Processing liquid supply device and processing liquid supply method

Abstract

A processing liquid supply device for supplying a processing liquid is provided, comprising: a processing liquid supply source; a diaphragm pump; a fluid supply mechanism for supplying a fluid to the diaphragm pump in order to discharge the processing liquid; and a control unit. The diaphragm pump has a pump chamber, an operation chamber, and a diaphragm. The pump chamber has an introduction port through which the processing liquid is introduced, a discharge port through which the processing liquid is discharged, and a bubble removal port through which bubbles in the processing liquid stored in the pump chamber are discharged. The fluid supply mechanism includes an electropneumatic regulator to adjust the pressure in the operation chamber. The control unit is configured to perform: a control to set a set pressure of the electropneumatic regulator to a first set pressure to discharge the processing liquid from the discharge port; and a control to set the set pressure of the electropneumatic regulator to a second set pressure smaller than the first set pressure to discharge the bubbles from the bubble removal port.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a processing liquid supply device and a processing liquid supply method.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a processing liquid supply system that includes a processing liquid supply source for supplying a processing liquid, an intermediate storage mechanism that temporarily stores the processing liquid supplied from the processing liquid supply source and discharges it again at a predetermined pressure, and a fluid supply mechanism for supplying a fluid for applying pressure to the processing liquid stored in the intermediate storage mechanism to the intermediate storage mechanism. In this processing liquid supply system, the intermediate storage mechanism has an inlet and an outlet for the processing liquid, a container capable of storing the processing liquid introduced through the inlet and discharging it, and a pressurizing body provided in the container, interposed between the fluid supplied from the fluid supply mechanism and the processing liquid, and applying the pressure of this fluid to the processing liquid.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The technology according to the present disclosure reduces the discharge amount of the processing liquid when venting the processing liquid in a diaphragm pump.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is a processing liquid supply device for supplying a processing liquid, comprising: a processing liquid supply source; a diaphragm pump for discharging the processing liquid introduced from the processing liquid supply source; a fluid supply mechanism for supplying fluid to the diaphragm pump in order to discharge the processing liquid; and a control unit for controlling the operation of the diaphragm pump and the fluid supply mechanism, wherein the diaphragm pump has a pump chamber for storing the processing liquid, an operating chamber to which the fluid is supplied, and a diaphragm provided between the pump chamber and the operating chamber, and the pump chamber is the The fluid supply mechanism has an inlet into which the processing liquid is introduced, an outlet from which the processing liquid is discharged, and a venting port from which bubbles in the processing liquid stored in the pump chamber are discharged. The fluid supply mechanism has an electro-pneumatic regulator for adjusting the pressure in the working chamber, and the control unit is configured to perform the following: set the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator to a first set pressure and discharge the processing liquid from the outlet; and set the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator to a second set pressure smaller than the first set pressure and discharge the bubbles from the venting port. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to this disclosure, the amount of processing liquid discharged when de-foaming the processing liquid in a diaphragm pump can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a resist coating apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a resist coating apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] This figure shows a piping system for illustrating the general configuration of a resist solution supply device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] This is an explanatory diagram showing the general configuration of a diaphragm pump. [Figure 5] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of a diaphragm pump step by step. [Figure 6]This is a timing chart showing the opening and closing operations of the valves in the diaphragm pump and electro-pneumatic regulator. [Figure 7] This diagram schematically shows the change over time of the measured pressure relative to the set pressure of an electro-pneumatic regulator. [Figure 8] This is a diagram to explain the vibration of a diaphragm. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] In the photolithography process used in the manufacturing of semiconductor devices and the like, processing solutions such as resist solution, developer solution, and rinse solution are used to form a resist film on a wafer substrate to create a predetermined resist pattern. These processing solutions are stored in bottles in a processing solution supply device, and the resist solution is supplied from the bottles to a discharge nozzle by a pump, from which it is discharged onto the wafer.

[0009] One example of a pump used to transport processing fluids is a diaphragm pump. A diaphragm pump is a pump having a diaphragm made of a flexible material, and the internal space of the pump is divided into a pump chamber into which the processing fluid is introduced and an operating chamber into which the diaphragm is pressurized or depressurized to expand or contract.

[0010] When using a diaphragm pump to deliver a processing liquid, the processing liquid supplied from the bottle is first introduced into the pump chamber and stored there. Then, the working chamber is pressurized, pushing the diaphragm into the pump chamber, and the processing liquid inside the pump chamber is discharged towards the discharge nozzle.

[0011] Incidentally, the processing liquid stored in the pump chamber may contain air bubbles due to various reasons. For example, when the processing liquid is supplied from a bottle to a diaphragm pump by pressurizing nitrogen gas, air bubbles may form in the processing liquid. Discharging processing liquid containing air bubbles onto a wafer can cause bubble defects, so it is necessary to remove the air bubbles (so-called de-bubbling) before discharging the processing liquid onto the wafer.

[0012] The degassing of the processing liquid is performed, for example, by holding the state in which the processing liquid is stored in the pump chamber for a certain period of time, and thereby discharging the bubbles that have risen in the processing liquid and accumulated in the upper part of the pump chamber. Specifically, a degassing port is formed in the upper part of the pump chamber, and while opening the on-off valve of the discharge pipe connected to the degassing port and pressurizing the working chamber, the diaphragm is pushed into the pump chamber side, whereby the resist liquid in the pump chamber is discharged from the degassing port together with the bubbles.

[0013] Although it is desirable that the discharge amount of the processing liquid discharged during degassing is small, in the conventional processing liquid supply device, the driving pressure of the diaphragm during degassing (for example, the air supply pressure to the working chamber) was the same as the driving pressure of the diaphragm when discharging the processing liquid onto the wafer. Therefore, even if the opening time of the on-off valve of the degassing port is short, the processing liquid is discharged more than necessary, and it was difficult to sufficiently reduce the discharge amount of the processing liquid during degassing.

[0014] Therefore, the technology according to the present disclosure reduces the discharge amount of the processing liquid during degassing in a diaphragm pump.

[0015] Hereinafter, the processing liquid supply device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In this specification, elements having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

[0016] First, a resist coating apparatus as a liquid processing apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIGS. 1 and 2 are longitudinal sectional views and transverse sectional views respectively showing the outline of the configuration of the resist coating apparatus.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, the resist coating apparatus 100 has a processing container 101 that can be closed inside. An inlet / outlet (not shown) for a wafer W as a substrate is formed on the side surface of the processing container 101, and an opening / closing shutter (not shown) is provided at the inlet / outlet.

[0018] At the center of the processing container 101, a spin chuck 102 is provided as a substrate holding unit that holds and rotates the wafer W. The spin chuck 102 has a horizontal upper surface, and on the upper surface, a suction port (not shown) for sucking the wafer W, for example, is provided. The wafer W can be adsorbed and held on the spin chuck 102 by suction from the suction port.

[0019] The spin chuck 102 has a chuck drive mechanism 103 including, for example, a motor or the like, and can be rotated at a predetermined speed by the chuck drive mechanism 103. Further, the chuck drive mechanism 103 is provided with a lifting drive source such as a cylinder, and the spin chuck 102 can move up and down.

[0020] Around the spin chuck 102, a cup 104 is provided to receive and collect the liquid scattered or dropped from the wafer W. A discharge pipe 105 for discharging the collected liquid and an exhaust pipe 106 for exhausting the atmosphere in the cup 104 are connected to the lower surface of the cup 104.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, a rail 107 extending along the Y direction is formed on the negative X side of the cup 104. The rail 107 is formed, for example, from the outside on the negative Y side to the outside on the positive Y side of the cup 104. An arm 108 is attached to the rail 107.

[0022] A discharge nozzle 109 for discharging a resist solution as a processing liquid is supported by the arm 108. The arm 108 is movable on the rail 107 by a nozzle drive unit 110. Thereby, the discharge nozzle 109 can move from a standby unit 111 installed outside the positive Y side of the cup 104 to above the center of the wafer W in the cup 104, and further can move on the surface of the wafer W in the radial direction of the wafer W. Further, the arm 108 can move up and down by the nozzle drive unit 110, and the height of the discharge nozzle 109 can be adjusted.

[0023] As shown in Figure 1, the discharge nozzle 109 is connected to a resist liquid supply device 1, which serves as a processing liquid supply device. The resist liquid supplied to the discharge nozzle 109 is supplied from the resist liquid supply device 1. A detailed explanation of the resist liquid supply device 1 will be provided later.

[0024] The resist coating apparatus 100 described above is provided with at least one control unit M, as shown in Figure 1. The control unit M processes computer-executable instructions that cause the resist coating apparatus 100, the resist liquid supply device 1, etc., to perform the various processes described herein. The control unit M may be configured to control each element of the resist coating apparatus 100 to perform the various processes described herein. In one embodiment, some or all of the control unit M may be included in the resist coating apparatus 100. The control unit M may include a processing unit, a storage unit, and a communication interface. The control unit M is implemented, for example, by a computer. The processing unit may be configured to read a program from the storage unit that provides logic or routines that enable various control operations, and to perform various control operations by executing the read program. This program may be stored in the storage unit in advance, or it may be obtained via a medium when needed. The obtained program is stored in the storage unit and read from the storage unit and executed by the processing unit. The medium may be various storage media readable by a computer, or it may be a communication line connected to a communication interface. The storage medium may be temporary or non-temporary. The processing unit may be a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and may consist of one or more circuits. The storage unit may include RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), or a combination thereof. The communication interface may communicate with the resist coating apparatus 100 via a communication line such as a LAN (Local Area Network).

[0025] <Resist solution supply device> Next, a resist solution supply device, which serves as a processing solution supply device according to this embodiment, will be described. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the piping system for illustrating the general configuration of the resist solution supply device 1.

[0026] The resist liquid supply device 1 includes a liquid supply pipeline 10, which serves as a processing liquid supply pipeline connected to a discharge nozzle 109. In this embodiment, the liquid supply pipeline 10 connects a bottle 20, which serves as a processing liquid supply source for storing resist liquid inside, to the discharge nozzle 109.

[0027] The bottle 20 is replaceable, and a gas supply pipeline 11 equipped with an on / off valve V1 is provided at the top of the bottle 20. The gas supply pipeline 11 connects the bottle 20 to an inert gas supply source 12, which is a source of inert gas such as nitrogen gas.

[0028] The liquid supply pipeline 10 is equipped with the above-mentioned bottle 20, buffer tank 21, filter 22, diaphragm pump 23, and supply control valve 24 in this order from the upstream side.

[0029] Furthermore, the liquid supply pipeline 10 consists of a first pipeline 10a connecting the bottle 20 and the buffer tank 21, a second pipeline 10b connecting the buffer tank 21 and the diaphragm pump 23, and a third pipeline 10c connecting the diaphragm pump 23 and the discharge nozzle 109.

[0030] A shut-off valve V2 is provided in the first pipeline 10a.

[0031] A filter 22 is provided in the second pipeline 10b, and an on-off valve V3 is provided between the buffer tank 21 and the filter 22. In addition, an on-off valve V4 is provided on the inlet side (primary side) of the diaphragm pump 23 to which the second pipeline 10b is connected.

[0032] The third pipeline 10c is equipped with a supply control valve 24, which includes an on-off valve and a suck-back valve. Additionally, an on-off valve V5 is provided on the outlet side (secondary side) of the diaphragm pump 23 to which the third pipeline 10c is connected.

[0033] The buffer tank 21 is a primary storage unit that temporarily stores the resist liquid transferred from the bottle 20. The buffer tank 21 is equipped with a liquid level sensor (not shown) that detects the remaining amount of resist liquid, and according to the detection result of the liquid level sensor, on / off valves V1 and V2 are opened and closed to start / stop the supply of resist liquid from the bottle 20 to the buffer tank 21. In addition, a discharge pipe 13 is provided at the top of the buffer tank 21 to release the inert gas that accumulates at the top of the buffer tank 21 to the atmosphere.

[0034] The filter 22 filters the resist solution to remove particles. The filter 22 is provided with a drainage pipe 14 for draining the resist solution discharged from within the filter 22. The drainage pipe 14 is provided with an on / off valve V6.

[0035] The diaphragm pump 23 is a variable displacement pump that temporarily stores the resist liquid introduced from the primary side inside before sending the resist liquid to the secondary side. Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the schematic configuration of the diaphragm pump.

[0036] As shown in Figure 4, the diaphragm pump 23 has a diaphragm 25 made of a flexible material and a container 26 in which the diaphragm 25 is installed.

[0037] The space inside the container 26 is divided into two regions by the diaphragm 25. This creates a pump chamber 27 where the resist liquid is temporarily stored and an operating chamber 28 for applying driving pressure to the diaphragm 25. The diaphragm 25 is positioned between the pump chamber 27 and the operating chamber 28, and the two chambers are adjacent to each other.

[0038] The pump chamber 27 is provided with an inlet 29 for introducing the resist liquid, an outlet 30 for discharging the resist liquid toward the discharge nozzle 109 (Figure 3), and a bubble vent 31 for removing air bubbles contained in the resist liquid.

[0039] The inlet 29 is located on the side of the pump chamber 27, the discharge port 30 is located on the bottom of the pump chamber 27, and the foam vent 31 is located on the top of the pump chamber 27.

[0040] The working chamber 28 has an air intake / exhaust port 32 for supplying or exhausting air into the working chamber 28. The air intake / exhaust port 32 is located on the side of the working chamber 28.

[0041] The position of each opening 29-32 is not particularly limited as long as it can perform its intended function. For example, the inlet 29 may be located next to the air vent 31.

[0042] A remaining amount detection sensor 33 is provided on the side of the container 26 facing the pump chamber 27 to detect a decrease in the remaining amount of resist liquid in the pump chamber 27. On the other hand, a full-level detection sensor 34 is provided on the side of the container 26 facing the working chamber 28 to detect when the resist liquid in the pump chamber 27 is full. The specific configuration of each sensor 33 and 34 is not particularly limited as long as it can perform its intended function.

[0043] The inlet 29 of the aforementioned pump chamber 27 is connected to the second pipeline 10b shown in Figure 3, the discharge port 30 is connected to the third pipeline 10c shown in Figure 3, and the aeration port 31 is connected to the discharge pipeline 15 shown in Figure 3. An on / off valve V7 is provided in the discharge pipeline 15.

[0044] The intake and exhaust port 32 of the working chamber 28 shown in Figure 4 is connected to the intake and exhaust pipe 16 shown in Figure 3. An electro-pneumatic regulator 40 is provided in this intake and exhaust pipe 16 to adjust the pressure inside the working chamber of the diaphragm pump 23.

[0045] The electro-pneumatic regulator 40 is equipped with a pressure sensor 41 located in the intake and exhaust pipe 16. The pressure information measured by the pressure sensor 41 is output to the control unit M.

[0046] Furthermore, the electro-pneumatic regulator 40 is equipped with on-off valves V8 and V9. On-off valve V8 is provided in the exhaust pipe 17, which is branched from the intake and exhaust pipe 16, and on-off valve V9 is provided in the intake pipe 18, which is branched from the intake and exhaust pipe 16.

[0047] The exhaust line 17 is connected to a suction device 35, which serves as a pressure reduction source for reducing the pressure inside the working chamber of the diaphragm pump 23. The air supply line 18 is connected to a compressor 36, which serves as a pressure source for pressurizing the working chamber of the diaphragm pump 23.

[0048] In this embodiment, the above-described supply and exhaust lines 16, electro-pneumatic regulator 40, exhaust line 17, suction device 35, supply line 18, and compressor 36 constitute a fluid supply mechanism for supplying and exhausting air as a fluid to operate the diaphragm pump 23.

[0049] The valves in the resist liquid supply device 1 described above are solenoid valves or air-operated valves that can be controlled by the control unit M. The control unit M is electrically connected to each of these valves and other components such as the diaphragm pump 23, electro-pneumatic regulator 40, suction device 35, and compressor 36, and controls the operation of each component. This makes it possible to automatically perform a series of processes in the resist liquid supply device 1 under the control of the control unit M.

[0050] For example, the electro-pneumatic regulator 40 can pressurize or depressurize the working chamber 28 shown in Figure 4 by switching the open / closed state of the on / off valves V8 and V9 based on the control signal output from the control unit M.

[0051] The above describes the general configuration of the resist liquid supply device 1 according to this embodiment.

[0052] (Method of supplying resist solution) Next, the method of supplying the resist liquid using the resist liquid supply device 1 will be described with reference to Figures 3, 5, and 6. In this embodiment, the basic operation of supplying the resist liquid from the bottle 20 to the discharge nozzle 109 using the diaphragm pump 23 is performed in the same way as before, so the following description will focus on the operation of the diaphragm pump 23.

[0053] Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of the diaphragm pump 23 for each process. In Figure 5, the thick solid arrows indicate the flow of the resist liquid, and the dotted arrows indicate the flow of air. Figure 6 is a timing chart showing the opening and closing operations of each valve of the diaphragm pump 23 and the electro-pneumatic regulator 40. Processes (A) to (H) in Figure 6 correspond to processes (A) to (H) shown in Figure 5. For the sake of explanation, in Figure 6 and the following explanation, the valves V4, V5, V7, V8, and V9 shown in Figure 3 will be referred to as the inlet valve V4, discharge valve V5, bubble removal valve V7, pressure reducing valve V8, and pressure increasing valve V9, respectively.

[0054] First, in step (A) of discharging the resist liquid onto the wafer, the discharge valve V5 opens and the resist liquid is discharged from the discharge port 30. In this step, the diaphragm 25 contracts toward the pump chamber 27 as the resist liquid is discharged. Consequently, the volume of the working chamber 28 increases, the pressure inside the working chamber 28 decreases, and the measured pressure measured by the pressure sensor 41 also decreases.

[0055] Meanwhile, the pressure measured by the pressure sensor 41 is output to the control unit M. Based on the fact that the measured pressure has fallen below the preset pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator 40, the control unit M outputs a control signal to the electro-pneumatic regulator 40 to open the pressure valve V9. Based on this control signal, the pressure valve V9 opens, air is supplied into the working chamber 28, and the pressure inside the working chamber 28 increases. This makes it possible to maintain a constant discharge pressure from the discharge port 30, enabling constant pressure supply of resist liquid.

[0056] In step (A) described above, the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator 40 is set to the first set pressure. The first set pressure is the pressure at which the pressure difference obtained by subtracting the initial pressure in the working chamber 28 (e.g., atmospheric pressure) from the pressure in the working chamber 28 in step (A) is, for example, 100 to 300 kPa. However, the specific value of the first set pressure is appropriately changed according to the difference in the installation height of the discharge nozzle 109 relative to the diaphragm pump 23, the desired discharge pressure, etc.

[0057] Next, as the amount of resist liquid remaining in the pump chamber 27 decreases due to the discharge of the resist liquid, the remaining amount detection sensor 33 turns ON, as in step (B). This ON state of the remaining amount detection sensor 33 triggers a control signal to be output from the control unit M, causing the discharge valve V5 and the pressure valve V9 to close. This stops the discharge of resist liquid from the discharge port 30 and the supply of air into the operating chamber 28.

[0058] In the next step (C), the pressure reducing valve V8 opens, and air in the working chamber 28 is drawn in through the intake / exhaust port 32. This reduces the pressure inside the working chamber 28, causing the diaphragm 25 to begin expanding from the pump chamber 27 side towards the working chamber 28 side. Note that the pressure difference obtained by subtracting the initial pressure inside the working chamber 28 (e.g., atmospheric pressure) from the pressure inside the working chamber 28 in step (C) is, for example, a pressure of -100 to -40 kPa.

[0059] Next, the pressure valve V9 is opened in that state, and the resist liquid is introduced into the pump chamber 27 from the inlet 29, as in step (D). This replenishes the resist liquid stored in the pump chamber 27.

[0060] Subsequently, when the replenishment of the resist solution is complete, the full-level detection sensor 34 is turned ON, as in step (E). When the full-level detection sensor 34 is turned ON, a control signal is output from the control unit M, and the inlet valve V4 and the pressure reducing valve V8 are closed. As a result, the introduction of resist solution from the inlet 29 and the suction of air from the supply and exhaust port 32 are stopped. At this point, the resist solution stored in the pump chamber 27 may contain air bubbles.

[0061] In the next step (F), the inlet valve V4, discharge valve V5, bubble removal valve V7, pressure reducing valve V8, and pressure increasing valve V9 are all kept closed to separate the bubbles from the resist solution. This step causes the bubbles to rise through the resist solution and accumulate at the top of the pump chamber 27.

[0062] In the next step (G), the pressure valve V9 is opened, and air is supplied into the working chamber 28 from the air supply / exhaust port 32, causing the diaphragm 25 to contract from the working chamber 28 side to the pump chamber 27 side. Also, the bubble venting valve V7 is opened, and the resist liquid stored in the pump chamber 27 is pushed into the diaphragm 25 and discharged from the bubble venting port 31 along with the air bubbles.

[0063] In this embodiment, the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator 40 in process (G) is set to the second set pressure. This second set pressure is lower than the first set pressure in process (A) described above. Therefore, although the working chamber 28 is pressurized when the pressure valve V9 opens, the pressure inside the working chamber 28 is lower than the pressure inside the working chamber 28 in process (A).

[0064] As a result, the contraction speed of the diaphragm 25 from the working chamber 28 to the pump chamber 27 in process (G) is slower than the contraction speed in process (A). Therefore, the flow velocity of the resist liquid discharged from the vent port 31 in process (G) is lower than the flow velocity of the resist liquid discharged from the discharge port 30 in process (A).

[0065] On the other hand, in the conventional diaphragm pump's de-bubbling process, the pressure inside the working chamber 28 was the same as the pressure in the process of discharging the resist liquid onto the wafer. That is, in the conventional de-bubbling process, the flow rate of the resist liquid discharged from the de-bubbling port 31 was the same as that in the process of discharging the resist liquid from the discharge port 30. Therefore, even if the opening time of the de-bubbling valve V7 in the de-bubbling process was short, it was difficult to suppress the discharge of resist liquid that was discharged along with the bubbles.

[0066] In contrast, in the de-foaming process according to this embodiment, the flow velocity of the resist liquid discharged from the de-foaming port 31 can be made smaller than the flow velocity when the resist liquid is discharged from the discharge port 30, thus making it possible to reduce the amount of resist liquid discharged from the de-foaming port 31.

[0067] The second set pressure is adjusted as appropriate within a range that is lower than the first set pressure. The second set pressure is the pressure at which the pressure difference obtained by subtracting the initial pressure in the working chamber 28 (e.g., atmospheric pressure) from the pressure in the working chamber 28 during process (G) is, for example, 10 to 30 kPa.

[0068] In the next step (H), the de-bubble valve V7 and the pressure valve V9 are closed, stopping the discharge of resist liquid from the de-bubble port 31 and the supply of air to the working chamber 28. In this step, the pressure inside the working chamber 28 is kept constant as the inlet valve V4, discharge valve V5, de-bubble valve V7, pressure reducing valve V8, and pressure valve V9 are all closed, and the diaphragm pump 23 waits until the next timing to discharge resist liquid onto the wafer.

[0069] The method for supplying resist solution according to this embodiment has been described above.

[0070] In this embodiment, the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator 40 is set to a first set pressure when discharging the resist solution onto the wafer, and the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator 40 is set to a second set pressure, which is lower than the first set pressure, when removing bubbles from the resist solution. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of resist solution discharged during the bubble removal process.

[0071] (Other configuration examples) In step (H) described above, the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator 40 may be set to a third set pressure that is smaller than the second set pressure. This reduces the pressure (driving pressure) on the surface of the diaphragm 25 on the working chamber 28 side, and suppresses the permeation of air in the working chamber 28 through the diaphragm 25. In other words, it suppresses the generation of bubbles in the resist liquid due to air permeating through the diaphragm 25.

[0072] The third set pressure is adjusted as appropriate within a range that is lower than the second set pressure, but the third set pressure is the pressure at which the pressure difference obtained by subtracting the initial pressure in the working chamber 28 (e.g., atmospheric pressure) from the pressure in the working chamber 28 during process (H) is, for example, -5 to 5 kPa.

[0073] In step (H), the operation of the electro-pneumatic regulator 40 may be stopped. This suppresses the incorporation of particles into the resist solution stored in the pump chamber 27. The reason for this effect is as follows:

[0074] Figure 7 schematically shows the change in the measured pressure over time with respect to the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator 40. In Figure 7, the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator 40 is set to 0 kPa, but in order to maintain the set pressure, the pressure reducing valve V8 and the pressure increasing valve V9 are switched repeatedly at a high frequency. That is, the pressure in the working chamber 28 is repeatedly increased and decreased at a high frequency.

[0075] As a result, the diaphragm 25 repeatedly expands and contracts, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 8, causing the diaphragm 25 to vibrate. This vibration of the diaphragm 25 can cause particles attached to the surface of the diaphragm 25 on the pump chamber 27 side to peel off, and these particles can mix into the resist liquid inside the pump chamber 27.

[0076] In contrast, if the operation of the electro-pneumatic regulator 40 is stopped, pressure control in the working chamber 28 is not performed, thus avoiding frequent pressurization and depressurization in the working chamber 28. In other words, by stopping the operation of the electro-pneumatic regulator 40 in process (H), vibration of the diaphragm 25 can be suppressed, and particle contamination of the resist liquid in the pump chamber 27 can be suppressed.

[0077] The control to stop the operation of the electro-pneumatic regulator 40 is performed, for example, by not outputting control signals from the control unit M to the electro-pneumatic regulator 40 to switch the open / closed state of the pressure reducing valve V8 and the pressure increasing valve V9.

[0078] Furthermore, when stopping the operation of the electro-pneumatic regulator 40, it is preferable to set the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator 40 to the third set pressure described above and stop the operation of the electro-pneumatic regulator 40 after the pressure in the working chamber 28 has reached a steady state. This suppresses vibration of the diaphragm 25 and also suppresses air permeation to the diaphragm 25, thereby achieving both the effect of suppressing particle contamination in the resist liquid and the generation of bubbles in the resist liquid.

[0079] On the other hand, when cleaning the diaphragm pump 23, it is preferable to vibrate the diaphragm 25. For example, with the resist liquid stored in the pump chamber 27, the diaphragm 25 can be vibrated by setting the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator 40 to a constant pressure and operating it. This makes it easier to remove particles adhering to the surface of the diaphragm 25, thereby improving the cleaning ability.

[0080] After the diaphragm 25 is vibrated, the resist liquid in the pump chamber 27 is discharged, for example, from the discharge port 30. More specifically, by setting the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator 40 to a first set pressure, opening the discharge valve V5 and the pressure valve V9, and closing the inlet valve V4, the de-bubble valve V7, and the pressure reducing valve V8, the resist liquid is discharged from the discharge port 30. At this time, the resist liquid discharged from the discharge port 30 is discharged, for example, through the discharge nozzle 109 to a dummy dispense port (not shown).

[0081] Alternatively, for example, the resist liquid after vibrating the diaphragm 25 may be discharged from the bubble vent 31. In this case, for example, the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator 40 is set to the second set pressure, the bubble vent valve V7 and the pressure valve V9 are opened, and the inlet valve V4, the discharge valve V5, and the pressure reducing valve V8 are closed, thereby discharging the resist liquid from the bubble vent 31.

[0082] In the above explanation, one diaphragm pump 23 was provided as the pump on the liquid supply pipeline 10 shown in Figure 3, but an assist pump (not shown) may be provided between the buffer tank 21 and the filter 22, for example. Furthermore, if the configuration of the assist pump is the same as that of the diaphragm pump 23, the amount of resist liquid discharged during the de-bubbling process of the assist pump can also be reduced.

[0083] Furthermore, although the above explanation uses a resist solution as an example of a processing solution, the processing solution may be other liquids supplied to the wafer, such as a developer solution or a rinse solution.

[0084] This concludes the description of the embodiments relating to this disclosure. The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The embodiments described above may be omitted, replaced, or modified in various ways without departing from the scope of the appended claims, the examples of configurations relating to the technical scope of this disclosure described below, and the spirit thereof. For example, the constituent elements of the embodiments described above can be combined in any way. Such any combination will naturally yield the effects and benefits of each constituent element in the combination, as well as other effects and benefits that will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description herein.

[0085] Furthermore, the effects described herein are merely descriptive or illustrative and not limiting. In other words, the technology relating to this disclosure may produce other effects that are obvious to those skilled in the art from the description herein, in addition to or instead of the effects described herein.

[0086] Furthermore, the following configuration examples also fall within the technical scope of this disclosure. (1) A processing liquid supply device that supplies processing liquid, Processing liquid supply source, A diaphragm pump that discharges the processing liquid introduced from the processing liquid supply source, A fluid supply mechanism that supplies fluid to the diaphragm pump in order to discharge the processing liquid, The system comprises a diaphragm pump and a control unit that controls the operation of the fluid supply mechanism, The aforementioned diaphragm pump is A pump chamber in which the aforementioned processing liquid is stored, The working chamber to which the fluid is supplied, It has a diaphragm provided between the pump chamber and the working chamber, The aforementioned pump room is An inlet into which the processing liquid is introduced, The discharge port from which the processing liquid is discharged, The pump chamber has a vent port from which bubbles in the processing liquid stored therein are discharged, The fluid supply mechanism has an electro-pneumatic regulator that adjusts the pressure in the working chamber. The control unit, Control to set the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator to a first set pressure and discharge the processing liquid from the discharge port, A processing liquid supply device configured to perform a control that sets the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator to a second set pressure that is smaller than the first set pressure, thereby discharging the bubbles from the bubble vent. (2) The processing liquid supply device according to (1), wherein the control unit performs control to change the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator to a third set pressure that is smaller than the second set pressure, after discharging the bubbles from the bubble vent and before starting to discharge the processing liquid from the discharge port. (3) The processing liquid supply device according to (1) or (2), wherein the control unit executes control to stop the operation of the electro-pneumatic regulator after discharging the bubbles from the bubble vent and before starting to discharge the processing liquid from the discharge port. (4) The processing liquid supply device according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the control unit performs control to vibrate the diaphragm by maintaining the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator at a constant pressure while the processing liquid stored in the pump chamber is not discharged from the pump chamber during cleaning of the diaphragm pump. (5) The processing liquid supply device according to (4), wherein the control unit vibrates the diaphragm and then controls the electro-pneumatic regulator to set the set pressure to the first set pressure and discharge the processing liquid from the discharge port. (6) The processing liquid supply device according to (4), wherein the control unit vibrates the diaphragm and then controls the electro-pneumatic regulator to set the set pressure to the second set pressure and discharge the processing liquid from the bubble vent. (7) A method for supplying a processing liquid using a processing liquid supply device, The aforementioned processing liquid supply device is Processing liquid supply source, The system includes a diaphragm pump that discharges the processing liquid introduced from the processing liquid supply source, and the diaphragm pump is A pump chamber in which the aforementioned processing liquid is stored, An operating chamber with adjustable internal pressure, It has a diaphragm provided between the pump chamber and the working chamber, The aforementioned pump room is An inlet into which the processing liquid is introduced, The discharge port from which the processing liquid is discharged, The pump chamber has a vent port from which bubbles in the processing liquid stored therein are discharged, A step of setting the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator that adjusts the pressure in the operating chamber to a first set pressure and discharging the processing liquid from the discharge port, A method for supplying a processing liquid, comprising the step of setting the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator to a second set pressure that is smaller than the first set pressure, and discharging the bubbles from the bubble vent. (8) The method for supplying a processing liquid according to (7), wherein between the step of discharging the bubbles from the bubble vent and the step of discharging the processing liquid from the discharge port, the step of changing the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator to a third set pressure that is smaller than the second set pressure. (9) A method for supplying a processing liquid according to either (7) or (8), comprising the step of stopping the operation of the electro-pneumatic regulator between the step of discharging the bubbles from the bubble vent and the step of discharging the processing liquid from the discharge port. (10) The process further includes cleaning the diaphragm pump, A method for supplying a processing liquid according to any one of (7) to (9), wherein, in the step of cleaning the diaphragm pump, the diaphragm is vibrated by maintaining the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator at a constant pressure while the processing liquid stored in the pump chamber is not discharged from the pump chamber. (11) In the process of cleaning the diaphragm pump, The method for supplying a processing liquid according to (10), wherein after vibrating the diaphragm, the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator is set to the first set pressure and the processing liquid is discharged from the discharge port. (12) In the process of cleaning the diaphragm pump, The method for supplying a processing liquid according to (10), wherein after vibrating the diaphragm, the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator is set to the second set pressure and the processing liquid is discharged from the bubble vent. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0087] 1. Resist solution supply device 16. Intake and exhaust piping 17 Exhaust pipe 18 Air supply line 20 bottles 23 Diaphragm pump 25 diaphragm 27 Pump Room 28 Working chamber 29 Inlet 30 outlet 31. Bubble vent 35 Aspirator 36 Compressor 40 Electro-pneumatic regulator M control section V8 Shut-off Valve V9 Shut-off valve

Claims

1. A processing liquid supply device that supplies processing liquid, Processing liquid supply source, A diaphragm pump that discharges the processing liquid introduced from the processing liquid supply source, A fluid supply mechanism that supplies fluid to the diaphragm pump in order to discharge the processing liquid, The system comprises a diaphragm pump and a control unit that controls the operation of the fluid supply mechanism, The aforementioned diaphragm pump is A pump chamber in which the aforementioned processing liquid is stored, The working chamber to which the fluid is supplied, It has a diaphragm provided between the pump chamber and the working chamber, The aforementioned pump room is An inlet into which the processing liquid is introduced, The discharge port from which the processing liquid is discharged, The pump chamber has a vent port from which bubbles in the processing liquid stored therein are discharged, The fluid supply mechanism has an electro-pneumatic regulator that adjusts the pressure in the working chamber. The control unit, Control to set the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator to a first set pressure and discharge the processing liquid from the discharge port, A processing liquid supply device configured to perform a control that sets the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator to a second set pressure that is smaller than the first set pressure, thereby discharging the bubbles from the bubble vent.

2. The processing liquid supply device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs control to change the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator to a third set pressure that is smaller than the second set pressure, after discharging the bubbles from the bubble vent and before starting to discharge the processing liquid from the discharge port.

3. The processing liquid supply device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs control to stop the operation of the electro-pneumatic regulator after discharging the bubbles from the bubble vent and before starting to discharge the processing liquid from the discharge port.

4. The processing liquid supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit, when cleaning the diaphragm pump, performs control to vibrate the diaphragm by maintaining the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator at a constant pressure while the processing liquid stored in the pump chamber is not discharged from the pump chamber.

5. The processing liquid supply device according to claim 4, wherein the control unit vibrates the diaphragm, then sets the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator to a first set pressure and discharges the processing liquid from the discharge port.

6. The processing liquid supply device according to claim 4, wherein the control unit vibrates the diaphragm, then sets the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator to the second set pressure and discharges the processing liquid from the bubble vent.

7. A method for supplying a processing liquid using a processing liquid supply device that supplies the processing liquid, The aforementioned processing liquid supply device is Processing liquid supply source, The system includes a diaphragm pump that discharges the processing liquid introduced from the processing liquid supply source, and the diaphragm pump is A pump chamber in which the aforementioned processing liquid is stored, An operating chamber with adjustable internal pressure, It has a diaphragm provided between the pump chamber and the working chamber, The aforementioned pump room is An inlet into which the processing liquid is introduced, The discharge port from which the processing liquid is discharged, The pump chamber has a vent port from which bubbles in the processing liquid stored therein are discharged, A step of setting the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator that adjusts the pressure in the operating chamber to a first set pressure and discharging the processing liquid from the discharge port, A method for supplying a processing liquid, comprising the step of setting the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator to a second set pressure that is smaller than the first set pressure, and discharging the bubbles from the bubble vent.

8. The method for supplying a processing liquid according to claim 7, further comprising the step of changing the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator to a third set pressure that is smaller than the second set pressure, between the step of discharging the bubbles from the bubble vent and the step of discharging the processing liquid from the discharge port.

9. The method for supplying a processing liquid according to claim 7, further comprising the step of stopping the operation of the electro-pneumatic regulator between the step of discharging the bubbles from the bubble vent and the step of discharging the processing liquid from the discharge port.

10. The process further includes a step of cleaning the diaphragm pump, A method for supplying a processing liquid according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein, in the step of cleaning the diaphragm pump, the diaphragm is vibrated by maintaining the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator at a constant pressure while the processing liquid stored in the pump chamber is not discharged from the pump chamber.

11. In the process of cleaning the diaphragm pump, The method for supplying a processing liquid according to claim 10, wherein after vibrating the diaphragm, the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator is set to a first set pressure and the processing liquid is discharged from the discharge port.

12. In the process of cleaning the diaphragm pump, The method for supplying a processing liquid according to claim 10, wherein after vibrating the diaphragm, the set pressure of the electro-pneumatic regulator is set to the second set pressure and the processing liquid is discharged from the bubble vent.

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