Substrate processing device

Abstract

The substrate processing device performs electrolytic etching on the periphery edge portion of the substrate (9). The first etching head (611) faces the periphery edge portion of the substrate (9) in the diameter direction in a portion of the periphery direction centered on the rotation axis. The first etching head (611) holds the electrolyte (610) inside. The first etching head (611) has an insertion opening (615) into which the periphery edge portion of the substrate (9) is inserted. The first head movement mechanism moves the first etching head (611) back and forth relative to the periphery edge portion of the substrate (9). The anode is in electrical contact with the conductive film (93). The cathode (66) is in electrical contact with the electrolyte (610). The power supply applies voltage between the anode and the cathode (66) while the periphery edge portion of the substrate (9) is inserted into the interior of the first etching head (611) from the insertion port (615) and in contact with the electrolyte (610). By doing so, the etching width of the conductive film (93) can be controlled with good precision.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus that performs electrolytic etching on the periphery edge portion of a substrate.

[0002] [Reference to related applications]

[0003] The present application claims the benefit of priority from Japanese patent application JP2022-136643 filed on August 30, 2022, and all disclosures of said application are incorporated herein. Background Technology

[0004] Conventionally, in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor substrate (hereinafter simply referred to as "substrate"), various treatments are performed on the substrate. For example, after forming a conductive film on the main surface of the substrate, a treatment is performed to remove the conductive film attached to the bevel portion, etc., of the substrate.

[0005] For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-353191 (Reference 1) proposes a technique for removing a conductive film on the back surface and bevel portion from a substrate on which a conductive film of ruthenium (Ru) is formed over the entire surface. In the removal device of Reference 1, the back surface and bevel portion of the substrate are immersed in an electrolyte filled in an electrolytic vessel, and a DC voltage is applied between the conductive film on the substrate and a counter electrode formed on the bottom surface of the electrolytic vessel. As a result, the portion of the conductive film immersed in the electrolyte (i.e., the back surface and bevel portion) is anodic oxidized and dissolved in the electrolyte. This removes the ruthenium conductive film, which is difficult to remove by simply immersing it in an aqueous solution of an acid or alkali, such as hydrochloric acid or sodium hydroxide. In the removal device, when the substrate is immersed in the electrolyte, a cylindrical seal member that is fixed to the upper end of the electrolytic vessel and extends downward is pressed against the upper surface of the substrate so that the electrolyte does not come into contact with the upper surface of the substrate.

[0006] However, in the removal device of Document 1, the amount of electrolyte consumed increases because the substrate is immersed in the electrolyte filled in the electrolytic container. Also, since the removal of the conductive film from the periphery edge of the substrate is carried out simultaneously over the entire periphery of the substrate, if there is a variation in the electrical resistance of the conductive film in the periphery direction or the diameter direction of the substrate, there is a risk that the uniformity of the removal of the conductive film at the periphery edge of the substrate will be reduced.

[0007] Furthermore, currently, with the miniaturization of devices on substrates, there is a demand for improved precision in the removal width of the conductive film at the periphery edge of the substrate; however, in the above removal device, if the position of the substrate is misaligned even slightly when the substrate is placed inside the electrolytic vessel, the removal width becomes non-uniform in the periphery direction. Additionally, in the above removal device, since the seal member determining the removal width of the conductive film at the periphery edge of the substrate is fixed to the electrolytic vessel, the removal width cannot be adjusted. The problem to be solved

[0008] The present invention is suitable for a substrate processing apparatus that performs electrolytic etching on the periphery edge portion of a substrate and aims to control the etching width with good precision. means of solving the problem

[0009] Aspect 1 of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus for performing electrolytic etching on a periphery edge portion of a substrate, comprising: a substrate holding portion having a conductive film formed on one main surface of the substrate; a substrate rotation mechanism for rotating the substrate holding portion around a rotation axis; an etching head having an insertion opening that is diametrically opposed to the periphery edge portion of the substrate in a portion of the periphery direction around the rotation axis, and which holds an electrolyte inside and into which the periphery edge portion of the substrate is inserted; a head movement mechanism for moving the etching head back and forth relative to the periphery edge portion of the substrate; an anode electrically in contact with the conductive film; a cathode electrically in contact with the electrolyte; and a power source that applies voltage between the anode and the cathode while the periphery edge portion of the substrate is inserted into the etching head from the insertion opening and in contact with the electrolyte.

[0010] In the present invention, the etching width can be controlled with good precision.

[0011] An embodiment 2 of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus of embodiment 1, wherein the rotation axis is parallel to the up-and-down direction. The substrate holding member holds the substrate from below in a state where the main surface of one side is facing upward.

[0012] Aspect 3 of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus of Aspect 2, wherein the substrate processing apparatus further comprises a leakage suppression part that suppresses the electrolyte from leaking out from the interior of the etching head onto the main surface of one side of the substrate.

[0013] An embodiment 4 of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus of embodiment 2 (which may be embodiment 2 or 3), wherein the substrate processing apparatus further comprises another etching head having an insertion opening into which the periphery edge portion of the substrate is inserted, while maintaining a conductive liquid inside that is electrically in contact with the anode and is opposed to the periphery edge portion of the substrate in the diameter direction in a part of the periphery direction. The other etching head is capable of moving back and forth relative to the periphery edge portion of the substrate.

[0014] Aspect 5 of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus of Aspect 4, wherein the etching head and the other etching head are adjacent in the circumferential direction.

[0015] Aspect 6 of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus of Aspect 5, wherein the etching head and the other etching head are a single connected member that is continuous in the circumferential direction.

[0016] Aspect 7 of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus of Aspect 4, wherein the etching head and the other etching head are spaced apart in the circumferential direction. Between the etching head and the other etching head in the circumferential direction, an attachment liquid removal part is formed to remove liquid attached to the circumferential edge portion of the substrate.

[0017] An embodiment 8 of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus of embodiment 2 (which may be embodiment 2 or 3), wherein the anode is positioned above the substrate and contacts the conductive film directly or indirectly through a conductive liquid.

[0018] An embodiment 9 of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus of embodiment 8, wherein the substrate processing apparatus further comprises an arm extending in the diameter direction and supporting the anode. The etching head is also supported by the arm.

[0019] An embodiment 10 of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus of embodiment 1, wherein the rotation axis is perpendicular to the vertical direction. The anode and the substrate holding member each directly contact the main surface of one side and the main surface of the other side of the substrate to clamp the substrate. The etching head is positioned below the substrate.

[0020] An embodiment 11 of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus of any one of embodiments 1 to 10, wherein the substrate processing apparatus further comprises an ammeter for measuring a current flowing between the anode and the cathode, and a control unit for stopping electrolytic etching of the periphery edge portion of the substrate based on the output from the ammeter.

[0021] An embodiment 12 of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus of any one of embodiments 1 to 10 (it may be any one of embodiments 1 to 11), wherein the conductive film comprises ruthenium. Effects of the invention

[0022] The above-described purpose and other purposes, features, modes, and advantages will become clear from the detailed description of the invention below with reference to the attached drawings. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0023] Figure 1 is a plan view of a substrate processing system. FIG. 2 is a side view of a substrate processing apparatus related to a first embodiment. Figure 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the control unit. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the configuration of a part of the etching section and the substrate. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the first etching head. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the second etching head. Figure 7 is a diagram showing the flow of substrate processing. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the configuration of a part of the etching section and the substrate. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing the configuration of a part of the etching section and the substrate. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the configuration of a part of the etching section and the substrate. FIG. 11 is a side view showing the vicinity of the etching portion related to the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a side view showing the vicinity of the etched portion. FIG. 13 is a side view showing the vicinity of the etching portion related to the third embodiment. FIG. 14 is a front view showing the vicinity of the etched portion. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the first etching head. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0024] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing the layout of a substrate processing system (10). The substrate processing system (10) is a system for processing a semiconductor substrate (9) (hereinafter simply referred to as "substrate (9)"). The substrate processing system (10) comprises an indexer block (101) and a processing block (102) coupled to the indexer block (101).

[0025] The indexer block (101) comprises a carrier holding part (104), an indexer robot (105), and an IR moving mechanism (106). The carrier holding part (104) holds a plurality of carriers (107) capable of holding a plurality of substrates (9). The plurality of carriers (107) (e.g., FOUP) are held in the carrier holding part (104) in a state arranged in a predetermined carrier arrangement direction. The IR moving mechanism (106) moves the indexer robot (105) in the carrier arrangement direction. The indexer robot (105) performs an outgoing operation of taking a substrate (9) out of the carrier (107), and an incoming operation of bringing a substrate (9) into the carrier (107) held in the carrier holding part (104). The substrate (9) is conveyed in a horizontal position by the indexer robot (105).

[0026] The processing block (102) is equipped with a plurality (e.g., four or more) processing units (108) for processing a substrate (9) and a center robot (109). The plurality of processing units (108) are arranged to surround the center robot (109) when viewed from a plane. Various processing operations on the substrate (9) are performed in the plurality of processing units (108). The substrate processing device described below is one of the plurality of processing units (108). The center robot (109) performs an receiving operation to bring the substrate (9) into the processing unit (108) and a receiving operation to remove the substrate (9) from the processing unit (108). Additionally, the center robot (109) conveys the substrate (9) between the plurality of processing units (108). The substrate (9) is conveyed in a horizontal position by the center robot (109). The center robot (109) receives the substrate (9) from the indexer robot (105) and hands the substrate (9) to the indexer robot (105).

[0027] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus (1) related to a first embodiment of the present invention. The substrate processing apparatus (1) is a single-wafer type apparatus that processes substrates (9) one by one. The substrate processing apparatus (1) is an apparatus that performs electrolytic etching on the periphery edge portion (i.e., the bevel portion and the area near the bevel portion) of the substrate (9). FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a part of the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus (1).

[0028] A substrate processing device (1) comprises a substrate holding part (31), a substrate rotation mechanism (33), a cup part (4), a processing liquid supply part (5), an etching part (6), a housing (11), and a control part (8). The substrate holding part (31), the substrate rotation mechanism (33), and the cup part (4), etc., are accommodated in the internal space of the housing (11). In the canopy part of the housing (11), an airflow forming part (12) is formed to supply gas to the internal space and form an airflow (so-called down flow) flowing downward. For example, an FFU (fan filter unit) is used as the airflow forming part (12). The control unit (8) is positioned outside the housing (11) and controls the substrate holding unit (31), substrate rotation mechanism (33), processing fluid supply unit (5) and etching unit (6), etc.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit (8) is a conventional computer system having, for example, a processor (81), a memory (82), an input / output unit (83), and a bus (84). The bus (84) is a signal circuit connecting the processor (81), the memory (82), and the input / output unit (83). The memory (82) stores programs and various information. The processor (81) performs various processing (e.g., numerical calculation) using the memory (82) according to the programs stored in the memory (82). The input / output unit (83) is equipped with a keyboard (85) and a mouse (86) for receiving input from an operator, a display (87) for displaying output from the processor (81), and a transmitter for transmitting output from the processor (81). Additionally, the control unit (8) may be a programmable logic controller (PLC) or a circuit board, etc. The control unit (8) may include any multiple configurations among a computer system, a PLC and a circuit board, etc.

[0030] The substrate holding part (31) and the substrate rotation mechanism (33) shown in FIG. 2 are each part of a spin chuck that holds and rotates a roughly disc-shaped substrate (9). The substrate holding part (31) holds the substrate (9) in a horizontal state from below. The substrate holding part (31) is, for example, a vacuum chuck that holds the substrate (9) by adsorbing it. The substrate holding part (31) is provided with a roughly disc-shaped base part (311) that contacts and adsorbs the central part of the lower surface of the substrate (9) (hereinafter also referred to as the "lower surface (92)"). The diameter of the base part (311) is smaller than the diameter of the substrate (9).

[0031] A conductive film, which is a conductive film, is formed on the upper surface of the substrate (9) (hereinafter also referred to as the "upper surface (91)"). The conductive film is formed over approximately the entire surface of the upper surface (91) to cover the entire upper surface (91) of the substrate (9), and the periphery edge portion of the substrate (9) is also covered by the conductive film. The conductive film is, for example, a film formed by a metal. The conductive film includes, for example, ruthenium (Ru). In this embodiment, approximately the entire conductive film is formed by ruthenium. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the substrate holding portion (31) holds the substrate (9) from below in a state where the upper surface (91) on which the conductive film is formed is facing upward.

[0032] The substrate rotation mechanism (33) is positioned below the substrate holding part (31). The substrate rotation mechanism (33) rotates the substrate (9) together with the substrate holding part (31) around a rotation axis (J1) that extends approximately parallel to the vertical direction. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the substrate rotation mechanism (33) rotates the substrate (9) clockwise when viewed from a plane. The substrate rotation mechanism (33) is equipped with a shaft (331) and a motor (332). The shaft (331) is a roughly cylindrical or roughly cylindrical member centered on the rotation axis (J1). The shaft (331) extends in the vertical direction and is connected to the center of the lower surface of the base part (311) of the substrate holding part (31). The motor (332) is an electric rotary motor that rotates the shaft (331). Additionally, the substrate rotation mechanism (33) may be a motor having a different structure (e.g., a hollow motor). Also, the rotation direction of the substrate (9) may be a counterclockwise rotation direction.

[0033] The treatment liquid supply unit (5) supplies a treatment liquid to the substrate (9) to perform liquid treatment on the substrate (9). The treatment liquid supply unit (5) is equipped with a nozzle (51) that discharges the treatment liquid from above the substrate (9) toward the upper surface (91) of the substrate (9). The nozzle (51) is supported, for example, by an arm (not shown) that extends approximately horizontally. The treatment liquid is, for example, a rinsing liquid such as DIW (deionized water) used for rinsing the substrate (9). Additionally, various types of treatment liquid other than the rinsing liquid may be discharged from the nozzle (51).

[0034] The processing liquid supply unit (5) may be equipped with a nozzle moving mechanism that moves the nozzle (51). The nozzle moving mechanism moves the nozzle (51) approximately horizontally between, for example, a supply position above the substrate (9) and a retreat position outside the outer edge of the substrate (9) in the radial direction centered on the rotation axis (J1) (hereinafter also simply referred to as the "radial direction"). The nozzle moving mechanism may be equipped with, for example, an electric linear motor, an air cylinder, or a ball screw and an electric rotary motor. In addition, the processing liquid supply unit (5) may be equipped with another nozzle that discharges a processing liquid of a different type from the processing liquid discharged from the nozzle (51) to the substrate (9).

[0035] The cup portion (4) is equipped with a cup (41) and a cup lifting mechanism that is omitted from the illustration. The cup (41) is an annular member centered on a rotation axis (J1). The cup (41) is arranged around the substrate (9) and the substrate holding portion (31) along the entire circumference in the circumferential direction centered on the rotation axis (J1) (hereinafter also simply referred to as the "circumferential direction") and covers the sides and bottom of the substrate (9) and the substrate holding portion (31). The cup (41) is a receiving container that receives liquids, such as processing liquid, that are scattered around the substrate (9) while it is rotating. The inner surface of the cup (41) is formed, for example, by a water-repellent material. The cup (41) remains stationary in the circumferential direction regardless of the rotation and stopping of the substrate (9). At the bottom of the cup (41), a drainage port (not shown) is formed to discharge the processing liquid received from the cup (41) to the outside of the housing (11).

[0036] The cup lifting mechanism moves the cup (41) up and down relative to the substrate holding part (31). The cup lifting mechanism is equipped with, for example, an electric linear motor, an air cylinder, or a ball screw and an electric rotary motor connected to the cup (41). The cup (41) can be moved up and down by the cup lifting mechanism between a processing position, which is a position around the substrate (9) shown in FIG. 2, and a retreat position below said processing position.

[0037] The cup portion (4) may be provided with a plurality of cups (41) stacked in the diameter direction. When the cup portion (4) is provided with a plurality of cups (41), the plurality of cups (41) can each move independently in the up and down direction, and the plurality of cups (41) are switched according to the type of processing liquid scattered from the substrate (9) and used for receiving the processing liquid.

[0038] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the configuration of a part of the etching unit (6) and the substrate (9). The etching unit (6) is equipped with two head units (61, 62), two adhesive removal units (63, 64), and a power supply (65). The two head units (61, 62) are spaced apart in the circumferential direction. In the example shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, the two head units (61, 62) are positioned approximately 180° apart in the circumferential direction. In other words, head unit (61) is positioned on the opposite side of another head unit (62) with the rotation axis (J1) in between. The structure of the two head units (61, 62) is approximately identical. In the following description, the head unit (61) and the other head unit (62) are also referred to as the "first head unit (61)" and the "second head unit (62)," respectively.

[0039] The first head unit (61) comprises an etching head (611), a head moving mechanism (612), and an arm (613). The etching head (611) is, for example, a roughly rectangular member and is supported by an arm (613) that extends approximately horizontally. The etching head (611) is positioned in a portion of the periphery around a substrate (9) held in the substrate holder (31). The etching head (611) is positioned at approximately the same position as the substrate (9) in the vertical direction and faces a portion of the periphery edge of the substrate (9) in the radial direction. The head moving mechanism (612) moves the etching head (611) forward and backward relative to the periphery edge of the substrate (9) by moving the etching head (611) approximately parallel in the radial direction. The head moving mechanism (612) is equipped with, for example, an electric linear motor, an air cylinder, or a ball screw and an electric rotary motor.

[0040] The second head unit (62) comprises an etching head (621), a head moving mechanism (622), and an arm (623). The etching head (621) is, for example, a roughly rectangular member and is supported by an arm (623) that extends approximately horizontally. The etching head (621) is positioned in a portion of the periphery around a substrate (9) held in the substrate holder (31). The etching head (621) is positioned at approximately the same position as the substrate (9) in the vertical direction and faces a portion of the periphery edge of the substrate (9) in the radial direction. The head moving mechanism (622) moves the etching head (621) forward and backward relative to the periphery edge of the substrate (9) by moving the etching head (621) approximately parallel in the radial direction. The head moving mechanism (622) is equipped with, for example, an electric linear motor, an air cylinder, or a ball screw and an electric rotary motor.

[0041] In the following description, the etching head (611) and another etching head (621) are also referred to as the "first etching head (611)" and the "second etching head (621)," respectively. Also, the head moving mechanism (612) and another head moving mechanism (622) are also referred to as the "first head moving mechanism (612)" and the "second head moving mechanism (622)," respectively. The first etching head (611) and the second etching head (621) have approximately the same structure. Also, the first head moving mechanism (612) and the second head moving mechanism (622) have approximately the same structure.

[0042] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of a first etching head (611). The first etching head (611) is provided with a head flow path (614), an insertion port (615), and an outflow suppression portion (616). The head flow path (614) is a space formed inside the first etching head (611), through which an electrolyte (610), which is a conductive liquid, flows. In FIG. 5, parallel diagonal lines are given to the electrolyte (610). The head flow path (614) has a shape that connects, for example, a space that spreads approximately horizontally in the upper and lower parts of the first etching head (611) to a portion of the first etching head (611) in the diametrically inner direction (i.e., the portion on the left in FIG. 5). In the example shown in FIG. 5, the electrolyte (610) supplied from the outer diameter to the upper part of the head channel (614) flows inward in the diameter direction to the lower part of the head channel (614), and then flows outward in the diameter direction from the lower part of the head channel (614) to be discharged from the head channel (614). For example, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, or sodium hydroxide can be used as the electrolyte (610).

[0043] The insertion opening (615) is a slit-shaped opening extending approximately horizontally on the inner side of the first etching head (611) in the radial direction. The insertion opening (615) is opened toward the inner side in the radial direction on the said side of the first etching head (611). The periphery edge portion of the substrate (9) is inserted into the insertion opening (615) from the inner side in the radial direction. The periphery edge portion of the substrate (9) is not in direct contact with the portion surrounding the insertion opening (615) of the first etching head (611), and there is a small gap between the substrate (9) and the portion surrounding the insertion opening (615). The insertion port (615) is connected to a portion of the inner diameter of the head channel (614), and the electrolyte (610) flowing through the head channel (614) is also supplied to the insertion port (615). The periphery edge portion of the substrate (9) inserted into the interior of the first etching head (611) through the insertion port (615) comes into direct contact with the electrolyte (610) flowing through the head channel (614).

[0044] The outflow suppression portion (616) is formed near the insertion port (615) and suppresses the electrolyte (610) maintained inside the first etching head (611) from flowing out onto the upper surface (91) of the substrate (9) through the insertion port (615). In the example shown in FIG. 5, the outflow suppression portion (616) is provided with a nozzle (617) positioned above the insertion port (615). At the lower end of the nozzle (617), a nozzle (618) is formed to spray gas downward. The nozzle (618) is an approximately arc-shaped opening that extends in the circumferential direction when viewed from a plane. The nozzle (618) faces the upper surface (91) of the substrate (9) inserted into the insertion port (615) in the vertical direction.

[0045] The nozzle (617) is connected to a gas source (not shown) through a gas flow path formed within the first etching head (611). Gas supplied to the nozzle (617) from the gas source (e.g., an inert gas such as nitrogen or compressed air) is sprayed from the nozzle (618) of the nozzle (617) toward the upper surface (91) of the substrate (9). This prevents the electrolyte (610) inside the first etching head (611) from flowing along the upper surface (91) of the substrate (9) toward the region in the radial direction inward from the periphery edge. As a result, direct contact between the conductive film (93) and the electrolyte (610) in the region in the radial direction inward from the periphery edge on the upper surface (91) of the substrate (9) is prevented. In FIG. 5, the conductive film (93) is shown as a thick line. The same applies to FIGS. 6, 11, 12, and 14 described later.

[0046] A cathode (66) is disposed at the bottom of the head channel (614) and is electrically connected to the negative electrode of the power source (65) (see FIG. 4). The cathode (66) is electrically connected to the electrolyte (610) by directly contacting the electrolyte (610) inside the head channel (614). The cathode (66) is, for example, a roughly flat member having conductivity. The material of the cathode (66) is, for example, platinum (Pt), ruthenium, or carbon. The shape and material of the cathode (66) may be changed in various ways.

[0047] Additionally, the cathode (66) does not necessarily have to be placed at the bottom of the head channel (614) if it is electrically in contact with the electrolyte (610), and its position may be changed as appropriate. For example, the cathode (66) may be placed at the top of the head channel (614) and in direct contact with the electrolyte (610). Alternatively, the cathode (66) may be placed outside the head channel (614) and electrically in contact with the electrolyte (610) inside the head channel (614) without being in direct contact with the electrolyte (610).

[0048] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of a second etching head (621). The second etching head (621) is provided with a head flow path (624), an insertion port (625), and an outflow suppression portion (626). The head flow path (624) is a space formed inside the second etching head (621), through which a conductive liquid (620), which is a conductive liquid, flows. In FIG. 6, a parallel diagonal line is given to the conductive liquid (620). The head flow path (624) has a shape that connects, for example, a space that spreads approximately horizontally in the upper and lower parts of the second etching head (621) to a portion of the second etching head (621) in the diametrically inner direction (i.e., the portion on the right in FIG. 6). In the example shown in FIG. 6, a conductive liquid (620) supplied from the outer diameter direction to the upper part of the head channel (624) flows inward in the diameter direction to the lower part of the head channel (624), and then flows outward in the diameter direction from the lower part of the head channel (624) and is discharged from the head channel (624). The conductive liquid (620) may be a liquid of the same type as the electrolyte (610) or a liquid of a different type from the electrolyte (610). If the conductive liquid (620) is a liquid of the same type as the electrolyte (610), the conductive liquid (620) is, for example, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, or sodium hydroxide.

[0049] The insertion opening (625) is a slit-shaped opening extending approximately horizontally on the inner side of the second etching head (621) in the radial direction. The insertion opening (625) is opened toward the inner side in the radial direction on the said side of the second etching head (621). The periphery edge portion of the substrate (9) is inserted into the insertion opening (625) from the inner side in the radial direction. The periphery edge portion of the substrate (9) is not in direct contact with the portion surrounding the insertion opening (625) of the second etching head (621), and there is a small gap between the substrate (9) and the portion surrounding the insertion opening (625). The insertion port (625) is connected to a portion of the inner side in the diametrical direction of the head channel (624), and the conductive liquid (620) flowing through the head channel (624) is also supplied to the insertion port (625). The periphery edge portion of the substrate (9) inserted into the interior of the second etching head (621) through the insertion port (625) comes into direct contact with the conductive liquid (620) flowing through the head channel (624).

[0050] The outflow suppression portion (626) is formed near the insertion port (625) and suppresses the conductive liquid (620) maintained inside the second etching head (621) from flowing out onto the upper surface (91) of the substrate (9) through the insertion port (625). In the example shown in FIG. 6, the outflow suppression portion (626) is provided with a nozzle (627) positioned above the insertion port (625). At the lower end of the nozzle (627), a nozzle (628) is formed to spray gas downward. The nozzle (628) is an approximately arc-shaped opening that extends in the circumferential direction when viewed from a plane. The nozzle (628) faces the upper surface (91) of the substrate (9) inserted into the insertion port (625) in the vertical direction.

[0051] The nozzle (627) is connected to a gas source (not shown) through a gas passage formed within the second etching head (621). Gas supplied to the nozzle (627) from the gas source (e.g., an inert gas such as nitrogen or compressed air) is sprayed from the nozzle (628) of the nozzle (627) toward the upper surface (91) of the substrate (9). This prevents the conductive liquid (620) inside the second etching head (621) from flowing out along the upper surface (91) of the substrate (9) to an area radially inward from the second etching head (621).

[0052] An anode (67) is disposed on the upper part of the head channel (624) and is electrically connected to the positive terminal of the power source (65) (see FIG. 4). The anode (67) is electrically connected to the conductive liquid (620) by directly contacting the conductive liquid (620) inside the head channel (624). The anode (67) is, for example, a roughly flat member having conductivity. The material of the anode (67) is, for example, platinum, ruthenium, or carbon. The shape and material of the anode (67) may be changed in various ways.

[0053] Additionally, the anode (67) does not necessarily have to be positioned at the top of the head channel (624) if it is electrically in contact with the conductive liquid (620), and its position may be appropriately changed. For example, the anode (67) may be positioned at the bottom of the head channel (624) and in direct contact with the conductive liquid (620). Alternatively, the anode (67) may be positioned outside the head channel (624) and electrically in contact with the conductive liquid (620) inside the head channel (624) without directly contacting the conductive liquid (620).

[0054] As shown in FIG. 4, two adhesive removal parts (63, 64) are positioned approximately 180° apart in the circumferential direction. In other words, the adhesive removal part (63) is positioned on the opposite side of the other adhesive removal part (64) with the rotation axis (J1) in between. The structure of the two adhesive removal parts (63, 64) is approximately identical. In the following description, the adhesive removal part (63) and the other adhesive removal part (64) are also referred to as the "first adhesive removal part (63)" and the "second adhesive removal part (64)," respectively.

[0055] In the example shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the first adhesive removal unit (63) is provided with a nozzle (631) that sprays gas (e.g., an inert gas such as nitrogen or compressed air) toward the periphery edge of the substrate (9). The nozzle (631) is positioned between the first etching head (611) and the second etching head (621), which are spaced apart in the periphery direction. The nozzle (631) is positioned above the upper surface (91) of the substrate (9), for example, at a position about 90° away from the first etching head (611) in the rotational direction (i.e., clockwise) of the substrate (9). As gas is sprayed from the nozzle (631) toward the periphery edge of the substrate (9), droplets of electrolyte attached to the periphery edge of the substrate (9) are blown away from the first etching head (611) and removed from the substrate (9). The electrolyte removed from the substrate (9) is received by the cup portion (4).

[0056] The second adhesive removal unit (64) is provided with a nozzle (641) that sprays gas (e.g., an inert gas such as nitrogen or compressed air) toward the periphery edge of the substrate (9). The nozzle (641) is positioned between the second etching head (621) and the first etching head (611), which are spaced apart in the periphery direction. The nozzle (641) is positioned above the upper surface (91) of the substrate (9), for example, at a position approximately 90° away from the second etching head (621) in the rotational direction (i.e., clockwise) of the substrate (9). As gas is sprayed from the nozzle (641) toward the periphery edge of the substrate (9), droplets of conductive liquid attached to the periphery edge of the substrate (9) are blown away from the second etching head (621) and removed from the substrate (9). The conductive liquid removed from the substrate (9) is received by the cup portion (4).

[0057] Next, the flow of processing of a substrate (9) in a substrate processing device (1) will be explained with reference to FIG. 7. When the substrate (9) is processed, first, the substrate (9) is introduced into the substrate processing device (1) and is held approximately horizontally by the substrate holding part (31) (step S11). In step S11, the position of the substrate holding part (31) is adjusted so that the center of the substrate (9) and the rotation axis (J1) coincide when viewed from a plane. Also, when the substrate (9) is introduced, the first etching head (611) and the second etching head (621) are positioned at the retraction position indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 2, or above said retraction position. The first etching head (611) and the second etching head (621) are spaced outward in the radial direction from the outer edge of the substrate (9) when viewed in a plane, and do not hinder the entry and exit of the substrate (9).

[0058] Subsequently, by means of the first head moving mechanism (612) and the second head moving mechanism (622) controlled by the control unit (8), the first etching head (611) and the second etching head (621) are moved inward in the radial direction from the retraction position described above and are positioned at the processing position shown by the solid line in FIG. 2. Thus, the periphery edge portion of the substrate (9) is inserted into the insertion opening (615) of the first etching head (611) and the insertion opening (625) of the second etching head (621) (step S12).

[0059] In step S12, the processing position of the second etching head (621) is located radially inward from the processing position of the first etching head (611). In other words, the radially inner end of the second etching head (621) at the processing position is located radially inward from the radially inner end of the first etching head (611) at the processing position. As a result, the radial width of the substrate (9) inserted into the interior of the second etching head (621) from the insertion opening (625) of the second etching head (621) becomes larger than the radial width of the substrate (9) inserted into the interior of the first etching head (611) from the insertion opening (615) of the first etching head (611) (hereinafter also referred to as "insertion depth").

[0060] In the first etching head (611), the supply of the electrolyte (610) to the head flow path (614) is initiated by control by the control unit (8), and gas is sprayed onto the upper surface (91) of the substrate (9) from the nozzle (617) of the outflow suppression unit (616). As a result, the conductive film (93) on the periphery edge portion of the substrate (9) comes into direct contact with the electrolyte (610) inside the first etching head (611). Additionally, the outflow suppression unit (616) prevents the electrolyte (610) inside the first etching head (611) from flowing out to an area on the upper surface (91) of the substrate (9) that is radially inward from the periphery edge portion. In addition, the electrolyte flowing out from the first etching head (611) along the lower surface (92) of the substrate (9) is received by the cup portion (4).

[0061] In the second etching head (621), the supply of conductive liquid (620) to the head flow path (624) is initiated by control by the control unit (8), and gas is sprayed onto the upper surface (91) of the substrate (9) from the nozzle (627) of the outflow suppression unit (626). As a result, the conductive film (93) on the substrate (9) comes into direct contact with the conductive liquid (620) inside the second etching head (621). Additionally, the outflow suppression unit (626) prevents the conductive liquid (620) inside the second etching head (621) from flowing out to an area radially inward from the periphery edge portion on the upper surface (91) of the substrate (9). In addition, the conductive liquid flowing out from the second etching head (621) along the lower surface (92) of the substrate (9) is received by the cup portion (4).

[0062] Next, the substrate rotation mechanism (33) is driven by the control unit (8), thereby initiating the rotation of the substrate (9) (Step S13). Then, the power supply (65) is controlled by the control unit (8), thereby applying voltage between the anode (67) and the cathode (66). As a result, in the first etching head (611), the conductive film (93) (i.e., ruthenium film) on the periphery edge portion of the substrate (9) in contact with the electrolyte (610) is ionized and dissolved. In this way, in the first etching head (611), the conductive film (93) on the periphery edge portion of the substrate (9) is electrolytically etched and removed from the substrate (9) (Step S14). The width (i.e., etching width) in the diameter direction of the conductive film (93) removed by electrolytic etching is, for example, 3 mm or less, and as a precision of said width, for example, 0.1 mm or less is required. Also, the power supply (65) is a DC power supply, and the voltage applied between the anode (67) and the cathode (66) is, for example, 2 V (volts) to 10 V. Also, said voltage may be less than 2 V or higher than 10 V.

[0063] In step S14, when the portion of the periphery of the rotating substrate (9) that is in contact with the electrolyte (610) in the first etching head (611) reaches the first attachment liquid removal portion (63), the electrolyte attached to the substrate (9) is blown away by the gas sprayed from the nozzle (631) and removed from the substrate (9). As a result, the electrolyte attached to the substrate (9) is suppressed or prevented from being mixed into the conductive liquid (620) in the second etching head (621). Also, in step S14, when the portion of the periphery edge of the rotating substrate (9) that is in contact with the conductive liquid (620) in the second etching head (621) reaches the second attachment liquid removal portion (64), the conductive liquid attached to the substrate (9) is blown away by the gas sprayed from the nozzle (641) and removed from the substrate (9). As a result, the conductive liquid attached to the substrate (9) is suppressed or prevented from being mixed into the electrolyte (610) in the first etching head (611).

[0064] In step S14, as described above, the insertion depth of the substrate (9) in the second etching head (621) is greater than the insertion depth of the substrate (9) in the first etching head (611). Because of this, the width of the conductive film (93) in contact with the conductive liquid (620) in the second etching head (621) is greater than the width of the conductive film (93) in contact with the electrolyte (610) in the first etching head (611). In other words, at the perimeter edge of the substrate (9), the conductive liquid (620) is in contact with the region in the radial direction inward from the region in contact with the electrolyte (610). For this reason, even if the conductive film (93) is removed to some extent from the periphery edge of the substrate (9), the contact (i.e., electrical connection) between the conductive film (93) on the substrate (9) and the conductive liquid (620) in the second etching head (621) can be preferably maintained.

[0065] In the substrate processing device (1), the substrate rotation mechanism (33) and the etching unit (6) are controlled by the control unit (8) according to a predetermined recipe, so that after a predetermined processing time has elapsed, the application of voltage from the power source (65) is stopped, and the electrolytic etching described above is stopped. During the period from the start to the end of the electrolytic etching, the substrate (9) rotates at least one full turn (i.e., 360°), and preferably rotates two to three full turns. As a result, among the conductive film (93) on the substrate (9), the portion on the periphery edge of the substrate (9) is removed over the entire periphery.

[0066] When electrolytic etching is finished, gas injection from the supply and outflow suppression part (616) of the electrolyte (610) in the first etching head (611) is stopped, and gas injection from the supply and outflow suppression part (626) of the conductive liquid (620) in the second etching head (621) is stopped. Also, the rotation of the substrate (9) is stopped (step S15), and the first etching head (611) and the second etching head (621) are moved to a retracted position. Additionally, the first etching head (611) and the second etching head (621) are moved upward and retracted above the cup part (4).

[0067] Next, as rinse liquid is supplied from the nozzle (51) of the processing liquid supply unit (5) to the center of the upper surface (91) of the substrate (9), the substrate (9) is rotated by the substrate rotation mechanism (33). As a result, the rinse liquid spreads over the entire upper surface (91) of the substrate (9), and a rinse treatment is performed to wash away the electrolyte or conductive liquid attached to the periphery edge of the substrate (9) (Step S16). The rinse liquid is scattered outward in the radial direction from the outer periphery edge of the substrate (9) by the centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the substrate (9) and is received by the cup unit (4).

[0068] When the rinsing treatment on the substrate (9) is performed for a predetermined time, the supply of rinsing liquid from the nozzle (51) is stopped. After that, the rotation speed of the substrate (9) is increased, and the rinsing liquid on the substrate (9) is shaken off and removed, thereby performing a drying treatment on the substrate (9) (Step S17). Additionally, the drying treatment may be performed by various known methods. When the drying treatment of the substrate (9) is finished, the rotation of the substrate (9) is stopped, and the substrate (9) is removed from the substrate processing device (1).

[0069] As described above, the substrate processing device (1) performs electrolytic etching on the periphery edge portion of the substrate (9). The substrate processing device (1) is equipped with a substrate holding part (31), a substrate rotation mechanism (33), an etching head (611) (i.e., a first etching head (611)), a head movement mechanism (612) (i.e., a first head movement mechanism (612)), an anode (67), a cathode (66), and a power supply (65). The substrate holding part (31) holds a substrate (9) on which a conductive film (93) is formed on one main surface (in the above example, the upper surface (91)). The substrate rotation mechanism (33) rotates the substrate holding part (31) around a rotation axis (J1). The first etching head (611) faces the periphery edge portion of the substrate (9) in the radial direction in a part of the circumferential direction centered on the rotation axis (J1). The first etching head (611) holds the electrolyte (610) inside. The first etching head (611) has an insertion opening (615) into which the periphery edge portion of the substrate (9) is inserted. The first head movement mechanism (612) moves the first etching head (611) back and forth relative to the periphery edge portion of the substrate (9). The anode (67) is in electrical contact with the conductive film (93). The cathode (66) is in electrical contact with the electrolyte (610). The power supply (65) applies voltage between the anode (67) and the cathode (66) while the periphery edge portion of the substrate (9) is inserted into the interior of the first etching head (611) from the insertion port (615) and in contact with the electrolyte (610).

[0070] In the substrate processing device (1), in the electrolytic etching of the conductive film (93) at the periphery edge portion of the substrate (9), the etching width of the conductive film (93) can be controlled with good precision by changing the insertion depth of the substrate (9) with respect to the insertion opening (615) of the first etching head (611). Also, in the substrate processing device (1), as the substrate (9) rotates, each portion in the periphery direction of the periphery edge portion of the substrate (9) passes through the first etching head (611) and is electrolytically etched at the first etching head (611), so the etching width of the conductive film (93) can be made approximately uniform over the entire periphery of the substrate (9). In addition, in the substrate processing device (1), the electrolyte (610) used for electrolytic etching is maintained within a relatively small first etching head (611) into which only a portion of the periphery edge of the substrate (9) is inserted, so the consumption of the electrolyte (610) can be reduced.

[0071] As described above, it is preferable that the cathode (66) be placed inside the first etching head (611). This facilitates electrical contact between the cathode (66) and the electrolyte (610). As a result, the structure of the substrate processing device (1) can be simplified.

[0072] As described above, the rotation axis (J1) is parallel to the vertical direction, and the substrate holding part (31) preferably holds the substrate (9) from below with the main surface of one side (in the above example, the upper surface (91)) facing upward. By doing so, the structure of the substrate holding part (31) can be simplified. In addition, since a known substrate holding part (31) and a known configuration related to the substrate holding part (31) can be used for holding the substrate (9), the manufacturing of the substrate processing device (1) can be facilitated.

[0073] As described above, the substrate processing device (1) preferably further comprises a leakage suppression part (616) that suppresses the electrolyte (610) from the inside of the first etching head (611) onto the main surface of one side of the substrate (9). By doing so, the adhesion of the electrolyte to an area other than the periphery edge where electrolytic etching is performed on the substrate (9), and electrolytic etching in said area caused by the adhesion of the electrolyte can be preferably suppressed.

[0074] The substrate processing device (1) preferably has another etching head (621) (i.e., a second etching head (621)). The second etching head (621) faces the periphery edge portion of the substrate (9) in the radial direction in part of the periphery direction. The second etching head (621) holds a conductive liquid (620) that is electrically in contact with the anode (67) inside. The second etching head (621) has an insertion opening (625) into which the periphery edge portion of the substrate (9) is inserted. Additionally, it is preferable that the second etching head (621) be retractable relative to the periphery edge portion of the substrate (9). By doing so, electrical contact between the anode (67) and the conductive film (93) of the rotating substrate (9) can be realized in a simple structure.

[0075] In addition, as described above, it is preferable that the anode (67) be placed inside the second etching head (621). This facilitates electrical contact between the anode (67) and the conductive liquid (620). As a result, the structure of the substrate processing device (1) can be simplified.

[0076] As described above, the first etching head (611) and the second etching head (621) are spaced apart in the circumferential direction. Additionally, it is preferable to form an attachment liquid removal section (in the above example, the first attachment liquid removal section (63) or the second attachment liquid removal section (64)) between the first etching head (611) and the second etching head (621) in the circumferential direction to remove liquid attached to the circumferential edge of the substrate (9). As described above, by forming the first attachment liquid removal section (63), the electrolyte attached to the substrate (9) can be suppressed or prevented from being mixed into the conductive liquid (620) inside the second etching head (621). In addition, by forming a second attachment liquid removal part (64), the conductive liquid attached to the substrate (9) can be suppressed or prevented from being mixed into the electrolyte (610) in the first etching head (611).

[0077] As described above, it is preferable that the first adhesive liquid removal unit (63) and the second adhesive liquid removal unit (64) be equipped with nozzles (631, 641) that spray gas toward the periphery edge of the substrate (9). This allows for the removal of liquids (i.e., electrolytes and conductive liquids) attached to the periphery edge of the substrate (9) to be realized in a simplified structure. Furthermore, the first adhesive liquid removal unit (63) and the second adhesive liquid removal unit (64) do not necessarily need to be equipped with nozzles (631, 641) that spray gas, and their structures may be modified in various ways. For example, the first adhesive liquid removal unit (63) and the second adhesive liquid removal unit (64) may be equipped with suction units that suck up liquids on the periphery edge in close proximity to the periphery edge of the substrate (9). Also, in the substrate processing device (1), one of the first adhesive liquid removal part (63) and the second adhesive liquid removal part (64) may be omitted, and only the other may be formed. Alternatively, if the liquid attached to the periphery edge of the substrate (9) can be removed by centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the substrate (9), both of the first adhesive liquid removal part (63) and the second adhesive liquid removal part (64) may be omitted.

[0078] As described above, the substrate processing apparatus (1) can etch ruthenium, which is difficult to etch by simply applying a chemical solution commonly used in semiconductor manufacturing (e.g., hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, SPM (Sulfuric Acid Hydrogen Peroxide Mixture), HPM (hydrochloric acid-hydrogen peroxide mixture), ammonium hydroxide, etc.), using the said general chemical solution. Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus (1) is particularly suitable for etching a substrate (9) on which a conductive film (93) containing ruthenium is formed.

[0079] In the substrate processing apparatus (1), the end of the electrolytic etching in step S14 does not necessarily have to be determined by a recipe, but may be determined by other methods. For example, the periphery of the substrate (9) during electrolytic etching may be continuously captured, and the captured image may be compared with a reference image (for example, an image of the periphery of the substrate (9) where the conductive film (93) has been successfully removed), and after it is confirmed that the removal of the conductive film (93) has been successfully performed over the entire periphery of the substrate (9), the electrolytic etching may be terminated.

[0080] Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 8, an ammeter (68) may be formed between the cathode (66) in the first etching head (611) and the negative electrode of the power supply (65), and the end of electrolytic etching may be determined based on the output from the ammeter (68). Specifically, as electrolytic etching proceeds and the conductive film (93) in contact with the electrolyte (610) (see FIG. 5) in the first etching head (611) decreases, the current measured by the ammeter (68) (i.e., the current flowing between the anode (67) and the cathode (66) in the second etching head (621)) decreases. Accordingly, when the measured value of the current output from the ammeter (68) is maintained below a predetermined threshold value for a predetermined period of time or longer, the control unit (8) (see FIG. 2) determines that the conductive film (93) on the periphery edge portion of the substrate (9) has been preferably removed, and the power supply (65) is controlled so that the application of voltage between the anode (67) and the cathode (66) (i.e., electrolytic etching on the periphery edge portion of the substrate (9)) is stopped.

[0081] In this way, the substrate processing device (1) may additionally be equipped with an ammeter (68) that measures the current flowing between the anode (67) and the cathode (66), and a control unit (8) that stops electrolytic etching on the periphery edge portion of the substrate (9) based on the output from the ammeter (68). This allows the completion of electrolytic etching on the substrate (9) to be determined with good precision. Furthermore, the connection position of the ammeter (68) is not limited to between the cathode (66) and the power source (65) and may be changed in various ways.

[0082] In the above example, the first etching head (611) and the second etching head (621) are positioned approximately 180° apart in the circumferential direction, but are not limited to this, and the arrangement of the first etching head (611) and the second etching head (621) may be changed in various ways. Also, the arrangement of the first adhesive removal part (63) and the second adhesive removal part (64) may also be changed in various ways.

[0083] For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the first etching head (611) and the second etching head (621) may be positioned adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the first etching head (611) is positioned about 60° away from the second etching head (621) in the rotational direction of the substrate (9) (i.e., clockwise rotation). In other words, the circumferential angular spacing (acute angle) between the first etching head (611) and the second etching head (621) is about 60°. The nozzle (631) of the first adhesive removal part (63) is positioned about 150° away from the first etching head (611) in the rotational direction of the substrate (9). The nozzle (641) of the second adhesive removal unit (64) is positioned at a distance of about 30° from the second etching head (621) in the rotational direction of the substrate (9). Additionally, as described above, the first adhesive removal unit (63) and / or the second adhesive removal unit (64) may be omitted.

[0084] In the conductive film (93) (see FIG. 5) of the substrate (9), there may be a variation in electrical resistance in the circumferential or radial direction. In this case, if the distance between the first etching head (611) and the second etching head (621) increases, the influence of said variation also increases, and there is a possibility that the speed of electrolytic etching, etc., may subtly change in each circumferential direction of the substrate (9). In the example shown in FIG. 9, as described above, the distance between the first etching head (611) and the second etching head (621) is reduced by arranging them adjacently (i.e., making the angle interval 60° or less). For this reason, even if there is a deviation in the electrical resistance of the conductive film (93), the effect of said deviation on the electrolytic etching can be reduced, and as a result, the uniformity of the electrolytic etching in the circumferential direction of the substrate (9) can be improved.

[0085] In the substrate processing device (1), as shown in FIG. 10, the first etching head (611) and the second etching head (621) are arranged adjacently in the circumferential direction and may also be a single connected member that is continuous in the circumferential direction. In this case, the first etching head (611) and the second etching head (621) are supported by one arm and move back and forth relative to the circumferential edge of the substrate (9) by one head movement mechanism. This simplifies the structure of the substrate processing device (1).

[0086] Next, a substrate processing device (1a) related to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 11 is a side view showing an enlarged view of the vicinity of the etching section (6a) of the substrate processing device (1a). In the substrate processing device (1a), the second head unit (62) is omitted from the substrate processing device (1) shown in FIG. 2, and an anode (67a) is positioned above the substrate (9) (i.e., above the upper surface (91) of the substrate (9). Other configurations of the substrate processing device (1a) are approximately the same as those of the substrate processing device (1), and are given the same reference numerals in the following description.

[0087] In the substrate processing device (1a), the anode (67a) is a roughly disc-shaped or roughly toroidal member. The lower surface of the anode (67a) is roughly perpendicular to the rotation axis (J1) and makes direct surface contact with the conductive film (93) formed on the upper surface (91) of the substrate (9) at the radial center of the substrate (9). In other words, the substrate (9) is fitted from above and below by the substrate holding member (31) and the anode (67a). In the substrate processing device (1a), instead of the arm (613) shown in FIG. 2, an arm (613a) is formed that extends radially inward beyond the arm (613). The anode (67a) is rotatably supported around the rotation axis (J1) at the radial inner end of the arm (613a). The first etching head (611) is supported by an arm (613a) that is radially outward from the anode (67a) and can move back and forth with respect to the periphery edge of the substrate (9).

[0088] The flow of processing of the substrate (9) in the substrate processing device (1a) is approximately the same as steps S11 to S17 described above (see FIG. 7). In the substrate processing device (1a), when electrolytic etching is performed on the conductive film (93) on the periphery edge portion of the substrate (9), a voltage is applied between the anode (67a) and the cathode (66) by the power supply (65). At this time, the anode (67a) is rotated by the substrate rotation mechanism (33) (see FIG. 2) together with the substrate (9) and the substrate holding part (31). Alternatively, in the substrate processing device (1a), an anode rotation mechanism (not shown) different from the substrate rotation mechanism (33) may be formed, and the anode (67a) may be rotated by the anode rotation mechanism at the same rotational speed in the same direction as the substrate (9) in synchronization with the rotation of the substrate (9) by the substrate rotation mechanism (33). The anode rotation mechanism is, for example, an electric rotary motor identical to the substrate rotation mechanism (33). The anode rotation mechanism may be a motor having a different structure (for example, a hollow motor, etc.).

[0089] In the substrate processing device (1a), the etching width of the conductive film (93) can be controlled with good precision by changing the insertion depth of the substrate (9) into the insertion opening (615) (see FIG. 5) of the first etching head (611), approximately the same as in the substrate processing device (1). In addition, the etching width of the conductive film (93) can be made approximately uniform over the entire circumference of the substrate (9), and the consumption of the electrolyte (610) (see FIG. 5) can be reduced.

[0090] As described above, in the substrate processing device (1a), the anode (67a) is positioned above the substrate (9) and is in direct contact with the conductive film (93). This allows for the electrical contact between the anode (67a) and the conductive film (93) to be realized in a simplified structure. Additionally, the substrate processing device (1a) is further provided with an arm (613a) that extends in the radial direction and supports the anode (67a), and the first etching head (611) is also supported by said arm (613a). This simplifies the configuration related to the support and movement of the anode (67a) and the first etching head (611). In addition, since the electrical wiring for the anode (67a) and the cathode (66) in the first etching head (611) can be arranged by following the arm (613a), the structure of the substrate processing device (1a) can be simplified.

[0091] In the substrate processing device (1a), as shown in FIG. 12, the anode (67a) is positioned slightly upward from the upper surface (91) of the substrate (9), and a conductive liquid (620) may be filled between the anode (67a) and the conductive film (93) on the upper surface (91) of the substrate (9). That is, the anode (67a) electrically contacts the conductive film (93) by indirectly contacting the conductive film (93) through the conductive liquid (620). In this case, the electrical contact between the anode (67a) and the conductive film (93) can be realized in a simplified structure.

[0092] In the example shown in FIG. 12, the anode (67a) is fixed immovably to the inner end of the arm (613a) in the diametric direction. Additionally, a nozzle (671a) is positioned in a through hole formed in the center of the anode (67a), and a conductive liquid (620) is supplied from the nozzle (671a) onto the upper surface (91) of the substrate (9). The conductive liquid (620) is supplied to the nozzle (671a) through a pipe formed within the arm (613a) or through a pipe formed along the arm (613a). Also, the electrolyte (610) (see FIG. 5) supplied to the first etching head (611) is supplied through a pipe formed within the arm (613a) or through a pipe formed along the arm (613a).

[0093] In the substrate processing device (1a), if the conductive liquid (620) and the electrolyte (610) are of the same type of liquid, the piping supplying the liquid to the first etching head (611) and the piping supplying the liquid to the nozzle (671a) can be common. This simplifies the structure of the substrate processing device (1a). Also, in the substrate processing device (1a), since the anode (67a) does not come into direct contact with the substrate (9), the conductive film (93) on the substrate (9) can be prevented from being damaged by contact with the anode (67a).

[0094] Next, a substrate processing apparatus (1b) related to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 13 is a side view showing an enlarged view of the vicinity of the etching section (6b) of the substrate processing apparatus (1b). FIG. 14 is a front view showing an enlarged view of the vicinity of the etching section (6b). In the substrate processing apparatus (1b), the substrate (9) is held approximately vertically, and an etching head (611b) having a structure different from the first etching head (611) shown in FIG. 5 is formed. Other components of the substrate processing apparatus (1b) are approximately the same as the components of the substrate processing apparatus (1, 1a), and are given the same reference numerals in the following description.

[0095] The substrate processing device (1b) is provided with an anode (67b) that is approximately the same shape as the anode (67a) of the substrate processing device (1a) shown in FIG. 11. The anode (67b), which is approximately disc-shaped or approximately circular, is in direct surface contact with a conductive film (93) formed on one main surface (91) of the substrate (9) at the radial center of the substrate (9). Also, the substrate holding part (31), which is a vacuum chuck, is in direct surface contact with the other main surface (92) of the substrate (9) at the radial center of the substrate (9). In the substrate processing device (1b), the substrate (9) is inserted from above and below by the substrate holding part (31) and the anode (67b) in roughly the same way as in the substrate processing device (1a), and then the substrate holding part (31) and the anode (67b) are rotated about 90° together with the substrate (9) around a rotation axis extending in the horizontal direction, so that the substrate (9) is clamped in an approximately vertical state by the substrate holding part (31) and the anode (67b) as shown in FIG. 13.

[0096] When the substrate (9) is supported approximately vertically, the rotation axis (J1) of the substrate rotation mechanism (not shown) that rotates the substrate holding part (31) is approximately perpendicular to the vertical direction. In the following description relating to this embodiment, unless specifically stated otherwise, the rotation axis (J1) means that it is in a state where it extends approximately perpendicularly to the vertical direction (i.e., in a state where it extends approximately horizontally). In the substrate processing device (1b), the substrate (9) rotates together with the substrate holding part (31) around the rotation axis (J1) in the clockwise direction of FIG. 13.

[0097] The anode (67b) is supported so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis (J1) and is rotated together with the substrate (9) and the substrate holding part (31) by the substrate rotation mechanism described above. Alternatively, in the substrate processing device (1b), an anode rotation mechanism (not shown) different from the substrate rotation mechanism described above may be formed, and the anode (67b) may be rotated by the anode rotation mechanism at the same rotational speed in the same direction as the substrate (9) in synchronization with the rotation of the substrate (9) by the substrate rotation mechanism.

[0098] The etching head (611b) is positioned below the substrate (9). The etching head (611b) is provided with a head passage (614b), an insertion port (615b), and a liquid receiver (619b). The etching head (611b) is, for example, a roughly cylindrical member extending approximately parallel to the rotation axis (J1). The head passage (614b) is a space formed inside the etching head (611b) through which the electrolyte (610) described above flows. In FIG. 14, the etching head (611b) is shown in cross-section, and a parallel diagonal line is given to the electrolyte (610). In the example shown in FIG. 14, the electrolyte (610) flows from right to left in the drawing. The cathode (66b) is positioned at the bottom of the head channel (614b) and is in direct contact with the electrolyte (610). The cathode (66b) is, for example, a roughly cylindrical member extending approximately parallel to the axis of rotation (J1).

[0099] The insertion opening (615b) is a slit-shaped opening extending approximately horizontally and approximately perpendicularly to the rotation axis (J1) at the upper end of the outer circumference of the etching head (611b). The insertion opening (615b) is opened upwardly at the outer circumference of the etching head (611b). The lower end of the periphery edge portion of the substrate (9) is inserted into the insertion opening (615b) from the upper side. The periphery edge portion of the substrate (9) is not in direct contact with the area surrounding the insertion opening (615b) of the etching head (611b), and there is a small gap between the substrate (9) and the area surrounding the insertion opening (615b). The insertion port (615b) is formed at the upper part of the head channel (614b), and the periphery edge of the substrate (9) inserted into the interior of the etching head (611b) through the insertion port (615b) comes into direct contact with the electrolyte (610) flowing through the head channel (614b).

[0100] A liquid receiver (619b) is positioned adjacent to the etching head (611b) and is located on the front side of the rotational direction of the substrate (9) relative to the etching head (611b) (i.e., the clockwise rotational direction in FIG. 13). An attachment liquid removal section (63b) is formed above the liquid receiver (619b) and the etching head (611b). The attachment liquid removal section (63b) removes droplets of electrolyte attached to the periphery edge of the substrate (9) from the etching head (611b), approximately the same as the first attachment liquid removal section (63) described above. In the example shown in FIG. 14, the adhesive removal unit (63b) is equipped with two nozzles (631b) that spray gas toward the periphery edge of the substrate (9), and the two nozzles (631b) are positioned on both the left and right sides of the substrate (9) in the drawing. The electrolyte blown away from the periphery edge of the substrate (9) by the gas sprayed from the nozzles (631b) is received by the liquid receiver (619b).

[0101] The flow of processing of the substrate (9) in the substrate processing device (1b) is approximately the same as steps S11 to S17 described above (see FIG. 7). However, in the substrate processing device (1b), in step S11, the substrate (9) is held approximately horizontally by the substrate holding part (31), and then the substrate (9) is clamped by the substrate holding part (31) and the anode (67b), rotated 90°, and supported approximately vertically. Also, in step S12, the periphery edge of the substrate (9) is inserted into the insertion opening (615b) of the etching head (611b), which is different. In addition, between step S15 and step S16, the substrate (9) is rotated 90° together with the substrate holder (31) and the anode (67b) to become approximately horizontal, and then the anode (67b) is separated from the substrate (9) and retracted.

[0102] In the substrate processing device (1b), the etching width of the conductive film (93) can be controlled with good precision by changing the insertion depth of the substrate (9) into the insertion opening (615b) of the etching head (611b), approximately the same as in the substrate processing device (1). In addition, the etching width of the conductive film (93) can be made approximately uniform over the entire circumference of the substrate (9), and the consumption of the electrolyte (610) can be reduced.

[0103] As described above, in the substrate processing device (1b), the rotation axis (J1) is perpendicular to the vertical direction. Also, the anode (67b) and the substrate holding part (31) each directly contact one main surface (91) (i.e., the main surface where the conductive film (93) is formed) and the other main surface (92) of the substrate (9) to hold the substrate (9). And, the etching head (611b) is positioned below the substrate (9). This makes it easier to hold the electrolyte (610) inside the etching head (611b).

[0104] Various modifications are possible in the substrate processing apparatus (1, 1a, 1b) described above.

[0105] For example, in the substrate processing device (1, 1a), as shown in FIG. 15, the lower portion of the first etching head (611) is configured to extend along the lower surface (92) of the substrate (9) in the radial direction inward from the upper portion of the first etching head (611), and the head flow path (614) may be extended downward to the lower surface (92) of the substrate (9). By doing so, the electrolyte (610) inside the first etching head (611) can be prevented from flowing out of the first etching head (611) along the lower surface (92) of the substrate (9). The same applies to the second etching head (621).

[0106] In the substrate processing device (1), the substrate (9) may be maintained approximately horizontally with the main surface on which the conductive film (93) is formed facing downward. In this case, the first adhesive liquid removal part (63) and the second adhesive liquid removal part (64) are formed below the substrate (9).

[0107] Likewise, in the substrate processing device (1a), the substrate (9) may be maintained approximately horizontally with the main surface on which the conductive film (93) is formed facing downward. In this case, for example, the base portion (311) (see FIG. 2) of the substrate holding portion (31) that is in direct contact with the conductive film (93) of the substrate (9) may be used as an anode (67). Alternatively, the anode (67) may be positioned below the substrate (9) between the base portion (311) of the substrate holding portion (31) and the first etching head (611), and may be indirectly contacted with the conductive film (93) of the substrate (9) through a liquid film of the conductive liquid.

[0108] In the first etching head (611) of the substrate processing device (1, 1a), the structure of the leakage suppression part (616) is not limited to the above example and may be changed in various ways. Alternatively, the leakage suppression part (616) may be omitted. The same applies to the second etching head (621).

[0109] For example, in the substrate processing device (1), instead of the nozzle (617) of the outflow suppression part (616), an O-ring is placed on the upper surface (91) of the substrate (9), and by said O-ring, the gap between the insertion opening (615) of the first etching head (611) and the upper surface (91) of the substrate (9), and the gap between the insertion opening (625) of the second etching head (621) and the upper surface (91) of the substrate (9) may be liquid-tightly sealed from the inner side in the radial direction.

[0110] Alternatively, in the substrate processing device (1), the nozzle (617) of the outflow suppression unit (616) may be omitted, and DIW may be supplied to the upper surface (91) of the substrate (9) from the nozzle (51) of the processing liquid supply unit (5), so that a liquid film of DIW is formed on the upper surface (91). The outer periphery of the liquid film is in the insertion port (615) of the first etching head (611) and comes into contact with the electrolyte (610) inside the first etching head (611) to form an interface. By controlling the flow rate of DIW supplied onto the substrate (9) and the flow rate of the electrolyte (610) supplied into the first etching head (611), the electrolyte (610) inside the first etching head (611) can be suppressed from flowing out along the upper surface (91) of the substrate (9) into an area in the radial direction inward rather than the periphery edge. The same applies to the second etching head (621). In this case, the processing liquid supply unit (5) also functions as a flow suppression unit (616, 626). Furthermore, near the interface, the electrolyte (610) and DIW are mixed, and a gradient in the concentration of the electrolyte (610) occurs (i.e., a gradient in which the concentration decreases as it moves inward in the radial direction). In the substrate processing device (1), the etching width may be determined using said gradient.

[0111] In the substrate processing device (1a), the anode (67a) and the first etching head (611) may be supported by different arms.

[0112] In the substrate processing apparatus (1, 1a, 1b), the conductive film (93) on which electrolytic etching is performed does not necessarily have to be a ruthenium film, nor does it have to be a film containing ruthenium. The conductive film (93) may be a film containing only a material other than ruthenium.

[0113] The substrate processing apparatus (1, 1a, 1b) described above may be used for processing glass substrates used in flat panel displays, such as liquid crystal displays or organic EL (Electro Luminescence) displays, or glass substrates used in other display devices, in addition to semiconductor substrates. Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus (1, 1a, 1b) described above may be used for processing substrates for optical discs, magnetic discs, magneto-optical discs, photomasks, ceramic substrates, and solar cells.

[0114] The configurations in the above embodiments and each variant may be appropriately combined as long as they do not contradict each other.

[0115] Although the invention has been described in detail, the description provided is illustrative and not limiting. Therefore, it can be said that numerous modifications or embodiments are possible without departing from the scope of the invention. Explanation of the symbols

[0116] 1, 1a, 1b: Substrate processing device 5 : Processing fluid supply unit 8 : Control unit 9 : Substrate 31: Substrate holding part 33: Substrate rotation mechanism 63: 1st adhesive liquid removal unit 63b: Adhesive removal part 64: Second adhesive liquid removal part 66, 66b : Cathode 67, 67a, 67b : Anode 68: Ammeter 91 : Upper surface (of the substrate) 92 : (of the circuit board) underside 93 : Challenge Screen 610 : Electrolyte 611: 1st Etching Head 611b: Etching head 612: 1st head movement mechanism 613a : arm 615, 615b, 625 : Insertion 616, 626: Outflow control section 620 : Challenge Amount 621: 2nd Etching Head 622: Second head movement mechanism J1: Rotation axis S11 ~ S17 : Step

Claims

Claim 1 A substrate processing apparatus for performing electrolytic etching on a periphery edge portion of a substrate, comprising: a substrate holding portion for holding a substrate having a conductive film formed on one main surface; a substrate rotation mechanism for rotating the substrate holding portion around a rotation axis; a first etching head having a first head channel for holding an electrolyte and a first insertion port into which the periphery edge portion of the substrate is inserted, which is radially opposite to the periphery edge portion of the substrate in a portion of the periphery direction centered on the rotation axis; a second etching head having a second head channel for holding a conductive liquid and a second insertion port into which the periphery edge portion of the substrate is inserted, which is radially opposite to the periphery edge portion of the substrate in a portion of the periphery direction; a first head movement mechanism for moving the first etching head back and forth relative to the periphery edge portion of the substrate; a second head movement mechanism for moving the second etching head back and forth relative to the periphery edge portion of the substrate; and the above flowing within the second head channel of the second etching head An anode that electrically contacts the conductive film through a conductive solution, a cathode that electrically contacts the conductive film through an electrolyte flowing within the first head channel of the first etching head, and a power source that applies voltage between the anode and the cathode while the periphery edge portion of the substrate is inserted into the interior of the first etching head from the first insertion port and contacts the electrolyte, and the periphery edge portion of the substrate is inserted into the interior of the second etching head from the second insertion port and contacts the conductive solution, wherein the rotation axis is parallel to the vertical direction, and the substrate holding portion holds the substrate from below with one main surface facing upward, and the region where the conductive film contacts the conductive solution in the anode includes a region in the diameter direction inward of the substrate than the region where the conductive film contacts the electrolyte in the cathode.A substrate processing device that moves the first etching head forward and backward by the first head moving mechanism and moves the second etching head forward and backward by the second head moving mechanism, and further comprises a leakage suppression unit that suppresses the leakage of the electrolyte from the first head passage inside the first etching head onto the main surface of one side of the substrate and also suppresses the leakage of the conductive liquid from the second head passage inside the second etching head onto the main surface of one side of the substrate, wherein the leakage suppression unit comprises a first nozzle having a first nozzle positioned above the first insertion port and spraying gas downward, and a second nozzle having a second nozzle positioned above the second insertion port and spraying gas downward. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 delete Claim 4 delete Claim 5 In claim 1, the first etching head and the second etching head are adjacent in the circumferential direction, forming a substrate processing device. Claim 6 In claim 5, the first etching head and the second etching head are a single connected member that is continuous in the circumferential direction, a substrate processing device. Claim 7 A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first etching head and the second etching head are spaced apart in the circumferential direction, and an attachment liquid removal portion for removing a liquid attached to the circumferential edge portion of the substrate is formed between the first etching head and the second etching head in the circumferential direction. Claim 8 delete Claim 9 delete Claim 10 delete Claim 11 A substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 and 5 to 7, further comprising an ammeter for measuring the current flowing between the anode and the cathode, and a control unit for stopping electrolytic etching of the periphery edge portion of the substrate based on the output from the ammeter. Claim 12 A substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 and 5 to 7, wherein the conductive film comprises ruthenium.

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