Treatment solution supply method, treatment solution supply apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10023477-B2
Application number	US-201514724922-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 29, 2015
Priority date	Jun 25, 2014
Publication date	Jul 17, 2018
Grant date	Jul 17, 2018

Abstract

A treatment solution supply method of supplying a treatment solution to a substrate, the method includes the steps of: applying a DC voltage to the treatment solution; detecting a potential difference between two points in the treatment solution in a state where the DC voltage is applied to the treatment solution; and increasing the DC voltage when the detected potential difference is less than a predetermined reference value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A treatment solution supply method of supplying a treatment solution to a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
applying a DC voltage to the treatment solution;
detecting a current flowing between two points in the treatment solution, or detecting the current and a potential difference between the two points in a state where the DC voltage is applied to the treatment solution; and
increasing the DC voltage when the detected current is more than a predetermined reference current, or when the detected current is more than the predetermined reference current and the detected potential difference is less than a reference potential difference.

2. The treatment solution supply method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
before the step of applying the DC voltage to the treatment solution, passing the treatment solution through a filter.

3. The treatment solution supply method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the DC voltage is applied to the treatment solution that is passing through a treatment solution supply pipe.

4. The treatment solution supply method according to claim 3 ,
wherein the current flowing between the two points in the treatment solution is detected on a downstream side from a place to which the DC voltage is applied.

5. A treatment solution supply apparatus configured to supply a treatment solution to a substrate, the apparatus comprising:
a treatment solution supply pipe that supplies the treatment solution to the substrate;
an electrode pair that is provided in the treatment solution supply pipe and applies a DC voltage to the treatment solution in the treatment solution supply pipe;
a DC power supply that applies the DC voltage to the electrode pair; and
a processor and a memory, the processor controls the DC power supply,
wherein the treatment solution supply apparatus further comprises:
a current detector that detects a current flowing between two points in the treatment solution in a state where the DC voltage is applied to the treatment solution, or
the current detector and a potential difference detector that detects a potential difference between two points in the treatment solution supply pipe separate from each other in a facing direction of the electrode pair in a state where the DC voltage is applied to the treatment solution;

wherein the processor is configured to execute a program stored in the memory to: control the DC power supply to increase the DC voltage when the detected current is more than a predetermined reference current, or when the detected current is more than the predetermined reference current and the potential difference detected by the potential difference detector is less than a reference potential difference.

6. The treatment solution supply apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a straightening member at least on an upstream side from a portion where the electrode pair is provided in the treatment solution supply pipe.

7. The treatment solution supply apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a straightening member between electrodes of the electrode pair in the treatment solution supply pipe.

8. The treatment solution supply apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein an interval between electrodes of the electrode pair on an upstream side of the treatment solution supply pipe is larger than an interval between electrodes of the electrode pair on a downstream side of the treatment solution supply pipe.

9. The treatment solution supply apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein each of electrodes constituting the electrode pair has a plurality of segments divided by boundaries along a direction in which the treatment solution supply pipe extends, and
wherein the processor is further configured to control the DC voltage to apply a higher DC voltage to a segment located closer to a middle side of the treatment solution supply pipe among the plurality of segments.

10. The treatment solution supply apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein the electrode pair is made of at least one kind selected from a group consisting of metal, Si doped with a dopant, Ge doped with a dopant, SiC, and vitrified carbon.

11. The treatment solution supply apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein the current detector detects a current flowing between two points in the treatment solution on a downstream side from the electrode pair.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium recording a program thereon for causing a treatment solution supply apparatus configured to supply a treatment solution to a substrate to perform a treatment solution supply method of supplying a treatment solution to a substrate,
the treatment solution supply method comprising the steps of:
applying a DC voltage to the treatment solution;
detecting a current flowing between two points in the treatment solution, or detecting the current and a potential difference between the two points in a state where the DC voltage is applied to the treatment solution; and
increasing the DC voltage when the detected current is more than a predetermined reference current, or when the detected current is more than the predetermined reference current and the detected potential difference is less than a reference potential difference.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 12 , further comprising:
wherein the treatment solution is passed through a filter, before applying the DC voltage to the treatment solution.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 12 ,
wherein the DC voltage is applied to the treatment solution that is passing through a treatment solution supply pipe.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 14 ,
wherein the current flowing between the two points in the treatment solution is detected on a downstream side from a place to which the DC voltage is applied.

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Hayashi Masato
• Tsuruda Toyohisa
• Kajiwara Masayuki

Classifications

• C02F1/463 Primary

  by electrocoagulation · CPC title

• C02F2201/461

  Electrolysis apparatus · CPC title

• C02F2201/4612

  Controlling or monitoring · CPC title

• C02F1/46104

  Devices therefor; Their operating or servicing · CPC title

• G03F7/3021

  from a wafer supported on a rotating chuck · CPC title