Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12529149-B2
Application number	US-202318298416-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2023
Priority date	May 10, 2022
Publication date	Jan 20, 2026
Grant date	Jan 20, 2026

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate processing unit for processing a substrate by discharging a chemical liquid to the substrate; a chemical storage unit connected to the substrate processing unit by a chemical liquid supply line and a chemical liquid recovery line; and a liquid replenishment unit including an evaporation measurement member for measuring the amount of evaporation of water contained in the chemical liquid, and a water supply member for supplying water to the chemical liquid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
a substrate processor for processing a substrate by discharging a chemical liquid to the substrate; a chemical storer connected to the substrate processor by a chemical liquid supply line and a chemical liquid recovery line; and a liquid replenishment unit including:
an evaporation measurement member for measuring the amount of evaporation of water contained in the chemical liquid,
a water supply member for supplying water to the chemical liquid; and
a controller for automatically controlling an amount of water supply of the water supply member based on the amount of evaporation of water calculated through a water level measured by the evaporation measurement member and based on a decrease rate of concentration of the chemical liquid through a mechanism of an etching reaction of the substrate.

2 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the evaporation measurement member is a level sensor installed in a tank in which the chemical liquid is accommodated in the chemical storer.

3 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the water supply member is connected to a nozzle portion for discharging the chemical liquid in the substrate processor.

4 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the water supply member supplies water to an upper surface of the substrate or to a lower surface of the substrate.

5 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the nozzle portion includes a moving nozzle and a fixed nozzle.

6 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the moving nozzle is configured for discharging the chemical liquid onto the substrate and the fixed nozzle is configured for discharging a neutral chemical liquid onto the substrate.

7 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the water supply member is connected to the chemical liquid recovery line.

8 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the water supply member is connected to the chemical storer.

9 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate processor further includes:
a processing vessel having a processing space in which the substrate is treated with the chemical liquid, a lifter configured to change a vertical position of the processing vessel, and a duct fluidly coupled to a recovery space, wherein the lifter is configured to move the processing vessel such that pollutants scattered from the substrate are caused to flow into the duct and be contained within the recovery space.

10 . A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
a substrate processing unit including a processing vessel having a processing space in which a substrate is treated with a chemical liquid, a support unit supporting the substrate in the processing space, and a nozzle portion discharging the chemical liquid to the substrate in the processing space; a chemical storage unit including a recycling tank connected to the processing container through a chemical liquid recovery line, a condition tank connected to the recycling tank through a chemical liquid recycling line, and a main tank connected to the condition tank through a chemical liquid delivery line and connected to the nozzle portion through a chemical liquid supply line; and a liquid replenishment unit including an evaporation measurement member installed in the chemical liquid storage unit and measuring an amount of evaporation of water contained in the chemical liquid, and a water supply member supplying water to the chemical liquid, wherein the evaporation measurement member is a level sensor installed in the recycling tank, and wherein the liquid replenishment unit further includes a controller for automatically controlling the amount of water supply of the water supply member based on the amount of evaporation of water calculated through the water level measured by the level sensor and based on a decrease rate of concentration of the chemical liquid through a mechanism of an etching reaction of the substrate.

11 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the evaporation measurement member further includes a level sensor installed in each of the main tank and the condition tank.

12 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 10 ,
wherein the nozzle portion includes an upper nozzle for discharging the chemical liquid to an upper surface of the substrate and a lower nozzle for discharging the chemical liquid to a lower surface of the substrate, and wherein the water supply member is connected to at least one of the upper nozzle and the lower nozzle.

13 . A substrate processing method, comprising:
supplying a chemical liquid to a nozzle portion; processing the substrate by discharging the chemical liquid to the substrate through the nozzle portion; collecting the chemical liquid after processing the substrate and storing the chemical liquid; and replenishing and supplying water to the chemical liquid based on an amount of evaporation of water of the chemical liquid, wherein the replenishing includes automatically controlling an amount of water supplied in the supplying based on the amount of evaporation of water calculated through a water level measured and based on a decrease rate of concentration of the chemical liquid by a mechanism of etching reaction of the substrate together with the amount of evaporation of water.

14 . The substrate processing method of claim 13 , wherein the supplying, the processing, the collecting, and the replenishing are cycled.

15 . The substrate processing method of claim 13 , wherein the replenishing includes measuring the amount of evaporation of water contained in the chemical liquid before the supplying.

16 . The substrate processing method of claim 15 , wherein the measuring includes measuring the amount of evaporation of water of the chemical liquid as a level change of the chemical liquid in the tank containing the chemical liquid in the chemical liquid storage step.

17 . The substrate processing method of claim 15 , wherein the measuring is performed when a discharge time of the chemical liquid is changed.

18 . The substrate processing method of claim 13 , wherein the supplying includes supplying water to an upper surface of the substrate or to a lower surface of the substrate.

Assignees

• Semes Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Min Jung
• Lee Seong Soo
• Hwang Jun Kil

Classifications

• H10P72/7624

  characterised by the mechanical construction of the susceptor, stage or support · CPC title

• H10P50/667

  by liquid etching only · CPC title

• H10P72/0604

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

• H10P72/0424 Primary

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

• H10P72/0402

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