Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11260436-B2
Application number	US-202016885899-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2020
Priority date	Feb 22, 2017
Publication date	Mar 1, 2022
Grant date	Mar 1, 2022

Abstract

The substrate processing apparatus includes common piping which guides a processing liquid to a branching portion, supply piping which guides the processing liquid from the branching portion to a chemical liquid nozzle, return piping which guides the processing liquid from the branching portion, and a discharge valve which changes a flow rate of the processing liquid supplied from the common piping to the branching portion. The discharge valve makes a valve element stationary at a plurality of positions including a discharge execution position at which the processing liquid is supplied from the common piping to the branching portion at a flow rate larger than a maximum value of a suction flow rate and a discharge stop position at which the processing liquid is supplied from the common piping to the branching portion at a flow rate smaller than the maximum value of the suction flow rate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate processing method comprising:
a holding step of causing a substrate holding unit to hold a substrate;
a discharge step of causing a nozzle to discharge a processing liquid toward the substrate held by the substrate holding unit;
a liquid sending step of causing a liquid sending device to send the processing liquid to be supplied to the substrate held by the substrate holding unit;
a first guide step of causing common piping to guide the processing liquid sent by the liquid sending device;
a second guide step of causing supply piping to guide the processing liquid guided by the common piping from a branching portion connected to the common piping to the nozzle;
a third guide step of causing return piping to guide the processing liquid guided by the common piping from the branching portion along a flow channel different from the supply piping; and
a flow rate changing step of causing a discharge valve, which is disposed on the common piping, to change a flow rate of the processing liquid to be supplied from the common piping to the branching portion; wherein
the second guide step includes a step of causing an elevating portion extending upward from the branching portion to guide the processing liquid,
the third guide step includes a step of causing a lowering portion extending downward from the branching portion to guide the processing liquid, and
the flow rate changing step includes
a discharge execution step of supplying the processing liquid to the elevating portion and causing the nozzle to discharge the processing liquid by supplying the processing liquid to the branching portion from the common piping at a flow rate larger than a maximum value of a flow rate of the processing liquid which flows from the branching portion toward the lowering portion and
a discharge stop step of stopping supply of the processing liquid to the elevating portion and causing the nozzle to stop discharging the processing liquid by supplying the processing liquid to the branching portion from the common piping at a flow rate equal to or smaller than the maximum value of the flow rate of the processing liquid which flows from the branching portion toward the lowering portion.

2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , wherein
the second guide step includes a step of causing the supply piping to guide the processing liquid guided by the common piping to the nozzle from the branching portion which is arranged inside either a chamber which houses the substrate holding unit or a fluid box arranged laterally of the chamber.

3. The substrate processing method according to claim 2 , further comprising
a temperature adjustment step of causing a temperature controller, which is arranged upstream of the supply piping, to change a temperature of the processing liquid to be supplied to the nozzle by at least one of heating and cooling.

4. The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , further comprising
a loss increasing step of causing a narrowing device to decrease a flow channel area of the return piping and increase a pressure loss through the return piping.

5. The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , wherein
the second guide step includes a step of causing the elevating portion extending upward toward a downstream side in a flow direction of the processing liquid, and
the substrate processing method further comprises a liquid detection step of causing a liquid detecting sensor to detect whether the processing liquid is present in the elevating portion or not.

6. The substrate processing method according to claim 5 , further comprising
a liquid sending stop step of causing the liquid sending device to stop sending the processing liquid when a valve element of the discharge valve is arranged at a discharge stop position at which the nozzle stops discharging the processing liquid and the liquid detecting sensor detects that the processing liquid is present in the elevating portion.

7. The substrate processing method according to claim 5 , further comprising
a liquid sending stop step of stopping a flow of the processing liquid in the common piping by causing an electric actuator of the discharge valve to move a valve element of the discharge valve to a closed position at which the valve element is in contact with a valve seat of the discharge valve when the valve element is arranged at a discharge stop position at which the nozzle stops discharging the processing liquid and the liquid detecting sensor detects that the processing liquid is present in the elevating portion.

8. The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an abnormality detection step of causing an abnormality detector to detect an abnormality of the discharge valve; and
a valve closing step of causing a normally open valve, which is disposed on the supply piping and always open except for a period during which the abnormality of the discharge valve is occurring, to close when the abnormality occurs.

9. A substrate processing method comprising:
a holding step of causing a plurality of substrate holding units to hold a plurality of substrates, respectively;
a discharge step of causing a plurality of nozzles, which correspond on a one-to-one basis to the plurality of substrate holding units, to discharge the processing liquid toward the plurality of substrates held by the plurality of substrate holding units;
a liquid sending step of causing a liquid sending device to send the processing liquid to be supplied to the plurality of substrates held by the plurality of substrate holding units;
a first guide step of causing a plurality of common piping, which correspond on a one-to-one basis to the plurality of nozzles and which are always open such that the processing liquid flows through the plurality of common piping, to guide the processing liquid sent by the liquid sending device;
a second guide step of causing a plurality of supply piping, which correspond on a one-to-one basis to the plurality of common piping and which are always open such that the processing liquid flows through the plurality of supply piping, to guide the processing liquid guided by the plurality of common piping from a plurality of branching portions respectively connected to the plurality of common piping to the plurality of nozzles;
a third guide step of causing a plurality of return piping, which correspond on a one-to-one basis to the plurality of common piping and which are always open such that the processing liquid flows through the plurality of return piping, to guide the processing liquid guided by the plurality of common piping from the plurality of branching portions along a flow channel different from the plurality of supply piping;
a suction step of causing at least one suction device to suck the processing liquid from the plurality of branching portions toward the plurality of return piping;
a flow rate changing step of causing a plurality of discharge valves, which are disposed on the plurality of common piping respectively, to change a flow rate of the processing liquid to be supplied from the plurality of common piping to the plurality of branching portions;
an abnormality detection step of causing a plurality abnormality detectors, which correspond on a one-to-one basis to the plurality of discharge valves, to detect an abnormality of the plurality of discharge valves; and
a valve closing step of causing at least one of a plurality of normally open valves, which are disposed on the plurality of supply piping respectively and which are always open except for a period during which the abnormality of at least one of the plurality of discharge valves is occurring, to close when the abno

Assignees

• Screen Holdings Co Ltd

Inventors

• Osada Naoyuki
• Yamaguchi Takahiro
• Fujita Eri
• Iwasaki Akihisa
• Higuchi Ayumi
• Iwahata Shota

Classifications

• H10P72/0604

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

• H10P72/0402 Primary

  Apparatus for fluid treatment (H10P72/0441, H10P72/0448 take precedence) · CPC title

• H10P72/0424

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