Rotating Shielding Member for Substrate Processing Nozzle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate processing apparatuses face challenges in maintaining low oxygen concentration and humidity when using a horizontally movable processing liquid supply nozzle, which can lead to drying failures and pattern collapse due to high surface tension of rinse liquids.
Innovation Solution
A substrate processing apparatus with a shielding member that rotates and includes an annular portion to enclose the space between the substrate and the nozzle, allowing inert gas supply to reduce oxygen concentration and humidity, and a passage-allowing portion for the nozzle to pass through, enabling efficient processing liquid supply while minimizing leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a horizontally movable processing liquid supply nozzle is used to supply processing liquid to the substrate, then the adaptability and versatility of the apparatus is improved, but the ability to maintain low oxygen concentration and humidity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The shielding member is divided into a disc portion and a cylinder portion, creating a segmented structure that can accommodate the movable nozzle while maintaining atmospheric control. The disc portion rotates with the substrate while the cylinder portion provides vertical shielding, segmenting the shielding function to resolve the contradiction between nozzle movability and atmosphere control.
Solution Approach 2:
The shielding member acts as an intermediary between the movable nozzle and the substrate, creating a controlled atmosphere in the space between them. This intermediary structure allows the nozzle to move horizontally while maintaining low oxygen concentration and humidity in the processing space through inert gas supply.
2Reliability
If the shielding member is positioned at a proximal position to fill the space with nitrogen gas, then the oxygen concentration and humidity are reduced, but the space for nozzle movement is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The shielding member extends in the vertical direction (another dimension) rather than limiting horizontal space. The cylinder portion provides vertical shielding while the disc portion allows horizontal nozzle movement, utilizing dimensional space efficiently to resolve the contradiction between atmosphere control and nozzle movement space.
Solution Approach 2:
The shielding member is designed to rotate synchronously with the substrate, making it a dynamic structure rather than a static one. This dynamic shielding maintains the controlled atmosphere while accommodating the movable nozzle's horizontal movement and the substrate's rotation, resolving the contradiction between atmosphere control and nozzle adaptability.
3Device complexity
If a center nozzle is used to supply processing liquid, then the device complexity is reduced, but the adaptability for different processing positions is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The movable nozzle is designed to perform multiple functions: it can move horizontally to different positions, rotate to face different directions, and supply processing liquid to various locations on the substrate surface. This multi-functional design replaces the need for multiple fixed nozzles, maintaining simplicity while achieving versatility.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus effectively reduces oxygen concentration and humidity, allowing for reliable processing liquid supply and drying without pattern collapse, even with low surface tension liquids like IPA, by encasing the substrate-nozzle space with inert gas and using a movable nozzle through a passage-allowing design.
Implementation Method 1
an inert gas supply unit that supplies an inert gas between the upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and the shielding member
Implementation Method 2
a spin chuck that rotates a substrate around a vertical rotational axis extending through a center portion of the substrate
Implementation Method 3
a processing liquid supply nozzle that moves in a horizontal direction and supplies a processing liquid onto an upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit
Implementation Method 4
A liquid surface (an interface of air and liquid) of the rinse liquid that has entered into the interior of the pattern is formed in the interior of the pattern, and therefore surface tension of the liquid acts at positions of contact of the liquid surface and the pattern
Data Source
AI summary
The substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate holding unit that holds a substrate horizontally, a substrate rotating unit that rotates the substrate held by the substrate holding unit around a prescribed rotational axis extending along a vertical direction, a processing liquid supply nozzle that moves in a horizontal direction and supplies a processing liquid onto an upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, a shielding member that shields an atmosphere between the shielding member and the upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit from an ambient atmosphere, an inert gas supply unit that supplies an inert gas between the upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and the shielding member, and a shielding member rotating unit that rotates the shielding member around the rotational axis. The shielding member includes an annular portion that surrounds the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, and a passage-allowing portion that is provided in the annular portion and allows the processing liquid supply nozzle to pass through the annular portion. The substrate processing apparatus includes a controller that is programmed so as to control the shielding member rotating unit to adjust a position of the passage-allowing portion in the rotational direction such that the processing liquid supply nozzle is to be passed through the annular portion.