Substrate processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10790134-B2
Application number	US-201715700236-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2017
Priority date	Sep 26, 2016
Publication date	Sep 29, 2020
Grant date	Sep 29, 2020

Abstract

A substrate processing method includes a substrate holding step of holding a substrate by means of a substrate holder which holds the substrate horizontally with an interval upward from an upper surface of a base, a first processing liquid supplying step of supplying a first processing liquid to an upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder, a cleaning liquid supplying step of supplying a cleaning liquid so as to wash away the first processing liquid attached to the upper surface of the base, to the upper surface of the base such that the cleaning liquid on the base does not contact a lower surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder, and a removing step of removing the cleaning liquid from the upper surface of the base.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate processing method comprising:
a substrate holding step of holding a substrate by means of a substrate holder which holds the substrate horizontally with an interval upward from an upper surface of a base;
a first processing liquid supplying step of supplying a first processing liquid to an upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder;
a base cleaning step which is executed after the first processing liquid supplying step and in which a base cleaning liquid is supplied to the upper surface of the base in a state where the substrate is held by the substrate holder such that the base cleaning liquid on the base does not contact a lower surface of the substrate;
a removing step of removing the base cleaning liquid from the upper surface of the base;
a substrate upper surface cleaning step which is executed after the first processing liquid supplying step and before the base cleaning step, and in which a substrate cleaning liquid is supplied to the upper surface of the substrate, which is held by the substrate holder, to wash away the first processing liquid on the upper surface of the substrate;
a substrate cleaning liquid supply continuing step which is executed in parallel with the base cleaning step and in which the supply of the substrate cleaning liquid to the upper surface of the substrate in the substrate upper surface cleaning step is continued; and
a rotating step of rotating the substrate, which is held by the substrate holder, together with the base around a rotational axis along a vertical direction,
wherein the rotating step includes a step of decelerating the rotation of the base such that the rotational speed of the base in the base cleaning step is lower than the rotational speed of the base in the substrate upper surface cleaning step,
the method further comprises a substrate cleaning liquid flow rate adjusting step of adjusting a flow rate of the substrate cleaning liquid which is supplied toward the upper surface of the substrate such that the flow rate of the substrate cleaning liquid which is supplied toward the upper surface of the substrate in the substrate cleaning liquid supply continuing step becomes smaller than the flow rate of the substrate cleaning liquid which is supplied toward the upper surface of the substrate in the substrate upper surface cleaning step,
the substrate cleaning liquid supply continuing step includes a step of continuing the supply of the substrate cleaning liquid toward the upper surface of the substrate even after starting of the removing step,
the rotating step includes a step of accelerating the rotation of the base such that the rotational speed of the base in the removing step is higher than the rotational speed of the base in the base cleaning step, and
the substrate cleaning liquid flow rate adjusting step includes a step of adjusting the flow rate of the substrate cleaning liquid which is supplied toward the upper surface of the substrate such that the flow rate of the substrate cleaning liquid which is supplied toward the upper surface of the substrate in the substrate cleaning liquid supply continuing step during executing the removing step becomes larger than the flow rate of the substrate cleaning liquid which is supplied toward the upper surface of the substrate in the substrate cleaning liquid supply continuing step during executing the base cleaning step.

2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the base cleaning step includes a liquid film forming step of supplying the base cleaning liquid to the upper surface of the base to form a liquid film of the base cleaning liquid that covers the upper surface of the base without contacting the lower surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder.

3. The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the base cleaning step includes a step of supplying the base cleaning liquid to the upper surface of the base such that the base cleaning liquid does not become attached to the lower surface of the substrate.

4. The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the base cleaning step includes a step of supplying the base cleaning liquid to the upper surface of the base from a nozzle exposed at the upper surface of the base.

5. The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second processing liquid supplying step of supplying a second processing liquid which forms a salt by being mixed with the first processing liquid supplied to the upper surface of the substrate in the first processing liquid supplying step, to the upper surface of the substrate after the removing step.

6. The substrate processing method according to claim 5 , wherein the first processing liquid is one of either of an acidic aqueous solution and a basic aqueous solution, and the second processing liquid is the other of either of the acidic aqueous solution and the basic aqueous solution.

7. The substrate processing method according to claim 2 , wherein the liquid film of the base cleaning liquid, which does not contact the lower surface of the substrate, is formed in the liquid film forming step by decelerating the rotation of the base in the rotating step.

8. The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , further comprising: a guard positioning step of positioning a plurality of guards, each of which has a cylindrical portion surrounding the substrate in a plan view and an extension portion which extends radially inward from the cylindrical portion, in the first processing liquid supplying step such that any one of the guards receives a liquid splashed from the substrate by raising or lowering at least one of the plurality of the guards; and
a guard cleaning step of cleaning the extension portions of the plurality of the guards by the liquid from the substrate, by moving at least one of the plurality of the guards to bring the extending portions of the plurality of guards toward each other in the vertical direction, during executing the substrate upper surface cleaning step.

9. The substrate processing method according to claim 8 , wherein the guard cleaning step is continued also in the substrate cleaning liquid supply continuing step.

Assignees

• Screen Holdings Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hinode Taiki
• Ota Takashi

Classifications

• H10P72/7611

  characterised by edge profile or support profile · CPC title

• H10P72/0416

  with the semiconductor substrates being dipped in baths or vessels · CPC title

• H10P72/0414 Primary

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

• H10P72/0406

  for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like · CPC title

• H10P50/283

  by chemical means · CPC title