Liquid processing method, memory medium and liquid processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9972512-B2
Application number	US-201715716663-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2017
Priority date	Oct 1, 2014
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

A liquid processing apparatus for liquid-processing a substrate includes a substrate holding device that rotates a substrate in horizontal position, a nozzle holding device holding processing liquid and gas nozzles, the liquid nozzle discharging processing liquid from a discharge port such that the liquid is discharged obliquely to surface of the substrate, the gas nozzle discharging gas perpendicularly to the surface of the substrate, a moving device that moves the nozzle device with respect to the surface of the substrate, and a control device including circuitry that controls the nozzle, substrate and moving devices such that while the substrate is rotated, the liquid is discharged to peripheral portion toward downstream side in rotation direction and along tangential direction of the substrate and gas is discharged from the gas nozzle toward position adjacent to liquid landing position of the liquid on the surface and is on center side of the substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid processing apparatus for liquid-processing a substrate, comprising:
a substrate holding device configured to hold and rotate a substrate in a horizontal position;
a nozzle holding device holding a processing liquid nozzle and a gas nozzle, wherein the processing liquid nozzle has a discharge port and is configured to discharge a processing liquid from the discharge port at an oblique angle relative to a surface of the substrate, wherein the gas nozzle is configured to discharge a gas perpendicularly with respect to the surface of the substrate, wherein processing liquid discharged from the processing liquid nozzle lands on the surface of the substrate at a landing point, wherein the oblique angle is in a plane that is parallel or substantially parallel to a tangential line tangent to an edge of the substrate at an edge point, wherein the edge point is located on a plane that includes the center of the substrate and the landing point, and wherein the plane that includes the center of the substrate, the landing point, and the edge point is orthogonal to the surface of the substrate;
a moving device configured to move the nozzle holding device with respect to the surface of the substrate; and
a control device comprising circuitry configured to control the nozzle holding device, the substrate holding device and the moving device such that while the substrate is rotated, the processing liquid is discharged to a peripheral portion of the substrate toward a downstream side in a rotation direction of the substrate and a gas is discharged from the gas nozzle toward a position that is adjacent to the landing point on the surface of the substrate and is closer to the center of the substrate than the landing point.

2. A liquid processing apparatus for liquid-processing a substrate according to claim 1 , wherein the discharge port is configured to be set such that a discharging direction of the processing liquid forms an angle in a range of 16 degrees to 24 degrees with respect to the surface of the substrate.

3. A liquid processing apparatus for liquid-processing a substrate according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry of the control device is configured to move the nozzle holding device by the moving device such that the processing liquid nozzle is moved from the center portion of the substrate toward the peripheral portion of the substrate, and the gas nozzle is moved from the center portion of the substrate toward the peripheral portion of the substrate.

4. A liquid processing apparatus for liquid-processing a substrate according to claim 1 , wherein the processing liquid nozzle is configured to discharge a cleaning liquid, and the circuitry of the control device is configured to position the discharge port by the moving device and discharge the gas from the gas nozzle such that the cleaning liquid cleans the surface of the substrate.

5. A liquid processing apparatus for liquid-processing a substrate according to claim 4 , wherein the circuitry of the control device is configured to position the discharge port by the moving device and discharge the gas from the gas nozzle such that the cleaning liquid removes a reaction product resulted from reaction between a liquid developer and a film developed by the liquid developer throughout the surface of the substrate.

6. A liquid processing apparatus for liquid-processing a substrate according to claim 1 , wherein the processing liquid is a liquid developer, and the circuitry of the control device is configured to supply the liquid developer to the center portion of the substrate from the processing liquid nozzle such that the liquid developer is supplied throughout the surface of the substrate, and position the discharge port and discharge the gas from the gas nozzle such that the liquid developer is supplied locally with respect to the peripheral portion of the substrate.

7. A liquid processing apparatus for liquid-processing a substrate according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry of the control device is configured to set the discharge nozzle such that a discharging direction of the processing liquid forms an angle in a range of 16 degrees to 24 degrees with respect to the surface of the substrate.

8. A liquid processing apparatus for liquid-processing a substrate according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry of the control device is configured to rotate the substrate by the substrate holding device such that a circumferential speed of the landing point of the processing liquid is in a range of 12 m/second to 36 m/second.

9. A liquid processing apparatus for liquid-processing a substrate according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry of the control device is configured to discharge the processing liquid from the processing liquid nozzle at a discharge flow rate in a range of 10 ml/minute to 50 ml/minute.

10. A liquid processing apparatus for liquid-processing a substrate according to claim 1 , wherein the processing liquid is an organic solvent.

11. A liquid processing apparatus for liquid-processing a substrate according to claim 3 , wherein the processing liquid nozzle is configured to discharge a cleaning liquid, and the circuitry of the control device is configured to position the discharge port by the moving device and discharge the gas from the gas nozzle such that the cleaning liquid cleans the surface of the substrate.

12. A liquid processing apparatus for liquid-processing a substrate according to claim 11 , wherein the circuitry of the control device is configured to position the discharge port by the moving device and discharge the gas from the gas nozzle such that the cleaning liquid removes a reaction product resulted from reaction between a liquid developer and a film developed by the liquid developer throughout the surface of the substrate.

13. A liquid processing apparatus for liquid-processing a substrate according to claim 3 , wherein the processing liquid is a liquid developer, and the circuitry of the control device is configured to supply the liquid developer to the center portion of the substrate from the processing liquid nozzle such that the liquid developer is supplied throughout the surface of the substrate, and position the discharge port and discharge the gas from the gas nozzle such that the liquid developer is supplied locally with respect to the peripheral portion of the substrate.

14. A liquid processing apparatus for liquid-processing a substrate according to claim 3 , wherein the circuitry of the control device is configured to set the discharge nozzle such that a discharging direction of the processing liquid forms an angle in a range of 16 degrees to 24 degrees with respect to the surface of the substrate.

15. A liquid processing apparatus for liquid-processing a substrate according to claim 3 , wherein the circuitry of the control device is configured to rotate the substrate by the substrate holding device such that a circumferential speed of the landing point of the processing liquid is in a range of 12 m/second to 36 m/second.

16. A liquid processing apparatus for liquid-processing a substrate according to claim 3 , wherein the circuitry of the control device is configured to discharge the processing liquid from the processing liquid nozzle at a discharge flow rate in a range of 10 ml/minute to 50 ml/minute.

17. A liquid processing apparatus for liquid-processing a substrate according to claim 3 , wherein the processing liquid is an organic solvent.

18. A liquid processing apparatus for liquid-processing a substrate according to claim 6 , wherein the circuitry of the con

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Kai Akiko
• Niwa Takafumi
• Takahashi Shogo
• Nishihata Hiroshi
• Terashita Yuichi
• Kodama Teruhiko

Classifications

• H10P76/4085 Primary

  characterised by the processes involved to create the masks · CPC title

• H10P72/7612

  characterised by lifting arrangements, e.g. lift pins · CPC title

• H10P72/0424

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

• H10P70/23

  during, before or after processing of insulating materials · CPC title

• H10P50/287

  by chemical means · CPC title