Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12515243-B2
Application number	US-202318386802-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 3, 2023
Priority date	Nov 11, 2022
Publication date	Jan 6, 2026
Grant date	Jan 6, 2026

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate holding unit, a rotation driving unit, a first rotational ring, a second rotational ring, and a first nozzle. The substrate holding unit includes a base plate and a plurality of gripping units that grips a peripheral edge of a substrate, and horizontally holds the substrate spaced apart from the base plate by the gripping units. The rotation driving unit rotates the substrate holding unit. The first rotational ring surrounds a peripheral edge of a lower surface of the substrate and rotates together with the substrate holding unit. The second rotational ring is provided outside the first rotational ring, surrounds a peripheral edge of an upper surface of the substrate, and rotates together with the substrate holding unit. The first nozzle ejects a cleaning liquid from above an entrance of a rotational flow path toward the entrance of the rotational flow path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a substrate holder including a base plate in a horizontal posture and a plurality of grippers that grips a peripheral edge of a substrate, and configured to horizontally hold the substrate spaced apart from the base plate by the plurality of grippers; a rotation driver configured to rotate the substrate holder; a first rotational ring surrounding a peripheral edge of a lower surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder, and configured to rotate together with the substrate holder; a second rotational ring provided outside the first rotational ring, surrounding a peripheral edge of an upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder, and configured to rotate together with the substrate holder; and a first nozzle configured to eject a cleaning liquid from above an entrance of a rotational flow path toward the entrance of the rotational flow path, the rotational flow path being formed between the first rotational ring and the second rotational ring, wherein at least a portion of the first rotational ring is exposed through the rotational flow path when viewed from above the second rotational ring.

2 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first nozzle mover configured to move the first nozzle in a direction perpendicular to a rotation centerline of the substrate holder; and a controller, wherein the controller performs a control that the first nozzle ejects the cleaning liquid toward the entrance of the rotational flow path while the first nozzle mover stops the first nozzle, and the rotation driver rotates the first rotational ring and the second rotational ring together with the substrate holder.

3 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the controller performs a control that the first nozzle ejects the cleaning liquid toward the substrate holder while the first nozzle mover moves the first nozzle in the direction perpendicular to the rotation centerline of the substrate holder, and the rotation driver rotates the substrate holder.

4 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first nozzle supplies the cleaning liquid to the entrance of the rotational flow path, and simultaneously, supplies the cleaning liquid to the second rotational ring.

5 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second nozzle configured to eject the cleaning liquid in a mist form from above the entrance of the rotational flow path toward the entrance of the rotational flow path.

6 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the second nozzle is a two-fluid nozzle configured to ejects the cleaning liquid in a mist form under a gas pressure.

7 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a controller, wherein the controller alternately repeats a control that the rotation driver rotates the substrate holder at a first rotational speed while the second nozzle ejects the cleaning liquid toward the entrance of the rotational flow path, and a control that the rotation driver rotates the substrate holder at a second rotational speed greater than the first rotational speed while the second nozzle stops ejection of the cleaning liquid.

8 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate holder includes:
a lift plate provided on the base plate to be movable up and down; a lift pin protruding upward from the lift plate to support the substrate from below; and a lifter configured to move the lift pin up and down together with the lift plate, and wherein the substrate processing apparatus further comprises a controller, and the controller performs a control that the first nozzle ejects the cleaning liquid onto the base plate while the lifter separates the lift plate away from the base plate, and a control that the lifter moves down the lift plate, thereby bring a lower surface of the lift plate into contact with the cleaning liquid collected on the base plate.

9 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein each gripper moves, in conjunction with an up-and-down movement of the lift plate, between a gripping position where the gripper grips the substrate and a releasing position where the gripper releases the gripped substrate, and
wherein the substrate holder includes a spring that biases the gripper from the gripping position toward the releasing position.

10 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a supply head configured to eject a fluid toward the lower surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder; and a second nozzle configured to eject a gas toward the supply head that is wet with the cleaning liquid.

11 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first nozzle mover configured to move the first nozzle in a direction perpendicular to a rotation centerline of the substrate holder; an exhaust cup surrounding the second rotational ring and forming an exhaust flow path between the second rotating ring and the exhaust cup; a third nozzle configured to eject the cleaning liquid; a third nozzle mover configured to move the third nozzle in a direction perpendicular to the rotation centerline of the substrate holder; and a controller, wherein, when viewed from above, a movement trajectory of the first nozzle and a movement trajectory of the third nozzle intersect at the rotation centerline of the substrate holder, the movement trajectory of the first nozzle and an inner periphery of the exhaust cup intersect at a first point and a second point, and the movement trajectory of the third nozzle and the inner periphery of the exhaust cup intersect at a third point and a fourth point, and wherein the controller performs a control that the first nozzle eject the cleaning liquid toward an entrance of the exhaust flow path at each of the first point and the second point, and a control that the third nozzle eject the cleaning liquid toward the entrance of the exhaust flow path at each of the third point and the fourth point.

12 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first rotational ring and the second rotational ring is made of a ceramic material.

13 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the controller performs the control in a state where the substate is not held by the substrate holder.

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Goto Daisuke
• Higashijima Jiro
• Ogata Nobuhiro
• Hashimoto Yusuke

Classifications

• B08B5/02

  Cleaning by the force of jets, e.g. blowing-out cavities {(airguns or nozzles per se B05B1/005)} · CPC title

• B08B2203/02

  Details of machines or methods for cleaning by the force of jets or sprays · CPC title

• B05B13/04

  the spray heads being moved during {spraying} operation · CPC title

• B05B7/0416

  with arrangements for mixing one gas and one liquid · CPC title

• B08B3/022 Primary

  Cleaning travelling work (B08B3/042 takes precedence) · CPC title