Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Abstract

To provide a substrate processing device and a substrate processing method, capable of maintaining the uniformity of substrate surface treatment.SOLUTION: After immersion treatment, in which a substrate W is immersed into pure water stored in a processing tank 10 and washed with water, is finished, shower rinse treatment is performed while pure water is sprayed like a shower on the substrate W from an upper shower nozzle 60 and a lower shower nozzle 50 in the state where the substrate W is lifted at a lifted position above the processing tank 10. The shower rinse treatment is performed after the substrate W is moved to the outside of the processing tank 10, so that cleaning can be performed by spraying droplets of pure water not only on an upper side portion of the substrate W but also on a lower side portion thereof. Namely, by spraying pure water on the substrate W in the state where the substrate W is lifted from the processing tank 10, droplets of pure water can be supplied on the entire surface of the substrate W, so that the uniformity of surface treatment of the substrate W can be maintained.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method for performing surface processing such as cleaning by immersing a substrate in a processing liquid. Substrates to be processed include, for example, semiconductor substrates, substrates for liquid crystal display devices, substrates for flat panel displays (FPDs), substrates for optical disks, substrates for magnetic disks, or substrates for solar cells.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, substrate processing apparatuses for performing various processes on substrates such as semiconductor substrates have been used. As one such substrate processing apparatus, a batch-type substrate processing apparatus that stores a processing liquid in a processing tank and immerses a plurality of substrates in the processing liquid at once to perform etching processing or the like is known. A typical batch-type substrate processing apparatus includes a chemical liquid tank that stores a chemical liquid and a water washing tank that stores pure water. After performing an etching process or the like on a substrate in the chemical liquid tank, a rinsing process of the substrate is performed in the water washing tank.

[0003] In a general rinsing process in a batch-type substrate processing apparatus, an immersion process of immersing the entire substrate in pure water stored in a water washing tank for water washing and a shower rinsing process of spraying pure water in a shower form from a shower nozzle onto the substrate with the pure water in the water washing tank discharged are often combined and performed. Patent Documents 1 to 3 disclose a technique of spraying a processing liquid in a shower form from a shower nozzle provided above a processing tank onto a substrate held in the processing tank.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

[0005] However, when the processing liquid was sprayed onto the substrate held in the processing tank from above in a shower-like manner, the area on the substrate where the liquid droplets landed was limited, and a sufficient showering effect could not be obtained. In other words, although the liquid droplets came into contact with the upper part of the substrate, the lower part of the substrate was not supplied with enough liquid, resulting in a problem of impaired uniformity of the processing surface. In addition, there was a risk that the liquid droplets that bounced back from the processing tank would adhere to the substrate and contaminate it.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method that can maintain the uniformity of the surface treatment of a substrate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, the invention of claim 1 provides a substrate processing apparatus for surface treatment by immersing a substrate in a processing liquid, comprising: a processing tank for storing the processing liquid; a processing liquid supply unit for supplying the processing liquid into the processing tank; a lifter for holding a substrate in an upright position from below; a lifting unit for raising and lowering the lifter so as to move the held substrate between a lifting position above the processing tank and an immersion position where it is immersed in the processing liquid; and a processing liquid ejection unit for spraying the processing liquid in a shower-like manner toward the substrate. The processing liquid ejection unit has an upper shower nozzle that sprays the processing liquid in a shower-like manner from above the substrate held in the lifted position by the lifter, and a lower shower nozzle that sprays the processing liquid in a shower-like manner from below the substrate held in the lifted position. The processing liquid ejection unit sprays the processing liquid onto the substrate in the state where it has been lifted out of the processing tank. The system further comprises a drive mechanism for raising and lowering the upper shower nozzle. It is characterized by the following:

[0009] Furthermore, claims 2 The invention is claimed 1 In the substrate processing apparatus according to the invention, the upper shower nozzle and the lower shower nozzle alternately spray the processing liquid onto the substrate.

[0010] Furthermore, claims 3 The invention is claimed2 The substrate processing apparatus according to the invention is characterized in that the final processing liquid is sprayed from the upper shower nozzle.

[0011] Furthermore, claims 4 The invention is claimed 1 Claims 3 In a substrate processing apparatus according to any of the inventions, the lower shower nozzle is positioned below the lower end of the substrate held in the lifted position.

[0012] Furthermore, claims 5 The invention is characterized in that, in a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, the lifting unit raises and lowers the lifter so that the substrate moves up and down in the processing liquid that is sprayed in a shower-like manner from the processing liquid ejection unit.

[0013] Furthermore, the invention of claim 6 is a substrate processing apparatus for performing surface treatment by immersing a substrate in a processing liquid, comprising: a processing tank for storing a processing liquid; a processing liquid supply unit for supplying a processing liquid into the processing tank; a lifter for holding a substrate in an upright position from below; a lifting unit for raising and lowering the lifter so as to move the substrate between a lifted position above the processing tank and an immersion position where the substrate is immersed in the processing liquid; and a processing liquid spraying unit for spraying a processing liquid in a shower-like manner toward the substrate, wherein the processing liquid spraying unit further comprises a holding unit that sprays a processing liquid onto the substrate in a state lifted from the processing tank and holds the substrate by contacting a location different from the lifter, and is characterized in that, while the processing liquid is being sprayed from the processing liquid spraying unit, the state in which the substrate is held by the lifter and the state in which the substrate is held by the holding unit are switched. Furthermore, the invention of claim 7 is, 6 The substrate processing apparatus according to the invention is characterized in that the processing liquid ejection unit comprises a shower nozzle that sprays processing liquid in a shower-like manner toward the substrate held by the lifter, and further comprises a rotating unit that rotates the shower nozzle around a horizontal axis so that the direction of ejection of the processing liquid from the shower nozzle changes.

[0014] Furthermore, the invention of claim 8 is characterized in that, in the substrate processing apparatus according to the invention of claim 7, the rotating part rotates the shower nozzle so that the direction in which the processing liquid is ejected from the shower nozzle is toward the substrate which is raised and lowered by the lifter.

[0016] Furthermore, claims 9 The invention is A substrate processing apparatus for surface treatment by immersing a substrate in a processing liquid comprises a processing tank for storing the processing liquid, a processing liquid supply unit for supplying the processing liquid into the processing tank, a lifter for holding the substrate in an upright position from below, a lifting unit for raising and lowering the lifter to move the held substrate between a lifted position above the processing tank and an immersion position in the processing liquid, and a processing liquid spraying unit for spraying the processing liquid in a shower-like manner toward the substrate, wherein the processing liquid spraying unit sprays the processing liquid onto the substrate in a state lifted from the processing tank and blocks the sides of the space above the processing tank. The device is further characterized by comprising a partition plate that prevents the scattering of mist generated by spraying the processing liquid in a shower-like manner from the processing liquid ejection section. Furthermore, the invention of claim 10 is characterized in that, in the substrate processing apparatus according to the invention of claim 9, it further comprises a drive mechanism for moving the partition plate in the vertical direction.

[0017] Moreover, the invention according to claim 11 is a substrate processing method for performing surface treatment by immersing a substrate in a processing liquid. The method includes an immersion step of immersing the substrate in the processing liquid stored in a processing tank to perform surface treatment on the substrate, a lifting step of lifting the substrate from the processing tank by a lifter, and an ejection step of spraying the processing liquid onto the substrate in a shower form in a state where the substrate is lifted from the processing tank. In the spraying process, the upper shower nozzle sprays the processing liquid in a shower-like manner from above the substrate, which is held in a raised position above the processing tank by the lifter, and the lower shower nozzle sprays the processing liquid in a shower-like manner from below the substrate, while the upper shower nozzle moves up and down. It is characterized by this.

[0019] Moreover, claim 12 The invention of is, in the substrate processing method according to the invention of claim 11 It is characterized in that the upper shower nozzle and the lower shower nozzle alternately spray the processing liquid onto the substrate.

[0020] Moreover, claim 13 The invention of is, in the substrate processing method according to the invention of claim 12 It is characterized in that the final spraying of the processing liquid is performed from the upper shower nozzle.

[0021] Moreover, claim 14 The invention of is, in the substrate processing method according to the invention of claim 11, characterized in that in the ejection step, the lifter is moved up and down so that the substrate reciprocates up and down in the processing liquid sprayed in a shower form.

[0022] Furthermore, the invention of claim 15 is a substrate processing method for performing surface processing by immersing a substrate in a processing liquid, comprising: an immersion step of immersing the substrate in a processing liquid stored in a processing tank and performing surface processing on the substrate; a lifting step of lifting the substrate out of the processing tank with a lifter; and a spraying step of spraying the processing liquid in a shower-like manner onto the substrate in the state lifted out of the processing tank, wherein the spraying step is characterized by switching between a state in which the substrate is held by the lifter and a state in which the substrate is held by a holding part that holds the substrate at a location different from the lifter. Moreover, the invention according to claim 16 is, in the substrate processing method according to the invention of claim 15 It is characterized in that in the ejection step, the shower nozzle is rotated around a horizontal axis so that the ejection direction of the processing liquid from the shower nozzle fluctuates with respect to the substrate held by the lifter.

[0023] Moreover, the invention according to claim 17 is, in the substrate processing method according to the invention of claim 16, characterized in that the shower nozzle is rotated so that the ejection direction of the processing liquid from the shower nozzle faces the substrate lifted and lowered by the lifter.

Advantages of the Invention

[0025] According to the inventions of claims 1 to 10, since the processing liquid is sprayed onto the substrate after it has been removed from the processing tank, droplets of the processing liquid can be supplied to the entire surface of the substrate, and the uniformity of the surface treatment of the substrate can be maintained.

[0026] In particular, claims 6 According to this invention, while the processing liquid is being sprayed from the processing liquid ejection section, the state in which the substrate is held by the lifter and the state in which the substrate is held by the holding section are switched. As a result, the processing liquid can be supplied to the contact points between the lifter and the holding section and the substrate, thereby further improving the uniformity of the substrate surface treatment.

[0027] In particular, claims 9 According to this invention, a partition plate is provided to prevent the scattering of mist generated by spraying the treatment liquid in a shower-like manner from the treatment liquid ejection section, thereby preventing contamination of the surrounding environment of the treatment tank.

[0028] Claims 11 to Claims 17 According to this invention, since the processing liquid is sprayed onto the substrate in a shower-like manner after it has been removed from the processing tank, droplets of the processing liquid can be supplied to the entire surface of the substrate, and the uniformity of the substrate surface treatment can be maintained.

[0029] In particular, claims 15 According to this invention, when spraying the processing liquid onto the substrate, the state in which the substrate is held by a lifter and the state in which the substrate is held by a holding part that holds the substrate at a location different from the lifter can be switched, so that the processing liquid can also be supplied to the contact points between the lifter and the holding part and the substrate, thereby further improving the uniformity of the surface treatment of the substrate. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0030] [Figure 1] This is a schematic plan view showing the overall configuration of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This figure shows the main components of the processing unit of the substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 3] This diagram shows the positional relationship between the substrate held in the raised position and the upper and lower shower nozzles. [Figure 4] This diagram shows the process of spraying the treatment liquid from the upper shower nozzle onto the substrate at the lifting position. [Figure 5] This diagram shows the process of spraying the treatment liquid from the lower shower nozzle onto the substrate at the lifted position. [Figure 6] This figure shows the shower rinse treatment of the substrate in the second embodiment. [Figure 7] This figure shows the main components of the processing unit of the third embodiment. [Figure 8] This figure shows the main components of the processing unit according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 9] This figure shows the main components of the processing unit according to the fifth embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0031] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following, expressions indicating relative or absolute positional relationships (e.g., "in one direction," "along one direction," "parallel," "orthogonal," "center," "concentric," "coaxial," etc.) shall, unless otherwise specified, not only strictly represent the positional relationship but also represent a state in which there is a relative displacement in terms of angle or distance within a tolerance or a range in which a similar level of function can be obtained. Similarly, expressions indicating equality (e.g., "identical," "equal," "homogeneous," etc.) shall, unless otherwise specified, not only represent a state in which there is a quantitatively strictly equal state but also represent a state in which there is a difference in which a tolerance or a similar level of function can be obtained. Furthermore, expressions indicating shape (e.g., "circular," "square," "cylindrical," etc.) shall, unless otherwise specified, not only strictly represent the geometrically precise shape but also represent a shape within a range in which a similar level of effect can be obtained, and may have, for example, irregularities or chamfers. Additionally, expressions such as "equipped," "possessing," "containing," "having," etc., for a component are not exclusive expressions that exclude the existence of other components. Furthermore, the expression "at least one of A, B, and C" includes "A only," "B only," "C only," "any two of A, B, and C," and "all of A, B, and C."

[0032] <First Embodiment> Figure 1 is a schematic plan view showing the overall configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present invention. The substrate processing apparatus 100 is a batch-type substrate processing apparatus that performs surface treatment on multiple substrates W at once using a processing solution. The substrates to be processed are circular silicon semiconductor substrates. In Figure 1 and subsequent figures, the dimensions and number of parts are exaggerated or simplified as necessary for ease of understanding. In addition, in Figure 1 and subsequent figures, an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is appropriately attached, with the Z-axis direction being the vertical direction and the XY plane being the horizontal plane, to clarify their directional relationships.

[0033] The substrate processing apparatus 100 mainly comprises a load port 110, an loading / unloading robot 140, a posture changing mechanism 150, a pusher 160, a main transport robot 180, a substrate processing group 120, a transfer cassette 170, and a control unit 70.

[0034] The load port 110 is located at the end of the substrate processing apparatus 100, which is formed in a roughly rectangular shape in plan view. A carrier C, which holds multiple substrates (hereinafter also simply referred to as "substrates") W to be processed by the substrate processing apparatus 100, is placed on the load port 110. Carriers C containing unprocessed substrates W are transported by automated guided vehicles (AGVs, OHTs, etc.) and placed on the load port 110. Carriers C containing processed substrates W are also removed from the load port 110 by automated guided vehicles.

[0035] Carrier C is typically a front-opening unified pod (FOUP) that houses substrates W in a sealed space. Carrier C holds multiple substrates W in a horizontal orientation (orientation with the normal aligned with the vertical direction) stacked at regular intervals in the vertical direction (Z direction) using multiple holding shelves formed inside. The maximum number of substrates that can be housed in carrier C is 25 or 50. In addition to FOUP, carrier C may also take the form of an SMIF (Standard Mechanical Interface) pod or an open cassette (OC) that exposes the stored substrates W to the outside air.

[0036] A pod opener (not shown) and the like are provided at the boundary between the main body of the substrate processing device 100 and the load port 110. The pod opener opens and closes the front cover of the carrier C placed on the load port 110.

[0037] The loading / unloading robot 140 loads unprocessed substrates W from the carrier C, which is placed on the load port 110, into the main body of the substrate processing apparatus 100, and loads processed substrates W from the main body of the substrate processing apparatus 100 into the carrier C, with the carrier C's lid open. More specifically, the loading / unloading robot 140 transports multiple substrates W between the carrier C and the attitude changing mechanism 150. The loading / unloading robot 140 is configured to rotate in a horizontal plane and is equipped with batch hands (not shown) that can move forward and backward, each of which is made up of multiple stacked hand elements, each capable of holding one substrate W.

[0038] The attitude changing mechanism 150 rotates the multiple circuit boards W received from the loading / unloading robot 140 by 90° around the X-axis, changing the orientation of the circuit boards W from a horizontal orientation to an upright orientation (an orientation in which the normal vector is aligned with the horizontal direction). In addition, the attitude changing mechanism 150 changes the orientation of the circuit boards W from an upright orientation to a horizontal orientation before handing them over to the loading / unloading robot 140.

[0039] The pusher 160 is positioned between the attitude changing mechanism 150 and the transfer cassette 170. The pusher 160 transfers the upright substrate W between the attitude changing mechanism 150 and the lifting stage (not shown) provided on the transfer cassette 170.

[0040] The transfer cassette 170 and the substrate processing group 120 are arranged in a line along the X direction. The substrate processing group 120 comprises five processing units 121, 122, 123, 124, and 125. Processing units 121 to 125 are the main parts of the substrate processing apparatus 100 that perform various surface treatments on the substrate W. As shown in Figure 1, within the substrate processing apparatus 100, processing units 121, 122, 123, 124, and 125 are arranged in that order from the (+X) side. Each of the processing units 121, 122, 123, and 124 is equipped with a processing tank 10 for storing processing liquid.

[0041] In this specification, "processing solution" is a conceptual term that includes various chemicals, organic solvents, and pure water. Chemicals include, for example, solutions for etching or solutions for removing particles, and specifically, TMAH (tetramethylammonium hydroxide), SC-1 solution (a mixed solution of ammonium hydroxide, hydrogen peroxide, and pure water), SC-2 solution (a mixed solution of hydrochloric acid, hydrogen peroxide, and pure water), or phosphoric acid. Chemicals also include those diluted with pure water.

[0042] Processing units 121 and 123 each store the same or different chemical solutions and immerse multiple substrates W in the solution at once to perform chemical treatment such as etching. Processing units 122 and 124 each store a rinsing solution (typically pure water) and immerse multiple substrates W in the rinsing solution at once to perform rinsing.

[0043] In the substrate processing unit group 120, processing unit 121 and processing unit 122 are paired, and processing unit 123 and processing unit 124 are paired. A dedicated transport mechanism, a lifter 20, is provided for the pair of processing unit 121 and processing unit 122. The lifter 20 is movable along the X direction between processing unit 121 and processing unit 122. Furthermore, the lifter 20 can be raised and lowered at each of the processing unit 121 and processing unit 122 by a lifting drive mechanism 24. Similarly, a dedicated transport mechanism, a lifter 20, is provided for the pair of processing unit 123 and processing unit 124.

[0044] The lifter 20 holds multiple substrates W received from the main transport robot 180 and immerses the substrates W in a chemical solution stored in the processing tank 10 of the processing unit 121. After the chemical treatment is complete, the lifter 20 lifts the substrates W from the processing unit 121 and transfers them to the processing unit 122, where the substrates W are immersed in a rinsing solution stored in the processing tank 10 of the processing unit 122. After the rinsing treatment is complete, the lifter 20 lifts the substrates W from the processing unit 122 and hands them over to the main transport robot 180. The same operation of the lifter 20 is performed in processing units 123 and 124.

[0045] The processing unit 125 includes a mechanism for reducing the pressure inside a sealed drying chamber to below atmospheric pressure, a mechanism for supplying an organic solvent (e.g., isopropyl alcohol (IPA)) into the drying chamber, and a lifter 20. The processing unit 125 places the substrate W received from the main transport robot 180 by the lifter 20 into the drying chamber, and dries the substrate W by supplying the organic solvent to the substrate W while maintaining a reduced pressure atmosphere inside the drying chamber. After the drying process, the substrate W is transferred to the main transport robot 180 via the lifter 20.

[0046] The transfer cassette 170 is positioned below the main transport robot 180 in its standby position (the position of the main transport robot 180 in Figure 1). The transfer cassette 170 includes a lifting stage (not shown). This lifting stage raises the substrate W received from the pusher 160 in an upright position and hands it over to the main transport robot 180. The lifting stage also lowers the substrate W received from the main transport robot 180 and hands it over to the pusher 160.

[0047] The main transport robot 180 is configured to slide along the X direction, as shown by arrow AR1 in Figure 1. The main transport robot 180 transports the substrate W between a standby position above the transfer cassette 170 and a processing position above any of the processing units 121, 122, 123, 124, or 125.

[0048] The main transport robot 180 is equipped with a pair of substrate chucks 181 that grip multiple substrates W at once. The main transport robot 180 can grip multiple substrates W at once by narrowing the distance between the pair of substrate chucks 181, and can release the gripping state by widening the distance between the substrate chucks 181. With this configuration, the main transport robot 180 can transfer substrates W to the lifting stage of the transfer cassette 170, and can also transfer substrates W to each lifter 20 provided in the substrate processing group 120.

[0049] Next, the configuration of the processing unit 122 provided in the substrate processing apparatus 100 will be described. Here, the processing unit 122 will be described, but the processing unit 124 has a similar configuration. Figure 2 is a diagram showing the main components of the processing unit 122. The processing unit 122 is a rinsing tank that performs a rinsing treatment to wash away the chemical solution from the substrate W that has been treated with the chemical solution in the processing unit 121. As shown in Figure 2, the processing unit 122 mainly comprises a processing tank 10 for storing the processing solution, a lifter 20 that holds multiple substrates W and moves up and down, a processing solution supply unit 30 that supplies the processing solution into the processing tank 10, an upper shower nozzle 60, and a lower shower nozzle 50.

[0050] The treatment tank 10 is a storage container made of a chemical-resistant material such as quartz. The treatment tank 10 has a double-tank structure including an inner tank 11 that stores the treatment liquid and immerses the substrate W inside, and an outer tank 12 formed on the outer circumference of the upper end of the inner tank 11. The inner tank 11 and the outer tank 12 each have an upper opening that opens upward. The height of the upper edge of the outer tank 12 is slightly higher than the height of the upper edge of the inner tank 11. When the treatment liquid is stored up to the upper end of the inner tank 11 and more treatment liquid is supplied from the treatment liquid supply unit 30, the treatment liquid overflows from the top of the inner tank 11 into the outer tank 12. In this embodiment, the processing unit 122 is a water washing tank that performs rinsing, so pure water is supplied to and stored in the treatment tank 10 as the treatment liquid.

[0051] The lifter 20 is a mechanism for holding multiple substrates W together and transporting them vertically. The lifter 20 has a back plate 22 extending vertically (Z direction) and three holding rods 21 extending horizontally (Y direction) from the lower end of the back plate 22. The lower end of the back plate 22 is formed in a V shape. Multiple (for example, 50) holding grooves are engraved on each of the three holding rods 21 extending from the lower end of the back plate 22 at a predetermined pitch. The multiple substrates W are held in an upright position on the three holding rods 21, parallel to each other and spaced apart at predetermined intervals, with their respective peripheral edges fitted into the holding grooves. In other words, the lifter 20 holds the upright substrates W from below.

[0052] Furthermore, the lifter 20 is connected to a lifting drive mechanism 24 conceptually shown in Figure 2 and moves up and down. The lifting drive mechanism 24 moves the lifter 20 up and down along the vertical direction (Z direction), as shown by arrow AR2 in Figure 2. More specifically, the lifting drive mechanism 24 moves the lifter 20 up and down so that the substrate W held by the lifter 20 is moved between a lifted position above the processing tank 10 (position of the substrate W shown in Figure 3) and an immersion position where it is immersed in the processing liquid stored in the processing tank 10 (position of the substrate W shown in Figure 2).

[0053] The processing liquid supply unit 30 comprises a pair of nozzle pipes 31, 31 and a piping system for supplying processing liquid to them. The pair of nozzle pipes 31, 31 (hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between them, they will simply be referred to as nozzle pipes 31) are located at the bottom of the inner tank 11 of the processing tank 10. The nozzle pipes 31 are elongated cylindrical tubular members extending along the Y direction. Multiple discharge ports (not shown) are formed on the nozzle pipes 31 at equal intervals along their longitudinal direction. The processing liquid supplied to the nozzle pipes 31 is discharged into the inner tank 11 from these multiple discharge ports and stored inside the inner tank 11. The nozzle pipes 31 discharge the processing liquid towards the substrate W held in the processing tank 10, that is, diagonally upward. When processing liquid is discharged from the nozzle pipes 31 while processing liquid is stored inside the inner tank 11, an upward flow of processing liquid (upflow) is formed inside the inner tank 11. Furthermore, when the processing liquid is discharged from the nozzle pipe 31 while the processing liquid is stored up to the upper end of the inner tank 11, the processing liquid overflows from the top of the inner tank 11 into the outer tank 12.

[0054] The piping system for supplying the processing liquid to the nozzle pipe 31 is configured with a pipe 32 equipped with a pure water supply source 33, a pump 34, a flow control valve 35, and a supply valve 36. The base end of the pipe 32 is connected to the pure water supply source 33, and the tip end of the pipe 32 is branched into two, each branch connected to the nozzle pipe 31. The pump 34, flow control valve 35, and supply valve 36 are installed along the path of the pipe 32. The pump 34, flow control valve 35, and supply valve 36 are arranged in this order from upstream to downstream (towards the nozzle pipe 31) along the pipe 32.

[0055] Pump 34 pumps pure water from the pure water supply source 33 towards the nozzle pipe 31. Flow rate adjustment valve 35 adjusts the flow rate of pure water flowing through the piping 32. Supply valve 36 opens and closes the flow path of piping 32. By operating pump 34 and opening supply valve 36, pure water supplied from the pure water supply source 33 flows through piping 32 and is sent to the nozzle pipe 31, and its flow rate is controlled by flow rate adjustment valve 35.

[0056] The pure water supplied to the nozzle pipe 31 is discharged from the nozzle pipe 31, forming an upflow of pure water into the treatment tank 10. When the flow rate of pure water supplied to the nozzle pipe 31 is increased or decreased by the flow rate adjustment valve 35, the flow velocity of the pure water discharged from the nozzle pipe 31 into the treatment tank 10 is accelerated or decelerated. In other words, the flow velocity of the pure water in the treatment tank 10 is adjusted by the flow rate adjustment valve 35.

[0057] A drain pipe 43 is connected to the outer tank 12 of the treatment tank 10, and a drain valve 44 is provided on the drain pipe 43. When the drain valve 44 is opened, the pure water that has overflowed from the inner tank 11 into the outer tank 12 is discharged from the drain pipe 43.

[0058] Furthermore, a drain pipe 48 is connected to the bottom wall of the inner tank 11 of the treatment tank 10, and a drain valve 49 is provided on the drain pipe 48. When the drain valve 49 is opened, the pure water stored in the inner tank 11 is rapidly discharged from the bottom of the inner tank 11.

[0059] In the first embodiment, four shower nozzles are provided above the processing tank 10. Specifically, a pair of lower shower nozzles 50, 50 (hereinafter collectively referred to as the lower shower nozzles 50 when there is no need to distinguish between them) are provided at a relatively low position above the processing tank 10, and a pair of upper shower nozzles 60, 60 (hereinafter collectively referred to as the upper shower nozzles 60 when there is no need to distinguish between them) are provided at a higher position. In the first embodiment, these four shower nozzles (lower shower nozzles 50, 50 and upper shower nozzles 60, 60) constitute a processing liquid ejection unit that sprays the processing liquid onto the substrate W in a shower-like manner.

[0060] The lower shower nozzle 50 is located above the processing tank 10 and relatively close to it. The lower shower nozzle 50 is positioned below the lower end of the substrate W, which is held in a raised position by the lifter 20. The lower shower nozzle 50 is a long cylindrical tubular member extending along the Y direction. The distance between the pair of lower shower nozzles 50, 50 is at least greater than the diameter of the substrate W. The lower shower nozzle 50 has a plurality of ejection holes (not shown) formed at equal intervals along its longitudinal direction. The processing liquid supplied to the lower shower nozzle 50 is ejected in a shower-like manner from these multiple ejection holes diagonally upward.

[0061] The piping system for supplying the treatment liquid to the lower shower nozzle 50 is configured with a pipe 52 equipped with a pure water supply source 53, a pump 54, a flow control valve 55, and a supply valve 56. The base end of the pipe 52 is connected to the pure water supply source 53, and the tip end of the pipe 52 is branched into two, each branch connected to the lower shower nozzle 50. The pump 54, flow control valve 55, and supply valve 56 are installed along the path of the pipe 52. The pump 54, flow control valve 55, and supply valve 56 are arranged in this order from upstream to downstream (towards the lower shower nozzle 50) along the pipe 52.

[0062] Pump 54 sends pure water from the pure water supply source 53 to the lower shower nozzle 50. Flow rate adjustment valve 55 adjusts the flow rate of pure water flowing through the piping 52. Supply valve 56 opens and closes the flow path of piping 52. By operating pump 54 and opening supply valve 56, pure water supplied from the pure water supply source 53 flows through piping 52 and is sent to the lower shower nozzle 50, and its flow rate is determined by flow rate adjustment valve 55. The pure water supplied to the lower shower nozzle 50 is sprayed out in a shower-like manner diagonally upward from the lower shower nozzle 50 toward the substrate W which is held in a raised position by the lifter 20.

[0063] On the other hand, the upper shower nozzle 60 is located above the processing tank 10 and even higher than the lower shower nozzle 50. The upper shower nozzle 60 is positioned above the upper end of the substrate W, which is held in a lifted position by the lifter 20. Similar to the lower shower nozzle 50, the upper shower nozzle 60 is also a long cylindrical tubular member extending along the Y direction. The distance between the pair of upper shower nozzles 60, 60 is at least greater than the diameter of the substrate W. The upper shower nozzle 60 has a plurality of ejection holes (not shown) formed at equal intervals along its longitudinal direction. The processing liquid supplied to the upper shower nozzle 60 is ejected in a shower-like manner from these multiple ejection holes diagonally downward.

[0064] The piping system for supplying the treated liquid to the upper shower nozzle 60 consists of a pipe 62 equipped with a pure water supply source 63, a pump 64, a flow control valve 65, and a supply valve 66. The base end of the pipe 62 is connected to the pure water supply source 63, while the tip end of the pipe 62 is branched into two, each branch connected to the upper shower nozzle 60. The pump 64, flow control valve 65, and supply valve 66 are installed along the path of the pipe 62. The pump 64, flow control valve 65, and supply valve 66 are arranged in this order from upstream to downstream (towards the upper shower nozzle 60) along the pipe 62.

[0065] Pump 64 sends pure water from the pure water supply source 63 to the upper shower nozzle 60. Flow rate adjustment valve 65 adjusts the flow rate of pure water flowing through the piping 62. Supply valve 66 opens and closes the flow path of piping 62. By operating pump 64 and opening supply valve 66, pure water supplied from the pure water supply source 63 flows through piping 62 and is sent to the upper shower nozzle 60, and its flow rate is determined by flow rate adjustment valve 65. The pure water supplied to the upper shower nozzle 60 is sprayed out in a shower-like manner diagonally downwards toward the substrate W, which is held in a raised position by the lifter 20.

[0066] Figure 3 shows the positional relationship between the substrate W held in the lifted position and the upper shower nozzle 60 and the lower shower nozzle 50. The lower shower nozzle 50 is positioned below the lower end of the substrate W held in the lifted position by the lifter 20, and the upper shower nozzle 60 is positioned above the upper end of the substrate W. Therefore, by spraying the treatment liquid in a shower-like manner from the upper shower nozzle 60 diagonally downward and from the lower shower nozzle 50 diagonally upward, the treatment liquid is sprayed from all four sides, including the upper and lower ends of the substrate W held in the lifted position. As a result, the treatment liquid is sprayed uniformly over the entire surface of the substrate W.

[0067] Returning to Figure 2, the upper shower nozzle 60 is connected to the drive mechanism 69 conceptually shown in Figure 2 and moves up and down. The upper shower nozzle 60, which is located considerably above the processing tank 10, may interfere with the main transport robot 180, which slides along the X direction. That is, when the main transport robot 180 slides above the processing tank 10 to transfer the lifter 20 and the substrate W, there is a risk of collision with the upper shower nozzle 60. For this reason, when the main transport robot 180 slides above the processing tank 10, the drive mechanism 69 moves the upper shower nozzle 60 downward to avoid it. This prevents interference between the main transport robot 180 and the upper shower nozzle 60.

[0068] The control unit 70 controls various operating mechanisms provided in the substrate processing apparatus 100. The control unit 70 also controls the operation of the processing unit 122. The hardware configuration of the control unit 70 is the same as that of a general computer. That is, the control unit 70 includes a CPU, which is a circuit that performs various calculations, a ROM, which is a read-only memory that stores basic programs, a RAM, which is a read-write memory that stores various information, and a storage unit (for example, a magnetic disk or SSD) that stores control software and data. The control unit 70 is electrically connected to the supply valve 56, the supply valve 66, and the lifting drive mechanism 24, etc., and controls their operation.

[0069] Furthermore, the memory unit of the control unit 70 stores a recipe (hereinafter referred to as "processing recipe") that defines the procedure and conditions for processing the substrate W. The processing recipe is acquired by the substrate processing device 100, for example, when the operator of the device inputs it via a GUI and stores it in the memory unit. Alternatively, the processing recipe may be transmitted from a host computer that manages multiple substrate processing devices 100 to the substrate processing device 100 via communication and stored in the memory unit. Based on the description of the processing recipe stored in the memory unit, the control unit 70 controls the operation of the lifting drive mechanism 24, etc., to carry out the surface treatment of the substrate W as described in the processing recipe.

[0070] Next, the processing operation in the processing unit 122 having the above configuration will be described. The processing unit 122 performs a rinsing process to wash away the chemical solution from the substrate W that has been treated with the chemical solution in the processing unit 121. Pure water is supplied as the processing liquid to the processing tank 10 from the nozzle pipe 31, and pure water is stored in the inner tank 11. If pure water is continued to be supplied from the nozzle pipe 31 while pure water is stored in the inner tank 11, the pure water will overflow from the upper end of the inner tank 11 into the outer tank 12. Also, by discharging pure water from the nozzle pipe 31, processing Tank An upflow of pure water is formed within 10.

[0071] With an upflow of pure water formed in the treatment tank 10, the substrate W after chemical treatment is immersed in the pure water. Specifically, the lifter 20 that holds the substrate W after chemical treatment moves to a lifting position above the treatment tank 10, and the lifter 20 is lowered from the lifting position to the immersion position by the lifting drive mechanism 24. When the lifter 20 moves from the processing unit 121 to the processing unit 122, and when the main transport robot 180 slides to transfer the substrate W to the lifter 20, if the upper shower nozzle 60 obstructs these movements, the drive mechanism 69 retracts the upper shower nozzle 60.

[0072] When the substrate W held by the lifter 20 is lowered to the immersion position in the treatment tank 10, the entire substrate W is immersed in the pure water stored in the treatment tank 10. When the substrate W is held in the immersion position with an upflow of pure water formed in the treatment tank 10, the flow of pure water flows along the surface of the substrate W, washing away any chemicals adhering to the surface of the substrate W and replacing them with pure water.

[0073] After a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the immersion process, in which the substrate W is immersed in the pure water stored in the treatment tank 10 for washing, the lifting drive mechanism 24 raises the lifter 20 from the immersion position to the lifting position under the control of the control unit 70. At this time, the retraction of the upper shower nozzle 60 is released and the upper shower nozzle 60 is stopped in its fixed position.

[0074] As the lifter 20 rises from the immersion position, the substrate W is gradually exposed from the surface of the pure water stored in the treatment tank 10, starting from its upper end. Then, the substrate W, held by the lifter 20, passes between the pair of lower shower nozzles 50, 50 and reaches the lifted position. When the substrate W reaches the lifted position, the lifting drive mechanism 24 stops the lifter 20 from rising. As a result, the substrate W is held in the lifted position by the lifter 20.

[0075] After the substrate W is raised to the lifting position and held there, a shower rinse treatment is started using the lower shower nozzle 50 and the upper shower nozzle 60. When performing the shower rinse treatment, the drain valve 49 may be opened to discharge the pure water stored in the treatment tank 10. Also, when the shower rinse treatment is in progress, the upper shower nozzle 60 is raised to its fixed position, so the main transport robot 180 cannot pass over the treatment tank 10.

[0076] In the first embodiment, the upper shower nozzle 60 first sprays pure water in a shower-like manner from diagonally above the substrate W, which is held in a lifted position by the lifter 20. Figure 4 shows the process of spraying the processing liquid from the upper shower nozzle 60 onto the substrate W in the lifted position. When the upper shower nozzle 60 sprays pure water onto the substrate W, the spraying of pure water from the lower shower nozzle 50 is stopped. The droplets of pure water sprayed in a shower-like manner from the upper shower nozzle 60 mainly land on the upper part (northern hemisphere) of the substrate W above the diameter along the X direction (hereinafter, the diameter along the X direction of the substrate W is also referred to as the "equator"). The pure water that lands on the upper part of the substrate W above the equator then flows downward along the surface of the substrate W and falls from the lower end of the substrate W into the inner tank 11 of the processing tank 10.

[0077] Next, the ejection of pure water from the upper shower nozzle 60 is stopped, and the lower shower nozzle 50 sprays pure water in a shower-like manner from diagonally below the substrate W, which is held in the raised position. Figure 5 shows the process of spraying the processing liquid from the lower shower nozzle 50 onto the substrate W in the raised position. When the lower shower nozzle 50 sprays pure water onto the substrate W, the ejection of pure water from the upper shower nozzle 60 is stopped. The droplets of pure water sprayed in a shower-like manner from the lower shower nozzle 50 mainly land on the part of the substrate W below the equator (southern hemisphere). The pure water that lands on the part of the substrate W below the equator then flows downward along the surface of the substrate W and falls from the lower end of the substrate W into the inner tank 11 of the processing tank 10.

[0078] Subsequently, the spraying of pure water from the lower shower nozzle 50 is stopped, and the upper shower nozzle 60 sprays pure water again in a shower-like manner from diagonally above the substrate W. In other words, in the first embodiment, the upper shower nozzle 60 and the lower shower nozzle 50 alternately spray pure water in a shower-like manner onto the substrate W from above and below. However, after repeating the spraying of pure water from the upper shower nozzle 60 and the spraying of pure water from the lower shower nozzle 50 a predetermined number of times, the final spraying of pure water is performed from the upper shower nozzle 60.

[0079] After the final spraying of pure water by the upper shower nozzle 60 is completed, the main transport robot 180 receives the processed substrate W from the lifter 20. This completes the series of processes in the processing unit 122. Subsequently, the substrate W is transported by the main transport robot 180 to the processing unit 123 for further chemical treatment. Alternatively, the substrate W is transported by the main transport robot 180 to the processing unit 125 for drying treatment. When the main transport robot 180 receives the substrate W from the lifter 20, the drive mechanism 69 retracts the upper shower nozzle 60 to prevent interference between the main transport robot 180 and the upper shower nozzle 60.

[0080] In the first embodiment, after the immersion process, in which the substrate W is immersed in pure water stored in the treatment tank 10 and washed, is completed, the substrate W is raised to a position above the treatment tank 10, and a shower rinse treatment is performed by spraying pure water onto the substrate W in a shower-like manner from the upper shower nozzle 60 and the lower shower nozzle 50. Since the shower rinse treatment is performed after moving the substrate W to the outside of the treatment tank 10, it is possible to spray droplets of pure water onto not only the part of the substrate W above the equator, but also the part below the equator, for cleaning. In other words, by spraying pure water onto the substrate W in the state raised from the treatment tank 10, droplets of pure water can be supplied to the entire surface of the substrate W, thereby maintaining the uniformity of the surface treatment of the substrate W. As a result, the shower rinse treatment can be completed in a short time, improving throughput and reducing the consumption of pure water.

[0081] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, a total of four shower nozzles are provided above the processing tank 10: two upper shower nozzles 60, 60 and two lower shower nozzles 50, 50, and a shower rinse treatment is performed using these nozzles. The lower shower nozzles 50 are installed below the lower end of the substrate W, which is held in the lifted position by the lifter 20. Therefore, it is possible to spray droplets of pure water onto the lower end (South Pole) of the substrate W from the lower shower nozzles 50, and this lower end can also be thoroughly cleaned. On the other hand, the upper shower nozzles 60 are installed above the upper end of the substrate W, which is held in the lifted position. This makes it possible to spray droplets of pure water onto the upper end (North Pole) of the substrate W from the upper shower nozzles 60, and this upper end can also be thoroughly cleaned.

[0082] In the first embodiment, the upper shower nozzle 60 and the lower shower nozzle 50 alternately spray pure water onto the substrate W in a shower-like manner. However, the upper shower nozzle 60 and the lower shower nozzle 50 may be configured to spray pure water onto the substrate W simultaneously. If the upper shower nozzle 60 and the lower shower nozzle 50 spray pure water onto the substrate W simultaneously, the time required for the shower rinse treatment can be further shortened, but there is a risk that the droplets of pure water sprayed from above and below may interfere with each other. If the upper shower nozzle 60 and the lower shower nozzle 50 alternately spray pure water onto the substrate W, as in the first embodiment, pure water will always be sprayed from one side of the substrate W (from above or below), preventing mutual interference of droplets and thus preventing a decrease in cleaning efficiency.

[0083] In particular, in the first embodiment, when pure water is sprayed alternately from the top and bottom of the substrate W, the final spraying of pure water is performed from the upper shower nozzle 60. When pure water is sprayed from the lower shower nozzle 50, the pure water sprayed from below the substrate W lands on the surface of the substrate W and then flows downward in the opposite direction. In contrast, when pure water is sprayed from the upper shower nozzle 60, the pure water sprayed from above the substrate W lands on the surface of the substrate W and then flows downward in one direction, thus further increasing the cleanliness of the substrate W. Therefore, by performing the final spraying of pure water from the upper shower nozzle 60, the cleanliness of the substrate W can be maintained at a higher level.

[0084] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the shower rinse treatment was started after the substrate W was raised and held in the lifting position, but the method is not limited to this, and the shower rinse treatment may be started at least after a portion of the substrate W is exposed to the treatment liquid stored in the treatment tank 10.

[0085] <Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The configuration of the substrate processing apparatus in the second embodiment is the same as in the first embodiment. Also, the processing procedure for the substrate W in the second embodiment is generally the same as in the first embodiment. The difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is that when performing the shower rinse treatment, the substrate W is not fixed and held in an elevated position, but is instead oscillated up and down.

[0086] Figure 6 shows the shower rinse treatment of the substrate W in the second embodiment. In this figure, the same elements as in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0087] In the second embodiment, when shower rinsing the substrate W, the lifting drive mechanism 24 raises and lowers the lifter 20 so that the substrate W reciprocates up and down as shown by arrow AR6 within droplets of pure water sprayed in a shower-like manner from the upper shower nozzle 60 and the lower shower nozzle 50. Because the substrate W reciprocates within droplets of pure water sprayed in a shower-like manner, droplets of pure water are uniformly supplied to the entire surface of the substrate W, thereby further improving the uniformity of the surface treatment of the substrate W.

[0088] As in the second embodiment, when the substrate W is oscillated up and down, the lower end of the substrate W when it is positioned at the lower end of the oscillating range may be below the lower shower nozzle 50. Similarly, the upper end of the substrate W when it is positioned at the upper end of the oscillating range may be above the upper shower nozzle 60.

[0089] Furthermore, when the substrate W is oscillated up and down, the upper shower nozzle 60 and the lower shower nozzle 50 may be configured to spray pure water simultaneously, or they may be configured to spray pure water alternately. In particular, if the lower shower nozzle 50 sprays pure water diagonally upward when the substrate W moves downward, and the upper shower nozzle 60 sprays pure water diagonally downward when the substrate W moves upward, the cleaning efficiency of the substrate W can be further improved. The remaining configuration of the second embodiment, other than the fact that the substrate W is oscillated up and down, is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0090] <Third Embodiment> Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 7 is a diagram showing the main components of the processing unit of the third embodiment. In the third embodiment, two rotatable shower nozzles 80, 80 (hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between them, they will simply be referred to as rotatable shower nozzles 80) are provided instead of the upper shower nozzle 60 and the lower shower nozzle 50. That is, while the first embodiment had four shower nozzles, the third embodiment has two shower nozzles.

[0091] The rotating shower nozzle 80 is positioned at approximately the same height as the lower shower nozzle 50 of the first embodiment, that is, above the treatment tank 10 and relatively close to the treatment tank 10. The rotating shower nozzle 80 is installed below the lower end of the substrate W, which is held in the raised position by the lifter 20. The rotating shower nozzle 80 is a long cylindrical tubular member extending along the Y direction. The distance between the pair of rotating shower nozzles 80, 80 is at least greater than the diameter of the substrate W. The rotating shower nozzle 80 has a plurality of ejection holes (not shown) formed at equal intervals along its longitudinal direction. That is, the shape of the rotating shower nozzle 80 is approximately the same as that of the lower shower nozzle 50 and upper shower nozzle 60 of the first embodiment. Pure water is supplied to the rotating shower nozzle 80 from a pure water supply mechanism similar to that of the lower shower nozzle 50 of the first embodiment.

[0092] The rotating shower nozzle 80 is made rotatable around the Y-axis in the horizontal direction, as indicated by arrow AR7, by a rotation drive mechanism 84 conceptually shown in Figure 7. For example, a pulse motor can be used as the rotation drive mechanism 84. As the treatment liquid is ejected from the rotating shower nozzle 80, the rotation drive mechanism 84 rotates the rotating shower nozzle 80, causing the direction of ejection of the treatment liquid to rotate within the XZ plane.

[0093] In the third embodiment, the rotation drive mechanism 84 rotates the rotation shower nozzle 80 so that the direction of ejection of pure water from the rotation shower nozzle 80 is toward the substrate W which is raised and lowered by the lifter 20. Specifically, after the immersion treatment of the substrate W is completed, as the lifter 20 rises, the substrate W is gradually exposed from the surface of the pure water stored in the treatment tank 10, starting from the top. When the top of the substrate W is exposed from the surface of the pure water, the rotation shower nozzle 80 starts to eject pure water. The rotation shower nozzle 80 sprays pure water in a shower-like manner toward the substrate W held by the lifter 20. As the substrate W rises further by the lifter 20, the rotation shower nozzle 80 rotates so that the ejection direction follows the upward movement of the substrate W. That is, as the substrate W rises by the lifter 20, the rotation shower nozzle 80 rotates so that the ejection direction of the pure water also rises. As a result, droplets of pure water are constantly sprayed onto the substrate W as it is raised by the lifter 20 from the rotating shower nozzle 80. The rotating shower nozzle 80 continues to rotate until the substrate W rises and reaches the lifted position.

[0094] In the third embodiment as well, pure water is sprayed from the rotating shower nozzle 80 onto the substrate W as it is lifted out of the treatment tank 10. In addition, since the rotating shower nozzle 80 rotates so that the direction of the pure water spray is toward the substrate W as it moves up and down, droplets of pure water can be supplied to the entire surface of the substrate W, and the uniformity of the surface treatment of the substrate W can be maintained.

[0095] In the third embodiment, there are two shower nozzles, and the element corresponding to the upper shower nozzle 60 of the first embodiment is not provided. Therefore, the device configuration can be simplified. Furthermore, there is no concern about interference between the main transport robot 180 and the upper shower nozzle 60. In addition, there is no need to provide a drive mechanism 69 for retracting the upper shower nozzle 60 downward.

[0096] <Fourth Embodiment> Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 8 is a diagram showing the main components of the processing unit of the fourth embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment, a pair of substrate holding parts 91, 91 (hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between them, they will simply be referred to as substrate holding parts 91) are provided. The remaining components of the fourth embodiment other than the substrate holding parts 91 are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0097] The substrate holding portion 91 is a rod-shaped member extending along the Y direction. The substrate holding portion 91 is located above the processing tank 10, at a height between the upper shower nozzle 60 and the lower shower nozzle 50. Two substrate holding portions 91 are provided so as to sandwich both sides of the substrate W, which is held in the lifted position by the lifter 20. Each substrate holding portion 91 has a plurality (for example, 50) of holding grooves engraved at a predetermined pitch along the Y direction. The pitch of the holding grooves engraved on the substrate holding portion 91 is the same as the pitch of the holding grooves engraved on the holding rod 21 of the lifter 20.

[0098] The substrate holder 91 is moved along the X direction by a drive mechanism (not shown) as indicated by arrow AR8. That is, the pair of substrate holders 91, 91 perform an opening and closing operation to expand and contract the distance between them. When the pair of substrate holders 91, 91 are spaced apart, the substrates W held by the lifter 20 can pass between them. On the other hand, when the pair of substrate holders 91, 91 are spaced apart, the substrate holder 91 can receive and hold multiple substrates W by fitting the peripheral edges of each of the multiple substrates W held by the lifter 20 into the holding grooves of the substrate holder 91.

[0099] With the substrate W held in the lifted position by the lifter 20, the pair of substrate holding parts 91, 91 slide to narrow the distance between them, causing the lifter 20 to descend, thereby transferring the substrate W from the lifter 20 to the substrate holding parts 91. Also, with the substrate W being held by the substrate holding parts 91, the lifter 20 rises, transferring the substrate W from the substrate holding parts 91 to the lifter 20. The contact points where the three holding rods 21 contact the substrate W when the lifter 20 is holding the substrate W are different from the contact points where the substrate holding parts 91 contact the substrate W when the substrate holding parts 91 are holding the substrate W.

[0100] In the fourth embodiment, when performing a shower rinse treatment, pure water is first sprayed in a shower-like manner from the upper shower nozzle 60 and the lower shower nozzle 50 toward the substrate W which is held in a raised position by the lifter 20. By spraying pure water in a shower-like manner toward the substrate W from the upper shower nozzle 60 and the lower shower nozzle 50 while the substrate W is raised to a raised position above the treatment tank 10, droplets can be supplied to the entire surface of the substrate W for cleaning. However, droplets are not easily supplied to the contact points between the substrate W and the three holding rods 21. Therefore, these contact points are not sufficiently cleaned.

[0101] Therefore, while spraying pure water from the upper shower nozzle 60 and the lower shower nozzle 50, the lifter 20 descends to hold the substrate W in the substrate holding section 91. This opens up the contact points between the substrate W and the three holding rods 21, and these contact points are sufficiently supplied with droplets of pure water for cleaning. When the substrate W is held in the substrate holding section 91, it becomes more difficult to supply droplets of pure water to the contact points between the substrate W and the substrate holding section 91, but these contact points are sufficiently supplied with droplets of pure water when the substrate W is held by the lifter 20.

[0102] In the fourth embodiment, while pure water is being sprayed from the upper shower nozzle 60 and the lower shower nozzle 50, the state in which the substrate W is held by the lifter 20 and the state in which the substrate W is held by the substrate holding part 91 are switched. When the substrate W is held by the lifter 20, the contact points of the three holding rods 21 with the substrate W cause a decrease in cleaning efficiency, but when the substrate W is held by the substrate holding part 91, these points are released and cleaned efficiently. Conversely, when the substrate W is held by the substrate holding part 91, the contact points of the substrate holding part 91 with the substrate W cause a decrease in cleaning efficiency, but these points are released and cleaned efficiently when the substrate W is held by the lifter 20. As a result, singular points that cause a decrease in cleaning efficiency due to contact are eliminated, and the entire surface of the substrate W can be cleaned uniformly.

[0103] <Fifth Embodiment> Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 9 is a diagram showing the main components of the processing unit of the fifth embodiment. In the fifth embodiment, a partition plate 95 is further provided in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment. The remaining components of the fifth embodiment, other than the partition plate 95, are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0104] The partition plate 95 is a plate-shaped member that shields the space between adjacent processing units. The partition plate 95 moves vertically (Z direction) by a drive mechanism (not shown in the figure). When the partition plate 95 is raised, the space above the processing tank 10 is shielded from the adjacent processing unit. In Figure 9, when the partition plate 95 on the left side of the paper is raised, the space above the processing tank 10 of processing unit 122 is blocked from processing unit 123. On the other hand, when the partition plate 95 on the right side of the paper in Figure 9 is raised, the space above the processing tank 10 of processing unit 122 is blocked from processing unit 121. When the partition plate 95 is lowered, the space above the processing tank 10 is opened from the adjacent processing unit.

[0105] In the fifth embodiment, when performing a shower rinse treatment, pure water is sprayed in a shower-like manner from the upper shower nozzle 60 and the lower shower nozzle 50 onto the substrate W, which is held in a lifted position by the lifter 20. By spraying pure water in a shower-like manner onto the substrate W held by the lifter 20, a mist composed of numerous minute water droplets is generated. Since the mist is generated in the space above the treatment tank 10, such mist may flow into adjacent treatment areas and contaminate the atmosphere of those areas. For this reason, when performing a shower rinse treatment in the fifth embodiment, the partition plate 95 is raised to shield the space above the treatment tank 10 from adjacent treatment areas. This prevents the scattering of mist generated by spraying pure water in a shower-like manner onto the substrate W by the partition plate 95, and prevents such mist from flowing into adjacent treatment areas.

[0106] In the fifth embodiment, there is a risk that the mist generated by spraying pure water onto the substrate W in a shower-like manner after it has been removed from the processing tank 10 may diffuse. However, by providing a partition plate 95, the scattering of the mist is prevented. This prevents contamination of the environment surrounding the processing tank 10.

[0107] <Variation> While embodiments of the present invention have been described above, various modifications can be made to this invention without departing from its spirit. For example, in the above embodiments, the technology of the present invention was applied to a processing unit 122, which is a water washing tank that performs a rinsing treatment on a substrate W that has been treated with a chemical solution, but the invention is not limited to this. A processing unit that sequentially replaces a chemical solution with pure water in a single processing tank and performs both chemical solution treatment and rinsing treatment in that tank may be provided with the same configuration as in the above embodiments. Even in this case, droplets of the processing solution can be supplied to the entire surface of the substrate W, and the uniformity of the surface treatment of the substrate W can be maintained.

[0108] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, pure water was sprayed onto the substrate W in a shower-like manner as the processing liquid, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, isopropyl alcohol (IPA), which is a drying medium, may be sprayed onto the substrate W in a shower-like manner as the processing liquid. Even when a liquid other than pure water is used as the processing liquid, by adopting the same configuration as in the above embodiments, droplets of the processing liquid can be supplied to the entire surface of the substrate W, and the uniformity of the surface treatment of the substrate W can be maintained.

[0109] Furthermore, while the first embodiment provided four shower nozzles, it is also possible to provide an even larger number of shower nozzles (for example, six or eight).

[0110] Alternatively, two of the four shower nozzles may be positioned at approximately the same height as the lower shower nozzle 50 of the first embodiment, and the remaining two may be positioned directly above them. The spray direction of the two lower shower nozzles is to the portion of the substrate W below the equator, and the spray direction of the two upper shower nozzles is to the portion of the substrate W above the equator. Even in this configuration, droplets of pure water can be supplied to the entire surface of the substrate W, thereby maintaining uniformity of the surface treatment of the substrate W.

[0111] Furthermore, in the fourth embodiment, the substrate W may be held by the substrate chuck 181 (Figure 1) of the main transport robot 180 instead of the substrate holding unit 91. In this way, the substrate W can be held by the main transport robot 180, which is an existing configuration, without the need for the substrate holding unit 91. However, while the main transport robot 180 is holding the substrate W for the shower rinse process, the main transport robot 180 cannot perform other jobs, which may reduce the overall processing efficiency of the substrate processing apparatus 100.

[0112] In the fifth embodiment, a shower nozzle may be provided to spray cleaning solution toward the partition plate 95, thereby washing away any mist adhering to the partition plate 95. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 10 Processing tanks 11 Inner tank 12 Outer tank 20 Lifters 21 Holding rod 24 Lifting drive mechanism 30 Processing liquid supply unit 31 Nozzle tube 50 Lower shower nozzle 60 Upper shower nozzle 70 Control Unit 80 Rotating Shower Nozzle 84 Rotary drive mechanism 91 Board holding part 95 Partition Plate 100 Substrate Processing Equipment 121,122,123,124,125 Processing Unit 180 Main transport robot W board

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus that performs surface treatment by immersing a substrate in a processing solution, A treatment tank for storing the treated liquid, A processing liquid supply unit that supplies processing liquid into the processing tank, A lifter that holds the base plate in an upright position from below, A lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the lifter to move the substrate being held between a lifted position above the processing tank and an immersion position where it is immersed in the processing liquid, A processing liquid ejection unit that sprays the processing liquid in a shower-like manner toward the substrate, Equipped with, The aforementioned processing liquid ejection section is, An upper shower nozzle that sprays the processing liquid in a shower-like manner from above the substrate held in the lifted position by the lifter, A lower shower nozzle that sprays the processing liquid in a shower-like manner from below the substrate held in the aforementioned lifting position, It has, The aforementioned processing liquid ejection unit sprays the processing liquid onto the substrate in the state where it has been lifted out of the processing tank. A substrate processing apparatus further comprising a drive mechanism for raising and lowering the upper shower nozzle.

2. In the substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, A substrate processing apparatus characterized in that the upper shower nozzle and the lower shower nozzle alternately spray a processing liquid onto the substrate.

3. In the substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, A substrate processing apparatus characterized in that the final treatment liquid is sprayed from the upper shower nozzle.

4. In the substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, The substrate processing apparatus is characterized in that the lower shower nozzle is positioned below the lower end of the substrate held in the raised position.

5. In the substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, A substrate processing apparatus characterized in that the lifting unit raises and lowers the lifter so that the substrate moves up and down in the processing liquid that is sprayed in a shower-like manner from the processing liquid ejection unit.

6. A substrate processing apparatus for performing surface treatment by immersing a substrate in a processing liquid, A treatment tank for storing the treated liquid, A processing liquid supply unit that supplies processing liquid into the processing tank, A lifter that holds the base plate in an upright position from below, A lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the lifter to move the substrate being held between a lifted position above the processing tank and an immersion position where it is immersed in the processing liquid, A processing liquid ejection unit that sprays the processing liquid in a shower-like manner toward the substrate, Equipped with, The aforementioned processing liquid ejection unit sprays the processing liquid onto the substrate in the state where it has been lifted out of the processing tank. The system further includes a holding portion that contacts a location different from the lifter and holds the substrate, A substrate processing apparatus characterized by switching between a state in which the substrate is held by the lifter and a state in which the substrate is held by the holding part while the processing liquid is being sprayed from the processing liquid ejection part.

7. In the substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, The processing liquid ejection unit is equipped with a shower nozzle that sprays the processing liquid in a shower-like manner toward the substrate held by the lifter. A substrate processing apparatus further comprising a rotating part that rotates the shower nozzle around a horizontal axis so that the direction of ejection of the processing liquid from the shower nozzle changes.

8. In the substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, The aforementioned rotating part rotates the shower nozzle so that the direction in which the processing liquid is ejected from the shower nozzle is toward the substrate which is raised and lowered by the lifter.

9. A substrate processing apparatus for performing surface treatment by immersing a substrate in a processing liquid, A treatment tank for storing the treated liquid, A processing liquid supply unit that supplies processing liquid into the processing tank, A lifter that holds the base plate in an upright position from below, A lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the lifter to move the substrate being held between a lifted position above the processing tank and an immersion position where it is immersed in the processing liquid, A processing liquid ejection unit that sprays the processing liquid in a shower-like manner toward the substrate, Equipped with, The aforementioned processing liquid ejection unit sprays the processing liquid onto the substrate in the state where it has been lifted out of the processing tank. A substrate processing apparatus further comprising a partition plate that blocks the sides of the upper space of the processing tank and prevents the scattering of mist generated by spraying the processing liquid in a shower-like manner from the processing liquid ejection part.

10. In the substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, A substrate processing apparatus further comprising a drive mechanism for moving the partition plate in the vertical direction.

11. A substrate processing method that involves immersing a substrate in a processing solution to perform surface treatment, An immersion step in which the substrate is immersed in a processing liquid stored in a processing tank to perform surface treatment on the substrate, A lifting step in which the substrate is lifted out of the processing tank by a lifter, A spraying step in which the processing liquid is sprayed in a shower-like manner onto the substrate after it has been removed from the processing tank, Equipped with, In the ejection process, the upper shower nozzle sprays the processing liquid in a shower-like manner from above the substrate, which is held in a raised position above the processing tank by the lifter, and the lower shower nozzle sprays the processing liquid in a shower-like manner from below the substrate. A substrate processing method characterized by moving the upper shower nozzle up and down.

12. In the substrate processing method according to claim 11, A substrate processing method characterized by alternately spraying the processing liquid onto the substrate using the upper shower nozzle and the lower shower nozzle.

13. In the substrate processing method according to claim 12, A substrate processing method characterized in that the final processing liquid is sprayed from the upper shower nozzle.

14. In the substrate processing method according to claim 11, A substrate processing method characterized in that, in the ejection step, the lifter is raised and lowered so that the substrate moves up and down back and forth in the processing liquid that is sprayed in a shower-like manner.

15. A substrate processing method for performing surface processing by immersing the substrate in a processing solution, An immersion step in which the substrate is immersed in a processing liquid stored in a processing tank to perform surface treatment on the substrate, A lifting step in which the substrate is lifted out of the processing tank by a lifter, A spraying step in which the processing liquid is sprayed in a shower-like manner onto the substrate after it has been removed from the processing tank, Equipped with, The substrate processing method is characterized in that, in the ejection step, the substrate is held by the lifter and the substrate is held by a holding part that holds the substrate at a location different from the lifter.

16. In the substrate processing method according to claim 15, A substrate processing method characterized in that, in the ejection step, the shower nozzle is rotated around a horizontal axis so that the direction of ejection of the processing liquid from the shower nozzle, which sprays the processing liquid in a shower-like manner toward the substrate held by the lifter, is varied.

17. In the substrate processing method according to claim 16, A substrate processing method characterized by rotating the shower nozzle so that the direction of ejection of the processing liquid from the shower nozzle is toward the substrate which is raised and lowered by the lifter.

Images