JP2024053261A - SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a substrate processing device and a substrate processing method, capable of maintaining the uniformity of substrate surface treatment while preventing a tilt of the substrate.SOLUTION: Surface treatment is performed while a substrate W is immersed in processing liquid stored in a processing tank 10. During treatment, a holding state is switched from a first state where the substrate W is held at a high processing position by a lifter 20 into a second state where the substrate W is held at a low processing position by a substrate holding part 50. By switching the holding state, singularities where treatment efficiency is reduced due to a contact can be eliminated so that the entire surface of the substrate W can be treated uniformly. In addition, when the substrate W is held at the high processing position, a tilt of the substrate W is prevented by a first guide 61, and when the substrate W is held at the low processing position, a tilt of the substrate W is prevented by a second guide 62. Thus, the uniformity of surface treatment of the substrate W can be maintained while a tilt of the substrate W is prevented.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method in which a substrate is immersed in a processing solution to perform a surface treatment such as cleaning. Substrates to be processed include, for example, semiconductor substrates, substrates for liquid crystal display devices, substrates for flat panel displays (FPDs), substrates for optical disks, substrates for magnetic disks, and substrates for solar cells.

Conventionally, substrate processing apparatuses that perform various processes on substrates such as semiconductor substrates have been used in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices. One such substrate processing apparatus is a batch-type substrate processing apparatus that stores a processing liquid in a processing tank and immerses multiple substrates in the processing liquid all at once to perform etching and other processes. A typical batch-type substrate processing apparatus includes a chemical tank that stores a chemical liquid and a water washing tank that stores pure water, and after performing etching and other processes on the substrates in the chemical tank, the substrates are rinsed in the water washing tank.

In the rinsing tank of a batch-type substrate processing apparatus, it is desirable to quickly replace the chemical liquid adhering to the substrate with pure water in order to reduce the amount of pure water used and to shorten the processing time. To achieve this, it is necessary to increase the flow rate of the pure water supplied to the rinsing tank and increase the flow velocity within the tank.

However, if the flow rate of the pure water is increased, the substrate will sway on the lifter that holds the substrate in the washing tank, and the substrate will no longer be able to stay in the correct position and in the correct posture on the lifter. For this reason, Patent Document 1 discloses providing a holding section that holds the substrate held by the lifter from above as well, thereby suppressing the rotation of the substrate. Patent Document 2 also discloses providing an anti-tilt member to prevent the substrate held by the lifter from tipping over.

JP 2020-72272 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-186375

On the other hand, when performing rinsing in a water tank, the point where the lifter holds the substrate is the least efficient at replacing the chemicals adhering to the substrate with pure water. The pure water flow has difficulty reaching the point of contact between the lifter and substrate, so the cleaning efficiency of the contact point is reduced. If such points with low cleaning efficiency exist, the uniformity of the substrate surface treatment is compromised.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method that can prevent the substrate from tilting while maintaining uniformity in the surface processing of the substrate.

In order to solve the above problem, the invention of claim 1 is a substrate processing apparatus for performing surface processing by immersing a substrate in a processing liquid, the apparatus comprising: a processing tank for storing the processing liquid; a processing liquid supply unit for supplying the processing liquid into the processing tank; a lifter for holding the substrate in an upright position from below; a lifting unit for raising and lowering the lifter between a lifting position above the processing tank, an upper immersion position for holding the substrate at a first processing position where the substrate is immersed in the processing liquid, and a lower immersion position below the upper immersion position; a holding unit for receiving the substrate from the lifter when the lifter descends to the lower immersion position and holding the substrate at a second processing position below the first processing position; and a guide unit for preventing the substrate held at the first processing position and the second processing position from tilting, the contact point where the lifter holds the substrate being different from the contact point where the holding unit holds the substrate.

The invention of claim 2 is characterized in that, in the substrate processing apparatus according to the invention of claim 1, the apparatus further includes a control unit that controls the lifting unit to move the lifter between the upper immersion position and the lower immersion position and switch between a first state in which the substrate is held at the first processing position by the lifter and a second state in which the substrate is held at the second processing position by the holding unit.

The invention of claim 3 is characterized in that in the substrate processing apparatus according to the invention of claim 2, the control unit controls the lifting unit to repeat switching between the first state and the second state multiple times.

The invention of claim 4 is characterized in that in the substrate processing apparatus according to the invention of claim 2 or claim 3, the guide portion includes a first guide element that prevents tilting of the substrate held at the first processing position, and a second guide element that prevents tilting of the substrate held at the second processing position, and the first guide element is provided at a higher position than the second guide element.

The invention of claim 5 is characterized in that in the substrate processing apparatus according to the invention of claim 4, the first guide element and the second guide element are integrated.

The invention of claim 6 is characterized in that in the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the inventions of claims 1 to 5, the holding section and the guide section are integrated.

The invention of claim 7 is characterized in that in the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the inventions of claims 1 to 6, the holding portion and the guide portion are fixed to the inner wall surface of the processing tank.

The invention of claim 8 is characterized in that the substrate processing apparatus according to the invention of claim 1 further includes a lid portion that covers an upper opening of the processing tank, and the guide portion is fixed to the lid portion.

The invention of claim 9 is a substrate processing method for performing surface processing by immersing a substrate in a processing liquid, comprising a storage step of supplying the processing liquid into a processing tank and storing the processing liquid in the processing tank, and a lifting step of raising and lowering a lifter that holds a substrate in an upright position from below between a lifting position above the processing tank, an upper immersion position that holds the substrate at a first processing position where the substrate is immersed in the processing liquid, and a lower immersion position that is lower than the upper immersion position, and when the lifter descends to the lower immersion position, a holding part fixed to the processing tank receives the substrate from the lifter and holds the substrate at a second processing position that is lower than the first processing position, a guide part prevents the substrate held at the first processing position and the second processing position from tilting, and the contact point where the lifter holds the substrate is different from the contact point where the holding part holds the substrate.

The invention of claim 10 is characterized in that in the substrate processing method according to the invention of claim 9, the lifter moves between the upper immersion position and the lower immersion position, and switches between a first state in which the substrate is held at the first processing position by the lifter and a second state in which the substrate is held at the second processing position by the holder.

The invention of claim 11 is characterized in that in the substrate processing method according to the invention of claim 10, the switching between the first state and the second state is repeated multiple times.

According to the inventions of claims 1 to 8, a guide section is provided to prevent tilting of the substrate held at the first processing position and the second processing position, and the contact points where the lifter holds the substrate and the contact points where the holder holds the substrate are different, eliminating singular points that reduce processing efficiency due to contact, and preventing tilting of the substrate while maintaining uniformity in the surface processing of the substrate.

In particular, according to the invention of claim 5, the first guide element and the second guide element are integrated, so that the number of locations in the treatment tank where the treatment liquid is likely to stagnate can be reduced.

In particular, according to the invention of claim 6, the holding portion and the guide portion are integrated, so that the number of locations in the treatment tank where the treatment liquid is likely to stagnate can be reduced.

1 is a schematic plan view showing an overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention; 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a main part of a processing section of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which the substrate is held at a high processing position. FIG. 2 illustrates a state in which the substrate is held in a low processing position. 11 is a plan view of a plurality of substrates and a first guide held in a high processing position, as viewed from above. FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration of a main part of a processing unit according to a second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a main configuration of a processing unit according to a third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration of a main part of a processing unit according to a fourth embodiment.

Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following, expressions indicating relative or absolute positional relationships (e.g., "in one direction," "along one direction," "parallel," "orthogonal," "center," "concentric," "coaxial," etc.) not only strictly indicate the positional relationship, but also indicate a state in which the angle or distance is relatively displaced within a range in which a tolerance or similar function is obtained, unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, expressions indicating an equal state (e.g., "same," "equal," "homogeneous," etc.) not only indicate a state in which the two are quantitatively strictly equal, but also indicate a state in which there is a difference in which a tolerance or similar function is obtained, unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, expressions indicating a shape (e.g., "circular," "square," "cylindrical," etc.) not only strictly indicate the shape geometrically, but also indicate a shape within a range in which a similar effect is obtained, and may have, for example, unevenness or chamfering. Furthermore, each expression such as "comprises," "has," "equips," "includes," and "has" is not an exclusive expression that excludes the existence of other components. Additionally, the expression "at least one of A, B, and C" includes "only A," "only B," "only C," "any two of A, B, and C," and "all of A, B, and C."

First Embodiment
FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing the overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present invention. The substrate processing apparatus 100 is a batch-type substrate processing apparatus that performs surface processing on a plurality of substrates W collectively using a processing liquid. The substrates to be processed are circular silicon semiconductor substrates. In FIG. 1 and the following figures, the dimensions and numbers of each part are exaggerated or simplified as necessary for easy understanding. In addition, in FIG. 1 and the following figures, an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is appropriately added in which the Z-axis direction is the vertical direction and the XY plane is the horizontal plane in order to clarify the directional relationship between them.

The substrate processing apparatus 100 mainly comprises a load port 110, a loading/unloading robot 140, a posture conversion mechanism 150, a pusher 160, a main transport robot 180, a substrate processing group 120, a transfer cassette 170, and a control unit 70.

The load port 110 is provided at the end of the substrate processing apparatus 100, which is formed into a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view. A carrier C that accommodates multiple substrates (hereinafter also simply referred to as "substrates") W to be processed in the substrate processing apparatus 100 is placed on the load port 110. The carrier C accommodating the unprocessed substrates W is transported by an automated guided vehicle (AGV, OHT) or the like and placed on the load port 110. In addition, the carrier C accommodating the processed substrates W is also taken away from the load port 110 by the automated guided vehicle.

Carrier C is typically a front opening unified pod (FOUP) that stores substrates W in an enclosed space. Carrier C holds multiple substrates W in a horizontal position (with the normal line along the vertical direction) and stacked at regular intervals in the vertical direction (Z direction) using multiple holding shelves formed inside. The maximum number of substrates that can be stored in carrier C is 25 or 50. In addition to FOUP, carrier C may take the form of a standard mechanical interface (SMIF) pod or an open cassette (OC) that exposes stored substrates W to the outside air.

A pod opener (not shown) and the like are provided at the boundary between the main body of the substrate processing apparatus 100 and the load port 110. The pod opener opens and closes the front cover of the carrier C placed on the load port 110.

When the lid of the carrier C placed on the load port 110 is open, the carry-in/out robot 140 carries an unprocessed substrate W from the carrier C to the main body of the substrate processing apparatus 100, and carries a processed substrate W from the main body of the substrate processing apparatus 100 to the carrier C. More specifically, the carry-in/out robot 140 transports multiple substrates W between the carrier C and the posture conversion mechanism 150. The carry-in/out robot 140 is configured to be rotatable in a horizontal plane, and is equipped with a batch hand (not shown) that is made up of multiple stacked hand elements, each capable of holding one substrate W, and can be moved forward and backward.

The posture conversion mechanism 150 rotates the multiple substrates W received from the loading/unloading robot 140 by 90° around the X-axis to convert the posture of the substrates W from a horizontal posture to an upright posture (a posture in which the normal line is along the horizontal direction). In addition, before transferring the substrates W to the loading/unloading robot 140, the posture conversion mechanism 150 converts the posture of the substrates W from an upright posture to a horizontal posture.

The pusher 160 is disposed between the posture change mechanism 150 and the transfer cassette 170. The pusher 160 transfers the substrate W in an upright posture between the posture change mechanism 150 and a lifting stage (not shown) provided in the transfer cassette 170.

The transfer cassette 170 and the substrate processing group 120 are arranged in a row along the X direction. The substrate processing group 120 includes five processing sections 121, 122, 123, 124, and 125. The processing sections 121 to 125 are the main parts of the substrate processing apparatus 100 that perform various surface treatments on substrates W. As shown in FIG. 1, within the substrate processing apparatus 100, the processing sections 121, 122, 123, 124, and 125 are arranged in this order from the (+X) side. Each of the processing sections 121, 122, 123, and 124 includes a processing tank 10 that stores a processing liquid.

In this specification, the term "treatment liquid" is a concept that includes various chemical liquids, organic solvents, and pure water. Chemical liquids include, for example, liquids for etching processes or liquids for removing particles, and specifically, TMAH (tetramethylammonium hydroxide), SC-1 liquid (a mixed solution of ammonium hydroxide, hydrogen peroxide, and pure water), SC-2 liquid (a mixed solution of hydrochloric acid, hydrogen peroxide, and pure water), phosphoric acid, etc. Chemical liquids also include those diluted with pure water.

Processing section 121 and processing section 123 each store the same or different types of chemical liquids and immerse multiple substrates W in the chemical liquids all at once to perform chemical processing such as etching. Processing section 122 and processing section 124 each store a rinsing liquid (typically pure water) and immerse multiple substrates W in the rinsing liquid all at once to perform rinsing.

In the substrate processing group 120, processing section 121 and processing section 122 are paired, and processing section 123 and processing section 124 are paired. A single lifter 20, which is a dedicated transport mechanism, is provided for the pair of processing section 121 and processing section 122. The lifter 20 is movable in the X direction between processing section 121 and processing section 122. The lifter 20 is also capable of moving up and down in each of processing section 121 and processing section 122 by an elevation drive mechanism 24. Similarly, a single lifter 20, which is a dedicated transport mechanism, is provided for the pair of processing section 123 and processing section 124.

The lifter 20 holds multiple substrates W received from the main transport robot 180 and immerses the substrates W in the chemical liquid stored in the processing tank 10 of the processing unit 121. After the chemical processing is completed, the lifter 20 lifts the substrates W from the processing unit 121 and transfers them to the processing unit 122, and immerses the substrates W in the rinsing liquid stored in the processing tank 10 of the processing unit 122. After the rinsing process is completed, the lifter 20 lifts the substrates W from the processing unit 122 and passes them to the main transport robot 180. Similar operations of the lifter 20 are performed in the processing units 123 and 124.

The processing section 125 includes a mechanism for reducing the pressure inside the sealed drying chamber to less than atmospheric pressure, a mechanism for supplying an organic solvent (e.g., isopropyl alcohol (IPA)) into the drying chamber, and a lifter 20. The processing section 125 receives the substrate W from the main transport robot 180 by the lifter 20 and places it in the drying chamber, and dries the substrate W by supplying an organic solvent to the substrate W while maintaining a reduced pressure atmosphere inside the drying chamber. After the drying process, the substrate W is transferred to the main transport robot 180 via the lifter 20.

The transfer cassette 170 is disposed below the main transport robot 180, which is in the standby position (the position of the main transport robot 180 in FIG. 1). The transfer cassette 170 is equipped with a lifting stage (not shown). The lifting stage lifts the substrate W received from the pusher 160 while maintaining the substrate W in an upright position, and delivers the substrate W to the main transport robot 180. The lifting stage also lowers the substrate W received from the main transport robot 180, and delivers the substrate W to the pusher 160.

The main transport robot 180 is configured to slide along the X direction, as shown by the arrow AR1 in FIG. 1. The main transport robot 180 transports substrates W between a standby position above the transfer cassette 170 and a processing position above one of the processing sections 121, 122, 123, 124, and 125.

The main transport robot 180 is equipped with a pair of substrate chucks 181 that collectively grip a plurality of substrates W. The main transport robot 180 can collectively grip a plurality of substrates W by narrowing the gap between the pair of substrate chucks 181, and can release the gripped state by widening the gap between the substrate chucks 181. With this configuration, the main transport robot 180 can transfer substrates W to and from the lifting stage of the transfer cassette 170, and can also transfer substrates W to and from each lifter 20 provided in the substrate processing group 120.

Next, the configuration of the processing unit 122 provided in the substrate processing apparatus 100 will be described. Here, the processing unit 122 will be described, but the processing unit 124 has a similar configuration. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the main configuration of the processing unit 122. The processing unit 122 is a water washing tank that performs a rinsing process to wash away the chemical liquid from the substrates W that have been subjected to the chemical processing in the processing unit 121. As shown in FIG. 2, the processing unit 122 mainly includes a processing tank 10 that stores the processing liquid, a lifter 20 that holds multiple substrates W and moves them up and down, and a processing liquid supply unit 30 that supplies the processing liquid into the processing tank 10.

The processing tank 10 is a storage container made of a chemical-resistant material such as quartz. The processing tank 10 has a double tank structure including an inner tank 11 that stores the processing liquid and immerses the substrate W therein, and an outer tank 12 formed on the outer periphery of the upper end of the inner tank 11. The inner tank 11 and the outer tank 12 each have an upper opening that opens upward. The height of the upper edge of the outer tank 12 is slightly higher than the height of the upper edge of the inner tank 11. When the processing liquid is further supplied from the processing liquid supply unit 30 in a state where the processing liquid is stored up to the upper end of the inner tank 11, the processing liquid overflows from the top of the inner tank 11 and overflows into the outer tank 12. Since the processing unit 122 in this embodiment is a water washing tank that performs a rinsing process, pure water is supplied as the processing liquid to be stored in the processing tank 10.

The lifter 20 is a mechanism for holding multiple substrates W together and transporting the substrates W up and down. The lifter 20 has a back plate 22 extending vertically (Z direction) and three holding bars 21 extending horizontally (Y direction) from the lower end of the back plate 22. The lower end of the back plate 22 is formed in a V-shape. Each of the three holding bars 21 extending from the lower end of the back plate 22 has multiple holding grooves (e.g., 50) engraved at a predetermined pitch. The multiple substrates W are held in an upright position parallel to each other at a predetermined interval on the three holding bars 21 with their peripheral portions fitted into the holding grooves. In other words, the lifter 20 holds the upright substrates W from below.

The lifter 20 is connected to a lifting drive mechanism 24, which is conceptually shown in FIG. 2, and is moved up and down. The lifting drive mechanism 24 moves the lifter 20 up and down in the vertical direction (Z direction), as shown by arrow AR2 in FIG. 2. The lifting drive mechanism 24 moves the lifter 20 up and down between a pulled-up position above the treatment tank 10 and an immersion position inside the treatment tank 10. The immersion position includes an upper immersion position and a lower immersion position, which will be described further below.

The processing liquid supply unit 30 includes a pair of nozzle pipes 31, 31 and a piping system for supplying the processing liquid thereto. The pair of nozzle pipes 31, 31 (hereinafter, collectively referred to as nozzle pipes 31 when there is no need to distinguish between them) are disposed at the bottom of the inner tank 11 of the processing tank 10. The nozzle pipe 31 is a tubular member having a long cylindrical shape extending along the Y direction. The nozzle pipe 31 has a plurality of discharge ports (not shown) formed at equal intervals along the longitudinal direction. The processing liquid supplied to the nozzle pipe 31 is discharged from the plurality of discharge ports into the inner tank 11 and stored inside the inner tank 11. The nozzle pipe 31 discharges the processing liquid toward the substrate W held in the processing tank 10, that is, diagonally upward. When the processing liquid is discharged from the nozzle pipe 31 while the processing liquid is stored inside the inner tank 11, a flow (upflow) of the processing liquid directed upward is formed in the inner tank 11. Furthermore, when the processing liquid is discharged from the nozzle pipe 31 while the processing liquid is stored up to the top of the inner tank 11, the processing liquid overflows from the top of the inner tank 11 and overflows into the outer tank 12.

The piping system that supplies the processing liquid to the nozzle pipe 31 is configured with a pure water supply source 33, a pump 34, a flow rate adjustment valve 35, and a supply valve 36 on the pipe 32. The base end of the pipe 32 is connected to the pure water supply source 33, and the tip end of the pipe 32 is branched into two branches that are each connected to the nozzle pipe 31. The pump 34, the flow rate adjustment valve 35, and the supply valve 36 are provided midway along the pipe 32. The pump 34, the flow rate adjustment valve 35, and the supply valve 36 are arranged in this order from the upstream to the downstream of the pipe 32 (towards the nozzle pipe 31).

The pump 34 sends out pure water from the pure water supply source 33 towards the nozzle pipe 31. The flow rate control valve 35 adjusts the flow rate of the pure water flowing through the pipe 32. The supply valve 36 opens and closes the flow path of the pipe 32. By operating the pump 34 and opening the supply valve 36, the pure water supplied from the pure water supply source 33 flows through the pipe 32 and is sent to the nozzle pipe 31, and the flow rate is determined by the flow rate control valve 35.

The pure water supplied to the nozzle pipe 31 is discharged from the nozzle pipe 31 to form an upflow of pure water in the processing tank 10. When the flow rate of the pure water supplied to the nozzle pipe 31 is increased or decreased by the flow rate control valve 35, the flow rate of the pure water discharged from the nozzle pipe 31 into the processing tank 10 is accelerated or decelerated. In other words, the flow rate of the pure water in the processing tank 10 is adjusted by the flow rate control valve 35.

A drain pipe 43 is connected to the outer tank 12 of the processing tank 10, and a drain valve 44 is provided on the drain pipe 43. When the drain valve 44 is opened, the pure water that has overflowed from the inner tank 11 to the outer tank 12 is discharged from the drain pipe 43.

A drain pipe 48 is connected to the bottom wall of the inner tank 11 of the processing tank 10, and a drain valve 49 is provided on the drain pipe 48. When the drain valve 49 is opened, the pure water stored in the inner tank 11 is rapidly discharged from the bottom of the inner tank 11.

The control unit 70 controls various operating mechanisms provided in the substrate processing apparatus 100. The control unit 70 also controls the operation of the processing unit 122. The hardware configuration of the control unit 70 is similar to that of a general computer. That is, the control unit 70 includes a CPU, which is a circuit that performs various arithmetic processing, a ROM, which is a read-only memory that stores basic programs, a RAM, which is a readable and writable memory that stores various information, and a storage unit (e.g., a magnetic disk or SSD) that stores control software, data, etc. The control unit 70 is electrically connected to the supply valve 36 of the processing liquid supply unit 30, the lifting drive mechanism 24, etc., and controls the operation of these.

The controller 70 also stores in its memory a recipe (hereinafter referred to as a "processing recipe") that defines the procedure and conditions for processing the substrate W. The processing recipe is acquired by the substrate processing apparatus 100, for example, by an operator of the apparatus inputting the recipe via a GUI and storing it in the memory. Alternatively, the processing recipe may be transferred by communication from a host computer that manages multiple substrate processing apparatuses 100 to the substrate processing apparatus 100 and stored in the memory. The controller 70 controls the operation of the lifting and lowering mechanism 24 and other mechanisms based on the description of the processing recipe stored in the memory, thereby causing the surface processing of the substrate W to proceed as described in the processing recipe.

In the first embodiment, the processing tank 10 is provided with a substrate holding unit 50, a first guide 61, and a second guide 62. In the first embodiment, the substrate holding unit 50, the first guide 61, and the second guide 62 are provided as independent individual elements. The substrate holding unit 50, the first guide 61, and the second guide 62 are fixed to the inner surface of the side wall of the inner tank 11 of the processing tank 10 by bolts. The locations fastened by the bolts are sealed by sealing members. The first guide 61 is attached at a higher position than the second guide 62. The substrate holding unit 50 is attached at a lower position than the first guide 61 and the second guide 62.

The substrate holding parts 50 are rod-shaped members extending along the Y direction. Two substrate holding parts 50 are fixed to the inner wall surface of the inner tank 11 so as to sandwich both sides of the substrate W raised and lowered in the processing tank 10 by the lifter 20. The three holding bars 21 of the lifter 20 can pass between the two substrate holding parts 50. Each substrate holding part 50 has a plurality of holding grooves (for example, 50) engraved along the Y direction at a predetermined pitch. The pitch of the holding grooves engraved on the substrate holding parts 50 is the same as the pitch of the holding grooves engraved on the holding bars 21 of the lifter 20. Therefore, by fitting the peripheral parts of each of the substrates W held by the lifter 20 into the holding grooves of the substrate holding parts 50, the two substrate holding parts 50 can receive and hold the substrates W held by the lifter 20 as they are.

The first guide 61 and the second guide 62 are also rod-shaped members extending along the Y direction. The two first guides 61 are fixed to the inner wall surface of the inner tank 11 so as to sandwich both sides of the substrate W raised and lowered in the processing tank 10 by the lifter 20. Similarly, the two second guides 62 are fixed to the inner wall surface of the inner tank 11 so as to sandwich both sides of the substrate W raised and lowered in the processing tank 10 by the lifter 20. The first guide 61 is provided above the second guide 62. The three holding rods 21 of the lifter 20 can pass between the two first guides 61 and the two second guides 62.

Each of the first guide 61 and the second guide 62 has repeated projections and recesses formed along the Y direction. When the multiple substrates W held by the lifter 20 move up and down within the processing tank 10, the peripheral portions of each of the multiple substrates W pass inside the recesses formed in the first guide 61 and the second guide 62. In other words, the peripheral portions of each of the multiple substrates W are sandwiched from the front and back by the projections formed in the first guide 61 and the second guide 62.

In the first embodiment, the substrate W is transferred at different height positions by the lifter 20 and the substrate holder 50. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which the substrate W is held at a high processing position (first processing position). When the lifter 20 holding the substrate W is stopped at an upper immersion position (the position of the lifter 20 in FIG. 3) in the processing tank 10, the substrate W is held at the high processing position by the lifter 20. Even when the substrate W is held at the high processing position, the entire substrate W is immersed in the processing liquid stored in the processing tank 10. In other words, the height position of the lifter 20 that holds the substrate W at the high processing position where the substrate W is immersed in the processing liquid stored in the processing tank 10 is the upper immersion position. Note that when the substrate W is held at the high processing position, the substrate holder 50 and the substrate W are separated from each other.

The first guide 61 is provided at the same height as the diameter in the X direction of the substrate W held in the high processing position by the lifter 20 (hereinafter, the diameter in the X direction of the substrate W is also referred to as the "equator"). Therefore, both ends of the equator of the substrate W held in the high processing position by the lifter 20 enter inside the recess formed in the first guide 61.

Figure 5 is a plan view from above of multiple substrates W held at the high processing position and the first guide 61. As shown in the figure, both equatorial ends of the substrate W held at the high processing position are inside recesses formed in the first guide 61. However, when the multiple substrates W are held accurately in an upright position by the three holding bars 21 of the lifter 20, the peripheral edge of each substrate W is not in contact with the recesses in the first guide 61. In other words, the substrates W are not restrained by the first guide 61, and there are no points of contact between the substrates W and the first guide 61.

When the substrate W held at the high processing position is slightly tilted from the upright position due to the influence of the flow of the processing liquid formed in the processing tank 10, both ends of the equator of the substrate W come into contact with recesses formed in the first guide 61, and the first guide 61 prevents the substrate W from tilting. Since the first guide 61 is provided at the same height as the equator of the substrate W held at the high processing position, when the substrate W tilts, the first guide 61 comes into contact with the vicinity of the equator of the substrate W, effectively preventing the substrate W from tilting.

On the other hand, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which the substrate W is held at the low processing position (second processing position). When the lifter 20 holding the substrate W descends from the upper immersion position in the processing bath 10 to the lower immersion position (the position of the lifter 20 in FIG. 4), the substrate W is transferred from the lifter 20 to the substrate holding unit 50, and the substrate W is held at the low processing position by the substrate holding unit 50. That is, when the lifter 20 descends to the lower immersion position, the substrate holding unit 50 receives the substrate W from the lifter 20 and holds the substrate W at the low processing position. When the substrate W is held at the low processing position, the three holding rods 21 of the lifter 20 and the substrate W are separated. The lower immersion position of the lifter 20 is lower than the upper immersion position. The low processing position of the substrate W is also lower than the high processing position. Note that the height position of the substrate W shown by the solid line in FIG. 2 is the high processing position, and the height position of the substrate W shown by the two-dot chain line is the low processing position.

As shown in FIG. 4, the second guide 62 is provided at the same height as the equator of the substrate W held at the low processing position by the substrate holder 50. Therefore, both ends of the equator of the substrate W held at the low processing position by the substrate holder 50 enter inside the recess formed in the second guide 62. As described above, when the substrate holder 50 holds a plurality of substrates W in an upright position accurately, the peripheral portion of each substrate W does not contact the recess formed in the second guide 62. However, when the substrate W held at the low processing position is slightly tilted from the upright position due to the influence of the flow of the processing liquid formed in the processing bath 10, both ends of the equator of the substrate W come into contact with the recess formed in the second guide 62, and the tilt of the substrate W is prevented by the second guide 62. Since the second guide 62 is also provided at the same height as the equator of the substrate W held at the low processing position, when the substrate W is tilted, the second guide 62 comes into contact with the vicinity of the equator of the substrate W, and the tilt of the substrate W can be effectively prevented.

By moving the lifter 20 up and down between the upper immersion position and the lower immersion position, the substrate W is switched between a first state in which the lifter 20 holds the substrate W at a high processing position and a second state in which the substrate W is held at a low processing position by the substrate holding unit 50. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the contact points where the three holding rods 21 come into contact with the substrate W when the lifter 20 holds the substrate W at the high processing position are different from the contact points where the substrate W is held by the substrate holding unit 50 when the substrate W is held at the low processing position.

Next, the processing operation in the processing section 122 having the above configuration will be described. In the processing section 122, a rinse process is performed to rinse the chemical liquid from the substrate W that has been subjected to the chemical processing in the processing section 121. Pure water is supplied as a processing liquid from the nozzle pipe 31 into the processing tank 10, and the pure water is stored in the inner tank 11. If the pure water continues to be supplied from the nozzle pipe 31 while the pure water is stored in the inner tank 11, the pure water will overflow from the upper end of the inner tank 11 into the outer tank 12. In addition, an upflow of pure water is formed in the processing section 10 by discharging the pure water from the nozzle pipe 31.

With an upflow of pure water being formed in the processing tank 10, the substrate W after chemical processing is immersed in the pure water. Specifically, the lifter 20 holding the substrate W after chemical processing moves to a lifting position above the processing tank 10, and the lifter 20 is lowered from the lifting position to the immersion position by the lifting drive mechanism 24. In the first embodiment, the lifter 20 first descends to the upper immersion position.

When the lifter 20 holding the substrate W is lowered to the upper immersion position in the processing tank 10, as shown in FIG. 3, the substrate W reaches the high processing position and the entire substrate W is immersed in the pure water stored in the processing tank 10. When the substrate W is held at the high processing position while an upflow of pure water is formed in the processing tank 10, a stream of pure water flows along the surface of the substrate W, washing away the chemical solution adhering to the surface of the substrate W.

In addition, in order to quickly clean the substrate W and shorten the rinsing time, the flow rate of the pure water in the processing tank 10 is increased. Specifically, the flow rate control valve 35 supplies pure water to the nozzle pipe 31 at a relatively large flow rate (e.g., 30 liters/min), thereby increasing the flow rate of the pure water discharged from the nozzle pipe 31 into the processing tank 10. When the flow rate of the pure water in the processing tank 10 increases, the cleaning efficiency of the substrate W increases, but there is also an increased risk that the substrate W will swing significantly on the three holding rods 21 of the lifter 20 due to the influence of the water flow.

In order to suppress the oscillation of the substrate W, a first guide 61 is provided at the same height as the equator of the substrate W held at the high processing position. Both ends of the equator of the substrate W held at the high processing position enter inside a recess formed in the first guide 61 (FIG. 5). Even if the substrate W held at the high processing position oscillates due to the influence of the water flow, the substrate W is prevented from tilting significantly because both ends of the equator of the substrate W are regulated by the first guide 61. In other words, when the substrate W is held at the high processing position by the lifter 20, the substrate W is efficiently cleaned by the water flow of pure water with a relatively fast flow rate while the substrate W is prevented from tilting by the first guide 61. However, since the processing liquid is stagnated near the contact point where the three holding rods 21 of the lifter 20 contact the peripheral portion of the substrate W, the cleaning efficiency of the contact point is significantly low.

When a predetermined time has elapsed since starting the rinse process with the substrate W held at the high processing position, the lifting drive mechanism 24 lowers the lifter 20 from the upper immersion position to the lower immersion position under the control of the control unit 70. As the lifter 20 lowers from the upper immersion position to the lower immersion position, the substrate W is transferred from the lifter 20 to the substrate holding unit 50, and as shown in FIG. 4, the substrate W is held at the low processing position by the substrate holding unit 50. Since the low processing position is lower than the high processing position, the entire substrate W held at the low processing position is also immersed in the pure water stored in the processing tank 10. When the substrate W is held at the low processing position with an upflow of pure water formed in the processing tank 10, a flow of pure water flows along the surface of the substrate W, cleaning the surface of the substrate W.

In addition, in order to suppress the oscillation of the substrate W due to the influence of the relatively fast water flow, the second guide 62 is provided at the same height as the equator of the substrate W held in the low processing position. Both ends of the equator of the substrate W held in the low processing position enter inside a recess formed in the second guide 62. Even if the substrate W held in the low processing position oscillates due to the influence of the water flow, the substrate W is prevented from tilting significantly because both ends of the equator of the substrate W are regulated by the second guide 62. In other words, when the substrate W is held in the low processing position by the substrate holder 50, the substrate W is efficiently cleaned by the water flow of pure water with a relatively fast flow rate while the substrate W is prevented from tilting by the second guide 62. However, since the processing liquid is stagnated near the contact point of the peripheral portion of the substrate W where the substrate holder 50 contacts, the cleaning efficiency of the contact point is low.

The contact points of the three holding bars 21 with the substrate W when the lifter 20 holds the substrate W at the high processing position are different from the contact points of the substrate W when the substrate holder 50 holds the substrate W at the low processing position. Therefore, the contact points of the three holding bars 21 among the peripheral portion of the substrate W held at the high processing position are open when the substrate W is held at the low processing position. Therefore, the contact points of the substrate W with the three holding bars 21, which had low cleaning efficiency while the substrate W was held at the high processing position, are efficiently cleaned when the substrate W is held at the low processing position. On the other hand, when the substrate W is held at the low processing position, the processing liquid is stagnated near the contact points of the peripheral portion of the substrate W with the substrate holder 50, and the cleaning efficiency of the contact points with the substrate holder 50 is reduced. However, the contact points with the substrate W with the substrate holder 50 are already cleaned when the substrate W is held at the high processing position.

When a predetermined time has elapsed since starting the rinsing process with the substrate W held at the low processing position, the lifting drive mechanism 24, under the control of the control unit 70, raises the lifter 20 from the lower immersion position to a lifting position above the processing bath 10, and lifts the substrate W from the processing solution in the processing bath 10. The main transport robot 180 then receives the processed substrate W from the lifter 20. In this manner, a series of processes in the processing unit 122 is completed.

In the first embodiment, when the substrate W is rinsed in the processing section 122, the substrate W is held at a high processing position by the lifter 20, and then held at a low processing position by the substrate holding section 50. That is, the state is switched from a first state in which the substrate W is held at the high processing position by the lifter 20 to a second state in which the substrate W is held at the low processing position by the substrate holding section 50. Whether the substrate W is held at the high processing position or the low processing position, the entire substrate W is immersed in the pure water stored in the processing bath 10, and therefore the substrate W is efficiently cleaned by the relatively fast flow of pure water.

In addition, when the substrate W is held at the high processing position, the first guide 61 prevents the substrate W from tilting. When the substrate W is held at the low processing position, the second guide 62 prevents the substrate W from tilting. In other words, the substrate W can be prevented from tilting whether it is held at the high processing position or the low processing position.

Furthermore, the contact points of the three holding rods 21 with the substrate W, at which the cleaning efficiency decreases when the substrate W is held at the high processing position, are released and efficiently cleaned when the substrate W is held at the low processing position. Conversely, the contact points of the substrate W with the substrate holder 50, at which the cleaning efficiency decreases when the substrate W is held at the low processing position, are released and efficiently cleaned when the substrate W is held at the high processing position. That is, by switching between the first state in which the substrate W is held at the high processing position by the lifter 20 and the second state in which the substrate W is held at the low processing position by the substrate holder 50, it is possible to eliminate singular points at which the cleaning efficiency decreases and to uniformly clean the entire surface of the substrate W. Therefore, by performing the first embodiment, it is possible to maintain the uniformity of the surface treatment of the substrate W while preventing the substrate W from tilting when performing the cleaning treatment of the substrate W.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the main configuration of a processing section of the second embodiment. In this figure, the same elements as those of the first embodiment (Fig. 2, etc.) are given the same reference numerals. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that an integrated guide 81 is provided, which integrates the first guide 61 and the second guide 62.

The integrated guide 81 is longer in the vertical direction (Z direction) than the first guide 61 and the second guide 62 of the first embodiment. The integrated guide 81 also has repeated projections and recesses formed along the Y direction, similar to the first guide 61 and the second guide 62. The integrated guide 81 is fixed to the inner surface of the side wall of the inner tank 11 of the treatment tank 10 by bolts.

The integrated guide 81 is an integrated combination of a first guide 61 provided at the same height as the equator of the substrate W held at the high processing position in the first embodiment, and a second guide 62 provided at the same height as the equator of the substrate W held at the low processing position. As a result, both ends of the equator of the substrate W held at either the high processing position or the low processing position enter inside the recess formed in the integrated guide 81. Therefore, the integrated guide 81 prevents the substrate W from tilting both when the substrate W is held at the high processing position by the lifter 20 and when the substrate W is held at the low processing position by the substrate holder 50.

Furthermore, as in the first embodiment, by switching between a first state in which the substrate W is held at a high processing position by the lifter 20 and a second state in which the substrate W is held at a low processing position by the substrate holder 50, it is possible to uniformly clean the entire surface of the substrate W without singular points that reduce cleaning efficiency. Therefore, even in the case of the second embodiment, it is possible to maintain uniformity in the surface treatment of the substrate W while preventing tilting of the substrate W.

Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the integrated guide 81 is provided by integrating the first guide 61 and the second guide 62, so that the manufacturing cost can be reduced compared to manufacturing the first guide 61 and the second guide 62 separately. When the first guide 61 and the second guide 62 are attached to the treatment tank 10 separately, they need to be aligned, whereas when the integrated integrated guide 81 is attached to the treatment tank 10, alignment is required only once, and the labor required for attachment can be reduced. In addition, when the first guide 61 and the second guide 62 are attached to the treatment tank 10 separately with bolts, the number of places where the treatment liquid is likely to remain in the treatment tank 10 increases, whereas when the integrated integrated guide 81 is attached to the treatment tank 10, the number of bolts required can be minimized, and the number of places where the treatment liquid is likely to remain in the treatment tank 10 can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to make it difficult for the treatment liquid to remain in the treatment tank 10. The remaining configuration of the second embodiment other than the provision of the integrated guide 81 by integrating the two guides is the same as that of the first embodiment.

Third Embodiment
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the main configuration of a processing section of the third embodiment. In this figure, the same elements as those of the first embodiment (Fig. 2, etc.) are given the same reference numerals. The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that an extended holding section 91 is provided in which the second guide 62 and the substrate holding section 50 are integrated.

The extended holding section 91 is configured by integrating a holding element 91a having a function equivalent to that of the substrate holding section 50 of the first embodiment and a guide element 91b having a function similar to that of the second guide 62. In other words, the extended holding section 91 can be said to be an integrated structure of the substrate holding section 50 and the second guide 62 of the first embodiment. The extended holding section 91 is fixed to the inner surface of the side wall of the inner tank 11 of the processing tank 10 by bolts. The holding element 91a of the extended holding section 91 receives the substrate W from the lifter 20 when the lifter 20 descends to the lower immersion position and holds the substrate W at the low processing position. The guide element 91b of the extended holding section 91 is provided at the same height as the equator of the substrate W held at the low processing position by the holding element 91a. The first guide 61 is the same element as in the first embodiment.

In this way, the third embodiment is provided with elements equivalent to the first guide 61, second guide 62, and substrate holding portion 50 of the first embodiment. Also in the third embodiment, the substrate W is switched from a first state in which it is held at a high processing position by the lifter 20 to a second state in which it is held at a low processing position by the extended holding portion 91. This makes it possible to uniformly clean the entire surface of the substrate W without singular points that reduce cleaning efficiency.

In addition, when the substrate W is held at the high processing position by the lifter 20, the first guide 61 prevents the substrate W from tilting. When the substrate W is held at the low processing position by the extended holding portion 91, the extended holding portion 91 prevents the substrate W from tilting. In other words, the substrate W can be prevented from tilting whether it is held at the high processing position or the low processing position. Therefore, even in the third embodiment, the uniformity of the surface processing of the substrate W can be maintained while preventing the substrate W from tilting.

Furthermore, in the third embodiment, an extended holding section 91 is provided that integrates the second guide 62 and the substrate holding section 50, so that the manufacturing cost can be reduced compared to manufacturing the second guide 62 and the substrate holding section 50 separately. If the integrated extended holding section 91 is attached to the processing tank 10, alignment only needs to be done once, and the number of steps required for installation can be reduced. In addition, if the integrated extended holding section 91 is attached to the processing tank 10, the number of bolts required can be minimized, and the number of places in the processing tank 10 where the processing liquid is likely to stagnate can be reduced, making it less likely for the processing liquid to stagnate. The remaining configuration of the third embodiment, other than the provision of the integrated extended holding section 91, is the same as that of the first embodiment.

Fourth Embodiment
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the main configuration of a processing unit of the fourth embodiment. In this figure, the same elements as those in the first embodiment (Fig. 2, etc.) are given the same reference numerals.

In the fourth embodiment, the second guide 62 and the substrate holder 50 are provided in the processing tank 10, but the first guide 61 is not attached to the inner tank 11. A lid portion (auto cover) 95 is provided to cover the upper opening of the processing tank 10. The lid portion 95 opens and closes as indicated by the arrow AR8 by a drive mechanism (not shown), opening and closing the upper opening of the processing tank 10. When the lid portion 95 is closed, the lid portion 95 covers the upper opening of the processing tank 10. When the lid portion 95 is open, the upper opening of the processing tank 10 is open, and the substrate W can be raised and lowered between the immersion position and the lifted position by the lifter 20.

An upper guide 96 is provided on the underside of the lid portion 95. The upper guide 96 has repeated projections and recesses formed along the Y direction, similar to the first guide 61 and the second guide 62. When the lid portion 95 is closed while the substrate W is held at the high processing position by the lifter 20, the upper peripheral portion of the substrate W enters inside a recess formed in the upper guide 96. That is, in the fourth embodiment, the upper guide 96 is provided on the lid portion 95 instead of the first guide 61 of the first embodiment.

In the fourth embodiment, the substrate W is switched from a first state in which the substrate W is held at a high processing position by the lifter 20 to a second state in which the substrate W is held at a low processing position by the substrate holder 50. This makes it possible to uniformly clean the entire surface of the substrate W without singular points that reduce cleaning efficiency.

In addition, when the substrate W is held at the high processing position by the lifter 20, the upper guide 96 prevents the substrate W from tilting. When the substrate W is held at the low processing position by the substrate holder 50, the second guide 62 prevents the substrate W from tilting. In other words, tilting of the substrate W can be prevented whether the substrate W is held at the high processing position or the low processing position. Therefore, even in the fourth embodiment, tilting of the substrate W can be prevented while maintaining uniformity of the surface processing of the substrate W.

Furthermore, in the fourth embodiment, the substrate W held at the high processing position is held from below by the holding rod 21 of the lifter 20, and its position is regulated from above by the upper guide 96. Therefore, even if the substrate W sways due to the influence of the water flow in the processing tank 10, the substrate W can be more reliably prevented from tilting.

<Modification>
Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, various modifications of the present invention are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the first embodiment, the substrate W is held at the high processing position by the lifter 20, and then the substrate W is held at the low processing position by the substrate holder 50, but this order may be reversed. That is, the lifter 20 may first be lowered to the lower immersion position and the substrate W is held at the low processing position by the substrate holder 50, and then the lifter 20 may be raised to the upper immersion position and the substrate W is held at the high processing position by the lifter 20.

The control unit 70 may also control the lifting drive mechanism 24 to repeatedly switch between a first state in which the substrate W is held at the high processing position by the lifter 20 and a second state in which the substrate W is held at the low processing position by the substrate holder 50 multiple times. That is, the lifter 20 may repeatedly move up and down reciprocally between the upper immersion position and the lower immersion position, thereby repeatedly switching between the first state in which the substrate W is held at the high processing position and the second state in which the substrate W is held at the low processing position. In this way, the entire surface of the substrate W can be cleaned more uniformly.

In addition, in the second embodiment, the first guide 61 and the second guide 62 are integrated, and in the third embodiment, the second guide 62 and the substrate holding section 50 are integrated, but the first guide 61, the second guide 62, and the substrate holding section 50 may all be integrated. In this way, it is possible to further reduce the number of locations in the processing tank 10 where the processing liquid is likely to stagnate.

In addition, in each of the above embodiments, a substrate holding section and a guide section are provided in the processing section 122, which is a water rinsing tank that performs a rinsing process on the substrate W that has been subjected to chemical processing, but this is not limited to this. A substrate holding section and a guide section similar to those in each of the above embodiments may be provided in the processing section 121, which is a chemical tank that performs chemical processing on the substrate W. Alternatively, a substrate holding section and a guide section similar to those in each of the above embodiments may be provided in a processing section that sequentially replaces the chemical liquid with pure water in a single processing tank and performs both the chemical processing and the rinsing process in that processing tank. Even in this way, it is possible to maintain the uniformity of the surface processing of the substrate W while preventing the substrate W from tilting.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Processing tank 11 Inner tank 12 Outer tank 20 Lifter 21 Holding rod 24 Lifting drive mechanism 30 Processing liquid supply unit 31 Nozzle tube 50 Substrate holding unit 61 First guide 62 Second guide 70 Control unit 81 Integrated guide 91 Expandable holding unit 95 Lid unit 96 Upper guide 100 Substrate processing apparatus 121, 122, 123, 124, 125 Processing unit 180 Main transport robot W Substrate

Claims (11)

A substrate processing apparatus for performing surface processing by immersing a substrate in a processing liquid,
a processing tank for storing a processing liquid;
a processing liquid supply unit for supplying a processing liquid into the processing tank;
a lifter that holds the substrate in an upright position from below;
a lifting unit that raises and lowers the lifter between a lifting position above the processing tank, an upper immersion position that holds the substrate at a first processing position where the substrate is immersed in a processing solution, and a lower immersion position that is lower than the upper immersion position;
a holder that receives the substrate from the lifter when the lifter descends to the lower immersion position and holds the substrate at a second processing position that is lower than the first processing position;
a guide portion that prevents the substrate held at the first processing position and the second processing position from tilting;
Equipped with
2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a contact portion where said lifter holds said substrate is different from a contact portion where said holder holds said substrate. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1,
A substrate processing apparatus further comprising a control unit that controls the lifting unit to move the lifter between the upper immersion position and the lower immersion position and switch between a first state in which the substrate is held at the first processing position by the lifter and a second state in which the substrate is held at the second processing position by the holding unit. 3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2,
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the lifting unit so as to repeatedly switch between the first state and the second state a plurality of times. 3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2,
The guide portion is
a first guide element for preventing tilting of the substrate held at the first processing position;
a second guide element for preventing tilting of the substrate held in the second processing position;
Including,
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first guide element is provided at a higher position than the second guide element. 5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4,
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first guide element and the second guide element are integrated together. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1,
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holding portion and the guide portion are integrated together. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1,
4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the holding portion and the guide portion are fixed to an inner wall surface of the processing tank. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1,
The treatment tank further includes a lid for covering an upper opening thereof.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide portion is fixed to the lid portion. A substrate processing method for performing surface treatment by immersing a substrate in a processing solution, comprising the steps of:
a storing step of supplying a processing liquid into a processing tank and storing the processing liquid in the processing tank;
a lifting step of raising and lowering a lifter that holds a substrate in an upright position from below between a lifting position above the processing bath, an upper immersion position that holds the substrate at a first processing position where the substrate is immersed in a processing solution, and a lower immersion position that is lower than the upper immersion position;
Equipped with
when the lifter is lowered to the lower immersion position, a holder fixed to the processing tank receives the substrate from the lifter and holds the substrate at a second processing position lower than the first processing position;
a guide portion prevents the substrate held at the first processing position and the second processing position from tilting;
A substrate processing method, comprising: a contact portion where said lifter holds said substrate and a contact portion where said holder holds said substrate, said contact portion being different from each other. 10. The substrate processing method according to claim 9,
A substrate processing method characterized in that the lifter moves between the upper immersion position and the lower immersion position, and switches between a first state in which the substrate is held at the first processing position by the lifter and a second state in which the substrate is held at the second processing position by the holding part. 11. The substrate processing method according to claim 10,
A substrate processing method comprising: repeating switching between the first state and the second state a plurality of times.

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