Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11915944-B2
Application number	US-202017104103-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 25, 2020
Priority date	Nov 29, 2019
Publication date	Feb 27, 2024
Grant date	Feb 27, 2024

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus includes a holder configured to hold a substrate horizontally; a substrate rotating unit configured to rotate the holder; a nozzle configured to supply a fluid onto a top surface of the substrate; a supply unit configured to supply the fluid to the nozzle; and a moving unit configured to move the nozzle in a diametrical direction of the substrate. The nozzle includes a first nozzle member configured to discharge the fluid and a second nozzle member configured to discharge the fluid in a direction different from a direction in which the first nozzle member discharges the fluid. Discharge lines of the first and the second nozzle members intersect with each other at an intersection point. The supply unit includes a first and a second flow rate controllers configured to respectively control discharge amounts of the first and the second nozzle members independently.

First claim

I claim:

1. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
a holder configured to hold a substrate horizontally;
a substrate rotating unit configured to rotate the holder and the substrate thereon around a vertical rotation axis;
a nozzle configured to supply a fluid onto a top surface of the substrate held by the holder;
a supply unit configured to supply the fluid to the nozzle; and
a moving unit configured to move the nozzle in a diametrical direction of the substrate,
wherein the nozzle comprises a first nozzle member configured to discharge the fluid and a second nozzle member configured to discharge the fluid in a direction different from a direction in which the first nozzle member discharges the fluid,
a first discharge line as an extension line of a flow path from the first nozzle member and a second discharge line as an extension line of a flow path from the second nozzle member intersect with each other at an intersection point,
the supply unit comprises a first flow rate controller configured to control a discharge amount of the first nozzle member and a second flow rate controller configured to control a discharge amount of the second nozzle member independently from the discharge amount of the first nozzle member,
wherein the apparatus further comprises:
a detector configured to detect a collision angle of the fluid on the top surface of the substrate; and
a controller configured to control the first flow rate controller and the second flow rate controller to reduce a deviation between a detection value of the detector and a set value.

2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 ,
Wherein the second nozzle member includes second nozzle members, and four or more second nozzle members are equi-spaced around the first discharge line.

3. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2 ,
wherein the first nozzle member has a discharge opening through which the fluid is discharged toward the intersection point located directly therebelow, and
the second nozzle member has a discharge opening through which the fluid is discharged toward the intersection point located diagonally therebelow.

4. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2 ,
wherein an area of a discharge opening of the first nozzle member is equal to or larger than an area of a discharge opening of the second nozzle member.

5. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2 ,
wherein the fluid is a drying liquid configured to first cover an entire top surface of the substrate and then expose the substrate gradually from a center of the substrate toward a periphery thereof, or the fluid is a drying gas configured to press an opening edge of the drying liquid.

6. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the first nozzle member has a discharge opening through which the fluid is discharged toward the intersection point located directly therebelow, and
the second nozzle member has a discharge opening through which the fluid is discharged toward the intersection point located diagonally therebelow.

7. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 6 ,
wherein an area of a discharge opening of the first nozzle member is equal to or larger than an area of a discharge opening of the second nozzle member.

8. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 6 ,
wherein the fluid is a drying liquid configured to first cover an entire top surface of the substrate and then expose the substrate gradually from a center of the substrate toward a periphery thereof, or the fluid is a drying gas configured to press an opening edge of the drying liquid.

9. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein an area of a discharge opening of the first nozzle member is equal to or larger than an area of a discharge opening of the second nozzle member.

10. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the fluid is a drying liquid configured to first cover an entire top surface of the substrate and then expose the substrate gradually from a center of the substrate toward a periphery thereof, or the fluid is a drying gas configured to press an opening edge of the drying liquid.

11. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
a holder configured to hold a substrate horizontally;
a substrate rotating unit configured to rotate the holder and the substrate thereon around a vertical rotation axis;
a nozzle configured to supply a fluid onto a top surface of the substrate held by the holder;
a supply unit configured to supply the fluid to the nozzle; and
a moving unit configured to move the nozzle in a diametrical direction of the substrate,
wherein the nozzle comprises a first nozzle member configured to discharge the fluid and a second nozzle member configured to discharge the fluid in a direction different from a direction in which the first nozzle member discharges the fluid,
a first discharge line as an extension line of a flow path from the first nozzle member and a second discharge line as an extension line of a flow path from the second nozzle member intersect with each other at an intersection point,
the supply unit comprises a first flow rate controller configured to control a discharge amount of the first nozzle member and a second flow rate controller configured to control a discharge amount of the second nozzle member independently from the discharge amount of the first nozzle member,
wherein the nozzle further comprises a revolving unit configured to revolve the second nozzle member around the first discharge line.

12. A substrate processing method, comprising:
moving a nozzle, which is configured to supply a fluid onto a top surface of a substrate, in a diametrical direction of the substrate in a state that the substrate is held horizontally and is being rotated around a vertical rotation axis;
detecting a collision angle of the fluid on the top surface of the substrate; and
controlling a discharge amount of the nozzle to reduce a deviation between a detection value of the detecting and a set value,
wherein the nozzle comprises a first nozzle member configured to discharge the fluid and a second nozzle member configured to discharge the fluid in a direction different from a direction in which the first nozzle member discharges the fluid,
a first discharge line as an extension line of a flow path from the first nozzle member and a second discharge line as an extension line of a flow path from the second nozzle member intersect with each other at an intersection point, and
at least one of a discharge amount of the first nozzle member or a discharge amount of the second nozzle member is varied while the nozzle is being moved in the diametrical direction of the substrate.

13. The substrate processing method of claim 12 ,
wherein the first nozzle member discharges the fluid toward the intersection point directly therebelow, and
the second nozzle member discharges the fluid toward the intersection portion diagonally therebelow.

14. The substrate processing method of claim 12 , further comprising:
decreasing a first collision angle continuously or in stages while moving the nozzle from an inner side of the substrate in the diametrical direction toward an outer side of the substrate in the diametrical direction,
wherein the first collision angle is an angle formed by the top surface of the substrate and a straight line connecting the intersection point and a collision point of the fluid on the top surface of the substrate, when viewed from a direction of a straight line connecting the collision point and a center point of the top surface of the substrate, and
the first collision angle decreases as the coll

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Suguen

Classifications

• H10P72/0406

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

• H10P72/7618

  characterised by a movable susceptor, stage or support, others than those only rotating on their own vertical axis, e.g. susceptors on a rotating carrousel · CPC title

• H10P72/0604

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

• H10P72/0424

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

• H10P72/50

  for positioning, orientation or alignment · CPC title