Substrate treatment method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9230836-B2
Application number	US-201213427370-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2012
Priority date	Mar 25, 2011
Publication date	Jan 5, 2016
Grant date	Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

A substrate treatment method that includes circulating a treatment liquid from a treatment vessel through a circulation path extending through a filter and a temperature controller, spouting the treatment liquid toward a substrate accommodated in the treatment vessel to recover the treatment liquid in the treatment vessel, and controlling the liquid surface level of the treatment liquid retained in the treatment vessel below the substrate held at a substrate treatment position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate treatment method for treating a substrate with a treatment liquid, the substrate treatment method comprising:
an initial preparation step of controlling a liquid surface level of a treatment liquid retained in a treatment vessel at a first liquid surface level, and then causing a first circulation unit to circulate the treatment liquid from the treatment vessel through a first circulation path while controlling a temperature of the treatment liquid by a temperature controller disposed in the first circulation path, thereby divergently spouting in air in the treatment vessel the treatment liquid circulated by the first circulation unit and temperature-controlled by the temperature controller from a first spouting portion located above the first liquid surface level, the first liquid surface level being set lower than a lower portion of a substrate held at a substrate treatment position for treatment with the treatment liquid in the treatment vessel so as to prevent the treatment liquid retained in the treatment vessel from contacting the substrate held at the substrate treatment position;
a substrate loading step of loading the substrate into the treatment vessel from outside thereof and holding the substrate at the substrate treatment position, after the initial preparation step;
a substrate treatment step of spouting the treatment liquid circulated by the first circulation unit and temperature-controlled by the temperature controller from the first spouting portion located above the first liquid surface level toward the substrate held at the substrate treatment position in air in the treatment vessel while controlling the temperature of the treatment liquid by the temperature controller disposed in the first circulation path; and
the step of cleaning the treatment liquid by a filter disposed in the first circulation path through which the treatment liquid is circulated by the first circulation unit.

2. The substrate treatment method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
causing a second circulation unit to circulate the treatment liquid from the treatment vessel back into the treatment vessel through a second circulation path having a second spouting portion provided below the first spouting portion for spouting the treatment liquid in the treatment vessel; and
cleaning the treatment liquid by a filter disposed in the second circulation path through which the treatment liquid is circulated by the second circulation unit, and controlling the temperature of the treatment liquid by a temperature controller disposed in the second circulation path.

3. The substrate treatment method according to claim 2 , wherein the initial preparation step includes the step of causing the first circulation unit or the second circulation unit to circulate the treatment liquid,
the substrate treatment method further comprising:
a standby process step of causing the second circulation unit to circulate the treatment liquid from the treatment vessel after the initial preparation step before the substrate loading step;
wherein the standby process step includes a pre-loading process step of switching a circulation path from the second circulation unit to the first circulation unit to spout the treatment liquid from the first spouting portion into the treatment vessel before the substrate loading step.

4. The substrate treatment method according to claim 2 , wherein the initial preparation step includes the step of causing the first circulation unit or the second circulation unit to circulate the treatment liquid,
the substrate treatment method further comprising:
a standby process step of causing the second circulation unit to circulate the treatment liquid from the treatment vessel after the initial preparation step before the substrate loading step;
wherein the standby process step includes a pre-loading process step of causing the first circulation unit and the second circulation unit to circulate the treatment liquid from the treatment vessel to spout the treatment liquid from the first spouting portion and the second spouting portion into the treatment vessel before the substrate loading step.

5. The substrate treatment method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a substrate unloading step of unloading the substrate from the treatment vessel to outside after the substrate treatment step; and
a post-unloading process step of causing the first circulation unit to circulate the treatment liquid from the treatment vessel to spout the treatment liquid from the first spouting portion into the treatment vessel immediately after the substrate unloading step.

6. The substrate treatment method according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate treatment step includes a treatment region changing step of relatively moving a treatment liquid spouting region to which the treatment liquid is spouted from the first spouting portion in air and a substrate held by a substrate holding unit which holds and moves the substrate in the treatment vessel so as to change a treatment region on the substrate to be treated with the treatment liquid.

Assignees

• Higuchi Ayumi
• Fujitani Yoshiyuki
• Miura Takemitsu
• Takeaki Rei
• Screen Holdings Co Ltd

Inventors

• Higuchi Ayumi
• Fujitani Yoshiyuki
• Miura Takemitsu
• Takeaki Rei

Classifications

• H10P72/0604

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

• H10P72/0426

  with the semiconductor substrates being dipped in baths or vessels · CPC title

• H10P72/0416

  with the semiconductor substrates being dipped in baths or vessels · CPC title

• H10P72/0414

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

• H10P72/0602 Primary

  Temperature monitoring · CPC title