Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9556533-B2
Application number	US-201213572924-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2012
Priority date	Aug 19, 2011
Publication date	Jan 31, 2017
Grant date	Jan 31, 2017

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus includes a plurality of inlet pipes and a plurality of outlet pipes, connected to a processing tank and configured to be switched therebetween to create a flow of a processing liquid in the processing tank in a direction different from that of the processing liquid before the switching. The inlet pipes and the outlet pipes are each provided with a flow control device which is controlled by a control section so that upon the switching, a flow rate of the processing liquid flowing therethrough changes with time.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a control section;
a processing tank configured to hold a processing liquid;
a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate and bring the substrate into contact with the processing liquid in the processing tank;
a plurality of inlet pipes connected to the processing tank, each of the plurality of inlet pipes comprising a mass flow controller and being configured to be switched therebetween; and a plurality of outlet pipes connected to the processing tank, each of the plurality of outlet pipes comprising a mass flow controller and being configured to be switched therebetween, and being configured to create a flow of the processing liquid along a surface of the substrate in the processing tank in a second direction different from a first direction of the flow of the processing liquid before a switching between the plurality of inlet pipes, and the control section being configured to control each of the mass flow controllers to change a flow rate of the processing liquid supplied by one of the plurality of inlet pipes to the surface of the substrate with time over 1 second to 10 seconds, upon the switching between the plurality of inlet pipes or a switching between the plurality of outlet pipes; and
a pump configured to supply the processing liquid into the processing tank in a circulatory manner through the plurality of inlet pipes and the plurality outlet pipes.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control section is further configured to control each of the mass flow controllers to maintain an overall flow rate of the processing liquid supplied into the processing tank at a constant flow rate even upon the switching between the plurality of inlet pipes and the switching between the plurality of outlet pipes.

Assignees

• Kurashina Keiichi
• Nakada Tsutomu
• Ebara Corp

Inventors

• Kurashina Keiichi
• Nakada Tsutomu

Classifications

• H10P14/47

  Electrolytic deposition, i.e. electroplating; Electroless plating · CPC title

• H10W20/057

  by selectively depositing, e.g. by using selective CVD or plating · CPC title

• H10W20/056

  by filling conductive material into holes, grooves or trenches · CPC title

• H10P14/46 Primary

  using a liquid · CPC title

• C25D17/02 Primary

  Tanks; Installations therefor · CPC title