Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11996302-B2
Application number	US-202217698466-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2022
Priority date	Mar 19, 2021
Publication date	May 28, 2024
Grant date	May 28, 2024

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus 100 includes a processing unit, a reservoir 31 , a processing liquid pipe 32 , a pump 34 , a filter 35 , a first flow rate section 36 , a first return pipe 51 , a first adjustment valve 52 , a second return pipe 41 , a branch supply pipe 16 , a second flow rate section 42 , and a controller. The first flow rate section 36 is placed in the processing liquid pipe 32 and measures a flow rate or pressure of the processing liquid flowing through the processing liquid pipe 32 . The first adjustment valve 52 is placed in the first return pipe 51 and adjusts a flow rate of the processing liquid flowing through the first return pipe 51 . The controller controls an opening degree of the first adjustment valve 52 based on the flow rate or the pressure of the processing liquid measured by the first flow rate section 36.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a processing unit that processes a substrate with a processing liquid;
a reservoir that stores the processing liquid;
a processing liquid pipe that is connected to the reservoir and that allows the processing liquid to flow through;
a pump that is placed in the processing liquid pipe and that supplies the processing liquid from the reservoir to the processing liquid pipe;
a filter that is placed in the processing liquid pipe and that captures particles in the processing liquid;
a first flow rate section that is placed in the processing liquid pipe and that measures a flow rate or pressure of the processing liquid flowing through the processing liquid pipe;
a first return pipe that is connected to a downstream end of the processing liquid pipe and that returns the processing liquid to the reservoir;
a first adjustment valve that is placed in the first return pipe and that adjusts a flow rate of the processing liquid flowing through the first return pipe;
a second return pipe that is connected to the downstream end of the processing liquid pipe and that returns the processing liquid to the reservoir;
a branch supply pipe that branches from the second return pipe and that supplies the processing liquid to the processing unit;
a second flow meter that measures a flow rate or pressure of the processing liquid flowing through the second return pipe; and
a controller that controls an opening degree of the first adjustment valve based on the flow rate or the pressure of the processing liquid measured by the first flow rate section.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second flow meter is placed in the second return pipe at a position on a downstream side of the branch supply pipe and measures pressure of the processing liquid flowing through the second return pipe.

3. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a processing unit that processes a substrate with a processing liquid;
a reservoir that stores the processing liquid;
a processing liquid pipe that is connected to the reservoir and that allows the processing liquid to flow through;
a pump that is placed in the processing liquid pipe and that supplies the processing liquid from the reservoir to the processing liquid pipe;
a filter that is placed in the processing liquid pipe and that captures particles in the processing liquid;
a first flow meter that is placed in the processing liquid pipe and that measures a flow rate of the processing liquid flowing through the processing liquid pipe;
a first return pipe that is connected to a downstream end of the processing liquid pipe and that returns the processing liquid to the reservoir;
a first adjustment valve that is placed in the first return pipe and that adjusts a flow rate of the processing liquid flowing through the first return pipe;
a second return pipe that is connected to the downstream end of the processing liquid pipe and that returns the processing liquid to the reservoir;
a branch supply pipe that branches from the second return pipe and that supplies the processing liquid to the processing unit;
a second flow meter that is placed in the second return pipe at a position on an upstream side of the branch supply pipe and that measures a flow rate of the processing liquid flowing through the branch supply pipe; and
a controller that controls an opening degree of the first adjustment valve based on the flow rate of the processing liquid measured by the first flow meter.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the controller controls the opening degree of the first adjustment valve so that the flow rate of the processing liquid flowing through the processing liquid pipe becomes a predetermined flow rate.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising a temperature controller that is placed in the processing liquid pipe, wherein
the temperature controller adjusts a temperature of the processing liquid flowing through the processing liquid pipe.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising a second adjustment valve that is placed in the second return pipe and that adjusts a flow rate of the processing liquid flowing through the second return pipe, wherein
the controller controls the opening degree of the first adjustment valve and an opening degree of the second adjustment valve.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising a thermometer that is placed in the processing liquid pipe and that measures temperature of the processing liquid flowing through the processing liquid pipe wherein
the controller controls the opening degree of the second adjustment valve based on the temperature of the processing liquid measured by the thermometer.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the processing unit comprises:
a nozzle that is placed at a downstream end of the branch supply pipe;
a switch section that switches between start and stop of supply of the processing liquid from the branch supply pipe to the nozzle; and
a third return pipe that branches from the branch supply pipe and that is connected to the second return pipe on a downstream side of the second adjustment valve.

9. A substrate processing method of a substrate processing apparatus, the substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a processing unit that processes a substrate with a processing liquid;
a reservoir that stores the processing liquid;
a processing liquid pipe that is connected to the reservoir and that allows the processing liquid to flow through;
a pump that is placed in the processing liquid pipe;
a filter that is placed in the processing liquid pipe;
a first flow rate section that is placed in the processing liquid pipe;
a first return pipe that is connected to a downstream end of the processing liquid pipe and that returns the processing liquid to the reservoir;
a first adjustment valve that is placed in the first return pipe and that adjusts a flow rate of the processing liquid flowing through the first return pipe;
a second return pipe that is connected to the downstream end of the processing liquid pipe and that returns the processing liquid to the reservoir;
a branch supply pipe that branches from the second return pipe and that supplies the processing liquid to the processing unit; and
a second flow meter that is placed in the second return pipe, wherein
the substrate processing method comprises:
supplying the processing liquid from the reservoir to the processing liquid pipe;
capturing particles in the processing liquid;
measuring a flow rate or pressure of the processing liquid flowing through the processing liquid pipe;
measuring a flow rate or pressure of the processing liquid flowing through the second return pipe; and
controlling an opening degree of the first adjustment valve based on the flow rate or the pressure of the processing liquid measured by the first flow rate section.

Assignees

• Screen Holdings Co Ltd

Inventors

• Aihara Tomoaki
• Yamaguchi Takahiro
• Sawashima Jun

Classifications

• H10P72/0404 Primary

  for general liquid treatment, e.g. etching followed by cleaning · CPC title

• H10P72/0604 Primary

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

• H10P72/0424 Primary

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

• H10P72/0402 Primary

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

• H10P72/0602

  Temperature monitoring · CPC title