Substrate liquid processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9842751-B2
Application number	US-201514922441-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2015
Priority date	Oct 28, 2014
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed is a substrate liquid processing apparatus. The apparatus includes: a substrate holding unit configured to hold a substrate horizontally; a nozzle configured to eject a processing liquid in a transversal direction toward a liquid arrival target position set on the substrate held by the substrate holding unit from an ejection port which is located at an injection position spaced away from the liquid arrival target position by a predetermined distance horizontally; and a liquid receiving unit provided below the nozzle to receive the processing liquid dropping from the ejection port of the nozzle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate liquid processing apparatus comprising:
a substrate holding unit configured to hold a substrate horizontally;
a nozzle configured to eject a processing liquid in a transversal direction onto the substrate held by the substrate holding unit from an ejection port which is provided outside a peripheral edge of the substrate;
a recovery cup disposed around the substrate and configured to recover the processing liquid after the processing liquid is supplied to the substrate; and
a liquid receiving unit provided separately from the recovery cup below the nozzle and above a top surface of the recovery cup to receive the processing liquid dropping from the ejection port of the nozzle,
wherein the liquid receiving unit is provided to receive the processing liquid at a position radially outside the peripheral edge of the substrate in a plan view,
the liquid receiving unit includes a liquid receiving member, a first guide wall extending downwardly from an opening end of the ejection port of the nozzle, and a second guide wall facing the first guide wall,
a gap is formed between the first guide wall and the second guide wall, through which the processing liquid is guided to the liquid receiving member,
an upper side of the liquid receiving member is covered by a cover, and
the cover is formed by a portion of a holding member configured to hold the nozzle at a predetermined position.

2. The substrate liquid processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a contact angle of the processing liquid in relation to the second guide wall is larger than a contact angle of the processing liquid in relation to the first guide wall.

3. The substrate liquid processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein a surface of the first guide wall is positioned on a plane that is the same as that of the opening end of the nozzle.

4. The substrate liquid processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the gap has a size that is smaller to a size of a droplet ejected from the ejection port of the nozzle.

5. The substrate liquid processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second guide wall is formed integrally with the liquid receiving member.

6. The substrate liquid processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the liquid receiving unit includes an upper liquid receiving member and a lower liquid receiving member located below the upper liquid receiving member.

7. The substrate liquid processing apparatus of claim 6 , wherein a front end portion of a bottom surface of the upper liquid receiving member is inclined to descend as a horizontal distance from a liquid arrival target position increases, and a horizontal distance of a front end edge of the upper liquid receiving member from the liquid arrival target position is smaller than a horizontal distance of a front end edge of the lower liquid receiving member from the liquid arrival target position.

8. The substrate liquid processing apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising:
a recovery cup disposed around the substrate so as to recover the processing liquid after the processing liquid is supplied to the substrate,
wherein the recovery cup includes a ring-shaped rotary cup body configured to rotate around a vertical axis, and the horizontal distance of the front end edge of the upper liquid receiving member from the liquid arrival target position is equal to or smaller than a horizontal distance of an inner peripheral edge of a top surface of the rotary cup body from the liquid arrival target position.

9. The substrate liquid processing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein, on the bottom surface of the upper liquid receiving member, a region between a front end of the upper liquid receiving member and a position spaced away from the front end of the upper liquid receiving member toward a rear end of the upper liquid receiving member by a predetermined distance is angled at a right upper direction by a predetermined angle.

10. The substrate liquid processing apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the predetermined angle is 20 degrees or more.

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Umezaki Shouta
• Kai Yoshihiro
• Kosai Kazuki
• Tanaka Mitsuo

Classifications

• H10P72/0414

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

• H10P72/0424 Primary

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

• H01L21/6708 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• B05B1/28

  with integral means for shielding the discharged liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to limit area of spray; with integral means for catching drips or collecting surplus liquid or other fluent material · CPC title

• B05C11/02

  Apparatus for spreading or distributing liquids or other fluent materials already applied to a surface {; Controlling means therefor}(B05C7/00 takes precedence; Hand tools for such purposes B05C17/10); Control of the thickness of a coating {by spreading or distributing liquids or other fluent materials already applied to the coated surface}(controlling supply of liquid or other fluent material B05C11/10) · CPC title