JP2000114228A - Device and system for treating substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the occurrence of a watermark to a substrate for which a dipping treatment and a drying treatment are performed. SOLUTION: A treatment liquid supply port 211, a treatment liquid discharge port 213, and a gas inlet port 241 are provided in a chamber 210, and also a mechanism for rotating a rotary drum 230 within the chamber 210 is provided. Thus, it is possible to supply various chemical liquids and pure water into the chamber 210, and to perform various chemical liquid treatments, standard cleaning treatments, and final cleaning treatments on a substrate 9 dipped in a treatment liquid within the chamber 210. Furthermore, after the final cleaning treatment, pure water within the chamber 210 is discharged, and also an inert gas is supplied from the gas inlet port 241, so that the substrate 9 is rotated to perform a drying treatment on the substrate 9. As the results, after the final cleaning treatment, it is no longer necessary to convey the substrate 9 in the atmosphere, and a water mark for the substrate 9 does not occur.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a substrate for precision pattern formation (hereinafter referred to as a "substrate") such as a substrate for manufacturing a semiconductor device, a glass substrate for manufacturing a liquid crystal display or the like, and a substrate for manufacturing a photomask. And a substrate processing apparatus for performing predetermined processing on the substrate processing apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an apparatus for performing a predetermined treatment on a substrate, there is a method in which pure water or a chemical solution as a treatment liquid is stored in a treatment tank, and the substrate is immersed in the treatment liquid to carry out the treatment.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional substrate processing system for performing such immersion processing. The substrate processing system 910 includes an indexer section 911 for storing and mounting the substrate 9 in the carrier 91, an immersion processing section 912 for performing immersion processing on the substrate 9, a drying section 913 for performing drying processing on the substrate 9, and a configuration thereof. Transfer robot 9 for transferring substrates 9 between
14.

The immersion processing section 912 can switch and store a plurality of types of chemicals and pure water in the processing tank 915, and the substrate 9 immersed in the processing liquid in the processing tank 915 can perform various types of chemical processing and normal-level processing. A cleaning process and a final high-level cleaning process are performed.

[0005] After the final cleaning process, the substrate 9 is dried.
The pure water adhering to the substrate 9 is removed by being conveyed to the substrate 13 and rotated at a high speed, and a series of processing ends.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of a conventional substrate processing system for performing an immersion process. Substrate processing system 92
In the case of 0, the carry-in section 921 for storing the unprocessed substrate 9 in the carrier 91 and placing it thereon, a plurality of chemical liquid processing sections 922 each performing immersion processing with a predetermined chemical liquid, and after the processing in the chemical liquid processing section 922. A plurality of rinsing units 923 for performing a cleaning process, and a final rinsing unit 92 for performing a final cleaning process immediately before a drying process
4, a drying unit 925 for performing a drying process, an unloading unit 926 for storing and processing the substrate 9 in the carrier 91, and a transport robot 927 for transporting the substrate 9 between components. .

[0007] With such a configuration, the substrate 9 is loaded into the loading section 9.
21 to a chemical processing section 922 and a rinsing section 923 to sequentially perform a plurality of types of chemical processing, perform a final cleaning processing in a final rinsing section 924, and further perform a drying section 9.
At 25, the substrate 9 is rotated at a high speed to perform a drying process,
It is guided to the unloading section 926.

[0008]

As described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, the substrate 9 having been subjected to the chemical treatment is subjected to a final cleaning process immediately before the drying process, and the drying units 913, 9
25. At this time, since the substrate 9 is transported in the atmosphere with pure water attached, an unnecessary natural oxide film is generated as a watermark on the surface of the substrate 9. The generated watermark is not removed by the drying process, and the watermark remains on the substrate 9 after the processing. As a result, the yield of devices formed on the substrate 9 is reduced.

On the other hand, a method is used in which a closed space is provided above the cleaning tank where the final cleaning process is performed, and the substrate 9 after the final cleaning process is pulled up from pure water and dried in the closed space using IPA vapor. There is also. However, it requires more time than a rotary drying process, and is not suitable for manufacturing a large number of substrates 9.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing system capable of preventing the occurrence of a watermark while maintaining the advantages of a rotary drying process. With the goal.

[0011]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising: a chamber for accommodating the substrate; holding means for holding the substrate in the chamber; Rotating means for rotating a substrate held together with the means, supply means for supplying a processing liquid to the chamber and storing the processing liquid in the chamber, and discharging means for discharging the processing liquid from the chamber; The substrate is immersed in the treatment liquid stored in the substrate to perform an immersion treatment, and after the treatment liquid is discharged, the substrate is rotated to perform a drying treatment.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing apparatus according to the first aspect, the supply means has means for switching the processing liquid supplied to the chamber between a plurality of types of processing liquids. .

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing apparatus according to the first aspect, the processing liquid is pure water.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, the discharging means has means for discharging a processing liquid overflowing from an upper portion of the chamber.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the chamber is a hermetically sealable chamber, and the chamber is sealed during the drying process. A forced exhaust means for exhausting the gas and reducing the pressure.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cleaning apparatus for performing a cleaning process by immersing a substrate in a cleaning tank for storing pure water.
And a substrate processing apparatus according to (1).

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing system according to the sixth aspect, the substrate processing apparatus performs final cleaning processing and drying processing on the substrate after the cleaning processing by the cleaning apparatus.

[0018]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS <1. First Embodiment> FIG.
1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an entire substrate processing system 100 having a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention as a processing unit 200. The substrate processing system 100 includes an indexer section 110 on which a carrier 91 for accommodating a plurality of substrates 9 in a horizontal posture arranged in a vertical direction is mounted.
Transfer robot 120 for taking out the sheets one by one, and the substrate 9
Has a processing unit 200 for performing immersion processing and drying processing.

The processing section 200 includes a chamber 210 for storing a plurality of substrates 9 in a horizontal position in a vertically arranged state, and a lid section 220 having a function as a door at the top of the chamber 210.
The lid 220 is vertically movable by an elevation drive source 221 using a ball screw or a cylinder.

Further, the lid 220 holds the substrate 9 in the chamber 21.
The substrate 9 is connected to the rotating drum 230 held in the chamber 210 and the lid 220 rises, so that the substrate 9 in the chamber 210 rises and is guided out of the chamber 210.

Also in the indexer section 110, the carrier 91 can be moved in the vertical direction by an elevation drive source 111 using a ball screw or a cylinder, and the transfer robot 120 can use the hand 121 to move an arbitrary substrate 9 in the carrier 91. It is possible to put in and out.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the configuration of the processing section 200. In FIG. 2, parallel oblique lines indicating a cross section are omitted in detail.

The chamber 210 is a cylindrical container having an open top and a central axis directed vertically, and has a plurality of processing liquid supply ports 211 formed on an inner surface thereof. The processing liquid supply port 211 is connected to the processing liquid supply source 21 via a valve 211a.
2, various chemicals and pure water are guided as processing liquid from the processing liquid supply source 212 into the chamber 210.

A processing liquid outlet 213 is also formed on the inner surface of the chamber 210, and the processing liquid discharged from the processing liquid outlet 213 is supplied to the chamber 21 via a valve 213a.
The liquid is led to a draining part 214 outside the zero.

A discharge pipe 215 is connected to the upper part of the chamber 210, and the processing liquid stored in the chamber 210 overflows from the discharge pipe 215. Therefore, the processing liquid is stored in the chamber 210 up to the position where the discharge pipe 215 is connected. Further, the discharge pipe 215 is connected to the valve 215a.
Is connected to a separator 215b that separates a gas and a liquid from the separator 215b. From the separator 215b, the liquid is guided to the drain part 214, and the gas is guided to the exhaust part 216.

A discharge pipe 217 is also connected to the lower part of the chamber 210. When the liquid is discharged from the discharge pipe 217, the liquid is guided to a liquid discharge section 214 through a three-way valve 217a.
When the gas is forcibly exhausted, the gas is guided from the three-way valve 217a to the exhaust unit 216 via the exhaust pump 218.

A gas inlet 241 is formed in the upper part of the chamber 210, and the gas inlet 241 is connected to the valve 24.
It is connected to a gas supply source 242 via 1a. Thus, nitrogen gas, IPA gas, and the like can be appropriately supplied into the chamber 210.

The lid 220 is arranged so as to cover the opening above the chamber 210, and has a hollow structure. FIG.
When the lid 220 is lowered as shown in FIG.
10 is sealed. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, when the lid 220 is raised by the elevation drive source 221 (see FIG. 1), the substrate 9 is taken out of the chamber 210 together with the lid 220.

The lid 220 has a rotating shaft 222 extending into the chamber 210, and the rotating shaft 222 has a bearing 224.
To be rotatably supported. The rotating shaft 222 is connected to a motor 223 via a pulley and a belt. When the motor 223 is driven, the rotating shaft 222 rotates.

The labyrinth packing 225 is attached to the lower part of the lid 220 at the position where the rotary shaft 222 penetrates.
20 is isolated from the outside (inside the chamber 210 when the chamber 210 is closed). That is, the nitrogen gas supply source 22 is inserted into the gap 226 between the bearing 224 and the labyrinth packing 225 through the valve 226a.
7, the supplied nitrogen gas flows into the cover 220 through the bearing 224, and the outside (in the chamber 210) through the labyrinth packing 225.
To flow to. This prevents the outside air from entering the chamber 210 while rotatably supporting the rotation shaft 222 even when the lid 220 closes the chamber 210.

The holding drive source 228 is provided in the lid 220.
Is provided, and from the holding drive source 228, the operation shaft 22 is provided.
8a extends to the chamber 210 side. Operation shaft 228
“a” is vertically moved and rotated around an axis by a holding drive source 228 to perform an operation of holding the substrate 9 on the rotating drum 230.

The lower end of the rotating shaft 222 is a pair of rotating plates 232
And a pair of rotating plates 232 are integrally formed by a plurality of holding rods 231 facing in the vertical direction to form a rotating drum 230. A groove is formed in the holding rod 231 so that a plurality of substrates 9 can be held vertically in a horizontal posture. When the motor 223 operates while the holding rod 231 holds the substrate 9, the substrate 9 rotates. Rotate about axis 222.

One of the plurality of holding rods 231 (labeled 231a in FIGS. 2 and 3) is the holding rod 2
The rotation of the operation shaft 228a is performed after the operation shaft 228a engages with the member at the center of rotation. Accordingly, when the holding rod 231a rotates away from the substrate 9 as shown in FIG. 3, the transfer robot 120 can move the substrate 9 into and out of the rotary drum 230,
Conversely, when the holding rod 231a rotates so as to contact the substrate 9, the substrate 9 is fixed to the rotating drum 230.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of the processing liquid supply source 212 and a control system of the processing section 200.

The processing liquid supply source 212 is for switching and supplying various chemicals and pure water into the chamber 210. A pure water supply source 212c is connected to a mixer 212a connected to a valve 211a via a valve 212b. Connected, valve 212
Various chemical liquid supply sources 212e are connected via d. With such a configuration, when the pure water is supplied from the pure water supply source 212c while the raw liquid of the chemical solution is supplied from the chemical liquid supply source 212e, the raw liquid of the chemical solution is diluted with the pure water by the mixer 212a to become a chemical liquid. It is supplied to the chamber 210. In addition, pure water is supplied to the mixer 2 without supplying a stock solution of the chemical solution.
When supplied to the chamber 12a, pure water is supplied to the chamber 210.

Accordingly, only the pure water is supplied from the processing liquid supply port 211 (see FIG. 2) to the chamber 210 while the chemical liquid is stored in the chamber 210, and the processing liquid is discharged from the processing liquid discharge port 213 and the discharge pipe 215 to the chamber 210. When the liquid in the chamber 210 is discharged, the chemical liquid in the chamber 210 is gradually replaced with pure water. Conversely, when a chemical solution is supplied into the chamber 210 from a state where pure water is stored in the chamber 210, the pure water in the chamber 210 is gradually replaced with the chemical solution. Further, by switching the type of the chemical supplied to the chamber 210, the chemical in the chamber 210 is switched to various chemicals. By causing the processing liquid to overflow from the discharge pipe 215, contaminants floating on the liquid surface of the processing liquid are also removed.

Next, the overall operation of the substrate processing system 100 and the operation of the processing section 200 will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, each valve of the processing unit 200 and the lifting drive source 221,
The motor 223 and the holding drive source 228 are connected to the control unit 250, and the operation related to the processing unit 200 in the following description of the operation is realized by an instruction from the control unit 250.

First, the substrate 9 is loaded into the substrate processing system 100 while being stored in the carrier 91 as shown in FIG. The transfer of the substrate 9 is performed by an operator or an automatic transfer device.

When the substrate 9 is loaded, the indexer unit 11
The height of the substrate 9 to be taken out of the carrier 91 by the 0 elevation drive source 111 is adjusted to the height of the hand 121 of the transfer robot 120. On the other hand, also on the processing unit 200 side, the lifting drive source 221 raises the lid 220, and adjusts the height of the groove of the holding rod 231 for taking in the substrate 9 to the height of the hand 121. In this state, the transfer robot 120 takes out one substrate 9 from the carrier 91 and inserts the taken out substrate 9 into the groove of the holding rod 231 (see FIG. 3).

The substrate 9 from the carrier 91 to the holding rod 231
Is repeatedly carried out, and a plurality of substrates 9 are
Are arranged in a horizontal posture. In addition, one carrier 91
Is empty, the next carrier 91 is prepared and the holding rod 2 is
A substrate 9 for a plurality of carriers 91 is arranged on 31.

When the substrate 9 is inserted into each groove of the holding rod 231, the holding driving source 228 moves the holding rod 2 using the operating shaft 228a.
By rotating 31a, the plurality of substrates 9 are fixed to the rotating drum 230 (see FIG. 3). Thereafter, the elevation drive source 221 descends, and the substrate 9 is immersed in the chemical solution stored in advance in the chamber 210, and the state shown in FIG. 2 is obtained.

When the substrate 9 is immersed in the processing solution, the control unit 250 shown in FIG.
The inside of the substrate 9 is subjected to various chemical treatments and cleaning treatments by switching the treatment liquid therein to various chemicals and pure water. At this time, the processing liquid overflows from the discharge pipe 215, and
It is led to 4.

For example, when a pre-diffusion cleaning process is performed on a semiconductor substrate, a process using a mixed solution of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide, a process using pure water, a process using hydrogen fluoride water, a process using pure water, a process using hydrochloric acid, A treatment with a mixed solution of hydrogen peroxide and a cleaning treatment with pure water are sequentially performed. In addition,
The cleaning process using pure water in these processes is a normal level cleaning process that does not affect the next process. Further, in the case of the nitride film removing treatment, the cleaning treatment with phosphoric acid is performed after the treatment with phosphoric acid, and in the case of the oxide film etching treatment, the cleaning with pure water after the treatment with buffered hydrofluoric acid (HF + NH ₄ F + H ₂ O). The process is performed. In the case of the light etching process, a cleaning process using pure water is performed after the process using hydrofluoric acid.

When the processing using the chemical solution and the cleaning processing as shown in the above example are completed, the substrate 9 is further subjected to a high-level cleaning processing using pure water (final cleaning processing). Thereby, all the immersion processes required for processing the substrate 9 are completed.

Next, the valve 213a is opened and the three-way valve 217a is connected to the drain part 214, and the chamber 213a is opened.
Pure water in 0 is discharged. At this time, the chamber 21
An inert gas such as a nitrogen gas is appropriately supplied from 0 into the gas supply source 242. The purpose of supplying the inert gas is to prevent generation of an unnecessary natural oxide film on the surface of the substrate 9 due to a reaction between pure water adhering to the substrate 9 and oxygen in the atmosphere. At the time of discharging the pure water, the pure water is put on the substrate 9 in a horizontal posture, and the pure water on the substrate 9 is removed at a time during the rotation of the next step. This can prevent minute droplets from remaining on the substrate 9.

When the discharge of the pure water in the chamber 210 is completed, the discharge pipe 215 and the valve 215 of the processing liquid discharge port 213 are provided.
a, 213a are closed, and the three-way valve 217a is connected to the exhaust pump 218 side. Thereby, the gas in the chamber 210 is exhausted and decompressed.

When the pressure in the chamber 210 is reduced, the motor 2
23 is driven, the substrate 9 rotates at a high speed around the rotation shaft 222, and the pure water adhering to the substrate 9 is scattered and the substrate 9
Is subjected to a drying treatment. Note that even after the pressure in the chamber 210 is reduced, the gas supply source 242 supplies a gas that promotes drying, such as (high-temperature) nitrogen gas, IPA vapor, and water vapor. Also, a separator (not shown) is provided in the path from the three-way valve 217a to the exhaust pump 218, and the pure water discharged from the discharge pipe 217 is appropriately discharged to the liquid discharging section 21.
It is led to 4.

When the drying process is completed, the rotation of the motor 223 stops. Further, the three-way valve 217a is closed, the exhaust of the gas in the chamber 210 is stopped, and the pressure in the chamber 210 is returned to the normal pressure. Further, the lifting drive source 221 is
The substrate 9 is taken out of the chamber 210 by raising 0.

Thereafter, the substrate 9 is transported from the rotating drum 230 to the carrier 91 of the indexer unit 110 by an operation reverse to the operation in which the substrate 9 is guided into the chamber 210.
That is, the holding rod 231a of the rotating drum 230 moves by the operation of the operation shaft 228a, and the transfer robot 120 transfers the substrates 9 one by one from the holding rod 231 to the carrier 91.

When all the substrates 9 are stored in the carrier 91, the substrates 9 are transferred from the indexer unit 110 to the substrate processing system 10.
It is carried out of zero.

The configuration and operation of the substrate processing system 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention have been described above.
0, the processing liquid can be stored in the chamber 210 to perform the immersion processing, and the substrate 9 can be stored in the chamber 210.
Can be rotated to perform a drying process, so that the immersion process and the drying process to be performed on the substrate 9 are performed by one processing unit 200.
Can be performed. As a result, unlike the conventional substrate processing system 100, the substrate after the final cleaning process does not need to be transported to the drying unit in the air atmosphere, so that generation of a watermark on the surface of the substrate can be prevented.

Further, since the time required for the transfer can be saved, the throughput of the substrate processing system can be improved.

Further, since there is no need to separately arrange a processing section for performing the immersion processing and a drying section, the size of the entire substrate processing system can be reduced.

<2. Second Preferred Embodiment> FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of a substrate processing apparatus 300 according to the present invention. Note that the substrate processing apparatus 300 is also used as one processing unit of the substrate processing system as in the first embodiment. In FIG. 5, parallel oblique lines attached to the cross section are omitted in detail.

The substrate processing apparatus 300 holds the substrate 9 in an upright posture in the processing section 200 according to the first embodiment, and the processing is the same as that of the first embodiment.

The substrate processing apparatus 300 has a chamber 310 which is a cylindrical container whose central axis is oriented in the horizontal direction. A lid 310a which can be opened and closed is provided above the chamber 310.
Is provided. A large number of processing liquid supply / discharge ports 311 for supplying and discharging a processing liquid to / from the chamber 310 are formed below the chamber 310, and the processing liquid supply / discharge port 311 is connected to a processing liquid supply source via a three-way valve 311a. 31
2 and a drain part 314. As in the first embodiment, the processing liquid supply source 312 can switch and supply pure water or various chemicals into the chamber 310.

A discharge pipe 315 is formed in the upper part of the chamber 310 in the same manner as in the first embodiment.
5 is connected to a separator 315b and an exhaust pump 318 via a three-way valve 315a. With such a configuration, the three-way valve 315a is connected to the separator 315b during the immersion treatment, and the processing liquid overflowing from the chamber 310 is guided to the separator 315b together with the gas, and the liquid is discharged to the drain part 314. The gas is exhausted to the exhaust part 316. On the other hand, during the drying process, the three-way valve 315a is connected to the exhaust pump 318 to forcibly exhaust the gas in the chamber 310, and the pressure inside the chamber 310 is reduced.

Further, a gas inlet 341 is formed in the upper part of the chamber 310, and a nitrogen gas or an IP gas is appropriately supplied from the gas supply source 342 into the chamber 310 through the valve 341a.
A gas can be supplied.

A rotating drum 330 for holding the substrate 9 is disposed in the chamber 310.
Numeral 30 is rotatably supported by a rotating shaft 322 that faces in the horizontal direction (the central axis direction of the cylindrical chamber 310).

The rotary drum 330 has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, and a pair of rotary plates 332 are connected by a plurality of holding rods 331. Further, one holding rod 331a is rotatable for taking the substrate 9 in and out.

On the side of the chamber 310, a rotation drive section 320 having the same configuration as the lid section 220 in the first embodiment is provided.
Is arranged. That is, the rotation driving unit 320 is provided with a motor 323 for rotating the rotation shaft 322 and a holding drive source 328 for driving an operation shaft 328 a for rotating the holding rod 331 a.

The rotating shaft 322 is rotatably supported by bearings 324 provided on the opposing side walls of the chamber 310, and the labyrinth packing 325 separates the inside and the outside of the chamber 310 at the supporting points.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing, on an enlarged scale, a portion where the rotary shaft 322 is supported. Two flow paths 325a and 325b are formed in the hole side member of the labyrinth packing 325, and a gap between the labyrinth packing 325 and the bearing 324 is a flow path 325c. Then, the flow path 325
Pure water is supplied to a and 325c from a pure water supply source 326a, and the pure water flowing through the labyrinth is guided from a flow path 325b to a drain part 326b. With such a configuration, the bearing 3
24, while preventing gas and contaminants outside the chamber 310 from entering the chamber 310,
22 is rotatably supported by the chamber 310. In addition,
When the substrate 9 is dried under reduced pressure, the supply of pure water is stopped, but nitrogen gas may be supplied to the flow path 325c as appropriate.

With the configuration described above, in the substrate processing apparatus 300, the immersion processing and the drying processing can be performed by one apparatus as in the first embodiment. That is, the processing liquid supply source 312 supplies the chamber 310
By switching and supplying various chemicals and pure water into the inside, excess processing liquid overflows from the discharge pipe 315 and is discharged, so that the substrate 9 immersed in the processing liquid in the chamber 310 is subjected to various chemical processing and normal processing. A level cleaning process is performed. Furthermore, a final high-level cleaning process performed at the end of the series of processes is also performed.

Then, the three-way valve 311a is switched to the drain part 314 to discharge the pure water in the chamber 310, supply a nitrogen gas from the gas supply source 342 into the chamber 310, and connect the three-way valve 315a to the exhaust pump 318. To reduce the pressure in the chamber 310. Thereafter, the substrate 9 is rotated about the rotation shaft 322, and at the same time, a nitrogen gas or an IPA gas is appropriately supplied from the gas supply source 342, and the substrate 9 is subjected to a drying process.

In the first embodiment, the substrates 9 are inserted one by one into the grooves of the holding rods 231 and held on the rotating drum 230. In the substrate processing apparatus 300, the lid 310 is used.
A plurality of substrates 9 held in the upright posture from a are guided at once to the rotating drum 330 and accommodated in the chamber 310, and the holding rod 331a is rotated to hold the substrates 9.

Although the configuration and operation of the substrate processing apparatus 300 according to the second embodiment of the present invention have been described above, the immersion processing and the drying processing on the substrate 9 can be performed in the substrate processing apparatus 300 as well. In addition, there is no problem in the conventional substrate processing system that a watermark is generated on the substrate 9 while the substrate 9 to which pure water is attached is transported to the drying unit.

Further, since there is no need to transport the substrate 9 between the processing units, the throughput can be improved.
Further, the size of the entire substrate processing system can be reduced.

<3. Other Embodiments> In the first and second embodiments, one processing unit 200 (substrate processing apparatus 300) performs immersion processing with a chemical solution, normal-level cleaning processing, high-level final cleaning processing, and drying. Although it has been described that the processing is performed, the substrate processing apparatus may be used as a dedicated apparatus for high-level final cleaning processing and drying processing. In this case, the processing liquid supply sources 212 and 312 shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 have only a function as a pure water supply source.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration of a substrate processing system 400 having a substrate processing apparatus for performing final cleaning processing and drying processing as a processing section 500.

The substrate processing system 400 includes a carry-in section 41 on which an unprocessed substrate 9 stored in the carrier 91 is placed.
0, a plurality of chemical processing units 42 for performing immersion processing with a chemical
0, a plurality of rinsing units 430 for performing a normal-level cleaning process with pure water, a processing unit 500 for performing a final high-level cleaning process and a drying process on the substrate 9, and a processed substrate 9 stored and stored in a carrier 91 It has an unloading section 440 to be placed and a transfer robot 450 for transferring the substrate 9 between these components. Note that FIG. 7 schematically shows a processing unit 500 that performs a final cleaning process and a drying process on the plurality of substrates 9 in the standing posture, and the detailed structure is a process performed by the substrate processing apparatus 300 shown in FIG. The liquid supply source 312 is a pure water supply source.

In the substrate processing system 400, the substrates 9 in a plurality of standing postures are transferred by the transport robot 450 to the chemical processing section 4.
20 and the rinsing unit 430 are alternately conveyed, and a chemical treatment with various chemicals and a normal-level cleaning with pure water are alternately performed. Then, the substrate 9 having undergone the series of processes is transported to the processing unit 500, where the final high-level cleaning process and drying process are performed. Thereafter, the substrate 9 is transported from the processing section 500 to the unloading section 440.

In the substrate processing system 400, the final cleaning processing and drying processing are performed in one processing unit 500.
This prevents the substrate 9 from being transported in the air during the period from the final cleaning process to the drying process, and prevents generation of a watermark on the substrate 9 in the final stage of a series of processes. Can be.

Further, since the number of processing units is reduced as compared with the case where the final cleaning processing and drying processing are provided as separate processing units, the size and throughput of the substrate processing system can be reduced.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the configuration of another substrate processing system 600 having a processing unit similar to the processing unit 500 shown in FIG. The substrate processing system 600 includes an indexer section 610 for placing the substrate 9 in a state stored in the carrier 91, and first and second immersion processing sections capable of replacing the processing liquid in the processing tank with various chemicals or pure water. 620, 630, a processing unit 500 for performing a final cleaning process and a drying process on the substrate 9, and a transport robot 640 for transporting the substrate 9 between these components.

In the substrate processing system 600, the substrate 9 taken out from the indexer section 610 is placed in the first immersion processing section 61.
At 0, a chemical treatment with various chemicals and a cleaning treatment with pure water are performed, and then a chemical treatment with high-temperature chemicals circulated in the treatment tank and a cleaning treatment with pure water are performed at the second immersion treatment section 620. Will be

The substrate 9 which has been immersed in a chemical solution or pure water
Is transported to the processing section 500, subjected to high-level cleaning processing and drying processing, and returned to the indexer section 610.

In this substrate processing system 600,
Since the final high-level cleaning process and drying process are performed in one processing unit 500, it is possible to prevent generation of a watermark on the surface of the substrate 9 after the final cleaning process.

<4. Modifications> Although the substrate processing apparatus and the substrate processing system according to the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible.

For example, in the first embodiment, the substrates 9 are transported one by one to the processing unit 200. However, as in the second embodiment, a plurality of substrates 9 are
It may be transported to zero.

Further, a plurality of substrates 9 may be collectively held by a frame, and may be transported and held together with the frame into the chamber 210 of the processing section 200.

Further, in the substrate processing system shown in FIGS. 1, 7, and 8, only one processing unit for performing the immersion processing (final cleaning processing) and the drying processing is described, but a plurality of processing units may be provided. .

In the above embodiment, the pressure in the chamber is reduced during the drying process. However, the drying process may be performed under normal pressure. In addition, since the rotary drying process can remove droplets in a short period of time, if a watermark that has a bad influence on the substrate 9 can be prevented, an inert gas may be left in the chamber. It is not necessary to supply gas.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, it has been described that the substrate 9 is subjected to a normal-level cleaning treatment using pure water.
At the time of cleaning, ultrasonic cleaning using an ultrasonic vibrator may be used together, and further, ultrasonic cleaning may be performed in a mixed solution of ammonia water and hydrogen peroxide solution. Further, a dedicated drainage channel for rapidly draining the treatment liquid after the cleaning treatment may be provided.

In the above embodiment, the processing of a semiconductor substrate is described as an example. However, a glass substrate or another substrate for forming a precise pattern can also be used.

[0086]

According to the first to seventh aspects of the present invention, since the immersion process and the drying process can be performed by one substrate processing apparatus, it is necessary to transport the substrate in the atmosphere immediately before the drying process. Therefore, generation of a watermark on the substrate can be prevented. Further, the size and throughput of the substrate processing system having the substrate processing apparatus can be reduced.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, immersion processing and drying processing using a plurality of types of processing liquids can be performed. According to the third aspect of the present invention, the cleaning processing and drying processing using pure water are performed. It can be carried out.

Further, according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, contaminants floating in the processing solution can be removed, and in the fifth aspect of the present invention, the drying process can be promoted.

Further, according to the sixth and seventh aspects of the present invention, the size of the substrate processing system can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a configuration of a substrate processing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an internal configuration of a processing section which is a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a view showing a state when a substrate is transferred to a processing unit shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration and a control system of a processing liquid supply source of the processing unit illustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an internal configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view showing a state of a supporting position of a rotation shaft of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration of another substrate processing system according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration of still another substrate processing system according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a conventional substrate processing system.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of the configuration of the conventional substrate processing system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 9 Substrate 200, 500 Processing unit 210, 310 Chamber 211 Processing liquid supply port 212, 312 Processing liquid supply source 212a Mixer 212b, 212d Valve 212c Pure water supply source 212e Chemical liquid supply source 213 Processing liquid outlet 214, 314 Drainage unit 215, 217, 315 Discharge pipe 218, 318 Exhaust pump 223, 323 Motor 230, 330 Rotary drum 231, 331 Holding rod 300 Substrate processing device 311 Processing liquid supply / discharge port 400, 600 Substrate processing system 430 Rinse section

Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat II (Reference) F26B 5/08 F26B 5/08 H01L 21/306 H01L 21/306 J F term (Reference) 3B201 AA02 AA03 AB23 AB44 BB02 BB03 BB04 BB05 BB93 BB94 BB96 BB99 CB12 CC01 CC12 CC13 CD11 CD22 3L113 AA04 AB08 AC24 AC28 AC45 AC46 AC48 AC49 AC57 AC60 AC63 AC67 AC75 AC76 AC77 AC79 AC90 BA34 CA16 DA14 DA19 DA24 DA30 5F043 BB27 DD05 DD12 DD23 EE30 EE37 EE37 EE30 EE30 EE30 EE30 EE30 EE30 EE30 EE30 EE30 EE30 EE30 EE30 EE30 EE30 EE30 EE30 EE30 EE30 EE30 EE03 EE30 EE03 EE30 EE30 EE30 EE03 EE30 EE30 EE03 EE30 EE03 EE30 EE03 EE30 EE03 EE30 EE03 EE30 EE30 EE03 EE37

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising: a chamber for accommodating the substrate; holding means for holding the substrate in the chamber; and rotating means for rotating the substrate held together with the holding means. Supply means for supplying a processing liquid to the chamber and storing the processing liquid in the chamber; and discharging means for discharging the processing liquid from the chamber, wherein the substrate is immersed in the processing liquid stored in the chamber. A substrate processing apparatus for performing immersion processing and rotating the substrate after discharging the processing liquid to perform drying processing. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said supply means has means for switching a processing liquid supplied to said chamber between a plurality of types of processing liquids. Substrate processing equipment. 3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing liquid is pure water. 4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the discharging unit discharges a processing liquid overflowing from an upper portion of the chamber.
A substrate processing apparatus comprising: 5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the chamber is a hermetically sealable chamber, and a gas in the hermetically sealed chamber is exhausted during the drying process. The substrate processing apparatus further comprising: a forced exhaust means for reducing the pressure. 6. A substrate processing system comprising: a cleaning device for immersing a substrate in a cleaning tank for storing pure water to perform a cleaning process; and the substrate processing device according to claim 3. 7. The substrate processing system according to claim 6, wherein the substrate processing apparatus performs final cleaning processing and drying processing on the substrate after the cleaning processing by the cleaning apparatus. system.