JP2022080060A - Substrate processing device, substrate processing method and computer readable recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a substrate processing device capable of effectively suppressing deposition of silicon oxide, a substrate processing method and a computer readable recording medium.SOLUTION: A substrate processing device comprises: a processing tub configured to store a phosphate process liquid therein; a hold member configured to hold a substrate in which a silicon oxide film and a silicon nitride film are formed, and immerse the substrate in the phosphate process liquid in the processing tub; and a vibration part configured to vibrate the hold member in a state where the substrate is immersed in the phosphate process liquid in the processing tub.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate processing method, and a computer-readable recording medium.

Patent Document 1 discloses a substrate cleaning device for suppressing damage to a wiring pattern formed on a substrate and removing particles adhering to the substrate. The substrate cleaning device holds a cleaning tank configured to store the cleaning liquid, an oscillator attached to the outer surface of the bottom of the cleaning tank, and the substrate in the cleaning tank in a state of being immersed in the cleaning liquid. Including a holding member configured in.

The oscillator is configured to be ultrasonically vibrated by a drive source. When the vibrator vibrates, ultrasonic waves propagate to the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank through the bottom of the cleaning tank. As a result, cavitation is generated in the cleaning liquid by ultrasonic waves, and particles adhering to the substrate held in the cleaning liquid by the holding member are removed.

International Publication No. 2008-050832

A process is known in which a substrate on which a large number of silicon nitride films (SiN) and a large number of silicon oxide films (SiO ₂ ) are laminated is immersed in a phosphoric acid treatment liquid to selectively etch the silicon nitride film. As the etching of the silicon nitride film progresses, the silicon concentration in the phosphoric acid treatment liquid may increase, and silicon oxide may precipitate on the silicon oxide film.

Therefore, the present disclosure describes a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate processing method, and a computer-readable recording medium capable of effectively suppressing the precipitation of silicon oxide.

As an example of the substrate processing apparatus, a processing tank configured to store a phosphoric acid treatment liquid and a substrate on which a silicon oxide film and a silicon nitride film are formed are held and immersed in the phosphoric acid treatment liquid of the treatment tank. It is provided with a holding member configured to vibrate the holding member and a vibrating portion configured to vibrate the holding member while the substrate is immersed in the phosphoric acid treatment liquid of the treatment tank.

According to the substrate processing apparatus, the substrate processing method, and the computer-readable recording medium according to the present disclosure, it is possible to effectively suppress the precipitation of silicon oxide.

FIG. 1 is a top view showing an example of a substrate processing system. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a substrate processed in a substrate processing system. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of a liquid treatment apparatus. FIG. 4 is a top view schematically showing an inner tank and a holding portion of the liquid treatment apparatus of FIG. FIG. 5 is a front view schematically showing an example of the holding portion. FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of a main part of the substrate processing system. FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing an example of the hardware configuration of the controller. FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the etching process of the substrate. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining how the silicon nitride film is etched. FIG. 11 is a front view schematically showing another example of the holding portion. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of another example of the holding portion. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing another example of the holding portion. FIG. 14 is a front view schematically showing a part of another example of the holding portion.

In the following description, the same reference numerals will be used for the same elements or elements having the same function, and duplicate description will be omitted.

[Configuration of board processing system]
First, the configuration of the substrate processing system 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing system 1 includes a carrier loading / unloading unit 2, a lot forming unit 3, a lot loading unit 4, a lot processing unit 5, and a controller Ctr (control unit).

The carrier loading / unloading section 2 includes a stage 2a, a mounting table 2b, a transport mechanism 2c, and a stock 2d. The stage 2a is configured so that a plurality of carriers 6 can be placed on the stage 2a. The mounting table 2b is configured so that one carrier 6 can be mounted. The transport mechanism 2c is located between the stage 2a and the mounting table 2b. The transport mechanism 2c operates based on an operation signal from the controller Ctr, and is configured to transport the carrier 6 between the stage 2a, the mounting table 2b, and the stock 2d. The stock 2d is configured to temporarily store the carrier 6.

Here, the carrier 6 is configured to accommodate a plurality of (for example, 25) substrates W side by side in a horizontal posture. In the present specification, the horizontal posture means a posture in which the main surface of the substrate W is along the horizontal direction. The substrate W may have a disk shape or a plate shape other than a circle such as a polygon. The substrate W may have a notch portion that is partially cut out. The notch portion may be, for example, a notch (a groove having a U-shape, a V-shape, or the like) or a straight portion extending linearly (so-called orientation flat). The diameter of the substrate W may be, for example, about 200 mm to 450 mm.

The substrate W may be an intermediate in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device (for example, 3D NAND memory or the like). As illustrated in FIG. 2, the substrate W may include a semiconductor substrate (silicon wafer) W1, a plurality of silicon nitride films (SiN) W2, and a plurality of silicon oxide films (SiO ₂ ) W3. .. The plurality of silicon nitride films W2 and the plurality of silicon oxide films W3 are alternately laminated on the semiconductor substrate W1 to form the laminated body W4. The laminated body W4 includes a plurality of pillars W5 embedded in the laminated body W4 so as to extend in the laminated body W4, and a plurality of openings W6 penetrating the laminated body W4 so as to extend in the laminated body W4. May include.

The lot forming unit 3 includes a substrate transport mechanism 3a configured to take out a plurality of substrates W from one or a plurality of carriers 6 to form one lot. A plurality of (for example, 50 sheets) substrates W constituting the one lot are simultaneously processed by the lot processing unit 5. The board transfer mechanism 3a operates based on an operation signal from the controller Ctr, and is configured to change the posture of the board W between the horizontal posture and the vertical posture during the transfer of the board W. In the present specification, the vertical posture means a posture in which the main surface of the substrate W is along the vertical direction.

The substrate transfer mechanism 3a, for example, takes out one substrate W from the carrier 6 mounted on the mounting table 2b, changes its posture to the vertical posture, and conveys the vertical posture substrate W to the lot mounting portion 4. do. The substrate transfer mechanism 3a repeats this to form one lot in the lot mounting portion 4. On the other hand, the substrate transfer mechanism 3a takes out one substrate W from the lot mounted on the lot mounting portion 4, changes its posture to the horizontal posture, and puts the substrate W in the horizontal posture on the mounting table 2b. It is conveyed to the carrier 6 on which it is placed. The substrate transfer mechanism 3a repeats this process to accommodate all the substrates W constituting the lot in one or a plurality of carriers 6.

The lot loading unit 4 includes a loading table 4a for temporarily mounting a lot to be conveyed between the lot forming unit 3 and the lot processing unit 5. The loading table 4a mounts the pre-processing lot loading table 4b configured to load the lot before being processed by the lot processing unit 5, and the lot after being processed by the lot processing unit 5. It may include the configured post-processing lot mounting table 4c.

The lot processing unit 5 is configured to perform processing such as etching, cleaning, and drying by regarding a plurality of substrates W arranged in a vertical position in the front-rear direction as one lot. The lot processing unit 5 includes a transport mechanism 7, a drying processing device 8, a cleaning processing device 9, and a plurality of liquid processing devices 10 (board processing devices).

The transfer mechanism 7 operates based on an operation signal from the controller Ctr so as to transfer the lot between the lot mounting unit 4, the drying processing device 8, the cleaning processing device 9, and the plurality of liquid processing devices 10. It is configured. The transport mechanism 7 includes a rail 7a, a moving body 7b, and a holding body 7c. The rail 7a is arranged so as to extend between the lot mounting portion 4 and the lot processing portion 5. The moving body 7b is configured to be movable along the rail 7a. The holding body 7c is provided on the moving body 7b, and is configured to hold a lot (a plurality of substrates W arranged in a vertical posture in the front-rear direction).

The drying processing apparatus 8 operates based on an operation signal from the controller Ctr, and is configured to perform drying processing of the substrate W using a processing gas for drying (for example, isopropyl alcohol). The cleaning processing device 9 operates based on an operation signal from the controller Ctr, and is configured to perform cleaning processing of the holding body 7c using a processing liquid for cleaning and a drying gas.

The liquid treatment apparatus 10 is configured to selectively etch the silicon nitride film W2 of the substrate W. As shown in FIG. 3, the liquid treatment apparatus 10 includes a treatment tank 20, a holding unit 30, a circulation unit 40, a phosphoric acid aqueous solution supply unit 50, a silicon supply unit 60, and a pure water supply unit 70. Includes a measuring unit 80.

The treatment tank 20 includes an inner tank 21 and an outer tank 22. The inner tank 21 is configured to store the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L. The upper part of the inner tank 21 is open upward. Therefore, the substrate W can be immersed in the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L of the inner tank 21 from above. The outer tank 22 is provided so as to surround the inner tank 21. The outer tank 22 is configured to temporarily store the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L that overflows and flows in from the inner tank 21.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the holding portion 30 includes a holding member 100 and a vibrating portion 200. The holding member 100 is configured to receive one lot from the transport mechanism 7 and hold a plurality of substrates W constituting the lot in a vertical posture.

The holding member 100 is connected to a drive mechanism (not shown). The holding member 100 operates based on an operation signal from the controller Ctr and is configured to move up and down. In the holding member 100, for example, a lowering position where the holding plurality of substrates W are immersed in the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L of the inner tank 21 and a plurality of holding substrates W are located above the inner tank 21. It can move to and from the ascending position. At the descending position, the plurality of substrates W held by the holding member 100 are etched by the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L of the inner tank 21. On the other hand, in the ascending position, the plurality of substrates W held by the holding member 100 are transferred by the transport mechanism 7.

The holding member 100 may be made of a material having a Vickers hardness of 1000 HV or more. The holding member 100 may be made of at least one material selected from the group consisting of, for example, quartz, amorphal carbon and silicon carbide.

The holding member 100 includes a back plate portion 110 and a plurality of arm portions 120. The back plate portion 110 has a flat plate shape extending in the vertical direction. The back plate portion 110 includes an upper end portion 111 and a lower end portion 112, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

The upper end portion 111 is a portion exposed above the liquid surface of the phosphoric acid-treated liquid L in the inner tank 21 in a state where the holding member 100 is located at the descending position. That is, when the plurality of substrates W held by the holding member 100 are etched by the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L of the inner tank 21, the upper end portion 111 is the liquid level of the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L of the inner tank 21. It is exposed above.

As shown in FIG. 5, the lower end portion 112 may have a mountain-shaped shape in which the central portion protrudes downward when viewed from the front. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the lower end portion 112 also functions as a connecting portion to which one end portions of the plurality of arm portions 120 are connected. As shown in FIG. 6, the lower end portion 112 has a reflective surface S configured to reflect the vibration (detailed later) applied to the back plate portion 110 by the vibrating portion 200 toward the arm portion 120. It may be included. The reflection surface S may be provided corresponding to at least one arm portion 120 to be reflected by the vibration, or may be provided so as to extend along the entire width direction of the lower end portion 112.

The reflective surface S may be a curved surface inclined toward the arm portion 120 side, or may be a flat surface inclined toward the arm portion 120 side. When the reflecting surface S is a flat surface, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the angle θ formed by the horizontal plane (extending direction of the arm portion 120) and the reflecting surface S is in the range of 35 ° ≦ θ ≦ 55 °. It may be set to meet.

Each of the plurality of arm portions 120 is connected to the lower end portion 112 and extends along the horizontal direction. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the plurality of arm portions 120 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the back plate portion 110. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, a plurality of concave grooves 120a arranged in the extending direction of the arm portion 120 are provided on the upper surface of the arm portion 120 at substantially equal intervals. By arranging the peripheral edge portion of the substrate W in the vertical posture in the concave groove 120a, the substrate W is held by the arm portion 120 while maintaining the vertical posture. That is, the arm portion 120 can support a plurality of substrates W in a vertical posture in a state of being aligned in the extending direction of the arm portion 120.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the plurality of arm portions 120 may include an arm portion 121, an arm portion 122, an arm portion 123, and an arm portion 124. The arm portions 121 to 124 are arranged in the width direction of the back plate portion 110. As shown in FIG. 5, the arm portions 121 and 122 are located at the central portion of the back plate portion 110 in the width direction of the back plate portion 110. The arm portions 123 and 124 are located at the side edge portion of the back plate portion 110 and above the arm portions 121 and 122 in the width direction of the back plate portion 110. The substrate W may always be in contact with at least any two of the arm portions 121 to 124. Of the arm portions 121 to 124, the arm portion that does not always come into contact with the substrate W may function as an auxiliary arm portion for preventing the substrate W from tilting or falling.

The vibrating unit 200 is configured to vibrate the holding member 100. The vibrating unit 200 may be configured to ultrasonically vibrate the holding member 100 at a frequency of 20 kHz or higher. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the vibrating unit 200 may include a plurality of oscillators 210 and a plurality of oscillators 220.

The plurality of oscillators 210 may be, for example, a piezoelectric element composed of lead zirconate titanate (PZT). The plurality of oscillators 210 are attached to the upper end portion 111 of the back plate portion 110. The plurality of oscillators 210 may be attached to, for example, the upper end surface of the upper end portion 111. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the plurality of oscillators 210 may include an oscillator 211 and an oscillator 212.

The oscillator 211 may be arranged in a portion of the upper end portion 111 corresponding to the vertically upper portion of the arm portion 121. The oscillator 211 may be arranged, for example, in a region of the upper end surface of the upper end portion 111 corresponding to the vertically upper portion of the arm portion 121. Therefore, when the vibrator 211 is driven, the vibration of the vibrator 211 is reflected by the reflection surface S through the back plate portion 110 and transmitted to the arm portion 121. The oscillator 212 may be arranged in a portion of the upper end portion 111 corresponding to the vertically upper portion of the arm portion 122. The oscillator 212 may be arranged, for example, in a region of the upper end surface of the upper end portion 111 corresponding to the vertically upper portion of the arm portion 122. Therefore, when the vibrator 212 is driven, the vibration of the vibrator 212 is reflected by the reflecting surface S through the back plate portion 110 and transmitted to the arm portion 122.

The plurality of oscillators 220 operate based on an operation signal from the controller Ctr, and are configured to vibrate the corresponding oscillator 210 at a predetermined oscillation frequency. The plurality of oscillators 220 may be, for example, an AC power source configured to apply an AC voltage to the corresponding oscillator 210.

The plurality of oscillators 220 may include an oscillator 221 and an oscillator 222, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6. The oscillator 221 is connected to the oscillator 211 and may be configured to vibrate the oscillator 211 at a predetermined frequency. The oscillator 222 is connected to the oscillator 212 and may be configured to vibrate the oscillator 212 at a predetermined frequency.

Here, with reference to FIG. 6, a state in which the vibration of the oscillator 211 is transmitted to the holding member 100 when the oscillator 211 is driven by the oscillator 221 will be described. When the oscillator 211 is driven, the vibration of the longitudinal wave is directionally transmitted from the upper end portion 111 to the lower end portion 112 in the back plate portion 110 (see the arrow Ar1 in FIG. 6). The longitudinal wave is reflected on the reflecting surface S, converted into a transverse wave, and then transmitted to the arm portion 121. After that, the transverse wave is transmitted inside the arm portion 121 from the base end portion to the tip end portion of the arm portion 121 (see arrow Ar2 in FIG. 6). Along with this, the plurality of substrates W supported by the arm portion 121 are vibrated.

Although not shown, the case where the oscillator 212 is driven by the oscillator 222 is the same as when the oscillator 211 is driven by the oscillator 221. That is, when the oscillator 212 is driven, the vibration of the longitudinal wave is directionally transmitted from the upper end portion 111 to the lower end portion 112 in the back plate portion 110. The longitudinal wave is reflected by the reflecting surface S, converted into a transverse wave, and then transmitted to the arm portion 122. After that, the transverse wave propagates in the arm portion 122 from the base end portion to the tip end portion of the arm portion 122. Along with this, a plurality of substrates W supported by the arm portion 122 are vibrated.

The circulation unit 40 is configured to supply the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L in the outer tank 22 to the inner tank 21. As shown in FIG. 3, the circulation unit 40 includes a nozzle 41, a circulation path 42, a pump 43, a heater 44, and a filter 45.

The nozzle 41 is arranged in the lower part of the inner tank 21, and is configured to discharge the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L into the inner tank 21. The circulation path 42 is a pipe connecting the outer tank 22 and the nozzle 41. The circulation path 42 is provided with a pump 43, a heater 44, and a filter 45 in this order from the upstream side (outer tank 22 side).

The pump 43 operates based on an operation signal from the controller Ctr, and is configured to pump the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L from the outer tank 22 to the inner tank 21 through the circulation path 42. The heater 44 operates based on an operation signal from the controller Ctr, and is configured to heat the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L to a predetermined set temperature. The filter 45 is configured to collect foreign substances (for example, particles and the like) contained in the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L.

The phosphoric acid aqueous solution supply unit 50 includes a supply source 51, a supply path 52, and a valve 53. The supply source 51 is configured to store an aqueous solution of phosphoric acid (H ₃ PO ₄ ). The supply path 52 is a pipe connecting the supply source 51 and the outer tank 22. A valve 53 is provided in the supply path 52. The opening of the valve 53 is controlled based on an operation signal from the controller Ctr, and the valve 53 is configured to fluidly open or close the supply path 52. By adjusting the opening degree of the valve 53 by the controller Ctr, the flow rate of the phosphoric acid aqueous solution flowing through the supply path 52 is adjusted. When the valve 53 is opened, the phosphoric acid aqueous solution is supplied from the supply source 51 to the outer tank 22 through the supply path 52.

The silicon supply unit 60 includes a supply source 61, a supply path 62, and a valve 63. The supply source 61 is configured to store an aqueous solution of a silicon (Si) -containing compound. The supply path 62 is a pipe connecting the supply source 61 and the outer tank 22. A valve 63 is provided in the supply path 62. The opening of the valve 63 is controlled based on an operation signal from the controller Ctr, and the valve 63 is configured to fluidly open or close the supply path 62. By adjusting the opening degree of the valve 63 by the controller Ctr, the flow rate of the silicon-containing compound aqueous solution flowing through the supply path 62 is adjusted. When the valve 63 is opened, the silicon-containing compound aqueous solution is supplied from the supply source 61 to the outer tank 22 through the supply path 62.

The pure water supply unit 70 includes a supply source 71, a supply path 72, and a valve 73. The supply source 71 is configured to store pure water (DIW). The supply path 72 is a pipe connecting the supply source 71 and the outer tank 22. A valve 73 is provided in the supply path 72. The opening of the valve 73 is controlled based on an operation signal from the controller Ctr, and the valve 73 is configured to fluidly open or close the supply path 72. By adjusting the opening degree of the valve 73 by the controller Ctr, the flow rate of pure water flowing through the supply path 72 is adjusted. When the valve 73 is opened, pure water is supplied from the supply source 71 to the outer tank 22 through the supply path 72.

When the phosphoric acid aqueous solution and the silicon-containing compound aqueous solution are supplied to the outer tank 22, they are mixed to generate an etching solution. The etching solution is configured to selectively etch the silicon nitride film W2. The phosphoric acid aqueous solution and the silicon-containing compound aqueous solution may be mixed in a mixing tank separate from the outer tank 22 to generate an etching solution. The etching solution may be supplied from the mixing tank to the outer tank 22. The etching solution is also mixed with pure water in the outer tank 22, so that the silicon concentration and the phosphoric acid concentration are adjusted. The etching solution may be adjusted to a predetermined temperature by a temperature control unit (for example, a heater) (not shown).

The silicon concentration may be adjusted by a method (seasoning) in which a dummy substrate is immersed in an existing aqueous solution of phosphoric acid to dissolve silicon. The silicon concentration may be adjusted by a method of dissolving a silicon-containing compound such as colloidal silica in an aqueous phosphoric acid solution. The silicon concentration may be adjusted by a method of adding an aqueous solution of a silicon-containing compound to an aqueous solution of phosphoric acid.

The measuring unit 80 is connected to a circulation path 42 (for example, between the pump 43 and the heater 44). The measuring unit 80 is configured to measure the silicon concentration of the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L flowing through the circulation path 42. Therefore, as a result, the measuring unit 80 measures the silicon concentration of the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L in the inner tank 21 (treatment tank 20). The measuring unit 80 is configured to transmit the acquired silicon concentration value to the controller Ctr.

[Controller details]
As shown in FIG. 7, the controller Ctr has a reading unit M1, a storage unit M2, a processing unit M3, and an indicating unit M4 as functional modules. These functional modules merely divide the functions of the controller Ctr into a plurality of modules for convenience, and do not necessarily mean that the hardware constituting the controller Ctr is divided into such modules. Each functional module is not limited to that realized by executing a program, but is realized by a dedicated electric circuit (for example, a logic circuit) or an integrated circuit (ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit) that integrates the circuits. You may.

The reading unit M1 is configured to read a program from a computer-readable recording medium RM. The recording medium RM records a program for operating each part of the substrate processing system 1. The recording medium RM may be, for example, a semiconductor memory, an optical recording disk, a magnetic recording disk, or an optical magnetic recording disk. In the present specification, each part of the substrate processing system 1 may be, for example, a holding part 30, a circulation part 40, a phosphoric acid aqueous solution supply part 50, a silicon supply part 60, a pure water supply part 70, a measurement part 80, and the like. ..

The storage unit M2 is configured to store various data. The storage unit M2 may store, for example, a program read from the recording medium RM by the reading unit M1, setting data input from the operator via an external input device (not shown), and the like. The storage unit M2 may store, for example, the value of the silicon concentration measured by the measurement unit 80.

The processing unit M3 is configured to process various data. The processing unit M3 may be configured to generate an operation signal for operating each unit of the substrate processing system 1, for example, based on various data stored in the storage unit M2. The processing unit M3 may be configured to read, for example, the value of the silicon concentration measured by the measuring unit 80 from the storage unit M2 and determine whether or not the value is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value.

The instruction unit M4 is configured to transmit the operation signal generated by the processing unit M3 to each unit of the substrate processing system 1. For example, the instruction unit M4 does not control the vibration unit 200 when the processing unit M3 determines that the silicon concentration value is less than the threshold value, and vibrates when the processing unit M3 determines that the silicon concentration value is equal to or more than the threshold value. It may be configured to control the unit 200.

The hardware of the controller Ctr may be composed of, for example, one or a plurality of control computers. The controller Ctr may include, for example, the circuit C1 shown in FIG. 8 as a hardware configuration. The circuit C1 may be composed of an electric circuit element (circuitry). The circuit C1 may include, for example, a processor C2, a memory C3 (storage unit), a storage C4 (storage unit), a driver C5, and an input / output port C6. The processor C2 constitutes each of the above-mentioned functional modules by executing a program in cooperation with at least one of the memory C3 and the storage C4 and executing the input / output of a signal via the input / output port C6. The memory C3 and the storage C4 function as the storage unit M2. The driver C5 is a circuit that drives each part of the substrate processing system 1. The input / output port C6 inputs / outputs signals between the driver C5 and each part of the board processing system 1.

The board processing system 1 may include one controller Ctr, or may include a controller group (control unit) composed of a plurality of controller Ctrs. In the latter case, each of the above functional modules may be realized by one controller Ctr, or may be realized by a combination of two or more controller Ctrs. When the controller Ctr is composed of a plurality of computers (circuit C1), the above functional modules may be realized by one or a plurality of computers (circuit C1), respectively. The controller Ctr may include a plurality of processors C2. In this case, each of the above functional modules may be realized by one processor C2 or may be realized by a combination of two or more processors C2.

[Board processing method]
Subsequently, a method of processing the substrate W (etching method of the silicon nitride film W2) by the substrate processing system 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 9. First, the controller Ctr controls the lot forming unit 3, and the substrate transfer mechanism 3a forms one lot from the plurality of substrates W, and the one lot is placed on the pre-processing lot loading table 4b (FIG. 9). See step S10). Next, the controller Ctr controls the transfer mechanism 7, the holding body 7c takes out the one lot from the pre-processing lot mounting table 4b, and the moving body 7b together with the holding body 7c transfers the one lot to the liquid processing device 10. Transport (see step S11 in FIG. 9). At this time, the holding body 7c delivers the one lot to the holding member 100 at the ascending position.

Next, the controller Ctr controls the holding portion 30 to move the holding member 100 from the ascending position to the descending position. As a result, the plurality of substrates W held by the holding member 100 are immersed in the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L of the inner tank 21 (see step S12 in FIG. 9), and the silicon nitride film provided on the substrate W is formed. Etching processing is performed. At this time, the upper end portion 111 of the back plate portion 110 to which the vibrator 210 is attached is located above the liquid level of the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L.

Next, the controller Ctr determines whether or not the silicon concentration measured by the measuring unit 80 is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value (see step S13 in FIG. 9). When the controller Ctr determines that the silicon concentration is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value (YES in step S13 in FIG. 9), the controller Ctr controls the vibrating unit 200, and the oscillator 220 vibrates the corresponding oscillator 210. (See step S14 in FIG. 9). As a result, the vibration of the oscillator 210 is transmitted to the corresponding arm portion 120 via the back plate portion 110, and the plurality of substrates W supported by the arm portion 120 vibrate.

On the other hand, when the controller Ctr determines that the silicon concentration is less than a predetermined threshold value (NO in step S13 of FIG. 9), the controller Ctr does not control the vibrating unit 200. That is, the holding member 100 is not vibrated by the vibrating portion 200.

After that, the controller Ctr determines whether or not the predetermined processing time has elapsed (see step S15 in FIG. 9). When the controller Ctr determines that the predetermined processing time has elapsed (YES in step S15 in FIG. 9), the etching processing of the silicon nitride film W2 is completed, so that the substrate processing is completed. On the other hand, when the controller Ctr determines that the predetermined processing time has not elapsed (NO in step S15 in FIG. 9), the steps of step S13 and the following are repeatedly executed.

[Action]
Here, the etching process of the silicon nitride film W2 will be described with reference to FIG. 10. When the etching of the silicon nitride film W2 is started, the portion of the silicon nitride film W2 closest to the opening W6 is etched in order. The silicon component of the silicon nitride film W2 eluted in the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L by etching is discharged to the opening W6 from the gap D formed by etching the silicon nitride film W2, and is discharged from the opening W6 to the substrate W. It is discharged to the outside.

Etching proceeds by replacing the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L in the opening W6 and the gap D with a new phosphoric acid treatment liquid L. Therefore, as the etching process progresses, the length of the gap D becomes longer, and finally the silicon nitride film W2 is removed. That is, the distance from which the silicon component of the silicon nitride film W2 eluted in the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L is discharged to the outside of the substrate W becomes long. Therefore, the silicon concentration in the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L tends to be higher toward the inner side of the gap D and higher toward the inner side of the opening W6 (the side closer to the semiconductor substrate W1). As a result, the silicon oxide R may be deposited on the silicon oxide film W3.

Particularly in recent years, in order to increase the storage capacity of the 3D NAND memory, further multi-layering of the silicon nitride film W2 and the silicon oxide film W3 is required. Therefore, in order to further improve the etching selectivity of the silicon nitride film W2, it is conceivable to increase the silicon concentration in the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L. However, in this case, the silicon oxide R is more likely to precipitate on the silicon oxide film W3. Therefore, it is difficult to achieve both the further multi-layering of the silicon nitride film W2 and the silicon oxide film W3 and the selective etching of the silicon nitride film W2.

However, according to the above example, as the holding member 100 vibrates due to the vibrating portion 200, the substrate W held by the holding member 100 also vibrates. That is, the vibration of the vibrating portion 200 is directly transmitted to the substrate W via the holding member 100. Therefore, even if the etching of the silicon nitride film W2 progresses, the silicon component tends to diffuse into the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L. Further, due to the vibration of the substrate W, it becomes difficult to bond the silicon oxide film W3 formed on the substrate W with the silicon component in the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L. Therefore, it is possible to effectively suppress the precipitation of the silicon oxide R.

As described above, Patent Document 1 propagates ultrasonic waves to the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank by an oscillator attached to the outer surface of the bottom of the cleaning tank. The purpose of this is to generate cavitation in the cleaning liquid by ultrasonic waves and remove particles adhering to the substrate held in the cleaning liquid by the holding member. However, a shock wave is also generated in the cleaning liquid due to cavitation. Therefore, there is a concern that the pattern formed on the substrate may be destroyed by the shock wave.

However, according to the above example, the holding member 100 is directly vibrated by the vibrating portion 200 instead of the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L. Therefore, the generation of shock waves in the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L is significantly suppressed. Therefore, even when the substrate W contains a pattern, the pattern is extremely difficult to collapse.

According to the above example, the vibrating unit 200 can ultrasonically vibrate the holding member 100 at a frequency of 20 kHz or higher. In this case, the holding member 100 vibrates due to ultrasonic vibration having an extremely high frequency. Therefore, the diffusion of the silicon component into the phosphoric acid-treated liquid L is promoted, and the silicon oxide film W3 and the silicon component in the phosphoric acid-treated liquid L are more difficult to bond. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively suppress the precipitation of the silicon oxide R.

According to the above example, the holding member 100 may be made of a material having a Vickers hardness of 1000 HV or more. Further, the holding member 100 may be made of at least one material selected from the group consisting of, for example, quartz, amorphal carbon and silicon carbide. In these cases, the holding member 100 is sufficiently hard and is not easily deformed by vibration. Therefore, the vibration generated in the vibrating portion 200 is efficiently transmitted to the substrate W via the holding member 100. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively suppress the precipitation of the silicon oxide R.

According to the above example, the oscillator 210 is attached to the upper end portion 111 exposed above the liquid surface of the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L. Therefore, the oscillator 210 is less likely to be affected by the heat from the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L. Therefore, the oscillator 210 can be driven efficiently.

According to the above example, the holding member 100 includes a back plate portion 110 extending in the vertical direction and an arm portion 120 extending in the horizontal direction and connected to the lower end portion 112 of the back plate portion 110. In this case, the holding member 100 can be made compact.

According to the above example, the vibration of the vibrator 211 is transmitted to the arm portion 121 through the back plate portion 110, and the vibration of the vibrator 212 is transmitted to the arm portion 122 through the back plate portion 110. In this case, the plurality of arm portions 121 and 122 supporting the substrate W may vibrate, respectively. Therefore, the substrate W supported by the plurality of arm portions 121 and 122 vibrates more effectively. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively suppress the precipitation of the silicon oxide R.

According to the above example, the lower end portion 112 may include a reflecting surface S configured to reflect the vibration applied to the back plate portion 110 by the vibrating portion 200 toward the arm portion 120. In this case, the vibration from the vibrating portion 200 tends to go from the back plate portion 110 to the arm portion 120 via the reflecting surface S. Therefore, the substrate W supported by the arm portion 120 vibrates more effectively. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively suppress the precipitation of the silicon oxide R.

According to the above example, when the reflective surface S is a flat surface, the angle θ formed by the horizontal surface (extending direction of the arm portion 120) and the flat surface satisfies the range of 35 ° ≦ θ ≦ 55 °. Can be set. In this case, the vibration from the vibrating portion 200 is more likely to go from the back plate portion 110 to the arm portion 120 via the reflecting surface S. Therefore, the substrate W supported by the arm portion 120 vibrates more effectively. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively suppress the precipitation of the silicon oxide R.

According to the above example, when the controller Ctr determines that the silicon concentration is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value, the controller Ctr controls the vibrating unit 200, and the oscillator 220 vibrates the corresponding oscillator 210. Therefore, when the silicon concentration of the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L increases to the extent that the precipitation of the silicon oxide R is a concern, the holding member 100 is automatically vibrated by the vibrating portion 200. Therefore, it is not necessary to always drive the vibrating unit 200. Therefore, it is possible to effectively suppress the precipitation of silicon oxide R while saving energy.

[Modification example]
The disclosure herein should be considered exemplary and not restrictive in all respects. Various omissions, substitutions, changes, etc. may be made to the above examples within the scope of the claims and the gist thereof.

(1) An inert gas (for example, nitrogen gas) is blown into the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L of the inner tank 21 (so-called bubbling) to generate a large number of bubbles in the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L, and the substrate W is etched. May be done. Also in this case, the silicon component tends to diffuse into the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L. Therefore, it is possible to effectively suppress the precipitation of the silicon oxide R.

When ultrasonic waves are propagated to the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank as in Patent Document 1, if bubbles are present in the cleaning liquid, the ultrasonic waves are reflected by the bubbles and the vibration hardly reaches the substrate. However, in the above example, the holding member 100 is directly vibrated by the vibrating portion 200. Therefore, bubbling of the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L with an inert gas can also be used in combination.

(2) The threshold value regarding the silicon concentration may be set according to the number of layers of the silicon nitride film W2 and the silicon oxide film W3 of the substrate W to be etched. For example, as the number of layers of the silicon nitride film W2 and the silicon oxide film W3 increases, the silicon concentration in the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L tends to increase, so that the threshold value may be set small.

(3) The threshold value regarding the silicon concentration may be set depending on the presence or absence of bubbling of the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L with the inert gas. For example, when the bubbling is performed, the silicon component tends to diffuse into the phosphoric acid-treated liquid L, and the silicon concentration in the phosphoric acid-treated liquid L tends to decrease. Therefore, the threshold value may be set large.

(4) The threshold value regarding the silicon concentration may be set according to the amount of the SiO ₂ precipitation inhibitor added to the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L. For example, the larger the amount of the SiO ₂ precipitation inhibitor added, the more the precipitation of the silicon oxide R is suppressed, so that the threshold value may be set larger. The SiO ₂ precipitation inhibitor may contain a component that stabilizes silicon ions dissolved in the phosphoric acid treatment liquid L in a dissolved state and suppresses the precipitation of silicon oxide R. The SiO ₂ precipitation inhibitor may be, for example, an aqueous solution of hexafluorosilicic acid (H ₂ SiF ₆ ) containing a fluorine component. In order to stabilize hexafluorosilicic acid in the aqueous solution, the SiO ₂ precipitation inhibitor may further contain an additive such as ammonia.

(5) A plurality of threshold values regarding the silicon concentration may be set. For example, a first threshold value and a second threshold value larger than the first threshold value may be set. If the controller Ctr determines that the silicon concentration is less than the first threshold, the controller Ctr does not have to control the vibrating unit 200. When the controller Ctr determines that the silicon concentration is equal to or higher than the first threshold value and less than the second threshold value, the controller Ctr controls the vibrating unit 200, and the oscillator 220 sets the corresponding oscillator 210 to the first. It may be vibrated at the frequency of. If the controller Ctr determines that the silicon concentration is greater than or equal to the second threshold, the controller Ctr may control the vibrating section 200 and the oscillator 220 may vibrate the corresponding oscillator 210 at the second frequency. good. In this case, the second frequency may be higher than the first frequency. That is, the arm unit 120 may be vibrated in different vibration modes according to the level of the silicon concentration measured by the measuring unit 80.

(6) The vibrating portion 200 includes at least one oscillator 210 arranged at the upper end portion 111 corresponding to the arm portion 120 supporting the substrate W, and an oscillator 220 connected to the oscillator 210. It is also good. When the vibrating unit 200 includes a plurality of oscillators 210, the vibrating unit 200 may include an oscillator 220 connected to two or more of the plurality of oscillators 210. In this case, the oscillator 220 may oscillate two or more oscillators 210 connected to the oscillator 220 at the same frequency and at the same timing.

(7) The vibrating unit 200 includes a plurality of oscillators 210 and a plurality of oscillators 220, and these may be connected so as to have a one-to-one correspondence. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 11, the plurality of oscillators 210 may include oscillators 213 and 214 in addition to the oscillators 211 and 212. The oscillator 213 may be arranged in a portion of the upper end portion 111 corresponding to the vertically upper portion of the arm portion 123. The oscillator 214 may be arranged in a portion of the upper end portion 111 corresponding to the vertically upper portion of the arm portion 124.

The plurality of oscillators 220 may include oscillators 223 and 224 in addition to oscillators 221 and 222. The oscillator 223 is connected to the oscillator 213 and may be configured to vibrate the oscillator 213 at a predetermined frequency. The oscillator 224 may be connected to the oscillator 214 and may be configured to vibrate the oscillator 214 at a predetermined frequency.

In the example of FIG. 11, each oscillator 221 to 224 may oscillate the corresponding oscillators 211 to 214 at the same frequency or at different frequencies. When the vibrators 211 to 214 oscillate at different frequencies, standing waves are less likely to occur in the plane of the substrate W even if the vibrations transmitted toward the arm portions 121 to 124 overlap. Therefore, the uneven distribution of vibration in the plane of the substrate W is suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to uniformly suppress the precipitation of the silicon oxide R over the entire in-plane of the substrate W.

In the example of FIG. 11, each oscillator 221 to 224 may oscillate the corresponding oscillators 211 to 214 at the same timing or at different timings. Even when the vibrators 211 to 214 oscillate at different timings, standing waves are less likely to occur in the plane of the substrate W. Therefore, it is possible to uniformly suppress the precipitation of the silicon oxide R over the entire in-plane of the substrate W.

(8) Oscillators 211 and 222 are configured to change the oscillation frequency of the corresponding oscillators 211 and 212 over time within a predetermined range (for example, within ± 10% of the natural frequency of the oscillators 211 and 122). It may have been done. That is, the oscillators 221 and 222 may each have a sweep function. In this case, even if a standing wave is generated in the plane of the substrate W, the position of the standing wave in the plane of the substrate W changes with the time change of the oscillation frequency. Therefore, the uneven distribution of vibration in the plane of the substrate W is suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to uniformly suppress the precipitation of the silicon oxide R2 over the entire in-plane of the substrate W.

(9) As illustrated in FIG. 12, the reflecting surface S of the lower end portion 112 may include a plurality of reflecting surfaces S1 and S2. When the reflection surface S1 is a flat surface, the angle θ formed by the horizontal plane (extending direction of the arm portion 120) and the reflection surface S1 may be set so as to satisfy the range of 35 ° ≦ θ ≦ 55 °. .. When the reflection surface S2 is a flat surface, the angle φ formed by the horizontal plane (extending direction of the arm portion 120) and the reflection surface S2 may be set so as to satisfy θ <φ <90 °. In this case, both the vibration reflected by the reflecting surface S1 (see arrow Ar11) and the vibration reflected by the reflecting surface S2 (see arrow Ar12) tend to move toward the arm portion 120. Therefore, the substrate W supported by the arm portion 120 vibrates more effectively. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively suppress the precipitation of the silicon oxide R.

(10) As illustrated in FIG. 13, the holding member 100 may further include a back plate portion 130. The back plate portion 130 may include an upper end portion 131 and a lower end portion 132. The lower end portion 132 may also function as a connecting portion to which the other end portions (tip portions) of the plurality of arm portions 120 are connected. The plurality of oscillators 210 may include an oscillator 210 provided at the upper end 131. In this case, when the vibrator 210 provided at the upper end portion 131 is driven, the vibration of the longitudinal wave is directionally transmitted from the upper end portion 131 to the lower end portion 132 in the back plate portion 130 (arrow Ar3 in FIG. 13). reference). The longitudinal wave is reflected on the reflecting surface S of the lower end portion 132, converted into a transverse wave, and then transmitted to the arm portion 120. After that, the transverse wave is transmitted inside the arm portion 120 from the other end portion (tip portion) of the arm portion 120 to one end portion (base end portion) (see arrow Ar4 in FIG. 13). Along with this, a plurality of substrates W supported by the arm portion 120 are vibrated. Therefore, the intensity of the vibration on the one end side of the arm portion 120 increases, and the intensity of the vibration on the other end side of the arm portion 120 increases. As a result, even when the substrate W is supported at an arbitrary position of the arm portion, it is possible to effectively suppress the precipitation of the silicon oxide R.

(11) As shown in FIG. 14, the upper end portion 111 of the back plate portion 110 includes a protruding portion 113 protruding upward from the upper end surface thereof, and the oscillator 210 is along the outer surface of the protruding portion 113. It may be attached. In this case, the vibration from the oscillator 210 is concentrated and transmitted toward one arm portion 120 (see arrow Ar1 in FIG. 14). Therefore, the substrate W supported by the arm portion 120 vibrates more effectively. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively suppress the precipitation of the silicon oxide R.

[Other examples]
Example 1. As an example of the substrate processing apparatus, a processing tank configured to store a phosphoric acid treatment liquid and a substrate on which a silicon oxide film and a silicon nitride film are formed are held and immersed in the phosphoric acid treatment liquid of the treatment tank. It is provided with a holding member configured to vibrate the holding member and a vibrating portion configured to vibrate the holding member while the substrate is immersed in the phosphoric acid treatment liquid of the treatment tank. In this case, as the holding member vibrates due to the vibrating portion, the substrate held by the holding member also vibrates. Therefore, even if the etching of the silicon nitride film progresses, the silicon component tends to diffuse into the phosphoric acid treatment liquid. Further, due to the vibration of the substrate, it becomes difficult to bond the silicon oxide film formed on the substrate with the silicon component in the phosphoric acid treatment liquid. Therefore, it is possible to effectively suppress the precipitation of silicon oxide.

Example 2. In the apparatus of Example 1, the vibrating portion may be configured to ultrasonically vibrate the holding member at a frequency of 20 kHz or higher. In this case, the holding member vibrates due to ultrasonic vibration having an extremely high frequency. Therefore, the diffusion of the silicon component into the phosphoric acid treatment liquid is promoted, and it becomes more difficult for the silicon oxide film and the silicon component in the phosphoric acid treatment liquid to bond with each other. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively suppress the precipitation of silicon oxide.

Example 3. In the apparatus of Example 1 or Example 2, the holding member may be made of a material having a Vickers hardness of 1000 HV or more. In this case, the holding member is sufficiently hard and is not easily deformed by vibration. Therefore, the vibration generated in the vibrating portion is efficiently transmitted to the substrate via the holding member. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively suppress the precipitation of silicon oxide.

Example 4. In any of the devices of Examples 1 to 3, the holding member may be made of at least one material selected from the group consisting of quartz, amorphal carbon and silicon carbide. In this case, the same effect as that of the apparatus of Example 3 can be obtained.

Example 5. In any of the devices of Examples 1 to 4, the holding member includes an upper end portion exposed above the liquid level of the phosphoric acid treatment liquid during treatment of the substrate with the phosphoric acid treatment liquid in the treatment tank, and the vibrating part is , May be attached to the upper end. In this case, the vibrating portion is less likely to be affected by the heat from the phosphoric acid treatment liquid. Therefore, it is possible to drive the vibrating portion efficiently.

Example 6. In the apparatus of Example 5, the holding member includes an arm portion configured to support the substrate while extending horizontally, and a back plate portion extending along the vertical direction, and the back plate portion is an upper end portion. The vibrating portion may be configured to transmit vibration to the arm portion via the back plate portion, including a portion and a lower end portion to which one end portion of the arm portion is connected. In this case, the holding member can be made compact by combining the arm portion extending in the horizontal direction and the back plate portion extending in the vertical direction.

Example 7. In the apparatus of Example 6, the upper end portion includes a protrusion protruding upward from the upper end surface, and the vibrating portion may be attached along the outer surface of the protrusion. In this case, the vibration from the vibrating portion is concentrated and transmitted toward one arm portion. Therefore, the substrate supported by the arm portion vibrates more effectively. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively suppress the precipitation of silicon oxide.

Example 8. In the apparatus of Example 6 or Example 7, the holding member extends along the horizontal direction and includes another arm portion configured to support the substrate, one end portion of the other arm portion being the back plate portion. The vibrating portion is connected to the lower end portion, and the vibrating portion is attached to the first vibrating portion attached to the portion corresponding to the arm portion of the upper end portion and the second vibrating portion attached to the portion corresponding to another arm portion of the upper end portion. The first vibrating portion includes the second vibrating portion, and the first vibrating portion is configured to transmit vibration to the arm portion via the back plate portion, and the second vibrating portion transmits vibration through the back plate portion. It may be configured to transmit to another arm portion. In this case, the plurality of arm portions that support the substrate vibrate respectively. Therefore, the substrate supported by the plurality of arm portions vibrates more effectively. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively suppress the precipitation of silicon oxide.

Example 9. In the apparatus of Example 8, the first vibrating portion is configured to vibrate the arm portion at the first frequency, and the second vibrating portion is separated by a second frequency different from the first frequency. It may be configured to vibrate the arm portion of the. In this case, even if the vibration transmitted from the first vibrating portion toward the arm portion and the vibration transmitted from the second vibrating portion toward another arm portion overlap, a standing wave is generated in the plane of the substrate. Is less likely to occur. Therefore, the uneven distribution of vibration in the surface of the substrate is suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to uniformly suppress the precipitation of silicon oxide over the entire in-plane of the substrate.

Example 10. In the apparatus of Example 8 or Example 9, the first vibrating portion may be configured to vibrate the arm portion at a timing different from that of the second vibrating portion vibrating another arm portion. In this case, the same effect as in Example 9 can be obtained.

Example 11. In any of the devices of Examples 6 to 10, the holding member further includes another back plate portion extending in the vertical direction, and the other back plate portion is being treated with the phosphoric acid treatment liquid in the treatment tank. Including another upper end exposed above the surface of the phosphate treatment solution and another lower end to which the other end of the arm is connected, the vibrating portion was attached to another upper end. A third vibrating portion may be included. By the way, in general, the longer the transmission distance of vibration, the weaker the vibration tends to be. Therefore, the vibration transmitted from the first vibrating portion attached to the back plate portion to the arm portion tends to be the smallest at the other end portion of the arm portion (the end portion on the other back plate portion side). However, according to Example 11, the other end of the arm portion is connected to another back plate portion. Therefore, the vibration from the third vibrating portion attached to the other back plate portion is first input to the other end of the arm portion via the other back plate portion. Therefore, the strength of vibration on the other end side of the arm portion is increased. As a result, even when the substrate is supported at an arbitrary position of the arm portion, it is possible to effectively suppress the precipitation of silicon oxide.

Example 12. In any of the devices of Examples 6 to 11, the lower end portion may include a reflecting surface configured to reflect the vibration applied to the back plate portion by the vibrating portion toward the arm portion. In this case, the vibration from the first vibrating portion tends to go from the back plate portion to the arm portion via the reflecting surface. Therefore, the substrate supported by the arm portion vibrates more effectively. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively suppress the precipitation of silicon oxide.

Example 13. In the apparatus of Example 12, the reflective surface may include a flat surface or a curved surface.

Example 14. In the apparatus of Example 12 or Example 14, the reflecting surface may include a first flat surface, and the angle θ formed by the first flat surface and the horizontal surface may satisfy Equation 1. In this case, the vibration from the first vibrating portion is more likely to go from the back plate portion to the arm portion via the reflecting surface. Therefore, the substrate supported by the arm portion vibrates more effectively. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively suppress the precipitation of silicon oxide.
35 ° ≤ θ ≤ 55 ° ・ ・ ・ (1)

Example 15. In the apparatus of Example 14, the reflective surface may further include a second flat surface located above the first flat surface, and the angle φ formed by the second flat surface and the horizontal surface may satisfy Equation 2. .. In this case, both the vibrations reflected on the first flat surface and the second flat surface tend to move toward the arm portion. Therefore, the substrate supported by the arm portion vibrates more effectively. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively suppress the precipitation of silicon oxide.
θ <φ <90 ° ・ ・ ・ (2)

Example 16. In any of the devices of Examples 1 to 15, the vibrating unit may be configured to change the oscillation frequency over time within a predetermined range. In this case, even if a standing wave is generated in the plane of the substrate, the position of the standing wave in the plane of the substrate changes with the time change of the oscillation frequency. Therefore, the uneven distribution of vibration in the surface of the substrate is suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to uniformly suppress the precipitation of silicon oxide over the entire in-plane of the substrate.

Example 17. The apparatus according to any one of Examples 1 to 16 further includes a measuring unit and a control unit configured to measure the silicon concentration in the phosphoric acid treatment liquid in the processing tank, and the control unit measures by the measuring unit. It may be configured to drive the vibrating portion when the silicon concentration is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value. In this case, when the silicon concentration of the phosphoric acid treatment liquid increases to the extent that there is concern about precipitation of silicon oxide, vibration of the holding member by the vibrating portion is automatically executed. Therefore, it is not necessary to always drive the vibrating portion. Therefore, it is possible to effectively suppress the precipitation of silicon oxide while saving energy.

Example 18. An example of the substrate processing method is the first step in which the holding member holds the substrate on which the silicon oxide film and the silicon nitride film are formed, and the holding member is put into the processing tank in which the phosphoric acid treatment liquid is stored to prepare the substrate. It includes a second step of immersing the substrate in the phosphoric acid treatment liquid of the treatment tank and a third step of vibrating the holding member by the vibrating portion while the substrate is immersed in the phosphoric acid treatment liquid of the treatment tank. .. In this case, the same effect as that of the apparatus of Example 1 can be obtained.

Example 19. In the method of Example 18, the third step may include vibrating the holding member when the silicon concentration in the phosphoric acid treatment liquid in the treatment tank becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value. In this case, the same effect as that of the apparatus of Example 17 can be obtained.

Example 20. As an example of a computer-readable recording medium, a program for causing a substrate processing apparatus to execute the method of Example 18 or Example 19 may be recorded. In this case, the same effect as that of the apparatus of Example 1 can be obtained. As used herein, a computer-readable recording medium is a non-transitory computer recording medium (eg, various main or auxiliary storage devices) or a transitory computer recording medium (. For example, a data signal that can be provided via a network) may be included.

1 ... Substrate processing system, 5 ... Lot processing unit, 10 ... Liquid processing equipment (board processing equipment), 20 ... Processing tank, 30 ... Holding unit, 80 ... Measuring unit, 100 ... Holding member, 110, 130 ... Back plate unit , 111 ... upper end, 112 ... lower end, 113 ... protruding, 120-124 ... arm, 200 ... vibrating, 210-212 ... oscillator, 220-222 ... oscillator, Ctrl ... controller (control), L ... Phosphoric acid treatment liquid, R ... Silicon oxide, RM ... Recording medium, S, S1, S2 ... Reflective surface, W ... Substrate, W2 ... Silicon nitride film, W3 ... Silicon oxide film.

Claims (20)

A treatment tank configured to store the phosphoric acid treatment liquid, and
A holding member configured to hold a substrate on which a silicon oxide film and a silicon nitride film are formed and to immerse the substrate in the phosphoric acid treatment liquid of the treatment tank.
A substrate processing apparatus comprising a vibrating portion configured to vibrate the holding member while the substrate is immersed in the phosphoric acid treatment liquid of the processing tank. The device according to claim 1, wherein the vibrating portion is configured to ultrasonically vibrate the holding member at a frequency of 20 kHz or higher. The device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the holding member is made of a material having a Vickers hardness of 1000 HV or more. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the holding member is made of at least one material selected from the group consisting of quartz, amorphal carbon and silicon carbide. The holding member includes an upper end portion exposed above the liquid surface of the phosphoric acid treatment liquid during treatment of the substrate with the phosphoric acid treatment liquid in the treatment tank.
The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the vibrating portion is attached to the upper end portion. The holding member is
An arm portion that extends along the horizontal direction and is configured to support the substrate, and
Including the back plate extending along the vertical direction,
The back plate portion
With the upper end
Including the lower end to which one end of the arm is connected
The device according to claim 5, wherein the vibration portion is configured to transmit vibration to the arm portion via the back plate portion. The upper end portion includes a protrusion portion that protrudes upward from the upper end surface.
The device according to claim 6, wherein the vibrating portion is attached along the outer surface of the protruding portion. The holding member extends horizontally and includes another arm portion configured to support the substrate.
One end of the other arm is connected to the lower end of the back plate.
The vibrating part is
A first vibrating portion attached to a portion of the upper end portion corresponding to the arm portion,
The upper end portion includes a second vibrating portion attached to a portion corresponding to the other arm portion.
The first vibrating portion is configured to transmit vibration to the arm portion via the back plate portion.
The device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the second vibrating portion is configured to transmit vibration to the other arm portion via the back plate portion. The first vibrating portion is configured to vibrate the arm portion at the first frequency.
The device according to claim 8, wherein the second vibrating portion is configured to vibrate the other arm portion at a second frequency different from the first frequency. The first vibrating portion according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the first vibrating portion is configured to vibrate the arm portion at a timing different from that of the second vibrating portion vibrating the other arm portion. Equipment. The holding member further includes another back plate portion extending in the vertical direction.
The other back plate is
Another upper end exposed above the surface of the phosphoric acid treatment liquid during the treatment of the substrate with the phosphoric acid treatment liquid in the treatment tank.
Including another lower end to which the other end of the arm is connected
The device according to any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein the vibrating portion includes a third vibrating portion attached to the other upper end portion. The lower end portion according to any one of claims 6 to 11, wherein the lower end portion includes a reflecting surface configured to reflect the vibration applied to the back plate portion by the vibrating portion toward the arm portion. Device. 12. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the reflective surface includes a flat surface or a curved surface. The reflective surface includes a first flat surface.
The device according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the angle θ formed by the first flat surface and the horizontal surface satisfies Equation 1.
35 ° ≤ θ ≤ 55 ° ・ ・ ・ (1) The reflective surface further includes a second flat surface located above the first flat surface.
The device according to claim 14, wherein the angle φ formed by the second flat surface and the horizontal surface satisfies Equation 2.
θ <φ <90 ° ・ ・ ・ (2) The device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the vibrating unit is configured to change the oscillation frequency over time within a predetermined range. A measuring unit configured to measure the silicon concentration in the phosphoric acid treatment liquid in the treatment tank, and a measuring unit.
Further equipped with a control unit
The invention according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the control unit is configured to drive the vibration unit when the silicon concentration measured by the measurement unit exceeds a predetermined threshold value. Equipment. The first step in which the holding member holds the substrate on which the silicon oxide film and the silicon nitride film are formed, and
The second step of putting the holding member into the treatment tank storing the phosphoric acid treatment liquid and immersing the substrate in the phosphoric acid treatment liquid of the treatment tank.
A substrate processing method comprising a third step of vibrating the holding member by a vibrating portion while the substrate is immersed in the phosphoric acid treatment liquid of the treatment tank. The method according to claim 18, wherein the third step includes vibrating the holding member when the silicon concentration in the phosphoric acid treatment liquid in the treatment tank becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value. A computer-readable recording medium on which a program for causing a substrate processing apparatus to execute the method according to claim 18 or 19 is recorded.

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