Substrate processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10699895-B2
Application number	US-201715674895-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2017
Priority date	Aug 31, 2016
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

A substrate processing method includes a forcing member disposing step of disposing a facing member such that the facing member faces an upper surface of a horizontally held substrate; a space forming step of forming a space where movement of the atmosphere in from and out to an outside is restricted by the substrate, the facing member, and a guard that surrounds the substrate and the facing member in plan view; an inert gas supplying step of supplying an inert gas to the space; an interval adjusting step of adjusting an interval between the upper surface of the substrate and the facing member by relatively raising/lowering the facing member with respect to the substrate while maintaining the space; and a processing liquid supplying step of supplying a processing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate after the interval adjusting step.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate processing method comprising:
a substrate holding step of holding a substrate horizontally;
a facing-disposing step of disposing a facing member such that the facing member faces an upper surface of the horizontally held substrate;
a space forming step in which a space, where movement of an atmosphere in from and out to an outside is restricted, is formed by the horizontally held substrate, the facing member, and a plurality of guards that surround the horizontally held substrate and the facing member in plan view;
an inert gas supplying step of supplying an inert gas to the space;
an interval adjusting step of adjusting an interval between the upper surface of the substrate and the facing member by relatively raising/lowering the facing member with respect to the horizontally held substrate while maintaining the space; and
a processing liquid supplying step of supplying a processing liquid to the upper surface of the horizontally held substrate after the interval adjusting step,
wherein the plurality of the guards include a first guard and a second guard which faces the first guard from below,
the space forming step includes a step in which an inner edge portion of the first guard and an outer edge portion of the facing member face each other and an inner edge portion of the second guard and an outer edge portion of the substrate face each other, so that the space is formed, and
the interval adjusting step includes a step in which the interval between the upper surface of the substrate and the facing member is adjusted while maintaining a state where the inner edge portion of the first guard and the outer edge portion of the facing member face each other and the inner edge portion of the second guard and the outer edge portion of the substrate face each other.

2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the interval adjusting step includes a step of adjusting the interval between the upper surface of the horizontally held substrate and the facing member such that a processing liquid supply nozzle extending from the first guard to an inner side of the space moves between the horizontally held substrate and the facing member.

3. The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the inert gas supplying step is started before the interval adjusting step is ended.

4. The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the first guard includes a first cylindrical portion which surrounds the substrate, and a first extension portion which extends toward an inner side of the first cylindrical portion from an upper end of the first cylindrical portion,
the second guard includes a second cylindrical portion which surrounds the substrate on the inner side of the first cylindrical portion, and a second extension portion which extends toward an inner side of the second cylindrical portion from an upper end of the second cylindrical portion and faces the first extension portion from below,
the space forming step includes a step in which an inner edge portion of the first extension portion and the outer edge portion of the facing member face each other and an inner edge portion of the second extension portion and the outer edge portion of the substrate face each other, so that the space is formed,
the interval adjusting step includes a step in which the interval between the upper surface of the substrate and the facing member is adjusted while maintaining a state where the inner edge portion of the first extension portion and the outer edge portion of the facing member face each other and the inner edge portion of the second extension portion and the outer edge portion of the substrate face each other.

5. The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the interval adjusting step includes a step of relatively raising/lowering the first guard together with the facing member with respect to the horizontally held substrate.

6. The substrate processing method according to claim 5 , wherein the interval adjusting step includes a step of relatively raising/lowering the facing member and the first guard with respect to the horizontally held substrate at the same speed.

7. The substrate processing method according to claim 5 , wherein the interval adjusting step includes a step of relatively raising/lowering the facing member and the first guard with respect to the horizontally held substrate at the same time.

Assignees

• Screen Holdings Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hinode Taiki
• Fujii Sadamu
• Takeaki Rei

Classifications

• H10P70/80

  Cleaning only by supercritical fluids · CPC title

• H10P72/0604

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

• H10P72/0462

  characterised by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers · CPC title

• H10P72/0434

  mainly by convection · CPC title

• H10P72/0424

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