Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10622204-B2
Application number	US-201615354298-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2016
Priority date	Feb 15, 2016
Publication date	Apr 14, 2020
Grant date	Apr 14, 2020

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus includes a spray nozzle that allows a plurality of liquid droplets to collide with a substrate held by a spin chuck, a liquid piping that supplies a mixed liquid of water and a chemical liquid to the spray nozzle, a first flow control valve and a second flow control valve each of which changes the concentration of the chemical liquid in the mixed liquid, and a controller that causes the liquid piping to supply the mixed liquid having a concentration of the chemical liquid determined in accordance with a substrate to be processed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate processing method that causes a plurality of liquid droplets to collide with a substrate, the plurality of liquid droplets generated from a mixed liquid for liquid droplets in which a chemical liquid is mixed at a concentration for liquid droplets, the chemical liquid having a smaller surface tension than water and having a hydrophilic group and a hydrocarbon group, the mixed liquid including water and the chemical liquid, the substrate processing method comprising:
a mixed-liquid-for-liquid-droplets supplying step of supplying a spray nozzle, which generates the plurality of liquid droplets, with the mixed liquid for liquid droplets having the concentration for liquid droplets determined in accordance with a substrate to be processed by changing the concentration for liquid droplets to a value determined in accordance with the substrate to be processed;
a liquid-droplets generating step of generating the plurality of liquid droplets, each having diameter suitable for the substrate to be processed, from the mixed liquid for liquid droplets supplied to the spray nozzle in the mixed-liquid-for-liquid-droplets supplying step;
a liquid-droplets collision step of allowing the plurality of liquid droplets generated in the liquid-droplets generating step to collide with the substrate;
a mixed-liquid-for-cover-rinsing supplying step of supplying a mixed liquid for cover-rinsing in which a chemical liquid different from water is mixed at a concentration for cover-rinsing to a cover-rinsing liquid nozzle, the mixed liquid including water and the chemical liquid having a hydrophilic group and a hydrocarbon group; and
a cover-rinsing step of allowing the cover-rinsing liquid nozzle to discharge the mixed liquid for cover-rinsing supplied in the mixed-liquid-for-cover-rinsing supplying step toward the substrate in parallel with the liquid-droplets collision step,
wherein the mixed-liquid-for-cover-rinsing supplying step is a step of supplying the mixed liquid for cover-rinsing having the concentration for cover-rinsing determined in accordance with the substrate to be processed to the cover-rinsing liquid nozzle, and
the concentration for cover-rinsing determined in accordance with the substrate to be processed is equal to the concentration for liquid droplets determined in accordance with the substrate to be processed.

2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , wherein
the mixed-liquid-for-liquid-droplets supplying step includes:
a first mixing step of generating the mixed liquid for liquid droplets by mixing the water and the chemical liquid together by a first mixing unit; and
a second mixing step of mixing the mixed liquid for liquid droplets generated in the first mixing step by a second mixing unit that differs from the first mixing unit and that is disposed on an upstream side of the spray nozzle.

3. The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , further comprising a storing step of storing a recipe that includes contents of substrate processing and a processing procedure,
wherein the mixed-liquid-for-liquid-droplets supplying step is a step of supplying the mixed liquid for liquid droplets having the concentration for liquid droplets included in the recipe to the spray nozzle.

4. The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a storing step of storing a table for liquid droplets, the table including a plurality of pieces of substrate information that represents information about a substrate to be processed and the concentrations for liquid droplets that correspond to the plurality of pieces of substrate information, respectively;
a communication step of receiving the substrate information; and
a concentration selecting step of selecting the concentration for liquid droplets that corresponds to the substrate information received in the communication step, as the concentration for liquid droplets determined in accordance with the substrate to be processed, from among the concentrations for liquid droplets included in the table for liquid droplets;
wherein the mixed-liquid-for-liquid-droplets supplying step is a step of supplying the mixed liquid for liquid droplets having the concentration for liquid droplets selected in the concentration selecting step to the spray nozzle.

5. The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the mixed-liquid-for-liquid-droplets supplying step is a step of changing the concentration for liquid droplets within a range determined in accordance with the substrate to be processed while supplying the mixed liquid for liquid droplets to the spray nozzle.

6. The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , further comprising a heating step of raising a temperature of the mixed liquid for liquid droplets to be supplied to the spray nozzle in the mixed-liquid-for-liquid-droplets supplying step by heating at least one of the water and the chemical liquid before or after the water and the chemical liquid are mixed together.

7. The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , the substrate processing method being a method that causes the plurality of liquid droplets to collide with a substrate that has undergone dry etching.

8. The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the mixed-liquid-for-liquid-droplets supplying step is a step of supplying the spray nozzle with the mixed liquid for liquid droplets having the concentration for liquid droplets determined in accordance with the substrate to be processed, while increasing the concentration for liquid droplets in a stepwise manner.

9. The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the mixed-liquid-for-liquid-droplets supplying step is a step of supplying the spray nozzle with the mixed liquid for liquid droplets having the concentration for liquid droplets determined in accordance with the substrate to be processed based on at least one of a removal rate of particles, a number of damage occurrences, and a removal rate of residues.

10. The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , further comprising a mixing step of mixing the water and the chemical liquid at a mixing unit and supplying the spray nozzle and the cover-rinsing liquid nozzle with the water and the chemical liquid mixed at the mixing unit as the mixed liquid for liquid droplets and the mixed liquid for cover-rinsing.

11. A substrate processing method that causes a plurality of liquid droplets to collide with a substrate that has undergone dry etching, the plurality of liquid droplets generated from a mixed liquid for liquid droplets in which a chemical liquid is mixed at a concentration for liquid droplets, the chemical liquid having a smaller surface tension than water and having a hydrophilic group and a hydrocarbon group, the mixed liquid including water and the chemical liquid, the substrate processing method comprising:
a mixed-liquid-for-liquid-droplets supplying step of supplying a spray nozzle, which generates the plurality of liquid droplets, with the mixed liquid for liquid droplets having the concentration for liquid droplets determined in accordance with a substrate to be processed by changing the concentration for liquid droplets to a value determined in accordance with the substrate to be processed;
a liquid-droplets generating step of generating the plurality of liquid droplets, each having diameter suitable for the substrate to be processed, from the mixed liquid for liquid droplets supplied to the spray nozzle in the mixed-liquid-for-liquid-droplets supplying step; and
a liquid-droplets collision step of allowing the plurality of liquid droplets generated in the liquid-droplets generating step to

Assignees

• Screen Holdings Co Ltd

Inventors

• Higuchi Ayumi
• Iwasaki Akihisa

Classifications

• H10P50/73

  using masks for insulating materials · CPC title

• H10P72/0604

  Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring · CPC title

• H10P72/0414

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

• H10P70/234 Primary

  the processing being the formation of vias or contact holes · CPC title

• H10P50/667

  by liquid etching only · CPC title