JP2016184696A - Substrate processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve uniformity of processing while reducing consumption of a process liquid supplied to a substrate.SOLUTION: A substrate processing apparatus comprises: upstream flow passages 48A-48D connected to a collective flow passage 52, in which a temperature of a process liquid supplied to a downstream end 48d of each of the upstream flow passages 48A-48D increases in the order of the first upstream flow passage 48A to the fourth upstream flow passage 48D; and a slit discharge port 34 for discharging the process liquid supplied from the collective flow passage 52 toward a top face of a substrate W. The slit discharge port 34 has a slit shape which extends between a top face central part of the substrate W and a top face peripheral part of the substrate W in a diameter direction Dr in plan view.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate. Examples of substrates to be processed include semiconductor wafers, liquid crystal display substrates, plasma display substrates, FED (Field Emission Display) substrates, optical disk substrates, magnetic disk substrates, magneto-optical disk substrates, and photomasks. Substrate, ceramic substrate, solar cell substrate and the like.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a single-wafer type substrate processing apparatus that processes substrates such as semiconductor wafers one by one. The substrate processing apparatus includes a spin chuck that rotates while holding the substrate horizontally, and a nozzle that discharges a processing solution having a temperature higher than room temperature toward the center of the upper surface of the substrate held by the spin chuck. . The high-temperature processing liquid discharged from the nozzle is deposited on the center of the upper surface of the substrate and then flows outward along the upper surface of the rotating substrate. Thereby, a high-temperature processing liquid is supplied to the entire upper surface of the substrate.

JP 2006-344907 A

  The processing liquid that has reached the center of the upper surface of the rotating substrate flows from the center to the peripheral edge along the upper surface of the substrate. In the process, the temperature of the treatment liquid gradually decreases. For this reason, the uniformity of temperature is lowered, and the uniformity of processing is deteriorated. If the flow rate of the processing liquid discharged from the nozzle is increased, the time until the processing liquid reaches the peripheral edge of the upper surface of the substrate is shortened, so that the temperature drop of the processing liquid is reduced. Consumption will increase.

  Accordingly, one of the objects of the present invention is to improve the processing uniformity while reducing the consumption of the processing liquid supplied to the substrate.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is held by the substrate holding unit, the substrate holding unit rotating the substrate around the vertical rotation axis passing through the central portion of the substrate while holding the substrate horizontally. And a processing liquid supply system for supplying a processing liquid to a substrate.
The processing liquid supply system includes a supply channel, a plurality of upstream channels, a plurality of downstream heaters, a collecting channel, and a slit outlet. The supply channel is branched into the plurality of upstream channels, and guides the processing liquid toward the plurality of upstream channels. The plurality of upstream flow paths include a plurality of sub-upstream paths having a plurality of sub-downstream ends arranged in a plan view in a radial direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, and closer to the rotation axis than the plurality of sub-downstream ends. And a main upstream flow path having a main downstream end disposed therein. The plurality of downstream heaters are respectively connected to the plurality of sub-upstream flow paths, and the temperature of the processing liquid supplied to the plurality of sub-downstream ends increases the distance from the rotation axis to the sub-downstream end. The processing liquid flowing through the plurality of sub-upstream channels is heated so as to increase according to the conditions. The collective flow path is connected to the plurality of sub-upstream flow paths. The slit discharge port is connected to the collective flow path at a position downstream of the plurality of sub-upstream flow paths, and has a diameter between a central portion of the upper surface of the substrate and a peripheral edge portion of the upper surface of the substrate in plan view. It is a slit shape extending in the direction, and the processing liquid supplied from the collecting channel is discharged toward the upper surface of the substrate. As long as the collecting channel is connected to two or more sub-upstream channels, it may not be connected to all the sub-upstream channels.

  According to this invention, the processing liquid is supplied from the supply channel to the plurality of upstream channels. The processing liquid supplied to the plurality of sub-upstream channels included in the plurality of upstream channels is heated by the plurality of downstream heaters. The processing liquid heated by the plurality of downstream heaters is supplied from the plurality of sub-upstream channels to the collecting channel, and discharged from the slit discharge port toward the upper surface of the substrate. As a result, a strip-shaped liquid film extending in the radial direction between the center of the upper surface of the substrate and the peripheral edge of the upper surface of the substrate is formed between the slit discharge port and the substrate, and is formed in a linear region in the upper surface of the substrate. Make a landing.

  When processing liquid is discharged from a plurality of discharge ports arranged in the radial direction toward the upper surface of the substrate, the processing liquid is discharged to a plurality of liquid landing positions (positions where the processing liquid first contacts the substrate) separated in the radial direction. Make a landing. When the processing liquid is an etching liquid, the etching rate (etching amount per unit time) at the liquid landing position is higher than the etching rate at a position between two adjacent liquid landing positions. As a result, the uniformity of processing is reduced. Therefore, such a decrease in uniformity can be prevented by causing the processing liquid discharged from the slit discharge port to land on a linear region continuous in the radial direction.

  Further, the temperature of the processing liquid supplied to the plurality of sub-downstream ends of the plurality of sub-upstream channels increases as the distance from the rotation axis to the sub-downstream end increases. A treatment liquid having the same or substantially the same temperature as the treatment liquid supplied to the plurality of sub-downstream ends is deposited at a position directly below the plurality of sub-downstream ends. On the other hand, the mixed liquid of the processing liquid supplied to two adjacent sub-downstream ends is deposited at a position between the positions immediately below. That is, processing liquids having different temperatures are supplied to two adjacent sub-downstream ends, and the processing liquid having a temperature between the two temperatures is deposited at a position between the positions immediately below.

  In this way, the temperature of the processing liquid at each position of the slit discharge port increases stepwise or continuously as it moves away from the rotation axis, so compared with the case where a processing liquid having a uniform temperature is discharged from the slit discharge port. Thus, the uniformity of the temperature of the processing liquid on the substrate can be improved. Thereby, the uniformity of a process can further be improved. Therefore, the processing uniformity can be improved while reducing the consumption of the processing liquid supplied to the substrate as compared with the case where the processing liquid is deposited only on the central portion of the upper surface of the substrate.

  In the processing of a substrate, supplying a processing solution of the same quality to each part of the substrate is important for improving processing uniformity. When a tank, a filter, or the like is provided for each upstream flow path, a processing liquid having a quality different from that of a processing liquid supplied to a certain upstream flow path can be supplied to another upstream flow path. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the processing liquid in the same flow path (supply flow path) is supplied to each upstream flow path. Thereby, the process liquid of the same quality can be supplied to each part of the substrate. Furthermore, compared to a configuration in which a tank, a filter, and the like are provided for each upstream flow path, the number of parts can be reduced, and maintenance work can be simplified.

The invention according to claim 2 is the substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the slit discharge port extends in a radial direction from a central portion of the upper surface of the substrate to a peripheral portion of the upper surface of the substrate in a plan view.
According to this invention, the slit discharge port overlaps the upper surface center portion and the upper surface peripheral edge portion of the substrate in plan view. The processing liquid discharged from the slit discharge port is simultaneously deposited on a linear region including the central portion of the upper surface of the substrate and the peripheral portion of the upper surface. The slit discharge port discharges the processing liquid toward the upper surface of the rotating substrate. The relative positional relationship between the substrate and the linear region changes as the substrate rotates. Thereby, since the processing liquid is deposited on the entire upper surface of the substrate, the uniformity of the processing can be improved.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the plan view, the width of the slit discharge port is smaller than the maximum value of the width of the sub-downstream end of the sub-upstream channel, for example, the width of the sub-downstream end. The substrate processing apparatus according to 1 or 2. The width means the length in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the radial direction (longitudinal direction of the slit discharge port).
According to this invention, since the width of the slit discharge port is narrow, a part of the processing liquid supplied to the sub-upstream channel spreads in the longitudinal direction in the assembly channel before reaching the slit discharge port, and the sub-upstream The remaining processing liquid supplied to the flow channel reaches the slit discharge port without spreading in the longitudinal direction of the slit discharge port in the collecting flow channel. Therefore, a part of the processing liquid mixes with the processing liquid supplied to the other sub-upstream flow path and the space inside the collecting flow path or between the substrate and the slit discharge port. Thereby, the temperature of the processing liquid supplied to the substrate can be increased stepwise or continuously as the temperature increases away from the rotation axis.

  The width of the downstream end of the collecting channel is equal to the width of the slit discharge port. The width of the upstream end of the collecting channel is preferably equal to or greater than the width of the sub-downstream end. The width of the collective flow path may decrease continuously from the upstream end to the downstream end, or may decrease stepwise. When the width of the upstream end of the collective flow path is equal to or greater than the width of the sub-downstream end, the flow of the processing liquid in the collective flow path is not easily disturbed by the upstream end of the collective flow path. Therefore, compared with the case where the width | variety of the upstream end of a collection flow path is less than the width | variety of a sub downstream end, the pressure fall of the process liquid discharged from a slit discharge port can be reduced.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the processing liquid supply system further includes a plurality of return flow paths and a downstream switching unit, and the plurality of return flow paths are at positions downstream of the plurality of downstream heaters. The downstream switching unit is connected to each of the plurality of sub-upstream channels, and the downstream switching unit has a discharge state in which the processing liquid supplied from the supply channel to the plurality of upstream channels is supplied to the slit discharge port; The processing liquid supplied from the supply flow path to the plurality of upstream flow paths is switched to any of a plurality of states including a discharge stop state in which the treatment liquid is supplied to the plurality of return flow paths. It is a substrate processing apparatus as described in any one.

  The temperature of the processing liquid may greatly affect the processing of the substrate. If the downstream heater is stopped while the discharge is stopped, it takes time until the temperature of the processing liquid heated by the downstream heater is stabilized at the intended temperature when the operation of the downstream heater is resumed. Therefore, the discharge of the processing liquid cannot be resumed immediately, and the throughput (the number of substrates processed per unit time) decreases. Therefore, it is preferable to heat the liquid to the downstream heater even when the discharge is stopped.

  According to this invention, while the discharge is stopped, the processing liquid is supplied to the upstream flow path and is heated by the downstream heater. The processing liquid heated by the downstream heater flows from the upstream flow path to the return flow path without being discharged from the slit discharge port. Therefore, even when the discharge is stopped, the downstream heater can maintain a stable temperature. Therefore, the discharge of the processing liquid can be resumed immediately.

It is a mimetic diagram showing a processing liquid supply system of a substrate processing apparatus concerning one embodiment of the present invention, and shows a processing liquid supply system in a discharge state. It is a mimetic diagram showing a processing liquid supply system of a substrate processing apparatus concerning one embodiment of the present invention, and shows a processing liquid supply system in a discharge stop state. It is a typical front view which shows the inside of the processing unit with which the substrate processing apparatus was equipped. It is a typical top view which shows the inside of the processing unit with which the substrate processing apparatus was equipped. It is a typical fragmentary sectional view showing a plurality of nozzles and nozzle head seen horizontally. It is a typical top view showing a plurality of nozzles and a nozzle head. It is a typical perspective view showing a plurality of nozzles and a nozzle head. It is process drawing for demonstrating an example of the process of the board | substrate performed with a substrate processing apparatus. It is a graph which shows distribution of the etching amount of a board | substrate. It is a typical top view showing a plurality of nozzles concerning the 1st modification of the embodiment. It is a mimetic diagram showing a plurality of nozzles concerning the 2nd modification of the embodiment. FIG. 11A is a schematic front view showing a plurality of nozzles, and FIG. 11B is a schematic plan view showing a plurality of nozzles. It is a typical fragmentary sectional view when the several nozzle and nozzle head which concern on other embodiment of this invention are seen horizontally. It is a graph which shows the image of the thickness of the thin film before and behind a process, and the temperature of the process liquid supplied to a board | substrate.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
1 and 2 are schematic views showing a processing liquid supply system of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a processing liquid supply system in a discharge state, and FIG. 2 shows a processing liquid supply system in a discharge stop state.
The substrate processing apparatus 1 is a single-wafer type apparatus that processes a disk-shaped substrate W such as a semiconductor wafer one by one. The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a processing unit 2 that processes a substrate W with a processing liquid, a transfer robot (not shown) that transfers the substrate W to the processing unit 2, and a control device 3 that controls the substrate processing apparatus 1. . The control device 3 is a computer including a calculation unit and a storage unit.

  The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a plurality of fluid boxes 5 that contain a fluid device such as a valve 51 that controls supply and stop of supply of the processing liquid to the processing unit 2, and processing supplied to the processing unit 2 via the fluid box 5. And a plurality of storage boxes 6 for storing tanks 41 for storing liquid. The processing unit 2 and the fluid box 5 are disposed in the frame 4 of the substrate processing apparatus 1. The chamber 7 and the fluid box 5 of the processing unit 2 are arranged in the horizontal direction. The storage box 6 is disposed outside the frame 4. The storage box 6 may be disposed in the frame 4.

FIG. 3 is a schematic front view showing the inside of the processing unit 2. FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing the inside of the processing unit 2.
As shown in FIG. 3, the processing unit 2 rotates the substrate W around a vertical rotation axis A <b> 1 passing through the central portion of the substrate W while holding the substrate W horizontally in the chamber 7 and the chamber 7. A spin chuck 11 and a cylindrical cup 15 that receives the processing liquid discharged from the substrate W are included.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the chamber 7 includes a box-shaped partition wall 8 provided with a loading / unloading port 8a through which the substrate W passes, and a shutter 9 for opening and closing the loading / unloading port 8a. The shutter 9 is movable with respect to the partition wall 8 between an open position where the carry-in / out port 8a is opened and a closed position (a position shown in FIG. 4) where the carry-in / out port 8a is closed. A transfer robot (not shown) loads the substrate W into the chamber 7 through the loading / unloading port 8a and unloads the substrate W from the chamber 7 through the loading / unloading port 8a.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the spin chuck 11 includes a disk-shaped spin base 12 held in a horizontal posture, a plurality of chuck pins 13 that hold the substrate W in a horizontal posture above the spin base 12, and And a spin motor 14 that rotates the substrate W around the rotation axis A1 by rotating the plurality of chuck pins 13. The spin chuck 11 is not limited to a clamping chuck in which a plurality of chuck pins 13 are brought into contact with the peripheral end surface of the substrate W, and the back surface (lower surface) of the substrate W, which is a non-device forming surface, is adsorbed to the upper surface of the spin base 12. Thus, a vacuum chuck that holds the substrate W horizontally may be used.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the cup 15 includes a cylindrical splash guard 17 that surrounds the spin chuck 11 around the rotation axis A <b> 1 and a cylindrical outer wall 16 that surrounds the splash guard 17 around the rotation axis A <b> 1. In the processing unit 2, the upper position of the splash guard 17 is positioned above the position where the spin chuck 11 holds the substrate W (the position shown in FIG. 3), and the upper end of the splash guard 17 is positioned on the substrate W by the spin chuck 11. A guard lifting / lowering unit 18 that vertically moves the splash guard 17 between a lower position and a lower position than the holding position is included.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the processing unit 2 includes a rinsing liquid nozzle 21 that discharges the rinsing liquid downward toward the upper surface of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 11. The rinse liquid nozzle 21 is connected to a rinse liquid pipe 22 in which a rinse liquid valve 23 is interposed. The processing unit 2 may include a nozzle moving unit that moves the rinse liquid nozzle 21 between the processing position and the standby position.

  When the rinse liquid valve 23 is opened, the rinse liquid is supplied from the rinse liquid pipe 22 to the rinse liquid nozzle 21 and discharged from the rinse liquid nozzle 21. The rinse liquid is, for example, pure water (deionized water). The rinse liquid is not limited to pure water, but may be any of carbonated water, electrolytic ion water, hydrogen water, ozone water, and hydrochloric acid water having a diluted concentration (for example, about 10 to 100 ppm).

  As shown in FIG. 4, the processing unit 2 includes a plurality of nozzles 26 (first nozzle 26 </ b> A, second nozzle 26 </ b> B, third nozzle 26 </ b> C, and fourth nozzle 26 </ b> D) that discharge a chemical solution downward, and a plurality of nozzles 26. And a plurality of nozzles 26 between a processing position (a position indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 4) and a standby position (a position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 4) by moving the holder 25. And a nozzle moving unit 24 for moving the.

  Typical examples of the chemical solution are an etching solution such as TMAH (tetramethylammonium hydroxide) and a resist stripping solution such as SPM (mixed solution containing sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide solution). The chemical solution is not limited to TMAH and SPM, but sulfuric acid, acetic acid, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, aqueous ammonia, aqueous hydrogen peroxide, organic acids (such as citric acid and oxalic acid), organic alkalis other than TMAH, surfactants, It may be a liquid containing at least one of the corrosion inhibitors.

  As shown in FIG. 3, each nozzle 26 includes a nozzle body 27 that is cantilevered by a holder 25, and a nozzle head 33 shared with other nozzles 26. The nozzle body 27 includes an arm portion 28 extending from the holder 25 in the horizontal longitudinal direction D1 and a tip portion 29 extending downward from the tip 28a of the arm portion 28. The tip 28a of the arm portion 28 means a portion farthest in the longitudinal direction D1 from the holder 25 in plan view. The nozzle head 33 is supported by the tip portion 29 of each nozzle body 27.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the plurality of arm portions 28 are arranged in a horizontal arrangement direction D2 orthogonal to the longitudinal direction D1 in the order of the first nozzle 26A to the fourth nozzle 26D. The plurality of arm portions 28 are arranged at the same height. The interval between the two arm portions 28 adjacent in the arrangement direction D2 may be the same as any other interval, or may be different from at least one of the other intervals. FIG. 4 shows an example in which a plurality of arm portions 28 are arranged at equal intervals.

The lengths of the plurality of arm portions 28 in the longitudinal direction D1 are shorter in the order of the first nozzle 26A to the fourth nozzle 26D. The tips of the plurality of nozzles 26 (tips 28a of the plurality of arm portions 28) are shifted in the longitudinal direction D1 so as to be arranged in the order of the first nozzle 26A to the fourth nozzle 26D in the longitudinal direction D1. The tips of the plurality of nozzles 26 are arranged linearly in plan view.
The nozzle moving unit 24 moves the plurality of nozzles 26 along an arcuate path passing through the substrate W in plan view by rotating the holder 25 about the nozzle rotation axis A2 extending vertically around the cup 15. Let As a result, the plurality of nozzles 26 move horizontally between the processing position and the standby position. The processing unit 2 includes a bottomed cylindrical standby pot 35 disposed below the standby positions of the plurality of nozzles 26. The standby pot 35 is disposed around the cup 15 in plan view.

  The processing position is a position where the chemical liquid discharged from the nozzle head 33 is deposited on the upper surface of the substrate W. At the processing position, the nozzle head 33 and the substrate W overlap in plan view, and the tips of the plurality of nozzles 26 extend in the radial direction Dr in the order of the first nozzle 26A to the fourth nozzle 26D from the rotation axis A1 side in plan view. line up. At this time, the tip of the first nozzle 26A overlaps the central portion of the substrate W in plan view, and the tip of the fourth nozzle 26D overlaps the peripheral portion of the substrate W in plan view.

  The standby position is a position where the plurality of nozzles 26 are retracted so that the nozzle head 33 and the substrate W do not overlap in plan view. At the standby position, the tips of the plurality of nozzles 26 are positioned outside the cup 15 so as to be along the outer peripheral surface of the cup 15 (the outer peripheral surface of the outer wall 16) in plan view, and the order of the first nozzle 26A to the fourth nozzle 26D. Are arranged in the circumferential direction (direction around the rotation axis A1). The plurality of nozzles 26 are arranged in the order of the first nozzle 26A to the fourth nozzle 26D so as to be away from the rotation axis A1.

Next, the plurality of nozzles 26 will be described with reference to FIGS. Thereafter, the processing liquid supply system will be described. 5 to 7 show a state in which the plurality of nozzles 26 are arranged at the processing position.
In the following description, “first” and “A” may be added to the beginning and the end of the configuration corresponding to the first nozzle 26A, respectively. For example, the upstream flow path 48 corresponding to the first nozzle 26A may be referred to as “first upstream flow path 48A”. The same applies to the configuration corresponding to the second nozzle 26B to the fourth nozzle 26D.

In the following description, the heating temperature of the processing liquid by the upstream heater 43 may be referred to as upstream temperature, and the heating temperature of the processing liquid by the downstream heater 53 may be referred to as downstream temperature. The heating temperature of the processing liquid by the second downstream heater 53 to the fourth downstream heater 53 may be referred to as the second downstream temperature to the fourth heating temperature, respectively.
As shown in FIG. 5, the nozzle body 27 includes a resin tube 30 that guides the processing liquid, a cross-section cylindrical core metal 31 that surrounds the resin tube 30, and a cross-section cylindrical resin coating 32 that covers the outer surface of the core metal 31. Including. The lower surface of the resin tube 30 in which the discharge port is formed is disposed inside the nozzle head 33.

The nozzle body 27 forms one flow path that extends along the nozzle body 27. The flow path of the nozzle body 27 corresponds to a part of the upstream flow path 48 described later. As shown in FIG. 6, the downstream ends 48d of the first upstream flow path 48A to the fourth upstream flow path 48D are respectively arranged at a plurality of positions having different distances from the rotation axis A1, and the radial direction Dr in a plan view. Are lined up.
The downstream end 48d of the first upstream channel 48A is disposed closer to the rotation axis A1 than the downstream end 48d of the second upstream channel 48B to the fourth upstream channel 48D. The first upstream channel 48A is an example of a main upstream channel, and the second upstream channel 48B to the fourth upstream channel 48D are examples of a plurality of sub-upstream channels. The downstream end 48d of the first upstream channel 48A is an example of a main downstream end, and the downstream ends 48d of the second upstream channel 48B to the fourth upstream channel 48D are examples of a plurality of downstream ends.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the nozzle head 33 includes one flow path (collecting flow path 52) that guides the processing liquid supplied from the plurality of nozzle main bodies 27, and a slit-like slit that opens at the lower surface of the nozzle head 33. A discharge port 34 is formed. The slit discharge port 34 is parallel to the upper surface of the substrate W. The slit discharge port 34 is disposed below the downstream end 48d of each of the upstream flow paths 48A to 48D.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the slit discharge port 34 extends in the radial direction Dr from the center of the upper surface of the substrate W to the peripheral edge of the upper surface of the substrate W in plan view. The width W1 of the slit discharge port 34 (the width means the length in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the radial direction Dr. The same applies hereinafter) is constant from one end of the slit discharge port 34 to the other end of the slit discharge port 34. is there. The width W1 of the slit discharge port 34 is smaller than the diameter of the downstream end 48d of each of the upstream flow paths 48A to 48D. A part of the downstream end 48d of each of the upstream flow paths 48A to 48D overlaps with the slit discharge port 34 in plan view, and the remaining part does not overlap with the slit discharge port 34 in plan view. The slit discharge port 34 discharges the chemical solution supplied from the collecting channel 52 in a discharge direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the substrate W.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the collecting channel 52 connects the downstream ends 48 d of the upstream channels 48 </ b> A to 48 </ b> D to the slit outlet 34. The width of the collecting channel 52 continuously decreases from the upstream end 52 u of the collecting channel 52 to the downstream end 52 d of the collecting channel 52. The width W2 of the upstream end 52u of the collecting flow path 52 is equal to or larger than the diameter of the downstream end 48d of each of the upstream flow paths 48A to 48D. The width of the downstream end 52d of the collecting channel 52 is equal to the width W1 of the slit outlet 34.

  The height of the collecting channel 52, that is, the distance in the vertical direction from the downstream end 52d of the collecting channel 52 to the upstream end 52u of the collecting channel 52 is larger than the width W2 of the upstream end 52u of the collecting channel 52. The length of the collective flow path 52 in the radial direction Dr is longer than the distance in the radial direction Dr from the downstream end 48d of the first upstream flow path 48A to the downstream end 48d of the fourth upstream flow path 48D. Both ends of the collecting channel 52 in the radial direction Dr are closed by the nozzle head 33.

  The processing liquid supplied to each of the upstream channels 48 </ b> A to 48 </ b> D is supplied into the collective channel 52. Since the width W1 of the slit discharge port 34 is narrow, a part of the processing liquid supplied to the downstream end 48d of each of the upstream channels 48A to 48D extends in the longitudinal direction in the collecting channel 52 before reaching the slit discharge port 34. The remaining treatment liquid spreads and is discharged from the slit discharge port 34 without spreading in the longitudinal direction in the collecting flow path 52. Therefore, a part of the processing liquid supplied to a certain upstream flow path 48 is a space between the processing liquid supplied to the other upstream flow path 48 and the collecting flow path 52 or between the substrate W and the slit discharge port 34. Mix together. As a result, the processing liquid is supplied to the entire region or almost the entire region of the slit discharge port 34, and a strip-shaped liquid film extending in the radial direction Dr is formed between the slit discharge port 34 and the substrate W.

Next, the processing liquid supply system will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
The treatment liquid supply system includes a chemical liquid tank 41 for storing chemical liquid, a chemical liquid flow path 42 for guiding the chemical liquid sent from the chemical liquid tank 41, and a chemical liquid flowing in the chemical liquid flow path 42 from room temperature (for example, 20 to 30 ° C.). An upstream heater 43 that adjusts the temperature of the chemical solution in the chemical solution tank 41 by heating at a higher upstream temperature, a pump 44 that sends the chemical solution in the chemical solution tank 41 to the chemical solution flow channel 42, and a chemical solution in the chemical solution flow channel 42 And a circulation channel 40 that returns to the chemical tank 41.

The treatment liquid supply system includes a supply valve 45 that opens and closes the chemical liquid flow path 42, a circulation valve 46 that opens and closes the circulation flow path 40, and a supply flow path 47 connected to the chemical liquid flow path 42. The upstream switching unit includes a supply valve 45.
The processing liquid supply system includes a plurality of upstream channels 48 that guide the chemical solution supplied from the supply channel 47 toward the slit discharge port 34, and a chemical solution supplied from the plurality of upstream channels 48 to the slit discharge port 34. And a collecting flow path 52 to be supplied. The processing liquid supply system further includes a plurality of flow meters 49 for detecting the flow rates of the liquid flowing in the plurality of upstream flow paths 48, and a plurality of flow rate adjusting valves for changing the flow rates of the liquid flowing in the plurality of upstream flow paths 48. 50 and a plurality of discharge valves 51 for opening and closing the plurality of upstream flow paths 48, respectively. Although not shown, the flow rate adjusting valve 50 includes a valve body that opens and closes the flow path and an actuator that changes the opening degree of the valve body. The actuator may be a pneumatic actuator or an electric actuator, or may be an actuator other than these.

  The processing liquid supply system includes a plurality of downstream heaters 53 that heat the chemical liquid flowing in the plurality of upstream channels 48 other than the first upstream channel 48A at a downstream temperature higher than the upstream temperature. The processing liquid supply system further includes a plurality of return channels 54 respectively connected to a plurality of upstream channels 48 other than the first upstream channel 48A at a position downstream of the plurality of downstream heaters 53, and a plurality of return channels. And a plurality of return valves 55 for opening and closing the passages 54 respectively. The downstream switching unit includes a plurality of discharge valves 51 and a plurality of return valves 55.

  The processing liquid supply system includes a cooler 56 that cools the chemical liquid supplied from the plurality of return flow paths 54, and a tank recovery flow path 57 that guides the chemical liquid from the cooler 56 to the chemical liquid tank 41. The chemical liquid supplied to the cooler 56 from the plurality of return flow paths 54 is guided to the chemical liquid tank 41 via the tank recovery flow path 57 after being brought close to the upstream temperature by the cooler 56. The cooler 56 may be a water cooling unit or an air cooling unit, or may be a cooling unit other than these.

Next, a processing liquid supply system in a discharge state in which the slit discharge port 34 discharges a chemical liquid will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 1, the open valve is shown in black and the closed valve is shown in white.
The chemical liquid in the chemical liquid tank 41 is sent to the chemical liquid flow path 42 by the pump 44. The chemical liquid sent by the pump 44 is heated by the upstream heater 43, then flows from the chemical liquid flow path 42 to the supply flow path 47, and flows from the supply flow path 47 to the plurality of upstream flow paths 48. The chemical solution supplied to the plurality of upstream channels 48 is supplied from the plurality of upstream channels 48 to the slit outlet 34 via the collecting channel 52. Thereby, the chemical solution supplied to the plurality of upstream channels 48 is discharged from the slit discharge port 34 toward the upper surface of the substrate W.

  The chemical solution supplied to the plurality of upstream channels 48 other than the first upstream channel 48 </ b> A is heated by the downstream heater 53 before being supplied to the slit outlet 34. The heating temperature (downstream temperature) of the processing liquid by the downstream heater 53 is higher than the heating temperature (upstream temperature) of the processing liquid by the upstream heater 43. The second to fourth downstream temperatures are higher in the order of the second to fourth downstream temperatures. Therefore, the temperature of the chemical solution supplied to the downstream end 48d (see FIG. 5) of the first upstream channel 48A to the fourth upstream channel 48D is stepped in the order of the first upstream channel 48A to the fourth upstream channel 48D. Increase.

Next, with reference to FIG. 2, the processing liquid supply system in a discharge stopped state in which the discharge of the chemical liquid from the slit discharge port 34 is stopped will be described. In FIG. 2, open valves are shown in black and closed valves are shown in white.
The chemical liquid in the chemical liquid tank 41 is sent to the chemical liquid flow path 42 by the pump 44. A part of the chemical solution sent by the pump 44 is heated by the upstream heater 43 and then returns to the chemical solution tank 41 through the circulation channel 40. The remaining chemical liquid sent by the pump 44 flows from the chemical liquid flow path 42 to the supply flow path 47 and from the supply flow path 47 to the plurality of upstream flow paths 48 other than the first upstream flow path 48A.

  The chemical in the second upstream flow path 48B is heated by the downstream heater 53 corresponding to the second upstream flow path 48B, and then flows to the cooler 56 through the return flow path 54. The third upstream channel 48C and the fourth upstream channel 48D are the same as the second upstream channel 48B. After the chemical liquid supplied to the cooler 56 is cooled by the cooler 56, it returns to the chemical liquid tank 41 via the tank recovery channel 57. As a result, all the chemical liquid sent to the chemical liquid flow path 42 by the pump 44 returns to the chemical liquid tank 41.

The temperature of the processing liquid may greatly affect the processing of the substrate W. If the downstream heater 53 is stopped while the discharge is stopped, it takes time for the temperature of the processing liquid heated by the downstream heater 53 to stabilize at the intended temperature when the operation of the downstream heater 53 is resumed. Therefore, the discharge of the processing liquid cannot be resumed immediately, and the throughput is reduced.
As described above, the chemical solution continues to flow through the downstream heater 53 even when the discharge is stopped, and the downstream heater 53 is heated. Thereby, the temperature of the downstream heater 53 can be maintained in a stable state. Furthermore, since the chemical solution heated by the downstream heater 53 is returned to the chemical solution tank 41, the consumption amount of the chemical solution can be reduced. In addition, since the chemical liquid cooled by the cooler 56 is returned to the chemical liquid tank 41, fluctuations in the temperature of the chemical liquid in the chemical liquid tank 41 can be suppressed.

FIG. 8 is a process diagram for explaining an example of the processing of the substrate W performed by the substrate processing apparatus 1. The following operations are executed by the control device 3 controlling the substrate processing apparatus 1. In the following, reference is made to FIG. 3 and FIG. 8 will be referred to as appropriate.
When the substrate W is processed by the processing unit 2, a plurality of nozzles 26 are retracted from above the spin chuck 11 and the splash guard 17 is positioned at the lower position (not shown). ), The substrate W is carried into the chamber 7. As a result, the substrate W is placed on the plurality of chuck pins 13 with the surface facing upward. Thereafter, the hand of the transfer robot is retracted from the inside of the chamber 7, and the loading / unloading port 8 a of the chamber 7 is closed by the shutter 9.

  After the substrate W is placed on the plurality of chuck pins 13, the plurality of chuck pins 13 are pressed against the peripheral edge of the substrate W, and the substrate W is gripped by the plurality of chuck pins 13. Further, the guard lifting / lowering unit 18 moves the splash guard 17 from the lower position to the upper position. Thereby, the upper end of the splash guard 17 is disposed above the substrate W. Thereafter, the spin motor 14 is driven, and the rotation of the substrate W is started. Thereby, the substrate W is rotated at a predetermined liquid processing speed (for example, several hundred rpm).

  Next, the nozzle moving unit 24 moves the plurality of nozzles 26 from the standby position to the processing position. Thereby, the nozzle head 33 overlaps the substrate W in plan view. Thereafter, the plurality of discharge valves 51 and the like are controlled, and the chemical liquid is simultaneously discharged from the plurality of nozzles 26 (step S1 in FIG. 8). The plurality of nozzles 26 discharge the chemical liquid in a state where the nozzle moving unit 24 stops the plurality of nozzles 26. When a predetermined time elapses after the plurality of discharge valves 51 are opened, the discharge of the chemical solution from the plurality of nozzles 26 is stopped simultaneously (step S2 in FIG. 8). Thereafter, the nozzle moving unit 24 moves the plurality of nozzles 26 from the processing position to the standby position.

  The chemicals discharged from the plurality of nozzles 26 are simultaneously deposited on a linear region in the upper surface of the substrate W (see FIG. 7). The plurality of nozzles 26 discharge the chemical liquid toward the upper surface of the rotating substrate W. For this reason, the relative positional relationship between the substrate W and the linear region changes as the substrate W rotates. As a result, the chemical solution is deposited on the entire upper surface of the substrate W. In this way, the chemical liquid is supplied to the entire upper surface of the substrate W, and a liquid film of the chemical liquid covering the entire upper surface of the substrate W is formed on the substrate W. Thereby, the entire upper surface of the substrate W is treated with the chemical solution. Further, the chemical solution on the substrate W is scattered around the substrate W from the peripheral edge of the upper surface of the substrate W and is received by the inner peripheral surface of the splash guard 17.

  After the discharge of the chemical liquid from the plurality of nozzles 26 is stopped, the rinse liquid valve 23 is opened, and the discharge of the rinse liquid (pure water) from the rinse liquid nozzle 21 is started (step S3 in FIG. 8). Thereby, the chemical liquid on the substrate W is washed away by the rinse liquid, and a liquid film of the rinse liquid covering the entire upper surface of the substrate W is formed. When a predetermined time elapses after the rinsing liquid valve 23 is opened, the rinsing liquid valve 23 is closed and the discharge of the rinsing liquid from the rinsing liquid nozzle 21 is stopped (step S4 in FIG. 8).

  After the discharge of the rinsing liquid from the rinsing liquid nozzle 21 is stopped, the substrate W is accelerated in the rotation direction by the spin motor 14, and the substrate W rotates at a drying speed (for example, several thousand rpm) higher than the liquid processing speed. (Step S5 in FIG. 8). Thereby, the rinse liquid adhering to the substrate W is shaken off around the substrate W, and the substrate W is dried. When a predetermined time elapses after the high-speed rotation of the substrate W is started, the rotation of the spin motor 14 and the substrate W is stopped.

  After the rotation of the substrate W is stopped, the guard lifting / lowering unit 18 moves the splash guard 17 from the upper position to the lower position. Further, the holding of the substrate W by the plurality of chuck pins 13 is released. The transfer robot causes the hand to enter the chamber 7 with the plurality of nozzles 26 retracted from above the spin chuck 11 and the splash guard 17 is positioned at the lower position. Thereafter, the transfer robot takes the substrate W on the spin chuck 11 with the hand and carries the substrate W out of the chamber 7.

FIG. 9 is a graph showing the distribution of the etching amount of the substrate W.
The processing conditions of the substrate W in the measurement values A to B shown in FIG. 9 are the same except for the nozzle that discharges the chemical solution.
The measured value A indicates the distribution of the etching amount when the substrate W is etched by discharging the chemical liquid to the plurality of nozzles 26 while the plurality of nozzles 26 from which the nozzle head 33 has been removed is stationary. That is, the measured value A is a chemical solution discharged to four discharge ports (corresponding to the downstream end 48d of the first upstream flow path 48A to the fourth upstream flow path 48D) provided in the four nozzle bodies 27, respectively. The distribution of the etching amount is shown.

The measured value B is etching when the chemical liquid is discharged only to one discharge port (corresponding to the downstream end 48d of the first upstream flow path 48A) and the liquid solution landing position is fixed at the center of the upper surface of the substrate W. The distribution of quantity is shown.
In the measured value B, the etching amount decreases as the distance from the central portion of the substrate W increases, and the distribution of the etching amount shows a mountain-shaped curve. That is, the etching amount is greatest at the position where the chemical solution is deposited, and decreases as the chemical solution is separated from the position. On the other hand, in the measured value A, compared with the measured value B, the etching amount at a position other than the central portion of the substrate W is increased, and the etching uniformity is greatly improved.

  In the measurement value A, seven peaks are formed. The peak of the middle peak is a position corresponding to the innermost liquid landing position, and the peak of two outer peaks is a position corresponding to the second liquid landing position from the inside. Further, the positions of the two outer crests are positions corresponding to the third liquid landing position from the inner side, and the positions of the two outermost crests are positions corresponding to the fourth liquid landing position from the inner side.

  As described above, when the chemical liquid is ejected from the plurality of ejection ports arranged in the radial direction Dr toward the upper surface of the substrate W, the chemical liquid is deposited at a plurality of liquid deposition positions separated in the radial direction Dr. The etching rate at the liquid landing position is higher than the etching rate at a position between two adjacent liquid landing positions. As a result, the uniformity of processing is reduced. Therefore, by causing the chemical solution discharged from the slit discharge port 34 to land on a linear region continuous in the radial direction Dr, such a decrease in uniformity can be prevented.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the processing liquid is supplied from the supply channel 47 to all the upstream channels 48 and is supplied from all the upstream channels 48 to the collective channel 52. The processing liquid supplied to the collecting channel 52 is discharged from the slit discharge port 34 toward the upper surface of the substrate W. As a result, a strip-shaped liquid film extending in the radial direction Dr between the center of the upper surface of the substrate W and the peripheral edge of the upper surface of the substrate W is formed between the slit discharge port 34 and the substrate W, The liquid deposits on the linear area. Therefore, the processing uniformity can be improved as compared with the case where the processing liquid is discharged from a plurality of discharge ports arranged in the radial direction Dr.

  In addition, the temperature of the processing liquid supplied to the downstream end 48d of the first upstream channel 48A to the fourth upstream channel 48D increases as the distance from the rotation axis A1 to the downstream end 48d increases. A treatment liquid having the same or substantially the same temperature as the treatment liquid supplied to the plurality of downstream ends 48d is deposited at a position directly below the plurality of downstream ends 48d. On the other hand, the mixed liquid of the processing liquid supplied to two adjacent downstream ends 48d is deposited at a position between the positions immediately below. That is, processing liquids having different temperatures are supplied to two adjacent downstream ends 48d, and the processing liquid having a temperature between the two temperatures is deposited at a position between the positions immediately below.

  As described above, the temperature of the processing liquid at each position of the slit discharge port 34 increases stepwise or continuously as the distance from the rotation axis A1 increases, so that the processing liquid having a uniform temperature is discharged from the slit discharge port 34. Compared with the case, the uniformity of the temperature of the processing liquid on the substrate W can be improved. Thereby, the uniformity of a process can further be improved. Therefore, as compared with the case where the processing liquid is deposited only on the center of the upper surface of the substrate W, the processing uniformity can be improved while reducing the consumption of the processing liquid supplied to the substrate W.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the slit discharge port 34 overlaps the upper surface central portion and the upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate W in plan view. The processing liquid discharged from the slit discharge port 34 is simultaneously deposited on a linear region including the central portion of the upper surface of the substrate W and the peripheral portion of the upper surface. The slit discharge port 34 discharges the processing liquid toward the upper surface of the rotating substrate W. The relative positional relationship between the substrate W and the linear region changes as the substrate W rotates. Thereby, since the processing liquid is deposited on the entire upper surface of the substrate W, the uniformity of the processing can be improved.

  Further, in the present embodiment, since the width W1 of the slit discharge port 34 is narrow, a part of the processing liquid supplied to the upstream flow channel 48 is longitudinal in the collective flow channel 52 before reaching the slit discharge port 34. The remaining processing liquid that spreads and is supplied to the upstream flow path 48 reaches the slit discharge port 34 without spreading in the longitudinal direction of the slit discharge port 34 in the collecting flow path 52. Therefore, a part of the processing liquid mixes with the processing liquid supplied to the other upstream flow path 48 and the space inside the collecting flow path 52 or between the substrate W and the slit discharge port 34. Thereby, the temperature of the processing liquid supplied to the substrate W can be increased stepwise or continuously as the temperature increases away from the rotation axis A1.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the front-end | tip 28a of the several arm part 28 is located in a line with radial direction Dr by planar view (refer FIG. 4). When the plurality of nozzles 26 having the same length are arranged in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction D1 so that the tips 28a of the plurality of arm portions 28 are arranged in the radial direction Dr in a plan view, the width of the plurality of nozzles 26 is increased. (See FIG. 10). When a plurality of nozzles 26 having different lengths are arranged in the vertical direction so that the tips 28a of the plurality of arm portions 28 are arranged in the radial direction Dr in plan view, the overall height of the plurality of nozzles 26 increases (see FIG. 11). ).

  In contrast, in the present embodiment, the plurality of arm portions 28 are arranged in a horizontal arrangement direction D2 orthogonal to the longitudinal direction D1. Further, the distal ends 28a of the plurality of arm portions 28 are shifted in the longitudinal direction D1 so that the distal ends 28a of the plurality of arm portions 28 are arranged in the order of the first nozzle 26A to the fourth nozzle 26D from the rotation axis A1 side with respect to the longitudinal direction D1. (See FIG. 4). Thereby, the front-end | tip 28a of 1st nozzle 26A-4th nozzle 26D can be arranged in radial direction Dr in planar view, suppressing both the width | variety and height of the some nozzle 26 whole.

  In the present embodiment, the upstream ends of the plurality of upstream flow paths 48 are arranged in the fluid box 5. The supply flow path 47 is branched into a plurality of upstream flow paths 48 in the fluid box 5. Therefore, compared with the case where the supply flow path 47 is branched into a plurality of upstream flow paths 48 at a position upstream of the fluid box 5, the length of each upstream flow path 48 (the length in the direction in which the liquid flows). Can be shortened. Thereby, the temperature fall of the process liquid by the heat transfer from the process liquid to the upstream flow path 48 can be suppressed.

Although the description of the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the contents of the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.
For example, in the embodiment, the case where the number of the nozzles 26 is four has been described, but the number of the nozzles 26 may be two or three, or may be five or more.
In the above-described embodiment, a case where the slit discharge port 34 discharges the processing liquid in a discharge direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the substrate W is described. However, the slit discharge port 34 is inclined obliquely with respect to the upper surface of the substrate W. The treatment liquid may be discharged in the discharge direction.

In the embodiment, the case where the width W1 of the slit discharge port 34 is constant has been described, but the width W1 of the slit discharge port 34 may not be constant. For example, the width W1 of the slit discharge port 34 may increase stepwise or continuously as the distance from the rotation axis A1 increases.
In the embodiment, the case where the nozzle head 33 is connected to all the nozzles (the first nozzle 26 </ b> A to the fourth nozzle 26 </ b> D) has been described, but one or two of the four nozzles are the nozzle head 33. It does not have to be connected to. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, the nozzle head 33 may be connected only to the second nozzle 26B to the fourth nozzle 26D. In this case, the processing liquid supplied to the first nozzle 26A is discharged from the downstream end 48d of the first upstream channel 48A toward the center of the upper surface of the substrate W.

In the above embodiment, the case where the chemical liquid flowing through the return channel 54 toward the chemical liquid tank 41 is cooled by the cooler 56 has been described, but the cooler 56 may be omitted.
The control device 3 supplies the flow rate of the processing liquid supplied from the supply flow path 47 to the plurality of upstream flow paths 48 when the discharge is stopped, and supplies the plurality of upstream flow paths 48 from the supply flow path 47 when the discharge state is set. The flow rate of the processed liquid may be reduced. In this case, since the flow rate of the chemical liquid returning from the return flow path 54 to the chemical liquid tank 41 during the discharge stop is reduced, the amount of heat given to the chemical liquid in the chemical liquid tank 41 can be reduced, and fluctuations in the liquid temperature can be suppressed.

In the above embodiment, the case where the liquid heated by the downstream heater 53 while the discharge is stopped is flowed from the upstream channel 48 to the return channel 54. However, when the downstream heater 53 is stopped while the discharge is stopped, the return is performed. The flow path 54 may be omitted.
In the above embodiment, the case where the downstream heater 53 is not provided in the first upstream flow path 48A and the downstream heaters 53 are provided in all the upstream flow paths 48 other than the first upstream flow path 48A has been described. The downstream heaters 53 may be provided in all the upstream channels 48 including the first upstream channel 48A.

In the above-described embodiment, the case has been described in which the plurality of nozzles 26 are stationary and the plurality of nozzles 26 discharge chemicals. However, the plurality of nozzles 26 is rotated while the plurality of nozzles 26 are rotated around the nozzle rotation axis A2. Alternatively, the chemical solution may be discharged.
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the chemical flow path 42 for supplying the chemical liquid is provided in the supply flow path 47 has been described. However, even if a plurality of processing liquid flow paths for supplying the liquid to the supply flow path 47 are provided. Good.

  For example, the first liquid may be supplied from the first liquid channel to the supply channel 47, and the second liquid may be supplied from the second liquid channel to the supply channel 47. In this case, since the first liquid and the second liquid are mixed in the supply flow path 47, the mixed liquid containing the first liquid and the second liquid is supplied from the supply flow path 47 to the plurality of upstream flow paths 48. The first liquid and the second liquid may be the same type of liquid or different types of liquid. Specific examples of the first liquid and the second liquid are a combination of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water, and a combination of TMAH and pure water.

The control device 3 may equalize the thickness of the thin film after processing by controlling the temperature of the processing liquid supplied to each part of the surface of the substrate W according to the thickness of the thin film before processing.
FIG. 13 is a graph showing an image of the thickness of the thin film and the temperature of the processing liquid supplied to the substrate W before and after the processing. The one-dot chain line in FIG. 13 indicates the film thickness before processing, and the two-dot chain line in FIG. 13 indicates the film thickness after processing. The solid line in FIG. 13 indicates the temperature of the processing liquid supplied to the substrate W. The horizontal axis in FIG. 13 indicates the radius of the substrate W. The film thickness before processing may be input to the substrate processing apparatus 1 from an apparatus (for example, a host computer) other than the substrate processing apparatus 1 or may be measured by a measuring machine provided in the substrate processing apparatus 1.

In the case of the example shown in FIG. 13, the control device 3 may control the substrate processing device 1 so that the temperature of the processing liquid changes in the same manner as the film thickness before processing. Specifically, the control device 3 may control the plurality of downstream heaters 53 so that the temperature of the processing liquid in the plurality of upstream channels 48 becomes a temperature corresponding to the film thickness before processing.
In this case, a relatively high temperature processing liquid is supplied to a position where the film thickness before processing is relatively large, and a relatively low temperature processing liquid is supplied to a position where the film thickness before processing is relatively small. The etching amount of the thin film formed on the surface of the substrate W relatively increases at a position where a high temperature processing liquid is supplied, and relatively decreases at a position where a low temperature processing liquid is supplied. Therefore, the thickness of the thin film after processing is made uniform.

  Two or more of all the aforementioned configurations may be combined. Two or more of all the above steps may be combined.

1: Substrate processing apparatus 11: Spin chuck (substrate holding unit)
26A-26D: 1st-4th nozzle 27: Nozzle main body 28: Arm part 29: Tip part 33: Nozzle head 34: Slit discharge port 41: Chemical liquid tank 42: Chemical liquid flow path 43: Upstream heater 45: Supply valve 47: Supply channel 48A: first upstream channel (main upstream channel)
48B: 2nd upstream flow path (sub upstream flow path)
48C: 3rd upstream flow path (sub upstream flow path)
48D: 4th upstream flow path (sub upstream flow path)
48d: downstream end of upstream flow path 51: discharge valve (downstream switching unit)
52: Collective flow path 53: Downstream heater 54: Return flow path 55: Return valve (downstream switching unit)
A1: rotation axis Dr: radial direction W: substrate W1: width of slit discharge port

Claims (4)

A substrate holding unit that rotates around a vertical rotation axis passing through the center of the substrate while holding the substrate horizontally;
A treatment liquid supply that includes a supply flow path, a plurality of upstream flow paths, a plurality of downstream heaters, a collecting flow path, and a slit discharge port, and supplies a treatment liquid to a substrate held by the substrate holding unit Including the system,
The supply channel is branched into the plurality of upstream channels, and guides the processing liquid toward the plurality of upstream channels,
The plurality of upstream flow paths include a plurality of sub-upstream paths having a plurality of sub-downstream ends arranged in a plan view in a radial direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, and closer to the rotation axis than the plurality of sub-downstream ends. A main upstream flow path having a main downstream end disposed;
The plurality of downstream heaters are respectively connected to the plurality of sub-upstream flow paths, and the temperature of the processing liquid supplied to the plurality of sub-downstream ends increases the distance from the rotation axis to the sub-downstream end. Heating the treatment liquid flowing through the plurality of sub-upstream channels so as to increase in accordance with
The collective flow path is connected to the plurality of sub-upstream flow paths,
The slit discharge port is connected to the collective flow path at a position downstream of the plurality of sub-upstream flow paths, and has a diameter between a central portion of the upper surface of the substrate and a peripheral edge portion of the upper surface of the substrate in plan view. A substrate processing apparatus, which has a slit shape extending in a direction, and discharges the processing liquid supplied from the collecting channel toward the upper surface of the substrate.   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the slit discharge port extends in a radial direction from a central portion of the upper surface of the substrate to a peripheral portion of the upper surface of the substrate in a plan view.   3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a width of the slit discharge port is smaller than a width of the sub-downstream end of the sub-upstream channel in a plan view. The processing liquid supply system further includes a plurality of return flow paths and a downstream switching unit,
The plurality of return channels are respectively connected to the plurality of sub-upstream channels at positions downstream from the plurality of downstream heaters,
The downstream switching unit includes a discharge state in which the processing liquid supplied from the supply flow path to the plurality of upstream flow paths is supplied to the slit discharge port, and is supplied from the supply flow path to the plurality of upstream flow paths. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing liquid is switched to any of a plurality of states including a discharge stop state in which the processing liquid is supplied to the plurality of return flow paths.

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