JP7539801B2 - Substrate Processing Equipment - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus for processing substrates. Substrates to be processed include, for example, semiconductor wafers, substrates for FPDs (Flat Panel Displays) such as liquid crystal displays and organic EL (Electroluminescence) displays, substrates for optical disks, substrates for magnetic disks, substrates for magneto-optical disks, substrates for photomasks, ceramic substrates, substrates for solar cells, etc.

The substrate processing apparatus disclosed in the following Patent Document 1 cleans a substrate by supplying a cleaning liquid to the upper surface of the substrate while rotating the substrate held by a spin chuck. The cleaning liquid that splashes off the substrate due to the centrifugal force of the rotation is received by the inclined surface of a cup that surrounds the substrate.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-323633

Patent Document 1 discloses that scattering of mist can be prevented by setting the angle of the inclined surface of the cup relative to the substrate at 30° to 60°. However, Patent Document 1 does not take into consideration at all the possibility that the cleaning liquid will bounce diagonally upwards due to the impact it receives on the inclined surface of the cup. As a result, in actual substrate processing, there is a risk that the substrate will be contaminated by the rebound of the cleaning liquid.

Therefore, one object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus that can adequately receive processing liquid splashed from a substrate using a liquid receiving member and can suppress contamination of the substrate caused by the processing liquid rebounding received by the liquid receiving member.

One embodiment of the present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus including a substrate holding unit that holds a substrate horizontally, a substrate rotation unit that rotates the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, a processing liquid supply unit that supplies processing liquid to the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, and a liquid receiving member that receives processing liquid that splashes from the substrate held by the substrate holding unit.

In this substrate processing apparatus, the liquid receiving member includes a cylindrical portion surrounding the substrate holding unit, an extension portion extending from the upper end of the cylindrical portion toward the center of the cylindrical portion, the extension portion having an inclined portion inclined with respect to the horizontal direction so as to face upward toward the center, and a hanging portion extending downward from the end of the extension portion on the center side. The inclination angle of the inclined portion with respect to the horizontal direction is 25° or more and less than 30°.

According to this device, the inclination angle of the inclined portion of the liquid receiving member is equal to or greater than 25° and less than 30°. Within this range, the inclination angle of the inclined portion is small enough to sufficiently reduce the splashing of the processing liquid that occurs when the processing liquid that has splashed from the substrate hits the inclined portion. Conversely, the height dimension of the inclined portion does not become too small, so the processing liquid can be received by the inclined portion over a wide range in the vertical direction.

Furthermore, the liquid receiving member is provided with a hanging portion that extends downward from the end of the extension portion on the center side of the cylindrical portion. Therefore, when the treatment liquid splashed from the upper surface of the substrate is received by the inclined portion of the extension portion, even if the treatment liquid bounces upward, the hanging portion can suppress the treatment liquid from splashing onto the substrate.
In one embodiment of the present invention, when the liquid receiving member is positioned at a liquid receiving position to receive processing liquid splashed from a substrate held by the substrate holding unit, the hanging portion is positioned above the substrate, and the lower end of the inclined portion is positioned below the substrate.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the substrate holding unit includes a base having a circular shape with a diameter larger than that of the substrate in a plan view, and a horizontal distance between an end of the extension part on the center side and a peripheral end of the base is 3 mm or more and 19 mm or less.

If the horizontal distance between the end of the extension part on the center side of the cylindrical part (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "center side end of the extension part") and the peripheral part of the base is too short, the base and the extension part may come into contact. On the other hand, if the horizontal distance between the center side end of the extension part and the peripheral part of the base is too long, the liquid receiving member cannot sufficiently collect the processing liquid splashed from the substrate.
If the horizontal distance between the central end of the extension portion and the peripheral edge of the base is in the range of 3 mm or more and 19 mm or less, the processing liquid that splashes from the substrate can be sufficiently collected by the liquid receiving member while avoiding contact between the base and the extension portion.

For example, when the outer diameter of the base is 316 mm, the inner diameter of the extension portion is preferably not less than 319 mm and not more than 335 mm.
The height of the extension, particularly the height of the inclined portion, is determined by the inclination angle of the inclined portion relative to the horizontal direction, the inner diameter of the extension, and the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion. The greater the difference between the inner diameter of the extension and the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion, the greater the height of the inclined portion.

If the cylindrical portion is 458 mm or more and 518 mm or less, the height dimension of the inclined portion can be made sufficiently long. In this case, the mist of the treatment liquid scattered from the substrate, which diffuses upward and downward as it moves away from the substrate, can be sufficiently collected. It is particularly preferable that the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion is 458 mm or more and 486 mm or less.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the substrate holding unit is provided on the base and includes a plurality of gripping pins for horizontally gripping a peripheral portion of the substrate.

The processing liquid that has landed on the upper surface of the substrate moves along the upper surface of the substrate toward the periphery of the substrate due to the centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the substrate, and is then scattered to the outside from the periphery of the upper surface of the substrate. In a configuration in which gripping pins that grip the periphery of the substrate from the horizontal direction are provided on the base, the processing liquid moving along the upper surface of the substrate toward the periphery collides with the gripping pins. Therefore, the processing liquid is scattered over a wider range than in a configuration in which the substrate holding unit does not have gripping pins.

Even in such a case, if the horizontal distance between the central end of the extension portion and the peripheral edge of the base is in the range of 3 mm or more and 19 mm or less, and the inclination angle of the inclined portion relative to the horizontal direction is 25° or more and less than 30°, the processing liquid splashed from the substrate can be adequately received by the liquid receiving member.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the vertical distance between the lower end of the inclined portion and the lower end of the hanging portion is equal to or greater than a reference vertical width required to collect 90% or more of the processing liquid splashed from the substrate held by the substrate holding unit. Therefore, the processing liquid splashed from the substrate can be sufficiently collected by the liquid receiving member. Specifically, since the reference vertical width is, for example, 18 mm, it is sufficient that the vertical distance between the lower end of the inclined portion and the lower end of the hanging portion is 18 mm or more. If the vertical distance is 20 mm or more and 35 mm or less, most of the processing liquid splashed from the substrate can be collected by the liquid receiving member.

In one embodiment of the invention, the extension portion has a connecting portion with a curved surface that seamlessly connects the upper end of the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion to the lower end of the inner circumferential surface of the inclined portion. Therefore, the processing liquid received by the inclined portion moves smoothly along the connecting portion to the cylindrical portion and flows downward through the cylindrical portion. This reduces the amount of processing liquid remaining in the inclined portion, thereby preventing the processing liquid from scattering from the inclined portion due to collision between the processing liquid newly scattered from the substrate and the processing liquid remaining on the inclined portion. As a result, the processing liquid can be more sufficiently collected by the liquid receiving member.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the extension portion extends horizontally above the inclined portion and has a horizontal portion connected to an upper end of the hanging portion.
A portion of the processing liquid received by the inclined portion moves upward along the inclined portion. In contrast to this configuration, in a configuration in which a horizontal portion is not provided, the hanging portion is directly connected to the inclined portion. In this case, the gap between the inclined portion and the hanging portion is small, and the processing liquid received by the inclined portion is likely to remain between the inclined portion and the hanging portion. Therefore, the processing liquid is likely to be scattered due to collision between the processing liquid moving upward along the inclined portion and the processing liquid remaining between the inclined portion and the hanging portion.

On the other hand, in a configuration in which the horizontal portion is connected to the upper end of the hanging portion, the space between the inclined portion and the hanging portion is larger than in a configuration in which a horizontal portion is not provided, and therefore the treatment liquid is less likely to remain between the inclined portion and the hanging portion, and therefore the treatment liquid can be more efficiently collected by the liquid receiving member.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus comprising a substrate holding unit for holding a substrate horizontally, a substrate rotation unit for rotating the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, a processing liquid supply unit for supplying a processing liquid to the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, a first liquid receiving member for receiving processing liquid splashed from the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, and a second liquid receiving member for receiving processing liquid splashed from the substrate held by the substrate holding unit.

In this substrate processing apparatus, the first liquid receiving member has a first cylindrical portion that surrounds the substrate holding unit, a first extension portion that extends from the upper end of the first cylindrical portion toward the center of the first cylindrical portion and has a first inclined portion that inclines upward relative to the horizontal direction as it approaches the center, and a first hanging portion that extends downward from the end of the first extension portion on the center side.

The second liquid receiving member has a second cylindrical portion that surrounds the substrate holding unit closer to the center than the first cylindrical portion, a second extension portion that extends from an upper end of the second cylindrical portion toward the center and faces the first extension portion from below, the second extension portion having a second inclined portion that inclines upward relative to the horizontal direction toward the center, and a second hanging portion that extends downward from the end of the second extension portion on the center side.

Furthermore, the inclination angle of the first inclined portion with respect to the horizontal direction is 25° or more and less than 30°, and the inclination angle of the second inclined portion with respect to the horizontal direction is 25° or more and less than 30°.
According to this device, the inclination angle of the first inclined portion of the first liquid receiving member and the inclination angle of the second inclined portion of the second liquid receiving member are both equal to or greater than 25° and less than 30°. Within this range, the inclination angle is small enough to sufficiently reduce the splashing of the processing liquid that occurs when the processing liquid splashed from the substrate collides with the inclined portions (first inclined portion, second inclined portion). Conversely, the height dimension of the inclined portions does not become too small, so the processing liquid can be received by the inclined portions over a wide range in the vertical direction.

Furthermore, both the first extension portion of the first liquid receiving member and the second extension portion of the second liquid receiving member are provided with hanging portions (first hanging portion, second hanging portion). Therefore, even if the processing liquid splashed from the upper surface of the substrate is received by the inclined portion and the processing liquid bounces upward, the hanging portions can suppress the processing liquid from splashing onto the substrate.
When the first liquid receiving member is positioned at a first liquid receiving position to receive processing liquid splashed from the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, it is preferable that the first hanging portion is positioned above the substrate and the lower end of the first inclined portion is positioned below the substrate.
It is also preferable that the vertical distance between the lower end of the first inclined portion and the lower end of the first hanging portion is the same as or greater than the standard vertical width required to capture 90% or more of the processing liquid splashed from the substrate held in the substrate holding unit.
Furthermore, when the second liquid receiving member is positioned at a second liquid receiving position to receive processing liquid splashed from the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, it is preferable that the second hanging portion is positioned above the substrate and the lower end of the second inclined portion is positioned below the substrate.
It is also preferable that the vertical distance between the lower end of the second inclined portion and the lower end of the second hanging portion is the same as or greater than the standard vertical width required to capture 90% or more of the processing liquid splashed from the substrate held in the substrate holding unit.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the substrate holding unit has a base having a circular shape with a diameter larger than that of the substrate in a plan view, the horizontal distance between an end of the first extension part on the center side and a peripheral edge of the base is 3 mm or more and 10 mm or less, and the horizontal distance between an end of the second extension part on the center side and a peripheral edge of the base is 3 mm or more and 19 mm or less.

If the horizontal distance between the end (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "center-side end of the extension portion") of the extension portion (first extension portion, second extension portion) on the center side of the cylindrical portion (first cylindrical portion, second cylindrical portion) and the peripheral portion of the base is too short, there is a risk of the base and the extension portion coming into contact. On the other hand, if the horizontal distance between the center-side end of the extension portion and the peripheral portion of the base is too long, the liquid receiving member will not be able to adequately collect the processing liquid that splashes from the substrate.

If the horizontal distance between the central end of the first extension portion and the peripheral edge of the base is in the range of 3 mm or more and 10 mm or less, contact between the base and the first extension portion can be avoided while the first liquid receiving member can sufficiently collect the processing liquid that splashes from the substrate.
If the horizontal distance between the central end of the second extension portion and the peripheral edge of the base is in the range of 3 mm or more and 19 mm or less, the processing liquid that splashes from the substrate can be sufficiently collected by the second liquid receiving member while avoiding contact between the base and the extension portion.

For example, when the outer diameter of the base is 316 mm, it is preferable that the inner diameter of the first extension portion is 319 mm or more and 326 mm or less, and the inner diameter of the second extension portion is 319 mm or more and 335 mm or less.
Furthermore, if the inner diameter of the first cylindrical portion is 486 mm or more and 518 mm or less, the height dimension of the first extension portion, particularly the height dimension of the first inclined portion, can be sufficiently long. If the inner diameter of the second cylindrical portion is 458 mm or more and 470 mm or less, the height dimension of the second extension portion, particularly the height dimension of the second inclined portion, can be sufficiently long. In this case, the mist of the processing liquid scattered from the substrate, which diffuses up and down as it moves away from the substrate, can be sufficiently collected. In particular, it is preferable that the inner diameter of the first cylindrical portion is 486 mm and the second cylindrical portion is 458 mm.

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing the internal configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic vertical sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining an example of the configuration of a processing unit provided in the substrate processing apparatus. FIG. 4A is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining configurations of a first liquid receiving member and a second liquid receiving member provided in the processing unit. FIG. 4B is an enlarged view of region IVB shown in FIG. 4A. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the main parts of the substrate processing apparatus. FIG. 6 is a flow chart for explaining an example of substrate processing by the substrate processing apparatus. FIG. 7A is a schematic diagram for explaining how the processing liquid splashed from the substrate is received by the first guard during the substrate processing. FIG. 7B is a schematic diagram for explaining how the processing liquid splashed from the substrate is received by the second guard during the substrate processing. FIG. 8 is a graph showing the results of a treatment liquid scattering experiment investigating the vertical position reached by treatment liquid scattered from a substrate.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view showing the internal configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a schematic vertical sectional view taken along line II-II in Fig. 1.
The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes an indexer block 2, a processing block 3 adjacent to the indexer block 2 in the lateral direction (horizontal direction), and a controller 4 (see FIG. 5 described later) that controls the substrate processing apparatus 1.

The indexer block 2 includes a plurality of (four in this embodiment) load ports LP and an indexer robot IR.
The load ports LP are arranged in a horizontal direction. Each load port LP is configured to be able to hold one carrier C. The carrier C is a substrate container that accommodates a substrate W (product substrate) to be processed. The substrate W is, for example, a semiconductor wafer.

The indexer robot IR is configured to access the carriers C held on the multiple load ports LP, respectively, to load/unload the substrate W and transport the substrate W between the processing block 3. In this embodiment, the indexer robot IR is an articulated arm robot equipped with an articulated arm.
The processing block 3 includes multiple (in this embodiment, 12) processing units 5, multiple substrate placement portions 6 (a first substrate placement portion 6U and a second substrate placement portion 6L), and multiple main transport robots CR (a first main transport robot CRU and a second main transport robot CRL).

The plurality of processing units 5 perform processing on the substrates W. In this embodiment, each processing unit 5 is a single-substrate processing unit that processes the substrates W one by one.
The multiple processing units 5 are arranged along and on both sides of the transport space 8 through which the substrates W are transported by the multiple main transport robots CR, and face the transport space 8. The transport space 8 extends linearly in a direction away from the indexer block 2 in a plan view.

The multiple processing units 5 make up multiple (four in this embodiment) processing towers TW. In a plan view, multiple (two in this embodiment) processing towers TW are arranged on each side of the transport space 8. Each processing tower TW includes multiple stages (six stages in this embodiment) of processing units 5 stacked vertically. In this embodiment, 24 processing units 5 are arranged in four processing towers TW, six in each. All processing units 5 have a substrate unloading/loading entrance 5a facing the transport space 8.

A fluid supply unit 9 and an exhaust unit 10 are arranged on the sides of each processing tower TW. The fluid supply unit 9 houses piping for supplying processing fluids used in the multiple processing units 5 that make up the processing tower TW, and pumps for pumping liquids in the piping. The exhaust unit 10 houses piping for exhausting the atmosphere inside the multiple processing units 5 that make up the processing tower TW.

The processing fluid refers to a liquid (processing liquid) or gas used in the substrate processing apparatus 1. Examples of the processing liquid include a chemical liquid and a rinse liquid, which will be described later.
In plan view, the exhaust section 10 accommodates exhaust piping 11 for directing exhaust from a plurality of processing units 5 constituting the corresponding processing tower TW to an exhaust facility outside the substrate processing apparatus 1. The exhaust section 10 may further accommodate a switching mechanism 12 for switching the exhaust piping 11 depending on the type of processing (more specifically, the type of processing liquid) in the processing unit 5. Although not shown in the figure, the exhaust section 10 accommodates actuators for driving the switching mechanism 12.

The multiple processing units 5 are classified as lower-layer processing units 5 or upper-layer processing units 5. In this embodiment, the processing units 5 in the lower three stages are lower-layer processing units 5, and the processing units 5 in the upper three stages are upper-layer processing units 5.
The first substrate platform 6U and the second substrate platform 6L are arranged next to each other in the vertical direction. The first main transport robot CRU and the second main transport robot CRL are arranged next to each other in the vertical direction in the transport space 8.

The first substrate platform 6U temporarily holds a substrate W to be transferred between the indexer robot IR and the first main transport robot CRU, and the second substrate platform 6L temporarily holds a substrate W to be transferred between the indexer robot IR and the second main transport robot CRL.
The first main transport robot CRU transports substrates W between the first substrate platform 6U and the upper processing unit 5. The second main transport robot CRL transports substrates W between the second substrate platform 6L and the lower processing unit 5.

The processing unit 5 includes a spin chuck 15 that rotates the substrate W about a rotation axis A1 (vertical axis) while holding the substrate W horizontally, a processing cup 16 that surrounds the spin chuck 15 in a plan view, and a processing chamber 17 that accommodates the spin chuck 15 and the processing cup 16. The rotation axis A1 is a vertical straight line that passes through the center of the substrate W.
The processing chamber 17 includes a bottom wall 17A, a plurality of (four in this embodiment) side walls 17B, and a top wall 17C (see FIG. 3 described later), which define an internal space 101 of the processing chamber 17. The substrate unloading/loading opening 5a is formed in the side wall 17B of the processing chamber 17.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining an example of the configuration of the processing unit 5. As shown in FIG.
The spin chuck 15 is an example of a substrate holding and rotating unit, and includes a plurality of chuck pins 20, a spin base 21 (base), a rotating shaft 22, and a spin motor 23.
The spin base 21 has a disk shape extending in the horizontal direction. In a plan view, the spin base 21 has a circular shape with a diameter larger than that of the substrate W. On the upper surface of the spin base 21, a plurality of chuck pins 20 for gripping the peripheral edge of the substrate W are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of the spin base 21. The chuck pins 20 are also referred to as gripping pins.

The spin base 21 and the plurality of chuck pins 20 constitute a substrate holding unit that horizontally holds the substrate W. The substrate holding unit is also called a substrate holder.
The rotation shaft 22 extends vertically along the rotation axis A1. The upper end of the rotation shaft 22 is coupled to the center of the lower surface of the spin base 21. The spin motor 23 applies a rotational force to the rotation shaft 22. The rotation shaft 22 is rotated by the spin motor 23, thereby rotating the spin base 21. As a result, the substrate W is rotated about the rotation axis A1. The spin motor 23 is an example of a substrate rotation unit that rotates the substrate W about the rotation axis A1.

The processing unit 5 includes a plurality of processing liquid nozzles 30 and a fan filter unit (FFU) 26. The processing liquid nozzles 30 are housed in the processing chamber 17.
The FFU 26 is attached to an opening 17a provided in an upper wall 17C of the processing chamber 17, and is an example of an air blowing unit that sends clean air into the processing chamber 17. The FFU 26 includes a fan (not shown) that generates an airflow from the outside of the processing chamber 17 toward the inside of the processing chamber 17, a filter (not shown) for removing foreign matter contained in the airflow, and an actuator (not shown) such as a motor that drives the fan.

Each processing liquid nozzle 30 is an example of a processing liquid supply unit that supplies a processing liquid to the substrate W. The multiple processing liquid nozzles 30 include a chemical liquid nozzle 31 that ejects a chemical liquid toward the upper surface of the substrate W, an upper rinse liquid nozzle 32 that ejects a rinse liquid toward the upper surface of the substrate W, and a lower rinse liquid nozzle 33 that ejects a rinse liquid toward the lower surface of the substrate W.
The chemical nozzle 31 is connected to a chemical pipe 41 that guides the chemical to the chemical nozzle 31. A chemical valve 51 that opens and closes the flow path of the chemical pipe 41 and a chemical pump 61 that sends the chemical to the chemical nozzle 31 are interposed in the chemical pipe 41. When the chemical valve 51 is opened, the chemical is discharged downward from the chemical nozzle 31 in a continuous flow.

In this embodiment, the chemical nozzle 31 is a mobile nozzle that is moved horizontally and vertically by the first nozzle moving unit 71. The chemical nozzle 31 is configured to move horizontally between a central position and a home position (retracted position). When the chemical nozzle 31 is located at the central position and the chemical valve 51 is opened, the chemical is supplied to a central region of the upper surface of the substrate W.

The first nozzle moving unit 71 may include an arm 71A connected to the chemical liquid nozzle 31 and extending horizontally, a rotating shaft 71B connected to the arm 71A and extending vertically, and a rotating shaft drive unit 71C that raises and lowers the rotating shaft.
The rotating shaft drive unit 71C includes a drive motor (not shown) that rotates the rotating shaft 71B about a rotation axis A2 extending vertically to swing the arm 71A, and an arm lifter (not shown) that raises and lowers the rotating shaft 71B vertically to raise and lower the arm 71A. The arm lifter is, for example, a ball screw mechanism or a rack and pinion mechanism.

Unlike this embodiment, the chemical liquid nozzle 31 may be a fixed nozzle whose position is fixed in the horizontal and vertical directions.
The chemical solution discharged from the chemical solution nozzle 31 may be a liquid containing at least one of sulfuric acid, acetic acid, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, ammonia water, hydrogen peroxide water, organic acid (e.g., citric acid, oxalic acid, etc.), organic alkali (e.g., TMAH: tetramethylammonium hydroxide, etc.), surfactant, and corrosion inhibitor. Examples of chemical solutions that are mixtures of these include SPM (sulfuric acid/hydrogen peroxide mixture), SC1 (ammonia-hydrogen peroxide mixture), etc.

The upper rinse liquid nozzle 32 is connected to an upper rinse liquid pipe 42 that guides the rinse liquid to the upper rinse liquid nozzle 32. The upper rinse liquid pipe 42 is fitted with an upper rinse liquid valve 52 that opens and closes the flow path, and an upper rinse liquid pump 62 that sends the rinse liquid to the upper rinse liquid nozzle 32. When the upper rinse liquid valve 52 is opened, the rinse liquid is ejected downward from the upper rinse liquid nozzle 32 in a continuous flow.

In this embodiment, the upper rinse liquid nozzle 32 is a mobile nozzle that is moved horizontally and vertically by the second nozzle moving unit 72. The upper rinse liquid nozzle 32 is configured to move horizontally between a central position and a home position (retracted position). When the upper rinse liquid valve 52 is opened while the upper rinse liquid nozzle 32 is located at the central position, rinse liquid is supplied to a central region of the upper surface of the substrate W.

The second nozzle moving unit 72 may include an arm 72A connected to the upper rinsing liquid nozzle 32 and extending horizontally, a rotating shaft 72B connected to the arm 72A and extending vertically, and a rotating shaft drive unit 72C that raises and lowers the rotating shaft 72B.
The rotating shaft drive unit 72C includes a drive motor (not shown) that rotates the rotating shaft 72B about a rotation axis A3 extending vertically to swing the arm 72A, and an arm lifter (not shown) that raises and lowers the rotating shaft along the vertical direction to raise and lower the arm 72A. The arm lifter is, for example, a ball screw mechanism or a rack and pinion mechanism.

Unlike this embodiment, the upper rinsing liquid nozzle 32 may be a fixed nozzle whose position is fixed in the horizontal and vertical directions.
The lower rinsing liquid nozzle 33 is a fixed nozzle that discharges a rinsing liquid toward the center of the lower surface of the substrate W. The lower rinsing liquid nozzle 33 is inserted into a through hole 21a that opens in the center of the upper surface of the spin base 21 and an internal space 22a of the rotation shaft 22 that communicates with the through hole 21a. An outlet 33a of the lower rinsing liquid nozzle 33 is exposed from the upper surface of the spin base 21.

The lower rinse liquid nozzle 33 is connected to a lower rinse liquid pipe 43 that guides the rinse liquid to the lower rinse liquid nozzle 33. The lower rinse liquid pipe 43 is fitted with a lower rinse liquid valve 53 that opens and closes the flow path, and a lower rinse liquid pump 63 that sends the rinse liquid to the lower rinse liquid nozzle 33. When the lower rinse liquid valve 53 is opened, the rinse liquid is ejected upward from the lower rinse liquid nozzle 33 in a continuous flow.

Examples of the rinse liquid include DIW, carbonated water, electrolytic ion water, diluted hydrochloric acid water (eg, about 1 ppm to 100 ppm), diluted ammonia water (eg, about 1 ppm to 100 ppm), reduced water (hydrogen water), and the like.
A lower gas flow passage 25 is formed by a space between the lower rinsing liquid nozzle 33 and the through hole 21a of the spin base 21. The lower gas flow passage 25 is connected to a lower gas pipe 44 inserted into the internal space 22a between the inner peripheral surface of the rotating shaft 22 and the lower rinsing liquid nozzle 33. When a lower gas valve 54 interposed in the lower gas pipe 44 is opened, a gas such as nitrogen gas ( _N2 gas) is discharged from the lower gas flow passage 25 toward the space between the lower surface of the substrate W and the upper surface of the spin base 21.

The gas discharged from the lower gas flow passage 25 is not limited to nitrogen gas. The gas discharged from the lower gas flow passage 25 may be air. Moreover, the gas discharged from the lower gas flow passage 25 may be an inert gas other than nitrogen gas. The inert gas other than nitrogen gas is, for example, argon.
Processing cup 16 includes a plurality of guards 80 that receive liquid splashed outward from substrate W held on spin chuck 15, a plurality of cups 90 that receive liquid guided downward by the plurality of guards 80, and an exhaust bucket 100 that surrounds the plurality of guards 80 and the plurality of cups 90 in a plan view. The guards 80 are an example of a liquid receiving member that receives processing liquid splashed from the substrate W.

In this embodiment, an example is shown in which two guards 80 (a first guard 80A and a second guard 80B) and two cups 90 (a first cup 90A and a second cup 90B) are provided.
Each of the first cup 90A and the second cup 90B has the form of an upwardly opening annular groove.

The first guard 80A and the second guard 80B each have a generally cylindrical shape, and the upper end of each guard 80 is inclined inward toward the center of the guard 80. The first guard 80A is disposed so as to surround the spin base 21. The second guard 80B (inner guard) is disposed so as to surround the spin base 21 closer to the center of the first guard 80A than the first guard 80A (outer guard).

The center side of the first guard 80A (hereinafter referred to as the "inner guard side IS") is also the inside in the direction of the rotational diameter of the substrate W. The opposite side of the center side of the first guard 80A (hereinafter referred to as the "outer guard side OS") is also the outside in the direction of the rotational diameter of the substrate W. The first guard 80A and the second guard 80B are arranged coaxially, and the center side of the first guard 80A is also the center side of the second guard 80B.

The first cup 90A is formed integrally with the second guard 80B and receives the processing liquid guided downward by the first guard 80A. The second cup 90B receives the processing liquid guided downward by the second guard 80B. The processing liquid received by the first cup 90A is collected by a first processing liquid recovery path (not shown) connected to the lower end of the first cup 90A. The processing liquid received by the second cup 90B is collected by a second processing liquid recovery path (not shown) connected to the lower end of the second cup 90B.

The processing unit 5 includes a guard lifting unit 95 that separately lifts and lowers the first guard 80A and the second guard 80B. The guard lifting unit 95 lifts and lowers the first guard 80A between a lower position and an upper position. The guard lifting unit 95 lifts and lowers the second guard 80B between a lower position and an upper position.
When first guard 80A and second guard 80B are both located in the upper position, processing liquid splashed from the substrate W is received by second guard 80B. When second guard 80B is located in the lower position and first guard 80A is located in the upper position, processing liquid splashed from the substrate W is received by first guard 80A. First guard 80A is an example of a first liquid receiving member. Second guard 80B is an example of a second liquid receiving member.

When the first guard 80A and the second guard 80B are both in the lower position, the corresponding main transport robot CR can load and unload a substrate W into and from the processing chamber 17.
The guard lifting unit 95 includes a first guard lifting unit that lifts and lowers the first guard 80A and a second guard lifting unit that lifts and lowers the second guard 80B. The first guard lifting unit is, for example, a first actuator (not shown) that provides a driving force to a first lifting mechanism (not shown) coupled to the first guard 80A. The first lifting mechanism is, for example, a ball screw mechanism or a rack and pinion mechanism. The second guard lifting unit is, for example, a second actuator (not shown) that provides a driving force to a second lifting mechanism (not shown) coupled to the second guard 80B. The second lifting mechanism is, for example, a ball screw mechanism or a rack and pinion mechanism.

The guard lifting unit 95 is also referred to as a guard lifter. Similarly, the first guard lifting unit is a first guard lifter, and the second guard lifting unit is a second guard lifter.
The internal space 101 of the processing chamber 17 is divided into an in-guard space 102 on the inner side IS of the first guard 80A, and an out-guard space 103 other than the in-guard space 102. A partition plate 104 is provided on at least one of the side walls 17B of the processing chamber 17 to separate the out-guard space 103 of the processing chamber 17 into upper and lower spaces. That is, the out-guard space 103 is divided by the partition plate 104 into an upper space 103A above the partition plate 104 and a lower space 103B below the partition plate 104. The partition plate 104 is supported by the exhaust tub 100.

The upper space 103A includes a space above the partition plate 104 and on the guard inner side IS of the first guard 80A, and a space above the partition plate 104 and on the guard outer side OS of the first guard 80A.
The lower space 103B is divided into an inner lower space 105 on the inside IS of the guard relative to the exhaust tub 100 and an outer lower space 106 on the outside OS of the guard relative to the exhaust tub 100.

The atmosphere in the processing chamber 17 is exhausted via an exhaust connection pipe 45 that penetrates the side wall 17B of the processing chamber 17 and the exhaust bucket 100. The exhaust connection pipe 45 is connected to an exhaust pipe 11 (see FIG. 1) disposed in the exhaust section 10.
The FFU 26 generates an airflow F by sending clean air to the internal space 101 of the processing chamber 17. The airflow F is sent from the upper space 103A to the exhaust connection pipe 45 of the exhaust unit 10 through the in-guard space 102 or the lower space 103B. The airflow F flows into the lower space 103B through a gap G1 between the end of the partition plate 104 on the guard inner side IS and the first guard 80A, or through a gap G2 formed at the end of the partition plate 104 on the guard outer side OS.

The airflow F1 that has flowed into the inner lower space 105 through the gap G1 flows from the inner lower space 105 into the exhaust connecting pipe 45.
The airflow F2 that flows into the outer lower space 106 through the gap G2 flows into the inner lower space 105 through the opening 100a formed in the exhaust tub 100, and then flows into the exhaust connecting pipe 45. The airflow F3 that flows into the in-guard space 102 flows from the in-guard space 102 into the exhaust connecting pipe 45.

By adjusting the height position of the first guard 80A, it is possible to adjust the size of the gap G1 between the partition plate 104 and the first guard 80A. By adjusting the size of the gap G1, it is possible to adjust the flow rates of the airflows F1 to F3.
Fig. 4A is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the configuration of first guard 80A and second guard 80B. Fig. 4B is an enlarged view of region IVB shown in Fig. 4A.

Referring to FIG. 4A, each guard 80 includes a cylindrical portion 81, an extension portion 82, and a hanging portion 83. The cylindrical portion 81, extension portion 82, and hanging portion 83 of the first guard 80A may be referred to as the first cylindrical portion 81A, the first extension portion 82A, and the first hanging portion 83A, respectively. Similarly, the cylindrical portion 81, extension portion 82, and hanging portion 83 of the second guard 80B may be referred to as the second cylindrical portion 81B, the second extension portion 82B, and the second hanging portion 83B, respectively. The same is true for the inclined portion 84, lower connecting portion 85, horizontal portion 86, lower curved surface 87, upper connecting portion 88, upper curved surface 89, center side end portion 82a, inclination angle θ, etc. (see FIG. 4B).

The first cylindrical portion 81A is a cylindrical portion that is circular in a plan view. The first cylindrical portion 81A surrounds the spin base 21. The center side of the first cylindrical portion 81A is also a guard inner side IS, and the side opposite to the center side of the first cylindrical portion 81A is also a guard outer side OS.
The first extension portion 82A has a circular ring shape in a plan view. The first extension portion 82A is connected to the upper end portion of the first cylindrical portion 81A and extends from the upper end portion of the first cylindrical portion 81A toward the center of the first cylindrical portion 81A.

The first hanging portion 83A is directly connected to the end of the first extension portion 82A on the center side of the first tubular portion 81A (hereinafter referred to as the "first center side end 82Aa") and extends downward from the first center side end 82Aa. The first hanging portion 83A has a circular ring shape in a plan view. The first hanging portion 83A has a tapered shape that narrows in width as it extends downward. The first hanging portion 83A has a triangular shape in a cross-sectional view.

Referring to FIG. 4B, the first extension portion 82A has a first inclined portion 84A that is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction so as to face upward toward the guard inner side IS, a first lower connecting portion 85A that connects the first inclined portion 84A and the first tubular portion 81A, a first horizontal portion 86A that extends horizontally above the first inclined portion 84A and is connected to the upper end of the first hanging portion 83A, and a first upper connecting portion 88A that connects the first inclined portion 84A and the first horizontal portion 86A.

The first lower connecting portion 85A has a first lower curved surface 87A that smoothly connects the upper end of the inner circumferential surface 81Aa of the first cylindrical portion 81A and the lower end of the inner circumferential surface 84Ab of the first inclined portion 84A. The inner circumferential surface 81Aa of the first cylindrical portion 81A is a cylindrical surface extending in the vertical direction. The inner circumferential surface 84Ab of the first inclined portion 84A is an inclined surface that inclines relative to the horizontal direction as it approaches the guard inner side IS. The first upper connecting portion 88A has a first upper curved surface 89A that smoothly connects the upper end of the inner circumferential surface 84Ab of the first inclined portion 84A and the guard inner side end of the lower surface of the first horizontal portion 86A.

4A, the second cylindrical portion 81B is a cylindrical portion having a circular shape in a plan view. The center side of the second cylindrical portion 81B is also the guard inner side IS, and the opposite side to the center side of the second cylindrical portion 81B is also the guard outer side OS. The second cylindrical portion 81B surrounds the spin base 21 on the guard inner side IS further than the first cylindrical portion 81A.
The second extension portion 82B has a circular ring shape in a plan view. The second extension portion 82B is connected to the upper end of the second cylindrical portion 81B and extends from the upper end of the second cylindrical portion 81B toward the guard inner side IS. The second extension portion 82B faces the first extension portion 82A from below.

The second hanging portion 83B is directly connected to the end of the second extension portion 82B on the center side of the first cylindrical portion 81A (hereinafter referred to as the "second center side end 82Ba") and extends downward from the second center side end 82Ba. The second hanging portion 83B has a circular ring shape in a plan view. The second hanging portion 83B has a tapered shape that narrows in width as it extends downward. The second hanging portion 83B has a triangular shape in a cross section. The second hanging portion 83B is located on the guard outer side OS than the first hanging portion 83A. Therefore, the first guard 80A and the second guard 80B can be brought close to each other so that the lower surface of the first extension portion 82A and the upper surface of the second extension portion 82B are in contact with each other.

Referring to FIG. 4B, the second extension portion 82B has a second inclined portion 84B that is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction so as to face upward toward the guard inner side IS, a second lower connecting portion 85B that connects the second inclined portion 84B and the second cylindrical portion 81B, a second horizontal portion 86B that extends horizontally from the upper end of the second inclined portion 84B and is connected to the upper end of the second hanging portion 83B, and a second upper connecting portion 88B that connects the second inclined portion 84B and the second horizontal portion 86B.

The second lower connecting portion 85B has a second lower curved surface 87B that smoothly connects the upper end of the inner circumferential surface 81Ba of the second cylindrical portion 81B and the lower end of the inner circumferential surface 84Bb of the second inclined portion 84B. The inner circumferential surface 81Ba of the second cylindrical portion 81B is a cylindrical surface that extends in the vertical direction. The inner circumferential surface 84Bb of the second inclined portion 84B is an inclined surface that inclines relative to the horizontal direction toward the inner guard side IS. The second upper connecting portion 88B has a second upper curved surface 89B that smoothly connects the upper end of the inner circumferential surface 84Bb of the second inclined portion 84B and the end of the lower surface of the second horizontal portion 86B on the outer guard side OS.

4A , the inner diameter IDT1 of the first cylindrical portion 81A is, for example, 486 mm or more and 518 mm or less. The inner diameter IDT1 of the first cylindrical portion 81A is preferably 486 mm or more and 500 mm or less. It is even more preferable that the inner diameter IDT1 of the first cylindrical portion 81A is 486 mm.
The outer diameter OD of the spin base 21 is, for example, 316 mm, and the outer diameter (diameter) of the substrate W is, for example, 300 mm. The inner diameter IDE1 of the first extension portion 82A is greater than 319 mm and equal to or less than 326 mm.

Referring to FIG. 4B, the horizontal distance HD1 between the first center end 82Aa and the peripheral end of the spin base 21 is, for example, 3 mm or more and 10 mm or less. It is preferable that the horizontal distance HD1 is 5 mm or more and 10 mm or less. It is even more preferable that the horizontal distance HD1 is 5 mm. The horizontal distance HD1 is also the distance between the side surface of the spin base 21 and the inner end surface of the first guard 80A in a plan view.

The inclination angle θ (first inclination angle θ1) of the first inclined portion 84A with respect to the horizontal direction is equal to or greater than 25° and less than 30°. The first inclination angle θ1 is preferably equal to or greater than 25° and less than 28°. It is even more preferable that the first inclination angle θ1 is 28°.
4A , the inner diameter IDT2 of the second cylindrical portion 81B is, for example, 458 mm or more and 470 mm or less. The inner diameter IDT2 of the second cylindrical portion 81B is preferably 458 mm or more and 465 mm or less. It is even more preferable that the inner diameter IDT2 of the second cylindrical portion 81B is 458 mm.

The inner diameter IDT1 of the first cylindrical portion 81A and the inner diameter IDT2 of the second cylindrical portion 81B are set so that the inner diameter IDT2 of the second cylindrical portion 81B is smaller than the inner diameter IDT1 of the first cylindrical portion 81A.
The inner diameter IDE2 of the second extension portion 82B is, for example, 319 mm or more and 335 mm or less. The inner diameter IDE1 of the first extension portion 82A and the inner diameter IDE2 of the second extension portion 82B are set such that the inner diameter IDE2 of the second extension portion 82B is larger than the inner diameter IDE1 of the first extension portion 82A.

Referring to FIG. 4B, the horizontal distance HD2 between the second center side end 82Ba and the peripheral end of the spin base 21 is 3 mm or more and 19 mm or less. It is preferable that the horizontal distance HD2 is 5 mm or more and 10 mm or less. It is even more preferable that the horizontal distance HD2 is 10 mm. The horizontal distance HD2 is also the distance between the side surface of the spin base 21 and the inner end surface of the second guard 80B in a plan view.

The inclination angle θ of the second inclined portion 84B with respect to the horizontal direction (second inclination angle θ2) is 25° or more and less than 30°. The second inclination angle θ2 is preferably 25° or more and 28° or less. It is more preferable that the second inclination angle θ2 is 28°. The second inclination angle θ2 is preferably equal to the first inclination angle θ1.
The vertical distance VD between the lower end of the inclined portion 84 and the lower end of the hanging portion 83 is preferably greater than a reference vertical width VW required to collect 90% or more of the processing liquid splashed from the substrate W. The reference vertical width VW is, for example, 18 mm.

Height dimension T1 of first hanging portion 83A (the amount of protrusion from the underside of first horizontal portion 86A) is, for example, 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less. Height dimension T2 of second hanging portion 83B (the amount of protrusion from the underside of second horizontal portion 86B) is, for example, 1 mm or more and 5 mm or less.
A vertical distance VD1 between the lower end of first inclined portion 84A and the lower end of first hanging portion 83A, and a vertical distance VD2 between the lower end of second inclined portion 84B and the lower end of second hanging portion 83B are both 20 mm or more and 35 mm or less. In other words, the vertical distance VD is greater than a reference vertical width VW (e.g., 18 mm).

5 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the main parts of the substrate processing apparatus 1. The controller 4 includes a microcomputer, and controls the controlled objects provided in the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to a predetermined control program.
Specifically, the controller 4 may be a computer including a processor (CPU) 4A and a memory 4B in which a control program is stored. The controller 4 is configured to perform various controls for substrate processing by the processor 4A executing the control program.

The objects controlled by the controller 4 include the indexer robot IR and multiple main transport robots CR. The objects controlled by the controller 4 include the actuators arranged in the exhaust section 10, the valves (chemical liquid valve 51, upper rinse liquid valve 52, lower rinse liquid valve 53, lower gas valve 54) and pumps (chemical liquid pump 61, upper rinse liquid pump 62, lower rinse liquid pump 63) arranged in the fluid supply section 9.

The objects controlled by the controller 4 further include each member provided in the processing unit (the spin motor 23, the first nozzle moving unit 71, the second nozzle moving unit 72, the guard lifting unit 95, and the FFU 26).
6 is a flow chart for explaining an example of substrate processing by the substrate processing apparatus 1. In the substrate processing by the substrate processing apparatus 1, for example, as shown in FIG 6, a chemical processing step (step S1), a rinsing step (step S2), and a spin drying step (step S3) are performed in this order.

3 and 6 will be mainly referred to below. First, an unprocessed substrate W is carried from the carrier C into the processing unit 5 by the indexer robot IR (see FIG. 1) and one of a plurality of main transport robots CR (see FIG. 1), and handed over to the spin chuck 15. Thereby, the substrate W is held horizontally by the spin chuck 15 (substrate holding step).
The spin chuck 15 continues to hold the substrate W until the spin dry process (step S3) is completed. From the start of the substrate holding process to the end of the spin dry process (step S3), the guard lifting unit 95 adjusts the height positions of the first guard 80A and the second guard 80B so that at least one guard 80 is located in the upper position. With the substrate W held by the spin chuck 15, the spin motor 23 rotates the spin base 21. This starts the rotation of the substrate W held horizontally (substrate rotation process). The rotation speed of the substrate W is, for example, 1200 rpm.

Then, the lower gas valve 54 is opened to discharge gas from the lower gas flow path 25 (anticipatory discharge step). The lower gas valve 54 is maintained in an open state until the spin dry step (step S3) is completed. The flow rate of gas from the lower gas flow path 25 is, for example, 50 L/min. The exhaust flow rate is adjusted by the supply of gas from the lower gas flow path 25 and the inflow of gas by the FFU 26, and the internal pressure of the processing chamber 17 is adjusted to a predetermined pressure. The exhaust flow rate is, for example, 3 m ³ /min. In this case, the internal pressure of the processing chamber 17 is adjusted to -30 Pa.

Next, a chemical liquid processing step (step S1) is performed in which the upper surface of the substrate W is processed with a chemical liquid.
Specifically, the first nozzle moving unit 71 moves the chemical nozzle 31 to a processing position. The processing position of the chemical nozzle 31 is, for example, a central position.
With the chemical nozzle 31 positioned at the processing position, the chemical valve 51 is opened, whereby the chemical is supplied (discharged) from the chemical nozzle 31 toward the central region of the upper surface of the substrate W in the rotating state (chemical supplying step).

The chemical liquid supplied to the upper surface of the substrate W spreads radially due to the centrifugal force, and spreads over the entire upper surface of the substrate W. The chemical liquid is discharged from the periphery of the upper surface of the substrate W by the centrifugal force. In this way, the entire upper surface of the substrate W is treated with the chemical liquid. The chemical liquid discharged from the upper surface of the substrate W is received by either the first guard 80A or the second guard 80B.
Next, a rinse process (step S2) is performed to clean the substrate W with a rinse liquid. Specifically, after the chemical liquid valve 51 is closed, the first nozzle movement unit 71 moves the chemical liquid nozzle 31 to the home position. After the chemical liquid valve 51 is closed, the second nozzle movement unit 72 moves the upper rinse liquid nozzle 32 to the processing position. The processing position of the upper rinse liquid nozzle 32 is, for example, the central position.

With the upper rinsing liquid nozzle 32 located at the processing position, the upper rinsing liquid valve 52 is opened, whereby the rinsing liquid is supplied (discharged) from the upper rinsing liquid nozzle 32 toward the central region of the upper surface of the substrate W in the rotating state (upper rinsing liquid supply step).
The rinsing liquid supplied to the upper surface of the substrate W spreads radially due to centrifugal force and spreads over the entire upper surface of the substrate W. The rinsing liquid is discharged from the periphery of the upper surface of the substrate W by centrifugal force. As a result, the entire upper surface of the substrate W is washed away with the rinsing liquid (upper-side rinsing process). The rinsing liquid discharged from the upper surface of the substrate W is received by either the first guard 80A or the second guard 80B.

When the rinsing liquid is supplied to the upper surface of the substrate W, the lower rinsing liquid valve 53 may be opened to discharge the rinsing liquid from the lower rinsing liquid nozzle 33 (lower rinsing liquid supply step). This causes the lower surface of the substrate W to be rinsed with the rinsing liquid (lower rinsing step).
Thereafter, a spin dry process (step S3) is performed in which the substrate W is rotated at high speed to dry the upper surface of the substrate W. Specifically, the upper rinse liquid valve 52 and the lower rinse liquid valve 53 are closed. This stops the supply of the rinse liquid to the substrate W. Then, the second nozzle moving unit 72 moves the upper rinse liquid nozzle 32 to the home position.

Then, the spin motor 23 accelerates the rotation of the substrate W, rotating the substrate W at a high speed (for example, 1500 rpm). This causes a large centrifugal force to act on the liquid remaining on the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate W, causing the liquid adhering to the substrate W to be shaken off around the substrate W. The liquid shaken off from the substrate W is received by either the first guard 80A or the second guard 80B.

Then, the spin motor 23 stops the rotation of the substrate W. The guard lifting unit 95 moves the first guard 80A and the second guard 80B to the lower position. The main transport robot CR then enters the processing unit 5, scoops up the processed substrate W from the chuck pins 20 of the spin chuck 15, and removes it from the processing unit 5. The substrate W is then handed over from the main transport robot CR to the indexer robot IR, which stores it in the carrier C.

Fig. 7A is a schematic diagram for explaining how the processing liquid splashed from the substrate W is received by the first guard 80A during the substrate processing. Fig. 7B is a schematic diagram for explaining how the processing liquid splashed from the substrate W is received by the second guard 80B during the substrate processing.
7A and 7B, when the guard 80 receives the processing liquid, the guard 80 is preferably located at a predetermined liquid receiving position between the upper position and the lower position. The liquid receiving position of the first guard 80A is referred to as the first liquid receiving position, and the liquid receiving position of the second guard 80B is referred to as the second liquid receiving position.

It is preferable that one of the guards 80 is maintained in the liquid receiving position from the start of the above-mentioned chemical solution treatment process (step S1) until the end of the spin dry process (step S3) (liquid receiving position maintaining process). Of the first guard 80A and the second guard 80B, the guard 80 that is not positioned in the liquid receiving position is positioned in the upper position, the lower position, or an appropriate position between the upper position and the lower position.

However, the guard 80 located at the liquid receiving position may be different for each process. For example, substrate processing may be performed such that the first guard 80A is located at the first liquid receiving position in the chemical processing process, and the second guard 80B is located at the second liquid receiving position in the rinsing process and the spin drying process.
For example, when the guard 80 is located at the liquid receiving position, the vertical distance between the upper surface of the substrate W and the lower end of the hanging portion 83 (upper distance UD) is the same as the vertical distance between the upper surface of the substrate W and the lower end of the inclined portion 84 (lower distance LD). Unlike this embodiment, the upper distance UD may be shorter or longer than the lower distance LD.

7A , for example, when first guard 80A is located at the first liquid receiving position, the vertical distance between the upper surface of the substrate W and the lower end of first hanging portion 83A (upper distance UD1) is the same as the vertical distance between the upper surface of the substrate W and the lower end of first inclined portion 84A (lower distance LD1). The upper distance UD1 may be shorter or longer than the lower distance LD1.
7B , when second guard 80B is located at the second liquid receiving position, the vertical distance between the upper surface of the substrate W and the lower end of second hanging portion 83B (upper distance UD2) is the same as the vertical distance between the upper surface of the substrate W and the lower end of second inclined portion 84B (lower distance LD2). Unlike this embodiment, the upper distance UD2 may be shorter or longer than the lower distance LD2.

When the guard 80 is located at the liquid receiving position, the processing liquid splashed from the substrate W is mainly received by the inclined portion 84. A part of the processing liquid that collides with the inclined portion 84 moves downward along the inclined portion 84 and the lower connecting portion 85, and is received by the corresponding cup 90.
A part of the processing liquid that collides with inclined portion 84 moves upward along inclined portion 84 and horizontal portion 86. Even if the processing liquid splashed from the upper surface of substrate W is received by inclined portion 84 and rebounds upward, hanging portion 83 can suppress the splash of the processing liquid onto substrate W. Therefore, hanging portion 83 functions as a shield that blocks the splash of the processing liquid from inclined portion 84 onto the inside IS of the guard.

According to this embodiment, the inclination angle θ of the inclined portion 84 is equal to or greater than 25° and less than 30°. Within this range, the inclination angle θ of the inclined portion 84 is sufficiently small. Therefore, the splashing of the processing liquid that occurs when the processing liquid splashed from the substrate W collides with the inclined portion 84 can be sufficiently reduced. Conversely, the height dimension of the inclined portion 84 (approximately equal to the sum of the vertical distance VD and the height dimension T of the hanging portion 83) does not become too small, so that the processing liquid can be received by the inclined portion 84 over a wide range in the vertical direction.

If the horizontal distance HD between the center end 82a of the extension part 82 and the peripheral end of the spin base 21 is too short, there is a risk of contact between the spin base 21 and the extension part 82. On the other hand, if the horizontal distance HD is too long, the guard 80 cannot sufficiently collect the processing liquid splashed from the substrate W.
In this embodiment, the horizontal distance HD is in the range of 3 mm or more and 19 mm or less. More specifically, the horizontal distance HD1 is in the range of 3 mm or more and 10 mm or less, and the horizontal distance HD2 is in the range of 3 mm or more and 19 mm or less. Therefore, the processing liquid splashed from the substrate W can be sufficiently collected by the guard 80 while avoiding contact between the spin base 21 and the extension portion 82.

In this embodiment, the processing liquid moving toward the periphery of the upper surface of the substrate W due to the centrifugal force of the rotation of the substrate W collides with the multiple chuck pins 20. Therefore, the processing liquid is scattered over a wider range in the vertical direction than in a configuration in which the chuck pins 20 are not provided, i.e., a configuration in which a vacuum chuck is used to hold the substrate W horizontally by adsorbing it to the spin base 21. Even in such a case, the guard 80 can adequately receive the processing liquid scattered from the substrate W as long as the horizontal distance HD is in the range of 3 mm or more and 19 mm or less, and the inclination angle θ of the inclined portion 84 relative to the horizontal direction is 25° or more and less than 30°.

The height dimension of the extension portion 82, particularly the height dimension of the inclined portion 84, is determined by the inclination angle θ, the inner diameter IDE of the extension portion 82, and the inner diameter IDT of the cylindrical portion 81. The greater the difference between the inner diameter IDE of the extension portion 82 and the inner diameter IDT of the cylindrical portion 81, the greater the height dimension of the inclined portion 84. Strictly speaking, the height dimension of the inclined portion 84 is also affected by the height dimension T of the hanging portion 83.
In this embodiment, the inner diameter IDE1 of the first extension portion 82A is 319 mm or more and 326 mm or less, and the inner diameter IDT1 of the first cylindrical portion 81A is 486 mm or more and 518 mm or less. Therefore, the height dimension of the first inclined portion 84A can be made sufficiently long. In this case, the mist of the processing liquid scattered from the substrate W can be sufficiently collected. If the inner diameter IDT1 of the first cylindrical portion 81A is in the range of 486 mm or more and 518 mm or less, the mist of the processing liquid can be sufficiently collected while suppressing the horizontal dimension of the first guard 80A.

If the inner diameter IDE2 of the second extension portion 82B is 319 mm or more and 335 mm or less, and the inner diameter IDT2 of the second cylindrical portion 81B is 458 mm or more and 470 mm or less, the height dimension of the second inclined portion 84B can be made sufficiently long. In this case, the mist of the processing liquid scattered from the substrate W can be sufficiently collected. If the inner diameter IDT2 of the second cylindrical portion 81B is in the range of 458 mm or more and 470 mm or less, the mist of the processing liquid can be sufficiently collected while suppressing the horizontal dimension of the second guard 80B.

According to this embodiment, the vertical distance VD is greater than the reference vertical width VW required to collect 90% or more of the processing liquid splashed from the substrate W. Therefore, the guard 80 can adequately collect the processing liquid splashed from the substrate W. Specifically, since the reference vertical width VW is, for example, 18 mm, the vertical distance VD needs only to be 18 mm or more. If the vertical distance VD is 20 mm or more and 35 mm or less, the guard 80 can collect most of the processing liquid splashed from the substrate W.

In this embodiment, the lower connecting portion 85 of the extension portion 82 has a lower curved surface 87 that smoothly connects the upper end of the inner circumferential surface 81a of the cylindrical portion 81 and the lower end of the inner circumferential surface 84b of the inclined portion 84. Therefore, the processing liquid received by the inclined portion 84 moves smoothly along the lower connecting portion 85 to the cylindrical portion 81 and flows downward through the cylindrical portion 84. Therefore, the amount of processing liquid remaining in the inclined portion 84 can be reduced, and the processing liquid can be prevented from scattering from the inclined portion 84 due to collision between the processing liquid newly scattered from the substrate W and the processing liquid remaining on the inclined portion 84. As a result, the guard 80 can collect the processing liquid more sufficiently.

A part of the processing liquid received by the inclined portion 84 moves upward along the inclined portion 84. Unlike this embodiment, in a configuration in which the horizontal portion 86 and the upper connecting portion 88 are not provided, the inclined portion 84 and the hanging portion 83 are directly connected. In this case, the angle formed by the inclined portion 84 and the hanging portion 83 is narrow. In other words, the gap between the inclined portion 84 and the hanging portion 83 is small. Therefore, the processing liquid received by the inclined portion 84 is likely to remain between the inclined portion 84 and the hanging portion 83. Therefore, the processing liquid is likely to be scattered due to collision between the processing liquid moving upward along the inclined portion 82 and the processing liquid remaining between the inclined portion 84 and the hanging portion 83.

In this embodiment, the extension portion 82 has a horizontal portion 86 that extends horizontally above the inclined portion 84 and is connected to the upper end of the hanging portion 83. Therefore, unlike this embodiment, the space between the inclined portion 84 and the hanging portion 83 is wider than in a configuration in which the horizontal portion 86 is not provided, and the treatment liquid is less likely to remain between the inclined portion 84 and the hanging portion 83. Therefore, the treatment liquid can be more efficiently collected by the guard 80.

In addition, in this embodiment, the upper connecting portion 88 of the extension portion 82 has a second upper curved surface 89B that smoothly connects the lower end of the inner circumferential surface 84b of the inclined portion 84 to the end of the lower surface of the second horizontal portion 86B on the guard outer side OS. Therefore, the processing liquid received by the inclined portion 84 moves smoothly along the upper connecting portion 88 to the horizontal portion 86 and is received by the hanging portion 83. Therefore, the amount of processing liquid remaining in the inclined portion 84 can be reduced, and the processing liquid can be prevented from scattering from the inclined portion 84 due to collision between the processing liquid newly scattered from the substrate W and the processing liquid remaining on the inclined portion 84. As a result, the guard 80 can collect the processing liquid more sufficiently.

The inner peripheral surface 84b (inclined surface) and the lower curved surface 87 of the inclined portion 84 are preferably hydrophobic. If so, the processing liquid adhering to the inner peripheral surface 84b of the inclined portion 84 flows smoothly downward via the lower curved surface 87. This makes it possible to prevent the processing liquid from splashing from the inner peripheral surface 84b of the inclined portion 84 toward the substrate W due to collision between the processing liquid splashing from the substrate W and the processing liquid adhering to the inner peripheral surface 84b.

<Treatment liquid scattering experiment>
Next, the results of a processing liquid scattering experiment to examine the scattering range of the processing liquid scattering from the substrate will be described.
The treatment liquid scattering experiment was an experiment in which the treatment liquid scattered from a substrate under the following conditions was photographed with a high-speed camera and its distribution was measured.

Substrate rotation speed: 1200 rpm
DIW (processing liquid) flow rate: 2 L/min for each of the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate
Exhaust flow rate: ³ m3/min
Nitrogen gas flow rate (flow rate of nitrogen gas discharged from the lower gas flow passage 25): 50 L/min
Pressure inside the processing chamber: -30 Pa
8 is a graph showing the results of a treatment liquid scattering experiment to investigate the scattering range of the treatment liquid scattering from the substrate. In detail, the graph in FIG. 8 shows the relationship between the scattering positions of the treatment liquid and the ratio of the treatment liquid that reaches each scattering position.

The horizontal axis of the graph shown in FIG. 8 indicates the splash position of the treatment liquid. The splash position is the vertical position of the treatment liquid splashed from the substrate when the treatment liquid reaches a position 30 mm horizontally away from the edge of the substrate. When the value on the horizontal axis is 0 mm, it means that the vertical position of the splashed treatment liquid is the same vertical position as the top surface of the substrate. When the value on the horizontal axis is positive, it means that the vertical position of the splashed treatment liquid is above the top surface of the substrate, and when the value on the horizontal axis is negative, it means that the vertical position of the splashed treatment liquid is below the top surface of the substrate.

The vertical axis of the graph shown in Figure 8 indicates the ratio (scattering ratio) of the processing liquid that reaches each vertical position to the total amount of processing liquid that splashes from the substrate. This ratio is integrated so that the ratio increases as the vertical position becomes lower. For example, the scattering ratio when the vertical position is 0 mm is 0.2, and the scattering ratio when the vertical position is -2 mm is 0.38. This means that if the amount of processing liquid that splashes from the substrate is 1, the amount of processing liquid that splashes in the vertical position range of 0 mm to -2 mm is 0.18. In other words, approximately 18% of the processing liquid that splashes from the substrate splashes in the vertical position range of 0 mm to -2 mm.

According to the graph shown in FIG. 8, for example, 95% or more of the processing liquid splashing from the substrate splashes in a vertical position range of 4 mm to -16 mm. 90% or more of the processing liquid splashing from the substrate splashes in a vertical position range of 2 mm to -16 mm. Therefore, if the vertical distance VD between the bottom end of the inclined portion 84 and the bottom end of the hanging portion 83 is 18 mm or more, this means that 90% or more of the processing liquid splashing from the substrate W can be received by the guard 80.

For example, if the inner diameter IDT of cylindrical portion 81 is 486 mm, the inclination angle θ of inclined portion 84 is 28°, and the inner diameter IDE of extension portion 82 is 326 mm, then the vertical distance VD between the lower end of inclined portion 84 and the lower end of hanging portion 83 is 34.5 mm. In this case, guard 80 can receive 95% or more of the processing liquid splashed from the substrate.
If the inner diameter IDT of cylindrical portion 81 is 458 mm, the inclination angle θ of inclined portion 84 is 28°, and the inner diameter IDE of extension portion 82 is 335 mm, the vertical distance VD between the lower end of inclined portion 84 and the lower end of hanging portion 83 is 27.2 mm. In this case as well, guard 80 can receive 95% or more of the processing liquid splashed from the substrate.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be embodied in other forms.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, two guards 80 (the first guard 80A and the second guard 80B) are provided. However, unlike the above-described embodiment, only one of the guards 80 may be provided.

That is, only a guard 80 may be provided in which the inner diameter IDT of the cylindrical portion 81 is 486 mm or more and 518 mm or less, the inner diameter IDE of the extension portion 82 is 319 mm or more and 326 mm or less, and the inclination angle θ is 25° or more and less than 30°. Alternatively, only a guard 80 may be provided in which the inner diameter IDT of the cylindrical portion 81 is 458 mm or more and 470 mm or less, the inner diameter IDE of the extension portion 82 is 319 mm or more and 335 mm or less, and the inclination angle θ is 25° or more and less than 30°.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the extension portion 82 has an inclined portion 84, a lower connecting portion 85, a horizontal portion 86, and an upper connecting portion 88. However, unlike the above-described embodiment, the horizontal portion 86 and the upper connecting portion 88 may not be provided, and the end portion of the inclined portion 84 (the upper end portion of the inclined portion 84) on the inside of the guard IS may be directly connected to the upper end portion of the hanging portion 83. Even in this case, the treatment liquid collection performance is inferior to that of a configuration in which the horizontal portion 86 is provided, but the treatment liquid can be sufficiently collected.

Also, unlike the above-described embodiment, the upper connecting portion 88 may not be provided, and the end of the inclined portion 84 on the inside guard IS (the upper end of the inclined portion 84) may be directly connected to the end of the horizontal portion 86 on the outside guard OS. Even in this case, the treatment liquid collection performance is inferior to that of a configuration in which the upper connecting portion 88 is provided, but the treatment liquid can be sufficiently collected.

Also, unlike the above-described embodiment, the lower connecting portion 85 may not be provided, and the end portion (the lower end portion of the inclined portion) of the inclined portion 84 on the guard outer side OS may be directly connected to the upper end portion of the cylindrical portion 81. Even in this case, the processing liquid collecting performance is inferior to the configuration in which the lower connecting portion 85 is provided, but the processing liquid can be sufficiently collected.
Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the gas discharged from the lower gas flow passage 25 is sprayed toward the lower surface of the substrate W. However, unlike the above-described embodiment, an airflow conversion member (not shown) that converts the direction of gas discharged from the lower gas flow passage 25 to a horizontal direction may be provided at the upper end of the lower gas flow passage 25, i.e., on the upper surface of the spin base.

In the above embodiment, the partition plate 104 is provided. However, unlike the above embodiment, the partition plate 104 may not be provided and the outer-guard space 103 may not be divided into upper and lower portions. In this case, the exhaust connection pipe 45 opens in the side wall 17B of the processing chamber 17.
In addition, various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims.

1: Substrate processing apparatus 20: Chuck pin (substrate holding unit, gripping pin)
21: Spin base (substrate holding unit, base)
23: Spin motor 80: Guard 80A: First guard 80B: Second guard 81: Cylindrical portion 81A: First cylindrical portion 81B: Second cylindrical portion 82: Extension portion 82A: First extension portion 82B: Second extension portion 82a: Center side end portion (end portion of the extension portion on the center side)
82Aa: First center side end (end of the first extension part on the center side)
82Ba: Second center side end (end of the second extension part on the center side)
83: Hanging portion 83A: First hanging portion 83B: Second hanging portion 84: Inclined portion 84A: First inclined portion 84Ab: Inner circumferential surface 84B: Second inclined portion 84Bb: Inner circumferential surface 84b: Inner circumferential surface 85: Lower connecting portion 85A: First lower connecting portion 85B: Second lower connecting portion 86: Horizontal portion 86A: First horizontal portion 86B : Second horizontal part 87 : Lower curved surface 87A : First lower curved surface 87B : Second lower curved surface HD : Horizontal distance HD1 : Horizontal distance HD2 : Horizontal distance IDE : Inner diameter IDE1 : Inner diameter IDE2 : Inner diameter IDT : Inner diameter IDT1 : Inner diameter IDT2 : Inner diameter OD : Outer diameter IS : Inside of guard (center side of cylindrical part )
VD: Vertical distance VD1: Vertical distance VD2: Vertical distance VW: Reference vertical width W: Substrate θ: Inclination angle θ1: First inclination angle θ2: Second inclination angle

Claims (14)

a substrate holding unit that holds the substrate horizontally;
a substrate rotation unit that rotates the substrate held by the substrate holding unit;
a processing liquid supply unit that supplies a processing liquid to the substrate held by the substrate holding unit;
a liquid receiving member for receiving a processing liquid splashed from the substrate held by the substrate holding unit,
The liquid receiving member is
A cylindrical portion surrounding the substrate holding unit;
an extension portion extending from an upper end portion of the cylindrical portion toward a center side of the cylindrical portion, the extension portion having an inclined portion inclined with respect to a horizontal direction so as to extend upward toward the center side;
a hanging portion extending downward from an end of the extension portion on the center side,
The inclination angle of the inclined portion with respect to the horizontal direction is 25° or more and less than 30°,
when the liquid receiving member is located at a liquid receiving position where it receives processing liquid splashed from the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, the hanging portion is located above the substrate and a lower end of the inclined portion is located below the substrate,
A substrate processing apparatus, wherein the vertical distance between the lower end of the inclined portion and the lower end of the hanging portion is the same as or greater than a standard vertical width required to capture 90% or more of the processing liquid splashed from the substrate held in the substrate holding unit. the substrate holding unit includes a base having a circular shape with a diameter larger than that of the substrate in a plan view,
2 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a horizontal distance between an end of said extension portion on said center side and a peripheral end of said base is not less than 3 mm and not more than 19 mm. The outer diameter of the base is 316 mm;
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the inner diameter of the extension portion is not less than 319 mm and not more than 335 mm. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the substrate holding unit is provided on the base and includes a plurality of gripping pins that grip the peripheral portion of the substrate from a horizontal direction. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion is 458 mm or more and 518 mm or less. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion is 458 mm or more and 486 mm or less. 7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a vertical distance between a lower end of said inclined portion and a lower end of said hanging portion is not less than 20 mm and not more than 35 mm. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the extension portion has a connecting portion having a curved surface that connects an upper end of an inner surface of the cylindrical portion and a lower end of an inner surface of the inclined portion without any steps. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the extension portion has a horizontal portion that extends horizontally above the inclined portion and is connected to an upper end of the hanging portion. a substrate holding unit that holds the substrate horizontally;
a substrate rotation unit that rotates the substrate held by the substrate holding unit;
a processing liquid supply unit that supplies a processing liquid to the substrate held by the substrate holding unit;
a first liquid receiving member for receiving a processing liquid splashed from the substrate held by the substrate holding unit;
a second liquid receiving member for receiving a processing liquid splashed from the substrate held by the substrate holding unit,
The first liquid receiving member is
A first cylindrical portion surrounding the substrate holding unit;
a first extending portion extending from an upper end of the first cylindrical portion toward a center side of the first cylindrical portion, the first extending portion having a first inclined portion inclined with respect to a horizontal direction so as to extend upward toward the center side;
a first hanging portion extending downward from an end portion of the first extension portion on the center side,
The second liquid receiving member is
a second cylindrical portion surrounding the substrate holding unit on the central side relative to the first cylindrical portion;
a second extension portion extending from an upper end of the second cylindrical portion toward the center and facing the first extension portion from below, the second extension portion having a second inclined portion inclined upward with respect to a horizontal direction toward the center;
a second hanging portion extending downward from an end of the second extension portion on the center side,
The inclination angle of the first inclined portion with respect to the horizontal direction is equal to or greater than 25° and less than 30°,
The inclination angle of the second inclined portion with respect to the horizontal direction is 25° or more and less than 30° ,
when the first liquid receiving member is located at a first liquid receiving position where it receives processing liquid splashed from the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, the first hanging portion is located above the substrate and a lower end of the first inclined portion is located below the substrate,
a vertical distance between a lower end of the first inclined portion and a lower end of the first hanging portion is equal to or larger than a reference vertical width required to collect 90% or more of the processing liquid splashed from the substrate held by the substrate holding unit,
when the second liquid receiving member is located at a second liquid receiving position where it receives processing liquid splashed from the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, the second hanging portion is located above the substrate and a lower end of the second inclined portion is located below the substrate,
A substrate processing apparatus, wherein the vertical distance between the lower end of the second inclined portion and the lower end of the second hanging portion is the same as or greater than a standard vertical width required to capture 90% or more of the processing liquid splashed from the substrate held in the substrate holding unit . the substrate holding unit has a base having a circular shape with a diameter larger than that of the substrate in a plan view,
A horizontal distance between an end of the first extension portion on the center side and a peripheral end of the base is 3 mm or more and 10 mm or less,
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein a horizontal distance between an end of the second extension portion on the center side and a peripheral end of the base is equal to or greater than 3 mm and equal to or less than 19 mm. The outer diameter of the base is 316 mm;
The inner diameter of the first extension portion is 319 mm or more and 326 mm or less,
The substrate processing apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the second extension portion has an inner diameter of 319 mm or more and 335 mm or less. The inner diameter of the first cylindrical portion is 486 mm or more and 518 mm or less,
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the inner diameter of the second cylindrical portion is not less than 458 mm and not more than 470 mm. The inner diameter of the first cylindrical portion is 486 mm.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the second cylindrical portion has an inner diameter of 458 mm.

Images