TWI898174B - Substrate processing method and substrate processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention aims to provide a substrate processing apparatus and method that reliably prevents exposure of a substrate during immersion processing of the substrate in a warm processing liquid. With a substrate W present in a processing tank 10, during the upstream processing liquid supply step, the substrate W is held at an upper position within the processing tank 10. Meanwhile, during the immersion processing step, in which the substrate W is immersed in the warm processing liquid stored in the processing tank 10, the substrate W is held at a lower position within the processing tank 10. During immersion of the substrate W in the warm processing liquid, the holding position of the substrate W is lowered, increasing the distance, or liquid depth, between the liquid surface and the substrate W. Therefore, even if the liquid surface level of the warm processing liquid slightly drops due to evaporation of water during the immersion process, the substrate W is reliably prevented from emerging from the processing liquid.

Description

Substrate processing method and substrate processing device

The present invention relates to a substrate processing method and apparatus for performing surface treatment, such as etching, on a substrate within a processing tank using a treatment liquid. The substrates to be processed include, for example, semiconductor substrates, liquid crystal display (LCD) substrates, flat panel display (FPD) substrates used in organic EL (electroluminescence) displays, optical disk substrates, magnetic disk substrates, magneto-optical disk substrates, photomask substrates, ceramic substrates, and solar cell substrates.

Conventionally, semiconductor device manufacturing processes utilize substrate processing apparatuses that perform various processes on semiconductor substrates (hereinafter referred to as "substrates"). One such substrate processing apparatus is a so-called one-bath method, in which multiple substrates are sequentially subjected to a chemical treatment using a chemical solution and a rinse treatment using pure water in a single processing tank (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Typically, a one-bath method substrate processing apparatus immerses multiple substrates in a chemical solution stored in the processing tank, supplies the chemical solution from the bottom of the tank, and allows the chemical solution to overflow from the top of the tank, thereby performing chemical treatments such as etching on the substrates. Furthermore, in a single-bath substrate processing system, at the end of a specific period of chemical liquid processing, pure water is supplied from the bottom of the processing tank while allowing the liquid to overflow from the top. This gradually replaces the liquid inside the processing tank with pure water. After the pure water is replaced, the substrates are rinsed with pure water. In a single-bath substrate processing system, the overflowing processing liquid is generally discarded.

Meanwhile, recent efforts towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) have garnered significant attention, with the goal of minimizing the amount of waste processing fluid. To address this demand, efforts are underway to develop processing tanks that can process substrates using even smaller amounts of processing fluid. Specifically, the development aims to reduce the tank capacity by approximately 5% by shortening the length and depth of the processing tank. [Prior Art] [Patent]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2010-232244

[Identify the problem you want to solve]

In such a processing tank with reduced capacity, since the size of the processing tank is reduced, the gap between the bottom surface of the processing tank and the substrate is narrower than before, which makes the flow of the processing liquid uneven. As a result, there is a situation where the etching characteristics of the substrate are uneven. In order to solve this problem, it is considered to raise the holding position of the substrate in the processing tank and set the gap between the bottom surface of the processing tank and the substrate to the same level as before. However, if the holding position of the substrate in the processing tank is raised, there is a problem that the upper end of the substrate may be exposed from the liquid surface of the processing liquid. In particular, in a one-bath substrate processing device, there is a situation in which the substrate is immersed in a heated temperature processing liquid. In this treatment, a large amount of water evaporates from the temperature processing liquid, causing the liquid level to gradually lower, so the upper end of the substrate is easily exposed from the liquid surface of the processing liquid.

The present invention was developed in light of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide a substrate processing method and substrate processing apparatus that can reliably prevent exposure of a substrate during immersion processing of the substrate using a warm treatment solution. [Technical Solution]

To solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention of Technical Solution 1 is characterized in that it is a substrate processing method for performing surface treatment on a substrate using a processing liquid in a processing tank, and comprises: a processing liquid supply step, in which the processing liquid is supplied to the processing tank while the substrate is present in the processing tank; and an immersion treatment step, in which the substrate is immersed in the heated processing liquid stored in the processing tank; and in the processing liquid supply step, the substrate is maintained at a first height position in the processing tank, and in the immersion treatment step, the substrate is maintained at a second height position in the processing tank, and the second height position is lower than the first height position.

Furthermore, the invention of Technical Solution 2 is characterized in that it is a substrate processing method for performing surface treatment on a substrate using a processing liquid in a processing tank, and comprises: a processing liquid supply step, in which the processing liquid is supplied to the processing tank while the substrate is present in the processing tank; and an immersion treatment step, in which the substrate is immersed in the heated processing liquid stored in the processing tank; and when performing the immersion treatment step, the distance from the liquid surface of the processing liquid stored in the processing tank to the substrate, that is, the liquid depth, is greater than a standard value.

Furthermore, the invention of Technical Solution 3 is characterized in that it is a substrate processing method for performing surface treatment on a substrate using a processing liquid in a processing tank, and comprises: a processing liquid supply step, in which the processing liquid is supplied to the processing tank while the substrate is present in the processing tank; and an immersion treatment step, in which the substrate is immersed in a heated temperature processing liquid stored in the processing tank; and when an instruction to perform the immersion treatment step is detected in the method, the holding position of the substrate in the processing tank is lowered.

Furthermore, the invention of technical solution 4 is characterized in that, in the substrate processing method of any one of the inventions of technical solutions 1 to 3, in the above-mentioned processing liquid supply step, the processing liquid is sprayed upward from the nozzle tube arranged at the bottom of the above-mentioned processing tank.

Furthermore, the invention of technical solution 5 is characterized in that, in the substrate processing method of the invention of technical solution 4, in the above-mentioned processing liquid supply step, the first processing liquid is sprayed from the above-mentioned nozzle tube, and the second processing liquid stored in the above-mentioned processing tank is replaced by the first processing liquid.

Furthermore, the invention of technical solution 6 is characterized in that, in the substrate processing method of the invention of technical solution 4 or 5, the spraying of the processing liquid from the nozzle tube is stopped during the immersion processing step.

Furthermore, the invention of technical solution 7 is characterized in that, in the substrate processing method of any one of the inventions of technical solutions 1 to 6, the temperature of the above-mentioned warm processing liquid is greater than 30° C. and less than 85° C.

In addition, the invention of technical solution 8 is characterized in that it is a substrate processing device that performs surface treatment on a substrate using a processing liquid in a processing tank, and is equipped with: a processing liquid supply part that supplies processing liquid to the above-mentioned processing tank; a lifting part that raises and lowers the holding position of the substrate in the above-mentioned processing tank; and a control part that controls the movement of the above-mentioned lifting part; and when there is a substrate in the above-mentioned processing tank, the above-mentioned processing liquid supply part holds the substrate at a first height position in the above-mentioned processing tank when supplying processing liquid to the above-mentioned processing tank, and holds the substrate at a second height position in the above-mentioned processing tank when immersing the substrate in the heated temperature processing liquid stored in the above-mentioned processing tank, and the above-mentioned control part controls the above-mentioned lifting part in such a manner that the above-mentioned second height position is lower than the above-mentioned first height position.

Furthermore, the invention of Technical Solution 9 is characterized in that it is a substrate processing device that performs surface treatment on a substrate using a processing liquid in a processing tank, and is equipped with: a processing liquid supply unit that supplies processing liquid to the above-mentioned processing tank; a lifting unit that raises and lowers the holding position of the substrate in the above-mentioned processing tank; and a control unit that controls the movement of the above-mentioned lifting unit; and when the substrate is immersed in the heated temperature processing liquid stored in the above-mentioned processing tank, the above-mentioned control unit controls the above-mentioned lifting unit in such a manner that the distance from the liquid surface of the processing liquid stored in the above-mentioned processing tank to the substrate, that is, the liquid depth, is greater than a standard value.

Furthermore, the invention of technical solution 10 is characterized in that it is a substrate processing device that performs surface treatment on a substrate using a processing liquid in a processing tank, and is equipped with: a processing liquid supply unit that supplies processing liquid to the above-mentioned processing tank; a lifting unit that raises and lowers the holding position of the substrate in the above-mentioned processing tank; and a control unit that controls the movement of the above-mentioned lifting unit; and when the above-mentioned control unit detects an instruction in the recipe to execute the step of immersing the substrate in the heated temperature processing liquid stored in the above-mentioned processing tank, the above-mentioned lifting unit is controlled in such a manner that the holding position of the substrate in the above-mentioned processing tank is lowered.

Furthermore, the invention of technical solution 11 is characterized in that, in the substrate processing apparatus of any one of the inventions of technical solutions 8 to 10, the processing liquid supply portion has a nozzle tube disposed at the bottom of the processing tank for spraying the processing liquid upward.

Furthermore, the invention of claim 12 is characterized in that, in the substrate processing apparatus of any one of claims 8 to 11, the temperature of the warm treatment liquid is not less than 30°C and not more than 85°C. [Effects of the Invention]

According to the invention of technical solution 1 and technical solutions 4 to 7, during the treatment liquid supply step, the substrate is maintained at a first height position in the treatment tank, and during the immersion treatment step, the substrate is maintained at a second height position in the treatment tank, and the second height position is lower than the first height position. Therefore, during the immersion treatment step, even if the liquid level of the warm treatment liquid slightly decreases due to evaporation of water, the substrate does not emerge from the warm treatment liquid, which can reliably prevent the substrate from being exposed during the immersion treatment of the substrate using the warm treatment liquid.

According to the invention of technical solution 2, when performing the immersion treatment step, the distance from the liquid level of the treatment liquid stored in the treatment tank to the substrate, that is, the liquid depth, is greater than the standard value. Therefore, even if the liquid level of the warm treatment liquid drops slightly due to evaporation of water during the immersion treatment step, the substrate will not be exposed from the warm treatment liquid. This can reliably prevent the substrate from being exposed during the immersion treatment of the substrate using the warm treatment liquid.

According to the invention of technical solution 3, when the instruction to perform the immersion treatment step is detected in the process, the holding position of the substrate in the treatment tank is lowered. Therefore, even if the liquid level of the warm treatment liquid drops slightly due to evaporation of water during the immersion treatment step, the substrate will not be exposed from the warm treatment liquid. This can reliably prevent the substrate from being exposed during the immersion treatment of the substrate using the warm treatment liquid.

According to the inventions of Technical Solution 8 and Technical Solutions 11 and 12, when a substrate is present in a processing tank, the processing liquid supply unit maintains the substrate at a first height position in the processing tank when supplying processing liquid to the processing tank, and when immersing the substrate in the heated warm processing liquid stored in the processing tank, the substrate is maintained at a second height position in the processing tank. The second height position is lower than the first height position. Therefore, even if the liquid level of the warm processing liquid slightly drops due to evaporation of water during the immersion treatment, the substrate will not be exposed from the warm processing liquid, thereby reliably preventing the substrate from being exposed during the immersion treatment of the substrate using the warm processing liquid.

According to the invention of technical solution 9, when the substrate is immersed in the heated temperature treatment liquid stored in the treatment tank, because the distance from the liquid surface of the treatment liquid stored in the treatment tank to the substrate, that is, the liquid depth, is greater than the standard value, even if the liquid surface of the temperature treatment liquid slightly drops due to evaporation of water during the immersion treatment, the substrate will not be exposed from the temperature treatment liquid, which can effectively prevent the substrate from being exposed during the immersion treatment of the substrate using the temperature treatment liquid.

According to the invention of technical solution 10, when the control unit detects an instruction to execute the step of immersing the substrate in the heated temperature treatment liquid stored in the treatment tank, the lifting unit is controlled in such a way that the holding position of the substrate in the treatment tank is lowered. Therefore, even if the liquid level of the temperature treatment liquid slightly decreases due to evaporation of water during the immersion treatment, the substrate will not be exposed from the temperature treatment liquid, which can effectively prevent the substrate from being exposed during the immersion treatment of the substrate using the temperature treatment liquid.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

<First Embodiment> Figure 1 shows the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention. Substrate processing apparatus 1 is a batch-type substrate processing apparatus that performs surface treatment on a plurality of substrates W, such as semiconductor wafers, using a processing liquid. In Figure 1 and subsequent figures, the dimensions and numbers of various components are exaggerated or simplified as necessary to facilitate understanding.

The substrate processing apparatus 1 is a so-called one-bath substrate processing apparatus that sequentially performs chemical treatment using a chemical solution and a pure water cleaning process on a plurality of substrates W in a single processing tank 10. The chemical solution includes, for example, a liquid for etching or a liquid for removing particles. Specifically, SC-1 liquid (a mixed solution of hydrogen hydroxide, hydrogen peroxide, and pure water), SC-2 liquid (a mixed solution of hydrochloric acid, hydrogen peroxide, and pure water), or hydrofluoric acid are used. Chemical solutions also include those diluted with pure water. In this specification, various chemical solutions and pure water are collectively referred to as the "processing solution."

As shown in FIG1 , a substrate processing apparatus 1 mainly includes: a processing tank 10 for storing a processing liquid; an elevator 20 for holding a plurality of substrates (hereinafter referred to as "substrates") W and lifting them up and down; a processing liquid supply unit 30 for supplying the processing liquid to the processing tank 10; a processing liquid recovery unit 40 for recovering the processing liquid from the processing tank 10; a chamber 50 for accommodating the processing tank 10; a nitrogen supply unit 60 for supplying nitrogen to the interior of the chamber 50; and a control unit 70 for controlling the operation of each unit within the apparatus.

The processing tank 10 is a storage container made of a chemical-resistant material such as quartz. The processing tank 10 comprises an inner tank 11 that sequentially stores various processing liquids and immerses the substrate W therein, and an outer tank 12 formed at the upper periphery of the inner tank 11.

At the bottom of the inner tank 11, a pair of nozzle tubes 13a and 13b are disposed to spray the processing liquid into the inner tank 11. Each nozzle tube 13a and 13b is a long, cylindrical tubular member. Each nozzle tube 13a and 13b has a plurality of nozzles (not shown) spaced evenly along its length. The processing liquid supplied to the nozzle tubes 13a and 13b is ejected from these plurality of nozzles into the inner tank 11 and stored therein. The nozzle tubes 13a and 13b spray the processing liquid diagonally upward toward the substrate W held within the processing tank 10. When the treatment liquid is stored in the inner tank 11 and is ejected from the nozzles 13a and 13b, an upward flow (upward flow) of the treatment liquid is formed within the inner tank 11. Furthermore, when the treatment liquid is stored at the upper end of the inner tank 11 and is ejected from the nozzles 13a and 13b, the treatment liquid overflows from the upper portion of the inner tank 11 and flows into the outer tank 12.

Furthermore, a pair of shower nozzles 14a and 14b are provided above the inner tank 11 to spray the processing liquid into the inner tank 11. Like the nozzle tubes 13a and 13b described above, the shower nozzles 14a and 14b are elongated, cylindrical tubular components. Each shower nozzle 14a and 14b has a plurality of nozzles (not shown) spaced evenly along its longitudinal direction. The processing liquid supplied to the shower nozzles 14a and 14b is sprayed from these plurality of nozzles into the inner tank 11. The shower nozzles 14a and 14b spray the processing liquid diagonally downward toward the substrate W held within the processing tank 10.

Furthermore, a specific resistance meter 15 is installed within inner tank 11 to measure the specific resistance of the treatment solution. Specific resistance meter 15 comprises a pair of metal electrodes and measures the specific resistance of the treatment solution by measuring the resistance between the metal electrodes immersed in the treatment solution. When the chemical solution in treatment tank 10 is replaced with pure water, specific resistance meter 15 measures the specific resistance of the treatment solution stored within treatment tank 10 and transmits the obtained specific resistance value to control unit 70. Alternatively, specific resistance meter 15 may include a temperature sensor built into the metal electrode, which transmits a converted value of the specific resistance at a specific temperature to control unit 70.

Because the processing tank 10 of this embodiment reduces the amount of processing liquid consumed, its tank capacity is smaller than that of previously used typical processing tanks. Specifically, the depth from the top to the bottom of the inner tank 11 is reduced, and the length of the inner tank 11 perpendicular to the paper plane of FIG. 1 is also shortened. As a result, the tank capacity of the processing tank 10 is reduced by approximately 5% compared to a previously used typical processing tank (hereinafter referred to as the "previous tank").

The lifter 20 is a transport mechanism for holding the substrate W inside the chamber 50 while transporting it up and down. The lifter 20 has three holding rods 21 extending in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface in Figure 1, and a plurality of (for example, 50) holding grooves are engraved on each holding rod 21. The substrate W is held on the three holding rods 21 in a vertical position (with the normal of the main surface in the horizontal direction) parallel to each other with its peripheral portion engaged with the holding groove. In addition, the lifter 20 is connected to the driving mechanism 22 conceptually shown in Figure 1. When the driving mechanism 22 is activated, the lifter 20 moves up and down, and the substrate W moves up and down between the immersion position inside the processing tank 10 (the state of Figure 1) and the lifting position above the processing tank 10 as shown by the arrow AR1. Furthermore, the lifter 20 also functions as a lift unit for raising and lowering the holding position of the substrate W in the processing tank 10 by slightly moving up and down.

The treatment liquid supply unit 30 is a piping system used to supply treatment liquid to the nozzle tubes 13a, 13b and the shower nozzles 14a, 14b. As shown in Figure 1, the treatment liquid supply unit 30 comprises a pure water supply source 31, a chemical liquid supply source 37, a mixing valve 32, a heater 33, pipes 35a, 35b, and 36, and valves 39a and 39b. The base end of pipe 36 is connected to the pure water supply source 31. The front end of pipe 36 branches into pipes 35a and 35b. The front end of pipe 35a further branches into two branches, each connected to a pair of nozzle tubes 13a and 13b. Valve 39a, mixing valve 32, and heater 33 are inserted midway along pipe 35. Meanwhile, pipe 35b branches into two branches at the front end, each connected to a pair of shower nozzles 14a and 14b. Valve 39b is inserted midway along pipe 35b.

Mixing valve 32 is connected to piping 35a for supplying pure water, and is also connected to one or more chemical supply sources 37 via valve 38. These chemical supply sources 37 include, for example, sources for hydrogen hydroxide, hydrochloric acid, hydrogen peroxide, and hydrofluoric acid. When valve 39a and the selected valve 38 are opened, pure water supplied from pure water supply source 31 and chemical supply source 37 (the chemical supply source 37 corresponding to the selected valve 38) are mixed in a specific ratio within mixing valve 32. This produces a chemical solution diluted with pure water for use as the treatment solution. The treatment liquid generated by the mixing valve 32 flows through the piping 35a and is supplied to a pair of nozzle tubes 13a and 13b. From the multiple nozzle openings of the nozzle tubes 13a and 13b, the liquid is supplied to the treatment tank 10. Furthermore, two or more valves 38 may be selected when generating the liquid. For example, if two valves 38 corresponding to the hydrochloric acid and hydrogen peroxide supply sources are selected and opened, the hydrochloric acid, hydrogen peroxide, and pure water will mix in the mixing valve 32, producing the SC-2 solution.

On the other hand, if all valves 38 are closed and only valve 39a is open, mixing in mixing valve 32 is not performed. Pure water supplied from pure water supply source 31 flows directly through mixing valve 32, into pipe 35a, and is supplied to the pair of nozzle pipes 13a and 13b. In this case, pure water is supplied to treatment tank 10 from the multiple nozzles of nozzle pipes 13a and 13b.

Furthermore, heater 33, controlled by control unit 70, heats the treatment liquid flowing through piping 35a. When the chemical liquid produced by mixing valve 32 flows through piping 35a, heater 33 heats the chemical liquid, and the heated warm chemical liquid is supplied to treatment tank 10 from nozzle pipes 13a and 13b. On the other hand, when pure water flows through piping 35a without mixing in mixing valve 32, heater 33 heats the pure water, and heated warm pure water is supplied to treatment tank 10 from nozzle pipes 13a and 13b. In this specification, warm chemical liquid and warm pure water are collectively referred to as "warm treatment liquid."

When valve 39b is opened, pure water supplied from pure water supply source 31 flows through pipe 35b and is supplied to a pair of shower nozzles 14a and 14b. The water is then ejected from the plurality of nozzles of shower nozzles 14a and 14b into treatment tank 10. Furthermore, the operation is not limited to selectively opening either valve 39a or valve 39b; both valves may be opened simultaneously.

The treatment liquid recovery unit 40 is a piping system for recovering treatment liquid from the treatment tank 10 and discharging the recovered treatment liquid. As shown in FIG1 , the treatment liquid recovery unit 40 includes piping 41 , 42 , 43 and valves 44 , 45 .

The front end of pipe 41 is connected to outer tank 12. Meanwhile, the front end of pipe 42 is connected to the bottom of inner tank 11. Pipes 41 and 42 merge at their base ends and are connected to pipe 43. A valve 44 is inserted midway along the path of pipe 41. A valve 45 is inserted midway along the path of pipe 42. The base end of pipe 43 is connected to drainage equipment in the factory where substrate processing apparatus 1 is installed.

In this treatment liquid recovery unit 40, when valve 44 is opened, the treatment liquid that overflows from the inner tank 11 and flows into the outer tank 12 is recovered in pipe 41 and discharged to a drain through pipe 43. Furthermore, when valve 45 is opened, the treatment liquid stored in the inner tank 11 is rapidly discharged into pipe 42 and then discharged to a drain through pipe 43.

The chamber 50 is a housing made of an airtight material. The interior of the chamber 50 serves as a processing space for processing substrates W, and a processing tank 10 is disposed in the processing space. An opening 51 for loading and unloading substrates W is formed at the top of the chamber 50. The opening 51 is closed and opened by a sliding cover 52. When the opening 51 is opened, substrates W can be loaded and unloaded through the opening 51. Furthermore, when the opening 51 is closed, the processing space within the chamber 50 can be set as a sealed space isolated from the outside. The sliding cover 52 is slidably moved by a drive mechanism 53 conceptually shown in FIG. 1 .

Above the processing tank 10 inside the chamber 50, a pair of nitrogen nozzles 54a and 54b are arranged to spray nitrogen gas into the interior of the chamber 50. A plurality of nozzles (not shown) are formed in each of the nitrogen nozzles 54a and 54b. Therefore, when nitrogen is supplied to the nitrogen nozzles 54a and 54b, nitrogen is sprayed into the interior of the chamber 50 from the plurality of nozzles of the nitrogen nozzles 54a and 54b. Furthermore, a pipe 55 for exhaust is connected near the bottom of the chamber 50. A valve 56 is inserted midway along the path of the pipe 55, and the downstream side of the pipe 55 is connected to the exhaust equipment in the factory. Therefore, by opening the valve 56, the gas inside the chamber 50 can be discharged to the exhaust equipment through the pipe 55.

The nitrogen supply unit 60 is a piping system used to supply nitrogen, an inert gas, to the nitrogen nozzles 54a and 54b. As shown in Figure 1, the nitrogen supply unit 60 comprises a nitrogen supply source 61, piping 62, and a valve 63. The base end of piping 62 is connected to the nitrogen supply source 61, and a valve 63 is inserted midway along the path of piping 62. Furthermore, the front end of piping 62 branches into two, each connected to a pair of nitrogen nozzles 54a and 54b. Therefore, when valve 63 is opened, nitrogen is supplied from the nitrogen supply source 61 through piping 62 to the pair of nitrogen nozzles 54a and 54b, and nitrogen is ejected from the multiple nozzles of nitrogen nozzles 54a and 54b into the interior of the chamber 50.

The control unit 70 controls the various operating mechanisms installed in the substrate processing apparatus 1. The hardware configuration of the control unit 70 is similar to that of a typical computer. Specifically, the control unit 70 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) circuit for performing various computational processing; ROM (Read-Only Memory) for storing basic programs; RAM (Random Access Memory) for storing various data; and a memory unit (e.g., a disk) for pre-storing control software and data. The control unit 70 is electrically connected to the drive mechanism 22 of the elevator 20 and valves 39a and 39b.

Furthermore, a recipe containing procedures and prescribed conditions for processing substrates W (hereinafter referred to as a "processing recipe") is stored in the memory unit of the control unit 70. The processing recipe is input by an operator of the apparatus via an input unit 72 (described later) and stored in the memory unit, and then retrieved by the substrate processing apparatus 1. Alternatively, the processing recipe may be transferred from a host computer that manages a plurality of substrate processing apparatuses 1 to the substrate processing apparatus 1 via communication and stored in the memory unit. Based on the description of the processing recipe stored in the memory unit, the control unit 70 controls the operation of the drive mechanism 22 or valves 39a, 39b, and performs surface processing of the substrate W as described in the processing recipe.

Furthermore, a display unit 71 and an input unit 72 are connected to the control unit 70. The display unit 71 and the input unit 72 function as a user interface of the substrate processing apparatus 1. The control unit 70 displays various information on the display unit 71. The operator of the substrate processing apparatus 1 can input various commands or parameters from the input unit 72 while confirming the information displayed on the display unit 71. As the input unit 72, for example, a keyboard or a mouse can be used. As the display unit 71, for example, a liquid crystal display can be used. In this embodiment, a liquid crystal touch panel provided on the outer wall of the substrate processing apparatus 1 is used as the display unit 71 and the input unit 72, and has the functions of both.

Next, the processing operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 will be described. FIG2 is a flow chart showing the processing procedure of the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. The processing procedure shown below is performed by the control unit 70 controlling each operating mechanism of the substrate processing apparatus 1.

First, warm pure water is stored in the treatment tank 10 (step S10). Specifically, the control unit 70 opens valves 39a and 44 while valve 38 is closed. This allows pure water to be supplied from the pure water supply source 31 to the nozzle pipes 13a and 13b via the pipes 36 and 35a. Furthermore, the heater 33 heats the pure water flowing through the pipe 35a. This causes the heated warm pure water to be sprayed from the nozzle pipes 13a and 13b into the inner tank 11 of the treatment tank 10. The warm pure water sprayed from the nozzle pipes 13a and 13b is gradually stored in the inner tank 11 and soon overflows from the upper portion of the inner tank 11 into the outer tank 12. FIG3 schematically shows a state where the inner tank 11 of the treatment tank 10 stores a treatment liquid (here, warm pure water).

Next, the controller 70 activates the drive mechanism 53, causing the lid 52 to slide and open the opening 51 of the chamber 50. Furthermore, the plurality of substrates W transferred from the previous step are brought into the chamber 50 through the opening 51 by a transfer mechanism outside the apparatus. Inside the chamber 50, the elevator 20 stands by above the processing tank 10. The substrates W brought into the chamber 50 by the transfer mechanism are transferred to the elevator 20 and placed on the three holding rods 21 of the elevator 20. When the substrates W are fully loaded, the transfer mechanism withdraws from the chamber 50, and the controller 70 again causes the lid 52 to slide and close the opening 51 of the chamber 50. This creates a sealed space within the chamber 50.

Next, the control unit 70 activates the drive mechanism 22, causing the elevator 20 to descend, immersing the substrate W in the warm pure water stored in the processing tank 10. During this stage, the substrate W is held at the upper position (first height position) in the processing tank 10 by the elevator 20 (step S11). Figure 4 schematically shows the state in which the substrate W is held at the upper position in the processing tank 10. The "upper position" is a position higher than the "lower position" described later. The distance from the liquid surface of the warm pure water stored in the processing tank 10 to the upper end of the substrate W held in the upper position, that is, the liquid depth d1, is, for example, 4 mm. As described above, the depth of the processing tank 10 in this embodiment is smaller than that of a typical processing tank previously used. However, when the substrate W is held in the upper position, the distance between the lower end of the elevator 20 and the bottom surface of the processing tank 10 is the same as that in conventional tanks. In other words, the "upper position" is a position for holding the substrate W where the distance between the lower end of the elevator 20 and the bottom surface of the processing tank 10 is the same as that in conventional tanks.

Then, the controller 70 opens valve 63, causing nitrogen to be ejected from nitrogen nozzles 54a and 54b into chamber 50. Valve 56 is then opened to evacuate chamber 50. This creates a nitrogen atmosphere within the processing space within chamber 50. This nitrogen ejection and evacuation continues throughout the following processing. Therefore, the processing space within chamber 50 is always filled with nitrogen.

After holding the substrate W at the upper side of the processing tank 10, the controller 70 maintains valves 39a and 44 open while opening a specific valve 38 (or multiple valves 38). This allows pure water supplied from the pure water supply source 31 and a chemical solution supplied from a specific chemical solution supply source 37 (the chemical solution supply source 37 corresponding to the opened valve 38) to mix in a specific ratio in the mixing valve 32, producing a processing chemical solution. The processing chemical solution produced by the mixing valve 32 is heated by the heater 33 and supplied as a warm chemical solution to the nozzle pipes 13a and 13b. The supplied warm chemical solution is ejected from the nozzle pipes 13a and 13b into the interior of the inner tank 11.

If warm chemical liquid is sprayed obliquely upward from the nozzle pipes 13a and 13b while warm chemical liquid is stored in the treatment tank 10, a flow of warm chemical liquid from the bottom to the top is formed in the treatment tank 10. That is, an upward flow of the warm chemical liquid is performed (step S12). Furthermore, as the warm chemical liquid is sprayed from the nozzle pipes 13a and 13b, the warm chemical liquid stored in the inner tank 11 overflows into the outer tank 12 and is drained through the treatment liquid recovery unit 40. Furthermore, as the amount of warm chemical liquid sprayed from the nozzle pipes 13a and 13b increases, the warm chemical liquid stored in the treatment tank 10 is gradually replaced with the chemical liquid for treatment, and the concentration of the chemical liquid in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank 10 increases.

When the warm chemical liquid is flowed upstream, the surface of the substrate W is exposed to the chemical liquid, and the surface treatment of the substrate W (etching treatment in this embodiment) is performed. Here, in this embodiment, the warm chemical liquid is flowed upstream while the substrate W is held at an upper position in the processing tank 10. If the warm chemical liquid is flowed upstream while the holding position of the substrate W is relatively low and the gap between the lower end of the elevator 20 and the bottom surface of the processing tank 10 is narrow, there is a risk that the flow of the warm chemical liquid will become uneven, and the uniformity of the etching treatment will be reduced. In this embodiment, since the substrate W is held at an upper position, the gap between the lower end of the elevator 20 and the bottom surface of the processing tank 10 is the same as that of the previous tank, so the flow of the warm chemical liquid is not uneven, and the uniformity of the etching treatment can be maintained.

In addition, when the warm chemical liquid is flowing upward, since the treatment liquid continuously overflows from the upper end of the inner tank 11 to the outer tank 12, even if the distance from the liquid surface of the treatment liquid to the upper end of the substrate W, that is, the liquid depth d1, is short, there is no risk that the upper end of the substrate W will be exposed from the liquid surface of the treatment liquid.

After a specific period of time has passed since the warm chemical liquid began to flow upward, when the chemical liquid concentration in treatment tank 10 reaches a specific value, control unit 70 closes valve 39a and valve 38, stopping the upward flow of the warm chemical liquid (step S13). When the upward flow of the warm chemical liquid stops, overflow from inner tank 11 to outer tank 12 does not occur, so valve 44 can also be closed.

When the upward flow of the warm chemical solution stops, the warm chemical solution of a specific concentration is statically stored in the inner tank 11 of the processing tank 10. The temperature of the warm chemical solution at this time is between 30°C and 85°C. After the upward flow of the warm chemical solution stops, the control unit 70 activates the drive mechanism 22 to lower the elevator 20, thereby lowering the substrate W to the lower position (second height position) within the processing tank 10 (step S14). Specifically, when the control unit 70 detects an instruction in the processing recipe to execute the step of immersing the substrate W in the warm processing solution stored in the processing tank 10, it controls the elevator 20 so that the holding position of the substrate W within the processing tank 10 is lowered from the upper position to the lower position.

Figure 5 schematically illustrates a substrate W held in the lower position within processing tank 10. The "lower position" is lower than the "upper position" shown in Figure 4. The distance from the liquid surface of the warm chemical solution stored in processing tank 10 to the upper end of substrate W held in the lower position, or liquid depth d2, is, for example, 9 mm. When substrate W is held in the lower position, the distance between the lower end of elevator 20 and the bottom surface of processing tank 10 is shorter than that in the previous tank. Furthermore, the liquid depth d2 when substrate W is held in the lower position is equal to the liquid depth in the previous tank.

If the supply of the processing liquid is stopped and the substrate W is held in the lower position while the warm chemical solution is stored in the processing tank 10, the entire substrate W is immersed in the warm chemical solution and an immersion process is performed (step S15). In this embodiment, an etching process is performed on the substrate W using the warm chemical solution. If the substrate W is held in the lower position and the gap between the lower end of the elevator 20 and the bottom surface of the processing tank 10 is narrower than that of the previous tank, the warm chemical solution may flow unevenly, thereby reducing the uniformity of the etching process. However, since the upflow of the warm chemical solution is stopped during the immersion process, the flow of the warm chemical solution is not uneven, and the uniformity of the etching process can be maintained.

Furthermore, since the supply of new warm chemical solution to the processing tank 10 is not complete during the immersion process, water continues to evaporate from the warm chemical solution, which has been heated to between 30°C and 85°C. Consequently, the liquid level of the warm chemical solution stored in the processing tank 10 gradually decreases. Assuming that the substrate W is held in an upper position during the immersion process and the liquid depth d1 is set to 4 mm, even a slight decrease in the liquid level of the warm chemical solution could cause the top of the substrate W to emerge from the liquid surface. This could cause etching to cease in the exposed portion, compromising the in-plane uniformity of the etching process. In this embodiment, during the immersion process, the substrate W is maintained in the lower position and the liquid depth d2 is 9 mm. Therefore, even if the liquid level of the warm chemical solution slightly drops due to water evaporation, the upper end of the substrate W does not appear from the liquid surface of the warm chemical solution, and the uniformity of the etching process can be maintained.

After a specific time has passed since the start of the immersion process, the control unit 70 controls the elevator 20 to raise the substrate W again to the upper position within the processing tank 10 (see FIG. 4 ) (step S16). Specifically, upon detecting an instruction in the processing recipe to perform a cleaning process on the substrate W, the control unit 70 controls the elevator 20 to raise the substrate W from the lower position to the upper position within the processing tank 10.

Furthermore, while raising substrate W to the upper position, controller 70 opens valves 39a and 44 while valve 38 remains closed. This causes pure water to be supplied from pure water supply source 31 via pipes 36 and 35a to nozzle tubes 13a and 13b, and to be ejected from nozzle tubes 13a and 13b into processing tank 10. At this time, pure water is not heated by heater 33. When pure water is ejected diagonally upward from nozzle tubes 13a and 13b while warm chemical solution is stored in processing tank 10, a pure water flow from bottom to top is formed within processing tank 10, achieving pure water upflow. Thus, the substrate W is cleaned with pure water (step S17).

During the cleaning process, as pure water is sprayed from nozzles 13a and 13b, the warm chemical solution stored in inner tank 11 overflows into outer tank 12 and is drained through treatment liquid recovery unit 40. Furthermore, as the amount of pure water sprayed from nozzles 13a and 13b increases, the warm chemical solution stored in treatment tank 10 is gradually replaced with pure water, reducing the chemical concentration in the treatment liquid within treatment tank 10.

During the cleaning process, the specific resistance value of the treatment solution in the treatment tank 10 is measured by the specific resistance meter 15. The specific resistance value measured by the specific resistance meter 15 is transmitted to the control unit 70. Pure water begins to flow upstream, and as the purity of the pure water in the treatment tank 10 increases (i.e., as the concentration of the chemical solution decreases), the specific resistance value obtained by the specific resistance meter 15 gradually increases. Based on the measurement results of the specific resistance meter 15, the control unit 70 monitors the replacement status in the treatment tank 10. If the specific resistance value measured by the specific resistance meter 15 exceeds a specific threshold value, it can be considered that the treatment solution in the treatment tank 10 is being replaced from the chemical solution to pure water. By replacing the processing liquid in the processing tank 10 with pure water, the etching of the substrate W is stopped, and the surface of the etched substrate W is cleaned by pure water.

When a specific time has passed since the specific resistance value measured by the specific resistance meter 15 exceeded a specific threshold value, the control unit 70 closes valve 39a and opens valve 39b. Closing valve 39a stops the flow of pure water from the nozzle tubes 13a and 13b. Opening valve 39b, on the other hand, allows pure water to be supplied from the pure water supply source 31 via the pipes 36 and 35b to the shower nozzles 14a and 14b. The shower nozzles 14a and 14b then spray the pure water onto the substrate W held at the upper side of the processing tank 10.

Next, the control unit 70 opens valve 45. Opening valve 45 rapidly drains the pure water stored in the inner tank 11 of the processing tank 10. Because the flow rate of this rapid drainage significantly exceeds the flow rate of pure water ejected from the shower nozzles 14a and 14b, the liquid level within the processing tank 10 rapidly drops. As the liquid level within the processing tank 10 drops, the substrates W emerge from the liquid surface. Pure water is supplied to the exposed portions from the shower nozzles 14a and 14b, cleaning the substrates W. This completes the shower cleaning process for the substrates W (step S18). Figure 6 schematically illustrates the shower cleaning process for the substrates W.

After the shower cleaning process for a specified period of time is completed, the control unit 70 closes the valve 39b, stopping the spraying of pure water from the shower nozzles 14a and 14b, and activates the drive mechanism 22 to raise the elevator 20 and lift the substrate W from the processing tank 10 (step S19). Thereafter, the control unit 70 activates the drive mechanism 53 to slide the cover 52 and open the opening 51 of the chamber 50. Next, the transport mechanism outside the apparatus enters the chamber 50 through the opening 51 and receives the processed substrate W from the elevator 20. The transport mechanism, having received the substrate W, exits the chamber 50 and transports the substrate W to a subsequent step (e.g., a decompression drying step). As described above, a series of processes in the substrate processing apparatus 1 is completed.

In the first embodiment, the substrate W is held at an upper position within the processing tank 10 ( FIG. 4 ) during the upstream processing liquid supply step (step S12 ) while the substrate W is present within the processing tank 10. Therefore, the distance between the lower end of the elevator 20 and the bottom of the processing tank 10 remains the same as in the previous tanks, ensuring uniformity in the flow of the warm chemical within the processing tank 10 and maintaining uniform etching processing.

Meanwhile, during the immersion treatment step (step S15), in which the substrate W is immersed in the warm chemical solution stored in the processing tank 10 while the supply of the processing liquid is stopped, the substrate W is held at a lower position within the processing tank 10 ( FIG. 5 ). Specifically, during the immersion treatment step, the substrate W is held at a lower position than during the processing liquid supply step. Since the substrate W is held at a lower position within the processing tank 10 during the immersion treatment step, even if the warm chemical solution level slightly drops due to evaporation during the treatment, there is no risk of the top of the substrate W being exposed above the warm chemical solution surface. Furthermore, during the immersion treatment step, since the spraying of the treatment liquid from the nozzle tubes 13a and 13b is stopped, the treatment liquid will not flow in the treatment tank 10. Even if the gap between the lower end of the lifter 20 and the bottom surface of the treatment tank 10 is narrow, the flow of the treatment liquid will not be uneven.

In summary, during the process of supplying the processing liquid without the risk of the upper end of the substrate W protruding from the liquid surface, the substrate W is held at the upper side of the processing tank 10, ensuring that the distance between the lower end of the elevator 20 and the bottom of the processing tank 10 is the same as that of the previous tank. Furthermore, the distance from the liquid surface of the processing liquid stored in the processing tank 10 to the upper end of the substrate W, i.e., the liquid depth d1, when the substrate W is held at the upper side of the processing tank 10, serves as the reference value for the liquid depth. On the other hand, only during an immersion treatment using a warm treatment liquid, when there is a risk of the upper end of the substrate W being exposed from the liquid surface due to a drop in the liquid level caused by water evaporation, the substrate W is lowered to a lower position within the treatment tank 10 so that the distance from the liquid surface of the treatment liquid stored in the treatment tank 10 to the upper end of the substrate W, i.e., the liquid depth d2, is greater than a reference value. This reliably prevents the substrate W from being exposed during the immersion treatment of the substrate W using the warm treatment liquid.

<Second Embodiment> Next, the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment ( FIG. 1 ). However, the processing procedure for substrates W in the second embodiment differs from that in the first embodiment.

FIG7 is a flowchart illustrating the processing procedure for substrates W according to the second embodiment. First, warm water is stored in the processing tank 10 (step S20). This process is identical to step S10 of the first embodiment ( FIG2 ). Warm water heated by heater 33 is ejected from nozzles 13a and 13b and stored in the processing tank 10.

Next, in the second embodiment, the substrate W is not immersed in the treatment liquid, and the upstream flow of the chemical liquid is performed (step S21). That is, when no substrate W is present in the treatment tank 10, the control unit 70 opens valve 39a and a specific valve 38, and mixes the chemical liquid and pure water in a specific ratio in the mixing valve 32 to produce a treatment chemical liquid. The produced treatment chemical liquid is heated by the heater 33 and supplied as a warm chemical liquid to the nozzle tubes 13a and 13b. The supplied warm chemical liquid is ejected from the nozzle tubes 13a and 13b into the interior of the treatment tank 10 where no substrate W is present. The warm chemical liquid ejected from the nozzle tubes 13a and 13b forms a flow of the warm chemical liquid from the bottom to the top within the treatment tank 10. That is, the warm chemical liquid is flowed upward. As the warm chemical liquid is sprayed from the nozzle pipes 13a and 13b, the warm pure water stored in the treatment tank 10 is gradually replaced with the chemical liquid for treatment.

After a specific period of time has passed since the start of the warm chemical upflow, when the chemical concentration within processing tank 10 reaches a specific value, the warm chemical upflow is stopped (step S22). Once the warm chemical upflow is stopped, the warm chemical at the specific concentration remains statically stored within inner tank 11 of processing tank 10. The temperature of the warm chemical at this point is between 30°C and 85°C. In the second embodiment, steps S20-S22 serve as preparatory processing for substrate W prior to the main processing.

Next, the controller 70 slides the lid 52 to open the opening 51 of the chamber 50. A transfer mechanism outside the apparatus then loads a plurality of substrates W into the chamber 50. The elevator 20 receives the substrates W from the transfer mechanism above the processing tank 10. When the substrates W have been loaded, the transfer mechanism withdraws from the chamber 50, and the controller 70 again slides the lid 52 to close the opening 51 of the chamber 50.

Next, the control unit 70 activates the drive mechanism 22 to lower the elevator 20, immersing the substrate W in the warm chemical solution stored in the processing tank 10. During this stage, the substrate W is held in a lower position in the processing tank 10 by the elevator 20 (see FIG. 5 ) (step S23). Specifically, when the control unit 70 detects an instruction in the processing recipe to execute the step of immersing the substrate W in the warm chemical solution stored in the processing tank 10, it controls the elevator 20 so that the substrate W is held in the lower position in the processing tank 10. Similar to the first embodiment, the distance from the liquid surface of the warm chemical solution stored in the processing tank 10 to the upper end of the substrate W held in the lower position, i.e., the liquid depth d2, is, for example, 9 mm.

If the supply of the processing liquid is stopped and the substrate W is held in the lower position while the processing tank 10 is filled with warm chemical liquid, the entire substrate W is immersed in the warm chemical liquid, and the immersion process is performed (step S24). In the second embodiment, etching of the substrate W using the warm chemical liquid is also performed during the immersion process. Because the substrate W is held in the lower position during the immersion process, the liquid depth d2 is 9 mm. Therefore, even if the liquid level of the warm chemical liquid slightly drops due to evaporation of water, the upper end of the substrate W does not protrude from the liquid surface of the warm chemical liquid, thereby maintaining uniform etching.

After a specific time has passed since the start of the immersion process, the control unit 70 controls the elevator 20 to raise the substrate W to an upper position within the processing tank 10 (see FIG. 4 ) (step S25). Specifically, upon detecting an instruction in the processing recipe to perform a cleaning process on the substrate W, the control unit 70 controls the elevator 20 to raise the substrate W from its lower position to its upper position within the processing tank 10.

Simultaneously with raising the substrate W to the upper position, the controller 70 opens valves 39a and 44, allowing pure water to be sprayed from the nozzle pipes 13a and 13b into the processing tank 10. At this time, the pure water is not heated by the heater 33. While warm chemical solution is stored in the processing tank 10, the pure water is sprayed diagonally upward from the nozzle pipes 13a and 13b, creating a pure water flow from the bottom to the top within the processing tank 10, achieving pure water upflow. This allows the substrate W to be cleaned using pure water (step S26).

During the cleaning process, as pure water is sprayed from nozzles 13a and 13b, the warm chemical solution stored in inner tank 11 overflows into outer tank 12 and is drained through treatment liquid recovery unit 40. Furthermore, as the amount of pure water sprayed from nozzles 13a and 13b increases, the warm chemical solution stored in treatment tank 10 is gradually replaced with pure water, and the chemical concentration in the treatment liquid in treatment tank 10 decreases. As this replacement progresses within treatment tank 10, the specific resistance value obtained by specific resistance meter 15 gradually increases. If the specific resistance value measured by specific resistance meter 15 exceeds a specific threshold value, it can be considered that the treatment liquid in treatment tank 10 has been replaced from chemical solution to pure water.

When a specific time has passed since the specific resistance value measured by the specific resistance meter 15 exceeded a specific threshold value, the control unit 70 closes valve 39a and opens valve 39b. Closing valve 39a stops the flow of pure water from nozzle tubes 13a and 13b. Opening valve 39b, on the other hand, allows pure water to flow from shower nozzles 14a and 14b toward substrate W held at the upper side of processing tank 10.

Next, the control unit 70 opens valve 45. Opening valve 45 rapidly drains the pure water stored in the inner tank 11 of the processing tank 10. Because the flow rate of this rapid drainage significantly exceeds the flow rate of pure water ejected from the shower nozzles 14a and 14b, the liquid level within the processing tank 10 also rapidly drops. As the liquid level within the processing tank 10 drops, the substrates W emerge from the liquid surface. Pure water is supplied to the exposed portions from the shower nozzles 14a and 14b, cleaning the substrates W. This completes the shower cleaning process for the substrates W (step S27). In the second embodiment, steps S23 through S27 constitute the main processing of the substrates W.

After the shower cleaning process for a specified period of time is complete, the controller 70 closes valve 39b, stopping the spraying of pure water from the shower nozzles 14a and 14b. It also activates the drive mechanism 22, raising the elevator 20 and lifting the substrate W from the processing tank 10 (step S28). The controller 70 then slides the lid 52 again, opening the opening 51 of the chamber 50. A transport mechanism outside the apparatus then enters the chamber 50 through the opening 51 and receives the processed substrate W from the elevator 20. The transport mechanism, having received the substrate W, then exits the chamber 50 and transports the substrate W to the next step.

In the second embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, in the step where the upper end of the substrate W is prevented from protruding from the liquid surface, the substrate W is held at an upper position within the processing tank 10, ensuring that the distance between the lower end of the elevator 20 and the bottom of the processing tank 10 is the same as that of the previous tank. Furthermore, the distance from the liquid surface of the processing liquid stored in the processing tank 10 to the upper end of the substrate W when the substrate W is held at the upper position within the processing tank 10, i.e., the liquid depth d1, serves as the reference value for the liquid depth. On the other hand, during an immersion treatment using a warm treatment liquid, where the liquid level drops due to evaporation, potentially exposing the upper end of the substrate W from the liquid surface, the substrate W is lowered to a lower position within the treatment tank 10 so that the distance from the liquid surface of the treatment liquid stored in the treatment tank 10 to the upper end of the substrate W, i.e., the liquid depth d2, is greater than a reference value. This reliably prevents the substrate W from being exposed during the immersion treatment of the substrate W using the warm treatment liquid.

<Third Embodiment> Next, the third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The structure of the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the third embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment ( FIG. 1 ). However, the processing procedure for substrates W in the third embodiment differs from that in the first embodiment.

FIG8 is a flow chart showing the processing procedure of the substrate W in the third embodiment. First, warm pure water is stored in the processing tank 10 (step S30). This process is the same as step S10 of the first embodiment ( FIG2 ). That is, the control unit 70 opens valve 39a and valve 44 while valve 38 is closed. In this way, pure water is supplied from the pure water supply source 31 to the nozzle tubes 13a and 13b through the pipes 36 and 35a. In addition, the heater 33 heats the pure water flowing in the pipe 35a. In this way, the heated warm pure water is sprayed from the nozzle tubes 13a and 13b into the inner tank 11 of the processing tank 10. Warm water ejected from nozzles 13a and 13b gradually accumulates within inner tank 11. Once the warm water reaches the upper end of inner tank 11, controller 70 closes valve 39a, halting the supply of warm water from nozzles 13a and 13b. This causes the warm water to remain statically stored within processing tank 10. The temperature of the warm water stored within processing tank 10 is between 30°C and 85°C. In the second embodiment, step S30 serves as a preparatory step for substrate W prior to the main processing step.

Next, the controller 70 slides the lid 52 to open the opening 51 of the chamber 50. A transfer mechanism outside the apparatus then loads a plurality of substrates W into the chamber 50. The elevator 20 receives the substrates W from the transfer mechanism above the processing tank 10. When the substrates W have been loaded, the transfer mechanism withdraws from the chamber 50, and the controller 70 again slides the lid 52 to close the opening 51 of the chamber 50.

Next, the control unit 70 activates the drive mechanism 22 to lower the elevator 20, immersing the substrate W in the warm pure water stored in the processing tank 10. During this stage, the substrate W is held in a lower position within the processing tank 10 by the elevator 20 (see FIG. 5 ) (step S31). Specifically, when the control unit 70 detects an instruction in the processing recipe to immerse the substrate W in the warm processing liquid stored in the processing tank 10, it controls the elevator 20 so that the substrate W is held in the lower position within the processing tank 10. Similar to the first embodiment, the distance from the liquid surface of the warm pure water stored in the processing tank 10 to the upper end of the substrate W held in the lower position, i.e., the liquid depth d2, is, for example, 9 mm.

If the supply of treatment liquid is stopped and the substrate W is held in the lower position while warm pure water is stored in the treatment tank 10, the entire substrate W is immersed in the warm pure water, and the first immersion treatment is performed (step S32). In the third embodiment, the substrate W is immersed in warm pure water during the immersion treatment. However, even with warm pure water, the substrate W is slightly etched. This warm pure water etching process is suitable for performing extremely small amounts of etching. Because the substrate W is held in the lower position during the immersion treatment, the liquid depth d2 is 9 mm. Therefore, even if the liquid level of the warm chemical solution slightly drops due to evaporation of water, the top of the substrate W does not protrude from the liquid surface of the warm pure water.

After a specific period of time has passed since the start of the immersion process, the controller 70 raises the elevator 20, raising the substrate W to the upper position within the processing tank 10 (see Figure 4) (step S33). After the substrate W reaches the upper position within the processing tank 10, the controller 70 opens valves 39a and 44 while valve 38 is closed. The heater 33 heats the pure water flowing through the pipe 35a. This causes the heated warm pure water to be sprayed from the nozzle tubes 13a and 13b into the inner tank 11 of the processing tank 10.

If warm pure water is stored in the processing tank 10, the warm pure water is sprayed obliquely upward from the nozzle tubes 13a and 13b, and a flow of warm pure water from the bottom to the top is formed in the processing tank 10. That is, the upstream of the warm pure water is performed (step S34). If the upstream of the warm pure water is performed, the surface of the substrate W is exposed to the flow of the warm pure water. In the third embodiment, the upstream of the warm pure water is performed while the substrate W is maintained in the upper position in the processing tank 10. When the substrate W is maintained in the upper position, the distance between the lower end of the lifter 20 and the bottom surface of the processing tank 10 is the same as the distance in the previous tank, thereby preventing the flow of the warm pure water from being uneven.

After a specific period of time has passed since the start of the warm water upflow, the control unit 70 closes valve 39a, stopping the upflow of the warm water. Once the upflow of the warm water has ceased, the warm water is once again stored statically within the processing tank 10. The temperature of the warm water at this point is between 30°C and 85°C. After the upflow of the warm water has ceased, the control unit 70 activates the drive mechanism 22, lowering the elevator 20 and lowering the substrate W to the lower side of the processing tank 10 (step S35). Specifically, when the control unit 70 detects an instruction in the processing recipe to immerse the substrate W in the warm processing liquid stored in the processing tank 10, it controls the elevator 20 to lower the holding position of the substrate W in the processing tank 10 from the upper position to the lower position. At this time, the distance from the liquid level of the warm pure water stored in the processing tank 10 to the upper end of the substrate W held in the lower position, that is, the liquid depth d2, is also, for example, 9 mm.

If the supply of treatment solution is stopped and the substrate W is held in the lower position while warm pure water is stored in the treatment tank 10, the entire substrate W is immersed in the warm pure water for the second immersion treatment (step S36). During this time, the warm pure water also slightly etches the substrate W. Furthermore, during the second immersion treatment, the substrate W is also held in the lower position, and the liquid depth d2 is 9 mm. Therefore, even if the liquid level of the warm chemical solution drops slightly due to evaporation of water, the top of the substrate W does not protrude from the liquid surface of the warm pure water.

After a specific time has passed since the start of the second immersion process, the controller 70 raises the elevator 20, raising the substrate W to the upper position within the processing tank 10 (step S37). Simultaneously with raising the substrate W to the upper position, the controller 70 opens valves 39a and 44, allowing pure water to be sprayed from the nozzles 13a and 13b into the processing tank 10. At this time, the pure water is not heated by the heater 33. If warm pure water is already stored in the processing tank 10, the pure water is sprayed diagonally upward from the nozzles 13a and 13b, creating a pure water flow from the bottom to the top within the processing tank 10, achieving pure water upflow. Thus, the substrate W is cleaned with pure water (step S38).

During the cleaning process, pure water is sprayed from nozzle tubes 13a and 13b, causing warm pure water stored in inner tank 11 to overflow into outer tank 12 and be drained through process liquid recovery unit 40. After a specified period of time has passed since the start of the cleaning process, control unit 70 closes valve 39a and opens valve 39b. Closing valve 39a stops the spraying of pure water from nozzle tubes 13a and 13b. Opening valve 39b, on the other hand, allows pure water to be sprayed from shower nozzles 14a and 14b onto substrates W held at the upper side of process tank 10.

Next, the control unit 70 opens valve 45. Opening valve 45 rapidly drains the pure water stored in the inner tank 11 of the processing tank 10. Because the flow rate of this rapid drainage significantly exceeds the flow rate of pure water ejected from the shower nozzles 14a and 14b, the liquid level within the processing tank 10 rapidly drops. As the liquid level within the processing tank 10 drops, the substrates W emerge from the liquid surface. Pure water is supplied to the exposed portions from the shower nozzles 14a and 14b, cleaning the substrates W. This completes the shower cleaning process for the substrates W (step S39). In the third embodiment, steps S31 through S39 constitute the main processing of the substrates W.

After the shower cleaning process for a specified period of time is complete, the controller 70 closes valve 39b, stopping the spraying of pure water from the shower nozzles 14a and 14b. It then activates the drive mechanism 22, raising the elevator 20 and lifting the substrate W from the processing tank 10 (step S40). The controller 70 then slides the lid 52 again, opening the opening 51 of the chamber 50. A transport mechanism outside the apparatus then enters the chamber 50 through the opening 51 and receives the processed substrate W from the elevator 20. The transport mechanism then exits the chamber 50, transferring the substrate W to the next step.

In the third embodiment, as in the first embodiment, in the step where the upper end of the substrate W is prevented from protruding from the liquid surface, the substrate W is held at an upper position within the processing tank 10, ensuring that the distance between the lower end of the elevator 20 and the bottom of the processing tank 10 is the same as that of the previous tank. Furthermore, the distance from the liquid surface of the processing liquid stored in the processing tank 10 to the upper end of the substrate W when the substrate W is held at the upper position within the processing tank 10, i.e., the liquid depth d1, serves as the reference value for the liquid depth. On the other hand, during an immersion treatment using a warm treatment liquid, where the liquid level drops due to evaporation, potentially exposing the upper end of the substrate W from the liquid surface, the substrate W is lowered to a lower position within the treatment tank 10 so that the distance from the liquid surface of the treatment liquid stored in the treatment tank 10 to the upper end of the substrate W, i.e., the liquid depth d2, is greater than a reference value. This reliably prevents the substrate W from being exposed during the immersion treatment of the substrate W using the warm treatment liquid.

Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments, the substrate W is held at a lower position within the processing tank 10 when immersed in the warm chemical solution. However, in the third embodiment, the substrate W is held at a lower position within the processing tank 10 when immersed in warm pure water. Specifically, during the immersion treatment step of immersing the substrate W in the warm processing solution stored in the processing tank 10, holding the substrate W at a lower position within the processing tank 10 prevents the liquid level of the warm processing solution from lowering due to water evaporation, thereby preventing the upper end of the substrate W from being exposed above the liquid surface.

<Modifications> The above describes an embodiment of the present invention. However, various modifications other than those described above are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the liquid depth d1 is 4 mm when the substrate W is held in the upper position, and the liquid depth d2 is 9 mm when the substrate W is held in the lower position. However, this is not limiting, as long as the liquid depth d2 is at least greater than the liquid depth d1. Thus, during the immersion treatment step in which the substrate W is immersed in the warm treatment liquid, by holding the substrate W in the lower position within the treatment tank 10, the substrate W can be prevented from emerging from the treatment liquid.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, etching is performed as the surface treatment of the substrate W using the treatment liquid, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the substrate W may also be cleaned using the treatment liquid.

Furthermore, a thermometer may be installed on the processing layer 10 to adjust the holding position of the substrate W according to the temperature of the warm processing liquid during the immersion process. Specifically, the higher the temperature of the warm processing liquid during the immersion process, the more rapid the evaporation of water. Therefore, the control unit 70 may control the elevator 20 to lower the holding position of the substrate W.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the tank capacity of the processing tank 10 is smaller than that of the previous tank. However, in the previous tank with a larger capacity, when the substrate W is immersed in the warm processing liquid, the holding position of the substrate in the processing tank can also be lowered.

1: Substrate processing equipment 10: Processing tank 11: Inner tank 12: Outer tank 13a: Nozzle tube 13b: Nozzle tube 14a: Shower nozzle 14b: Shower nozzle 15: Specific resistance meter 20: Lifter 21: Retaining rod 22: Drive mechanism 30: Processing liquid supply unit 31: Pure water supply source 32: Mixing valve 33: Heater 35a: Piping 35b: Piping 36: Piping 37: Chemical solution supply source 38: Valve 39a: Valve 39b: Valve 40: Processing liquid recovery unit 41: Piping 42: Piping 43: Piping 44: Valve 45: Valve 50: Chamber 51: Opening 52: Sliding cover 53: Drive mechanism 54a: Nitrogen nozzle 54b: Nitrogen nozzle 55: Piping 56: Valve 60: Nitrogen supply unit 61: Nitrogen supply source 62: Piping 63: Valve 70: Control unit 71: Display 72: Input unit AR1: Arrow d1: Liquid depth d2: Liquid depth S10-S19: Steps S20-S28: Steps S30-S40: Steps W: Substrate

Figure 1 shows the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention. Figure 2 is a flow chart showing the processing procedure of the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. Figure 3 schematically shows the state in which the processing liquid is stored in the inner tank of the processing tank. Figure 4 schematically shows the state in which the substrate is held at the upper side of the processing tank. Figure 5 schematically shows the state in which the substrate is held at the lower side of the processing tank. Figure 6 schematically shows the state in which shower cleaning of the substrate is performed. Figure 7 is a flow chart showing the substrate processing procedure according to the second embodiment. Figure 8 is a flow chart showing the substrate processing procedure according to the third embodiment.

1: Substrate processing equipment

10: Processing Tank

11: Inner groove

12: Outer groove

13a: Nozzle tube

13b: Nozzle tube

14a: Shower nozzle

14b: Shower nozzle

15: Specific resistance meter

20: Lifter

21: Keep the rod

22: Drive mechanism

30: Treatment fluid supply unit

31: Pure water supply source

32: Mixing valve

33: Heater

35a:Piping

35b:Piping

36:Piping

37: Liquid medicine supply source

38: Valve

39a: Valve

39b: Valve

40: Treatment Fluid Recovery Department

41:Piping

42:Piping

43:Piping

44: Valve

45: Valve

50: Chamber

51:Opening part

52: Sliding cover

53: Drive mechanism

54a: Nitrogen nozzle

54b: Nitrogen nozzle

55:Piping

56: Valve

60: Nitrogen supply unit

61: Nitrogen supply source

62:Piping

63: Valve

70: Control Department

71: Display unit

72:Input part

AR1: Arrow

W: substrate

Claims (12)

A substrate processing method is characterized in that it is a substrate processing method for performing surface treatment on a substrate using a treatment liquid in a treatment tank, and comprises: a treatment liquid supplying step, wherein, while the substrate is present at a first height position in the treatment tank storing the heated treatment liquid and the substrate is immersed in the treatment liquid, heated treatment liquid is supplied to the treatment tank to perform surface treatment on the substrate; a stopping step, wherein the supply of treatment liquid to the treatment tank is stopped; a lowering step, wherein, while the supply of treatment liquid to the treatment tank is stopped, the substrate is lowered from the first height position in the treatment tank to a second height position below the first height position; and The immersion treatment step includes immersing the substrate held at the second height position in the treatment liquid stored in the treatment tank while the supply of the treatment liquid to the treatment tank is stopped. The substrate processing method of claim 1, wherein in the stopping step, the supply of the processing liquid is stopped when the concentration of the processing liquid in the processing tank reaches a specific value after a specific time has passed since the start of the supply of the processing liquid. The substrate processing method of claim 1, wherein: In the lowering step, when an instruction to perform the immersion treatment step is detected in the processing unit, the holding position of the substrate in the processing tank is lowered from the first height position to the second height position. The substrate processing method of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: During the stopping step, the substrate is immersed in the processing liquid. The substrate processing method of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: In the processing liquid supplying step, the first processing liquid is ejected to replace the second processing liquid stored in the processing tank with the first processing liquid. The substrate processing method of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the temperature of the processing liquid in the stopping step is not less than 30°C and not more than 85°C. A substrate processing apparatus is characterized in that it performs surface treatment of a substrate using a treatment liquid within a treatment tank, and comprises: a treatment liquid supply unit for supplying treatment liquid to the treatment tank; a lifting unit for raising and lowering the holding position of the substrate within the treatment tank; and a control unit for controlling the operation of the lifting unit; and the control unit supplies heated treatment liquid from the treatment liquid supply unit to the treatment tank to perform surface treatment of the substrate when the substrate is at a first height position within the treatment tank containing heated treatment liquid and the substrate is immersed in the treatment liquid; stops the supply of treatment liquid from the treatment liquid supply unit to the treatment tank; While supply of the processing liquid to the processing tank is stopped, the substrate is lowered from a first height position within the processing tank to a second height position below the first height position by the lifting unit. While supply of the processing liquid to the processing tank is stopped, the substrate held at the second height position is immersed in the processing liquid stored in the processing tank. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the control unit stops supplying the processing liquid when a specific period of time has passed since the start of supply of the processing liquid from the processing liquid supply unit and the concentration of the processing liquid in the processing tank reaches a specific value. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein: When an instruction to perform the immersion treatment is detected during the processing step, the control unit controls the lifting unit so that the holding position of the substrate in the processing tank is lowered from the first height position to the second height position. The substrate processing apparatus of any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein: When the control unit stops supplying the processing liquid from the processing liquid supply unit to the processing tank, the substrate is immersed in the processing liquid. In the substrate processing apparatus of any one of claims 7 to 9, the processing liquid supply unit ejects the first processing liquid to replace the second processing liquid stored in the processing tank with the first processing liquid. The substrate processing apparatus of any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein: When the control unit stops supplying the processing liquid from the processing liquid supply unit to the processing tank, the temperature of the processing liquid is not less than 30°C and not more than 85°C.