CN111316400A - Substrate processing apparatus, cleaning method of substrate processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention includes: a treatment tank for storing the treatment liquid and immersing the substrate; a processing liquid supply mechanism for supplying the processing liquid to the processing tank; a liquid discharge pipe which serves as a flow path for discharging the treatment liquid from the treatment tank to the outside of the apparatus; a circulation pipe having a filter for filtering the treatment liquid and having at least one end communicating with the treatment tank; a bypass pipe which communicates the circulation pipe with the liquid discharge pipe and serves as a flow path for discharging the processing liquid filtered by the filter without returning the processing liquid to the processing bath; an on-off valve for switching a flow path of the processing liquid discharged from the processing tank; and a control mechanism for controlling the opening/closing valve.

Description

Substrate processing apparatus, cleaning method of substrate processing apparatus

technical field

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method for processing a substrate using a processing liquid, and more particularly, to processing a processing tank, piping, a filter, a pump, and other processing liquids after processing a substrate with the processing liquid. The technology of cleaning all parts of the device in contact. It should be noted that the substrates mentioned in this specification include, for example, semiconductor wafers, substrates for liquid crystal displays, substrates for plasma displays, substrates for organic EL, substrates for optical disks, substrates for magnetic disks, substrates for magneto-optical disks, and photomask substrates , ceramic substrates, substrates for solar cells, etc.

Background technique

In such an apparatus for processing a substrate using a processing liquid such as chemical liquid or pure water, the processing liquid is stored in a processing tank and circulated between the processing liquid circulation pipe and the processing tank, thereby processing the substrate. Moreover, the piping for the said circulation is arrange|positioned with the pump which pressurizes the process liquid, the filter which removes the particle|grains, such as metal mixed in the process liquid, the heater for temperature control of the process liquid, etc. are arrange|positioned.

When substrate processing is performed using the apparatus configured as described above, after the processing liquid is discharged, particles and the processing liquid containing the particles remain in the processing tank and in the piping (in particular, the filter, the pump, and the like).

Therefore, conventionally, after the substrate processing, the inside of the processing tank and the inside of the piping have been cleaned with pure water. For example, the substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes: a processing tank formed of an inner tank and an outer tank; a circulation pipe that connects the inner tank and the outer tank in communication to circulate a processing liquid; and supplies pure water to the outer tank A pure water supply part; a drain pipe for discharging the pure water stored in the inner tank, and Patent Document 1 describes that supplying pure water from the pure water supply part to the outer tank, using the above The circulation piping transfers the pure water stored in the outer tank to the inner tank, and discharges the pure water stored in the inner tank to the drain piping, by sending all or any of the supply, the transfer, and the discharge. By performing at least both simultaneously and continuously, cleaning is performed while pure water is circulated in the inner tank, the outer tank, and the circulation piping, after a predetermined cleaning time has elapsed, or a predetermined amount of pure water is supplied After that, the supply of pure water from the pure water supply unit is stopped.

With such a configuration, the pure water supplied from the pure water supply unit flows through the one-path passage composed of the outer tank, the circulation pipe, the inner tank, and the drain pipe, so that the pure water can be circulated while being used for each part. Clean with pure water.

However, with the above-described configuration, the pure water circulating in the pipes is temporarily drained through the treatment tank, so that the particles remaining in the pipes (especially the filter) are transported into the treatment tank by the pure water used for cleaning . Therefore, there is a problem that the particles in the treatment tank cannot be completely removed.

In addition, when pure water is used for cleaning, pure water will remain in the processing tank and piping. In this way, in a state where pure water remains, the chemical solution to be used for the next substrate processing will be diluted. Therefore, when the concentration control of the chemical solution is strictly required, it is inherently difficult to use pure water. When cleaning the inside of the processing tank and piping.

Therefore, it is conceivable to use a clean chemical solution (hereinafter, also referred to as "new solution") instead of pure water to clean the inside of the processing tank and the piping. However, when the chemical solution is used, it cannot be drained like pure water. liquid. That is, a chemical solution after use (hereinafter, also referred to as "waste liquid") needs to be subjected to a predetermined treatment in order to prevent adverse effects on the environment due to disposal, but it is not possible to use a facility for performing such treatment. The high-temperature waste liquid immediately after substrate processing is transported. Therefore, the waste liquid heated for substrate processing needs to be temporarily collected in a cooling tank, and when cooled to a predetermined temperature, it needs to be transported to a subsequent process.

Therefore, when there is no free capacity in the cooling tank, the chemical liquid cannot be drained, especially immediately after the substrate processing is completed, the cooling tank is in a state where a large amount of high-temperature waste liquid is stored. The inside of the piping is cleaned to circulate and drain a large amount of chemical solution at one time.

prior art literature

Patent Literature

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2016-63204

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The problem to be solved by the invention

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique for cleaning the inside of the pipe after cleaning the inside of the pipe when cleaning the inside of the processing tank and the pipe of a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate using a processing liquid. The liquid is drained without passing through the treatment tank.

means of solving problems

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention adopts the following configuration.

A substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate with a processing liquid, and the substrate processing apparatus includes a processing tank that stores the processing liquid and immerses the substrate, and a processing liquid supply mechanism that supplies the processing liquid to the processing tank. a treatment liquid; a drainage pipe serving as a flow path when the treatment liquid is drained from the treatment tank to the outside of the apparatus; a circulation pipe including a filter for filtering the treatment liquid, and at least one end of which communicates with the treatment tank a bypass piping, which communicates the above-mentioned circulation piping with the above-mentioned discharge piping, and becomes a flow path when the above-mentioned treatment liquid filtered by the above-mentioned filter is discharged without returning to the above-mentioned treatment tank; an on-off valve, It switches the flow path of the said processing liquid discharged from the said processing tank; and a control means controls the said opening and closing valve.

With the above configuration, by switching the flow path of the processing liquid using the on-off valve, the processing liquid discharged from the processing tank and passing through the circulation pipe can be discharged through the bypass pipe without returning to the processing tank. liquid. Therefore, when the inside of the piping is cleaned with the processing liquid, the inside of the piping can be cleaned without returning the waste liquid and particles remaining in the piping including the filter to the processing tank.

In addition, one end of the circulation piping may be connected to the processing tank, and the other end may be connected to a drain piping, and the opening/closing valve may include a one-way drain valve, and the one-way drain valve may be adapted to respond to the treatment liquid discharged from the processing tank. The flow path through which the liquid is drained only through the drain piping and the flow path in which the treatment liquid discharged from the processing tank flows from the drain piping to the circulation piping are switched, and the processing liquid discharged from the processing tank is switched. When flowing from the said drain piping to the said circulation piping, the flow path which can circulate the said processing liquid is formed between the said circulation piping and the said processing tank. With the above configuration, when circulating the treatment liquid, the drainage pipe can be used as a part of the circulating flow path.

In addition, one end of the liquid discharge piping may be connected to the processing tank, a processing tank drain valve for switching whether to discharge the processing liquid from the processing tank may be provided upstream in the piping, and one end of the circulation piping may be connected to the processing tank. The processing tank communicates with the processing tank, and the other end is connected to a position downstream of the processing tank drain valve of the drain piping, the circulation piping includes a processing tank circulation valve located between the filter and the processing tank, and the bypass One end of the pipe is connected to the circulation pipe between the filter and the treatment tank circulation valve, and the other end is connected to the drain pipe downstream of the position where the circulation pipe is connected, and the bypass pipe is provided with a connection to the bypass pipe. A circulation drain valve that opens and closes the flow path in the piping, and the control mechanism controls the opening and closing of each valve in the treatment tank drain valve, the one-way drain valve, the treatment tank circulation valve, and the circulation drain valve, Thereby, the said process liquid discharged|emitted from the said processing tank circulates through a part of the said circulation piping and the said bypass piping, and is drained without returning to the said processing tank.

According to the above configuration, the combination of the piping and the valve can be easily configured. In addition, even if the individual valves are not instructed to open or close, the inside of the piping can be cleaned without returning the treatment liquid to the treatment tank by the treatment by the control mechanism. In addition, in this specification, "upstream" and "downstream" are defined according to the flow of the processing liquid discharged from the processing tank, with the processing tank drain valve side of the drain piping being upstream.

In addition, a waste liquid recovery tank may be further provided for recovering the treatment liquid discharged from the treatment tank, one end of the drainage pipe is connected to the treatment tank, and the other end is connected to the waste liquid recovery tank, and the control The mechanism acquires information on the remaining capacity of the waste liquid recovery tank, and in the case where a predetermined remaining capacity exists in the waste liquid recovery tank, the processing liquid below the predetermined remaining capacity is discharged from the processing tank, and the circulating liquid is drained. deal with.

According to the above-described configuration, when the waste liquid recovery tank has space, the inside of the piping can be cleaned using the chemical solution. Thereby, in the next substrate processing, it is possible to process the inside of the piping without diluting the concentration of the chemical solution by the pure water remaining in the processing tank and the piping.

It should be noted that if the amount of liquid passing through the piping at one time is too small, it will hinder the effective cleaning of the piping. Therefore, the amount of liquid passing each time required for effective cleaning of the piping can be predetermined. lower limit of . The amount of the lower limit can be determined by experiments or simulations according to conditions such as the specifications of the apparatus, the type of substrates to be processed, the number of substrates to be processed, and the type of processing liquid to be used.

Further, the processing tank may include an inner tank for immersing the substrate, and an outer tank arranged so as to surround the inner tank, and the drain piping may include an inner tank drain piping portion connected to the inner tank, and an inner tank drain piping portion connected to the inner tank. The outer tank drain piping part connected to the outer tank, the predetermined remaining capacity of the waste liquid recovery tank is set to be equal to or larger than the volume of the outer tank, and the control means acquires information on the remaining capacity of the waste liquid recovery tank, and the waste liquid recovery tank is stored in the waste liquid recovery tank. When a predetermined remaining capacity exists in the liquid recovery tank, all the treatment liquid stored in the outer tank is discharged, and the above-mentioned circulating liquid discharge treatment is performed.

According to the above-described configuration, the amount of liquid flow at one time can be managed to the limit of the volume of the outer tank, and it is possible to prevent unnecessary supply and discharge of a large amount of the processing liquid. As a result, the processing efficiency of the substrate can be improved and savings can be made. treatment fluid.

Further, the processing liquid supply mechanism may be arranged to supply the processing liquid to the inner tank, the processing tank may be configured such that the processing liquid overflowing from the inner tank is stored in the outer tank, and the processing liquid may be supplied to the outer tank. It is carried out through the above-mentioned inner tank.

According to the above configuration, when cleaning the inside of the piping, both the inner tank and the outer tank can be cleaned without leakage. In addition, since the inner tank is filled with the processing liquid after the cleaning of the processing tank and the piping is completed, the next substrate processing can be performed quickly. That is, the supply of the processing liquid for cleaning the inside of the pipes can also be used as preparation for the next substrate processing.

In addition, the waste liquid recovery tank may include a flow path for discharging the treatment liquid recovered in the tank, and a waste liquid valve that opens and closes the flow path, and the control means may acquire the information collected in the waste liquid recovery tank. The temperature information of the treatment liquid, when the waste liquid recovery tank does not have a predetermined remaining capacity, and when the temperature of the treatment liquid in the waste liquid recovery tank is below a predetermined temperature, the waste liquid valve is opened and closed by opening and closing the waste liquid valve. The above-mentioned treatment liquid is controlled so as to be discharged from the above-mentioned waste liquid recovery tank, and the above-mentioned circulating liquid discharge treatment is performed under the condition that a predetermined remaining capacity in the above-mentioned waste liquid recovery tank is ensured.

According to the above-mentioned configuration, the control means can automatically execute the processing necessary for performing the cleaning of the inside of the pipe regardless of the remaining capacity of the waste liquid recovery tank, so that the time required for the operator's operation (instruction) can be eliminated, The operation rate of the apparatus can be improved.

In addition, the control means may acquire information on the number of times the substrate processing is performed by the processing liquid and the number of times the cyclic liquid discharge processing is performed, and each time a predetermined number of substrate processing ends, the cyclic discharge processing may be completed. The liquid treatment is repeated only a predetermined number of times.

According to the above-mentioned configuration, the processing for cleaning the inside of the pipe can be automatically performed at an arbitrary timing suitable for cleaning and the number of times that a suitable residual particle removal rate is achieved. It should be noted that the number of times can be determined through experiments or simulations according to conditions such as the specifications of the apparatus, the type of substrates to be processed, the number of substrates to be processed, and the type of processing liquid to be used.

In addition, in the cleaning method of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, the substrate processing apparatus includes a processing tank that stores a processing liquid, an inner tank for performing immersion treatment of a substrate, and an inner tank that stores the overflow from the inner tank. the outer tank of the above-mentioned treatment liquid; a drainage pipe, which discharges the treatment liquid from the above-mentioned treatment tank; a circulation pipe, which is connected to the drainage pipe and communicates the inner tank with the drainage pipe; and a bypass pipe, It is connected to the circulation piping and the drain piping, and forms a flow path from the circulation piping that avoids the treatment tank, and the cleaning method includes the steps of: a cleaning preparation step of removing the used treatment liquid for the immersion treatment from The processing tank is discharged; the processing tank cleaning step is to supply the clean processing liquid to the inner tank, and further supply the processing liquid to the outer tank through the inner tank; and the piping cleaning step is to discharge the clean processing liquid only from the outer tank, The liquid is drained through the drain piping, the circulation piping, and the bypass piping.

According to the above method, since the treatment liquid discharged from the treatment tank and circulated in the circulation piping can be drained without returning to the treatment tank, it is possible to prevent the waste liquid and particles remaining in the piping from returning to the treatment tank In the case of cleaning the inside of the treatment tank and the inside of the piping.

In addition, in the above-mentioned piping cleaning step, the amount of the processing liquid to be discharged at one time may be set to a predetermined amount smaller than the volume of the above-mentioned outer tank. According to the above-described method, it is possible to manage the amount of liquid passing once in a predetermined amount unit limited by the volume of the outer tank, and it is possible to prevent unnecessary supply and discharge of a large amount of the processing liquid. As a result, the processing efficiency of the substrate can be improved, and the The processing liquid can be saved.

In addition, the substrate processing apparatus may further include a waste liquid recovery tank for recovering the used processing liquid, and may include a tank remaining capacity confirmation step as a pre-process of the outer tank piping cleaning step, and the tank remaining capacity confirmation step. , it is checked whether or not there is a vacancy corresponding to the above-mentioned predetermined amount in the above-mentioned waste liquid recovery tank.

According to the above-described method, when the waste liquid recovery tank has space, the inside of the piping can be cleaned using the chemical solution. Thereby, in the next substrate processing, the inside of the piping can be processed without the concentration of the chemical solution being diluted by the pure water remaining in the processing tank and the piping.

Further, in the step of confirming the remaining capacity of the tank, when there is no vacancy corresponding to the predetermined amount in the waste liquid recovery tank, there may be a further step of securing the remaining capacity of the tank in which the waste liquid is recovered. Check whether the temperature of the treatment liquid in the tank is below the predetermined allowable temperature for discharge. If it is below the allowable temperature for discharge, discharge the treatment liquid in the above-mentioned waste liquid recovery tank from the tank, and when it is higher than the allowable temperature for discharge , and repeat standby and confirmation until it becomes below the allowable temperature for discharge.

According to the above-described method, the processing necessary for performing the cleaning of the inside of the pipe can be automatically performed regardless of the remaining capacity of the waste liquid recovery tank, so that there is no need to wait for the operator's operation (instruction), and the equipment can be improved. run rate.

Invention effect

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique in which, when cleaning the inside of a processing tank and piping of a substrate processing apparatus for performing substrate processing using a processing liquid, the cleaning liquid after cleaning the inside of the piping can be Drain without going through the treatment tank.

Description of drawings

1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment.

[ Fig. 2] Fig. 2 is a first explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the opening and closing status of the valve of the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment and the flow of the processing liquid.

[ Fig. 3] Fig. 3 is a second explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the opening and closing status of the valve of the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment and the flow of the processing liquid.

[ Fig. 4] Fig. 4 is a third explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the opening and closing status of the valve of the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment and the flow of the processing liquid.

[ Fig. 5] Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing a cleaning flow of the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment.

[ Fig. 6] Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to a first modification.

[ Fig. 7] Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to a second modification.

[ Fig. 8] Fig. 8 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to a third modification.

[ Fig. 9] Fig. 9 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to a fourth modification.

[ Fig. 10] Fig. 10 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to a fifth modification.

Detailed ways

Hereinafter, the form for implementing this invention is demonstrated based on an Example, referring an accompanying drawing.

<Example>

(Configuration of substrate processing apparatus)

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 1 is a so-called batch type apparatus in which a processing liquid is stored in a processing tank 11, and a substrate is immersed in the processing tank 11 using an elevator (not shown) for holding the substrate. to be processed.

In addition, in this specification, the term "processing liquid" is used in the meaning of containing a chemical|medical liquid and pure water. As the chemical liquid, in addition to mixed acid (mixed liquid of nitric acid, phosphoric acid, and acetic acid), for example, SPM (mixed liquid of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide), ozone-hydrogen peroxide mixed liquid (Japanese: zeshen water) (ozone, Mixed solution of hydrogen peroxide), SCl (mixed solution of ammonia water and hydrogen peroxide), SC2 (mixed solution of hydrochloric acid and hydrogen peroxide), HF (hydrofluoric acid), H3PO4 (phosphoric acid), FPM (mixed solution of hydrofluoric acid and hydrogen peroxide), FOM (mixed solution of hydrofluoric acid and ozone hydrogen peroxide mixed solution), etc. The above-mentioned treatment liquid can be appropriately selected and used according to the type of the film to be formed on the substrate, the treatment steps, and the like.

The processing tank 11 is a container for storing various chemical liquids, pure water, etc. as processing liquids. The processing tank 11 includes an inner tank 111 for performing immersion treatment of the substrate, and is arranged so as to surround the inner tank 111 and is used for The outer tank 112 in which the treatment liquid overflowing from the inner tank 111 is recovered. The inner tank 111 has a size capable of accommodating an elevator on which a substrate is placed, and the outer tank 112 is a container having a smaller storage capacity than the inner tank 111 .

An inner tank drain port (not shown) for draining the treatment liquid in the inner tank 111 is arranged at the bottom of the inner tank 111 , and is connected to an inner tank drain piping portion 13 a of the drain piping 13 to be described later. In addition, in the vicinity of the bottom of the inner tank 111, along the inner wall of each longitudinal direction side surface, a processing liquid supply nozzle (not shown) and a processing liquid circulation nozzle (not shown) are arranged. The processing liquid supply nozzle is connected to the processing liquid supply source 121 via the processing liquid supply pipe 122 , and supplies the processing liquid to the inner tank 111 as the processing liquid nozzle arranged in the processing liquid supply pipe 122 is opened and closed. The processing liquid circulation nozzle is connected to a circulation piping 14 to be described later.

An outer tank drain port (not shown) for draining the processing liquid in the outer tank 112 is arranged at the bottom of the outer tank 112 , and is connected to the outer tank drain piping portion 13 b of the drain piping 13 to be described later. In addition, the outer tank 112 is provided with a liquid level sensor (eg, an ultrasonic level gauge, etc.; not shown) that detects the height of the liquid surface (that is, the amount of the stored treatment liquid).

The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a drain piping 13 connecting the processing tank 11 and the waste liquid recovery tank 17 , and the drain piping 13 includes an inner tank drain piping portion 13 a connected to the inner tank 111 and an outer tank connected to the outer tank 112 . The drain piping part 13b. The inner tank drain valve 131 is arranged in the inner tank drain piping portion 13a of the drain piping 13, and the outer tank drain valve 132 is arranged in the outer tank drain piping portion 13b, respectively. The discharge from the inner tank 111 and the outer tank 112 is controlled. It should be noted that the inner tank drain valve 131 and the outer tank drain valve 132 correspond to the processing tank drain valve of the present invention. The drain piping 13 further includes a pump 133 and a one-way drain valve 134 arranged downstream of the pump 133 and upstream of the waste liquid recovery tank 17 .

The waste liquid recovery tank 17 includes a waste liquid pipe 171 and a waste liquid valve 172. When the waste liquid valve 172 is in an open state, the waste liquid in the tank is discharged from the waste liquid pipe 171 to a waste liquid treatment facility or the like. In addition, the waste liquid recovery tank 17 includes a liquid level sensor (not shown) that detects the height of the liquid level in the tank, and a temperature sensor (not shown) that measures the temperature of the waste liquid in the tank.

Further, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a circulation pipe 14 having one end connected between the pump 133 and the one-way drain valve 134 and the other end connected to the processing liquid circulation nozzle. The circulation piping 14 includes a filter 141 , a treatment tank circulation valve 142 located between the filter 141 and the treatment liquid circulation nozzle, and a heater 143 .

In addition, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a bypass pipe 15 , one end of which is connected to the circulation pipe 14 between the filter 141 and the processing tank circulation valve 142 , and the other end is downstream of the one-way drain valve 134 . It is connected to the drain piping 13. The bypass piping 15 is provided with the circulation drain valve 151 in the upstream vicinity.

In addition, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a control unit 16 . The hardware configuration of the control unit 16 is the same as that of a normal computer. That is, it has an input unit such as a keyboard, an output unit such as a monitor, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read only memory), a RAM (Random access memory), and a mass storage. The configuration of the device, etc. The control unit 16 is electrically connected to the elevator, the treatment liquid supply source 121, the pump 133, the heater 143, the valves of each unit, various sensors, etc., and the CPU executes a predetermined processing program, thereby acquiring information from the sensors of each unit of the apparatus, and to each unit of the apparatus. action to control.

(Flow of treatment liquid)

2 , 3 , and 4 are diagrams showing the relationship between the opening and closing status of the valve and the flow of the treatment liquid, respectively. In the apparatus configuration as described above, when the one-way drain valve 134 is in an open state, the treatment liquid discharged from the treatment tank 11 is directly recovered to the waste liquid recovery tank 17 (see FIG. 2 ). On the other hand, when the one-way drain valve 134 is in the closed state, the treatment liquid flows into the circulation piping 14 . The treatment liquid flowing into the circulation piping 14 is filtered by the filter 141, and when the treatment tank circulation valve 142 is opened and the circulation drain valve 151 is closed, it is supplied from the treatment liquid circulation nozzle to the inner tank 111 (see FIG. 3) . On the other hand, when the treatment tank circulation valve 142 is closed and the circulation drain valve 151 is opened, the treatment liquid is recovered to the waste liquid recovery tank 17 (see FIG. 4 ) via the bypass pipe 15 .

It should be noted that, while the substrate is immersed in the inner tank 111 in which the processing liquid is stored and the substrate is processed, the inner tank drain valve 131 is closed, the outer tank drain valve 132 is opened, and the liquid is drained in one pass. The valve 134 is in a closed state, the treatment tank circulation valve 142 is in an open state, and the circulation drain valve 151 is in a closed state. In addition, the treatment liquid discharged from the outer tank 112 is pumped by the pump 133 to flow into the circulation pipe 14, heated by the heater 143 as necessary, filtered (removed particles) by the filter 141, and then supplied from the treatment liquid circulation nozzle. to the inner groove 111. As a result, the processing liquid overflows from the inner tank 111 to the outer tank 112. Therefore, even if the outer tank drain valve 132 is in an open state, the outer tank 112 will not be empty. processing liquid for substrate processing.

(Cleaning method of substrate processing apparatus)

Hereinafter, the cleaning flow of the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 5 . FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of cleaning starting after the processing of the substrate is completed. As shown in FIG. 5 , after the processing of the substrate is completed, the control unit 16 firstly opens the one-way drain valve 134 , the inner tank drain valve 131 and the outer tank drain valve 132 to drain all the processing liquid in the processing tank 11 . (step S101). Thereby, the inner tank 111 and the outer tank 112 (and the inside of the piping) are in an empty state, and all the discharged treatment liquid is recovered in the waste liquid recovery tank 17 . It should be noted that this treatment belongs to the cleaning preparation step.

Next, the control unit 16 closes the inner tank drain valve 131 and the outer tank drain valve 132 , and opens the processing liquid valve 123 . Thereby, new (clean) processing liquid is supplied to the inner tank 111 from the processing liquid supply source 121 . Then, the processing liquid supplied exceeding the capacity of the inner tank 111 overflows into the outer tank 112 , and the processing liquid is also stored in the outer tank 112 . Here, the amount of the processing liquid stored in the outer tank 112 is detected by a liquid level sensor provided in the outer tank 112 , and the information is acquired by the control unit 16 . Then, when the amount of the treatment liquid stored in the outer tank 112 reaches a predetermined amount, the control unit 16 closes the treatment liquid valve 123 to stop the supply of the treatment liquid. Thereby, the inner tank 111 and the outer tank 112 are filled with the processing liquid corresponding to the predetermined amount (step S102). This treatment belongs to the cleaning step of the treatment tank 11 . In addition, from the viewpoint of cleaning the outer tank, the "predetermined amount" of the processing liquid stored in the outer tank is preferably set to a value close to the volume of the outer tank (subtracting the margin from the volume).

Next, the control unit 16 determines whether or not there is a predetermined remaining capacity in the waste liquid recovery tank 17 based on the information of the liquid level sensor provided in the waste liquid tank (step S103). This process belongs to the tank remaining capacity confirmation step. It should be noted that the "predetermined remaining capacity" of the waste liquid recovery tank 17 is set to a value larger than the predetermined amount of the outer tank mentioned in step S102 (for example, the volume of the outer tank 112 ).

Then, when it is determined in step S103 that the predetermined remaining capacity does not exist, it is then determined whether or not the temperature of the waste liquid in the waste liquid recovery tank 17 is a predetermined value (for example, 70° C.) or less (step S104 ). ). Here, when it is determined that the temperature of the waste liquid is equal to or lower than the predetermined value, the waste liquid valve 172 is opened to discharge the waste liquid in the tank (step S105 ), and the process returns to step S103 . On the other hand, when it is determined in step S104 that the temperature of the waste liquid is higher than the predetermined value, after waiting for a predetermined time, it is repeated again to determine whether or not the temperature of the waste liquid in the waste liquid recovery tank 17 is the predetermined value. The following processing. It should be noted that the series of processes in steps S104 and S105 belong to the tank remaining capacity securing step.

It should be noted that in step S105, when the waste liquid in the waste liquid recovery tank 17 is discharged, the tank does not necessarily have to be completely emptied, and only a predetermined remaining capacity portion may be ensured by discharging. In addition, it may be configured to return to step S103 while performing the liquid discharge from the tank.

In step S103, when it is determined that there is a predetermined remaining capacity, the outer tank drain valve 132 is opened, the one-way drain valve 134 is closed, the processing tank circulation valve 142 is closed, and the circulation The drain valve 151 is in an open state, and the entire amount of the processing liquid stored in the outer tank 112 is drained (step S106). At this time, the discharged processing liquid is recovered to the waste liquid recovery tank 17 via the circulation piping 14 and the bypass piping 15, thereby cleaning the inside of the piping (see FIG. 4 ). This treatment belongs to the circulating liquid drainage treatment and the piping cleaning step.

In addition, since the processing liquid newly supplied from the processing liquid supply source 121 is normal temperature (about 25 degreeC), if it collects to the waste liquid recovery tank 17, cooling of the waste liquid in a tank will be accelerated|stimulated. That is, the more the circulating liquid draining process using the new liquid is performed, the more quickly the waste liquid can be discharged to the outside of the tank. Therefore, when there is a space in the tank that is equal to or larger than a predetermined remaining capacity, it is necessary to enable circulation in advance. In the drainage treatment, the remaining capacity of the waste liquid recovery tank 17 can be efficiently secured.

Next, the control unit 16 judges whether or not the number of times the circulating liquid discharge process of step S106 is performed reaches a predetermined number of repetitions (for example, three times) (step S107 ). Here, when it is determined that the predetermined number of repetitions has been reached, the routine is terminated, and when it is determined that the predetermined number of repetitions has not been reached, the process returns to step S102 to repeat the process. In addition, in order to perform this determination, the control part 16 counts the number of times of performing a circulating waste liquid process, and stores it in a ROM etc. in advance.

With the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 1 as described above, the processing liquid can be drained through the passage shown in FIG. 4 , and the processing liquid can be processed without entering waste liquid, particles, etc. The tank 11 and the inside of the piping are cleaned. Therefore, the cleanliness in the processing tank 11 can be maintained at a high level, whereby the quality of the substrate processing can be improved.

In addition, as described above, since only the processing liquid corresponding to the predetermined amount of the outer tank 112 is used to clean the inside of the piping, after the cleaning routine of the substrate processing apparatus 1 is completed, the inner tank 111 is filled with cleanliness. Status of the treatment fluid. Therefore, the next substrate processing can be performed quickly, and the productivity of the apparatus can be improved. Furthermore, compared with the case where the inner tank 111 and the outer tank 112 are all drained and cleaned, the processing liquid can be saved.

In addition, when the waste liquid recovery tank 17 has a remaining capacity corresponding to the predetermined amount of the outer tank 112, the cleaning process can be performed. Therefore, the cleaning process can be performed efficiently without waiting until the waste liquid recovery tank 17 becomes empty. . Further, as described above, when the cleaning process is performed using new liquid, the temperature of the waste liquid in the tank will drop, so the timing of performing the cleaning process can be advanced, and the timing of discharging the liquid from the waste liquid recovery tank 17 can also be advanced. . The above-mentioned synergistic effect can further reduce the standby time, and can promote the improvement of the productivity of the apparatus.

<Variation 1>

In addition, the above-mentioned embodiment can also be deformed like each of the following modifications, for example. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the first modification. As shown in FIG. 6 , the present modification differs from the above-described embodiment in that the drain piping 13 is provided with a chemical liquid drain valve 135 downstream of the one-way drain valve 134; The pure water drain piping 136 connected to the drain piping 13 is connected to the one-way drain valve 134 .

The pure water discharge piping 136 includes a pure water discharge valve 137. When the pure water discharge valve 137 is open and the chemical liquid discharge valve 135 is closed, the treatment liquid is not recovered to the waste liquid recovery tank. In the case of 17, the liquid is drained from the pure water drain piping 136 to the outside of the apparatus.

With the above configuration, when a treatment liquid (for example, pure water) that does not need to pass through the waste liquid recovery tank 17 is used, the treatment liquid can be directly discharged to the outside of the apparatus. On the other hand, when the pure water drain valve 137 is closed and the chemical liquid drain valve 135 is opened, the treatment liquid is recovered to the waste liquid recovery tank 17, and therefore, it can be performed according to the treatment liquid to be used. Flexible use.

<Variation 2>

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the second modification. As shown in FIG. 7 , the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the present modification is different from the embodiment in that the waste liquid recovery tank 17 , the waste liquid piping 171 , and the waste liquid valve 172 are not provided.

For example, when it is determined that only the liquid that does not need to pass through the waste liquid recovery tank 17 is used as the treatment liquid, the apparatus configuration can be simplified in this way, and the cost and the installation space of the apparatus can be reduced. In addition, in this case, the said tank remaining capacity confirmation step and the tank remaining capacity securing step are abbreviate|omitted.

<Variation 3>

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to a third modification. The substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present modification is configured such that processing liquid supply nozzles are arranged in the outer tank 112 , and the processing liquid supply pipe 122 supplies the processing liquid to the processing liquid supply nozzles located in the outer tank 112 .

According to the above-described configuration, it is possible to perform the circulating liquid drainage treatment by storing only the processing liquid in the outer tank 112 without passing through the inner tank 111 . In this case, since there is no need to wait for the inner tank 111 to be filled up, the time required for cleaning the inside of the piping of the apparatus itself can be shortened as compared with the embodiment.

<Variation 4>

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to a fourth modification. As shown in FIG. 9 , in this modification, one end on the downstream side of the circulation pipe 14 is connected to the processing liquid supply pipe 122 . That is, one end of the circulation pipe 14 is configured to communicate with the processing tank 11 via the processing liquid supply pipe 122 (and the processing liquid supply nozzle).

According to the above configuration, even when the processing liquid is circulated in the processing tank 11 , a part of the processing liquid supply pipe 122 and the processing liquid supply nozzle can be diverted. Thereby, the processing liquid circulation nozzle can be omitted, and the apparatus configuration can be simplified.

<Variation 5>

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to a fifth modification. As shown in FIG. 10 , in this modification, the one-way drain valve 134 is located in the circulation piping 14 , and the bypass piping 15 is connected to the drain piping 13 downstream of the chemical liquid drain valve 135 . That is, in the present modification, the circulatory drain process is performed by closing the chemical liquid drain valve 135 and the pure water drain valve 137 and opening the one-way drain valve 134 . In addition, the treatment liquid flowing to the bypass piping 15 by the circulating liquid drainage treatment is recovered to the waste liquid recovery tank 17 .

Further, as shown in FIG. 10 , the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present modification includes, in the circulation piping 14 , a circulation bypass piping 145 that connects the upstream and downstream of the filter 141 , and opens a flow path of the circulation bypass piping 145 . Closed circulation bypass valve 146 . Furthermore, in the present modification, a filter drain pipe 18 is provided, one end of which is connected to the filter 141 and the other end is connected to the drain pipe 13 downstream of the position where the circulation pipe 14 is connected, and the filter The drain piping 18 includes a filter drain valve 181 .

With the above-described configuration, by closing the circulation drain valve 151 and opening the filter drain valve 181, even in this modification example, it is possible to directly process the treatment liquid without passing through the waste liquid recovery tank 17. The liquid is drained to the outside of the device. In this way, the arrangement of piping and valves of the substrate processing apparatus 1 can be freely set within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

<Other>

It should be noted that each of the above-mentioned examples is merely an example to illustrate the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned specific form. The present invention is capable of various applications within the scope of its technical concept. For example, the control unit 16 may manage the number of times (number of sheets) of substrate processing, and execute the cyclic liquid discharge process of the above-described embodiment for every predetermined number of times (number of sheets) of processing. As a result, the substrate processing can be continuously performed while maintaining the cleanliness in the processing tank and the piping of the substrate processing apparatus at a predetermined level or higher.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the “predetermined remaining capacity” in the waste liquid recovery tank 17 is set to be larger than the predetermined amount of the treatment liquid stored in the outer tank 112 . If the predetermined amount of the treatment liquid is stored in the outer tank 112 , it is discharged all at once, but it does not have to be. For example, the "predetermined remaining capacity" in the waste liquid recovery tank 17 may be set to a small value, and the amount of the treatment liquid discharged from the outer tank 112 at one time may be reduced accordingly (that is, the In one discharge, the outer tank 112 will not become empty).

In addition, in each of the above-mentioned examples, only one processing liquid supply mechanism (processing liquid supply source 121, processing liquid supply pipe 122, and processing liquid valve 123) is shown, but more than one may be provided according to the type of processing liquid to be used. A treatment liquid supply mechanism.

In addition, in each of the above-mentioned examples, it is assumed that the treatment liquid is discharged from the outer tank 112 to perform the circulatory drainage process, but it may be set that the new liquid is discharged from the inner tank 111 to perform the circulatory drainage process. In addition, in each of the above-mentioned examples, the processing tank 11 has a structure including the inner tank 111 and the outer tank 112, but may be a processing tank formed of only one tank.

Description of reference numerals

1...Substrate processing equipment

11...Treatment tank

111...Inner groove

112...Outer groove

121...Processing liquid supply source

13...Drain piping

131・・Inner tank drain valve

132...Outer tank drain valve

133...Pump

134...One-way drain valve

14...Circulation piping

141...Filter

142・・・Treatment tank circulation valve

15...Bypass piping

151...Circulation drain valve

16... Control Department

17... Waste liquid recovery tank

Claims (12)

1. A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate with a processing liquid, the substrate processing apparatus comprising:

a treatment tank for storing the treatment liquid and immersing the substrate;

a treatment liquid supply mechanism configured to supply the treatment liquid to the treatment tank;

a liquid discharge pipe which serves as a flow path for discharging the treatment liquid from the treatment tank to the outside of the apparatus;

a circulation pipe having a filter for filtering the treatment liquid and at least one end communicating with the treatment tank;

a bypass pipe which communicates the circulation pipe with the liquid discharge pipe and serves as a flow path for discharging the processing liquid filtered by the filter without returning the processing liquid to the processing bath;

an on-off valve that switches a flow path of the processing liquid discharged from the processing tank; and

and a control means for controlling the opening/closing valve.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1,

one end of the circulation pipe is connected to the treatment tank, and the other end is connected to a liquid discharge pipe,

the on-off valve includes a liquid passing/discharging valve for switching between a flow path through which the processing liquid discharged from the processing bath is discharged only through the liquid discharging pipe and a flow path through which the processing liquid discharged from the processing bath flows from the liquid discharging pipe to the circulation pipe,

when the treatment liquid discharged from the treatment tank flows from the liquid discharge pipe to the circulation pipe, a flow path through which the treatment liquid can circulate is formed between the circulation pipe and the treatment tank.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2,

one end of the liquid discharge pipe is connected to the treatment tank, and a treatment tank liquid discharge valve for switching whether or not the treatment liquid is discharged from the treatment tank is provided upstream in the pipe,

one end of the circulation pipe is communicated with the treatment tank, and the other end of the circulation pipe is connected to a position of the liquid discharge pipe downstream of the treatment tank liquid discharge valve, the circulation pipe is provided with a treatment tank circulation valve positioned between the filter and the treatment tank,

one end of the bypass pipe is connected to the circulation pipe between the filter and the treatment tank circulation valve, and the other end of the bypass pipe is connected to the drain pipe at a position downstream of the position where the bypass pipe is connected, the bypass pipe including a circulation drain valve that opens and closes a flow path in the bypass pipe,

the control means performs the following circular liquid discharge treatment by controlling the opening and closing of each of the treatment tank liquid discharge valve, the one-way liquid discharge valve, the treatment tank circulation valve, and the circular liquid discharge valve: the treatment liquid discharged from the treatment tank flows through a part of the circulation pipe and the bypass pipe, and is discharged without returning to the treatment tank.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3,

further comprising a waste liquid recovery tank for recovering the treatment liquid discharged from the treatment tank,

one end of the liquid discharge piping is connected to the treatment tank, and the other end is connected to the waste liquid recovery tank,

the control means acquires information on the remaining capacity of the waste liquid recovery tank, and when a predetermined remaining capacity exists in the waste liquid recovery tank, discharges the treatment liquid having the remaining capacity or less from the treatment tank, and performs the circulation drain treatment.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4,

the processing tank includes an inner tank in which the substrate is immersed and an outer tank disposed so as to surround the inner tank,

the liquid discharge piping is provided with an inner tank liquid discharge piping part connected to the inner tank and an outer tank liquid discharge piping part connected to the outer tank,

the waste liquid recovery tank has a predetermined residual capacity set to a capacity of the outer tank or more,

the control means acquires information on the remaining capacity of the waste liquid recovery tank, and when a predetermined remaining capacity exists in the waste liquid recovery tank, discharges all of the treatment liquid stored in the outer tank, and performs the circulating liquid discharge treatment.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5,

the processing liquid supply mechanism is configured to supply the processing liquid to the inner tank,

the treatment tank is configured such that the treatment liquid overflowing from the inner tank is stored in the outer tank, and the treatment liquid is supplied to the outer tank through the inner tank.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 6,

the waste liquid recovery tank is provided with a flow path for discharging the treatment liquid recovered in the tank and a waste liquid valve for opening and closing the flow path,

the control means acquires temperature information of the treatment liquid collected in the waste liquid collection tank, and when the temperature of the treatment liquid in the waste liquid collection tank is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature when the waste liquid collection tank has no predetermined remaining capacity, the control means performs open/close control of the waste liquid valve to discharge the treatment liquid from the waste liquid collection tank, and performs the circulation drain treatment under the condition that the predetermined remaining capacity in the waste liquid collection tank is secured.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 7,

the control means acquires information on the number of times the circulating liquid discharge treatment is performed, and repeats the circulating liquid discharge treatment only a predetermined number of times each time the treatment of the substrate with the treatment liquid is completed.

9. A cleaning method of a substrate processing apparatus, wherein,

the substrate processing apparatus includes: a processing tank which stores a processing liquid and includes an inner tank in which a substrate is immersed and an outer tank in which the processing liquid overflowing from the inner tank is stored; a liquid discharge pipe for discharging the treatment liquid from the treatment tank; a circulation pipe connected to the liquid discharge pipe and communicating the inner tank with the liquid discharge pipe; and a bypass pipe connected to the circulation pipe and the liquid discharge pipe and forming a flow path avoiding the treatment tank from the circulation pipe,

the cleaning method comprises the following steps:

a cleaning preparation step of discharging a used treatment liquid used for the immersion treatment from the treatment tank;

a treatment tank cleaning step of supplying a clean treatment liquid to the inner tank and further supplying a treatment liquid to the outer tank through the inner tank; and

and a pipe cleaning step of discharging the clean treatment liquid only from the outer tank and discharging the liquid through the liquid discharge pipe, the circulation pipe, and the bypass pipe.

10. The method of cleaning a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein an amount of the processing liquid discharged at one time in the pipe cleaning step is set to a predetermined amount smaller than a capacity of the outer tank.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising a waste liquid recovery tank for recovering the used treatment liquid,

as a step preceding the outer tank pipe cleaning step, a tank remaining capacity confirmation step of confirming whether or not there is a space corresponding to the predetermined amount in the waste liquid collection tank is provided.

12. The cleaning method of a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 11,

in the tank remaining capacity confirmation step, when there is no empty space corresponding to the predetermined amount in the waste liquid recovery tank,

further comprising a tank remaining capacity securing step of confirming whether or not the temperature of the treatment liquid in the waste liquid recovery tank is equal to or lower than a predetermined drain allowable temperature,

discharging the treatment liquid in the waste liquid recovery tank from the tank when the temperature is below the allowable temperature for liquid discharge,

when the temperature is higher than the liquid discharge allowable temperature, the standby and the confirmation are repeated until the temperature becomes lower than the liquid discharge allowable temperature.

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