TWI890098B - Substrate processing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a substrate processing device to prevent the processing liquid from re-adhering to the substrate surface. The substrate processing device of the embodiment of the present invention includes: a processing chamber, a turntable, a supply part, a liquid receiving part, an air supply part and an airflow forming part. The processing chamber processes the substrate. The turntable is arranged in the processing chamber, holds the substrate and rotates the substrate. The supply part supplies the processing liquid to the substrate held on the turntable. The liquid receiving part is arranged in a manner surrounding the turntable, and has a circular opening at the upper end of the liquid receiving part to receive the processing liquid scattered from the rotating substrate due to the rotation of the turntable. The air supply part is arranged on the side of the ceiling of the processing chamber to generate a downward airflow inside the processing chamber. The airflow forming part is arranged between the liquid receiving part and the air supply part, and is formed as a cylinder with circular openings at the upper and lower ends of the airflow forming part, so that the downward airflow generated by the air supply part is concentrated on the inner side of the opening at the upper end of the liquid receiving part.

Description

Substrate processing equipment

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus.

Substrate processing equipment that performs chemical treatment or cleaning on substrates such as semiconductor wafers widely employs a monolithic method, processing substrates one by one, for the sake of uniformity and reproducibility. Monolithic substrate processing equipment secures the substrate to a turntable, rotates the substrate about an axis perpendicular to the center, and supplies a processing liquid (e.g., a chemical solution or pure water) to the center of the substrate to process the substrate surface. The processing liquid supplied to the substrate surface is spread toward the edges of the substrate by centrifugal force, separating from the edges and being caught by the inner circumference of a cup covering the perimeter of the turntable.

In addition, the substrate processing device is equipped with a fan filter unit (FFU) on the ceiling side of the processing chamber. The FFU generates a downflow (downflow) by sending clean air downward from the ceiling side, maintaining a high level of cleanliness within the processing chamber. For example, the FFU suppresses splashing or backsplash of the processing liquid supplied to the substrate surface by supplying the downflow of clean air generated by the FFU to the substrate surface, thereby preventing the processing liquid from scattering from the substrate surface to the outside of the cup body. In addition, the downflow is exhausted from the lower side of the processing chamber, thereby discharging the processing liquid separated from the edge of the substrate or dust floating in the processing chamber from the processing chamber along with the air.

[Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature] [Patent Literature 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2014-27201

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] In substrate processing equipment described above, even when using the FFU, when a processing liquid is supplied to the substrate surface and the substrate surface is processed, splashing or backsplash of the processing liquid may occur on the substrate surface or around the substrate. Such splashing or backsplash of the processing liquid can cause the processing liquid to re-adhere to the substrate surface, resulting in product defects. For example, during the drying process, if the processing liquid caused by splashing or backsplash adheres to the substrate surface after the drying process, watermarks (water stains) will appear on the substrate surface, resulting in reduced product quality. Therefore, suppressing splashing or backsplash of the processing liquid is important to prevent the processing liquid from re-adhering to the substrate surface and improve product quality.

As a countermeasure to suppressing splashing or backsplash of the processing liquid, one approach is to increase the amount of air delivered from the FFU to generate a stronger downflow, thereby further suppressing splashing or backsplash of the processing liquid on the substrate surface. However, increasing the amount of air delivered from the FFU increases the pressure within the processing chamber, which may cause mist of the processing liquid within the processing chamber to flow out of the processing chamber. Therefore, it is not possible to increase the amount of air delivered from the FFU, making it difficult to further suppress splashing or backsplash of the processing liquid.

The present invention is made to solve the above-mentioned problem, and its purpose is to provide a substrate processing device that can increase the downflow air volume on the surface of the substrate without increasing the amount of air sent from the FFU, thereby preventing the processing liquid from re-attaching to the substrate surface.

[Technical Means for Solving the Problem] To solve the aforementioned problem and achieve the objective, one aspect of the present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus comprising a processing chamber, a turntable, a supply unit, a liquid receiving unit, an air supply unit, and an airflow generating unit. The processing chamber processes substrates. The turntable is disposed within the processing chamber, holding and rotating the substrates. The supply unit supplies processing liquid to the substrates held on the turntable. The liquid receiving unit is disposed around the turntable and has a circular opening at its upper end to receive processing liquid that is scattered from the rotating substrates due to the rotation of the turntable. The air supply unit is disposed on the ceiling of the processing chamber to generate a downward airflow within the processing chamber. The airflow forming section is disposed between the liquid receiving section and the air supply section and is formed into a cylindrical shape having circular openings at its upper and lower ends. This allows the downward airflow generated by the air supply section to be concentrated inside the opening at the upper end of the liquid receiving section.

[Effects of the Invention] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the processing liquid from re-adhering to the substrate surface.

The following describes the embodiments of the substrate processing apparatus disclosed in this application in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the substrate processing apparatus disclosed in this application is not limited to the following embodiments.

(First Embodiment) Figure 1A schematically illustrates the structure of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment. As shown in Figure 1A, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes an inner chamber 11. The inner chamber 11 is divided into two upper and lower chambers by a partition wall 11a. The lower chamber forms a processing chamber 11b. The partition wall 11a faces the base body 21 in the vertical direction. Specifically, the processing chamber 11b is formed by the partition wall 11a (ceiling), the base body 21 (susceptor), and the side walls of the inner chamber 11. The terms "upper and lower" refer to the upper and lower sides of the substrate processing apparatus 1 (i.e., the upper and lower sides in Figure 1A). In this embodiment, the upper and lower sides are sometimes referred to as "upper" and "lower," respectively.

A loading/unloading port (not shown) is provided on the side wall of the inner chamber 11 at a position corresponding to the processing chamber 11b. This loading/unloading port is used for loading substrates W into and out of the processing chamber 11b and is formed by an openable and closable shutter. The substrate processing apparatus 1 opens the shutter when loading substrates W into the processing chamber 11b and when unloading processed substrates W from the processing chamber 11b, allowing the transfer arm that transports the substrates W to be inserted into the processing chamber 11b. The shutter is closed while substrates W are being processed.

In addition, as shown in Figure 1A, the substrate processing device 1 includes: a base body 21 having a through hole in the center, a turntable 22 rotatably arranged above the base body 21, a motor 23 serving as a drive source for the turntable 22, an annular liquid receiving portion 24 (cup body) surrounding the turntable 22, a nozzle 25 (supply portion) for supplying processing liquid to the substrate W, a fan filter unit (FFU) 26 (air supply portion), an ion generator 27 (static charge removal portion), an airflow forming mechanism 30 (airflow forming portion), a control device 40 (control portion), and a gas supply source 50 (gas supply portion).

The turntable 22 is located on the top surface of the base 21 and is fixed to the upper end of the rotor 23b of the motor 23, with its center aligned with the rotation axis of the motor 23. Furthermore, the turntable 22 has multiple (e.g., six) chuck pins 22a disposed at regular intervals on the side on which the substrate W is placed. These chuck pins 22a grip the outer circumference of the substrate W being processed, thereby holding the substrate W on the turntable 22.

The motor 23 consists of a cylindrical stator 23a and a cylindrical rotor 23b rotatably inserted within the stator 23a. The stator 23a is mounted below the base 21, while the upper end of the rotor 23b is connected to the turntable 22 above the base 21. The motor 23 is an example of a drive source for rotating the turntable 22. The motor 23 is electrically connected to the control device 40 and driven according to the control of the control device 40. The turntable 22 is thereby rotated by the motor 23. The rotation axis of the turntable 22 and the motor 23 constitutes the substrate rotation axis A1.

The liquid receiving portion 24 includes an annular movable liquid receiving portion 24a and an annular fixed liquid receiving portion 24b, which receive the processing liquid scattered from the substrate W or the processing liquid flowing down from the substrate W. The liquid receiving portion 24 is formed in a manner surrounding the turntable 22. That is, the liquid receiving portion 24 is opened in a manner such that the surface of the substrate W held on the turntable 22 is exposed. The movable liquid receiving portion 24a is configured to be movable in the up and down directions by means of a lifting mechanism (not shown) such as a hydraulic cylinder. The upper portion of the movable liquid receiving portion 24a is inclined radially inward. The fixed liquid receiving portion 24b is fixed to the upper surface of the base body 21, and the bottom surface of the fixed liquid receiving portion 24b is connected to a pipe 12 used to discharge the gas in the processing chamber 11b and the processing liquid (such as chemical solution or pure water, etc.) discharged from the substrate W.

The pipe 12 is connected to an exhaust pipe 14 leading to an exhaust pump (not shown) for exhausting the gas in the processing chamber 11 b to the outside, and a waste liquid pipe 13 for exhausting the processing liquid received by the liquid receiving portion 24 and dripping to the outside.

The nozzle 25 supplies processing liquid to the substrate W held on the turntable 22. Specifically, the nozzle 25 is held by a nozzle moving mechanism located at a predetermined position on the base body 21 and sprays the processing liquid downward while processing the substrate W. The nozzle moving mechanism includes a movable arm and an arm swing mechanism, which reciprocates the nozzle 25 between the center and the periphery of the substrate W during processing. Specifically, the movable arm has the nozzle 25 mounted on one end and is supported by the arm swing mechanism at the other end. The arm swing mechanism swings the movable arm using the other end of the movable arm as a fulcrum. Furthermore, when processing of the substrate W is completed, the arm swing mechanism swings the movable arm so that the nozzle 25 retreats to a standby position away from the substrate W.

FFU 26 is installed on partition wall 11a of inner chamber 11. FFU 26 has a built-in fan, and below it is a filter (e.g., an Ultra Low Penetration Air Filter (ULPA)). Clean air passing through the filter is delivered through partition wall 11a into processing chamber 11b. The air delivered by FFU 26 creates a downward airflow within processing chamber 11b, toward the side of base 21.

The ion generator 27 is a long, thin rod-shaped static eliminator installed below the FFU 26. It removes static electricity. Specifically, the ion generator 27 switches between releasing positive and negative ions, ionizing the gas discharged from the FFU 26. This ionized gas is then supplied to the substrate W, neutralizing the charge on the substrate W.

The airflow forming mechanism 30 is positioned between the liquid receiving section 24 and the FFU 26, above the nozzle 25 (or, in other words, the movable arm) positioned above the substrate W. It directs the downward airflow generated by the FFU 26 toward the inner side of the opening of the liquid receiving section 24. Figure 1B is a schematic diagram illustrating the airflow forming mechanism 30 of the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 1B, the airflow forming mechanism 30 is cylindrical (ring-shaped) with circular openings at the top and bottom (opening 30a at the top and opening 30b at the bottom). The mechanism is positioned below the ion generator 27 so that the rotation axis of the turntable 22 aligns with the centers of the openings 30a and 30b. The airflow forming mechanism 30 then draws in the downflow, generated by the FFU 26 located on the ceiling side of the processing chamber 11b and endowed with ions by the ion generator 27, through its upper opening 30a. The downflow is then delivered through its lower opening 30b to the inside of the upper opening 24c of the liquid receiving section 24. The airflow forming mechanism 30 is configured to increase the downflow (downflow) delivered to the inside of the upper opening 24c of the liquid receiving section 24 through the induction phenomenon and the Coanda effect, which are generated by ejecting gas supplied by the gas supply source 50. The details of the airflow forming mechanism 30 will be described later.

The control device 40 controls various components including the motor 23 and the gas supply source 50. For example, the control device 40 controls the supply of gas to the gas flow forming mechanism 30 by controlling the gas supply source 50.

A gas supply source 50 is connected to the gas flow forming mechanism 30 via a pipe. Furthermore, the gas supply source 50 is electrically connected to the control device 40 and supplies gas (e.g., nitrogen or air) to the gas flow forming mechanism 30 under control of the control device 40. The pipe connecting the gas supply source 50 and the gas flow forming mechanism 30 is equipped with a filter (e.g., a ULPA filter) similar to that used in the FFU 26. Specifically, the gas flow forming mechanism 30 is supplied with clean gas that has passed through the filter and ejects the supplied clean gas.

The following describes the details of the airflow forming mechanism 30 of the present embodiment. FIG2A is a side view of the airflow forming mechanism 30 of the first embodiment. FIG2B is a top view of the airflow forming mechanism 30 of the first embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG2A and FIG2B , the airflow forming mechanism 30 has four gas inlets 31 a formed at equal intervals on the side. The gas inlets 31 a connect the chamber (space) formed inside the airflow forming mechanism 30 with the outside of the airflow forming mechanism 30. Furthermore, the opening of the gas inlet 31 a on the outside is connected to a pipe connected to the gas supply source 50. That is, the gas inlet 31 a is an inlet that allows the gas supplied from the gas supply source 50 to be introduced into the chamber formed inside the airflow forming mechanism 30. For example, the outer peripheral surfaces of the four gas introduction ports 31 a are each supported by a support member (not shown), thereby maintaining the gas flow forming mechanism 30 at a position below the ion generator 27 .

FIG3 illustrates an example of the structure of the airflow forming mechanism 30 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG3 , the airflow forming mechanism 30 includes a first annular member 31 and a second annular member 32. Specifically, the airflow forming mechanism 30 is formed such that the inner wall of the first annular member 31, which has a gas inlet 31a formed therein, overlaps a portion of the outer wall of the second annular member 32. Specifically, the outer diameter of the upper end of the second annular member 32 is smaller than the inner diameter of the lower end of the first annular member 31, and the airflow forming mechanism 30 is formed by overlapping the first annular member 31 with the second annular member 32.

Here, the gas flow forming mechanism 30 forms a chamber for storing and compressing gas by superimposing a first annular member 31 on a second annular member 32. Figure 4A is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the structure of the gas flow forming mechanism 30 according to the first embodiment. Furthermore, Figure 4A shows a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 3 . Specifically, Figure 4A is a vertical cross-sectional view of the substrate processing apparatus 1.

As shown in FIG4A , the airflow forming mechanism 30 forms a chamber 33 by overlapping the first annular member 31 with the second annular member 32. Specifically, the airflow forming mechanism 30 forms the chamber 33 surrounded by the inner wall of the first annular member 31 and a portion of the outer wall of the second annular member 32. Here, the chamber 33 is formed across the entire circumference of the airflow forming mechanism 30.

The chamber 33 is connected to a slit 34 (gas ejection portion). This slit 34 is connected to four gas inlets 31a (not shown) and extends along the entire circumference of the inner side of the gas flow forming mechanism 30. Gas is supplied from a gas supply source 50 through the four gas inlets 31a into the chamber 33. The gas supplied from the gas supply source 50 diffuses within the chamber 33 and is ejected from the slit 34. The chamber 33 acts as a buffer, ensuring that the gas supplied from the gas supply source 50 is ejected stably along the entire circumference of the slit 34. Specifically, when the chamber 33 is supplied with gas from the gas supply source 50, it is completely filled with gas, and the state of being filled with compressed gas is maintained by the continuous supply of gas. At the same time, the gas is ejected from the slit 34.

To achieve this buffering function, the chamber 33 is connected to the gas inlet 31a and the slit 34 at positions staggered in the vertical direction. Figure 4B is a cross-sectional view showing the schematic structure of the gas flow forming mechanism of the first embodiment. Furthermore, Figure 4B is a cross-sectional view of the gas flow forming mechanism 30 in the vertical direction in the substrate processing device 1, and is a cross-sectional view including the gas inlet 31a. As shown in Figure 4B, the gas inlet 31a is provided on the outer wall 37 on the lower end side of the chamber 33, and introduces the gas supplied from the gas supply source 50 into the chamber 33. In addition, as shown in Figure 4B, the slit 34 is provided on the inner wall 36 on the upper end side of the chamber 33.

By arranging the gas inlets 31a, chamber 33, and slit 34 in the positional relationship shown in FIG4B , gas introduced into chamber 33 through the four gas inlets 31a is not immediately ejected from slit 34 but is retained within chamber 33. Consequently, chamber 33 is entirely filled with gas, and gas supplied from gas supply source 50 is stably ejected from the entire circumference of slit 34.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG4A , the airflow forming mechanism 30 is formed by nesting a first annular member 31 above a second annular member 32, and the second annular member 32 and the first annular member 31 are joined together. The joint 39 between the second annular member 32 and the first annular member 31 is formed to have a highly airtight structure to prevent leakage of the gas supplied to the chamber 33. For example, as shown in FIG4A , the joint 39 may include a notch formed at the lower end of the inner wall of the first annular member 31 and a notch formed on the outer wall of the second annular member 32 to engage with the notch. Furthermore, to maintain even higher airtightness, a sealing member may also be used for the joint 39.

4A and 4B , the airflow forming mechanism 30 has an outer wall 37, an inner wall 36, a slit 34, and a curved surface 35, wherein the outer wall 37 is the outer wall surface of the second annular member 32 in a state where the first annular member 31 overlaps the second annular member 32; in a cross-section in the vertical direction, the central portion of the inner wall 36 in the vertical direction is bent toward the outer wall 37; the slit 34 is provided on the inner wall 36 to eject gas flowing toward the opening 30b at the lower end; in a cross-section in the vertical direction, the curved surface 35 is a curved surface whose outer shape bulges upward, extending upward from the upper end of the outer wall 37 and then extending downward to the position of the slit 34.

The outer wall 37 is the outer wall of the airflow forming mechanism 30 when the first annular member 31 is superimposed on the second annular member 32. It comprises the outer wall of the first annular member 31 and a portion of the outer wall of the second annular member 32 (the outer wall not forming the chamber 33). The inner wall 36 corresponds to the inner wall of the second annular member 32 and is formed to slope inward toward the upper end in a vertical cross-section. In other words, the inner diameter of the second annular member 32 gradually decreases toward the upper end.

The curved surface 35 is formed on the upper end of the first annular member 31 and includes a curved surface that descends from the upper end of the first annular member 31 toward the upper end of the outward wall, and a curved surface that descends from the upper end of the first annular member 31 toward the inner side to the slit 34. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4A and 4B, in a vertical cross-section, the inner wall of the first annular member 31 has an upwardly bulging shape, with the end of the inner wall connected to the end of the curved surface 35 on the slit 34 side.

The slit 34, formed by the inner wall of the first annular member 31 near where it connects to the curved surface 35, and the upper end surface of the second annular member 32 (a plane connecting the outer and inner walls of the second annular member 32), connects the chamber 33 to the outside (the inside of the airflow forming mechanism 30). The slit 34 ejects the gas supplied to the chamber 33 toward the lower opening 30b. Furthermore, a portion of the ejected gas flows along the inner wall 36 toward the lower opening 30b. Specifically, the slits 34 diffuse and eject the compressed gas accumulated within the chamber 33 toward the opening 30b at the lower end of the airflow forming mechanism 30. A portion of this diffused gas flows along the inner wall 36 toward the lower opening 30b. As described above, the slits 34 are formed on the inner wall 36 along the entire circumference of the airflow forming mechanism 30, allowing the gas to be ejected stably from the entire circumference. Thus, the slits 34 diffuse and eject the gas from the entire circumference of the airflow forming mechanism 30 toward the lower opening 30b. A portion of the ejected gas flows along the entire circumference of the inner wall 36 of the airflow forming mechanism 30.

Next, the dimensions and installation position of the airflow forming mechanism 30 will be described. FIG5 is a diagram for illustrating the dimensions and installation position of the airflow forming mechanism 30 of the first embodiment. FIG5 is a cross-sectional view taken in the vertical direction, similarly to FIG4.

The width "a" of the slit 34 shown in Figure 5 (the distance between the inner wall of the first annular member 31 and the upper end surface of the second annular member 32 forming the slit 34) is designed to achieve the desired velocity of the gas ejected from the slit 34. Specifically, the slit 34 is designed to have a width "a" that allows a downward airflow near the opening 30a at the upper end of the airflow forming mechanism 30 to entrain the surrounding gas. In other words, the slit 34 is designed to have a width "a" (e.g., approximately 0.1 mm to 1.5 mm) that allows gas to be ejected at a velocity sufficient to induce the Coanda effect. Here, in order to accelerate the gas ejected from the slit 34 while ejecting it at the aforementioned wind speed, the pressure of the gas supplied to the chamber 33 is adjusted so that the pressure within the chamber 33 reaches a predetermined pressure. For example, gas at 0.3 MPa to 0.5 MPa is supplied to the chamber 33 and compressed to the predetermined pressure within the chamber 33. By forming the slit 34 with a predetermined width and adjusting the pressure within the chamber 33 to achieve the predetermined pressure, the slit 34 can eject gas at a wind speed sufficient to induce the induction phenomenon and the Coanda effect.

As described above, the slits 34 eject gas at a velocity sufficient to induce the induction phenomenon and the Coanda effect. Consequently, the volume of gas delivered from the airflow forming mechanism 30 (i.e., the volume of gas delivered from the lower opening 30b) is greater than the volume of gas delivered from the FFU 26. Specifically, the airflow ejected from the slits 34 and the airflow generated by the induction phenomenon and the Coanda effect result in a greater volume of gas delivered from the lower opening 30b than from the FFU 26. For example, the volume of gas delivered from the lower opening 30b is at least twice the volume of gas delivered from the FFU 26.

The shape of the wall of the slit 34 is set so that the gas ejected from the slit 34 has a desired angle "θ". Specifically, the shape of the wall of the slit 34 is set so that the gas ejected from the slit 34 diffuses in the desired vertical direction. For example, the shape of the wall of the slit 34 is set so that the gas ejected from the slit 34 is ejected at an angle "θ". At this angle "θ", the gas ejected from the slit 34 flows toward the opening 30b at the lower end of the airflow forming mechanism 30 and diffuses so that a portion of the gas flows along the inner wall 36. Furthermore, the width "a" of the slit 34 and the gas ejection angle "θ" are determined to be the most appropriate values through experiments or simulations.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG5 , the airflow forming mechanism 30 is formed so that the inner diameter "b" of the opening 30b at the lower end is smaller than the inner diameter "c" of the opening 24c at the upper end of the liquid receiving portion 24. Specifically, the airflow emitted from the lower end of the airflow forming mechanism 30 diffuses along the radius of the airflow forming mechanism 30. Therefore, in order to concentrate the airflow emitted from the lower end of the airflow forming mechanism 30 on the inner side of the opening 24c at the upper end of the liquid receiving portion 24, the inner diameter "b" of the lower end opening 30b is formed smaller than the inner diameter "c" of the opening 24c at the upper end of the liquid receiving portion 24.

Furthermore, the distance "d" between the upper opening 24c of the liquid receiving portion 24 and the lower opening 30b of the airflow forming mechanism 30 is determined based on the inner diameter "b" of the lower opening 30b, the inner diameter "c" of the upper opening 24c of the liquid receiving portion 24, and the diffusion angle "φ" of the airflow at the lower opening 30b. Specifically, the distance "d" is determined so that the airflow diffused at the angle "φ" at the lower opening 30b falls within the inner diameter "c" of the upper opening 24c of the liquid receiving portion 24. Here, the distance "d" is determined so that the height satisfies the aforementioned conditions while not hindering the swinging of the movable arm by the arm swinging mechanism. Furthermore, the inner diameter "b" and distance "d" of the lower opening 30b are determined to the most appropriate values through experiments or simulations.

By equipping the airflow forming mechanism 30, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can increase the amount of air flowing downward toward the substrate surface without increasing the amount of air delivered from the FFU 26. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the airflow formed by the airflow forming mechanism 30 of the first embodiment. As described above, gas is supplied to the chamber 33 of the airflow forming mechanism 30 via the gas inlet 31a, and the airflow is ejected from the slit 34. As shown in FIG. 6 , the airflow is violently ejected from the slit 34 toward the opening 30b at the lower end of the airflow forming mechanism 30. This is because the gas compressed within the chamber 33 passes through the narrow opening of the slit 34 and is ejected. As mentioned above, the opening diameter (width) of slit 34 is approximately several millimeters (e.g., 0.1 mm to 1.5 mm). In other words, as gas flows from chamber 33 toward the very narrow slit 34, the airflow speed increases within slit 34 (Bernoulli's principle). As a result, the gas ejected from slit 34 is violently ejected. This violent ejection of gas from slit 34 strengthens the force with which the opening 30a at the upper end of the airflow forming mechanism 30 draws in surrounding gas. Consequently, the airflow volume delivered from opening 30b at the lower end of the airflow forming mechanism 30 becomes several times the airflow volume from FFU 26.

As described above, the airflow forming mechanism 30 draws in the downflow from the FFU 26 (the airflow that directly enters the inner side of the airflow forming mechanism 30 from the FFU 26) while entraining gas around the airflow forming mechanism 30 (particularly around the upper end of the airflow forming mechanism 30), thereby increasing the volume of air delivered from the opening 30b at the lower end of the airflow forming mechanism 30. Furthermore, the gas ejected from the slit 34 is delivered from the lower end of the airflow forming mechanism 30, thereby entraining gas around the lower end of the airflow forming mechanism 30 (i.e., the opening 30b) (an induction phenomenon), thereby forming a downflow. Furthermore, the downflow delivered from the lower opening 30b draws in gas around this airflow while being supplied to the substrate W, further increasing the volume of the downflow delivered to the substrate W. That is, by using the airflow forming mechanism 30, a downward airflow greater than the air volume delivered from the FFU 26 can be concentratedly directed to the substrate W. Here, in order to efficiently draw surrounding air into the airflow forming mechanism 30, the airflow forming mechanism 30 has a curved surface 35 formed at its upper end, thereby generating a Coanda effect in which the airflow flows along the curved surface.

In this manner, the substrate processing apparatus 1 supplies gas from the gas supply source 50 to the gas flow forming mechanism 30, and violently ejects the gas flow from the slit 34. This creates a downward flow that is stronger than the downward flow delivered from the FFU 26, inside the opening 24c at the upper end of the liquid receiving section 24. Here, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can form a downward flow concentrated inside the opening 24c at the upper end of the liquid receiving section 24 at any time. Specifically, the substrate processing apparatus 1 forms the downward flow using the gas flow forming mechanism 30 while processing a substrate W, and stops the formation of the downward flow by the gas flow forming mechanism 30 when not processing a substrate W.

An example of a time when substrates W are not being processed is when substrates W are being carried in or out of the processing chamber 11b. Specifically, the control device 40 controls the gas supply source 50 to stop supplying gas when substrates W are being carried in or out of the processing chamber 11b. In this case, for example, the control device 40 controls the gas supply source 50 to stop supplying gas while the shutter of the substrate W loading/unloading port is open.

Furthermore, the above example is merely an example, and the airflow forming mechanism 30 may be used to form a downflow at any other time. For example, the control device 40 may control the airflow forming mechanism 30 to form a downflow only during the drying process of the substrate W.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, the processing chamber 11b is formed by a partition wall 11a and a base body 21 that face each other in the vertical direction. A turntable 22 is disposed on the base body 21 side of the processing chamber 11b to rotate the substrate W. A nozzle 25 supplies processing liquid to the substrate W held on the turntable 22. A liquid receiving portion 24 is disposed around the turntable 22 and has a circular opening 24c at its upper end to receive processing liquid that is scattered from the rotating substrate W due to the rotation of the turntable 22. An FFU 26 is disposed on the partition wall 11a side of the processing chamber 11b to generate a downward airflow within the processing chamber 11b. The airflow shaping mechanism 30 is disposed between the liquid receiving section 24 and the FFU 26, concentrating the downward airflow generated by the FFU 26 on the inner side of the opening 24c of the liquid receiving section 24. Thus, the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment can increase the volume of the downward airflow directed toward the surface of the substrate W without increasing the amount of air delivered from the FFU 26, thereby suppressing splashing and backsplash of the processing liquid on the substrate surface. As a result, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can prevent the processing liquid from re-adhering to the substrate W, thereby improving substrate quality.

Furthermore, by concentrating the downflow generated by the FFU 26 on the inner side of the opening 24c of the liquid receiving section 24, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can prevent the generation of turbulent flow around the liquid receiving section 24. For example, if the downflow from the FFU 26 reaches the periphery of the liquid receiving section 24 (e.g., where the nozzle 25 is located), the downflow may rebound off the upper surface of the base 21, generating turbulent flow. If mist of the processing liquid is generated, such turbulent flow may cause the mist of the processing liquid to fly within the processing chamber, potentially causing the mist to re-adhere to the substrate W. The substrate processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment focuses the downflow on the inner side of the opening 24c of the liquid receiving portion 24, thereby preventing the generation of such turbulent airflow. Even when mist of the processing liquid is generated, this can be suppressed from scattering within the processing chamber 11b. Consequently, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can prevent the processing liquid from re-adhering to the substrate W.

In addition, according to the first embodiment, the airflow forming mechanism 30 is formed into a cylindrical shape having circular openings at the upper and lower ends, respectively, and has an outer wall 37, an inner wall 36, a slit 34, and a curved surface 35. The outer wall 37 is the outer wall surface of the second annular member 32 in a state where the first annular member 31 is superimposed. In a cross section in the vertical direction, the central portion of the inner wall 36 in the vertical direction is bent toward the outer wall 37. The slit 34 is provided on the inner wall 36, ejecting gas flowing toward the lower opening 30b. In a vertical cross-section, the curved surface 35 is an upwardly bulging curved surface extending upward from the upper end of the outer wall 37 and then downward to the position of the slit 34. The airflow forming mechanism 30 draws the downflow through the upper opening 30a and delivers the downflow through the lower opening 30b toward the inner side of the opening 24c of the liquid receiving portion 24. Thus, the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment can generate an induction phenomenon and a wall-coanda effect to amplify the downflow, thereby reducing the air volume from the FFU 26. As a result, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can reduce energy consumption associated with substrate processing.

In addition, by concentrating the descending airflow on the inner side of the opening 24c of the liquid receiving section 24, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can improve the discharge efficiency of the processing liquid. As described above, compared with the previous situation in which only the FFU is relied upon to generate the descending airflow, the substrate processing apparatus 1 increases the amount of airflow flowing into the liquid receiving section 24. Therefore, the flow rate of the airflow flowing in the liquid receiving section 24 is also accelerated, making it easier to send the mist of the processing liquid scattered from the substrate W and the mist floating around the substrate W into the pipe 12. In this way, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can efficiently discharge the mist of the processing liquid, and as a result, it can suppress the mist of the processing liquid from floating around the substrate W and suppress the re-adhesion of the processing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate W.

Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the inner diameter of the lower opening 30b of the airflow forming mechanism 30 is smaller than the inner diameter of the upper opening 24c of the liquid receiving portion 24. Furthermore, the airflow forming mechanism 30 is disposed within the processing chamber 11b such that the distance between the lower opening 30b and the upper opening 24c of the liquid receiving portion 24 is determined by the inner diameters of the lower opening 30b, the inner diameters of the upper opening 24c of the liquid receiving portion 24, and the airflow diffusion angle at the lower opening 30b. Thus, the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment can take airflow diffusion into account, thereby more accurately concentrating the descending airflow on the inner side of the opening 24c of the liquid receiving portion 24.

Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, an ion generator 27 is disposed below the FFU 26 to remove static electricity. The airflow shaping mechanism 30 is also disposed below the ion generator 27. Consequently, the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment can concentrate the downward airflow, imparted with ions by the ion generator 27, on the inner side of the opening 24c of the liquid receiving portion 24, thereby neutralizing the charge on the substrates W.

Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, a gas supply source 50 supplies gas to be ejected from the slit 34. The gas flow forming mechanism 30 is formed by a first annular member 31 and a second annular member 32. The first annular member 31 and the second annular member 32 form a chamber 33 for storing and compressing gas. The gas supplied from the gas supply source 50 to the chamber 33 is ejected from the slit 34. Thus, the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment can stably eject gas from the slit 34.

Furthermore, by employing a structure in which the chamber 33 to which gas is supplied is formed by two components (a first annular component 31 and a second annular component 32), the gas flow forming mechanism 30 can be separated and cleaned. This ensures that the interior of the chamber 33 is always kept clean, preventing contaminated gas from being supplied to the substrate W and thus contaminating the substrate W.

Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the gas inlet 31a for introducing gas supplied from the gas supply source 50 into the chamber 33 is provided on the outer wall 37 at the lower end of the chamber 33, and the slit 34 is provided on the inner wall 36 at the upper end of the chamber 33. Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment can form a state in which the entire chamber 33 is filled with compressed gas, thereby stably ejecting gas from the entire circumference of the slit 34.

Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the control device 40 controls the supply of gas from the gas supply source 50. The control device 40 controls the gas supply source 50 so as to stop supplying gas when substrates W are loaded into or out of the processing chamber 11b. Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment can avoid an unnecessary strong downflow from blowing onto the substrates W when the substrates W are loaded into or out of the processing chamber 11b.

1: Substrate processing apparatus 11: Inner chamber 11a: Partition wall 11b: Processing chamber 12: Pipe 13: Wastewater pipe 14: Exhaust pipe 21: Base 22: Turntable 22a: Chuck pin 23: Motor 23a: Stator 23b: Rotor 24: Liquid receiving unit 24a: Movable liquid receiving unit 24b: Fixed liquid receiving unit 24c: Opening 25: Nozzle 26: Fan filter unit (FFU) 27: Ion generator 30: Airflow shaping mechanism 30a, 30b: Opening 31: First annular member 31a: Gas inlet 32: Second annular member 33: Chamber 34: Slit 35: Curved surface 36: Inner wall 37: Outer wall 39: Joint 40: Control device 50: Gas supply source a: Width A1: Substrate axis b: Inner diameter c: Inner diameter d: Distance W: Substrate θ: Angle ϕ: Angle

Figure 1A is a diagram schematically illustrating the structure of a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment. Figure 1B is a schematic diagram schematically illustrating the airflow forming mechanism according to the first embodiment. Figure 2A is a side view of the airflow forming mechanism according to the first embodiment. Figure 2B is a top view of the airflow forming mechanism according to the first embodiment. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the structure of the airflow forming mechanism according to the first embodiment. Figure 4A is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the structure of the airflow forming mechanism according to the first embodiment. Figure 4B is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the structure of the airflow forming mechanism according to the first embodiment. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the dimensions and installation position of the airflow forming mechanism according to the first embodiment. Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the airflow formed by the airflow forming mechanism according to the first embodiment.

1: Substrate processing equipment

11: Inner Room

11a: Partition wall

11b: Processing Room

12: Pipeline

13: Wastewater pipe

14: Exhaust pipe

21: Base body

22: Rotating table

22a: Chuck pin

23: Motor

23a: Stator

23b: Rotor

24: Fluid receiving area

24a: Movable liquid receiving part

24b: Fixed liquid receiving part

24c: Opening

25: Spraying

26: Fan filter unit

27: Ion Generator

30: Airflow formation mechanism

40: Control device

50: Gas supply source

A1: Substrate axis

W: substrate

Claims (8)

A substrate processing apparatus comprises: a processing chamber for processing substrates; a turntable disposed within the processing chamber, holding and rotating the substrates; a supply unit for supplying processing liquid to the substrates held on the turntable; a liquid receiving unit disposed around the turntable, having a circular opening at its upper end for receiving processing liquid that is scattered from the rotating substrates due to the rotation of the turntable; an air supply unit disposed on the ceiling of the processing chamber, generating a downward airflow within the processing chamber; and The airflow forming section is disposed between the liquid receiving section and the air supply section and is cylindrical in shape, having circular openings at its upper and lower ends. The downward airflow generated by the air supply section is drawn in through the upper opening and delivered out through the lower opening, converging on the inner side of the upper opening of the liquid receiving section. The airflow forming section comprises an inner wall, an outer wall, and a curved surface. In a vertical cross-section of the substrate processing apparatus, the curved surface is a curved surface that bulges upward and connects the outer wall and the inner wall. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: In the vertical cross-section, a vertically central portion of the inner wall curves toward the outer wall; The gas flow forming portion further includes a gas ejection portion disposed on the inner wall and ejecting gas toward the opening at the lower end; The curved surface extends upward from the upper end of the outer wall and then downward to the position of the gas ejection portion. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The inner diameter of the opening at the lower end of the airflow forming portion is smaller than the inner diameter of the opening at the upper end of the liquid receiving portion. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the airflow forming portion is disposed within the processing chamber such that the distance between the lower opening and the upper opening of the liquid receiving portion is determined based on the inner diameter of the lower opening, the inner diameter of the upper opening of the liquid receiving portion, and the diffusion angle of the airflow at the lower opening. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 further comprises: A static electricity removal unit disposed below the air supply unit for removing static electricity; The airflow forming unit is disposed below the static electricity removal unit. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 further comprises: a gas supply unit configured to supply the gas ejected from the gas ejection unit to the gas flow forming unit; the gas flow forming unit comprises a first annular member and a second annular member; a space for storing and compressing the gas is formed by the first annular member and the second annular member; the gas ejection unit ejects the gas supplied from the gas supply unit into the space. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein: a gas inlet for introducing gas ejected from the gas supply portion into the space is provided on the outer wall at the lower end of the space; the gas ejection portion is provided on the inner wall at the upper end of the space. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6 or 7 further includes: a control unit configured to control the supply of gas by the gas supply unit, the control unit controlling the supply of gas by the gas supply unit to stop when the substrate is moved into or out of the processing chamber.