Substrate processing device and substrate processing method

Abstract

Provided are a substrate processing device and a substrate processing method with which it is possible to process not only the upper surface but also the lower surface of a substrate by using a processing gas. The substrate processing device includes: a placement table provided inside a chamber; a lift pin capable of being elevated and lowered relative to the placement table; a pin elevating / lowering drive mechanism for elevating and lowering the lift pin; a processing gas supply port for supplying a processing gas to a processing space; a discharge port for discharging the processing gas from the processing space; and a controller for controlling the pin elevating / lowering drive mechanism. The pin elevating / lowering drive mechanism is capable of maintaining the lift pin at a first pin height, a high second pin height, and a third pin height at which the substrate is held on the placement table or at a first substrate height above the placement table, at a second substrate height higher than the first substrate height, and a third substrate height higher than the second substrate height, respectively. The controller controls the pin elevating / lowering drive mechanism and executes a first pin height control, a second pin height control, and a third pin height control for maintaining the lift pin at the first pin height, the second pin height, and the third pin height, respectively.

Description

SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for processing a substrate, and examples of substrates to be processed include semiconductor wafers, substrates for FPDs (Flat Panel Displays) such as liquid crystal displays and organic EL (Electroluminescence) displays, substrates for optical disks, substrates for magnetic disks, substrates for magneto-optical disks, substrates for photomasks, ceramic substrates, and substrates for solar cells.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a heat treatment unit that introduces ozone gas into a heat treatment chamber containing a hot plate and supplies the ozone gas to a substrate placed on the hot plate's support surface while being heated. A cylindrical exhaust space is formed around the hot plate, and this exhaust space is connected to an exhaust system via an exhaust line. The heat treatment unit also includes lift pins that move up and down through the hot plate and a lifting mechanism for moving the lift pins up and down. The lift pins move up and down between an upper position where they support a substrate above the hot plate's support surface and a lower position where their tips are recessed below the support surface. This allows the lift pins to transfer substrates between the hands of a transport mechanism above the hot plate's support surface. The lift pins receive an unprocessed substrate from the hands of the transport mechanism at the upper position and then descend to the lower position to place the substrate on the hot plate's support surface. After processing of the substrate is completed, the lift pins rise to the upper position to receive and lift the processed substrate from the hot plate. The substrate is then transported by the transport mechanism.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-187165

[0004] In the configuration of Patent Document 1, processing is performed while the substrate is placed on the hot plate's support surface, so processing can be performed on the upper surface of the substrate using processing gas (ozone gas in the example of Patent Document 1), but processing cannot be performed on the lower surface of the substrate.

[0005] The hot plate mounting surface may be provided with minute protrusions called proximity balls or proximity pins, but even in such cases, the gap between the substrate and the hot plate mounting surface is, for example, about 0.1 mm. Therefore, even if the processing gas may reach the peripheral portion of the underside of the substrate, it is not possible to expect a sufficient amount of processing gas to reach the center of the underside of the substrate.

[0006] Therefore, one embodiment of the present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method that can process not only the upper surface but also the lower surface of a substrate with a processing gas.

[0007] An embodiment of the present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method having the following exemplary features.

[0008] an exhaust port for exhausting the process gas from the process space; and a controller for controlling the pin lift drive mechanism to perform first pin height control to maintain the lift pins at the first pin height, second pin height higher than the first pin height, and third pin height higher than the second pin height so that the substrate is supported at a first substrate height, a second substrate height higher than the first substrate height, and a third substrate height higher than the second substrate height, on or above the mounting table.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first substrate height is the height at which the substrate is supported by the mounting table, the second substrate height is the height at which the substrate is supported by the lift pins at the second pin height, and the third substrate height is the height at which the substrate is supported by the lift pins at the third pin height.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the substrate processing apparatus further includes a process gas supply line connected to the process gas supply port and a process gas valve provided in the process gas supply line. The controller controls the supply of the process gas to the processing space by opening and closing the process gas valve. The controller executes a first process step of continuing the first pin height control for a predetermined first time while supplying the process gas to the processing space, and a second process step of continuing the second pin height control for a predetermined second time while supplying the process gas to the processing space after the first process step. After the second process step, the controller stops the supply of the process gas to the processing space and executes the third pin height control.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the substrate processing apparatus further includes an exhaust path connected to the exhaust port, and the controller performs the first process step and the second process step while exhausting the process gas from the processing space.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the upper surface of the substrate is processed in the first processing step, and the lower surface of the substrate is processed in the second processing step.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the substrate processing apparatus further includes an inert gas supply path that supplies an inert gas to the processing space and an inert gas valve provided in the inert gas supply path. The controller controls the supply of the inert gas to the processing space by opening and closing the inert gas valve. After the second processing step, the controller stops the supply of the processing gas to the processing space and performs a purge step in which the second pin height control is continued for a predetermined third time while supplying the inert gas to the processing space, and then performs the third pin height control.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the process gas supply port is disposed above the second substrate height, and the exhaust port is disposed below the first substrate height.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the exhaust ports include peripheral exhaust ports positioned outward from the outer edge of the substrate supported on or above the mounting table, and a central exhaust port positioned opposite the underside of the substrate supported above the mounting table.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, the chamber includes a lid that moves up and down between an upper position that opens the processing space and a lower position that closes the processing space, and the controller maintains the lift pins at the third pin height when the lid is in the upper position.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, the processing gas removes organic matter on the surface of the substrate.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention, the organic matter includes a water repellent.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present invention, the substrate has a device surface and a non-device surface, and is supported above the mounting table with the device surface serving as an upper surface.

[0020] One embodiment of the present invention provides a substrate processing method for processing a substrate in a processing space formed by an openable chamber, the method including: a substrate introducing step of introducing the substrate into the processing space and closing the chamber; a first processing step of introducing a processing gas into the processing space and evacuating the processing space while supporting the substrate at a first substrate height on or above a mounting table disposed in the processing space of the closed chamber; a second processing step of introducing the processing gas into the processing space and evacuating the processing space while supporting the substrate at a second substrate height above the mounting table disposed in the processing space of the closed chamber at a second substrate height higher than the first substrate height; and a substrate unloading step of opening the chamber and supporting the substrate at a third substrate height above the mounting table for unloading the substrate.

[0021] In one embodiment of the present invention, the substrate processing method further includes, after the second processing step and the substrate unloading step, a purging step of stopping the supply of the processing gas to the processing space and supplying an inert gas to the processing space while supporting the substrate at the second substrate height above the mounting table disposed in the processing space of the chamber in the closed state.

[0022] In one embodiment of the present invention, the substrate processing method further includes a pin lifting / lowering step of lifting / lowering lift pins that are liftable relative to the mounting table and support the substrate from below. The substrate is supported at the first substrate height by positioning the lift pins at a first pin height. The substrate is supported at the second substrate height by positioning the lift pins at a second pin height higher than the first pin height. The substrate is supported at the third substrate height by positioning the lift pins at a third pin height higher than the second pin height.

[0023] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first substrate height is a height at which the substrate is supported by the mounting table, the second substrate height is a height at which the substrate is supported by the lift pins at the second pin height, and the third substrate height is a height at which the substrate is supported by the lift pins at the third pin height.

[0024] In one embodiment of the present invention, the upper surface of the substrate is processed in the first processing step, and the lower surface of the substrate is processed in the second processing step.

[0025] In one embodiment of the present invention, the processing gas is supplied from a processing gas supply port located above the second substrate height, and the processing space is exhausted from an exhaust port located below the first substrate height.

[0026] In one embodiment of the present invention, the exhaust ports include peripheral exhaust ports positioned outward from the outer edge of the substrate supported on or above the mounting table, and a central exhaust port positioned opposite the underside of the substrate supported above the mounting table.

[0027] In one embodiment of the present invention, the processing gas removes organic matter on the surface of the substrate.

[0028] In one embodiment of the present invention, the organic matter includes a water repellent.

[0029] In one embodiment of the present invention, the substrate has a device surface and a non-device surface, and is supported above the mounting table with the device surface serving as an upper surface.

[0030] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing the layout of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a wet processing unit. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining an example of the configuration of a dry processing unit. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view specifically showing the configuration of a heat processing unit. FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C are views for explaining features related to lift pin height control. FIG. 6 is a block diagram for explaining an example of the configuration related to control of the substrate processing apparatus. FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining an example of processing in a heat processing chamber. FIG. 8A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the state of the heat processing chamber in a first processing step. FIG. 8B is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the state of the heat processing chamber in a second processing step. FIG. 8C is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the state of the heat processing chamber in a purge step. FIG. 8D is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the state of the heat processing chamber when a substrate is unloaded.

[0031] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing the layout of a substrate processing apparatus 1 (substrate processing system) according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] The substrate processing apparatus 1 is a single-wafer processing apparatus that processes substrates W one by one. The substrates W are, for example, semiconductor wafers. The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a plurality of load ports LP that respectively hold a plurality of carriers C that accommodate substrates W, and a plurality of processing units 2 that process the substrates W transported from the plurality of load ports LP with processing fluids such as processing liquids and processing gases.

[0034] The substrate processing apparatus 1 further includes transport units (IR, SH, CR) that transport the substrates W, and a controller (control device) 3 that controls the substrate processing apparatus 1. The controller 3 is typically a computer, and includes a memory 3m that stores information such as programs, and a processor 3p that controls the substrate processing apparatus 1 in accordance with the information stored in the memory 3m.

[0035] The transport units (IR, SH, CR) include an indexer robot IR, a shuttle SH, and a center robot CR, which are arranged on a transport path extending from a plurality of load ports LP to a plurality of processing units 2. The indexer robot IR transports substrates W between the plurality of load ports LP and the shuttle SH. The shuttle SH moves back and forth between the indexer robot IR and the center robot CR to transport substrates W. The center robot CR transports substrates W between the shuttle SH and a plurality of processing units 2. The center robot CR further transports substrates W between a plurality of processing units 2. The thick arrows in FIG. 1 indicate the movement directions of the indexer robot IR and the shuttle SH.

[0036] The multiple processing units 2 form four towers arranged at four horizontally spaced positions. Each tower includes multiple processing units 2 stacked vertically. Two of the four towers are arranged on each side of the transport path. The multiple processing units 2 include multiple wet processing units 2W (liquid processing units) that process substrates W with a processing liquid, and multiple dry processing units 2D (gas processing units) that process substrates W with a processing gas. The two towers on the load port LP side are formed by multiple dry processing units 2D, and the remaining two towers are formed by multiple wet processing units 2W.

[0037] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a wet processing unit 2W. The wet processing unit 2W is a single-wafer liquid processing unit that processes substrates W one by one. The wet processing unit 2W includes a box-shaped wet chamber 9 (see FIG. 1) that defines an internal space, a spin chuck 70 (substrate holding means, substrate holder) that holds a single substrate W in a horizontal position within the wet chamber 9 and rotates the substrate W about a vertical rotation axis A1 passing through the center of the substrate W, a processing liquid supply unit 80 that supplies a processing liquid to the substrate W held on the spin chuck 70, and a cylindrical cup 73 that surrounds the spin chuck 70. As shown in FIG. 1, the wet chamber 9 is formed with a loading / unloading port 9a through which the substrate W passes, and is provided with a shutter 10 for opening and closing the loading / unloading port 9a. The wet chamber 9 is an example of a liquid processing chamber in which substrate processing using a processing liquid is performed.

[0038] The spin chuck 70 includes a disk-shaped spin base 74 held in a horizontal position, a plurality of chuck pins 75 that hold the substrate W in a horizontal position above the spin base 74, a rotation shaft 76 extending downward from the center of the spin base 74, and a spin motor 77 that rotates the rotation shaft 76 to rotate the substrate W and the spin base 74 about a rotation axis A1. The spin chuck 70 is not limited to a clamping type chuck that brings the plurality of chuck pins 75 into contact with the peripheral edge surface of the substrate W, but may also be a vacuum type chuck that holds the substrate W horizontally by attracting the back surface (lower surface) of the substrate W, which is the non-device formation surface, to the upper surface of the spin base 74.

[0039] The cup 73 is disposed outward (in a direction away from the rotation axis A1) from the substrate W held on the spin chuck 70. The cup 73 surrounds the periphery of the spin base 74. The cup 73 receives the processing liquid that is discharged around the substrate W when the processing liquid is supplied to the substrate W while the spin chuck 70 is rotating the substrate W. The processing liquid received in the cup 73 is sent to a recovery device or a liquid drainage device (not shown).

[0040] In this example, the processing liquid supply unit 80 is configured to supply multiple types of processing liquid to the surface of the substrate W held on the spin chuck 70. Specifically, the processing liquid supply unit 80 includes a chemical liquid supply unit 81, a rinse liquid supply unit 82, an organic solvent supply unit 83, and a water repellent agent supply unit 84. The chemical liquid supply unit 81 includes a chemical liquid nozzle 81n that discharges the chemical liquid toward the surface of the substrate W, a chemical liquid pipe 81p that guides the chemical liquid from a chemical liquid supply source to the chemical liquid nozzle 81n, and a chemical liquid valve 81v that is an on-off valve provided in the chemical liquid pipe 81p. The rinse liquid supply unit 82 includes a rinse liquid nozzle 82n that discharges the rinse liquid toward the surface of the substrate W, a rinse liquid pipe 82p that guides the rinse liquid from a rinse liquid supply source to the rinse liquid nozzle 82n, and a rinse liquid valve 82v that is an on-off valve provided in the rinse liquid pipe 82p. The organic solvent supply unit 83 includes an organic solvent nozzle 83n that ejects an organic solvent toward the surface of the substrate W, an organic solvent pipe 83p that guides the organic solvent from an organic solvent supply source to the organic solvent nozzle 83n, and an organic solvent valve 83v that is an on-off valve provided in the organic solvent pipe 83p. The water repellent supply unit 84 includes a water repellent nozzle 84n that ejects a water repellent toward the surface of the substrate W, a water repellent pipe 84p that guides the water repellent from the water repellent supply source to the water repellent nozzle 84n, and a water repellent valve 84v that is an on-off valve provided in the water repellent pipe 84p.

[0041] The chemical liquid supplied from the chemical liquid supply source is, for example, hydrofluoric acid (hydrogen fluoride solution: HF). Of course, the chemical liquid is not limited to hydrofluoric acid, and may be a liquid containing at least one of sulfuric acid, acetic acid, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, buffered hydrofluoric acid (BHF), dilute hydrofluoric acid (DHF), ammonia water, hydrogen peroxide solution, organic alkali (e.g., TMAH: tetramethylammonium hydroxide), surfactant, and corrosion inhibitor. Examples of chemical liquids that are mixtures of these include SPM (sulfuric acid-hydrogen peroxide solution mixture), SC1 (ammonia-hydrogen peroxide solution mixture), and SC2 (hydrochloric acid-hydrogen peroxide solution mixture).

[0042] The rinse liquid supplied from the rinse liquid supply source is, for example, DIW, but of course the rinse liquid is not limited to DIW and may be carbonated water, electrolytic ion water, ozone water, ammonia water, diluted hydrochloric acid water (for example, about 10 ppm to 100 ppm), or reduced water (hydrogen water).

[0043] The organic solvent supplied from the organic solvent supply source is, for example, IPA (isopropyl alcohol). Of course, the organic solvent is not limited to IPA, and may be an organic solvent other than IPA that does not chemically react (has poor reactivity) with the pattern (not shown) formed on the substrate W. More specifically, the organic solvent may be an organic solvent containing at least one of IPA, HFE (hydrofluoroether), methanol, ethanol, acetone, and trans-1,2-dichloroethylene.

[0044] The water repellent supplied from the water repellent supply source may be, for example, a silicon-based water repellent that hydrophobicizes silicon itself and silicon-containing compounds, or a metal-based water repellent that hydrophobicizes metal itself and metal-containing compounds. The metal-based water repellent may include, for example, an amine having a hydrophobic group and at least one of an organosilicon compound. The silicon-based water repellent may be, for example, a silane coupling agent. The silane coupling agent may include, for example, at least one of HMDS (hexamethyldisilazane), TMS (tetramethylsilane), fluorinated alkylchlorosilane, alkyldisilazane, and a non-chlorinated water repellent. The non-chlorinated water repellent may include, for example, at least one of dimethylsilyldimethylamine, dimethylsilyldiethylamine, hexamethyldisilazane, tetramethyldisilazane, bis(dimethylamino)dimethylsilane, N,N-dimethylaminotrimethylsilane, N-(trimethylsilyl)dimethylamine, and an organosilane compound.

[0045] In the substrate processing in the wet processing unit 2W, for example, chemical processing, rinsing processing, first organic solvent processing, water repellent agent processing, second organic solvent processing, and drying processing are performed in this order.

[0046] Specifically, the substrate W is carried from the carrier C into the wet processing unit 2W by the indexer robot IR, the shuttle SH, and the center robot CR, and then transferred to the spin chuck 70 (substrate carrying-in). Thereafter, the substrate W is held horizontally by the chuck pins 75 until it is carried out by the center robot CR (substrate holding step).

[0047] The spin motor 77 then rotates the spin base 74. As a result, the substrate W held horizontally on the spin chuck 70 rotates about the rotation axis A1 at a liquid processing rotation speed (for example, 50 rpm to 1200 rpm) (substrate rotation process). In this state, the chemical valve 81v is opened to start chemical processing. That is, a chemical (for example, hydrofluoric acid) is discharged from the chemical nozzle 81n and supplied to the surface of the rotating substrate W, and processing such as etching is performed on the upper surface of the substrate W.

[0048] After the chemical treatment for a certain period of time, the chemical valve 81v is closed, and instead the rinse liquid valve 82v is opened to perform a rinse treatment. A rinse liquid (e.g., DIW) is discharged from the rinse liquid nozzle 82n and supplied to the surface of the rotating substrate W, and the chemical liquid on the surface of the substrate W is replaced with the rinse liquid.

[0049] After the rinsing process for a certain period of time, the rinsing liquid valve 82v is closed, and instead the organic solvent valve 83v is opened to perform the first organic solvent process. In the first organic solvent process, an organic solvent (e.g., IPA) is discharged from the organic solvent nozzle 83n and supplied to the surface of the rotating substrate W, and the rinsing liquid on the substrate W is replaced with the organic solvent.

[0050] After the first organic solvent treatment for a certain period of time, the organic solvent valve 83v is closed, and instead the water repellent valve 84v is opened to perform the water repellent treatment. In the water repellent treatment, the water repellent is discharged from the water repellent nozzle 84n and supplied to the surface of the rotating substrate W, and the organic solvent on the substrate W is replaced with the water repellent.

[0051] After the water-repellent treatment for a certain period of time, the water-repellent agent valve 84v is closed, and instead, the organic solvent valve 83v is opened to perform a second organic solvent treatment. In the second organic solvent treatment, an organic solvent (e.g., IPA) is discharged from the organic solvent nozzle 83n and supplied to the surface of the rotating substrate W, and the water-repellent agent on the substrate W is replaced with the organic solvent.

[0052] After the second organic solvent treatment for a certain period of time, a drying treatment is performed to spin off the liquid components on the upper surface of the substrate W by centrifugal force. Specifically, after the organic solvent valve 83v is closed, the substrate W is rotated at a high speed at a drying rotation speed (for example, 2000 rpm). After a certain period of time, the spin motor 77 stops the rotation of the substrate W.

[0053] Thereafter, the center robot CR enters the wet processing unit 2W, scoops up the processed substrate W from the spin chuck 70, and carries it out of the wet processing unit 2W. The substrate W is then carried into, for example, the dry processing unit 2D.

[0054] After the surface of the substrate W is supplied with a water repellent agent to perform water repellent treatment, the water repellent agent is rinsed with an organic solvent having a surface tension lower than that of water, and then the substrate W is rotated at high speed to shake off the liquid, thereby drying the substrate W while suppressing collapse of the pattern on the substrate W.

[0055] However, rinsing with an organic solvent may not completely remove the water repellent agent, and the water repellent agent may remain on the surface of the substrate W. In particular, when the water repellent agent contains organic matter, the remaining water repellent agent may become organic contamination, so it is preferable to remove it before the next process.

[0056] Therefore, in this embodiment, substrate processing for removing organic contamination (residual water repellent agent) is performed in the dry processing unit 2D.

[0057] 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining an example of the configuration of a dry processing unit 2D. The dry processing unit 2D includes a dry chamber 4 having an inlet / outlet 4a through which substrates W pass, a shutter 5 for opening and closing the inlet / outlet 4a of the dry chamber 4, a heat treatment unit 8 for supplying a processing gas to the substrates W while heating them in the dry chamber 4, a cooling unit 7 for cooling the substrates W heated by the heat treatment unit 8 in the dry chamber 4, and an indoor transport mechanism 6 for transporting the substrates W in the dry chamber 4. The center robot CR (see FIG. 1) loads and unloads substrates W into and from the dry chamber 4 via the inlet / outlet 4a. The cooling unit 7 is arranged in the dry chamber 4 near the inlet / outlet 4a.

[0058] The cooling unit 7 includes a cool plate 20, lift pins 22 that move up and down while penetrating the cool plate 20, and a pin lifting / lowering drive mechanism 23 that moves the lift pins 22 up and down. The cool plate 20 has a cooling surface 20a on which a substrate W is placed. A coolant path (not shown) through which a coolant (typically, cooling water) circulates is formed inside the cool plate 20. The lift pins 22 move up and down between an upper position where they support the substrate W above the cooling surface 20a and a lower position where their tips are recessed below the cooling surface 20a.

[0059] The thermal treatment unit 8 includes a hot plate 30, a thermal treatment chamber 34 that houses the hot plate 30, lift pins 38 that move up and down while passing through the hot plate 30, and a pin lifting drive mechanism 39 that moves up and down the lift pins 38. The hot plate 30 has a heating surface 30a on which the substrate W is placed, and has a built-in heater 33.

[0060] The heater 33 is configured to heat the substrate W placed on the heating surface 30a to a constant temperature higher than room temperature, and may be configured to heat the substrate W up to 250° C., for example. The heating surface 30a has a planar shape that follows the shape of the substrate W and is slightly larger than the substrate W. Specifically, if the substrate W is circular, the heating surface 30a is formed in a circular shape that is slightly larger than the substrate W.

[0061] The heat treatment chamber 34 includes a chamber body 35 and a lid 36 that moves up and down above the chamber body 35. The heat treatment unit 8 includes a lid lifting mechanism 37 that raises and lowers the lid 36. The chamber body 35 has an opening 35a that opens upward, and the lid 36 opens and closes this opening 35a. The lid 36 moves up and down between a closed position (lower position) where it closes the opening 35a of the chamber body 35 to form an airtight treatment space inside the heat treatment chamber 34, and an upper position where it is retracted upward to open the opening 35a. The lift pins 38 move up and down between an upper position where they support the substrate W above the heating surface 30a, and a lower position where their tips are recessed below the heating surface 30a.

[0062] The indoor transport mechanism 6 transports the substrate W inside the dry chamber 4. More specifically, the indoor transport mechanism 6 includes an indoor transport hand 6H that transports the substrate W between the cooling unit 7 and the heat treatment unit 8. The indoor transport hand 6H is configured to be able to transfer the substrate W to and from the lift pins 22 of the cooling unit 7, and to be able to transfer the substrate W to and from the lift pins 38 of the heat treatment unit 8. This allows the indoor transport hand 6H to operate to receive the substrate W from the lift pins 22 of the cooling unit 7 and transfer the substrate W to the lift pins 38 of the heat treatment unit 8. Furthermore, the indoor transport hand 6H can operate to receive the substrate W from the lift pins 38 of the heat treatment unit 8 and transfer the substrate W to the lift pins 22 of the cooling unit 7.

[0063] A typical operation of the dry processing unit 2D is roughly as follows.

[0064] When the center robot CR loads a substrate W into the dry chamber 4, the shutter 5 is controlled to an open position that opens the loading / unloading port 4a. In this state, the hand H of the center robot CR enters the dry chamber 4 and places the substrate W above the cool plate 20. The lift pins 22 then rise to their upper positions and receive the substrate W from the hand H of the center robot CR. The hand H of the center robot CR then retreats to the outside of the dry chamber 4. Next, the indoor transport hand 6H of the indoor transport mechanism 6 receives the substrate W from the lift pins 22 and transports it to the lift pins 38 of the thermal treatment unit 8. At this time, the lid 36 is in the open position (upper position), and the lift pins 38 support the received substrate W at their upper positions. After the indoor transport hand 6H retreats from the thermal treatment chamber 34, the lift pins 38 descend to their lower positions and place the substrate W on the heating surface 30a. Meanwhile, the lid 36 is lowered to the closed position (lower position), forming an airtight processing space containing the hot plate 30. In this state, heat processing is performed on the substrate W while a processing gas (inert gas and / or ozone gas) is introduced from the gas nozzle 50. For example, unnecessary substances on the substrate W can be decomposed and removed by heat processing performed while supplying ozone gas. One example of the substances to be removed is organic matter on the substrate W, and more specifically, it may be components of a water repellent agent remaining on the substrate W.

[0065] After the heat treatment is completed, the lid 36 rises to the open position (upper position) to open the heat treatment chamber 34. Furthermore, the lift pins 38 rise to the upper position to push the substrate W above the heating surface 30a. In this state, the indoor transport hand 6H of the indoor transport mechanism 6 receives the substrate W from the lift pins 38 and transports the substrate W to the lift pins 22 of the cooling unit 7. The lift pins 22 support the received substrate W at the upper position. After the indoor transport hand 6H has retracted, the lift pins 22 descend to the lower position, thereby placing the substrate W on the cooling surface 20a of the cool plate 20. This causes the substrate W to be cooled.

[0066] When cooling of the substrate W is completed, the lift pins 22 rise to the upper position, thereby pushing the substrate W above the cooling surface 20a. In this state, the shutter 5 is opened, and the hand H of the center robot CR (see FIG. 1) enters the dry chamber 4 and is positioned below the substrate W supported by the lift pins 22 (see FIG. 3) at the upper position. In this state, the lift pins 22 are lowered, thereby transferring the substrate W to the hand H of the center robot CR. The hand H holding the substrate W retreats to the outside of the dry chamber 4, after which the shutter 5 closes the loading / unloading opening 4a.

[0067] 4 is a cross-sectional view showing in more detail the configuration of the heat treatment unit 8. The heat treatment unit 8 includes a hot plate 30 (an example of a mounting table), a heat treatment chamber 34 (an example of a chamber) that houses the hot plate 30, lift pins 38 that move up and down while passing through the hot plate 30, and a pin lifting / lowering drive mechanism 39 that moves the lift pins 38 up and down.

[0068] The hot plate 30 includes a face plate 31 and an under plate 32 coupled to the lower surface of the face plate 31. The upper surface of the face plate 31 constitutes a heating surface 30a, which is a mounting surface on which a substrate W is placed. The heating surface 30a has a planar shape that is slightly larger than the substrate W, corresponding to the shape of the substrate W. Specifically, if the substrate W is circular, the heating surface 30a is formed in a circular shape that is slightly larger than the substrate W.

[0069] A large number of proximity pins (not shown), which are tiny protrusions, are dispersedly disposed on the heating surface 30a. The proximity pins are, for example, protrusions with a height of about 0.1 mm and are typically made of quartz balls. "Placing the substrate W on the heating surface 30a" means that the substrate W is supported by the large number of proximity pins in contact with the underside of the substrate W. A plurality of (e.g., three) guide pins 48 are provided on the heating surface 30a at positions corresponding to the outside of the outer periphery of the substrate W. The guide pins 48 guide the substrate W to an appropriate horizontal position and regulate the horizontal movement of the substrate W.

[0070] The underplate 32 of the hot plate 30 has a built-in heater 33 for heating the heating surface 30a. The heater 33 is configured to be able to heat the substrate W placed on the heating surface 30a. The heater 33 may be configured to be able to heat the substrate W up to 150°C, for example.

[0071] The faceplate 31 of the hot plate 30 has a step 31a around the heating surface 30a. The step 31a is an annular horizontal surface located below the heating surface 30a. A step surface 31b consisting of a vertical cylindrical surface is formed between the inner peripheral edge of the step 31a and the outer peripheral edge of the heating surface 30a. A cylindrical chamber body 35 is disposed on the upper surface of the step 31a. A cylindrical exhaust space 40 is formed between the inner wall surface of the chamber body 35 and the step surface 31b of the faceplate 31. A peripheral exhaust port 41P penetrating the step 31a is formed at the bottom of this exhaust space 40. The peripheral exhaust ports 41P are preferably disposed at multiple locations (e.g., three locations) spaced circumferentially. The peripheral exhaust port 41P is an example of a peripheral exhaust port disposed outward from the outer peripheral edge of a substrate W supported on or above the heating surface 30a. The peripheral exhaust port 41P is connected to a collective exhaust line 42 (exhaust path) via an exhaust line 42P (exhaust path).

[0072] A central exhaust port 41C consisting of a through-hole that vertically penetrates the face plate 31 is formed in the center of the face plate 31. The central exhaust port 41C is an example of a central exhaust port that faces the underside of the substrate W supported above the heating surface 30a. The central exhaust port 41C is connected to a collective exhaust line 42 (exhaust path) via an exhaust line 42C (exhaust path).

[0073] The collective exhaust line 42 is connected to exhaust equipment 43. The exhaust equipment 43 includes an ozone decomposer that decomposes ozone to render it harmless. An ejector 47 is installed in the collective exhaust line 42 to suck out the atmosphere in the processing space within the heat treatment chamber 34. In addition, flow rate adjustment valves VP and VC are installed in the exhaust lines 42P and 42C, respectively, to adjust the balance between the exhaust from the peripheral exhaust port 41P and the exhaust from the central exhaust port 41C.

[0074] The face plate 31 has through holes 31c through which the lift pins 38 pass. A hollow shaft 311, through which the lift pins 38 are inserted, is coupled to the underside of the face plate 31. A flange 312 is formed at the lower end of the hollow shaft 311, and this flange 312 faces a support plate 313 coupled to the lower ends of the lift pins 38. The support plate 313 is coupled to a pin lift drive mechanism 39 and is moved up and down by the pin lift drive mechanism 39. A bellows 314 is disposed between the support plate 313 and the flange 312, surrounding the lift pins 38. The bellows 314 expands and contracts in response to the up and down movement of the support plate 313, and maintains the airtightness of the space within the heat treatment chamber 34.

[0075] The heat treatment chamber 34 includes a chamber body 35 and a lid 36 that moves up and down above the chamber body 35. The heat treatment unit 8 includes a lid lifting drive mechanism 37 that raises and lowers the lid 36. The chamber body 35 has an opening 35a that opens upward, and the lid 36 opens and closes this opening 35a. The lid 36 moves up and down between a closed position (lower position) in which it closes the opening 35a of the chamber body 35 to form a sealed treatment space inside, and an upper position in which it is retracted upward to open the opening 35a.

[0076] The lid 36 includes a plate portion 45 extending parallel to the heating surface 30a and a tube portion 46 extending downward from the periphery of the plate portion 45. Specifically, the plate portion 45 is substantially circular, and accordingly, the tube portion 46 has a cylindrical shape. The lower end of the tube portion 46 faces the upper end of the chamber body 35. As a result, the opening 35a of the chamber body 35 can be opened and closed by moving the lid 36 up and down.

[0077] A shower plate 49 (flow rectifying plate) is disposed inside the cylindrical portion 46. The shower plate 49 is typically a punched plate with numerous through-holes 49a dispersed therein by punching. The shower plate 49 is made of, for example, stainless steel. The shower plate 49 is disposed parallel to the heating surface 30a, with a space SP1 defined downward from the lower surface of the plate portion 45. The lower surface of the plate portion 45 is parallel to the heating surface 30a of the hot plate 30, and accordingly, the shower plate 49 is parallel to the heating surface 30a of the hot plate 30. The shower plate 49 is fixed to the plate portion 45 so as to be positioned above the lower end of the cylindrical portion 46. Therefore, when the lid 36 is in the closed position (lower position), a space SP2 is defined between the shower plate 49 and the heating surface 30a. More specifically, when the substrate W is placed on the heating surface 30a and the lid 36 is in the closed position (lower position), the shower plate 49 is higher than the upper surface of the substrate W, and therefore a space SP2 is formed between the substrate W and the shower plate 49. Therefore, a space SP including spaces SP1 and SP2 is formed between the plate portion 45 of the lid 36 and the substrate W placed on the heating surface 30a of the hot plate 30, and the inner surface (lower surface) of the lid 36 faces this space SP. The plate portion 45 of the lid 36 covers the substrate W placed on the heating surface 30a of the hot plate 30 via the space SP.

[0078] The lid 36 is provided with a gas nozzle 50 that introduces gas into the heat treatment chamber 34. The gas nozzle 50 is an example of a process gas supply port. In this embodiment, the gas nozzle 50 penetrates the center of the plate portion 45. A gas pipe 51 is connected to the gas nozzle 50. An inert gas (e.g., nitrogen gas) and / or ozone gas is supplied to the gas pipe 51. A shower plate 49 is disposed between the gas nozzle 50 and the substrate W on the hot plate 30. The gas ejected from the gas nozzle 50 diffuses in the space between the shower plate 49 and the lid 36 and passes through a plurality of holes that penetrate the shower plate 49. This allows the gas to be uniformly supplied to the upper surface of the substrate W on the hot plate 30.

[0079] An ozone gas pipe 52 and an inert gas pipe 56 are connected to the gas pipe 51. The ozone gas pipe 52 is connected to an ozone gas generator 53 (ozone gas supply source). The ozone gas pipe 52 is equipped with an ozone gas valve 54 for opening and closing a flow path and an ozone gas filter 55 for removing foreign matter from the ozone gas. Ozone gas is an example of a process gas, the ozone gas pipe 52 is an example of a process gas supply path, and the ozone gas valve 54 is an example of a process gas valve. The inert gas pipe 56 is an example of an inert gas supply path and is connected to an inert gas supply source 57 for supplying an inert gas (e.g., nitrogen gas). The inert gas pipe 56 is equipped with an inert gas valve 58 for opening and closing the flow path and an inert gas filter 59 for removing foreign matter from the inert gas. The ozone gas pipe 52, the ozone gas valve 54, etc., constitute an example of an ozone gas supply unit. Similarly, the inert gas pipe 56, the inert gas valve 58, etc., constitute an example of an inert gas supply unit.

[0080] The ozone gas generator 53 generates ozone and supplies this ozone-containing gas (ozone gas) to the gas pipe 51 via the ozone gas pipe 52. The temperature of the ozone gas when supplied to the gas pipe 51 is, for example, less than 150°C, preferably less than 100°C, and typically approximately room temperature. A flow rate control device (mass flow controller) may be installed in the ozone gas pipe 52 as necessary.

[0081] The inert gas supply source 57 supplies an inert gas at, for example, room temperature. The inert gas is a chemically inert gas such as nitrogen gas or argon gas. The inert gas pipe 56 may be provided with a flow control valve for adjusting the flow rate of the inert gas, a flow meter for measuring the flow rate of the inert gas, or the like, as necessary.

[0082] 5A, 5B, and 5C are diagrams illustrating features related to height control of the lift pins 38. The pin lift drive mechanism 39 (pin lift actuator) is configured to maintain the lift pins 38 at a first pin height (see FIG. 5A) corresponding to the above-mentioned lower position, a second pin height (see FIG. 5B) higher than the first pin height, and a third pin height (see FIG. 5C) higher than the second pin height and corresponding to the above-mentioned upper position. For example, the pin lift drive mechanism 39 may include a ball screw mechanism 39S and an electric motor 39M (an example of an actuator) that drives the ball screw mechanism 39S (see FIG. 4), and may be configured to stop and maintain the lift pins 38 at any height between the upper position (first pin height) and the lower position (second pin height). Alternatively, the pin lifting drive mechanism 39 can be configured to stop and maintain the lift pins 38 at the first pin height, the second pin height, and the third pin height by using two air cylinders (an example of an actuator) with different stroke lengths or by connecting two air cylinders (an example of an actuator) in series.

[0083] 5A is a height at which the heads (upper ends) of the lift pins 38 are positioned below the heating surface 30a (more precisely, below the heads of the proximity pins). At this time, the substrate W is placed on the heating surface 30a and is supported at a first substrate height H1 by the heating surface 30a (more precisely, the proximity pins). When the substrate W is supported at the first substrate height H1, the lid 36 can be closed to form an airtight space inside the heat treatment chamber 34, allowing the substrate W to be processed.

[0084] The second pin height shown in FIG. 5B is a height at which the heads of the lift pins 38 are located above the heating surface 30a (more precisely, above the heads of the proximity pins). At this time, the substrate W is supported by the lift pins 38 at a second substrate height H2, which is higher than the first substrate height H1. The second substrate height H2 is a height at which the substrate W is located below the shower plate 49 when the lid 36 is closed. Therefore, when the substrate W is supported at the second substrate height H2, the lid 36 can be closed to form an enclosed space within the heat treatment chamber 34, and the substrate W can be processed. The distance between the substrate W supported at the second substrate height H2 and the heating surface 30a is preferably set so that the process gas (ozone gas) and inert gas introduced from the gas nozzle 50 flow around and around the underside of the substrate W. Furthermore, the distance is preferably set so that the heater 33 can heat the substrate W (for example, to 150° C. or higher) by thermal radiation and thermal convection.

[0085] The third pin height shown in Figure 5C is a height at which the heads of the lift pins 38 are positioned above the heating surface 30a (more precisely, above the heads of the proximity pins) and is higher than the second pin height (see Figure 5B). At this time, the substrate W is supported by the lift pins 38 at a third substrate height H3 that is higher than the second substrate height H2. The third substrate height H3 is set so that, when the lid 36 is in the open state, the substrate W is positioned below the lower edge of the lid 36 (the lower edge of the cylindrical portion 46) and the indoor transport hand 6H can enter between the upper ends of the guide pins 48 and the lower surface of the substrate W. In other words, the third substrate height H3 is the substrate height for loading and unloading the substrate W into and from the heat treatment chamber 34, and the third pin height is the height of the lift pins 38 for this purpose.

[0086] The gas nozzle 50 is a processing gas supply port located above the second substrate height H2. The peripheral exhaust port 41P and the central exhaust port 41C are exhaust ports located below the first substrate height H1. Therefore, when the substrate W is supported at the first substrate height H1 or the second substrate height H2, a flow of processing gas from above to below the substrate W can be formed in the thermal processing chamber 34.

[0087] FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration for controlling the substrate processing apparatus 1. The controller 3 is configured, for example, by a microcomputer. The controller 3 includes a memory 3m for storing information such as programs, and a processor 3p (CPU) for controlling the substrate processing apparatus 1 in accordance with the information stored in the memory 3m. Recipes indicating the processing procedures and processing steps for substrates W are stored in the memory 3m. The controller 3 is programmed to control the substrate processing apparatus 1 based on the recipes stored in the memory 3m, thereby performing processing on substrates W. An input device 11 for receiving operations by an operator is connected to the controller 3, allowing the operator to set operation settings and input various commands. Additionally, the controller 3 may communicate with a host computer (not shown) and perform processing in response to commands from the host computer.

[0088] Specific control targets of the controller 3 include the indexer robot IR, the shuttle SH, the center robot CR, the spin motor 77, the chemical liquid valve 81v, the rinse liquid valve 82v, the organic solvent valve 83v, the water repellent valve 84v, the indoor transfer mechanism 6, the pin lifting / lowering drive mechanisms 23 and 39, the heater 33, the lid lifting / lowering drive mechanism 37, the ozone gas generator 53, the ozone gas valve 54, the inert gas valve 58, the ejector 47, the flow rate adjustment valves VP and VC, and the like.

[0089] Fig. 7 is a flow chart for explaining an example of processing in the heat treatment chamber 34. Figs. 8A to 8D are schematic cross-sectional views showing the state of the heat treatment chamber 34 in the main steps.

[0090] The substrate W to be treated is carried into the heat treatment chamber 34 by the indoor transport hand 6H (step S1: substrate introduction step). At this time, the controller 3 controls the lid lifting drive mechanism 37 to keep the lid 36 open (upper position), and controls the pin lifting drive mechanism 39 to maintain the lift pins 38 in the upper position (third pin height; see FIG. 5C ) (third pin height control). The indoor transport hand 6H enters the heat treatment chamber 34, transfers the substrate W to the lift pins 38 at the third pin height, and then retreats from the heat treatment chamber 34. As a result, the substrate W is supported at the third substrate height H3. One main surface of the substrate W is a device surface, and the other main surface is a non-device surface. The indoor transport hand 6H introduces the substrate W into the heat treatment chamber 34 with the device surface facing up and transfers it to the lift pins 38. Therefore, the lift pins 38 support the substrate W in an orientation with the device surface facing up.

[0091] Next, the controller 3 controls the pin lifting mechanism 39 to lower the lift pins 38 to the first pin height and maintain that height (first pin height control, pin lifting step). This places the substrate W on the heating surface 30a (more precisely, on the proximity pins) and supports it at the first substrate height H1. The controller 3 then controls the lid lifting mechanism 37 to lower the lid 36 to the closed position.

[0092] The controller 3 then executes the first processing step shown in FIG. 8A (step S2). That is, while activating the ejector 47 to evacuate the processing space in the heat treatment chamber 34, the controller 3 opens the ozone gas valve 54 to supply ozone gas (an example of a processing gas) into the processing space from the gas nozzle 50. The controller 3 also energizes the heater 33 to heat the substrate W placed on the heating surface 30a and supported at the first substrate height H1. In this state, the controller 3 continues first-pin height control, maintaining the lift pins 38 at the first pin height, for a predetermined first period. As a result, the ozone gas reaches the upper surface (device surface) of the substrate W and is heated thereon. The heated ozone gas decomposes and vaporizes organic matter on the upper surface of the substrate W. The generated vaporized matter is exhausted together with the ozone gas mainly from the peripheral exhaust port 41P through the exhaust line 42P to the collective exhaust line 42. The organic matter may be, for example, residue of a water repellent agent.

[0093] When the substrate W is supported at the first substrate height H1, a minute gap defined by the height of the proximity pins is generated between the underside of the substrate W and the heating surface 30a. Therefore, ozone gas reaches the peripheral portion of the underside of the substrate W and decomposes organic matter. However, since a sufficient amount of ozone gas does not reach the center of the underside of the substrate W, it is difficult to expect sufficient decomposition of organic matter on the underside of the substrate W.

[0094] Next, the controller 3 executes the second processing step shown in FIG. 8B (step S3). That is, the controller 3 continues to operate the ejector 47 to evacuate the processing space in the heat treatment chamber 34. The controller 3 also keeps the ozone gas valve 54 open and continues to supply ozone gas (processing gas) from the gas nozzle 50 to the processing space. The controller 3 also continues to energize the heater 33. Meanwhile, the controller 3 controls the pin lifting drive mechanism 39 to raise the lift pins 38 to the second pin height (pin lifting step). As a result, the lift pins 38 lift the substrate W from the heating surface 30a and support the substrate W at the second substrate height H2 above the heating surface 30a. At this time, the distance from the heating surface 30a to the underside of the substrate W is sufficiently short, and the substrate W is heated by thermal radiation and thermal convection from the heating surface 30a. In this state, the controller 3 continues the second pin height control for maintaining the lift pins 38 at the second pin height for a predetermined second time period.

[0095] As a result, the ozone gas reaches not only the upper surface (device surface) of the substrate W but also its lower surface (non-device surface), and is heated by heat from the substrate W. The heated ozone gas decomposes and vaporizes organic matter on the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate W. The generated vaporized matter is exhausted together with the ozone gas from the peripheral exhaust port 41P and the central exhaust port 41C to the exhaust lines 42P and 42C. In this way, a sufficient amount of ozone gas can be supplied to the entire lower surface (device surface) of the substrate W as well, thereby enabling sufficient organic matter removal processing.

[0096] The controller 3 may control the flow rate adjustment valves VP and VC to control the exhaust balance from the peripheral exhaust port 41P and the central exhaust port 41C, thereby generating an ozone gas flow with a sufficient flow rate that reaches the central portion of the underside of the substrate W supported at the second substrate height H2, thereby facilitating the organic substance removal process for the underside (non-device surface) of the substrate W.

[0097] Next, the controller 3 executes the purge process shown in FIG. 8C (step S4). That is, the controller 3 continues operating the ejector 47 to evacuate the processing space in the thermal treatment chamber 34. The controller 3 also closes the ozone gas valve 54 to stop the supply of ozone gas (processing gas) from the gas nozzle 50 to the processing space. Meanwhile, the controller 3 opens the inert gas valve 58 to start the supply of inert gas (purge gas) from the gas nozzle 50 to the processing space. The heater 33 may continue to be energized. Meanwhile, the controller 3 controls the pin lifting mechanism 39 to continue the second pin height control, which maintains the lift pins 38 at the second pin height, for a predetermined third time. This introduces inert gas into the thermal treatment chamber 34, and the ozone gas in the thermal treatment chamber 34 is replaced with the inert gas. Because the substrate W is supported at the second substrate height H2, the inert gas also flows between the underside of the substrate W and the heating surface 30a, thereby efficiently removing the ozone gas from this space.

[0098] The controller 3 may also control the flow rate control valves VP and VC during the purge process to control the exhaust balance from the peripheral exhaust port 41P and the central exhaust port 41C, thereby generating an inert gas flow with a sufficient flow rate that reaches the center of the underside of the substrate W supported at the second substrate height H2, thereby filling the heat treatment chamber 34 thoroughly with inert gas.

[0099] Next, the controller 3 closes the inert gas valve 58 to stop the supply of inert gas, and further stops the ejector 47 to stop forced evacuation. The controller 3 then controls the lid lifting drive mechanism 37 to raise the lid 36 to the upper position and open it. The controller 3 then controls the pin lifting drive mechanism 39 to execute third pin height control, which raises the lift pins 38 to the third pin height and maintains it there (pin lifting step). As a result, the substrate W is supported at the third substrate height H3. In this state, the controller 3 controls the indoor transport mechanism 6 to unload the substrate W (step S5: substrate unloading step). That is, the indoor transport hand 6H enters the heat treatment chamber 34, receives the substrate W supported at the third substrate height H3 by the lift pins 38, and retreats from the heat treatment chamber 34. As a result, the processed substrate W is unloaded from the heat treatment chamber 34.

[0100] As described above, according to this embodiment, the lift pins 38 of the heat treatment chamber 34 can be maintained at the first pin height, the second pin height, and the third pin height, respectively, and the substrate W can be supported at the first substrate height H1, the second substrate height H2, and the third substrate height H3, respectively. The substrate W can be supported at the first substrate height H1 to process mainly the upper surface of the substrate W with the processing gas (ozone gas in this embodiment), and the substrate W can be supported at the second substrate height H2 to process not only the upper surface but also the lower surface of the substrate W with the processing gas. When the substrate W is supported at the second substrate height H2, a sufficient amount of processing gas reaches the center of the lower surface of the substrate W. Thus, in the heat treatment chamber 34, not only the upper surface but also the lower surface of the substrate W can be sufficiently processed with the processing gas.

[0101] In particular, by providing a central exhaust port 41C facing the center of the underside of the substrate W, the processing gas supplied from above the substrate W can be efficiently made to reach the center of the underside of the substrate W, thereby allowing the underside of the substrate W to be sufficiently processed.

[0102] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention can also be embodied in other forms.

[0103] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the first substrate height H1 is the height of the substrate W when the substrate W is supported by the heating surface 30a, but the first substrate height H1 may also be the height at which the substrate W is supported by the lift pins 38 at the first pin height. In other words, the first pin height may be the height at which the heads of the lift pins 38 are positioned above the heating surface 30a.

[0104] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example of the heat treatment chamber 34 is described in which a process for removing organic substances is performed using ozone gas. However, the present invention may also be applied to other substrate processes in which a substrate is supported on or above a mounting table and processed (particularly, substrate processes using a processing gas, such as dry etching or vapor-phase etching).

[0105] In addition, various design modifications can be made within the scope of the claims.

[0106] 1: Substrate processing apparatus 2: Processing unit 2D: Dry processing unit 2W: Wet processing unit 3: Controller 4: Dry chamber 8: Thermal processing unit 30: Hot plate 30a: Heating surface 33: Heater 34: Thermal processing chamber 36: Lid 37: Lid lifting drive mechanism 38: Lift pin 39: Pin lifting drive mechanism 39M: Electric motor 39S: Ball screw mechanism 41C: Central exhaust port 41P: Peripheral exhaust port 42: Collective exhaust line 42C: Exhaust line 42P: Exhaust line 43: Exhaust equipment 47: Ejector 50: Gas nozzle 51: Gas piping 52: Ozone gas piping 53: Ozone gas generator 54: Ozone gas valve 56: Inert gas piping 57: Inert gas supply source 58 : Inert gas valve H1 : First substrate height H2 : Second substrate height H3 : Third substrate height VC : Flow rate adjustment valve VP : Flow rate adjustment valve W : Substrate

Claims

a pin lift drive mechanism that raises and lowers the lift pins and maintains the lift pins at a first pin height, a second pin height higher than the first pin height, and a third pin height higher than the second pin height so that the substrate is supported at a first substrate height on or above the mounting table, a second substrate height higher than the first substrate height, and a third substrate height higher than the second substrate height, respectively; a process gas supply port that supplies a process gas for processing the substrate to the process space; an exhaust port that exhausts the process gas from the process space; and a controller that controls the pin lift drive mechanism to perform first pin height control to maintain the lift pins at the first pin height, second pin height control to maintain the lift pins at the second pin height, and third pin height control to maintain the lift pins at the third pin height.

2. A substrate processing apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the first substrate height is a height at which the substrate is supported by the mounting table, the second substrate height is a height at which the substrate is supported by the lift pins at the second pin height, and the third substrate height is a height at which the substrate is supported by the lift pins at the third pin height.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a processing gas supply line connected to the processing gas supply port; and a processing gas valve provided in the processing gas supply line, wherein the controller controls the supply of the processing gas to the processing space by opening and closing the processing gas valve; and executes a first processing step of continuing the first pin height control for a predetermined first time while supplying the processing gas to the processing space; and a second processing step, after the first processing step, of continuing the second pin height control for a predetermined second time while supplying the processing gas to the processing space; and after the second processing step, stops the supply of the processing gas to the processing space and executes the third pin height control.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising an exhaust path connected to the exhaust port, wherein the controller performs the first processing step and the second processing step while exhausting the processing gas from the processing space.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the upper surface of the substrate is processed in the first processing step, and the lower surface of the substrate is processed in the second processing step.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 5, further comprising: an inert gas supply path that supplies an inert gas to the processing space; and an inert gas valve provided in the inert gas supply path, wherein the controller controls the supply of the inert gas to the processing space by opening and closing the inert gas valve, and wherein the controller stops the supply of the processing gas to the processing space after the second processing step, and performs a purge step in which the second pin height control is continued for a predetermined third time while supplying the inert gas to the processing space, and thereafter performs the third pin height control.

7. A substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the processing gas supply port is located above the second substrate height, and the exhaust port is located below the first substrate height.

8. A substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the exhaust ports include peripheral exhaust ports arranged outward from the outer periphery of the substrate supported on or above the mounting table, and a central exhaust port arranged to face the underside of the substrate supported above the mounting table.

9. A substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the chamber includes a lid that moves up and down between an upper position that opens the processing space and a lower position that closes the processing space, and the controller maintains the lift pins at the third pin height when the lid is in the upper position.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the processing gas removes organic matter from the surface of the substrate.

11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the organic material includes a water repellent.

12. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the substrate has a device surface and a non-device surface, and is supported above the mounting table with the device surface as an upper surface.

13. A method for processing a substrate in a processing space formed by an openable and closable chamber, comprising: a substrate introduction step of introducing the substrate into the processing space and closing the chamber; a first processing step of introducing a processing gas into the processing space and evacuating the processing space while supporting the substrate at a first substrate height on or above a mounting table disposed in the processing space of the chamber in the closed state; a second processing step of introducing the processing gas into the processing space and evacuating the processing space while supporting the substrate at a second substrate height higher than the first substrate height above the mounting table disposed in the processing space of the chamber in the closed state; and a substrate unloading step of opening the chamber and supporting the substrate at a third substrate height higher than the second substrate height above the mounting table for unloading the substrate.

14. The substrate processing method according to claim 13, further comprising, after the second processing step and the substrate unloading step, a purging step of stopping the supply of the processing gas to the processing space and supplying an inert gas to the processing space while supporting the substrate at the second substrate height above the mounting table disposed within the processing space of the chamber in the closed state.

15. A substrate processing method according to claim 13 or 14, further comprising a pin raising and lowering step of raising and lowering lift pins that are capable of raising and lowering relative to the mounting table and that support the substrate from below, wherein the substrate is supported at the first substrate height by positioning the lift pins at a first pin height, the substrate is supported at the second substrate height by positioning the lift pins at a second pin height that is higher than the first pin height, and the substrate is supported at the third substrate height by positioning the lift pins at a third pin height that is higher than the second pin height.

16. A substrate processing method as described in claim 15, wherein the first substrate height is a height at which the substrate is supported by the mounting table, the second substrate height is a height at which the substrate is supported by the lift pins at the second pin height, and the third substrate height is a height at which the substrate is supported by the lift pins at the third pin height.

17. The substrate processing method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein the upper surface of the substrate is processed in the first processing step, and the lower surface of the substrate is processed in the second processing step.

18. A substrate processing method according to any one of claims 13 to 17, wherein the processing gas is supplied from a processing gas supply port located above the second substrate height, and the processing space is exhausted from an exhaust port located below the first substrate height.

19. A substrate processing method according to claim 18, wherein the exhaust ports include peripheral exhaust ports arranged outward from the outer periphery of the substrate supported on or above the mounting table, and a central exhaust port arranged to face the underside of the substrate supported above the mounting table.

20. The substrate processing method according to any one of claims 13 to 19, wherein the processing gas removes organic matter from the surface of the substrate.

21. The substrate processing method according to claim 20, wherein the organic matter includes a water repellent.

22. The substrate processing method according to any one of claims 13 to 21, wherein the substrate has a device surface and a non-device surface, and is supported above the stage with the device surface as an upper surface.

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