Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12569887-B2
Application number	US-202418410113-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 11, 2024
Priority date	Jan 12, 2023
Publication date	Mar 10, 2026
Grant date	Mar 10, 2026

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus includes a support unit, a supply unit, an annular member, a rotation unit, a cover member, and an annular flow regulation member disposed above the cover member. The annular member includes an inclined surface inclined downward toward a center of the annular member in a radial direction. The flow regulation member includes a base portion and a protrusion which faces a circumferential portion of the substrate supported on the support unit and protrudes from the base portion toward the circumferential portion of the substrate. The protrusion overlaps the support unit when viewed in a vertical direction. A lower surface of the protrusion is positioned above an upper surface of the substrate supported on the support unit and positioned below an upper surface of the annular member. An inner circumferential surface of the protrusion is inclined radially outward from an upper side to a lower side.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a substrate support configured to support a substrate by being in contact with a rear surface of the substrate; a liquid supply configured to supply a processing liquid toward the rear surface of the substrate supported on the substrate support; an annular plate disposed to surround a periphery of the substrate supported on the support from the outside; a rotator configured to rotate the substrate support and the annular plate; a cover having an annular shape and disposed to surround the annular plate from the outside; and a flow regulator having an annular shape and disposed above the cover, wherein the annular plate includes an inclined surface inclined downward toward a center of the annular plate in a radial direction of the annular plate, the flow regulator includes a base and a protrusion which directly faces a circumferential portion of the substrate supported on the substrate support and protrudes from the base toward the circumferential portion of the substrate, the protrusion overlaps the substrate support when viewed in a vertical direction, a lower surface of the protrusion is positioned above an upper surface of the substrate supported on the substrate support and positioned below an upper surface of the annular plate, and an inner circumferential surface of the protrusion is inclined radially outward from an upper side to a lower side.

2 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the flow regulator is provided to be vertically movable between a raised position for loading or unloading the substrate with respect to the substrate support and a processing position positioned near an upper wall portion of the cover to process the substrate, and further includes a seal having an annular shape and configured to seal a space between a portion of the base positioned radially outside the protrusion and the upper wall portion of the cover when the flow regulator is positioned at the processing position.

3 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the seal is made of a rubber material, is installed on a lower surface of the portion of the base positioned radially outside the protrusion, and has a cylindrical frustum shape of which a diameter extends radially outward from an upper side to a lower side.

4 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a stopper configured to restrain the flow regulator from moving to a lower side than the processing position.

5 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the inner circumferential surface of the protrusion is a truncated cone-shaped surface or a trumpet-shaped curved surface.

6 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an outer circumferential surface of the protrusion is inclined radially inward from an upper side to a lower side.

7 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the outer circumferential surface of the protrusion extends parallel to the inclined surface of the annular plate.

8 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a height position of a lower surface of the annular plate is at a level that is higher than or equal to a height position of the upper surface of the substrate supported on the substrate support.

9 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a separate liquid supply configured to supply a cleaning liquid toward an outer circumferential area of the upper surface of the substrate supported on the substrate support rather than an innermost circumferential surface of the flow regulator when viewed in a vertical direction.

10 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising a driver configured to move the separate liquid supply above the substrate supported on the substrate support.

11 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein a height position of a lower surface of the annular plate is at a level that is higher than or equal to a height position of the upper surface of the substrate supported on the substrate support.

12 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein a height position of a lower surface of the annular plate is at a level that is higher than or equal to a height position of the upper surface of the substrate supported on the substrate support.

13 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein a height position of a lower surface of the annular plate is at a level that is higher than or equal to a height position of the upper surface of the substrate supported on the substrate support.

14 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein a height position of a lower surface of the annular plate is at a level that is higher than or equal to a height position of the upper surface of the substrate supported on the substrate support.

15 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein a height position of a lower surface of the annular plate is at a level that is higher than or equal to a height position of the upper surface of the substrate supported on the substrate support.

16 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein a height position of a lower surface of the annular plate is at a level that is higher than or equal to a height position of the upper surface of the substrate supported on the substrate support.

17 . A substrate processing method comprising:
supplying a processing liquid to a rear surface of a substrate in a state where a substrate support supporting the substrate by being in contact with the rear surface of the substrate and an annular plate disposed to surround a periphery of the substrate supported on the substrate support from the outside rotate by a rotator configured to rotate the substrate support and the annular plate, and an annular flow regulator is disposed above an annular cover surrounding the annular plate from the outside, from a liquid supply configured to supply the processing liquid toward the rear surface of the substrate supported on the substrate support, wherein the annular plate includes an inclined surface inclined downward toward a center of the annular plate in a radial direction of the annular plate, the flow regulator includes a base and a protrusion which directly faces a circumferential portion of the substrate supported on the substrate support and protrudes from the base toward the circumferential portion of the substrate, the protrusion overlaps the substrate support when viewed in a vertical direction, a lower surface of the protrusion is positioned above an upper surface of the substrate supported on the substrate support and positioned below an upper surface of the annular plate, and an inner circumferential surface of the protrusion is inclined radially outward from an upper side to a lower side.

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Kinoshita Takafumi
• Ito Yuki
• Saiki Daisuke
• Hashimoto Tomoyuki
• Amano Yoshifumi
• Aiura Kazuhiro
• Fujita Akira
• Takahashi Shuhei

Classifications

• H10P72/0414 Primary

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

• B08B2203/02

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

• H10P72/7624

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

• H10P72/7611

  characterised by edge profile or support profile · CPC title

• H10P70/56

  Cleaning of wafer backside · CPC title