Substrate processing apparatus and two-fluid nozzle control method

Abstract

To provide a two-fluid discharge device, a substrate processing device and a two-fluid nozzle control method in which dropping of droplet from a two-fluid nozzle is suppressed.SOLUTION: A two-fluid discharge device includes: a two-fluid nozzle which can discharge a mixed liquid where liquid and gas are mixed; a gas supply part 11a for supplying the gas to the two-fluid nozzle; a liquid supply part for supplying liquid to the two-fluid nozzle; and a control part 90 for stopping supply of the liquid and then stopping supply of the gas, when controlling the gas supply part 11a and the liquid supply part, and stopping discharge of the mixed liquid from the two-fluid nozzle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a two-fluid ejection device, a substrate processing device, and a two-fluid nozzle control method.

Background Art

[0002] In a substrate processing device, a processing nozzle is moved to supply a processing liquid used for substrate processing from a standby position disposed outside the substrate to a processing position above the substrate. The supply of the processing liquid is stopped while the processing nozzle moves between the processing position and the standby position. When the processing nozzle moves, droplets of the processing liquid may fall from the processing nozzle due to the movement. Therefore, it is required to prevent the fall of the processing liquid from the processing nozzle during the movement of the processing nozzle.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes that by blowing gas from a droplet removal nozzle to a two-fluid nozzle before moving the two-fluid nozzle, the liquid adhering to the two-fluid nozzle is removed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in Patent Document 1, although the processing liquid adhering to the outside of the two-fluid nozzle is removed by blowing gas from the outside of the two-fluid nozzle, it is difficult to sufficiently remove the processing liquid remaining in the two-fluid nozzle. Therefore, droplets may fall from the two-fluid nozzle during the movement of the two-fluid nozzle.

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a two-fluid discharge device, a substrate processing device, a two-fluid nozzle control method, and a substrate processing device control method that suppress the dripping of liquid droplets from a two-fluid nozzle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] (1) relating to one aspect Substrate processing equipment A two-fluid discharge device comprising: a two-fluid nozzle capable of discharging a mixture of liquid and gas; a gas supply unit that supplies gas to the two-fluid nozzle; a liquid supply unit that supplies liquid to the two-fluid nozzle; and a control unit that controls the gas supply unit and the liquid supply unit to stop the gas supply after stopping the liquid supply when stopping the discharge of the mixture from the two-fluid nozzle. The two-fluid nozzle comprises a first two-fluid nozzle capable of discharging a first mixture of the developer (as a liquid) and the gas, and a second two-fluid nozzle capable of discharging a second mixture of the rinse solution (as a liquid) and the gas, wherein the control unit, in a developing process in which the rinse solution is supplied to the substrate after the supply of the developer has been started, stops discharging the first mixture from the first two-fluid nozzle, and stops supplying the gas after stopping the supply of the developer. .

[0008] (2) A two-fluid nozzle control method according to another embodiment is a two-fluid nozzle control method for controlling a substrate processing apparatus equipped with a two-fluid nozzle capable of discharging a mixture of liquid and gas, and includes the steps of: supplying liquid to the two-fluid nozzle; supplying gas to the two-fluid nozzle; and, when stopping the discharge of the mixture from the two-fluid nozzle, stopping the supply of gas after stopping the supply of liquid. The two-fluid nozzle includes a first two-fluid nozzle capable of discharging a first mixture of developer and gas, and a second two-fluid nozzle capable of discharging a second mixture of rinse solution and gas, wherein the step of stopping the supply of gas includes, in a developing process in which the rinse solution is supplied to the substrate after the supply of developer has been started, stopping the discharge of the first mixture from the first two-fluid nozzle, stopping the supply of the gas after the supply of developer has been stopped. . [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to suppress the dripping of liquid droplets from a two-fluid nozzle. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view illustrating the general configuration of a developing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a part of the liquid processing unit's configuration. [Figure 3] This is a first perspective view illustrating the configuration of the liquid processing unit. [Figure 4] This is a second perspective view illustrating the configuration of the liquid processing unit. [Figure 5]This is a perspective view of the nozzle arm unit. [Figure 6] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the nozzle arm unit, cut along a predetermined vertical plane. [Figure 7] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an example of a nozzle configuration. [Figure 8] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control unit of the developing device. [Figure 9] This flowchart shows the basic operation during the developing process of a circuit board using a developing device. [Figure 10] This is a flowchart showing the pre-processing dispensing process. [Figure 11] This is a flowchart showing the processing liquid supply process. [Figure 12] This is a timing chart showing the supply and cessation of liquids and gases in the processing fluid supply process. [Figure 13] This is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a nozzle according to another embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Hereinafter, a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, "substrate" refers to a substrate for a Flat Panel Display (FPD), semiconductor substrate, optical disk substrate, magnetic disk substrate, magneto-optical disk substrate, photomask substrate, ceramic substrate, or solar cell substrate used in liquid crystal display devices or organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display devices, etc.

[0012] As an example of a substrate processing apparatus, a developing apparatus will be described. In this embodiment, the substrate to be developed has a main surface and a back surface. In the developing apparatus according to this embodiment, the back surface (bottom surface) of the substrate is held with the main surface of the substrate facing upwards and the back surface facing downwards, and the developing process is performed on the main surface (top surface) of the substrate.

[0013] At least the central portion of the main surface of the substrate has a photosensitive film formed thereon after the exposure process. This photosensitive film is, for example, a negative-type photosensitive polyimide film. As a developer for dissolving the exposed negative-type photosensitive polyimide film, an organic solvent containing cyclohexanone or cyclopentanone, etc. is used. Also, as a rinse liquid, an organic solvent containing isopropyl alcohol or propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate (PGMEA), etc. is used.

[0014] In addition, in the present embodiment, "development processing of the substrate" means supplying a developer to the photosensitive film formed on the main surface of the substrate after the exposure process, thereby dissolving a part of the photosensitive film.

[0015] (1) Configuration of the developing apparatus FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view for explaining the schematic configuration of a developing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the developing apparatus 1 basically has a configuration in which two liquid processing units LPA and LPB are housed in a housing CA. In FIG. 1, the schematic shapes of the two liquid processing units LPA and LPB are shown by dotted lines. Details of the configurations of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB will be described later.

[0016] The housing CA has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box shape extending in one direction within a horizontal plane. Specifically, the housing CA is formed by attaching a first side wall plate 1w, a second side wall plate 2w, a third side wall plate 3w, a fourth side wall plate 4w, a floor plate 5w, and a ceiling plate 6w to a frame (not shown). In the following description, a direction parallel to the direction in which the housing CA extends within the horizontal plane is appropriately referred to as the first direction D1, and a direction orthogonal to the first direction D1 within the horizontal plane is appropriately referred to as the second direction D2. The two liquid processing units LPA and LPB are arranged on the floor plate 5w so as to be aligned in the first direction D1 within the housing CA.

[0017] The first and second side wall plates 1w and 2w have a rectangular plate shape and are arranged parallel to the vertical direction and the first direction D1, and facing each other. The third and fourth side wall plates 3w and 4w have a rectangular plate shape and are arranged parallel to the vertical direction and the second direction D2, and facing each other.

[0018] The second side wall plate 2w has two loading / unloading ports ph for transporting substrates between the inside and outside of the housing CA. The two loading / unloading ports ph are formed in two parts of the second side wall plate 2w that face the liquid processing units LPA and LPB in the second direction D2. The ceiling plate 6w has two openings op1 arranged in the first direction D1. The opening ratio of the two openings op1 in the ceiling plate 6w is set to be sufficiently large, to the same extent as when the entire upper end of the housing CA is open upwards.

[0019] Two filters FL are provided above the ceiling panel 6w so as to close the two openings op1 in the ceiling panel 6w. Alternatively, the two filters FL may be provided directly below the ceiling panel 6w. In Figure 1, the two filters FL are shown by thick dashed lines. The two filters FL are, for example, ULPA (Ultra Low Penetration Air) filters and are attached to a frame (not shown) or the ceiling panel 6w that constitutes the housing CA. An air guide AG is provided on the ceiling panel 6w of the housing CA, surrounding the two filters FL. In Figure 1, the air guide AG is shown by a double-dash line.

[0020] A gas supply unit 10 is provided on the outside of the housing CA. The gas supply unit 10 is, for example, an air control unit, which adjusts the air conditions, such as temperature and humidity, to meet predetermined conditions while the power supply of the developing device 1 is turned on. The gas supply unit 10 also supplies the adjusted air to the air guide AG through the duct DU. In this case, the air guide AG guides the air supplied from the gas supply unit 10 through two filters FL to two openings op1 in the ceiling panel 6w. As a result, clean air with adjusted temperature and humidity is supplied into the housing CA, and a downward airflow is generated throughout the internal space SP of the housing CA.

[0021] Outside the housing CA, a gas supply unit 11a, a developer supply unit 11b, and a rinse solution supply unit 11c are provided. In Figure 1, an example is shown in which the gas supply unit 11a, developer supply unit 11b, and rinse solution supply unit 11c are connected to the liquid processing unit LPB, but the liquid processing unit LPA is also connected to a different gas supply unit 11a, developer supply unit 11b, and rinse solution supply unit 11c. The gas supply unit 11a includes a gas supply source, thereby supplying gas to the liquid processing units LPA and LPB through the gas supply path 12a. The developer supply unit 11b includes a developer supply source, thereby supplying developer to the liquid processing units LPA and LPB through the developer supply path 12b. The rinse solution supply unit 11c includes a rinse solution supply source, thereby supplying rinse solution to the liquid processing units LPA and LPB through the rinse solution supply path 12c. In Figure 1, the gas supply path 12a, the developer supply path 12b, and the rinse solution supply path 12c are shown by dashed lines. In this embodiment, the gas supply path 12a, the developer supply path 12b, and the rinse solution supply path 12c are composed of one or more pipes and valves, etc.

[0022] The developing apparatus 1 further includes a control unit 90. The control unit 90 includes, for example, a CPU (central processing unit) and memory, or a microcomputer, and controls the liquid processing units LPA, LPB, and the gas supply unit 11a, developing solution supply unit 11b, and rinsing solution supply unit 11c provided in conjunction with them, respectively. Details of the control unit 90 will be described later.

[0023] (2) Configuration of the liquid treatment unit (2-1) Outline of the configuration of the liquid treatment units LPA and LPB The two liquid treatment units LPA and LPB in Figure 1 have essentially the same configuration, except that some of their components are arranged symmetrically with respect to a plane (vertical plane) perpendicular to the first direction D1. Therefore, in the following description, unless otherwise specified, the configuration of liquid treatment unit LPB will be described as representative of the two liquid treatment units LPA and LPB.

[0024] Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating some of the components of the liquid treatment units LPA and LPB shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, the liquid treatment unit LPB includes a partition plate 100, a cylindrical member 200, a cup 40, a container 50, and a standby pod 500.

[0025] Inside the enclosure CA, the housing 50 is fixed on the floor plate 5w (Figure 1). The housing 50 includes a side wall portion 51 and a bottom portion 52. The side wall portion 51 has an annular horizontal cross-section and is formed to extend vertically with a constant inner diameter and a constant outer diameter. The bottom portion 52 is formed to close the lower end of the side wall portion 51.

[0026] Two through holes are formed in the bottom 52. An exhaust pipe 61 is connected to one of the through holes in the bottom 52. The exhaust pipe 61 guides the atmosphere inside the housing CA to an exhaust device (not shown) located outside the housing CA. In the housing 50, the end (open end) of the exhaust pipe 61 is located above the bottom 52.

[0027] Furthermore, a drain pipe 62 is connected to the bottom portion 52, which is the other portion where the through-hole is formed. The drain pipe 62 guides the liquid (developer and rinse solution) that flows from the cup 40 to the bottom of the container 50 during the substrate W development process to a drainage device (not shown) located outside the housing CA. In the container 50, the end (open end) of the drain pipe 62 is located below the end of the exhaust pipe 61.

[0028] At least the lower part of the substrate holding device 70 is housed within the housing 50. Specifically, the substrate holding device 70 includes a suction holding section 71, a spin motor 72, and a motor cover 79. The spin motor 72 is fixed on the bottom 52 so as to be located in the center of the housing 50 in a plan view. The spin motor 72 is provided with a rotating shaft 73 that extends upward. The suction holding section 71 is provided at the upper end of the rotating shaft 73. The suction holding section 71 protrudes above the upper end of the housing 50.

[0029] A suction device (not shown) is provided on the outside of the housing 50. The suction holding part 71 is configured to be able to suction the center of the back surface of the substrate W when the suction device is activated. When the suction holding part 71 suctions the center of the back surface of the substrate W, the substrate W is held in a horizontal position above the housing 50. Furthermore, when the spin motor 72 is activated while the substrate W is held by the suction holding part 71, the substrate W rotates in a horizontal position.

[0030] The motor cover 79 has a roughly bowl shape and is fixed to the housing 50 with its open, large diameter portion facing downwards. The motor cover 79 covers the upper end portion of the spin motor 72, excluding the rotating shaft 73, and a space of a certain width surrounding the spin motor 72 in the horizontal plane, with the rotating shaft 73 inserted into the through hole in the center of the upper end of the motor cover 79. A gap of a certain width is formed between the outer peripheral end of the motor cover 79 and the inner peripheral surface of the side wall portion 51.

[0031] Here, the end of the exhaust pipe 61 is located inside the motor cover 79 in a plan view and above the lower end of the motor cover 79 in a side view. This prevents liquids (developer and rinse solution) falling from above the housing 50 during the substrate W development process from entering the inside of the exhaust pipe 61.

[0032] The container 50 accommodates the lower part of the substrate holder 70, as well as at least the lower end of the cup 40. Here, the cup 40 is configured to be movable vertically within the container 50. The cup 40 also includes a cylindrical wall portion 41 and a liquid receiving portion 42. Each of the cylindrical wall portion 41 and the liquid receiving portion 42 has an annular horizontal cross-section and is provided to extend at least vertically. The cup 40 is configured to surround the substrate holder 70 in a plan view.

[0033] The outer and inner diameters of the liquid receiving portion 42 gradually increase as they extend downward from the upper end of the liquid receiving portion 42. The outer diameter of the lower end of the liquid receiving portion 42 (the maximum outer diameter of the liquid receiving portion 42) is smaller than the inner diameter of the side wall portion 51 of the container 50. Therefore, a gap of a certain width is formed between the outer peripheral end of the liquid receiving portion 42 and the inner peripheral surface of the side wall portion 51. The cylindrical wall portion 41 is formed to extend upward from the upper end of the liquid receiving portion 42 with a constant inner and outer diameter.

[0034] The cylindrical member 200 has a cylindrical shape and is fixed to a part of the housing CA via a bracket (not shown). The inner diameter of the cylindrical member 200 is larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical wall portion 41 of the cup 40. The partition plate 100 has a substantially disc shape and is attached to the cylindrical member 200 near the upper end of the cylindrical member 200 and in contact with the entire inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical member 200. A rectangular nozzle opening 110 extending in a first direction D1 is formed in the approximate center of the partition plate 100. The nozzle opening 110 faces the central portion of the substrate W that is held by the substrate holding device 70 during the substrate W development process. Multiple through holes (not shown) are formed in the partition plate 100 so as to be distributed throughout the partition plate 100, excluding the nozzle opening 110.

[0035] A lifting drive unit (not shown) is provided near the container 50 within the housing CA. The lifting drive unit includes a drive mechanism such as a motor or air cylinder, and supports the cup 40 and moves the cup 40 up and down, thereby transitioning the cup 40 between a first state and a second state. Here, the first state is the state in which the cup 40 has descended to a position inside the container 50. The second state is the state in which the upper end of the cup 40 has risen to a position above the lower end of the cylindrical member 200 (the state in Figure 2).

[0036] In the developing apparatus 1, the cup 40 is maintained in the first state when substrates W are loaded into and unloaded from the liquid processing units LPA and LPB. This allows substrates W loaded from outside the developing apparatus 1 to be placed on the adsorption holding section 71 of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB. Furthermore, the substrates W placed on the adsorption holding section 71 of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB can be removed and unloaded from the developing apparatus 1.

[0037] In the second state, the inner surface of the liquid receiving portion 42 of the cup 40 surrounds the substrate W held by the substrate holding device 70 in a horizontal plane. As a result, most of the developer and rinse solution supplied to the substrate W from the multiple nozzles 310 during the substrate W development process is received by the inner surface of the liquid receiving portion 42 and guided to the container 50.

[0038] On the other hand, during the development process of the substrate W held by the substrate holding device 70, the cup 40 is maintained in the second state in each of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB, and the cover member 330 covers the nozzle opening 110 of the partition plate 100. As a result, the internal space SP of the housing CA is divided into a processing space SPa and a non-processing space SPb by the partition plate 100, cylindrical member 200, cover member 330, cup 40, and container 50 of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB. The processing space SPa is the space containing the substrate W held by the substrate holding device 70, and the non-processing space SPb is the space surrounding the processing space SPa.

[0039] Figure 3 is a first perspective view illustrating the configuration of the liquid processing unit LPB in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 3, within the housing CA of Figure 1, the nozzle drive unit 400 is provided adjacent to the housing 50 in a first direction D1. The nozzle drive unit 400 includes a motor having a rotating shaft 401 and an actuator. The actuator includes an air cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, or a motor, and supports the motor having the rotating shaft 401 on the floor plate 5w (Figure 1) so that the motor can move in the vertical direction. The rotating shaft 401 is located at the upper end of the nozzle drive unit 400.

[0040] Within the housing CA in Figure 1, a standby pod 500 is further provided on the floor plate 5w (Figure 1). The nozzle drive unit 400 and the standby pod 500 are arranged in a second direction D2 at intervals along the side of the housing 50. The standby pod 500 has a box shape that extends for a certain length in the second direction D2. Multiple standby holes 510 are formed on the upper surface of the standby pod 500 for housing the injection sections 310d of the multiple nozzles 310, which will be described later.

[0041] A nozzle arm unit 300 is attached to the upper end of the rotating shaft 401 of the nozzle drive unit 400. When attached to the upper end of the rotating shaft 401, the nozzle arm unit 300 has a longitudinal shape that extends linearly in a direction different from that of the rotating shaft 401.

[0042] When the motor of the nozzle drive unit 400 moves vertically, the nozzle arm unit 300 also moves vertically. When the motor of the nozzle drive unit 400 operates, the nozzle arm unit 300 rotates in the horizontal plane around the rotation axis 401. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the multiple nozzles 310 are held at a processing position P2 above the substrate W, which is held by the substrate holding device 70, while the development process is being performed on the substrate W. When the multiple nozzles 310 are located at the processing position P2, the multiple nozzles 31 overlap with the substrate W in a plan view. Figure 3 shows the state in which the multiple nozzles 310 are located at the processing position P2. Note that in Figure 3, the standby position P1 and the processing position P2 are indicated by white arrows.

[0043] Figure 4 is a second perspective view illustrating the configuration of the liquid processing unit LPB in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 4, the multiple nozzles 310 of the nozzle arm unit 300 are held at a standby position P1 outside the substrate W, which is held by the substrate holding device 70, while no developing process is being performed on the substrate W. When the multiple nozzles 310 are in the standby position P1, the multiple nozzles 31 do not overlap with the substrate W in a plan view. In Figure 4, the standby position P1 and the processing position P2 are indicated by white arrows. While the nozzles 310 are held at the standby position P1, the nozzles 310 are housed in the standby holes 510 of the standby pod 500. In this embodiment, an operation is performed to discharge the liquid remaining in the nozzles 310. Hereinafter, this operation will be referred to as the pre-processing dispensing process. Details of the pre-processing dispensing process will be described later.

[0044] The standby pod 500 is connected to a drain pipe (not shown) that discharges liquid sprayed from the multiple nozzles 310 or dripped liquid to the outside of the housing CA when the nozzle arm unit 300 is in the standby position P1. The standby pod 500 is also connected to an exhaust pipe (not shown) that discharges the atmosphere inside the standby pod 500 to the outside of the housing CA.

[0045] (2-2) Nozzle arm unit 300 The nozzle arm unit 300 mainly consists of a plurality (six in this example) of nozzles 310, a support 320, and a cover member 330. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the nozzle arm unit 300, and Figure 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view obtained by cutting the nozzle arm unit 300 through a predetermined vertical plane (a vertical plane parallel to the direction in which the nozzle arm unit 300 extends). In Figure 5, the cover member 330 is shown separated from the other components in order to make the internal structure of the nozzle arm unit 300 easier to understand. Similarly, the connections to each component of the piping PP, which will be described later, are omitted from the illustration.

[0046] The support 320 is manufactured, for example, by appropriately bending a single metal plate that has been cut or laser-cut into a predetermined shape. The support 320 is formed to extend in one direction and has one end 321 and the other end 322. The support 320 also has a nozzle fixing portion 323 that extends from the vicinity of the one end 321 toward the other end 322. The nozzle 310 includes three developer nozzles 311 for supplying developer to the substrate W and three rinse nozzles 312 for supplying rinse solution to the substrate W. The three developer nozzles 311 and the three rinse nozzles 312 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the nozzle fixing portion 323. Furthermore, the support 320 has a pipe fixing portion 324 and two cover mounting portions 325. The pipe fixing portion 324 is located near the other end 322.

[0047] Each of the multiple nozzles 310 is a two-fluid nozzle capable of spraying a mixture of liquid and gas. The developer nozzle 311 has a liquid introduction section 311a for introducing developer into the developer nozzle 311, gas introduction sections 311b and 311c for introducing gas into the developer nozzle 311, and a spray section 311d for spraying the mixture. Similarly, the rinse nozzle 312 has a liquid introduction section 312a for introducing rinse solution into the rinse nozzle 312, gas introduction sections 312b and 312c for introducing gas into the rinse nozzle 312, and a spray section 312d for spraying the mixture.

[0048] One end of a pipe PP for supplying developer to the developer nozzle 311 is connected to the liquid inlet 311a of the developer nozzle 311. Similarly, one end of a pipe PP for supplying gas (nitrogen gas in this example) to the developer nozzle 311 is connected to the gas inlet 311b and 311c of the developer nozzle 311. Likewise, one end of a pipe PP for supplying rinse solution to the rinse solution nozzle 312 is connected to the liquid inlet 312a of the rinse solution nozzle 312. Furthermore, one end of a pipe PP for supplying gas to the rinse solution nozzle 312 is connected to the gas inlet 312b and 312c of the rinse solution nozzle 312.

[0049] PP piping is made from a flexible resin material. Examples of such resin materials include PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), PVC (polyvinyl chloride), PPS (polyphenylene sulfide), and PFA (tetrafluoroethylene perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer).

[0050] A portion of each of the multiple pipes PP is provided to extend toward the pipe fixing section 324 from the liquid introduction section 311a and gas introduction sections 311b, 311c of the developing solution nozzle 311, and is provided to extend toward the pipe fixing section 324 from the liquid introduction section 312a and gas introduction sections 312b, 312c of the rinsing solution nozzle 312.

[0051] Multiple pipes PP are bundled together in the pipe fixing section 324. Figure 5 shows a cross-section of the pipes PP in the pipe fixing section 324. This fixes the multiple pipes PP near the other end 322 of the support 320. The portions of the multiple pipes PP that extend outward from the pipe fixing section 324 to the support 320 are housed inside the tubular bundling member 391 while bundled together. The tubular bundling member 391 is made of, for example, rubber or resin and is flexible.

[0052] The cover member 330 has a box shape with an open bottom. In the upper surface portion 331 of the cover member 330, through holes 331h are formed in two parts corresponding to the two cover mounting portions 325 of the support body 320.

[0053] With multiple developer nozzles 311 and rinse nozzles 312 attached to the support 320, and multiple pipes PP connected to the developer nozzles 311 and rinse nozzles 312, and with the multiple pipes PP fixed in place, the cover member 330 is attached to the support 320. In Figure 5, the state of the cover member 330 when attached to the support 320 is shown by the dashed line.

[0054] Here, in the support 320, the pipe fixing portion 324 is located between the other end 322 of the support 320 and the other end face 333 of the cover member 330. The pipe fixing piece 329 bundles the multiple pipes PP that extend from the cover member 330 and fixes them to the pipe fixing portion 324 so that the pipes PP do not come into contact with the inner edge of the notch 333N of the other end face 333.

[0055] As shown in Figure 6, with the cover member 330 attached to the support 320, most of the nozzles 310, excluding the liquid introduction sections 311a, 312a and the gas introduction sections 311b, 311c, 312b, 312c, protrude downward from the cover member 330.

[0056] (2-3) Configuration of the developer nozzle 311 and the rinse nozzle 312 The developer nozzle 311 and the rinse nozzle 312 have the same configuration. In the following description of the developer nozzle 311 and the rinse nozzle 312, the configuration of the developer nozzle 311 will be described as representative of the developer nozzle 311 and the rinse nozzle 312. Figure 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the developer nozzle 311. The developer nozzle 311 includes a main body 311A. The main body 311A ​​has a liquid introduction section 311a and two gas introduction sections 311b and 311c. The liquid introduction section 311a has a cylindrical cylindrical section 3A and a bottom section 3B provided at the lower end of the cylindrical section 3A and having an impact surface 3b perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical section 3A. In the example of Figure 7, the liquid introduction section 310a is attached to the main body 311A ​​such that the axis of the cylindrical section 3A coincides with the axis AX of the main body 311A. The cylindrical portion 3A has a flow path FPa formed in a direction parallel to the axis AX, and the bottom portion 3B has multiple flow paths formed in a direction perpendicular to the axis AX of the cylindrical portion 3A. In this case, four flow paths are formed, and each of the four flow paths has an opening OP1 that communicates with the two-fluid mixing space MSP.

[0057] The two gas inlet sections 311b and 311c are cylindrical in shape and extend axially, and are attached to the main body section 311A ​​from the top surface of the main body section 311A ​​such that their respective axes are parallel to the axis AX of the cylindrical section 3A of the liquid inlet section 311a. The liquid inlet section 311a is positioned between the two gas inlet sections 311b and 311c. Each of the gas inlet sections 311b and 311c has flow paths FPb and FPc formed in a direction parallel to the axis of the gas inlet sections 311b and 311c.

[0058] Inside the main body 311A, a gas retention space GSP and a two-fluid mixing space MSP are formed in that order from top to bottom. The gas retention space GSP is the space surrounding the cylindrical portion 3A of the liquid introduction section 311a, and is connected at the top to the flow paths FPb and FPc of the two gas introduction sections 311b and 311c, and at the bottom to the two-fluid mixing space MSP.

[0059] The two-fluid mixing space MSP includes a two-fluid collision space MSP1 and a two-fluid outlet space MSP2. The two-fluid collision space MSP1 is located between the gas retention space GSP and the two-fluid outlet space MSP2. The two-fluid collision space MSP1 includes the space surrounding the bottom 3B of the liquid introduction section 311a, is connected to the gas retention space GSP above, and is connected to the two-fluid outlet space MSP2 below. The two-fluid outlet space MSP2 is a frustoconical space whose inner diameter gradually decreases downwards. The lower end of the two-fluid outlet space MSP2 is connected to the injection section 310d. The injection section 310d has an opening that opens the two-fluid outlet space MSP2 to the outside of the main body section 311A.

[0060] The liquid introduced into the liquid introduction section 311a travels from top to bottom through the flow path FPa formed in the cylindrical section 3A and collides with the impact surface 3b formed in the bottom section 3B. The liquid that collides with the impact surface 3b is discharged into the two-fluid mixing space MSP through one of the multiple flow paths formed in the bottom section 3B via the opening OP1 of the liquid introduction section 310a.

[0061] Meanwhile, the gas introduced into the gas introduction sections 311b and 311c moves from top to bottom through the flow paths FPb and FPc formed in the gas introduction sections 311b and 311c, and is discharged into the gas retention space GSP. Here, as the pressure inside the gas retention space GSP increases, the gas inside the gas retention space GSP is discharged into the two-fluid mixing space MSP. In the two-fluid collision space MSP1 of the two-fluid mixing space MSP, the liquid and gas are mixed to produce a mixed liquid. The mixed liquid is then injected from the injection section 310d to the outside of the main body 311A ​​through the two-fluid outlet space MSP2.

[0062] (3) Configuration of the control unit of the developing apparatus 1 Figure 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control unit 90 of the developing apparatus 1 in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 8, the control unit 90 includes a first lifting control unit 91, a gas control unit 92a, a liquid control unit 92b, a first rotation control unit 93, a suction control unit 94, a second lifting control unit 95, and a second rotation control unit 96. The functions of each part of the control unit 90 in Figure 8 are realized, for example, by the CPU executing a predetermined program stored in memory.

[0063] The first lifting control unit 91 controls the operation of the lifting drive unit of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB. As a result, the cups 40 of each liquid processing unit LPA and LPB transition between the first state and the second state. The gas control unit 92a controls the operation of the gas supply unit 11a corresponding to each of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB. The liquid control unit 92b controls the operation of the developer supply unit 11b and the rinse solution supply unit 11c corresponding to each of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB. As a result, a mixture of developer and gas is sprayed from three of the multiple nozzles 310 for developer 311 in each liquid processing unit LPA and LPB, and a mixture of rinse solution and gas is sprayed from three of the multiple nozzles 310 for rinse solution 312.

[0064] The first rotation control unit 93 controls the operation of the spin motor 72 of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB shown in Figure 1. The suction control unit 94 controls the operation of the suction device (not shown) of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB. As a result, the substrate W is held in a horizontal position by suction in each substrate holding device 70 and rotated.

[0065] The second lifting control unit 95 and the second rotation control unit 96 control the operation of the nozzle drive unit 400 of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB in Figure 1. Specifically, the second lifting control unit 95 controls the operation of the actuator of each nozzle drive unit 400. The second rotation control unit 96 controls the operation of the motor having the rotation shaft 401 of each nozzle drive unit 400.

[0066] (4) Basic operation of the developing device 1 The basic operation of the developing device 1 will now be explained. The basic operation of the developing device 1 is performed by the control unit 90, which executes a predetermined program stored in memory. Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the basic operation of the developing device 1 during the developing process of the substrate W.

[0067] In the initial state, air with adjusted temperature and humidity is supplied to the developing device 1 from the gas supply unit 10. The atmosphere inside the housing CA is guided from the exhaust pipes 61 of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB to an exhaust system (not shown). A clean downward airflow is formed inside the housing CA. Furthermore, in the initial state, the cup 40 is assumed to be held in the first state. The nozzle arm unit 300 is assumed to be held in the standby position P1.

[0068] Before the development process of the substrate W begins, the substrate W to be processed is first brought into the liquid processing units LPA and LPB. The substrate W is also placed on the suction holding section 71 of the substrate holding device 70. When the development process of the substrate W begins, the suction control unit 94 in Figure 8 controls the suction device 78 of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB so that the substrate W is adsorbed by the suction holding section 71 of the substrate holding device 70 (step S1).

[0069] Next, the first lifting control unit 91 in Figure 8 controls the lifting drive unit 49 of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB so that the cup 40 transitions from the first state to the second state (step S2). At this point, in the standby position P1, with multiple nozzles 310 housed in the standby holes 510 of the standby pod 500, a pre-processing dispensing process is performed (step S3). The pre-processing dispensing process will be described later.

[0070] Next, the second lifting control unit 95 and the second rotation control unit 96 in Figure 8 control the nozzle drive unit 400 of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB so that the nozzle arm unit 300 moves from the standby position P1 to the processing position P2 (step S4). Next, the first rotation control unit 93 in Figure 8 controls the spin motor 72 of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB so that the substrate W rotates around the rotation axis 73 (step S5).

[0071] Next, the gas control unit 92a and the liquid control unit 92b in Figure 8 perform the processing liquid supply process (step S6). The details of the processing liquid supply process will be described later, but it is a process of supplying a first mixture of developer and gas and a second mixture of rinse solution and gas to the substrate W. Next, the first rotation control unit 93 in Figure 8 dries the substrate W by continuing to rotate it. The first rotation control unit 93 in Figure 8 also controls the spin motors 72 of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB so that the rotation of the substrate W stops after a certain period of time has elapsed since the end of the processing liquid supply process (step S7).

[0072] Next, the second lifting control unit 95 and the second rotation control unit 96 in Figure 8 control the nozzle drive unit 400 of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB so that the multiple nozzles 310 move from the processing position P2 to the standby position P1 (step S8). As a result, the nozzles 310 are housed in the standby holes 510 of the standby pods 500.

[0073] Next, the first lifting control unit 91 in Figure 8 controls the lifting drive unit 49 of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB so that the cup 40 transitions from the second state to the first state (step S9). Finally, the suction control unit 94 in Figure 8 controls the suction device 78 of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB so that the suction of the substrate W by the suction holding unit 71 of the substrate holding device 70 is released (step S10). This completes the development process of the substrate W. The substrate W after development is then removed from the liquid processing units LPA and LPB.

[0074] (5) Pre-processing dispensing The liquid remaining near the spray section 310d of the nozzle 310 comes into contact with air. The concentration of the liquid inside the nozzle 310 may change as volatile components evaporate. Therefore, the gas control unit 92a and the liquid control unit 92b control the gas supply unit 11a, the developer supply unit 11b, and the rinse solution supply unit 11c of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB to perform a pre-processing dispensing treatment.

[0075] Figure 10 is a flowchart of the pre-processing dispensing process. In the pre-processing dispensing process shown in Figure 10, first, a gas-free developer is discharged into the standby pod 500 from three developer nozzles 311 of the multiple nozzles 310, and a gas-free rinse solution is discharged into the standby pod 500 from each of the three rinse solution nozzles 312 of the multiple nozzles 310 (step S31). Next, the supply of the developer and rinse solution is stopped (step S32). Specifically, the developer supply unit 11b stops supplying developer to the three developer nozzles 311, and the rinse solution supply unit 11c stops supplying rinse solution to the three rinse solution nozzles 312.

[0076] Next, gas is supplied to the three developer nozzles 311 and the three rinse nozzles 312 (step S33). Subsequently, the control unit 90 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed (step S34). The predetermined time may be set to the liquid discharge period T2 described later. Once the predetermined time has elapsed, the gas supply unit 11a stops supplying gas to the developer nozzles 311 and the rinse nozzles 312 (step S35). This prevents the developer and rinse from accumulating in the three developer nozzles 311 and the rinse nozzles 312. As a result, the concentration of the developer and the concentration of the rinse can be kept at an appropriate level.

[0077] Furthermore, during the liquid discharge period T2 after the developer nozzle 311 has finished discharging, gas is supplied to the developer nozzle 311, so that the developer accumulated in the developer nozzle 311 is discharged to the outside. Similarly, during the liquid discharge period T2 after the rinse solution nozzle 312 has finished discharging, gas is supplied to the rinse solution nozzle 312, so that the rinse solution accumulated in the rinse solution nozzle 312 is discharged to the outside. Therefore, while the nozzle moves from the standby position P1 to the processing position P2, the dripping of developer droplets from the developer nozzle 311 is suppressed, and the dripping of rinse solution droplets from the rinse solution nozzle 312 is prevented.

[0078] (6) Treatment liquid supply process The gas control unit 92a and the liquid control unit 92b control the gas supply unit 11a, the developer supply unit 11b, and the rinse solution supply unit 11c of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB, thereby performing the processing solution supply process.

[0079] Figure 11 is a flowchart of the processing solution supply process. Figure 12 is a timing chart showing the supply and cessation of liquid and gas in the processing solution supply process. The first row of Figure 12 shows the timing of gas supply and cessation from the gas supply unit 11a to the developer nozzle 311, and the second row shows the timing of developer supply and cessation from the developer supply unit 11b to the developer nozzle 311. The third row of Figure 11 shows the timing of gas supply and cessation from the gas supply unit 11a to the rinse solution nozzle 312, and the fourth row shows the timing of developer supply and cessation from the rinse solution supply unit 11c to the rinse solution nozzle 312. The processing solution supply process will be explained below using Figures 11 and 12.

[0080] The processing solution supply process is performed while the substrate W is rotating. In Figure 12, the time when the processing solution supply process starts is shown as time t1. First, at time t1, the gas supply unit 11a and the developer supply unit 11b are turned on. As a result, a first mixture of developer and gas is sprayed from three of the nozzles 310, namely the developer nozzles 311 (step S61).

[0081] Next, at time t2, which is after time t1, the gas supply unit 11a and the rinse liquid supply unit 11c are turned on. As a result, a second mixture of rinse liquid and gas is sprayed from the three rinse liquid nozzles 312 (step S62). From time t2 onward, the first and second mixtures are supplied to the substrate. Hereinafter, the period during which the second mixture of rinse liquid and gas is sprayed onto the substrate W is referred to as the rinse liquid supply period T1. In this embodiment, the rinse liquid supply period T1 is predetermined.

[0082] Next, at time t3, which is after time t2, the developer supply unit 11b is turned off (step S63). As a result, only gas is supplied to the three developer nozzles 311. Consequently, the developer that has accumulated in the three developer nozzles 311 (the two-fluid mixing space MSP of the developer nozzles 311 (see Figure 7)) is discharged to the outside of the developer nozzles 311.

[0083] The control unit 90 determines whether the liquid discharge period T2 has elapsed from time t3 (step S64). If the liquid discharge period T2 has not elapsed from time t3, the liquid discharge operation continues. At time t4, when the liquid discharge period T2 has elapsed from time t3, the gas supply unit 11a to the developer nozzle 311 is turned off (step S65).

[0084] The liquid discharge period T2 is a predetermined period. Hereinafter, the operation from the time the supply of developer to the developer nozzle 311 is stopped while the developer nozzle 311 is discharging the first mixture of developer and gas is referred to as the stagnant developer discharge operation.

[0085] Here, the control unit 90 determines whether the rinse liquid supply period T1 has elapsed since time t2 (step S66). If the rinse liquid supply period T1 has not elapsed since time t2, the mixture of rinse liquid and gas continues to be sprayed onto the substrate W from the three rinse liquid nozzles 312. At time t5, when the rinse liquid supply period T1 has elapsed since time t2, the rinse liquid supply unit 11c is turned off (step S67). As a result, only gas is supplied into the rinse liquid nozzles 312. Consequently, the rinse liquid that has accumulated in the two-fluid mixing space MSP (see Figure 7) of the three rinse liquid nozzles 312 is discharged to the outside of the rinse liquid nozzles 312.

[0086] The control unit 90 determines whether the liquid discharge period T2 has elapsed from time t5 (step S68). If the liquid discharge period T2 has not elapsed from time t5, the liquid discharge operation continues. At time t6, when the liquid discharge period T2 has elapsed from time t5, the gas supply unit 11a is turned off (step S69). The processing liquid supply process is completed after the operations of steps S61 to S69 described above.

[0087] In this embodiment, the liquid discharge period T2 is determined based on the volume of the two-fluid mixing space MSP (see Figure 7) in the developer nozzle 311 and the rinse nozzle 312, respectively. Alternatively, the liquid discharge period T2 may be determined based on the flow rate of the gas supplied to the developer nozzle 311 and the rinse nozzle 312. The liquid discharge period T2 is preferably set to, for example, greater than 0.1 seconds and less than 1.0 seconds. It is more preferable that the liquid discharge period T2 is set to 0.5 seconds.

[0088] As described above, in this embodiment, during the rinse solution supply period T1, a second mixture of rinse solution and gas is supplied to the substrate W from the rinse solution nozzle 312. During the rinse solution supply period T1, the stagnant developer discharge operation is performed. This makes it possible to suppress the dripping of developer droplets from the developer nozzle 311 onto the substrate W during the period after the stagnant developer discharge operation is completed within the rinse solution supply period T1. As a result, it is possible to maintain the cleanliness of the substrate W while suppressing the dripping of developer droplets onto the substrate W.

[0089] Furthermore, during the liquid discharge period T2 after the developer nozzle 311 has finished discharging, gas is supplied to the developer nozzle 311, so that the developer accumulated in the developer nozzle 311 is discharged to the outside. Similarly, during the liquid discharge period T2 after the rinse solution nozzle 312 has finished discharging, gas is supplied to the rinse solution nozzle 312, so that the rinse solution accumulated in the rinse solution nozzle 312 is discharged to the outside. Therefore, while the nozzle moves from the processing position P2 to the standby position P1, the dripping of developer droplets from the developer nozzle 311 is suppressed, and the dripping of rinse solution droplets from the rinse solution nozzle 312 is prevented.

[0090] (7) Effects of the embodiment According to the above embodiment, the supply of gas to the developer nozzle 311 and the rinse nozzle 312 stops after the liquid supply is stopped by the liquid discharge operation. In this case, the liquid that was not discharged remains in the developer nozzle 311 and the rinse nozzle 312 due to the cessation of the liquid supply. In this state, gas is supplied to the developer nozzle 311 and the rinse nozzle 312, so the liquid remaining in the developer nozzle 311 and the rinse nozzle 312 separates from the developer nozzle 311 and the rinse nozzle 312. As a result, the dripping of the remaining liquid from the developer nozzle 311 and the rinse nozzle 312 is suppressed.

[0091] Furthermore, since the liquid discharge period T2 is determined based on the volume of the two-fluid mixing space MSP, it becomes possible to more accurately discharge any remaining liquid from the developer nozzle 311 and the rinse nozzle 312.

[0092] Furthermore, during the pre-processing dispensing process and the processing solution supply process, gas is supplied to the developer nozzle 311 during the liquid discharge period T2 after the supply of developer to the developer nozzle 311 has stopped, and gas is supplied to the rinse solution nozzle 312 during the liquid discharge period T2 after the supply of rinse solution to the rinse solution nozzle 312 has stopped. As a result, while the three developer nozzles 311 and the three rinse solution nozzles 312 move between the standby position P1 and the processing position P2, the dripping of any remaining liquid from the developer nozzles 311 and rinse solution nozzles 312 onto the substrate W is suppressed.

[0093] (8) Other embodiments (8-1) In the above embodiment, there are gas introduction sections 311b, 311c (312b, 312c) for introducing gas into the developer nozzle 311 (rinse nozzle 312), but the present invention is not limited thereto. There may be a single gas introduction section for introducing gas into the developer nozzle 311. Also, in the example of Figure 7, the gas introduction sections 311b, 311c are connected to the gas retention space GSP in the developer nozzle 311, but they may also be connected to a two-fluid mixing space MSP where gas and liquid are mixed. Furthermore, in the example of Figure 7, a two-fluid mixing space MSP is formed in the developer nozzle 311, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0094] Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a developer nozzle 311 according to another embodiment. As shown in Figure 13, the developer nozzle 311 according to the other embodiment does not form the two-fluid mixing space MSP that the developer nozzle 311 shown in Figure 7 has, and the gas and liquid are mixed outside the developer nozzle 311.

[0095] Specifically, the developer nozzle 311 according to another embodiment includes a liquid introduction section 311a and a gas introduction member 311B. A flow path FPa is formed along the axis AX of the liquid introduction section 311a. A liquid discharge port a3 is formed at the lower end of the liquid introduction section 311a, opening the flow path FPa to the outside.

[0096] The liquid introduction section 311a is inserted into the gas introduction member 311B. The gas introduction member 311B forms a gas retention space GSP that surrounds a portion of the liquid introduction section 311a with the inner wall of the gas introduction member 311B and the outer wall of the gas introduction section 311a. A gas outlet b3 is formed at the lower end of the gas introduction member 311B, opening the gas retention space GSP to the outside. The gas outlet b3 surrounds the liquid outlet a3. The diameter of the gas retention space GSP decreases as it goes downwards near the gas outlet b3. The peripheral wall of the main body section 311A ​​is provided with a gas introduction section 311b that communicates with the gas retention space GSP.

[0097] The gas, such as nitrogen gas, that enters the gas inlet 311b via the flow path FPb enters the gas retention space GSP, where its flow velocity is accelerated near the gas outlet b3, and it is discharged from the gas outlet b3.

[0098] In the developer nozzle 311 shown in Figure 13, the liquid discharged from the liquid outlet a3 and the gas discharged from the gas outlet b3 are mixed outside near the lower end of the developer nozzle 311 to generate a mixed solution, which is then sprayed.

[0099] When the supply of gas and liquid to the developer nozzle 311 in Figure 13 is stopped, droplets remain near the liquid outlet a3 due to surface tension. Therefore, when gas is discharged from the gas outlet b3, the droplets remaining near the liquid outlet a3 detach from the developer nozzle 311.

[0100] (8-2) In the processing solution supply process shown in Figure 12 of the above embodiment, the gas supply unit 11a that supplies gas to the rinse solution nozzle 312 and the rinse solution supply unit 11c that supplies rinse solution are turned on at time t2, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The gas supply unit 11a and the rinse solution supply unit 11c may be turned on, for example, at time t3, which indicates the time when the supply of developer to the developer nozzle 311 stops. In this case, when the liquid supplied to the substrate W is immediately switched from developer to rinse solution in the processing solution supply process, the time during which developer is supplied to the substrate W while rinse solution is being supplied can be shortened as much as possible. This makes it possible to improve the throughput of the developing apparatus 1.

[0101] (8) Correspondence between each component of the claim and each part of the embodiment The following describes an example of the correspondence between each component of the claim and each element of the embodiment. In the above embodiment, the developer nozzle 311 and the rinse nozzle 312 are examples of two-fluid nozzles, the developer supply unit 11b and the rinse supply unit 11c are examples of liquid supply units, the two-fluid mixing space MSP is an example of a mixing unit, the adsorption holding unit 71 is an example of a substrate support unit, the developer nozzle 311 is an example of a first two-fluid nozzle, and the rinse nozzle 312 is an example of a second two-fluid nozzle.

[0102] (9) Summary of the Embodiments (Article 1) A two-fluid discharge device according to one embodiment is: A two-fluid nozzle capable of dispensing a mixture of liquid and gas, A gas supply unit that supplies the gas to the two-fluid nozzle, A liquid supply unit that supplies the liquid to the two-fluid nozzle, The system includes a control unit that controls the gas supply unit and the liquid supply unit to stop the discharge of the mixed liquid from the two-fluid nozzle, and stops the supply of the gas after stopping the supply of the liquid.

[0103] According to the two-fluid discharge device described in paragraph 1, the supply of gas to the two-fluid nozzle is stopped after the supply of liquid is stopped. In this case, the liquid that was not discharged from the two-fluid nozzle remains after the liquid supply is stopped. In this state, gas is supplied to the two-fluid nozzle, so the liquid remaining in the two-fluid nozzle is separated from the nozzle. As a result, it becomes possible to suppress the dripping of the remaining liquid from the two-fluid nozzle.

[0104] (Article 2) In the two-fluid discharge device described in Article 1, The two-fluid nozzle includes a mixing section in which the liquid and the gas are mixed. The time from when the supply of the liquid is stopped until the supply of the gas is stopped may be determined based on the volume of the mixing unit.

[0105] According to the two-fluid discharge device described in paragraph 2, the time from when the liquid supply is stopped until the gas supply is stopped is determined based on the volume of the mixing section, making it possible to discharge any remaining liquid in the two-fluid nozzle more accurately.

[0106] (Clause 3) Substrate processing apparatus relating to other embodiments is: The system is equipped with the two-fluid discharge device described in paragraph 1 or 2.

[0107] In the substrate processing apparatus described in paragraph 3, when the discharge of the mixed liquid from the two-fluid nozzle stops, the liquid remaining in the two-fluid nozzle can be discharged, thereby suppressing the falling of liquid droplets onto the substrate.

[0108] (Article 4) The substrate processing apparatus described in Article 3 is: A substrate support section that supports the substrate, The nozzle drive unit is configured to move the two-fluid nozzle between a standby position located outside the substrate supported by the substrate support and a discharge position located above the substrate. If the control unit stops the discharge of the mixed liquid from the two-fluid nozzle before the two-fluid nozzle is moved by the nozzle drive unit, it may stop the supply of the gas after stopping the supply of the liquid.

[0109] In the substrate processing apparatus described in Section 4, the supply of liquid is stopped before the two-fluid nozzle moves, followed by the stop of the gas supply. Therefore, since the gas is supplied to the two-fluid nozzle after the liquid supply has stopped, any excess developer remaining in the two-fluid nozzle is removed. As a result, liquid dripping during nozzle movement can be suppressed.

[0110] (Article 5) The substrate processing apparatus described in Article 3 is The two-fluid nozzle includes a first two-fluid nozzle capable of discharging a first mixture obtained by mixing the developer (as a liquid) and the gas, and a second two-fluid nozzle capable of discharging a second mixture obtained by mixing the rinse solution (as a liquid) and the gas. In a developing process in which a rinse solution is supplied to the substrate after the start of supplying the developer solution, the control unit may stop the discharge of the first mixed solution from the first two-fluid nozzle, and may stop the supply of the gas after stopping the supply of the developer solution.

[0111] In the substrate processing apparatus described in paragraph 5, when the discharge of the first mixed solution from the first two-fluid nozzle is stopped during the substrate developing process, the gas supply is stopped after the developer supply is stopped. As a result, any excess developer remaining in the first two-fluid nozzle is removed while the rinse solution is being supplied to the substrate. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the developer adhering to the substrate. As a result, the developing process can be performed efficiently.

[0112] (Section 6) A two-fluid nozzle control method relating to another embodiment is: A two-fluid nozzle control method for controlling a substrate processing apparatus equipped with a two-fluid nozzle capable of discharging a mixture of liquid and gas, The steps include supplying the liquid to the two-fluid nozzle, The steps include supplying the gas to the two-fluid nozzle, When stopping the discharge of the mixed liquid from the two-fluid nozzle, the method includes stopping the supply of the liquid and then stopping the supply of the gas.

[0113] According to the two-fluid nozzle control method described in Section 6, the supply of gas to the two-fluid nozzle is stopped after the supply of liquid is stopped. In this case, the liquid that was not discharged from the two-fluid nozzle remains after the liquid supply is stopped. In this state, gas is supplied to the two-fluid nozzle, so the liquid remaining in the two-fluid nozzle detaches from the nozzle. As a result, it becomes possible to suppress the dripping of the remaining liquid from the two-fluid nozzle.

[0114] (Section 7) The two-fluid nozzle control method described in Section 6 is: The time from when the supply of the liquid is stopped until the supply of the gas is stopped may be determined based on the volume of the mixing section in the two-fluid nozzle where the liquid and the gas are mixed.

[0115] According to the two-fluid nozzle control method described in paragraph 7, the time from when the liquid supply is stopped until the gas supply is stopped is determined based on the volume of the mixing section, making it possible to more accurately discharge any remaining liquid in the two-fluid nozzle.

[0116] (Clause 8) In the two-fluid nozzle control method described in paragraph 6 or 7, The substrate processing apparatus is A substrate support section that supports the substrate, The system includes a nozzle drive unit that moves the two-fluid nozzle between a standby position located outside the substrate supported by the substrate support and a processing position located above the substrate supported by the substrate support, The step of stopping the supply of the gas includes stopping the supply of the liquid to the two-fluid nozzle and then stopping the supply of the gas before the two-fluid nozzle is moved by the nozzle drive unit.

[0117] According to the two-fluid nozzle control method described in Section 8, the supply of liquid is stopped before the two-fluid nozzle moves, followed by the stop of the supply of gas. Therefore, in the two-fluid nozzle, since the gas is supplied after the liquid supply is stopped, any excess developer remaining in the two-fluid nozzle is removed. As a result, liquid dripping during nozzle movement can be suppressed.

[0118] (Section 9) In the two-fluid nozzle control method described in Section 6 or Section 7, The two-fluid nozzle includes a first two-fluid nozzle capable of discharging a first mixture of developer and gas, and a second two-fluid nozzle capable of discharging a second mixture of rinse solution and gas. The step of stopping the supply of the gas includes, in a developing process in which the rinse solution is supplied to the substrate after the start of supplying the developer solution, stopping the discharge of the first mixed solution from the first two-fluid nozzle, and stopping the supply of the gas after stopping the supply of the developer solution.

[0119] According to the two-fluid nozzle control method described in Section 9, when the discharge of the first mixed solution from the first two-fluid nozzle is stopped during the substrate development process, the gas supply is stopped after the developer supply is stopped. As a result, any excess developer remaining in the first two-fluid nozzle is removed while the rinse solution is being supplied to the substrate. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the developer adhering to the substrate. As a result, the development process can be performed efficiently.

[0120] According to the two-fluid discharge device, substrate processing device, and two-fluid nozzle control method of the above-described series of embodiments, the fall of liquid droplets from the two-fluid nozzle is suppressed, thereby suppressing air pollution caused by the volatilization of liquid droplets. This contributes to reducing pollution of the global environment. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0121] 1…Developing device, 1w…First side wall plate, 2w…Second side wall plate, 3A…Cylindrical section, 3B…Bottom section, 3b…Impact surface, 3w…Third side wall plate, 4w…Fourth side wall plate, 5w…Floor plate, 6w…Ceiling plate, 10…Gas supply section, 11a…Gas supply section, 11b…Developer supply section, 11c…Rinse solution supply section, 12a…Gas supply path, 12b…Developer supply path, 12c…Rinse solution supply path, 31…Nozzle, 40…Cup, 41…Cylindrical wall section, 42…Liquid receiving section, 49…Lifting drive section, 50…Container, 51…Side wall section, 52…Bottom section, 61…Exhaust pipe, 62…Drain pipe, 70…Base Plate holding device, 71... Suction holding part, 72... Spin motor, 73... Rotating shaft, 78... Suction device, 79... Motor cover, 90... Control unit, 91... First lifting control unit, 92a... Gas control unit, 92b... Liquid control unit, 93... First rotation control unit, 94... Suction control unit, 95... Second lifting control unit, 96... Second rotation control unit, 100... Partition plate, 110... Nozzle opening, 200... Cylindrical member, 300... Nozzle arm unit, 310... Nozzle, 310a... Liquid introduction part, 310d... Spray part, 311... Developer nozzle, 311A... Main body part, 311B... Gas introduction member ,311a…Liquid introduction section,311b,311c…Gas introduction section,311d…Spray section,312…Nozzle for rinsing liquid,312a…Liquid introduction section,312b,312c…Gas introduction section,312d…Spray section,320…Support,321…One end,322…Other end,323…Nozzle fixing section,324…Pipe fixing section,325…Cover mounting section,329…Pipe fixing piece,330…Cover member,331…Top surface,331h…Through hole,333…Other end surface,333N…Notch,391…Cylindrical binding member,400…Nozzle drive section,401…Rotation shaft,500… Standby pod, 510…Standby hole, AG…Air guide, AX…Axis, CA…Housing, D1…First direction, D2…Second direction, DU…Duct, FL…Filter, FPa, FPb, FPC…Flow path, GSP…Gas retention space, LPA…Liquid processing unit, LPB…Liquid processing unit, MSP…Two-fluid mixing space, MSP1…Two-fluid collision space, MSP2…Two-fluid outlet space, OP1…Opening, P1…Processing position, P2…Standby position, PP…Piping, SP…Internal space, SPa…Processing space, SPb…Unprocessed space, T1…Rinse liquid supply period, T2…Liquid discharge period, W…Substrate, a3…Liquid discharge port, b3…Gas discharge port, op1…Opening, ph…Input / Output port

Claims

1. A two-fluid nozzle capable of dispensing a mixture of liquid and gas, A gas supply unit that supplies the gas to the two-fluid nozzle, A liquid supply unit that supplies the liquid to the two-fluid nozzle, The two-fluid discharge device comprises a control unit that controls the gas supply unit and the liquid supply unit to stop the discharge of the mixed liquid from the two-fluid nozzle, and stops the supply of the gas after stopping the supply of the liquid, The two-fluid nozzle includes a first two-fluid nozzle capable of discharging a first mixture obtained by mixing the developer (as a liquid) and the gas, and a second two-fluid nozzle capable of discharging a second mixture obtained by mixing the rinse solution (as a liquid) and the gas. In a developing process in which the rinse solution is supplied to the substrate after the start of supplying the developer solution, the control unit stops the discharge of the first mixed solution from the first two-fluid nozzle, and stops the supply of the gas after stopping the supply of the developer solution, in a substrate processing apparatus.

2. The two-fluid nozzle includes a mixing section in which the liquid and the gas are mixed. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the time from the cessation of the supply of the liquid to the cessation of the supply of the gas is determined based on the volume of the mixing section.

3. A two-fluid nozzle control method for controlling a substrate processing apparatus equipped with a two-fluid nozzle capable of discharging a mixture of liquid and gas, The steps include supplying the liquid to the two-fluid nozzle, The steps include supplying the gas to the two-fluid nozzle, When stopping the discharge of the mixed liquid from the two-fluid nozzle, the procedure includes stopping the supply of the liquid and then stopping the supply of the gas. The two-fluid nozzle includes a first two-fluid nozzle capable of discharging a first mixture of developer and gas, and a second two-fluid nozzle capable of discharging a second mixture of rinse solution and gas. A two-fluid nozzle control method in which, in a developing process in which the rinsing solution is supplied to a substrate after the supply of the developer solution has been started, the discharge of the first mixed solution from the first two-fluid nozzle is stopped, and the supply of the gas is stopped after the supply of the developer solution has been stopped.

4. The two-fluid nozzle control method according to claim 3, wherein the time from the cessation of the liquid supply to the cessation of the gas supply is determined based on the volume of the mixing section of the two-fluid nozzle in which the liquid and the gas are mixed.

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