Processing liquid supply device, substrate processing apparatus, and processing liquid supply method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12257595-B2
Application number	US-202318119401-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2023
Priority date	Mar 10, 2022
Publication date	Mar 25, 2025
Grant date	Mar 25, 2025

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a processing liquid supply device includes a plurality of tanks, a supply path that supplies a processing liquid to a processing device, a heating unit that heats the processing liquid, a dilution unit that dilutes the processing liquid, a new-liquid supply unit that supplies a new liquid, a common flow path through which the processing liquid of the plurality of tanks passes, a switching unit that switches between the plurality of tanks so that at least a tank is selected from which the processing liquid passes to the common flow path, a densitometer provided in the common flow path, and a control device that controls at least one of the heating unit, the dilution unit, and the new-liquid supply unit so that the concentration reaches a target value set in advance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A processing liquid supply device comprising;
a plurality of tanks each configured to store a processing liquid;
a supply path configured to connect the plurality of tanks so as to enable the processing liquid to pass between the plurality of tanks and to supply the processing liquid to a processing device that processes a substrate with the processing liquid, by sequentially passing through the plurality of tanks;
a heater configured to heat the processing liquid;
a diluter configured to dilute the processing liquid with a diluent;
a new-liquid supply configured to supply a new-processing liquid;
a common flow path through which the processing liquid of the plurality of tanks passes;
a switch configured to switch between the plurality of tanks so that at least a tank is selected from which the processing liquid passes to the common flow path;
a densitometer provided in the common flow path; and
a controller configured to cause the densitometer to measure a concentration of the processing liquid in each of the plurality of tanks while switching between the plurality of tanks by the switch, and to control at least one of the heater, the diluter, and the new-liquid supply so that the concentration of the processing liquid reaches a target value set in advance.

2. The processing liquid supply device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the heater, the diluter, and the new-liquid supply is provided for each of the plurality of tanks in order to control the concentration of the processing liquid for each of the tanks.

3. The processing liquid supply device according to claim 1 , wherein a measurement time interval of the densitometer is set for each of the plurality of tanks.

4. The processing liquid supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the heater and the diluter by calculating an output of the heater and an addition amount of the diluent, based on either or both of a difference between a measured value of the densitometer and the target value and an amount of change in the measured value.

5. The processing liquid supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of tanks include:
a supply tank configured to supply the processing liquid to the processing device;
a recovery tank configured to recover the processing liquid used in the processing device;
a buffer tank arranged between the recovery tank and the supply tank; and
a new-liquid tank configured to supply a new-processing liquid.

6. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a processing device configured to process a substrate; and
the processing liquid supply device according to claim 1 .

7. A method of supplying a processing liquid, the method comprising;
supplying a processing liquid to a processing device that processes a substrate with the processing liquid, by sequentially passing through a plurality of tanks,
measuring a concentration of the processing liquid for each of the plurality of tanks by a densitometer provided in a common flow path through which the processing liquid of the plurality of tanks passes while switching between the plurality of tanks so that a specific tank is selected from which the processing liquid passes to the common flow path; and
adjusting the concentration of the processing liquid by controlling at least one of a heater configured to heat the processing liquid, a diluter configured to dilute the processing liquid, and a new-liquid supply configured to supply a new processing liquid so that the concentration of the processing liquid reaches a target value set in advance.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the concentration of the processing liquid is adjusted for each of the plurality of tanks by controlling at least one of the heater, the diluter, and the new-liquid supply.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein a time interval of measurement by the densitometer is a time interval set for each of the plurality of tanks.

Assignees

• Shibaura Mechatronics Corp

Inventors

• Furuya Masaaki
• Kobayashi Hiroaki
• Mori Hideki

Classifications

• H10P72/0434

  mainly by convection · CPC title

• H10P72/0424 Primary

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

• H10P72/0604

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

• H10P72/0602

  Temperature monitoring · CPC title

• H10P50/642

  Chemical etching · CPC title