Substrate processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025174439-A1
Application number	US-202318842575-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 16, 2023
Priority date	Mar 2, 2022
Publication date	May 29, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus includes a processing container in which a substrate to be processed is accommodated and substrate processing is performed, a liquid supplier configured to supply a first ionic liquid to an interior of the processing container, a liquid recoverer configured to recover the first ionic liquid from the interior of the processing container, a connection pipe configured to connect the liquid recoverer to the liquid supplier, and a gas supplier configured to supply gas to the connection pipe to send the first ionic liquid to the liquid supplier from the liquid recoverer by a gas lift pump action of the gas which rises.

First claim

1 - 10 . (canceled)

11 . A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
a processing container in which a substrate to be processed is accommodated and substrate processing is performed: a liquid supplier configured to supply a first ionic liquid to an interior of the processing container; a liquid recoverer configured to recover the first ionic liquid from the interior of the processing container; a connection pipe configured to connect the liquid recoverer to the liquid supplier; and a gas supplier configured to supply gas to the connection pipe to send the first ionic liquid to the liquid supplier from the liquid recoverer by a gas lift pump action of the gas which rises.

12 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the liquid supplier includes a flow path through which the first ionic liquid sent from the liquid recoverer is supplied to the interior of the processing container.

13 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the liquid supplier includes an upper tank into which the connection pipe is inserted and configured to store the first ionic liquid, and
wherein an interior of the upper tank is in communication with the interior of the processing container by the flow path.

14 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the upper tank stores a second ionic liquid that is not mixed with the first ionic liquid and has a lower specific gravity than the first ionic liquid.

15 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising
an exhaust pipe configured to exhaust the interior of the processing container; and a bypass pipe configured to allow the interior of the upper tank to communicate with an interior of the exhaust pipe.

16 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the liquid recoverer includes a lower tank provided vertically below the upper tank, and
wherein the lower tank is in communication with the interior of the processing container, and the connection pipe is inserted into the lower tank.

17 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the gas includes a first reaction gas precipitated by reacting with impurities contained in the first ionic liquid.

18 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the first reaction gas is a carbon dioxide gas.

19 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the gas includes a second reaction gas configured to generate a gasified product by reacting with impurities contained in the first ionic liquid.

20 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the second reaction gas is a hydrogen-containing gas.

21 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the gas includes a first reaction gas precipitated by reacting with impurities contained in the first ionic liquid.

22 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the first reaction gas is a carbon dioxide gas.

23 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the gas includes a second reaction gas configured to generate a gasified product by reacting with impurities contained in the first ionic liquid.

24 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the second reaction gas is a hydrogen-containing gas.

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Akiyama Koji
• Ueda Hirokazu
• Akimoto Toshikazu
• Umeshita Naoki
• Asako Ryuichi
• Matsuzaki Kazuyoshi

Classifications

• H10P72/0402 Primary

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

• H10P14/60

  of insulating materials · CPC title

• H01J37/3244 Primary

  Gas supply means · CPC title

• H01J2237/332

  Coating · CPC title

• H01J37/32192

  Microwave generated discharge (H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394, H01J37/32403 take precedence) · CPC title