WO2019146255A1 - Substrate treatment device and substrate treatment method - Google Patents

Abstract

In order to suppress a property change of a treatment liquid due to entry of an outside gas into a treatment liquid storing unit, a substrate treatment device (100) is provided with: a treatment liquid storing unit (110) for storing a treatment liquid L; a liquid supply pipe (130); a pump (140); a liquid circulation pipe (150); a gas supply pipe (160) that connects to each other the treatment liquid storing unit (110) and a gas supply unit (210) that supplies a gas to the treatment liquid storing unit (110); and an inner pressure adjustment unit (170). The inner pressure adjustment unit (170) is configured so as to adjust the inner pressure of the treatment liquid storing unit (110) so that a change of the inner pressure of the treatment liquid storing unit (110) due to a treatment liquid quantity change due to treatment is suppressed.

Description

Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method.

A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate is known. For example, a substrate processing apparatus is used to process a semiconductor substrate or a glass substrate (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The substrate processing apparatus of Patent Document 1 adjusts the temperature of the etching solution in the etching solution supply tank with a temperature regulator, and supplies the etching solution whose temperature has been adjusted and the gas whose temperature has been adjusted to the processing chamber. The in-plane uniformity of etching is improved.

JP 2012-69696 A

However, in the substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, when the amount of the etching solution in the etching solution supply tank decreases as a result of the etching solution being supplied to the substrate in the processing chamber, the gas in the etching solution supply tank Volume increases. In this case, the pressure in the etching solution supply tank is lowered, and the air outside the etching solution supply tank may intrude into the etching solution supply tank, and the characteristics of the etching solution in the etching solution supply tank may change. The

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method capable of suppressing a change in the characteristics of the processing liquid in the processing liquid reservoir.

According to one aspect of the invention, a substrate processing apparatus processes a substrate. The substrate processing apparatus includes a processing liquid storage unit, a liquid supply pipe, a pump, a liquid circulation pipe, a gas supply pipe, and an internal pressure adjustment unit. The treatment liquid storage unit stores the treatment liquid. The liquid supply pipe supplies the processing liquid in the processing liquid reservoir to the substrate. The pump is attached to the liquid supply pipe. The liquid circulation pipe circulates the processing liquid back to the processing liquid reservoir. The gas supply pipe communicates a gas supply unit that supplies a gas to the treatment liquid storage unit and the treatment liquid storage unit. The internal pressure adjustment unit adjusts the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit.

In the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention, the internal pressure adjustment unit includes a volume fluctuation unit whose volume fluctuates according to the drive of the pump.

In the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention, the volume changing unit has a bellows structure.

In the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention, the volume changing unit is provided in the processing liquid storage unit.

In the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention, the volume changing unit is provided in the gas supply pipe.

In the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention, the substrate processing apparatus further includes a check valve attached between the internal pressure adjustment unit and the gas supply unit in the gas supply pipe.

In the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention, the internal pressure adjusting unit includes a valve in communication with the processing liquid storage unit and discharging the gas of the processing liquid storage unit to the outside.

In the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention, the substrate processing apparatus further includes a filter attached to the liquid supply pipe.

In the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention, the substrate processing apparatus further includes a valve. The valve is attached to the liquid supply pipe, and can be switched between an open state in which the treatment liquid flowing in the liquid supply pipe passes and a closed state in which the supply of the treatment liquid from the treatment liquid storage unit is stopped. It is.

In the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention, the substrate processing apparatus further includes a plurality of chambers each accommodating the substrate. Each of the plurality of chambers includes the liquid supply pipe, and the processing liquid is supplied from the processing liquid reservoir to the substrate through the liquid supply piping of each of the plurality of chambers.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a substrate processing method is a method of processing a substrate. The substrate processing method includes a circulating step and a substrate processing step. In the circulating step, the processing liquid is circulated so as to return from the processing liquid storage part storing the processing liquid to the processing liquid storage part via a liquid circulation pipe. In the substrate processing step, after the circulating step, the processing liquid in the processing liquid reservoir is supplied to the substrate to process the substrate. The circulating step includes an internal pressure adjusting step of adjusting the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage portion.

In the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention, the internal pressure adjusting step includes a step of changing a volume of an internal pressure adjusting portion in communication with the processing liquid storage portion.

In the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention, in the substrate processing method, a gas is supplied from the gas supply unit to the processing liquid storage unit before the circulating step, and the inside of the processing liquid storage unit is supplied from the gas supply unit. It further includes a substitution step of substituting the

According to another aspect of the present invention, a substrate processing method is a method of processing a substrate. The substrate processing method includes a liquid injection step and a substrate processing step. In the liquid injection step, the processing liquid is injected from the liquid supply unit into the processing liquid storage unit. In the substrate processing step, the processing liquid in the processing liquid reservoir is supplied to the substrate to process the substrate. The liquid injection step includes an internal pressure adjustment step of adjusting the internal pressure of the treatment liquid reservoir.

In the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention, in the substrate processing method, a gas is supplied from a gas supply unit to the processing liquid storage unit before the liquid injection step, and the inside of the processing liquid storage unit is from the gas supply unit. It further includes a substitution step of substituting the supplied gas.

According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the change in the characteristics of the processing liquid in the processing liquid reservoir.

It is a schematic diagram which shows embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus by this invention. It is a block diagram of the substrate processing apparatus of this embodiment. (A) And (b) is a flowchart which shows the substrate processing method which the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 respectively performs. It is a schematic diagram which shows the substrate processing apparatus of this embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the substrate processing apparatus of this embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the substrate processing apparatus of this embodiment. (A) And (b) is a flowchart which shows the substrate processing method which the substrate processing apparatus shown to FIGS. 4 to 6 respectively performs. It is a schematic diagram which shows embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus by this invention. (A) And (b) is a flowchart which shows the substrate processing method which the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 8 respectively performs. It is a schematic diagram which shows the substrate processing apparatus of this embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows piping of the substrate processing apparatus of this embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the processing unit of the substrate processing apparatus of this embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding portions are denoted by the same reference characters and description thereof will not be repeated.

An embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment.

The substrate processing apparatus 100 processes the substrate W. For example, the substrate W is a semiconductor substrate. Alternatively, the substrate W may be a glass substrate. For example, the substrate processing apparatus 100 processes the substrate W to perform at least one of etching, surface treatment, characterization, treatment film formation, removal of at least part of a film, and cleaning of the substrate W. .

The substrate processing apparatus 100 includes a processing liquid storage unit 110, a chamber 120, a liquid supply piping 130, a pump 140, a liquid circulation piping 150, a gas supply piping 160, and an internal pressure adjustment unit 170. The treatment liquid storage unit 110 is a hollow container. The inside of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is shut off from the external air except that it is connected to a pipe described later. The treatment liquid storage unit 110 stores the treatment liquid L. Typically, a gas G is present above the processing liquid L together with the processing liquid L inside the processing liquid reservoir 110.

For example, the treatment liquid L contains a water repellent. By supplying the water repellent to the substrate W, the main surface of the substrate W is provided with water repellency. In this case, water adhering to the substrate W exhibits a high contact angle with the substrate W.

For example, a silylating agent is used as a water repellent. By supplying the silylating agent to the main surface of the substrate W, a large number of hydrophobic functional groups (silyl groups) containing silicon (Si) atoms are present on the main surface of the substrate W, and the main surface of the substrate W Water repellency is given to In addition, since the water repellent is chemically activated by the activator by using a mixture of the activator and the water repellent, the water repellency is higher than in the case where only the water repellent is used. It can be applied to the surface.

The treatment liquid L is not limited to containing a water repellent. The processing liquid L may contain a developer. For example, an alkaline aqueous solution is used as a developer. The alkaline aqueous solution contains, for example, tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH) or potassium hydroxide (KOH).

Alternatively, when the substrate processing apparatus 100 performs the etching process on the substrate W on which the silicon nitride film is formed, the processing solution L preferably contains phosphoric acid. For example, when the substrate processing apparatus 100 performs a resist removal process, the process liquid L contains a sulfuric acid / hydrogen peroxide mixture (SPM). The processing solution containing phosphoric acid or SPM is an example of the processing solution used at high temperature.

Also, the processing liquid L may be used for cleaning the substrate W. For example, the treatment liquid L may be buffered hydrofluoric acid (BHF), diluted hydrofluoric acid (DHF), hydrofluoric acid, hydrofluoric acid, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, phosphoric acid An aqueous solution such as acetic acid, oxalic acid or aqueous ammonia, or a mixed solution thereof is used.

The treatment liquid L is not limited to the application described above, and may be used for any purpose. For example, the treatment liquid L is selected from sulfuric acid, acetic acid, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, ammonia water, hydrogen peroxide water, organic acids (eg, citric acid, oxalic acid, etc.), organic alkalis, surfactants, and corrosion inhibitors. It may be a liquid containing at least one of Examples of the chemical solution in which these are mixed include sulfuric acid / hydrogen peroxide solution, SC1 (ammonia-hydrogen peroxide mixture), and the like.

The chamber 120 has a substantially box shape. The chamber 120 accommodates the substrate W. The substrate W has, for example, a substantially disc shape. Here, the substrate processing apparatus 100 is a single-wafer type that processes the substrates W one by one, and the substrates W are accommodated in the chamber 120 one by one.

The chamber 120 has a nozzle 122. The nozzle 122 is disposed in the chamber 120. The nozzle 122 discharges the processing liquid L toward the substrate W.

The liquid supply pipe 130 supplies the processing liquid L in the processing liquid storage unit 110 to the substrate W. The liquid supply pipe 130 connects the processing liquid reservoir 110 and the nozzle 122 of the chamber 120. The processing liquid L in the processing liquid storage unit 110 is transferred to the nozzle 122 of the chamber 120 via the liquid supply piping 130, and is discharged onto the substrate W from the nozzle 122. The processing liquid reservoir 110 is located upstream of the liquid supply pipe 130, and the chamber 120 and the nozzle 122 are located downstream of the liquid supply pipe 130.

For example, the liquid supply pipe 130 is formed of fluorocarbon resin. As an example, the liquid supply pipe 130 is formed of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or perfluoroalkoxyalkane (PFA).

The pump 140 is attached to the liquid supply pipe 130. The pump 140 sucks in the treatment liquid L, and then pushes the sucked treatment liquid L downstream. The pressure of the processing liquid L pumped by the pump 140 is, for example, about 2 atm. By driving the pump 140, the processing liquid L in the processing liquid storage unit 110 is transferred to the chamber 120 through the liquid supply pipe 130.

The liquid circulation pipe 150 serves as a path for circulating the treatment liquid L so that the treatment liquid L in the treatment liquid storage unit 110 returns to the treatment liquid storage unit 110 again. Here, the liquid circulation pipe 150 branches from the liquid supply pipe 130 and communicates with the treatment liquid storage unit 110. A branch point 152 between the liquid supply pipe 130 and the liquid circulation pipe 150 is located between the processing liquid reservoir 110 and the chamber 120.

The tip 154 of the liquid circulation pipe 150 is preferably located below the interface between the processing liquid L and the gas G in the processing liquid reservoir 110. By positioning the tip 154 of the liquid circulation pipe 150 below the interface between the processing liquid L and the gas G, the processing liquid L does not contact the gas G in the processing liquid storage section 110 and the inside of the processing liquid storage section 110 Can reach the processing liquid L of In addition, even when the treatment liquid L circulates, the fluctuation of the interface between the treatment liquid L and the gas G in the treatment liquid storage unit 110 can be reduced, and the treatment liquid L can be appropriately transferred by the pump 140.

The gas supply pipe 160 supplies the gas G from the gas supply unit 210 to the treatment liquid storage unit 110. Typically, the gas G is an inert gas to the treatment liquid L. For example, the gas G is nitrogen. The gas supply pipe 160 connects the processing liquid storage unit 110 and the gas supply unit 210. The gas supply unit 210 is located upstream of the gas supply pipe 160, and the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is located downstream of the gas supply pipe 160.

For example, the gas supply pipe 160 is formed of metal or resin. As one example, the gas supply pipe 160 is formed of stainless steel. Here, the gas supply unit 210 is an apparatus outside the substrate processing apparatus 100, and the gas supply unit 210 is a dedicated product such as a factory where the substrate processing apparatus 100 is installed. However, the gas supply unit 210 may be a component of the substrate processing apparatus 100.

The internal pressure adjustment unit 170 adjusts the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110. Thus, the pressure of the gas inside the treatment liquid storage unit 110 (the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110) is prevented from deviating from the pressure of the gas outside the treatment liquid storage unit 110 (the external pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110). Can. For example, when the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 becomes lower than the external pressure if the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 does not adjust, the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 prevents the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 from becoming lower than the external pressure. Adjust the internal pressure of 110. Alternatively, when the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 becomes higher than the external pressure if the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 does not adjust, the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 prevents the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 from becoming higher than the external pressure. Adjust the internal pressure of 110. Thus, it is preferable that the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 adjust the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 so that the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 becomes constant.

For example, when the treatment liquid L circulates through the liquid circulation pipe 150 by the drive of the pump 140, the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 adjusts the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110. When the treatment liquid L circulates through the liquid circulation pipe 150 by driving the pump 140, if the pump 140 draws the treatment liquid L, the amount of the treatment liquid L in the treatment liquid storage unit 110 decreases, so the treatment liquid The volume of gas in the reservoir 110 will increase. In this case, the internal pressure adjusting unit 170 can adjust the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 by reducing the volume of the internal pressure adjusting unit 170. In addition, when the pump 140 pushes out the treatment liquid L and the amount of the treatment liquid L in the treatment liquid storage unit 110 returns to the original level, the volume of gas in the treatment liquid storage unit 110 decreases and returns to the original volume. In this case, the internal pressure adjusting unit 170 increases the volume of the internal pressure adjusting unit 170 and returns to the original volume, whereby the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 can be adjusted.

Alternatively, when the treatment liquid L is injected into the treatment liquid storage unit 110, the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 may adjust the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110. When the treatment liquid L is injected into the treatment liquid storage unit 110 in a state in which the gas is present in the treatment liquid storage unit 110, the volume of the gas in the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is reduced. Internal pressure increases. In this case, the internal pressure adjusting unit 170 may adjust the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 to be constant by discharging the gas of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 to the outside.

According to the substrate processing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the internal pressure adjusting unit 170 adjusts the internal pressure of the processing liquid storage unit 110, whereby the change of the internal pressure of the processing liquid storage unit 110 can be suppressed. For this reason, it is possible to suppress the entry of unintended gas into the treatment liquid storage unit 110, and as a result, it is possible to suppress a change in the characteristics of the treatment liquid L of the treatment liquid storage unit 110. Moreover, since the change of the internal pressure of the process liquid storage part 110 is suppressed, the pump 140 can transfer the process liquid L of predetermined amount appropriately.

In the substrate processing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the processing liquid storage unit 110 is sealed from the outside. For this reason, even if the volatility of the treatment liquid L is relatively high, the diffusion of the treatment liquid L to the outside of the treatment liquid storage portion 110 can be suppressed. In addition, even in the case of the treatment liquid L whose characteristics change when it comes in contact with air, the treatment liquid storage portion 110 is sealed from the outside, so that the change in the characteristics of the treatment liquid L can be suppressed. Furthermore, even if the treatment liquid L is a mixture containing components having different volatility, the treatment liquid storage section 110 is sealed from the outside, so that fluctuations in the components of the treatment liquid L can be suppressed.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 100 preferably further includes a filter 132. Even when particulates are generated in the processing liquid L, the filter 132 can filter particulates in the processing liquid L by passing the processing liquid L through the filter 132, and the inside of the processing liquid L supplied to the substrate W The amount of particles can be reduced.

The filter 132 is disposed in the liquid supply pipe 130. Here, the filter 132 is disposed downstream of the pump 140. Preferably, the filter 132 is disposed upstream of the branch point 152 between the liquid supply pipe 130 and the liquid circulation pipe 150. By disposing the filter 132 on the upstream side of the branch point 152, the processing liquid L passes through the filter 132 in either of the circulation and the supply to the substrate W, so the filter 132 sufficiently filters the processing liquid L. it can.

The filter 132 may be disposed in the liquid circulation pipe 150. Also in this case, since the treatment liquid L passes through the filter 132 each time the treatment liquid L circulates in the treatment liquid storage section 110, the filter 132 can sufficiently filter the treatment liquid L.

As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 100 further includes a valve 112 a. The valve 112 a is disposed in the liquid supply pipe 130. Here, the valve 112 a is disposed downstream of the pump 140. In addition, the valve 112 a is preferably located downstream of the branch point 152 between the liquid supply pipe 130 and the liquid circulation pipe 150.

The valve 112a is an open / close valve, which can be switched between an open state and a closed state. When the valve 112 a is in the open state, the valve 112 a passes the processing liquid L so that the processing liquid L flows from the processing liquid storage unit 110 toward the chamber 120 in the liquid supply piping 130. When the valve 112 a is in the closed state, the valve 112 a stops the flow of the processing liquid L flowing in the liquid supply piping 130 from the processing liquid storage unit 110 toward the chamber 120.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 100 preferably further includes a valve 112 b. The valve 112 b is disposed in the liquid circulation pipe 150. The valve 112 b is preferably disposed downstream of the branch point 152 between the liquid supply pipe 130 and the liquid circulation pipe 150.

The valve 112 b is an open / close valve, which can be switched between an open state and a closed state. When the valve 112 b is in the open state, the valve 112 b passes the treatment liquid L so that the treatment liquid L passes from the treatment liquid storage unit 110 through the liquid circulation pipe 150 and returns to the treatment liquid storage unit 110. When the valve 112 b is in the closed state, the valve 112 b stops the flow of the processing liquid L flowing in the liquid circulation pipe 150 toward the processing liquid storage unit 110.

When the valve 112 a and the valve 112 c are in the closed state and the valve 112 b is in the open state, the processing liquid L is supplied from the processing liquid storage unit 110 to the liquid supply piping 130 and the liquid circulation piping 150 by driving the pump 140. And return to the processing liquid reservoir 110 via the valve 112 b. On the other hand, when the valve 112a is in the open state and the valve 112b is in the closed state, the processing liquid L is supplied from the processing liquid storage unit 110 through the liquid supply piping 130 and the valve 112a by driving the pump 140. To the substrate W.

As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 100 preferably further includes a temperature controller 134. The temperature controller 134 adjusts the temperature of the processing liquid L passing through the temperature controller 134. The temperature controller 134 is, for example, a heater that heats the processing liquid L. The temperature controller 134 is disposed in the liquid supply pipe 130. For example, the temperature controller 134 is preferably located upstream of the branch point 152 between the liquid supply pipe 130 and the liquid circulation pipe 150.

As the temperature controller 134 heats the processing solution L, the temperature of the processing solution L can be maintained at a specified temperature TM higher than room temperature. The prescribed temperature TM indicates a temperature at which a prescribed processing rate (for example, a prescribed etching rate or a prescribed object removal rate) can be realized for the substrate W. Since the temperature of the processing liquid L is the specified temperature TM, the processing liquid L achieves the specified processing result (for example, the specified etching amount or the specified target removal amount) for the substrate W within the specified time. it can. The specified temperature TM is, for example, 175 ° C. in the treatment liquid containing phosphoric acid. The specified temperature TM is, for example, 200 ° C. in the treatment liquid containing SPM. Further, the specified temperature TM is, for example, 60 ° C. in the treatment liquid containing TMAH.

As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 100 preferably further includes a check valve 162. The check valve 162 is disposed in the gas supply pipe 160. While the gas G from the gas supply unit 210 is supplied to the treatment liquid storage unit 110 by the check valve 162, the gas in the treatment liquid storage unit 110 can be prevented from flowing backward to the gas supply unit 210.

When the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is higher than the pressure of the gas supply unit 210, the check valve 162 is closed to prevent the gas in the treatment liquid storage unit 110 from moving toward the gas supply unit 210. On the other hand, when the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is lower than the pressure of the gas supply unit 210, the check valve 162 automatically opens to allow the gas G from the gas supply piping 160 to pass. In this case, the gas G is supplied from the gas supply unit 210 to the treatment liquid storage unit 110, and the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 increases until the pressure of the gas supply unit 210 becomes equal.

Note that, instead of the check valve 162, the gas supply pipe 160 may be provided with an open / close valve. The on-off valve is switchable between an open state and a closed state. When the on-off valve is in the open state, the gas G is allowed to flow so as to flow in the gas supply piping 160 from the gas supply unit 210 toward the treatment liquid storage unit 110. When the on-off valve is in the closed state, the flow of the gas G flowing in the gas supply pipe 160 from the gas supply unit 210 toward the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is stopped.

As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 100 may further include an air pressure sensor 182. The atmospheric pressure sensor 182 detects the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110. As described later, the internal pressure adjusting unit 170 may adjust the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 based on the detection result of the air pressure sensor 182.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 100 preferably further includes a liquid supply unit 220 and a liquid supply pipe 222. The liquid supply pipe 222 connects the liquid supply unit 220 and the liquid supply pipe 222. The liquid supply unit 220 supplies the processing liquid L to the processing liquid storage unit 110 via the liquid supply pipe 222. The liquid supply unit 220 is located upstream of the liquid supply pipe 222, and the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is located downstream of the liquid supply pipe 222.

For example, the liquid supply pipe 222 is formed of fluorocarbon resin. As an example, the liquid supply pipe 222 is formed of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or perfluoroalkoxyalkane (PFA).

Here, the liquid supply unit 220 and the liquid supply piping 222 are devices outside the substrate processing apparatus 100, and the liquid supply unit 220 and the liquid supply piping 222 are dedicated products such as a factory where the substrate processing apparatus 100 is installed. However, the liquid supply unit 220 and the liquid supply pipe 222 may be used as one component of the substrate processing apparatus 100.

The liquid supply pipe 222 is provided with a valve 112 c. The valve 112 c is an open / close valve, and can be switched between an open state and a closed state. When the valve 112 c is in the open state, the valve 112 c passes the treatment liquid L so that the treatment liquid L flows in the liquid supply piping 222 from the liquid supply unit 220 toward the treatment liquid storage unit 110. When the valve 112 c is in the closed state, the valve 112 c stops the flow of the treatment liquid L flowing in the liquid supply piping 222 from the liquid supply unit 220 toward the treatment liquid storage unit 110.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the substrate processing apparatus 100. The substrate processing apparatus 100 further includes a control unit 180 and a storage unit 190.

The controller 180 includes a processor. The processor has, for example, a central processing unit (CPU). Alternatively, the processor may have a general purpose computing device.

The storage unit 190 stores data and computer programs. Storage unit 190 includes a main storage device and an auxiliary storage device. The main storage device is, for example, a semiconductor memory. The auxiliary storage device is, for example, a semiconductor memory and / or a hard disk drive. The storage unit 190 may include removable media. The processor of the control unit 180 executes the computer program stored in the storage unit 190 to execute the substrate processing method.

In FIG. 2, the valves 112 a, 112 b and 112 c shown in FIG. 1 are collectively referred to as a valve 112. In the present specification, the valves 112a, 112b and 112c may be collectively referred to as the valve 112. When the substrate processing apparatus 100 includes the valve 112, the control unit 180 may control the opening and closing of the valve 112. In addition, when the substrate processing apparatus 100 includes the temperature controller 134, the control unit 180 may control the temperature controller 134.

The controller 180 may control the nozzle 122. For example, the control unit 180 may control the position of the nozzle 122 and / or the timing at which the nozzle 122 discharges the treatment liquid L.

The controller 180 controls the pump 140. In addition, the control unit 180 may control the internal pressure adjustment unit 170. For example, the control unit 180 may control the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 based on the detection result of the air pressure sensor 182.

Next, the substrate processing method performed by the substrate processing apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3A. FIG. 3A is a flowchart showing the substrate processing method of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3A, the substrate processing method of the present embodiment includes steps S302 to S306.

As shown in step S302, first, the treatment liquid L is injected into the treatment liquid storage unit 110, and the treatment liquid L is stored in the treatment liquid storage unit 110. The controller 180 closes the valve 112 a and the valve 112 b. Further, the control unit 180 opens the valve 112 c, and the liquid supply unit 220 supplies the processing liquid L to the processing liquid storage unit 110 through the liquid supply pipe 222. The treatment liquid L is injected to a predetermined height in the treatment liquid reservoir 110. As the height of the processing liquid L rises in the processing liquid reservoir 110, the volume of gas (eg, air or nitrogen) present in the processing liquid reservoir 110 before injection of the processing liquid L decreases. The internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is increased.

At this time, the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 adjusts the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110. The internal pressure adjusting unit 170 starts adjusting the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 during the start of the injection of the treatment liquid L or during the injection of the treatment liquid L. Alternatively, the internal pressure adjusting unit 170 starts adjusting the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 after the injection of the treatment liquid L is completed. The internal pressure adjustment unit 170 can adjust the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 when the treatment liquid L is injected into the treatment liquid storage unit 110. Preferably, the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 automatically adjusts the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 along with the injection of the treatment liquid L.

As shown in step S304, the treatment liquid L is circulated by driving the pump 140. The control unit 180 closes the valve 112 a and the valve 112 c and opens the valve 112 b to drive the pump 140. By driving the pump 140, the processing liquid L in the processing liquid storage unit 110 circulates back to the processing liquid storage unit 110 via the liquid supply piping 130 and the liquid circulation piping 150.

At this time, the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 adjusts the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110. The internal pressure adjustment unit 170 starts adjustment of the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 while starting or circulating the treatment liquid L. It is preferable that the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 automatically adjust the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 along with the circulation of the treatment liquid L. When the processing liquid L at high temperature is supplied to the substrate W in step S306 described later, it is preferable to heat the processing liquid L to a predetermined temperature by the temperature controller 134 while circulating the processing liquid L in step S304. .

As shown in step S306, the processing liquid L is supplied to the substrate W by driving the pump 140 to process the substrate W. The control unit 180 closes the valve 112 b and the valve 112 c and opens the valve 112 a to drive the pump 140. By driving the pump 140, the processing liquid L of the processing liquid storage unit 110 is supplied from the nozzle 122 of the chamber 120 to the substrate W via the liquid supply piping 130.

As the processing liquid L is supplied to the substrate W, the amount of the processing liquid L in the processing liquid reservoir 110 decreases. Therefore, the volume of the gas in the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is increased, and the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is decreased. In this case, the check valve 162 is automatically opened to flow the gas G from the gas supply pipe 160, the gas G is supplied from the gas supply unit 210 to the treatment liquid storage unit 110, and the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is a gas. It becomes equal to the pressure of the supply part 210. As described above, the substrate processing method of the present embodiment is performed.

Note that after the processing liquid L is supplied to the substrate W in step S306 to process the substrate W, when the amount of the processing liquid L in the processing liquid storage unit 110 decreases, the processing liquid in the processing liquid storage unit 110 L may be replenished. In this case, as described above with reference to step S302, the control unit 180 closes the valve 112a and the valve 112b, opens the valve 112c, and the liquid supply unit 220 processes the processing liquid through the liquid supply pipe 222. The processing liquid L is supplied to the storage unit 110. The treatment liquid L is injected to a predetermined height in the treatment liquid reservoir 110. As the height of the processing liquid L rises in the processing liquid storage unit 110, the volume of gas (for example, air or nitrogen) present in the processing liquid storage unit 110 before the injection of the processing liquid L decreases. At this time, it is preferable that the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 adjust the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 as described above with reference to step S302.

In the description with reference to FIG. 3A, the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 adjusts the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 in accordance with the change in the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 in each of steps S302 and S304. The present embodiment is not limited to this. The internal pressure adjustment of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 may be performed in only one of them. Further, the internal pressure adjusting unit 170 may adjust the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 according to the control of the control unit 180 (FIG. 2).

Next, a substrate processing method performed by the substrate processing apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 (b). FIG. 3B is a flowchart showing the substrate processing method of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3B, the substrate processing method of the present embodiment includes steps S302a to S306. The flowchart shown in FIG. 3B is the same as the flowchart described above with reference to FIG. 3A except that the control unit 180 controls the internal pressure adjustment unit 170. Therefore, duplicate descriptions are omitted for the purpose of avoiding redundancy.

As shown in step S302a, first, injection of the treatment liquid L into the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is started. The controller 180 closes the valve 112 a and the valve 112 b. The control unit 180 opens the valve 112 c, and the liquid supply unit 220 supplies the processing liquid L to the processing liquid storage unit 110 via the liquid supply pipe 222.

As shown to process S302 b, the internal pressure of the process liquid storage part 110 is adjusted. Under the control of the control unit 180, the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 adjusts the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110. The control unit 180 starts adjustment of the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 by the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 during start of injection of the treatment liquid L or during injection of the treatment liquid L. Alternatively, the control unit 180 may start adjustment of the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 by the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 after the injection of the treatment liquid L is completed. For example, the control unit 180 starts adjustment of the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 by the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 based on the detection result of the air pressure sensor 182 (FIGS. 1 and 2).

As shown in step S304a, the pump 140 is driven to start circulation of the treatment liquid L. The control unit 180 closes the valve 112 a and the valve 112 c and opens the valve 112 b to drive the pump 140. By driving the pump 140, the treatment liquid L circulates from the treatment liquid storage unit 110 back to the treatment liquid storage unit 110 via the liquid supply piping 130 and the liquid circulation piping 150.

As shown in step S304 b, the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is adjusted. Under the control of the control unit 180, the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 adjusts the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110. Adjustment of the internal pressure by the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 is performed during the start or circulation of the circulation of the treatment liquid L. For example, the control unit 180 starts adjustment of the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 by the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 based on the detection result of the air pressure sensor 182 (FIGS. 1 and 2).

As shown in step S306, the processing liquid L is supplied to the substrate W by the drive of the pump 140 to process the substrate W. The control unit 180 closes the valve 112 b and the valve 112 c and opens the valve 112 a to drive the pump 140. The processing liquid L is supplied from the nozzle 122 of the chamber 120 to the substrate W from the processing liquid storage unit 110 via the liquid supply piping 130. As described above, the substrate processing method of the present embodiment is performed.

In the flowchart described with reference to FIG. 3B, the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 adjusts the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 under the control of the control unit 180 in each of steps S302b and S304b. Is not limited to this. The internal pressure adjustment of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 may be performed in only one of them.

The substrate processing apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 also includes a check valve 162. Further, in step S306 shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the amount of the processing liquid L in the processing liquid storage unit 110 decreases, and the internal pressure of the processing liquid storage unit 110 becomes the pressure of the gas supply unit 210. As it became lower, the check valve 162 flowed the gas G from the gas supply pipe 160. However, the present embodiment is not limited to this.

The substrate processing apparatus 100 may have an on-off valve without providing the check valve 162. In this case, when the processing liquid L is supplied to the substrate W by the drive of the pump 140 and the substrate W is processed, the internal pressure adjusting unit 170 may adjust the internal pressure of the processing liquid storage unit 110. When the processing liquid L is supplied to the substrate W, the volume of the processing liquid L in the processing liquid storage unit 110 is reduced, so the volume of gas in the processing liquid storage unit 110 is increased. In this case, the internal pressure adjusting unit 170 can adjust the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 by reducing the volume of the internal pressure adjusting unit 170.

In this case, the adjustment of the internal pressure by the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 may be performed during the start of the substrate processing of the processing liquid L or in the middle of the substrate processing. Further, the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 may automatically adjust the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 along with the supply of the treatment liquid L. Alternatively, the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 may adjust the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 under the control of the control unit 180.

When the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 adjusts the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 when circulating the treatment liquid L, the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 preferably changes the volume.

A substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the substrate processing apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. The substrate processing apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 4 is the substrate processing apparatus 100 described above with reference to FIG. 1 except that the processing liquid storage unit 110 is provided with an internal pressure adjusting unit 170 and that the vacuum pump 230 is further provided. It has the same configuration as that of Therefore, duplicate descriptions are omitted for the purpose of avoiding redundancy.

The treatment liquid L is stored below the treatment liquid storage unit 110, and the gas G is filled above the treatment liquid storage unit 110. Here, the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 is attached above the treatment liquid storage unit 110.

In the substrate processing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 is provided in the processing liquid storage unit 110. The internal pressure adjustment unit 170 includes a volume change unit 172A. The volume fluctuation part 172A is deformable so as to change the volume of the region surrounded by the volume fluctuation part 172A. For example, the volume changing portion 172A has an open hollow shape at one end, and has an expandable bellows structure (bellows structure). For example, the volume changing unit 172A is formed of a fluorine resin. As one example, the volume change portion 172A is formed of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or perfluoroalkoxyalkane (PFA). Alternatively, the volume changer 172A may have an air cylinder structure.

Alternatively, the volume changing unit 172A may include a moving unit, and the moving unit may have a hollow shape in communication with the treatment liquid storage unit 110. In this case, the moving unit may be movable relative to the treatment liquid storage unit 110 under the control of the control unit 180 (FIG. 2).

The area surrounded by the volume change unit 172A communicates with the inside of the processing liquid storage unit 110. Here, the volume of the volume fluctuation part 172A fluctuates as the volume fluctuation part 172A deforms with respect to the treatment liquid storage part 110.

Before the pump 140 is driven to circulate the treatment liquid L, it is preferable that the volume fluctuation part 172A is deformed until the volume of the volume fluctuation part 172A becomes the largest. As described above, when the valve 112 a and the valve 112 c are in the closed state and the valve 112 b is in the open state, the processing liquid L is supplied from the processing liquid reservoir 110 to the liquid supply pipe 130 and the liquid by driving the pump 140. It circulates so as to return to the treatment liquid storage unit 110 through the circulation pipe 150.

When the treatment liquid L circulates through the liquid circulation pipe 150 by driving the pump 140, if the pump 140 draws the treatment liquid L, the amount of the treatment liquid L in the treatment liquid storage unit 110 decreases, so the treatment liquid The volume of gas in the reservoir 110 will increase. In this case, the internal pressure of the processing liquid storage unit 110 can be adjusted to be constant by the volume change unit 172A decreasing the volume of the volume change unit 172A. In addition, when the pump 140 pushes out the treatment liquid L and the amount of the treatment liquid L in the treatment liquid storage unit 110 returns to the original level, the volume of gas in the treatment liquid storage unit 110 decreases and returns to the original volume. In this case, the internal pressure of the processing liquid storage unit 110 can be adjusted to a constant level by the volume changing unit 172A increasing the volume of the volume changing unit 172A and returning to the original volume.

As described above, the processing liquid L flows from the processing liquid storage unit 110 toward the liquid supply pipe 130 according to the suction and extrusion timing of the processing liquid L by the pump 140, and from the liquid circulation pipe 150 to the processing liquid storage unit 110. Return to For this reason, the volume of the volume fluctuation part 172A fluctuates according to the timing of suction and extrusion of the treatment liquid L by the pump 140.

The substrate processing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment further includes a vacuum pump 230. The vacuum pump 230 is connected to the treatment liquid reservoir 110. The vacuum pump 230 discharges the gas in the treatment liquid storage unit 110. The vacuum pump 230 is driven by the control of the control unit 180 (FIG. 2).

In the substrate processing apparatus 100 described above with reference to FIG. 4, the internal pressure adjusting unit 170 whose volume is changed is provided in the processing liquid storage unit 110, but the present embodiment is not limited to this. The internal pressure adjustment unit 170 may be provided in the gas supply pipe 160.

A substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the substrate processing apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. The substrate processing apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 5 has the same configuration as the substrate processing apparatus 100 described above with reference to FIG. 4 except that the internal pressure adjusting unit 170 is provided in the gas supply piping 160. Therefore, duplicate descriptions are omitted for the purpose of avoiding redundancy.

In the substrate processing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 is provided in the gas supply piping 160. The internal pressure adjustment unit 170 is provided on the downstream side of the check valve 162. The internal pressure adjustment unit 170 includes a volume change unit 172B. The volume fluctuation part 172B is deformable so as to change the volume surrounded by the volume fluctuation part 172B. For example, the volume fluctuation part 172B is deformed by the pressure difference between the internal pressure and the external pressure. The deformation of the volume fluctuation part 172B causes the volume of the volume fluctuation part 172B to fluctuate. For example, the volume changing part 172B is an open hollow container at one end, and has an expandable bellows structure (bellows structure).

For example, the volume change unit 172B is formed of a fluorine resin. As one example, the volume change portion 172B is formed of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or perfluoroalkoxyalkane (PFA). Alternatively, the volume changer 172B may have an air cylinder structure.

Alternatively, the volume changing part 172B may include a main body and a moving part, and the main body and the moving part may have a hollow shape in communication with the gas supply pipe 160 as a whole. In this case, the moving unit may be movable relative to the main unit under the control of the control unit 180 (FIG. 2).

The area surrounded by the volume changer 172 B communicates with the treatment liquid reservoir 110 via the gas supply pipe 160. Here, when the volume fluctuation part 172B deforms with respect to the gas supply piping 160, the volume of the volume fluctuation part 172B fluctuates.

Before the pump 140 is driven to circulate the treatment liquid L, it is preferable that the volume fluctuation part 172B be deformed until the volume of the volume fluctuation part 172B becomes the largest. As described above, when the valve 112 a and the valve 112 c are in the closed state and the valve 112 b is in the open state, the processing liquid L is supplied from the processing liquid reservoir 110 to the liquid supply pipe 130 and the liquid by driving the pump 140. It circulates so as to return to the treatment liquid storage unit 110 through the circulation pipe 150.

When the treatment liquid L circulates through the liquid circulation pipe 150 by driving the pump 140, if the pump 140 draws the treatment liquid L, the amount of the treatment liquid L in the treatment liquid storage unit 110 decreases, so the treatment liquid The volume of gas in the reservoir 110 will increase. In this case, the internal pressure of the processing liquid storage unit 110 can be adjusted to be constant by the volume change unit 172B decreasing the volume of the volume change unit 172B. In addition, when the pump 140 pushes out the treatment liquid L and the amount of the treatment liquid L in the treatment liquid storage unit 110 returns to the original level, the volume of gas in the treatment liquid storage unit 110 decreases and returns to the original volume. In this case, the internal pressure of the processing liquid storage unit 110 can be adjusted to a constant level by the volume changing unit 172B increasing the volume of the volume changing unit 172B and returning to the original volume.

As described above, the processing liquid L flows from the processing liquid storage unit 110 toward the liquid supply pipe 130 according to the suction and extrusion timing of the processing liquid L by the pump 140, and from the liquid circulation pipe 150 to the processing liquid storage unit 110. Return to For this reason, the volume of the volume fluctuation part 172B fluctuates according to the timing of suction and extrusion of the treatment liquid L by the pump 140.

In the substrate processing apparatus 100 described above with reference to FIG. 5, the internal pressure adjusting unit 170 whose volume changes is provided separately from the gas supply pipe 160, but the present embodiment is not limited to this. An internal pressure adjusting unit 170 with a variable volume may be provided in part of the gas supply pipe 160.

A substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the substrate processing apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. The substrate processing apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 6 has the same configuration as that of the substrate processing apparatus 100 described above with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 except that the internal pressure adjusting unit 170 is provided as a part of the gas supply piping 160. Have. Therefore, duplicate descriptions are omitted for the purpose of avoiding redundancy.

The internal pressure adjustment unit 170 is provided in the gas supply pipe 160. Here, the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 is provided as a part of the gas supply pipe 160. The internal pressure adjustment unit 170 is provided on the downstream side of the check valve 162.

The internal pressure adjustment unit 170 includes a volume change unit 172C. The volume changer 172 </ b> C is located downstream of the check valve 162 as a part of the gas supply pipe 160. The volume changer 172C is deformable to change the volume enclosed by the volume changer 172C. For example, the volume fluctuation part 172C can be deformed by the pressure difference between the internal pressure and the external pressure of the gas supply piping 160. The volume of the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 is varied by the deformation of the volume variation unit 172C. For example, the volume changer 172C is an open hollow shape at one end, and is located on the side of the gas supply pipe 160.

The area surrounded by the volume changer 172 C communicates with the treatment liquid reservoir 110 via the gas supply pipe 160. Here, when the volume fluctuation part 172C deforms with respect to the other part of the gas supply piping 160, the volume of the volume fluctuation part 172C fluctuates.

The volume fluctuation part 172C is formed of a fluorine resin. For example, the volume change portion 172C is formed of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). For example, the gas supply pipe 160 is formed of metal, while the volume changer 172C is formed of fluorocarbon resin.

Before the pump 140 is driven to circulate the treatment liquid L, it is preferable that the volume fluctuation part 172C is deformed until the volume of the volume fluctuation part 172C becomes the largest. As described above, when the valve 112 a and the valve 112 c are in the closed state and the valve 112 b is in the open state, the processing liquid L is supplied from the processing liquid reservoir 110 to the liquid supply pipe 130 and the liquid by driving the pump 140. It circulates so as to return to the treatment liquid storage unit 110 through the circulation pipe 150.

When the treatment liquid L circulates through the liquid circulation pipe 150 by driving the pump 140, if the pump 140 draws the treatment liquid L, the amount of the treatment liquid L in the treatment liquid storage unit 110 decreases, so the treatment liquid The volume of gas in the reservoir 110 will increase. In this case, the internal pressure of the processing liquid storage unit 110 can be adjusted to be constant by the volume change unit 172C decreasing the volume of the volume change unit 172C. In addition, when the pump 140 pushes out the treatment liquid L and the amount of the treatment liquid L in the treatment liquid storage unit 110 returns to the original level, the volume of gas in the treatment liquid storage unit 110 decreases and returns to the original volume. In this case, the internal pressure of the processing liquid storage unit 110 can be adjusted to be constant by the volume changer 172C increasing the volume of the volume changer 172C and returning to the original volume.

As described above, the processing liquid L flows from the processing liquid storage unit 110 toward the liquid supply pipe 130 according to the suction and extrusion timing of the processing liquid L by the pump 140, and from the liquid circulation pipe 150 to the processing liquid storage unit 110. Return to For this reason, the volume of the volume fluctuation part 172C fluctuates according to the timing of suction and extrusion of the treatment liquid L by the pump 140.

Next, the substrate processing method performed by the substrate processing apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 4 to 7A. FIG. 7A is a flowchart showing the substrate processing method of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7A, the substrate processing method of the present embodiment includes steps S701 to S706.

As shown in step S701, first, the gas G is injected into the treatment liquid storage unit 110, and the air in the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is replaced with the gas G. The control unit 180 closes the valve 112 a, the valve 112 b and the valve 112 c and drives the vacuum pump 230. By driving the vacuum pump 230, the gas inside the processing liquid storage unit 110 is discharged. When the gas inside the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is discharged, the check valve 162 is opened, so the gas G from the gas supply unit 210 is supplied to the treatment liquid storage unit 110 via the gas supply piping 160. Thereby, the air in the processing liquid storage unit 110 is replaced with the gas G.

When the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is replaced with the gas G, it is preferable that the volume change units 172A, 172B, and 172C be deformed such that the volume of the volume change units 172A, 172B, and 172C is minimized. For example, while the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is substituted with the gas G, the volume fluctuation units 172A, 172B, and 172C are not filled with the gas G by externally applying a force to the volume fluctuation units 172A, 172B, and 172C. preferable. However, when the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is replaced with the gas G, the volumes of the volume fluctuation units 172A, 172B, and 172C may not be the smallest.

As shown in step S 702, the processing liquid L is injected into the processing liquid storage unit 110, and the processing liquid L is stored in the processing liquid storage unit 110. The control unit 180 opens the valve 112 c while keeping the valve 112 a and the valve 112 b closed. The processing liquid L of the liquid supply unit 220 is supplied to the processing liquid storage unit 110 via the liquid supply pipe 222. For example, the treatment liquid L is injected to a predetermined height in the treatment liquid reservoir 110.

As the height of the processing liquid L rises in the processing liquid storage unit 110, the volume of the gas G present in the processing liquid storage unit 110 before injection of the processing liquid L decreases, and the processing liquid storage unit 110 Internal pressure increases. When the treatment liquid L is injected, it is preferable that the volume fluctuation units 172A, 172B, and 172C be deformed until the volume of the volume fluctuation units 172A, 172B, and 172C becomes the largest.

As shown in step S704, the treatment liquid L is circulated by driving the pump 140. The control unit 180 closes the valve 112 a and the valve 112 c and opens the valve 112 b to drive the pump 140. By driving the pump 140, the treatment liquid L circulates from the treatment liquid storage unit 110 back to the treatment liquid storage unit 110 via the liquid supply piping 130 and the liquid circulation piping 150. At this time, in response to the drive of the pump 140, the volumes of the volume fluctuating parts 172A, 172B, 172C repeatedly decrease and increase.

As shown in step S706, the processing liquid L is supplied to the substrate W by driving the pump 140 to process the substrate W. The control unit 180 closes the valve 112 b and the valve 112 c and opens the valve 112 a to drive the pump 140. By driving the pump 140, the processing liquid L of the processing liquid storage unit 110 is supplied from the processing liquid storage unit 110 to the substrate W from the nozzle 122 of the chamber 120 via the liquid supply piping 130.

As the processing liquid L is supplied to the substrate W, the amount of the processing liquid L in the processing liquid reservoir 110 decreases. Therefore, the volume of the gas in the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is increased, and the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is decreased. In this case, the check valve 162 is automatically opened to flow the gas G from the gas supply pipe 160, the gas G is supplied from the gas supply unit 210 to the treatment liquid storage unit 110, and the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is a gas. It becomes equal to the pressure of the supply part 210. As described above, the substrate processing method of the present embodiment is performed.

In the substrate processing apparatus 100 described above with reference to FIGS. 2 and 4 to 7A, the volume changing units 172A, 172B, and 172C automatically change according to the change in the internal pressure of the processing liquid storage unit 110. Although the internal pressure of the process liquid storage part 110 was adjusted, this invention is not limited to this. In addition, the volume change units 172A, 172B, and 172C may adjust the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 according to the control of the control unit 180 (FIG. 2).

Next, the substrate processing method performed by the substrate processing apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 4 to 6 and 7 (b). FIG. 7B is a flowchart showing the substrate processing method of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7B, the substrate processing method of the present embodiment includes steps S701 to S706. The flowchart shown in FIG. 7B is the same as the flowchart described above with reference to FIG. 7A, except that the control unit 180 controls the volume changing units 172A, 172B, and 172C. Therefore, duplicate descriptions are omitted for the purpose of avoiding redundancy.

As shown in step S701, first, the gas G is injected into the treatment liquid storage unit 110, and the air in the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is replaced with the gas G. The control unit 180 closes the valve 112 a, the valve 112 b and the valve 112 c and drives the vacuum pump 230. By driving the vacuum pump 230, the gas inside the processing liquid storage unit 110 is discharged. When the gas inside the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is discharged, the check valve 162 is opened, so the gas G from the gas supply unit 210 is supplied to the treatment liquid storage unit 110 via the gas supply piping 160. Thereby, the air in the processing liquid storage unit 110 is replaced with the gas G.

As shown in step S 702, the processing liquid L is injected into the processing liquid storage unit 110, and the processing liquid L is stored in the processing liquid storage unit 110. The controller 180 closes the valve 112 a and the valve 112 b. The control unit 180 opens the valve 112 c, and the liquid supply unit 220 supplies the processing liquid L to the processing liquid storage unit 110 via the liquid supply pipe 222. The treatment liquid L is injected to a predetermined height in the treatment liquid reservoir 110.

As shown in step S704a, the pump 140 is driven to start circulation of the treatment liquid L. The control unit 180 closes the valve 112 a and the valve 112 c and opens the valve 112 b to drive the pump 140. By driving the pump 140, the treatment liquid L circulates from the treatment liquid storage unit 110 back to the treatment liquid storage unit 110 via the liquid supply piping 130 and the liquid circulation piping 150. The treatment liquid L is circulated by the drive of the pump 140.

As shown in step S704b, the volume changing units 172A, 172B, and 172C adjust the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110. Under the control of the control unit 180, adjustment of the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 by the volume change units 172A, 172B, 172C is started. Adjustment of the internal pressure by the volume fluctuation parts 172A, 172B, 172C is performed during the start or circulation of the circulation of the treatment liquid L. For example, the control unit 180 may adjust the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 by the volume change units 172A, 172B, and 172C based on the detection result of the air pressure sensor 182 (FIGS. 2 and 4 to 6).

As shown in step S706, the processing liquid L is supplied to the substrate W by the drive of the pump 140 to process the substrate W. The control unit 180 closes the valve 112 b and the valve 112 c and opens the valve 112 a to drive the pump 140. The processing liquid L is supplied from the nozzle 122 of the chamber 120 to the substrate W from the processing liquid storage unit 110 via the liquid supply piping 130. As described above, the substrate processing method of the present embodiment is performed.

In the substrate processing apparatus 100 described above with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7, the internal pressure adjusting unit 170 adjusts the internal pressure of the processing liquid storage unit 110 by changing the volume of the volume changing units 172A, 172B, and 172C. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The internal pressure adjusting unit 170 may adjust the internal pressure of the processing liquid storage unit 110 so as to reduce the internal pressure of the processing liquid storage unit 110 when the internal pressure of the processing liquid storage unit 110 becomes higher than the external pressure. For example, when the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 becomes higher than the external pressure, the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 may discharge the gas in the treatment liquid storage unit 110 to the outside.

The substrate processing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the substrate processing apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. The substrate processing apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 8 is the same as FIG. 1 except that the internal pressure adjusting unit 170 discharges the gas in the processing liquid storage unit 110 to the outside when the internal pressure of the processing liquid storage unit 110 becomes higher than the external pressure. The configuration is the same as that of the substrate processing apparatus 100 described above with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6. Therefore, duplicate descriptions are omitted for the purpose of avoiding redundancy.

The treatment liquid L is stored below the treatment liquid storage unit 110, and the gas G is filled above the treatment liquid storage unit 110. In the substrate processing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 is provided on the outer periphery of the processing liquid storage unit 110. For example, the internal pressure adjustment unit 170 is provided above the treatment liquid storage unit 110.

The internal pressure adjustment unit 170 includes a valve 172D. The valve 172D discharges the gas in the processing liquid storage unit 110 to the outside, while preventing the gas outside the processing liquid storage unit 110 from intruding into the processing liquid storage unit 110.

Preferably, the internal pressure adjusting unit 170 further includes a discharge pipe 174 connected to the valve 172D. By means of the discharge pipe 174, the gas discharged from the processing liquid storage unit 110 can be transferred to a predetermined place without being diffused around the substrate processing apparatus 100 by the valve 172D.

For example, the valve 172D is preferably a check valve. When the external pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is higher than the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110, the valve 172D is closed to prevent the gas outside the treatment liquid storage unit 110 from intruding into the treatment liquid storage unit 110. On the other hand, when the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is higher than the external pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110, the valve 172D is automatically opened to discharge the gas in the treatment liquid storage unit 110 to the outside. In this case, the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is reduced to the external pressure of the gas supply unit 210.

The valve 172D may be an open / close valve instead of a check valve. The on-off valve is switchable between an open state and a closed state. For example, the controller 180 (FIG. 2) can control the opening and closing of the valve 172D. When the on-off valve is in the open state, the valve 172D discharges the gas in the processing liquid storage unit 110 to the outside. In addition, when the open / close valve is in the closed state, the valve 172D prevents the gas outside the treatment liquid storage unit 110 from intruding into the treatment liquid storage unit 110.

It is preferable that the valve 172D be in an open state when the treatment liquid L is injected. When the treatment liquid L is injected into the treatment liquid storage unit 110 in a state in which the gas is present in the treatment liquid storage unit 110, the volume of the gas in the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is reduced. Internal pressure increases. In this case, the internal pressure of the processing liquid storage unit 110 can be adjusted to be constant by opening the valve 172D and discharging the gas in the processing liquid storage unit 110 to the outside.

When the valve 172D is a check valve, even when the internal pressure of the processing liquid storage unit 110 increases due to the volatilization of the processing liquid L, the valve 172D is automatically opened and the gas in the processing liquid storage unit 110 is It can be discharged outside. Therefore, the valve 172D can keep the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 constant.

Next, a substrate processing method performed by the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9A. FIG. 9A is a flowchart showing the substrate processing method of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9A, the substrate processing method of the present embodiment includes steps S901 to S906.

As shown in step S901, first, the gas G is injected into the treatment liquid storage unit 110, and the air in the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is replaced with the gas G. The control unit 180 closes the valve 112 a, the valve 112 b and the valve 112 c and drives the vacuum pump 230. By driving the vacuum pump 230, the gas inside the processing liquid storage unit 110 is discharged. When the gas inside the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is discharged, the check valve 162 is opened, so the gas G from the gas supply unit 210 is supplied to the treatment liquid storage unit 110 via the gas supply piping 160. Thereby, the air in the processing liquid storage unit 110 is replaced with the gas G.

As shown in step S 902, the treatment liquid L is injected into the treatment liquid storage unit 110, and the treatment liquid L is stored in the treatment liquid storage unit 110. The control unit 180 opens the valve 112 c while keeping the valve 112 a and the valve 112 b closed. Therefore, the liquid supply unit 220 supplies the processing liquid L to the processing liquid storage unit 110 via the liquid supply pipe 222. The treatment liquid L is supplied from the liquid supply unit 220 to the treatment liquid storage unit 110 via the liquid supply pipe 222. The treatment liquid L is injected to a predetermined height in the treatment liquid reservoir 110.

As the height of the processing liquid L rises in the processing liquid storage unit 110, the volume of the gas G present in the processing liquid storage unit 110 before injection of the processing liquid L decreases. At this time, the valve 172D adjusts the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110. The valve 172D starts adjusting the internal pressure of the processing liquid storage unit 110 during the start of the injection of the processing liquid L or during the injection of the processing liquid L. The valve 172D adjusts the internal pressure of the processing liquid reservoir 110 by automatically opening with the injection of the processing liquid L. When the valve 172D adjusts the internal pressure of the processing liquid storage unit 110, the internal pressure of the processing liquid storage unit 110 can be adjusted when injecting the processing liquid L into the processing liquid storage unit 110.

As shown in step S904, the treatment liquid L is circulated by driving the pump 140. The control unit 180 closes the valve 112 a and the valve 112 c and opens the valve 112 b to drive the pump 140. By driving the pump 140, the processing liquid L in the processing liquid storage unit 110 circulates back to the processing liquid storage unit 110 via the liquid supply piping 130 and the liquid circulation piping 150.

As shown in step 906, the processing liquid L is supplied to the substrate W by driving the pump 140 to process the substrate W. The control unit 180 closes the valve 112 b and the valve 112 c and opens the valve 112 a to drive the pump 140. By driving the pump 140, the processing liquid L of the processing liquid storage unit 110 is supplied from the nozzle 122 of the chamber 120 to the substrate W via the liquid supply piping 130.

As the processing liquid L is supplied to the substrate W, the amount of the processing liquid L in the processing liquid reservoir 110 decreases. Therefore, the volume of the gas in the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is increased, and the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is decreased. In this case, the check valve 162 is automatically opened to flow the gas G from the gas supply pipe 160, the gas G is supplied from the gas supply unit 210 to the treatment liquid storage unit 110, and the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is a gas. It becomes equal to the pressure of the supply part 210. As described above, the substrate processing method of the present embodiment is performed.

In the flowchart of the substrate processing method described above with reference to FIG. 9A, after the processing liquid L is injected in step S902, before the substrate processing is performed by supplying the processing liquid L to the substrate W in step S906. Although the treatment liquid L is circulated as shown in step S904, the present embodiment is not limited to this. The circulation step shown in step S904 may be omitted. In this case, the substrate processing apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 8 may not include the liquid circulation pipe 150 and the valve 112 b.

Next, with reference to FIG. 8 and FIG. 9B, the substrate processing method performed by the substrate processing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 9B is a flowchart showing the substrate processing method of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9B, the substrate processing method of the present embodiment includes steps S901 to S906. The flowchart shown in FIG. 9B is the same as the flowchart described above with reference to FIG. 9A except that the control unit 180 controls the valve 172D. Therefore, duplicate descriptions are omitted for the purpose of avoiding redundancy.

As shown in step S901, first, the gas G is injected into the treatment liquid storage unit 110, and the air in the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is replaced with the gas G. The control unit 180 closes the valve 112 a, the valve 112 b and the valve 112 c and drives the vacuum pump 230. By driving the vacuum pump 230, the gas inside the processing liquid storage unit 110 is discharged. When the gas inside the treatment liquid storage unit 110 is discharged, the check valve 162 is opened, so the gas G from the gas supply unit 210 is supplied to the treatment liquid storage unit 110 via the gas supply piping 160. Thereby, the air in the processing liquid storage unit 110 is replaced with the gas G.

As shown in step S902a, injection of the processing liquid L into the processing liquid storage unit 110 is started. The control unit 180 opens the valve 112 c with the valve 112 a and the valve 112 b closed, and the liquid supply unit 220 supplies the processing liquid L to the processing liquid storage unit 110 via the liquid supply pipe 222. The treatment liquid L is injected to a predetermined height in the treatment liquid reservoir 110.

As shown in step S902b, the valve 172D adjusts the internal pressure of the processing liquid reservoir 110. Under the control of the control unit 180, the valve 172D is opened to adjust the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110. The control unit 180 starts adjustment of the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 by the valve 172D while starting injection of the treatment liquid L or during injection of the treatment liquid L. Alternatively, the control unit 180 may start adjustment of the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 by the valve 172D after the injection of the treatment liquid L is completed. For example, the control unit 180 starts adjusting the internal pressure of the treatment liquid storage unit 110 by the valve 172D based on the detection result of the air pressure sensor 182 (FIGS. 2 and 8).

As shown in step S904, the pump 140 is driven to circulate the treatment liquid L. The control unit 180 closes the valve 112 a and the valve 112 c and opens the valve 112 b to drive the pump 140. By driving the pump 140, the treatment liquid L circulates from the treatment liquid storage unit 110 back to the treatment liquid storage unit 110 via the liquid supply piping 130 and the liquid circulation piping 150.

As shown in step S 906, the processing liquid L is supplied to the substrate W by the drive of the pump 140 to process the substrate W. The control unit 180 closes the valve 112 b and the valve 112 c and opens the valve 112 a to drive the pump 140. The processing liquid L is supplied from the nozzle 122 of the chamber 120 to the substrate W from the processing liquid storage unit 110 via the liquid supply piping 130. As described above, the substrate processing method of the present embodiment is performed.

In the flowchart of the substrate processing method described above with reference to FIG. 9B, after the injection of the processing liquid L is started in step S902a and the internal pressure of the processing liquid storage unit 110 is adjusted in step S902b, step S906. Before the processing liquid L is supplied to the substrate W and the substrate processing is performed, the processing liquid L is circulated as shown in step S904, but the present embodiment is not limited to this. The circulation step shown in step S904 may be omitted. In this case, the substrate processing apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 8 may not include the liquid circulation pipe 150 and the valve 112 b.

A substrate processing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12. The substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment is different from the substrate processing apparatus 100 described above with reference to FIGS. 1, 4 to 6, and 8 in that the plurality of chambers 120 are provided. However, duplicate descriptions are omitted for the purpose of avoiding redundant descriptions. 10 to 12, X axis, Y axis, and Z axis orthogonal to each other are described for easy understanding. The X and Y axes are parallel to the horizontal direction, and the Z axis is parallel to the vertical direction.

First, the substrate processing apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the substrate processing apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, the substrate processing apparatus 100 includes a processing solution cabinet 100A, a plurality of fluid boxes 100B, a plurality of processing units 100C, a plurality of load ports LP, an indexer robot IR, and a center robot CR. , And a controller 185. The controller 185 controls the load port LP, the indexer robot IR, the center robot CR, and the processing unit 100C. Control device 185 includes a control unit 180 and a storage unit 190.

Each of the load ports LP stacks and accommodates a plurality of substrates W. The indexer robot IR transports the substrate W between the load port LP and the center robot CR. The center robot CR transports the substrate W between the indexer robot IR and the processing unit 100C. Each of the processing units 100C discharges the processing liquid onto the substrate W to process the substrate W. Each of the fluid boxes 100B contains fluidic devices. The treatment liquid cabinet 100A accommodates the treatment liquid L.

Specifically, the plurality of processing units 100C form a plurality of towers TW (four towers TW in FIG. 10) arranged to surround the center robot CR in a plan view. Each tower TW includes a plurality of processing units 100C (three processing units 100C in FIG. 10) stacked one on top of the other. Each of the plurality of fluid boxes 100B corresponds to a plurality of towers TW. The processing liquid in the processing liquid cabinet 100A is supplied to all the processing units 100C included in the tower TW corresponding to the fluid box 100B through any one of the fluid boxes 100B.

Next, supply of the processing liquid L to the processing unit 100C will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a view showing piping of the substrate processing apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 11, in each tower TW, the substrate processing apparatus 100 corresponds to each of the plurality of processing units 100C, the liquid supply piping 130, the valve 112a, the flow meter 136, and the flow control valve 138. Equipped with The valve 112a, the flow meter 136, and the flow control valve 138 are accommodated in a fluid box 100B corresponding to the tower TW. A part of each liquid supply pipe 130 is accommodated in the fluid box 100 B, and another part of each liquid supply pipe 130 is accommodated in the chamber 120.

The substrate processing apparatus 100 further includes a processing liquid storage unit 110, a filter 132, a temperature controller 134, a pump 140, and a liquid circulation pipe 150. The treatment liquid reservoir 110, the filter 132, the temperature regulator 134, and the pump 140 are accommodated in the treatment liquid cabinet 100A. A part of the liquid circulation pipe 150 is accommodated in the treatment liquid cabinet 100A, and another part of the liquid circulation pipe 150 is accommodated in the fluid box 100B.

The liquid circulation piping 150 includes an upstream piping 150 a extending downstream from the processing liquid storage unit 110, a plurality of individual piping 150 b branched from the upstream piping 150 a, and a downstream piping 150 c extending downstream from each individual piping 150 b to the processing liquid storage unit 110. And.

The upstream end of the upstream pipe 150 a is connected to the treatment liquid storage unit 110. The downstream end of the downstream pipe 150 c is connected to the treatment liquid storage unit 110. The upstream end of the upstream pipe 150 a corresponds to the upstream end of the liquid circulation pipe 150, and the downstream end of the downstream pipe 150 c corresponds to the downstream end of the liquid circulation pipe 150. Each individual pipe 150b extends from the downstream end of the upstream pipe 150a to the upstream end of the downstream pipe 150c.

The plurality of individual pipes 150b correspond to the plurality of towers TW, respectively. Three liquid supply pipes 130 corresponding to the three processing units 100C included in one tower TW are connected to one individual pipe 150b.

The pump 140 sends the processing liquid in the processing liquid storage unit 110 to the liquid circulation pipe 150. The filter 132 removes foreign matter from the processing liquid flowing through the liquid circulation pipe 150. The temperature controller 134 adjusts the temperature of the processing liquid in the processing liquid reservoir 110. The temperature controller 134 is, for example, a heater that heats the processing solution.

The filter 132, the temperature regulator 134 and the pump 140 are disposed in the upstream pipe 150a. The processing liquid L in the processing liquid storage unit 110 is sent to the upstream pipe 150a by the pump 140, and flows from the upstream pipe 150a to the plurality of individual pipes 150b. The processing liquid L in the individual piping 150b flows to the downstream piping 150c, and returns to the processing liquid storage unit 110 from the downstream piping 150c. The treatment liquid in the treatment liquid reservoir 110 is heated by the temperature controller 134 so as to reach a specific temperature equal to or higher than the specified temperature TM. Therefore, the temperature of the processing liquid circulating through the liquid circulation pipe 150 is maintained at a specific temperature equal to or higher than the specified temperature TM. When the treatment liquid L is maintained at a specific temperature in the liquid circulation piping 150, the treatment liquid L is supplied to the liquid supply piping 130.

Next, the processing unit 100C will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 12 is a schematic view of the processing unit 100C. As shown in FIG. 12, the processing unit 100C includes a chamber 120, a nozzle 122, a spin chuck 124, a cup 126a, a waiting pot 126b, and a nozzle moving unit 128. The substrate processing apparatus 100 includes a valve 112 a, a liquid supply pipe 130, a flow meter 136, and a flow control valve 138.

The chamber 120 has a substantially box shape. The spin chuck 124 rotates the substrate W around the rotation axis AX <b> 1 while holding the substrate W horizontally in the chamber 120. The cup 126a has a substantially cylindrical shape. The cup 126a receives the processing liquid discharged from the substrate W.

The standby pot 126 b is disposed below the standby position of the nozzle 122. The standby position indicates a first predetermined position outside the spin chuck 124 with respect to the rotation axis AX1. The nozzle moving unit 128 rotates around the rotation axis AX2 to move the nozzle 122 horizontally. Specifically, the nozzle moving unit 128 moves the nozzle 122 horizontally between the standby position of the nozzle 122 and the processing position. The processing position indicates a second predetermined position above the substrate W.

The supply start and supply stop of the processing liquid L to the nozzle 122 are switched by the valve 112 a. The flow rate of the processing liquid supplied to the nozzle 122 is detected by the flow meter 136. The flow rate can be changed by the flow control valve 138. When the valve 112 a is in the open state, the processing liquid is supplied from the liquid supply pipe 130 to the nozzle 122 at a flow rate corresponding to the opening degree of the flow rate adjustment valve 138. As a result, the processing liquid is discharged from the nozzle 122. The degree of opening indicates the degree to which the flow control valve 138 is open.

The nozzles 122 execute pre-dispensing processing before discharging the processing liquid onto the substrate W. Before the processing liquid is discharged onto the substrate W by the pre-dispensing processing, the processing liquid is discharged toward the standby pot 126 b.

Further, in the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the control unit 180 controls the pump 140 so as to appropriately transfer the processing liquid L in the processing liquid storage unit 110. For this reason, the uniformity of the processing result by the processing liquid can be improved among the plurality of substrates W processed in the plurality of chambers 120. For example, the uniformity of the processing result with the processing liquid L can be improved with respect to the plurality of substrates W among the plurality of chambers 120 in one tower TW. Furthermore, the uniformity of the processing result with the processing liquid L can be improved with respect to the plurality of substrates W among the plurality of towers TW. The substrate processing apparatus 100 executes the substrate processing method shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 7 or FIG. 9 for each chamber 120.

The embodiments (including the modifications) of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be implemented in various modes without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of components disclosed in the above embodiments. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment. Furthermore, the components in the three different embodiments may be combined as appropriate. In order to facilitate understanding, the drawings schematically show each component as a main component, and the thickness, length, number, spacing, etc. of each component illustrated are actually considered from the convenience of drawing creation. May be different. Further, the materials, shapes, dimensions, and the like of the components shown in the above embodiment are merely examples and are not particularly limited, and various modifications can be made without substantially departing from the effects of the present invention. is there.

In addition, although the substrate processing apparatus 100 shown to FIG. 1, FIG. 4 to FIG. 6, FIG. 8, and FIG. 10 to FIG. It is not limited. The substrate processing apparatus 100 may be a batch type which processes a plurality of substrates W simultaneously.

The present invention is suitably used in a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method for processing a substrate.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 substrate processing apparatus 110 process liquid storage part 120 chamber 122 nozzle 130 liquid supply piping 140 pump 150 liquid circulation piping 160 gas supply piping 170 internal pressure adjustment part W board L processing liquid

Claims (15)

A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, wherein
A treatment liquid storage unit for storing the treatment liquid;
A liquid supply pipe for supplying the processing liquid in the processing liquid reservoir to the substrate;
A pump attached to the liquid supply pipe;
A liquid circulation pipe that circulates the processing liquid back to the processing liquid reservoir;
A gas supply pipe for connecting a gas supply unit for supplying a gas to the treatment liquid storage unit and the treatment liquid storage unit;
And an internal pressure adjustment unit configured to adjust the internal pressure of the processing liquid storage unit. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the internal pressure adjustment unit includes a volume fluctuation unit in which a volume fluctuates according to driving of the pump. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the volume changing unit has a bellows structure. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the volume fluctuation unit is provided in the processing liquid storage unit. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the volume fluctuation unit is provided in the gas supply pipe. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a check valve attached between the internal pressure adjustment unit and the gas supply unit in the gas supply pipe. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the internal pressure adjustment unit includes a valve in communication with the processing liquid storage unit and discharging the gas of the processing liquid storage unit to the outside. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a filter attached to the liquid supply pipe. The valve is further attached to the liquid supply pipe and is switchable between an open state for passing the treatment liquid flowing in the liquid supply pipe and a closed state for stopping supply of the treatment liquid from the treatment liquid storage unit. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising. It further comprises a plurality of chambers, each containing the substrate,
Each of the plurality of chambers includes the liquid supply pipe,
The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the processing liquid is supplied from the processing liquid storage unit to the substrate via the liquid supply piping of each of the plurality of chambers. A substrate processing method for processing a substrate, comprising
A circulating step of circulating the processing liquid so as to return from the processing liquid storage part storing the processing liquid to the processing liquid storage part via a liquid circulation pipe;
And a substrate processing step of supplying the processing liquid in the processing liquid reservoir to the substrate after the circulating step to process the substrate.
The substrate processing method, wherein the circulating step includes an internal pressure adjusting step of adjusting an internal pressure of the processing liquid reservoir. The substrate processing method according to claim 11, wherein the internal pressure adjustment step includes a step of changing a volume of an internal pressure adjustment unit in communication with the processing liquid storage unit. The method further includes a substitution step of supplying a gas from a gas supply unit to the treatment liquid storage unit and replacing the inside of the treatment liquid storage unit with a gas supplied from the gas supply unit before the circulating step. Item 13. A substrate processing method according to item 11 or 12. A substrate processing method for processing a substrate, comprising
A liquid injection step of injecting the processing liquid into the processing liquid storage part from the liquid supply part;
And a substrate processing step of supplying the processing liquid in the processing liquid reservoir to the substrate to process the substrate.
The said liquid injection process is a substrate processing method including the internal pressure adjustment process which adjusts the internal pressure of the said process liquid storage part. Before the liquid injection step, the method further includes a substitution step of supplying a gas from the gas supply unit to the treatment liquid storage unit, and replacing the inside of the treatment liquid storage unit with the gas supplied from the gas supply unit. The substrate processing method according to claim 14.

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