Liquid processing apparatus, liquid processing method and storage medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9305767-B2
Application number	US-201213417388-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2012
Priority date	Mar 16, 2011
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

There is provided a liquid processing apparatus including a rotation unit configured to hold the target substrate and rotate the target substrate around a vertical axis; a processing solution supply nozzle configured to supply the processing solution to the surface of the target substrate being rotated; a first gas supply unit configured to form a downward flow of a first gas that flows over the entire surface of the target substrate and is introduced into a cup in order to form a processing atmosphere suitable for a liquid process to be performed; and a second gas supply unit configured to form a downward flow of a second gas different from the first gas in a region outside the downward flow of the first gas. The first gas supply unit and the second gas supply unit are provided at a ceiling portion of the housing serving as the processing space.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid processing apparatus that performs a liquid process by supplying a processing solution to a surface of a target substrate, the liquid processing apparatus comprising:
a housing in which the liquid process is performed;
a rotation unit configured to hold the target substrate within the housing and rotate the target substrate around a vertical axis;
a processing solution supply nozzle configured to supply the processing solution to the surface of the target substrate being held and rotated by the rotation unit;
a cup provided around the rotation unit;
a first gas supply unit, provided to face the target substrate held by the rotation unit, configured to form a downward flow of a first gas that flows over the entire surface of the target substrate and is introduced into the cup in order to form a processing atmosphere on the surface of the target substrate;
a second gas supply unit configured to form a downward flow of a second gas different from the first gas in a region outside the downward flow of the first gas; and
a controller configured to control rotation speed of the target substrate and a flow rate of the first gas supplied from the first gas supply unit to form a trumpet-shaped flow of the first gas, such that the entire surface of the target substrate is covered with the first gas and the second gas is supplied so that the second gas is suppressed from being introduced into the trumpet-shaped flow of the first gas,
wherein the first gas supply unit and the second gas supply unit are provided at a ceiling portion of the housing.

2. The liquid processing apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is configured to control the flow rate of the first gas supplied from the first gas supply unit to be higher than a flow rate of a gas flow flowing toward a periphery of the target substrate due to the rotation of the target substrate.

3. The liquid processing apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is configured to control a discharge flow rate of the first gas from the first gas supply unit to be equal to a discharge flow rate of the second gas from the second gas supply unit.

4. The liquid processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first gas exhaust port, provided at an inside of the cup, configured to mainly exhaust the first gas; and
a second gas exhaust port, provided at an outside of the cup, configured to mainly exhaust the second gas.

5. The liquid processing apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the first gas supply unit is configured to selectively supply the first gas or the second gas.

6. The liquid processing apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the first gas supply unit is configured to be movable between a position for forming the downward flow of the first gas and a retreated position within the second gas supply unit, and
when the first gas supply unit is positioned at the retreated position, instead of the downward flow of the first gas, the second gas supply unit is further configured to form the downward flow of the second gas flowing toward the entire surface of the target substrate.

7. The liquid processing apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the target substrate has a circular shape, and
the first gas supply unit includes a circular discharge port having a diameter of about 100 mm or more and smaller than a diameter of the target substrate.

8. The liquid processing apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising:
a flow rectifying plate, having a plurality of vent holes which supplies the first gas from the discharge port at a uniform flow rate, provided at the discharge port.

9. The liquid processing apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the first gas supply unit is configured to supply dry air or an inert gas as the first gas.

Assignees

• Nishi Kenji
• Takeshita Kazuhiro
• Ogata Nobuhiro
• Tanaka Satoru
• Mizota Shogo
• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Nishi Kenji
• Takeshita Kazuhiro
• Ogata Nobuhiro
• Tanaka Satoru
• Mizota Shogo

Classifications

• H10P72/0424

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

• H10P72/0414

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

• H10P70/15 Primary

  by wet cleaning only (H10P70/52 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H10P50/00 Primary

  Etching of wafers, substrates or parts of devices · CPC title

• H01L21/67051

  Electricity · mapped topic