Substrate treatment apparatus, substrate treatment method, and computer-readable recording medium

Abstract

This substrate treatment apparatus comprises: a substrate holding unit that holds a substrate; a treatment liquid supply unit that supplies a treatment liquid to the substrate; a liquid reception unit that receives the treatment liquid flying from the substrate; a substrate heating unit that heats the substrate held by the substrate holding unit; a state acquisition unit that acquires the state of at least the peripheral edge of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit; a lifting unit that raises and lowers at least one of the substrate holding unit and the liquid reception unit; and a control unit that controls the lifting unit. The control unit controls the lifting unit on the basis of the state, acquired by the state acquisition unit, of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and heated by the substrate heating unit, to raise and lower at least one of the substrate holding unit and the liquid reception unit.

Description

SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS, SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate processing method, and a computer-readable recording medium.

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-144222 discloses a substrate processing apparatus that performs bevel cutting on the peripheral edge of a substrate.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-46105

[0004] The present disclosure provides a technique that is advantageous for performing liquid processing on a substrate with high precision.

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus comprising a substrate holding unit that holds a substrate, a processing liquid supply unit that supplies processing liquid to the substrate, a liquid receiving unit that receives processing liquid flying from the substrate, a substrate heating unit that heats the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, a state acquisition unit that acquires the state of at least the peripheral portion of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, a lifting unit that raises and lowers at least one of the substrate holding unit and the liquid receiving unit, and a control unit that controls the lifting unit, wherein the control unit controls the lifting unit based on the state of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and heated by the substrate heating unit, and raises and lowers at least one of the substrate holding unit and the liquid receiving unit.

[0006] The present disclosure is advantageous in that liquid processing of a substrate can be performed with high precision.

[0007] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus for processing a peripheral portion of a substrate. FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the substrate-heating unit gap between a substrate and a substrate heating unit. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a first liquid processing flow according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a second liquid processing flow according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the gap between a substrate and a liquid receiving unit of a cup body. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a first liquid processing flow according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a first liquid processing flow according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a first liquid processing flow according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a second liquid processing flow according to the second embodiment.

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. For ease of understanding, the shapes, sizes, and aspect ratios of elements shown in the drawings may not necessarily match between the drawings, and may not necessarily match the shapes, sizes, and aspect ratios of the actual objects.

[0009] [Substrate Processing Apparatus] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus 1 for processing the peripheral portion of a substrate W. As shown in FIG.

[0010] 1 is installed in a processing chamber 1a and performs liquid processing on a disk-shaped substrate (wafer) W, particularly performing bevel cutting processing on the substrate W by applying a processing liquid to the peripheral portion (edge ​​portion) of the rotating substrate W. A film (i.e., a nitride film) made of, for example, SiN (silicon nitride) is formed on the substrate W, and this film extends from the upper surface of the substrate W, across the side edges of the substrate W, and onto the peripheral portion of the lower surface of the substrate W. The bevel cutting processing is a process of removing the film from the peripheral portion of the substrate W, and a chemical liquid (e.g., an etching solution) or the like is used as the processing liquid for removing the film.

[0011] The processing liquid that can be used in the bevel cutting process is not limited. For example, an alkaline chemical liquid such as a mixed solution of ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, and pure water (i.e., SC-1 liquid), or an acidic chemical liquid such as a mixed solution of hydrofluoric acid and pure water (i.e., HF (Hydro Fluoric Acid) liquid) may be used as the processing liquid. Furthermore, a cleaning liquid, a rinse liquid, or a liquid that can be used for any other purpose may be used as the processing liquid.

[0012] The upper and lower surfaces of the substrate W are the surfaces facing upward and downward, respectively, when the substrate W is held horizontally. The peripheral portion of the substrate W is an edge region on the outer periphery of the substrate W, and is often a region where a pattern of a semiconductor device (i.e., a device portion) is not formed.

[0013] The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a nozzle drive unit 70 provided with a chemical solution nozzle 73 and a rinse nozzle 76. The nozzle drive unit 70 is movable in the vertical and horizontal directions under the control of the control unit 7, and can be positioned at any vertical and horizontal position together with the chemical solution nozzle 73 and the rinse nozzle 76. For example, while the processing liquid is not being discharged from either the chemical solution nozzle 73 or the rinse nozzle 76, the chemical solution nozzle 73 and the rinse nozzle 76 may be positioned above a liquid drop prevention member 51 provided on the cover member 5. In this case, even if droplets of the processing liquid fall from the chemical solution nozzle 73 and the rinse nozzle 76, the droplets fall onto the liquid drop prevention member 51, and therefore the substrate W is not contaminated by the droplets.

[0014] A first chemical liquid supply unit 75 is connected to the chemical liquid nozzle 73 via a supply pipe 75a, and a first rinse liquid supply unit 78 is connected to the rinse nozzle 76 via a supply pipe 78a. The chemical liquid nozzle 73 ejects the chemical liquid from above the substrate W held by the substrate holding unit 20 toward the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the substrate W. The rinse nozzle 76 ejects the rinse liquid from above the substrate W held by the substrate holding unit 20 toward the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the substrate W. In this way, the chemical liquid nozzle 73 and the rinse nozzle 76 function as processing liquid supply units that supply processing liquids (chemical liquid and rinse liquid in this example) to the peripheral portion of the substrate W.

[0015] If the angle at which the processing liquid is ejected relative to the peripheral edge of the substrate W is close to perpendicular (i.e., 90°) to the processing surface of the peripheral edge, the processing liquid that lands on the peripheral edge may bounce back toward the center of rotation of the substrate, and the processing liquid may adhere to unintended locations, contaminating the substrate. Therefore, by ejecting the processing liquid toward the outer periphery of the substrate W and at an angle relative to the substrate W, the processing liquid can be effectively prevented from bouncing back toward the center of rotation of the substrate W.

[0016] 1 discharges a processing liquid from below the substrate W held by the substrate holding unit 20 toward the peripheral edge of the underside of the substrate W, thereby enabling bevel cutting processing to be performed on the peripheral edge of the underside of the substrate W. That is, a chemical liquid discharge port 90 and a rinse liquid discharge port 93 are further formed in the cup body 3 (particularly in the upper surface portion facing the underside of the substrate W held by the substrate holding unit 20). A second chemical liquid supply unit 92 is connected to the chemical liquid discharge port 90 via a supply pipe 92a, and a second rinse liquid supply unit 94 is connected to the rinse liquid discharge port 93 via a supply pipe 94a.

[0017] Furthermore, a cleaning liquid discharge port 40 and a gas supply port 11a are also formed in the cup body 3 (particularly in the upper surface portion facing the lower surface of the substrate W held by the substrate holding part 20). A ring-shaped buffer 40a that stores cleaning liquid is connected to the cleaning liquid discharge port 40, and the substrate W (particularly its lower surface) can be cleaned with the cleaning liquid discharged from the cleaning liquid discharge port 40. In this way, in addition to the chemical liquid nozzle 73 and rinse nozzle 76 described above, the cleaning liquid discharge port 40, rinse liquid discharge port 93, and chemical liquid discharge port 90 also function as processing liquid supply units that supply processing liquids (cleaning liquid, rinse liquid, and chemical liquid in this example) to the peripheral edge of the substrate W.

[0018] The gas supply port 11a is an opening of the heating fluid flow path 11, and ejects a heating gas (heating fluid) such as an inert gas such as nitrogen or dry air heated by the heater 10 in the heating fluid flow path 11. The heating gas blown from the gas supply port 11a onto the underside of the substrate W heats the substrate W and prevents processing liquids (chemical liquid and rinse liquid) from entering the center of the substrate W. In the example shown in FIG. 1, multiple (two in this example) gas supply ports 11a are provided at different positions relative to each other in the radial direction of the substrate W, and heating gas is blown from these gas supply ports 11a toward different radial locations on the substrate W. Blowing heating gas toward the substrate W from such multiple gas supply ports 11a is advantageous for efficiently and uniformly heating the entire substrate W.

[0019] The substrate holding unit 20 has a substrate holder 21 that holds the substrate W horizontally, a substrate holding drive shaft 23 that extends vertically and has its upper tip fixed to the substrate holder 21, and a substrate holding drive unit 22 that drives the substrate holder 21 via the substrate holding drive shaft 23.

[0020] The substrate holding drive unit 22, which is driven under the control of the control unit 7, includes, for example, a motor, and can rotate the substrate W around a vertical axis and move it up and down along the vertical axis together with the substrate holder 21 and the substrate holding drive shaft 23. The substrate holding drive unit 22 shown in Figure 1 has a rotation drive unit 22a that rotates the substrate holder 21 via the substrate holding drive shaft 23, and an elevation drive unit (elevation mechanism) 22b that raises and lowers the substrate holder 21 via the substrate holding drive shaft 23.

[0021] 1, the rotation drive unit 22a and the elevation drive unit 22b are provided as separate units, and the elevation drive unit 22b raises and lowers the rotation drive unit 22a as well as the substrate holder 21 and the substrate holding drive shaft 23. However, the substrate holding drive unit 22 may have any configuration. For example, the rotation drive unit 22a and the elevation drive unit 22b may be provided integrally, or may be configured to rotate or raise and lower the substrate holder 21 and the substrate holding drive shaft 23 without rotating or raising and lowering each other.

[0022] In this way, the substrate holder 20 holds the substrate W and rotates or raises and lowers the substrate W as necessary. The substrate holder 20 of this embodiment is configured to hold the substrate W horizontally without contacting the peripheral edge of the substrate W so as not to interfere with the bevel cutting process. For this reason, the substrate holder 21 is configured as, for example, a vacuum chuck that holds the center of the lower surface of the substrate W by suction.

[0023] The substrate processing apparatus 1 further includes a cup body 3 provided to cover the side of the substrate W held by the substrate holder 20 , and a cover member 5 provided to face the upper surface of the substrate W.

[0024] The cup body 3 has a liquid receiving portion 3a that receives the processing liquid that splashes from the substrate W held by the substrate holding portion 20. The liquid receiving portion 3a of the cup body 3 shown in Fig. 1 is configured as a ring-shaped member having an opening 46 through which the substrate W can pass, and is provided so as to laterally surround the outer peripheral end (periphery) of the substrate W held by the substrate holding portion 20.

[0025] A groove 33 extending in the circumferential direction is formed inside the cup body 3, and this groove 33 is open upward. The groove 33 includes a ring-shaped exhaust space 34 and a ring-shaped liquid receiving space 35, which are separated from each other by a wall 36. The exhaust space 34 forms a flow path for discharging to the outside gas generated during liquid processing and gas sent to the periphery of the substrate W. The liquid receiving space 35 forms a flow path for discharging to the outside processing liquid scattered from the substrate W during liquid processing and received by the liquid receiving part 3a. The wall 36 is configured so that liquid components dispersed in the gas flow are separated from the gas flow in the liquid receiving space 35.

[0026] A liquid receiving lifting unit (lifting mechanism) 47 is attached to the cup body 3. The liquid receiving lifting unit 47 lifts and lowers the cup body 3 (including the liquid receiving unit 3a) under the control of the control unit 7. In this manner, in the example shown in Fig. 1 , the liquid receiving lifting unit 47, together with the lifting drive unit 22b, functions as a lifting unit that lifts and lowers at least one of the substrate holder 21 of the substrate holding unit 20 and the liquid receiving unit 3a of the cup body 3.

[0027] 1 has a ring-like shape and has a cover opening 55 in the center. When the cover member 5 is placed above the substrate W, basically only the peripheral edge portion of the substrate W and its surrounding area are covered by the cover member 5, and the center portion of the substrate W faces the cover opening 55. A cover lifting unit 48 that lifts and lowers the cover member 5 is attached to the cover member 5.

[0028] The gas ejected from a gas supply unit (e.g., FFU: Fan Filter Unit) (not shown) provided above the cover member 5 flows from the center of the substrate W to the outside in the space between the cover member 5 and the substrate W. This prevents the processing liquid ejected from the chemical liquid nozzle 73 toward the substrate W from entering the center of the substrate W, and prevents the processing liquid from adhering to unintended locations on the substrate W and contaminating the substrate W. The gas ejected from this gas supply unit is preferably, for example, an inert gas such as nitrogen, or dry air.

[0029] The substrate processing apparatus 1 further includes a substrate heating unit that heats the substrate W held by the substrate holding unit 20. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the substrate heating unit includes a heater 10 and a heating fluid flow path 11 that are integral with the cup body 3, and a fluid supply unit 12 that supplies a fluid to the heating fluid flow path 11.

[0030] The heater 10 generates heat under the control of the control unit 7. The heater 10 shown in Fig. 1 is provided on the upper surface of the cup body 3 facing the lower surface of the substrate W held by the substrate holding unit 20, and has a ring-shaped planar shape. The heater 10 heats the fluid flowing through the heating fluid flow path 11, and also radiates (radiates) heat toward the substrate W.

[0031] The heating fluid flow path 11 is provided adjacent to the heater 10, and has a gas supply port 11a that opens to face the underside of the substrate W held by the substrate holder 20. A gas (fluid: for example, an inert gas (such as nitrogen) or dry air) is supplied to the heating fluid flow path 11 from a fluid supply unit 12, and the gas (heating fluid) heated by the heater 10 in the heating fluid flow path 11 is sprayed from the heating fluid flow path 11 toward the underside of the substrate W.

[0032] The fluid supply unit 12 supplies a gas (fluid) at a desired flow rate to the heating fluid flow path 11 under the control of the control unit 7 .

[0033] The substrate processing apparatus 1 further includes a status acquisition unit 15 that acquires the status of at least the peripheral edge of the substrate W held by the substrate holder 20. The status information (status parameters) acquired by the status acquisition unit 15 is transmitted from the status acquisition unit 15 to the control unit 7 and can be used by the control unit 7 for various control purposes. The status acquisition unit 15 can acquire the status information at any timing, and may acquire and transmit the status information multiple times, for example, from "before the processing liquid is applied to the substrate W to be processed" to "after application of the processing liquid to the substrate W has been completed."

[0034] While FIG. 1 illustrates a single status acquisition unit 15 for convenience, the number and location of the status acquisition unit 15 are not limited, and multiple status acquisition units 15 may be installed at any location. The status acquisition unit 15 may be installed at any position and in any configuration that does not interfere with other devices (e.g., drive system devices) or the substrate W, and may be installed inside and / or outside the cup body 3 (e.g., the liquid receiving unit 3a). For example, one or more devices constituting the status acquisition unit 15 may be installed on the inner wall of the cup body 3, the nozzles (chemical nozzle 73 and rinse nozzle 76), the nozzle arm, and / or other components provided in the processing module (processing chamber 1a). Furthermore, the status acquisition unit 15 may be fixed and immobile relative to any fixed member (such as a support frame), or may be movable. For example, the status acquisition unit 15 may be raised and lowered in accordance with the raising and lowering of the substrate holder 20 (particularly the substrate holder 21) that holds the substrate W, the cup body 3, and / or the cover member 5 under the control of the control unit 7.

[0035] The status acquisition unit 15 may have any type of sensors, and in this example has a substrate temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the substrate W, and a distance acquisition unit that directly or indirectly acquires the distance between target elements.

[0036] The substrate temperature detection unit may be configured by any device such as a thermometer, and may detect the temperature of a specific location (for example, a narrow area such as the periphery) of the substrate W, or may detect the temperature of multiple locations (for example, multiple locations distributed over a wide area from the center to the periphery) of the substrate W. In particular, by detecting the temperatures of multiple locations of the substrate W with the substrate temperature detection unit, it is possible to obtain status information regarding the temperature distribution (temperature gradient) over a wide area of ​​each substrate W.

[0037] The distance acquisition unit acquires, for example, the distance between the substrate W held by the substrate holding unit 20 and at least one of the substrate heating unit (heater 10 and heating fluid flow path 11 in this example) and the cup body 3. The distance acquisition unit can use any device and method, and may detect and acquire the distance between the target elements directly or indirectly.

[0038] For example, the distance acquisition unit may include an imaging device, and the distance between the target elements may be acquired based on an image captured by the imaging device. Analysis of the captured image to acquire the distance between the target elements may be performed by the imaging device or by an image processing unit (e.g., the control unit 7) other than the imaging device.

[0039] The imaging device may acquire an image of an element for which distance acquisition is to be performed (e.g., the substrate W and at least one of the substrate heating unit (heater 10 and heating fluid flow path 11) and the liquid receiving unit). Alternatively, the imaging device may acquire an image of another element that indicates the position (e.g., height position) of the element for which distance acquisition is to be performed. For example, there are cases where the height position of the substrate heating unit (heater 10 and heating fluid flow path 11) can be considered to be the same as the height position of the upper surface of the cup body 3 that faces the lower surface of the substrate W. In this case, the imaging device may acquire the height position of the substrate heating unit (heater 10 and heating fluid flow path 11) based on an image of the upper surface of the cup body 3 that faces the lower surface of the substrate W.

[0040] The distance acquisition unit may also have an optical sensor that detects the position of the substrate W held by the substrate holder 20, and the distance between the target elements may be acquired based on the detection result of the optical sensor. The specific device configuration and detection method of the optical sensor are not limited, and for example, a laser displacement meter that uses laser light as detection light may be used as the optical sensor of the distance acquisition unit.

[0041] The optical sensor may acquire the distance by irradiating detection light onto an element for which distance acquisition is to be performed (e.g., the substrate W and at least one of the substrate heating unit (heater 10 and heating fluid flow path 11) and the liquid receiving unit). Alternatively, the optical sensor may acquire the position of the element for which distance acquisition is to be performed by irradiating detection light onto another element that indicates the position (e.g., height position) of the element for which distance acquisition is to be performed. For example, there are cases where the height position of the substrate heating unit (heater 10 and heating fluid flow path 11) can be considered to be the same as the height position of the upper surface of the cup body 3 that faces the lower surface of the substrate W. In this case, the optical sensor may acquire the height position of the substrate heating unit (heater 10 and heating fluid flow path 11) by irradiating detection light onto the upper surface of the cup body 3 that faces the lower surface of the substrate W.

[0042] The control unit 7 controls various components of the substrate processing apparatus 1. The components (devices) that are the targets of control by the control unit 7 are not limited.

[0043] The control unit 7 in this embodiment controls the lifting units 22b, 47 based on the state of the substrate W held by the substrate holding unit 20 and heated by the substrate heating units 10, 11, which is acquired by the state acquisition unit 15. This allows at least one of the substrate holding unit 20 and the cup body 3 to be lifted or lowered based on the state of the substrate W.

[0044] The above-described substrate processing apparatus 1 can perform a substrate processing method including, for example, a substrate heating step, a processing liquid supply step, a substrate state detection step, and a lifting / lowering step under the control of the control unit 7 .

[0045] In the substrate heating step, the substrate W held by the substrate holding unit 20 is heated by the substrate heating units 10, 11, and 12. In the processing liquid supply step, the processing liquid is supplied to the substrate W held by the substrate holding unit 20 by the processing liquid supply units 73, 76, 40, 90, and 93, while the liquid receiving unit 3a is positioned so as to receive the processing liquid flying from the substrate W held by the substrate holding unit 20. In the substrate state detection step, the state acquisition unit 15 detects the state of at least the peripheral portion of the substrate W held by the substrate holding unit 20. In the lifting step, at least one of the substrate holding unit 20 and the liquid receiving unit 3a is lifted and lowered by the lifting units 22b and 47 based on the state of the substrate W held by the substrate holding unit 20 and heated by the substrate heating unit, which is acquired by the state acquisition unit 15.

[0046] A specific example of a substrate processing method that can be performed by the substrate processing apparatus 1 will be described below.

[0047] First Embodiment FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the gap between the substrate W and the substrate heating parts 10 and 11 (substrate-heating part gap CL1).

[0048] Generally, even when substrates W are subjected to liquid processing under the same apparatus settings, process performance such as etching rate is not necessarily consistent among substrates W, resulting in variations in the state of the substrates W after the liquid processing. For example, a decrease in etching rate results in a longer processing time and a worsening of cutting accuracy. Conventionally, problems resulting from such performance differences have been addressed by changing process parameters such as chemical concentration, but it is not easy to change specific process parameters while maintaining the overall balance of the liquid processing. Furthermore, as apparatus performance improves, the heating efficiency of substrates W tends to increase, which can lead to warping of substrates heated during liquid processing due to factors such as temperature gradients within the substrate.

[0049] The present inventors performed bevel cutting processing on multiple substrates W under the same apparatus settings using an actual apparatus having a configuration similar to that of the substrate processing apparatus 1 shown in Figure 1, and measured the etching rates of the substrates W and the temperatures of the substrates W during liquid processing. As a result, even for substrates W from the same lot, variations in etching rate of several percent to 10% were sometimes observed between substrates W. Furthermore, after a certain amount of time had passed since the start of liquid processing (particularly after application of a processing liquid (e.g., a chemical liquid) to the substrates W), temperature differences of several degrees Celsius were sometimes observed between substrates W.

[0050] To reduce such differences in process performance, such as etching rate, between substrates W, it is necessary to more accurately align the actual processing conditions between substrates W. One of the factors that cause variations in etching rate is variation in the temperature of the substrates W (hereinafter also referred to as "substrate temperature") between substrates W. The substrate temperature can vary due to the influence of other conditions of the liquid processing. For example, the substrate temperature can change depending on the heater output (parameter value / temperature offset of PID control), the flow rate of the heating fluid from the gas supply port 11a, the concentration of the processing liquid on the substrate W, the application flow rate and application position, and the exhaust pressure and internal pressure in the cup body 3.

[0051] In particular, the clearance between the substrate W and the substrate heaters 10, 11 (also referred to as the "substrate-heater spacing CL1") affects not only the amount of radiant heat applied to the substrate W from the heater 10, but also the amount of heated gas blown onto the substrate W from the gas supply port 11a. Therefore, variations in the substrate-heater spacing CL1 between the substrates W cause variations in the substrate temperature between the substrates W, and fluctuations in the etching rate of the substrates W between the substrates W. On the other hand, considering that the substrates W have individual differences such as warpage, it is practically difficult to precisely adjust the substrate-heater spacing CL1 to the desired spacing for each of the multiple substrates W to be processed simply by accurately assembling the apparatus.

[0052] On the other hand, according to the substrate processing apparatus 1 and substrate processing method of this embodiment, the substrate-to-heating unit distance CL1 is dynamically adjusted for each substrate W under the control of the control unit 7, thereby suppressing variations in substrate temperature among the substrates W and reducing differences in etching rate process performance among the substrates W. Specifically, the substrate-to-heating unit distance CL1 is precisely adjusted to the desired distance by adjusting the height position of the substrate W held by the substrate holding unit 20 as needed using the substrate holding and driving unit 22 (particularly the elevation and lowering driving unit 22b). As a result, heating of the substrate W by the substrate heating units 10, 11 (radiant heating by the heater 10 and heating by heated gas) can be stably and uniformly achieved, thereby reducing differences in etching rate among the substrates W.

[0053] The status acquisition unit 15 continuously detects status parameters that may affect the substrate temperature and transmits the detection results to the control unit 7, thereby providing data feedback of the status parameters. Based on the detection results of the status acquisition unit 15, the control unit 7 controls the substrate temperature by adjusting the height position of the substrate W to be processed held by the substrate holder 20 and other processing conditions (e.g., the heat output of the heater 10) as necessary.

[0054] For example, the control unit 7 may control the substrate holding drive unit 22 (lifting drive unit 22b in this example) based on the temperature of the substrate W detected by a substrate temperature detection unit of the status acquisition unit 15, thereby raising and lowering the substrate holder 21 of the substrate holding unit 20. The control unit 7 may also control the substrate holding drive unit 22 (lifting drive unit 22b) based on the distance between the substrate W and the substrate heating units 10, 11, which is acquired by a distance acquisition unit (such as an imaging device or an optical sensor) of the status acquisition unit 15, thereby raising and lowering the substrate holder 21 of the substrate holding unit 20.

[0055] When the substrate holding drive unit 22 (lifting drive unit 22b) is controlled based on the temperature of the substrate W, the control unit 7 may control the substrate holding drive unit 22 based on the detected temperature of a portion (narrow area) of the substrate W, or may control the substrate holding drive unit 22b based on the detected temperature of a wide area of ​​each substrate W. For example, the control unit 7 may derive the temperature distribution in the radial direction of the substrate W to be processed based on the detection result of the substrate temperature detection unit of the status acquisition unit 15, and may raise and lower the substrate holder 21 by the lifting drive unit 22b so as to adjust the substrate-to-heating unit distance CL1 based on the temperature distribution.

[0056] By controlling the raising and lowering of the substrate holder 21 in this manner, the substrate-to-heating unit distance CL1 can be accurately adjusted to the desired distance that is optimal for liquid processing, effectively uniforming the substrate temperature and ultimately effectively uniforming the etching rate between the substrates W.

[0057] <First example of adjustment of substrate-heating unit gap CL1> The control unit 7 may control the substrate holding and driving unit 22 (lifting and lowering driving unit 22b) based on the state parameters acquired by the state acquisition unit 15, and adjust the height position of the substrate W to be processed held by the substrate holding unit 20.

[0058] In this case, by adjusting the height position of the substrate W so as to increase the substrate-to-heating unit distance CL1, the heating of the substrate W by the substrate heating units 10 and 11 is weakened, thereby allowing the temperature of the substrate W to be lowered. On the other hand, by adjusting the height position of the substrate W so as to decrease the substrate-to-heating unit distance CL1, the heating of the substrate W by the substrate heating units 10 and 11 is strengthened, thereby allowing the temperature of the substrate W to be raised.

[0059] In this way, by adjusting the size of the substrate-heating part gap CL1 for each substrate W and more highly uniforming the substrate temperature between the substrates W to be processed, it is possible to further reduce variations in etching rate between the substrates W.

[0060] <Second Example of Adjustment of Substrate-Heating Unit Distance CL1> The control unit 7 may adjust not only the height position of the substrate W to be processed but also the degree of heating of the substrate W by the substrate heating units 10, 11, and 12, based on the state parameters acquired by the state acquisition unit 15. That is, the control unit 7 may control the substrate holding and driving unit 22 (lifting and lowering driving unit 22b) to adjust the height position of the substrate W to be processed held by the substrate holding unit 20, while controlling the substrate heating units 10, 11, and 12 to adjust the degree of heating of the substrate W.

[0061] 1 , the substrate W is heated by radiant heat from the heater 10 and by the heated gas blown onto it from the opening (gas supply port 11 a) of the heating fluid flow path 11. Therefore, the control unit 7 in this example may control at least one of the heater 10 and the fluid supply unit 12 based on the temperature of the substrate W detected by the substrate temperature detection unit of the status acquisition unit 15. In this case, the control unit 7 can adjust the degree of heating of the substrate W by adjusting at least one of the heat output of the heater 10 and the amount of heated gas supplied to the substrate W.

[0062] According to this adjustment example, the degree of heating of the substrate W can be adjusted in more stages than in the first adjustment example described above, in which the substrate-heating part distance CL1 is mainly adjusted.

[0063] For example, in this adjustment example, by adjusting the "amount of heating gas supplied to the substrate W" in combination with the "substrate-to-heating unit distance CL1," it is possible to adjust the degree of heating of the substrate W in at least four stages. That is, adjustments are possible among "large distance CL1 and large fluid supply amount," "large distance CL1 and small fluid supply amount," "small distance CL1 and large fluid supply amount," and "small distance CL1 and small fluid supply amount." Here, "distance CL1" refers to the substrate-to-heating unit distance CL1, and "fluid supply amount" refers to the amount of heating gas supplied to the substrate W from the heating fluid flow path 11. Furthermore, "large" means that the substrate-to-heating unit distance CL1 or the amount of heating gas supplied is relatively large, and "small" means that the substrate-to-heating unit distance CL1 or the amount of heating gas supplied is relatively small.

[0064] In general, the wafer temperature tends to increase as the amount of heating gas supplied to the substrate W increases, and the wafer temperature tends to decrease as the amount of heating gas supplied to the substrate W decreases. In particular, the contribution of the amount of heating gas supplied to the substrate W to heating tends to be greater than the contribution of radiant heat from the heater 10 to heating of the substrate W. In the substrate processing apparatus 1 exhibiting this tendency, the adjustment amounts of the "substrate-heating unit distance CL1" and the "amount of heating gas supplied to the substrate W" can have, for example, the following magnitude relationship in relation to the degree of heating of the substrate W: "Small distance CL1 and large fluid supply amount" ≥ "Large distance CL1 and large fluid supply amount" ≥ "Small distance CL1 and small fluid supply amount" ≥ "Large distance CL1 and small fluid supply amount"

[0065] <Third Adjustment Example of Substrate-Heating Unit Distance CL1> The control unit 7 may not only use the state parameters acquired by the state acquisition unit 15 for temperature control of the substrate W, but may also store the state parameters in a storage unit (not shown) as log information (recorded information). The storage unit for storing the state parameters acquired by the state acquisition unit 15 is not limited, and the state parameters may be stored in a memory built into the control unit 7, for example, or in an external storage device that the control unit 7 can freely access.

[0066] The status acquisition unit 15 can have any sensors as described above, and for example, a plurality of sensors that detect various conditions that may affect the substrate temperature may be provided as the status acquisition unit 15. The detection results of such a plurality of sensors that detect various conditions that may affect the substrate temperature can be used not only for the "temperature control of the substrate W" as described above, but also for other purposes.

[0067] For example, a sensor for detecting the exhaust pressure in the cup body 3, and a sensor for detecting the flow rate of the fluid supplied from the fluid supply unit 12 to the heating fluid flow path 11 (and thus a sensor for detecting the flow rate of the heating gas discharged from the gas supply port 11a) may be provided as the state acquisition unit 15. Furthermore, a sensor for detecting the supply rate of the processing liquid applied to the substrate W (a sensor for directly or indirectly detecting the processing liquid flow rate at the chemical liquid nozzle 73, the rinse nozzle 76, the cleaning liquid discharge port 40, the rinse liquid discharge port 93, and the chemical liquid discharge port 90) may be provided as the state acquisition unit 15.

[0068] For example, the control unit 7 may control the lifting drive unit 22b based on the temperature of the substrate W detected by the substrate temperature detection unit of the status acquisition unit 15 to raise and lower the substrate holder 21 and the substrate W, and store the temperature of the substrate W in the memory unit.

[0069] Furthermore, the control unit 7 may use the "exhaust pressure of the cup body 3," "heated gas discharge flow rate from the gas supply port 11 a," and / or "amount of processing liquid supplied to the substrate W" acquired by the status acquisition unit 15 to control the elevation of the substrate holder 21 and the substrate W, and store the information in the storage unit. For example, when information indicating "increase in exhaust pressure of the cup body 3," "decrease in heated gas discharge flow rate from the gas supply port 11 a," and / or "increase in amount of processing liquid supplied to the substrate W" is acquired by the status acquisition unit 15, the heat output of the heater 10 is increased under the control of the control unit 7. On the other hand, when information indicating "decrease in exhaust pressure of the cup body 3," "increase in heated gas discharge flow rate from the gas supply port 11 a," and / or "reduction in amount of processing liquid supplied to the substrate W" is acquired by the status acquisition unit 15, the heat output of the heater 10 is decreased under the control of the control unit 7. This prevents unintended increases and decreases in the substrate temperature of the substrate W to be processed, stably and accurately adjusting the substrate temperature to a desired temperature, and reduces variations in etching rate between substrates W.

[0070] Next, an example of a substrate processing method performed by the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment will be described.

[0071] <First Liquid Treatment Flow in First Embodiment> FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a first liquid treatment flow according to the first embodiment.

[0072] In this liquid processing flow, a substrate W to be processed is loaded into processing chamber 1a by a substrate transport device (not shown), held by substrate holder 20, and placed at a predetermined processing position, and then liquid processing of the substrate W begins (S1 in FIG. 3). The content and procedure of the liquid processing are not limited, and processing liquid is discharged toward the substrate W from chemical nozzle 73, rinse nozzle 76, cleaning liquid outlet 40, rinse liquid outlet 93, and chemical liquid outlet 90 at any timing as needed. The substrate W is also heated by substrate heaters 10 and 11.

[0073] While the substrate W is being subjected to liquid processing, the state acquisition unit 15 acquires state parameters (S2). The state acquisition unit 15 may acquire state parameters not only while the processing liquid is being applied to the substrate W, but also while the processing liquid is not being applied to the substrate W. In this liquid processing flow, the state acquisition unit 15 measures at least the temperature of the substrate W, but may also acquire state parameters other than the temperature of the substrate W. Then, the control unit 7 determines whether the substrate temperature is within a desired temperature range based on the measurement result of the temperature of the substrate W by the state acquisition unit 15 (S3).

[0074] If it is determined that the substrate temperature is not within the desired temperature range (N in S3), the control unit 7 controls the substrate holding and driving unit 22 (lifting and lowering driving unit 22b) to change or adjust the distance (substrate-heating unit distance CL1) between the substrate W and the substrate heating units 10, 11 (S4). On the other hand, if it is determined that the substrate temperature is within the desired temperature range (Y in S3), the control unit 7 controls the substrate holding and driving unit 22 (lifting and lowering driving unit 22b) to maintain the distance (substrate-heating unit distance CL1) between the substrate W and the substrate heating units 10, 11 unchanged (S5).

[0075] Thereafter, when the liquid processing of the substrate W to be processed is completed (S6), under the control of the control unit 7, the processed substrate W is released from the substrate holder 21 and transported out of the processing chamber 1a by a substrate transport device not shown.

[0076] The control unit 7 then determines whether there is another substrate W to be processed (i.e., the next substrate W to be processed) (S7). If it is determined that there is another substrate W to be processed (Y in S7), the new substrate W to be processed is loaded into the processing chamber 1a, and placed at a predetermined processing position while being held by the substrate holder 21, and liquid processing is initiated (S1). On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no other substrate W to be processed (N in S7), this liquid processing flow ends.

[0077] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a second liquid processing flow according to the first embodiment. In this liquid processing flow, detailed description of the same processes as those in the first liquid processing flow will be omitted.

[0078] In this liquid processing flow, once the liquid processing of the substrate W is started (S11 in FIG. 4), the state acquisition unit 15 acquires state parameters while the liquid processing of the substrate W is being performed (S12). However, in this liquid processing flow, the state acquisition unit 15 not only measures the temperature of the substrate W but also acquires other state parameters. The "other state parameters" referred to here are not limited to, and may include, for example, the "exhaust pressure of the cup body 3," the "flow rate of heated gas discharged from the gas supply port 11a," and / or the "amount of processing liquid supplied to the substrate W."

[0079] The control unit 7 then determines whether the substrate temperature is within a desired temperature range based on the measurement result of the temperature of the substrate W by the status acquisition unit 15 (S13). If it is determined that the substrate temperature is not within the desired temperature range (N in S13), the control unit 7 controls the substrate holding and driving unit 22 (elevation and lowering driving unit 22b) to change or adjust the distance between the substrate W and the substrate heating units 10, 11 (substrate-heating unit distance CL1) (S14). On the other hand, if it is determined that the substrate temperature is within the desired temperature range (Y in S13), the control unit 7 controls the substrate holding and driving unit 22 (elevation and lowering driving unit 22b) to maintain the distance between the substrate W and the substrate heating units 10, 11 (substrate-heating unit distance CL1) unchanged (S15).

[0080] The control unit 7 then determines whether the state parameters acquired by the state acquisition unit 15 are within a desired range (S16). If it is determined that the state parameters are not within the desired range (N in S16), the control unit 7 controls the substrate heating units (heater 10 and / or fluid supply unit 12) to perform a heating adjustment process to adjust the degree of heating of the substrate W by the substrate heating units 10, 11 (S17). Specifically, the control unit 7 controls the heater 10 and / or the fluid supply unit 12 to appropriately adjust the heat output from the heater 10 and / or the amount of fluid supplied from the fluid supply unit 12 to the heating fluid flow path 11 (and thus the flow rate of heated gas discharged from the gas supply port 11a). On the other hand, if it is determined that the state parameters are within the desired range (Y in S16), the control unit 7 skips the heating adjustment process of the substrate heating units (S18).

[0081] The above steps S13 to S18 or steps S16 to S18 may be repeated until the liquid processing of the substrate W is completed.

[0082] Thereafter, when the liquid processing of the substrate W to be processed is completed (S19), under the control of the controller 7, the processed substrate W is released from the substrate holder 21 and carried out of the processing chamber 1a.

[0083] The control unit 7 then determines whether there is another substrate W to be processed (S20). If it is determined that there is another substrate W to be processed (Y in S20), the new substrate W to be processed is loaded into the processing chamber 1a, and placed at a predetermined processing position while being held by the substrate holder 21, and liquid processing is initiated (S11). On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no other substrate W to be processed (N in S20), this liquid processing flow ends.

[0084] As described above, according to this embodiment, the substrate W can be stably heated to a desired temperature by adjusting the substrate-heating part gap CL1, and fluctuations in processing parameters such as the etching rate can be suppressed, making it possible to perform liquid processing of the substrate W with high precision.

[0085] Second Embodiment In this embodiment, elements that are the same as or correspond to those in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0086] FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the gap between the substrate W and the liquid receiving portion 3a of the cup body 3 (substrate-liquid receiving portion gap CL2).

[0087] Generally, during bevel cutting processing of a substrate W, cluster particles may be generated on the substrate W. As a result of extensive research, the present inventors have discovered that one cause of such cluster particles is that processing liquid L that has once detached from the substrate W collides with the liquid receiving portion 3 a of the cup body 3, is scattered, and then re-adheres to the substrate W.

[0088] For example, increasing the clearance between the substrate W and the liquid receiving portion 3a (substrate-liquid receiving portion distance CL2) may reduce the wind speed near the periphery of the substrate W, which may result in the processing liquid L that collides with the liquid receiving portion 3a and rebounds landing more easily on the substrate W. On the other hand, decreasing the substrate-liquid receiving portion distance CL2 may increase the wind speed near the periphery of the substrate W, but shorten the distance between the substrate W and the liquid receiving portion 3a (see the example of the landing point PL of the processing liquid L on the liquid receiving portion 3a shown in Figure 5). As a result, the processing liquid L that collides with the liquid receiving portion 3a and rebounds may tend to land more easily on the substrate W.

[0089] In particular, the size of the substrate-liquid receiving part distance CL2 can change unintentionally due to thermal warping of the substrate W (particularly the peripheral edge portion), and therefore the actual size of the substrate-liquid receiving part distance CL2 may differ from the intended set value of the substrate-liquid receiving part distance CL2, which may cause the processing liquid L that has separated from the substrate W and hits the liquid receiving part 3a to exhibit unexpected scattering behavior.

[0090] In this embodiment, under the control of the control unit 7, the substrate-liquid receiver gap CL2 during liquid processing of the substrate W is monitored by the status acquisition unit 15, and the substrate-liquid receiver gap CL2 is adjusted according to the monitoring results.

[0091] The present inventors actually verified the relationship between changes in the substrate-liquid receiver distance CL2 due to substrate temperature and the generation of particles on the substrate W. Specifically, they observed particles on the substrate W while changing the set value of the substrate-liquid receiver distance CL2 between "when the substrate W was heated to a high temperature that would cause thermal warping" and "when the substrate W was heated to a temperature that would not cause thermal warping." As a result, even when the set value of the substrate-liquid receiver distance CL2 was the same, no particles were observed when "when the substrate W was heated to a temperature that would not cause thermal warping," but particles were sometimes observed when "when the substrate W was heated to a high temperature that would cause thermal warping." This is thought to be because the actual size of the substrate-liquid receiver distance CL2 became smaller than the set value due to thermal warping of the substrate W, and particles were generated only when "when the substrate W was heated to a high temperature that would cause thermal warping."

[0092] Therefore, in this embodiment, the size of the substrate-liquid receiving part gap CL2 (the state of the substrate W) is acquired directly or indirectly by the status acquisition unit 15. The control unit 7 then controls the lifting units 22b, 47 based on the size of the substrate-liquid receiving part gap CL2 acquired by the status acquisition unit 15, thereby raising and lowering at least one of the substrate holder 20 (particularly the substrate holder 21) and the cup body 3 (particularly the liquid receiving part 3a). This makes it possible to adjust the substrate-liquid receiving part gap CL2 to a desired size even if the height position of the peripheral edge of the substrate W fluctuates due to thermal warping, thereby preventing unintended splashing of the processing liquid L from the liquid receiving part 3a onto the substrate W and suppressing the generation of particles.

[0093] In order to adjust the substrate-liquid receiving portion distance CL2, the control portion 7 may raise and lower only one of the substrate holder 21 and the liquid receiving portion 3a by controlling either the elevation drive portion 22b or the liquid receiving portion elevation portion 47. Alternatively, in order to adjust the substrate-liquid receiving portion distance CL2, the control portion 7 may raise and lower both the substrate holder 21 and the liquid receiving portion 3a by controlling both the elevation drive portion 22b and the liquid receiving portion elevation portion 47.

[0094] The status acquisition unit 15 has a distance acquisition unit that acquires the substrate-liquid receiving portion distance CL2, which is the distance between the substrate W held by the substrate holding unit 20 and the liquid receiving portion 3a, but any method and device can be used to acquire the size of the substrate-liquid receiving portion distance CL2.

[0095] Such a distance acquisition unit may include, for example, an imaging device, and the size of the substrate-liquid receiving portion distance CL2 may be acquired based on an image acquired by the imaging device. The imaging device may acquire an image of an element from which distance acquisition is to be performed (in this embodiment, at least one of the substrate W (particularly the peripheral portion) and the cup body 3 (particularly the liquid receiving portion 3a) (e.g., the substrate W that is prone to thermal warping)). Analysis of the image to acquire the substrate-liquid receiving portion distance CL2 may be performed by the imaging device, or may be performed by an image processing unit other than the imaging device (e.g., the control unit 7).

[0096] Furthermore, the distance acquisition unit of the status acquisition unit 15 may include an optical sensor that detects the position of the substrate W (particularly the peripheral portion) held by the substrate holder 20, and the size of the substrate-liquid receiving portion distance CL2 may be acquired based on the detection results of the optical sensor. The specific device configuration and detection method of the optical sensor are not limited, and for example, a laser displacement meter that uses laser light as detection light may be used as the optical sensor of the distance acquisition unit. Such an optical sensor may acquire the distance by irradiating detection light onto at least one of the elements from which the distance is to be acquired (in this embodiment, at least one of the substrate W (particularly the peripheral portion) and the cup body 3 (particularly the liquid receiving portion 3a) (e.g., the substrate W that is prone to thermal warping)).

[0097] The distance acquisition unit of the status acquisition unit 15 may also include a substrate temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the substrate W, and the size of the substrate-liquid receiver distance CL2 may be acquired based on the detection results from the substrate temperature detection unit. In this case, the control unit 7 can acquire the substrate-liquid receiver distance CL2 by, for example, referring to relationship data that directly or indirectly indicates the relationship between the temperature of the substrate W and the amount of change in the height position of the substrate W (particularly the peripheral edge portion) due to thermal warping. Such relationship data is stored in any storage unit (for example, an internal memory of the control unit 7 or an external storage device) that can be read out as needed by the control unit 7.

[0098] The substrate temperature detection unit may be configured with any device, such as a thermometer, and may detect the temperature of a specific location on the substrate W (e.g., a narrow area such as the periphery) or multiple locations on the substrate W (e.g., multiple locations distributed from the center to the periphery). In particular, by detecting the temperatures of multiple locations on the substrate W using the substrate temperature detection unit, it is possible to obtain status information regarding the temperature distribution (temperature gradient) over a wide area on each substrate W. The control unit 7 may obtain the detection results from the substrate temperature detection unit and perform control based on the temperature detection value of a portion of the substrate W, or may perform control based on the temperature distribution (temperature gradient) over a wide area on each substrate W. For example, the control unit 7 may derive the temperature distribution in the radial direction of the substrate W to be processed based on the detection results from the substrate temperature detection unit, and then use the elevation drive unit 22b to raise and lower the substrate holder 21 so as to adjust the substrate-to-liquid receiver gap CL2 based on the temperature distribution.

[0099] In this embodiment, the substrate W is heated during the liquid treatment, and the temperature of the substrate W may change between before the start of the liquid treatment and during the liquid treatment. Therefore, it is desirable for the status acquisition unit 15 to acquire the substrate-liquid receiving part distance CL2 (particularly the height position of the substrate W (particularly the peripheral edge)) both before the start of the liquid treatment and during the liquid treatment. In this case, even if the peripheral edge of the substrate W changes in the height direction after the start of the liquid treatment, the status acquisition unit 15 can acquire the amount of change in the height position of the peripheral edge of the substrate W after the start of the liquid treatment.

[0100] The control unit 7 can adjust the substrate-liquid receiver interval CL2 to a desired value by controlling the lifting drive unit 22b and / or the liquid receiver lifting unit 47 as described above based on the thus obtained amount of change in the height position of the peripheral edge of the substrate W. The control unit 7 can also control the nozzle drive unit 70 based on the thus obtained amount of change in the height position of the peripheral edge of the substrate W, and adjust the height position of the nozzles (chemical liquid nozzle 73 and rinse nozzle 76) so that the interval between the nozzles and the substrate W is the desired interval.

[0101] The present inventors actually verified the generation of particles on a substrate W when the substrate W was subjected to bevel cutting processing using the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the above-described embodiment. Specifically, one of the substrate holder 21 and the liquid receiver 3a was raised and lowered based on the substrate-liquid receiver distance CL2 acquired by the status acquisition unit 15 (specifically, each of the imaging device and the laser displacement meter), thereby adjusting the actual size of the substrate-liquid receiver distance CL2 to a desired value.

[0102] As a result, in both cases, an unintended increase in particles on the substrate W was prevented, which was effective in suppressing particle generation. Furthermore, in conventional apparatuses, thermal warping of the substrate W reduces the substrate-liquid receiving part distance CL2, increasing pressure loss, which in turn increases the required exhaust volume in the cup body 3 (exhaust space 34) and makes it impossible to stably control the exhaust pressure. On the other hand, in the substrate processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment described above, even if thermal warping of the substrate W occurs, the substrate-liquid receiving part distance CL2 is adjusted to a desired value, thereby preventing an unintended increase in pressure loss. As a result, in the substrate processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the required exhaust volume in the cup body 3 (particularly the groove 33 (exhaust space 34)) does not increase, and the exhaust pressure can be stably controlled.

[0103] Next, an example of a substrate processing method performed by the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the second embodiment will be described.

[0104] <First Liquid Treatment Flow in Second Embodiment> FIGS. 6 to 8 are flow charts illustrating a first liquid treatment flow according to the second embodiment.

[0105] In this liquid processing flow, after the substrate W to be processed is held by the substrate holder 20 and placed at a predetermined processing position (S31 in FIG. 6), the status acquisition unit 15 starts acquiring the substrate-liquid receiver distance CL2 and measuring the temperature of the substrate W (S32). The status acquisition unit 15 may also acquire other status parameters.

[0106] The control unit 7 then determines whether the substrate-liquid receiving unit distance CL2 acquired by the status acquisition unit 15 is within a desired range (S33). If the substrate-liquid receiving unit distance CL2 is not within the desired range (N in S33), the control unit 7 controls the elevator unit (elevation drive unit 22b and / or liquid receiving unit elevator 47) to change or adjust the substrate-liquid receiving unit distance CL2 (S34). On the other hand, if the substrate-liquid receiving unit distance CL2 is within the desired range (Y in S33), the substrate-liquid receiving unit distance CL2 is maintained without being changed or adjusted (S35).

[0107] Thereafter, application of the processing liquid to the substrate W is started under the control of the control unit 7 (S36). In particular, in the substrate processing apparatus 1 shown in Fig. 1, in addition to application of the processing liquid to the substrate W, heating of the substrate W by the substrate heating units 10, 11, 12 is also carried out under the control of the control unit 7. Thus, after the start of liquid processing, the temperature of the substrate subjected to application of the processing liquid and heating changes, and the height position of the substrate W (particularly the peripheral edge portion) may fluctuate due to the influence of thermal warping, etc.

[0108] While this liquid processing is in progress, the status acquisition unit 15 continues to acquire status parameters (including the substrate-to-liquid receiver spacing CL2 and the substrate temperature), and the control unit 7 also continues to determine whether the substrate-to-liquid receiver spacing CL2 is within the desired range (S37). If it is determined that the substrate-to-liquid receiver spacing CL2 is not within the desired range (N in S37), the control unit 7 controls the elevator (elevation drive unit 22b and / or liquid receiver elevator unit 47) to change or adjust the substrate-to-liquid receiver spacing CL2 (S38). On the other hand, if it is determined that the substrate-to-liquid receiver spacing CL2 is within the desired range (Y in S37), the substrate-to-liquid receiver spacing CL2 is maintained without being changed or adjusted (S39).

[0109] The control unit 7 repeatedly determines and changes / adjusts the substrate-to-liquid receiver distance CL2 (S37, S38, and S39) while the liquid processing of the substrate W is not completed (Y in S40). On the other hand, when the liquid processing of the substrate W is completed (N in S40), under the control of the control unit 7, the processed substrate W is released from the substrate holder 21 and transferred out of the processing chamber 1a (S41).

[0110] The control unit 7 then determines whether there is another substrate W to be processed (S42 in FIG. 7). If it is determined that there is no other substrate W to be processed (N in S42), the liquid processing flow ends (see FIG. 8). On the other hand, if it is determined that there is another substrate W to be processed (Y in S42), a new substrate W to be processed is loaded into the processing chamber 1a and placed at a predetermined processing position while being held by the substrate holder 21 (S43).

[0111] Then, the status acquisition unit 15 starts acquiring the substrate-liquid receiving unit gap CL2 and measuring the temperature of the substrate W (S44), and the control unit 7 determines whether the temperature of the substrate W acquired by the status acquisition unit 15 is within the desired range (S45).

[0112] In this case, information on the substrate temperature acquired by the status acquisition unit 15 for the substrate W that has finished undergoing liquid processing (see S31 to S41 above) may be used to determine whether the temperature of the new substrate W to be processed is within the desired range. In particular, if the "substrate W that has finished undergoing liquid processing" and the "new substrate W to be processed" are considered to have essentially the same temperature characteristics (for example, if these substrates W belong to the same lot), if the substrate temperatures are the same between these substrates W, then the amounts of thermal warping are also considered to be the same. Therefore, in this case, the temperature determination criterion (i.e., the desired range) for the "new substrate W to be processed" may be determined based on information on the substrate temperature acquired by the status acquisition unit 15 for the "substrate W that has finished undergoing liquid processing."

[0113] If the temperature of the substrate W is not within the desired range (N in S45), the control unit 7 controls the lifting unit (lifting drive unit 22b and / or liquid receiver lifting unit 47) to change or adjust the substrate-liquid receiver gap CL2 (S46). On the other hand, if the temperature of the substrate W is within the desired range (Y in S45), the substrate-liquid receiver gap CL2 is maintained without being changed or adjusted (S47).

[0114] Thereafter, under the control of the controller 7, application of the processing liquid to the substrate W is initiated (S48). The status acquisition unit 15 continuously acquires status parameters (including the substrate-to-liquid receiver gap CL2 and the substrate temperature), and the controller 7 continuously determines whether the temperature of the substrate W acquired by the status acquisition unit 15 is within the desired range (S49). If the temperature of the substrate W is not within the desired range (N in S49), the controller 7 controls the elevator (elevator drive unit 22b and / or the liquid receiver elevator unit 47) to change or adjust the substrate-to-liquid receiver gap CL2 (S50). On the other hand, if the temperature of the substrate W is within the desired range (Y in S49), the substrate-to-liquid receiver gap CL2 is maintained without being changed or adjusted (S51).

[0115] The control unit 7 repeatedly determines the substrate temperature and changes and adjusts the substrate-liquid receiver distance CL2 (S49, S50, and S51) while the liquid processing of the substrate W is not completed (N in S52). On the other hand, when the liquid processing of the substrate W is completed (Y in S52), under the control of the control unit 7, the processed substrate W is released from the substrate holder 21 and transferred out of the processing chamber 1a (S53 in FIG. 8).

[0116] The control unit 7 then determines whether there is another substrate W to be processed (S54). If it is determined that there is no other substrate W to be processed (N in S54), the liquid processing flow ends. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is another substrate W to be processed (Y in S54), the above-mentioned steps S43 to S54 are repeated, and the new substrate W to be processed is subjected to liquid processing.

[0117] 9 is a flowchart illustrating a second liquid processing flow according to the second embodiment. In this liquid processing flow, detailed description of the same processes as those in the first liquid processing flow described above will be omitted.

[0118] The above-described first liquid processing flow includes steps (S45 and S49 in FIG. 7) of determining whether the substrate-liquid receiving section distance CL2 is within the desired range based on the substrate temperature acquired by the status acquisition unit 15, but the substrate temperature does not have to be used to determine the substrate-liquid receiving section distance CL2.

[0119] 9, the substrate W to be processed is subjected to the same liquid processing (S61 to S71 in FIG. 9) as in the first liquid processing flow described above (particularly S31 to S41 in FIG. 6), and after the liquid processing is completed, the substrate W is released from the substrate holder 21 and transferred out of the processing chamber 1a (S72). In this liquid processing flow, as in the first liquid processing flow described above, a determination is made as to whether the substrate-liquid receiver distance CL2 is within a desired range based on the size of the substrate-liquid receiver distance CL2 acquired by the status acquisition unit 15, with respect to the liquid processing performed on the first substrate W to be processed.

[0120] The control unit 7 then determines whether or not there is another substrate W to be processed (S73), and if it is determined that there is no other substrate W to be processed (N in S73), the liquid processing flow ends. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is another substrate W to be processed (Y in S73), a new substrate W to be processed is loaded into the processing chamber 1a, and the same processing steps S61 to S72 as those for the liquid processing on the first substrate W are repeated.

[0121] Therefore, in this liquid processing flow, for all substrates W, it is determined whether the substrate-liquid receiving section distance CL2 is within the desired range based on the size of the substrate-liquid receiving section distance CL2 acquired by the status acquisition unit 15, and the substrate-liquid receiving section distance CL2 is adjusted based on the determination result.

[0122] As described above, according to this embodiment, by adjusting the substrate-liquid receiving part gap CL2, the generation of particles on the substrate W is suppressed, and the substrate W can be subjected to liquid processing with high precision.

[0123] It should be noted that the embodiments and modifications disclosed in this specification are merely illustrative in all respects and should not be construed as limiting. The above-described embodiments and modifications may be omitted, substituted, and modified in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. For example, the above-described embodiments and modifications may be combined in whole or in part, and embodiments other than those described above may be combined with the above-described embodiments or modifications. Furthermore, the effects of the present disclosure described in this specification are merely illustrative, and other effects may be obtained.

[0124] The technical category embodying the creation of the above technical idea is not limited. For example, the above technical idea may be embodied by a computer program that causes a computer to execute one or more steps included in a method of manufacturing or using the above device. The above technical idea may also be embodied by a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium on which such a computer program is recorded.

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a substrate holding section for holding a substrate; a processing liquid supply section for supplying a processing liquid to the substrate; a liquid receiving section for receiving the processing liquid flying from the substrate; a substrate heating section for heating the substrate held by the substrate holding section; a state acquisition section for acquiring the state of at least the peripheral portion of the substrate held by the substrate holding section; a lifting section for raising and lowering at least one of the substrate holding section and the liquid receiving section; and a control section for controlling the lifting section, wherein the control section controls the lifting section based on the state of the substrate held by the substrate holding section and heated by the substrate heating section acquired by the state acquisition section, and raises and lowers at least one of the substrate holding section and the liquid receiving section.

2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the status acquisition unit has a substrate temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the substrate, and the control unit controls the lifting unit based on the temperature of the substrate detected by the substrate temperature detection unit to lift and lower at least one of the substrate holding unit and the liquid receiving unit.

3. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the status acquisition unit has a distance acquisition unit that acquires a distance between the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and at least one of the substrate heating unit and the liquid receiving unit, and the control unit controls the lifting unit based on the distance acquired by the distance acquisition unit to raise and lower at least one of the substrate holding unit and the liquid receiving unit.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the distance acquisition unit has an imaging device and acquires the distance based on an image captured by the imaging device.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the distance acquisition unit has an optical sensor that detects the position of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, and acquires the distance based on a detection result by the optical sensor.

6. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the lifting unit to raise and lower at least one of the substrate holding unit and the liquid receiving unit based on a temperature distribution of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and heated by the substrate heating unit, the temperature distribution of the substrate being obtained from a detection result of the substrate temperature detection unit.

7. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the substrate heating section has a heater and a fluid supply section which supplies a fluid heated by the heater to the substrate, and the control section controls at least one of the heater and the fluid supply section based on the temperature of the substrate detected by the substrate temperature detection section, and adjusts at least one of the heat output of the heater and the amount of the fluid supplied to the substrate.

8. A substrate processing method comprising: a step of heating a substrate held by a substrate holding part using a substrate heating part; a step of supplying processing liquid to the substrate held by the substrate holding part using a processing liquid supply part while positioning a liquid receiving part so as to receive processing liquid flying from the substrate held by the substrate holding part; a step of detecting a state of at least a peripheral portion of the substrate held by the substrate holding part using a status acquisition part; and a step of raising and lowering at least one of the substrate holding part and the liquid receiving part using a lifting part based on the state of the substrate held by the substrate holding part and heated by the substrate heating part, which state is acquired by the status acquisition part.

9. The substrate processing method according to claim 8, wherein the status acquisition unit has a substrate temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the substrate, and at least one of the substrate holding unit and the liquid receiving unit is raised and lowered based on the temperature of the substrate detected by the substrate temperature detection unit.

10. The substrate processing method of claim 8, wherein the status acquisition unit has a distance acquisition unit that acquires a distance between the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and at least one of the substrate heating unit and the liquid receiving unit, and at least one of the substrate holding unit and the liquid receiving unit is raised and lowered based on the distance acquired by the distance acquisition unit.

11. The substrate processing method according to claim 10, wherein the distance acquisition section has an imaging device that images the substrate and at least one of the substrate heating section and the liquid receiving section, and acquires the distance based on an image acquired by the imaging device.

12. The substrate processing method according to claim 10, wherein the distance acquisition unit has an optical sensor that detects the position of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, and acquires the distance based on a detection result by the optical sensor.

13. A substrate processing method as described in claim 9, wherein at least one of the substrate holding part and the liquid receiving part is raised and lowered based on a temperature distribution of the substrate held by the substrate holding part and heated by the substrate heating part, the temperature distribution of the substrate being detected by the substrate temperature detection part.

14. The substrate processing method of claim 9, wherein the substrate heating section has a heater and a fluid supply section which supplies a fluid heated by the heater to the substrate, and at least one of the heat output of the heater and the amount of the fluid supplied to the substrate is adjusted based on the temperature of the substrate detected by the substrate temperature detection section.

15. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for causing a computer to execute each step of the substrate processing method according to any one of claims 8 to 14.