas supply source 50, the chamber 33 becomes completely filled with gas, and the continuously supplied gas maintains this filled state while the gas is discharged from the slit 34.

[0030] To achieve this buffer function, the chamber 33 is connected to the gas inlet 31a and the slit 34 at positions offset in the vertical direction. Figure 4B is a cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of the airflow forming mechanism according to the first embodiment. Figure 4B is a cross-sectional view of the substrate processing apparatus 1 including the gas inlet 31a in the vertical direction. As shown in Figure 4B, the gas inlet 31a is provided on the outer wall 37 at the lower end of the chamber 33 and introduces the gas supplied from the gas supply source 50 into the chamber 33. Also, as shown in Figure 4B, the slit 34 is provided on the inner wall 36 at the upper end of the chamber 33.

[0031] By arranging the gas inlet 31a, chamber 33, and slit 34 in the positional relationship shown in Figure 4B, the gas introduced into the chamber 33 from the four gas inlets 31a does not immediately discharge from the slit 34, but remains in the chamber 33. As a result, the chamber 33 becomes completely filled with gas, and the gas supplied from the gas supply source 50 is stably discharged from the entire circumference of the slit 34.

[0032] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4A, the airflow forming mechanism 30 is formed by fitting the first annular member 31 onto the second annular member 32 and connecting the second annular member 32 and the first annular member 31. Here, the joint portion 39 between the second annular member 32 and the first annular member 31 is formed with a structure that has high airtightness to prevent gas supplied to the chamber 33 from leaking. For example, as shown in Figure 4A, the joint portion 39 has a notch formed at the lower end of the inner wall of the first annular member 31, and a notch that engages with this notch is formed in the outer wall of the second annular member 32. Note that a sealing member may be used in the joint portion 39 to maintain even higher airtightness.

[0033] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the airflow forming mechanism 30 has, in its cross-section in the vertical direction, an inner wall 36 whose central part in the vertical direction is curved toward the outer wall 37, a slit 34 provided in the inner wall 36 that discharges gas flowing toward the opening 30b at its lower end, and a curved surface 35 in its cross-section in the vertical direction, whose outer shape bulges upward, extending upward from the upper end of the outer wall 37 and then extending downward to the position of the slit 34.

[0034] The outer wall 37 is the outer wall surface of the airflow forming mechanism 30 when the first annular member 31 is superimposed on the second annular member 32, and is composed of the outer wall surface of the first annular member 31 and a part of the outer wall surface of the second annular member 32 (the outer wall surface that does not form the chamber 33). The inner wall 36 corresponds to the inner wall surface of the second annular member 32, and is formed to incline inward toward the upper end in the vertical cross-section. That is, the second annular member 32 is formed so that its inner diameter gradually decreases toward the upper end.

[0035] The curved surface 35 is formed on the upper end side of the first annular member 31 and consists of a curved surface that descends from the upper end of the first annular member 31 toward the upper end of the outer wall surface and a curved surface that descends inward from the upper end of the first annular member 31 toward the slit 34. As shown in Figure 4, the inner wall surface of the first annular member 31 has a shape in which the outer shape bulges upward in the vertical cross-section, and the end of the inner wall surface is formed to connect with the slit 34 side end of the curved surface 35.

[0036] The slit 34 is a space formed by the wall surface near the point where it connects with the curved surface 35 on the inner wall surface of the first annular member 31, and the end surface on the upper end side of the second annular member 32 (the plane connecting the outer wall surface and the inner wall surface of the second annular member 32), and connects the chamber 33 to the outside (the inside of the airflow forming mechanism 30). The slit 34 discharges the gas supplied to the chamber 33 so that it flows toward the opening 30b at the lower end. In addition, a portion of the discharged gas flows along the inner wall 36 toward the opening 30b at the lower end. That is, the slit 34 diffuses and discharges the gas that has been stored and compressed in the chamber 33 toward the opening 30b at the lower end of the airflow forming mechanism 30, and a portion of this diffused gas flows along the inner wall 36 toward the opening 30b at the lower end. As described above, the slit 34 is formed in the inner wall 36 around the entire circumference of the airflow forming mechanism 30, and gas is discharged stably from the entire circumference. Therefore, the slit 34 diffuses and discharges gas from the entire circumference of the airflow forming mechanism 30 toward the opening 30b at the lower end, and a portion of the discharged gas flows along the inner wall 36 around the entire circumference of the inner wall 36 of the airflow forming mechanism 30.

[0037] Next, the size and installation location of the airflow forming mechanism 30 will be described. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the size and installation location of the airflow forming mechanism 30 according to the first embodiment. In Figure 5, as in Figure 4, a cross-sectional view of the vertical direction is shown.

[0038] The width "a" of the slit 34 shown in Figure 5 (the distance between the inner wall surface of the first annular member 31 forming the slit 34 and the upper end surface of the second annular member 32) is formed to a size that results in a desired wind velocity for the gas discharged from the slit 34. Specifically, the slit 34 is formed with a width "a" that realizes a downward airflow with a wind velocity sufficient to entrain the surrounding gas near the opening 30a at the upper end of the airflow forming mechanism 30. That is, the slit 34 is formed with a width "a" (for example, about 0.1 mm to 1.5 mm) that discharges gas at a wind velocity that can cause the induction phenomenon and the Coanda effect. Here, in order to accelerate the gas discharged from the slit 34 to the wind velocity described above, the pressure of the gas supplied to the chamber 33 is adjusted so that the pressure inside the chamber 33 becomes a predetermined pressure. For example, gas at 0.3 MPa to 0.5 MPa is supplied to the chamber 33 and compressed to the predetermined pressure described above inside the chamber 33. In this way, by forming the slit 34 with a predetermined width and adjusting the pressure inside the chamber 33 to a predetermined pressure, the slit 34 can discharge gas at a wind speed that can cause the induction phenomenon and the Coanda effect.

[0039] As described above, by discharging gas at a velocity that allows the slit 34 to induce the induction phenomenon and the Coanda effect, the airflow rate of gas discharged from the airflow forming mechanism 30 (i.e., the airflow rate of gas discharged from the lower end opening 30b) becomes greater than the airflow rate from the FFU 26. In other words, the airflow discharged from the slit 34 and the airflow generated by the induction phenomenon and the Coanda effect result in a greater airflow rate of gas discharged from the lower end opening 30b than the airflow rate from the FFU 26. For example, the airflow rate of gas discharged from the lower end opening 30b becomes more than twice the airflow rate from the FFU 26.

[0040] Furthermore, the shape of the wall of the slit 34 is set so that the gas discharge angle "θ" in the slit 34 is a desired angle. In other words, the degree to which the gas discharged from the slit 34 spreads vertically is set to a desired spread. IfThe shape of the wall of the slit 34 is set accordingly. For example, the shape of the wall of the slit 34 is set such that the gas discharged from the slit 34 flows toward the opening 30b at the lower end of the airflow forming mechanism 30, and is discharged at an angle "θ" such that a portion of it flows along the inner wall 36. The width "a" of the slit 34 and the gas discharge angle "θ" described above are determined to be optimal values ​​through experiments, simulations, etc.

[0041] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the airflow forming mechanism 30 is formed such that the inner diameter "b" of the lower end opening 30b is smaller than the inner diameter "c" of the upper end opening 24c of the liquid receiving section 24. In other words, since the airflow discharged from the lower end of the airflow forming mechanism 30 diffuses radially, the inner diameter "b" of the lower end opening 30b is formed to be smaller than the inner diameter "c" of the upper end opening 24c of the liquid receiving section 24 in order to concentrate the airflow discharged from the lower end of the airflow forming mechanism 30 inside the upper end opening 24c of the liquid receiving section 24.

[0042] Furthermore, the distance "d" between the upper opening 24c of the liquid receiving section 24 and the lower opening 30b of the airflow forming mechanism 30 is determined based on the inner diameter "b" of the lower opening 30b, the inner diameter "c" of the upper opening 24c of the liquid receiving section 24, and the diffusion angle "φ" of the airflow at the lower opening 30b. In other words, the distance "d" is determined such that the airflow diffused at an angle "φ" at the lower opening 30b is contained within the inner diameter "c" of the upper opening 24c of the liquid receiving section 24. Here, the distance "d" is determined to be a height that satisfies the above conditions while not hindering the oscillation of the movable arm by the arm oscillation mechanism. The inner diameter "b" of the lower opening 30b and the distance "d" described above are determined to be optimal values ​​through experiments, simulations, etc.

[0043] The substrate processing apparatus 1, by incorporating the airflow forming mechanism 30 described above, can increase the amount of downflow air onto the substrate surface without increasing the amount of air supplied from the FFU 26. Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the airflow formed by the airflow forming mechanism 30 according to the first embodiment. As described above, the airflow forming mechanism 30 supplies gas to the chamber 33 via the gas inlet 31a and discharges airflow from the slit 34. As a result, as shown in Figure 6, the airflow is forcefully discharged from the slit 34 toward the opening 30b of the airflow forming mechanism 30. This is because the compressed gas in the chamber 33 is discharged through the narrow opening of the slit 34. As described above, the opening diameter (width) of the slit 34 is formed to be a few millimeters (for example, 0.1 mm to 1.5 mm). That is, since the gas flows from the chamber 33 toward the very narrow slit 34, the velocity of the airflow in the slit 34 increases (Bernoulli's principle). As a result, the gas discharged from the slit 34 is forcefully ejected. In this way, by forcefully discharging gas from the slit 34, the force entraining the surrounding gas at the upper opening 30a of the airflow forming mechanism 30 is strengthened, and as a result, the amount of air discharged from the lower opening 30b of the airflow forming mechanism 30 becomes several times the amount of air discharged from the FFU 26.

[0044] As described above, the airflow forming mechanism 30 takes in the downdraft from the FFU 26 (the airflow that enters directly into the inside of the airflow forming mechanism 30 from the FFU 26) and entrains the gas around the airflow forming mechanism 30 (especially around the upper end of the airflow forming mechanism 30), thereby increasing the amount of air discharged from the opening 30b at the lower end of the airflow forming mechanism 30. Furthermore, the gas discharged from the slit 34 is discharged from the lower end of the airflow forming mechanism 30, entraining the gas around the lower end of the airflow forming mechanism 30 (i.e., the opening 30b) (induction phenomenon), thereby forming a downdraft. Moreover, since the downdraft discharged from the opening 30b at the lower end is supplied to the substrate W while taking in the gas around it, the amount of downdraft supplied to the substrate W is further increased. In other words, by using the airflow forming mechanism 30, a greater amount of downdraft than the amount of air discharged from the FFU 26 can be concentrated and flowed to the substrate W. Here, the airflow forming mechanism 30 has a curved surface 35 formed at its upper end to draw in more of the surrounding air, generating the Coanda effect where the flow follows the curved surface.

[0045] In this way, the substrate processing apparatus 1 supplies gas from the gas supply source 50 to the airflow forming mechanism 30 and discharges a powerful airflow from the slit 34, thereby forming a downflow stronger than the downflow sent from the FFU 26 inside the opening 24c at the upper end of the liquid receiving section 24. Here, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can form a downflow concentrated inside the opening 24c at the upper end of the liquid receiving section 24 at any timing. Specifically, the substrate processing apparatus 1 forms a downflow by the airflow forming mechanism 30 while processing is being performed on the substrate W, and stops forming a downflow by the airflow forming mechanism 30 when no processing is being performed on the substrate W.

[0046] One example of a time when no processing is being performed on the substrate W is when the substrate W is being moved in or out of the processing chamber 11b. Specifically, the control device 40 controls the supply of gas from the gas supply source 50 to stop when the substrate W is being moved in or out of the processing chamber 11b. In this case, for example, the control device 40 controls the supply of gas from the gas supply source 50 to stop while the shutter of the substrate W's entrance / exit is open.

[0047] The above example is merely one example, and the downflow by the airflow formation mechanism 30 may be formed at any other arbitrary timing. For example, the control device 40 may be controlled to form a downflow by the airflow formation mechanism 30 only during the drying process of the substrate W.

[0048] As described above, according to the first embodiment, the processing chamber 11b is formed from a partition wall 11a and a base body 21 that are opposite each other in the vertical direction. The rotary table 22 is provided on the base body 21 side of the processing chamber 11b and rotates the substrate W. The nozzle 25 supplies processing liquid to the substrate W held on the rotary table 22. The liquid receiving section 24 is provided so as to surround the rotary table 22 and has a circular opening 24c at its upper end to receive the processing liquid scattered from the substrate W that rotates due to the rotation of the rotary table 22. The FFU 26 is provided on the partition wall 11a side of the processing chamber 11b and generates a downward airflow inside the processing chamber 11b. The airflow forming mechanism 30 is provided between the liquid receiving section 24 and the FFU 26 and concentrates the downward airflow generated by the FFU 26 inside the opening 24c in the liquid receiving section 24. Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment can increase the amount of downflow air onto the surface of the substrate W without increasing the amount of air supplied from the FFU 26, thereby suppressing splashing and rebound of the processing liquid on the surface of the substrate. As a result, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can suppress re-adhesion of the processing liquid to the substrate W and improve the quality of the substrate.

[0049] Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can prevent the generation of turbulence around the liquid receiving section 24 by concentrating the downward airflow generated by the FFU 26 inside the opening 24c of the liquid receiving section 24. For example, if the downward airflow from the FFU 26 flows around the liquid receiving section 24 (for example, at the location where the nozzle 25 is provided), the downward airflow may bounce off the upper surface of the base body 21, causing turbulence. Such turbulence can cause the processing liquid mist to be stirred up in the processing chamber if processing liquid mist is generated, potentially leading to re-adhesion to the substrate W. The substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment can prevent the generation of such turbulence by concentrating the downward airflow inside the opening 24c of the liquid receiving section 24, and can suppress the stirring up of the processing liquid mist in the processing chamber 11b even if processing liquid mist is generated. As a result, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can suppress the re-adhesion of the processing liquid to the substrate W.

[0050] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the airflow forming mechanism 30 is formed in a cylindrical shape with circular openings at its upper and lower ends, and in its cross-section in the vertical direction, it has an inner wall 36 whose central part in the vertical direction is curved toward the outer wall 37, a slit 34 provided in the inner wall 36 for discharging gas flowing toward the lower end opening 30b, and a curved surface 35 in its cross-section in the vertical direction, whose outer shape is curved and bulges upward, extending upward from the upper end of the outer wall 37 and then extending downward to the position of the slit 34. Downward airflow is taken in from the upper end opening 30a and downward airflow is sent out from the lower end opening 30b into the opening 24c in the liquid receiving section 24.Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment can generate an induction phenomenon and a Coanda effect to amplify the downflow, and the amount of air from the FFU 26 can be reduced.As a result, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can reduce the energy consumption related to substrate processing.

[0051] Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can improve the efficiency of processing liquid discharge by concentrating the downward airflow inside the opening 24c in the liquid receiving section 24. As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1 generates a larger volume of airflow within the liquid receiving section 24 compared to the conventional case where only the FFU generates downward airflow. As a result, the flow velocity of the airflow within the liquid receiving section 24 also increases, making it easier to send the processing liquid mist scattered from the substrate W and the mist floating around the substrate W into the piping 12. In this way, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can efficiently discharge the processing liquid mist, thereby suppressing the floating of processing liquid mist around the substrate W and preventing the processing liquid from re-adhering to the upper surface of the substrate W.

[0052] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the inner diameter of the lower end opening 30b of the airflow forming mechanism 30 is smaller than the inner diameter of the upper end opening 24c of the liquid receiving section 24. The airflow forming mechanism 30 is also provided in the processing chamber 11b such that the distance between the lower end opening 30b and the upper end opening 24c of the liquid receiving section 24 is determined by the inner diameter of the lower end opening 30b, the inner diameter of the upper end opening 24c of the liquid receiving section 24, and the diffusion angle of the airflow at the lower end opening 30b. Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment can take airflow diffusion into consideration and concentrate the descending airflow more accurately inside the opening 24c of the liquid receiving section 24.

[0053] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the ionizer 27 is located below the FFU 26. to A mechanism is provided to remove static electricity. The airflow forming mechanism 30 is installed below the ionizer 27. Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment can concentrate the downward airflow to which ions have been applied by the ionizer 27 into the inside of the opening 24c in the liquid receiving section 24, thereby neutralizing the charge on the substrate W.

[0054] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the gas supply source 50 supplies the gas to be discharged through the slit 34. The airflow forming mechanism 30 is formed from a first annular member 31 and a second annular member 32. The first annular member 31 and the second annular member 32 form a chamber 33 for storing and compressing gas. The slit 34 discharges the gas supplied from the gas supply source 50 to the chamber 33. Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment can stably discharge gas from the slit 34.

[0055] Furthermore, by forming the gas-supplied chamber 33 with two components (a first annular member 31 and a second annular member 32), the airflow forming mechanism 30 can be disassembled and cleaned. Therefore, the inside of the chamber 33 can always be kept clean, preventing the supply of contaminated gas to the substrate W and thus avoiding contamination of the substrate W.

[0056] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, a gas inlet 31a for introducing gas supplied from the gas supply source 50 into the chamber 33 is provided on the outer wall 37 at the lower end of the chamber 33, and a slit 34 is provided on the inner wall 36 at the upper end of the chamber 33. Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment can create a state in which the entire chamber 33 is filled with gas, and can stably discharge gas from the entire circumference of the slit 34.

[0057] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the control device 40 controls the supply of gas by the gas supply source 50. The control device 40 controls the supply of gas by the gas supply source 50 to stop when the substrate W is being moved in or out of the processing chamber 11b. Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment can avoid applying an unnecessary strong downflow to the substrate W when the substrate W is being moved in or out. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 1. Substrate processing device 11b Processing Room 22 Rotating Table 24 Liquid receiving section 24c, 30a, 30b opening 25 nozzles 26 FFU 27 Ionizer 30 Airflow Formation Mechanism 31 First annular member 31a Gas inlet 32 Second annular member 33 Chambers 34 slits 35 Curved surface 36 Inner wall 37 Exterior Wall 40 Control device 50 Gas supply source

Claims

1. A processing chamber for processing substrates, A rotating table is provided in the processing chamber for holding and rotating the substrate, A supply unit that supplies processing liquid to the substrate held on the rotating table, A liquid receiving section is provided so as to surround the aforementioned rotating table, has a circular opening at its upper end, and receives the processing liquid that splashes from the substrate as it rotates due to the rotation of the rotating table. A blower unit is provided on the ceiling side of the processing chamber and generates a downward airflow within the processing chamber, An airflow forming unit is provided between the liquid receiving unit and the air blowing unit, and is formed in a cylindrical shape having circular openings at its upper and lower ends, and concentrates the downward airflow generated by the air blowing unit into the inside of the opening at the upper end of the liquid receiving unit. Equipped with, The airflow forming section has an inner wall, an outer wall, and a curved surface. The aforementioned curved surface is a curved surface that, in a cross-section in the vertical direction, bulges upwards in its outer shape and connects the outer wall and the inner wall, in a substrate processing apparatus.

2. The inner wall is curved in the direction of the outer wall in the vertical cross-section, The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the airflow forming section further includes a gas discharge section provided on the inner wall for discharging gas that flows toward the opening at the lower end.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the inner diameter of the opening at the lower end of the airflow forming portion is smaller than the inner diameter of the opening at the upper end of the liquid receiving portion.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the airflow forming section is provided in the processing chamber such that the distance between the lower end opening and the upper end opening of the liquid receiving section is a distance based on the inner diameter of the lower end opening, the inner diameter of the upper end opening of the liquid receiving section, and the diffusion angle of the airflow at the lower end opening.

5. The system further includes an electrostatic discharge unit provided below the aforementioned air blowing unit to remove static electricity, The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the airflow forming unit is installed below the static electricity removal unit.

6. The system further comprises a gas supply unit that supplies the gas discharged by the aforementioned gas discharge unit, The airflow forming section is formed from a first annular member and a second annular member. The first annular member and the second annular member form a space for storing and compressing the gas. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the gas discharge unit discharges gas supplied from the gas supply unit into the space.

7. A gas inlet for introducing the gas supplied from the gas supply unit into the space is provided on the outer wall at the lower end of the space. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the gas discharge section is provided on the inner wall at the upper end of the space.

8. The system further includes a control unit that controls the supply of gas by the gas supply unit, The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control unit controls the supply of gas by the gas supply unit to stop when the substrate is being moved in or out of the processing chamber.

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