JP7186095B2 - SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS, SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate processing method, and a storage medium.

Patent Document 1 discloses that a cleaning bath made of a synthetic quartz material having an average Al concentration of 1 ppb or less is filled with a cleaning solution containing ammonia and hydrogen peroxide, a semiconductor wafer is immersed in the cleaning solution, and the surface of the synthetic quartz is cleaned by the cleaning solution. A semiconductor wafer cleaning method is disclosed in which the semiconductor wafer is cleaned so that the etching rate is 0.3 nm/min or less.

JP 2013-243219 A

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method that are effective in suppressing the amount of metal components eluted from a metal-containing material adhering to a substrate.

A substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a processing unit for processing a substrate with a circulating processing liquid, the processing unit including a metal-containing material in a processing liquid flow path, and a substrate processing unit. A processing control unit that controls the processing unit so that it is carried into the processing area and exposed to the processing liquid, and an adsorption member that adsorbs metal components in the processing liquid is carried into the processing area and is exposed to the processing liquid. and an adsorption control unit for controlling.

Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method that are effective in suppressing the amount of metal components eluted from a metal-containing material adhering to a substrate.

1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment; FIG. It is a schematic diagram which illustrates schematic structure of a liquid processing apparatus. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of a control unit; FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a substrate processing procedure; 5 is a flowchart illustrating an adsorption processing procedure; It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which illustrates schematic structure of a processing unit. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of a control unit; FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a substrate processing procedure; 5 is a flowchart illustrating an adsorption processing procedure; 4 is a graph illustrating temporal changes in the amount of metal components contained in the treatment liquid.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the explanation, the same reference numerals are given to the same elements or elements having the same function, and duplicate explanations are omitted.

1. 1st Embodiment (1) Substrate Processing Apparatus As shown in FIG. part 7;

Among these, the carrier loading/unloading section 2 loads and unloads a carrier 9 in which a plurality of (for example, 25) wafers W are vertically arranged in a horizontal posture.

The carrier loading/unloading section 2 includes a carrier stage 10 on which a plurality of carriers 9 are placed, a carrier transport mechanism 11 for transporting the carriers 9, carrier stocks 12 and 13 for temporarily storing the carriers 9, A carrier mounting table 14 on which the carrier 9 is mounted is provided.

The lot formation unit 3 forms a lot consisting of a plurality of (for example, 50) wafers W to be processed simultaneously by combining the wafers W accommodated in one or more carriers 9 .

A substrate transfer mechanism 15 for transferring a plurality of wafers W is provided in the lot forming section 3 . The substrate transfer mechanism 15 can change the attitude of the wafer W from the horizontal attitude to the vertical attitude and from the vertical attitude to the horizontal attitude during the transportation of the wafer W.

Then, the lot forming section 3 transfers the wafer W from the carrier 9 mounted on the carrier mounting table 14 to the lot mounting section 4 using the substrate transfer mechanism 15, and transfers the wafer W forming a lot to the lot mounting section. 4. In addition, the lot forming section 3 transports the lot placed on the lot placing section 4 to the carrier 9 placed on the carrier placing table 14 by the substrate transport mechanism 15 .

The lot placing unit 4 temporarily places (stands by) the lot transported between the lot forming unit 3 and the lot processing unit 6 on the lot placing table 16 .

On this lot placement unit 4, there are a loading-side lot placement table 17 for placing a lot before processing (before being processed by the lot processing unit 6) and a lot after processing (after being processed by the lot processing unit 6). A carrying-out side lot placing table 18 for placing a lot is provided.

The lot processing unit 6 (processing unit) performs processing such as etching, cleaning, drying, etc., as one lot of a plurality of wafers W arranged vertically in the front-rear direction.

The lot processing section 6 includes a lot transport mechanism 19 for transporting a lot, a drying processing device 23 for drying the wafer W, a substrate holder cleaning processing device 24 for cleaning the substrate holder 22, A plurality of liquid processing modules 26 for liquid processing the wafer W are provided.

The lot transport mechanism 19 is composed of rails 20 arranged along the lot placing section 4 and the lot processing section 6, and a moving body 21 that moves along the rails 20 while holding a plurality of wafers W. As shown in FIG. The moving body 21 is provided with a substrate holder 22 that holds a plurality of wafers W arranged in a vertical posture in the front-rear direction so as to move back and forth.

The lot transport mechanism 19 receives the lot placed on the load-in side lot placing table 17 by the substrate holder 22 and delivers the lot to the lot processing section 6 . Also, the lot transport mechanism 19 receives the lot processed by the lot processing unit 6 by the substrate holder 22 and transfers the lot to the carry-out side lot placing table 18 . Furthermore, the lot transport mechanism 19 also transports lots inside the lot processing unit 6 .

The drying processing apparatus 23 has a processing tank 27 and a substrate elevating mechanism 28 provided in the processing tank 27 so as to be movable up and down. A drying processing gas (IPA (isopropyl alcohol) or the like) is supplied to the processing bath 27 . The substrate lifting mechanism 28 holds a plurality of wafers W for one lot in a vertical posture, lined up in the front-to-rear direction. The drying processing apparatus 23 receives the lot from the substrate holder 22 of the lot transport mechanism 19 by the substrate lifting mechanism 28 , lifts the lot by the substrate lifting mechanism 28 , and uses the processing gas for drying supplied to the processing tank 27 . A drying process for the wafer W is performed. The drying processing device 23 also transfers the lot from the substrate lifting mechanism 28 to the substrate holder 22 of the lot transport mechanism 19 .

The substrate holder cleaning processing apparatus 24 has a processing bath 29, and can supply a cleaning processing liquid and a drying gas to the processing bath 29. After the treatment liquid is supplied, the substrate holder 22 is cleaned by supplying dry gas.

The liquid processing module 26 has a plurality of liquid processing devices 30 . Each liquid processing apparatus 30 has a processing tank 31 and a substrate lifting mechanism 32 (see FIG. 2). The processing tank 31 contains a processing liquid for liquid processing. Specific examples of the treatment liquid include phosphoric acid aqueous solution, SC-1 (a mixture of ammonia, hydrogen peroxide and pure water), SC-2 (a mixture of hydrochloric acid, hydrogen peroxide and pure water), SPM (sulfuric acid, mixture of hydrogen peroxide and pure water), DHF (mixture of hydrofluoric acid and pure water), and DIW (deionized water).

The substrate elevating mechanism 32 receives a lot from the substrate holder 22 and elevates the lot so that the lot is immersed in the processing liquid in the processing tank 31 to process the wafer W with the liquid. After that, the substrate lifting mechanism 32 lifts the lot and delivers it to the substrate holder 22 of the lot transfer mechanism 19 .

The liquid processing device 30 may include a metal-containing material in the flow path of the processing liquid. A specific example of the metal-containing material is quartz. Quartz may contain aluminum. The metal contained in the metal-containing material is not limited to aluminum. Other examples of metals that can be included in the material of the processing liquid flow path include iron and zinc.

The plurality of liquid processing apparatuses 30 may include at least one first processing apparatus 30A (first processing section) that liquid-processes the wafer W with a circulating first processing liquid. The first processing liquid is a processing liquid that can adhere to the wafer W metal components eluted from the flow path. Further, the plurality of liquid processing apparatuses 30 may further include at least one second processing apparatus 30B (second processing unit) that performs liquid processing on the wafers W with a second processing liquid that removes metal components adhering to the wafers W. good. Specific examples of the first processing liquid include an alkaline processing liquid such as SC-1 and a neutral processing liquid such as DIW. Specific examples of the second treatment liquid include acidic treatment liquids such as SC-2, SPM and DHF.

The control unit 7 controls the operation of each unit (the carrier loading/unloading unit 2, the lot forming unit 3, the lot placing unit 4, and the lot processing unit 6) of the substrate processing apparatus 1A.

The control unit 7 is composed of a computer, for example, and has a computer-readable storage medium 38 . The storage medium 38 stores programs for controlling various processes executed in the substrate processing apparatus 1A. The control unit 7 controls the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1A by reading and executing programs stored in the storage medium 38 . The program may be stored in the computer-readable storage medium 38 and may be installed in the storage medium 38 of the control unit 7 from another storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium 38 includes, for example, a hard disk (HD), flexible disk (FD), compact disk (CD), magnet optical disk (MO), memory card, and the like.

(2) Liquid Processing Apparatus As shown in FIG. , and a metal concentration detection unit 80 .

The processing bath 31 has an inner bath 41 , an outer bath 42 and a lid portion 43 . The inner bath 41 is a bath for immersing the wafer W in the processing liquid, and contains the processing liquid for immersion. Since the upper portion of the inner bath 41 is open, the wafer W can be immersed in the processing liquid in the inner bath 41 from above. A plurality of wafers W are arranged in an upright state in the inner tank 41 . The outer tank 42 is provided so as to surround the inner tank 41 and accommodates the processing liquid overflowing from the inner tank 41 . The lid portion 43 (bus lid) closes at least part of the upper portion of the inner tank 41 to suppress volatilization of the processing liquid in the inner tank 41 .

The substrate lifting mechanism 32 holds the plurality of wafers W received from the substrate holder 22 in an upright state. The substrate elevating mechanism 32 elevates the held wafers W between the immersion height in the inner bath 41 and the delivery height above the inner bath 41 .

The circulation unit 50 returns the processing liquid discharged from the processing bath 31 to the processing bath 31 . For example, the circulation unit 50 returns the treatment liquid discharged from the outer tank 42 to the lower part of the inner tank 41 . The circulation section 50 has a discharge section 51 and a circulation conduit 52 .

The ejection part 51 is provided in the lower part of the inner bath 41 and ejects the processing liquid into the inner bath 41 . The circulation line 52 guides the processing liquid from the outer tank 42 to the inner tank 41 . One end of the circulation pipeline 52 is connected to the bottom of the outer tank 42 , and the other end of the circulation pipeline 52 is connected to the discharge section 51 . Circulation line 52 includes pump 53 , heater 54 , filter 55 , and flow meter 56 . For example, the pump 53, the heater 54, the filter 55, and the flow meter 56 are arranged in this order from the outer tank 42 side toward the inner tank 41 side (discharge portion 51 side). The pump 53 pumps the processing liquid from the outer tank 42 side to the inner tank 41 side. A heater 54 heats the processing liquid to a set temperature. The filter 55 removes particles mixed in the processing liquid. A flow meter 56 detects the flow rate of the treatment liquid in the circulation line 52 . This detection result is used for controlling the pump 53, for example.

In the liquid processing apparatus 30, at least the circulation section 50 contains the metal-containing material. For example, at least a portion of heater 54 and flow meter 56 are constructed from a metal-containing material (eg, quartz). Furthermore, the inner bath 41, the outer bath 42, the lid portion 43, the substrate lifting mechanism 32, and the like may contain a metal-containing material (for example, quartz).

The processing liquid replenishing unit 60 replenishes the processing liquid to the outer tank 42 as necessary. The processing liquid replenisher 60 includes a processing liquid source 61 and a valve 62 . The valve 62 opens and closes the flow path of the processing liquid from the liquid source 61 to the outer tank 42 in accordance with the timing of replenishment of the processing liquid.

A diluent replenisher 70 replenishes the outer tank 42 with a diluent (for example, DIW) as needed. The diluent replenisher 70 includes a diluent source 71 and a valve 72 . The valve 72 opens and closes the flow path of the diluent from the liquid source 71 to the outer tank 42 in accordance with the timing of replenishment of the diluent.

The metal concentration detector 80 detects the concentration of metal components in the treatment liquid. The metal concentration detector 80 includes a sampling conduit 81 , a metal concentration analyzer 82 and a valve 83 . The sampling line 81 branches from the circulation line 52 , for example, between the heater 54 and the filter 55 and extracts part of the processing liquid flowing through the circulation line 52 . A metal concentration analyzer 82 analyzes the concentration of metal components in the treatment liquid extracted through the sampling line 81 . A specific example of the metal concentration analyzer 82 is an ICP (inductively coupled plasma) mass spectrometer or the like. The metal concentration analyzer 82 repeats taking in the treatment liquid and analyzing the concentration of the metal component at a predetermined cycle (for example, about 5 minutes). The valve 83 opens and closes the flow path in the sampling line 81 in accordance with the timing at which the metal concentration analyzer 82 takes in the treatment liquid. Although the concentration of the metal component in the treatment liquid in the circulation unit 50 is detected by the metal concentration detection unit 80 exemplified here, the target location for concentration detection is not limited to the inside of the circulation unit 50 . As long as the concentration of the processing liquid circulating in the liquid processing apparatus 30 can be detected, any portion of the liquid processing apparatus 30 may be used as the concentration detection target.

(3) Control Unit The control unit 7 controls the lot processing unit 6 so that the wafer W is carried into the processing area and exposed to the processing liquid, and the adsorption member WD ( (see FIG. 1) is carried into the processing area and the lot processing unit 6 is controlled so as to be exposed to the processing liquid. The processing area is, for example, the processing area A1 (see FIG. 1) in the lot processing section 6 including the drying processing device 23 and the liquid processing module 26 .

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the control unit 7 has a schedule storage unit 91, a process control unit 92, and an adsorption control unit 93 as functional components (hereinafter referred to as "function modules"). The schedule storage unit 91 stores a processing schedule including the timing at which the wafer W is loaded into each liquid processing apparatus 30 .

The processing control unit 92 controls the lot processing unit 6 so that the lot of wafers W is carried into the processing area A1 and exposed to the processing liquid. For example, the processing control unit 92 controls the lot processing unit 6 so that the lot of wafers W is carried into the processing area A<b>1 by the lot transfer mechanism 19 . Further, the processing control unit 92 controls the lot processing unit 6 so that the lot of wafers W is transported to one of the liquid processing apparatuses 30 by the lot transport mechanism 19 and the lot is immersed in the processing liquid by the liquid processing apparatus 30. . For example, the processing control unit 92 controls the lot processing unit 6 so that the lot is transferred from the substrate holder 22 to the substrate lifting mechanism 32 and the lot is immersed in the processing liquid in the processing tank 31 by the substrate lifting mechanism 32 . After that, the processing control unit 92 controls the lot processing unit 6 so that the substrate lifting mechanism 32 lifts the lot from the processing tank 31 and returns the lot from the substrate lifting mechanism 32 to the substrate holder 22 . Further, the processing control unit 92 controls the lot processing unit 6 to carry out the lot from the processing area A<b>1 and return it to the lot placement unit 4 .

The adsorption control section 93 controls the lot processing section 6 so that the adsorption member WD is carried into the processing area A1 and exposed to the processing liquid. The adsorption member WD is an adsorption substrate that can be placed at a position where the wafer W is placed in the same manner as the wafer W is. More specifically, the attraction member WD has the same outer diameter as the wafer W and can be held in the same manner as the wafer W by the substrate holder 22 and the substrate lifting mechanism 32 . The adsorption member WD may be a bare wafer with no film formed on its surface, or a wafer with an oxide film formed on its surface. The adsorption member WD may be permanently installed in the substrate processing apparatus 1A. In other words, the substrate processing apparatus 1A may further include an accommodating portion for the adsorption members WD (hereinafter referred to as "adsorption member carrier"). For example, an adsorption member carrier 9A (adsorption member storage section) may be installed on at least one carrier stock 12 (see FIG. 1).

Also, the adsorption member carrier 9A outside the substrate processing apparatus 1A may be transported to the carrier stage 10 each time the adsorption member WD needs to be immersed in the processing liquid. Before the adsorption member WD is immersed in the treatment liquid, the adsorption control section 93 controls the carrier loading/unloading section 2 so as to transport the adsorption member carrier 9A from the carrier stage 10 or the carrier stock 12 to the carrier mounting table 14 . After that, the adsorption control section 93 controls the lot forming section 3 to take out the adsorption members WD from the adsorption member carrier 9A and form a lot of the adsorption members WD on the lot placement section 4 .

After forming the lot of the adsorption members WD, the adsorption control unit 93 controls the lot processing unit 6 so that the lot of the adsorption members WD is carried into the processing area A<b>1 by the lot transport mechanism 19 . Further, the adsorption control unit 93 transports the lot of the adsorption member WD to one of the first processing apparatuses 30A by the lot transport mechanism 19, and immerses the lot in the first processing liquid by the first processing apparatus 30A. It controls the processing unit 6 . For example, the adsorption control unit 93 transfers the lot from the substrate holder 22 to the substrate lifting mechanism 32 of the first processing apparatus 30A, and causes the substrate lifting mechanism 32 to immerse the lot in the first processing liquid in the processing tank 31. It controls the lot processing unit 6 . After that, the adsorption control section 93 controls the lot processing section 6 so that the lot is lifted from the processing tank 31 by the substrate lifting mechanism 32 and the lot is returned from the substrate lifting mechanism 32 to the substrate holder 22 .

After returning the lot of the attraction members WD to the substrate holder 22 , the attraction control unit 93 controls the lot processing unit 6 so that the lot transfer mechanism 19 transfers the lot to the lot placement unit 4 . After that, the attraction control section 93 controls the lot formation section 3 to return the wafer W on the lot placement section 4 into the attraction member carrier 9A. After that, the adsorption control section 93 controls the carrier loading/unloading section 2 so as to return the adsorption member carrier 9A to the carrier stage 10 or the carrier stock 12 .

The adsorption control unit 93 performs adsorption control to control the lot processing unit 6 so that the adsorption member WD is exposed to the first treatment liquid by the first processing device 30A, and performs the second processing of the adsorption member WD by the second processing device 30B. It may be configured to repeat the cleaning control of controlling the lot processing unit 6 so as to expose it to the liquid. The adsorption control unit 93 causes the lot processing unit 6 to perform drying processing of the adsorption member WD by the drying processing device 23 during at least one of the period from the adsorption control to the cleaning control and the period from the cleaning control to the adsorption control. may be controlled.

In the drying process, the adsorption control section 93 controls the lot processing section 6 so that the lot of the adsorption member WD is transported to the drying processing device 23 by the lot transport mechanism 19 and the adsorption member WD is dried by the drying processing device 23 . For example, the suction control unit 93 controls the lot processing unit 6 so that the lot is transferred from the substrate holder 22 to the substrate lifting mechanism 28 and the lot is lowered into the processing bath 27 by the substrate lifting mechanism 28 . After that, the adsorption control section 93 controls the lot processing section 6 so that the lot is lifted from the processing bath 27 by the substrate lifting mechanism 28 and the lot is returned from the substrate lifting mechanism 28 to the substrate holder 22 .

The adsorption control unit 93 causes the adsorption member WD to be carried into the first processing apparatus 30A when a predetermined time has passed while the wafer W is not exposed to the processing liquid in any of the first processing apparatuses 30A. may be configured to The predetermined time is preset such that the concentration of the metal component in the processing liquid does not exceed an acceptable level. The permissible level is a level that sufficiently suppresses adhesion of metal components to the wafer W in the processing liquid. The adsorption control section 93 may control the lot processing section 6 to carry the adsorption member WD into the first processing apparatus 30A when the concentration of the metal component in the processing liquid reaches a predetermined level. The predetermined level is set in advance so as to be equal to or lower than the allowable level.

The control unit 7 may further include a carry-in schedule detection unit 94 . The carry-in schedule detection unit 94 detects the scheduled carry-in timing of the wafer W to the first processing apparatus 30A based on the processing schedule stored in the schedule storage unit 91 . In this case, the adsorption control unit 93 may stop repeating the adsorption control and the cleaning control based on the next carry-in scheduled timing. For example, the suction control unit 93 stops the repetition of the suction control and the cleaning control as the scheduled loading timing of the wafer W to the first processing apparatus 30A that is executing the suction control approaches. More specifically, the adsorption control unit 93 stops repeating the adsorption control and the cleaning control when the time from the current time to the scheduled carry-in timing becomes equal to or less than a predetermined margin.

(4) Substrate Processing Procedure Subsequently, as an example of the substrate processing method, a substrate processing procedure executed by the substrate processing apparatus 1A will be described. This substrate processing procedure includes carrying the wafer W into the processing area A1 and exposing it to the processing liquid, and carrying the adsorption member WD into the processing area A1 and exposing it to the processing liquid.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a substrate processing procedure executed by the substrate processing apparatus 1A in any one of the first processing apparatuses 30A. As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 7 first executes steps S01 and S02. In step S01, the processing control unit 92 transfers the lot of wafers W to the first processing apparatus 30A by the lot transfer mechanism 19, and causes the lot processing unit 6 to immerse the lot in the processing liquid by the first processing apparatus 30A. Control. In step S02, the processing control unit 92 confirms whether or not the time from the current time to the scheduled loading timing of the next wafer W is equal to or less than the margin. Hereinafter, the fact that the time from the current time to the scheduled loading timing of the next wafer W is equal to or less than the margin is referred to as "there is a reservation for the next loading".

If it is determined in step S02 that there is a reservation for the next delivery, the control section 7 returns the process to step S01. After that, until it is determined that there is no next transfer reservation, the lot of wafers W is repeatedly immersed in the treatment liquid by the first treatment apparatus 30A. When it is determined in step S02 that there is no next carry-in reservation, the control section 7 executes step S03. In step S03, the adsorption control unit 93 confirms whether or not a predetermined time has passed while the wafer W is not exposed to the processing liquid in the first processing apparatus 30A. In other words, the adsorption control unit 93 determines whether or not the elapsed time (hereinafter referred to as "idle time") after the lot of wafers W has been removed from the processing solution of the first processing apparatus 30A has reached the predetermined time. Confirm.

When it is determined in step S03 that the idle time has not reached the predetermined time, the control section 7 returns the process to step S02. When it is determined in step S03 that the idle time has reached the predetermined time, the control section 7 executes steps S04 and S05. In step S<b>04 , the adsorption control section 93 controls the carrier loading/unloading section 2 so as to transport the adsorption member carrier 9</b>A from the carrier stage 10 or carrier stock 12 to the carrier mounting table 14 . In step S<b>05 , the adsorption control section 93 takes out the adsorption member WD from the adsorption member carrier 9</b>A and controls the lot forming section 3 to form a lot of the adsorption members WD on the lot placement section 4 .

Next, the control section 7 executes steps S06 and S07. Step S06 includes a process of immersing the lot of adsorption members WD in the treatment liquid of the first processing apparatus 30A (hereinafter referred to as "adsorption process"). Step S06 may further include a process of immersing the lot of adsorption members WD in the processing liquid of the second processing device 30B (hereinafter referred to as "cleaning process"). In step S06, the controller 7 may repeat the adsorption control and the cleaning control. That is, the substrate processing apparatus 1A may repeat the adsorption process and the cleaning process in step S06. The specific processing contents of step S06 will be described later. In step S07, the adsorption control unit 93 confirms whether or not there is a reservation for the next carry-in.

If it is determined in step S07 that there is no next carry-in reservation, the control unit 7 returns the process to step S06. After that, adsorption control and cleaning control are repeated until it is determined that there is a next delivery reservation. If it is determined in step S07 that there is a reservation for the next delivery, the control section 7 executes steps S11, S12, and S13. In step S<b>11 , the adsorption control section 93 controls the lot processing section 6 so that the lot of the adsorption member WD is transported to the lot placement section 4 by the lot transport mechanism 19 . In step S12, the attraction control section 93 controls the lot formation section 3 to return the wafer W on the lot placement section 4 into the attraction member carrier 9A. In step S<b>13 , the adsorption control section 93 controls the carrier loading/unloading section 2 so as to return the adsorption member carrier 9</b>A to the carrier stage 10 or the carrier stock 12 . After that, the control unit 7 returns the process to step S01. After that, while performing the adsorption control and the cleaning control as necessary, the lot of wafers W is repeatedly immersed in the processing liquid by the first processing apparatus 30A.

In the above, the procedure for determining the necessity of adsorption processing based on whether the idle time has reached the predetermined time has been exemplified, but the method of determining the necessity of adsorption processing is not necessarily limited to this. . For example, in step S03, the adsorption control unit 93 may determine whether the adsorption process is necessary based on whether the concentration of the metal component in the treatment liquid has reached a predetermined level.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the procedure of the adsorption process in step S06. As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 7 sequentially executes steps S21, S22, and S23. In step S<b>21 , the adsorption control section 93 controls the lot processing section 6 so that the lot of the adsorption member WD is carried into the processing area A<b>1 by the lot transport mechanism 19 . Furthermore, the adsorption control unit 93 causes the lot processing unit 6 to transport the lot of the adsorption member WD to the first processing device 30A by the lot transport mechanism 19 and immerse the lot in the first processing liquid by the first processing device 30A. Control. For example, the adsorption control unit 93 transfers the lot from the substrate holder 22 to the substrate lifting mechanism 32 of the first processing apparatus 30A, and causes the substrate lifting mechanism 32 to immerse the lot in the first processing liquid in the processing tank 31. It controls the lot processing unit 6 . After that, the adsorption control section 93 controls the lot processing section 6 so that the lot is lifted from the processing tank 31 by the substrate lifting mechanism 32 and the lot is returned from the substrate lifting mechanism 32 to the substrate holder 22 .

In step S22, the adsorption control unit 93 performs lot processing such that the lot of the adsorption member WD is transported to the second processing apparatus 30B by the lot transport mechanism 19, and the lot is immersed in the second processing liquid by the second processing apparatus 30B. control part 6; For example, the adsorption control unit 93 transfers the lot from the substrate holder 22 to the substrate lifting mechanism 32 of the second processing apparatus 30B, and causes the substrate lifting mechanism 32 to immerse the lot in the second processing liquid in the processing tank 31. It controls the lot processing unit 6 . After that, the adsorption control section 93 controls the lot processing section 6 so that the lot is lifted from the processing tank 31 by the substrate lifting mechanism 32 and the lot is returned from the substrate lifting mechanism 32 to the substrate holder 22 .

In step S<b>23 , the adsorption control unit 93 controls the lot processing unit 6 so that the lot of the adsorption member WD is transported to the drying processing device 23 by the lot transport mechanism 19 and the adsorption member WD is dried by the drying processing device 23 . For example, the suction control unit 93 controls the lot processing unit 6 so that the lot is transferred from the substrate holder 22 to the substrate lifting mechanism 28 and the lot is lowered into the processing bath 27 by the substrate lifting mechanism 28 . After that, the adsorption control section 93 controls the lot processing section 6 so that the lot is lifted from the processing bath 27 by the substrate lifting mechanism 28 and the lot is returned from the substrate lifting mechanism 28 to the substrate holder 22 . This completes one cycle of the adsorption treatment procedure. By executing step S23, it becomes possible to move to the next cycle in a state where the adsorption member WD is dry. As a result, it is possible to suppress a change in the concentration of the first treatment liquid (concentration of the component for treatment) in the first treatment apparatus 30A.

Note that step S23 may be executed between step S21 and step S22 instead of after step S22. Alternatively, step S23 may be executed both between steps S21 and S22 and after step S22. Furthermore, it is possible to omit step S23. In particular, when the concentration of the treatment liquid (concentration of the component for treatment) is automatically adjusted in both the first treatment apparatus 30A and the second treatment apparatus 30B, the effect of omitting step S23 is small.

2. Second Embodiment (1) Substrate Processing Apparatus As shown in FIG. 6, a substrate processing apparatus 1B includes a loading/unloading station 102 and a processing station 103 (processing section). The loading/unloading station 102 and the processing station 103 are provided adjacently.

The loading/unloading station 102 includes a carrier placement section 111 and a transport section 112 . A plurality of carriers C accommodating a plurality of wafers W in a horizontal state are mounted on the carrier mounting portion 111 .

The transfer section 112 is provided adjacent to the carrier mounting section 111 and includes a substrate transfer device 113 and a transfer section 114 therein. The substrate transfer device 113 includes a wafer holding mechanism that holds the wafer W. As shown in FIG. Further, the substrate transfer device 113 can move in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction and can rotate around the vertical axis, and transfers the wafer W between the carrier C and the transfer section 114 using the wafer holding mechanism. conduct.

The processing station 103 is provided adjacent to the transport section 112 . The processing station 103 comprises a transport section 115 and a plurality of processing units 116 . A plurality of processing units 116 are arranged side by side on both sides of the transport section 115 .

The transport section 115 includes a substrate transport device 117 therein. The substrate transfer device 117 has a wafer holding mechanism that holds the wafer W. As shown in FIG. Further, the substrate transfer device 117 is capable of horizontal and vertical movement and rotation about the vertical axis, and transfers the wafer W between the transfer section 114 and the processing unit 116 using a wafer holding mechanism. I do.

The processing unit 116 processes the wafer W with a circulating processing liquid. The processing unit 116 may include a metal-containing material in the flow path of the processing liquid. A specific example of the metal-containing material is quartz. Quartz may contain aluminum. The metal contained in the metal-containing material is not limited to aluminum. Other examples of metals that can be included in the material of the processing liquid flow path include iron and zinc.

The plurality of processing units 116 may include at least one first processing unit 116A (see FIG. 7) that liquid-processes the wafer W with a circulating first processing liquid. The first processing liquid is a processing liquid that can adhere to the wafer W metal components eluted from the flow path. In addition, the plurality of processing units 116 may further include at least one second processing unit 116B (see FIG. 7) that liquid-processes the wafer W with a second processing liquid that removes metal components adhering to the wafer W. Specific examples of the first processing liquid include an alkaline processing liquid such as SC-1 and a neutral processing liquid such as DIW. Specific examples of the second treatment liquid include acidic treatment liquids such as SC-2, SPM and DHF.

The substrate processing apparatus 1B also includes a control device 118 . Control device 118 is, for example, a computer and includes storage medium 119 . The storage medium 119 stores programs for controlling various processes executed in the substrate processing apparatus 1B. The control device 118 controls the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1B by reading and executing programs stored in the storage medium 119 . The program may be recorded in a computer-readable storage medium and installed in the storage medium 119 of the control device 118 from the storage medium. Examples of computer-readable storage media include hard disks (HD), flexible disks (FD), compact disks (CD), magnet optical disks (MO), and memory cards.

In the substrate processing apparatus 1B configured as described above, first, the substrate transfer device 113 of the loading/unloading station 102 takes out the wafer W from the carrier C placed on the carrier platform 111, and receives the taken out wafer W. It is placed on the transfer section 114 . The wafer W placed on the transfer section 114 is taken out from the transfer section 114 by the substrate transfer device 117 of the processing station 103 and carried into the processing unit 116 .

Wafer W loaded into processing unit 116 is processed by processing unit 116 , then unloaded from processing unit 116 by control device 118 and placed on transfer section 114 . Then, the processed wafer W placed on the transfer section 114 is returned to the carrier C on the carrier placement section 111 by the substrate transfer device 113 .

(2) Processing Unit As shown in FIG. 7, the above-described processing unit 116 includes a rotation holding portion 121, an upper discharge portion 131, a lower discharge portion 132, a cup 133, a circulation portion 140, and a processing liquid replenisher. It has a section 160 , a diluent replenishment section 170 and a metal concentration detection section 180 . The rotation holding unit 121 holds and rotates the wafer W to be processed.

For example, the rotation holding portion 121 has a holding portion 124 and a rotation driving portion 125 . The holding part 124 holds the wafer W arranged horizontally. The rotary drive unit 125 is powered by an electric motor or the like, and rotates the holding unit 124 around a vertical axis. Thereby, the wafer W held by the holding part 124 also rotates.

The upper discharge portion 131 discharges the processing liquid from above toward the wafer W held by the holding portion 124 . The lower ejection portion 132 ejects the processing liquid from below toward the wafer W held by the holding portion 124 . The cup 133 is a container for recovering the processing liquid that has been shaken off from the wafer W after being supplied to the wafer W from the upper discharge section 131 and the lower discharge section 132 .

The circulation section 140 returns the processing liquid discharged from the upper discharge section 131 and the lower discharge section 132 to the upper discharge section 131 and the lower discharge section 132 . For example, the circulation section 140 has a liquid storage section 141 , a supply line 142 , a circulation line 148 and a bypass line 153 . The liquid storage part 141 is a container that stores the processing liquid.

The supply conduit 142 guides the processing liquid from the liquid reservoir 141 to the upper discharge section 131 and the lower discharge section 132 . The supply pipe line 142 branches into an upper pipe line 142a and a lower pipe line 142b at a branch portion 142c on the way from the liquid storage portion 141 toward the upper discharge portion 131 and the lower discharge portion 132 side. The upper pipe line 142 a is connected to the upper discharge portion 131 and the lower pipe line 142 b is connected to the lower discharge portion 132 .

Supply line 142 includes pump 143, filter 144, heater 145, flow meter 146, and valves 147a and 147b. The pump 143, the filter 144, the heater 145, and the flow meter 146 are provided between the liquid reservoir 141 and the branch 142c, and are arranged in this order from the liquid reservoir 141 toward the branch 142c. The pump 143 pressure-feeds the processing liquid from the liquid storage section 141 side to the branch section 142c side. The filter 144 removes particles mixed in the processing liquid. The heater 145 heats the processing liquid to a set temperature. A flow meter 146 detects the flow rate of the processing liquid in the supply line 142 . This detection result is used for controlling the pump 143, for example. The valves 147a and 147b are provided in the upper pipeline 142a and the lower pipeline 142b, respectively, and open and close the channels in the upper pipeline 142a and the lower pipeline 142b, respectively.

A circulation line 148 guides the processing liquid from the cup 133 to the liquid reservoir 141 . Circulation line 148 includes pump 151 and valve 152 . The pump 151 pressure-feeds the processing liquid from the cup 133 side to the liquid reservoir 141 side. Valve 152 opens and closes the flow path in circulation conduit 148 . The valve 152 is opened when at least one of the valves 147a, 147b is opened, and closed when both the valves 147a, 147b are closed. Accordingly, when the processing liquid is discharged from at least one of the upper discharge section 131 and the lower discharge section 132 , the processing liquid recovered by the cup 133 is returned to the liquid storage section 141 .

The bypass line 153 guides the processing liquid from the supply line 142 to the liquid reservoir 141 without passing through the upper line 142 a , the lower line 142 b and the circulation line 148 . For example, bypass line 153 is connected to supply line 142 between branch 142 c and flow meter 146 . Bypass line 153 includes valve 154 . Valve 154 opens and closes the flow path in circulation conduit 148 . Valve 154 is closed when at least one of valves 147a, 147b is opened, and is opened when both valves 147a, 147b are closed. As a result, the circulation of the processing liquid by the circulation section 140 is continued even when the processing liquid is not discharged from either the upper discharge section 131 or the lower discharge section 132 .

The processing liquid replenishment unit 160 replenishes the liquid storage unit 141 with the processing liquid as necessary. The treatment liquid replenisher 160 includes a treatment liquid source 161 and a valve 162 . The valve 162 opens and closes the flow path of the processing liquid from the liquid source 161 to the liquid reservoir 141 in accordance with the timing of replenishment of the processing liquid.

The diluent replenisher 170 replenishes the diluent (for example, DIW) to the liquid reservoir 141 as needed. The diluent replenisher 170 includes a diluent source 171 and a valve 172 . The valve 172 opens and closes the flow path of the diluent from the liquid source 171 to the liquid reservoir 141 in accordance with the timing of replenishment of the diluent.

The metal concentration detector 180 detects the concentration of metal components in the treatment liquid. The metal concentration detector 180 includes a sampling line 181 , a metal concentration analyzer 182 and a valve 183 . The sampling line 181 branches from the supply line 142 , for example, between the pump 143 and the filter 144 and extracts part of the processing liquid flowing through the supply line 142 . A metal concentration analyzer 182 analyzes the concentration of metal components in the treatment liquid extracted through the sampling line 181 . A specific example of the metal concentration analyzer 182 is an ICP (inductively coupled plasma) mass spectrometer or the like. The metal concentration analyzer 182 repeats taking in the treatment liquid and analyzing the concentration of the metal component at predetermined intervals (for example, about 5 minutes). The valve 183 opens and closes the flow path in the sampling line 181 in accordance with the timing at which the metal concentration analyzer 182 takes in the treatment liquid.

In the treatment liquid replenishing section 160, at least the circulation section 140 contains a metal-containing material. For example, at least a portion of heater 145 and flow meter 146 are made of a metal-containing material (eg, quartz).

(3) Control Unit The control unit 118 controls the processing station 103 so that the wafer W is carried into the processing area and exposed to the processing liquid, and an adsorption member WD (Fig. 6) is carried into the processing area and exposed to the processing liquid. The area for processing is, for example, the processing area A2 (see FIG. 6) within the processing station 103 including a plurality of processing units 116 .

As illustrated in FIG. 8, the control device 118 has a schedule storage unit 191, a process control unit 192, and an adsorption control unit 193 as functional modules. The schedule storage unit 191 stores a processing schedule including the timing at which the wafer W is loaded into each processing unit 116 .

The processing control unit 192 controls the processing station 103 so that the wafer W is carried into the processing area A2 and exposed to the processing liquid. For example, the processing control unit 192 controls the processing station 103 so that the substrate transfer device 117 carries the wafer W from the delivery unit 114 into the processing area A1. Further, the processing control unit 192 controls the processing station 103 so that the wafer W is transferred to one of the processing units 116 by the substrate transfer device 117 and the processing liquid is supplied to the wafer W by the processing unit 116 . For example, the processing control unit 192 transfers the wafer W from the substrate transfer device 117 to the holding unit 124 of the processing unit 116 , and rotates the wafer W by the rotation driving unit 125 while the upper ejection unit 131 and the lower ejection unit 132 perform processing. The processing station 103 is controlled to eject liquid. After that, the processing control unit 192 stops the discharge of the processing liquid from the upper discharge unit 131 and the lower discharge unit 132 and the rotation of the wafer W by the rotation driving unit 125 , and transfers the wafer W from the holding unit 124 to the substrate transfer device 117 . Control processing station 103 to return W. Further, the processing control unit 192 controls the processing station 103 so that the wafer W is unloaded from the processing area A<b>2 and returned to the transfer unit 114 by the substrate transfer device 117 .

The adsorption control unit 193 controls the processing station 103 so that the adsorption member WD is carried into the processing area A2 and exposed to the processing liquid. The adsorption member WD is an adsorption substrate that can be placed at a position where the wafer W is placed in the same manner as the wafer W is. The adsorption member WD may be permanently installed in the substrate processing apparatus 1B. In other words, the substrate processing apparatus 1B may further include an accommodation section for the adsorption member WD (hereinafter referred to as an "adsorption member carrier"). For example, the adsorption member WD may be accommodated in the transfer section 114 (see FIG. 1). That is, the transfer section 114 may be used as an adsorption member carrier. Further, the adsorption member carrier outside the substrate processing apparatus 1B may be transported to the carrier mounting portion 111 each time the adsorption member WD needs to be exposed to the processing liquid.

Before the adsorption member WD is exposed to the processing liquid, the adsorption control unit 193 causes the substrate transfer device 117 to take out the adsorption member WD from the delivery unit 114 as the adsorption member carrier and carry it into the processing area A2. Control. The adsorption control unit 193 may further control the processing station 103 so that the substrate transport device 113 picks up the adsorption member WD from the adsorption member carrier of the carrier placement unit 111 and places it on the transfer unit 114 .

After that, the adsorption control section 193 causes the substrate transport device 117 to transport the adsorption member WD to one of the first processing units 116A, and the first processing unit 116A supplies the adsorption member WD with the first processing liquid. It controls the processing station 103 . For example, the adsorption control unit 193 transfers the adsorption member WD from the substrate transfer device 117 to the holding unit 124 of the first processing unit 116A, and rotates the adsorption member WD by the rotation driving unit 125, thereby causing the upper ejection unit 131 and the lower ejection unit 131 to rotate. The processing station 103 is controlled to eject the processing liquid from the portion 132 .

After that, the adsorption control unit 193 stops the ejection of the treatment liquid from the upper ejection unit 131 and the lower ejection unit 132 and the rotation of the adsorption member WD by the rotation driving unit 125 , and the holding unit 124 transfers the substrate transfer device 117 to the substrate transport device 117 . The processing station 103 is controlled to return the adsorption member WD. Furthermore, the adsorption control unit 193 controls the processing station 103 so that the substrate transfer device 117 carries out the adsorption member WD from the processing area A2 and returns it to the transfer unit 114 .

The adsorption control section 193 performs adsorption control for controlling the processing station 103 such that the first processing unit 116A exposes the adsorption member to the first processing liquid, and the second processing unit 116B exposes the adsorption member to the second processing liquid. It may be configured to repeat the cleaning control that controls the processing station 103 as described above. The adsorption control unit 193 performs drying processing of the adsorption member WD by the first processing unit 116A or the second processing unit 116B during at least one of the period from adsorption control to cleaning control and the period from cleaning control to adsorption control. The processing station 103 may be controlled as follows. During the drying process, the adsorption control unit 193 controls the processing station 103 so that the rotation of the wafer W by the rotation driving unit 125 is continued while the discharge of the processing liquid from the upper discharge unit 131 and the lower discharge unit 132 is stopped. do.

The attraction control unit 193 causes the attraction member WD to be carried into the first processing unit 116A when a predetermined time has passed while the wafer W has not been exposed to the processing liquid in any of the first processing units 116A. may be configured to The predetermined time is preset such that the concentration of the metal component in the processing liquid does not exceed an acceptable level. The permissible level is a level that sufficiently suppresses adhesion of metal components to the wafer W in the processing liquid. The adsorption control section 193 may control the processing station 103 to carry the adsorption member WD into the first processing unit 116A when the concentration of the metal component in the processing liquid reaches a predetermined level. The predetermined level is set in advance so as to be equal to or lower than the allowable level.

The control device 118 may further include a carry-in schedule detector 194 . The carry-in schedule detection unit 194 detects the scheduled carry-in timing of the wafer W into the first processing unit 116A based on the processing schedule stored in the schedule storage unit 191 . In this case, the adsorption control unit 193 may stop repeating the adsorption control and the cleaning control based on the next carry-in scheduled timing. For example, the adsorption control unit 193 stops repeating the adsorption control and the cleaning control as the planned loading timing for the first processing unit 116A that is executing the adsorption control approaches. More specifically, the adsorption control unit 193 stops repeating the adsorption control and the cleaning control when the time from the current time to the scheduled carry-in timing becomes equal to or less than a predetermined margin.

In the above example, the first processing unit 116A for supplying the first processing liquid to the wafer W and the second processing unit 116B for supplying the second processing liquid to the wafer W are provided separately. is shown, but is not limited to this. For example, one processing unit 116 has a first supply section (first processing section) that supplies a first processing liquid and a second supply section (second processing section) that supplies a second processing liquid. good too. In this case, it is possible to repeat the adsorption control and cleaning control for one processing unit 116 .

(4) Substrate Processing Procedure Next, as an example of the substrate processing method, a substrate processing procedure executed by the substrate processing apparatus 1B will be described. This substrate processing procedure includes carrying the wafer W into the processing area A2 and exposing it to the processing liquid, and carrying the adsorption member WD into the processing area A2 and exposing it to the processing liquid.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a substrate processing procedure executed by the substrate processing apparatus 1B in any one of the first processing units 116A. As shown in FIG. 9, the controller 118 first executes steps S31 and S32. In step S31, the processing control unit 192 controls the processing station 103 so that the wafer W is transferred to the first processing unit 116A by the substrate transfer device 117, and the processing liquid is supplied to the wafer W by the first processing unit 116A. . In step S32, the processing control unit 192 confirms whether or not the time from the current time to the scheduled loading timing of the next wafer W is equal to or less than the margin. Hereinafter, the fact that the time from the current time to the scheduled loading timing of the next wafer W is equal to or less than the margin is referred to as "there is a reservation for the next loading".

If it is determined in step S32 that there is a reservation for the next delivery, the control device 118 returns the process to step S31. After that, the first processing unit 116A repeatedly supplies the processing liquid to the wafer W until it is determined that there is no next transfer reservation. If it is determined in step S32 that there is no next carry-in reservation, the control device 118 executes step S33. In step S33, the adsorption control unit 193 checks whether or not a predetermined time has passed while the wafer W is not exposed to the processing liquid in the first processing unit 116A. In other words, the adsorption control unit 193 checks whether or not the elapsed time after the supply of the processing liquid is stopped in the first processing unit 116A (hereinafter referred to as "idle time") has reached the predetermined time.

If it is determined in step S33 that the idle time has not reached the predetermined time, the control device 118 returns the process to step S32. When it is determined in step S33 that the idle time has reached the predetermined time, the control device 118 executes steps S34, S35, and S36. In step S34, the adsorption control unit 193 controls the processing station 103 so that the substrate transport device 117 takes out the adsorption member WD from the transfer unit 114 and carries it into the processing area A2. Prior to this, the adsorption control unit 193 further controls the processing station 103 so that the substrate transfer device 113 takes out the adsorption member WD from the adsorption member carrier of the carrier placement unit 111 and places it on the transfer unit 114 . You may Step S35 includes a process (hereinafter referred to as "adsorption process") for causing the first processing unit 116A to supply the treatment liquid to the adsorption member WD. Step S35 may further include a process (hereinafter referred to as "cleaning process") of supplying the processing liquid to the adsorption member WD by the second processing unit 116B. In step S35, the control device 118 may repeat the adsorption control and the cleaning control. That is, the substrate processing apparatus 1B may repeat the adsorption process and the cleaning process in step S35. The specific processing contents of step S35 will be described later. At step S36, the adsorption control unit 193 confirms whether or not there is a reservation for the next carry-in.

If it is determined in step S36 that there is no next carry-in reservation, the control device 118 returns the process to step S35. After that, adsorption control and cleaning control are repeated until it is determined that there is a next delivery reservation. If it is determined in step S36 that there is a reservation for the next delivery, the control device 118 executes step S37. In step S<b>37 , the adsorption control unit 193 controls the processing station 103 so that the substrate transfer device 117 carries out the adsorption member WD from the processing area A<b>2 and returns it to the transfer unit 114 . The adsorption control unit 193 may further control the processing station 103 so that the substrate transfer device 113 returns the adsorption member WD from the delivery unit 114 to the adsorption member carrier of the carrier placement unit 111 . After that, the control device 118 returns the process to step S31. After that, supplying the processing liquid to the wafer W by the first processing unit 116A is repeated while executing the adsorption control and the cleaning control as necessary.

In the above, the procedure for determining the necessity of adsorption processing based on whether the idle time has reached the predetermined time has been exemplified, but the method of determining the necessity of adsorption processing is not necessarily limited to this. . For example, in step S33, the adsorption control unit 193 may determine whether the adsorption process is necessary based on whether the concentration of the metal component in the treatment liquid has reached a predetermined level.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the procedure of the adsorption process in step S35. As shown in FIG. 10, the control device 118 sequentially executes steps S41, S42, and S43. In step S41, the adsorption control unit 193 causes the substrate transport device 117 to transport the adsorption member WD to the first processing unit 116A, and causes the first processing unit 116A to supply the adsorption member WD with the first processing liquid. 103. For example, the adsorption control unit 193 transfers the adsorption member WD from the substrate transfer device 117 to the holding unit 124 of the first processing unit 116A, and rotates the adsorption member WD by the rotation driving unit 125, thereby causing the upper ejection unit 131 and the lower ejection unit 131 to rotate. The processing station 103 is controlled to eject the processing liquid from the portion 132 . After that, the adsorption control unit 193 stops the ejection of the treatment liquid from the upper ejection unit 131 and the lower ejection unit 132 and the rotation of the adsorption member WD by the rotation driving unit 125 , and the holding unit 124 transfers the substrate transfer device 117 to the substrate transport device 117 . The processing station 103 is controlled to return the adsorption member WD.

In step S42, the adsorption controller 193 causes the substrate transport device 117 to transport the adsorption member WD to the second processing unit 116B, and the second processing unit 116B to supply the adsorption member WD with the second processing liquid. 103. For example, the adsorption control unit 193 transfers the adsorption member WD from the substrate transport device 117 to the holding unit 124 of the second processing unit 116B, and rotates the adsorption member WD by the rotation driving unit 125, thereby causing the upper ejection unit 131 and the lower ejection unit 131 to rotate. The processing station 103 is controlled to eject the processing liquid from the portion 132 .

In step S43, the processing station 103 may be controlled such that the second processing unit 116B executes the drying processing of the adsorption member WD. During the drying process, the adsorption control unit 193 controls the processing station 103 so that the rotation of the wafer W by the rotation driving unit 125 is continued while the ejection of the second processing liquid from the upper ejection unit 131 and the lower ejection unit 132 is stopped. to control. After that, the adsorption control unit 193 stops the ejection of the treatment liquid from the upper ejection unit 131 and the lower ejection unit 132 and the rotation of the adsorption member WD by the rotation driving unit 125 , and the holding unit 124 transfers the substrate transfer device 117 to the substrate transport device 117 . The processing station 103 is controlled to return the adsorption member WD. This completes one cycle of the adsorption treatment procedure. By executing step S43, it becomes possible to move to the next cycle in a state in which the adsorption member WD is dried. As a result, it is possible to suppress a change in the concentration of the first treatment liquid (concentration of the treatment component) in the first treatment unit 116A.

Note that step S43 may be executed between steps S41 and S42 instead of after step S42. In this case, the drying process will be performed in the first processing unit 116A. Alternatively, step S43 may be executed both between steps S41 and S42 and after step S42. Furthermore, it is possible to omit step S43. In particular, when the concentration of the treatment liquid (concentration of the component for treatment) is automatically adjusted in both the first treatment unit 116A and the second treatment unit 116B, the effect of omitting step S43 is small.

3. Effects of the Embodiments As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1A is a lot processing unit 6 for processing substrates with a circulating processing liquid, and is capable of processing a lot containing a metal-containing material in the flow path of the processing liquid. a processing control unit 92 that controls the lot processing unit 6 so that the wafer W is carried into the processing area A1 and exposed to the processing liquid; and an adsorption member WD that adsorbs metal components in the processing liquid. and an adsorption control unit 93 that controls the lot processing unit 6 so that it is brought in and exposed to the processing liquid.

Since the flow path of the processing liquid contains the metal-containing material, the concentration of the metal component in the processing liquid (the metal component eluted from the metal-containing material) may increase as the circulation time elapses. In particular, when there is no wafer W in the lot processing section 6, the metal component tends to remain in the lot processing section 6, and the concentration of the metal component tends to increase. On the other hand, according to this substrate processing apparatus 1A, when there is no wafer W in the lot processing section 6, the adsorption member WD is carried into the lot processing section 6, and the adsorption member WD is exposed to the processing liquid. Later, it is carried out from the lot processing section 6 . As a result, part of the metal component in the processing liquid adheres to the adsorption member WD and is taken out of the lot processing section 6 . Therefore, an increase in the concentration of metal components in the circulating treatment liquid is suppressed. Therefore, it is effective in suppressing the adhesion amount of the metal component eluted from the metal-containing material to the wafer W.

FIG. 11 is a graph exemplifying temporal changes in the amounts of metal components contained in the treatment liquid in the first treatment apparatus 30A. The horizontal axis of this graph indicates the idle time, and the vertical axis indicates the amount of metal component. A triangular plot P1 indicates the amount of metal components when the above adsorption control and cleaning control are not performed during the idle time. A plot P2 with square marks indicates the amount of metal components when the above-described adsorption control and cleaning control are repeated during the idle time. As plot P1 indicates, the amount of metal components increases over time when the above-described adsorption control and cleaning control are not performed. It is considered that this is because the metal component is eluted from the flow path of the processing liquid as the processing liquid circulates. On the other hand, as the plot P2 shows, by repeating the adsorption control and cleaning control, the amount of metal components is suppressed from increasing. It is considered that this is because the metal component eluted from the processing liquid flow path is adsorbed by the adsorption member WD and removed from the processing liquid. Based on this principle, even if only adsorption control is performed without repeating adsorption control and cleaning control, it is clear that an effect of suppressing an increase in the amount of metal components can be obtained.

The attraction member WD may be an attraction substrate that can be placed in the same position as the wafer W is placed. In this case, the attraction member WD can be transported and arranged in the same manner as the wafer W. By arranging the adsorption member WD in the same manner as the substrate to be processed with the processing liquid, the adsorption member WD can be firmly exposed to the processing liquid and the metal component can be efficiently adsorbed. Therefore, an increase in the concentration of metal components in the circulating treatment liquid can be suppressed more reliably.

The lot processing unit 6 includes a first processing unit 30A for processing substrates with a circulating first processing liquid, and a second processing unit 30B for processing substrates with a second processing liquid for removing metal components. The adsorption control unit 93 performs adsorption control for controlling the lot processing unit 6 so that the adsorption member WD is exposed to the first treatment liquid by the first processing device 30A, and the adsorption member WD is subjected to the first processing by the second processing device 30B. The cleaning control of controlling the lot processing section 6 so as to expose it to two processing liquids may be repeated. When the metal component accumulates in the adsorption member WD, the adsorption performance of the metal component deteriorates. On the other hand, by repeating the adsorption control and the cleaning control, the adsorption performance of the metal component by the adsorption member WD is maintained at a high level. Therefore, an increase in the concentration of metal components in the circulating treatment liquid can be suppressed more reliably.

The substrate processing apparatus 1A further includes a carry-in schedule detection unit 94 that detects the scheduled carry-in timing of the wafer W into the processing area A1 based on a preset wafer W processing schedule. Repetition of adsorption control and cleaning control may be stopped based on the scheduled carry-in timing. In this case, the adsorption control and the cleaning control can be repeated until near the next scheduled loading timing. As a result, increase in the concentration of the metal component in the circulating treatment liquid can be more reliably suppressed.

The adsorption control unit 93 may control the lot processing unit 6 so that the adsorption member WD is carried into the processing area when a predetermined time has passed without the wafer W being exposed to the processing liquid. . In this case, by not carrying in the attracting member WD until the predetermined time has passed, it is possible to suppress an increase in the concentration of the metal component and suppress the load on the carrier carry-in/out unit 2 . In addition, based on the elapsed time, it is possible to determine the carry-in timing of the attracting member WD with a simple configuration.

The adsorption control section 93 may control the lot processing section 6 to carry the adsorption member WD into the processing area A1 when the concentration of the metal component in the processing liquid reaches a predetermined level. In this case, by not carrying in the adsorption member WD until the concentration of the metal component has passed, it is possible to suppress an increase in the concentration of the metal component and suppress the load on the carrier loading/unloading section 2 . Also, based on the concentration of the metal component, it is possible to start carrying in the adsorption member WD at a more appropriate timing.

The lot processing section 6 may have a processing tank 31 for immersing the wafer W in the processing liquid, and a circulation section 50 for returning the processing liquid discharged from the processing tank 31 to the processing tank 31 . The processing station 103 includes a holding portion 124 that holds the wafer W, an upper discharge portion 131 and a lower discharge portion 132 that discharge the processing liquid toward the wafer W held by the holding portion 124, and an upper discharge portion 131 and a lower discharge portion 132 that discharge the processing liquid toward the wafer W held by the holding portion 124. A circulation section 140 may be provided to return the treatment liquid discharged from the side discharge section 132 to the upper discharge section 131 and the lower discharge section 132 . At least the circulation section 140 may contain the metal-containing material. The metal containing material may be quartz.

Although the embodiments have been described above, the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1A, 1B... Substrate processing apparatus, 6... Lot processing part (processing part), 30A... First processing apparatus (first processing part), 30B... Second processing apparatus (second processing part), 31... Processing tank, 38 , 119... Storage medium 50, 140... Circulation unit 51... Ejection unit 92, 192... Processing control unit 93, 193... Adsorption control unit 94, 194... Carry-in schedule detection unit 103... Processing station (processing unit ), 124... Holding part, W... Wafer (substrate), WD... Attracting member.

Claims (9)

a processing section for processing a substrate with a circulating processing liquid, the processing section including a metal-containing material in a flow path of the processing liquid;
a processing control unit that controls the processing unit so that the substrate is carried into a processing area for performing the processing and is exposed to the processing liquid;
an adsorption control unit configured to control the processing unit such that an adsorption member that adsorbs a metal component in the processing liquid is brought into the processing area and exposed to the processing liquid ;
The processing unit is
a first processing unit for processing the substrate with a circulating first processing liquid;
a second processing unit for processing the substrate with a second processing liquid that removes the metal component;
The adsorption control section performs adsorption control for controlling the processing section such that the adsorption member is exposed to the first treatment liquid by the first processing section, and the adsorption member is exposed to the second processing liquid by the second processing section. and a cleaning control that controls the processing unit so as to expose the processing unit to the substrate processing apparatus. further comprising a carry-in schedule detection unit that detects a planned carry-in timing of the substrate to the processing area based on a preset processing schedule of the substrate;
2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said adsorption control unit stops repeating said adsorption control and said cleaning control based on said next scheduled carry-in timing. a processing section for processing a substrate with a circulating processing liquid, the processing section including a metal-containing material in a flow path of the processing liquid;
a processing control unit that controls the processing unit so that the substrate is carried into a processing area for performing the processing and is exposed to the processing liquid;
an adsorption control unit configured to control the processing unit such that an adsorption member that adsorbs a metal component in the processing liquid is brought into the processing area and exposed to the processing liquid;
The adsorption control unit controls the processing unit to carry the adsorption member into the processing area when a predetermined time has elapsed while the substrate is not exposed to the processing liquid . Board processing equipment. a processing section for processing a substrate with a circulating processing liquid, the processing section including a metal-containing material in a flow path of the processing liquid;
a processing control unit that controls the processing unit so that the substrate is carried into a processing area for performing the processing and is exposed to the processing liquid;
an adsorption control unit configured to control the processing unit such that an adsorption member that adsorbs a metal component in the processing liquid is brought into the processing area and exposed to the processing liquid;
The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the adsorption control section controls the processing section to carry the adsorption member into the processing area when the concentration of the metal component in the processing liquid reaches a predetermined level. 5. The processing section according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the processing section has a processing tank for immersing the substrate in the processing liquid, and a circulation section for returning the processing liquid discharged from the processing tank to the processing tank. 1. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1. The processing section includes a holding section that holds the substrate, a discharge section that discharges the processing liquid toward the substrate held by the holding section, and a discharge section that discharges the processing liquid discharged from the discharge section. 5. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , further comprising a circulation section for returning the metal-containing material to the substrate, wherein at least the circulation section contains the metal-containing material. A processing section for processing a substrate with a circulating processing liquid, the processing section including a metal-containing material in a flow path of the processing liquid,
carrying the substrate into a processing area for performing the processing and exposing the substrate to the processing liquid;
carrying an adsorption member that adsorbs a metal component in the treatment liquid into the treatment area and exposing it to the treatment liquid;
The processing section includes a first processing section for processing the substrate with a circulating first processing liquid, and a second processing section for processing the substrate with a second processing liquid for removing the metal component. has
Exposing the adsorption member that adsorbs the metal component in the treatment liquid to the treatment liquid includes an adsorption process of exposing the adsorption member to the first treatment liquid by the first processing section, and an adsorption process of exposing the adsorption member to the first treatment liquid by the second processing section. and a cleaning treatment of exposing the member to the second treatment liquid . Detecting a scheduled timing for carrying the substrate into the processing unit based on a preset processing schedule for the substrate;
8. The substrate processing method according to claim 7 , further comprising stopping repetition of said adsorption process and said cleaning process based on said next scheduled loading timing. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing an apparatus to execute the substrate processing method according to claim 7 or 8 .

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