Liquid process apparatus and liquid process method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9691602-B2
Application number	US-201213546372-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2012
Priority date	Jul 12, 2011
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

A top plate is provided with a top plate rotation mechanism configured to rotate the top plate in a horizontal plane. An outside cup peripheral case disposed around a cup is configured to move between an upper position, in which a top end of the cylinder is positioned above the cup, and a lower position located below the upper position. A nozzle support arm configured to support a nozzle is moved, in a horizontal direction, between an advanced position, in which the arm is advanced into the outside cup peripheral case via a side opening formed in a side surface of the outside cup peripheral case when the cylinder is located in the upper position, and a retracted position, in which the arm is retracted outward from the outside cup peripheral case.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A liquid process apparatus comprising:
a substrate holding unit configured to hold a substrate in a horizontal direction;
a process liquid supply nozzle configured to supply a process liquid to the substrate held by the substrate holding unit;
a cup located radially outside around the substrate when the substrate is held by the substrate holding unit, and configured to receive the process liquid supplied to the substrate by the process liquid supply nozzle;
a top plate configured to cover, from above, the substrate held by the substrate holding unit;
a top plate rotation mechanism installed to the top plate and configured to rotate the top plate in a horizontal plane;
an outside cup peripheral case disposed around the cup and configured to move between an upper position, in which a top end is positioned above the cup, and a lower position located below the upper position, and has a top opening formed in the top and a side opening formed in a side surface; and
a nozzle support arm configured to support the process liquid supply nozzle and to move, in the horizontal direction, between an advanced position, in which the nozzle support arm is advanced into the outside cup peripheral case via the side opening when the outside cup peripheral case is located in the upper position, and a retracted position, in which the nozzle support arm is retracted outward from the outside cup peripheral case,
wherein the top plate is held by a top plate holding arm which can be moved so that the top plate is reciprocated between an advanced position in which the top plate covers from above the substrate, and a retracted position in which the top plate is retracted in the horizontal direction from the advanced position and does not cover the substrate from above,
wherein the outer diameter of the top plate is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the outside cup peripheral case, and when the outside cup peripheral case is elevated from the lower position to the upper position after the top plate is moved to the advanced position, the top end of the outside cup peripheral case is positioned slightly higher than the top plate,
wherein when the outside cup peripheral case is elevated to the upper position after the top plate is moved to the advanced position, the top plate completely covers the substrate from above in the outside cup peripheral case; and
wherein the nozzle support arm comprises a plurality of support arms spaced apart from each other in a plane defined by the plurality of support arms, and the side opening comprises a plurality of openings spaced apart from each other in the plane.

2. The liquid process apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when the nozzle support arm is located in the retracted position, a distal end of the nozzle support arm closes the side opening formed in the side surface of the outside cup peripheral case when the outside cup peripheral case is located in the upper position.

3. The liquid process apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a cleaning unit configured to clean the outside cup peripheral case.

4. The liquid process apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
the cleaning unit includes an accumulation section that accumulates a cleaning liquid; and
the outside cup peripheral case is dipped in the cleaning liquid accumulated in the accumulation section when the outside cup peripheral case is located in the lower position.

5. The liquid process apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a top plate heating mechanism configured to heat the top plate.

6. The liquid process apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the process liquid supplied by the process liquid supply nozzle is a mixture of sulfuric acid and aqueous hydrogen peroxide.

7. The liquid process apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a top plate cleaning liquid supply nozzle configured to supply a top plate cleaning liquid, from below, to the bottom surface of the top plate.

8. The liquid process apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the nozzle support arm is configured to further support the top plate cleaning liquid supply nozzle.

9. The liquid process apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the top plate cleaning liquid supply nozzle and the process liquid supply nozzle are respectively supported by the nozzle support arm, when the process liquid supply nozzle is directed downward, the top plate liquid supply nozzle is directed upward.

10. The liquid process apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising: an additional nozzle support arm configured to support the top plate cleaning liquid supply nozzle and move between a top plate cleaning position, in which the top plate cleaning liquid supply nozzle is positioned below the top plate, and a retracted position that is retracted outward from a region located below the top plate.

11. The liquid process apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the level of the additional nozzle support arm supporting the top plate cleaning liquid supply nozzle is set higher than the level of the nozzle support arm supporting the process liquid supply nozzle.

12. The liquid process apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a top plate cleaning liquid supply nozzle configured to supply a top plate cleaning liquid, from below, to the bottom surface of the top plate; and
an additional nozzle support arm configured to support the top plate cleaning liquid supply nozzle and move between a top plate cleaning position, in which the top plate cleaning liquid supply nozzle is positioned below the top plate, and a retracted position that is retracted outward from a region located below the top plate, wherein
the additional nozzle support arm is rotated about the longitudinal axis of the additional nozzle support arm, when the top plate cleaning liquid supply nozzle is directed downward by the rotation of the additional nozzle support arm, the top plate cleaning liquid supply nozzle can supply a process liquid for the substrate, from above, to the substrate held by the substrate holding unit.

13. A liquid process method comprising:
utilizing a liquid process apparatus, the liquid process apparatus comprising:
a substrate holding unit configured to hold a substrate in a horizontal direction;

a process liquid supply nozzle configured to supply a process liquid to the substrate held by the substrate holding unit;
a cup located radially outside around the substrate when the substrate is held by the substrate holding unit, and configured to receive the process liquid supplied to the substrate by the process liquid supply nozzle;
a top plate configured to cover, from above, the substrate held by the substrate holding unit;
a top plate rotation mechanism installed to the top plate and configured to rotate the to plate in a horizontal plane;
an outside cup peripheral case disposed around the cup and configured to move between an upper position, in which a top end is positioned above the cup, and a lower position located below the lower position, and has a top opening formed in the top and a side opening formed in the top and a side opening formed in a side surface; and
a nozzle support arm configured to support the process liquid supply nozzle and to move, in the horizontal direction, between an advanced position, in which the nozzle support arm is advanced into the outside cup peripheral case via the side opening when the outside cup peripheral case is located in the upper position, and a retracted position, in which the nozzle support arm is retracted outward from the outside cup peripheral case,
wherein the top plate is held by a top plate holding

Assignees

• Ito Norihiro
• Aiura Kazuhiro
• Shindo Naoki
• Hachiya Yosuke
• Nagai Takashi
• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Ito Norihiro
• Aiura Kazuhiro
• Shindo Naoki
• Hachiya Yosuke
• Nagai Takashi

Classifications

• H10P72/0462

  characterised by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers · CPC title

• H10P72/0414 Primary

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

• H10P70/00 Primary

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

• Y02E60/34

  Hydrogen distribution · CPC title

• H01L21/02041 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic