Substrate processing apparatus and method of cleaning substrate processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10475671-B2
Application number	US-201615390902-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2016
Priority date	Jan 12, 2016
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

Disclosed is a substrate processing apparatus including: a holding unit configured to hold a substrate; a processing liquid supply unit configured to supply a first processing liquid and a second processing liquid to the substrate; a first cup configured to recover the first processing liquid; a second cup disposed adjacent to the first cup and configured to recover the second processing liquid; a recovery portion defined by a peripheral wall portion that is erected on a bottom portion of the first cup; and a cleaning liquid supply unit configured to supply a cleaning liquid to the recovery portion. The peripheral wall portion is cleaned by causing the cleaning liquid supplied by the cleaning liquid supply unit to overflow from the peripheral wall portion to the second cup side.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate;
a processing liquid supply source configured to supply a first processing liquid and a second processing liquid to the substrate;
a first cup including a liquid receiving portion and a peripheral wall portion that extends below the liquid receiving portion, the liquid receiving portion being movable up and down with respect to the peripheral wall portion, the first cup configured to recover the first processing liquid;
a second cup disposed adjacent to and radially outward from the first cup and configured to recover the second processing liquid;
a recovery portion defined by the peripheral wall portion, the recovery portion connected to a drain pipe configured to discharge the first processing fluid through the drain pipe in a first direction;
a cleaning liquid supply source connected to the drain pipe and configured to supply a cleaning liquid to the recovery portion through the drain pipe in a second direction opposite the first direction; and
an inner wall separate from the second cup and positioned on an inner peripheral side of the first cup,
wherein the peripheral wall portion is cleaned by causing the cleaning liquid supplied by the cleaning liquid supply source to overflow from the peripheral wall portion to a second cup side, and when the liquid receiving portion is in a retreat position, the liquid receiving portion is configured to contact an upper portion of the inner wall thereby closing a flow path to the drain pipe.

2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the liquid receiving portion surrounds a periphery of the substrate held by the substrate holder and is configured to receive the first processing liquid scattered from the substrate, and
the cleaning liquid supplied by the cleaning liquid supply source is caused to overflow from a gap between the peripheral wall portion and the liquid receiving portion to the second cup side.

3. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein
the liquid receiving portion is moved down to such an extent that a part of the liquid receiving portion, which faces an upper surface of the peripheral wall portion, is cleaned by the cleaning liquid when the cleaning liquid overflows from the peripheral wall portion.

4. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first cup further includes a support configured to support the liquid receiving portion, and move up and down the liquid receiving portion with respect to the peripheral wall portion, and an insertion hole formed inside the peripheral wall portion to allow the support to be inserted therethrough, and
the cleaning liquid supply source is configured to clean the support by introducing the cleaning liquid overflowing from the peripheral wall portion into the insertion hole.

5. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first cup is connected to a circulation line that circulates the recovered first processing liquid and supplies to the substrate again, and
the second cup is connected to a drain line that discharges the recovered second processing liquid to the outside of the apparatus.

6. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising:
a valve configured to control the discharge of the first processing liquid from the drain pipe,
wherein the cleaning liquid supply source supplies the cleaning liquid from the drain pipe to the recovery portion when the cleaning liquid supply source is connected to the drain pipe at a position of an upstream side of the valve in a flow direction and the valve is closed.

7. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third cup disposed on an opposite side to the first cup across the second cup, and configured to recover a third processing liquid supplied from the processing liquid supply unit,
wherein a second recovery portion is defined between the peripheral wall portion and a second peripheral wall portion that is erected on a bottom portion of the second cup on an outer peripheral side of the peripheral wall portion,
the cleaning liquid overflowing from the peripheral wall portion to the second cup side is recovered through the second recovery portion, and
the second peripheral wall portion is cleaned by causing some of the recovered cleaning liquid to overflow from the second peripheral wall portion to the third cup side.

8. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , further including a substrate nozzle configured to eject a substrate cleaning liquid to clean the substrate.

9. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , further including a holder nozzle configured to eject a cleaning liquid to clean the substrate holder.

10. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first processing liquid includes a mixed solution of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide, and
a heat exchanger is further provided to perform a heat exchange between the mixed solution and the cleaning liquid.

11. A method of cleaning a substrate liquid processing apparatus including: a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate; a processing liquid supply source configured to supply a first processing liquid and a second processing liquid to the substrate; a first cup including a liquid receiving portion and a peripheral wall portion that extends below the liquid receiving portion, the liquid receiving portion being movable up and down with respect to the peripheral wall portion, the first cup configured to recover the first processing liquid; a second cup disposed adjacent to and radially outward from the first cup and configured to recover the second processing liquid; a recovery portion defined by the peripheral wall portion that is erected on a bottom portion of the first cup and connected to a drain pipe configured to discharge the first processing fluid through the drain pipe in a first direction; a cleaning liquid supply source configured to supply a cleaning liquid to the recovery portion; and an inner wall separate from the second cup and positioned on an inner peripheral side of the first cup,
the method comprising:
supplying the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid supply unit to the recovery portion through the drain pipe in a second direction opposite the first direction;
causing the supplied cleaning liquid to overflow from the peripheral wall portion to the second cup side so as to clean the peripheral wall portion; and
moving the liquid receiving portion to a retreat position to contact an upper portion of the inner wall thereby closing a flow path to the drain pipe.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the liquid receiving portion surrounds a periphery of the substrate held by the substrate holder and is configured to receive the first processing liquid scattered from the substrate, and
the cleaning liquid supplied by the cleaning liquid supply source is caused to overflow from a gap between the peripheral wall portion and the liquid receiving portion to the second cup side.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first cup further includes a support member configured to support the liquid receiving portion and an insertion hole formed inside the peripheral wall portion to allow the support member to be inserted therethrough, and
the support member is cleaned by introducing the cleaning liquid overflowing from the peripheral wall portion into the insertion hole.

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Higashijima Jiro
• Ogata Nobuhiro
• Hashimoto Yusuke

Classifications

• H10P70/00

  Cleaning of wafers, substrates or parts of devices · CPC title

• H10P72/0414 Primary

  using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles · CPC title

• B08B17/025

  Prevention of fouling with liquids by means of devices for containing or collecting said liquids · CPC title

• B08B2203/0229

  Suction chambers for aspirating the sprayed liquid · CPC title

• H10P72/0411

  for wet cleaning or washing · CPC title