Liquid processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9773687-B2
Application number	US-201414483252-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2014
Priority date	Sep 27, 2013
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 2017

Abstract

A liquid processing apparatus performs a liquid processing on a rotating substrate by supplying a processing liquid. Surrounding members surround a region including an upper space of a cup body surrounding the rotating substrate and provided with an opening above the substrate. An air flow forming portion forms a descending air flow from an upper side of the cup body. A bottom surface portion blocks between the cup body and the surrounding member along a circumferential direction. An exhaust port is provided above the bottom surface portion and outside the cup body to exhaust an atmosphere in a region surrounded by the surrounding members and the bottom surface portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid processing apparatus in which a liquid processing is performed by supplying a processing liquid, the apparatus comprising:
a rotatable substrate holding unit configured to hold a substrate;
a cup body configured to surround the substrate holding unit and provided with an opening above the substrate;
a surrounding member configured to surround a region including an upper space of the cup body from an outside of the cup body;
a processing liquid supply mechanism including:
a nozzle configured to supply the processing liquid to the substrate;
a nozzle arm configured to hold the nozzle at its tip end; and
a rotation driving unit provided at a base end portion of the nozzle arm and configured to rotationally drive the nozzle arm around the base end portion so as to move the nozzle between a processing position above the substrate held in the substrate holding unit and a retreat position retreated from the processing position,
wherein the retreat position is set to a position where the nozzle arm of the processing liquid supply mechanism is disposed to extend along the surrounding member;

an air flow forming portion configured to form a descending air flow in the cup body from an upper side of the cup body;
a bottom surface portion provided along a circumferential direction of the cup body and configured to block a space between the cup body and the surrounding member; and
an exhaust port provided outside the cup body to exhaust an atmosphere in a region surrounded by the surrounding member and the bottom surface portion,
wherein the exhaust port is formed on the bottom surface portion between the nozzle arm moved to the retreat position and a sidewall of the surrounding member when viewed from a top.

2. The liquid processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cup body is provided with a first cup configured to receive the processing liquid supplied to the substrate and a second cup configured to cover the first cup from the top, such that an exhaust path is formed between the first cup and the second cup, and
the bottom surface portion is provided without a gap with the second cup.

3. The liquid processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bottom surface portion is provided with a first bottom surface portion and a second bottom surface portion disposed above the first bottom surface portion, and the exhaust port is formed on the second bottom surface portion.

4. The liquid processing apparatus of claim 3 , wherein a buffer space is formed between the first bottom surface portion and the second bottom surface portion, and an exhaust unit is connected to the first bottom surface portion.

5. The liquid processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the exhaust port is formed on the bottom surface portion at a position facing the surrounding member so as to extend along the surrounding member.

6. The liquid processing apparatus of claim 5 , wherein a descending air flow forming unit is provided at an upper side of the substrate holding unit to form a descending air flow in a region surrounded by the surrounding member and the bottom surface portion.

7. The liquid processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bottom surface portion is provided at a position where its top surface is flush with an upper end of the cup body.

8. The liquid processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the exhaust port is formed on the bottom surface portion at a position facing the sidewall of the surrounding member so as to extend along the nozzle arm and the sidewall of the surrounding member.

9. The liquid processing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the exhaust port is a slit which is formed to extend in parallel with the nozzle arms and the surrounding member.

10. The liquid processing apparatus of claim 9 , wherein a length of the exhaust port is longer than a length of the nozzle arm.

11. The liquid processing apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the slit is formed in a region which is about 50 mm or less far from an intersection position of the bottom surface portion and the sidewall of the surrounding member.

12. The liquid processing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the exhaust port and the nozzle arm are provided in plural, and
each of the plurality of exhaust ports is provided between each of the plurality of nozzle arms and the surrounding member.

13. The liquid processing apparatus of claim 12 , wherein a length of the exhaust port is longer than a length of the nozzle arm.

14. The liquid processing apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the bottom surface portion is provided with a first bottom surface portion and a second bottom surface portion disposed above the first bottom surface portion, and the exhaust port is formed on the second bottom surface portion, and
a buffer space is formed between the first bottom surface portion and the second bottom surface portion.

15. The liquid processing apparatus of claim 14 , wherein an exhaust unit is connected to the first bottom surface portion.

16. The liquid processing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the bottom surface portion is provided with a first bottom surface portion and a second bottom surface portion disposed above the first bottom surface portion, and the exhaust port is formed on the second bottom surface portion, and
a buffer space is formed between the first bottom surface portion and the second bottom surface portion.

17. The liquid processing apparatus of claim 16 , wherein an exhaust unit is connected to the first bottom surface portion.

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Wakiyama Terufumi
• Ito Norihiro
• Higashijima Jiro

Classifications

• H10P72/0462

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

• H10P72/0402

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

• H10P72/0414 Primary

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

• H01L21/67017

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L21/6719

  Electricity · mapped topic